Apply by June 24, 2019 for the Penn Genetics Awards of Excellence! The Kadesch Prize recognizes graduate excellence in research and citizenship, and the Kaushal Award recognizes predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars for excellence in genetic research as evidenced by publication.
To apply, email single PDF to sarahjr@upenn.edu with subject line, “Kadesch Prize” or “Kaushal Award.”
Dr. Shai Silberberg, Program Director and Director of Research Quality at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will be visiting Penn on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Dr. Silberberg in his role with NINDS has an especially sophisticated understanding of what drives the emphasis by NIH on rigor and transparency. His institute, as well, has been particularly aggressive in experimenting with solutions through pre- and postdoctoral training venues. Dr. Silberberg’s talk, ‘Assuring a bright future for biomedical research’, will take place 10–11:30am in the Austrian Auditorium.
We have worked at Penn on issues of rigor and transparency for some time. Dr. Silberberg’s talk will reinforce much of what we do, but it will also provide specific insight into emerging thoughts and expectations of NIH. Those interested in familiarizing themselves with Dr. Silberberg’s work prior to the talk may read his important publication on reporting scientific outcomes (Landis et al., Nature 490 (2012) 187).
This Nature article emphasizes the importance of expressing the excitement of research through one’s scientific writing. Done successfully, communicating science can both increase its accessibility and progress your career. The author explains how to use research to tell a story, determining when to write and when to use a figure, and more.
Read the full article here.
The Graduate Student Center offers a number of career development workshops throughout the semester, as part of their “Navigating the Academy Events,” “Publishing Series,” and “Teaching Workshops.” Two of these workshops are highlighted below; see the full list here.
Introduction to R Markdown.
Mar. 11, 12 – 1 PM (Room 305, Grad Center, 3615 Locust Walk)
Do you use the programming language R to analyze your data? If so, come to this workshop to find out how you can use R Markdown, a document format for writing reproducible, dynamic reports. Katie Rawson, Director of Learning Innovation at Penn Libraries, will run this workshop. Lunch will provided; find more details and register here.
Who Owns Your Scholarship? Understanding Publishing Agreements to Regain Your Author Rights.
Mar. 12, 1:30 – 3 PM (Room 305, Grad Center, 3615 Locust Walk)
This workshop will cover the basics of reading and understanding publishing contracts as well as ways to retain more of your rights through author addenda or negotiation. Find more details and register here.
Join SACNAS for an Adobe Illustrator workshop to learn basic tools that you can apply when making figures for posters and articles. Don’t miss this great professional development opportunity! Lunch will be provided.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at 12 PM
Where: Blockley 701
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Kenneth Zaret (Joseph Leidy Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine) as he discusses the journal publishing process for early career graduate students and faculty in the sciences. This workshop will provide a casual, interactive opportunity to learn more about tips and best practices for successfully navigating the world of academic journal publishing from the perspective of a practicing editor.
Dr. Zaret has served as an editor of the journals Molecular and Cellular Biology (1993-1997) and Development (2006-2012), as a guest editor of Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology (1997), Current Opinions in Genetics and Development (2001), and Mechanisms of Development (2003). Dr. Zaret is currently on the Editorial Boards of Science, Genes and Development, Development, and Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Differentiation. (Via the Graduate Student Center)
When: Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 01:30 PM – 02:30 PM
Where: Room 305 (3rd Fl), Grad Center, 3615 Locust Walk
“Whether it’s your first-time publishing or you are a publishing veteran, deciding where to publish can be a daunting task that will impact you for years to come. Not only is finding the right “fit” for your scholarship extremely important, but your publication venue also determines other important factors, like where and how you can share your scholarship after it’s published (your personal website, academia.edu or ResearchGate, etc.) or whether or not you can reuse your work elsewhere (conferences, subsequent publications, etc.).
This presentation will help get you started in establishing your publishing criteria, developing a list of journals/publishers, and evaluating those publication venues based on the criteria you develop. The session will also briefly cover some best practices for submitting, reading/negotiating publishing contracts, and sharing your work after it’s published.” (Via the Graduate Student Center)
When: Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Where: Room 305 (3rd Fl), Grad Center, 3615 Locust Walk
Though many people typically associate science editing and publishing with peer-reviewed journals, a wide variety of editorial positions exist worldwide, explains the Society for Neuroscience. The article describes a number of these positions, including acquisitions, developmental, and substantive editing, and more.
SfN also provides a Science Publishing Career Path Guide with information on salaries, the employment outlook for the field, and a typical career trajectory.
Read more here.
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) provides an overview of the importance of research compliance. The author asserts that the entire science community is responsible for holding one another to high standards of research integrity. They then delve into descriptions of key institutions (such as university research compliance departments) and core areas (animal welfare, conflicts of interest, and more.) Finally, they list a sample of job postings as well as relevant certifications and trainings.
Read more here.
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This article in Science describes the career exploration path of Shengpei Wang—a fifth year Ph.D. student at Syracuse University in New York. While considering a move toward a career in data analytics, Shengpei found herself unsure of whether she was capable of the career switch. She visited her university’s career support center, where she learned of a set of online “job simulations.”
The author describes how the simulations helped Shengpei and other scientists at various points in their careers to explore various industries before making a decision. Each simulation takes about 4 to 8 hours, considerably less time than is required to explore potential careers through training, internships, or interviews. Topics include business, clinical trials, science communication, regulatory affairs, and more.
Read more here.