Eat. Sleep. Science. Repeat.

A blog for scientists and those interested in becoming scientists. At the bench or away from the bench, basic or translational, Taking submissions for useful info, career questions and advice, and news of interest to scientists. Welcome. (Header photo credit: amsfrank on Flickr via CC BY-SA 2.0.)

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There are many paths that lead to a career in science policy.

Great article on how to get from here to there.

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What matters in a Ph.D. adviser? Here’s what the research says

Supportiveness and working style are key factors for Ph.D. student satisfaction and success

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We Have Ways To Stop Rogue Scientists. They Don’t Always Work.

How do you stop a mad scientist? We’ve been doing it in fiction for centuries. Doctor Faustus was carried off to hell. Pneumonia and an Arctic ice flow ended Vi…

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Higher education in the US is driven by a lust for glory – David Labaree | Aeon Essays

Academic research in the US is unplanned, exploitative and driven by a lust for glory. The result is the envy of the world

Long, but worth it.  

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Plan S: The Ambitious Initiative to End the Reign of Paywalls

A funder-driven push for freely accessible scholarly literature has divided the scientific community.

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How to Moderate a Panel Discussion

Four strategies for creating a better experience.

Now you have to bring order to an unwieldy group of strangers and somehow unify their disparate perspectives into a meaningful conversation.

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Assigning authorship for research papers can be tricky. These approaches can help

From prioritizing equity and consensus to highly quantitative systems, researchers find ways to assign authorship fairly and avert disputes

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Nearly half of US female scientists leave full-time science after first child

Research puts a number on the proportion of people leaving full-time careers in science after the birth of their first child.

More than 40% of women with full-time jobs in science leave the sector or go part time after having their first child, according to a study of how parenthood affects career trajectories in the United States. By contrast, only 23% of new fathers leave or cut their working hours.

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Establishing a healthy relationship with your PI | BEST

Forget everything you know about boss-employee relationships. This one is unique, and should be treated as such. First off, many of the hierarchical workplace rules we’ve come to know and love are the same. For example, you should always be courteous, say “please” and “thank you”, respect your PI’s wishes, and

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Letter to My Younger Self: Advice for Graduate School

Grad school is by far the most difficult journey I've embarked on. While most people struggle with it, it's important to know you're not alone. I've tried to compile a few pieces of advice that I hope you'll find helpful as you navigate grad school.

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Scientists’ salary data highlight US$18,000 gender pay gap

Female PhD recipients in the United States expect to earn less than male colleagues.

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The Career Exploration Funnel | BEST

Early on in graduate school, students are encouraged to throw themselves into their projects, blinding all distractions and proving they are more than capable of producing publishable data. In a previous article, I discussed the dangers of “data-driven blinders” and how it is important for students to schedule time

100% agree:  the best thing you can do for your career is to have many different plans, and many different skills.  Learn to communicate about science to laypeople.  Learn to write (and not just scientific papers).  Learn to code.  Learn to teach.  In undergrad, in grad school, in your postdoc.  They set you apart from everyone ELSE who ALSO knows how to do research.  And you never know when those “soft skills” will be just the thing an employer is looking for.   

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The Jobseeker's Toolkit

I’d like to share my ‘jobseeker’s toolkit’ with you. Although I don’t profess to have distilled the process of job hunting to a fine art, I am a firm believer in working smarter, not harder. As a friend of mine once put it, “This job hunt is like having a second job! I should be paid for this!” If only…

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My first postdoc position was a disaster. This is what I learned

Looking back, this scientist wishes he had moved on much sooner

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Scientists Don’t Stay for Long in Their Jobs Anymore: Study

Plus, more scientists nowadays spend their entire careers in supporting roles, rather than leading their own research programs.

Concentration of scientific (and literal) wealth, anyone?

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A federal judge in Seattle by the Northwest's largest Planned Parenthood group, after the federal...

Whatever your political persuasion, this is good news.  Confidentiality is a key part of any grant application.  When you throw that out the window, you undermine the whole process.

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Grown-Up STEM Programs for the Young at Heart

Because budding scientists come in all shapes and sizes

This is awesome.  Too many science-featured programs only aim at kids.  Adults can benefit even more from science knowledge and the scientific method - it can help them with decisions they make every day.

I just wish that there were more things featured in this list.