> I see a lot of graduate students complaining about how difficult it is to get hired into a Faculty position these days, how difficult it is to get research gr

> I see a lot of graduate students complaining about how difficult it is to get hired into a Faculty position these days, how difficult it is to get research grants, how difficult it is to get published in a decent journal. Not to be TOO much of a grumpy old man, but like any highly skilled endeavour, __it should be difficult__. 10,000 hours and all that. (my emphasis). If we're talking about should, then I think society should place more importance on research -- it provides significant long-term value to society -- and this should translate into more funding for research, and more research positions being available. That is, it should be easier to get a research position.