- Reclaiming To-Do Lists
I had been using the Clear app on my phone and my desktop computer because it allowed me to sync all my tasks no matter where I was. It worked great for me when I had fewer daily tasks but with more items and the constant shifting in priorities, it no longer did the trick.
Als...
- Random Reflections on Getting Published
Kirsten Bell, associate editor for Critical Public Health, spills the beans on what it takes to get published, including strategic submission dates, how to challenge an editorial decision, and doing your part as a reviewer. Here's an excerpt:
It’s my belief that when you ...
- Win Over an Opponent by Asking for Advice
Whether it’s a high-stakes monetary negotiation or winning support for a proposal, the simple gesture of soliciting advice can make you more likeable, encourage your counterpart to see your perspective, and rally commitment. The beauty of this approach is that it costs so little....
- Writing Environments
Writing is an inherently social activity — we write for others — that we most often undertake in solitude. This is one of writing’s great contradictions. We write for an audience, even if that audience is a private note to our future selves. Academic writing, though, whether it i...
- Rock Talk: Biosketch Changes and New Efforts to Maximize Fairness in Peer Review
Changes to the Biosketch
We’re set for a major change in how you portray your body of work when applying for NIH funds. With strong support from NIH leadership, we will be rolling out a new biosketch format. The new NIH biosketch emphasizes your accomplishments instead ...
- The First Days of a New Tenure-Track Faculty Job
This is the season when some lucky ones preparing for new jobs in the fall. A few people have asked me what to expect, so I imagine even more are wondering. I’m writing from my own experience (starting 2.5 new faculty jobs), and yours have been different, so please do comment. Wh...
- Understanding Asthma: Kecia Carroll
As the most common chronic diseases of childhood, asthma and other allergic diseases represent a “substantial burden on children in terms of quality of life, missed school days, and impact on the family in terms of financial costs as well as having to miss work,” according to Kec...
- Cool Jobs
I stumbled across this article about a chemistry professor who did science advising for Breaking Bad. That sounds like an awesome gig. Does anyone have any stories about opportunities that have opened to them because of their professional skills? How did you get into them? Wa...
- 57 Ways to Sign Off on an Email
Of course, you've all read Send and have a firm grounding in email etiquette. Now it's time for a special seminar. The topic? Closings, the often overlooked cherry on the email sundae.
Susan Adams at Forbes writes:
Here are my four rules for signing off on emails:
D...
- The Awesomest 7-Year Postdoc, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tenure-Track Faculty Life
In 2003, at a party, I met this very cool guy. He was on the job market for faculty positions and had just gotten an offer from MIT Sloan. I was on the job market too, and so we instantly hit it off. I had recently completed my PhD in computer science from MIT; it had already fel...
