Re: [ccp4bb] Open position - data management in biophysics

a . perrakis Fri, 22 Jan 2021 05:17:20 -0800

Dear all,

There are two separate issues at hand:

1. the hints towards heavy work load, perhaps the contradiction between
independence and team work, etc, are thing you can sort out if the actual job
interests you. These might be phrases that ended up there out of inexperience
or due to a bad template. If you are qualified and like the job, apply, and if
you make it to the interview remember that you are interviewing your future PI
as much as they interview you. Make choices that fit.

2. the short duration of many contracts is often due to the inflexibility of
granting agencies or the actual short-term grants that are often awarded. Lots
of PIs are against that, and many of us argue against this reality, often.
Awareness of the issues, like perpetual 6-month contracts that keep people in
“limbo” is important, and in some countries some practices are legally
forbidden (e.g. at NL, a maximum of two contracts is possible, and at least a
year is needed). It is a real issue, but often is not imposed by the PI to the
Post-doc or the PhD student, but is imposed to the PIs by our “masters” that
control finances and ultimately reside outside academia. Remember Murphy's
Golden Rule: the one that has the gold, makes the rules.

I understand that in the current environment where jobs are scarce and the
field is saturated, this creates a lot of stress, and such “complaints” are
important so we all reflect a bit on our hiring practices and on respecting the
members of our teams.

Last but not least, remember that a main source of stress in academia, is the
lack of metrics of success. The medical doctor, a supermarket clerk, a car
mechanic, all have very well established metrics of success. If all your
patients keep dying, the cash balance is always off, the cars you repair keep
breaking down, you are doing something wrong. If not, you are a success. This
lack of metric of success, or worse the adoption of insufficient or
inappropriate metrics of success, make our job stressful. So, the only thing I
would disagree with Nick is that success is rewarded with perpetual impending
employment every two+ years … we tend to reward persistence, consistency, and
motivation, whenever possible: and that is in some ways not even an entirely
bad thing.

Best regards,

Tassos

On 22 Jan 2021, at 10:53, Pearce, N.M. (Nick)
<n.m.pea...@uu.nl<mailto:n.m.pea...@uu.nl>> wrote:

Academia, one of the only careers where _success_ is rewarded with perpetual
impending employment every two+ years.

Nick

On 22 Jan 2021, at 08:25, Eleanor Dodson
<0000176a9d5ebad7-dmarc-requ...@jiscmail.ac.uk<mailto:0000176a9d5ebad7-dmarc-requ...@jiscmail.ac.uk>>
wrote:

It is a long time since I had any practical concerns with this issue, but some
funding bodies are more flexible than others. Welcome gives project grants then
leaves it up to the recipient to hire and plan. And I guess the big research
institutes like the crick and lmb have similar systems. It is obvious that this
approach is much more productive than the shorter term grants - is there any
mileage in someone doing a survey of “outcomes”(horrible word) and pointing out
that productivity increases with more security?
And as for the national scandal of milking money fir visas from those who come
here from abroad - already saving us from the cost of their education - I don’t
know what to say!
Eleanor

On Fri, 22 Jan 2021 at 07:11, Frank von Delft
<frank.vonde...@cmd.ox.ac.uk<mailto:frank.vonde...@cmd.ox.ac.uk>> wrote:
For me as hiring PI, what's repeatedly dismaying is that it's our funders and
universities that set the terms, and only with extreme creativity can one shift
the dial, and only on indidual recruitments, certainly not the high politics of
the system as a whole.

No, I don't know what will break this - it exploits our fundamental weakness,
that we go into science because we want to do it, and are already investiging
all our energy at convincing a system that something else is worth doing
(getting our mad science funded at all) -- so things like collective striking
or unionising don't really come naturally.

I do hope the next wave of scientists (am I that old already?) have some
aggressively constructive thoughts, because mine and the one before mine sure
don't.

Frank

On 20/01/2021 23:38, Navdeep Sidhu wrote:

Dear Gerlind, Markus, All:

Well, sometimes the (written) promise of a 2-year contract also ends up
boiling down systematically (for some PIs) to only a 6-month contract
after all.--And that after you've spent half a year or more and multiple
trips to the country concerned trying to get a work visa and housing,
all at your own expense--particularly tough for migrants and their families:

"Many come here with a promise of a two-year contract, which later turns
out to be a six month scholarship, which is renewed six months at a
time. Many feel that they have been fooled."
- From Palle Liljebaeck. "Postdoctoral fellows at KI must be given
better terms." Naturvetarna (Sweden), Nov. 7, 2013
<https://www.naturvetarna.se/vi-erbjuder/tidning-och-nyheter/2013/nr-4-2013/Postdoctoral-fellows-at-KI-must-be-given-better-terms/><https://www.naturvetarna.se/vi-erbjuder/tidning-och-nyheter/2013/nr-4-2013/Postdoctoral-fellows-at-KI-must-be-given-better-terms/>.

(By the way, work contracts often entail health, pension and other
benefits which may be limited or unavailable on a scholarship.)

Fortunately, many PIs don't agree with such practices. But they do
occur, including unfortunately for jobs advertized on the CCP4 bulletin
board--and so perhaps the IUCr or other institutions can help set better
standards.

Cheers,
Navdeep

---
On 20.01.21 22:34, Gerlind Sulzenbacher wrote:

Dear Markus,

thank you for opening this discussion.

I'd like to add that in some countries, like France, where I work, this
goes often along with with 12 months contracts.
Imagine moving continent, eventually with family (yes, PostDocs happen
to have a family) just for a 12 months contract, under the conditions
you mentioned.
Sad, as you said, ... and I am quite sure that it has not always been
like that.
I wish all members of the BB a good mood,
Best,
gerlind

On 20/01/2021 21:48, Markus Heckmann wrote:

Dear PI s, and senior scientists' involved in recruitment,

Why do so many (especially postdoc) positions these days indicate:

Readiness for high workload
able to work independently but also effectively and collaboratively
with other lab member
Candidates should have a documented publication record in
peer-reviewed journals, able to work both independently and as an
effective team member.

Do the candidates need to subtly understand that they need to work on
weekends or holidays? And what does it mean by independently and
collaboratively at the same time. Or is this a template from HR
departments.

Was it always like this in science world or we too need to work like
amazon warehouse workers (you can google it and see the pain)?

Saddened...

Mark
(not trying to point out any single PI/person but overall it is the
same words repeated...)

We are opening a new position for an upcoming European project.

*We are looking for an expert in scientific programming with
experience in
scientific data processing for a European project focused on
Standards for
Data Archival and Exploitation. *

Job description:

We offer attractive work connected to development of data management
infrastructure for biophysical data in the frame of an international
project at the Institute of Biotechnology in the centre of excellence
Biocev. The main responsibility lies in definition of data standards and
models for biophysical data, development of algorithms, design of user
interface, and realization of a pilot database of biophysical data. The
person is expected to actively participate in multilateral international
negotiations, to drive the tasks fulfillment in collaboration with the
local international partners, and to present the results.

Dear all,

Two postdoctoral positions are available in the laboratory of Dr.
Pengxiang
Huang, Assistant Professor and CPRIT scholar in cancer research in the
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of
Medicine.
With the long-standing interest in sterol lipids, the Huang lab
investigates
the poorly understood mechanisms involved in Hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt
signal
transduction, two related pathways that play critical roles in
development,
regeneration and cancer. We utilize a combination of biochemistry, cell,
chemical and structural biology approaches, including both X-ray
crystallography and Cryo-EM. Our recent work identified cholesterol
as the
endogenous ligand for Smoothened, the key signal transduer and
oncoprotein
in the Hh pathway (Cell. 166:1176-87). We also characterized the
structural
and oncogenic basis of Smoothened activation, demonstrating for the
first
time the active conformation of a class F GPCR (Cell. 174:312-24). The
highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment of our group will
thus provide unique career development opportunities for future
postdoctoral
trainees.

We are seeking highly-motivated candidates with a Ph.D. in biomedical
sciences and significant experience in molecular biology, protein
biochemistry and/or cell biology. Prior knowledge in structural biology
(X-ray crystallography or Cryo-EM) is highly desirable, but not
required.
Candidates should have a documented publication record in peer-reviewed
journals, able to work both independently and as an effective team
member.

To apply, please send your CV, a short summary of research
experience, and
three reference letters to cnssolve[at]gmail.com<http://gmail.com/>.

collaborative research environment focused on structural/molecular
mechanism
of broadly neutralizing antibodies specific to MPER segment of the gp41
subunit in membrane environments, its implication to immunogen design
and
immunogenicity. The laboratory provides a rich training environment and
access to cutting-edge techniques.

Highly-motivated candidates with a recent PhD or MD/PhD in biomedical
sciences and significant experience in molecular biology and
biochemistry
are encouraged to apply. Skills in molecular biology, biochemistry and
extensive biomolecular NMR experience are essential. Candidates
should have
a documented publication record in peer-reviewed journals. We are
seeking a
candidate with excellent writing and communication skills, able to work
independently but also effectively and collaboratively with other lab
members. Applicants should include a short statement of research
goals, CV
and three references with their application.

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