Building a Successful Career in Scientific Research
A Guide for PhD Students and Postdocs

An entertaining and practical guide to getting your science PhD and working as a post-doc.

Phil Dee (Author)

9780521617406, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 March 2006

142 pages, 3 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.3 x 0.9 cm, 0.241 kg

From PhD student to post-doc, Phil Dee has been sharing his career experiences with fellow scientists in his regular and acclaimed Science Next Wave column since 2000. Now his invaluable and entertaining advice is available in this compact warts-and-all guide to getting your science PhD and subsequent post-doctoral employment as a researcher. Phil Dee offers you the inside track on what life in the lab is really like with down-to-earth suggestions for making the most productive use of your time, dealing with personal relationships in science and maintaining your morale, as well as dealing with more practical issues like how to design a good poster. As well as being based on the author's own experiences, the book brings together a wealth of advice from other scientists who have made it in science, and from a few who haven't. The book will be accessible to all early career scientists worldwide.

Foreword
Introduction
Part I. The First Couple of Years: 1. Choosing and handling your PhD adviser
2. Motivation, time management and multitasking
3. Handling the literature
4. Report writing
5. Powerful presentations
Part II. The End of the Beginning: 6. Writing papers and abstracts
7. Conferences and poster presentations
8. Writing and defending your thesis
9. Coping with pressure and stress
Part III. The Transition to Postdoctoral Research: 10. The transition from graduate student to post-doc
11. Collaboration and visiting other labs
12. Supervising students
13. Teaching
14. Writing grant proposals and fellowship applications
Part IV. Making it in Science: 15. Culturing your image
16. You and your big ideas
17. Planning for a permanent job
18. Do you have Principal Investigator (PI) potential?
Epilogue
Web-links
Index.

Subject Areas: Biology, life sciences [PS], Science: general issues [PD]