Do you find your grant-writing intruding on time you’d rather spend with your family? Did revisions to that last journal article ruin your vacation? Then this book might be just the thing you need. Author Paul Silvia wanted to call How to Write a Lot “How to Write More Productively During the Normal Work Week With … Continue reading “Get Writing and Recapture Your Free Time with How to Write a Lot”
Are you a trainee looking for a mentor? Are you a scientist looking to foster careers in research? A new tool supported by NIH can help you build mentoring relationships and further the scientific enterprise through these connections. The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is an NIH program developed in response to advisory committee recommendations for developing and supporting a … Continue reading “Build Mentor/Mentee Connections with MyNRMN”
You don’t have to say you are away to use your “out of office” feature. You just have to be bold. My favorite flavor of bold is the Texan Dean who declares in an email bouceback that the eight people and email addresses listed serve as portals for specific types of emails, including the category … Continue reading “Productivity Tip #6: I’m Not Telling You to Lie”
Reviewers review. We will notice. These fresh mistakes straight from study section: 1.) Please agree with yourself. If the abstract says n = 110, the aims say 100, the statistical section says 110, and the budget justification says 100, it makes me cranky. 2.) Please explain yourself. When presenting power/sample size calculations let me know … Continue reading “Three (Grant) Peeves in a Pod: Check Yourself”
We know you’re not shy. Create a profile, add your social network handles, and join the conversation.
In 2009, NIH revamped their scoring system asking reviewers to provide numbers ranging from 1 (best) to 9 (worst) assessing applications Environment, Investigator, Innovation, Approach, and Significance. NIH has emphasized Innovation (insert jazz hands), leaving many a weary grant writer to feel a need to invent fabulous new techniques to take DNA out of things, … Continue reading “Finally! Data on What Study Section Really Cares About”
“I don’t want to miss the details of the resurrection. You always said becoming a division head would happen over your dead body, what gives?” After some warm-up, the facts spilled out: My friend wasn’t looking forward to being director of a large division. Her husband’s cancer, children approaching college, diminishing retirement contributions in a … Continue reading “Live Beneath Your Means”
Fighty Squirrel’s ninja-in-training Amy Palubinsky sent me this fabulous bit of prose she found on the interwebs. I absolutely believe all specific aims pages should be at least this compelling. I need to up my game. This person is a master. The earliest reference to this post I can find is here. Let me know … Continue reading “Buckle Your Seatbelts, Motherf*$%ers…This is How You Start a Grant”
One of the best parts of the holidays is having a chance to rewire some synapses and get a fresh take on how you’re facing your academic challenges. We’ll be featuring some resolutions and plans to make your goals reality in 2017, but first you need to do some shopping. An Awesome Planner: Academic planners … Continue reading “Academics, Get Yourself These Five Gifts for a Great New Year”
What percentage of medical students do you think are depressed or suicidal? 5%? 10%? Go higher. Much higher. This week JAMA published a meta analysis and literature review out of Harvard revealing an overall prevalence of depression of 27% in medical students and a jaw dropping 11% prevalence of suicidality. Bad news kept coming with … Continue reading “Alarming Statistics Reveal Mental Health Crisis in Our STEM and Medical School Trainees”