Hosted by Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan
The post-PhD world, whether within academia or outside it, can be a bit of a black box. PhD students drowning in their own coursework and research hear whispers of tenure and grant requirements, teaching loads, buying classes, and the confusing possibility of postdoc appointments. Guidance on how and where to apply as well as the advantages of different positions varies from professor to professor, with titles — reader, lecturer, research or teaching professor, principal investigator — varying between institutions, disciplines, and locales. Horror stories of publishing virtuosi applying to dozens of positions and nabbing only two interviews cause commiserative mumblings during conference cocktail hours, leading young researchers to question what chance there may be for their meager accomplishments to wow a hiring committee when such research titans must scramble for gigs.
I was wading into such a scholastic swamp when I heard about the Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF).
As a first-year PhD student with the most superficial understanding of the workings of academia, I jumped at the opportunity to speak to Dr. Amanda Nothaft, who has worked in both the academic world and non-academic research world post-graduation. Because of my considerable temporal distance from the job market, I entered the CEF Fellowship on a sort of fact-finding mission. Over a series of conversations, she illuminated the benefits and pitfalls of both paths with personal stories of endless faculty meetings, surprise legislative consultations, and the intricacies of navigating family life within the constraints of a career.
She answered the questions I would be too afraid to pose in other contexts for fear of seeming too uncommitted, lazy, or uninformed, even volunteering information I had not thought to consider. My notes from our sessions run pages long, covering everything from the day-to-day of many types of research career contexts to the draw and perils of cities across America.
Hearing about Dr. Nothaft’s projects underscored research’s ability to influence actual policy, as her work at Poverty Solutions seeks to ameliorate issues of childhood hunger, economic struggles, and child education in Michigan. Such insights are encouraging, offering an alternative to the narrative that much of research is simply yelling into the void as policymakers and the public alike ignore your findings.
It was this comparison of the many ways one can apply research outside of traditional academic roles that was my most important take-away from the fellowship. Social scientists at universities, research institutes, government agencies, and nonprofits are all scraping away at the major policy questions of our time — what works, how does it work, or how do we get it to work. From our conversations, it appears that modern research methods and concerns are percolating through these various systems, leading to project and data collaborations that can further entwine these worlds and ensure greater productivity and action.
Because I am at most only a quarter done with my doctoral work, the implications of CEF for my career are less imminent than they may become in the coming years. Still, I do find that the waters have become somewhat less muddy, exposing an ecosystem of academic, non-academic, government, and local research with each portion granting scientists the ability to conduct the analyses we need to pursue effective change. In three or so years, I’ll need to look at the conditions of the job market, the state of our nation, and the trends in the justice system and decide where I may best serve reform and scholarship. I imagine that my learnings from the CEF Fellowship and Dr. Nothaft will make that choice much better-informed, whatever my trajectory.
The benefits of CEF for Penn graduate students are overwhelming. Whether you’re set on the ivory tower or ready to get out of dodge the minute your name starts with Doctor, CEF is a wonderful opportunity to ask those burning questions your supervisors may not have the specific experience to answer, or to wade briefly into non-academic waters and take the temperature. Even if you return to the embrace of university careers, your expanded knowledge of the wider field and patterns within it can only buffer your academic journey. Many hosts, including mine, also offer connections to other players in academia and outside. Their role is partially to make those introductions so that you can explore every avenue your curiosity may lead you down.
So much of academic research builds on the data, resources, and ground truths of non-academic organizations and researchers, especially in fields like criminal justice and public policy. Understanding how to handle cooperative projects, which agencies are available for joint work, and the differing day-to-day and expectations between academia and the greater research environ is key not only for students’ personal journeys but also for their access and output. Outside of this fellowship, students may be hard-pressed to hear honest, informed comparisons of different research tracks. Within it, I found candid conversation, revealing insights, and a broader cognizance of the research universe. I thank Dr. Nothaft and the CEF team for a tremendous fellowship experience and encourage any graduate student to take advantage of this rare opportunity!
This fall, we will be featuring blog posts written by PhD students who participated in Career Services’ Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF), a program that helps doctoral candidates explore their career interests through networking opportunities with advanced degree professionals. Click here to learn more about CEF.
