Author Archives: Athene Donald

Where are the Women of Yester Year?

A few weeks ago I wrote about Mary Astell, a woman from the seventeenth century whose interest and reading in natural philosophy/science was, as has recently become clear, much greater than had previously been attributed to her. I am intrigued … Continue reading

Posted in Barbara Strozzi, composers, Equality, Music, Sally Beamish | Comments Off on Where are the Women of Yester Year?

Giving Due Credit

Due Credit When I was setting out as a young PI, the standard thing to do (on acetates, once we’d moved on from 35mm slides) was to acknowledge co-workers – students or postdocs, or wider collaborators – via a simple … Continue reading

Posted in bad behaviour, conferences, Research, Science Culture, whistleblowing | Comments Off on Giving Due Credit

Red Tape

The announcement of a review of bureaucratic red tape in universities may bring either a smile of relief or a hollow laugh. Why are universities (and funding bodies) so entangled in this nasty stuff? Is it because they love to … Continue reading

Posted in Athena Swan, Equality, forms, panels, Science Culture, Science Funding, UKRI | Comments Off on Red Tape

Burnout

As we ‘celebrate’ the anniversary of the UK’s first national lockdown this week, reflection seems in order. Things that seemed unimaginable last March, we now take in our stride, in the sense that we simply get on with them. Coming … Continue reading

Posted in education, kindness, pandemic, Science Culture, Spring | Comments Off on Burnout

How are Universities Supporting Those Worst Affected by the Pandemic?

This pandemic has thrown all kinds of inequalities into sharp focus, ranging from fundamental matters of health and wellbeing to job security. The consequences of all these issues will echo down the years ahead, long after the pandemic is a … Continue reading

Posted in Athena Swan, Equality, Liverpool University, National Academy of Sciences, pandemic, tenure clock, Women in science | Comments Off on How are Universities Supporting Those Worst Affected by the Pandemic?

Women as Natural Philosophers: Choosing to Challenge

When the Royal Society was founded in 1660, its first Fellows would have been known not as scientists, but as natural philosophers. Science and scientists were words that came into common parlance only around two hundred years later. So, the … Continue reading

Posted in Margaret Cavendish, Mary Astell, Rene Descartes, Women in science | Comments Off on Women as Natural Philosophers: Choosing to Challenge

Do You Cope with Office Politics or Leverage them?

In academia, appraisals (call them what you will) get different degrees of serious attention. Equally, people pay more or less heed to them, depending on personal circumstances and whether anything useful is said. However, a recent study shows that, as … Continue reading

Posted in careers, confidence, Equality, feedback, implicit bias, Impostor syndrome, Science Culture, Stereotypes | Comments Off on Do You Cope with Office Politics or Leverage them?

Will ARIA Sing?

The much trailed UK version of ARPA now has a name, and it’s not BARPA or UKARPA, it’s ARIA: the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. Not, note, Innovation but Invention. Is this going to be an important distinction or simply … Continue reading

Posted in ARPA, diversity, high risk, Science Funding, Women in science | Comments Off on Will ARIA Sing?

The Politics of White Lab Coats

Everyone knows what a scientist looks like. The species is easily identifiable because they wear a white lab coat wherever they go. It is almost as if, if you don’t wear a white coat you can’t be a serious scientist, … Continue reading

Posted in funding, Horizon Europe, Prime Minister, Science Culture, Science Funding, vaccination | Comments Off on The Politics of White Lab Coats

Who Has Authority Here?

Jackie Weaver may have become an internet sensation due to her calm handling of a bunch of unruly local councillors, but the behaviour manifest in the viral video is one that many a chair of an academic committee will recognize. … Continue reading

Posted in bullying, chairing, committees, Science Culture | Comments Off on Who Has Authority Here?