In many science disciplines it's not uncommon for someone to do two or ever three postdocs while looking for more permanent employment. The underlying cause is

In many science disciplines it's not uncommon for someone to do two or ever three postdocs while looking for more permanent employment. The underlying cause is the same reason people settle for the low pay and poor job security of being an adjunct: there isn't much else you can do, just work hard, hope, and wait. As the article mentions, even if you do grab the brass ring, a lot of your time and energy ends of being spent on writing grants and management. My first job out of college was working for an ecologist. Her entire NSF grant was $70k over 5 years. Out of that she had to pay my room and board at a remote field location as well as my salary. There was almost nothing left over for equipment and supplies. It was always a question whether the money would come through to allow her to continue doing her research.