Research funding deficits lead to fewer research grants, but not fewer PhD grads

Early-stage PhDs have long been plagued by hefty workloads, low wages, and uncertain returns on their labor investments, but the struggle seems to be getting more attention in the media lately. The journal Nature dedicated their October 2016 issue to “The Plight of the Young Scientist.” The issue cited ongoing difficulties that early researchers experience with burdensome administrative responsibilities associated with securing funds and chronic disappointment when funding opportunities fall through.

The most recent data from the Higher Education Research Database (HERD) shows a continuing trend of limited funding for university research from the federal agencies. Limited funding not only means restricted growth for the research enterprise, but also that the future of students entering PhD programs and graduating with doctoral degrees, predicated on the ability to secure research funding as tenured professors, has become increasingly murky.

Doctorates being awarded at eight times the rate that faculty positions are created