Tag Archives: UK

The competition that likes to say YES!

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Enterprising early career researchers get some high-level mentoring to handle the rough and tumble of the boardroom. David Payne meets finalists in the 21st annual Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES)

Epitome is a Singapore biotech start-up whose product pipeline is based on engineered tail proteins to tackle bacterial diseases. It wants a slice of the US’s $6bn acne market. Epitome’s founders are seeking raise $10m to build a factory where its cosmetic products can be manufactured. Investors will be rewarded with a seat on its board.

The launch team describe the company at a presentation attended by other young entrepreneurs. They brace themselves for some tough questions from a judging panel. One judge asks how a factory can be built for $10m Another challenges the team’s plan to launch an acne treatment as a cosmetic product, which means they won’t mention acne on the label (the team adopted this approach to make the US regulatory process more straightforward).

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‎Elena Lurieluke, Head of Global Life Sciences Open Innovation, Corporate R&D at P&G, addresses fellow YES judges and finalists.

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The hidden costs of a career in scientific research

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Does a career in science select against those unable to afford frequent relocation, unpaid work and short-term contracts?

Nick Riddiford

That a career in science is demanding is unsurprising. But alongside long hours spent in the lab grappling with abstract concepts, the number of years of education it takes to enter the professional ranks and the increasingly unstable nature of such employment, exists a further demand: money. It’s no secret that science costs money — building the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and sequencing the human genome cost around €3 billion each — but what is less obvious is that entry to a career in science often requires considerable personal financial sacrifice.

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Five ways science communication can help you

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Naturejobs journalism competition winner Rachel Harris explains how engaging others in science has benefitted her in the lab

For the past four years I’ve been working in science communication (SciComm), and academia. I’m now mid-way through my PhD — I’m studying on Alzheimer’s disease and I know I would be finding research a lot tougher if I were not involved with science communication.

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Rachel Harris doing some SciComm at Bristol Neuroscience Festival this year

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The Naturejobs career expo journalism competition, London, 2016!

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Enter for a chance to work as a Nature journalist for the day!

 

NJCE-2016-(London)

 

Here we go again!

Following the success of the Boston and San Francisco Naturejobs career expo journalism competitions this year, we’re launching the competition for our tenth career expo in London, to be held on September 16th.

The London Naturejobs career expo is our flagship event, so we are looking for five budding science writers to help us with our coverage of the conference sessions, workshops and general ambience of the event for those who cannot make it. The conference will explore career paths in industry, academia and science communication, finding funding, and much more.

The five winners will have the opportunity to attend the expo and write up at least two of the sessions or workshops for our readers, sharing the advice and expertise of the speakers with our worldwide audience. Winners will also have the opportunity to work closely with Nature editors, and their articles will be published on the Naturejobs blog. Continue reading →

Best UK internships: Shortlist announced

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It’s good news for science graduates as the UK’s National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) announces the shortlist for its annual awards, which feature science employers in most of the categories.

According to Vicky Miles, the Event Manager for NCWE, nominated employers are judged on three main criteria – what skills the intern will take away from the placement and how much impact they can make on the organisation, the level of support and assessment the person on the placement will get, and what makes that particular placement exceptional compared to the competition. They also take note of the level of payment the employee will receive.

The awards are judged by four external judges, including an employer, a student and two careers experts. The entries are judged blind.

Science in the shortlist

In the category for large organisations, prominent science and technology employers – such as Glaxosmithkline, IMB, BP, and Centrica – featured in each of the sub-categories. The smaller companies category didn’t fare as well for science disciplines, but when it came to charities, both Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support were shortlisted. Continue reading →

Was your degree worth it?

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Would you do it all again?{credit}Futuretrack report{/credit}

A study tracking university students over 6 years from the moment they applied for university until well after they graduated has been published this week.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the findings reveal just how hard it has been for UK students graduating during the recession, with a significant increases in debt and lower earnings compared with the class of ’99. On a positive note, the vast majority thought it was worth it – see the infographic above.

The study found that :

  • 1 in 10 graduates experienced significant spells of unemployment

How researchers network

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Researchers rely heavily on networking at conferences and seminars and make little use of personal introductions, online social networking or proactive self-promotion, according to a report published by UK researcher development organisation Vitae.

Vitae surveyed almost 500 researchers at eight UK universities and found that less than a fifth regularly use online social networking to develop existing work contacts or make new ones. Only 14 percent feel comfortable asking someone they know to introduce them to an important person in their field, and 85 percent rarely send copies of their work to these prominent individuals.  

Overall, researchers’ networks show several characteristics of a ‘good’ network as recognised by career theory, such as a large number of work-related contacts spread across a wide geographical area. However, the people researchers know through their work also tend to know each other, which can limit the effectiveness of the network.

“The picture was of networking within a fairly limited set of contacts, with few attempts to become more visible to many of the people with power in the respondent’s field,” said the report.

A recent post on the Guardian Careers blog also highlights the importance of having a diverse network that includes weaker ties as well as close contacts, explaining that acquaintances who hail from a different social circle or industry niche are more likely to have “unique network intelligence” about available job opportunities.

“Working out strategies to connect personally with key people would help researchers manage their profile within their research field, but may also prove useful in applications for roles outside higher education,” says Vitae director Ellen Pearce. “Good networking is about being purposeful as well as widening your contacts.”

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Becoming a global researcher

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Posted on behalf of Hywel Curtis

What would it take for your research to go global? At Vitae’s international researcher development conference, held in Manchester in the United Kingdom last week, several speakers offered advice on how to boost your international profile. It’s an expanding area of interest: Emma Gillaspy, Vitae’s north-west hub manager, explains that institutions throughout academia are looking at how they can support the development of truly global researchers, and half of respondents to a recent Naturejobs poll said it was ‘very important’ for young researchers to work abroad early in their careers.

Furthermore, an increasing focus on international collaboration in funding calls and the development of new platforms and technologies mean it is easier than ever before for researchers to operate internationally. Adopting a global outlook is also highly beneficial for careers in a growing number of fields — not solely in disciplines that traditionally expect it, such as astrophysics. So how do you take those first steps towards gaining international credentials?

Work on ‘international’ research

Most fields of research offer scope for you to gain international experience. “Research is inherently a global endeavour,” says Claire McNulty, adviser on life sciences and science policy at the British Council. To start with, find out which areas of research your current institution recognises as being of international significance, as you are likely to receive more support in these areas. “International ties lend greater prestige to institutions,” explains Julie Reeves, the early career researcher (ECR) training coordinator at the UK’s University of Southampton. Quite simply, if you aren’t working in an area that offers international opportunities, you’ll need to consider moving into one that does.

Make connections, seize opportunities

Your network of contacts is potentially the best source of international opportunities. Lynn Clark of the graduate skills team at the UK’s University of Liverpool says that making connections with those who have a “global mindset” and value international collaboration could be the catalyst for your global experience. As with all aspects of your research career it is vital to identify and develop meaningful relationships with those in your field — whether they are someone you met at a conference, a previous collaborator or a personal connection. In addition, opportunities may arise in calls for funding, research partners or collaborations that have international elements, so be aware of these. Also watch out for industry research and development projects and exchanges.

Explore working abroad

If you’re considering working in another country, be sure this is really the right choice for you. Seek advice from those with experience and consider your family, financial situation and career prospects when evaluating options. “It is about your physical mobility to some degree,” says Clark.

You need to be willing and able to travel and live in a foreign culture for extended periods. Employers “are looking for someone who can cope with diversity”, explains Reeves. Consider whether you will really be able to thrive in a new environment despite professional or cultural differences. For example, “one particular problem for UK researchers is the language barrier,” says McNulty of the British Council, which is why many choose to gain international experience in the US.

Move successfully

To prepare for an international move, find out what support your home institution offers and query the internationalisation strategy it has in place. Additional help may be available at national and international levels; in Europe, for example, a scientific visa programme, coordinated by EURAXESS, helps researchers from non-European countries to work in the region. As part of the programme, research organizations sign hosting agreements with individual researchers. “The hosting agreement is fast-track immigration for researchers,” says Magdalena Wislocka, hosting agreement scheme manager at the Irish Universities Association. Support such as this can simplify your relocation significantly.

Succeed overseas

Once you have acquired a position, there are many ways to make your international experience a success. One area to focus on is preserving the same standards and professional integrity that you maintained previously. Cross-cultural supervision issues are a key concern for those managing researchers internationally, says Vitae’s Gillaspy, so it’s important to foster self-management skills. These can also benefit your career in general (see ‘Getting a pay rise in academia’).

In addition, operating effectively abroad will require you to develop global awareness and think beyond literature reviews to the people, institutions and cultures that those citations represent. This approach is used in Japan to improve graduate education, helping to foster researchers with a “comprehensive and panoramic” view of their field, particularly in the natural sciences, says Mutsuhiro Arinobu, comptroller of the University of Tokyo.

Finally, an important aspect of an effective global research experience is the new relationships you develop while abroad. Working alongside successful researchers in other countries will enhance your own international standing and benefit your career both during and after the placement.

If you have any other advice for researchers looking to gain international experience please feel free to share it below.

Getting a pay rise in academia

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How long has it been since your last pay rise? For almost half of current respondents to a recent Naturejobs poll, the answer is more than two years – and with ever-increasing inflation, that’s effectively a year-on-year pay cut. So is there anything you can do to improve your salary prospects, particularly in academia, where there is often a lack of flexibility in pay?

Know your opportunities

Setting your starting salary

At universities in the UK, where research positions are appointed at a particular grade, there is often a window of opportunity to negotiate the precise point within the grade after you have been offered the job. “That depends on your level of experience and what you’re earning already,” says Rob Hardwick, co-chair of the UK Research Staff Association (UKRSA) and a postdoc at the University of Leicester. It’s likely you will be able to match your current salary, and you may be able to move up one additional point. If you find yourself applying for a position at a lower grade due to the current economic climate, propose that you are appointed at the top of that grade’s scale. In Germany, where positions in public universities are also appointed at a set grade within each district, with defined increments every two years, there are fewer options to discuss the fine details. “The public wage agreements leave no space for negotiation,” says Ute Heckel, project leader for Kisswin, a career development and information platform for young researchers in Germany. “Scientists have fixed contracts, and the contracts have fixed wages.”

In the United States, PhD students can earn a few extra thousand dollars a year by becoming teaching assistants, but there is little else you can do to improve your pay at that stage. The starting salary for postdocs in academia depends on whether your university follows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines of a minimum stipend of just over $38,000 per year. If it does, there is not much negotiation to be had, says Zoe Fonseca-Kelly, chair of the US National Postdoc Association (NPA). “For the most part, to negotiate a higher salary you’re looking at a promotion,” she says.

Securing higher pay

Pay at UK universities usually increases by a small increment each year until you reach the top of your grade. If you’ve hit the ceiling, make the case to the university that you should be promoted up to the next grade — you’ll need a letter of support from your supervisor for this. Also ensure you double-check your contract — one of Hardwick’s fellow researchers was automatically promoted up a level as they were appointed at the top of a grade, but their contract still said they were entitled to annual increments.

In the US, if you’re getting paid less than the NIH minimum guideline, Fonseca-Kelly recommends that you try to secure your own funding: “A postdoc’s best way to make sure they get at least the NIH minimum is to apply for their own training grants and get their own money.” If you are able to secure funding that can also benefit your career in general by demonstrating early independence. Scientists in Germany searching for funding at a more senior level to develop their career should apply for several grants or prizes at the same time, says Heckel. “You will be more successful if you hand in more applications. That’s perfectly all right.” She also cautions against having a single narrow research focus. “We advise people to have at least two specialisations that they follow in order to increase their chances of getting funded.”

Gather evidence of your value

Whichever opportunity for a pay rise you pursue, you’ll need to justify why you should get more money. “Frame the request in terms of the value you bring to your employer,” says Deb Koen, president and chief executive of Career Development Services in Rochester, New York (see ‘Salary boost’ for more of Koen’s advice).

If there’s an appraisal system in place at your institute, make sure you use it. “People don’t really do that enough,” says Hardwick. He also recommends using self-help tools such as Vitae’s Researcher Developer Framework to self-assess and quantify your full range of skills. “The research things go without saying,” he says. “Aside from that, there are many [other skills] you can use to your advantage.”

The US NPA provides a similar resource called the Postdoctoral Core Competencies Toolkit. Fonseca-Kelly suggests using the toolkit to set a two- or five-year plan either by yourself or with the help of a mentor. “That gives you bargaining ground and a results-orientated output you can use as a negotiating tool to get a promotion,” she says. “The people that I’ve seen successfully get a promotion in academia have had a very good plan of what they want to do and have been able to market themselves to their PI. It takes a lot of planning and communication skills.”

As well as identifying your full range of skills, remember that your publication record is still one of the main ways your value is judged. “That’s always been the most important thing,” says Hardwick.

Do you have any other advice to add? Have you recently secured a pay rise or a promotion? Share your thoughts below.

Female scientists in UK report improved prospects – but there’s still a long way to go

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The gap between men’s and women’s careers in academia in the UK is closing as women become more ambitious, according to the 2010 Athena Survey of Science, Engineering and Technology (ASSET) summary report published earlier this month.

The 2010 survey, which included responses from over 7,000 male and female academics and postdocs from 84 UK universities, found that women are increasingly likely to aspire to senior leadership positions and are as likely as men to hold posts such as head of research and director of postgraduate studies.

Female postdocs are more positive about their career success to date than female academics, suggesting a more positive outlook for younger generations of scientists, and the availability of flexible working is having a beneficial effect on career development.

However, there are still significant differences between men’s and women’s experiences at every career stage. For example, on average:

  • Women are more likely to be employed on temporary contracts

  • Men are more likely to receive routine appraisals

  • Women have less understanding of the promotion process and criteria

  • Men feel more valued and visible in their departments and have more control over their employment choice

In the foreword to the report, Royal Society president Paul Nurse said there is still a long way to go before the UK can be confident it is making the most of the talents of female scientists. “It is more important than ever that we ensure the best scientists can flourish,” he wrote. “All groups should be able to participate to the full extent of their abilities.”

What is your opinion on prospects in the UK? Share your thoughts below.