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Author Archives: Athene Donald
Living in Silos
When I first started writing this blog in 2010, I imagined I was going to write about the science that interested me, the latest papers in my field that caught my eye, and specifically highlight the excitement and challenge of … Continue reading Continue reading
When to Say Yes
I’ve been writing this blog for more than fourteen years now, incredible though that sounds, at least to me. I rarely look back at what has gone before and if I do, it’s mainly to check I’m not repeating myself. … Continue reading Continue reading
Invest in Women: Venture Capitalists and Female Entrepreneurs
Back in 2019, The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship was published, spelling out just how bad the environment was for would-be female entrepreneurs. She was blunt in the opening words of her introduction “I firmly believe that the disparity … Continue reading Continue reading
The Importance of Technicians
My last post discussed the ecosystem for those who consider themselves researchers and where it can go wrong if the incentives turn out to be perverse, however logical they seem on the surface. Today I turn to consider the technicians, … Continue reading Continue reading
The Dangers of Brilliance
As the detailed criteria of REF2029 are being worked through, the issue over the research culture part remains unclear. There are those who think research culture is an irrelevance in the pursuit of excellence, that it is a touchy-feely kind … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in economics, education, environment, Equality, philosophy, Science Culture, smart
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Climate Change and Seneca Falls
Those of you familiar with American women’s call for the vote will recognize the name Seneca Falls. It is situated in picturesque upstate New York, near the top of Lake Cayuga, at the bottom of which sit Ithaca and Cornell … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in climate change, Eunice Foote, Peter Stott, Women in science
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Mary Wollstonecraft’s Wisdom
I came to Mary Wollstonecraft late, as it were, not even having come across her name until relatively recently. Perhaps that is a shameful admission, but I think she has become much more visible of late, not least due to … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in careers, Equality, retirement, roles, skills
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Can One Simplify the REF?
The REF is much in the news, with some feathers ruffled by UK Day One’s proposal to simplify the whole process, as detailed in their report Replacing the Research Excellence Framework. I am sure there are academics and administrators up … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in grants, James Wilsdon, research culture, Science Culture, Science Funding, The Metric Tide
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The Path Not Taken
One of the last tasks I did as Master of Churchill College, was to partake in an afternoon’s event as part of their alumni weekend, badged as ‘Arts meet Science’. The first, and more substantial part, consisted of various pieces … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in apprenticeships, broad and balanced, curriculum, decisions, education
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An Anthropological Experiment in Birmingham
I’m not sure that spending my last day as Master of Churchill College at the Conservative Party Conference would have been quite what I expected, but so it was. I was in Birmingham – just as I was in Liverpool … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in apprenticeships, conservatives, David Willetts, education, Robert Halfon, Science Culture, skills
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