A crisis of confidence

The United States seems to have a surplus of scientists now. The Editorial in the current issue of the journal Nature says, "With a surfeit of graduates for the available funds, the US scientific endeavour is increasingly losing its lustre as a career choice. The country needs to take stock and plan more carefully for the future."

"A crisis of confidence"
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v457/n7230/full/457635a.html

(cited)
"..There is no doubt that competition can breed excellence, and that agencies should be rigorously selective in their research portfolios. But beyond a certain point, the hyper-competition for grants, publication and tenure hurts everyone --- the individuals involved, the country and science itself. The process ceases to select for only the very best young scientists, and instead starts to drive many of the smartest students out of research entirely. They realize that the risks outweigh the benefits in science and choose alternative careers..."

I Japan, the issue of excess postdocs has been recognized. The top undergraduates prefer to entering business than going academia and the number of doctorates has declined.
In January 2009, the supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 have passed and approved. That contains a budget for the "stabilization of employment of non-regular workers" including postdocs. Following the budget, a government-financed project for career assistance and job placement for postdocs has started at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). This project will promote postdocs to enter businesses; however, no support is offered for researchers struggling to remain in the academia.

According to the Editorial, investigators typically spend some 40% of their working week on grant submittals and other administrative duties.
The Nature News in the same issue profiled two scientists struggling to keep their laboratories going in an extremely tough funding environment. It says, "The battle to keep a lab funded can be long and painful."
"Research funding: Closing arguments"
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090204/full/457650a.html