• Question: I always wondered where do scientist get their money for everyday needs like food and rent?

    Asked by kurousagi to Indi, Jarv, John, Ken, Vicky on 19 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Vicky Young

      Vicky Young answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      Hiiii

      We get paid to be scientists! I have a scholarship at the moment which pays me to be a student. This way I can do all my research and pay my rent and buy food. Its not the best pay ever but it is better than nothing!!

      Other scientists who have graduated get paid like any other job. Its paid as part of the by research grants which fund their research. Again its not the best pay but no one in science gets paid very well.

      If you want to be rich when your older become a banker but I promise science is way cooler 😉

    • Photo: John Prytherch

      John Prytherch answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      Science money comes from a lot of different places. In the UK, most of it is awarded by Research Councils (like the Natural Environment Research Council). These are government bodies that use money from tax payers to fund research.

      Scientists aren’t usually employed by the research councils themselves (though I am …) but in most cases are employed by a university or other organisation and have to apply for funding from the research councils. This is a very difficult process and is very competitive!

      Not everyone is funded like this, there are many different ways, but i think in this country this is the most common.

    • Photo: Jarvist Moore Frost

      Jarvist Moore Frost answered on 20 Mar 2012:

      Yeah, we’re paid to do this work, which I always find amazing in itself!
      I’m paid by a university, in turn the money comes from a mixture of research councils and industry, after a successful grant application by my supervisor.

      We don’t have to sleep in the lab & survive off the buffet lunches provided by investment banks, we just do that for fun 🙂

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