It is pretty much a one-way street.While it may"be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world,there is very little traffic in the opposite direction.Pay has always been the biggest _ ,as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job.For some industrial scientists,however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations. Helen Lee took a 70%cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge.Her main reason for returning to academia halfway was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions.Some areas of research have few chances of a commercial return,and Lee's is one of them. The powerful effect of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of an occupation.Guy Grant,now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge,spent two years working for a medicine company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher.He took a 30%salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities. Higher up the ladder,where a pay cut is usually more significant,the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive,according to Lee.Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not,such as how to build a multidisciplinary team,manage budgets and negotiate contracts .They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate,says Lee,perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development."Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic occupation.So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent a11 their time on a narrow research project." What was Helen Lee's major consideration when she changed her j ob halfway?
Flexible work hours. Her research interests. Chances of academic accomplishments Her preference for the lifestyle at university