Slashdot Mirror
Industrial Labs that Still Do Fundamental Research
An anonymous reader asks: "I am a graduate student of Mechanical Engineering at a reputed University in the United States. I have had a lot of fun working towards my PhD. I have published papers and done exciting research. I should be finishing up in the next few months or so, but I would like to continue doing the same kind of work that I am doing now. One option would be to take up a post-doctoral research appointment and find myself a faculty position. I am somehow not attracted to this option because of the tenure and grant pressure. My ideal job would be in something like the Bell Labs of yester-years. Do you know of labs that have that kind of environment? National labs are supposed to have such an atmosphere, but my stint in one of them makes me think otherwise. Google does seem to have such an environment but I am not a CS person. Does Slashdot know of labs where basic research in applied engineering is still done in the US, without the pressure of money and immediate results?"
A future researcher asking Slashdotters where he/she should do research. Shudder....
I do like programming things that work super quickly, especially when they work super quickly, super quickly.
Not sure why you consider MS research all that respected. It has just recently got going. Other than buying up folks, it really does not have that much going for it. I would have to say that based on the quality and quantity of patents that have been grinding of there, that they are simply looking for anything, and not worried about quality.
I myself would not be too interested in somebody from there. Now, IBM is a different matter.
Seriously, that is the type of job that you have described. No pressure, a decent salary and benefits, doing research that no one pays outside of your department pays any attention to. And w/a Ph.D.--hell, you're a shoe-in. Talk about job security! It would also fit in beautifully w/your writing skills!