In the next few weeks I will embark on a multi-year research program to partially fulfill the requirements of a master's degree and possibly a PhD. I have an adviser whom I'm excited about working with, a low-risk source of industry funding, a specific and impactful topic, and lots of industry experts willing to assist me.
Based on my initial meetings with my adviser, it looks like the approach to my topic will be intricately connected to his areas of expertise (at least at the outset), which is reasonable and seems normal. Again, I'm excited to be working with him on this topic and more than happy to pursue his approach; I currently don't see any reason why we wouldn't work well together long term.
However, I come from industry, where bosses, colleagues, leads, and mentors move around continually. Often, there is only one chance���right about now—in the life cycle of a project to set it up for success in such an environment without a lot of rework.
But perhaps that industry experience won't be as relevant in this case. Tenured faculty tend to move around much less than corporate employees and enjoy more latitude in what they can choose to work on within their current position (I think—maybe there is data on this?). Nevertheless, it nags in the back of my mind that my adviser could at any point unilaterally chose to go somewhere or do something else. So, to the question, should I be concerned about setting up my research program for a possible adviser change even if I have no reason to believe that there will be one? If so, what are some ways I can do that?
Note: "Come from industry" isn't exactly accurate: I'll be maintaining my day job while working on academics consistently but part time. It is highly unlikely that I would uproot my career to move to another institution along with an adviser.