Does pursuing commercial interests hinder an academic career?

A new study appears to show that researchers in the physical sciences are more likely to view commercially driven research as a hindrance to their academic careers than those working in life sciences or engineering.

Participating in commercial activity can be benefit scientists in a number of ways. It could increase the societal impact of a researcher’s work, or purely be a rewarding intellectual challenge. Beyond this, filing patents can also be a way for researchers to bring in more money and improve their reputations. But pursuing this work can also come at a cost – more time spent on commercial projects means time away from traditional academic research.