1 Comments
Embarking on a career in biomedicine is more than doing experiments and writing NIH grant applications. How does one learn about other important skills early in their research career, and what exactly are they?
This episode of a two-part NIH All About Grants Podcast mini-series explores the “hidden curriculum” for early career researchers. Our conversation features hosts of two NIH podcasts that delve into topics of interest for researchers seeking independence and other considerations related to career progression. The guests are podcasters Dr. Oliver Bogler, host of Inside Cancer Careers from the National Cancer Institute, and Dr. Lauren Ullrich, co-host of Building Up the Nerve from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Here we will relay experiences and lessons learned on finding the right mentor, importance of open communication, networking, career progression and opportunities, and much more.
“We know that education in general, it’s not only what you learn in the formal classroom, but it’s also this other hidden curriculum that’s the values, and the beliefs, and the behaviors, and all these pieces of scientific culture that are implicitly there. What are the norms and practices of being a scientist?” – Dr. Lauren Ullrich
“One of the themes that comes out is the importance of connecting with other people that can help you find that right insight, guide you in the projects you’re doing, or in the hidden curriculum … How do you build those relationships? How do you get those jobs? And, how do you get those grants and papers published?” – Dr. Oliver Bogler
Stay tuned until the very end of our conversation to catch a trailer for Inside Cancer Careers as well. In part 2 of the miniseries (released in November 2023), we discuss knowing more about yourself and your research as you consider applying for NIH support.
—
NIH’s All About Grants episodes can also be heard on iTunes and Spotify. Have an idea for a future podcast? Email ExtramuralNexus@mail.nih.gov. We love suggestions!
Is this really what we should be talking about with early career scientists? This – is what NIH thinks is important? Networking and ‘practice’? Some other topics of interest include: unchanged and unhinged modular budget of $250k/year vs. scientific work and cost expectations, exorbitant indirect pay rates that provide researchers with 0 real support and instead bloat the administration, misguided and misleading grant application processes where NIH refuses to respect its own timelines and straps postdocs in limbo, absolutely violent and long non-arbitrated review process with unhelpful POs that do not go beyond “well you can try again”, incomprehensible burnout rates among early career scientists, psychological abuse and hostile work environment protections that do not exist and that NIH did not even track until a few years ago? … should I go on? This Kumbaya approach and the lectures on the importance of networking – do you think it really helps anyone but the egos of the ‘various career scientists’ that happily giggled on this podcast while sharing close to 0 actually useful information? When is this going to be a useful enterprise? What are you doing?