Most recent notices

• Blogging women in science

  Date:

  02 March 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  I have an unrequited electronic crush on Miss Prism.

  But enough about me. Instead, more about why I like her, which is that she writes articulately about being a female scientist and links to sites such as the first Scientiae Women in Science carnival.

  As she says, Go there and read everything!

• Everlasting fame

  Date:

  28 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  It’s not hard to be better looking than I am. And if you are, you stand a decent chance on Famelab...

  Heats are in London, Cardiff, Plymouth, York, Glasgow, Oxford and Belfast over the next couple of months. Here’s the schedule and here’s the blurb:

  FameLab is a national competition based on science communication aimed at individuals early- and mid-career scientists (over 21) currently researching or working in science or engineering and sponsored by NESTA

  The aim of the competition is to encourage scientists to inspire and excite the public imagination with a vision of science in the 21st century. It is a search for the new voices and faces of UK science and engineering who will be able to develop their ideas and presentation skills for an adult audience.

  Competitors present a topic for just 3 minutes and a panel of judges assess each on content (accuracy and suitability), clarity and charisma.

  Entry is easy competitors just turn up at one of the regional heats and present any scientific topic to a panel of expert judges. No need to apply before the day of the audition, but are strongly encouraged to register for email updates.

  There are Prizes too:

  Weekend Masterclass
  The finalists and reserves that are chosen from the regional heats will win a residential weekend masterclass in science communication. Here, you will work with TV producers, journalists, science communicators and media trainers.

  You will be able to develop your media and presentation skills, get a behind-the-scenes insight into TV production, deconstruct science presentations and work with the team to develop an idea you can take forward for television or a series of talks.

  Prizes for the winner and runners-up
  The overall NESTA FameLab winner chosen at the final in Cheltenham will receive £2000 and a two-week internship with Channel 4. Two runners-up will each receive £750.

  With the British Council there is also a programme of appearances for the winner and runners-up that may involve travelling abroad to represent UK science and technology.

  Just for taking part…
  They are building a database of talented communicators so entrants could still make some very useful contacts and will also be able to take part in a mini-masterclass on the day of the heat, in which they will learn presentation and communication skills from an expert trainer (thanks to Research Councils UK).

• Jobs fairs

  Date:

  28 February 2007

  Comments:

  1 comment

  I’m not sucking up to our hosts, really, but have a think about going to this career fair...

  I spoke at something similar in Manchester a while back and, my talk excepted, it was way better than I thought it would be.

  I was crap, obviously.

• On hold

  Date:

  28 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  I’m off to France ‘til the weekend (day job; they’ve got lovely seaweed over there). More about MyExperiment when I get back (and that’s not a mistype)...

• UK Research Integrity Office

  Date:

  27 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  The UK Research Integrity Office was founded last year. You can read about its launch here

  In a nutshell, this was set up in the wake of things like the Hwang Woo-Suk cloning cock-up and aims to act as an advisory service for universities wanting to know how to go about investigating scientific misconduct. Their initial focus will be misconduct in medical research, so all of you out there who think it’s a scandal that the CK boundary is 10 million years out of kilter will just have to wait your turn…

  I just made that up as an example, by the way.

  Anyway, their Director has been in touch and would like to know if we could suggest ways in which potential whistleblowers could be supported. Whistleblowers are often young scientists within a lab, whose own careers can be adversely affected by accusing their superiors, hence his asking. Ideally we’d come up with some suggestions as to how suspicions of misconduct could be reported without risking our careers. How would we feel comfortable reporting misconduct, that sort of thing.

  Would any of you be interested, perhaps as a small group, in drawing up a brief report (maybe 2 sides or so)? If so, drop me a line!

• Blogs and blogging

  Date:

  26 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  Read these blogs by young researchers; they’re very good:

  Miss Prism
  Post Doc ergo Propter Doc
  Unbearable
  Highly Allochtonous
  Marie Curie

• London Biotechnology Network

  Date:

  26 February 2007

  Comments:

  2 comments

  For all you budding Alan Sugars out there, I’ve had a flyer for the London Biotechnology Network

  Addressing London’s Assets and Hurdles in Life Science Sector Development

  London trains some 39,000 life science and healthcare-related graduates and PhDs each year. Far exceeding the North West region, its closest comparable. This provides a very exciting opportunity for London’s companies, researchers, HEIs and other stakeholders if they wish to grasp the opportunity.

  Leveraging the successful track record of the London Biotechnology Network, Career Track will undertake a range of activities to address:

  · Skills gaps seen by London’s life science companies when recruiting staff at all levels

  · Hurdles faced by London’s life scientists when seeking employment in the life science sector, whether as scientists, in roles away from the laboratory bench and those bio-entrepreneurs wishing to start their own companies.

  · Business creation through ensuring London’s bio-entrepreneurs are well connected to the research, investment, professional services and management pools London now has to offer in this sector.

  · The Academia-Industry interface will be enhanced through London’s emerging career academics acquiring a better understanding of the issues their potential industrial partners/sponsors face. A properly networked London life science cluster in the proposed here will lead to an increase in the quantity and quality of later interactions at this interface.

  · Diversity of London’s life science sector will be targeted through specific goals of engagement with those communities under-represented currently.

  Activities of LBN Career Track

  The above goals will be achieved through a combination of the following activities that will be delivered by LBN:

  · Bio-Business Taster Evenings: Run very much on the model of current Bio-Wednesdays but selecting topics and targeted promotional strategies that provide young scientists and entrepreneurs with the opportunity to acquire the wider skills often deemed as lacking by employers

  · Mentoring: rather than recruit researchers onto full training courses, although some may wish to pursue these after an introduction to the sector, LBN Career Track will link those commencing their career paths with industry and academic leaders in their sphere of interest. The target would be that the pair will meet, perhaps over lunch/dinner, a minimum 4 times a year to discuss what additional skills the younger professional should acquire, who else the mentor could introduce them to and general discuss career paths and options

  · Employment Exchange: The opportunity for member employers and potential employees to be brought together through exhibition and presentation at events and an on-line section of the LBN web site

  · Careers Conference: Together with the key partners, Nature a stand alone conference promoting career choices for life scientists will be developed in London in 2007.

  To find out more about LBN Career Track and how you can get involved in one of the most vibrant life science communities in the world, contact Tony Jones on tjones(at)london-first.co.uk

• Funding coming up

  Date:

  26 February 2007

  Comments:

  1 comment

  For those of you looking for funding, the call for Marie Curie Fellowships is due to be announced very soon and details of application workshops can be found here

  If you’re not sure what Marie Curie Fellowships are, they’re independent Fellowships funded by the EU (as opposed to the Royal Society or the Research Councils, for example). The ‘catch’ is that they’ll only fund people who are willing to move countries, but they’re a good step on the path to a scientific career and the food’s better in France anyway. More details can be found here

  Deadlines for the Leverhulme Fellowships are also coming up (13th March, as I recall). More details here

• Eurodoc 2007

  Date:

  22 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  This is coming up and will be hosted in London. Further details can be found on the Eurodoc website

• Foundation for Science and Technology - Young Researcher's Career Paths

  Date:

  22 February 2007

  Comments:

  0 comments

  This was a meeting held on the 7th Feb. Details can be read here