Academician

"Academicians are the life's blood of not just the institutions of higher learning, but of research and development at all levels of government, universities, and corporations. Of course, my dear students, I am biased. Please follow the SolarNet link I'm sending to your datapads, and we'll get started and who knows. Maybe you'll be the next to make a major discovery."
~Academician Turley Petrova, Academy of Uranus, Lecture 4, Contributions of the Wise

Educated Educators

Academicians are those who graduated from one of the Great Universities and never really left the profession of higher learning. They tend to alternate between teaching, pursuing research projects, and performing on the lecture circuit. They have a revered place in soceity among some, though there's a wariness to it; a holdover from times past when the Academies of Jupiter and Uranius ran their respective planets as independent fiefdoms, with sometimes murderous results.

Research and Development

Academicians get jobs in four ways; working for universities, working in the public sector on government research projects, working for the R&D departments of corporations, or going freelance. In all cases Academicians strive to advance knowledge in their field or fields of study.

The Smart Set

In times past, Academicians were monstrous. They vivisected dissidents, tested the limits of human endurance, and experimented with mind control. Though these 'rights' and privileges were taken from them, the vague memory of brilliant, cold, and dangerous minds still taints the profession. It doesn't help that some Academicians are clearly nostalgic for the time that scientific advancement took precedence over the individual "Nescients." Most, however, are more forward looking and simply want to advance human knoweldge. The template provided is for a fresh-faced Academician, right out of their higher education, filled with a baseline of skills in their field and saddled with significant student debt.

Template - Academician, 25 points

Disadvantages

Debt (Student Loan, 5%) -5 points

Primary Skills, 20 points:

Research (A) IQ+1 4 points, and any two of: Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Bioengineering (any), Biology (any), Chemistry, Computer Programming, Economics, Expert Skill (any), Engineer (any), Geography, Geology, Mathematics (any), Metallurgy, Paleontology (any), Physics (any), Psychology, or Sociology – all are (H) IQ+1 8 points.

Secondary Skills, 5 points:

Teaching (A) IQ-1 1 point, Writing (A) IQ-1 1 point; one of: Cartography (A) IQ-1 1 point, Electronic Operation (Scientific, Sensor, or Sonar) (A) IQ-1 1 point or Photography (A) IQ-1 1 point; and one of: Hazardous Materials (any) (A) IQ 2 points, Scuba (A) IQ 2 points, Survival (any) (A) Per 2 points, or Vacc Suit (A) DX 2 points.

Background Skills, 5 points

Computer Operation (E) IQ 1 point, First Aid (E) IQ 1 point, Public Speaking (A) IQ-1 1 point, Scrounging (E) Per 1 point, Swimming (E) HT 1 point.

Type

Research / Scientific