Individual development plans or IDPs—multi-part worksheets that help junior researchers asses their skills and map out possible career paths—are often touted as valuable training tools. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, “strongly encourages” IDPs for all graduate students and postdoctoral researchers funded through the agency, and many US institutions have made them mandatory. Read more
More than 40% of respondents to the voluntary survey had anxiety scores in the moderate to severe range, and nearly 40% of respondents showed signs of moderate to severe depression. Both rates were more than six times greater than those found in the general public using the same standardized questionnaires. Read more
I don’t see a lot of scientists taking advantage of the gig economy yet. People earning graduate degrees or working on postdocs are so focused on those immediate challenges, and most advisers don’t want them to work outside the lab. Read more
Scientists across the United States are just now returning to their labs after a weekend of marching, waving signs and, in many cases, wringing out rain-soaked lab coats. The steady rain that fell Saturday, 22 April, on the March for Science in Washington DC didn’t dampen participants’ enthusiasm for standing up for “science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest,” to quote the March for Science website’s mission statement. Read more
The study, published online in March in Research Policy, found high levels of mental distress among students. More than half of respondents reported at least two mental-health symptoms in recent weeks, and 32% reported four or more symptoms. Common complaints included feelings of constant strain, unhappiness, worry-induced sleep problems, and an inability to enjoy everyday activities. Read more
Jungwoo Ryoo, Pennsylvania State University … Read more
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