[Beowulf] a postdoc in Canada

[Prentice Bisbal]

Jim Lux wrote:
> Quoting "f.costen at cs.man.ac.uk" <fumie.costen at manchester.ac.uk>, on Tue
> 25 Mar 2008 04:21:54 AM PDT:
> 
>> Dear All,
>>
>> One of my friends is looking for a person
>> who can take up a postdoc for one year in Canada
>> ( 1500 canadian dollars  including tax per month )
>> This may be able to be extended subject to
>> successive grant availability.
> 
> Just curious, since I'm not in academia, but is this a typical
> compensation ($18,000/yr).  Is this for a full time job? Or is the
> person going to be out getting some other funds, and the subject
> research is just part of their overall work.  Or do they get some other
> stipend/living allowance.  (Here in California, this would be just about
> minimum wage: $8/hr = $16k/yr)
> 

As someone who works in academia and has interacted with postdocs from
time-to-time, that sounds right. Some consider postdoc positions to be
legalized slavery. You're supposed to work for the honor of working with
a great researcher and doing great work, and getting "an education" at
the same time. Who needs money when you can have that? ;-)

I was once working for an extremely wealthy commercial company (a big
oil co. Need I say more?) And I met a postdoc there. It was his 3rd or
4th postdoc in a row, and he was living at just about the poverty level
while working for one of the richest companies in the world.

Prentice