Science communication: Science in the media

Posted on 08 Jul 2015 by Julie Gould

Emily Porter shares the top five lessons she learned from a media training workshop with the BBSRC.

Contributor Emily Porter

{credit}Image credit: Getty Images/Mateusz Zagorski{/credit}

Engaging with the media is important and is an effective way of communicating messages to millions of people worldwide. It provides the opportunity to enthuse and inform the public about your research, as well as the potential to create new collaborations, increase funding and add to debates.

These days, to get your research noticed, you need to be proactive. Part of this is getting your science out there using traditional media, such as TV, radio and newspaper but also social media, such as Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and so on.

But where to start? I signed up for a media training day run by the BBSRC, which included practical sessions focussing on writing for the media and dealing with radio interviews, as well as theoretical sessions around social and digital media and working with your press office. Here’s what I found out:

Prepare. Think before you speak. Science journalists often have a reputation (albeit unfair) for reporting science inaccurately. However, a study by Sumner and colleagues, focussing on health related science news and portrayal by the press, found that much of the exaggeration in the media was already present in the press release complied by the research institute itself, based upon information provided by the scientists. Sign up for media training at your university or institute if they offer it. If not, check with your funding body as they may also offer courses to researchers. Continue reading →

The postdoc series: Finding funding

Posted on 30 Mar 2015 by Julie Gould

Becoming an independent researcher in academia is crucial to achieving future success.

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When you start your first postdoc, you often find yourself dependent on your supervisor: the one that provides the funding so that you can do their your research. But as you build up your experience, it’s important to start demonstrating your own independence as a researcher. Doing this whilst working for someone else is not an easy task.

It might sound obvious, but “just being a clone of your PhD supervisor may be a bad strategy,” says Jim Usherwood, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and Reader at the Structure & Motion Laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College in London. You might look up to them and admire their work, but in the end funding agencies will look for innovative applications that demonstrate how you will be doing new research.

But, it’s more difficult than it looks to build up independence without treading on a PI’s toes, especially when you’re hired to work on their research. “I do know there are disciplines where the PI needs/demands postdocs to stay in their field of expertise and put all their time in to the PI’s project,” he says. If that field is expanding and going to continue to expand, then this could be an advantage: at some point a new institution would hire a younger/cheaper duplicate of the PI. “But if not, then you may be competing to step into dead-man’s shoes… and there could be generations ahead of and behind you waiting to take that step.”

Usherwood suggests the following should be done early on in an academic postdoctoral career to build up some autonomy:

Start supervising undergraduate student projects to give you extra time and resources on slightly different projects.
Find out what other areas of interest the PI might have. They might not currently be working on them but they could be willing to discuss opportunities.
Don’t be protective about your ideas. “It’s much better to chat about them and find what has been done before; if the occasional idea gets adopted/swiped along the way, have a new one and believe that there will be important people in the field appreciating your input anyway.”

Once you’ve started developing some of these skills during the first postdoc, it’s time to think about where you could find your own funding. Continue reading →

How to succeed at a career in industry

Posted on 10 Oct 2014 by Julie Gould

L-R: Simon Cutler, Mark Christie, Nessa Carey, Emma Garvey and Ramana Sundara{credit}Annalise Smith{/credit}

Lessons learned from the Naturejobs Careers in industry panel

Contributor Annalise Smith

A love of science, willingness to try something new, forward thinking, planning and discipline were the key tenets of success presented during the Naturejobs Career Expo panel discussion on Careers in Industry. The panel included three prominent scientists who have maintained successful careers in industry, plus a recently minted PhD; it was chaired by: Simon Cutler, Innovation Programme Manager developing collaborative training programs at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

One common theme among the panelists was the importance of passion. “If you find something you love then that’s the first step,” said panelist Mark Christie, a director of Akranim Ltd, who has a PhD in pharmacology. The other speakers echoed this view. Ramana Sundara, manager of external research collaborations at Nestle Product Technology Centre (PTC) in York, UK (PhD in food science), advised attendees to “choose the job you love to do, that way you won’t be working every day.” Nessa Carey, international director of PraxisUnico and visiting professor at Imperial College London (PhD in virology), said “it’s not being successful that makes you happy, it’s being happy that will make you likely to be successful.” Continue reading →

How to be a successful scientist

Posted on 31 Jan 2011 by Rachel Bowden

At a recent scientific careers event in London, University of Kent geneticist Darren Griffin – also a career development fellow for the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) – presented his ten commandments for being a successful scientist in academia. We’ve reproduced them below for your reading pleasure along with further advice that Griffin gave at the event. Have a read and tell us what you think – do you agree with the list? Do any ring particularly true for you? Are there any others you would add? Share your views in the comment box.

Darren Griffin’s ten commandments for succeeding in academia

1. The only way to do good research is to get on with it

“There’s no point having really good ideas if you don’t put them into action,” says Griffin. “Write those grants, write those papers.”

2. When opportunity knocks, open the door

Be prepared to take risks with new ventures: “If there’s an opportunity there for you and it’s in your interests to pursue it, then get on and do it.”

3. With good people you can do anything

Griffin says interacting with his team is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work, and he’s not afraid of high achievers. “You should only take someone on if they can do something you can’t,” he says. “Your whole operation will only grow if you’ve got people who are better than you are, and you shouldn’t be ashamed or insecure about that.”

Man in reflective pose - Punchstock 4. It’s not about your knowledge – it’s about imagination and ideas

Although a certain level of knowledge is essential, Griffin says you can always look up anything else you need to know – what you should focus on is coming up with new ideas. And as well as drawing on the talent in your team, you should also turn to your peers for inspiration. “Science is very much a social activity – you’ve got to get out there, network and have collaborators,” says Griffin.

5. Always bring something to the party

It takes two to collaborate – if you don’t have something to contribute, your partners will move on.

6. It’s not the size of your gun, it’s when you shoot

“It’s a popular misconception that you just throw money and lots of people at an idea and it will work,” says Griffin. Not always true, he says – you need to shoot at the right time to hit the target.

7. If the system doesn’t work for you, change it, do something else or don’t complain

Fairly self-explanatory, this one – be proactive and decisive, because “nobody likes a whinger”.

8. Don’t ask why, ask why not

“If you’re a scientist, do not take no for an answer, because every no is one step closer to a yes,” says Griffin. Be persistent and find out what you need to do to get that yes.

9. The journey is usually far more rewarding than the destination

So remember to enjoy the ride: “It’s such a wonderful thing, being a scientist, because you’re in the process of discovery, and that’s a lot of fun.”

10. Be nice to people

Of all the commandments, Griffin says this is ultimately the most important – not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because you never know when someone will have something that you want.

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