Research Career Development –
What Happens in
Grad School –
Actually Being There!
Gail P. Taylor, Ph.D.
Spring 2012
01/09/2012
Acknowledgements:
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Beyond the Beakers: SMART Advice
for Entering Graduate Programs in the
Sciences and Engineering. Gayle R.
Slaughter, Ph.D. Baylor College of
Medicine/National Science Foundation.
2005
Iris Lindberg – How to succeed in
Graduate School – 2007 http://thelindberglab.com/files.html
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Survival Skills and Ethics
Program:
 Beth Fischer
 Michael Zigmond
 www.pitt.edu/~survival
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Graduate Study in the Computer and
Mathematical Sciences:
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/gr
adstudy.html
Standard Ph.D. Training Path
1-2 Yrs
3 - 6 Yrs
Post Bacc
Research
Academic Postdoc
4 - 7 Yrs
UG –
Biological
Chemistry
Doctoral
Studies
UG –
Engineering
Academics
Government
Postdoc
Industry Postdoc
Government
Continue
Education
Industry
Other Career
M.S. Degree
Other
Work
Engineering
How to Succeed in
Graduate School, Once
You’re there…
Overall…You Must Take Charge of
Your Own Training!
What is Success in Grad School?
► Learning
what you need to know to succeed
in your next step, in a reasonable amount of
time.
 Postdoc?
 Career?
► Building
the best credentials possible…
Succeeding in GS
► Complete
required coursework
► Complete Exams and Tests
► Create the Products of Science
► Perform the Activities of Science
► Develop various Skills
► Develop personally
 Confidence, etc.
► Develop
additional credentials/skills
Characteristics of Successful Students
► Qualities
more important than brilliance or
academic strength:
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Passion for science
Enjoyment of intellectual challenge
View bench science as “fun”
CURIOSITY
DRIVE - Tenacity/persistence/Desire to finish
VISION – Can work for a long-term goal
Positive outlook
Iris Lindberg - http://thelindberglab.com/papers/grad%20school.pdf
Basic (Common) Success
One good publication, in a specialty journal
► 3.0 GPA in graduate school
► Mastery of bench science
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 Mastering specific techniques in your field and peripheral but
related fields
 Experimental design-some independence and some analytical skills
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Ability to communicate: write proposals and papers, give
talks
Acquisition of people resources (network) and information
resources
Two good recommendations from faculty familiar with your
work
Iris Lindberg - http://thelindberglab.com/papers/grad%20school.pdf
Excellent Success
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Three good publications (on important topics, in widelyread, higher impact journals)
Complete mastery of bench science
 Independence at the bench; ability to design new projects from the
literature
 Complete mastery of a field
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Excellent ability to communicate: to write proposals and
papers, give talks, work with others
Honors-grants, awards etc
Stellar recommendations (top 5%) from three or more
faculty familiar with your work
Iris Lindberg - http://thelindberglab.com/papers/grad%20school.pdf
How to Succeed – Develop a Plan
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Look at least one step beyond - where you want to
go…
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Make a list of what you must accomplish
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Courses
Exams/qualifiers
Research
Post-doc contacts
Make a list of what you’d like to accomplish
 Fellowships proposals
 Additional knowledge
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Make a timetable (with milestones)
Consult plan every 6 months and re-evaluate
Why You Must Take Charge…
► You’re
the only one thinking of mainly You!
 Mentor is busy with many responsibilities
 Committee is busy with many responsibilities
 Department/Doctoral Studies Committee is very
busy
 Your family often doesn’t really know what
you’re doing…
Where do you learn necessary
skills?
► Mainly
through experience, from your
Research Advisor/Mentor…
► Through other Mentors
► Increasingly through classes…
Life of a Grad Student
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Overall, less structured (especially later on)
Requires focus, to progress
Often more responsibilities to balance
Fewer classes (9 credits)
Take “Make up” courses early on
Take core courses
 Which are on qualifying exam?
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Eventually will take seminars and doctoral research credit
Higher expectations (no C’s)
Grad School Timeline/Activities
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First year
 Coursework
 Lab rotations
 Select lab
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Second year
 Finish coursework
 Continue to work in lab
 Set up committee(s)
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Exam committee
Thesis/Dissertation committee
 Take examinations
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Comprehensive
Defend Thesis Proposal
 “Advance to candidacy”
 Apply for personal funding
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Years 3 - ? (av. 5+)
 Set up/meet w Committee
 Work on research
 Take seminars/special
topics/dissertation research
courses
 Develop your credentials
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Pubs
Presentations
Teaching
Mentoring
Techniques
“Special” skills
 Network
 Set up future Postdoc positions
 Write and Defend Dissertation!
The most important person- your
major or research advisor:
► An
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advisor should give you:
Advice
Can be a mentor…
Second-hand reputation
Knowledge of professional activities
Possible financial support/assistance
Role model
Introductions/networking
http://bowerlab.org
Letters of recommendation
Respect
Choosing a Research Advisor
►
Need to have compatible:
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Research interests
Reputation – you’ll carry it
Personality
Grant support
Publications
Active/dynamic research group
Going to stay at University
Track record with students
► Graduation
► Duration
► Reputation
 Mentoring (or not) style
► Some
Grad students need more attention than others
 Cultural sensitivity
Your responsibilities to
your advisor and lab
►A
laboratory is an extended family!
 Your best effort
►Show
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up when you say you will!
Honesty
Productivity
Assistance- Teamwork
Feedback/communication
Respect/Loyalty
Your Research Topic
Often a small part of a Advisor’s grant (advisable)
► Best if local support for topic/technique is available
► Choosing own topic may delay graduation
► Thesis Proposal
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You essentially write a small grant
Contains several specific aims
Contains a multi-year plan for research
Committee agrees what you must do for degree
Subject should be timely
 Poised for job market
 May be “scooped”
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Subject should interest you!
 Must want to do to lab!
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Will have ups and downs and dead ends
Availability of a “secret weapon”
 What is unique in the lab or environment?
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Methodology
Insights
Preliminary data
Resources/equipment
Selecting a Research Problem:
additional considerations
► Determining
how many Problems/Specific Aims
 more than one
 less than four
► Developing hypotheses
► Integrate early res. Into spec aims
► Work collaboratively
► When do you start, publish, quit?
► Will receive assistance from Dissertation
Committee…
► Try to include research that you’ve already
completed, during second year…
Progressing Efficiently in the Lab
► Make
a daily to-do list
► Prioritize: do the most important things first
► Multitask
► Do many experiments (Maximize luck…)
► Plan for the tomorrow’s work before you leave
► Work on at least one weekend day (this will save
you months!)
► Read literature mostly at night
► Put a date on EVERYTHING! It’s a locator device.
► Watch out for inefficient computer use or texting
From Iris Lindberg - http://thelindberglab.com/papers/grad%20school.pdf
Think about Experiments!
► Design
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to minimize error and ambiguity
Is my methodology accepted in field?
What will eventual Figure look like?
What should my “n” be?
What are appropriate controls and standards?
►Run
all appropriate controls and standards with
samples
 Could this result be an Artifact!?
 Do NOT quickly disqualify a data point
Thinking II
► Must
balance Thinking and Doing…
 Remember to critique your own experiments!
►locate
possible sources of artifact and error
►compare your results to published data (remember
units!)
► Get
background by reading!
 Approach reading critically!
► It
still doesn’t work? Get advice and change
something!
► Change protocols if needed (confer with PI!)
How to Impress Your Mentor
► Set
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your own deadlines and meet them
Projects
Papers
Grant applications
Exams
Committee meetings
► Read
the literature on your own
► Think critically about experiments
► Participate fully in lab meetings
► Work hard…
What is a Dissertation Committee?
► Varies
slightly w institution
► “Chair” generally your research P.I.
► ~5 faculty with possibly one external
► Okay a contract for work/proposal
► Meet annually or more to assess progress
► Assess presentation/content of thesis, and
confer Ph.D.
Choosing a Committee
► Always
in collaboration with your mentor
► Good reputations
 Letters
 Assistance
 Mentoring or advice
► Reasonable
people
Qualifying Exams
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Format varies with school/committees
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Test knowledge in various aspects of your field
May be oral and/or written
Generally require a thesis proposal with defense and written exam
Know what components will be required
Written
► One
large exam: requires extensive study time outside of class\
► Many small exams: easier, taken with coursework
 Can be very stressful
 Usually can fail once…then retake
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When complete QEs, you “advance to candidacy”
 Doctoral Candidate vs Doctoral Student
Perform the Activities of
Science
► Research
► Presentations
► Invited
Lectures
► Mentoring Students
► Service on Committees
► Teaching
► Grant writing
Create the Products of
Science
► Publications
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Abstracts
Peer reviewed journal articles
Review articles
Books
► Patents
► Techniques
or reagents
Life as a Research Assistant or
Fellow
► Probably
no teaching requirement
► Usually work on your own research
► Fellow – own funding
► Research Assistant – usually mentor’s or
program’s funding
Life as a Teaching Assistant
► Usually
instruct one or more sections of a
lab course
► Required on some stipends (money
arrangements)
► May be required by program, for teaching
experience
► May slow down research progress
Your Development I
► Early
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on-
Little independence/control
Project direction usually determined
Guided in reading
Little contribution to knowledge, etc
► Farther
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on-
Getting more independent
More questions “Why”
Can usually set direction of own work each week
Ideas still mostly from advisor
Begin your own literature work
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/node8.html
Your Development II
► “Adolescent”:
 Student is growing up
 Reads and questions papers critically
 Given more responsibility
► Writing
papers
► Mentoring younger students
► Advanced activities (evaluating papers, etc)
 Conflicts can arise - Advisor “interfering”
 dependence is resented, and frustration can run high.
► Adulthood:
 Advisor and student redefine relationship
 Student transforms into colleague
 Future contact based on mutual respect, gratitude,
pride in student’s development
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/node8.html
Practical Advice - Develop
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Friendships
 Inside and outside of school
 Support group
 Sounding board
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Other Mentors/Faculty
 Provide perspective/advice
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Foundations
 Solid ideas of why you are
there
 Faith or philosophy helps
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Family/Perspective
 Family and others outside
school can help ground you
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Fitness
 Don’t give up exercise
 Maintain your health
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Fun
 Try to have balanced life
 Don’t give up all hobbies
Opportunities
► Set
yourself up for the future!
► Always look for opportunities
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Extra training
Networking
Travel
Funding (more next week!)
Independence
Writing your Thesis
► Product
worthy of publication
► Usually, two-three research papers with
deep introduction and conclusion
► Will take multiple drafts
► Needs to be thorough (references, etc)
► Often happens in a rush at the end
► Best if publish papers as you go!
Highs and Lows of Grad School
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LOWS
Can be Stressful!
Tedium can set in
Apprenticeship
 Learn by doing
 Fish out of water
 Feel Incompetent
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Mentor Issues
Money issues
Balancing family
Will I find a job I want??
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HIGHS
Can be fun!
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All new field
Get to play in lab
Learning critical skills
Great colleagues
Find new things
Become an expert
Sets you up for future
career!
Problems that may occur:
Your advisor...
► has
different priorities from yours
► does not provide much feedback
► leaves the institution
► feels you are not working hard enough
► does not get along with others in department
► does not get along with you
► behaves in a way you find irresponsible
Problems that may occur:
You...
► Have
a major life change
► Want to change advisors
► change your research interests
► change your career objectives
► become overwhelmed
► become under-whelmed
When Things Get Tough…
► Grad
school has very stressful times
► Generally have a “burn out” time
► Try to stick it out!
► Get counseling if needed
► Keep your eye on the prize!
► You will evolve; you must become a
colleague to your mentor, as you develop as
a scientist…
In Summary…
►A
little knowledge and planning at the
beginning will assist you in progressing
efficiently through your training and
launching into a career…