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INRSScience in ACTION for a World in EVOLUTION

Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifique

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‘Survival Skills For Scientists’

Disclaimer:Unfortunately, I do not have any easy recipe for success, and what I have to say here cannot be a substitute for good ideas, hard work and dedication…!

UNISALENTO, Sept 19, 2013

Diego Mantovani & Federico Rosei,Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Bioengineering for the Innovation in Surgery

Canada Research Chair in Nanostructured Organic and Inorganic Materials

Université Laval & INRS Energie, Matériaux et TélécommunicationsCanada



Evolution of the Workshop

• 2003 – informal course• 2005 – graduate course @ INRS• 2008 – 3-day workshop UdeM• 2009 – 2-day workshop UWA Perth• 2010 – 2-day workshop UWA Perth• 2011 – 2-day workshop McGill• 2012 – 2-day workshop ETS• 2013 – Brasil-Malaysia• 18 Invited talks @ conferences• >30 ‘Survival Skills’ lecturesWorldwide since 2005


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueSurvival in Science

• Needs more than skills for science

• Be your own manager!– Know thyself– Plan well ahead– Find & use a mentor– Play chess

– …some more nitty gritty details

• Peer review (referees & the process)• Conferences, Talks, Impact Judging• Publishing, not perishing• Ethics• Jobs, how to get them• Funding your Science


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueWhat is your Goal as a Scientist?

• Goals are personal

• Be very clear about your goals

• Why do you want to become a scientist?

• Do not continue doing science, unless you stated your goals clearly!

My goal is to unravel the mysteries of nature.(Greek Φύσις = Nature)



Challenges

• Science is about challenges• Challenge...

– yourself → change perspective– data&methods → verify, improve– collaborators, colleagues, competitors

• Always constructively

Galileo Galilei



Ethics

• The presure is high – still, don’t evercut corners in reporting.– Fraud, falsifying, misrepresentation of data– Plasgiarism, multiple publication– Abusive authorship …



Know thyself!

• What are you good at?• What do you like

doing?

• What are your goals?

• How do you best achieve them?

• Choose your path


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueFirst things first:

• Tomorrow?

– Next week?

• Next month?

– Next year... Then in ten years?

What will you do… ?PLAN AHEAD

• Plan for short term, medium term, long term. Keep the plansflexible, but plan.• Planning ahead? Why bother?

F. Rosei, T.W. Johnston, J. Mater. Ed. 31, 293 (2009)


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueScience: World of Opportunities

• Plan => you are ready …

… to capitalizeon opportunitiesas they occur – seize that chance now!



• Getting …is easy

• Internet, Journals, Conferences, Networking, …

• Filtering …is not

• Avoid getting swamped• Filter frequently, efficiently!

Opportunities = Information



Never be afraid of applying!• Rejections are part

of life. Learn to accept them gracefully.

• You can’t win if you don’t play …!

• Assume you will be successful

• If you prepare your application well (for a job, a fellowship, a grant, etc.), even if you don’t get it, you are investing time in your career development• It is a good way to hone your skills and there is almost no application that cannot be recycled…!



Academia

• Students know it best• ‘Scholarly’ activities,

publishing in peer–reviewed scientific journals

• Job description includes research, teaching and service

• Advantages:– Academic freedom:

choose your projects

– Tenure, job security

– Flexible hours

– Long vacationsif you want

Government Labs

• Managedenvironment (hierarchical, top down)

• Objectives come from the top, from the managers

• You work with others towards common goals

• Applied research, e.g. support specific industry sectors

• Specific mandate, or goal

• No teaching

Industrial Labs

• Managedenvironment

• Applied research

• Industrial secrecy: Publishing and attending conferences may be discouraged

• Emphasis may be on development (rather than research)

• Objectives may change rapidly

• The ultimate objective (of the company) is to make money



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Examples of gov’t labs• In Canada:

– the National Research Council; CANMET (NRCan)

• In the U.S.:– Jefferson Laboratories– Brookhaven National Laboratories– Sandia National Labs– Lawrence Berkeley National Labs– Oak Ridge National Labs

• In Singapore:– IMRE, IBN, DSI, IHPC, SIMTEC

• In Germany:– Max Planck Institutes, Leibnitz

Institutes, Fraunhofer Institutes• In France: CNRS• In Japan: NIMS, AIST, RIKEN• In Switzerland: Paul Scherrer Institut

(PSI)• In Australia: CSIRO, ANSTO• In Denmark: Risø• In Italy: CNR

• Bell Labs (Lucent Technologies) in Murray Hill, NJ

• IBM (International Business Machines): Almaden (CA), Yorktown Heights (NY), Rueshlikon (Switzerland)

• HP (Hewlett Packard): Palo Alto

• Xerox Research Center

• NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph), Japan

• Haldor Topsoe (Denmark)• Philips (the Netherlands)

Examples of Industrial Labs



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Your role in Science: α vs. β• In a soccer team: 11 players and 4 general ‘roles’ (goalkeeper,

defender, midfielder, attacker) – all are equally important• In our description of science, there are two main roles, simply α and β

• As students / post–docs, we all start off as β s. The next step is critical. It’s when you have to decide whether you play betterone role or the other, and the one you prefer.

• β: the executor (e.g. a research associate). likes to do thescience, not manage it. Likes to spend time in the lab, turn theknobs / get the work done first hand.

• α: the ‘leader’ (e.g. the professor). likes to generate ideas andfunding to pursue them. α s don’t have much time to spend in thelab (often don’t like it too much either, though they arguepassionately that they miss it!)



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α: Manager or Leader?• Appreciate difference between managing a

research group and leading it• Lead by example• Strong drive and personal motivation• Superior communication skills (oral and

written)– enjoys presenting orally and likes to write

• People’s person: good at motivating, patient, easy to talk to



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β: Managing your boss• Scientist Manager; Student/post-doc supervisor• This is not necessary when bosses are… very

good.• Manager/boss relationship: mutual dependence

between two fallible human beings• Effective managers take time and effort to manage

relationships with their subordinates AND also with bosses.

• Appreciate your boss’ goals and pressures• The boss needs the manager’s help/cooperation to

do his/her job effectively; a manager’s immediate boss plays a critical role in linking the manager to the rest of the organization

J.J. Gabarro, J.P. Kotter, Managing Your Boss, Harvard Business Review 1980



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Find a Mentor!• Find a mentor early (ASAP) in your career.

• A good mentor is a wise person who takes interest in your future, but one who does not have a ‘conflict of interest’. (i.e. one who does not stand to gain or lose depending on your choices)

• N.B. Your own supervisor is not necessarilya good mentor (it’s possible, but not a given)

• A mentor is an advisor who gives you anobjective measure of reality when you haveto make a critical choice.



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Know the other players!Place yourself in the ‘shoes’ of the people who are going to evaluate you; anticipate their moves as if you were playing chess:

• Come up with the right questions => easier to find the right answers.

• You => Them• Interviewee => interviewer• Author => referee• Your Grant Application => Grant Selection Committee• Judging your own work and abilities objectively is not easy.It is vital to develop a critical sense about your own work.

In modern science, anything that matters is peer reviewed




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The peer review system• It is like democracy: highly imperfect, yet it’s

hard to come up with a better system

• Can you protect yourself from ‘bad faith’ referees?• Suggesting referees [Applied Surface Science]• Real life example

• ‘Good’ refereeing vs. ‘bad’ refereeing: constructive reviewing• Why is refereeing generally anonymous?

• What is peer review, where is it used? (scientific journals,funding agencies, sometimes foundations, etc.)


Feng Shui Meditation Exercise



The most famous referee report

• This paper is both good and original.• Unfortunately, the part that is good is not original;

and the part that is original, is not good.

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Publish… or perish• There are many theories about why the dinosaurs

disappeared… the more accredited one states that they did not publish, and therefore perished

• In the longer term, what is important is thequality of your published record, rather thanthe sheer quantity of papers published.What matters to your peers is youroverall impact => establishing a reputation

• When you are a student, each new published article is perceived as an important addition to your CV – this temptation is to be avoided (as an added environmental benefit, you will sparemany trees…!)

• However, I urge you not to clog the literature with manypublications of little value



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Publishing: A few tips• Always write BOTH for expert (e.g. referee) AND for interested reader from a neighboring area. This is also good for Grant Applications and for the highest-impact journals where appeal to non-specialist is emphasized.• Most readers look at title, abstract, introduction and

conclusion (not in any order) before committing to look

at main text. Structure these elements so as to

draw the reader in. The paper is a store and these elements

the advertising in the store window.

The browser is thinking, “Why should I go on looking at this paper?” – => provide suitably seductive answers.

F. Rosei and T. Johnston, J. Mater. Edu., 33, 161 (2011)



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How is your scientific impact judged?Common indicators of impact:

– Citations by others, impact factor (applied and basic research); the H index [CAVEAT!!!!](Hence the need to publish well.)

– Invited talks at conferences, seminars – Review committee service (grant selection, editorial etc.)– Refereed Publications list in CV. – Patents, inventions, devices (applied research)– High levels of funding … ? (output vs. input)

– If your work becomes sufficiently interesting to a broad audience that you are asked to give popular talks, this is a good evidence of impact



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Scientific meetings and conferences• The 3(+1) reasons to attend a conference

1. To present your work2. To learn from your peers’ work3. To network with your peers

+1. the conference is in a nice location, e.g. Hawaii, Florida,Australia, Paris, Rome, etc. (not uncommon)



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1. Cover too much material2. Include too many details3. Start with too much small talk4. Run over the allotted speaking time5. Avoid telling the audience why your research has been done6. Overestimate, or at least fail to assess, the audience’s level of knowledge7. Fail to make contact with the audience8. Ignore the inherent difference that exists between written and oral

communication9. Waste time searching for a specific overhead file somewhere in your pile 10. Use unexplained terminology, abbreviations and acronyms11. Use unexplained symbols in text or equations12. Use unexplained graphics13. Present overhead transparencies that are unreadable14. Read in extenso from projected transparencies15. If the moderator has just introduced you to the audience, alienate both

parties by opening your presentation with such details as your name, your affiliation and the title of your talk

Peter Sigmund, Odense University (Denmark), Physics Today, August 1998

15 ways…



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Networking is important!• Networking can help you to:

– Find a job– Develop collaborations– Recruit good people

(students, post–docs, professors, etc.)

Some scientists you meet at conferences are the ones who referee your manuscripts and grant applications. (Likewise, you will be asked to comment on their work at some point in your career).

Having them know you personally helps!



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Alternative ‘scientific’ careers• Scientific journalism• Editor of a professional /

scientific journal• Program officer at a funding

agency• Financial analyst ($$$)• Patent attorney• Patent officer

(remember Einstein?)• Consultant• Science Advisor to the Prime

Minister (…)• College teacher Clown ?


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueLessons to be learned:

Lessons in leadership and mentoringBe patient

Be enthusiastic and positiveCelebrate successesBe supportive, especially during difficult times

Treat your collaborators, students and peers with respect(Those under you… those above you…)

Don’t be afraid to take risks, and to innovate

Find a supportive partner

Help younger scientists find their place; create opportunities for them

Invest time and energy in Outreach: explain your work to others(The Two Graduate Students and the Bike)Be fit, practice sportsContinue to learn and do new thingsMaintain absolute integrity

Do what you enjoy, work hard, have funInspire others



Nelson Mandela: How do you inspire your team to do their best. Francois Pienaar: By example. I’ve always thought to lead by example, sir. Nelson Mandela: Well, that is right. That is exactly right. But how to get them to be better than they think they *can* be? That is very difficult, I find.

Invictus

Leonardo da Vinci: Tristo è quel discepolo che nonavanza il maestro suo



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• I do not have easy recipes for success, sorry! My advice is not about pursuing your career ‘the easy way’. There is *no* replacement for good ideas, hard work and sound approach. You should already have all that. However, it is not necessarily enough to progress in your career.

• ‘Audaces fortuna iuvat’ (good luck favors the bold)

• Find a mentor – someone more experienced who is willing to give you advice and act as a sounding board

Summary of basic advice

• 1. Know Thyself. • 2. Plan ahead.• 3. Know the Others and ‘Play Chess’

Finally… Don’t forget to have fun, otherwise it’s not worth it…!

• Thank you! And good luck. I wish you every success!• If you wish to contact me:

[email protected]


Université du QuébecInstitut national de la recherche scientifiqueA few words about INRS:

the graduate school of the University of QuebecLocation: the south shore of MontrealApprox. 25 km from the city centre



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The Survival Skills Course/Workshop• 1st edition, fall 2003. Informal course, 10-20 students/post-docs.• 2nd edition, fall 2005. Official graduate course, 15 full time

students.• 3rd edition, spring (May) 2008. Change of format: 3-day

workshop. 80 participants from all over Quebec (15 students from INRS).

• 4th edition, autumn (May) 2009. Change of location: UWA in Perth, Australia. 75 participants from ‘all over’ WA [UWA, CUT, ECU, MU]

• 5th edition in spring (October) 2010 again at UWA in Perth.• 6th edition in spring (May) 2011 at McGill in Montreal.• 7th edition in summer (June) 2012 at ETS in Montreal.

In addition, 10 Invited talks and 30 ‘Survival Skills’ lectures worldwide since 2005F. Rosei, A. Pignolet, T.W. Johnston, J. Mater. Ed. 31, 65 (2009)



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• Survival and success in science requires skills beyond those needed for science.

• You are your own manager/agent.=> Learn the skills for that role.

• Know Thyself!• Plan well ahead (Know the game!)• Find and use a mentor• ‘Play Chess’ (anticipate the other players!)• Peer review (referees and the process)• Conferences, Talks, Impact Judging• Publishing, not perishing• Ethics• Jobs, how to get them• Getting money for your Science

Theme

Overview:



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The goals of a scientist

• Don’t continue doing science unless you have a goal…!!

• My goal is to unravel the mysteries of nature.

• “Physics” comes from the Greek Φύσις = Nature

• Have you ever asked yourself this basic question:• Why do you want to be a scientist?• What are your goals?

• Goals are personal and subjective. • Be very clear what your goals are.



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Challenges• Doing science is about facing challenges,

learning new things almost on a daily basis, stretching your mind and your creativity

• Challenge yourself – change perspective• Challenge your data and your methodologies

• Challenge your collaborators, colleagues and competitors, but always constructively …!

Galileo Galilei



Opportunities = Information



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Ethics• What is meant by scientific ethics?• The pressure of scientific publishing can tempt

people to cut corners in reporting. See below.

• Two examples from 2002 in the physics community:Schön and Ninov; 2005-2006: cloning fraud in Korea

• Some types of behavior are considered unethical.Examples include scientific fraud, falsifying data,plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, multiple publications of the same set of results, abuses in authorship, etc.



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Know thyself !• What are your goals?• What is the best way to achieve them? • What are you good at?• What do you like doing?• To be successful and happy, optimize what you

are good at with what you like doing, and apply this towards your goals (sounds easy, but it isn’t!)

• There is often more than one pathway to success. Choose the path that is best for you.




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Where do you find job opportunities?• On the internet • In broader scientific journals (Science, Nature…)• Through personal contacts (networking)• At Conferences• Career fairs

Information = opportunitiesGetting information from the internet is easy, filtering is the tough part. To avoid being swamped, filter efficiently and often!




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First things first: plan ahead• Scientific research: a world of opportunities• What are you going to be doing tomorrow?

Next week? Next month? Next year? In ten years?

• The most ‘successful’ scientists are those who are able to capitalize on opportunities as they occur.

• If you are always planning, this helps you to tune in on opportunities, to ‘zoom in’ on them as they present themselves and to seize them.

• Plan for short term, medium term, long term. Keep the plans flexible, but plan.• Planning ahead? Why bother?




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Never be afraid of applying!• Rejections are part of life. Learn to accept them gracefully.• You can’t win if you don’t play …!• Assume you will be successful• If you prepare your application well (for a job, a fellowship, a grant, etc.), even if you don’t get it, you are investing time in your career development• It is a good way to hone your skills and there is almost no application that cannot be recycled…!

• Academia (university professor, research professor, research associate)

• Government Laboratories (staff scientist, technical staff, research director, manager)

• Industrial Laboratories (staff scientist, technical staff, manager)

What types of jobs are there?



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The peer review system

• Like democracy: highly imperfect, yet it’s hard to come up with a better system

• Can you protect yourself from ‘bad faith’ referees?• Real life example

• ‘Good’ refereeing vs. ‘bad’ refereeing: constructive reviewing

• Why is refereeing generally anonymous?

• What is peer review, where is it used? (scientific journals,funding agencies, sometimes foundations, etc.)


Feng Shui Meditation Exercise



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the job market• Academia:• The setting students know

best, since they ‘grow up’ in it

• Emphasis on ‘scholarly’ activities, e.g. publishing in peer–reviewed scientific journals

• Job description includes research, teaching and service

• Advantages:– Academic freedom:

the right to choose your projects (as long as you get them funded…!)

– Tenure: the best form of job security

– Flexible hours

– Long vacations if you want (some take the whole summer off…!)

• Government Laboratories:

• The job description is simple

• A government lab is a managed environment (hierarchical, top down)

• Managed environment: the objectives come from the top, from the managers

• You work with others towards common goals

• Often the focus is on applied research, e.g. to support industry in specific sectors

• Each lab has a specific mandate, or goal

• There is *no* teaching

• Industrial Laboratories:

• An industrial lab is a managed environment (top down)

• The emphasis is usually on appliedresearch

• Publishing and attending conferences may be rare, even discouraged (industrial secrecy)

• In an R&D setting, the emphasis may be on development (rather than research)

• Objectives may change rapidly, with little time to adjust

• The ultimate objective (of the company) is to *make money*



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A few tips on presenting to an audience• Don’t try their patience!

• Don’t go over time (never ever…!)

• Rehearse in front of a ‘friendly’ audience, and use their (hopefully constructive) criticism to improve your presentation (both content and form)

• Prepare backup slides for questions that come repeatedly

• (15 ways…)



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Publishing: A few tips• Quality rather than quantity, in the best journals that your work deserves. (Best means high-impact, i.e., highly cited journals, e.g., Nature, Science, Phys. Rev. Lett., J. Am. Chem. Soc. etc.)

• Read your MS as if you were a referee and thus try toforestall objections before the referee can make them.• Work hard on the clarity, using colleagues not too familiar with the work as ‘friendly’ referees. Use quite a few simplesummary sentences to keep the reader on track.

• Avoid publishing in conference proceedings. Put thematerial into refereed journals and refer to the conferencestuff in your un-refereed proceedings etc., so as not todouble-publish. (With conferences often on CDs whoknows what accessibility will be).



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Other career paths (phase II, after tenure)• Becoming an administrator (turning to the dark side)

– [someone once said, you become an administrator when you run out of ideas]

– Three reasons for becoming an administrator:• Change of career• Anyone else who takes the position will do a much worse job

and it will backfire• You have a vision you want to push forward, and taking control

is the only way to implement your vision

• Starting your own company/commercializing your work– Entrepreneurial spirit– After having transformed money into knowledge, wants

to transform knowledge into money– Capable of developing and protecting IP



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Examples of Industrial Labs• Bell Labs (Lucent Technologies) in Murray Hill, NJ

• IBM (International Business Machines): Almaden (CA), Yorktown Heights (NY), Rueshlikon (Switzerland)

• HP (Hewlett Packard): Palo Alto

• Xerox Research Center

• NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph), Japan

• Haldor Topsoe (Denmark)• Philips (the Netherlands)

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