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I have recently completed a post-doc and am currently unemployed. However, I am doing the same activities as before, mostly writing and publishing papers that resulted from my postdoc. Obviously, I am not getting paid and am not under contract from my previous institution. I am also doing some freelance work, just a few hours a week, for a private company which is however not known in academic circles and is a very small company. So I don't see any large benefit in listing myself as a freelancer for such company. Just listing freelancer people might be wondering what kind of freelance and it would not make sense for academics.

What are my options to show that I am still active in research and that it makes sense for academics reading my CV in a grant application?

Should I list my current position as a "consultant" for my ex-institution? People know that there's not such thing in academia and might be wondering and why I am not a "post-doc".

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    I am curious to see what will the SE:academia world will answer. In real life it is totally acceptable to be unemployed and/or to have short spells working in totally unrelated areas: only rich people can dedicate themselves to the higher good of research and science as unpaid worker for their former professors/supervisors/departments.
    – user149718
    Dec 20, 2021 at 18:02
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    You should not be working for free.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Dec 20, 2021 at 18:13
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    @AzorAhai-him- Completing one's own papers is not "working for free".
    – lighthouse keeper
    Dec 20, 2021 at 18:20
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    @lighthousekeeper It is if you're not getting paid for it.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Dec 20, 2021 at 18:28
  • Are you writing grant applications in order to be employed again by some university in case of success, or are you planning to continue the way it is now?
    – Snijderfrey
    Dec 21, 2021 at 7:52

1 Answer 1

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Independent researcher. Under this label, you can summarize the completion of your own papers from the previous job, and the consulting work.

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  • I am not totally convinced, researcher financed by whom?
    – Herman Toothrot
    Dec 21, 2021 at 8:24
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    @HermanToothrot The word independent spins the fact that one does not have a main employment in a positive way.
    – lighthouse keeper
    Dec 21, 2021 at 8:53

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