National Heritage Science Forum’s Post

Researching as an undergraduate is SO rewarding, but getting materials and traveling to conferences can be costly! Luckily, the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Research and Travel Grants can support research AND conference travel. Learn more about how CCAS and UCC students can receive up to $500.00 to offset research costs and up to $500.00 to support travel to and attend academic conferences. https://lnkd.in/eqGwUYh8. #RutgersResearch

New interesting study in Research Policy by SI's Yotam Sofer (with Olof Ejermo) of the behavioral consequences of "upgrading" of educational institutions (and cool title!). Abstract: We examine the change in status of three Swedish colleges to universities in 1999. This change greatly expanded the inflow of resources in the form of basic funding to the new universities. Using detailed individual data, we follow the careers of staff employed before 1999 at the treated institutions, examining their scientific performance, promotion, affiliation, and coauthorship behavior after the transition to university and comparing them to that of matched sample researchers at control colleges in a difference-in-differences analysis. We find an 89 percent increase in publication by publishing academics, an effect driven by increased funding. But we do not find an increased likelihood of publishing. Publication activity is concentrated among men, those working in technical sciences, and those holding research positions. The change to a university also led to a shift toward research-enhancing practices and organizations, manifested in coauthorship patterns, affiliations, and workforce composition. These changes altogether, enabled the new universities to begin converging in terms of research productivity to the level of established universities. Our results indicate that additional resources to institutions that historically received insufficient investment unlocked the research potential of aspiring researchers.

Shifting the primary focus of a PhD program towards publication output rather than the quality of the dissertation can introduce several ethical and academic issues. This emphasis might encourage practices like data manipulation or undue haste in conducting experiments, compromising the integrity of the research. Additionally, the pressure to publish can lead candidates to fragment their work into multiple smaller papers, potentially diluting the depth and coherence of the scholarly inquiry that a PhD thesis is meant to demonstrate. Such an environment can also foster a competitive rather than collaborative ethos, which may undermine the comprehensive learning and exploratory spirit essential to doctoral education. Excessive focus on publication metrics may sideline important but less publishable findings, steering research away from novel or risky topics that could be more intellectually rewarding.

Interested in support for your academic research? Consider the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants! Click below for more information! When it comes to support for independent scholars - we've got you covered at the Misogynoir to Mishpat Research Network!

The prestige of a PhD-granting institution is well known for influencing faculty hiring and career progression in American academia. But what about the #postdoc stage—what impact does it have on shaping academic careers globally? Based on the data*, high-impact publications and mobility with a little twist over the research topic during the postdoc are key to enhancing your academic career. Surprisingly, the prestige of the institution you move to is less influential than expected. So, regardless of your success in PhD, your odds improve by making moderate shifts in research focus and location with significant shifts in publication quality. *: The authors used a comprehensive dataset by combining publication records from the Microsoft Academic Graph (MAG) with career data from a major online professional network. Spanning 25 years and encompassing 45,572 careers from various disciplines, the dataset specifically examines the influence of postdoctoral experiences on early academic success—considering factors like relocation, topic change, and early high-impact publications.

Pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a significant academic endeavor that goes beyond the acquisition of advanced knowledge in a specific field. It represents a commitment to research, critical thinking, and the advancement of human understanding. Earning a PhD can profoundly impact both personal and professional aspects of an individual’s life. Here’s how a PhD helps in various ways:

Science of science preprint alert :) https://lnkd.in/ge-vFHwE Where postdoctoral journeys lead. Our data-driven study of how the postdoc period relates to academic careers. The key findings support the common picture of the postdoc as a stressful time of publish-or-perish pressure. 1. Those who publish less as a postdoc than during their PhD training are more likely to leave academia. 2. Those who happen to get a hit paper during their postdoc are more likely to stay in academia. 3. Of those who stay in academia, those who change their topic a bit (but not too much) perform better as early-year faculty. With Shahan Ali M. Talal Rahwan Bedoor AlShebli

What does a PhD involve? A standard PhD degree is typically split into three stages. A three-year PhD may follow this pattern: #First year - You'll meet with your supervisor to discuss your research proposal and agree an action plan with deadlines. You'll then complete your literature review, in which you'll evaluate and critique existing works to inform the direction of your project and ensure that your research will be original. #Second year - Your focus will shift to gathering results and developing your thesis, and potentially begin writing chapters of your thesis. You may also present your results and ideas at academic conferences, gain teaching experience, collaborate with other students on similar projects, communicate the benefits of your research to the general public through workshops, lectures and presentations, or submit work for publication in an academic journal or book. #Third year - Primarily involves writing your thesis, though your research may still be in progress. After your supervisor gives their approval, you'll submit your thesis before undertaking a one to three-hour oral exam (viva voce) in which you'll discuss and defend your thesis in the presence of at least one internal and external examiner. #Question: Does a PhD require specialisation? I'm particularly interested in hearing from colleagues in the UK...

The Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (ICES) welcomes proposals from Postdocs and doctoral students working in the field of European Studies. 🌍 We provide grants for Early Stage Researchers at EUF, as well as associated ICES members who plan to conduct field research or archive/library stays. In addition, you can apply for funding to participate in European Studies-specific training courses (online or face-to-face). 🎓 We can fund stays for research or qualification purposes of generally up to €1,200 each. These should take place within the next year. 📅 📝 To apply, please provide a 1-page application, including: 1. A short description of your research project or the training program you plan to attend. 2. The necessity and details of your intended stay. 3. Preliminary timeframe and a budget plan. Applications can be submitted in German or English. ICES Research School members are given priority in awarding grants. We look forward to receiving your proposal! Please send it to ices@uni-flensburg.de by 20.11.2024. 📩 🔄 The call is published annually in May and November, but you can apply for funding between calls. In such cases, applications will be approved as part of the next call. If the stay is scheduled to occur before the expected time of approval, please provide proof that costs can be covered by other sources in the event of rejection.