Small Science?
The facts and myths about science
careers in liberal arts colleges
Karen F. Greif, Ph.D.
Bryn Mawr College
kgreif@brynmawr.edu
What we’ll discuss
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Liberal arts colleges: what are their features?
Preparing for a career in a liberal arts college
What search committees look for
The interview
Funding your research: special opportunities
Life at a liberal arts college
Some statistics
• According to US News and World Report, there are over
200 residential liberal arts colleges in U.S.
• They award 3-4% of all baccalaureate degrees in U.S.
However, 16% of undergraduate degrees in the natural
sciences are earned at baccalaureate institutions.
• They have the highest per capita production of graduates
who go on to earn Ph.Ds (data from NSF)
– 15% of recent Ph.Ds in science and engineering obtained their
baccalaureate degrees at L.A. colleges.
– The top 25 colleges awarded baccalaureate degrees to a third of
these science Ph.D.s
• Graduates of liberal arts colleges are disproportionately
represented in the leadership of the scientific community
Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges
(59 Institutions)
Albion College
Alma College
Amherst College
Bates College
Beloit College
Bowdoin College
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Carleton College
Colby College
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of Wooster
Colorado College
Connecticut College
Davidson College
Denison University
DePauw University
Dickinson College
Earlham College
Franklin and Marshall College
Gettysburg College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Hope College
Kalamazoo College
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
(one of several consortia of leading institutions)
Lawrence University
Macalester College
Manhattan College
Middlebury College
Mills College
Mount Holyoke College
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Pomona College
Reed College
Sewanee - U of South
Skidmore College
Smith College
St. Olaf College
Swarthmore College
Trinity College
Trinity University
Union College
Vassar College
Wabash College
Washington and Lee University
Washington College
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Wheaton College
Whitman College
Whittier College
Williams College
Characteristics of L.A. Colleges
• Total enrollments of 3,000 or less. The leading
institutions are highly selective.
• Focus on teaching undergraduates, including nonscience majors, by regular faculty.
• Expectation of breadth in teaching and
interdisciplinary program participation.
• Small class sizes, individualized attention to
students by faculty members
• Undergraduate students and faculty collaborate in
original research.
• Summer and sabbaticals provide most research
time.
How much teaching is there?
• Formal requirements usually expressed in “courses”
taught each of the two semesters.
• Ranges from 1/1 to 4/4.
• Most loads are between 3/3 and 2/2.
• Class size will vary from a high of perhaps 150 to
classes of 5-8 students
How are “courses” calculated?
What is a “course”?
• If a course has a laboratory, does that count as a
separate course? Sometimes.
• If you have X UG doing independent research in your
lab, does that count as a course? Sometimes.
• Is there a mechanism (formal or informal) to give
more credit for teaching large courses (e.g. intro) or
non-major courses? Sometimes.
• Do you have a smaller number of courses that repeat
every year, or do you have to update multiple courses
that are each only offered occasionally?
• Other commitments: advising majors, advising nonmajors.
Research at LA Colleges
• Levels of research will vary. A few
institutions have graduate programs, but
most do not.
• Top-tier LA institutions expect faculty to be
actively engaged in research, publishing and
seeking funding
• Lower-tier institutions will have lower
expectations for research productivity
Preparing for jobs at Liberal Arts Colleges
• Get teaching experience!
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Take “teaching seminars”
Volunteer to teach sections
Teach a course at a local college
“Teaching” postdocs
• Develop research plans that are undergraduatefriendly
Undergraduate-friendly Research
• Overall project can be broken into smaller projects.
• Can be done in relatively short blocks of time – students
are all taking other courses at the same time, and thus
have less time and fewer long blocks of time to devote to
their research projects than graduate students.
• Projects are not likely to be ‘road kills’ by competing big
labs.
• Projects can be done with available equipment or items
that will be purchased as part of faculty start-up.
• Ongoing costs for student projects modest.
• Projects must match resources available.
Some questions to ask about research
activities
• What have recently tenured faculty accomplished at the
institution?
• Do most faculty have funded research programs?
• Do faculty work on their research during the summer?
• How much money does the institution provide for
research (in-house grants for research supplies, travel,
undergraduate stipends, etc)?
• What is the sabbatical policy? Range: 1 semester every
7 semesters to never. Some institutions have a pre-tenure
junior leave.
Applying for Jobs
• Know your institution. Visit websites, become
aware
• Apply for jobs that fit you
• Cover letters
– Cover letters should indicate awareness of institution
– Stress relevant experience/knowledge of LA
environment
– One-size DOES NOT fit all! Avoid generic letters,
especially those you use for research universities
What Search Committees Look For
• Different tiers of colleges have different
expectations and may weigh different components
quite differently.
• All look at the same characteristics of a candidate:
experience and promise in both teaching and
research.
• Awareness and understanding of the liberal arts
environment. Any suggestion that this is an “easy”
alternative career is fatal
Evaluation of teaching potential
• Motivation and enthusiasm for teaching
• Efforts to gain teaching experience
• Teaching philosophy well-thought out. (These tend to
be superficial and unoriginal)
• Some awareness of current trends: active learning, case
studies, inquiry-based learning, supplemental
instruction (reaching all students), etc.
• Interest in teaching in the laboratory as well as in the
classroom.
More on teaching
• Experience: preference for those having taught a
complete course, but generally quality TA
experience is sufficient.
• Breadth of experience and of courses in which
candidate has both the interest and experience to
teach. Be specific about courses you are interested in
teaching and/or developing.
• Potential to teach new and appropriate courses,
especially interdisciplinary courses.
Research Expectations
• Most, but not all, institutions will prefer or require
postdoctoral experience
• Publications: 1-10, at least some first author, in high
quality journals
• Grant support: Potential for future funding; previous
grants not expected for entry level positions.
Postdoctoral fellowships a plus!
• Research area to complement but not overlap with
other faculty in the department. (Given small faculty
sizes, this is amongst the top criteria.)
• Research program amenable to undergraduate
participation—both conceptually and technically
Letters of recommendation
• Get letters that assess both research and teaching
potential.
• If you don’t have a letter from your graduate or
postdoc advisors, search committees may wonder
why. Provide an explanation if you can.
• Strong letters from individuals who have some
awareness of the LA environment are particularly
helpful.
Additional Expectations (some assessed at
interview)
• Clarity of written expression (as a measure of
communication skills).
– If you are not a native speaker of English, and/or are a
weak writer, make sure your application materials get
“vetted”
• Ability to interact comfortably with students (and
other members of the faculty).
• Clarity of presentation of research seminar – at a
level appropriate for an undergraduate audience.
The Interview
• Generally, your expenses will be covered
• Typically 1-2 grueling days (12 hours per day not unusual!)
• You will meet department members, some senior administrators,
students, outside members of search committee
• Be prepared to talk about both research and teaching AND ask
questions about the department and institution. The interview is a twoway street!
• Do your homework! Familiarize yourself with departmental research
and curriculum
• Research talk: aimed at an undergraduate audience (THIS IS
CRITICAL)
• Some institutions will also ask you to teach a class
• Interactions with students are important; if the students don’t like you,
you will not get an offer
Employment packages
• 9 or 10 month guaranteed salary
– Starting salaries vary with institution and location
– Salaries are generally lower than at universities
• Summer salary must be picked up on grants
• First appointments are generally for three or four years,
with review in the third year
• Subsidized health insurance coverage and spending
accounts
• Other benefits: life insurance, retirement (TIAA-CREF or
other); disability; mortgage plans; tuition plans; faculty
housing (varies)
Negotiating a package
• Small institutions often have less flexibility in
starting salaries
• Start-up package:
– May or may not include renovated lab/office space
– Generally, don’t expect the level of support you would
get at a major research university!
– Ask for what you really need but don’t pad
– Don’t count on being provided with a technician or
other professional personnel
Funding your Research Program
Major Sources
• National Institutes of Health (AREA, R03, R01)
• National Science Foundation (RUI, REU, CCLI, MUE, MRI)
Other Sources
•Whitehall Foundation
• Sigma Xi
• Psi Chi
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Institutional Programs)
• Council on Undergraduate Research
• Institutional
NIH Academic Research Enhancement
Award (AREA) Grants - (R15)
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm
Maximum funding level = $150,000 (direct costs) over 3 years
(requested in $25,000 modules under NIH’s Modular Budget
Program). P.I. can submit “competing continuations”.
R15 Awards 2005
2005
NCCAM
NCI
NCRR
NEI
NHGRI
NHLBI
NIA
NIAAA
NIAID
NIAMS
NIBIB
NICHD
NIDA
NIDCD
NIDCR
NIDDK
NIEHS
NIGMS
NIMH
NINDS
NINR
Reviewed
Awarded
Total Funds
success rate
8
59
1
11
2
43
37
2
74
22
9
36
12
18
5
38
17
142
20
41
64
661
2
20
1
3
0
21
12
0
19
5
1
7
4
6
2
10
9
49
0
11
15
197
$273,645
$4,033,242
$210,750
$563,594
0
$4,191,938
$2,250,420
0
$3,771,145
$1,028,365
$195,000
$1,387,215
$721,195
$1,249,472
$397,145
$1,823,511
$1,778,121
$10,196,158
0
$2,349,337
$3,320,523
$39,740,776
25%
34%
100%
27%
0%
49%
32%
0%
26%
23%
11%
19%
33%
33%
40%
26%
53%
35%
0%
27%
23%
http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/award/success/succratearea8505.htm
Small Grant Program (R03)
Direct costs up to $50,000/yr for two years
(depending on Institute rules).
http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm
Research Project Grant (R01)
(usually following AREA or R03; For well-established programs.
Hard to get in this time of tight money)
Direct costs of ~ $150,000 – $1,000,000, depending on
the Institute (over 5 years). P.I. can submit competing continuations.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)
Generally less than $100,000 per year. Institution must meet certain
eligibility criteria.
Home page - http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui/start.shtm
Also
Collaborative Research in Undergraduate Institutions (C-RUI)
Fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between P.I.s within a college
or between colleges, following RUI guidelines.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Faculty Early Career Development Program
(CAREER)
CAREER Program Goal:
New investigators with clear plans for successful integration of
research and teaching.
• Five-year funding period with minimum budget of $100,000/yr.
Home page - http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
(REU)
Funds mentored summer undergraduate research
Two forms of funding:
REU Site (departmental or institutional) ~ 10 students/yr.
REU Supplement (individual investigator generated)
Home Page – http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/reu/
National Science Foundation (NSF) –
Equipment Programs
Multi-User Biological Equipment and Instrumentation
(MUE)
http://www.nsf.gov/bio/dbi/dbi_instrument.htm
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/start.htm
• Grants to fund major research equipment (usually shared).
National Science Foundation (NSF) – Course,
Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement
Equipment for new undergraduate laboratory teaching
and research instrumentation and equipment.
Division of Undergraduate Education
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/ehr/due/programs/ccli/
Life at a Liberal Arts College
• Challenges:
• You wear many hats! Teacher, scholar, advisor, faculty
member, committee member (not counting your family….)
• You are pulled in many directions: finding a balance is often
difficult
• You work very long hours to fulfill your goals
• Rewards:
• Small size permits you to have close interactions with students
• Small size permits you to have interactions with faculty in
other disciplines (Have lunch with a philosopher or political
scientist! Join a faculty seminar on “time”, etc)
• You will have considerable flexibility to pursue new teaching
and research interests as they arise