ECS Weekly: The importance of science communication; complete a survey—win a prize; submit your abstracts now for #Dros23

This week’s newsletter focuses on the importance of communication skills, and it was written by Quan Yuan of the Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee.

Improving communication skills: A key step towards self-advocacy and academic career development

In business, effective communication is one of the main training goals, and it is an essential qualification for career advancement. By contrast, in academia, students’ or fellows’ communication skills are often distilled to a couple of sentences in recommendation letters, much less emphasized than their academic achievements and technical expertise. Essentially, anyone who can give a presentation or write a technical manuscript could be considered as having adequate communication skills. However, in a practical sense, adept communication defines success in academic careers. Not only does it leave a long-lasting impression when you interact with potential mentors, colleagues, and collaborators, but the ability to deliver an engaging seminar and write solid proposals are vital for survival as an independent investigator. Moreover, for underrepresented groups in academia, such as women scientists and non-native English speakers, the appearance of lack of initiative or unwillingness to self-advocate can often be attributed to underdeveloped communication skills.

Most schools, institutes, and organizations offer writing workshops and public speaking classes to address those training needs. However, these condensed training sessions are meant to cover the basic principles in a short period of time. Continued practice and application are needed to build these necessary skills. While certain elements—such as non-verbal communication and articulation in your speech—take time to develop, being clear and precise when sharing information can be achieved relatively quickly, as long as you possess the right knowledge and organize it logically in advance. In short, the more practice and preparation you have, the easier it becomes and the more confident you’ll appear. Your audience will also become more engaged and interested in your message. Another important practice is sharing your writing and presentations with others—your mentors, colleagues, lab members, and students—for honest critiques. This process helps refine your skills and materials, eliminate obvious mistakes, and more importantly, identify the language and concept suitable for your audience.

While strong interpersonal and communication skills take years to develop, continued practice is the key. The good news is that there is no better time to start than now, as you can enjoy the benefit of being a better communicator at any stage along your career path. With higher efficiency in preparing proposals and manuscripts, more confidence in professional interactions, and stronger self-advocacy when facing new challenges and opportunities, improving communication skills is a worthy investment to make today.

GSA Early Career Leadership Program Resources

GSA has launched the Career Dev Toolkit in conjunction with the Early Career Leadership Program. The toolkit is designed for early career scientists interested in career development, and it features curated professional development resources in the shape of blogs, a YouTube playlist of our past workshops, and more information on future workshops run by the Career Development Subcommittee.

NEW! The Brazilian Genetics Society, Genetics Society of America, Latin American Association of Genetics, and International Genetics Federation are collaborating to host a series of international seminars (in English, via Zoom) highlighting scientists in North, Central, and South America. The inaugural seminar is on November 7, 2022. Hopi Hoekstra will present “The genetic basis of evolutionary change: how (wild) mice adapt to novel habitats.” Register today!

How has GSA made a positive impact on you and your scientific career? We want to know! Send us a testimonial by October 31, 2022 and be part of a draw to win a special 3D DNA helix model!

Submit your abstracts for the 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference. The conference will take place in Chicago, IL on March 1-5, 2023. There is something for every Drosophila researcher at the conference. Topics covered include developmental and cell biology, physiology, genomics, and more, as well as meta-research topics like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and techniques. The deadline for submission is November 17, 2022.

Career Development Subcommittee member, Jadson C. Santos (Jall) discusses his combination of interests in molecular biology and lab management, as well as his vision for a better scientific community and a better world. Read more on Genes to Genomes.

In the latest episode of Genetics in Your World, Rose King tells us about how she uses a novel tool—a chimeric protein—to induce ectopic microtubule array formation in the nuclei of budding yeast to discover unreported roles of MT-associated proteins. Check out all the episodes here or via your podcast app of choice!

Computational Biologist | Human Epidemiology and Genetics, Calico Life Sciences | San Francisco, CA, United States

Postdoctoral Researcher | Phifer-Rixey Lab, Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA, United States

Assistant, Associate, or Full Project Scientist | Brenner Research Group, University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA, United States

Faculty Position | Lung Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | Seattle, WA, United States

Faculty Position | Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX, United States

Assistant Manager | Clinical and Translational Research, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | Cold Spring Harbor, NY, United States

Postdoctoral Fellow | School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo | Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

Postdoctoral Fellow | Telese Lab, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine | San Diego, CA, United States

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Qian Lab, University of Maryland School of Medicine | Baltimore, MD, United States

Tenure-Track Faculty | Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School | Ann Arbor, MI, 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!

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is currently seeking 12 dedicated individuals to serve on the Postdoctoral Council (PDC) for a two-year term (January 2023–December 2024). The PDC is an all-postdoc body within the NPA, composed of 12 individuals that hold positions as postdoctoral fellows or scholars. The purpose of the Postdoc Council is to provide advice to the NPA Board and executive director on critical issues and trends impacting postdoctoral affairs. Learn more about the PDC here, and nominate using this form. The application deadline is October 28, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

NEW! My postDoc Monthly is offering a webinar on the topic of immigration and visas on November 2, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The session will cover the types of visas used by postdoctoral researchers. Learn about self-sponsored applications, J-1 visas, and other visas such as the F1 (OPT) and H-1B/O-1/TN. The webinar will also cover what to do after your postdoc, as you move through your career transitions. The webinar will leave you with some practical information and allow some time for general questions. Register today!

NEW! Are you interested in advancing sustainability, but you aren't sure how your research or field is applicable? You might be surprised how sustainability ranges from technical to social. Join us with our guests Sarah (Weber) Hertel and Seth Collins for a broad discussion of the many careers in sustainability and how to find the right organization for you. You will leave this free workshop with confidence that your PhD (no matter what field!) is extremely useful in addressing many important sustainability issues. This workshop with Save the World with your PhD is on October 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. CDT.

Applications are open for the American Association of University Women International Fellowships. The program provides support for women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported. Awards range from $20,000–$50,000. Applications are due November 15, 2022.

Apply now for the Van Andel Institute INSPIRE Fellowship. This fellowship supports exceptional postdoctoral fellows by reducing barriers, fostering community, and providing the resources and personalized mentorship needed for an outstanding training experience. We are committed to ensuring fellows have a firm foundation from which to launch their independent research careers—and to make a world of difference. Applications are accepted through October 31, 2022.

Apply for the SLAS Graduate Education Fellowship. This SLAS grant facilitates educational opportunities for outstanding students pursuing graduate degrees related to life sciences R&D. This program helps to realize a fundamental tenet of SLAS’s mission: to advance the fields of laboratory science and technology by nurturing the next generation of professional scientists. SLAS will award one grant (up to $50,000) per year, for a maximum of two years, to qualified educational institutions on behalf of deserving students enrolled in a graduate program at that institution. Apply by November 29, 2022.

Current professional development and training opportunities

The next round of Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellowships opens on October 10, 2022 with a deadline of 12 p.m. EST on February 1, 2023. The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research was established by the Childs Family in 1937, to honor the memory of Jane Coffin Childs who died of cancer in 1936. Inspired by the founding purpose to support research into the causes and treatment of cancer, the Fund’s mission has broadened to support fundamental scientific research that advances understanding of the causes, treatments, and cures for human disease. Visit the fund website to view eligibility criteria and application guidelines.

The Ben Barres Spotlight Awards application is now open for 2022. Reviewed preprint authors from underrepresented backgrounds and countries with limited funding can now apply for an award to support their research and career. Awards of up to $5,000 will be granted to assist researchers from groups that are underrepresented in biology and medicine or from countries with limited research funding until the entire budget is distributed. The application deadline is 5 p.m. GMT on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

The Science Policy Mentorship Program from the National Science Policy Network is accepting applications for mentors and mentees. Interested in being paired with a mentor to support you as you work towards, or try to identify your science policy goals? Apply to our mentorship program to be matched with a mentor based on a multiplicity of factors beyond basic career interest. View the program goals and expectations, and submit your application here.

NEW! The University of Wyoming is offering a free Science Communication Certification. This self-directed certification and badge program enables participants to complete a core certification in the best practices and science of science communication. Additional badge levels can be obtained by participants as they specialize in emphasis areas such as Sharing Science on Social Media, Designing and Implementing Outreach Programs, Assessing Science Communication Efforts, Science and the Media, Art-Science Integration, Teaching as Science Communication, the Science of Science Communication, and more. Learn more about program offerings and enroll today!

John B. Diamond, professor of sociology and education policy at Brown University—and a leading scholar of race in education and how it shapes instruction and learning in U.S. schools—will deliver the 2022 Brown Lecture in Education Research. This no-fee lecture is open to the public. ASL interpretation and captioning will be provided. Register here for the webinar taking place on November 3, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

The Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program offers nationally competitive fellowship awards to postdoctoral and senior scientists to perform collaborative research at USAF research facilities across the country. Since 1966, the Air Force S&T Enterprise has hosted over 1,000 fellows under the NRC Research Associateship Programs and many of these researchers have gone on to successful careers in government laboratories.

Are you a grad student or postdoc excited to expand your science communication skills? Do you want to learn how to give better presentations & up your data visualization skills? Then sign up for the free, online scicomm training course SCOPE! SCOPE (Science Communication Online Programme) is an introduction to effective science communication designed for STEM graduate students. This NSF-funded resource is free and created for those who don’t have access to live, in-person science communication training. The course is offered every quarter.

Applications are open now for the 2022–2023 Civic Engagement Microgrant Initiative sponsored by Research America. Microgrants of up to $4,000 will be awarded to STEM graduate student and postdoc-led groups to design and execute projects that create dialogue with public officials, local community leaders, and the public around issues of common concern. These funds provide opportunities for grantees to develop skills in areas such as communication and program planning, along with an understanding of public policy and government to have an impact in their local communities. Apply here today!

AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships provide opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking and contribute their knowledge and analytical skills in the policy realm. Learn more about this fellowship program and apply by November 1, 2022.