Applying your scientific expertise to preserve national security

By: Meghan Mott

Postdocs in the life sciences: the time to assess career goals is now. It’s easy to get comfortable in daily science, but we must be proactive in our career development! Competition for academic jobs is fierce in a market flooded with PhDs, and the odds are against us getting tenure-track positions. Thus, it’s imperative to explore the world outside academia, where opportunities exist that you may have never considered. Depending on your interests, careers in science writing, regulatory affairs, or science policy are viable options. If you want to work in a highly influential and multidisciplinary field aimed at protecting national security, a career in biodefense may be ideal. Read More…

Today we introduce you to ChemSource, a new Android and iPhone app launched in March this year. ChemSource was developed by P212121 to save you time searching for research chemicals and supplies.

I have interviewed Sean Seaver, founder of P212121, and the person behind ChemSource. Read the interview with Sean here. Read More…

Serving the scientific community through policymaking

By: Meghan Mott

Postdocs have few years to identify career goals, strengthen CVs, and construct a professional network, all while working full time in the lab. Given the current situation in academia, most of us will end up in what used to be considered alternative careers. There is a long list of non-academic careers; we just have to know where to look and how to market ourselves. For the creative communicators among us, science writing is an option. For those interested in protecting public health, a career in regulatory affairs could be appropriate. If you fancy leaving the bench but find neither appealing, consider a career in science policy. Read More…

A convenient cost-effective career fair for post-graduate life scientists

By: Meghan Mott

Bio Careers^® is the leading online career service created to expand professional options for postgraduates in the life sciences. Introduced to the market in 2006, Bio Careers offers an easy and efficient platform for recruiters in biopharma, government, entrepreneurship, equity research and science policy to interview and hire qualified jobseekers from top ranked life science programs in the U.S. Through institutional partnerships with 35 universities and five institutes at NIH, affiliated fellows and alumni have free access to job postings and online career resources including monthly webinars covering alternative career paths and the job search process. If your institution is not a member of Bio Careers, individual memberships are $19.95 for a year’s access. Read More…

Applying your research knowledge to protect public health

By: Meghan Mott

Postdoctoral fellowships provide budding scientists with the advanced training necessary to prepare us for the next step in our careers. Traditionally, these fellowships are geared toward a future in academic research. For most of us, however, as I described in my first post, our career paths will likely take a different route. Recently, I suggested one alternative career option that utilizes our training: science writing. But for those who are not titillated by journalistic endeavors and/or prefer to work in a research-oriented environment that doesn’t involve bench work, I submit another possibility: careers in regulatory affairs. Read More…

Leaving the bench to advance public knowledge of current research

By: Meghan Mott

We have recently posted the article: Careers In Traditional Academia: Outlook Bleak by Meghan Mott. Given the current dismal job prospects in tenure-track science academia, it’s no wonder more science PhDs are exploring alternative career options. Although we were groomed to succeed our mentors in the academy, bench life isn’t for everyone. Some of us don’t have the passion for conducting the same meticulous experiments day after day or the wherewithal to generate the endless grant writing required for PI survival. We are tired of spending nights and weekends in the lab, sacrificing sleep and social life to experiment-based timetables. But what non-bench career options are available that utilize our doctoral experience? Read More…