Overview of Nead

Recent Posts

No response after positive review of my application
N

How long has it been since you responded? These things can take some time, especially if they have to set up a panel for interviews etc.
I would wait about 7-10 working days before emailing when you do be poilte and courtesies. Hope it goes well.

Applying for grants (postdoctoral)
N

Personally I am applying for some grants to extend my postdoc. My boss will only let me apply for one at a time. Some funding are like papers and don't like your proposal to be under consideration elsewhere.
His view is that it would look quite bad to apply for two grants, get both and have to turn one down.
I made a list of the ones I wanted to apply to, when the application open and close. I have downloaded the templates and slowly working through them. I presume if your applying for a postdoc you will need a PI support ask them how they feel. Also, look at your uni guidelines, in mine, they have to approve all grant applications and arent ken on people applying with the same proposal over and over again, I have to change them up.

How do you rent a room if there's less than one year left?
N

I had this issue during my PhD. However my lease said one month's notice was required before leaving, and leaving early would result in loss of deposit. In my case, it was like 500 euro. I didn't mind that.
From my understanding, if you paying it monthly and leave early, youll lose your depost, but wont have to pay for the other months.

Do impact factors matter?
N

I agree with pm133, you should be focused on being a great scientist over the IF of a journal.

Something to add on IF though:
There are some well know, well-respected journal with lower IF, but are very specialised journals. Then you have a journal with high IF, that take a wide range of paper on a different area- hence a higher IF.

The way I seen it published is published, no matter the IF. Yes, higher IF look better, but I have yet to do one interview where I've been asked about IF.

Have you been back to the lab and are you working in shifts?
N

I get to go back to the lab next week. We are being given half-day slots with a max of 20% of people allowed in the lab. We can have 4/ 5 people at once. We have been told the reason for half days, is our kitchen facilities and lunchroom will be closed, alongside offices- therefore by giving a half-day no one should be taking a lunch break for food and should not need to use their office.
Were trying to arrange that people work on a like-minded project will work sperate shifts so that if sampling etc needs later in the day, someone else can do it.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?
N

Quote From rewt:
Quote From Tudor_Queen:
Awards can set you apart. But I still think the personal statement can be a killer.


I agree that awards can set you apart but they have no real bearing on your ability to do research. They are nice but should have little impact on your post-doc job prospects.

I have a few awards from conferences and there not of my CV. My PI of my PhD very kindly reviewed my CV for me for postdocs position, and told me to take them off- its braggy and not essential like what rewt said.

With no publications or awards, how can I make my CV look better?
N

First of all, be very careful about taking a post-doc role while writing up. Post-docs can have a lot of work to do, not a typical 9-5. Secondly, A lot of PI (and uni rules) need you to have your viva done to offer a position, or show that you have submitted, and will be completed in 6 months. Check the rules out of where you applied to. Personally I undertook a technician role, prior to my postdoc, one to get more experience and so that I had a better chance of getting accepted.

On to your CV. I wouldn't put the paper down until they're at least under review somewhere. Having co-authored papers is better than nothing- for these of your CV, I would highlight the contribution you made to each. If you have attended conferences, maybe highlight that. I would add a small description of your projects, and give the skills/techniques you have learnt. Remember you will have to change your CV and cover letter to each job application.
In terms of anything you can do .. can you get a paper out as 1st author? Depending on your area of study will depend if they what you to have a paper published before you postdoc, I know my PI doesn't take any postdocs who haven't pubhlied at least once (Be it as a 1st or co-author). Check and see what skills you have and what you may need for the postdocs you're interested in. Can you do some outreach activities that might look good on your CV?
Hopefully that might be of use

Including published data in your thesis
N

I didn't have to modify any text of the published papers. Literally copy and pasted them in, and formatted the font etc to match the thesis style. Like Tudor said I did have a section at the start stating what chapter were published and on each chapter made it clear where it was published and what journal.
To be honest, I think my supervisor would of having a heart attack if they all had to be changed and she had to recheck it !
Like what pm133 says check with your uni and what other students have done and base your judgement on that. If other people haven't changed them you should have a good case.

Including published data in your thesis
N

Hi Rewt,
My thesis was written the standard way with modification on chapters. I had the standard review chapter, following which the next three chapters were published (no changes just slotted straight in- not allowed to do thesis by publication) followed by two normal chapters and a discussion. Like Tudor had said, before by chapters began (After the abstract), I had a section title "Structure of Thesis", which I basically outline which chapter was published or not and the main objectives of each part.
Also, on the Chapter page for each new chapter, I had the title and where the paper was published with the DOI and full author list and credits.
My examiners had no issue with it at all.

Should a PhD be paid for work for a company.
N

I don't think you can ask for financial compensation, especially if this work will go into your thesis. A lot of students work in collaboration with industry and don't get paid additional monies for it.
Do you need this work for your PhD? As in is it directly related to your project? If so I don't think they will pay you, as it benefits your thesis.
If its a side project (completely different and will take time away from your own studies), that you have been asked to help on you might have a chance of getting paid. However than may say no, leaving you in an awkward situation. But if they haven't mentioned to you about getting paid, I doubt you are.

Do you list postgrad conferences on CV/staff profile post PhD?
N

I do the same as Tudor_Queen. I still have them on listed under conference proceeding and have paper publication as a separate section.

Preregister a review paper?
N

I am unsure about registering a review, to make sure some else isn't doing it. However, you can submit a presubmission inquiry to the journal to see if they are interested in publishing it before fully writing it. Generally for this, you just give a paper outline and maybe figures and tables. Some journal requests these (Generally high impact journals) and won't take unsolicited review papers. Hopefully that helps

Is there any other experimental science PhD student who's feeling as lost and anxious as me now
N

Its understandable to feel how you do. Being a scientist and being away from the lab can be testing. In my research group, everyone has been task with thesis writing (Students) and postdocs(me) have been told to write papers.
I know it hard to write full time, but that is what you'll have to do in the last 6 months. I would imagine it would be better to write what you can now, just in case you need those final months to do experimental work.
In term of I have" nothing to do", can you make some graphical abstract, create imagines or double-check all the references you have used to date? Can you take any courses online, such as an R stats course etc? It doesn't all have to be about writing.
In terms of a side project, I personally wouldn't want one, this will distract from your thesis, and may not be useful towards your PhD.
I would thread lightly about sending an email to your supervisor about how angry you are. You don't want to upset a relationship. Also, see it from their side, s/he more than likely has PhD students, post-docs and classes that are now being done online, plus exams are coming up, s/he could be quite stressed. I would, however, ask if possible for a video call/meeting to discuss what exactly s/he would like to see from you during this time. Sometimes having smaller goals to work to can be helpful.

Publish after PhD
N

Contact your supervisors first. If there name is going to be attached to the paper they need to approve it,read it etc. Also, some papers have charges, you need to figure out who is paying that, it can range from a couple hundred euro to a couple of thousand.

Looking for grants for visiting fellowships
N

Maybe Erasmus plus ..but I think this year call has ended