> it seems just about everybody who's been in or around a PhD program agrees it's a miserable institution
I disagree, quite strongly in fact. But my experience is not with US PhD programs, which is what discussions here often center upon.
As for working on research outside of pursuing a PhD: one option is to become a scientific programmer. Typically, you'd work on helping to execute the research, without the pressures of having to publish.
Of course, your "clients" do have that pressure, but your job typically is to Make It Happen, explain why it can't, and find crafty workarounds to Make It Sorta Happen Anyway.
I disagree, quite strongly in fact. But my experience is not with US PhD programs, which is what discussions here often center upon.
As for working on research outside of pursuing a PhD: one option is to become a scientific programmer. Typically, you'd work on helping to execute the research, without the pressures of having to publish.
Of course, your "clients" do have that pressure, but your job typically is to Make It Happen, explain why it can't, and find crafty workarounds to Make It Sorta Happen Anyway.