25 Oct
One of our readers sent in this interesting link — are you one of the planetary scientists that gets funding from NSF? You might want to think about spending some time at NSF, gaining insight, working reviews, and helping to influence policy about the astronomy/observing programs there …
Go to USAJobs and search “NSF” for more information on how to apply.
21 Oct
Susan is livetweeting the Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference from the @womenplanetsci and/or her @whymommy twitter accounts this week — tune in or check her stream for facts, figures, and amazing quotes from speakers all week long!
12 Oct
Several members of our group are also members of the NRC Planetary Decadal Survey committees. I’ve seen at least one graduate student rapporteur from our group at the meetings as well. All members of our community are encouraged to know about and participate in the white papers being submitted on their behalf to the meetings, and to attend any open sessions when they occur in your area (here is a complete schedule).
Please note: committees have invited graduate students to take notes that will be posted on the web. If you live near or are traveling to one of the meetings, volunteer your time and you can sit in on some of the most important discussions to our profession this decade.
Questions? Ask away — there are people on this site who can answer, or help you find the answers.
10 Oct
On Being a Scientist, 3rd edition, has just been published by the National Academies. On Being a Scientist is a thoughtful guide to ethics for scientists, written by the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP), first published in 1989. It’s well worth a read — and definitely worth the download price: free. Here’s the description, from their web site:
The scientific research enterprise is built on a foundation of trust. Scientists trust that the results reported by others are valid. Society trusts that the results of research reflect an honest attempt by scientists to describe the world accurately and without bias. But this trust will endure only if the scientific community devotes itself to exemplifying and transmitting the values associated with ethical scientific conduct.
On Being a Scientist was designed to supplement the informal lessons in ethics provided by research supervisors and mentors. The book describes the ethical foundations of scientific practices and some of the personal and professional issues that researchers encounter in their work. It applies to all forms of research–whether in academic, industrial, or governmental settings-and to all scientific disciplines.
This third edition of On Being a Scientist reflects developments since the publication of the original edition in 1989 and a second edition in 1995. A continuing feature of this edition is the inclusion of a number of hypothetical scenarios offering guidance in thinking about and discussing these scenarios.
On Being a Scientist is aimed primarily at graduate students and beginning researchers, but its lessons apply to all scientists at all stages of their scientific careers.
Have you read this publication? What do you think of its value for young (or not so young) scientists in our field?
21 Sep
Recently, we received a request from a high school senior for help in distributing a survey that she is conducting as part of her senior thesis project. Sunny has put together this survey herself, with advice from people in the field, and I hope that you’ll help her by answering a very short survey. Here is the email I received from Sunny; please copy and paste your answers into email and send it to Sunny directly.
My name is Sunny Burwell. I am currently a senior at Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, SC, where students are required to conduct a year-long senior thesis project on a topic of their choice. My senior thesis is about the status of women in science careers; Dr. Cassandra Runyon is my mentor.
Part of my methodology is to distribute a short survey to men and women in science careers to determine their attitudes toward their field and their work. I am interested in collecting data from your Women in Planetary Science group and I would be very grateful for you to complete this short survey.Thank you for your time!- Sunny
The survey:
Sex:
___ Female ___ Male
Level of Education:
___ Undergraduate ___ Postgraduate ___ Postdoctoral
Field(s):
___ Astronomy ___ Biology ___ Chemistry ___ Engineering ___ Geology ___ Physics
Specialization: ___________________________________________
Occupation: _____________________________________________
Why did you decide to pursue a science-related career? [Check all that apply.]
___ Love of science
___ Personal ambition
___ Interest in monetary gain
___ Lack of other options
___ Encouragement from others
Who encouraged you? ________________________________
___ Inspiration from others
Who inspired you? ________________________________
___ Other reasons
Please specify: ______________________________________
Have you ever strongly considered leaving your field or career? ______________
- If so, why were you considering this?
- Why did you decide to remain in your field or career?
How accurately do the following statements describe your experiences?
[1 means “very inaccurately”, while 5 means “very accurately”.]
- I love my field of science.
1 2 3 4 5
- I am happy with my career.
1 2 3 4 5
- My career can be overwhelming at times.
1 2 3 4 5
- I have loved science since high school or younger.
1 2 3 4 5
- It has been easy for me to balance career and family responsibilities.
1 2 3 4 5
- How many children do you have? ________________________
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