By Jontahan Thon. In an earlier post I defined the present economic climate for burgeoning young scientists, and the career uncertainty that should be expected if pursuing this career trajectory. Here I describe the reality of what that entails in four personal independent anecdotes. The first was my own. More...

By Jontahan Thon. Read the previous articles in this series:

• The door to an academic science career – open or closed?
• Commencing the academic job search – impetus and deadlines
• The academic job search – getting your foot in the door
• Preparing your application package for an academic job
• Preparing for the academic Job Interview
• The actual job interview – what to expect
• Facing facts: the harsh realities of the academic job hunt
• Finding a suitable home for your research program – part 1, reviewing the offer
• Finding a suitable home for your research program – part 2, budgeting and resources
• Finding a suitable home for your research program – part 3, verifying fit
• Negotiating your lab and office space requirements

In an earlier post I defined the present economic climate for burgeoning young scientists, and the career uncertainty that should be expected if pursuing this career trajectory. More...

By David Kent. Getting a job in academic science is not easy. The hours are long, the work is intense, and there is no clear relationship between amount of work and success. More...

By David Kent. As a group leader, I’m in a better position to take some precious time off. More...

By David Kent. My 3.5 months of parental leave recently finished and I’m back in the lab. It’s been a fantastic experience overall – I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed my time. More...

By Melonie Fullick. A new Walrus column fits into a narrative that’s not really in line with the usual critiques of contract faculty hiring. More...

By Melonie Fullick. This week’s post is a sort of “happy new academic year!” greeting, and I thought I’d ring in September (even though half the month is gone already) with a bit of a round-up of recommended higher-ed-related reading. More...

By Melonie Fullick. Last week saw the announcement of another round of Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERCs). The CERCs are another example of the federal government’s ongoing commitment to targeting large amounts of funding to “priority areas” determined to be of strategic importance to Canada — one strategy on which the Conservatives and Liberals seem to agree. More...

By Melonie Fullick. Yes that’s right, it’s time to take a look at university websites and why they are perennially difficult and unpopular. More...

By Martha Crago. It has been almost 20 years since I did research in the homes and schools of indigenous people of Quebec. I obtained ethical approval for that work at my university. More...