October 2004
This is an updated version of the "Linking to Success" article published two years ago. I've included new sites that I have found useful in preparing articles for "Career Talk." You'll find references and links to online and in-print resources on issues regarding career development, including general career information, funding opportunities, writing, negotiation and sites of special interest to women. ** I've also highlighted a few sites that I have found particularly useful over the past two years. If you have come across any references or links that you find helpful, please email me at a1wang@ucsd.edu!
General Career Information
**http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/
One of the best career resources for scientists. One of my favorite websites. Where I go first to look for information regarding scientific training and career development. It is written with the typical Ph.D. postdoc/junior faculty in mind and covers issues that are broadly applicable to anyone considering a career in academics. http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cdc/index.shtml takes you to the career development center.
http://www.nsf.gov
Homepage for the National Science Foundation.
** http://www.ce.ufl.edu/%7Ecglag/fac_dev/OtherSites/othersites.htm
A treasure trove of faculty development sites.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/archive/advicearch.htm#catalyst
Internet news source for people in academics. Featured advice columns including, personal accounts on balancing family and work. Insider views of academic culture.
http://grants1.nih.gov/training/resources.htm
Updated NIH career resource site including a section on career skills and, importantly, links to postdoctoral associations around the country. Also includes information on Research Policies such as human subjects, research integrity and use of animals in research.
http://www.faseb.org/opar/Graduate.Education.html
Educational and professional development site of the FASEB organization that contains useful and interesting articles covering a broad and timely range of scientific and professional issues ranging from postdoctoral NRSA fellowship benefits (or lack thereof) to a proposed development plan for training postdoctoral fellows.
http://www.survival.pitt.edu/
The University of Pittsburgh sponsors a survival skills and ethics program for professionals seeking success in research and related careers. Includes a resource page that has links to manuals and handouts from the program as well as links to bibliography covering a variety of topics. Very comprehensive!
Books:
At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator, by Kathy Barker of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. This book demonstrates how to apply skills you already possess--analyzing systems, communicating effectively and setting and managing priorities--to meeting the challenges of running a laboratory.
To Boldly Go: A Career Guide for Scientists, by Peter S. Fiske. Dr. Fiske is an experimental physicist in the Physics and Space Technologies Directorate of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has devoted much effort to the issue of career development for Ph.D.s.
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/
Online edition of the NAS handbook on mentoring. Published in 1997 and still useful.
http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/amazon2.htm
List of recommended books by Joe Levine (who supervises the MSU grantwriting website, see below). I have not read any of these books myself, so can't vouch for them. But it seems like a comprehensive list and a good place to get started.
Funding Opportunities
http://fundingopps2.cos.com/
The most comprehensive source of funding information available on the Web, with more than 23,000 records, representing over 400,000 funding opportunities, worth over $33 billion.
www.grants.gov
Search for federal government-wide grant opportunities. Also allows you to receive notices of new grant postings.
www.grantsnet.org
Comprehensive grant search service.
NIH Contact Information:
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/index.cfm
NIH grants and funding opportunities
Link to NIH Loan repayment program
NIH Fellowships (F series): http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm#fellowships/
NIH Career awards (K series): http://grants1.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-056.html
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
Information on NIH grant and fellowship programs sponsored by the Office for Extramural Research (OER)
NHLBI Contact Information:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
NHLBI website.
K08 award
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/newrek08.htm
Overview of NHLBI training and career development programs.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/newrek08.htm
Overview of NHLBI K08 award program.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/hints.htm
Helpful hints for NHLBI applicants for K08 award.
K23 award
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/newk23.htm
Overview of HNHBI K23 award program.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/hints4k23.htm
Helpful hints for NHLBI applicants for K23 award.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/redbook/k23models.htm
K23 model applications.
NHLBI Staff Contact:
K08: Lorraine M. Silsbee, M.H.S.
Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7934
Bethesda, MD 20892-7934
Telephone: (301) 435-0709
FAX: (301)480-1667
E-mail: SilsbeeL@nhlbi.nih.gov
K23: Beth Schucker, M.A.
Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7940
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940
Telephone: (301) 435-0535
FAX: (301) 480-1335
E-mail: Schuckeb@mail.nih.gov
Miscellaneous
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/research/awards03.html
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
http://www.sloan.org/main.shtml
American Association of University Women
http://www.aauw.org/3000/felgrawa.html
National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov/home/menus/funding.htm
National Science Foundation funding site. Includes information regarding funding opportunities, how to obtain funding, award data, etc...
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200050
Writing
**http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/resources.htm
Resources for grant applicants. Good way to get started.
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm
EPA grantwriting tutorial.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf9891
NSF Division of Undergraduate Education Guide for Proposal Writing.
**http://www.northwestern.edu/orsp/index.html
Home site of the Northwestern University Office of Sponsored Research. Includes some very helpful links.
http://nuinfo.northwestern.edu/orsp/terms.html
Common grants management terminology.
http://nuinfo.northwestern.edu/orsp/acronyms.html
Commonly used research acronyms used by Northwestern University as well as non NWU organization.
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/app/default.htm
Presented as an example of a well-written R01 including annotations!
**http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/
Recently updated guide put out by Joe Levine, Ph.D., at Michigan State University. Includes list of books (see above) as well as links to other sites.
http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/EXTRA/EXTDOCS/gntapp.htm
NCI sponsorerd guide to preparing an NIH application.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/ci/31/special/02sb_inet.html
Very comprehensive overview of available print and online resources for improving scientific writing. Written by Svetla Baykoucheva, Manager of the American Chemical Society Library and Information Center in Washington, D.C.
http://www.bartleby.com/141
Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. Good writing is a must. This classic covers the principal requirements of good English style with attention to commonly violated rules of usage.
Books:
Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers, by Mimi Zeiger. This great book grew out of a famous scientific writing course given to postdoctoral fellows at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at UCSF. This book not only give general writing tips but offers hands on, practical advice on analyzing and improving your writing. Even those who are experienced and "feel comfortable" with writing papers will learn something!
The Elements of Style, by Strunk, White and Angell. The 4th edition of this classic should be in every writer's library.
Negotiation
http://www.umich.edu/%7Ecew/jwfnnegowkshp.html
Notes from a workshop on negotiation held in 2001 by Jayne Thorson, Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs at the University of Michigan.
Books:
Negotiating for Dummies, by Michael and Mimi Donaldson. Negotiation is an essential skill in all aspects of our lives, from getting your kids dressed and ready for school in the morning to that all important salary raise from your boss.
Getting to Yes: Agreement Without Giving In, by R. Fisher.
Work and Family
http://www.anxiousparents.com
Resource aimed at working parents, their employers and childcare professionals. The author has written a book , The Anxious Parents' Guide to Quality Childcare. The site includes links to other childcare and parenting websites. Also has a recommended reading list.
http://www.awis.org/resource/links.html
Resource list by AWIS website includes links for kids' resources (fun stuff, too) and mentoring.
http://www.theglassceiling.com/resources/parenting.htm
This page features links related to parenting resources.
http://www.careguide.com
Information relating to eldercare.
http://www.umich.edu/%7Ecew/bibs/workfamily.pdf
A recommended bibliography put out by the Junior Women Faculty Network at the University of Michigan.
Of Special Interest to Women in Science
**http://www.awis.org/resource/links.html
A comprehensive resource and links page found on the Association for Women in Science website. This page has links to sites covering general science organizations, women in science organizations, mentoring, education, resources for kids, funding/scholarschips and elctronic organizations.
Tip check out: http://www.chillyclimate.org/
Focuses on the “chilly climate†encountered by women in academics.
** http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~forsburg/bio.html
Women in Biology Internet Launch Page. Good place to get started when looking for information for biologists who happen to be women.
http://www.umich.edu/~cew/welcome.html
Center for the Education of Women at the University of Michigan. Founded in 1964, has several ongoing projects and initiatives aimed at promoting the progress of women in research and business. Includes links to a number of national organizations dedicated to women, work and education.
Tip: Check out excerpts from “The Mommy Myth†by Susan Douglas
http://www.umich.edu/%7Ecew/jwfn.html
Junior Women Faculty Network. Website sponsored by the Center for the Education of Women at the University of Michigan. Features links to recommended booklists
http://www.umich.edu/%7Ecew/bibs/jrfacbib.pdf and http://www.umich.edu/%7Ecew/bibs/workfamily.pdf
http://www.ACENET.edu/programs/owhe/
Website for the Office of Women in Higher Education.
http://www.aamc.org/
Association of American Medical Colleges. In particular, go to http://www.aamc.org/members/wim/start.htm, women in medicine. Also, http://www.aamc.org/members/wim/jbrecommends.pdf, list of books on research and women’s advancement recommended by Janet Bickel, Director of Women in Medicine.
Books
A Women’s Guide to the Language of Success: Communicating with Confidence and Power, by Phyllis Mindell. A practical guide for professional women on how to use language more effectively to persuade, succeed and be more assertive.
