A survey suggests that junior researchers need guidance to properly maximise the value of a recommended training plan.
By Chris Woolston
Why a career-planning tool may not help as much as it’s meant to
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Tag Archives: graduate student
Why learning to mentor and teach is more important for US faculty members than publishing papers
An influential ally aims to reform the experience of US PhD students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by advocating for a system that rewards faculty members for mentoring and advising students rather than for their own publications.
By Chris Woolston
In a 29 May report , Graduate STEM Education for the 20th Century, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in Washington DC calls for providing faculty members with incentives for developing skills such as teaching and mentoring while de-emphasizing the importance of publications. The report recommends that institutions change their promotion and tenure policies and practices to recognise and reward faculty members’ contributions to graduate mentoring and education.
Depression and anxiety are common among graduate students
A study assessing the mental health of 2,279 PhD and master’s students from around the world has brought new attention to a pressing issue: For many, the pursuit of an advanced degree takes an emotional toll, as reported online on 6 March in Nature Biotechnology.
Powerlifting to a PhD
One in three graduate students are at risk of developing a common psychiatric disorder, and half of graduate students will experience psychological distress. Here’s how Rachel Frisbie helps manage the stress of graduate school.
Building skills through a gig
Some researchers are providing short-term services such as writing science news articles and consulting on industry products to bolster their skills outside the lab. These side gigs can be valuable for career development, says Josh Henkin. (See related story here.)
{credit}Noel Hendrickson/Getty{/credit}
Stepping up for hope
What did the March for Science do?
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.
{credit}Kate Carbone{/credit}
But now that the march is over, scientists have to face some important questions: What message did they deliver, what comes next and what does it all mean for their careers? Continue reading
Degree and depression
Freelance writer Chris Woolston explains how a new study of PhD students in Belgium has underscored a harsh reality: Pursuing a PhD can be hazardous to mental health.
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. Continue reading
Big data jobs are out there – are you ready?
Jungwoo Ryoo, Pennsylvania State University
Big data is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Network security companies use it to improve the accuracy of their intrusion detection services. Dating services use it to help clients find soulmates. It can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of fraud detection, in turn helping protect your personal finances.
“Big data” is a catchall term for any data set of exceedingly large volume. It could be transaction information at a credit card company, invoice data at an online retailer, meteorological measurements from a weather station. All these data sets have unique characteristics that make it extremely difficult to use conventional computing technologies and techniques to store and process them for analysis. Their variety is daunting, and high velocity is required to handle them in a timely manner.
Organizations in any field can use big data to enhance their effectiveness, which is why there are seemingly unlimited career opportunities in big data these days. The big data industry is growing fast, with the market predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23.1 percent over the 2014-2019 period.
So who is going to store, manage and process all this information? Well, why not you? Companies are starved for people with this kind of expertise. Big data is a growth industry and people from a variety of academic backgrounds can find successful careers in this area.
World Bank Photo Collection, CC BY-NC-ND