Monthly Archives: July 2016

Self promotion

Posted on 31 July 2016 by Erika Cule

Self-promotion via Bad Science Jokes I do find the trope that women do not self-promote tiresome. If I self-promote, does this mean that I am not a woman? It is not in my nature to do disco moves in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Meta, self-promotion; women in science, Women in science | Comments Off on Self promotion

Being Stern about Portability

Posted on 28 July 2016 by Athene Donald

Most people seem to think the Stern Review of the REF (Building on Success and Learning from Experience), published today, has done a fine job, with (if my Twitter stream is to be believed) the exception of the issue of … Continue reading →

Posted in ECRs, Lord Stern, REF, Research, research outputs | Comments Off on Being Stern about Portability

Keeping Track

Posted on 24 July 2016 by Athene Donald

I am a great believer in Post-it notes.  Every room in which I work (perhaps embarrassingly there are three: in the Department, the College and my home in the Master’s Lodge) has torn off Post-it notes scattered around and a … Continue reading →

Posted in office tidiness, post-it notes, Science Culture, to do list | Comments Off on Keeping Track

Why Side-line the Women?

Posted on 20 July 2016 by Athene Donald

‘I bumped into my supervisor on the stairs when I was with X [my fellow postdoc]. I might as well have been invisible, he didn’t address a word to me. It really hurt.’ So wrote a young female postdoc during … Continue reading →

Posted in job share, mommy track, motherhood, part-time, Women in science | Comments Off on Why Side-line the Women?

Politicians, Leadership and Academia

Posted on 14 July 2016 by Athene Donald

We now have a new Prime Minister. A woman. I well remember  a young relative saying to me as Margaret Thatcher stood down ‘Was it possible to have a male prime minister?’ Well yes, and history tells us this is … Continue reading →

Posted in emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, leadership, Science Culture, TEF | Comments Off on Politicians, Leadership and Academia

Paid overtime for post-docs? Implications!

Posted on 13 July 2016 by Steve Caplan

A new rule issued by the US Department of Labor, scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 1, 2016, is likely to have a major impact on the structure of the biomedical research enterprise in this country. This rule, which … Continue reading →

Posted in biomedical research, funding, grant, lab, labor, NIH, overtime, post-doc, post-doctoral fellow, postdoctoral fellow, principal investigator, Research, salary, science, stipend, wages | Comments Off on Paid overtime for post-docs? Implications!

Dressing for Success?

Posted on 9 July 2016 by Athene Donald

Women’s attire is so often the focus of media attention. I expect the relative merits of Andrea Leadsom’s and Theresa May’s wardrobes will be dissected as front page news for weeks, along with Angela Eagle’s. Focus on the importance of … Continue reading →

Posted in job interviews, professionalism, Science Culture, suits, Women in science | Comments Off on Dressing for Success?

Pride and Prejudice and journal citation distributions

Posted on 6 July 2016 by Stephen

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a researcher in possession of interesting experimental results, must be in want of a journal with a high impact factor. It is also true – and widely understood – that journal impact factors … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic publishing, Citation distributions, impact factor, Open Access, scientific publishing | Comments Off on Pride and Prejudice and journal citation distributions

Science Funding from Europe and Commissioner Moedas

Posted on 1 July 2016 by Athene Donald

I went to Brussels this week for a Plenary meeting of the European Research Council’s Scientific Council. It was a strange week to go. As I sat on Eurostar and stared out at the passing countryside I strongly felt, what … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, ERC, funding, Research, Science Funding | Comments Off on Science Funding from Europe and Commissioner Moedas