returnothejedi

Thank you, this is a great answer. You're right, I should contact a senior academic in my area + field for advice. Sometimes you just don't see the obvious solution :) And thanks for the pointer to independent institutes, I didn't have that on my radar.

The plan is to shortcut past the dreaded PostDoc stage, yes. I realize the hubris but I'd rather try and fail than give up entirely.

Thank you, this is tremendously helpful.

Thank you, but this is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I had several PostDoc offers that I turned down because I'm not interested in moving countries for a temporary position with no immediate prospects. I know this decimates my chances, but there's a part of me that still thinks I might be able to carve out my own way (hence the question).