This is one of the reasons I think ‘independent’ research is valuable, even if it isn’t immediately obvious from a research output (papers, for example) standpoint.
That said, I’ve definitely had the thought, “I should niche down into a specific area where there is already a bunch of infrastructure I can leverage and churn out papers with many collaborators because I expect to be in a more stable funding situation as an independent researcher. It would also make it much easier to pivot into a role at an organization if I want to or necessary. It would definitely be a much more stable situation for me.”(And I also agree that specialization is often underrated.)
Ultimately, I decided not to do this because I felt like there were already enough people in alignment/governance who would take the above option due to financial and social incentives and published directions seeming more promising. However, since this makes me produce less output, I hope this is something grantmakers keep in consideration for my future grant applications.
This is one of the reasons I think ‘independent’ research is valuable, even if it isn’t immediately obvious from a research output (papers, for example) standpoint.
That said, I’ve definitely had the thought, “I should niche down into a specific area where there is already a bunch of infrastructure I can leverage and churn out papers with many collaborators because I expect to be in a more stable funding situation as an independent researcher. It would also make it much easier to pivot into a role at an organization if I want to or necessary. It would definitely be a much more stable situation for me.”(And I also agree that specialization is often underrated.)
Ultimately, I decided not to do this because I felt like there were already enough people in alignment/governance who would take the above option due to financial and social incentives and published directions seeming more promising. However, since this makes me produce less output, I hope this is something grantmakers keep in consideration for my future grant applications.