Robin Hu’s Post

🚨 San Jose State University just secured nearly $2 Million in federal funding for leading-edge STEM research! 🚨 What does this support mean for impact-driven investigators at SJSU? ⤵ 🪸 Advanced marine research that includes opportunities for early-career scientists. ⚕️ Stronger preparation for mental and behavioral health professionals. 🌋 Research on underwater volcanic eruptions to help predict and prevent hazards. 🤖 AI literacy for faculty and minority students via the CollaborAIte program. 🌍 New insights into the San Andreas Fault through a novel combination of mapping, data, and modeling. ⚛️ Upgrades in physics labs, broadening STEM participation for all. 🧠 New therapies for neurological disorders with closed-loop deep brain stimulation. Enormous thanks to the ones making this happen: ⭐ Our incredible faculty, staff, and student researchers ⭐ U.S. Reps. zoe lofgren, Anna Eshoo, Ro Khanna, and Representative Jimmy Panetta ⭐ Sponsors National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) https://lnkd.in/edKsc-wB — #SJSU #STEM #Research #Innovation

In her "State of the Science" address, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt highlighted the critical need for strategic actions to uphold U.S. leadership in science. She stressed the importance of enhancing K-12 science education and cultivating a robust domestic STEM workforce, as well as the urgency of updating university-industry partnerships and integrating AI to bolster education. McNutt underscored the necessity of adapting the U.S. R&D model to remain competitive, especially as countries like China escalate their research investments. She called for strengthened public-private partnerships, particularly in AI, to ensure research benefits both commercial interests and the public good, cautioning against overlooking socially beneficial applications amid industry-led AI advancements. As we contemplate these insights, universities must proactively prepare for the AI era by modernizing curricula, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and prioritizing ethical AI development. Leveraging AI to enhance STEM education requires a strategic approach, ensuring that innovation is accompanied by ethical considerations and a focus on societal impact. #AI #Education #STEM #Research #Innovation #SciencePolicy #K12Education #PublicPrivatePartnerships

Postdoc vs. PhD: Scholarship Showdown! Thinking about diving deeper into the world of research? Both PhDs and Postdocs offer amazing opportunities, but choosing the right path can feel like deciphering hieroglyphs. Fear not, intrepid scholar! We'll break down the key differences between Postdoc and PhD scholarships, using real-life examples to paint a clearer picture. 1. The PhD Path: Building Your Research Empire Imagine the PhD as your own personal research kingdom. You'll spend 3-5 years (sometimes longer) exploring a specific question, conducting original research, and ultimately defending your findings in a dissertation. It's an intense journey, but incredibly rewarding if you have a burning research question and enjoy independent exploration. Funding your PhD throne: Many PhD programs offer fully funded scholarships that cover tuition fees and a stipend for living expenses. These scholarships often come from the university itself, government agencies, or research institutions. Example: Let's say you're fascinated by the mysteries of the human brain. You could snag a fully funded PhD scholarship in neuroscience, where you'd investigate the impact of meditation on cognitive function. You'd be mentored by experienced researchers, learn cutting-edge techniques, and contribute valuable knowledge to the field. Pretty cool, right? 2. The Postdoc Realm: Expanding Your Research Horizons Think of a Postdoc as a specialized apprenticeship in a professor's research lab. You'll work on ongoing projects, contributing your expertise while gaining new skills and experience. It's a shorter commitment (usually 2-3 years) compared to a PhD, but still packed with learning and discovery. Funding your Postdoc adventure: Many Postdoc positions come with full funding, including salary and sometimes benefits. Funding often comes from research grants awarded to the professor you'll be working with. Example: Imagine you've already earned your PhD in physics and are passionate about renewable energy. You could land a fully funded Postdoc position in a solar energy research lab. You'd collaborate with leading scientists, develop novel solar cell technologies, and contribute to making the world a more sustainable place. Talk about impactful research! So, which path is right for you? It depends on your goals and aspirations. If you have a specific research question and crave independence, the PhD path might be your calling. If you're eager to gain specialized skills and experience within an established research group, a Postdoc could be the perfect fit. Remember, the most important thing is to choose a path that excites you and aligns with your long-term research ambitions. Now go forth and conquer the world of research, scholar! #postdoc #postdocposition #postgraduate #postdocresearch #phd #phdscholarship #phdposition #phdstudent #scholarships2024 #scholarshipopportunities

GREEN STEM ECF GETS INTERNATIONAL BOOK NUMBER (ISBN) FROM NIGERIA NATIONAL LIBRARY (NLN). We are very delighted to announce that our Journal and Symposium Proceedings have been issued International Standard Book Number (ISBN ) by the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Abuja. With this milestone, we have achieved a step forward as an Organisation. Green STEM Journal and Proceedings of Green STEM Symposium are two outlets for publishing academic outputs to support Nigerian researchers and scholars or organisations that have scientific data and research to publish. We believe that there are smart and productive researchers in Nigeria whose work and research outputs are unknown globally because of barriers to publishing. Using economic barrier as an example, some journals charge Article Processing Fee of about £2200 for one (1) article. This is about N4 million which a lecturer or even 10 lecturers cannot sacrifice from their salary. Meanwhile, they need more than one publication because research and publishing of outputs are the cornerstone of the academia. Paying APC to publish in international journals have been aggrevated by FX challenges and the skyrocketing cost of living in Nigeria. Unlike in the UK, EU and US framework where government or Universities pay for researchers to publish their work, the Federal Government of Nigeria is under- investing in research, innovations and commercialisation of innovation. Our advocay is around promoting research, innovation and commercialisation of innovations in Nigeria and Africa to solve our problems through our collective ingenuity and productivity. The publishing mission of Green STEM is simple: to provide Nigerian researchers and academics an affordable and reputable platform to reach the world with ease and pride. By providing international visibility and supportive mentoring system, Nigerian researchers can form new collaborations, get adequate recognitions for their research and contribute to national development whilst including their voices in global scientific discourse on diverse issues facing mankind. To do this, we will charge affordable Article Processing Fee in Naira(NGN), provide an effective mentoring system to young researchers and provide quality peer-review feedback to all authors to enable them to improve their research and global impacts. Register free of charge to attend, virtually from the comfort of your home, the upcoming Green STEM Symposium 2024 on Saturday 24 August 2024. More information on registration and Call for Abstracts is available at https://lnkd.in/dXaptNtc Contact us at info@greenstem.org.ng. Only Nigerians can solve Nigerian problems, let's be honest. No country can be truly great without developing fundamental and applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) through systemic and systematic approach.

Clare Zhang, writing for the American Institute of Physics (AIP), highlights the urgent need for a new national strategy to boost U.S. science and technology in response to rapid global changes Dario Gil, the new chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF), emphasized that while the U.S. has historically led in science, its position is now threatened by rising corporate funding and strong competition from China. Gil called for a modern version of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to enhance STEM education across all school levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade. He stressed that this effort is crucial for nurturing the next generation of innovators and ensuring the country remains at the forefront of scientific advancement. To stay competitive, Gil suggested that the U.S. should develop a coordinated plan for science and technology, involving both government and industry in funding fundamental research. He pointed out that while industry funds a lot of R&D, it’s often concentrated in a few areas like IT and pharmaceuticals. Gil also warned that without proper investment in basic research and STEM education, the U.S. might fall behind other nations in scientific progress. As such, he proposed exploring new ways of international collaboration and competition to maintain leadership in global science and technology. #STEMEducation #Innovation #SciencePolicy #GlobalResearch IBM #FutureScientists #YouBelongInSTEM #STEM STEM Learning Ecosystems

Welcome to the Max Planck Symposium 2024, keynote speaker 👩💻 Olga (Olya) Vvedenskaya, MD, PhD, alumna of the MPI-CBG - Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics 🎤 Scientific mentorship program: why and how? 📑 #Mentorship programs for scientists have a significant influence in shaping their career trajectories in both academia and industry. During this talk based on the experience of Sci.STEPS scientific mentorship program, we will discuss insights, best practices, success stories, and the nuances of creating effective scientific mentoring initiatives. We will go through the details of the establishment of mentor-mentee pairings, systematic community building, and educational programs. With this talk, we aim to inspire participants to take part in existing mentorship programs and initiate their own ones. 📢 Registration OPEN for the 9th Max Planck Symposium for Alumni and Early Career Researchers (27.-28.6.2024, Harnack House Berlin) 💡 In the light of global crises, education and educational equality continues to be at risk – at the same time, education and learning is undergoing drastic changes due to the rise of AI and digital tools. We will discuss “The future of education around the world” and careers therein in the course of keynotes, workshops, focus talks, fireside chats and of course fun evening activities. 📆 We're excited to present all speakers and their topics within the next week, here on LinkedIn. Watch out for topics that spark your interest and register if you are a Max Planck Alumnus/Alumna or an active Max Planck Early Career Researcher (master/doctoral student, postdoc, group leader etc) -- the conference is free of charge and we still have very few travel stipends available for alumn*ae. www.mpg.de/symposium2024 #education #educationalequality #educationai #career #future #ethics #maxplanckalumni #maxplanckearlycareerresearchers

All are welcome🥳 Registration Form: https://lnkd.in/g-_BbSsz Date: 15th January, 2024 (Monday) Time: 4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. (GMT+8) Mode: Online (via ZOOM) Speaker: Professor Marek Kwiek (University of Poznan) Chair: Dr. Hugo Horta (The University of Hong Kong)Hugo Horta Abstract In this presentation, leaving academic science is explored: how attrition differs across genders, disciplines, and over time. Traditional narratives of women leaving science earlier than men (and leaving it in larger proportions) are revisited, using currently available structured Big Data on academic careers. In this cohort-based, longitudinal approach, the details of careers of STEMM scientists who started publishing in different points in time (year 2000, N=142,776; and year 2010, N=232,843) are examined. Survival analysis shows that attrition is amazingly high – one third of scientists disappears after 5 years and a half after 10 years. However, probabilities of leaving science are powerfully differentiated. In regression models, predictors of staying in science are sought, with special interest in the quantity and quality of publications. Overall, probabilities of attrition are high – but over time, they are ever less gendered. Global bibliometric datasets are tested, opening new opportunities to explore careers nationally and globally. Limitations and trade-offs are discussed and wider implications are shown. About the Speaker Professor Marek Kwiek is Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies and UNESCO Chair in Institutional Research and Higher Education Policy, University of Poznan, Poland (https://lnkd.in/gZ76JvhT). His research area is quantitative studies of science, with interests in globalization, academic profession, and international research collaboration. He has published 230 papers and several books. His recent monograph is Changing European Academics: A Comparative Study of Social Stratification, Work Patterns and Research Productivity (Routledge, 2019). His recent invited seminars include Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Beijing, Hiroshima, and Hong Kong. He spent three years at North American universities, including the University of Virginia and UC Berkeley. He was also a Fulbright New Century Scholar (2007-2008) and a Professorial Visiting Fellow at the UCL London (2012-2013). Currently, he is a Visiting Researcher at the German Center for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW), Berlin. A Principal Investigator or country Team Leader in 25 international research projects. An associate editor of Higher Education and an editorial board member of Higher Education Quarterly and British Educational Research Journal. A Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) in Salzburg and Academia Europaea in London. Contact: marek.kwiek@amu.edu.pl , Twitter: @Marek_Kwiek. HKU SCAPE

THE AZRIELI INTERNATIONAL POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP – CALL FOR APPLICATIONS March 4, 2024 The Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research at Israeli Universities in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences The online application for the 2024–25 cohort is open now: https://lnkd.in/dFHcAD-U The Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship supports the best and brightest minds in their postdoctoral research in Israel, connecting them with world-class academics and leading researchers.  Who can apply?* The Fellowship is open to candidates who have received their PhD degrees no earlier than November 1, 2020, in all countries except Israel. PhD candidates may apply if they complete their dissertation defence successfully no later than June 1, 2024. All nationalities may apply, except for Israeli citizens and residents. Candidates who commenced a postdoctoral or an academic position in Israel prior to September 1, 2023, may not apply. *Please note that candidates are required to have an academic sponsor, who is a faculty member at an eligible Israeli academic institution.  How much is the Fellowship?  The Fellowship is made up of a basic stipend of ILS 168,000 per academic year, with an additional ILS 20,000 granted annually for research expenses and research-related travel. When does the Fellowship begin?  The starting date of the Fellowship is October 2024, which is the beginning of the 2024–25 Israeli academic year. However, candidates are permitted to start their Fellowship as early as October 1, 2024, or as late as March 31, 2025. How long does the Fellowship last? The Fellowship is offered for two years. Renewal for a third year will be considered favourably based on a competitive evaluation process.  How many Fellowships are offered?  Up to 24 Fellowships are offered per year. What do I need in order to apply? Requirements are detailed in the guidelines on our website:  https://lnkd.in/dg6F8T7E When to apply? The online application closes at 5:00 pm IST on May 9, 2024. When will decisions be announced?  Award notifications will be made by September 2024.  For any questions, please contact: fellows@azrielifoundation.org

How and why do academics become interdisciplinary scholars? A recent paper in Higher Education Research & Development explores six pathways to establishing a career as an interdisciplinary researcher. 1. One Person Band Early- and mid- career researchers (EMCRs) who came to interdisciplinarity predominantly through the One Person Band pathway tended to have a wide-ranging curiosity that led them to pursue more than one discipline. They described taking up new methods and skills from other disciplines to bring together a bricolage of personal resources to their work, through formal and informal means, including industry experience. 2. Niche Providers Niche Providers are EMCRs who came to interdisciplinarity having developed specialised skills that are in demand across contexts. Valued niche skills and knowledge could come from close or distant disciplines. For example, business researchers worked with STEM teams because of their expertise in research commercialisation. 3. Problem chasers Some EMCRs clearly showed dedication to exploring and solving problems that were absorbing, complex and inherently interdisciplinary. This included research into applied or translational problems with multiple factors that often involved human behaviour. The attraction for many EMCRs was real-world problems and impact. 4. Facilitators and connectors EMCRs on the Facilitator and Connector pathway recognised a need for enablers of interdisciplinary work through leadership, facilitation, and knowledge integration. This pathway was not necessarily an entry point but incorporates interdisciplinary practices described by EMCRs. A Facilitator and Connector is often the person who's synthesising different domains together, to ameliorate the distinctions between two approaches and work with them to produce a third thing, bridging otherwise disconnected disciplines. Connecting and leading the right people were identified by multiple EMCRs as necessary for successful interdisciplinary projects. 5. Teammates The ways in which team and wider networks' members collaborated and approached problems acted as a template and springboard for new researchers open to exploring interdisciplinary problems under the guidance of peers and mentors. 6. Employment seekers For some EMCRs, interdisciplinarity stemmed from finding employment. Some moved from their original research area or expanded into multiple areas by obtaining a position because it fitted with family, financial or other commitments and priorities. Some found limited choices, because of competition for positions, institutional capacity in their target city, range of funded projects and their network of mentors and peers. Available roles tended to require mastering new skills and/or relied on the researcher's niche skills. https://lnkd.in/gwaTe--w Carl Gombrich Janneke Blijlevens Michael Bunce Dr Anne Preston David S. Rosen

Exciting to be able to share this new research; the Office of the Women in STEM Ambassador has conducted a trial to determine the impact of anonymising applications for access to specialised scientific equipment. ANSTO's Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering (ACNS) was involved in this study. The researchers found that anonymisation boosted success rates for early-career researchers, but had little impact on success rates by gender, which were already similar before the trial. This suggests that anonymising applications for scientific equipment opens doors for early-career researchers, enhancing their chances of success. The implications extend beyond application outcomes; anonymisation may create a positive ripple effect in the career pipeline, diversifying the research pool, and supporting the broader issue—retaining and advancing researchers facing barriers in STEM research.