Great advice to share, read a book that provided valuable insights, want to alert others to a resource, or describe approaches that have made your life in academics more effective? Bring it to The Edge.

We aim to strategize about how to do great research, stay productive, network effectively, mentor well and be mentored, negotiate for resources, get grants, refine writing and editing, cultivate leadership skills, and achieve your goals. To jump start blog ideas, consider these domains:*

Leading & Giving Back
Classroom and other teaching
Coaching
Developing staff
Hiring
Leadership skills
Mentoring
Positioning oneself for leadership
Team building

Life
Inspiration, courage, laughs
Lifehacks
Personal finance
Productivity/efficiency
Relationships
Resilience
Self-care and stress reduction
Time management

News, Information, and Opinion
Academic gifts & celebrations
Advocacy
Books, movies, art
History (science, medical) & history in the making
MySci stories (interviews, pointers, what I wish I had known)
News (higher ed, policy, funding trends, etc.)
Opinion
Policy
Social media riffs

Scholarly Skills
Using mentorship
Getting critique
Scientific writing
Publishing
Reviewing
Targeting funding sources
Grantsmanship
Keeping research on track/process management
Presentation and posters skills
Strong inference and study design

Thriving in Academics
Being professional
Budget and staff management
Career development strategy
Collaborating
Communications skills (general writing, email, agendas, meetings)
Job seeking
Negotiating & facilitation
Networking
Personal brand (social media, personal style, traits to cultivate, wardrobe)
Presence & passion
Tenure and promotion

*Ordered alphabetically, not by priority.

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About the Author

Screen Name

Rebecca Helton, MA

About Me

I'm a Senior Program Manager for the Edge at Vanderbilt and primarily work with early career faculty. I manage the Newman Society, the VUMC Faculty Research Scholars program, Edge Reviews, and more. I also edit much of the content on the Edge. When not editing, writing, or working on career development activities, you can find me jumping, spinning, and gliding on the ice.