ECS Weekly: Embracing the multicultural academic environment, new Early Career Spotlight; Paths to Science Policy interview on fetal research

This week’s newsletter focuses on the importance of cultivating a multicultural environment in academics and was written by Ci Fu of the Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Embracing the multicultural academic environment
In today's interconnected world, the academic setting is more culturally diverse than ever. For example, US universities accept approximately one million international students each year. In universities in Canada, Australia, and Europe, these students account for 10 to 20% of students enrolled. Fortunately, the academic atmosphere, by virtue of its constant dogma-challenging nature, promotes freedom and equality of all kinds.

In this environment, the intermixing and clashing of many cultures can provide a rich, healthy soil for individuals to develop and attain academic excellence for a prosperous life ahead. However, balancing academic effectiveness and social cohesion presents unique challenges for international students and researchers. The situation is becoming more complicated as global tensions and localized social unrest escalate. For instance, depending on the complex immigration regulations between the two countries, an international postdoctoral fellow under a yearly renewed contract may need to renew his or her immigration status and driver's license each year (imagine waking up at 5 a.m. for a good position in line outside a government office), which, at minimum, results in inconvenience but is likely accompanied by both a financial burden and tremendous mental stress.

In addition, any unconscious assumption from others might manifest microaggressions that could negatively impact the health of minority groups. You can learn more about the health burden caused by racism and inequality from the heroic works of Linda Villarosa and Dr. Arline T. Geronimus. Along with financial and physical challenges, adjusting to a toxic academic environment can result in a person’s loss of identity through unintentional cultural self-assimilation. Failure to recognize personal bias and violations of the ethics code might also lead to exile and alienation from the scientific community. Here are a few tips for embracing a multicultural academic environment for a better experience for everyone:

Educate yourself. Educate yourself on the multicultural academic environment with books, podcasts, and TV shows. You may just find yourself on a fun self-improvement journey.

Make friends. Be a supportive friend to your minority colleagues and peers. Sincere, non-offending inquiries can be great conversation starters.

Communicate effectively. Use clear, assertive language during communication to establish boundaries and avoid misunderstandings.

Be an active witness. Should an incident occur, don’t ignore it or be a bystander. Many institutes provide anti-racism response training that will equip you with skills for actively resolving harmful situations.

Be kind and patient. Everything runs smoother with kindness and patience.

GSA Early Career Leadership Program Resources

NEW! Accessibility Subcommittee member Peiwei Chen is featured on the Genes to Genomes blog this week with an Early Career Spotlight. Read more about Chen’s beliefs in the value of translating fundamental research, the importance of mentorship and education, and the need for globally distributed educational resources.

NEW! Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee member Daniel Gironda's newest interview is featured on the Genes to Genomes blog this week. Read more as Daniel interviews Graça Almeida-Porada on the importance of communication in a technologically advancing world.

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.

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!

Postdoctoral Fellowship | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health | Bethesda, MD, United States

Postdoctoral Researcher | Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University | Greenwood, SC, United States

Associate Research Scientist | Department of Genetics and Development, University of Columbia Irving Medical Center | New York, NY, United States

Associate Scientist | Borriello lab, Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine | Philadelphia, PA, United States

Core Scientist | HighlanderLab, The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies of The University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC) | Paris-Saclay, France

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Health Science Center (ECNU-HSC), East China Normal University (ECNU) | Shanghai, China

Postdoctoral Fellowship | John Innes Centre | Norwich, United Kingdom

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Wang Lab, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute | Baltimore, MD, United States

Internship Research Position | Srinivasan Lab, Scripps Research | La Jolla, CA, United States

Postdoctoral Fellowship, staff scientist, technician, research professor | Bordenstein Lab, Penn State University | University Park, PA, United States

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!

NEW! Join the YZ Law Group LLP, an immigration law firm, for a free webinar on US immigration. They have extensive experience in immigrant and non-immigrant petitions, particularly EB1A, EB1B, NIW, O1 and H1B. For more than 20 years, their attorneys have helped numerous research scientists obtain US permanent residency. Choose a webinar date and register today.

NEW! The Vilcek Foundation will award three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise of $50,000 each to young, immigrant biomedical scientists who demonstrate outstanding early achievement. Applications are open through June 12, 2023. Learn more and apply today!

NEW! FASEB CARES (Career Advancement and Research Excellence Support) provides financial support to alleviate financial burdens associated with caregiving, enabling FASEB society members to continue their scientific training, professional development, and career progression. Apply for this award TODAY as applications are due April 28.

Register now for a free workshop on May 1–2, 2023 on “Protecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education and the Workforce.” The workshop will highlight case studies showing how various organizations use inclusive criteria to ensure the diversity of incoming students and employees from underrepresented and under-resourced populations. Additionally, the workshop will explore the impact of efforts to undermine or eliminate DEI initiatives.

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! Join the Annual NIH Career Symposium from May 8–10, 2023. The Annual NIH Career Symposium aims to highlight the diversity of career choices available to your generation of biomedical researchers. Whether you are a new graduate student, postdoc, or clinical fellow just beginning to consider career options or a senior student/fellow ready to look for a job, the NIH Career Symposium is for you. Register here!

Discover how to transition to a job in biotech, medtech, or pharma through a virtual course hosted by the American Society of Cell Biologists from June 19–23, 2023. Biotech 2023 is a week-long, virtual, hands-on course designed to help you transition to a job in biotech, medtech, or pharma. During this course, you'll discover the business side of science, network, and learn interdisciplinary skills through a team project. About 70 percent of attendees now have jobs in industry, regulatory affairs, or tech transfer. Apply today!

Do you wish to improve your public engagement skills and make a positive impact on society? Check out "Strategies for Effective Public Engagement" (SEPE), a new online video course developed by the Yale Ciencia Academy for Professional Development in collaboration with CienciaPR, the Science Communication Lab, and iBiology. SEPE comprises 10 short videos that introduce essential concepts that provide practical tips for planning and executing effective public engagement projects.

CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning, has developed straightforward guidelines for curriculum development focusing on a framework that outlines strategies for multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement. View and download here!

Looking for a tool that can help you break down your long, complicated to-do list into manageable steps to success? Try the Magic ToDo tool from goblin.tools today!

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.