There are exactly three weeks left in Search for Research and the proposals are fantastic! It’s going to come down to the wire so we’ve listed the top 20 entries to encourage people to vote for proposals they think deserve the money and to inspire them to submit their own ideas. The titles alone could be the names of books, Hollywood movies, kids toys or country songs, and the research proposed is even more interesting!
Flyceum: Your Science. Your Career.
We’re following in the tradition of open discussions among scientists that has resulted in important advances in both science and society.
Search for Research: The Race for a Microgrant is On!
by
Isn’t Reviewing Papers My Boss’ Job?
by
Dear Dora,
My PI asked me to start reviewing papers that are sent to him by journals- is this allowed? Isn’t that part of his job?!
– Suspicious in San Fran, Grad student
Back-of-the-Envelope-Calculations (Should be on the Front of Our Minds)
by
Science is an incredibly precise profession. Adding two, ten, or twenty times the amount of a reagent could be plenty to ruin an experiment. Yet despite the importance of details, calculating everything to the third decimal place can cause us to lose focus of the bigger picture – and losing perspective in science can be a very dangerous proposition.
My Labmates Want Me to Be Their Dealer
by
Dear Dora,
I have a great relationship with my boss, but others in lab aren’t so fortunate. Now, many of them expect me to use my relationship for their benefit (ask him to move group meeting, ask him for a new vacuum pump, etc.). I’ve worked hard to foster the relationship and am not crazy about the idea of doing the labs’ bidding. However, I feel like I’m in a bit of a pickle.
– Anna, Postdoctoral Fellow
Comparing Capillary Cutters for LCMS
by
We know the little things matter in science. In fact, we spend much of our time troubleshooting laboratory techniques to find out exactly which little thing is ruining our experiments. It goes without saying that when working with an instrument as sensitive as a mass spectrometer, subtle differences in sample preparation or instrument tuning may dramatically affect the quality of the results. So when things go wrong, we’re not implying you should put every step under a microscope- but here’s what you may find if you do.
Ten Minutes Separates You From $500!
by
We’re three weeks into Search for Research but it doesn’t end until May 7th, so if you’re wondering if it’s too late to get involved, wonder no more! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to winning a BenchFly Microgrant in no time (translation: do this to win cash money!).
Postdoctoral Stipends, Picking a Lab and the Importance of Good Grades
by
Thanks for all of the great questions! We’re addressing three questions each month, so If you don’t see your question this time, keep an eye out for our future issues where it will likely show up! Send your questions to [email protected].
Dora Farkas is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site.
Their Research is Sexier than Yours
by
It seems that over the course of a graduate degree, not only the grad student, but also his or her environment changes opinion about the decision to go to grad school more often than Madonna reinvents herself. It is hard enough struggling with the question of “what am I doing here” while we watch our friends from undergrad buy homes, cars, travel the world and perhaps even have kids. In the mean time, we live in our sweats and continue to eat Kraft dinner.
The Collision of Science, Music and Theater: John Olson and Gioia De Cari
by
What happens when you put a scientist, mathematician, classical guitarist, playwright, organist, actress, teacher, vocalist and two MIT graduate degrees together in a blender? You get the remarkably talented Olson/De Cari duo. (Yes, duo as in only two people have accomplished all of that…) Combining their love of science and music, the husband and wife team launched the Science/Music Commissioning Project which seeks to advance public understanding and appreciation of science through original music compositions.
Leaving the Academic Path (and Country) to Find A Job
by
Many foreign students and postdocs come to the US to perform their graduate education or postdoctoral research. The move is usually part of a larger career path the individual has mapped out for themselves. But what happens when that plan falls apart and the passion to pursue the original plan fades? Time to make a Plan B. Here’s one story.
