Life in a multidisciplinary government laboratory

That a large government laboratory can also be a great research center is well substantiated. Both applied and fundamental research can flourish in such a center notwithstanding its mission orientation. Just as in the non‐governmental labs, the applied research is often challenging and intellectually stimulating. Sometimes it is pedestrian—a trouble due in part to a civil service system that confers tenure rather prematurely. On the other hand, job security boosts morale and attracts some talented young scientists disenchanted with indefinite postponement of tenure elsewhere. In a highly diversified laboratory, complex scientific problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach can be tackled more efficiently than professional advancement, especially for those having broad training and interests. (Unfortunately, most advertisements for vacant research positions demand a high degree of specialization.) Opportunistic hustling for grants and contracts—a syndrome not unknown to academia and industry—is preval...