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Author Archives: Athene Donald
Accrual of Disadvantage
Another year, another International Women’s Day. Sometimes I get frustrated that so much action happens on this one day of the year, and isn’t distributed uniformly throughout, so that the discussions, the highlighting, the signposting – all those necessary actions … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in citations, CVs, Equality, Matilda effect, student assessments, Unconscious bias, Women in science
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A University Education and a Lifetime of Debt
Finally, the response to the Augar Review, for which we have been waiting for the rather splendid number of 1001 days, has been released. I will not accuse the Government of choosing a good day to bury bad news, because … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Augar Review, careers, education, Further Education, Levelling Up, lifetime loan entitlement
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In Academia, Pats on the Back are Rare
How are you doing? I don’t mean either mentally or physically, but are you keeping up with the Jones’? Are you doing as well as you should for the stage of career you’re at, and how do you know? The … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in appraisal, mentors, Science Culture, support
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Let’s Hope We Can All Stick to Science
There was a collective sigh of relief when it was announced that the UK would commit to Association for Horizon Europe. We knew the details had to be worked out, but we assumed the commitment was as good as a … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in ERC, Horizon Europe, Science Funding, Switzerland
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Getting the Skills Right for Successful Levelling Up
We await the Levelling Up White Paper. It is not easy to read the tealeaves of this turbulent political time to work out when the delay is likely to be terminated, although the last rumour I heard has it down … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in A levels, Core Maths, education, michael gove, qualifications, technicians
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Strong Women, Wise Words
Today I read two interviews with academic leaders, strong women both working in decidedly male-dominated fields. Their experiences are salutary and their advice worth taking to heart, much of it applying regardless of gender. Firstly, and more famously at least … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in economics, luck, Minouche Shafik, Rama Govindarajan, Science Culture, Women in science
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Unconscious Bias 2.0
‘Unconscious bias’ has become very much part of the conscious process that many organisations try to bring to bear on their decision-making, be it with regard to promotions or appointments. However, what do they mean by it and how do … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in appointment committees, CV, Equality, promotion, publishing, Science Culture, Women in science
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Cynical and Irritable
‘This is not an era in which good things are taken at face value. We are cynical, irritable and tired, and if there is a bad intention to be read into anything, someone will scratch away at it until they … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in committees, pandemic, resilience, Science Culture
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Scientists Who Stand Up to be Counted
In the UK the pandemic is rushing towards its second anniversary, changing, but no less dangerous for the life we used to think was ‘normal’, and indeed our very lives. During this time, as a scientist I have had confidence … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in abuse, Communicating Science, David Spiegelhalter, Devi Sridhar, pandemic, Sander van der Linden, Science Culture
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Self Confidence Amidst a Pandemic
I am sure readers share my gloom at the necessity of re-introducing tighter restrictions in our lives as Omicron spreads. It’s almost two years since the virus first swam into public view in the UK, twenty-one months since academics rapidly … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Communicating Science, ECRs, Omicron, Science Culture, seminars, webinars, Zoom
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