One of our PIs wants to sponsor an application for a postdoctoral
fellowship.  The fellow she wants to sponsor holds a Ph.D. and has
worked in another faculty member's lab since 1987 as a "Research
Associate."  That is the title our institution's payroll system assigns
to postdoctoral fellows, and the present head of her laboratory has
listed her as a postdoctoral fellow on grant applications for her entire
tenure.  Since the present head is leaving our school in 1998, she's
looking for a position in another laboratory.  I have a number of
questions about this transaction.

1. Postdocs are trainees, and as such earn much less than faculty
members.  Is it abusive to employ a Ph.D.-holder year after year as a
trainee, at a trainee's salary?

2. Is it deceptive to describe a person who has worked for, say, 10
years in  postdoctoral positions, as a trainee to research sponsors?

3.  Or are these practices part of the free market--if she wants to work
at that salary, with that title,  and sponsors buy the idea that she's a
trainee, the matter is closed.

4.  Why are the postdocs who lead such careers always--at our school, at
least--foreign-born?

--
Peter J. Dolce, Ph.D., Director
Office of Research Support Services
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN  37208
P (615) 327 6703
F (615) 327 6738