https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Strickland#Nobel_Prize

Upon receiving the Nobel, many commentators were surprised that she had not reached the rank of full professor. In response, Strickland said that she has "never applied" for a professorship; "it doesn't carry necessarily a pay raise", so she "never filled out the paper work." More simply: "I do what I want to do and that wasn't worth doing."