ECS Weekly: Importance of cultural introspection in science and scholarship; share your feedback on GSA activities by taking our survey; apply for the DeLill Nasser Award

This week’s newsletter focuses on taking time to reflect on the impact of culture and society on the scientific and scholarly process, and it was written by Walid Mawass of the Community and Membership Engagement subcommittee.

On the importance of cultural introspection in science and scholarship

A major component of the scientific process is the human element. Humans perform scientific techniques, invent instrumentations, and interpret and synthesize the results. However, none of this work occurs within a vacuum. It is performed against a socio-cultural background that heavily influences the scientific and scholarly process itself. (You can check out this review article of Eric Serri’s book, which delves into the messy side of this fact.)

For example, we are mostly accustomed to the “Western” scientific system. It is not the ubiquitous form of knowledge creation and transmission in the world. There are other traditions of generating knowledge about the world, like traditional ecological knowledge. Given the incessant drip of information and data-sharing nowadays, juxtaposed with the benefits of collaboration between scientists and researchers, many barriers to epistemological progress lie in sociocultural differences that might impede knowledge transfer and translation.

To understand these differences, we need cultural introspection to reflect on our own idiosyncratic features and properly understand their impact on the scientific and scholarly process.

Here is an example detailing my own introspection on the impact of colonial expansion. Countries that experienced colonial and imperial expansion exhibit remnant cultural elements of the colonizing nation, such as the colonizer’s language receiving a strong, if not an official, status.

In my home country, Lebanon, French is prominent through its use as the official language of institutions during the French Mandate following the Second World War and through private Christian missionary schools still operating today. This situation segregates the French speakers from the non-speakers, creating a privilege for the French speakers who have a better chance of immigrating to the West to practice science and research with top scientists.

This disparity results in an exodus of minds that further depresses the research and development sector in Lebanon, making it harder to justify increased governmental budgets for science and research. Contrast this with the colonizing nation that can provide enough resources and maintain institutions to promote science and research, as well as emphasize outreach to increase participation in these sectors.

Through cultural introspection, I realized that I am the beneficiary of such a situation where my access to French afforded me opportunities to study science in France. Cultural introspection can shed light on the hidden aspects in our society and culture that impact a multitude of things, such as access to research, promotion of science, and development strategies for future generations of scientists.

GSA Early Career Leadership Program Resources

NEW! GSA is conducting a holistic assessment of the Society’s activities as part of the GSA Board’s commitment to providing programs and services that our community values. Responses are confidential – please share your feedback with us! If you have not completed the survey, please click here to take it now.

Multimedia Subcommittee member Tammy Lee uses transparent nematode C. elegans to understand how genetic information is inherited through small RNAs and proteins that associate with tiny condensates called germ granules. In her Spotlight interview, she shares her interest in science communication and her passion for building an inclusive scientific community. Read more on Genes to Genomes.

NEW! Uyen Linh Ho, Community and Membership Engagement Subcommittee member, discusses her interest in biotechnology and synthetic biology, and the importance of mentorship, inclusivity, and mental health in the scientific community in the latest Early Career Leadership Spotlight on Genes to Genomes.

Congratulations to ECLP alumni Carla Bautista, Małgorzata Gazda, and current representative Meareg Amare for being awarded the Fall 2022 DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics! Read more about all of the recipients on Genes to Genomes.

Applications for the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics are currently open. The award supports geneticists in their graduate or postdoctoral career stages by subsidizing participation in conferences and laboratory courses. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 19, 2023.

Got five minutes? GSA’s newly launched audio series summarizes fascinating insights from bright minds in our genetics community into bite-sized "SNPets." Season two of SNPets with Nobel Laureate Carol Greider is available now!

Is your lab hiring? GSA members qualify for a discounted rate to post job openings and can post student and postdoc positions at no cost on the GSA Job Board!

The Cobb Research Initiative (CRI) announced a new grant program with pre-proposals due on April 3, 2023. The CRI is looking for proposals that unite science, animal health, and technology to drive genetic innovation in the food industry. The company is looking for proposals to improve their genetic products using AI, robotics and automation, or biotechnology. Learn more about the program and submission instructions here.

Are you interested in exploring careers in industry and want to present your research at Plant Biology 2023? Corteva strives to support up-and-coming scientists and has created a platform for students to share scientific achievements by speaking at Plant Biology 2023. Selected participants will receive a travel award to Plant Biology 2023. Apply by April 15 to be considered!

Apply for the Stanford School of Medicine’s Propel Postdoctoral Scholars Program. The Propel Program provides scholars with funding support including salary, full benefits, and supplemental professional development funds; community-building activities and support to foster a sense of belonging at Stanford and in the larger academic community; and career, professional, and personal development opportunities designed to prepare scholars for success as postdocs, on the academic job market, and in faculty positions. Applications are open until June 1, 2023.

Registration is now open for the National Postdoc Association National Conference taking place April 21–22, 2023 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Registration for the in-person event also includes free participation in the virtual conference happening May 11–12, 2023. Register by April 28, 2023 for the event here.

Current professional development and training opportunities

Applying for a postdoc or considering applying for one soon? Check out these Unwritten rules of applying for postdocs on Genes to Genomes.

NEW! The GradFUTURES team in Princeton University’s Graduate School invites you and your graduate students and postdocs to the 2023 GradFUTURES Forum, an annual professional development conference scheduled between March 27–April 1. This forum brings together graduate students, postdocs, graduate alumni, thought leaders and experts across different fields through a lineup of engaging talks, conversations, workshops, resource fair and networking opportunities.

NEW! FASEB is currently recruiting voting members for its Board of Directors and Science Policy Committee. Early-career representatives interested in supporting the biological and biomedical sciences communities can apply now until March 27, 2023.

Register now for a National Postdoc Association SmartSkills workshop on making the most of your international postdoc in the US. On Tuesday, March 28 at 3 p.m. EDT join the NPA to learn more about assembling your immigration portfolio, obtaining a work visa, and working towards permanent residency.

Join MDI’s Science Cafe and Andrew Revkin, former New York Times climate reporter and Guggenheim Fellow, for a discussion of social media and science communication, networking, and education on April 10, 2023. Our very own Elisabeth Marnik, faculty advisor for the Communication and Outreach Subcommittee, will be joining in the discussion. Don’t miss it!

The NIH needs your feedback on postdoctoral positions. From now until April 14, 2023, the NIH is seeking input on the challenges preventing trainees from pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship. Share your feedback here.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine are seeking nominations on “Equitable and Effective Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Education: A Framework for Institutions, Educators and Disciplines.” Find more information about this project and nominations!

Sign-up now to join the Skype a Scientist program for 2023. As a scientist, you can connect with students and the public around the world to share your research and develop your science communication skills.

Looking to strengthen your scientific writing skills? Check out this essay from Brevity Magazine on developing scientific stories. The author invites scientists to integrate play and creativity into the writing process to help expand beyond the more rigid traditions of scientific writing.

Are you interested in science communication? Sign up for this virtual workshop from The Open Notebook: The Craft of Science Writing. These 90-minute workshops will include planned presentations, interactive discussions, and opportunity for discussing or workshopping real-life editing challenges and solutions.

The Academic Career Readiness Assessment rubric is a tool developed by the Office of Career and Professional Development at the University of California, San Francisco with the goal of providing graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with the information they need to explore, plan for and apply to faculty positions at different types of institutions, regardless of their understanding of the intricacies of the US education system and independently of the mentoring they receive.