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Author Archives: Athene Donald
The Typical Image
In any bit of publicity, imagery is hugely important. What should you choose to illustrate your story? What does a typical audience look like? As a microscopist, I know all about the challenges of finding a ‘typical image’.
Posted in electron microscopy, Equality, gender balance, publicity material
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Getting the Balance Right
Without much fanfare, the allocations across the different research councils have just been announced until the end of the current spending round. What processes went into making decisions about the distribution between the different research councils is not obvious, or … Continue reading
Posted in Biomedical Bubble, Commons Science Select Committee, James Wilsdon, Research, Richard Jones, Science Funding, Strength in Places Fund, UKRI
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What makes for a Toxic Environment?
Toxic atmospheres have been in the news recently in the wake of an NHS report on a low-performing cardiac unit in London. All the articles I’ve read on this are short on detail of what actually happened. ‘Dark forces’ are … Continue reading
Posted in competition, Equality, harassment, head of department, Science Culture, working environment
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Diversity in the HE Sector
When I was a harried mother, trying to maintain some sort of work-life balance while running a research group and keeping family fed and watered alongside my husband, I had no energy left for reading. Aga sagas, chick-lit and general … Continue reading
Posted in David Willetts, education, Further Educcation, higher education, Sam Gyimah
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Are universities finally moving towards their #MeToo moment?
I have been away from my computer for over a week, but while I was away a piece I wrote previously for the Guardian HE Network has appeared regarding sexism in academic science. So, for my latest thoughts on this … Continue reading
Posted in Geoff Marcy, Guardian, sexism, Women in science
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Judging on Potential (or Not)
I was trying to lay my hands on a quote I heard recently on the radio about creativity by Wolfgang von Goethe to kickstart this blogpost, and instead (amongst 100’s of others of his quotes) I came upon this: ‘Girls … Continue reading
Posted in Equality, Goethe, promotion, referees, Royal Society, Women in science
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A Lifetime of Music
It is inevitable that as one gets older the deaths of people who have meant a great deal to you happen more and more often. I have written in the past years about the death of two key mentors of … Continue reading
Posted in Camden School for Girls, education, LSSO, Peter Morgan, viola
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What does the Future Hold for Interdisciplinary Research Funding
UKRI has big shoes to fill. So far it has only just begun to signal its intentions regarding strategic directions: the ‘strategic prospectus’ it published in May was more a road map for developing its strategy than a strategy itself. … Continue reading
Posted in Interdisciplinary Science, refereeing, Science Funding, Strategic Priorities Fund, UKRI
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Anchoring Your Biases
I couldn’t tell you when I last listened to a football commentary on radio or TV (the current World Cup has not caused me to rush to change this), but I don’t need to listen to realise that a statement … Continue reading
Posted in anchoring bias, Equality, unconscious bias training, voice
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Where are the Modest Men?
A hashtag debuting this week has caused quite a stir on Twitter: #immodestwomen. In the wake of a US newspaper deciding not to accord anyone the title of Dr in its articles, unless they were medical doctors, historian Dr Fern … Continue reading
Posted in Amplification, Dr Fern Riddell, Equality, immodest women, mansplaining
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