The retirement debate: Stay at the bench, or make way for the next generation

The NIH has noted a decline in the proportion of grants going to younger researches, and a rise in those going to researchers 66 and over. This raises the concern that the availability of grants and jobs for young scientists is limited. This year, the NIH proposed a solution: an ’emeritus’ award to encourage senior scientists to wrap up their research and hand projects over to junior faculty.

Needless to say, this was met with overwhelming disapproval due to its focus on age. Issues faced by aging scientists vary dramatically by country. Most countries have an official retirement age of 60-65. But the average age at which workers leave the workforce varies.

To explore the rules, culture and expectations of retirement, Nature contacted academics in the middle of making their exit. Click here to read more.