There’s COVID-19 research, and then there’s meta COVID-19 research–that is, research about research in the era of COVID-19. Scientists, specifically principal investigators, were surveyed about time spent on various job activities. No one will be surprised to learn that productivity has been lost, particularly in disciplines dependent on shared equipment and/or student labor. Likewise, it is not shocking to discover that parents who have to care for small children are disproportionately affected. It’s good to confirm these things; the world can defy expectations sometimes. More importantly, it is good to quantify them so that efforts to intervene and remediate disparities can be assessed for effectiveness.
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science career
Science Corner: Lab Girl
I enjoy spending time in the lofty realm of scientific concepts, but it’s important to remember that science is also a very concrete, human activity that occurs in specific contexts. The particulars of those contexts can strongly shape the practices and outcomes, no matter how we might wish that science is a purely democratic, egalitarian pursuit of truth (or Truth). This interview of A. Hope Jahren, author of Lab Girl, was a striking reminder of those human elements. As the piece notes, Jahren is not typical of scientists who get book deals, but her experience is probably more typical of what a scientific career will look like than those of Nobel laureates. As such, the interview is a worthwhile read for anyone considering a science career (and the book probably is as well; I’ll have to circle back on that one).
Partly because of my chosen fields of study (biology & public health), I’ve had the privilege of being taught by and working with many scientists who were women — including my first PI during a pre-college summer job, the dean of my undergrad college, the chair of my grad department, and a number of memorable classroom instructors. So many of them were highly respected as scientists that it never occurred to me at the time to think about whether they had faced discrimination or harassment in the way that Jahren describes. Unfortunately, I’ve since read enough stories like Jahren’s to appreciate just how common such treatment is.
The other striking part of the interview is the story of Bill Hagopian, Jahren’s long-time collaborator and technician. Stories about how science gets done rarely mention folks like Bill. The standard narrative includes the faculty who get all the credit, the grad students who do all the work, and sometimes the post-docs who really do all the work and fix everything that the others mess up. Rarely do you hear about folks like Bill, career scientists with decades of experience who are just as intelligent and capable as anyone else in their field but perhaps less interested in lecturing (they likely do plenty of informal teaching in their labs) or politics. When I was a grad student, our lab had Tim Shields, an expert on geographic data. Given the opportunity to tell her own story as an underrepresented voice in popular science discussions, it’s humbling to see Jahren also make an effort to lift up other underrepresented voices.
Science Reader Question: And You Are… ?
I’d love to know more about your career journey. Are you working in academia or do you have what is currently called an alt-ac (alternative to academia) career? How did you get there?
I touched on this briefly in my very first post 3 years ago, in a fairly obtuse way. I mentioned some more details while discussing the topic of private sector careers. But given how much I focus on esoteric science, and given how popular practical, career-oriented posts are on this blog, I think a more straightforward answer to this question wouldn’t go amiss. Plus, as they say in the comic book biz, every issue is somebody’s first!
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Call for Science Career Questions
Are you an emerging scholar in the sciences looking for someone to answer your questions about graduate school, career choices, life/work balance, and more?
Members of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), an association of Christians in science, would love to explore your questions on the ESN blog and then continue the conversation at ASA’s new Nexus Forums. Email ESN with questions and we’ll pass them on.
To get a free Student Basic membership to ASA, click here.
Resources for Postdocs: Follow-up to “Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences”
As I think about my journey through graduate school and the crazy world of postdoc-dom (postdoc-ship?), a few things keep coming to mind. These verses from Ephesians 3 (ESV, emphases mine)Â have been such an encouragement, and are my prayer for those of you who are beginning or in the midst of your postdoc journey.
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
It is easy to get caught up in the pursuit of knowledge and achieving success despite high costs to yourself, to your family, or to others. I pray that you would be strengthened in your journey through the power of the Spirit, and that you would be deeply grounded in the love of Christ which surpasses any knowledge that you might receive or generate during your years as a postdoc. Be encouraged, and I hope that the following additional resources will be informative and helpful along the way!
Resources:
1) National Postdoctoral Association: The NPA is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization that seeks sustainable change and improvement for the postdoctoral experience through collaboration with all stakeholders. The NPA’s key program activities are focused in three key areas: Advocacy and Education, Resource Development, Community Building.
Develops policy recommendations for institutions, such as: Family friendly policies, maternity leave, Postdoctoral training, etc. . . .
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