As mentioned in previous posts, I am a TT professor, who feels under paid and extremely overworked. I have voiced my concerns and the department's solution is to "reassign" me to a different position with more work. I have put feelers out and think I have a really good shot at another position outside academia.

Pros: Pay is better Closer to my wife's family (we have an infant.) Cost of living is cheaper.

Cons: My PhD is wasted Swing shift We just bought a house last summer.

Am I a fool for considering giving up my TT position?

My legal name is still my deadname and I'm worried that it might affect me in professional contexts. I would prefer not to use my deadname obviously but is there any precedent on this kind of thing?

I defended my dissertation in early March, submitted all the revisions, and signed a contract to start my dream TT job at an R1 this Fall! Now that the dissertation and job market madness is finally over, I suddenly have so much time on my hands. I’ve already started working on turning my dissertation into publications, drafting a few papers—but I’m wondering what else I should be doing between now and the start of the semester. I’ll be prepping for my Fall courses, of course, but beyond that, I’m not sure how to best use this in-between time.

Any advice for a brand-new, incoming TT assistant professor in the social sciences? Should I focus on professional development? Try to get as many papers ready for submission as possible before the tenure clock starts? Work on personal growth or just take a breather?

Would love to hear how others approached this transitional period!

I recently came across the KES 2025 conference website: http://kes2025.kesinternational.org, and I’m honestly a bit skeptical about its legitimacy and quality.

Here are a few things that raised concerns for me:

• The submission deadline is just one week away, and they claim that notification of acceptance will be sent out in only a month. That’s a very short turnaround compared to other conferences of a similar ranking (Rank B), which usually take longer for peer review and decisions.
• The website design looks outdated and not very professional. It gave me the impression that it might be a reused template, which made me question the overall seriousness of the event.

can you tell me if it's a scam or legit, thanks for your help.

Hi all,

About a month ago, I applied for a position at a school. Around a week ago, I received a rejection email. To be honest, I appreciated since at least I heard back. Then, last Thursday, I got a phone call from the school asking if I was still interested. I said "of course," and they told me the dean would reach out to me on Friday. I was on the subway, so there might be a little chance that I heard it wrong. Anyway, I waited, but no email came.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the number and found a professor's name and email associated with it.

Now I'm wondering, would it be "awkward" to send a reminder to the professor to ask if the process is still moving forward? As far as I remember, campus visits were supposed to happen this week, so if I’m back in the process, I’ll need to rearrange my schedule a bit.

What would you do in this situation?

Thanks for your insights!

Hi all, I wanted to share my situation and get some honest perspectives. I’ve been struggling with this decision and could really use some outside insight.

Earlier this year, I received a postdoc offer from a very prominent lab. Extremely well-known in my field, and honestly, the kind of place people dream of joining. However, the PI recently shared that they’re facing potential funding instability due to NIH budget issues. They’ve encouraged me to apply for a foundation fellowship to support the position. I’m planning to apply, but as with most fellowships, it’s highly competitive and not guaranteed.

If it all works out, being in that lab could open a lot of doors, academically and professionally. The PI is a major name, and being part of their group carries a certain weight. That said, the environment is also known to be high-pressure, with a strong emphasis on publishing big and securing your own funding early.

Because of the uncertainty, I reconnected with another PI I’d spoken to earlier—someone at a good institution with more stable funding and a good reputation. It’s not as flashy, but they’re known for being supportive and collaborative, and I think I’d be set up to do good science with more work-life balance. Still, it doesn’t have the same name recognition or intensity of opportunity.

I know I’ll work hard wherever I go, but I’m scared I’ll choose the more stable path out of fear, and will regret later for not leaping something riskier but more high-profile.

Has anyone else faced a choice between a “dream lab” with uncertainty and a more stable, supportive environment? Any thoughts on how to make a grounded decision?

Hello all, I can take this down if it isn't the right sub. Most of my college expiriance is in applied science, and right now I'm learning about ethics and Im really interested in pursuing medical ethics.

I dont really know where to start or what to look into, I've spoken to some professors who say vague things like "there are a lot of jobs in that area" and some folks in the nursing forums have suggested looking into getting a JD.

If anyone has any suggestions or can point me in a better direction, I'm open to hearing about it :)

Thank you!

As someone new to experimental work, I’ve conducted a few experiments before but didn’t keep thorough records. Lately, I’ve come to realize the importance of proper documentation. However, I’m not quite sure how to begin. What key elements should be included in an experiment record, and how can I reflect more effectively and draw inspiration during the process?

A new local university (Europe) is offering an interdisciplinary PhD program in "Digital Transformation in Learning" which sounds promising but I'm wondering if it is actually going to be worth anything in a long run. I haven't found similar degree programs elsewhere so hard to compare. What do you think?

Hey-o! New chemistry prof here. I’m prepping my syllabus for this fall, and it’s quite long due to all the required sections from my institution.

Instead of a traditional syllabus day presentation, I was planning on giving a brief lecture on how to succeed in the course and then finish that off with some frequently asked questions about the syllabus.

What are some frequently asked questions that you think students would most like to hear? I am guessing details about grading and late work are probably some of the most pressing matters, but are there other things I’m not thinking about?

Thanks in advance :-)

title; im currently deciding between phd programs and confused where to go. my undergrad advisor is trying to persuade me to stay and do my phd with them, but im confused bc don’t normally advisors encourage their students to go elsewhere and expand their horizons?? they claim it’s because they think i’m a shy person and wouldn’t thrive in a larger lab environment with less hands-on advising (which are places i got other offers at), and if i stay here i would get more support from them. idk if they are right or if they are just gaslighting me.

i feel like i have mixed feelings abt working w them for the past 3 years. there were times where i felt rly discouraged by them. for example, it was difficult for me to get credit for my work; they tried to give my current project to someone else; they ignored me at conference while introducing the other undergrad in my lab to profs (we were both applying for phds this year), so i ended up crying in the bathroom.

however, they are hands-on/supportive when it comes to research work itself and also wrote me rly good letters of rec that got me into top ranked schools which i’m rly thankful for. i can tell they care abt their other students, but when it comes to me im not sure. any advice would be appreciated.

Hello. First time teaching (undergrads) this semester, and I am now, ahem, first time marker. My field is humanities, so essay-heavy although this assignment I am currently grading is 1000 words each so not too bad.

My problem is trying to speed up marking. I started marking today, and have so far made it through six essays… in about 5 hours. I think I am notionally paid for about 3 essays to be marked per hour, but I guess I was prepared for the first lot to take a tiny bit longer since I’m getting used to it.

What I wasn’t prepared for was just “how long” it’s taking. I have another 36 essays to do. I tried setting a clock for 20 mins each time like I am paid for, but I keep going way over. (I have ADHD so a fair bit of time blindness I guess.)

I am a final year PhD and I am desperate to get back to my own work as quickly as I can. How can I speed up marking as a first timer so I can get closer to the 20 mins mark – and hopefully from that, learn how to stick to time next time I mark?

Bonus points for hacking the ADHD time blindness situation.

ETA: There is a rubric I am using! Which is helpful.

Hi all, I am a masters student in Neuroscience program and the coming week I have to present my first literature review. I need a small suggestion from experienced people in the group. For the materials and method section, how should I present it? I was thinking of making small graphical flow drawings on bio render for each method/technique they used but not sure if it would be too much for literature review? Any other suggestion is more than welcome!

Thanks in advance :)

Hi! I cited a journal article (the article is a literature review, if I'm not mistaken) for out thesis and the paper itself has multiple authors but two of them only has the one name (I'm not sure if it's their given name or surname). May I ask for help on how to cite them in the references using APA 7?

Age 23. Currently about to finish Masters in General Economics from a Central University in India. I am interested in teaching (college level). I have cleared NET and have good scores in 10th, 12th, Undergrad and Postgrad. I have been hearing that vacancies for college professors are decreasing and PhD is also preferred more. I want to do PhD but I currently don’t have a concrete idea. Planning to take gap for a year or two before pursuing PhD.

I am confused about what to do during this time. Options that I have in my mind include guest lecturer, research assistant, academic associate, independent tutor, internship or fellowship. Which might be the best course of action here?

Also, would PhD in India be recommended because I am not keen on going abroad. If yes, which are the best places for the same?

My qualifications will soon be Masters. Qualified NET, MS Office Specialist and Python certificates, and one year experience as a private tutor.

I am a PolSci BA and MA graduate from a predominantly positivist school in Europe. Our department tends to favour quantitative methods over qualitative or interpretivist ones. There were a few faculty members who were more into qualitative methods and ethnography, but they had no real power.

My own background is mostly in discourse and content analysis, mostly in social media. I am both sceptical of quantitative research and quite bad at maths/computation. Also, I got a good grade in the R course, but I cannot do anything in RStudio, so basically I have no solid knowledge.

Nevertheless, I tried to use mixed methods (OLS regression) in my master's thesis, now in my PhD thesis. It turned out quite badly, because I had actually emphasised the qualitative methods in a limited way without actually doing any quantitative research. Originally, I wanted to master both methodologies and have a solid, respectable quantitative background, but that was not so successful.

Now my PI is expecting me to learn R and SPSS myself to process the survey data they have collected. But I have no real motivation to learn it and have lost interest in the subject. Now I understand that I applied for the programme that I actually dislike as well as the topic - I find it interesting but not really that much to lose 3 years on it.

I am trying to discipline myself and start dabbling in R and SPSS with quant. methods, thinking about applying to some other PhD programmes, but still most of them require quant. methods as a main set of skills.

So could you please give me some advice, is it better to continue learning the quantitative methods because of the better prospects (both in academia and industry) or to abandon it and pursue my interests in qualitative research? Considering at the same time that I have actually lost my 'pure' qualitative research skills and now can only do qualitative content analysis.

Thank you very much!

TLDR: should I continue with quantitative or qualitative methods if I like qualitative research more but have lost my skills in it by trying unsuccessfully to force myself into quantitative?

Hey folks, at my workplace, Sustainable Living Lab (SL2), we are working on an initiative we’re exploring to improve career discovery for students — especially final-year engineering students who are preparing to take their first step into the job market.

Most students are expected to make career decisions based on titles, CTC, or what seniors say — but very few get a real sense of what a job actually feels like: the team dynamics, work culture, pressure, or even what tasks they’ll handle on a daily basis.

At SL2, we’re exploring how to make career discovery more inclusive, realistic, and aligned with students’ actual strengths — especially for those who may not have access to mentorship, exposure, or insider guidance.

This isn’t a student-led project, but it’s 100% for students — and before building anything, we’re focused on listening first.

If you’re in your final year or recently graduated, we’d love to hear from you. To make it easy, we’ve put together a quick, anonymous survey (just 2 minutes): https://forms.gle/D5wmWzfMTJHbf6ki6

No product. No pitch. Just trying to get this right — with real input from students.

Thanks in advance for sharing your perspective!

Hi,

As a person with a family and (hopefully) a work life, I want to create a healthy balance between work and family life and try to be efficient as possible.

Within my daily work schedule, I try to carve out mornings for deep focus work (writing/analyzing etc), leaving the following hours to coursework, emailing etc. I aim to finish my day at 16.

My previous supervisor said I should be working 17 hours a day.... I cannot possibly do that, nor do I want to.

What do you all do to maximize work efficiency while maintaining a healthy life-work balance? Do you publish enough?

Any tips and insights welcome.

Hi, This might seems a but off from regular academic questions, but I recently got approved as a poster presenter by ASM Microbe. But the travel cost is quite high even with university grants. I have applied for all possible grant in the university too but they only cover partially. I am also an international student so its even harder to apply for external grants. Which is why I came to go fund me. I have been sharing it around but I am afraid that I might not get enough for the conference. Do you guys have any advice on apply for travel grants for international student? Or anywhere that I can share my fundraising? Thank you for any advice!

Hi everyone,

I’m excited (and admittedly fired up) to share a visionary concept that I believe could radically change the way we tackle cancer. I know it sounds out there, but I’m convinced that by combining smart polymers, acoustic mapping, and dual-mode activation (via lasers, microwaves, or radio waves), we might be able to create a system that not only targets tumor cells but also “maps” them in 3D in real time. Here’s the idea in detail:

The Concept

Imagine a smart polymer that’s engineered to self-assemble into a mesh when it encounters the unique biochemical environment of a tumor. This isn’t your everyday polymer—it’s designed to do three critical things:

1. Target & Entrap Cancer Cells:
   The polymer mesh is functionalized with molecular “hooks” like antibodies, peptides, or aptamers that recognize markers overexpressed on tumor cells (or even specific enzymes like proteases that cancer cells release). Once it arrives in the tumor microenvironment (which, thanks to the tumor’s leaky vasculature, is more accessible), the mesh attaches preferentially to cancer cells.

2. Acoustic Mapping via “Vibrational” Feedback:
   Here’s where it gets really cool: the polymers are engineered to “vibe” or produce a distinct acoustic signal through integrated piezoelectric elements or embedded nanoparticles (think gold nanorods or carbon nanotubes). These vibrations are like clicks that a sensitive ultrasound or sensor could capture. By processing these clicks, we create a sonar-like system that outputs a 3D model of the tumor’s shape and location in real time. This approach not only offers precise mapping but might also be useful in detecting stagnant or neuropathic tissue for regenerative therapies.

3. Targeted Ablation with External Activation:
   Once we have a live 3D map and the mesh is in place around the tumor, an external energy source (like a targeted laser, or possibly microwaves or radio waves) is applied. The polymer mesh contains embedded photothermal agents which, upon activation, heat up and ablate the tumor cells from the inside out—effectively “melting” the tumor without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

How It Could Work

• Smart Polymer Matrix:
  The polymers would be designed to assemble in response to key stimuli such as low pH or the presence of certain proteases that are abundant in the tumor’s environment. Their design would allow them to work both as targeting agents and as a scaffold for the integrated vibrational and heating components.

• Vibrational/Auditory Sensing:
  With piezoelectric components or nanoparticle additions, the polymer mesh would emit an ultrasonic “click” signal when activated by an external (or even internal) stimulus. Specialized sensors or even traditional ultrasound equipment could pick up these signals. AI-driven algorithms would then process the data into a detailed 3D model of the tumor, all in real time.

• Dual-Modality Activation:
  Using lasers, which are already well established in photothermal therapy, or perhaps exploring alternative activation via microwaves or radio waves, we could trigger a controlled thermal response. This would ensure that tumor cells within the mesh are selectively ablated—minimizing damage to healthy cells.

Applications & Possibilities

• Cancer Therapy:
  The primary application is to infiltrate, map, and destroy tumors (especially metastasized or deeply embedded ones) from the inside out. This method could ideally overcome some of the limitations of current treatments that often struggle with precision.

• Diagnostics & Real-Time Monitoring:
  The 3D mapping capability opens up avenues for better diagnostic imaging. This technology could provide doctors with live feedback on tumor size, shape, and location, potentially guiding other therapies or surgical interventions.

• Regenerative Medicine:
  Beyond cancer, the concept could be tweaked to map areas of stagnant tissue or neuropathy, helping to guide and enhance regenerative therapies by providing precise models of damaged tissues.

Addressing Concerns & Feasibility

Will it work?
- The individual components—smart polymers, piezoelectric sensors, photothermal agents, and AI-driven imaging—are all active areas of research. The primary challenge lies in seamlessly integrating them into a single, reliable system. - Signal clarity against biological “noise,” precise targeting without affecting healthy tissue, and ensuring biocompatibility are major hurdles that would need to be addressed.

The integration challenge:
- Combining molecular targeting (via functionalized ligands) with a robust acoustic feedback system and external energy-triggered ablation is ambitious. But each element has precedent in current research. - The idea is cutting edge—which means the work required to bring it from theory to practical application would be enormous, likely needing a multidisciplinary team.

Overcoming obstacles without traditional resources:
- I’m aware that many innovation hubs and incubators (like JLABS) have the resources to prototype these kinds of ideas. However, not all of us have access to labs or the funding to secure patents. This is why I’m posting here—to see if there are researchers, engineers, or even like-minded innovators who might be interested in collaborating on a project that could fundamentally change how we combat cancer.

Call to Action

I’m reaching out to this community because: - Feedback: What do you think of using vibrational feedback to map tumors in 3D? Are there similar approaches you’re aware of that could complement or challenge this concept? - Collaboration: I’m looking for ideas, partnerships, or any advice from scientists, engineers, or biotech enthusiasts who might be interested in exploring the feasibility of such a system. - Innovation: How can we lower the barriers to collaboration for “outsiders” with innovative ideas? Are there virtual incubators, pitch competitions, or academic contacts that might be open to discussing a project like this?

I believe that if we can combine our collective expertise, we could eventually create a system that upends profit-driven cancer treatments and brings truly targeted, effective therapy into reality. Despite the inherent challenges and the resistance from established interests, I’m determined to pursue transformative ideas—are you with me?

I look forward to your thoughts, critiques, and suggestions. Let’s push the boundaries of what's possible in cancer treatment together.

Thank you for reading, and let’s start a conversation that could lead to disruptive change!

Instagram @thomas.rieman

I'm a college student,most of the time I need extra money to meet my expenses. I've tried being on upwork and fiverr but that didn't work for me. I would be really grateful if anyone suggest me good freelancing apps and websites ( like for AI development, language translator,research assistant or creative writer)

I am currently an international master's student in the states, Master's in Nutrition and my masters thesis will be focused on weight stigma. I have been getting more interested in Neuroscience(taking a nutritional neuroscience course), eventually want to work around gut brain axis, eating behaviours. Since now, I don't think I have the skills required to work in a neuro lab, also I am not sure if I wanna go at molecular level or keep it behavioural level. was wondering if you guys have any advice on what skillset i should focus on acquiring (still have an year left) and universities that offer similar research opportunities in the states and in Europe. Thanks for reading.

Hello!

I'm a current high school student that is very passionate about linguistics. I recently joined the Linguistics Society of America, and have thus gained access to the ability to attend various different linguistics conferences across the country! I'd love to visit many of these conferences, if just to sit and absorb the talks and the environment. However, one aspect I was wondering about was how it may appear to any professors/graduates if I approached them to ask about their presentations or work.

I'm really not trying to come off as one of those arrogant Ivy League-wannabe kids who try to impose themselves on professors for "research opportunities" - I truly love linguistics and find it deeply interesting, and would simply be delighted to have the opportunity to talk to actual professionals.

Would it be considered inappropriate/crass, or might it be okay to approach these presenters about their work - if only to ask a few questions!

I apologize if this is the wrong subreddit for this; please let me know if it is.

Thank you so much!

Hi everyone,

I’m seeking some feedback on a motivational letter I’ve written for my application to a BSc in Business & Economics programme. I come from a diverse background and have followed a non-traditional academic path. After completing high school, I later enhanced my studies at a 'municipal adult education', where I experienced significant academic growth.

I’m aiming for a letter that effectively communicates my passion, resilience, and the skills I’ve developed over the years, while clearly stating why I’m a great fit for the programme. If you're interested in taking a closer look, I’d be happy to send you the full letter via private message.

Thanks in advance for your help!