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> look for people who have a university affiliation (that isn't just teaching) as a side gig. Can you expand on this? Like people who have full time jobs in pe

> look for people who have a university affiliation (that isn't just teaching) as a side gig. Can you expand on this? Like people who have full time jobs in perhaps a different field but do research on the side using the facilities/resources of a university? If so how does one slide into a gig like that?

something98 2y ago
Having done that, I can answer. I'll be a little vague on the topic to keep some anonymity. Without a plan, per se, I nurtured a burgeoning personal research interest that was well outside my field. The initial hobby was very rudimentary but it gave me enough feedback and fuel that over a number of years I built more advanced software and hardware to investigate it more scientifically. Eventually, having reached the limits of the data I had access to, I reached out to a local university to start a collaboration. If you already have an idea, I think, as long as you're sufficiently interested in actually doing research, you'll be able to find some professor that is as well. On the flip side, I know for a fact that most professors have more research ideas than students, so they can certainly provide you with things to investigate. As a bonus, for the professor, since this is a side gig for you, there isn't an cost for them (or much less of one). Access to facilities and resources depend on the university. But I was certainly surprised by what I was given access to in the service of doing the research.
- zaptheimpaler 2y ago
  Wow ive been hoping to do something very similar! If you're open to chatting a little more, i would love to learn a bit about how you do this - my email is in my profile or i will contact you if you drop an email here.
PaulHoule 2y ago
I work as a software developer at a major research university. I got a PhD there long ago and I've worked in a wide range of jobs ever since including another job at that university. PhD connections helped me get the first job but not my current job. The university hires a large number of people to do everything from food service, building maintenance, the trades, to technical and administrative. All of those employees have a number of privileges such as being able to take a free class every semester (a grad level seminar can open opportunities like nothing else) and if you have flexibility in hours you can go to talks, etc. Let's put it this way. If you can write a (1) good grant proposal with a good chance of getting funded you are required these days to (2) get a professor to be the principal investigator if you want to spend it and I'd say (1) is much harder than (2). Not like it is easy, but it is possible.

something98 2y ago

Having done that, I can answer. I'll be a little vague on the topic to keep some anonymity. Without a plan, per se, I nurtured a burgeoning personal research interest that was well outside my field. The initial hobby was very rudimentary but it gave me enough feedback and fuel that over a number of years I built more advanced software and hardware to investigate it more scientifically. Eventually, having reached the limits of the data I had access to, I reached out to a local university to start a collaboration. If you already have an idea, I think, as long as you're sufficiently interested in actually doing research, you'll be able to find some professor that is as well. On the flip side, I know for a fact that most professors have more research ideas than students, so they can certainly provide you with things to investigate. As a bonus, for the professor, since this is a side gig for you, there isn't an cost for them (or much less of one). Access to facilities and resources depend on the university. But I was certainly surprised by what I was given access to in the service of doing the research.

zaptheimpaler 2y ago
Wow ive been hoping to do something very similar! If you're open to chatting a little more, i would love to learn a bit about how you do this - my email is in my profile or i will contact you if you drop an email here.

PaulHoule 2y ago

I work as a software developer at a major research university. I got a PhD there long ago and I've worked in a wide range of jobs ever since including another job at that university. PhD connections helped me get the first job but not my current job. The university hires a large number of people to do everything from food service, building maintenance, the trades, to technical and administrative. All of those employees have a number of privileges such as being able to take a free class every semester (a grad level seminar can open opportunities like nothing else) and if you have flexibility in hours you can go to talks, etc. Let's put it this way. If you can write a (1) good grant proposal with a good chance of getting funded you are required these days to (2) get a professor to be the principal investigator if you want to spend it and I'd say (1) is much harder than (2). Not like it is easy, but it is possible.