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1 | ecoevojobs.net 2024-25 now available at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PnS-tHYXNVPaSfbXT5v9qZl0T7QHH4AtwoyIJSRQ5a0/ This page will remain open for updates | |||||||||||
2 | Timestamp | Institution | Location | Subject Area | Review Date | URL | Rank | Position Type | Last Update | Notes | Number Applied | Mod Flag |
3 | 12/23/2024 8:32:13 | Eckerd College | Florida | Marine Science (Botany or Phycology) | 2/1/2025 | https://eckerd.exacthire.com/All_Open_Jobs?jobs=[] | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/22/25 18:20 | We seek broadly-trained scientist-educators who are strongly committed to teaching and student/faculty research at the undergraduate level. Fields of particular interest include: macroalgal or seagrass biology, microalgal dynamics including harmful algal blooms, or invasive species. Candidates that employ molecular approaches including -omics are encouraged to apply. | ||
4 | 7/1/2024 14:52:12 | New College of Florida | Florida | Marine Mammal Science | 7/4/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/ncfl/jobs/4560619/director-marine-mammal-science | Director | Non-TS Academic | 9/17/24 4:57 | 1) Any applicants, please please please do your research on what is happening at the Uni in the last 2-5 years, and how the state government is heavily involved. 2) Yeah, they're only gonna want people who have personally driven at least one marine mammal species extinct 3) @2, this is easily the best snark I've seen on this page. 2) Seems they could also use a terrestrial biologist, given Rufo's inability to distinguish cats from chickens. | ||
5 | 6/25/2024 11:20:12 | SPUN | South America (Other) | Mycorrhizal Field Ecologist - South America | 6/28/2024 | https://spun.bamboohr.com/careers/26 | Employee | NGO | 6/25/24 12:21 | 3 year fixed term (full time employee for 3 years) 1) think these two belong on the fixed term page | ||
6 | 6/25/2024 10:59:16 | SPUN | California | Mycorrhizal Field Ecologist - North America | 6/28/2024 | https://spun.bamboohr.com/careers/25 | Employee | NGO | 6/25/24 11:13 | From the ad: "full-time, 3-year fixed-term contract" | ||
7 | 6/18/2024 14:38:57 | The Natural History Museum Karlsruhe | Germany | Entomology | 7/15/2024 | https://www.smnk.de/en/museum/ausschreibungen/leitung-des-referats-entomologie-m/w/d/ | Head of Entomology | Museum | 8/8/24 16:26 | Emphasis of the research work should be the groups of Hymenoptera and/or Hemimetabolous insects. 2) "Unfortunately, interview costs cannot be covered or reimbursed." 3) Ah yes I've heard about German institutes not paying for interviews, very weird/annoying...4.) I interviewed for a very similar position in that Institution and it was via Zoom - no need to travel | 1 | |
8 | 6/18/2024 13:49:36 | USGS | Colorado | Avian Ecology | 7/3/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/795768900 | GS 13 | Government | 10/10/24 9:52 | Applicants must be U.S. Citizens [sic]. 1) was offered 2 weeks ago. | 1 | |
9 | 6/13/2024 11:24:24 | Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture & Status of Women | Canada | Fossil Marine Reptiles | 6/26/2024 | https://jobpostings.alberta.ca/job/DRUMHELLER-Curator-of-Fossil-Marine-Reptiles/581869017/ | Curator | Government | ||||
10 | 6/7/2024 14:56:38 | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries | Louisiana | Wildlife Biologist (Waterfowl focus) | 6/13/2024 | https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/search/?keywords=louisiana&sort-by=KeywordRelevance&PageSize=50&PageNum=1#search | Full Time | Government | 10/11/24 7:35 | There are lots of financial resources and equipment (i.e., airboats, boats, etc.) to conduct wildlife/fisheries research at this refuge. However, it is a very remote field office in Grand Chenier, Louisiana (~1 hr from a Walmart), so this is not a position for everyone. However, they provide housing and utilities for refuge biologists, and the region is one of the most biodiverse areas for avifauna in the United States. | ||
11 | 6/5/2024 16:25:42 | Idaho Department of Fish and Game | Idaho | Quantitative Ecology | 6/24/2024 | https://idfg.idaho.gov/job/151634 | Biometrician | Government | 6/5/24 19:55 | 1 | ||
12 | 6/5/2024 9:05:47 | Sylvera | United Kingdom | ML, Carbon Biogeochemistry, Software | 6/7/2024 | https://sylvera-careers.multiscreensite.com/career-description/7a515d2e-b516-4053-a22c-2d4b8d845657 | Engineer | Industry | 10/7/24 14:12 | Build global soil carbon models using cutting-edge ML, remote sensing, and field-sensor data. Create and refine pipelines to serve those models to customers through cloud architecture. Remote possible for the right candidate. Also, offices available in NY, London, Serbia, and soon, Singapore. | ||
13 | 6/4/2024 9:55:49 | NIOO-KNAW | Netherlands | Soil Ecology & Biodiversity | 7/1/2024 | https://www.academictransfer.com/en/342248/senior-researcher-soil-ecology-biodiversity-nioo-knaw-wageningen/ | Sr Researcher | Government | 6/12/24 4:22 | Fantastic org next to Wageningen Univ. This is a dream job if you like NL. Pay is great, plus internationals qualify for 30% ruling. Work/life balance, good healthcare, and you get to live in the "mountains" of the Netherlands. | ||
14 | 6/4/2024 4:02:32 | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center | Maryland | Coastal Landscape Ecology | 6/27/2024 | https://serc.si.edu/get-involved/job-opportunities/landscape-ecologist | GS-13 | Government | 10/8/24 12:24 | 1) This seems to be the same job as the one below with a new deadline and slightly different ad language. Anyone have insight? 2) SC here: it IS updated from below, and broadened to include the following areas of potential expertise: including but not limited to: carbon and nutrient cycling at landscape scales, coastal watershed science and hydrology, integration of coastal data across multiple spatial, temporal, and/or ecological scales, quantitative modeling, and landscape-scale restoration, conservation, and/or ecosystem management 3) Hi SC! Could you give some insight into what happened to the 1st search? If you applied round 1 and got nowhere, is it worth applying again? If so, would a reframe in focus be appropriate? SC: Everyone is encouraged to apply, including applicants from the first round, with an emphasis on landscape level processes in coastal ecosystems as defined in the fairly broad job ad. good luck! 4) Hi SC ! I'm surprised to see no requirement for a resarch statement or even a cover letter. Am I reading the USAJobs portal correctly? 5) SC here: correct, USAJOBS requires relatively few documents like your resume and transcripts, as outlined here: https://serc.si.edu/careers/tips-applying-federal-jobs--->BIG HOWEVER: if you want to upload other documents you think might be relevant, which could include a cover letter, research statement, etc., these could be uploaded either as the latter part of your resume, or as separate documents in the 'other documents' section of the USAJOBS portal. hope this helps! 6) Has anyone heard anything yet ? 😬7) Federal jobs are slow and it's summer...it probably hasn't made it through the initial HR screening and to the search committee yet. 9) @6,7, I did get an email from the "recruitment representative" that said they'd recieved they application and would update when information is available. x2 6) Has anyone recieved any update? 7) Not sure if anyone is still watching this, but I did get a Zoom request for this position (first week of October). | 1 | |
15 | 6/3/2024 10:14:51 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Fish & Wildlife Research Scientist | 6/30/2024 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4375412/lead-fishery-harvest-estimation-research-scientist-fw-research-scientist-2-p | Research Scientist | Government | ||||
16 | 5/31/2024 14:25:56 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Fish & Wildlife Biology | 6/12/2024 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4525208/private-lands-biologist-fish-wildlife-biologist-2-permanent-06485-24 | Biologist | Government | ||||
17 | 5/30/2024 12:18:31 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota | Applied Avian Ecology | 7/31/2024 | https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/39270 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/13/24 8:00 | (1) SC here - young, active department; growing grad population, broadly looking at avian ecology but especially interested in those studying conservation/manangement of upland game birds, grassland-obligate species, or waterbirds. (2) could someone speak to starting salary? (3) SC here - all South Dakota salaries are public reported (https://open.sd.gov/employees.aspx), you can look up other recent hires in the Natural Resource Management department, also keep in mind cost of living here is low (no state income tax, low housing cost compared to most college towns). (4) Looks like the assistant profs in the department are making around $80k, plus or minus ~$5k 5) how serious is the 'must be authorized to work in the US' statement? I kind of assumed most/all universities would sponser a foreign-born candidate if they were selected by the committee. (6) SC here - I would encourage any foreign-born scientists to contact the committee. | 2 | |
18 | 5/30/2024 5:52:36 | USGS | Alaska | Ecology | 7/23/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/792792900 | GS 12-13 | Government | 7/18/24 16:58 | Assistant Unit Leader based at University of Alaska Fairbanks 2) deadline extended to 7/23/24, not sure how to update | 5 | |
19 | 5/29/2024 21:10:02 | SPUN | Delaware | Mycorrhizal Carbon | 6/10/2024 | https://www.spun.earth/careers/mycorrhizal-carbon-scientist | Scientist | NGO | 5/29/24 22:20 | Remote from anywhere in North America, South America or Europe | ||
20 | 5/28/2024 13:26:38 | University of New Mexico | New Mexico | Neuroscience & Data Science in Neuroscience | 7/22/2024 | https://unmfirst.unm.edu/apply-now/index.html | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/29/24 18:37 | [review date updated -AP] | ||
21 | 5/27/2024 13:00:09 | Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research (KLI) | Austria | Philosophy of Biology or Theoretical Biology | 6/1/2024 | https://www.kli.ac.at/en/the_kli/news/view/486 | Group leader | Non-TS Academic | 5/29/24 13:42 | no clear review date...1) It's a theoretical/philosophical position, the lack of a review date is part of the screening process. 2) Am I qualified for this position with a theoretical degree in biology? 3) @2, you are theoretically qualified | 1 | |
22 | 5/23/2024 15:51:49 | University of Montana | Montana | Bioinformatics / Data Science | 6/17/2024 | https://bit.ly/UMJobs4437 | Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 1 | |||
23 | 5/23/2024 13:50:23 | Bucknell University | Pennsylvania | Biology | 6/7/2024 | https://bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/details/Lab-Instructor--Biology_R0000000318?jobFamilyGroup=3ce5feabe53e01f24bcb272fcb6e5e06 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 5/24/24 10:19 | (1) Faculty member here - Dept is great! Looking to hire ASAP - review of applications is rolling, but expecting to do round 1 Zoom interviews last two weeks of June, so earlier is better. I put June 7th as an estimate. 2) Expected to teach 4 or 5 lab sections per semester, and supervise both undergraduate and graduate students. Is it a typo or does this university expect non-tenured faculty to supervise graduate students? (3) They mean supervise them as TAs I believe. | ||
24 | 5/21/2024 8:07:57 | Universiteit Leiden | Netherlands | Quantitative Ecology | 6/1/2024 | https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/vacatures/2024/q2/14846-assistant-associate-professor-in-quantitative-ecology-0.8-1.0-fte | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/29/24 13:48 | 1) Any insights on this university/dept? 2) AFAIK it's the Netherland's premier uni 3) they recently poached some great microbial ecologists: Ákos T. Kovács and Paco Barona-Gómez | 3 | |
25 | 5/20/2024 16:14:46 | USDA Tropical Pest Genetics & Molecular Biology Research Unit, Hilo, HI | Hawaii | Functional Genomics | 6/18/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/791890000 | Scientist / Research Biologist | Government | 5/24/24 1:24 | 1) are US Nationals same as permanant residents? 2) no 3) permanent residents can be Green Card hodlers. 4) Not in the SC but I lived in Hilo most of my life and have been to the USDA facility. The people are great there. 5) @2 )and @3) so green card holders cannot apply? 6) @5 no. you need to be a national or citizen (ie: passport holder) | ||
26 | 5/15/2024 14:39:29 | Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | Infectious Disease Dynamics | 6/30/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/145884 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/16/24 20:23 | Bloomberg Distinguished Professor cluster hire. "Using theoretical and computational approaches to understand the epidemiology and ecology of infectious diseases." 1) Anyone knows the culture/work-life in John Hopkins? X2 2) I can't necessarily speak to BSPH at large, but the IDD group specifically is wonderful. Very collaborative and a friendly group of current faculty members. 3) Any news? | 1 | |
27 | 5/15/2024 11:05:23 | USDA Pollinator Health Research Unit, Davis, CA | California | Honeybee Conservation | 6/13/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/791056800 | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 6/12/24 11:13 | $96,148 - $191,900 per year 2) Good luck buying a house for under $600k 3) Yeah, that really stings. 4) totally doable on that salary if you don't have kids 5) I'm all for salary shaming but this actually looks like a pretty good salary. Plenty of people live in Sacramento or surrounding towns. x6 6) It's also worth noting that the greater Sacramento area is actually working to end the housing crisis. They build tons of new housing and rents are actually falling because of it. This salary would be very livable in that area. 7) Next up - chicken conservation research! x3 8) does the position have possibilities for working with local Tribal governments? 9) not at Davis, but another USDA bee person here - and 8 yes, working with tribal groups is generally encouraged. | 2 | |
28 | 5/14/2024 6:22:08 | Trinity College Dublin | Ireland | Wildlife Distribution Modelling | 5/16/2024 | https://my.corehr.com/pls/trrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/31/24 12:29 | Link doesnt work 2) The job ad closed on May 16 at 12pm Dublin time (about 7am eastern time USA) 3) rejection email on May 30. I was really hoping for this one | 3 | |
29 | 5/14/2024 6:07:02 | University of Graz | Austria | Botany / Scientific Lead for Botanical Garden | 6/6/2024 | https://jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/a02810d4-006c-d742-5342-662223290a12 | Senior Scientist | Tenure Stream | ||||
30 | 5/10/2024 14:21:15 | University of California-Berkeley | California | Conservation Science | 5/17/2024 | https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psp/ucb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=21&JobOpeningId=67570&PostingSeq=1 | Executive Director | Non-TS Academic | 6/24/24 11:02 | Executive Directory of the new James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center for Large Landscape Conservation at UC Berkeley | 1 | |
31 | 5/10/2024 11:48:39 | University of Maine | Maine | Ornamental Horticulture | 6/17/2024 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=84210&job=assistant-associate-extension-professor-of-horticulture-and-ornamental-horticulture-specialist | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/25/24 10:24 | NOTE: Applications are still being considered, as they received very few (as of 7/25/24). | ||
32 | 5/8/2024 16:54:54 | University of Bridgeport | Connecticut | Biology | 5/28/2024 | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=133985&clientkey=A1640D81A59AFDAFC5501F5B06EF1B08 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 7/7/24 16:02 | Quick search looks like UB no longer offers TT as of ~2021. "... full-time faculty with broad expertise in organismal biology, environmental science, freshwater or marine biology, and/or ecology" 1) app only asks for a CV and cover letter, which makes the short turn-around easier, but does anyone know much about this school? Their website doesn't have a lot of detail on the department. 2) University used to be owned and governed by the Unification Church, aka the Moonies; still offer degree-granting programs in acupuncture, chiropractic, and traditional Chinese medicine and used to offer doctorates in Naturopathy. 3) Anyone hear from this job yet? @3 Phone and Zoom interview happened already. Final (Zoom-based) interview is scheduled. | ||
33 | 5/8/2024 10:55:47 | Towson University | Maryland | Sustainability & Environmental Change | https://towson.taleo.net/careersection/fac_ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=240000A8 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/20/24 13:12 | Rolling review, just posted but review begins immediately. Start date January 2025. 2) Please update if you hear anything from the search committee. x2 @2) The SC chair said they will be reviewing submissions starting in early June 3) anyone have any updates? 4) nothing yet x2 5) nothing either 6) Any updates? 7) none here 7/23 8) invited for zoom interview 8/5 9) had virtual interview late August. 10) on campus interview early October. | 6 | ||
34 | 5/8/2024 10:10:14 | University of Maryland | Maryland | Invasive Species Plant Biologist | 6/1/2024 | https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/118969 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/10/24 10:47 | 60% Research, 40% Extension | 1 | |
35 | 5/8/2024 10:10:14 | University of Maryland | Maryland | Invasive Species Plant Biologist | 6/1/2024 | https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/118969 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/10/24 10:47 | 60% Research, 40% Extension | 1 | |
36 | 5/8/2024 9:29:02 | University of Maryland | Maryland | Abiotic Stress Plant Biologist | 6/1/2024 | https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/119056 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/17/24 19:22 | 1) Anyone get any updates yet? 2) Nothing yet 3) Another check... anyone? 4) nothing here 5) Received Zoom invitation (7/17) | 6 | |
37 | 5/8/2024 3:18:59 | Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) | Finland | Large Carnivore Ecology | 5/13/2024 | https://valtiolle.fi/en/jobs/research-professor-in-large-carnivore-ecology-3889/?text=Research | Research Prof | Government | 5/9/24 4:01 | This is a readvertisement. Guess the call in the Fall was unsuccessful. | ||
38 | 5/7/2024 12:40:12 | U.S. Military Academy, West Point | New York | Chemistry, Biology, and/or Physics | 5/20/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/790172500 | Instructor | Government | 5/21/24 10:04 | 1) If anyone has questions about this position, I formerly had this position and left to pursue my Ph.D., so happy to provide insights and/or details 2) Is the position permanent? And is the instructor expected to teach all subjects, or would just biology suffice?; @2) the position is permanent and the current department teaches chemistry, biology, and physics--the program uses a system similar to quarters, and one quarter is biology, two are chemistry, and one is physics, where all faculty teach all three subject areas @1) If the courses being taught are across science subjects, is it largely introductory courses/ courses for non majors? 1) Courses are largely introductory or non-majors courses. This position is at USMAPS, which is a one-year college preparatory program for cadet candidates who are hoping for admission into USMA (West Point). Some of the cadet candidates need to improve academic skills, so the courses at USMAPS are organized to help bridge gaps in content knowledge. @1 thank you for the information! Out of curiousity, if the applicant wants it is there any possibility of doing research/research support with the role? I know it wouldn't be required, but curious if it could be an option. Thanks! 1) Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to this question. The department chair is an active research scientist, but does research through a separate university. There are no research facilities within USMAPS. There may be opportunities to conduct STEM education research, but you would want to inquire about this at the interview. | ||
39 | 5/6/2024 7:41:27 | Wolf Conservation Center | New York | Conservation Biology / Wolf Recovery | https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1414 | Executive Director | NGO | 5/13/24 9:25 | Notice was recently posted with 3-4 month time frame. AP) Review date removed. | |||
40 | 5/3/2024 19:04:31 | USGS / Cornell University | New York | Fish Biologist | 6/10/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/789169900 | Asst Unit Leader | Government | 12/30/24 10:44 | Received referral email 8/26. USAJobs says there were 76 applicants 1) Rejected 12/30 (never heard anything else) | 2 | |
41 | 5/3/2024 6:24:31 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Plant Ecology & Evolution | 6/2/2024 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/46279/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/28/24 2:57 | Focus broadly on ecology with applicants that use molecular/microbial methods especially encouraged to apply. 2) was this not advertised last year? Also in the UK don't you have to be a Reader to be eligable for this type of position 3) @2 for a "professor" role, yeah. Some departments use US-like titles, so this would be equivalent to lecturer/senior lecturer and suitable for postdocs 4) Looks like the closing date was extended to June 10th 5) on campus interview (x2) | 2 | |
42 | 5/2/2024 9:58:42 | University of Maine | Maine | Genetics Facility Manager | 5/22/2024 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=84208&job=genetics-facility-manager | Manager (MS required, PhD preferred) | Non-TS Academic | 7/29/24 11:40 | Professional experience working with eDNA and next-generation sequencing required. Starting salary $65,000-$70,000. 1) I'm not right for this job, but I love that a permanent position as a researcher at a university like this is available, and the starting salary seems pretty good if it will scale with time. Need more positions like these. x2 2) Faculty member who will work closely with this person, but not on the search committee here: happy to answer questions candidly. Can confirm that staff are unionized and so get regular cost of living increases, as well as merit reviews. 3) Sounds like a cool position! @2, do you know if any TT AP or Research AP hiring in the same area of emphasis (eDNA) is planned? 4) @3 Not likely. We just did a big cluster hire around eDNA, and brought on several new faculty in this area as part of an EPSCoR-funded Maine eDNA initiative and the formation of the Maine Center for Genetics in the Environment. Basically, lots of recent growth in that area means we're not likely to hire new TT folks any time soon. 5) zoom interview request 30 May 6) I Zoom-interviewed. Not sure they really know what they want. 7) completed second interview 14 June, and reached out about references 17 June. 8) Update: search failed. | 1 | |
43 | 4/29/2024 16:20:54 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Comparative Genomics (esp. Evolutionary Medicine) | 5/17/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/144623 | Postdoc-to-Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/18/24 6:03 | "Degree should be in hand or expected by time of appointment, not to exceed 4 years post-date of conferral" 2) It's also posted under postdoc. 3) Would conservation genomics be welcome? e.g., a focus on whole-genome comparative genomics of endangered species. 4) @3 my guess is yes, so long as you can work with local desert species 5) It doesn't have to be on desert species, definitely apply if you do whole genome stuff. 6) Any updates? 7) Got an invitation for a Zoom interview (6-13) x3 8) anyone know how many hires this search will result in? It seems unclear if it'll only be one or if there's money for a couple. 8) They are only hiring one person 9) any word post-Zoom? 10) nothing as of 7/26 x2 11) Any update here? 12) In person interview invite received 8/16 x2 13) in-person interviews have all been completed. decisions should go out later this week. 14) no word after in-person yet [9/17] x2 15) rejection letter saying top candidate accepted position [10/15] x2 | 7 | |
44 | 4/28/2024 5:08:17 | Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology | Switzerland | Aquatic Systems & Climate Change Adaptation | 5/31/2024 | https://apply.refline.ch/673277/1169/pub/1/index.html | Group Leader | Tenure Stream | 10/7/24 2:05 | 4-position cluster hire. At least one involves biodiversity in aquatic systems. Group Leaders in Switzerland are often intermediary steps between an early postdoc and getting a tenured professorship.They can last for may years depending on funding and provide lots of time for research. This institute is similar in role and stature to the major federal natural resources agencies in USA (USGS, FWS, USDA, etc.) and is the major federal research unit dedicted to aquatic systems in the country. 1) this is tenure track, so presumably in 3+ years you'll be made permanent x3. 2) Does anybody know if they'd consider candidates at the permanent level (e.g. tenured already in a U.S. institution)? 3) @2, send 'em an email! 1) yea I am sure they will but send them an email 4) invited for zoom interview 11-Jul-2024. 5) They were down to 24 candidates across the 4 position cluster as of 2-Sept-2024, 1st round of on-site interviews happened in mid September, then down to 9 candidates as of 4-Oct-2024 with another round of on-site interviews to be scheduled soon. | 3 | |
45 | 4/28/2024 5:00:13 | Loyola University of New Orleans | Louisiana | Investigating Nature | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/loyno/jobs/4413568/biology-professor-of-the-practice-investigating-nature?keywords=bio&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Professor of Practice | Non-TS Academic | 5/13/24 3:43 | "As the first natural science course in the Loyola Core, Investigating Nature plays a critical role in introducing non-science majors to the process of science, increasing science literacy, and strengthening quantitative skills. (1) Just curious - does Loyola have faculty that are traditional tenure track or is everyone (or all new hires) a professor of practice? (2) they have tenure system as well, and there is a history of movement between the tracks in the department (visited campus for this position on May first. they plan on making a decision by May 15 (1 again) thanks 2. Good to know. I have family members who went there for university and loved it. I'm soon be an asst prof at a university nearby - just curious how this department works! | |||
46 | 4/28/2024 4:58:13 | Loyola University of New Orleans | Louisiana | Anatomy & Physiology | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/loyno/jobs/4413580/biology-professor-of-practice-anatomy-physiology?keywords=bio&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Professor of Practice | Non-TS Academic | |||||
47 | 4/28/2024 4:55:30 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Microbial Ecology | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/1002Y-Energy-Coast-and-Environment-Building/Assistant-or-Associate-Professor_R00089526 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/8/24 14:16 | "Candidates using a diversity of quantitative techniques with empirically generated data are preferred, but research can include empirical, computational, model-based and/or molecular approaches." 1) I'm in this dept and will try to monitor in case there are any Q's. It's a remarkably congenial dept. 2) Is it still worth applying even though the initial deadline has passed? 1) @2, definitely. I don't know where the SC is at, but we've had no campus interviews yet. I've served on SCs, and we often entertain apps after the deadline. 2 again) Great, thanks! 3) Any updates on this one? 4) @ departmental member, any news on this? | 1 | ||
48 | 4/28/2024 4:52:16 | Purdue University | Indiana | Forestry and Natural Resources | 4/29/2024 | https://careers.purdue.edu/job/West-Lafayette-Clinical-Assistant-Professor-of-Teaching-and-Learning-in-Forestry-and-Natural-Resources-IN-47906/30900-en_US/ | Clinical Assistant Professor of Teaching | Non-TS Academic | ||||
49 | 4/28/2024 4:49:36 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Ichthyology, Fish Ecology | https://seok.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/197?c=seok | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/9/24 18:43 | Any news? 2) postion was re-opened after earlier failed search. 3) news | 1 | ||
50 | 4/28/2024 4:41:01 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Wildlife Extension Specialist | 5/15/2024 | https://okstate.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/8/home/requisition/17504?c=okstate | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/19/24 9:40 | "The faculty member will provide leadership in planning, implementing and continually evaluating a state-wide wildlife extension education and outreach program. Program emphasis will include intrinsic values of game and non-game wildlife resources." 2) did anyone else apply? Any news? 3) news? did anyone else apply? i thought this would have progressed by now. | 1 | |
51 | 4/28/2024 4:36:23 | Louisiana Tech University | Louisiana | Biological Sciences | 5/3/2024 | https://ulsltu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LATECHCareers/job/Lecturer--Biological-Sciences_R-1227 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 5/2/24 6:43 | |||
52 | 4/28/2024 4:34:24 | Louisiana Tech University | Louisiana | Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or Physiology | 5/3/2024 | https://ulsltu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LATECHCareers/job/Assistant-Professor--Cell-Biology--Molecular-Biology--or-Physiology-_R-1230 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
53 | 4/28/2024 4:32:17 | Louisiana Tech University | Louisiana | Biology/Environmental Science | 5/3/2024 | https://ulsltu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LATECHCareers/job/Assistant-Professor--Biology-Environmental-Science-_R-1228 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/28/24 9:38 | (1) I was invited for a zoom interview 5/16 | 2 | |
54 | 4/28/2024 4:20:18 | Tracy Aviary | Utah | Bird Conservation | https://tracyaviary.org/employment/ | Director of Conservation | NGO | 4/29/24 12:31 | Applications are reviewed as received. 1) man i wish i worked on vertebrates.. this aviary is SO COOL. | |||
55 | 4/22/2024 8:00:15 | University of Windsor | Canada | CRC Tier II - Environmental and Public Health Genomics | 5/10/2024 | https://www.uwindsor.ca/faculty/recruitment/810/canada-research-chair-environmental-and-public-health-genomics-tier-2-tenure-track-position-rank\ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/30/24 8:44 | (1) The University is prioritizing applications from candidates who self-identify as women or minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity. [This is directly taken from the job ad. Discussion of CRC priorities moved to General Discussion -AP] 2) Is there any update on this? 3) Nothing so far from my end, but that's probably not super helpful because I might not have gotten an interview, haha. Just wanted to share that I haven't heard anything either! 4) Update: short-list invitations have gone out. 2) Sadly I did not get one, best of luck to everyone who recieved an interview invite. | ||
56 | 4/22/2024 3:54:18 | DICE Kent | United Kingdom | Marine Conservation | 5/6/2024 | https://jobs.kent.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=7431&forced=1 | Lecturer | Fixed Term | 4/22/24 10:00 | |||
57 | 4/22/2024 3:52:19 | DICE Kent | United Kingdom | Conservation Science | 5/6/2024 | https://jobs.kent.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=7430&forced=1 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 4/22/24 6:26 | two positions, one for three years and one for four with the option to be made permanent. 1) should probbaly be moved to fixed-term | ||
58 | 4/21/2024 14:54:30 | Queens University of Charlotte | North Carolina | Conservation Biology | 5/1/2024 | https://www.smartrecruiters.com/QueensUniversityOfCharlotte/743999981334779-faculty-visiting-faculty-biology-chemistry | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 5/22/24 15:48 | One goal of this position is to give teaching mentorship at a small university to aspiring faculty, has the potential to become permanent 1) should probbaly be moved to fixed-term 2) Line 500 failed? this was posted as a TT earlier this season. 3) Re 2, it appears so. I was 1 of 3 on-campus interviewees. I had to turn the offer down, and 1 other candidate confirms doing so in the notes section of the previous TT position post. The department seemed very supportive, those you'd work closely with were a major plus - genuinely good people, and everyone seemed happy and to have reasonable work-life balance. Salary seems to have been a major obstacle for some finalists ($62k) given the local housing market. But, for someone that can make the salary work (or if they allocate more $ now that the TT search seems to have failed), it is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of a new program in a supportive environment. 4) Confirming what #3 is saying, I also turned down the offer in the TT search. Salary wasn't acceptable for a TT position given the rising cost of living in the area. A major sticking point for me was that there are no annual cost-of-living adjustments - at 2% annual inflation you will make less after 9 years as full professor than you did starting (59k equivalent vs 62k starting), even after accounting for the pay bump at associate and full prof over this time. Can confirm that the department is filled with fantastic, supportive people. Shifting this position to non-TT and one that doesn't require a PhD was the right move given the pay and high teaching load (3:3 / 2:3). 5) Well presumably they will also drop the pay for NTT. 6) I also received this job offer for the TT position 03/11/24, but ended up turning it down as well. I can also confirm the Biology and Chemistry departments were a pleasure to meet. They offered 64k, but the Dean wanted a decision in 72 hours (like seriously offered on a Tuesday, deadline by Friday). I never laughed so hard in my life. | 1 | |
59 | 4/19/2024 16:11:27 | Funga | Texas | Climate, Forest Restoration & Regenerative Forestry | 7/1/2024 | https://www.funga.earth/head-of-product | Head of Product | Industry | ||||
60 | 4/19/2024 15:10:03 | University of Calgary | Canada | Microbiomes of Large Animal / Livestock | 5/31/2024 | https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/14258138-canada-research-chair-tier-ii-in-microbiomes-of-livestock-slash-large-animals | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/29/24 8:48 | 1) Is there any update on this? | ||
61 | 4/18/2024 4:56:27 | University of Prince Edward Island | Canada | Environmental Microbiology (broadly defined) using Metagenomics | 6/1/2024 | https://universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=65161 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/12/24 9:27 | 1) Just want to flag that the actual review date for this posting seems to be April 22nd 2024, based upon the posting on the UPEI website (although it appears applications submitted after the 22nd will still be considered). 2) UPEI still hasn't budged on two TT positions advertized here one year ago. 3) @2 can you clarify what you mean by 'budged'? Just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly! 2) @ 3 coming up on a full year after the interviews for two positions, no hires announced yet. Entirely possible that they don't have funding for any new hires but are trying anyways. The university is currently spending a lot on launching a med school. Great province but tiny population and tax base. 3) Thanks! 4) The above comments about lack of funding for advertised positions are outsider speculation, and are not true. 3) @ 4 thanks for providing taking the time to comment and offer that insight. I appreciate the perspective. 5) Online virtual interview request received on May 24. x 3, 6) Had a really nice virtual chat with the UPEI Biology department, seems like a really great group of folks. I neglected to ask about timeline for the shortlist interviews, so would be curious if anyone hears back! 7) Email received on 18-Jun-2024 for in-person interview on campus. 8) @ 6 I asked about timeline and they told me that they would be moving quickly as they are still aiming for someone to start teaching in Sept 2024.9) Rejection letter received. 10) Best of luck to everyone who recieved an interview invite! | ||
62 | 4/18/2024 4:54:23 | Lakehead University - Thunder Bay Campus | Canada | Molecular Evolution of Plants | 5/30/2024 | https://universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=65246 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/18/24 8:23 | 1) Whoa short turnaround from due date to job start! May 30 app due, August 1 expected start! | ||
63 | 4/17/2024 11:17:50 | USDA Agricultural Researh Service | Mississippi | Disease Ecology & Epidemiology | 5/17/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/787165100 | Research Leader, GS-14 or GS-15 | Government | 4/17/24 11:20 | This is a re-listed position from a failed search. Build a new research unit with 4 PI scientists plus their students and postdocs. The unit also has significant funded collaborations with Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Geospatial Research Institute. Both the research unit and the collaboration have long-term internal financial support. The Unit is also in a unique position to access and publish derived data from other USDA agencies. It's a great opportunity to make a real impact on the mitigation of animal and zoonotic diseases. Open to PhD or DVM. Salary $122,198 - $186,854. For questions about the position, you can email adam.rivers@usda.gov. Apply from 04/18/2024 to 05/17/2024. Open to US Citizens and in some cases permanent residents seeking citizenship. | ||
64 | 4/17/2024 10:20:34 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Agriculture / Environment Assessment and Management | 4/30/2024 | https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/72288 | Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | ||||
65 | 4/17/2024 8:46:31 | Pennsylvania State University at Schuylkill | Pennsylvania | Biology | 6/1/2024 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Academic/details/Instructor_REQ_0000054393-3?locations=b0858b72065c016f25d63c02c5011713 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 4/25/24 14:24 | Update from SC committee member: we start review of applications ~15 May | ||
66 | 4/16/2024 14:05:18 | Victoria University of Wellington | New Zealand | Ecology, Conservation Biology | 5/19/2024 | https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=ZWp1ZGQuNjU0MjkuMTAxM0B2dXduei5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/19/24 17:44 | Noting that closing date (19 May) is NZ local time, which is 18 May in many other parts of the world. 2) So if you select the "No, I am not currently eligible to work (work permit/visa/citizenship) in the country to which I am applying." does it automatically disqualify you? 3) I'm staff here, but not on the SC, no special knowledge. I don't think visas/citizenship are a barrier themselves, but I would assume a very strong preference for work in species/places/systems in or relevant to NZ. 4) Anyone has an idea of the teaching load? 4)@2: At least in US searches clicking that box doesn't disqualify you. 5) keep in mind NZ funding is very sparse compared to USA funding.6) and US funding is sparse relative to EU funding... but presumably this position would have access to DOC funds. 7) @4 typical NZ university faculty split is 70% teaching, 25% research, and 5% service (without external grants). Many NZ grants (Royal Society NZ, MBIE, etc) cover 80% of your time which typically exempts you from all teaching. 3again) VUW standard split is 40/40/20 teaching/research/service. Under the university's current financial situation, you can't buy out your teaching time with external grants. They're not even topping up salary of soft money researchers. 7again) Thanks for the VUW insider info @4. 8) Received an invitation for zoom interview. 9) Received an invitation for in person interview post zoom interview (20/7/24) | 6 | |
67 | 4/16/2024 7:38:36 | Caney Fork Farms | Tennessee | Regenerative Agriculture / AgroEcology | 4/22/2024 | https://www.caneyforkfarms.com/jobs | Head of Research | NGO | 1 | |||
68 | 4/16/2024 5:48:37 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Environmental Social Science | 6/1/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/144352 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/20/24 2:25 | Yes, I know it says "social science", but there are people doing interdisciplinary research in natural resources, wildlife, etc. that this could apply to. Position is in an interdisciplinary wildlife-type department. | ||
69 | 4/16/2024 5:35:36 | Eastern New Mexico University | New Mexico | Wildlife Biology | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/enmu/jobs/4467909/assistant-professor-of-biology | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/21/24 19:46 | 1) Does anyone know the teaching workload per semester for this position, and if that changes depending on rank? 2) What is a blind reference call? "Contact information for three references (Blind reference call will be made on applicants who become finalist for the position)"? It's not blind if you give the information, no?! 3) I would assume this means you do not get to see the letters written for you, as is typical for all references in my experience. 4) What is the salary at Associate and entry (Assistant) level??? The 'depend on quals' nonsense is so tiring | |||
70 | 4/15/2024 19:28:36 | Trinity College Dublin | Ireland | Animal Behavior | 5/9/2024 | https://my.corehr.com/pls/trrecruit/erq_search_package.search_form?p_company=1&p_internal_external=E# | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/27/24 9:57 | Copy-pasting the URL of the actual job announcement doesnt work. I posted the link of the College's job search form. Select "Academic" and "School of Natural Sciences" and the position will show up 1) I previously interviewed here and got the impression that the staff are lovely. I was very sad to miss out. I would encourage people to apply. 2) Any idea of the salary? Dublin is very expensive. 1) says in the ad: 40-100k depending on experience 3) Anyone know if this position would come with start-up funding? Also, what's the typical teaching load? 1) I would reach out and ask, they are really nice 1) Has anyone who has applied heard back re. interviews etc? 4) Got a rejection email 5/24 x4 | 6 | |
71 | 4/12/2024 12:57:38 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | Soil Microbial Ecology | 6/28/2024 | https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/200116 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/5/24 14:41 | The position would have a primary focus on understanding the mechanisms of microbially-mediated transformations and fluxes of soil carbon in the context of climate change. (1) I have a question about the application materials but there is no departmental contact, only what looks like university level HR? (2) What's your question? Search chair contact owen_duckworth@ncsu.edu. (1 again) Thanks so much @2 perfect! Mainly some silly clarifications about statement lengths and if there are specific things to highlight in the "Research Statement" vs. the research interests portion of the "Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Research Interests." I have my assumptions but wanted to double check since I'm not sure I've seen this particular combination of statement topics before. (3) Does this seem very specific on what they want? (4) per search chair: "a research statement and a teaching statement will be fine". (5) Posting is no longer available (06/27/2024) (6) Any idea why position closed early? (7) Ah rats, I messed up the review deadline and thought it was 7/1. Maybe next time. 8) Zoom interview/letter request 7/9 x2 9) Any news post zoom x2 08/06/24 10) Nothing here 8/6 PM 11) on-campus interview request 08/08/24 X2 12) @11 did you receive any scheduling info yet? I have not. 13) @12 same 08/16/24. 14) Thanks, just making sure I didn't miss an email! 15) Still haven't heard about scheduling as of 8/21 16) @15 same 8/21 17) I still haven't heard anything about scheduling, seems strange but maybe its just busy with the start of the semester 18) During the Zoom interview, they did say the committee could decide cadidates within two weeks, but scheduling the in-person might take longer due to senior management approval. 19) Oh that makes sense, thanks for letting me know! 20) Any news following on campus interviews? 21) No news yet for me 11/02/24 22) Offer recieved 10/30/24 23) congrats! 11/04/24 24) Thank you! Will update after any negotiation | 5 | |
72 | 4/12/2024 8:42:14 | University of Calgary | Canada | Molecular Genetics for Microbiome Editing | 5/17/2024 | https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/14226660-canada-research-chair-tier-ii-in-molecular-genetics-for-microbiome-editing | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/21/24 10:55 | Position is a Canada Research Chair Tier II so well supported. (1) Canada's CRC's are often only available to people with one minority identity (no straight cis white men). Not sure if it's the case for this one. (2) SC member - we're open to all applicants 3) Not ecoevo! 4) 2 is wrong about CRCs in general - an online search for stats is easy to do - they have been heavily skewed towards white men, so some more recently ones are potentially more targeted positions to even things out. However, open speculation about demographics for a position "not sure it's the case for this one" is not helpful to anyone. 5) The government has literally said they will no longer approve CRCs that don't fulfill their demographic objectives, so let's not pretend otherwise in this case x4 6) AP - The comments here likely are going off the topic of this particular position. 7) Memorial lost a CRC for that very reason, @5 8) This is absolutely nonesense! At University of Calgary 4 out of the 8 Cummings School of medicine CRCs were WM. Get over your whoa is me attitute. 8) Hold your horses 7! | ||
73 | 4/12/2024 6:14:29 | University of Leeds | United Kingdom | Ecology | 4/22/2024 | https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=FBSBY1190 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 5/23/24 11:56 | Any insights from internal folks? Specified salary is up to 54k GPB (1) I don't know anything about Leeds, but >1/3 of UK universities are reducing faculty. I don't think Leeds is one of them, but it seems to be a systemic problem. 2) I have no specific info, but Leeds is supposed to be a good school. They're in the Russell group, so they have a bit more research funding to go around than most UK schools. 3) Any News? 4) Rejection 5/15 x4 | 2 | |
74 | 4/12/2024 6:13:39 | University of Leeds | United Kingdom | Translational or Fundamental Plant Sciences/Sustainable Agriculture/Plant-Insect Interactions | 4/22/2024 | https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=FBSBY1191 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 5/15/24 13:31 | Any updates? 1) Rejection 5/15 x3 | 3 | |
75 | 4/10/2024 10:53:34 | Kwantlen Polytechnic University | Canada | Ecology | 4/19/2024 | https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=JT63GS&cws=37&rid=3288 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 5/21/24 10:59 | We encourage applications from scholars with teaching and research expertise in a range of ecology subdisciplines, but preference will be given to candidates with expertise in community ecology, sustainability, biodiversity or conservation biology. Additionally, the successful candidate will collaborate with faculty and laboratory colleagues to develop new upper-level ecology courses and participate in the review and revision of the first-year biology curriculum. PUI in Surrey, BC, which is a diverse suburb of Vancouver with a large South Asian population. 2) All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. (3) 9/10 interviews at UBC (one cancelled) were non-Cdn. This position might favor Canadians but it varies by institution and all must say this. 4) I applied! x2 5) do we know the salary range? 6) @5 the link to salary on the page didn't work but I found it in the collective agreement doc (page 40 - depends on degrees + experience) (7) My guess would be about 90K CAD. It will be tight living in the lower mainland on the salary at first. (8) Can somebody internal confirm the salary -- what's this new trend of hiding the salary? 9) it's not hidden, they just accidentally posted an internal link to the salary page. If you look at the linked collective agreement, it is clearly laid out, depending on experience -- probably off by a couple thousand since it is through 2022 though. PhD only starts at ~69k; MS + PhD starts at ~72K. Additional experience increases these numbers. (9 again) ETA here is the updated schedule which changes those numbers I just posted to ~76.5K and ~80K: https://www.kpu.ca/sites/default/files/Human%20Resources/Job%20Profile/Faculty%20Salary%20Grid%20-%20April%201%202022%20to%20March%2031%202024.xlsx%20%281%29.pdf (10) With rent and childcare, that's 100% of the salary. rough. 9) And that is Canadian $...converted to USD that is really rough... 11) This salary is a joke. 12) Converting the salary to USD isn't really relevant; if you want to make USD, you should work in the States. Stipends 8-11 would be enough for a single person or a family to live in the city if a partner made a similar income. 13) As an American who lived in BC for awhile, converting to USD is absolutely relevant. Also, "if a partner made a similar income"? Congrats for normalizing runaway capitalism, exploiting labor, academia not paying people their worth, and financial burden being passed on to partners when every individual is entitled to a liveable wage. 13 again, I should mention that even with the highest salary listed (which let's be real, admins will do everything they can to pay step/stipend 1 and not 8-11), it would never support home ownership. I know from experience living in the Vancouver area. 14) re-13 discussions of the American-Canadain exchange rate, acidemia's contribution to the destruction of the single-family model, the inclusion of home ownership within a calculation of a liveable wage, and how teachers at small non-TT colleges are 'owed' over $110,000 seems more fitting for the venting tab on this message board. x3 14) in-person interview request 4/23 (all interviews on one day in less than 2 weeks?) (15) An offer has gone out | 2 | |
76 | 4/10/2024 7:57:03 | North Dakota State University | North Dakota | Natural Resources (incl. restoration, ecology) | 5/6/2024 | https://prd.hcm.ndus.edu/psc/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=2951409&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/10/24 7:15 | Hiring 2 12-month positions. See also following PDF for full details: https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/snrs/Dual_natural_resource_positions_advertisement_2024_04_08.pdf 1) Build a nationally recognized research program with a 35% research load (65% teaching load)? Uh huh. Go on. 2) 0% service load. Normally it's 1/3 each. Ask if they count service and teaching as equivalent or if you teach an extra class or outreach program in lieu of service. 3) 0% service load doesn't mean 0% service. 4) nationally recognized that is appropriate for the % is in the job ad. Could simply mean federal funding, national conferences, and journals that are not just regional. would encourage to email chair if wanting clarification of things. 5) SC chair here, please reach out for any questions about appointment. We have very realistic expectations for job duties and how it relates to PTE. We want our people to succeed. 6) TS from the department (but not on committee) - as an asst prof in the department I'm also happy to receive emails, answer questions, or chat. 7) Is this hire related to an EPSCoR program? I know ND is eligible. 8) Salary is "Commensurate with experience", but anyone knows the expected range? 9) @7 not an EPSCoR hire, but EPSCoR opportunities (such as SEED funding) are available. 10) @8 Recent hires were in the mid $80k's with excellent benefits (e.g., fully paid health insurance) and a relatively low cost of living in the area. 11) will DEI efforts be assesed in the application materials? 12) @11 SC chair again, DEI related efforts are part of two preferred qualifications so will be evaluated at every step of the process. 12) Does anybody know if good candidates at the Associate level would be considered? 13) @ 12 SC chair again, all applications will be considered. Decisions on rank or time towards tenure will be negotiated between chosen candidates and director. 14) Zoom interview requested 5/9 x4 15) rejection email post zoom interview 5/30 16) on-campus interview requested 6/3 x2 | 4 | |
77 | 4/9/2024 20:55:58 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Soil Microbiology and Ecology | 4/21/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/151050 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/22/24 10:18 | 1) What is the salary? Ad says 'Pay Method: Salary' And then 'Salary - commensurate with skills' What's the salary?? x2. 2) Can anybody internal clarify the salary range? The ad is very opaque, do better OSU. 3) Confused by this ad/app too - only requires CV, cover letter, DEI statement, and references? No research or teaching statements?! x3 4) Does the strange nature of this application make it seem like they have an internal candidate in mind? 5) Any updates? 6) Nothing here (5/6) x2 7) zoom interviews have been completed. 8) Any updates post-zoom interviews here? | 6 | |
78 | 4/9/2024 12:04:43 | Salisbury University | Maryland | Molecular and Cellular Biology | 4/19/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=178740992 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/6/24 6:59 | 1) Looks like an offer was made for this same position on 12/13, anyone know if this is a different listing or if that offer ended up not working out? 2) It is a different position. The other position was filled. 3) The search is over 4) @3 Do you know if this was an internal hire? No judgement, just asking since 2 weeks is so short 5) @4 The search failed. I believe they plan to advertise again this fall. | 1 | |
79 | 4/9/2024 11:36:48 | University of Florida | Florida | Urban Entomology | 5/8/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/531052 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 7/16/24 10:14 | 1) integrated pest management of insects 2) This is an 80% Research position , "Research areas could include, but are not limited to behavior, ecology, genetics, physiology and toxicology of urban/structural pests" 3) anyone heard anything on this search? | 2 | |
80 | 4/9/2024 10:11:24 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Community Forestry and Arboriculture | 5/1/2024 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/363253 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
81 | 4/9/2024 4:54:17 | University of Florida | Florida | Molecular Systematics | 4/26/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/531020/biological-scientist-iii | Biological Scientist III | Museum | 5/21/24 7:57 | 1) reopened until May 29th | ||
82 | 4/5/2024 8:57:56 | SUNY ESF | New York | Environmental Data Science | 4/28/2024 | https://esf.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=174002 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/16/24 4:41 | 1) Does anyone know what kind of courses they're hoping to have developed? They said 1 introductory and 1 advanced, but data science is a kind of broad field. @1) Something like "Intro to Environmental Data Science" and grad-level course entirely of choice. 2) Looks like they want someone who will design a new major and certificate program - sounds like a lot of admin 3) @2 definitely - clearly are looking for someone to lead that program. 4) In application questionnaire, first question asks "Do you have a PhD in Economics, Finance, Energy Regulation, or related field?" Is this a typo? Should this have asked about whether I have a PhD in "data science, or in fields such as engineering, biology, ecology, social science, geography, and information science with commensurate experience in data science" as per the job description? 5) Zoom interview requested 5/7 6) any news after Zooms? 6) Was someone hired? | ||
83 | 4/4/2024 6:25:36 | Smithsonian Institution | District of Columbia | Migratory birds | 5/15/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/784807400 | GS 12 | Government | 5/2/24 12:15 | "We seek applicants with demonstrated experience: (a) implementing and leading field research designed to address questions on the ecology of migratory birds (b) publishing lead-authored papers that use or develop pubquantitative and spatial methods to answer questions about wildlife population ecology; (c) applying statistical models to understand wildlife population ecology, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications; (d) obtaining extramural funding for research on wildlife ecology; (e) training students in wildlife ecology; and (f) presenting talks about avian ecology at a national or international conferences. "[1] Curse them for co-opting the convention we use here to delineate different peopleions on the ecology of migratory birds; 2) Looking through the required documents and questions for this. Does anyone know if it is really only a resume with no other questions or statements? I thought the USA jobs I've applied for in the past at least had some room for a little more or a cover letter etc. I guess there isn't any particular limit on resume length? 3) Federal job resumes should be very long with narrative describing duties, accomplishments, etc for every position and directly connecting to what's requested here. Cover letter is almost always optional; probably good to have one, but no knowing if it has any impact. I've been told from people in other agencies cover letters are meaningless. You should always upload all transcripts. There might be questions to answer in the application but you have to just start working through it. 4) This one doesn't seem to have any substantial extra questions (you can preview them). I can't tell if there is even a place where you could upload a cover letter if you wanted to. Would you just attach it in the same file as the resume? 5) if you make it all the way to the end where the upload documents option usually is and there is no space for cover letter or other documents, you can just combine it and your PDF resume and upload it in the resume area 6) I have applied to similar federal jobs, they are very restrictive on what they can ask for. The advice I was given was to follow #3 above with much more detailed resume that very specifically ties experience to language in advertisement and also include a cover letter just like you would for any academic job. | 2 | |
84 | 4/1/2024 17:27:50 | West Texas A&M University | Texas | Plant Ecology | 4/1/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WTAMU_External/details/Assistant-Professor-of-Biology_R-068417 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/20/24 11:16 | Dr. Ray Matlack is the committee chair. Will review candidates until position is filled. The earlier position on invertebrate biology is also still accepting applications (posted on 2/25). Update 9/20. This position is still open and accepting candidates. | ||
85 | 3/31/2024 10:21:04 | University of Roehampton | United Kingdom | Zoology | 4/28/2024 | https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DGT816/lecturer-senior-lecturer-in-zoology | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 6/25/24 0:35 | interview invitation 5/24 2) heard anything after interviews? | 2 | |
86 | 3/31/2024 10:20:26 | University of Roehampton | United Kingdom | Biological Sciences | 4/28/2024 | https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DGT806/lecturer-senior-lecturer-in-biological-sciences | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 6/25/24 0:35 | Interview request 5/24 2) heard anything after interviews? | 1 | |
87 | 3/29/2024 10:30:43 | The Land Institute | Kansas | Perennial Grains | 5/3/2024 | https://recruitingbypaycor.com/career/JobIntroduction.action?clientId=8a7883d08a91267f018ab3b59051223c&id=8a7885a88e680405018e80c7d337537f&source=&lang=en | Natural Science Research Director | Non-Profit Research Organization | 4/17/24 3:40 | 1) had to look up what "Kernza" grain was, and when googling it has a trademark next to it everywhere. Apparently its a proprietary grain made by The Land Institute. Idk if this helps any job seekers but that was interesting at least. (2) It's a non-profit, don't know much about it but it seems like they have good motives. (3) I know some folks that work there. Seems like a great place, very supportive of research, travel, mentoring. (4) Sounds like a great place to support my passion of perineal research (5) @4 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (7) @4 what a tainted mind to make that slip (7) I am living for this late-cycle job board discussion x3 (8) @3 I agree. I work with the TLI scientists and they're a great group. They're developing many different perennial crops, Kernza is just the first one to be commercialized. | ||
88 | 3/27/2024 1:01:01 | Queen Mary University of London | United Kingdom | AI in the Biosciences | 4/9/2024 | https://www.qmul.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/items/9492.html | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/15/24 2:03 | 1) FYI for those outside the UK: Queen Mary University was labeled the “worst university employer in the UK” after the way they handled the University and College Union (UCU) strikes in 2022. 2) sounds like my kind of place. I've worked in lots of worst universities! :) 3) I appreciate the honesty when my employer and I hold each other in mutual contempt, it's warm and familiar 4) SC member here: I want to add to the discussion to say that the biology department is very collegial and welcoming, and that there are strong ties to the Alan Turing Institute, Kew Gardens, UCL and many other London institutions 5) @4 would someone who heavily applies AI approaches in their work but doesn't develop new tools be of interest for this position? Or are you looking for folks who will innovate on the computer science side, with applications to biosciences? @4 what about mathematical modeling? 6) @5 We would encourage anyone working with AI in biology to apply, whether it's applying existing AI tools or developing new ones. Re mathematical modeling- yes as long as there are links to AI 7) Current staff - it's a great place to work. UK universities are under substantial governmental pressure and QM has been handling that better than most! | ||
89 | 3/25/2024 14:36:25 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Aginformatics Entomology | 7/1/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/518025/assistant-professortenure-system | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/12/24 6:48 | The successful applicant will develop and deliver data-driven integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for crop systems. 60% Research/40% Extension. Re-upping this: Closes in a week. Search chair is very responsive. Please apply! 2) Zoom interview request 7/30 3) In person interview request 9/12 | 1 | |
90 | 3/22/2024 10:43:44 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Vertebrate Curator | 4/19/2024 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/9807?c=illinois | Asst Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 5/16/24 18:37 | Curator for Ichthyology or Herpetology at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). 1) WHAT? They just pulled this search a few weeks back, now a new one that is basically the same? We will have to re-apply, so lame. 1) first post was for a curator of Ichthyology and for a curator of Herpetology, this one is combind into one posetion, kind of a big difference. 2) ooooor one of the people they were going to hire was shopping around for other offers and negotiated this change. This is like the 3rd curatororial-related hire post from them with a short deadline just this Spring. There is definitely something odd afoot. 3) Smells fishy 4) seems like the downside of requiring public advertisements. As much as folks here hate the idea of an internal hire, sometimes if they have worked there for years it makes a lot of sense. Then when they negotiate final title or have a funding change...they have to publicly post some weirdness like this. 5) @2-4: You might be right, and there is a guy there who is a good candidate for this job but that doesn't mean he is applying. I would just apply and not worry about it. Seems like a good place to work. 6) @5 what? academic job searchers shouldn't be suspicious? hahahahahahahah! I agree with you though. 7) any news? 8) Zoom invite 5/3 x3 9) Did the zooms go well? | 3 | |
91 | 3/22/2024 6:41:19 | University of Florida | Florida | Molecular Nematology | 5/19/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/530823 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
92 | 3/21/2024 13:41:05 | Field Museum of Natural History | Illinois | Herpetology / Amphibians | 4/8/2024 | https://fieldmuseum.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=2998725&req_loc=76401&&&nohd#job | Asst Curator | Museum | 9/10/24 16:13 | 1) note that you should apply using the email address amphibian_search@fieldmuseum.org 2) Time to deadline is very short, is this an internal hire? 3) HMMM with all the strangeness happening at the INHS search and the consolidation to herps+icthy from separate positions there, this may be related 3) You do realize the FMNH is a private institution completely unrelated to INHS or the UI system right? 4)This hire is absolutely not internal, has nothing to do with INHS in any way, and there are zero preferred candidates (and the timeline will be extended if a broad pool of applicants is not received)! If you’re a fit apply! 5) would someone who works on tropical amphibians but not in the neotropics be considered a fit? 6) @5 yes, if the person can/wants to incorporate neotropical amphibians into their work encouraged to apply 7) Is there a specific reason why there is an emphasis on the neotropics? 8) @7 lots of initiatives at the Field have to do with the Neotropics so I have gotten the sense they like to synergize on trips and things that way. 9) the ad says this is a joint hire with the museum's action conservation center which works a lot in the Neotropics specifically. 10) did Sara leave or are they expanding to another herp curator? They had mutiple back in the day, but then were down to 0 for a while... 11) Sara works mainly with reptiles, this is an amphibians job. Honesly it is refreshing to see institutions separate amphibians from non-avian reptiles 12) @10 Sara is the search chair for this hire 13) worth noting the Field Museum has been doing a lot of hires in the last several years and has added 6 or 7 new curators so this seems like continuing that trend 14) It was indeed a short timespan, particularly for those in the Neotropics who are not primarily targeting tenure positions in the USA. Starting an application from scratch while managing work commitments and/or applying for other positions in one's home country can be quite challenging; 15) letters of reference requested April 18. 16) Were you contacted by the FMNH, or did you hear from your letter writers? 17) Contacted by the Museum. 16) Cool, looks like I'm out then :-/ 18) Interviews ongoing 19) update, an offer was made and accepted | 3 | |
93 | 3/21/2024 13:23:59 | University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez | Puerto Rico | Marine Aquaculture or Fisheries | 4/30/2024 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AQEG-nSv_xEIkrtorveEDTMVqNgiz1As/view?usp=sharing | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/20/24 6:14 | 1) The main campus is in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico but the position will be based at Isla Magueyes Marine Labs in La Parguera in Southwestern Puerto Rico, equipped with flowing seawater and boat/scuba access to coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, etc 2) different position than six lines below! 3) Letters up-front (x3). Deadline extended to 5/31/2024! | ||
94 | 3/21/2024 12:22:33 | Sterling College | Vermont | Ecology | https://www.sterlingcollege.edu/employment | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 4/9/24 7:04 | 1) Salary range of $49,000 - $52,000. The position will remain open until an appointment has been made, but application review will begin immediately. 2) Wow that salary is terrible. 3) This position would start 1-2 weeks prior to the Fall 2024 semester, in August 2024, and is contingent on funding. 4) The salary might be terrible, but at least it's a non-academic appointment with no possibility of tenure. 5) Not to mention a fair chance of going bankrupt at any point. 6) Sure, but living in the Northeast Kingdom? This is the dream! (minus... everything already said above) 7) It also says that a masters or PhD is a "desired" qualification, but not a requirment which is a bit unexpected for a college but may explain the salary range a little bit. 8) Just a few years ago. https://www.timesargus.com/news/sterling-college-gets-a-difficult-economic-lesson/article_f8500645-df27-5d97-af5a-7d119da1f57d.html 9) Is the salary range for real? x2 10) yes. It's a low cost of living area and you don't need a PhD for the position. 11) Not that low. 12) There is a tab for non ts academic jobs and it is not this tab. 13) No, this is the right spot. It is not designed for short term. Personally, if its not tenure track, its not permanent. | |||
95 | 3/21/2024 11:10:37 | ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences | Bermuda | Marine Biology | 4/30/2024 | https://bios.asu.edu/careers/ | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 4/5/24 11:56 | |||
96 | 3/19/2024 16:50:04 | The Jones Center at Ichauway | Georgia | Plant Ecology | 4/12/2024 | https://www.jonesctr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PlantScientist_Jan18.pdf | Research Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | ||||
97 | 3/18/2024 1:32:22 | NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research | Norway | Drone-Based Coastal Mapping & Ecology | 3/24/2024 | https://201710.webcruiter.no/Main/Recruit/Public/4777959083?language=en&showExpired=False | Researcher | Non-Profit Research Organization | ||||
98 | 3/17/2024 18:46:45 | University of Guelph | Canada | Ecological Pest Management | 4/26/2024 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/655488/associate-or-full-professor-and-cameron-chair-in-ecological-pest-management/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/17/24 18:47 | Cameron Chair in Ecological Pest Management, funded through a $3 million endowment | ||
99 | 3/15/2024 18:37:29 | University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez | Puerto Rico | Biology | 4/30/2024 | https://www.uprm.edu/empleos/en/2024/03/14/24-27-assistant-professor-biology/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/5/24 8:34 | Candidates specializing in any branch or field of study within the biological sciences will be considered. 2) Are there any ideas about working at universities and living in Puerto Rico compared to "similar" places in the US? 3) @2, I'm not sure I understand your question. Similar to PR? 4) @3, just asking any ideas about the universities in PR since I've never been there. If there is a pattern, what institutions in the US would be more similar to U of PR? @4 UPR IS an institution in the US...5) @2 UPRM is the second biggest state university in PR, it has about 12K students. Very competitive, specially in the STEM fields. It is considered an R2. Living in Puerto Rico is very similar to living in Orlando. 6) @5, thank you for the comment. 7) @5 other than the weather, not sure I'd agree that living in PR is like living in Orlando.8) @7 You might be right, the Puerto Rico government and people are significantly more progressive than current day Florida. 9) Last I checked PR is part of the US | 1 | |
100 | 3/15/2024 10:09:11 | North Dakota State University | North Dakota | Rangeland Ecology | 4/12/2024 | https://prd.hcm.ndus.edu/psp/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=2951241&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 17:38 | Candidates specializing in plant community dynamics, grazing strategies, and/or fire ecology are going to be most competitive. | 4 | |
101 | 3/14/2024 14:05:57 | Funga PBC | Texas | Forester | 3/29/2024 | https://www.funga.earth/forester | Rank Open | Industry | ||||
102 | 3/14/2024 6:09:38 | Penn State University | Pennsylvania | Dept Chair: Ecosystem Science & Management | 4/10/2024 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Academic/details/Professor-and-Department-Head--Ecosystem-Science-and-Management_REQ_0000052218 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/28/24 8:03 | 1) This position was filled recently. Why open again? 2) The head who was hired was asked to step down from the headship and is now a full professor in the department. Numerous issues resulted in this outcome. 3) Review date is 4/30/2024 4) Failed search, will resume in fall | ||
103 | 3/13/2024 9:08:16 | University of Zurich | Switzerland | Behavioural Biology | 4/14/2024 | https://jobs.uzh.ch/offene-stellen/associate-or-full-professorship-in-behavioral-biology/b3e12aad-53b1-4da6-9aa0-1c2995b7d78f | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/5/24 7:41 | 1) Fyi for Profs out there - Uni Zurich has a habit of hiring really senior people. The KMP and Zoo aspects are pretty important to this role. Zurich is an excellent city to live in! 2) This job is fucking wild "The successful candidate will take over the leadership role for the Kalahari Research Centre and take advantage of its unique research opportunities" 3) Is Marta Manzer retiring? x2 4) Can senior postdocs apply or is it only for people who are asst profs? (5) This one almost certainly will not go to a postdoc, and I would say normally its not even worth applying to an ASST prof job as a postdoc here or in switzerland if you're a postdoc without some 'group leader' position.. 1) yes marta is retiring (manditory retirement age). Re postdoc question - yes you can apply if you have a few years under your belt and some high IF papers or *big* grants (it is always worth applying), but UZH often hire really senior (the last hire I saw in this department was open rank and it went to two of the highest cited researchers in the world but recent hires in other departments have been people at group leader level) so temper your expectations. - FYI: The department is pure chaos and I agree that the job is for someone senior. (I finished one year post doc there, recently) | ||
104 | 3/13/2024 0:57:56 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Wetland Science and Conservation | 3/22/2024 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/9332?c=illinois | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 6/9/24 15:50 | teaching position 2) weren't they just advertising for a TT position? 3) yes. They just hired someone. 4) is this remote considering all the courses to be taught are online? 5) screening interview invitation 04/15 6) an offer was made and accepted | ||
105 | 3/12/2024 11:29:20 | University of Notre Dame | Indiana | Bioinformatics | 4/15/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/142498 | Asst Prof of the Practice | Non-TS Academic | 5/6/24 9:24 | This is similar to a position posted in 2022, but there were two lines open, only one was filled. Teaching topics are largely open, current courses are applied in nature. Research projects are diverse, with an interest in more single cell and spatial work given recent core investments. any updates? | ||
106 | 3/12/2024 6:13:11 | USGS | California | Research Ecologist | 3/18/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/780988300 | GS 13 | Government | 3/12/24 6:13 | research areas such as "land-use, climate change, and carbon sequestration" | 1 | |
107 | 3/11/2024 0:31:25 | University of Koblenz | Germany | Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis | 4/5/2024 | https://www.uni-koblenz.de/de/karriere/professuren/33-2024%20(Englisch).pdf | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/6/24 19:27 | you are required to speak German. 1) German W2 Professorship (equivalent to a Full Prof.) You are required to speak German. 2) Wenn Sie das lesen können, können Sie hier arbeiten! 3). Be prepared for this to take forever, German positions can take literally years from application to start..... 1) here: to what 3) said, this is not the case for this position. The position has to be filled this year because of the funding bodies financing the position in the first couple of years... 3 here). Yeah heard that with another German position "we need confirmation by the end of the year because of the funding for the position"-was not true, 9 months post interview they still had not chosen between the final candidates... | ||
108 | 3/10/2024 6:16:12 | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Norway | Marine Phytoplankton Ecology | 3/15/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/256458/associate-professor-in-marine-phytoplankton-ecology | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
109 | 3/8/2024 6:40:03 | Bangor University | United Kingdom | Zoology | 4/8/2024 | https://jobs.bangor.ac.uk/details.php.en?id=QLYFK026203F3VBQB7V68LOTX&nPostingID=7885&nPostingTargetID=8687&mask=stdext&lg=UK | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
110 | 3/7/2024 11:03:10 | Université du Québec à Chicoutimi | Canada | Dynamic and Spatial Ecology of Large Terrestrial Wildlife | 4/15/2024 | https://www.uqac.ca/emploi/emplois/dad-727-professeure-reguliere-ou-professeur-regulier-en-biologie-et-gestion-de-la-grande-faune-terrestre/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/13/24 13:21 | University in a French-speaking environment, where teaching and supervision happen in French and are a pre-requisite. 1) Any news/update for this position? | 2 | |
111 | 3/7/2024 10:36:50 | Boston University | Massachusetts | Ecology and Marine Biology | 4/1/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27290 | Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | 5/8/24 15:02 | 1) Are reference letters immediately requested and needed for submission? 2) I applied to a similar position at BU and it did automatically email my references, so possibly. 3) Does anyone know what the salary is? DM the search chair for that info. 4) Page 17 gives an idea since they are unionized: https://www.bu.edu/hr/documents/L509_Salaried_Lecturers_CBA.pdf ... also, there is only a spot to upload a teaching statement but the prompt says statements of teaching philosophy and diversity...so I guess we combine them into one file? 5) Should not put non TS jobs on this page. There is literally a page for these jobs and this is not it. 6) This tab is called "permanent jobs" and there are plenty of jobs that are permanent but non-TS x2 7) On-campus interviews held 5/8 | 1 | |
112 | 3/6/2024 15:28:14 | University of Florida | Florida | Environmental Education and Behavior | 4/30/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/530533/assistant-professor-of-environmental-education-and-behavior | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/13/24 4:17 | While the job is not explicetly an ecology position, it is related, as it focuses on research and teaching pertaining to environmental education and behavior. | ||
113 | 3/6/2024 13:26:38 | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology | Virginia | Biology; Biotech | 3/11/2024 | https://careers.fcps.edu/vl/vacancy.htm | Instructor | STEM-High School | 3/15/24 15:59 | Seeking fulltime Biotechnology Lab Research Director with preferred experience in post-AP Biology coursework. Lab Director supports research in some or all of these areas of microbiology, cell culturing, next generation sequencing of environmental samples, advanced microscopy. Send resume and cover letter to Assistant Principal Yaara Crane at ykcrane@fcps.edu 1) This is one of the top high schools in the nation, but isn't the typical job post for this board. Does the applicant need a degree in education? (I can't get the job post to load.) - A degree in education is not necessary for initial hire, but is generally needed within 3 years. The school has facilities that rival a small university and the position truly requires someone with research experience to be successful. Feel free to email Yaara Crane for additional details if you're interested. The salary and benefits are more competitive than most starting positions at the university level, particularly if you have some teaching experience coming in. 2) Did the sight of this post cause anyone else to seriously reconsider the value of a PhD in today's market? Maybe that's just me. 3) The pay doesn't make me like the idea of teaching 14-18 year olds any better. 4) My high school had (and still has) many PhD's teaching and it's been that way since the 80's and possibly longer. It only represents other's career choices, not the "value" of your degree. I thought we were beyond poo-pooing other's careers. 2) again. I apologize if my comment came off as poo-pooing others' careers. I don't intend to judge. But the opportunity cost of a PhD is high, and I wish there were more routes to bring good scientists into k-12 education without spending years gaining specialized research skills in a PhD program. Perhaps we need more D.A. degree programs (and wider recognition of the D.A. track). | ||
114 | 3/6/2024 11:08:24 | Auburn University | Alabama | Conservation Social Sciences | 3/11/2024 | https://www.auemployment.com/postings/42905 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
115 | 3/6/2024 11:05:20 | Auburn University | Alabama | Forest Health | 5/1/2024 | https://www.auemployment.com/postings/43875 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/12/24 13:53 | 1) 12 month appt, 65% extension and 35% research, 2) new to this, finishing postdoc and looking for jobs - what does extension mean? 3) Extension is part of the Land Grant Univeristy mission - generally with faculty positions it means working with stakeholders, doing outreach, and/or doing very applied research. I'd guess this position would work closely with whatever Alabama's version of a department of natural resources is | ||
116 | 3/6/2024 11:02:53 | Western Michigan University | Michigan | Biology | 2/1/2024 | https://www.wmujobs.org/postings/2043 | Faculty Specialist I | Tenure Stream | 3/6/24 11:13 | (teaching + service, but no research) | ||
117 | 3/6/2024 11:00:15 | Winona State University | Minnesota | Environmental Biology | 3/26/2024 | https://winona.peopleadmin.com/postings/2278 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
118 | 3/6/2024 10:58:06 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Applied Big Game Research and Instruction | 3/20/2024 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/cw/en-us/job/507345/assistant-or-associate-or-full-professor | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | ||||
119 | 3/5/2024 8:51:32 | SPUN.earth | New York | Geospatial Data Scientist | 3/12/2024 | https://www.spun.earth/careers/geospatial-data-scientist | Geospatial Data Scientist | NGO | 3/5/24 13:12 | SPUN is seeking a Geospatial Data Scientist to accelerate progress on mapping pipelines, spatial analytics, and data product development. You can work remotely from anywhere in N. America, S. America or Europe. 2) Why not Africa, Australia, or Asia? 3) Can international (non-Americans) applicants apply for this? | ||
120 | 3/5/2024 7:11:37 | Arcadia Science | California | Computational Evolutionary Biology | https://jobs.lever.co/arcadiascience/0768e8e3-01ea-4d3f-be88-07d9c66b6036 | Scientist | Industry | 4/11/24 6:16 | 1) Was dissapointed to see "on site" for a computational position. x2 (2) Can international (non-American) applicants apply for this? (3) @1, it's their company and if they want to limit apps by requiring on-site for reasons of company culture etc., can't fault 'em! 4) Being dissapointed doesn't not mean faulting the company. (3 again) I see—sorry! 5) re 1: probably a comment that belongs in venting, is not really a productive discussion piece on this page. 6) Is there a deadline or review date for this position? @5 I would disagree, very helpful to know before clicking the link. 7) I applied (and was rejected) from the open editor position, which has been listed on the company website since at least december when I first saw it. Seems like there aren't hard deadlines for these positions as a start up company, and they are waiting for the right people to fill them. There's multiple jobs including "choose your own adventure scientist" and "open scientist" so seems like they're generally expanding and looking for people-but the focus seems largely on the biomedical side 8) This a science-based, for-profit, start-up company that is part of the highly competetive Silicon Valley world that is looking for scientists whose research and discoveries have a clear practical and profitable end-point | |||
121 | 3/5/2024 5:57:16 | SPUN.earth | New York | Fungal Conservation Scientist / Restoration Scientist (Remote) | 3/12/2024 | https://www.spun.earth/careers/fungal-conservation-restoration-scientist | Scientist | NGO | 3/5/24 6:00 | Join the science team’s efforts in developing an advanced understanding of key features and threats to mycorrhizal biodiversity.. You can work remotely from anywhere in N. America, S. America or Europe. | ||
122 | 3/4/2024 15:48:28 | University of Idaho | Idaho | Land-Based STEM Education | 3/22/2024 | https://uidaho.peopleadmin.com/postings/43634 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 12:17 | 1) McCall is wonderful for outdoorsy folks | ||
123 | 3/4/2024 9:02:32 | Texas Tech University | Texas | Department Chair, Natural Resources Management | 4/5/2024 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?partnerid=25898&siteid=5637&PageType=JobDetails&jobid=854030 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 12:05 | Review date is actually 5 April and not 15 April. AP) Fixed! | ||
124 | 3/4/2024 8:33:42 | University of Florida | Florida | Invasive Aquatic Plant Management | 4/12/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/530297/assistant-professor-invasive-aquatic-plant-management | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 10:55 | [Florida DEI conversation removed. If you want to start a civil discussion of it, go ahead over in General Discussion. -AP] | ||
125 | 3/4/2024 6:14:16 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Tribal Forest Systems Management, Fire & Ecology | 3/29/2024 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&ACTION=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1& | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/19/24 10:01 | 1) a non-password protected link to the job. https://hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&ACTION=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1& 2) https://x.com/IgnaceLab/status/1814003462038048911 | ||
126 | 3/1/2024 7:58:35 | University of Manitoba | Canada | Quantitative Biologist in Ecosystem Resilience | 4/22/2024 | https://universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=64766 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/17/24 0:55 | 1) We're a fun, collegial department with lots of recent hires. I'm on the search committee and am happy to try to answer questions 2) Do theoretical approaches to biomedical applications fit this call? 3) What's the teaching load? 4) 1 from above here. @2 no, biomedical would not fit @3 typical teaching is 1 course in fall and 1 in winter.5) Do you hire non citizens and provide visa sponsorship? 6) @5 yes 7) Do population geneticists and evolutionary biologists focused on the impact of anthrogoenic activities fit in the call? 8) @7 yes for sure I'd say. genetic diversity is important for population resilience so make sure to frame it in that light@5) I applied and immediately received an email and a link which asked about my citizenship, and they stated that Canadians would be highly prioritized! So it seems that there is no chance for non-Canadians! 9) Every job at a canadian university asked about citizenship, there is a thread in general discussion on the topic I believe. These jobs often go to non-canadians. 10) search committee member from comment 1 again. 9 is spot on. We hire candidates we think are best fit and give everyone an equal evaluation. Eyeballing our website 4 of our last 7 hires were non-canadians with lots of other internationals in the department. I have never been on a search committee where nationality was even mentioned. 11) What does this title mean? Seems like a lot of jargon -- looking for an ecosystem ecologist or a biologist? 12) the search committee member from above here again. with apologies I'm not completely sure what is jargony but would be happy to try to clarify if you give more details. I think we thought biologist was all encompassing. we would certainly consider an ecologist a biologist. there are many ways to tackle ecosystem resiliance scaling from genetics to communities and beyond. I think we hoped biologist would cast the widest net. @SC, thanks for answering so many questions from folks here. My research addresses the resilience of coral reef ecosystems through reproductive biology. Some non-coastal departments shy away from reef research, would your department be interested? 13) @reef researcher... no problem happy to try to help! There is no regional preference for research subject in this particular search so I'd go ahead and apply if you are interested. We've got folks that work on marine fishes, mammals, birds, and inverts (and we've got a coast to the north! :) ). The central/Arctic DFO research group is also on campus. 14) the advertisemnt posted to the link under URL will come down today (just the term of the ad). THE JOB WILL NOT HAVE BEEN PULLED. You can find the job ad here after the 15th: https://viprecprod.ad.umanitoba.ca/default.aspx | 1 | |
127 | 3/1/2024 5:20:07 | University of Plymouth | United Kingdom | Marine Conservation | 3/28/2024 | https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DGD989/lecturer-in-marine-conservation | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 4/4/24 20:05 | 1 | ||
128 | 2/29/2024 23:19:08 | University of Guam | Asia (Other) | Crustacean Biology | 4/8/2024 | https://uog.peopleadmin.com/postings/3658 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/6/24 0:21 | 1) There is an internal candidate on soft money. This will turn that position permanent. AKA don't apply. 2)Do not take a random comment as reason not to apply. Who knows what politics are involved. | ||
129 | 2/29/2024 22:50:15 | University of Guam Marine Laboratory | Asia (Other) | Vertebrate Morphology | 4/8/2024 | https://www.uog.edu/_resources/files/hro/050_24assistantprofessorvertebratemorphology.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/1/24 18:04 | 1) Ph.D. in Marine Vertebrate Biology from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent with expertise in comparative vertebrate morphology, phylogenetic analysis, and specimen curation | ||
130 | 2/29/2024 16:16:15 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / Illinois Natural History Survey | Illinois | Director of Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute | 4/30/2024 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/9616?c=illinois | Principal Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 12/17/24 12:49 | 1) given that the curator positions (below) failed even with a tailor made applicant currently working there...I am suspicious of this. but Idk. 2) what is suspicious? This is a search for an administrator... 3) Zoom invite 5/23 4) Search failed and has been reopened. | ||
131 | 2/27/2024 7:08:22 | Mercer University | Georgia | Biology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178700349&Title=Faculty%2C%20Biology | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/21/24 10:31 | 1) faculty in the department, they are accepting and reviewing until a candidate is found, interviews planned for April. Please apply if interested. 2) I've never heard of this school. Anyone has any impressions? 2) very heavy teaching load 7 courses. 3) posting says adjunct not tenure track? 4) and not open rank - moderator pinging. 1 again) the adjunct is a mistake, I will let the person who posted it know, please read the listing, which reads tenure under the job details section, or see the Mercer internal posting, at 2, this is a private university in georgia that is a PUI AP) There is no mention of rank in the ad, so presumably open? @1 1 again) yes, i believe it is open, probably more in line with an assistant prof, but this position is replacing a recent retiree who was at the professor level, 5) Former graduate of Mercer, amazing school with two campuses. This position says it is not on the main campus but on the Atlanta campus, which is new and lacks the old-university feel. 6) Love me an old-university feel 7) Anyone have more details about what they're aiming for with this position given that it's open-rank and at the Atlanta campus? I assume the standard mix of teaching, discipline-specific research, and service that would be typical of a PUI. Or is there something different or more specific that the department is looking for? 1 again) they want someone who is committed or would be committed to non-traditional learners, our college at Mercer focuses on adult learners, we do a lot of online and blended delivery of instruction, evening classes, with undergrad experiences being important across Mercer for both traditional and non-traditional learners. The ATL campus is the grad campus, it is where the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy are located, compared to the tradiational undergrad campus in Macon. 7 again) Thanks for the additional info! | |||
132 | 2/27/2024 6:08:07 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Plant Population & Community Ecology | 3/27/2024 | https://facultyvacancies.com/associate-professor-of-ecology,i38006,n8587113.html | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/26/24 11:56 | 1) "If the successful candidate is initially not able to teach in Swedish, they will be expected to develop this capacity, and will be offered support for language acquisition" 2) This language statement should be taken as a goal and not a barrier to non-Swedish speakers 3) Any updates? 4) Applications done in March, now is basically September and no news yet! An internal faculty member told me they can be slow, but come on, this is ridiculous. | ||
133 | 2/26/2024 22:05:42 | University of Alaska, Fairbanks | Alaska | Animal Ecology / Wildlife Biology | 3/24/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178705862&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20Animal%20Ecology%20or%20Wildlife%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/19/24 12:08 | 1) Is this different from the wildlife ecologist position posted in December or does it suggest that search failed? This looks like the same position except less emphasis on teaching in the actual call. Answer: This is a different position with a lower teaching load with more research expectation. 2)There is no information about the applicant citizenship, if they accept non-US applicants? Answer: The position is not restricted to US citizens. 3) Invited for zoom interview 5/2/2024 4) Any updates? | 4 | |
134 | 2/26/2024 14:20:23 | Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) | Canada | Microorganisms & Biotechnology | 3/24/2024 | https://inrs.ca/en/jobs/professeure-ou-professeur-microorganismes-et-biotechnologie-poste-menant-a-la-permanence-24025/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/26/24 14:21 | "particularly in the study of microorganism-host interactions (plant, insect, animal, human, etc.), environmental microbiota (soil, water, etc.), or agri-food microbiology. Research topics involving big data analysis, modeling, synthetic biology, or systems biology approaches will be considered assets." And they will teach you French. | 1 | |
135 | 2/26/2024 8:25:06 | New Mexico State University | New Mexico | Forest Ecophysiology | 3/22/2024 | https://careers.nmsu.edu/jobs/assistant-associate-professor-of-forest-ecophysiology-remote-locations-new-mexico-united-states | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/1/24 13:10 | Any idea where folks at this location actually live? 2) Looks like Mora, NM 3) I imagine the question is "where can you reasonably live that's NOT Mora, NM but close enough" 4) Mora area would be a dream for someone who seeks a ranching/farming lifestyle in beautiful (albeit recently scorched) mountains 5) Looks beautiful, but not much in the way for spouse and kid(s) to do. 6) Santa Fe and Taos NM are an hour away.7) Las Vegas is ~40min and has NMHU | 1 | |
136 | 2/26/2024 2:40:55 | UC Riverside | California | Genetics / Genomics of Arthropod Vectors of Human Diseases | 1/15/2024 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01785?fbclid=IwAR0YX_7sqNAQJsLjGMYltSth7nYVvp3N7qXNAqiUv2aa7_XjdczZM0rh1A0 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/26/24 14:16 | why put this here when the deadline is long over?; 2) maybe he/she is getting interviewed and wants to brag. LOL 3) I placed it here simply want to know if there is any update for this position. Because there is no update for other positions (agroecology) from the same department with the same deadline. 4) It serves a purpose to record what positions were being offered - many people here comment on similarity between newly posted positions and those advertised perviously (perhaps indicating a failed serach), or simply to better understand the job market. +1 5) @3 they sent out in-person invites already. Hope this helps. 3)Thank you for the update @5 In this case they might also interview the other position. Do you know when did they send the invitation? 4) Early February. They are done with on-site interviews now. 5) They made an offer to a candidate (not me lol) 6) Did this job reopen? It showed up as a job post in a search August 2024. | 2 | |
137 | 2/25/2024 17:11:39 | West Texas A&M University | Texas | Biology | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WTAMU_External/details/Assistant-Professor-of-Biology_R-070661 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/15/24 23:26 | 1) anyone know anything about this position? No review date posted, and no reply from the search chair... 2) Seems...messy: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/former-wt-associate-professor-of-biology-richard-kazmaier-sentenced-six-months-federal-prison-amarillo-texas-canyon-west-texas-am-university-smuggling-animal-skulls-skeletons-taxidermy-mounts-lacey-act-endangered-species-act 3) the link to the job posting is no longer functional for me, the site says the page I am looking for does not exist. Hi the job is still there! I am the search chair I never got an email I apologize. The professor listed has left WT and we are looking to build a strong program with several new hires in recent times. etcrosman@wtamu.edu | 1 | ||
138 | 2/22/2024 12:37:30 | Cornell University | New York | Environmental Justice | 3/15/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo?joblist---2362-26848 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
139 | 2/22/2024 10:13:47 | University of California, Los Angeles | California | Vertebrate Biology | 4/1/2024 | https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF09169 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/12/24 8:52 | $74,600-$197,100 1) Wow that is quite a range! 2) i think this is just because Blaire Van Valkenburgh was the prior chair of the collections and she had a large salary, i doubt youd actually get that higher end 3) The UC System has special money to match external offers. The standard FTE will be closer to the lower end of the spectrum for new hires with no counter offer. 4) it is because open rank. the top of the range is for full only 5) Finally, a job ad that includes a salary range! 6) Note that there is off-scale salary. No assistant professor at UCLA would make the low end of the posted salary range. For more information, you can check "How do UC salaries work?" on the General Discussion tab. 7) why is this here? that department is problematic :/ 8) why is the department problematic? Do you guys think that this is more like a senior position or fresh postdocs should try too? 9) @8 it says rank open, so just apply 10) Apply for sure but I'd be pretty surprised if it went to a fresh postdoc. Good curator jobs are pretty rare. 10) @9 and @10 yes, I thought the same... I'd love a curator job!! Ps.: just sent an inquire, they asked: "The job ad is open rank, meaning that we will consider all candidates equally and will assess their application according to their current position. It is indeed exciting that we got the search approved as open rank for an endowed chair." 11) Not really a "vertebrate biology" -- focus on mammalogy and/or ornithology, herpetologist won't likely be considered (my guess, not based on internal knowledge). 12) Invited for Zoom interview 4/10/24 (x2) | 3 | |
140 | 2/22/2024 6:59:53 | USGS | South Dakota | Research Ecologist / Fish Biologist | 3/22/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/777706300 | GS 12 (Asst Unit Leader) | Government | 3/20/24 12:40 | looking for an aquaculture faculty to join our department! | 1 | |
141 | 2/21/2024 16:00:27 | The San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve/San Francisco State University | California | Estuarine Biology | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/sf/en-us/job/536361/nerr-director-administrator-ii-estuary-ocean-science-centerromberg-tiburon-campus-college-of-science-engineering | Director | Permanent | 2/21/24 16:00 | The Director of the SF Bay NERR | |||
142 | 2/21/2024 11:33:11 | Purdue University | Indiana | Urban Entomology | 2/24/2024 | https://careers.purdue.edu/job/West-Lafayette-AssociateFull-Professor-and-O_W_-RollinsOrkin-Endowed-Chair-in-Urban-Entomology-IN-47906/1126660700/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/21/24 11:36 | "O.W. Rollins/Orkin Endowed Chair" 1) Dept member here. We begin reviewing on 24th but it's not a hard deadline. | ||
143 | 2/21/2024 9:28:58 | Sweet Briar College | Virginia | Biology | 2/28/2024 | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=120319&clientkey=0DB1CFB7BAA1AF7EF9E6616BC163C95A | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/22/24 9:03 | I see this is a really small college and department-does anyone know anything about the school? 1) they almost closed at one point. I gues it says something that they pulled through 2) I would still be hesitant to go there. They came about as close to closing as possible and that was pre-covid. 3) I have friends that went there (grew up locally) and they have wonderful things to say. Super tight alumni groups etc. 4) I would avoid at all costs—they have a history of firing TT faculty @4 can you elaborate? Under what circumstances did they fire TT faculty? 5) I saw that when they almost closed they got a new president who restructured the whole uni and got rid of about half the majors and made it more STEM focused- was it that when they fired TT, or another instance? 6) Weren't they just hiring for like the same position last year or the year before? I'm kind of surprised that they need/can pay this many new bio profs unless the other search failed | 1 | |
144 | 2/21/2024 8:02:20 | Texas A&M University - College Station | Texas | Forest Resources | 3/10/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140390 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | ||||
145 | 2/21/2024 8:00:48 | Texas A&M University - College Station | Texas | Applied Biodiversity Sciences | 3/15/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140403 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/18/24 11:48 | Why the fast turn around time? 1) Because, every now and then I get a little bit terrified, and then I see the look in your eyes +1 2) bravo 3) Well now that's in my head. 4) position description requests a "detailed CV" and 2 page cover letter, but doc upload says CV limit is 2 pages- is this just an error on interfolio? 5) Zoom interview request 3/28. 6) Zoom interview - 4/3 7) Campus invite - 4/16, 8) Ditto. | 5 | |
146 | 2/21/2024 2:28:40 | Appalachian Mountain Club | New Hampshire | Terrestrial Ecology & Climate Change | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=126027&clientkey=BBCC05572F3551CD7692FCADEA3B8414 | Staff Scientist | NGO | 6/22/24 19:02 | Permanent, full-time position. 1) Anyone know what the science is like at AMC? I can't find any information about other staff scientists or publications, etc. It seems like they want this position to do research but I can't tell if there is really infrastructure for that. 2) where can I find job postings like this? eg indeed? linkedin? I'm looking for more places to look. 3) I don't think there are very many postings like this. 4) I worked for the AMC for years in their high mountain hut system, this is indeed a very new direction for them. Lab infastructure at Pinkham Notch will be limited but it is located at the base of mount washington. Also the 8 AMC high huts nestled across the white mountains could serve as lauching off points for field work. Sounds like a great opportunity. 5) When is the start date? 6) "the terrestrial ecologist" ... are they going to be looking for a freshwater person? 7) Similalry interested to know if they would consider an animal ecologist. 8) Why would terrestrial make you think freshwater? Seems like most of the monitoring is spatial, trees, climate. I'd guess an animal person would need to be much more remote sensing/monitoring focused than organismal/experimental but its an unusual job so who knows. 9) the way the ad is worded makes it sound like they might (someday) to have an ecologist that isn't terrestrial (not this ad) 10) they do have an ecologist there who does a fair amount of aquatic research 11) anybody hear anything? also, Q for #10 - how do you know this? I couldn't find much info on staff via their website, but would love to learn more if this info is on the web somewhere. thanks! 10) this link: https://www.outdoors.org/research-team/ .12) their director used to be faculty at university of maine and this place has a reputation for high research activities in conservation and well funded programs all around (I went to UMaine). 13) zoom interview invite 3/19 (14) Postdoc job posted here maybe from succesful applicant? | 3 | ||
147 | 2/20/2024 16:45:04 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Ichthyology | 4/14/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/150117 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/2/24 12:51 | 1) Zoom invite 4/23 2) On-campus interview invite 5/2 | 2 | |
148 | 2/20/2024 8:23:07 | University of Arizona | Arizona | Tree Ring Research | 3/15/2024 | http://tiny.cc/liopwz | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/17/24 11:00 | 1) on campus interviews were first week of May. received rejection May 31 | ||
149 | 2/20/2024 5:54:35 | University of Florida | Florida | Quantitative Wildlife Ecology | 4/8/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/530411 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/6/24 7:32 | Wow, no statements just cover letter, CV, references list. [don't trash the department / university for the state's politics -AP] 1) Student in the dept here. Many faculty in the dept do not sympathasize with state politics/positions, of course. 2) Letters requested 04/12, 3) Any updates on this? 4) On-campus interview invite 4/15 5) Any more updates? | 5 | |
150 | 2/19/2024 6:14:50 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Wildlife, Natural Resources, Fisheries | 2/15/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/517480/instast-prof | Asst Prof Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 2/19/24 12:38 | Rolling deadline, please apply! [general discussion of lack of salary info in job ads moved to General Discussions -AP] | ||
151 | 2/18/2024 16:15:28 | Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | Chair, Earth & Planetary Sciences | 4/15/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140402 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/18/24 16:16 | "manage a major growth initiative [that] aims to strengthen existing foci in geology, climate sciences and planetary science in the department and to significantly expand ecological research." Review starts Feb 1, but applications considered until April 15. | ||
152 | 2/16/2024 10:52:37 | Heriot-Watt University | United Kingdom | Marine Benthic Biogeochemistry | 3/22/2024 | https://enzj.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/3498/?keyword=3498&mode=job-location | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | ||||
153 | 2/16/2024 10:50:41 | Heriot-Watt University | United Kingdom | Marine Vertebrate Conservation Ecology | 3/22/2024 | https://enzj.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/3498/?keyword=3498&mode=job-location | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | ||||
154 | 2/16/2024 10:48:50 | Heriot-Watt University | United Kingdom | Bioinformatics / Metagenomics / Metatranscriptomics | 3/22/2024 | https://enzj.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/3498/?keyword=3498&mode=job-location | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | ||||
155 | 2/16/2024 10:43:43 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Conservation Genomics and Molecular Ecology | 3/8/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/517614/assistant-professortenure-system | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 13:46 | This is a replacement for Kim Scribner's old position. 1) Well dang, I wish this one had been posted earlier in the season. 2) Would you assume 3 page research statement, 2 page teaching, and 1 page DEI if their lengths are unstated? 3) I did 2 pages for each of the socuments. 4) there was only room to add 2 manuscripts. did peopel find a way to add three? 4) I wrapped them into a single, collated pdf and submitted just one file...hope that is okay 5) my collated file was too large for the HR system, so only uploaded 2 pubs :( 6) not that it helps now, but I used https://smallpdf.com and it shrunk mine down from 45mb to 4mb. In any case, I wouldn't worry. I imagine if you're a good fit, they'll take the time to look at your other publications. 7) Any updates 8) nothing as of 30 March 9) Zoom interview invite received 3/21 (sorry for not updating) x2 10) congrats! 11) notification of not being selected for on campus (but said kept in system as an alternatve, not holding breath though) - so those invites must have gone out this morning 12) I got the same email, but it did not say anythgin about being kept in the system as an alternative. | 5 | |
156 | 2/15/2024 20:34:52 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Indigenous and Community Perspectives on Land, Ecosystem, and Cultural Stewardship | 3/15/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/149247 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
157 | 2/15/2024 9:41:34 | Ohio State University | Ohio | Molecular Genetics | 3/1/2024 | https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Ohio-Eminent-Scholar-in-Molecular-Genetics_R97673-1 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/15/24 9:49 | "Ohio Eminent Scholar in Molecular Genetics" endowed chair 1) Department member here. We are a highly collegiate and supportive department (Testimony: we always finish monthly faculty meetings within 1.5 hours) with diverse biological systems (zebrafish, human, fly, yeast, maize, mouse, arabidopsis). We provide competitive, negotiable start up fundings, compensations, and benefits. Columbus is a clean, family friendly city and you can commute to any part of the city within 25 minutes. | 1 | |
158 | 2/15/2024 4:51:27 | FIBL | Switzerland | Organic Agriculture | 3/7/2024 | https://recruitingapp-2995.umantis.com/Vacancies/302/Description/2 | Head of Institute | NGO | ||||
159 | 2/14/2024 12:27:35 | Valdosta State University | Georgia | Department Head of Biology | 3/12/2024 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=51000&JobOpeningId=268539&PostingSeq=1&PortalActualURL=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsc%2fcareers%2fCAREERS%2fHRMS%2fc%2fHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3fPage%3dHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26Action%3dU%26FOCUS%3dApplicant%26SiteId%3d51000%26JobOpeningId%3d268539%26PostingSeq%3d1&PortalRegistryName=CAREERS&PortalServletURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsp%2fcareers%2f&PortalURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsc%2fcareers%2f&PortalHostNode=APPLICANT&NoCrumbs=yes&PortalKeyStruct=yes | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/17/24 9:48 | 1) Department member here. We are hoping for a department head who has experience in research and will continue to support us doing our research. Hiring Committee is large, Admins have final say. 2) will you hire Non-US applicants? x2 3) @2, officially everyone is welcome to apply. In the past, administration has not been supportive of legal concerns regarding immigration status of international faculty or grad students. If you were offered the job, I would absolutely negotiate any lawyer fees, etc. for green card/immigration things. 4) Search officially failed. A new search will commence sometime in the next few months. | ||
160 | 2/14/2024 8:16:39 | Duolingo | Pennsylvania | Owl Trainer | https://boards.greenhouse.io/duolingo/jobs/6952691002 | Trainer | Industry | 2/23/24 11:53 | 1) I needed a laugh thanks! 2) Don't even bother applying without a CNS paper, honestly 3) what's the teaching load? Anyone hear anything yet? 3) failed search, also any updates? 1) to whoever flagged this cant you just let us have a little fun? I used to handle owls at a nature center and it just made me laugh...4) the skills lists are amazing! 5) No review date? This is clearly an inside hire. 6) Oh the salary is so low AP) "A degree in avian psychology or in a bird-related field, such as ornithology, bird training, or wildlife rehabilitation" - definitely ecoevo 7) Salary so low I'd have to moonlight elsewhere...8) I see what you did there 9) this job looks like a hoot 10) I don't understand. The ad has nothing about willingness to break kneecaps if lessons stop getting completed each week. x3 11) scroll all the way down to the bottom, they ask "What actual positions are you interested in? "... 12) Watch out for the internal hire. The VAP there is amazing.13) VAP = visiting avian predator <- lol (14) Vicious 15) Don't Start Now 16) Expected to teach night classes 16) Preferred candidate must be a real head-turner 17) I wonder hoo they could be looking for... 18) @17 I don't give a hoot 19) department is full of brooding individuals who aren't afraid to ruffle a few feathers 20) I'd consider working for Duolingo, simiply because of their savage reply to the UK! | 1 | ||
161 | 2/12/2024 16:06:14 | Springer Nature Group | New York | Nature Communications (Ecology & Evolution) | 3/15/2024 | https://careers.springernature.com/job/New-York-Associate-or-Senior-Editor%2C-Nature-Communications-%28Ecology-&-Evolution%29/1034782001/ | Assoc / Senior Editor | Industry | 3/20/24 11:13 | time to revenge (1) Lol x4 (2) Salary is... not good... for NYC. 3) I don't get why jobs like this aren't fully remote. I'd consider applying if so, but yeah I'm not even going to pretend one could live in or even near NYC for that salary. 4) echo this. ~5000 $/article and they publish > 10k/year, let alone their other OA journals in the portfolio. how can they offer such a low salary? 5) That's enough to live in the burbs and train into the city, but would expect more from Springer for sure 6) I am editor in chief of a journal related to this field, wildlife ecology. I applied but I am not a US citizen, I am Asian, hope they support visa issues 7) @3, considering the city's median househeold income is ~$75k, it must be possible. 8) @7 standard of living that someone who put in the years to get a PhD expects vs. possible are two VERY different things. Sure maybe it's "possible" to live on this with roommates and scraping by, but after spending ~10 years working on your degrees do you want to continue living like a poor college student? 9) @7 that median is also skewed by families who have lived in the city either in rent controlled or long-ago purchased apartments. The current median 2br in NYC is $60k/yr. That is more than $75k/yr nets. 10) Do y'all know about the 40x rule? In NYC, to sign a lease, your annual salary must be AT LEAST 40x the monthly rent. 74,000/40 = $1850. It's near impossible to get even a studio that cheap. 11) Guess what: the ad says this is a base rate. offer could be more. I'd bet you all are qualified to receive a higher offer and you won't have to live like the common folk. 12) Well 91,000/40 = 2275. Not going to go very far unless you move to deep Queens or NJ. 13) Pathetic that NPG, a company with some of the highest profit margins on earth, offers such a paltry salary. 14) @13 they wouldn't have those beastly margins if they paid their workers :P 15) How many commenters here have actually lived in NYC? One can live just fine as a postdoc or starting prof at CUNY making somewhere between $75K-95K (and how do you think grad students make it on $35K / year or less). You won't be living in the fanciest neighborhoods but can still be a good life. Whether that salary is worth it to work for a for-profit publishing company is another matter altogether. x3 16) yeah it ain't gonna be Friends, and will be a 50 minute commute on the subway to midtown. 17) Good luck paying for daycare on that salary 18) Incidentally, I am pretty sure Springer Nature's NYC office is downtown (like...way downtown, Battery Park area). Opens up more of Brooklyn, but nearby are mostly the expensive areas anyways. Midtown might have been better because some of the 7 line is still affordable. 19) I love how there is always someone legitimizing low salaries ("that's more than you can make at job X", "you can live just fine"). That is the reason why academics keep being exploited, we settle for so little and accept to live "just fine". It's depressing! x4 20) I once interviewed for one of these positions at a different nature journal and ended up pulling out because of the salary. They also wanted you to review three manuscripts as part of the interview process just to get to the 2nd round. That amount of unpaid work to even interview, for such a low-paying job, is just kinda exploitative. I make more now at a nonselective PUI! x2 21) yikes 22) Yeah, getting the "I slept on my lab floor for two years and was fine" vibes. They are asking for a "senior" position that pays under six figures for NYC. Truly insulting. Also like the "ediitorial experience is not required"…and you wonder why so much bad writing ends up in journals these days. @19) We live in the world as it is. One can work to change it long-term, but reality doesn't change because we wish it so. 23) I wonder if they got paid more if they'd be happier and more likely to accept the papers I send them. 24) Imagine working for such a low wage when your job is to extort gullable researchers into paying 1/10 of your annual salary to publish a PDF online. 25) flagged cause this conversation is off topic and annoying x1 -1 26) @25 then just...don't read this post. Pretty simple. x7 25) if I could unread it, I would. I was hoping to save others the trouble lol. 27) INCREDIBLE - even Nature's editors get screwed! 26) As a recent rejection from one of these positions, I was told they are mainly filled by internal candidates. x 2 27) I would like to ask whether they are willing to sponsor a work visa for non-US citizens. Does anyone know how to inquire about it? I don't see any contact info on the job ad. 28) https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=springer+nature+america+inc&job=&city=&year=all+years They have sponsored H1Bs before for editors. 27) again. Thanks @28. @26 who can become internal candidates? Is that the place to start to become a paid editor for a Nature journal? On this ad, there is no contact info to inquire about the position. Does it imply that they already have plenty internal candidates? I would imagine that foregin nationals would be interested in this position and would like to know about immigration situations, but they don't seem to give an option to ask questions. Is this a bad sign? 28) non-internal candidate here, got "desk" rejected for this one job this week! 29) I applied the day it was open, and haven't heard anything yet. I did have an HR interview for a different position (Journal of Communications Biology) last week and am waiting to hear. On the website there is currently a listing for a "Locum" editor for Nature Ecology and Evolution, which is a fixed term position, although it doesn't say for how long. Could be a way to get a foot in the door and become an internal candidate in the future. 30) rejection, no interview 03/18, 27) same, rejection 3/18. I applied on 3/10. @29 may I ask what background you have? I wish to know what they are looking for. I have been an associate editor for one of the Wiley journals (no pay) for more than three years. I feel my work is appreciated by the journal and authors. I really like the job and put serious efforts. I am not a native English speaker, so I suspect that it is the problem. @29, did you apply for the Communication Biology position or did they interview you for the position because you applied for the Nature Communication position? 29) I have a marine biology/neurophysiology/ ecology background from my PhD and I am a current postdoc, but no editor experience-although I am a native English speaker. I would have thought that would have put you ahead for sure to have editor experience @30. I applied to multiple editor positions (and have been rejected from a few other ones), and applied seperately to communications biology. As of 3/20, no word from Nature Communications which is still listed as in review on the portal, or follow up from HR interview from Communications Bio. | 3 | |
162 | 2/12/2024 11:52:32 | California Department of Water Resources | California | Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation | 2/22/2024 | https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=408350 | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) | Government | 2/17/24 17:09 | |||
163 | 2/12/2024 11:51:06 | California Department of Water Resources | California | Restoration Ecology and Conservation | 2/23/2024 | https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=414296 | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) | Government | 2/12/24 11:55 | Tidal Habitat Restoration, Hybrid telework. | ||
164 | 2/12/2024 9:51:54 | UCLA | California | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Curriculum | 3/15/2024 | https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF09153 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 4/22/24 13:51 | "a full-time faculty position with potential security of employment akin to tenure" 2) its not tenure track, it doesn't have tenure. if it did, they would not say a kin to tenure . AP) Seems blurry but ok; 3) Sounds like B.S. you would be a full time Lecturer with a fancy title. As a recurrent lecturer you will gain priviledges and secure your teaching units (= security) but no salary bumps (e..g, Asst - Assct, etc). Weird. 4) Lecturers in the UC System have automatic renewal after 6(?) years of good performance. It's not considered tenure track in the legal sense, and lecturers don't have a vote on some items at faculty meetings. They could be laid off in a budget crisis but I've never seen it actually happen. Layoffs have rules like it has to go in reverse seniority. I don't know all the rules myself, but effectively it turns inot a permanent job much like TT faculty. The UC has documentaiton and procdures you used to be able to find at the system office. Treat it like a permanent job for teaching. x4 5.) Is it normal to ask for a research statement (including future research???) for a teaching-only position? 6) Some institutions have just-cause status for lecturers after a certain number of years, where your position can't be cut (and you can get sabbaticals, too). There are periodic assessments and you can get raises. So there is some permanency. 7) Is this position a direct result of UCLA suspending one prominent ecology-evolutionary biology faculty? (8) No if I had to guess it might be a targetted hire. 9) UC employee here. I am not on the SC but I am 100% confident that this entry was incorrectly labeled and I will flag this for modification. The "lecturer with potential security of employment (LPSOE)" designation in the UC system is identical to a tenure-track "research" faculty position, but with a teaching focus. They are both senate faculty. They are not lecturers. This is a tenure-track position. x1 10) LPSOE is not tenure track in the UC system. They are senate faculty but they are not tenure eligible. The security of employment is great (these are good positions), but it doesn't have the same protections as tenure. 11) A research statement is required including future research. Is this supposed to be geared towards inclusive teaching and montoring research mentioned in the job post? There's no formal research component to the position that I can see 12) My experience is that in LPSOE hires, the committee wants someone with a strong research background. Might be why they are asking for a research statement. 13) Invited for initial Zoom interview 3/26 x3 14) Any updates? 15) Rejection letter after Zoom interview 4/18 16) Invitation for campus interview 4/22 | 4 | |
165 | 2/12/2024 9:19:21 | Wayne State University | Michigan | Biology | 2/23/2024 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/655224/tenure-track-assistant-professor-faculty-position-in-biological-sciences/?TrackID=318216&utm_source=jobs&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-careers-job-alert&BatchID=5968&JobAlertId=378932#application-form | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/12/24 13:45 | "faculty position in the areas of Behavior, Physiology, or Cell Biology... particularly interested in future leaders who employ systems-based approaches to define molecular, genetic, and physiological processes underlying biological function and disease states.", 2) "Applications need to include...three letters of reference" Boo! 3) Emailed search chair and was told they have begun on campus invites. | 1 | |
166 | 2/12/2024 7:02:28 | Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory | Colorado | Field Ecology | 3/15/2024 | https://www.rmbl.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EDJOBDESCRIPTIONRMBL.pdf | Executive Director | Non-Profit Research Organization | 3/29/24 8:32 | 1) Oh, RMBL <3 x9. (2) What sort of person would this be aimed at? Salary is really high to be entry level, so are they looking to get an assoc prof? 3) I don't think this is necessarily looking for a science person so much as a business person who can run a nonprofit. There can be overlap though 4) The high salary may reflect the astronomical real estate prices more than anything. 5) the current ED is David Inouye, who is very much a science person. I don't have inside information, but I assume they're looking for an assoc prof. 6) Current ED is Ian Billick 7) Billick has been ED for 24 years, and has a PhD - for reference. It is strange that the job call doesn't include more info on qualifications. 8) deadline was actually 3/29 on ad, not 3/15. | 1 | |
167 | 2/10/2024 7:52:37 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Applied Biology / Plant Science | 3/15/2024 | https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/details/Assistant-Professor--Plant-Science_JR16188 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/17/24 6:50 | "Applicants must have a PhD in a field related to plant science and relevant to sustainable agriculture. Candidates demonstrating evidence of outstanding contributions in areas related to climate resilience, applied ecology and evolution, ecophysiology, genetics and breeding, plant-microbe interactions, crop management and/or precision agriculture are preferred." 1) Zoom interview invitation 04/30 2) Did anyone hear for on-campus interview? 3) Nope 4) According to SC, candidates have been selected and invited for on campus interview. 5) Rejection letter received 6) Final round rejection letter received Sept-16-2024 | 4 | |
168 | 2/9/2024 14:12:52 | University of Colorado-Boulder | Colorado | Environmental Pollution and Human Health | 3/1/2024 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=54596 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
169 | 2/9/2024 9:54:46 | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | Estuarine and Marine Science | 3/4/2024 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1824?job_application_id=6600 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/21/24 12:45 | 1)Anyone know anything about this research station? Seems like a pretty great gig, with a large research focus and some graduate teaching and mentorship. 2) Anyone heard anything? 3) Nothing here, as of 3/29 4) word is search committee is meeting this week to identify short listers 5) Anyone hear anything yet? 6) Not me. 7) Notified that a zoom invite is on the way on 4/25 8) @7, do you have a personal connection to the institution? I've never been officially notified an invite was coming, just invited. Would seem an atypical way to conduct the search. Also, selfishly, hoping this was not an official notification and I might yet be contacted. 9) also received nothing and also selfishly hoping that a zoom invite is incoming 7) @8 No, I am not personally connected to HPL. I get the sense the email was from the SC, and the Zoom invitation is coming from an administrative assistant or similar. Sorry - does not preclude a staggered interview strategy! 10) This does indeed seem like a sweet gig. Have others heard back yet? 11) Haven't heard anything as of 05/23 x3 12) I heard they asked for references after the zoom interviews but I wonder if anyone has been invited to on campus interviews? Especially @7 7) I did not hear about the reference request, so may not have made the cut. Do you know if they reached out to the refs directly? 12) @7 they asked the references directly but maybe only asked the few they weren't sure about? My PhD advisor told me he they reached out to him but I have not heard anything else 7again) Thanks! Congrats and good luck! 13) Invited for a campus interview! 12) Congrats 13!! When did you get the invite? Best of luck for you!! 13) Thanks 12! I got the invite in late May. 10) Congrats 13 - Have there been any offers yet ? 14) Does anyone know if they will interview more candidates after this first round of finalists? The posting says it is multiple positions (up to 3) x2 15) Have there been any offers? x2 13) No, not yet for me, but I would also be curious to know if other offers have been made and whether there is likey to be more than one. | 5 | |
170 | 2/9/2024 7:51:04 | Cornell University | New York | Urban Ecology | 3/10/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27059 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/24/24 0:33 | 1) SC member here. This position focuses on ecology and/or management of urban plants and research topics can include various types of plant-human interactions. We are looking for someone that would be qualified to teach a plant identification class. 2) Invited to a Zoom interview x2 3) Any updates? 3) Invite to campus interview on Apr.15. 4) congrats!!!!!!!!! | 1 | |
171 | 2/8/2024 16:53:50 | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology | Japan | Environmental Science and Informatics Section Leader | https://www.oist.jp/careers/environmental-science-and-informatics-section-leader | Section Leader | Non-TS Academic | 2/9/24 11:29 | The Section Leader of the Environmental Science and Informatics (ESI) Section will lead all aspects of the technical and administrative efforts necessary to support terrestrial environmental research conducted at OIST. The section leader will be primarily responsible for managing the daily operations of the ESI Section and to actively engaging with the OIST research community and the environmental research support community both domestically and internationally. | |||
172 | 2/8/2024 10:50:58 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Watershed Science | 2/22/2024 | https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/59431 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/25/24 5:38 | 1) position filled. | ||
173 | 2/8/2024 7:56:04 | Acadia University | Canada | Biodiversity | 2/26/2024 | https://universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=64672 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 2/19/24 16:07 | 1) Anyone have any insights about the school, program, salary? 2) Any specific questions (1)? You can check the collective agreement for the salary range, looks to be around 60-80K Canadian as far as I can tell. Acadia is a great place, it's a primarily undergraduate university really focused on teaching in a terrific campus town in a beautiful spot in Nova Scotia. It's only about an hour from Halifax. | ||
174 | 2/8/2024 7:54:40 | Acadia University | Canada | Marine Invertebrate Biology | 3/4/2024 | https://universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=64671 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/11/24 11:07 | 1) Shortlist contacted for references 3/24, 2) on campus interviews end of April | 2 | |
175 | 2/7/2024 9:47:45 | University of Regina | Canada | Water and the Environment | 3/18/2024 | https://www.uregina.ca/science/research/crc_tier1_env_wtr.html | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
176 | 2/6/2024 20:12:09 | University of Neuchatel | Switzerland | Chemical Ecology | 3/15/2024 | https://www.unine.ch/files/live/sites/sciences/files/Emploi%20-%20annonces/PO_ou_PATT_Ecologie_chimique_ANG.pdf | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/16/24 1:17 | "research in chemical ecology, using methods from ecology, analytical chemistry and, the biology of interactions between plants and insect pests and their beneficials" 2) 'Teaching is in French at Bachelor and English at Master level'. 1) Interview scheduled. | 2 | |
177 | 2/6/2024 15:02:50 | USGS | Mississippi | Research Ecologist | 3/20/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/774734000 | GS 12-13 | Government | 5/21/24 14:53 | Coop / Asst Unit Leader position at Mississippi State University 1) has anyone written a research statement for a government/academic job? 2) Email about position referral. 3) Zoom interviews scheduled first week of June. | 1 | |
178 | 2/6/2024 15:00:58 | Virginia Tech University | Virginia | Invasive Species | 4/8/2024 | https://www.jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/8c03813b-b3d1-44bb-842f-b46f1a3fb4d1 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/15/24 15:48 | "research and management of invasive plants, plant pathogens, and/or arthropods to mitigate the threat they pose to managed or natural terrestrial and / or aquatic habitats 2) any news here? 3) they are starting this week with the zoom interviews. 4) damn 5) any updates? (5/10/24) 6) rejection email received on 5/13 (guess they were happy with the short list or had an inside candidate) | 3 | |
179 | 2/6/2024 14:09:10 | Montana State University | Montana | Applied Quantitative Ecology | 3/5/2024 | https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/40231 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2 | |||
180 | 2/6/2024 13:49:27 | Ohio University | Ohio | Genetics / Genomics | 3/14/2024 | https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/postings/48908 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/27/24 11:31 | "Broad areas of research are welcome including genotype-to-phenotype functional genomics; varied aspects of developmental biology (e.g., epigenetics, signaling pathways), ecological and/or evolutionary biology (e.g., responses or adaptation to abiotic or biotic stressors); or disease susceptibility." 1) What is the anticipated start date? 2) mentinos animals specifically in the description. 3) @1 I believe the anticipated start date is August 2024. 4) multicellular animals only, protozoans need not apply lol 5) Were letters of rec. automatically requested or was here a very fast turn around? 6) Automatically 7) Any updates? 8) Zoom interview invite 4/6 x3 9) Zoom interview invite 4/10--imagine my surprise! 10) I declined mine because I accepted another offer. You're welcome! (11) Bit cheeky innit 10? x2 12) 9 Here--Hey, I'll take whatever break I can get. Congrats 10! 10) Sorry, I was trying to be jokey but not trying to sound smug about it!! It just makes me happy that someone else got the opportunity. Go get the job! 13) 9 again--I always try to assume the kindest reading of someone's post. Thanks 10. 14) In-person invitation 4/18 15) @14 congrats! 14) @15 thanks! 16) Search failed and it will re-open in the fall. We will post the ad here when it comes out. 17) There are so many talented folks here and many didn't get a position this cycle. Why did the search fail? x 2 | 6 | |
181 | 2/6/2024 11:33:08 | Université de Sherbrooke | Canada | Molecular and Cellular Biology AND Plant Biology | 3/15/2024 | https://www.usherbrooke.ca/emplois/offre/no/06800 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/24/24 13:47 | From Faculty member at UdeS: We are seeking to fill 2 tenure-track positions. Note that professors at the Université de Sherbrooke are expected to be able to teach in French, or to rapidly attain the ability to do so. An institutional learning support program is offered to all new faculty wishing to learn French (I can personally attest to the efficacy of this program!). Here is a link to the english version of the job ad (https://bit.ly/49guwga). | 3 | |
182 | 2/6/2024 6:29:16 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Environmental Policy | 2/26/2024 | https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/70495 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | ||||
183 | 2/5/2024 15:14:04 | Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville | Texas | Rangeland and Restoration Ecology | 5/31/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUK_External/job/Kingsville-TX/Frances-and-Peter-Swenson-Endowed-Chair-in-Rangeland-and-Restoration-Research_R-062776?q=Restoration | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 5:13 | Frances and Peter Swenson Endowed Chair. Reposting of #762. Posting says deadline = Jan 31, can SC verify that it's still open until 5/31? 1) Yes, SC member here, we are readvertising position. Application deadline has been extended to 05/31. | ||
184 | 2/5/2024 13:17:52 | University of North Alabama | Alabama | Plant Biology OR Cell Biology OR Anatomy & Physiology | 2/21/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/una/jobs/4367606/tenure-track-assistant-professor-of-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 8:31 | From search committee: Position is open (depending on fit with department) but priority is given to those with a cell biology, plant biology, or anatomy & physiology background. Looking to start Fall 2024. Teaching load is 12 credit hours per semester (lectures count for 3 cr., labs for 1.5 cr.) with teaching responsibilities generally split between service courses (introductory majors or non-majors bio; a&p) and courses within faculty specialty. Small class sizes, reasonable expectations for tenure (minimum 1 peer-reviewed publication + strong teaching evaluations + service). Located in Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL - Low cost of living area roughly 2 hrs south of Nashville and 1 hour west of Huntsville, AL. Currently reviewing and will remain open until filled. 1) If you can make it to Nashville in 2 hrs you must drive fast. Watch out for the speed traps in Killen and Pulaski. | ||
185 | 2/5/2024 13:02:54 | University of New Orleans | Louisiana | Tropical Animal Conservation and Biodiversity | https://ulsuno.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UniversityOfNewOrleans/details/Professor---Doris-Zemurray-Stone-Endowed-Chair-in-Biodiversity_R-001327 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/29/24 7:51 | Doris Zemurray Stone Endowed Chair; 1) no deadline? / no contact info for search committee? 2) ad in Science states review to begin 1 March: 3) @ 2, weird, because none of the official UNO ads said anything about a deadline or search date -- and neither does the application portal. 4) any news? 5) applied in February; was contacted by cmte on 8 March requesting letters by 22 March 6) on-campus interviews completed in April | 3 | ||
186 | 2/5/2024 13:02:21 | UMass Amherst | Massachusetts | Genetics | 3/5/2024 | https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/522223/lecturer-biology-department | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 2/6/24 10:53 | 1) SC member here: UMass has great support for NTT faculty. They are part of the same union and bargaining agreement as TT faculty. This could be a great opportunity for someone interested in undergraduate education, but wants to be at a larger institution. Teaching Load: 6 credit hours per semester (2 classes). Classes range from 40 to 150 students. | ||
187 | 2/4/2024 10:10:54 | Babson College | Massachusetts | Natural Sciences - Environmental focus | 2/19/2024 | https://babson.peopleadmin.com/postings/6419 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/6/24 11:35 | "...successful applicant will show a passion for high quality undergraduate teaching of non-majors (business students)" & "...manageable teaching loads (four face-to-face sections per year for all Assistant Professors), small class sizes, excellent technological support, and research funding" 1) Even if you get a decent salary for an assistant prof, how could you ever afford a house here : ( 2) "We have limited science lab research space, but value collaboration across disciplines and between institutions." (1 again) so no actual lab... you have to wonder what research expectations are like then. I might apply anyway what the heck. (3) The salaries for this college on Chronicle are sky-high, but I think it's because Business faculty command huge wages. I am skeptical that the Natural Science faculty are as generously compensated, but maybe I'm wrong? 1 again) Yeah, I agree the large business element probably drives up the mean. I guess you can live in framingham and and find a house for only 750k lol. I would do a lot of math before accepting an offer for sure! 4) Zoom invite 2/22 x3 5) wow that was fast. congrats #4! Do you mind sharing your subfield? Just curious what they would be looking for here. 4 again) trophic ecology, fisheries 5) interesting, thanks! The position is so general, it made me wonder. Best of luck for your interview. 6) Invited to an on campus interview 2/29. 4)shocking, their proposed times for zooms included time slots this week, and they said they'd be reaching out "in a few weeks" on decisions about a short list. good luck! | 5 | |
188 | 2/4/2024 9:03:14 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Aquatic Disease Ecology | 2/12/2024 | http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/4/24 9:07 | SC member here: position is focused on fish disease ecology, but we are also interested in applicants working in water-borne diseases that connect water systems with animal health (wildlife and domestic) in a One Health approach. | ||
189 | 2/4/2024 7:37:51 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | Freshwater Fish Ecology | https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/196874 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/8/24 11:15 | Anticipated close date: "Open until filled." 1) I didn't see an email posted to address questions regarding the position, only a link about the application. Anyone know whom we can address questions to? 2) SC Chair is Jeff Buckel and all questions should be directed to him - jabuckel@ncsu.edu 3) Announcement ciculated from department says they will start reviewing applications March 6, 2024 and Target start date is summer 2024. 4) Does anyone understand this supplemental Q "Do you have comprehensive knowledge of all state, federal, college, University and UNC-General Administration policy and procedures?"? 5) Seconding the question from 4 - is it safe to assume the policies are standard and answer yes? Or does this question mean they are specifically looking for people from North Carolina? x2. SC member here: not sure why HR included the question on knowledge of state policies/procedures. We are not specifically looking for people from North Carollina. Please answer yes to ensure applicaiton makes it to review stage. 6) Oh that is extremely disheartening to hear. I'm an idiot and answered honestly.7) Since there is no deadline, is there any update form the SC if interviews have started? X5 7) well the posting is gone now 3/25 8) Still curious if anyone has been contacted for an interview for this position? 9) just was for a zoom, today 4/19 x4 10) Any word on oncampus interviews? 9 again) None here, but considering the zooms all took place on one day last week and with how late this one is moving, I'm assuming they've gone out to others. | 5 | ||
190 | 2/3/2024 14:56:54 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Wildlife Ecology | 3/3/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/149616 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/28/24 14:02 | From search committee: position must in part work with small mammal population and community ecology in agricultural systems and includes outreach component. But a broader research program across other taxa and topics is encouraged. 2) What are the chances of sponsoring non-americans for the position? It's always good to know if my application would be binned before being looked at :) 3) This position is funded at 0.75 FTE and the faculty member is expected to fund the other 0.25 FTE from grants and contracts. 4) @3, is this different than a typical 9-month academic appointment? 5) @3 most US positions are 9 month or 0.75 FTE. @2 we have hired international faculty recently. I don't think that's an issue. 4) @5 at my university, a 9-month academic-year appointment is called 1 FTE, so the language might be confusing to some. So basically: nothing weird here? 5) @4 no nothing weird. Rather than 9 months, it's 0.75 of 12 months, but in practice these are equivalent since the university covers 75% of your salary either way. 6) got interviewed this week for the position, probably a long list rather than a short list as only 40 minute. 7) On campus scheduled 3/27. 8) @7 dang, do you know how many they interviewed in person? how did it go? 9) @8 3 candidates to my knowledge and on-campus interviews are ongoing | ||
191 | 2/2/2024 16:45:16 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | Wisconsin | Genetics | 3/4/2024 | https://employment.uwlax.edu/postings/17470 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/22/24 2:54 | Any area, including pop-gen, landscape genetics, etc. SC member here- a Jan start date is negotiable. 2) what is the teaching load? 3) Expertise in cell biology or molecular biology required @3) From the job ad: "Expertise in cell biology or molecular biology is preferred but not required" SC) Teaching load is 10 semester-hours, with lab time counting at full credit. @SC) updates?? | 2 | |
192 | 2/2/2024 13:07:18 | IGZ | Germany | Plant Biotic Interactions | 2/18/2024 | https://igzev.de/en/career/jobs/detail/1349/2024-01-26-research-group-leader-fmdiv-plant-biotic-interactions-kennz-0220242 | Group Leader | Tenure Stream | 5/22/24 23:05 | Why don't jobs every list teaching load or salary or really any relevant information to know if its worth our time to apply. I actually know why, but golly, inform us!! 1) Hear you go - teaching load: 1-8 courses/year, Salary: $50-150K 2) Thanks so much! 3) When I was grad student there most profs seemed to teach 2 courses/year and were state employees so salaries are listed maybe? (read: 'most profs' = my advisor :)) 4) You can assume ~2 courses/year at an R1 Biology department, and as 3 said, at least for public schools salaries can be found online. 5) Did this search fail last year? 6) Teaching load = 1.5/year 6) I recently looked up a pre-tenure salary here in biology, and that person was $84k, not including summer salary. 7) Same as 5, I'm wondering if the search failed last year. Though I thought I remember them hiring someone. And I would think if it was a failed search last year, then they would have advertised earlier in the season? 5) Yeah that was my thought as well about earlier in the season, but the search area is the same as last year 8) is the area of eukaryotic genetics really open or is there something specific in mind originally for each of the searches? 9) Deadline has been extended to 3/31, not yet reflected in the URL 10) Any updates? (4/23) 11) nothing here as of 4/28 12) no updates as of 5/7 12) emailed to ask for an update today and then got a rejection email 13) Damn, that's cold! 14) Yeah, guess the rest of us will hold off on inquiring. I think my application status used to be "application received" and it's currently "under review", if that's any sign. 15) Received a Zoom invite (5/9) 16) no invite or rejection for me. application is still "under review" on 5/20 | 1 | |
193 | 2/2/2024 8:19:23 | UMass Amherst | Massachusetts | Genetics | 3/1/2024 | https://explorejobs.uml.edu/amherst/en-us/job/522003?&lApplicationSubSourceID=11250 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/20/24 11:19 | Why don't jobs every list teaching load or salary or really any relevant information to know if its worth our time to apply. I actually know why, but golly, inform us!! 1) Hear you go - teaching load: 1-8 courses/year, Salary: $50-150K 2) Thanks so much! 3) When I was grad student there most profs seemed to teach 2 courses/year and were state employees so salaries are listed maybe? (read: 'most profs' = my advisor :)) 4) You can assume ~2 courses/year at an R1 Biology department, and as 3 said, at least for public schools salaries can be found online. 5) Did this search fail last year? 6) Teaching load = 1.5/year 6) I recently looked up a pre-tenure salary here in biology, and that person was $84k, not including summer salary. 7) Same as 5, I'm wondering if the search failed last year. Though I thought I remember them hiring someone. And I would think if it was a failed search last year, then they would have advertised earlier in the season? 5) Yeah that was my thought as well about earlier in the season, but the search area is the same as last year 8) is the area of eukaryotic genetics really open or is there something specific in mind originally for each of the searches? 9) Deadline has been extended to 3/31, not yet reflected in the URL 10) Any updates? (4/23) 11) nothing here as of 4/28 12) no updates as of 5/7 12) emailed to ask for an update today and then got a rejection email 13) Damn, that's cold! 14) Yeah, guess the rest of us will hold off on inquiring. I think my application status used to be "application received" and it's currently "under review", if that's any sign. 15) Received a Zoom invite (5/9) 16) no invite or rejection for me. application is still "under review" on 5/20 | 10 | |
194 | 2/1/2024 9:05:40 | Karlstad University | Sweden | Aquatic Ecology | 2/28/2024 | https://kau.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:684061/iframeEmbedded:0/where:4 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
195 | 1/31/2024 12:21:36 | University of Hawaii Manoa | Hawaii | Water Resources | 1/31/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4308810/assistant-specialist-0084260 | Assistant Specialist (Asst Prof equivalent) | Tenure Stream | 3/27/24 15:33 | Posted on the review date :'(, 2) might be worth still applying, I've had UH review my application post review date before 3) Contacted for zoom interview 2/23 x 2 and FWIW, I submitted my app 2 days after review date 4) Any news?, 5) UH advertised the seminars on a list serv so looks like interview invites went out | 2 | |
196 | 1/30/2024 13:13:33 | HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology & Colorado State University | Colorado | Genomics, Plant Breeding | 4/1/2024 | https://hudsonalpha.applicantpro.com/jobs/3211389 | Rank Open | Non-Profit Research Organization | 2/11/24 17:44 | This is not a fixed term position. It closest to a research assistant professor, or a junior faculty in the European system. 2) Is it different from the faculty investigator, which is the PI term used in HudsonAlpha? If so, it should be moved to the Fixed-Term Faculty jobs tab. 3) this is a permanent staff scientist position. different from PI, but not fixed-term. 4) OP here, thanks #3, thats right. You'll also have PI status. 5) I am a bit confused. Will this position belong to someone else's funding or lead a group (lab) as a PI? | 1 | |
197 | 1/30/2024 12:55:16 | Auburn University | Alabama | Disease Ecology | 2/13/2024 | https://www.auemployment.com/postings/43057 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/7/24 11:39 | SC member note: there is a typo in the title of the job ad but this is an open rank search. The ad should be updated in the next couple of days. 1) Was this a failed search from last year? The same position was posted last year, I think. SC member again) no, this is a new search building on the success from last year and looking to expand in this area. 2) Where should application materials be uploaded? There are only spots for cover letter, CV, and transcripts. 3) Any updates? | 1 | |
198 | 1/29/2024 13:20:48 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Forestry and Environmental Conservation | 2/26/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140030 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 3/13/24 10:30 | SC member here, please ask any questions! Most courses to be taught are wildlife or -ologies. (1) What is the budgeted salary? SC) I can't answer that. That would be between candidate and department chair. But, faculty salaries should be publicly available; maybe check for those to get a range. (2) I assume desired start date is August 2024? SC) Fall 24 would be the ideal start date. (3) why is is non-ts? is the a 100% teaching role? (SC) Yes, it is 100% teaching appointment, which is non-ts at Clemson. (4) 1st round interview invites sent March 8th. | 1 | |
199 | 1/29/2024 9:13:49 | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota | Forest Systems Social-Ecological Spatial Analysis | 2/25/2024 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=1&FOCUS=Applicant&JobOpeningId=359470&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/16/24 15:29 | Any SC members here that can provide more insight into this search? Thanks! 1) Any news? 2) Nope, as of 3/18 3) Zoom interview invite received 3/21 4) updates about on campus interviews? 5) nothing here 4/11 6) on campus interview invite received 4/16 | 4 | |
200 | 1/29/2024 7:18:03 | University of Illinois Chicago | Illinois | Biology | 3/1/2024 | https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/8377?c=uic | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 4/4/24 7:38 | Faculty position coordinating Biological Sciences Teaching lab. 2) why does it say "clinical" in the title but its just an NTT teaching position? Answered my own question: apparently UIC calls all NTT teaching-exclusive positions "clinical" 3) A lot of institutions call teaching positions "clinical" 4) Zoom interview 4/3 | 1 | |
201 | 1/28/2024 5:11:38 | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Norway | Evolutionary Genomics of Vertebrates | 3/1/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/255217/associate-professor-in-evolutionary-genomics-of-vertebrates | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
202 | 1/27/2024 10:57:12 | University of Florida | Florida | Microbiology and Cell Science | 2/15/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/530037 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/26/24 10:51 | "preferred areas of environmental microbiology or natural product interactions between host and microbe". Based in Ft. Lauderdale. 1) zoom invite 2/26. x2 2) in-person invite. 3) Congrats, @2!! That's so quick...! 4) @2 congrats! When did the in-person invite send? thanks 5) 2 again.. thank you! I got it mid March. They are indeed moving fast! | 4 | |
203 | 1/27/2024 9:29:18 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Agroecology | 3/15/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/517425/senior-agroecologist | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/1/24 6:25 | Based at Kellogg Biological Station. 1) If only I were more senior! This seems like a great place to work. X3 | ||
204 | 1/27/2024 7:25:52 | USGS | California | Center Director | 2/16/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/773149500 | GS 15 | Government | 2/27/24 11:34 | A center director within the Western Ecological Sciences Center 2) GS employee here. This is not an academic job, and these positions are extremely vetted. Unlikely anybody can get this unless you are already a senior-level fed. 3) Another fed employee here - agree with #2. For this GS-14 will be required. This is common on this board to see GS positions posted which is weird because academics with no prior time in the level below the posted GS level will not be competitive. And yes, you'll get passed over for somebody without a PhD but they had the time in the right GS level. 4) It is definitely not impossible to become a fed employee starting at GS14. It's rare, it won't happen for a recent postdoc, but it definitely could happen for someone with experience and a strategic planning/implementation background. | ||
205 | 1/26/2024 11:32:40 | Leibniz Universität Hannover | Germany | Vegetation Ecology, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics | 3/6/2024 | https://www.researchgate.net/job/1007445_University_Professorship_m_f_d_in_Vegetation_Ecology_Biodiversity_and_Ecosystem_Dynamics | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 10:28 | Department member here: Bioinformatics broadly defined, including: stochastic/mechanistic modeling, genomics/proteomics, artificial intelligence (AI), global environmental change, or other big data computational subfields relating to biomedical or environmental sciences. Additionally, ad says screening begins on January 18 but the applications are still open due to the ad going out over the holidays, and the job will remain posted until filled 2) PhD by Dec. 15th 2023 seems random with a start date of August 2024. 3) Probably because the search committee doesn't want to invest time in reviewing apps for people that plan to but may not actually have a PhD by the start date. | ||
206 | 1/25/2024 21:45:15 | University of Washington | Washington | Biology teaching | 2/22/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130337 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 4/23/24 8:28 | Two positions. "The initial appointment is for three years, with the possibility of renewal. Successful candidates are expected to contribute to teaching efforts in any area of Biology. The base salary range for this position will be $7,277 - $8,700 per month on a 9-month basis ($65,493 - $78,300 annually)" 1) note that the app requires a 10-minute teaching demo video... 2) virtually impossible to live off that salary in Seattle x3 3) Wowza. 4) Salary definitely sucks, but funny to say it is 'virtually impossible to live' on a salary that is above the median for the city. 5) Virtually impossible for someone with a PhD to live on that salary 6) People with PhD's have exactly the same basic needs as people without PhD's. The classism of #5 is appalling. x3 7) @6 - pretty sure that is the point 5 was making 8) Speaking from first-hand experience (I lived in Seattle and did a postdoc at UW), that salary is barely more than what a postdoc makes (several years ago). Additionally, you could NEVER afford a house on that salary, even if one is fortunate to have dual-income. I'm gonna say it: that salary is a straight up joke. Give people livable wages. Take from your grossly overpaid provosts and athletics coaches. 9) Some (like #5) might be joking around, but right or wrong it is common here that livable wage means livable firmly within the bounds of upper middle class that I have come to expect. 10) 8 again here, @9 I understand where you are coming from, and some people might be classist. But I can say for myself, having grown up on welfare, in section 8 housing, and going without meals, when I say livable wage, I mean a wage where one can afford a house, a car, and the basic necessities of life. I'm not speaking from a place of wanting extravagance. I grew up dirt poor, paid and clawed my way through a PhD, and I just want to earn a fair wage. This wage ain't that (neither are most professor positions TBH), and I feel that it is a disgrace for places to pay such little money (from working class to advanced degree positions) when they pay their coaches 4.2 million per year. 11) @4, apparently you are not familiar with a thing called a cost of living. 12) Shouldn't this go in the fixed-term tab? AP) Three-years plus possible renewal is pretty permanent? 13) Pretty sure public K-12 teacher salaries in Seattle are higher than this one.14) Public K-12 salaries are higher in Seattle. This salary demonstrates the department's priorities and the amount of respect they have for undergraduate education. 15) As a former post doc at UW, who made 73K/year, it's livable if you live in a small apartment on a budget, and are okay with never saving much and having no chance at ever purchasing a home. x3 16) current UW postdoc with 65k/year currently living in a basement where the temperature of my living space is up to the folks upstairsx2 17) Yeah, you're not going to get rich with this, but also don't compare it to a postdoc salary. 9 month vs 12 month is a big difference when it is only teaching.Those three month could be used to earn extra income or just as time off, which is a very valuable arrangement for certain people x2 18) It's also a lot more than most teaching only positions.19) @17 please check your bias- "only teaching" is pretty harsh 17) @19, sorry, that definitely came across wrong. I meant the only obligations are for the teaching/academic year. I currently have a job without summer obligations and I value that aspect. 20) It's fair to compare it to a first-year teacher with a BA who will earn $70K teaching in public schools, have far more job security, regular pay increases, and maybe a decade's head start on retirement. x2 21) median school teacher salary in seattle is 63k, typical range extends from 55 to 70. Folks on the higher end of that scale will have a Master's degree. 20) https://www.seattlewea.org/file_viewer.php?id=56673 21) postding a poorly annotated spreadsheet with no context or explanation is not the slam dunk you think it is... 22) Normalize people NOT defending shamefully low wages. And to the point, normalize tenured professors actually using their power to advocate for better wages for others. And before anyone starts with a rebuttal, I am very familiar with the workings/politics at UW and the subtext here is definitely well-informed. 20) @22, I posted the link for brevity. Step 1 (lowest step) BA salary is in the top row, left column, $70,307. Chill, no one's trying to dunk on you. 21) Another potentially apt comparison is to a TT assistant prof salary in the same department. This is not a *little* lower. And that the median earnings for someone with a bachelor's degree in Seattle in 2022 was $90,159. 23) I put the typical starting salary for a lecturer at my insitution into a couple of cost of living comparision calculators. It translates to $70k in Seattle. If you think it is low, it is definitely not a problem unique to this university or city. | ||
207 | 1/25/2024 11:20:20 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Nebraska | Biology | 2/26/2024 | https://employment.unl.edu/postings/89605 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 1/25/24 11:27 | This is an Assistant Professor of Practice position: teaching-focused, promotable, non-tenure track position with a multi-year renewable contract. | 1 | |
208 | 1/24/2024 13:44:24 | Georgia Southern University | Georgia | Bioinformatics | 2/2/2024 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 10:29 | Department member here: Bioinformatics broadly defined, including: stochastic/mechanistic modeling, genomics/proteomics, artificial intelligence (AI), global environmental change, or other big data computational subfields relating to biomedical or environmental sciences. Additionally, ad says screening begins on January 18 but the applications are still open due to the ad going out over the holidays, and the job will remain posted until filled 2) PhD by Dec. 15th 2023 seems random with a start date of August 2024. 3) Probably because the search committee doesn't want to invest time in reviewing apps for people that plan to but may not actually have a PhD by the start date. | 3 | |
209 | 1/22/2024 16:27:03 | Bowling Green State University | Ohio | Watershed Sciences / Aquatic Ecology / Limnology | 2/8/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/bgsu/jobs/4337885/founding-director-center-for-great-lakes-and-watershed-studies | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/23/24 9:16 | Hiring the Founding Director of the Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies at BGSU. Seeking internationally recognized scientists whose research expertise is in any area related to aquatic systems or watershed science. Position could come with named endowed professorship. | 1 | |
210 | 1/22/2024 9:51:46 | University of Missouri – St. Louis | Missouri | Botanical Studies | 2/15/2024 | https://erecruit.umsystem.edu/psc/tamext/STLOU/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=11&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=11&JobOpeningId=50233&PostingSeq=1 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/2/24 13:02 | 1) "E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professorship in Botanical Studies. Successful candidates will have an active research program that incorporates ecology, evolution, and conservation approaches to understanding plant diversity. The application review process will start in mid-February 2024 and will continue until the position is filled." 2) Zoom interviews scheduled 3) In-person interview scheduled 4) Position was filled. See: https://x.com/LaMontagneLab/status/1819025021639016690 | 1 | |
211 | 1/19/2024 12:37:37 | Natural History Museum Bern | Switzerland | Entomology / Malacology / Arachnology | 3/15/2024 | https://www.nmbe.ch/de/museum/aktuelles/kuratorin-fuer-entomologiemalakologiearachnologie | Curator | Museum | 11/13/24 16:36 | "Very good linguistic skills in German and English, French desired" 1) bern is a lovely place! 2) Do they want someone fluent in 3 spoken languages? Or someone able to translate museum records/labels with a dictionary? 3) As the spoken language in Switzerland is both Swiss German and French they have notoriously very strict requirements for other language skills besides English. 4) I am from the USA doing a postdoc in Bern right now. It is common for people to only speak one of the national languages + English. You would want to learn German anyway, since that is the common vernacular and helps to fit in over the long term. Also, getting a permanent residence permit requires at least an intermediate level. Beware that the Bernese German is quite different from High German. French is also useful as the neighboring Cantons are French speaking. Bern is a beautiful city, the museum is great, and the Curators are very nice. I would highly recommend looking into this if you are up for the cultural change. 5) Yea to support 4's statement you shoudl apply if you know either but knowing German does not mean you know Swiss German. Each valley has a slightly different dialetc that becomes quite a bit different when high mountains are involved. Also just to note Italian is also a national language and I feel like if you know that you should also add it on an application. The language requirment will be there so you can speak to staff - it will be more than just reading 6)Rejection 4/26 | 1 | |
212 | 1/18/2024 12:34:40 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Horticultural Food Crop Physiology | 2/14/2024 | https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/59021 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/22/24 10:16 | plant-environment relationships, responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, nutritional quality and postharvest physiology, climate change adaptation, and/or related research. 2) Any updates here? 3) Updates? Anyone here apply for this or just me? | 1 | |
213 | 1/18/2024 12:27:21 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Plant Pathology | 2/14/2024 | https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/59023 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/12/24 7:14 | Using a variety of biological, biorational, evolutionary, or other approaches, the successful candidate may focus on sustainable approaches to plant disease management, strategies to enhance crop biosecurity, or understanding and improving host plant resistance to pathogens. 2) Rejection email 3/11 | 1 | |
214 | 1/18/2024 12:24:31 | Idaho Department of Fish and Game | Idaho | Quantitative Wildlife Ecology | 1/31/2024 | https://statecareers.idaho.gov/jobs/13816078-principal-wildlife-research-biologist | Supervisor | Government | 1/19/24 8:03 | The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking a Principal Wildlife Research Biologist to plan, supervise, and conduct research for wildlife projects. This position will be part of the Wildlife Research team and will supervise the Data Analytics program to guide and facilitate methodological development and applied wildlife research projects on a wide variety of wildlife species (e.g., elk, deer, wolves, etc.) and a broad array of topics relevant to wildlife conservation and management (e.g., silviculture and wildlife, wind energy and wildlife, etc.). The position will be stationed at the headquarters office in Boise. Although the position only requires an MS, they are looking for a PhD-level researcher. 1) Salary not bad right out of postdoc, but a bit of a bummer compared to federal PhD level. | ||
215 | 1/17/2024 7:27:20 | University of Winnipeg | Canada | Quantitative Ecology | 2/25/2024 | https://www.northstarats.com/University-of-Winnipeg/Tenure-Track-Assistant-Professor-in-Quantitative-Ecology-Ecological-Modelling-Department-of-Biology/81103 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/16/24 13:45 | Canadian Citizens and Permanent residents will be given priority. (1) I think it can be argued that this requirement works against canadians and not for them. eg apparently the UBC job has nobody who is Canadian (I haven't confirmed this). Just apply 2) How can it work against Canadians? (3) Say a US American ranks first and Canadians rank 2, 3 and 4, all hirable. The institution, after offering the job to the US-American, cannot formally offer it to any of the Canadians because they would have to be 'non-hirable' in order for the US-American to get the job over them. If you just interview all non-Canadians, you don't encounter this sort of disqualification If the US-American declines, they'd have to fail the search 4) what about Asian applicants is there any chance for them? for example applicants from Turkey and IRAN 5) @3 technically this is true, but for the search committees I've been on (including ubc), whether candidates were canadian or american did not factor into compiling the short list. I've only seen this come into play when making the initial offer, which if anything ended up working in favour of the canadians, as the committee had to consider if it was worth the risk to offer the job to the american if it seemed like they might not accept. (+1) (6) for what it's worth I know some universities will pretty much only interview Canadians because they can't get americans past HR. *shrug* 7) The job posting says that candidates who submit by Feb 16 will get full consideration, so perhaps better to submit by then; 8) Received notification I was short-listed to interview, but the hire has been frozen until the next fiscal year. No further details yet, unfortunately 03/26. (9) So sorry to hear this. The consequences of international student freeze, perhaps? 10) yes, i believe so 11) :( (9) It's not looking good for Canadian jobs for the next 5–6 years, folks! 12) There's another search here (Microbiology) that closed 2/16 and seems to still be running their search. Weird that this would vary. (13) EEB will generally be cut before other fields with more applied topics. I imagine many microbiology folks will apply to CIHR, but few in EEB would. (14) I was told the reason is that the searches were progressing at different rates (micro had already arranged interviews, ecol hadn't. (15) 16 Apr: Position is back on and interview offers made | 2 | |
216 | 1/16/2024 16:05:53 | University of Victoria | Canada | Science | 3/4/2024 | https://www.uvic.ca/science/math-statistics/assets/docs/hiring-docs/science-indigenous-positions.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/10/24 12:25 | Specifically targeting Indigenous scholars. Open to all sciences (including EcoEvo). (1) I love this town x3. 2) the selection will be limited to Indigenous peoples. (3) As a cis white male, it's nice to see tenure jobs targeting Indigenous scientists x2 (4) Glad it's a call for a scientist who is Indigenous, not a call for a professor of "Indigenous Science" like I've seen below. (4) References have been requested to help generate shortlist | 1 | |
217 | 1/16/2024 10:56:06 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Biotic Interactions | 1/25/2024 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/43953/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/7/24 8:42 | (1) Jeez, does this place ever hire at Asst Prof equivalent level? 2) in the UK (and in some parts of europe) it's often more common for junior folk to get jobs through grant fellowships rather than advertised positions 3) yeah, in the UK it's *very* common for people to get onto the TT through independent fellowships (which exist for both research and teaching career paths). To my knowledge there's not really anything equivalent in the US. There are also non-TT group leader positions that pop up now and again at the fancy research institutes. Open calls for TT lecturers/asst profs are pretty rare across the UK. 4) I'm not sure if this is true in the past, but recently there have been many permanent EEB-related lecturer / assistant professor postions advertised, perhaps due people moving away from the UK after Brexit 3) @4, I'm not sure how much Brexit has to do with it, but the UK is losing research talent to other countries. Low salaries and limited funding opportunities make research difficult here. 4) don't know if it is super appropriate here, but they also have a nation-wide ban on certain dog breeds and mixed breeds. 5) @4 lol "If I can't own a pitbull, I'm not taking that TT position at Cambridge!" (6) Only Bully XL! 7) @6 I thought Bully XL was a grime MC. 8) These comments are very entertaining - UK academic. 9) The data don't lie- there's a clear relationship between pitbull declines in the UK and decline of research funding. x3 10) UK academic from the US system: there are many assistant professor positions that are advertised each year. The funding for EcoEvo research is very nice--access to Horizon Europe and specialized calls through the UK NSF equivalent. Moreover many foundation funders have open calls (Wellcome now has >5M grant calls on climate change). Sure salary is lower, but in many cases the cost of living is lower. No healthcare bills. The idea of brain drain because of Brexit is anecdotal. 11) The position is closed in UK time now...and I must be the only applicant! I'm a shoo-in. <just kidding> 12) Any updates on this search? 13) Rejection email received x2 | 1 | |
218 | 1/16/2024 10:56:06 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Evolutionary Networks | 1/25/2024 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/43903/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
219 | 1/16/2024 10:56:06 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Integrative & Systems Neuroscience | 1/25/2024 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/43391/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
220 | 1/16/2024 7:41:40 | US Airforce Academy | Colorado | Biology | 2/5/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/767773500 | Asst Prof | Government | 3/1/24 15:53 | 1) Does anyone have insght into the work environment here as a civilian? 2) I've heard positive things. Specifically, they are restructuring their promotional approaches to be more similar to tenure systems which are only for civilians, not for enlisted faculty. Also, I've heard that the students salute you when you walk into the classroom/lecture hall which would be kind of cool. 3) Does anyone know if this is a second hire or if the search from August failed? 4) Seems to be different. The previous search was for a course coordinator kind of role. This seems to be more specific for an evolutionary biologist instructor. 5) Updates? 6) Nothing yet, says applications are in review on my USAjobs portal 7) Good to know. Also, it says 48 applicants, which is slightly more than 10x the # that say they appilied here. A bit of validation that 10x # applied works (roughly). 8) Zoom interview request 1 Mar. | 4 | |
221 | 1/16/2024 5:55:56 | Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana | Molecular and cellular biology | 2/15/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178662634&Title=Lecturer%20Position%20in%20Biology | Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | 2/23/24 12:37 | Non-tenure track lecturer position to teach an experiential research course; additional respsonsibilities include teaching introductory and/or upper-level undergraduate courses; research expertise in Eukaryotic Molecular and Cellular Biology is preferred; initial appointments are for three years, though this is intended to be a long-term position with a promotion track. | ||
222 | 1/15/2024 12:43:33 | Wageningen University | Netherlands | Land Remote Sensing | 1/22/2024 | https://www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/assistant-or-associate-professor-in-land-remote-sensing.htm | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
223 | 1/13/2024 10:56:33 | University of Turku | Finland | Environmental Ecology / Conservation Biology | 2/13/2024 | https://ats.talentadore.com/apply/ymparistoekologian-suojelubiologian-professori-tai-apulaisprofessori-tenure-track/m2ryMA?lang=en&UTUID=20128 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2 | |||
224 | 1/12/2024 11:25:44 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Vertebrate Curator | 1/16/2024 | https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7426/872552515 | Asst / Assoc Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 3/3/24 8:49 | 1-2 positions in Ichthyology or Herpetology. 2) well, I missed that vacancy. What was it open a week, not widely advertised. I bet one of two people will get this position, and one works there, the other graduated from there. The INHS never has major vacancies like this open for such a short window. 3) Sus 4) tailor-made for one of the people currently working there, though I know they have applied elsewhere. 5) @4 and @1, are they herp or fish people? @5) Yes, both. But, like #4 said. At least the person I know deserves it, big time. 6) Anyone hear for sure if this was an inside job? 7) No news 16 Feb x2 8) Search closed without a hire email 27 Feb 9) How do you go from 1-2 positions to zero? 10) I wonder the same. I got the email saying the search ended without a hire and that they're re-evaluating the need for the position or re-working the job description, and then say that if they decide to open the hire again I am welcome to re-apply?!??? 10) there is a new INHS job above, for one higher than this position (director). Maybe they decided one of the candidates here was better served as director and so they will re-do the curator job if they have money? 11) Or they decided it would be better to hire the director first before choosing curators? 12) Guess I'll keep my eye open. I missed the earlier advertised position. My guess? The internal hire was assumed, not real and they made the deadline so short without widespread advertising that few applied. Just a guess. No inside info. I look at this as good news! 13) was that | 4 | |
225 | 1/12/2024 5:54:53 | Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland | Canada | Marine & Fisheries Ecosystems | 4/1/2024 | https://www.mun.ca/hr/careers/employment-opportunity/?id=4890 | Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 5/15/24 12:13 | Successful applicants will be required to develop a dynamic, internationally recognized and grant supported research program focusing largely on Atlantic or Arctic marine ecosystems, have excellent communication skills, and a strong commitment to supervise graduate students. The ability to work collaboratively with industry, fish harvesters, academic colleagues, and government agencies is also important. (1) This is a permanent, faculty position with minimal teaching requirements (only graduate program in School). Seeking experience in at least one of: Biological Oceanography, Marine Invertebrate Ecology, Quantitative Fisheries Stock Assessment, Coastal Ecology 2) the advert reads like they are recruiting multiple people? Also is it really just a resume/CV when I click the apply button there are no additional instructions, just a document upload option… 3) Any news on this one? 05/14 4) May 15, 2024 - shortlist has been notified | 1 | |
226 | 1/12/2024 4:14:35 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Animal Ecology - Evolutionary Ecology | 2/15/2024 | https://www.jobb.uu.se/details/?positionId=664366&languageId=1 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/12/24 11:18 | How strict is the Assoc Prof level? Can Assist. Prof half way through their TT time apply? (1) Even post-docs can apply for Assoc Prof prositions in sweden. 2) Thanks! 3) Note though the requirements for teaching for this add. Specific course work in pedagogics, or equivalent, is required, and this is rarely acheived at the postdoc level. They also specify that they are looking for a "senior lecturer". 4) despite what 3 says I second that postdocs can be competitive for these types of positions. Even if you don't have the exact pedagogy experience, just explain what you do have (TA training or whatever). 5) @1 & 4 I just read the "Instruction for applicants" and holy moly that is extensive! Especially the documentation required for pedagogics. Is this normal for Sweden? (6) Yes—I think this is part of the reason why they get fewer applicants. I spent about 1 week full time converting my NA application for Sweden. 7) I didn't see the specifics of teaching/research ratio, but this seems like a teaching intensive position, am I right? 8) Had the same question. But as they listed "research" before "teaching" throughout their job description I tend to believe this is a research-focussed position but that the teaching has to be excellent nevertheless 8) From my experience this is NOT a teaching intensive position; 25% - 30% teaching is common for this type of positions 9) Is this position filled? I can't find the job advertised anymore 2/8/24 10) I hope not. I already spent a huge amount of time bringing everything into the requested shape. In their application submission system, it says "Please Note: The last application date has passed and your application has not been sent." 11) I contacted the chair. The search has been cancelled and will be re-openend by the end of the year 12) Thanks @11 (+1) | 1 | |
227 | 1/11/2024 18:06:34 | University of the Virgin Islands | US Virgin Islands | Biology | https://careers.uvi.edu/postings/6925 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 3/20/24 8:10 | The expected closing date is the end of February. 1) $60-65K. Wow. Just wow. 2) I don't know that I've seen "assistant prof" positions before that aren't tenure-track, anyone know what that means? Are you just an assistant prof forever with no promotional opportunties? 3) I was told by a faculty member that one year their contract was not renewed and they had to wait until the next year to work again. They went a full year in the USVI unemployed. 4) I have worked at UVI and I am now an adjunct (TT elsewhere). I spend about a month per year there. It is an odd place. Some folks thrive, and others cannot wait to leave. @2, Research faculty are not TT - only teaching faculty (very strange). I only know of one research faculty member who was fired, and have been working with UVI folks for ~15 yrs. Not sure about the bio dept's expectations (worked mostly with the marine department), but there seems to be a lot of flexibility to flesh out your program with research/teaching - if you get a bunch of grants, awesome, if not, teach more... May not be true across departments. They have trouble holding on to good people - living in the VI can be challenging. But I have lifelong friends who could work almost anywhere who would never leave... Happy to discuss more. I will add @2 that promotion still occurs for non-TT faculty, on similar schedules to what you'd expect. 2) @ 4 thank you for your perspective on this - are you able to comment on how it is for faculty on that $60-65k salary for local cost of living/quality of life? 4again) @2 - it would be tight. That's about what I made as a postdoc there almost 10 yrs ago. I do assume it's a 9mo salary -- $85k would obviously be better. Rent is not cheap, and neither is property. Another consideration is whether you'd want to live in the VI on any salary -- some love it, some hate it. I loved it (but aknowledge the difficult aspects, like clean water, electricity, grocery shopping, etc.) -- my partner was over it. 5) I am a current faculty and second everything said by #4. 60-65k is not much, but it is doable if you don't have kids (I currently make less than that because I am under an older contract). As #4 mentioned, this value is for a 9-month contract and you can make more if you have grants or are willing to teach during the summer. USVI has its challenges (it is an island, you don't have many choices, and everything is more expensive) but also its advantages (it is a tropical island and you can enjoy tropical beaches and snorkeling with turtles in just a few minutes). As USVI, the UVI also has its pros and cons. Sometimes, things move too slowly, and papers get lost somewhere. However, I have received every salary on the correct day so far. Colleagues, including the Dean and the Chair, are friendly and always willing to help (e.g., sharing material from previous courses you may teach). The educational system in the Territory is not the best, so many students get into the university underprepared. But they are overall super kind and classes are small. The teaching load is high and it is challenging to do research. That said, you will not feel pressured to have many publications or get several grants. My general advice: if you like to teach and are looking for a laid-back place, UVI may be the right place. If your priority is research or making money, maybe not so much. @5) Can you comment on what the typical teaching load generally is each semester? 7) #5 again. The teaching load is 12 credits per semester. You can buy release time with grants. | |||
228 | 1/11/2024 8:05:50 | USGS | Maryland | Waterbirds | 1/17/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/769716500 | GS 12 | Government | 2/27/24 12:50 | Permanent federal reseach position; promotional potential up to GS 15. Two nearly identical listings https://www.usajobs.gov/job/769715800 (2) They are for the same job-- one is the link for current/former employees I think (3) both are open to the public but it seems like they are the same job so idk if this was just an hr error 4) not *all* public :} 'Open to current or former Federal employees w/perm comp status; OR those eligible under a special or noncomp appointing authority (e.g., disabled,...' | ||
229 | 1/10/2024 15:17:19 | Laurentian University | Canada | Entomology | 3/1/2024 | https://www.universityaffairs.ca/jobs/job-preview.php?job_id=64328 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 6:55 | Candidates with expertise in zoonotic pathogens and vector-borne diseases will be prioritized. (1) All applicants should familiarize themselves with this institution's recent firing of many tenured faculty x8 (2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Laurentian_University_financial_crisis (3) Also need to be bilingual (English and French) 4) Not to mention they took/spent money from faculty federal grants and were (still are?) in debt to NSERC; 5) How do they measure 'functional bilingualism' vs. 'pasive bilingualism'? I have previously been assessed at the intermediate level in French and am fluent in English, making me want to say I am 'functional' rather than just 'passive'. | ||
230 | 1/10/2024 11:31:37 | Saint Mary's University | Canada | Global Change Biology | 1/19/2024 | https://www.academicwork.ca/jobs/tier-2-canada-research-chair-global-change-biology-saint-mary-s-university | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 11:36 | Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. This position is designated for members of the following equity-deserving groups as defined by CRC: racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and women and gender equity-seeking groups. Only candidates that self-identify as belonging to one of these groups will be considered. [general discussion of how CRCs are allocated moved to General Discussion -AP] (2) Here is a link straight to posting https://www.academicdiversitysearch.com/job/saint-marys-university-tier-2-canada-research-chair-global-change-biology/ 3) Any updates? 4) I haven't heard anything yet x4 5) still nothing on 2/15 x4 6) still nothing on 2/22. This is taking a long time, unless the people who have heard are not on this board 7) still nothing 3/1 8) has anyone emailed them? 9) Emailed the chair, we should hear by late next week 10) Thanks, 9. Is "late next week" the week of March 11? 9) oops yes, sorry forgot to add the date, we should hear the week of March 11th. 10) well, that didn't happen (as far as I know?) 11) no news here (3/18) *5 12) anything as of 3/25? 13) nope (3/26) but I would love an update from a member of the SC. x4 14) search chair said we would get an update late next week or early the next (today is 3/30) 15) no update here [april 9th] x2, maybe they are waiting to see if all the papers everyone listed as submitted actually publish (joking of course) 16) or maybe there is chaos at SMU https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/union-calls-for-smu-president-to-resign-as-university-faces-financial-woes-1.7168469 17) invited for interview 4/20 | 10 | |
231 | 1/10/2024 9:06:23 | BioBus | Massachusetts | STEM Education and Outreach | 1/17/2024 | https://jobs.lever.co/biobus.org/d7561348-85d8-4a01-8581-9e6cab1a53ed | Director | NGO | 1/11/24 10:28 | This is not a PhD-level job so not sure it applies here? 1) There are no rules saying that all jobs here must be at the PhD level. This job requires an advanced degree so it may be of interest to some PhD holders. 2) I don't have any problem with this job being here, but the instructions at the top of the sheet do ask for PhD-level jobs. AP) It's listed as "masters or above" so let's leave it | ||
232 | 1/10/2024 2:04:01 | University of Helsinki | Finland | Terrestrial Ecology | 2/29/2024 | https://jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki-Professor-or-AssistantAssociate-Professor-in-Terrestrial-Ecosystem-Ecology/784539702/?feedId=350602&utm_source=CareerSite_UniversityOfHelsinki | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/19/24 18:57 | Helsinki is such a lovely city to live in x3 2) Anyone have experience preparing the kind of documents they're looking for and have advice to offer? Pretty different from the "standard" US/Canada documents I see. 3) Looked at last year's board and for a position then they sent out rejections in 24 days. Here's hoping that speed keeps up this year. 4) No news 3/26 5) any news? I haven't heard anything as of Apr15... x2 6) Received an email about being on the short list. 4/19 | 2 | |
233 | 1/9/2024 7:30:20 | fRI Research | Canada | Wildlife Biology | 1/15/2024 | https://friresearch.ca/news/job-opportunity-senior-biologist-with-the-grizzly-bear-monitoring-project/ | Wildlife Biologist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 2/23/24 11:46 | Grizzly bear monitoring biologist, based in Hinton AB. Open to candidates with PhD + field experience, main focus will be conducting/coordinating fieldwork during summer field season, with opportunity for candidates to develop role based on their interests/skills. Position open until filled. 2) 1 year term 3) (possible extension of the term based on performance and funding) 4) extension also based on not getting eaten by a bear. 5) @4 yeah but that's true for every position 6) @AP - since this is a fixed term position, shouldn't this go in the fixed-term tab? 7) Can confirm that our department at an R1 will not give you tenure if you get eaten by a bear. 8) To add to @7, I was eaten by a bear and never got tenure. 9) Back when I went through tenure, we had to get eaten by at least 3 bears - kids these days with their soft lifestyles AP) @6 maybe but let's leave it here since it's possible to be extended and I can't bear to miss these puns. 6) @AP makes sense to me! It's bearly an issue, honestly. @7My suggestion is to send the applicant to the winter dens, to measure the den dimension while the bear is sleeping inside, then if he/she could publish the den site selection paper, she/he can be a tenured track faculty member 7) ha, finally got the rejection email for thisone !!! | 1 | |
234 | 1/8/2024 13:57:34 | Paul Smith's College | New York | Wildlife Science | 3/4/2024 | https://www.paulsmiths.edu/humanresources/employment/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/15/24 20:24 | 50-60k salary...yikes. x4. Paul Smith's College may be closing in the next few years, FYI 2) what makes you say so? Its a small school, but they seem to have found their niche as a small liberal arts school in the Adirondacks. Its a desirable area to be for the right person, though I have no interest in dealing with NY winters ever again...3)Offers of employment are made only to candidates authorized to work in the United States 4) Paul Smith's does not offer tenure. They have a system of promotion, but without the safety of tenure. The faculty there are amazing human beings, too. They really know their stuff and are fun to hang out with. 4) PSC has had several articles written about their financial woes, they have been asked to craft a closure plan (but don't have plans to close as far as I know), and they have requested acquisition by The Fedcap Group. I'm not entirely clear on what that means -- just seems weird. 5) https://www.romesentinel.com/townnews/university/embattled-college-overhauls-operations-in-bid-to-move-forward/article_daf207b6-427e-11ee-820f-dfbf80817357.html | 1 | |
235 | 1/8/2024 12:25:39 | Mississippi University for Women | Mississippi | Ecology | https://muw.peopleadmin.com/postings/5774 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | |||||
236 | 1/8/2024 10:46:19 | Northeastern State University | Oklahoma | Limnology / Ichthyology | 2/1/2024 | https://nsuok.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/4761?c=nsuok | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/29/24 12:56 | 60k salary oh wow. x4 (2) Not surprising at all. This is pretty standard salary for a regional PUI. We can express that we'd like it to be more, but we should accurately represent it as normal so those new here don't get the wrong idea. And it should be discussed in undergrad classes - faculty don't get rich. x2 | ||
237 | 1/5/2024 13:26:33 | Penn State University | Pennsylvania | Virus Ecology | 3/15/2024 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Assistant-Professor_REQ_0000051274-1?source=HigherEdJobs | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/2/24 9:14 | 1) Review date is not listed on job posting 2) Note that link to Huck Institutes is really helpful, as they can provide substantial resources above what most faculty members receive. 3) Search chair confirmed by email that review start date is March 15; this was also reply-tweeted by Seth Bordenstein. | 1 | |
238 | 1/5/2024 7:31:20 | University of Florida | Florida | Forest Pathology | 1/31/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/529597/assistant-professor-forest-pathologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/6/24 6:36 | 1) several faculty have left UF recently and more are looking to leave. It's a hard place to be as a scientist atm. 2) What's going on inside? X2 3) FL has term limits for the governor. Hopefully things will get better in a few years. Hopefully . . . To #2, just Google the governor's attacks on higher ed and DEI. 3) as someone who was a post-doc at UF, I can say the univeristy is more political than others I have been at, but the deans do a good job at protecting faculty. UF was a great place to work and live, and is a top public univeristy in the US. the forest, geomatics and etc department is great and the longevity and caliber of faculty is superb across all departments (espically biology). I would keep an open mind 4) Any updates? 5) In-person interviews offered x3 | 1 | |
239 | 1/5/2024 4:59:49 | Antioch University New England | New Hampshire | Conservation Biology | 1/29/2024 | https://www.antioch.edu/job/aune-es-core-faculty-environmental-studies-with-a-focus-on-conservation-biology/ | Core Faculty | Non-TS Academic | 7/25/24 6:12 | 1) Wasn't familiar with their programs so did some digging that might be useful to others - the NE campus is graduate only. Most of their graduate programs, including the ES MS and PhD, are online or "low residency". Was hard for me to imagine training doctoral students in this fashion, but must work for some. 2) @1 Sounds scammy... 3) A friend of mine got her MS there, and enjoyed it. Sounds a bit scammy yes... but she confirmed it was legit. x2 4) this position seems really odd but I am very tempted to apply because it is close to my family. Also maybe I could make it work? Thoughts? @4: as my PhD advisor would always say, "Don't agonize over applying!" 5) I have a friend there too, it's definitely different from you're standard R1 or R2, but it's legit and a handful of well known folks have been through there (including one of last year's ESA plenary speakers, Susanne Moser). I'd say it's quirky, not scammy, if that's your cup of tea. 5) Antioch is a well-established progressive education institution that bought up a lot of struggling SLACs and has really developed a successful satellite campus model focusing on low-residency programs, many of which cater to non-traditional students.6) Any word on this? 7) Zoom interview invite on Wed. Feb. 7 8) They requested a short video after the first interview due March 6th 9) Hired!!! | 1 | |
240 | 1/4/2024 7:41:54 | Southern Illinois University | Illinois | Biology Education | 2/9/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/siu/jobs/4331867/assistant-professor-biology-education | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/6/24 6:40 | |||
241 | 1/3/2024 18:03:25 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | Fisheries | 1/30/2024 | https://careers.alaska.edu/en-us/job/527380/assistant-professor-of-fisheries-college-of-fisheries-and-ocean-sciences | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/24/24 13:29 | Hiring two positions. Can be based in Juneau or Fairbanks, AK.(1) Fairbanks is cold Juneau seems much warmer (2)any udpadres?(3) Zoom interview invites sent out. | 5 | |
242 | 1/3/2024 17:32:57 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Plant Ecology | 3/27/2024 | https://uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:664365/ | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/4/24 7:36 | This is one of four recent jobs advertised across the Department of Ecology and Genetics. This job is hosted at the Program of Plant Ecology and Evolution. (1) Anybody applying for this? I had checked in. Many comments about salaries, and quality of life in Sweden from other professorship ads apply to this one as well. | 1 | |
243 | 1/3/2024 6:47:13 | Westfield State University | Massachusetts | Microbiology Biotech (one health) | 1/21/2024 | https://westfield.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=170981 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/11/24 10:30 | Is biotechnology ecoevo? 2) No 3) If you aren't thinking about eco or evo implications of your biotech you are probably headed for trouble. 4) @3 true, but I don't see that angle in the job ad 5) SC member here, the description has been left intentionally broad to encourage a breadth of applicants. As a department we have a wide range of specializations and understand that there is value in considering all those who feel they fall under this umbrella. 6) One Health is definitely eco/evo. 7) @6 One Health is also not in the ad AP) Since SC says ecoevo will be considered, we can leave it, but typically it should be clearer from the position | ||
244 | 1/2/2024 23:19:35 | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna | Austria | Forest Ecology | 1/31/2024 | https://boku.ac.at/fileadmin/data/H01000/mitteilungsblatt/MB_2023_24/MB05/Forest_Ecology__final_.pdf | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
245 | 1/2/2024 14:21:52 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Biosystems Modeling | 1/14/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/147281 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 8:37 | Part of six-position cluster in "Agricultural & Ecological Engineering" https://bee.oregonstate.edu/bee/bee-open-faculty-positions (1) zoom interview invite | 2 | |
246 | 1/2/2024 14:21:06 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Landscape Biogeochemistry | 1/14/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/147289 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 8:36 | Part of six-position cluster in "Agricultural & Ecological Engineering" https://bee.oregonstate.edu/bee/bee-open-faculty-positions 1) any word on this one? 2) Confirmation of application receipt (1/19) and said zoom interviews would start in a "few weeks." x2 (3/4) Email saying they moved onto next stage of interview 3) Strange. I got an email confirming receipt of application but nothing re. when zooms would start or having moved on to next stage. 4) Rejection email on 3/4 5) @3 I'm in the same boat, but I turned my app in a day after the due date for *reasons* and think it was / is in limbo 6) @5 -- Aha, mine was also one day late. The ad said that the posting would remain open after the deadline but I think you're right, we must be in some sort of backup pool. 5 again) @3 I had an exchange with their HR about the deadline, asking for my app to be reviewed with the regular pool. HR said the search committee wouldn't review it with the on-time pool, but might review all after-deadlines together, depending; I've not received clarification on whether they decided to look at those or not. 5 again) they've scheduled on-campus interviews with 2 candidates. sounds like they didn't review any applications submitted after full consideration deadline. 3 again) @5 -- thanks for that info. Too bad, the job ad made it sound like they would consider applications after the deadline and 1 day late doesn't seem like a big deal during a time of year that people are traveling, ill, etc. Ah well. 5 again) @3 very much agreed! the wording in the job post could've been clearer w.r.t. their search procedures | 4 | |
247 | 12/29/2023 11:57:24 | Ahmedabad University | India | Biological & Life Sciences | 1/20/2024 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/654283/professor-assistant-associate-professor-in-biological-and-life-sciences/ | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 12/29/23 11:58 | "Faculty specialising in ... ecology and evolutionary biology are especially encouraged to apply." | ||
248 | 12/28/2023 11:34:33 | Cornell University | New York | Forest Ecosystem Sustainability | 1/31/2024 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/654157/assistant-associate-professor-of-forest-ecosystem-sustainability/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/16/24 9:03 | 1) The preview of the job ad says applications are accepted until 14 Jan, but both further down in the ad and on the link to apply for the job it says 31 Jan. 2) the version on the Cornell HR website makes no mention of 14 Jan. I'd assume that's a mistake 3) it says 2/29 on the academic job page 4) I just saw that too @3. It wasn't that date before and I already applied before the original deadline. I wonder if we can update materials. (2/11) 5) Any updates on this search? 5) not even closed for submission. 6) new developments? 7) Nothing here :( x2 8) The updated closing date was 2/29, so it hasn't been that long. There's still hope. (3/12) 8) Still no update here? 9) same curiosity here. with a DL of 3/1, 2 wks past seem reasonable to reach initial decisons (3/15) 10) Another search from the same College (for entomology) shows about a month after the close is when people reported Zoom interviews. 11) updates? folks. 3/20 12) none here x2 13) I bet they have already moved forwards with some candidates. 14) @13 I mean this is not even close to the longest delay we've ever seen before Zoom invitations 15) zoom invite 3/29 16) update? 4/16 17） interview done 2 wks ago, was told a decision be made this week. 18) anyone gets onsite invite? 4/23) 19) Received an email today 4/24 that my application was received and that they'd be reviewing applications and would hopefully respond by mid-May. 20） @19, what? does this mean they haven't yet found candidates for onsite? 19 again) I don't know what it means. 21) I received the same email. x2 22) It was probably a system glitch honestly. 23) Why would it be a system glitch? x2 24) Because it doesn't make sense to send this email to a few people including people who did not get a zoom interview. 25) I wonder if those who got the email also applied to the other position. 26) Which other position? 27) any one gets a sense of on-site interviews being completed? any updates? | 9 | |
249 | 12/27/2023 18:35:34 | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center | Maryland | Coastal Landscape Ecology | 1/3/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/767917000/ | Supervisory Research Ecologist (GS-13) | Government | 1/15/24 17:36 | 1) Only open for 5 business days. My limited understanding of these things would indicate that there's a contractor being eyed for this position. 2) Overlapping New Year's is a nice touch. 3) SERC is absolutely lovely to work for and with, and the people are fantastic. If you can, you should apply for this position. Not someone on the current hiring committee just someone who has previously worked there. 4) I applied to a position open for less than a week earlier this year. Yeah this is pretty much a done deal 5) Five-day application windows are not uncommon for Federal Positions. HR is lazy and does whatever they can to reduce the number of applicants. Not wise to assume there is an in-house candidate just for this reason. 6) GS-12 and GS-13 requires 1-2 years experience in a GS-11 position generally. 7) These job searches usually move pretty fast - curious if anyone has heard anything. | 3 | |
250 | 12/23/2023 11:56:21 | Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 | France | Biodiversity Dynamics | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/Jobs//ULyon.BiodiversityDynamics | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | |||||
251 | 12/23/2023 11:53:00 | University of Vienna | Austria | Marine Biology | 1/10/2024 | https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/jobs-recruiting/professuren/detail-seite/news/marine-biology/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
252 | 12/23/2023 8:19:00 | USDA Agricultual Research Service | Idaho | Watershed Management | 1/23/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/767549800 | GS 14-15 | Government | This position is a high-level government scientist position that is usually intended for someone already in the federal/ARS system. | |||
253 | 12/23/2023 7:01:44 | University of South Carolina | South Carolina | Biology | 2/28/2024 | https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/biological_sciences/about/bridge_to_faculty_search.php | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/21/24 6:24 | PhD awarded July, 1 2019 or after. This is a "Bridge to Faculty" position that begins with a 2 year postdoctoral period before transitioning to tenure-track. 2) Nothing in the ad restricts the area to "evolutionary biology". Is this a consequence of the ad being posted to evoldir? 3) Restricted to US citizens or permanent residents 4) I was first excited but then pissed off upon seeing this citizenship/green card restriction... 5) @4 is it about funding source maybe? 6) @4 same. I'm thinking of applying anyway and seeing what happens. It's perfect for me IMHO 7) anyone have any news here? 8) Zoom Interview Request 3/21 (x2) 9) any updates? 10) LOR requested on 3/26, nothing else x2 11) On campus interview invite, 4/10 12) Congrats! (x2) | 4 | |
254 | 12/22/2023 11:51:18 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Microbial Evolution & Ecology | 1/22/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/517135/ | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 6/15/24 0:03 | SC member here: I am happy to answer questions! (1) dear SC member: how medical this search is? shall people focusing on environmental research apply? (2) @1 I am not on the SC, but I emailed them asking about my fit, and it sounds like this is quite broad as long as microbes are a big part of your program 3) also the impression I got when inquiring about the position. Very broad search with an emphasis on ecology/evolution 4) Any updates (2/12)? 5) none here! x6 5) Zoom interview request 2/20 x2 7) Asst or Assoc/Full prof? 8) 5 here, going for Asst. Prof 9) same, asst. prof 10) letters requested after zoom interview 11) any updates? 12) 10 here, no news 13) in person request recieved 3/25 14) Congrats! Thanks for the info. Damn, I though my zoom went well (X1, and hugs. Right back at you) 15) anybody interviewing for Assoc Prof or higher? 16) Anybody know what happened with this one? x4 | 10 | |
255 | 12/22/2023 9:14:48 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Wisconsin | Biology (Ornithology) | 1/22/2024 | https://www3.uwsp.edu/hr/jobs/Documents/20458%20Position%20Announcement.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/7/24 6:34 | 12 credits per semester is a lot of teaching, how much research productivity is expected with that load? 2) Sounds like a typical PUI teaching load 3) SC member here, research expectations are relatively low and many faculty incorportate research into their courses. 4) @SC, what's the time line for this looking like? 5) @4 we are going through applications now and I expect invitations for zoom interviews to go out in ~2.5 weeks or so. 6) Thanks, SC! 7) Have zoom invites gone out as of March 4? 8) @7 - SC here, I am not sure since it's at the admin/HR stage for scheduling the invites. I'll check and update when I hear back, we are hoping to do zoom interviews this week. 7 again) I just received my Zoom invite! 8) damn, I was optimistic about this one. Congrats on making it to zoom, 7 :) | 2 | |
256 | 12/21/2023 22:33:18 | Hawaii Pacific University | Hawaii | Marine Science | 1/8/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hpu/jobs/4324457/assistant-associate-professor-marine-science | Asst / Assoc Prof | Non-TS Academic | 4/2/24 20:10 | Hawaii Pacific does not have a tenure system (and a quick search suggests there have been recent issues regarding this) (2) HPU is a privately owned school with a business model, pros and cons to that so take as you will. (3) https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/Howard-Karger.pdf (4) Salary range is 64-83k: any ideas if the lower end is for assistant prof and higher end for associate? (5) That range seems based on starting salaries for assistant profs in marine sci at HPU (6) Applications are still being accepted and reviewed for this position. (7) Multiple hires will be made. 8) Anyone hear about zoom interviews this week? Email last week indicated that was the plan. (9) No email here, was it about making the short list? (8) Got an email on March 8th stating that they were almost done reviewing and would be sending out emails for candidates who made zoom interviews the following week-didn't get an email myself so I was curious if anyone else had. (9) Ah I did not get that initial email, but will ask around and let you know re Zoom interviews. (10) Zoom interviews are next week | ||
257 | 12/21/2023 10:54:07 | Washington Department of Natural Resources | Washington | Aquatic Science | 1/8/2024 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4247625/aquatics-stewardship-science-lead-nrsci4?keywords=aquatic&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Senior Scientist | Government | 12/21/23 11:22 | "plan and oversee nearshore climate change research and monitoring" | ||
258 | 12/21/2023 8:36:17 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Genetics | 1/12/2024 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/340683 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 11/25/24 18:22 | I have so many questions. Is this a permanent position, what is the teaching load, what is the salary range? 2) "teaching three sections of a mid-level genetics and molecular biology course" 3) Instructor positions at UGA are re-newed yearly, but are effectively permanent positions (there is a promotion ladder for these positions), UGA salaries are publically avaiable in a searchable database: https://open.ga.gov | ||
259 | 12/21/2023 3:50:54 | University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus | Florida | Medical Biology | 1/16/2024 | https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psp/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35926&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof of Instruction | Non-TS Academic | 12/21/23 11:22 | "teach 3 courses per semester, with an emphasis on courses that support our medical biology concentration (i.e. introductory biology, anatomy and physiology, biomedical physiology, comparative vertebrate anatomy, human genetics)" | ||
260 | 12/20/2023 11:43:03 | Lindenwood University | Missouri | Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Organismal Biology | 12/5/2023 | https://lindenwood.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/CareerOpportunities/job/St-Charles-Campus/Assistant-Professor--Biology_R0012847 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 6:54 | "Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until filled." 1) Based on department's site, seems like faculty here do little if any research. 2) Salary? 3) Lindenwood is primarily undergraduate-focused. It's a nice school, but there may be limited opportunities for graduate research. 4) Tenure stream? The word tenure is not in the job ad and this university does not award tenure if I understand correctly. | ||
261 | 12/20/2023 9:44:21 | Mount Royal University | Canada | Community Ecology | 2/16/2024 | https://mtroyalca.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/Posting/view/2557 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/21/24 17:15 | 1) MRU is an undergraduate university with a teaching focus, but this position is in the teaching/scholarship/service stream, which means you have the support of the uni & expectation to maintain a research program (considered an asset if you include undergraduates in your research). 2) Salary? 3) By their current collective agreement, it looks like min salary for a AP with a PhD is 80k. https://mrfa.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Collective-Agreement-2020-2024.pdf 4) Your starting salary is determined by years post-PhD of relevant experience e.g., someone with a PhD (step 3) and 3 years of postdoc experience would be placed at step 6 to start, with a bump to the next grid step every year on July 1 (non-meritocritous annual raises) 5) Any updates? 6) not here, but a view from MR showed up in my weekly LinkedIn profile view report (but no hits on my website) 7) online interview invite 3/4 x2 7) Congrats to those that got interviews. I guess I'm not the kind of community ecologist they are looking for (this is my 2nd application for a TT Ecology position there and no interview both times). Such is life 8) Invitation for an on campus interview 3/19 9) congrats 8, no campus request for me (and rejection email 3/21) | 4 | |
262 | 12/20/2023 7:04:09 | University of Central Florida | Florida | Integrative Plant Biology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178640814&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2C%20Integrative%20Plant%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/5/24 10:43 | Open until filled. 1) and no due date. this is seems like a red flag. Is it an inside hire? 2) Not an inside hire. 3). Apply at own risk, department has high turnover recently and offers little faculty support 4) in accordance with recent state law, candidates have to fill out a form disclaiming foreign influence from certain countries. not the department's fault, but gross! 5) Current faculty member here: A few faculty left in response to FL politics, but we really haven't seen anything implemented in practice. There has always been an annual and post-tenure review process like most places. We still have an office and dean of DEI. Startup and facilities are great. Love my department, colleagues and access research to research sites.6) Search chair here. Application review will begin after Feb 20, so be sure to get applications by then or before. No it is not an inside hire. 7) It looks like a failed search from last year. The subject area is the same, and if you are a terrestrial plant researcher you will be limited by the facilities since it is a department strongly focused on aquatic ecosystems and animal ecology. I think they are trying to find somebody to replace a plant faculty member that left for another institution. 8) This is not a failed search, it is a replacement search. 9) other recent search was for non-TT instructor. Department has green houses, field plots, field stations…not just aquatic focus.10) if SC is here, could you update us on your timeline if/when possible? Would be helpful since late in the season. Thanks! 11) SC here. As stated above, applications are being reviewed now. Nothing set in stone but aiming for long list by mid-March and short list by April. 10) Thanks so much SC! 11) Zoom interview request 3/13 12) Any updates as of 4/5? | 8 | ||
263 | 12/20/2023 6:55:51 | Cornell University | New York | Insect Biodiversity & Conservation | 1/26/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26806 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/27/24 11:07 | "Preference will be given to candidates who use phylogenetic methods, biodiversity informatics, spatial modeling, biogeography, or trait-based organismal biology. We are seeking a colleague who will work with collections-based data, contribute to the growth and development of the Cornell University Insect Collection, and play an active role in teaching and curriculum development in insect biology and biodiversity." 1) has anyone heard anything? 2) no as of 2/22 x2 3)Zoom invite 2/23 x4 4) did folks references receive letter requests before zoom invites went out? 5) Not that I am aware of, they normally tell me. 6) well, that means I am out. Major bummer. Best of luck y'all. x2 7) *4 yes, all my three references receive letter requests before the zoom interview 8) Any news on this one? 3/21 9) Not that I've heard 3/22 10) Me neither 3/27 x3 11) received invitation for in person interview 3/27 12) I was zoom interviewed but did not receive invitation for in person interview (April 5th), this means I am out? 13) @12 probably on a reserve list if you did not receive invitation nor a rejection. 14) @13 Thanks, I did not receive invitation nor a rejection. 15) Anyone have any updates to share? x2 16) Rejection letter 8/2/2024 x4 16) https://cals.cornell.edu/melissa-guzman | 12 | |
264 | 12/19/2023 14:37:11 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Bacteriology | 12/29/2023 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=1&FOCUS=Applicant&JobOpeningId=358376&PostingSeq=1 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/19/23 14:43 | "research is broadly relevant to UMIID’s Program Antimicrobial Resistance and Drug Discovery to include bacterial physiology and genomics, human microbial ecology, bacteriophages, and bacterial-host interactions" | 1 | |
265 | 12/19/2023 9:18:38 | WasserCluster Lunz Biological Station | Austria | Aquatic Ecosystem Research | 1/31/2024 | https://www.wcl.ac.at/images/ausschreibungen/Ausschreibung_Group_leader_position_wassercluster_2024.pdf | Group Leader | Non-Profit Research Organization | 2/12/24 16:29 | |||
266 | 12/18/2023 14:20:46 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Ecology | 1/21/2024 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4317134/klickitat-wildlife-area-manager-fish-and-wildlife-biologist-3-permanent-15?keywords=15963&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Rank Open | Government | ||||
267 | 12/18/2023 14:18:04 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Fish (ichthyology) | 12/26/2023 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4310133/puget-sound-boat-operations-supervisor-fish-wildlife-biologist-3-permanent?keywords=boat&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Rank Open | Government | ||||
268 | 12/18/2023 11:58:40 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | Department Chair, Biological Sciences | 1/8/2024 | https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/191823 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
269 | 12/18/2023 9:20:11 | Augustana University | South Dakota | Developmental Biology | 2/19/2024 | https://www.augie.edu/faculty-positions#Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Biology%20-%20Developmental | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/18/23 9:21 | Review for this job will remain open until a candidate is selected. | ||
270 | 12/17/2023 9:20:38 | Cal Poly Humboldt | California | Entomology | 1/31/2024 | https://careers.humboldt.edu/hm/en-us/job/534534/tenure-track-faculty-department-of-biological-sciences-entomology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/21/24 12:39 | "We're searching for an insect ecologist with preferred expertise in forest entomology and/or the insect fauna of California and the Pacific Northwest." (from listserv email) 1) That's one of 4 preferred qualifications, I wouldn't disqualify yourself just because you haven't worked in that region before x2. (2) Estimated starting salary is $75,000, wondering whether that is enough for living in California. That is the lowest I have ever seen for a new assistant professor in California. 3) I think so - Humboldt County is less expensive than most coastal areas in CA, although COL has greatly increased the last couple years. The biggest issues are lack of housing and access to healthcare.4) It's enough to live on and the COL in CA isn't that much different than other places. Access to healthcare is a problem country wide so I wouldn't let either of these things stop you from applying. 5) salary is probably enough for a single human to live off of, but not a chance of supporting a family without a working partner. Housing is limited (in terms of absolute quantity) but it isn't a high demand area so rents could probably be worse. @4 healthcare is limited geographically due to a lack of hospitals and doctors in the humboldt/trinity region - it's surprisingly rural up there - this tends to be an issue for retirees who want to move there, but likely wouldn't be too bad for a younger working professional. 6) Actually, housing is very limited relative to demand, although a faculty salary opens up more (expensive) rental options or home purchases (likely outside of Arcata). For healthcare, if often takes people 1-2 years to find a primary care provider or dentist accepting patients and many people travel 3-4 hours for medical care outside the area. But like (4) said, I wouldn't let these things stop you from applying, I would just ask a lot of questions. There are many great things about this area (especially for eco/evo folks!). 7) A lot of what was said here are exaggerations. You can definitely live here on this salary -- but cannot support a family, partner will need to work. Healthcare is bad, but it wont take you a year to find a primary care physician. SOME, not MOST people travel 3-4 hours for some specific medical care. 8) Any news on this position? Has anyone seen their application move from "being reviewed" into another category? 9) nope, mine is still "under review." x4, 10) any news (2/22)? 11) @10 Still "under review" for me x2 12) Just got an email to schedule a Zoom interview, 2/23 evening! x2 13) Invitation for on-campus interview received March 8th (13 again) Job offer received 5/23 @13 Any updates? Did you accept the offer? x3 14) Rejection received from SC chair | 10 | |
271 | 12/15/2023 11:37:46 | East Stroudsburg University | Pennsylvania | Animal Physiology | 1/31/2024 | https://esu.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=7088 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
272 | 12/15/2023 6:43:52 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Organismal Biology | https://swosu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/345?c=swosu | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/18/24 19:53 | Job ad has an application date of Aug 28, 2023, but this was just posted to EvolDir today. (1) They just emailed the EvolDir last night about it, so I'd say still apply. 2) I interviewed for a position here a couple years back. Turned down a second interview. Very small town, didn't seem like enough institutional support for research (3) @2 SWOSU is a regional PUI (and grad programs are for pharmacy and education) of ~5000 students, so if you went in expecting to do research at an R1 or R2 level with lots of support, isn't that on bit more on you? I interviewed and found the department to be very friendly and doing great undergraduate-centered research. Each lab had students doing research. Tenure and promotion were more teaching focused, though research and publishing helped. I haven't pursued this second search because of changing personal circumstances, but it is a great place for teaching and undergraduate research. (4) Link is no longer active as of 10 Jan 2024, so presumably the application has closed. (5) Zoom interview invite received January 18th. | 2 | ||
273 | 12/14/2023 11:03:45 | Imperial College London (Silwood Park) | United Kingdom | Climate Change or Environmental Biology | 1/14/2024 | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/NAT01544/lecturersenior-lecturer-climate-change-or-environmental-biology/#:~:text=Imperial%20College%20London%2C%20one%20of,Environmental%20Biology%2C%20starting%20in%20the | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 5/27/24 12:42 | Equivalent to Asst / Assoc Prof. Informal enquiries may be made to James Rosindell (j.rosindell@imperial.ac.uk); I have been to Silwood Park and its an awesome group of friendly labs doing cutting-edge research (OK, OK, I am once of the academics based here!)! 2) Is this a repeat of a previous position? Did that fail? 3). Heard a number of searches failed, people did not accept offers for at least 2 posts 4) Perhaps they should have considered moving down that list of options one or two more notches. 5) I did my Msc at silwood and loved it, probably a great place for people with kids 6) Is the listed salary a liveable wage for families in that area? 7) @6, definitely. That's a solid wage for the UK. Highest I've seen tbh. 8) @6 I'm a senior lecturer in another expensive part of the UK. This is a solid £20k more than I make. if I made this salary, I wouldn't be on this job board. 9) Deadline seems to have been extended by two weeks to 1/28/2024. 10) Extended to attract more female applicants - Search committee member here 11) @10 Does this imply that it is a targeted hire? 12) Not exactly; but we would like to have a more balanced set of applicants across the diversity spectrum 13) But will you actually hire them? Or does HR just need you to interview someone so they don't fail the search? 12) What is the timeline of this search? 13) Any updates? (2/16/2024) 14) HR sent a very nice email explaining the timeline of the search. Before the hand of the month they should have a first long list. 15) @14 thanks for your update. I have not recieved such email. 16) @15, I also received it, I would suggest reaching out to HR to inquire, perhaps they did not receive your application? The contact is Grace Adeyemi g.adeyemi@recruitmail.imperial.ac.uk 17) @16 thanks for providing the contact info. In the application portal, it shows that I submitted my application on Jan. 7, the status is "in process". I will contact the HR. 18) did you check your spam folder? 19) Any news on the "long list"? 20) rejection email (2/29) x4 21) Zoom interview invite x3 22) Any news since zoom interview? 23) I was told decision would be made at the end of the month (x3) 24) any updates? it's the end of the month. 25) No but I'm assuming the end of the month means Friday! 26) Rejection email received. Congratulations to those who have been selected for an on-campus interview. 3/27/2024 (x4) 26) Bummer. Did they say how many candidates were invited? 27) No but they have a reserve list 28) @ 27) how do you know that there is a reseve list? 29) I think, @27 was talking about a shortlist? "The general standard of applications has been very high and we have shortlisted candidates whose skill sets are more closely matched to the role requirements." Copied from the rejection email. 28) I was told I was in the reserve in the rejection email. (x2) 29) Anybody from the reserve got pulled in? 30) @ 29) Yes, I was on the reserve and got pulled in for the in-person interview | 4 | |
274 | 12/14/2023 9:10:29 | California Department of Fish and Wildlife | California | Ecological Synthesis, Aquatic Ecology, Natural Resource Management | 12/22/2023 | https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?jobcontrolid=405127 | Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory) | Government | 12/14/23 21:46 | Hybrid telework, Office: Stockton, CA. Check the qualification requirements for the classification and make sure your application demonstrates the requirements for HR. Similar notes to the other CDFW posting below this, but this classification also requires demonstrated supervisory experience. | ||
275 | 12/14/2023 7:23:16 | University of South Alabama | Alabama | Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences | 1/15/2024 | https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicaffairs/resources/academicaffairspostings/ssomes_new_asstprof_081524.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
276 | 12/13/2023 15:32:28 | California Department of Fish and Wildlife | California | Population Genetics and Management | 1/2/2024 | https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=406708 | (Senior) Environmental Scientist | Government | 12/15/23 17:53 | Permanent position, hybrid telework, check the duty statement PDF for detailed duties. Current CA driver's license may be req'd? Not sure. 2) FYI the state is pretty picky about what counts as experience and what doesn't to make you eligible for Senior Environmental Scientist jobs. I'm close to getting another job in that category and I have been interrogated for around a month now regarding my previous experience 3) With a PhD, you'll need to demonstrate 3 years of experience in "environmental science" as they define it in the classification for Senior-level. But if you don't qualify, the posting is also open to the non-Senior level. I'm guessing this is a job that only US citizens will be considered for? 4) The State does not need citizenship to work there, but I think they don't sponsor work visa | ||
277 | 12/13/2023 14:02:07 | Arkansas State University | Arkansas | Cell Biology | 2/1/2024 | https://phe.tbe.taleo.net/phe02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=ARKASTAT2&cws=40&rid=32377 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/13/23 22:08 | Broadly trained cell biologists, including ecology and evolutionary biologists and/or those with the desire to teach Anatomy and Physiology are also encouraged to apply. "Cell biologists working in the areas of cell physiology, molecular genetics, cell signaling and/or neurobiology are encouraged to apply" | ||
278 | 12/13/2023 10:10:00 | Springer Nature Group | New York | Nature Reviews Biodiversity Editor | 1/19/2024 | https://careers.springernature.com/job/New-York-Associate-or-Senior-Editor%2C-Nature-Reviews-Biodiversity/1013207601/ | Assoc / Senior Editor | Industry | 1/24/24 20:12 | Location(s): New York, Washington DC, Berlin or Madrid (Hybrid working). Two openings. "Preferred areas of expertise are either evolution/paleontology or applied ecology/conservation." 1) "The cover letter should also include five ideas for Review articles to commission" - it feels like I'm working for them without even being hired...x4 2) yeah I read that and thought about those stories you hear about companies wanting a new social media employee or director and they need to provide examples of how they would promote the company, never hire anyone and take their ideas. No thanks. 3) For those who actually ARE interested, does anyone know if Springer Nature can sponsor an H1B or green card? Thanks. 4) @1: I understand this "five ideas" thing is part of their test, but they should acknowledge those providing ideas (if they ever use them) regardless of being recruited and be clear about it! @3 discussion in 1) is very proper, and is something people should care about, and can be from people who ARE interested! 5) Rejection received (less than a week after applying), very humane compared to academic positions! 6) HR phone interview scheduled 7) Good luck! | ||
279 | 12/13/2023 9:21:56 | Northwestern University | Illinois | Plant Biology and Conservation | 1/8/2024 | https://plantbiology.northwestern.edu/now-hiring.html | Asst Prof of Instruction | Non-TS Academic | 12/15/23 12:40 | Any idea what the teaching load is for this position? 1) Job ad says "teaching six courses annually over the course of three academic quarters" | ||
280 | 12/13/2023 8:28:12 | University of Cincinnati | Ohio | Microbiology | 1/8/2024 | https://jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinnati-Tenure-track-Assistant-Professor-in-Microbiology%2C-Biological-Sciences%2C-College-of-Arts-and-Sciences-OH-45201/1106029400/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/5/24 10:19 | open to all areas of microbiology with emphasis on ecological, evolutionary, & molecular aspects of disease transmission of microscopic pathogens (animal- or plant-based bacteria, viruses, or other microbes, including aquatics). This includes research programs that range from lab-based studies, field research, to modeling. 1) Do we think "I love the hippos" would be an effective strategy for my cover letter? Really show my interest. (2) Hippos? 1)@2- The Cincinnati Zoo has a pretty famous hippo that is absolutely adorable and a huge ham. She was born super premature and it's a big rescue story and she's kind of a local celebrity. 3) interviewed at this school a few years back..my biggest regret was that I didn't get to see Fiona 4) in-person invitation on 1/31 5) As of 4/5/24 I keep getting notifications from UC that they are recruiting for this position--does anybody know if this is actually the case? | 6 | |
281 | 12/13/2023 7:03:33 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Integrative Biology (Genotype-to-Phenotype) | 2/1/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26856 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/3/24 6:59 | SC: Letters requested up front (sorry!) because we are late in the season. 1) SC, I submitted yesterday but I saw no place in the application form to add reference information. How should I request letters? Thanks. 2) SC here. I'm sorry about this. We didn't realize this was the case and we are working with the HR to fix this. I will post here again once it is fixed. SC again. The HR has clarified with me that once the application is submited, it will take a day or so for our system to generate an email to the applicant with directions on how to submit their letter writers' contact info. Once the applicant submits that info, the letters are immediately requested. 1) Thanks for the heads up SC, just got that email. 3) Will the SC be moving especially quickly given the lateness of the season and other offers/interviews already taking place? 4) SC member here: We will do our best and will start reviewing applications shortly after deadline. 5) Any updates? 6) It's been a week, so no.. i wouldn't expect any for at least another week, if not 2-3. They probably got 150+ applications to sift through 7) They are clearly still sifting through apps - got an email saying one of my LOR was missing, and to have them send it directly to the search chair by Thursday Feb 22. Which might suggest when they hope to be done by, or at least have their decision made by. 8) I also got an email about a missing letter, but it didn't specify a date or say to send it directly to the chair, just to have the writer upload it asap... x2 8) 7 here again, I only found out about the date and sending it to the chair since there is no way to resend the LOR via the HR website, so I had contacted them about what I should do. The next morning, HR contacted with the same thing, but the chair emailed them to say it was taken care of. 9) @7 appreciate the clarification! 10) Does anyone else have a change in status on their Workday profile? Mine went from "In Process" to "Review" 11) Don't know what mine was before, but it says "Review" now. x4 12) any updates? 13) None here x2 as for 03/01 x4 as of 03/05 14) In person interview request on Mar 8th 15) @14 did you already have a zoom interview or did they go straight to in person invites? and congrats! 14 again) No Zoom, just straight in person (update: I took another offer. Don't know if they were going to offer it to me, but I let them know any way) 16) SC: The final candidate signed the offer, the position has been filled. Thank you everyone who has applied, we had a long list of tremendous applicants. 17) @SC thanks for updating us! | 18 | |
282 | 12/12/2023 12:16:07 | Maryville College | Tennessee | Environmental Science | 1/3/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178622409&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Environmental%20Science | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/9/24 15:31 | Teaching responsibilities may include Introductory and Upper-Level Environmental Science courses, First-Year Organismal Biology, and General Education courses | 1 | |
283 | 12/12/2023 11:51:43 | Rollins College | Florida | Environmental Studies | 2/1/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178628842&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2C%20Environmental%20Studies | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/12/23 18:55 | seeking an interdisciplinary teacher/scholar with a background in environmental/urban planning, environmental restoration and/or landscape architecture | 1 | |
284 | 12/12/2023 11:21:27 | Shawnee State University | Ohio | Biology | 1/4/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178636076&Title=Assistant%20Professor%2C%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/12/23 11:22 | The successful candidate will also manage a 1300 sq. ft. greenhouse and work with facilities/maintenance staff regarding plant care on campus...Candidates who apply before January 4, 2023 will receive preferential consideration | ||
285 | 12/12/2023 10:48:49 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Illinois | Environmental Science, Evolutionary Biology, and/or Ecology | 1/10/2024 | https://iit7.peopleadmin.com/postings/10101 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/11/24 13:35 | We are looking for someone to help explore and design a broader program in such fields as environmental science and policy, biomedical sciences and engineering, or food science and safety 2) I love it when the title of the position doesn't match the description of the research they want at all... X4 3) Is there an SC member here? what does it mean that evolutionary biology/Ecology are in the title of the position but not the description for the job. Teaching load? Teacing load in College of Science and Letters is 1&1 for new faculty going to 2&1 after a two years. 3) I guess the last sentence here was written by a comittee member? It was appended to my comment, but didn't answer anything abotu the confusing job description. I also emailed the search chair to clarify about applying and they never responded to it. 4) Zoom interview request 1/19 x4 5) On-campus interview invitation 2/9 6) :( | 5 | |
286 | 12/12/2023 10:06:57 | University of Guelph | Canada | Aquatic Ecosystems and Global Change | 1/31/2024 | https://www.uoguelph.ca/facultyjobs/postings/ad23-62.shtml | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/3/25 8:38 | SC member here: Happy to answer any questions, and I will do my best to keep this board posted with updates on the process. 2) Posting says "strong applications addressing related areas not explicitly stated below will also be considered"? Could you elaborate? Would you consider aquatic eco-evo work a "related area"? SC: @2 Any area related to aquatic ecosystems and global change would be a related area (aquatic eco-evo would be considered a related area for sure). Also we would encourage people to apply whose work addresses one of the two priority themes (food webs, and socio-ecological research) whose work isn't aquatic -- so long as there is potential application to aquatic systems. Please don't self-select yourself out b/c you're not sure if your work applies -- we are casting a broad net (in addition to the two themes listed in the ad). If your work is even remotely related to any of the themes or systems listed -- please apply! (3) Does your advice above (thanks for it by the way) also relate to the regional focus of the add to the Great Lakes Basin? Would they consider applicants who do work with another regional focus but whose methods could be applied elsewhere? SC: @ 3 -- yes, for example, if your background is in marine systems, but you could apply your methods in freshwater systems, and in the Great Lakes Basin, that's great. We are looking for people who have *the potential* to work in the Great Lakes Basin, but do not need to have demonstrated previous experience there. So, to summarize, yes, it sounds like the person you're describing could be a great fit. (4) I am interested, but not a Canadian nor permanent resident (residing in the US). The statement "Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority" makes me feel that I won't have a good chance for this position even though my research focus aligns well with this search. SC: @4 This statement is included in all job ads from Canadian universities (it's required), but it doesn't mean that non-Canadian citizens won't get hired -- our department and the University have many non-Canadians as faculty members -- please don't let that deter you from applying. (5) 4: Thank you SC for clarifying it! I didn't realize it's a required statement. SC: @4 You're welcome! SC: Applications under review (Feb 7 2024) (6) Thank you for keeping us updated SC member, it's very kind of you and makes the process a lot more relaxing! x4 (7) To SC member: Will you kindly let us know when the long- and/or short-list emails have been sent out? SC: Yes, will do. We anticipate the short list will be determined by mid-end March (8) have emails gone out? x9 (9) a friend was asked for letters Apr 8 X3 10) Congratulations to those who have advanced to the next round! Wishing you all the best. 11) @10 Wow, thanks, that's very kind! Wishing you the best, too! 12) did anyone get zoom invite after the letter request? 13) After responding to the letter request email I was told that there would be a zoom coming, but that was ~2 weeks ago and I haven't heard anything so I figured maybe they just changed their mind. x2 14) The email seemed to suggest the zoom meeting would happen regardless of letters (why else mention it?), but maybe they are waiting to evaluate them all??? Does anyone know what timeline they gave for ref letters? 15) Who knows. Maybe they are just slow getting the schedules sorted. And it could just be an HR hold up. Then again, I was also part of that U of Virginia job this year that dangled zooms and then they didn't happen, so I believe anything can happen now haha. 16) zoom invite x4 17) This search has gone so late in the job cycle. I wonder if this position is supposed to start in the fall. And I'm sure folks are sorting out what else their going to do for a job in the fall by now. 18) any updates after zoom? X2 19) They must have moved on at this point, right? X2 20) I emailed the contact for this search and they told me there won't be any news until after June 10th 21) thanks for the update! X2 22) got an email saying next update will be coming after 6/20 SC member: An update -- our search was delayed due to a family emergency of one of the committee members. Zoom interviews are now complete and the interview list will be determined soon. 23) I'm sorry to hear that SC. Thanks again for the updates! x 2 24) rejection email 6/26 X2 25) Any updates on interview schedule? 26) Last update was supposed to come ~6/20, but no word and it's been over a month. Maybe they just went in a different direction. 27) On campus interviews happening in November 2024 28) I heard through the grapevine that an offer was made | 11 | |
287 | 12/12/2023 7:36:15 | Field Museum | Illinois | Invertebrate Paleontology | 3/31/2024 | https://fieldmuseum.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=2852661 | Asst Prof | Museum | 6/7/24 1:22 | [link updated -- definitely a full-time position -AP] SC member here: happy to answer questions. 2) References requested 06/06 | ||
288 | 12/11/2023 15:22:40 | Northern Arizona University | Arizona | Fire, Forestry, and Climate | 1/8/2024 | https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=2&JobOpeningId=607613&PostingSeq=1& | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/2/24 9:26 | Only a cover letter, CV, ad contact info for references needed to apply. | ||
289 | 12/11/2023 9:49:01 | Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville | Texas | Ecology and Conservation - Emphasis on Upland Gamebirds | 2/5/2024 | https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id=85929 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/14/23 5:49 | Endowed chair position with potential for summer salary, 75% research, 25% teaching. Seeking candidates willing to make a career of studying upland gamebirds (specifically quail) but who may have broader specialties/experience (nutrition, behavior, etc.). 2) There's gonna be a lot of grousing about this one... 3) don't be galliforming around or you may miss out! | ||
290 | 12/10/2023 16:44:05 | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Massachusetts | Estuarine and Ocean Sciences | http://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/521477/assistant-or-associate-professor-estuarine-ocean-sciences | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/11/24 17:39 | "The review of applications will begin immediately and will be ongoing.". 2) Research areas of particular interest include: Ocean and Climate Observations; Ocean and Climate Large Data Set Analysis and Modelling; Marine / Coastal Biogeochemistry; Oceanographic Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis 3) does it mean no deadline?? 4) Could someone on the SC provide more details about the timeline (review date, interviews, etc.) since none are included in the ad? 5) Not on SC but faculty at SMAST [in different dept] - asked the search chair and received this message: "will begin reviewing applications in January and continue until the position is filled". My advice if you are interested would be to submit your application ASAP. 6) zoom interview request 2/5 x 2 6) any updates 3/4? 7) application not moved forward from zoom 3/11 x2 | 5 | ||
291 | 12/9/2023 14:47:38 | University of Southampton | United Kingdom | Marine Conservation & Management | 1/22/2024 | https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=2548523HN | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/11/24 11:09 | "nature-based solutions, marine conservation, or sustainable marine resource management, policy and law." 2) Deadline has been extended to 1 February 2024. | ||
292 | 12/9/2023 11:37:32 | USGS | Missouri | Carp | 12/22/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/765003900 | GS 12 | Government | 11/7/24 8:37 | My job is just carp. 2) Carp-ay diem! 3) Oh, quit your carping. 4) Oh, the things I would give to work as carp. 5) Dangit, there's an internal candidate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mouth_Billy_Bass 3) LMAO 4) This contender narrowly missed out on the potato job. https://idahopotato.com/recipes/idaho-potato-crusted-sea-bass-with-grilled-leek-fennel-compote 5) This job looks pretty carppy...6) Jokes aside CERC is a really awesome science center. Houses a large river studies and toxicology program in addition to the new fisheries/invasives group. 7) I don't study fish at all so this is not remotely for me, but I just wanted everyone to know how much joy this posting has brought me during this time. Thank you. 8) If they wanted crappie, I'd be a great fit | ||
293 | 12/9/2023 11:36:39 | USGS | Missouri | Microbiology | 12/29/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/764982000 | GS 12 | Government | 12/9/23 11:37 | microbial/algal ecology and functional genomics | ||
294 | 12/8/2023 16:11:56 | NatureServe | Virginia | Conservation Biology | 12/22/2023 | https://app.trinethire.com/companies/31463-natureserve/jobs/85594-chief-scientist-remote | Chief Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 12/11/23 7:26 | |||
295 | 12/8/2023 13:35:00 | Stony Brook University | New York | Marine Ecological Modeling | 1/5/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/134637 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/1/24 12:53 | Any word from those who applied? 2) none here 1/23, 3) still nothing! 2/8 4) Anything?? 2/12 5) nothing here. The simultaneous Asst Prof search with the same deadline is doing Zooms. 6) nothing here 2/19 7) nothing yet 2/23 (or by 3/1!) 8) or by 3/7. On-campus invite 3/11. 9) Any news? 10) @9 Nope 9again) Still nothing? 9) Verbal offer 9) Offer accepted | 2 | |
296 | 12/8/2023 12:37:04 | Columbia University | New York | Quantitative Biology | https://apply.interfolio.com/137073 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/30/24 19:36 | Program for Mathematical Genomics in the Department of Systems Biology. "Including but not limited to systems biology (data-driven and model/theory-based), mathematical and theoretical biology, machine learning, functional genomics, dynamical systems modeling, molecular and single-cell biology, and methods development for the analysis and understanding of biological datasets and their associated phenomena" 2) A similar search was posted last year. Did it fail or is the program just growing? x2 (3) Is a wet lab allowed? x3 (4) How medical is this (saw its a medical program)? (5) follow-up on (4): will natural ecosystem scientists be considered? (6) Follow-up on (2), I'm 90% sure this search failed last year. I know a person who declined the offer, and I don't think anyone new is on their site. (7) what field/topic was the person they gave an offer to last year? (8) Human population genetics. (9) Has this job search closed? There was no review date posted. (10) My understanding is that submitted applications are under review. I can't say for sure if they will continue to review new submissions or not but they're pretty far behind other searches so I'm guessing no. (11) Any updates on this? (12) Interview invitation Jan. 29 (13) i just checked and one of my letters was never sent. any idea if they reviewed the app or not? does interfolio say editable for people who had complete apps? 14) @12, congrats! What's your broad area? [this is not the place for middle east politics -AP] | 4 | ||
297 | 12/8/2023 12:12:06 | Texas A&M University at Galveston | Texas | Marine Evolution / Developmental Biology | 1/15/2024 | apply.interfolio.com/136600 | Instructional Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 1/16/24 10:28 | This posting is staying open until filled | 1 | |
298 | 12/8/2023 10:55:01 | Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity | Germany | Marine Sciences | 3/15/2024 | https://hifmb.de/focus-group-call24/ | Group Leader | Non-TS Academic | 12/8/23 12:40 | Five-year position, comes with startup and funding for two PhDs or PhD+tech. Not a permanent position, but more than a postdoc, so I put it here. 1) should be under fixed term since it is a 5 year fixed term position with no opportunity for continuation or advancement AP) I think it fits OK here - Fixed-Term Faculty Jobs is more for VAPs. | ||
299 | 12/8/2023 10:52:04 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Department Chair, Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology | https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/IowaStateJobs/job/Department-Chair_R13577 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/24/24 10:05 | Why so many jobs at Iowa State this year? 1) Retirements and faculty leaving for other universities for various reasons 2) Also the ISU jobs listed on this site are from at least 3 different departments 3) Also a bit of a backlog of hiring since covid 4) Interviews scheduled 5) position officially accepted | |||
300 | 12/8/2023 9:31:11 | Stetson University | Florida | Animal Physiology | 2/1/2024 | https://www.stetson.edu/administration/human-resources/media/2024faculty/Job%20Description-Organismal%20Biologist.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/22/24 9:16 | 1) Was the offer from the previous search rejected? If so why? 2) Offers were made, candidates accepted other positions. Search is still open. | ||
301 | 12/8/2023 5:47:08 | Trent University | Canada | Environmental Studies | 1/30/2024 | https://www.trentu.ca/humanresources/careers/full-time-faculty/assistant-professor-environmental-studies-tenure-track?15693 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/12/24 12:48 | 1) Just as a heads up to folks, posting explicitly states 'Preference will be given to candidates from underrepresented groups', so while it's not as explicitly an EDI position as other postings we've seen in Canada it seems clear to me that this is one as well. 2) Any updates from this search? x2 | 2 | |
302 | 12/7/2023 16:26:08 | Soka University of America | California | Environmental Studies / Science | 1/15/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/137088 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 12:23 | 1) Any info on salary range for this position? Extremely high costs of living in this area... 2) PLEASE be wary when applying to this position https://www.reddit.com/r/orangecounty/comments/s1ow0a/a_former_faculty_members_take_on_soka_university/ 3) lol wut x6 4) Pretty damning post for sure. I wiash I could say that similar paterns don't exist in other places including minority serving institutions like the one I work in at the moment. 5) wild. 6) damn and here I was thinking it was named for the Avatar character. There go my dreams of learning to waterbend :( 7) You're thinking of Katara University. This one is renowned for its boomeranging program | ||
303 | 12/6/2023 15:14:57 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Population & Disease Dynamics of Cereal Pathogens | 1/31/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/147260 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/24/24 9:17 | Info from the department: Candidate anticipated to participate in Oregon wheat breeding collaboration already in place at Oregon State University. 1) a litte more info here https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/bpp/about/open-positions. | ||
304 | 12/6/2023 15:12:46 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Plant & Microbe Interactions | 1/31/2024 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/147252 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/18/24 8:30 | Info from the department: Open to all plant-microbe folks, but extra enthusiasm for plant-fungal interactions. 2) Is there any enthusiasm for plant-insect-microbe interactions? x2 3) Any interest in the ecological side of plant-microbe interactions, or just the molecular/genetic aspects? x3 4) a little more info here https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/bpp/about/open-positions. 5) from search committee member: plant-insect-microbe interactions sound awesome to me! the department is looking broadly and hoping to broaden our expertise. 6) anyone hear updates about this yet? 7) Nothing here yet as of 2/21 x3 8) Nothing as of 3/5 x4 9) Still nothing as of 3/14. Starting to think maybe they've moved on with folks who aren't (still) on this document? 10) I spoke to someone at OSU (not on the search committee) who made it sound like they have not notified anyone yet11) Thanksfor the update! 12) I hear they've sent invites out on this one. Can anyone confirm? 13) I never heard anything, but seems like they would have been sent out by now 14) Any updates? 15) Nothing here (4/5) 16) Can someone remind me the search chair? I will email them 17) Thanks @16! The chair should be Dr. Jeff Chang (changj@oregonstate.edu) 16) again: Professor Chang said no decisions have been made regarding even sending interviews.... 17) Good to know... Thank you for inquiring and sharing this. 18) Dang that is moving slow, thanks! 19) Like no decisions even on interviewees? Or that they've done compus invites already and just haven't decided on an offer? Seems reeeeaaaallly slow to have not even done invites yet. Either way, thanks for sharing!! 20) I also emailed the search chair and he said no decisions have been made, that all applications are still under consideration 21) wow, that's wild! start date would be in just a few months from now. wonder what's going on there 22) I got an automated email saying my application was no longer under consideration... perhaps that means some of yall have moved forward in the process?! good luck! 23) Interesting, I have not heard anything either way! x3 24) Seems confusing, maybe worth an email to the search chair? 24) I asked about the search status and received "I have not notified anyone of a decision yet. The decision is not yet official and I'm told not to do anything until then." Not sure what decision this refers to, whether it's for interview invites or an offer, but they're keeping this one quite a mystery! 25) That is interesting.... not sure whether I should have given up or not! 26). This is not the way to run a search 27) Rejection email received 6/17 X2 | 4 | |
305 | 12/6/2023 14:57:14 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Comparative or Biodiversity Genomics | 12/17/2023 | https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/?show=160465 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/26/24 8:05 | (1) Any idea about language requirements? 2) None are listed, so you can trust that! Lots of internationals in the dept. 3. Are professor salaries good enough to live in an expensive city like CPH? 4) If I recall correctly, language proficiency is required for citizenship (or is it permanent residency?), but the university offers courses to help with that for foreign employees. 5) @1 spoke to a search committee member, danish speaking abilities a strong plus. 5) @3, salaries are decent, so you'll be fine in CPH - and especially if you are willing to live to live a bit outside city center where rent is much cheaper (commuting by bike/public transportation is easy). Just don't expect to support a whole family on one income. the info from 5 makes me tired, they really should put in it the description if language skills are an issue. another one of those hidden criteria.. (6) The word out is that they have an internal candidate for which this position is ear-marked. I got a name but not sharing it here. 7) Any news on this one? 8) Rejected on 2/1/2024 9) Has anybody been notified of being shortlisted? 10) Shortlisted 4/5/2024 11) Invited to interview on 26/06/2024, interview next week. Declined. | 6 | |
306 | 12/6/2023 11:36:58 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Marine Biology | 1/21/2024 | https://jobportal.ku.dk/alle-opslag/?show=160702 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/22/24 8:28 | Info from within the faculty: they are looking for a scientist with a focus on either fish or benthic macroinvertebrates. Two Profs are retirering (one fish and one molluscs). They prefer filling this position with a woman. Position is re-advertised because they didnt find a great fit last time. 2) I was told they are looking for someone that have a distinctively different research program than what other profs have in the department 3) Any updates? 4) rejection 3/4 5) notified of short listing for assessment 3/12 6) Has anyone received an interview invite as of 4/22? | 6 | |
307 | 12/6/2023 3:17:41 | Queen's University | Canada | Director of the Queen’s University Biology Station and Conservation Biology | 2/1/2024 | https://biology.queensu.ca/default/assets/File/Forms/Ad%20QUBS%20Director%20and%20Baillie%20Chair_final.pdf | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/2/24 6:54 | Position for field station director / a named chair in Conservation Biology, with a focus on avian conservation, evolution, and ecology. [unsupported negative comment & follow-up positive comments deleted; for more info, see "Seeing jobs at places you know suck and not being able to say anything specific" on Venting Tab -AP], 2) On camus interviews scheduled for March/April 3) This has to be the most disappointing job ad/process in the history of this board. It's like Queen's wants this station to fail - the university just posted a fiscal loss and the BoG has been wanting to sell off the land for years. 4) Anyone know if there's progress here? | 2 | |
308 | 12/6/2023 3:16:01 | Queen's University | Canada | Indigenous Science - Ecology | 2/1/2024 | https://biology.queensu.ca/default/assets/File/Jobs/QNS%20Faculty%20Position%20in%20Indigenous%20Science.pdf | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 3:21 | Open only to Indigenous persons, with expertise in one of the following: biodiversity conservation; restoration ecology; aquatic ecology; ethnobotany and human health; sustainability science; environmental planning and assessment; and ecosystem health. | ||
309 | 12/5/2023 17:24:30 | USGS | Colorado | Avian Ecology | 12/22/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/764093600 | GS 13 | Government | 4/15/24 9:40 | CO residents only 2) Where do you see that? It says US citizens and funds available for relocation. 3) federal position; definitely not restricted to one state. CO state agency jobs on the otherhand are usually only for residents 4) @3, did you mean definitely _not_ restricted to one state? 5) yep you're right, that's my bad.. i had 2 tabs open one federal and one state and confused the two! 6) Interviews happened late March and early April. Finalists identified 1st week of April | 1 | |
310 | 12/5/2023 17:22:43 | USGS | Michigan | Research Ecologist (Asst Unit Leader) | 1/12/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/764091400 | GS 12 | Government | 8/20/24 11:27 | Did I miss desired start date? 2) US Gov jobs have very flexible start date, so there probably isn't one listed. 3) Is this a relisting of the position from earlier in 2023 or an additional position? 4) This is an additional position for the new Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Michigan State University. The person hired for this position will be the Assistant Unit Leader focused on wildlife. Hiring for the Assistant Unit Leader focused on fisheries is ongoing. Both Assistant Unit Leaders (and the Unit Leader) have faculty appointments at MSU to advise graduate students, teach courses, etc.5) Any updates? 6) Referred to hiring manager 6/17 7) Anyone receive an offer? 8) or more likely an interview request? Any receive an on-campus interview request? 9) Just got form email rejection from USAjobs with no other communication | 6 | |
311 | 12/5/2023 14:32:44 | University of Lausanne | Switzerland | Microbial Interactions | 1/30/2024 | https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?company=universitdP&career_job_req_id=21362&career_ns=job_listing&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 5/7/24 14:39 | is it really true that no one else here applied to this? 2) also applied, no news yet, anyone? 3) I heard that they haven't invited anyone yet and it will take a few more weeks to be finalized 4) Were letters already requested? 5) Email update that interviews will take place in May, shortlist by end of April. 6) Were any shortlist emails sent? 7) Yes, there's 8 candidates invited for a symposium style interview next week | 2 | |
312 | 12/5/2023 11:10:41 | University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | Curator of Entomology | 1/7/2024 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=53360 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/30/24 16:45 | 1) Any updates yet? 2) Seriously? It's been one day since the due date, chill! 3) wait, is it ok to ask for updates now? 4) yes, and no as of 1/24 x2 5) LOR requested starting 1/25 for long list 6) Can anyone confirm that their references have been contacted? If I haven't heard anything, does that mean I didn't make the long list? x2 7) Yes, references have been contacted 8) Any updates? 9) completed prelimary interview 10) any news? 11) received in-person interview request. 12) Any news after in-person interviews? 13) https://x.com/ryan_stlaurent/status/1802800585424376188 | 10 | |
313 | 12/5/2023 9:36:36 | Eckerd College | Florida | Marine Science | 2/1/2024 | https://eckerd.hirecentric.com/jobs | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/2/24 9:33 | 1)Job-ad asks for references for LOR, but system is going to request LOR when you submit, and application wont be considered until LORs are submitted, so tell your references ahead of time that there are time constraints for submitting them. 2) the ad does not say that letter must be received before revieweing your app, just that you need to provide contact info for refs. Did I miss this somewhere, or did you contact teh search chair? cause if this is true, ugh.... 2) applications gives no indication of what #1 said, so I don't think that's true. 3) zoom interview invite 2/9 x5 4) Has anybody heard back? They seemed to want to start on-campus really quickly, so I figured they would notify soon. 5) Not yet-but they likely had interiews all last week, and Monday was a holiday. Guessing they'll say something this week 4) good points #5, thanks! 6) Anyone heard anything? 4) Nope, but feels like someone must have - SC seemed in a rush for campus visits. 7) Also, members of the SC were at Ocean Sciences conference last week. May be contributing to the wait. 4) I still haven't heard anything (3/5)x3 4) Still haven't heard, but at this point I think we can assume they've already done campus invites :- / @4 that is what I'm assuming at this point-that the three of us on here didn't get on campus unfortunately. 5) Got on campus— on campus interviews finished last week, waiting to hear back (3/18) 4) Got an update today that they are only hiring the invert position now and the plant/algae position will be re-posted late summer 8) does late summer mean during the summer semester or in prep for the fall season? 4) They meant a position would be posted for next year and that the posting would probably come out in late summer. At least that's what I understood. I don't see how they could hire for the fall at that point. 8) thanks for the insight! the 9) new post (I'll add above too): https://eckerd.hirecentric.com/jobs/231045-26981.html | 2 | |
314 | 12/5/2023 6:49:06 | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | California | Applied Geospatial Science in Environmental Management | 1/8/2024 | https://jobs.calpoly.edu/en-us/job/534255/assistantassociate-professor-of-applied-geospatial-science-in-environmental-management | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/5/23 11:44 | Scholarship alignment with key CA statewide priorities such as forest management, wildfire and terrestrial carbon cycling, biodiversity conservation, or water management are considered strengths. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the search chair (Seeta Sistla, ssistla@calpoly.edu) with any questions. | 1 | |
315 | 12/5/2023 0:20:14 | WSL (ETH domain) | Switzerland | Institute Director | 1/31/2024 | https://ethrat.ch/en/job/director-of-the-wsl/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/5/23 0:23 | This is a director position that should come with a full ETH domain professorship. | ||
316 | 12/4/2023 20:33:57 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Biological Feedbacks in the Marine Carbon Cycle | 12/10/2023 | https://vacatures.uva.nl/UvA/job/Assistant-Professor-Biological-Feedbacks-in-the-Marine-Carbon-Cycle/780386202/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
317 | 12/4/2023 9:40:38 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | Wildlife Ecology | 12/4/2023 | https://careers.alaska.edu/cw/en-us/job/525998/assistant-or-associate-professor-of-wildlife-ecology | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 12:10 | teach core courses required for a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation and build capacity to support a new B.A. degree in Wildlife Ecology and Society. | 1 | |
318 | 12/4/2023 7:32:43 | University of South Alabama | Alabama | Biology | 1/22/2024 | https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicaffairs/resources/academicaffairspostings/bly_7376_instructor_081524.pdf | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 12/27/23 8:31 | |||
319 | 12/4/2023 6:36:53 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Aquaculture or Fisheries Ecology and Management | 1/12/2024 | https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJobs/job/Ames-IA/Assistant-Associate-Full-Professor---Aquaculture-or-Fisheries-Ecology-and-Management_R13535 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 6/24/24 10:10 | It seems like this position is better fit for someone in aquaculture as the individual will be the Director of the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. Any idea if someone who is focused on Fisheries Ecology and Management, but is interested in angling in particular would be competetive? (1) Invited for on campus interview. | 1 | |
320 | 12/4/2023 6:05:39 | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Massachusetts | Fisheries Oceanography | 1/15/2024 | http://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/521476 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/26/24 5:20 | The focus is on "marine ecosystem science or marine policy and socioeconomics with focus on but not limited to the Northwest Atlantic Ocean continental shelf." (1) SC here – please consider applying to this position if your vision for your teaching/research program fits within our department, with work including but not limited to “acquisition and analysis of fisheries or oceanographic data, applied fishery research, ocean and coastal policy and socioeconomic research, quantitative analyses of fisheries and environmental data, ecosystem assessment and modeling”. An FAQ-style information sheet on the dept/univ is available at https://bit.ly/umassd-fisheries-faculty-info. Consider joining us, SMAST is a great place to work! 2) Zoom invitation received 1/19. (x2). 2) any word after Zooms? 3) none as of 2/12. 2) Reject after zoom 2/13 :( 4) when were your Zoom interviews scheduled for? | 1 | |
321 | 12/2/2023 8:51:42 | University of Namur | Belgium | Ecophysiology & Ecotoxicology | 1/15/2024 | https://jobs.unamur.be/emploi.2023-11-29.1234527512 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/7/23 0:12 | Research and teaching position (with MSc and PhD students). The focus or the research unit is on ecology and evolution in aquatic systems. (1) Department member here: Expats encouraged to apply, and eventually learn French. But English is the working language here! | ||
322 | 12/1/2023 21:23:41 | Washington State University | Washington | Honey Bee & Pollinator Health | 1/3/2024 | https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/details/Honey-Bee-and-Pollinator-Health-Assistant-Professor_R-10651 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/7/23 19:51 | 1) this job is meant to bee 2) hahaha 3) sweet gig! 4) this one is really for the hive mind 5) you sure they don't already have a queen B in mind?5) oh Beehave... 6) getting rejected from this one will sting 7) Bee scientist here. We've heard all these puns more times than you can imagine. 8) It's all the buzz. | 1 | |
323 | 12/1/2023 14:04:07 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Wisconsin | Wildlife Ecology | 1/17/2024 | https://www3.uwsp.edu/hr/jobs/Documents/20346%20Position%20Announcement.pdf | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 3:52 | Well this is certainly someone's dream job. [review date fixed -AP] 2) True, but it is 75% extension. 3) @2 - for some of us, that IS the dream! :) | 1 | |
324 | 12/1/2023 13:47:27 | Saint Louis University | Missouri | Plant Genetics, Genomics & Breeding | 2/15/2024 | https://slu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Careers/job/SLU-Saint-Louis-MO/Professor--Open-Rank---of-Plant-Genetics--Genomics--and-Breeding_2023-07581-1 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 7:27 | "the successful candidate should have demonstrated skills in geospatial applications that integrate data on environmental conditions with remotely sensed spectral data (multi-spectral, LIDAR and others) that provide information on plant biology, enabling high-resolution spatial assessment of plants required for efficient breeding" - New first review date Feb 15 | ||
325 | 12/1/2023 13:30:31 | Drexel University | Pennsylvania | Biology Department Head | 2/29/2024 | https://careers.drexel.edu/cw/en-us/job/502318/professor-department-head-biology | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/1/23 13:36 | "Faculty with active research programs and a strong record of extramural funding pursue research in the areas of molecular and cell biology, neurobiology, organismal and evolutionary biology, and STEM education." Full Professor is preferred but Associate Prof level may be considered in some cases. | ||
326 | 12/1/2023 13:03:42 | Bielefeld University | Germany | Ecology & Biodiversity | 1/14/2024 | https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/uni/karriere/professuren/wiss3047_englisch.xml | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 15:51 | Research focus in ecology, in particular on the processes shaping biodiversity of plants, plants and interacting organisms, or biodiversity in general, and on the dynamics of biodiversity in a changing environment and landscape (both due to natural and anthropogenic causes) 1) "We expect the tenure-track professor to be able to teach in German in the undergraduate programmes within 2 years" Go get it German speakers! Happy for you! 2) Does this place even exist? 3) Haha I've changed trains there, wasn't sure at first but yes, it does exist (everyone else: this relates to a faux conspiracy theory claiming that this city doesn't exist. It's a running gag going on for decades. Be ready for these jokes, but do not let them get in the way of applying!) | ||
327 | 12/1/2023 10:32:10 | UC Riverside | California | Evolutionary Paleobiology | 2/1/2024 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01856 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/9/24 9:10 | 1) Anyone hear anything? (3/2) 2) Nothing here 3/4 3) not a peep 3/12 4) This job is the only thing stopping me from closing this spreadsheet for the year. 5) Received an email about a zoom call that does not state whether it would be an interview or not 3/26 5) again, it was just to invite me for in-campus interview x2 6) https://x.com/KNanglu/status/1821902112533455116 | 3 | |
328 | 12/1/2023 7:55:22 | West Texas A&M | Texas | Vertebrate Ecology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178624971 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 8:45 | "Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled" 2) https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/21/west-texas-am-drag-show/ | |||
329 | 12/1/2023 7:26:42 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Colorado | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 12/15/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Teaching-Assistant-Professor-Instructor/53261 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 1/17/24 8:04 | Online teaching only 1) it actually says one course will be taught in person. But also...68k to teach 5 courses a year in Boulder? I can honestly say thats a bad deal. If this was truly online only and had remote work option it would be more reasonable. 2) agree!!! 3) Definitely not a great salary, but have you actually seen what a lot of teaching only positions pay? It's often a lot less than this. 1) yes, but COL in Boulder is sky high, so not sure the pay "bump" at this job is so great 4) online virtual interview request received 12/21 5) has anyone heard anything since the online interviews? 6) campus invite received 01/16 | ||
330 | 12/1/2023 6:39:04 | West Texas A&M | Texas | Plant Ecology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178624917 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/1/23 6:39 | "Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled" | 1 | ||
331 | 11/30/2023 21:08:45 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Africa / Madagascar Conservation / Systematics / Restoration | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/MBG/Posting/View/2798 | Senior Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 12/4/23 8:49 | (1) I don't work here and never have, but just want to say that MOBOT is *amazing* and the area of St. Louis (Shaw/Tower Grove) that it's located in is fantastic: vibrant, diverse, affordable, growing, and really fun. Don't overlook. x4 (2) with all due respect and kindness, I live near the area and it was named Americas least safe city (1 again) Won't say more to have whole conversation deleted, except to say that STL city stats are exaggerated due to city + county being separate. most folks would love living here x2 (2) no worries at all just sharing a boots on the ground perspective | |||
332 | 11/30/2023 13:25:33 | Cambridge University | United Kingdom | Zoology Museum | 1/22/2024 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/44142/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/1/23 11:17 | Director of the University Museum of Zoology and Professorship of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology | ||
333 | 11/30/2023 8:47:04 | University of Florida | Florida | Curator of Lepidoptera | 1/5/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/529517/ast-curator | Asst Curator | Tenure Stream | 5/6/24 5:37 | Assistant Curator is equivalent to Assistant Professor and is a faculty-rank title at the University of Florida. This is a 12-month and tenure-accruing position. 1) Wow, is Kawahara's position totally admin now? Big shoes to fill if so. 2) Pretty sure his feet are an average size. 3) Kawahara is still a curator/professor running a lab, this position is likely a replacement for Jacqueline Miller 4) Can confirm, this is a replacement for Jacqueline Miller. 5) Any updates on this? 6) heard from a reference writer that letters were requested 1/23; 6) Has anyone heard about interviews? (2/26) 7) https://twitter.com/vmshirey/status/1787149730486587819 | 4 | |
334 | 11/30/2023 7:39:08 | Archbold Biological Station | Florida | Avian Ecology / Conservation Biology | 12/29/2023 | https://archbold-cms.payloadcms.app/media/JobAd_Archbold_PD_Conservation_Science_Military_Landscape_FINAL.pdf | Asst / Assoc Research Biologist | NGO | 12/4/23 9:23 | (1) salary not listed. (2) ~$65K (based on experience and some room for negotiation). | ||
335 | 11/30/2023 6:52:08 | University of California Riverside | California | Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology | 1/24/2024 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01509 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/11/25 10:24 | Reference letters up front 1) for context, from the job ad: "We particularly seek diversity-invested applicants who have expertise in DEI issues, a track record of DEI actions, and/or hold DEI as a component of their work." 2) Might be informative to know "This position is the first position in a University of California's Advancing Faculty Diversity Program-funded cluster hire to recruit three ladder-rank faculty to the EEOB department." 3) So is this a DEI-targeted hire? I'm not entirely sure from the language. 4) 2-page research statement ... ugh more reformatting from 3-page. (5) @3, I am somewhat familiar with the program and yes it's absolutely a DEI-focussed search. View of DEI is meant to be holistic. 6) Wondering if the hope is to have more heavy on EEOB research with DEI components or more heavy on DEI research with EEOB components... for example DEI-focused education research in EEOB AP) Updated link & due date based on a duplicate posting. Also for more info: https://insideucr.ucr.edu/awards/2023/11/29/ucr-wins-grant-promoting-faculty-diversity-efforts 7) @#4, where did you see 2-page research statement? Ad just says "statement of research" (wondering if length is inside the app portal or something). 8) Looks like standard DEI language to me, not particularly focused 9) To 7, the length is listed in the ad, in the list of materials 10) genetic diversity? 11) Any updates on this? 12) nothing as of 2/9 x8 13) nothing as of 12 Feb x8 14) nothing as of Feb 19 x3 15) I just talked to an acquaintance in the department and found out the search committee narrowed it down to a medium list on 2/19... now they'll re-read those applications to come up with a short list for on campus interviews 16) Just to clarify, does that mean that they did NOT do Zoom interviews? 17) that's right, there have not been Zoom interviews 18) nothing as of 26 Feb. x6 19) nothing as of Feb 28 x5 20) Department is deciding short list on Monday, will then need to go through aprovals and will probably be a week before any contact 21) @20 - which Monday? Today (March 4) or the next (March 11)? 22) statement implied short list was elaborated yesterday, contact will happen on/around the 11th 23) It's nice to have a clear timeline! Thank you! 24) Any news? 25) No x9, as of March 12 26) nothing as of 13 March X2. 27) no word on pi day either x3 28) March 15: I just recieved an email for an on-campus interview. x2 29) Which means.... I probably won't get one - LOL. 30) @28, congrats! x2 31) @28 would you mind providing what field(s) you are in? I'm curious to know if they were looking for something specific beyond the 'diversity-invested' applicant; 32) A lot of these DEI hires are just for show. 33) department faculty member here. All of the shortlisted candidates have very strong DEI; none are "just for show". 33) Any updates here? 34) Maybe this one? https://bsky.app/profile/chriscatano.bsky.social 35) I don't think so - wrong department 36) yes wrong department - they are working on long list now | 21 | |
336 | 11/30/2023 5:13:29 | Purdue University | Indiana | Environmental Sustainability | 2/1/2024 | https://careers.purdue.edu/job-invite/29063/ | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/30/23 5:14 | "Richard and Suzanne Belcher Endowed Chair in Environmental Sustainability" | ||
337 | 11/29/2023 17:17:57 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Animal Welfare | 2/1/2024 | https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/details/Assistant-Professor-in-Animal-Welfare_JR15501 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 17:19 | We welcome applications from candidates interested in animals kept by people for different purposes, including food production, companionship and research. We also welcome scholars from both the natural and social sciences. | ||
338 | 11/29/2023 13:35:49 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Evolutionary Biology | 1/15/2024 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02635 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/16/24 15:35 | SC: Letters required up front (sorry) b/c we are working on a tight timeline. <- Sorry this is still problematic. (1) Application not open to request letters until Dec 1 (2) what is the typical teaching load? (3) What are you really looking for topically? (4) Saw on Twitter/X evolutionary genetics/genomics. SC: That's right @4. We are agnostic to study system so long as applicants link genetics/genomics to phenotype. @2 We are on quarter system (3 x 10-week quarters per academic year); typical teaching load is 2 courses (one solo, one co-taught) + 1 (grad) seminar per year.(5) are letters requiered to be sent in by 1/15 or just requests for letters? (6) My guess is letters based on their statement that letters are required 'up front'; editing to say letters should have been recieved by yesterday (5) it does say "Applicants should provide the names and contact information for at least 3 references, and must request letters of references within the UC Recruit system in order to complete application requirements" which to me reads, put in their names and send the request, but not necessarily have them submitted. but i can see it going either way. Regardless, It's out of my hands now. 6) Rumor has it they went to some people for letters when not submitted on time. I hope that's true. (7) That would be humane! x2 (8) Anyone heard anything on this one yet, as of 1/24? 9) no.x5 (SC) Committee meets tomorrow to discuss. All apps have been reviewed and we are working on the long list. 130+ apps, reviewed by 27 Jan. (10)Thanks SC! Looking forward to hearing back. hope you go right to in person given the timeline x3 (11) Anyone hear anything yet? 12) no, no word by Feb 3rd x6 13) One of my letter writers said he was contacted/called about HR needing a letter on Feb 1st. I thought all my LOR were in when I submitted, so who knows. (SC) In person interview list determined and awaiting HR approval on 6 Feb. (12) Anyone hear anything yet (Feb 9)? (13) No word by Feb 9x5 (14) This one is a real nail-biter, isn't it? (14) In person invite Feb 10th x2 (15) Wow! On a Saturday. Congrats! x3. (SC) Confirming that interview invitations have gone out, and interviews have been scheduled. Thanks very much for all of the applications -- it's really been a pleasure getting to know the spectacular early-career evolutionary biologists on the market this year, and I wish we could've invited many, many more! -16 Feb | 24 | |
339 | 11/29/2023 12:42:06 | Tulane University | Louisiana | Earth & Environmental Sciences | 12/11/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/135147 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/12/24 20:35 | 2 positions - including atmospheric and climate sciences, carbon cycling and other Earth-atmosphere interactions, hydrology and geomorphology, with a demonstrable Earth Systems Science approach 1) what is an "earth systems science approach" does this mean not an ecological approach? 2) @1, I've been doing research in earth system science for a decade and still don't know what an "earth systems science approach" is. I would just apply 1) OK thank you #2! 2) anyone get letters requested? 3) new dev?? 4) any news? 5) nothing here as of 2/6 6) running slow to a hell. 7) ANY MOVES? | 4 | |
340 | 11/29/2023 11:35:41 | Hofstra University | New York | Computational Biology | 1/30/2024 | https://hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/3011 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/13/24 4:56 | Just posted, part of a computational cluster hire (4 faculty across 4 departments) in addition to the physiology and genetics positions posted earlier this year. 1) there are two dates given for initial review - Jan 2 and Jan 30. Please advise. 2) Initial review will happen starting January 30th and Ad is corrected 3) I confirm review will start Jan 30 (ad has been edited) 4) Any chance SC can give us a rough timeline for this search? 5) Any news 2/19? 6) Zoom interview invite 2/20 x6 7) Any news about on campus interviews yet 3/5? 8) Not here x2 9) Invited for on campus interview March 8th 10) bummer for me, good luck to those interviewing! | 6 | |
341 | 11/29/2023 11:23:09 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Hawaii | Fisheries Extension Agent | 1/8/2024 | www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4287749/assistant-extension-agent-fisheries-extension-faculty-position-0088169 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/13/24 17:23 | The University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program invites applications for a Fisheries Extension Faculty position to serve in Hawai'i and the Pacific Region. This role is pivotal in connecting scientific research with local fishing communities and stakeholders, facilitating knowledge transfer, and fostering sustainable fisheries management practices. The Fisheries Extension Faculty will play a vital role in advancing the understanding of fisheries in the Pacific and ensuring the ecological and economic well-being of the region's aquatic resources. 1) Invited for Zoom interview on 13 Feb | 2 | |
342 | 11/29/2023 11:20:28 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Hawaii | Fisheries | 1/8/2024 | www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4294068/assistant-professor-fisheries-oceanographer-pos-0083358 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 19:01 | A successful candidate will have research experience in fisheries oceanography, the interaction between harvested marine species and their environments. In particular we seek a candidate whose research investigates the ways in which climate is altering fisheries such as changes in productivity of stocks, shifting distributions, and reductions in recruitment as a consequence of ocean acidification and/or changing phenology of ocean species.(2) zoom invitation sent. (3) anyone receive a fly out yet?*3 (4) seems they have five candidates for the zoom interview? (5) i saw 13 zoom interview slots, letters of rec requested 2/20 (6) did the zoom interview but did not recieve letter for rec, good luck with those who did (7) any updates? 3/6/2024 | 1 | |
343 | 11/29/2023 9:23:53 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Life Sciences; Life Sciences Education | 12/12/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25792 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 11:09 | I am familiar with the search and I know they are still accepting applications despite the ad saying Oct 15. | ||
344 | 11/29/2023 8:26:19 | University of Arkansas-Little Rock | Arkansas | Plant Biology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178623786 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 6:04 | "Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled." 1) salary $62,930 seems weirdly specific and... kind of low? 2) I was offered a position in this department last year. That salary is essentially non-negotiable. It was a dealbreaker for another applicant offered the job, so I wonder if they are trying to not surprise anyone this year. I liked the people and the area, just didn't work out for me. I was also concerned about grad stipends and insurance. The department chair appears to have left soon after that search failed after only ~2 years there. [link & subject updated per commenter's request -AP] 3) Same - I was offered $62,900 which is not affordable in that area unless your spouse makes similar or more than that. It was a nice area, strange vibes in the department and the chair leaving (who is now in Illinois) was also odd. Apparent falling enrollment didn't help the atmosphere, even though people were very friendly and wanted the place to succeed. 4) this department is one of the most underperforming departments in Arkansas. Considering their resources and location. Its kind of sad. x2 | 1 | ||
345 | 11/29/2023 8:02:38 | University of Warwick | United Kingdom | Ecology & Evolution | 1/3/2024 | https://warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/652-Assistant-or-Associate-Professor-in-Ecology-and-Evolution-108319-1123/en-GB | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/12/23 18:19 | [updated review date -AP] 1) Microbial Ecology seems to be the focus here. | 1 | |
346 | 11/29/2023 7:06:19 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Tropical Plant Systematics and Conservation | 1/15/2024 | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2831 | Scientist 3 | Non-Profit Research Organization | 1/19/24 12:26 | 1) what 'Scientist 3' means? | 1 | |
347 | 11/29/2023 7:04:56 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Tropical Restoration or Conservation Ecology | 1/15/2024 | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2826 | Scientist 1 | Non-Profit Research Organization | 2/19/24 2:36 | Any idea on salaries? | ||
348 | 11/28/2023 18:24:26 | Texas A&M Galveston | Texas | Marine Biology | 1/15/2024 | https://faculty.tamu.edu/JobDetail?JobId=135802 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/29/24 10:09 | This might be replacing a faculty member who recently moved on from academia. 1) Bit of turnover there in recent times 2) Letters requested on 01/26 x 2 3) Updates? (asking on 02/06) 4) Nothing here as of 02/07 - had my letters requested on 01/26 with a due date of 02/06. Assuming they'll pick Zoom interviews soon if all the letters were due yesterday. 5) any updates? 6) nothing here (02/21) x 3 7) invited for on-campus interview | 3 | |
349 | 11/28/2023 16:38:30 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Herpetofauna Species Lead | 12/25/2023 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4289483/herpetofauna-species-lead-fish-wildlife-biologist-4-permanent-14994-23 | Fish & Wildlife Biologist 4 | Government | 12/21/23 13:16 | 1) submitted application 12/11, 1) application forwarded to hiring committee 12/11 | ||
350 | 11/28/2023 13:45:19 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Food, Forests and (Bio)Fuels - Policy | 1/16/2024 | https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/details/Assistant-Professor-in-Food--Forests-and--Bio-Fuels---Policy_JR15484-1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 14:11 | part of cluster hire (see below) | ||
351 | 11/28/2023 13:43:17 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Food, Forests and (Bio)Fuels - Ecology | 1/16/2024 | https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/details/Assistant-Professor-in-Food--Forests-and--Bio-Fuels---Ecology_JR15481 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 13:53 | "candidates who identify as Black, possibly including expertise in agroecology, soil science, microbial ecology and nutrient/carbon cycling, landscape ecology, and biodiversity monitoring across terrestrial, coastal, and freshwater aquatic landscapes." | ||
352 | 11/28/2023 9:25:23 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Stream or Wetland Ecology | 12/15/2023 | https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Assistant-Associate-Professor-of-Stream-or-Wetland-Ecology_R91508-2?fbclid=IwAR1RFsq3-uOQccEBmsVzzhVrPBT81ox6XyD57yVPH7FAH8m-QZ27cvcTbLw | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 9:22 | conduct research on ecosystem-level processes that occur within human-impacted streams, rivers and/or wetlands. 1) Could someone with a marine wetland background be competitive if also interested in developing freshwater work? @2) they have marine focused faculty, so I don't think it'd be a bridge too far. 3) updates? x2? 4) Zoom interview/letter request 1/10 x4 5) any zoom interviewees hear anything yet? 6) @5 Nope x 2 7) on campus interview x2 8) oh no I had a high hope for this one ;( congrats to those invited! 9) any news? | 3 | |
353 | 11/28/2023 8:19:34 | University of Florida | Florida | Lepidoptera Collections Manager | 12/22/2023 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/529413/flmnh-collections-manager-ii | Collections Manager II | Museum | 4/10/24 9:25 | conduct research on ecosystem-level processes that occur within human-impacted streams, rivers and/or wetlands. 1) Could someone with a marine wetland background be competitive if also interested in developing freshwater work? @2) they have marine focused faculty, so I don't think it'd be a bridge too far. 3) updates? x2? 4) Zoom interview/letter request 1/10 x4 5) any zoom interviewees hear anything yet? 6) @5 Nope x 2 7) on campus interview x2 8) oh no I had a high hope for this one ;( congrats to those invited! 9) any news? | ||
354 | 11/27/2023 22:12:28 | NOAA Northern Gulf Institute / Mississippi State University | Florida | Marine eDNA Barcoding | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/506893/research-scientist-i-ii-iii-or-senior | Research Scientist I-III / Sr Research Scientist | Government | 12/4/23 11:33 | Application deadline? Not clear to me if this a "permanent" position. Does anyone know? | |||
355 | 11/27/2023 17:19:09 | Algoma University | Canada | Biology | 1/31/2024 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NqotA4toihspFnJ33TDDrtNZKnTA57Le/view?usp=sharing | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 14:05 | 45258.58698 | ||
356 | 11/27/2023 13:27:39 | University of California Riverside | California | Disease Ecology | 1/22/2024 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01846 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/15/24 13:34 | Letters required up front (sorry) b/c we are working on a tight timeline. 1) So are the applicants? 2) Same as 1), all it does is make more work for everyone to save what 5 days? 3) actually it makes the diffrence between being able to have someone start this July instead of next July, which is really important for some people whose postdoc funding is expiring 4) search committee member here - not many applicants. If you are any sort of disease ecologist, please consider applying. 5) @4, would someone studying primarily host responses be considering per the job description clause "population dynamics, genetics and immunology of hosts"?? 6) @5 Yes! 7) search committee member here - review date bumped back to 1/25/2024 8) Any updates? 9) none 2/12 x3 10) none 2/29 x3 11) Department just voted on shortlist - candidates will likely be contacted next week for interviews 12) campus invite 2/4 x2 13) Have all the candidates been contacted? 14) @13 yes all have been contacted for interviews. 15) Offer made 16) Offer accepted | 7 | |
357 | 11/27/2023 11:52:43 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | Applied Ocean Physics | 12/31/2023 | https://careers-whoi.icims.com/jobs/2175/tenure-track-scientist---aope---applied-ocean-physics/job | Open Rank Scientist | Tenure Stream | 1/25/24 14:27 | 1) Zoom invite 1/24/24 | ||
358 | 11/27/2023 11:51:54 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Insitution | Massachusetts | Sensing, Robotics & Machine Learning | 12/31/2023 | https://careers-whoi.icims.com/jobs/2176/tenure-track-scientist---aope---sensing%2c-robotics%2c-and-machine-learning/job | Open Rank Scientist | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 6:23 | This should be listed as tenure stream | ||
359 | 11/27/2023 11:50:52 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | Ocean Acoustics | 12/31/2023 | https://careers-whoi.icims.com/jobs/2174/tenure-track-scientist---aope---ocean-acoustics/job | Open Rank Scientist | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 6:23 | |||
360 | 11/27/2023 8:42:05 | Université de Montréal | Canada | Freshwater Community Ecology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.umontreal.ca/public/www/documents/offres_emploi_profs/FAS_09-23-11_EN.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/27/23 13:23 | "An adequate knowledge of the French written and spoken language or a strong commitment to mastering the proficiency level required, in accordance to Université de Montréal’s Language Policy." 1) not involved in the search but just because this comes up all the time: yes, there are plenty of anglophone professors in Quebec's francophone universites, but yes, you do have to learn French within a relatively short time (usually < 2 yrs) after being hired 2) Bah ouais [U Ottawa derail deleted; let's keep this discussion relevant to this job -AP] | 2 | |
361 | 11/27/2023 7:38:06 | Boston College | Massachusetts | Environmental Studies | 1/19/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/136689 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 2/8/24 17:19 | 1) this call seems fairly vague, does anyone have anything more specific they know about it? x2 2) zoom interview requested | 1 | |
362 | 11/27/2023 6:45:19 | University of Houston | Texas | Neuroscience | 11/15/2023 | https://uhs.taleo.net/careersection/ex2_uhf/jobdetail.ftl?job=FAC003139&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/21/24 9:54 | Non-mammalian systems, eco evo folks welcome 2) "Review of applications will begin by 11/15/2023"? [updated -AP] 3) Reivew has not yet begun (SC, as of 12/5) 4) Any updates? | ||
363 | 11/27/2023 6:20:36 | University of Mississippi | Mississippi | Freshwater Ecology | 1/24/2024 | https://careers.olemiss.edu/job/University-Henry-L_-and-Grace-Doherty-Chair-Professor-in-Freshwater-Ecology-MS-38677/1096870700/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/27/24 15:42 | review date updated to 1/24; short list email 3/25 | 1 | |
364 | 11/26/2023 9:45:45 | University of East Anglia | United Kingdom | Ecology & Conservation | 1/5/2024 | https://vacancies.uea.ac.uk/vacancies/524/lecturer-in-ecology-and-conservation-2-posts--atr1672.html | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 2/17/24 0:28 | Two positions. 1) Any update on this one? 2) Rejection letter 1/30 x3 | 2 | |
365 | 11/26/2023 9:44:45 | The Peregrine Fund | Idaho | Quantitative Ecologist | 1/31/2024 | https://ornithologyexchange.org/jobs/board/non-academic-positions/quantitative-ecologist-r20295/ | Quantitative Ecologist | NGO | 12/11/23 17:30 | |||
366 | 11/24/2023 7:11:27 | Edge Hill University | United Kingdom | Ecology & Conservation | 1/5/2024 | https://jobs.edgehill.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=EHT2107-1123 | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 2/9/24 15:45 | 3 positiion cluster hire, comes with grant funding. 1) This is NOT Asst. Prof, but is Assistant Researcher (unclear if tenure track). 2) SC member: It's equivalent to a Asst. Prof, but has fewer teaching responsibilities (hence researcher classification) YES it's tenure track. 1) Thanks for clarification! What length are you looking for for the statement of research/teaching? 3) Thanks! Also, is it best for the teaching/research/diversity statement to be integrated throughout or is it okay for them to be separate sections of the same document? 4) Format is open. Length not determined, but my (SC) personal preference would be <4pg. 5) How does this differ from an Asst Prof? 6) research:teaching split is 75:25 as opposed to ~50:50, but it's really just a question of semantics, it's the same tenure/promotion process. About 50% of faculty in this dept are Researchers and the other half are Professors. 7) anybody hear back on this one yet re initial interviews? 8) Nothing here as of 1/5 x8 (9) Nothing as of 15 Jan x 8 10) Zoom interview invite/letter request (1/17) x3 11) I got zoom interview request on 1/18 x5 12) Following zoom interview they told me they'd follow up within a month...anyone hear anything? 13) Just had the zoom interview today, they didn't specify a timeline X2. 14) Invited to a campus interview x2 15) Congrats! I wonder if this was all the invites or if there will be more coming since the zooms came on different days | ||
367 | 11/22/2023 17:29:04 | Western Carolina University | North Carolina | Forestry | 12/8/2023 | https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/25401 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/13/23 11:22 | (1) Notifications sent to applicants that did not progress past initial application review 13 Dec 2023. | 2 | |
368 | 11/22/2023 16:13:38 | York University | Canada | Biology | https://www.yorku.ca/vpepc/faculty-affairs/wp-content/uploads/sites/698/2020/06/SCI_BIO_Ind..pdf | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/27/23 7:08 | this position is open only to qualified scholars who identify as Indigenous peoples of Canada (i.e., First Nations, Inuit, Métis). [Discussion of eligibility of non-Canadian Indigenous people removed: the ad is clear who's eligible. If you feel compelled to discuss the general topic of geographically / ethnically restricted searches, go light a dumpster fire in General Discussion -AP] | |||
369 | 11/22/2023 14:19:30 | University of Utah | Utah | Evolutionary Genetics | 12/22/2023 | https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/155357 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/8/24 9:29 | Just FYI, this is a position in the Human Genetics Department. 2) is this seprate fro the computational evolutionary genetics position posted earlier? 3) Yes. 4) Anyone heard news on this? Letter requests, zoom, etc? 5) No news here as of 2/8 | 3 | |
370 | 11/22/2023 8:54:37 | University of Bristol | United Kingdom | Palaeobiology | 12/20/2023 | https://www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/details/?jobId=329455&jobTitle=Lecturer%20%2F%20Senior%20Lecturer%20in%20Palaeobiology | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 1/16/24 9:59 | 1) Email about zoom interviews (1/16) | 2 | |
371 | 11/22/2023 6:23:32 | Cornell University | New York | Plant Pathology | 1/1/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26363 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/22/23 16:46 | located at Cornell’s AgriTech campus in Geneva, NY | ||
372 | 11/21/2023 15:24:43 | University of California, Riverside | California | Nematology | 12/21/2023 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01804 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/2/23 11:26 | Reference letters up front | ||
373 | 11/20/2023 19:29:05 | Morehead State University | Kentucky | Ecology, Environmental Biology | 11/29/2023 | https://moreheadstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/25203 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 7:15 | 1) 5 references? Is that normal? 2) Ugh. It's likely someone meant to offer space for up to 5 but made it mandatory to have 5. 3) A place I applied to a few years ago required 5 as well. Rare but not unheard of. 4) does anyone know teaching load here? 5) any updates on this job? | 4 | |
374 | 11/20/2023 17:43:44 | University of Central Florida | Florida | Chair of Biology Department | 11/30/2023 | https://ucf.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Orlando-FL-Main-Campus/Professor-and-Chair--Department-of-Biology_R106465-1?q=Biology | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
375 | 11/20/2023 9:11:44 | Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville | Texas | Geospatial Sciences and Remote Sensing | 1/15/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUK_External/job/Assistant-Associate-Professor-in-Geospatial-Sciences-and-Remote-Sensing_R-067941 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
376 | 11/20/2023 8:35:27 | Indiana State University | Indiana | Bioinformatics | 12/15/2023 | https://jobs.indstate.edu/postings/45897 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/19/24 10:45 | "The successful candidate will be expected to develop a vibrant bioinformatics research program to address questions in regulatory genomics, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, systems biology, statistical genetics, or evolutionary biology" 1) does anyone have a sense of what the research environment is like here? @ 1) I did my masters here, It is not a top notch research institute but does support M.S and PhD students. There will be a few good labs in the university to collaborate with and the school does reward / support those that try hard. I won't be applying because Terre Haute is a pretty boring place to live. 2) I worked with some great researchers here - but nobody has anything good to say about Terre Haute. 3) I have spent some time there and know quite a few of the faculty members. They've had a fair bit of turnover, and most don't have a lot of good things to say about the department. And yes, Terre Haute isn't great. 4) 3 straight comments about Terre Haute being not great, are we suprised there is high turnover? Not that the comments are wrong... 5) Email came with an invitation to do a 40-minute zoom interview, Tues Jan 9th.6) interviewed there last year, everyone seemed nervous and on edge 7) @6 all the meth in Terre Haute will do that to you | 2 | |
377 | 11/20/2023 1:25:00 | APOPO | Africa (Other) | Scent detection animals | 11/20/2023 | https://apopo.org/head-of-research-and-innovation-2/?v=13c4998a4a40 | Head of Department | NGO | 11/27/23 6:13 | They are re-advertising this position. I've interviewed for this position before and was one of the most hostile interviews that I ever had. Although the mission of this NGO is cool everyone looked really unfriendly. 2) Thank you for sharing your feedback. We regret to hear that you found the interview process to be challenging and apologize if it left you with a negative impression. Our intention is to ensure that every candidate has a positive and constructive experience throughout the selection process. If you would be open to it, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns. You are correct that we are re-advertising the position, emphasizing our dedication to find the ideal candidate. We believe that ensuring alignment between the expectations of APOPO and those of prospective team members is crucial for a successful and long-term hire. 3) (Not OP) The "apology" comment on this cell rubs me the wrong way. x3 4) Located in Tanzania, where LGBTQ relationships are illegal.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Tanzania AP) @4 thanks! Since it's not a specific policy of this organization but rather of the country, we can leave this entry up, but this is good info to have here. | ||
378 | 11/18/2023 14:33:22 | Northwest Missouri State University | Missouri | Biology, Natural Sciences | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmissouri/jobs/4253309/assistant-professor-of-biology-natural-sciences | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/8/24 6:47 | (1) Anyone have insight into salary? 2) Assume low. 3) was offered a job a few years ago here; salary was too low to consider. Town in tiny and terrible | |||
379 | 11/18/2023 4:08:38 | University of Lincoln | United Kingdom | Zoology | 1/5/2024 | https://jobs.lincoln.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=COS673A | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 1/16/24 7:50 | Lecturer salary from £37,099 per annum. Senior Lecturer salary from £42,978 per annum. 2) uhhhhh I'm not normally one to complain about pay, but that's lower than what most postdocs get, even in the UK. No wonder lecturers are on strike... 3) UK immigration fees are an order of magnitude higher than other countries in Europe I've lived in. It's really hard here (UK) if you're coming from outside. 4) Does anyone know if this salary meets the minimum requirement for foreigners to apply for a skilled work visa? 5) @4 yes, but as @3 mentioned, the cost is quite a burden and many unis don't like to sponsor foreigners for financial reasons 6) Is it true that UK universities provide food/meals for faculty? I think that would effectively double the salary, if true. (7) Former post-doc at Lincoln here, and I know the Faculty well. To answer 6, no, you don't generally get food at UK universities - Oxford and Cambridge colleges will give you free meals, but that's very much an exception. Regarding pay, you would be able to negotiate somewhere into the Senior Lecturer scale, around £46k perhaps, which won't make you rich but is certainly enough to live on, and Lincoln is a cheap city by UK standards. 8) review date changed to 1/5/2024 9) On what planet would providing meals "double the salary"? 10) @9, on the planet that's serving caviar and filet mignon for lunch every day. My off the cuff calculation would put a year of free cafeteria lunches at ~4% of salary at best, but I'm not aware of any unis that even do that (7 again) As I mention above, some Oxford and Cambridge colleges provide a free meal allowance to their Fellows, but it's very much the exception at UK universities. [review date updated -AP] 11) Rejection letter received Jan 11 12) Interview invite 1/11 13) Position pulled 1/16 | 2 | |
380 | 11/17/2023 20:36:34 | University of Aveiro | Portugal | Ecology & Biodiversity | 12/11/2023 | https://www.cesam-la.pt/en/calls/formation-of-a-pool-of-interested-candidates-for-guest-researcher/ | Guest Researcher | Researcher | 1/14/24 11:29 | CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies. Not an actual opening, but a call for expressions of interest. Not sure how that works! (2) Any news on this? | ||
381 | 11/17/2023 18:06:23 | University of Hawaii | Hawaii | Microbiome | 12/18/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4243709/assistant-researcher-equiv-to-assistant-professor-3-positions?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/16/24 18:48 | 3 positiion cluster hire, comes with grant funding. 1) This is NOT Asst. Prof, but is Assistant Researcher (unclear if tenure track). 2) SC member: It's equivalent to a Asst. Prof, but has fewer teaching responsibilities (hence researcher classification) YES it's tenure track. 1) Thanks for clarification! What length are you looking for for the statement of research/teaching? 3) Thanks! Also, is it best for the teaching/research/diversity statement to be integrated throughout or is it okay for them to be separate sections of the same document? 4) Format is open. Length not determined, but my (SC) personal preference would be <4pg. 5) How does this differ from an Asst Prof? 6) research:teaching split is 75:25 as opposed to ~50:50, but it's really just a question of semantics, it's the same tenure/promotion process. About 50% of faculty in this dept are Researchers and the other half are Professors. 7) anybody hear back on this one yet re initial interviews? 8) Nothing here as of 1/5 x8 (9) Nothing as of 15 Jan x 8 10) Zoom interview invite/letter request (1/17) x3 11) I got zoom interview request on 1/18 x5 12) Following zoom interview they told me they'd follow up within a month...anyone hear anything? 13) Just had the zoom interview today, they didn't specify a timeline X2. 14) Invited to a campus interview x2 15) Congrats! I wonder if this was all the invites or if there will be more coming since the zooms came on different days. 16) any updates? 17) none here 3/27 x 2, 18) no updates as of 4/8 x2, 19) no updates as of 4/17 x2 20) The decision will be informed in early May 21) Any update?, 22) No updates as of 4/26 x2, 23) Worth emailing? 24) Still no update on 5/3 25) @23, did you email to SC?, 26) rejection received 27) I haven't received either a rejection email or an offer yet... Did you receive the rejection through direct contact with SC? If so, I will also reach out...!, 28) Yes, reach out! 29) Thanks! Emailed! | 9 | |
382 | 11/17/2023 13:56:50 | Oakland University | Michigan | Sustainability | 1/1/2024 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37562753/associate-provost-of-sustainability/ | Rank Open | Associate Provost | 11/19/23 13:30 | Anyone have any insight on this position? | 2 | |
383 | 11/17/2023 13:34:40 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Colorado | Ecology / General Biology / Plant Biology | 11/30/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Teaching-Assistant-Professor-Instructor/53004 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 11/26/23 18:01 | 1) Having lived in Boulder and seen how quickly the cost of living has increased, I find the salary a bit disappointing. 2) I am at another Colorado uni where the median home price is 1/3 of Boulder and our starting salary is similar... 3) this salary is insulting!! I was a postdoc at CU and made this much 4) the salary isn't a typo, I called to ask...and that's dissapointing! (5) Oh my goodness, that salary is INSANELY LOW. I'm well qualified and would love to live there, but this would be a pay cut from my postdoc with no change in COL. 3) grew up in the area and this just supports a lack of family and community support | ||
384 | 11/17/2023 9:31:24 | Northern Arizona University | Arizona | Botany, Systematics | 12/11/2023 | https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=2&JobOpeningId=607593&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 17:50 | ics 1) anyone on SC know if this Botany sensu lato or stricto, curious if experience in non-plant herbaria would be appropriate? 2) @1 are you asking if mycologists are encouraged to apply? 3) anyone know who the search chair is for this? 3) zoom interview invite 1/12 x3 4) ref requests sent out 1/26 5) Any news on campus interviews? 6) campus interview invite 2/6 | 1 | |
385 | 11/17/2023 9:12:29 | Colby College | Maine | Evolutionary Biology | 1/25/2024 | http://apply.interfolio.com/136768 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/1/24 15:13 | "We are seeking a candidate (...) using non-animal multicellular organisms" 2) so... plants and fungi? 3) Macroalgae too I guess 4) protists! 5) Are they using the IACUC definition of animal? If so, insects count! 6) I'd totally apply if insects count! 7) Insects don't count. They are replacing a retiring plant biologist. 8) then they should put the word "plant" in the ad somewhere? 9) yea, isn't it a waste of literally everyone's time to not just advertise they are looking for a plant biologist? People apply with no chance, committee has to read those apps, etc. x 2. 10) I mean it says 'non-animal' in the job ad. Up to you how seriously you want to take that. 11) my gut feeling is that if they wanted a plant person specifically, they would say so. I would take the wording seriously. 12) Fungi are not plants, and neither are macro-aglae, so "non-animal" seems like a fine way to describe, well, "non-animals." X3 (13) Anyone know the area? What's it like there? 14) Very rural and cold. Small. Far from anything. Lots of good outdoors things to do though. (15) It's not that rural (it's an hour from Portland, which is a really vibrant small city, and Augusta, the second largest city in Maine, and an hour from Bangor, which is up-and-coming) compared to other places in northern New England. It's an old mill town that's revitalized a lot. Close to some really nice coastal towns like Belfast. Easy access to the White Mountains, too. 16) Ecologist Allison Barner is on the search committee and has said she's happy to answer questions about the position. 17) Zoom invite recieved 18) Let's resolve the debate- do you work on plants? And also congrats! 17) Thanks! and yes, I study plants. 19) Offer made and accepted 20) https://x.com/KristenNolting/status/1830354070261125551 | 2 | |
386 | 11/17/2023 8:25:04 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Ecology, Evolution, Genetics | 3/1/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/516847/instast-prof-fixed-term | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 3/22/24 8:57 | The initial appointment is for one year, with the expectation of extension contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding. The selected candidate will play a key role in delivering Integrative Biology 341: Fundamental Genetics, alongside a dedicated team of faculty and graduate teaching assistants. In addition, the candidate will be required to teach at least one other core Integrative Biology course in Ecology or Evolutionary Biology. The selected candidate will also actively participate in collaborative endeavors with faculty members engaged in enhancing undergraduate STEM education at MSU. 1) Should this be under fixed-term jobs? AP) Since there's expected extension, I think it's fine here. 3) It literally says "fixed term" in the category tags on the posting. 4) Update from Search Commitee: The position is now being offered for a two-year term, with strong potential for the role to be extended. Because of this change, we've decided to start reviewing applications on March 1st. No, it is very inappropriate to put this in permanent jobs and it should be moved. People expect the jobs on this page to be INHERENTLY PERMANENT, not soft money based on funding. AP) Seems close enough to permanent to me. We're going back to one page next year, there are too many edge cases to deal with. | 2 | |
387 | 11/17/2023 7:32:38 | Minot State University | North Dakota | Wildlife Biology | 12/15/2023 | https://prd.hcm.ndus.edu/psc/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=2949570&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 12:40 | This postion--terrestially-focused--will concide with the opening in aquatic biology/fisheries in the same department...includes lab space, relatively robust mammal/avian teaching collections, and the oportunity to teach as well as develop any offerings in the candidate's area of specialty...9-month appointment. 1) The website bugs out for me and doesn't load, anyone else? x2 2) If the direct link isn't working, go to www.minotstateu.edu/hr/jobs its listed on page 4 of Faculty/Staff openings. If still a problem, email the chair at b.schmidt@minotstateu.edu. 3) three letters of support from colleagues who can speak to your teaching and/or research + references?! | 1 | |
388 | 11/16/2023 22:18:50 | Auckland War Memorial Museum | New Zealand | Curator, Marine Invertebrates | 11/28/2023 | https://aucklandmuseum.elmotalent.co.nz/careers/opportunities/job/view/334 | Curator | Museum | 11/17/23 6:37 | You must be eligible to work in New Zealand to be considered for this role. | ||
389 | 11/16/2023 14:58:59 | Colorado Mesa University | Colorado | Cellular & Molecular Biology | 12/3/2023 | https://coloradomesa.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/2/home/requisition/986?c=coloradomesa | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/16/23 15:29 | 12 credit teaching load, research (called scholariship in the ad) is secondary, supportive department. Happy to answer questions. | 1 | |
390 | 11/16/2023 12:45:35 | Southern Oregon University | Oregon | Botany / Plant Physiology | 1/2/2024 | https://jobs.sou.edu/postings/11755 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/13/24 16:39 | "Because SOU is located within the botanically diverse Klamath Mountains ecoregion, preference will be given to candidates whose teaching and research integrates [local] botanical resources." 1) search committee member here: one of the main teaching responsibilities will be plant physiology; while we're hoping that the selected candidate is open to expanding their research to utilize local resources, it is not expected that applicants will have prior familiarity with the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion. Happy to answer any questions. 2) zoom invite 1/9 | 1 | |
391 | 11/16/2023 11:45:12 | Northern Michigan University | Michigan | Biology (any field including Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology) | 1/7/2024 | https://workatnmu.nmu.edu/en-us/job/494356/assistant-professortenure-trackbiologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/3/24 9:13 | Search committee member here. We really are looking for a new faculty member in any area of biology that is committed to teaching excellence and is excited to develop a competitive MS-level research program and engage undergraduates in meaningful research activities. This position is one of several positions that will be searched in the coming year to replace multiple retiring faculty and grow the Biology Department. We are an AAUP Union institution with an incredible retirement/benefits package. This is a 9 mo. tenure-track position with a typical teaching load that includes 2 courses per semester. Happy to answer question! 1) As this is a 9 month role, what is the expected salary and do most professors take seasonal jobs in the summer or..? 2) @1, almost every tenure track professor job in the US is a 9 month role. You might be able to get extra money by summer teaching or grants, but usually people still work on their own research in the summer in order to meet tenure expectations. 3) @2 I think you might be misinformed. Many TT jobs are in fact 12 month appointments. It varies greatly from institution to institution. 4) The vast majority are 9/10 month contracts but virtually all of these have an option to pay out over 12 months. @1 in regards to salary, starting is ~ $64,000 for the 9 mo with NMU contributing 15.46% towards your retirement (~$10,000 annually). 5) @1, most TT jobs are 9 months paid over 12 months, super standard, so that you can get NSF summer salary 6) Yikes, 64k is so low! 7) Lower than most postdocs, but if housing is super-cheap in this area then it may be fine. I'm not familiar with it though 8) lol that would be a raise for me and I'm a third year asisstant prof :-( x4 (second year but same!) 9) @1 thanks for all the information! Could you please clarify the '2 courses per semester' teaching load? The faculty contract says 24 credit hours per year (which I generally assume to be ~4 courses per semester). Wondering how you count '2 courses per semester' to get to 12 credits or if I am mistaken. 10) I am not associated with this search in any way, but consider cost of living - a $64,000 salary in Marquette, MI is equivalent to ~$150,000 in NYC. Plus a 15% retirement contribution is very generous. My impression is that salary could go very far in that location. 11) I wouldn't consider it generous. Look at the homes available around here on Zillow. There's not much available and much of it is really expensive or in disrepair. 12) @11 its the yoop dude. rural af. but lakeshore properies are inexpensive relative to the mitten (and elsewhere for that matter. 13) Amazing place to live, but yeah, that salary is somewhat low. 14) Well hell, I'll go ahead and apply if everyone's talking themselves out of it. Lake Superior is my favorite place on Earth x2 15) @14 shhhhhhh don't let the word out on how nice it is. Let them keep thinking its a frozen wasteland up there. x2 15) I'm also curious about the teaching load re:9. I was under the impression that NMU had higher teaching loads than 2 courses per semester. Along those lines, how are labs counted towards teaching load? 16) Search committee member here: @15 and @9: in the Biology Department we teach 2 classes/semester because we have graduate students (and undergraduates working in our labs), which brings us up to 24 contact hours per year. Faculty in the Biology Department has the lowest teaching load at NMU. Faculty typically teach the lectures and we have TAs teaching the lab sections and grading labs. During your first year you get a reduced teaching load (1 class per semester) and then in your second year you teach the full load (2 classes per semester). 17) @committee member: Can you speak to how references will be used for this applciation. I see names and contact info is required for three references. Will referees be contacted and expected to supply a letter to complete this application? 18) Any one have an answer to the referees? 19) I contacted search chair, they said no need for reference letters and references will be contacted directly for on-campus visit applicant pool. 20) Anyone been contacted? 21) nothing here (1/29)x2 22) zoom interview requested 1/31 x3 23) any updates? 2/20 22) nothing still after zoom interview 2/20 23) Campus invites on 2/26 x2 22) geeeez missed another one, this stings. Congrats and good luck to those with interviews! 23) Any updates (4/30)? Seems like its been a while 24) Haven't heard anything (5/3). 22) Received my official rejection 5/3. My guess is that means they extended or accepted an offer | 12 | |
392 | 11/16/2023 8:35:33 | UNC Charlotte | North Carolina | Bioinformatics | https://academicsearch.org/open-searches-public/entry/17357/?search=17357 | Department Chair | Tenure Stream | 4/2/24 15:50 | Department chair search is being redone b/c a candidate bailed at the last minute after signing. Searching for strong leadership, problem solving chair who can help faculty achieve top research at a growing R2 (almost R1) institution. Most departments on campus have hired 1-3 faculty per year since 2016. Opportunities exist to lead recruitment. Candidates must use the search firm. Ok to email RL Rogers to discuss informally, but I'm not on the committee. Strongly recommend adding a section on coding or data analytics to the standard job app/talk. Including listing coding languages or use of stats packages like R. 2) "About the department of bioinformatics and genomics" in the job ad has a picture of a physics cleanroom with diagrams of silicon chips on the white board. :'D 3) We've been roasting the job ad stock photos internally too. 4) Dossiers finally fwded to search committee early Feb. Clock starts from here. 5) Any updates? 6) Zoom interviews have happened but no word beyond that yet. 7) In person interviews scheduled. Some chance of a move down list for one more candidate, but unclear if that will be approved. 8) Completely unofficially, if one were interested in the position still, find a way to contact the search firm to let them know. | |||
393 | 11/15/2023 18:33:05 | University of California - Davis | California | Plant Pathology (Plant Disease Ecology) | 10/23/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05943 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/26/24 10:55 | Anyone have any insight on this position? 1) They are interviewing candidates now (2) how many candidates? It's odd that they aren't listed on the seminar schedule (3) my understanding is there are 6 candidates, my guess is they are not listed on the schedule for privacy reasons | ||
394 | 11/15/2023 17:10:36 | Texas A&M University - Kingsville | Texas | Conservation Biology | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUK_External/job/Kingsville-TX/Assistant-Professor--Biology_R-067184 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/14/24 9:44 | emphasis in herpetology, ornithology, mammalogy, or a closely related field 2) when's the review date? 3) I think the job ad said 12/1. 4) Utter silence. | 2 | ||
395 | 11/15/2023 17:09:53 | Texas A&M University - Kingsville | Texas | Conservation Biology | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUK_External/job/Kingsville-TX/Assistant-Professor-Biological-Scientist_R-054576 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 14:18 | emphasis in ichthyology, parasitology, aquatic biology, marine biology, or a related field. 3) They will begin reviewing applicants in December with initial interviews conducted in January | |||
396 | 11/15/2023 16:51:24 | University of Hawai'i at Manoa | Hawaii | Coastal Fisheries Management & Policy | 12/18/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4250693/assistant-professor-coastal-fisheries-management-and-policy-85881 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/22/24 13:55 | 1) letters requested 1/19 | 2 | |
397 | 11/15/2023 16:32:36 | Texas A&M University - College Station | Texas | Avian Ecology & Management | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132466 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
398 | 11/15/2023 15:46:48 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Global Wildlife Conservation | 1/7/2024 | https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJobs/job/Ames-IA/Assistant-Professor-of-Global-Wildlife-Conservation_R13471 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/24/24 10:11 | FWIW, the review date listed here seems to be incorrect - the closing date is listed as 1/14 on the job ad (2) Any news 3) Nothing here (Jan 30) - still pretty early 4) Nothing as of 2/13 x2 5) On campus interview invite X2 6) Any news? 7) None here x2 8) offered | 2 | |
399 | 11/15/2023 15:36:35 | California State University, Fresno | California | Environmental Science | 12/31/2023 | https://careers.fresnostate.edu/en-us/job/531677/environmental-science-assistant-professor | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/29/24 16:44 | 1) The typical teaching load is 6 weighted teaching units (WTU) per semester for the first two years and 9-12 WTU thereafter. WTU can be bought out usually through funding by the college or external grants. -> anyone knows what this means? Sounds like a lot. 2) WTU = weighted teaching unit; usually 1 WTU per hour of lecture and 2 WTU's for each 3 hour lab. So a class with 3 hours of lecture where you taught one lab would be 5 WTU's. 1) Thanks! 2) I will also add that my CSU only does a 3 WTU course release for the first year (from 12 to 9), so 6 for the first two years is nice 3) so that would be 1.5-two classes per semester the first two years and 2.5-3 after that? That seems a lot for a research university 4) Not sure what you are thinking of in terms of a research university, but all of the Cal States have a pretty high teaching load. They are not R1s. 3) I had seen it as a R2 and was expecting less teaching - my bad 4) the default teaching load for a cal state is 4/4 (that's the 12 WTUs). If your dept chair is good at scheduling, that means you're spending about 10hr per week face to face with students. If your dept chair is unkind with scheduling and tries to absolutely maximize teaching hours (speaking from experience), you can easily wind up with 14-16 hr face to face with students via the use of labs and activity sections which do not carry as many WTUs per hour as lecture. Source: I worked at a cal state for a while and was on a curriculum committee so I saw all the ways WTUs get assigned to different class types 5) I'd also add that while you can buy out of courses, in my dept the max you can do is buyout of 6 units, so even if you do that you're still at a 2-2 course load. 6) Any updates? | ||
400 | 11/15/2023 15:30:09 | University of Missouri | Missouri | Conservation Education | 11/1/2023 | https://erecruit.umsystem.edu/psc/tamext/COLUM/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=9&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=9&JobOpeningId=48723&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | ||||
401 | 11/15/2023 15:13:53 | Chadron State College | Nebraska | Rangeland Management & Livestock | https://nscs.peopleadmin.com/postings/11165 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/8/24 13:59 | 1) two position - one for ecology and another for range livestock | |||
402 | 11/15/2023 15:09:43 | University of West Florida | Florida | Genetics | 1/8/2024 | https://careersmanager.pageuppeople.com/997/cw/en-us/job/495110/assistant-professor-102560 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/20/24 8:48 | 1) Any idea who the search committee chair is? 2) Any updates as of 2/13?3) Zoom interview invite on Feb/6 | 4 | |
403 | 11/15/2023 14:37:50 | East Tennessee State University | Tennessee | Forest Ecologist | 1/8/2024 | https://jobs.etsu.edu/postings/25730 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/30/24 15:18 | Search committee member here. We had a failed search this fall and are re-opening this position for another review that will start January 8. Happy to answer any questions. We are looing for a forest ecologist (broadly defined) to help teach in our new Natural Resources Ecology concentration. This is a very cohesive department and Johnson City is a great place to live. 2) @1 What is the expected teaching load for this position? 3) Teaching load is generally two courses per semester for a total of between 12 and 15 contact hours per year (labs and lecture count the same). There is a strong expectation for research as well and generous start up package is available. 3) job ad says integrated research / vision statement, but the website requires an upload of both a research statement and a separate vision statement - can you clarify? Thanks in advance. 4) @3 Yes, the 'vision statement' should be your diversity statement 5) Zoom interview request 1/22 x2 6) any updates? x3 7) https://twitter.com/BenRLeaf/status/1785397420165095818 | 2 | |
404 | 11/15/2023 13:40:01 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Plant Resilience | 2/1/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/516830/assistantassociatefull-professor-tenure-system | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/15/24 8:52 | Search committee member here. This is a search in the area of Plant Resilience defined broadly, not just plant response to the environment as posted. There are multiple open positions at all ranks and the successful candidates will have the opportunity to join any of the plant departments at MSU. 1) Any updates? Nothing as of 2/12 x7 2) We have begun reviewing all of the applications that were received by February 1. We hope to have a long-short list by mid-March, with on-campus interviews in April and May. 3) Thanks for the update and info on the timeline - it's much appreciated. x5 (4) Dissapointed about the timeline because it's a great job but I've got a competing offer that I need to resolve before mid-March.x2 5) @4, regardless of the timeline update, it seems highly unlikely that any job with a 1 Feb review date would have offers made by mid-March. x2 [general discussion of offer timelines moved to General Discussion -AP] 6) any news? 7) Nothing yet 3/13 X6 8) Still no news 3/22 X6 9) Still no news for me 4/1 X9 10) Would be nice to get another update from a search committee member on the status of the search. 11) Search committee chair here. We recieved many more applications than we anticipated, which caused the screening of applications to take awhile. We have now completed Zoom interviews and are moving towards the final selection of on-campus invitations. 12) Thanks for the update 11. Interesting that no one else here posted about interviews. Good luck folks. x2 (13) is it possible they just picked people from another search? it is weird that nobody posted. maybe more molecular folks who don't frequent here. 14) Rejection email received. Bummed...I thought I had a chance at this one. (4/15) X2 | 12 | |
405 | 11/15/2023 12:50:40 | University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | Physical Geography | 12/11/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Assistant-Professor/52806 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 8:32 | "Specific areas of research include, but are not limited to, soil science, biogeography, climatology, watershed science, and cryosphere science." 2) anyone hear anything about this one? 3) nothing here as of 1/4 4) nothing as of 1/11. Anyone else? 4) asked about the general timeline and on 1/9 they said remote interviews will be happening within the next few weeks (unclear if they are already contacting people or if they will be contacting people in the next few weeks) 5) nothing here 1/17 X2 6) contacted for Zoom interview 1/19 x3 7) Zoom interview, but notified that didnt get offer of fly-out | 5 | |
406 | 11/15/2023 12:48:31 | University of Maine | Maine | Marine Biology | 1/2/2024 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=83256&job=assistant-professor-of-marine-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/20/24 13:14 | Successful candidate "to focus on the American lobster (Homarus americanus), a species of immense ecological, cultural, and economic significance in the Gulf of Maine. We encourage candidates who bring expertise in invertebrate zoology, ecology, physiology, or related fields, and who are dedicated to pursuing both fundamental and applied research that bridges laboratory, field, and modeling studies." 1) hyper-specific candidate research focus = inside candidate 2) Or maybe Maine has a huge lobster industry, IDK x2 3) SC here... no inside candidate! We are looking for someone who can help inform our local fishery. 4) this department has had multiple retirements recently, including one by a legendary ecologist that worked a lot with lobsters. certainly not an inside job. this department is also associated with a lobster institute. 5) Can confirm, this isn't an inside candidate. Many Land Grant/state universities with natural resource industries have very specific requirements for searches, and as others have said, we just had Bob Steneck retire. The endless "inside hire" comments aren't helpful. Please try not to jump to conclusions. 6) Is this to replace Bob? I ask because I do a lot of related work (although, not right now with lobsters). 7) @6 Bob and a couple of other retirements, yep! 8) Notification of zoom interview 2/4. 9) any word post-Zoom interviews? 10) Nothing here - was thinking of reaching out this week but just assumed I didn't make the cut 8) I've had no word yet. 9) On-campus invite 3/11 9) Offer was made and accepted (not me). | ||
407 | 11/15/2023 11:11:13 | University of Hawaii | Hawaii | Entomology | 2/28/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4257631/assistant-specialist-arthropod-identification-and-monitoring?keywords=arthropod&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Asst Specialist | Tenure Stream | 4/26/24 2:57 | Similar to asst prof. 1) Minimum qual is masters with exp, desirable is PhD. I wonder if that means the pay is lower than usual TT? 2) it would be for someone with just a masters, but I suspect it'll be higher for someone with a PhD/postdoc experience. This job seems to be very applied and quite unlike other faculty jobs I've looked at 3) Assistant Specialist at University of Hawaii is the equivalent of a tenure-track Assistant Professor. It's a faculty position with more extension than instruction. Because it's a faculty position the search committee is definitely looking for applicants with a PhD. 4) Hiring committee says: "A PhD is required" 5) Deadline extended to 2/28/24 5) Any news on this one 3/22 6)Still no news as of 4/26 | 2 | |
408 | 11/15/2023 10:52:16 | Cornell University | New York | Ecophysiology of Field Crop Systems | 2/1/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26594 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/9/24 8:36 | https://x.com/vspathare19/status/1810430184085913920 | ||
409 | 11/15/2023 10:51:06 | Cornell AgriTech | New York | Seed Biology and Technology | 1/2/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26391 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
410 | 11/15/2023 3:40:02 | Tougaloo College | Mississippi | Evolutionary Biology or Environmental Science | https://www.tougaloo.edu/jobs/tenure-track-assistant-professor-biology-1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/15/23 3:41 | Confusing ad. Job just posted but start date January 2024. Also states that although the position is for evolutionary biology or environmental science, "strong interest in developing biomedical research projects" is a preferred qualification. | |||
411 | 11/14/2023 14:06:45 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science | Colorado | Genomics | 1/5/2024 | https://www.dmns.org/about/careers/current-openings?p=job%2FoLDupfw1 | Museum Scientist | Museum | 1/12/24 10:40 | research program that uses genomic and genetic approaches, spans human (e.g., human biology) and non-human systems (e.g., zoonoses, microbiomes, parasitology, etc.) required. 2) Looks like they might be targeting someone relatively advanced ("This role provides scientific oversight, direction, and management of a multi-disciplinary laboratory"), any thoughts on applying as a postdoc? Absolutely will consider postdocs. The lab has a full-time lab manager that takes care of all the nuts and bolts. The lab manager will report to the genomics scientist. 2 again) Thanks! 3) is it a requirement to have experience with human genomics? 4) Position no longer exists on website? 5) Rejected Jan 8 x2 6) Invite for interview received Jan 10 | 2 | |
412 | 11/14/2023 11:06:14 | Institut Jacques Monod | France | Biology | 2/16/2024 | https://www.ijm.fr/call-for-group-leaders/?lang=en | Group Leader | Non-Profit Research Organization | 11/23/23 9:28 | 2 positions. "biophysics, cell and developmental biology, evolution and genome biology". 2) How do these compare to CNRS positions in salary and conditions? 3) "Upon their selection, successful applicants will then be expected to obtain research funding as well as a position with the CNRS or Université Paris Cité": Is the research position with CNRS or UPC just a formality if you get the group leader position or would obtaining such positions be challenging? 4) Just a guess but this page doesn't even exist in French. So maybe that's the Institute trying to promote access to relevant foreign applicants by providing mentorship through the process of being employed in the CNRS or UPC (which is rather obscure, coming from abroad). The process will remain competititve but they will be hands on guiding the candidates. Maybe? 5) From what I understand in this ad, the selected candidate will have to apply for a CNRS position to obtain a salary. CNRS is very competitive and will not hire older candidates (~40+), although they will not say it because it is illegal. While there are other temporary grants that could pay for the group leader's salary for a few years, normally: no CNRS = no lab in France. 6) How is this even a job if you have to apply for another (competitive) job to get salary? I'm so confused. 7) it is very complicated to apply to the CNRS from abroad/as a foreigner, they are basically proposing to hold your hand through the process if you work in that area of expertise (that's how I understand it). 5) @7 Exactly. @6, yes, the French research system is odd. You basically need to secure two positions: one at the institution, and another one at the CNRS for the salary. The institute will provide lab space to the chosen candidate and help the candidate with the CNRS application. There is no guarantee that the CNRS will choose the same candidate, though. 8) This seems similar to the fellowship-to-faculty opportunities in the UK. If you get a big external grant, they let you start a lab. 5) @8 I am not aware of the UK system, but I think it's different as the CNRS is not a grant, it's your position and salary. It seems like in the UK you could start a lab as a fellow and THEN apply for funding. In France, if you don't land a CNRS position FIRST, you cannot even start your lab, as the institute will not pay for your salary, only the CNRS will (except for a few exceptions as stated above). | ||
413 | 11/14/2023 10:24:59 | Francis Marion University | South Carolina | Chemical Ecology / Ecotoxicology | 11/15/2023 | https://www.fmarion.edu/job/assistant-professor-of-biology-chemical-ecology-ecotoxicology-24-09/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
414 | 11/13/2023 15:58:26 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Turf & Ornamental Entomology | 11/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132764 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/14/23 6:17 | 45244.26221 | ||
415 | 11/13/2023 14:50:14 | University of Hawai'i Manoa | Hawaii | Marine Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4259510-0/assistant-professor-marine-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/10/24 12:21 | Seems like a similar position as they've posted previously. 2) were these due to failed searches? 3) Yes, last year's search failed. 4) Any idea about salary and cost of living in Hawaii? @3, I did my PhD in Hawaii. Cost of living is very high. Many professors only afford to live in faculty housing (condos/apartments). If you want to own a home, Hawaii is not the place to do it. Awesome department otherwise! 5) Anyone with info on whether the search failed due to internal issues or the candidates? That is should I bother to reapply if I had a zoom interview last year? x3 6) I have absolutely no info, but would encourage y'all to reapply (assuming you have new and improved application packets, maybe don't try again with the exact same materials) 7) Not sure about this search, but a different biology position at UH failed because they didb't feel like they had a satisfactory fit and/or ran out of time to expand the pool (8) any updates? (asking 1/3) 9) Haven't heard anything x 10 (1/10) 10) Still nothing (1/23) x7 11) Search failed, no suitable candidates (1/25) 12) WAT x3 13) LOOOOOOOOL maybe stop advertising for a broad marine biologist and tell us what you actualyl want. That is so frustrating, and not a good look for the department 13) WTF? With likely ~100 applications how can none of them be suitable? Sounds like the search committee has some strong personalities who don't agree with each other. 14) Is @11 in the search committee? Where did the information of a failed search come? Did anyone receive a rejection email? Anyhow, if true, that's completely ridiculous indeed. 15) I still haven't received a rejection from last year's failed search after interviewing, I'm not holding my breath. So they weren't even able to find people to interview? 16) waste of time. whatever. 17) can someone confirm that the search failed? 18) Yeah, it could just be someone having a bit of a troll 19) 14 is a fairly large sample size for this board. I would think someone would report an interview by now, unless the SC is just moving slowly. 20) I'm faculty in another school at UHM. Not a failed search, the only reason last year's failed was because the candidate backed out at the last minute for family reasons. Just be patient people! 21) Also reporting that this current search is still active! 22) 1000 years bad luck to whoever is dropping misinformation here! x3 23) Let's stay positive and assume @11 was replying to the questions about last year's search, though that comment totally threw me for a loop;) 24) Received an email requesting I sign a waiver so that they can move forward with contacting my references on 9 Feb x10 25) Zoom interview request March 1st x5 26) Anyone else get their references requested but no zoom interview invite? Seems like a big jump from 10 down to 5 just based on review of letters x1 27) That's happened to me before with previous UH Manoa searches. Seems like they use the letters as another screening step. Not all letter requests result in zoom interviews. 28) Has anyone received an in-person invite yet after the zoom interviews? 29) in person invite 03/21 x2 (30) offer received | 14 | |
416 | 11/13/2023 12:39:16 | University of Ottawa | Canada | Evolutionary Ecology | 1/10/2024 | https://uottawa.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/uOttawa_External_Career_Site/job/Ottawa-ON/Tenure-track-positions-in-evolutionary-ecology---BIO_JR7952 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/16/24 8:53 | "Candidates must be able to teach in both French and English at the time of hiring at undergraduate and graduate levels" [French-language discussion moved to General Discussion -AP] (1) Review date updated to January 10th; 2) This salary is so low. (3) In Canada, given the better public services than US, I think multiplying by about 1.2 to 1.3 should be done to make a fair comparison (and don't consider currency difference) (4) Did anyone else have to submit their full application in the CV/Resume file submission step? There were no other areas to upload the required documents. Good luck to all applicants! (5) @4 Yeah, I did the same (6) Did anyone get any news? (7) shocked by the relatively low number applied for such a broad search in Canada. (8) @6 Nothhing yet as of 02/03/2024. 9) @7) Not sure how much the "number applied" here reflects the real number of applications, especially in non-US institutions. I applied for a position in Europe recently and the "number applied" was 8 here, whereas I was told by the SC they received 146 applications. (10) Nothing as of Feb 14. How's everyone's french who applied? 😅 9) Nothing here 2/19. @10 I'm a french canadian. 11) nothing here either, functionally fluent in French and living in a francophone community (12) This is taking a very long time! I barely speak french, perhaps should not have applied (13) They mentionned that only short-listed candidates will be contacted, so don't expect a rejection letter. 9) Still nothing here. @13 Hopefully, one of the shortlisted candidates will tell the others here when they know. 14) March 2nd never heard back! I'm assuming they short-listed candidates?.. 15) I heard from someone that they had administrative issues that delayed the search process. (16) SMH (11 again) application withdrawn, bonne chance ! 17) I was told today (03/12) that the position was temporarily frozen but it has just been released. Evaluations will therefore commence shortly and candidates for which references are desired will be contacted. All candidates will be informed one way or another. Bonne chance a tous! (18) [Applicant here] All candidates given email confirming the above and asking all candidates who are no longer interested to withdraw. I don't feel comfortable writing to the SC but I'm dissapointed they are still doing a 'long list' and not going straight to interviews. Many applicants (myself included) have other offers that we are currently negotiating even though this job would be best. (19) References requested 22 March, with CC to my email. x4 (20) Anyone heard anything? 21) @20 Nothing as of 4/20. 4/22: invited for Zoom interview (8 candidates invited).x3 22) Invited for in-person interview on 05/09 23) Congrats @22! I didn't hear from them (I did the Zoom interview); I guess that's bad news for me. (24) Dang, I think I botched the French question in interview. | 8 | |
417 | 11/13/2023 7:38:31 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Mammalogy | 1/3/2024 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3921 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/19/24 15:00 | beware the culture here. @1, could you give details on what's going wrong there and/or point to resources for finding out more? 2) I am not the OP, but there's been a fair deal of highly publicized sexism and harassment among staff members in the past - particularly a tenured curator was forced out a few years ago, not sure if that continues. I also know it is a very cut-throat and competitive environment, but that kind of is typical of the natural-history-museum-in-a-big-city vibe.; 3) It is an amazing place to work. It is competitive (not always necessarily cutthorat). One should expect that -- it is one of the most important museums in the World in NYC, so yes, they do expect you to be ouststanding. Many of the known harassers are gone (Mark Siddall's case was highly publicized -- yes, he was an a-hole). | ||
418 | 11/13/2023 6:25:46 | Rutgers University | New Jersey | Microbial Evolution | 1/2/2024 | https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/213834 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/13/23 6:27 | Part of a three year cluster hiring initiative in Evolutionary Medicine | 1 | |
419 | 11/13/2023 5:31:51 | Augusta University | Georgia | Ecology | https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178601834&Title=Open%20Rank%20Academic%20Faculty%20in%20Biology | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 14:38 | "The ideal candidate will conduct research in Chemical Ecology, Disease Ecology, Vector Ecology, or a related field that impacts human health." | |||
420 | 11/12/2023 8:56:25 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Insect Systematics | 1/15/2024 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LSU/job/Assistant-Associate-Professor--Insect-Systematics-_R00088307-1 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/26/24 3:21 | January 15 is application deadline according to job posting [updated -AP] 2) Teams interview invite received on 1/26 3) Any other folks receive word? 4) Any news? 5) did anyone get invited for in-person interviews? 6) Any news? 7) no as of 3/4 +2 8) Starting to feel hopless here. 9) same :( woud love to know what is going on! 10) there was at least one internal candidate, but I haven't heard anything either 11) Any updates on this? 3/20 12) I know of at least one external candidate that was invited for an in-person. 13) Rejection 4/29 14) https://x.com/StephenMBaca/status/1805721453335069116 | 7 | |
421 | 11/10/2023 12:29:22 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Ancient Biomolecules | 1/5/2024 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3919 | Asst Curator / Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/29/24 18:06 | Seems like a big hiring push for the first time in several years. Is there a big change in museum funding? Or the end of a hiring freeze? 2) Museums were hit hard by COVID but are recovering. Some positions have been empty there for awhile as well. 3) I assume this is a targeted hire, they just had the premier ECR in this field on site for a seminar less than a week before the position was posted 4) Way to break my heart before it even starts, #3. I thought I was a great match if it wasn't already locked in stone. How do I work it into a job like this one so it could be rigged for me? 5) Definitely apply! Although I agree with 3 in suspecting that this job will go to one particular person. 6) ECR in question loves the museum (amazing collections, brilliant and nice colleagues) and will certainly apply, but this is not a rigged search - apply *fingers crossed*! 4 again) I LOVE THEM TOO. Gonna go stand with a boom box on the side walk outside AMNH. Anyone know which window is the search chair's office?? 6 again) That's the spirit! 7) RUN. culture is pretty toxic. 8) Letters requested, notified by letter writer 12 Jan x3 9) ECR in question (above) accepted an offer from Hopkins before the winter break - fingers crossed for all interviewees, wonderful place! 10) Rejected 1/30 x2 11) any update? 12) shortlisted candidates have all be contacted and interviews will begin at the end of the month (13) Interviews scheduled for last week of Feb and first week of March. It seems 5 candidates were invited for in person interviews. (14) This search was canceled by the Search Committee/Provost | 6 | |
422 | 11/10/2023 12:16:08 | James Madison University | Virginia | Sustainability | 11/13/2023 | https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15708 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/18/24 11:04 | "We are particularly interested in welcoming new colleagues with interdisciplinary scholarly expertise in environmental systems, environmental policy, ecology, natural resources, sustainable agriculture, sustainable production, sustainability (more broadly), climate resilience, and/or other closely related environmental and sustainability related topics." 2) Any updates? 3) Received invitation for first interview by phone. 3 again) invited for on-campus interview. 3 again...6 weeks later...) Signed official job offer. Extremely pleased :) | 4 | |
423 | 11/10/2023 11:11:21 | University of Queensland | Australia | Wildlife Science | 10/23/2023 | https://www.academicgates.com/job/lecturer-or-senior-lecturer-in-wildlife-science/611695 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/15/23 7:16 | (1) Didn't realize this one wasn't on here! Putting it here to check in with others who might have applied. Recived an email saying "Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing some delays with our shortlisting process" 2) Rejection email x2 | 2 | |
424 | 11/10/2023 1:26:15 | Bangor University | United Kingdom | Marine Top-Predator Ecology and Conservation | 11/27/2023 | https://jobs.bangor.ac.uk/details.php.en?id=QLYFK026203F3VBQB7V68LOTX&nPostingID=7492&nPostingTargetID=8397&mask=stdext&lg=UK | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
425 | 11/10/2023 1:25:41 | Bangor University | United Kingdom | Biological Oceanography | 11/27/2023 | https://jobs.bangor.ac.uk/details.php.en?id=QLYFK026203F3VBQB7V68LOTX&nPostingID=7493&nPostingTargetID=8400&mask=stdext&lg=UK | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 12/10/23 15:56 | 1) might have changed the review date? website says Dec. 12 | 1 | |
426 | 11/9/2023 17:38:59 | University of Florida | Florida | Marine Biodiversity - Invertebrates | 1/2/2024 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/529241/assistant-professor-position-in-marine-invertebrate-biodiversity | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/7/24 8:07 | 1) Anyone hear anything about this one? Jan 26th 2) Nothing yet (01/28) x2 3) Letters requested on 01/29 x3 4) Invite for Zoom interview (01/29) x4 5) Campus interview invite 2/15 6) Offer not accepted (took a different offer!) | 6 | |
427 | 11/9/2023 13:15:44 | Lincoln University | New Zealand | Soil Ecology | 11/25/2023 | https://careers.lincoln.ac.nz/jobdetails/ajid/RLdu7/Lecturer-in-Soil-Ecology,2023-13721.html | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/14/23 7:47 | Rejection email | 2 | |
428 | 11/8/2023 16:31:29 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Host - Microbe Interactions | 10/23/2023 | https://iowa-state-university.talentify.io/job/assistant-professor-in-host-microbiome-interactions-ames-iowa-iowa-state-university-r12903?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/18/24 8:51 | Any word on this one? 1) Nothing so far as of 11/8 x3 2) Still nothing on 11/18 X4 3) still nothing 11/30 x4 4) I wonder what's taking so long with this one. 5) Any updates? 6) Nothing here as of 12/13 x2 7) invited for on campus x 2 (12/14) 8) Rejection email (2/16) 9) Other on-campus person - any word? I'm guessing I didnt' get this one | 5 | |
429 | 11/8/2023 10:11:25 | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Tennessee | Applied Freshwater Fish Biology | 12/4/2023 | https://ut.taleo.net/careersection/utc_faculty/jobdetail.ftl?job=23000002FQ&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/30/24 14:04 | 1) I went to grad school in this department, great people and a wonderful city to live in. 2) Chattanooga is wonderful and affordable. 3) The wording is confusing-- Are the references needed up front? 4) Zoom requested (1/6) x5 5) invited on campus 1/30 | 3 | |
430 | 11/8/2023 8:40:03 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Plant Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/68302 | Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | 2/5/24 11:46 | [summarizing info from SC: two positions, potentially reappointed after one-two years and potentially promoted to Senior Lecturer -AP] 1) Did anyone else apply to this, or does anyone on the SC check this board? Just wondering if it's worth it to ever ask for updates here. 1) letters requested 12/19 x2 ayy hope we get them :P 1) Teams interview requested 12/20 x2 1) You hear anything on a campus interview yet? I remember them saying the interviews would be "scheduled mid-Feb", not sure if that means that's when the invites go out or when the interviews are held. If it's the latter, invitees should probably hear this week if they haven't already. 1) Rejection email 2/5 2) invited for on-campus 2/5 1) Good luck! | 2 | |
431 | 11/8/2023 7:24:48 | Delta County Conservation District | Michigan | Natural Resource Management / Environmental Science | https://www.deltacd.org/employment-opportunities.html | Manager | Government | 11/8/23 11:31 | Open to BS, but preferring advanced degree. Located in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan! 1) salary range 50-60K when you click full PDF announcement | |||
432 | 11/8/2023 5:55:04 | NIH NHGRI | Maryland | Genomics and Comp Bio | https://www.genome.gov/careers-training/NHGRI-Jobs/CGDSR-tenure-track-or-tenure-eligible-investigator-recruitment | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/13/24 18:43 | Review date 1/1/24 2) Rejection 2-13 | 3 | ||
433 | 11/8/2023 4:43:35 | Kew Gardens | United Kingdom | Botany | https://www.researchgate.net/job/1003338_Senior_Research_Leader_Asia | Senior Research Leader | Government | 12/7/23 10:33 | 1) I almost wish I worked on plants so I could apply to this one. 2) Everyone should work on plants! x5 | |||
434 | 11/7/2023 14:25:11 | Arizona State University West Valley Campus | Arizona | Biology / Ecology | 12/26/2023 | http://apply.interfolio.com/136190 | Asst Teaching Professor | Non-TS Academic | 5/7/24 18:42 | Ad has been updated and reposted; deadline extended. This is an expansion position. Initial application requires only a CV and cover letter (with descriptions of research, teaching and dei efforts within) - apply! 1) SC - Could a plant focused ecologist be competitive? Ad says preference for teaching A&P. 2) SC here, not sure who made the extended deadline update, but I believe that is from a different job. As for plant ecology--absolutely. Our teaching needs are broad, and we have a handful of tenure track plant folks that would be good playmates. Also, our ad does not say anything about teaching A&P, although this is a possibility. 3) Zoom interview 1/25 x2 4) Contacted to schedule on-campus interview on 2/6 5) Offer accepted | 2 | |
435 | 11/7/2023 14:16:58 | Sewanee: The University of the South | Tennessee | Neurobiology | 11/20/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178598938&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Neurobiology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/24/24 7:15 | 1) Weird that this one was posted but not the Computational Genomics or Genetics positions that are in the same cluster. 2) SC chair: the simultaneous computational genomics and genetics hires at FSU are administered through our Cell and Molecular Biology Area - the searches are in close contact and will share info, but applicants with a primarily evolutionary focus should apply to THIS search. 3) Neat. 4) @SC can you comment on the current campus climate, re: FL politics? 5) service statement, really? can I just submit my DEI statement instead? @1: You can post it if you want... 6) Originally 1, seems like the SC does not want evo people to apply to the other positions. 7) @1/6, I would interpret that SC statement that they want potentially evo people to apply to this search rather than only to one of the other searches hoping to be considered for all three positions. I would certainly apply to each one you think you'd be competitive for regardless. 8) @4, Current climate is active, with cautious optimism: email our search evolution@bio.fsu.edu if you have specific questions. 9) @SC if we are interested in the evolution and genetics job, should we apply for both, or if we apply for one and you will conseder us for the other one as well? (will it count against us if we apply to both with different research statements?) 10) SC @9 it will not count against you if you choose to apply to both jobs! 11) @5 Including content from your DEI statement in your service statement would work just fine from what i know (but i'm not SC). 12) SC: @5&11 - yes, including DEI info in your service statement is appropriate. Service may also include non-DEI activities. 13) I may regret this, but the link on the call doesn't work. If you want to apply here's the page https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U Now, no one use this information and keep me from getting this job. =) 14) FYI - This page does not appear to work properly in Safari, but is working for me in Chrome. 13 Again) Search Chair confirmed issue and said they are working on a fix-- Sorry 14, straight copy/paste when I found it. 14) any updates here? 15) Nothing as of 12/20. x5 16) LOR request 12/21 17) SC: LOR requests will be sent on a rolling basis through early January 18) Thanks SC, is it possible to note when LOR requests are complete? Understandable if it isn't possible. 19) LOR request 12/29 x2 20) LOR request 1/2 (21) LORs requested 1/3 x2 (22) interviews scheduled | 1 | |
436 | 11/7/2023 14:15:20 | Sewanee: The University of the South | Tennessee | Biology | 11/20/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178598940&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/10/24 12:39 | 1) seems like they want someone to teach intro molecular biology and A&P 2) Only need to supply cover letter w/ reference contacts and CV for the first round of review. 3) The initial post for this position with an earlier review date (below) has an invite dated 11/5, not sure exactly how this search is proceding with the extended date - oops ignore - I'm crosseyed 4) zoom invite 12/14 x 2 5) on-campus invite 1/10 | 4 | |
437 | 11/7/2023 12:46:15 | The Morton Arboretum | Illinois | Tree Conservation Biology | 12/7/2023 | https://careers.hireology.com/themortonarboretum/1524619/description | Program Manager | Non-Profit Research Organization | 11/13/23 4:10 | This is not a permanent job, so I'm not sure it belongs. AP) True, not clear where it belongs TBH. Let's just leave it here since it's at least 3 years + possibly extended.2) Awesome job, wish I wasn't geography-restricted:-( | ||
438 | 11/7/2023 11:44:41 | Princeton University | New Jersey | Biodiversity | 1/16/2024 | https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=32481 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 11:51 | Not even a research statement?? Princeton usualy asks for a vision statement, but the application form seems to be missing an upload for it. 2) This sounds like they want the research vision statement in the letter? 3) that will be a hell of a long cover letter... 2) I'm attaching it-- combine pdfs in Adobe to solve the prob. I doubt they really want a signature at the end of a longer rambling research statement. 3) There was a zoom meeting and Q&A hosted by the search committee for another recent position, wonder if they'll do that for this position and explain what they're looking for. x2 4) Any idea whether this one asks for letters upfront? It isn't clear based on the info given. 5) Any new details about this position? 6) I don't know anything new, but just applied. 7) No response to emails asking for more details and clarifications... 8) well, I won't hold out much hope here then. 9) It's pretty lame not to reply at all if listed as the primary contact for the job posting. x3 10) Any updates? 11) Nothing 2/5 x4 12? Any updates, 2/15? 13) none here x4 14) is this search going to happen?! 15) would be nice to know what is going on here! x4 16) I wonder if this search is attached to the other search. So somebody who interviewed from the other search might get an offer for this one? 17) Any updates, 3/11? 18) None here as of 3/11 x7 (and the phone number provided on the website never worked, no one ever picked it up) 19) I heard a rumor that they were already talking with someone senior for this position anyway [speculation about identity of rumored senior hire deleted -AP] 20) 4 candidates invited. | 13 | |
439 | 11/7/2023 7:11:48 | University of South Carolina | South Carolina | Marine and Coastal Sciences | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/155296 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/7/23 13:15 | director position | 1 | ||
440 | 11/6/2023 17:16:05 | University of Texas - Austin Marine Science Institute | Texas | Marine Science | 12/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/135967 | Open rank | Tenure Stream | 3/21/24 17:38 | Three position cluster hire. Positions are based in Port Aransas, TX, not in Austin. 2) Could anyone with recent experience at UTMSI comment on the current working environment at the lab in PA? Have heard some questionable things in terms of lab administration over the past 5ish years. 3) There has been turnover in the administration of the department and institute, which came with some hiccups. However, the faculty as a whole are great and there is tremendous potential. Low teaching loads, high research activity, lots of funding, and several future faculty hires beyond the current cluster hire. 4) They have a hard time retaining junior faculty - lots of turnover at junior levels due in part to issues identified by #2 but more generally lack of support by senior faculty. They've also had one or more failed dept/institute chair searches, so unclear what future leadership may look like. 5) what is grad student support like considering the distance from Austin? Are PIs expected to completely fund their students? That could contribute to poor retention of junior faculty in an uncertain funding landscape 6) I can speak as a previous graduate student at this institution. Graduate TA opportunities are minimal at best. There is a Semester by the Sea Program in the spring semester, that provides some TA funding. Nevertheless, most of the funding for graduate student support is through PI grants and student fellowships. However, there are a number department grants and university-wide grants that are accessible to students. 7) Following up on 6), graduate students at UTMSI are indeed largely supported by fellowships or PI-grants, but there are great safety nets within the department and university that ensure that all grad students are fully funded throughout their degrees. 8) Another MSI grad here, as long as students made adequate progress, the dept was very good about finding ways to support them, whether or not faculty have grants. The faculty who left around the time that I was there mostly didn't get adequate support from the admin or potentially issues finding good jobs for spouses if they weren't in marine science fields - the latter remains an issue, but I think the former has improved a great deal. 9) Following up on #8, I'm not so sure. One of the new faculty hired in 2021 has already left. The recent failed director search(es) leaves questions about the direction of the institute and future leadership as well. Not saying that, with the job market as it is, to avoid the place, but definitely do your homework and reach out to folks who've left if you can. 10) Just to correct some of this infromation, there has only been one failed director search (position was offered but declined by the candidate due to factors outside of the institute's control). One of the four junior faculty members who were hired in 2020 has left the department. 10) There seems to be a lack of direction from the higher administration due to high staff turnover and the current director, and living conditions in PA/ commute from Corpus are not ideal. Some faculty members often work from home (incluidng the one that was referred to in #10), and many of the graduate students are eager to leave. 11) Any updates on this job? 12) letters requested on 01/09 11) Thanks #12 for the update 13) Any news after letter requests? (asking on 01/27) 14) onsite invited 15) Thanks for the update 16) There are still outstanding campus interview invitations – as of right now, invitations have been issued for one of the three cluster hire positions 17) campus interview invite 2/20 | 5 | |
441 | 11/6/2023 16:03:04 | University of California Riverside | California | Fungal Biology | 1/6/2024 | https://microplantpath.ucr.edu/job-opportunities#assistant-professor-in-fungal- | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/12/24 12:05 | Incumbant is moving on? 1) A friend of mine is in that department and they told me about this positions months ago. I don't think anyone is moving on, they just happened to get a new line and chose to have another fungal biologist (there are multiple already in the dept) 2) any insight on the timeline for this position (i.e., when are they planning to invite for interviews?) 3) 01/25 invited for zoom interview 4) Congrats! X2 5) Can I ask what you are specifically working on?? 6) Fungi + global climate change 7) That's so cool!! Thanks! 8) Any update here? I am guessing campus invites have gone out and I didn't get it? 8) I was invited for a zoom interview a few weeks ago. They said on-campus invites would go out sometime around late March. 9) Any updates? I have an offer from a very similar position elsewhere. 10) No updates here 03/18 11) I heard they made an offer to someone 03/27 12) Anyone has any updates on this position? Did the candidate accept the offer? | 3 | |
442 | 11/6/2023 11:21:43 | University of South Florida | Florida | Marine Biology | 11/13/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178580049&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Instruction%2C%20Marine%20Biology | Asst Prof of Instruction | Non-TS Academic | 2/6/24 8:57 | Anyone hear anything? | 1 | |
443 | 11/6/2023 10:50:50 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Biological Anthropology | 11/20/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/8418?c=illinois | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 13:28 | Interviewed here last year - this is a great department and the facilities on campus are really top notch (they just got the NovaSeq X plus and getting the new PacBio soon!). Highly recommend applying if your work relates to forensics/bioinformatics/genomics in anthropological contexts. 2) Deadline extended to Dec. 11. | 1 | |
444 | 11/6/2023 9:35:22 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Applied Grassland Ecology | 12/1/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/8532?c=illinois | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/4/24 22:06 | Received notification that the position has been filled. | 1 | |
445 | 11/6/2023 9:34:10 | University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus | Florida | Global Change Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psp/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35581&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/26/24 14:07 | Preferred qualifications: Demonstrated experience working with birds or mammals; ability to teach a graduate-level biostatistics course (2) I can't access the link. Can anyone else see it, or is it just me experiencing this issue? 3) Down for me too. Please go to Careers@USF directly, and search for job ad ID 35581. https://www.usf.edu/work-at-usf/careers/index.aspx (3) the jobs website for this university simply does not work properly. It doesn't matter which link you click from. I got it to load in firefox but it was still weird. They really need to fix their website! Search committee member here - please e-mail me at mariedin@usf.edu if you have difficulty accessing the site or applying for the position. We've been told the link is fixed, but that it works best in MS Edge, Firefox, or Safari. I can not upload applications for anyone, but can direct you to the HR folks who can help. We have a thesis-based grad program in Conservation Biology, and are interested in someone whose research can support M.S. students. Our campus is located adjacent to Tampa Bay, and we are a couple hrs from Archbold Biological Station, the Central Ridge of Florida, Gainesville/north Florida, beaches/coastal research sites. https://www.usf.edu/work-at-usf/documents/applicant-quick-guide.pdf New Closing date for applications is January 3rd. 4) teams interview invite 2/1 5) any news? | 2 | |
446 | 11/6/2023 9:07:31 | Texas A&M University | Texas | Remote Sensing for Ocean Science | https://apply.interfolio.com/133449 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/19/24 18:04 | ||||
447 | 11/6/2023 1:58:39 | NTNU: Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Norway | Biological Oceanography | 2/1/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/252889/associate-professor-in-biological-oceanography | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 13:28 | Does anyone have any insight on whether "associate professor" means the same thing in Norway as in the US? 2) More or less. The equivalent of assistant professor ('førsteamanuensis') has a very low threshold (i.e. you qualify with a PhD). As a result, generally, there is also a lower threshold for 'associate professor' here because you just need to thick some boxes (for instance, to be full professor you just need to supervise 2 students and have a bunch of papers). Last year in the U. of Oslo they hired an internal candidate with 2 published papers and 0 grants as an associate professor. So, clearly, the thresold is lower. 3) A friend who works in Norway thinks that it may be random - so as 2) describes or a more difficult. They said some people in Europe leverage on Norwegian offers with high salaries to bring offers back home, and some calls may be 'swarmed' with applicants who are already assistant professors.4) Assoc. Prof in Norway has a wider range than in US. Can be anywhere from 1 (rare!) to 10+ years post-PhD. They don't really hire at the Assistant level (or full Prof.), in our field at least. 5) This is a very open position; no internal candidate. | 1 | |
448 | 11/5/2023 19:28:36 | University of Washington | Washington | Discipline-Based Education Research in Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130335 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/18/24 9:59 | So they want someone with a biology degree but who does education research? 1) Yes. The DBER research is expected to be conducted in the field of biology, or at least the majority of the reserach (the undergrad bio major at UW is HUGE with a strong DBER history), but they will definitely consider those who have done DBER research in other STEM fields or have more all-encompassing STEM research programs. 2) There is going to be a lot of enthusiasm for this position among folks who do biology education research 3) Yes, it's probably the best Biology DBER program in the country. 4) Does anyone know if the submission portal Interfolio has been fixed to submit applications? Yes, it got fixed on November 29th. 5) Any SC members able to communicate the timeline for zoom/in-person interviews? 6) Invited for zoom interview Dec 19 7) invited for zoom interview in email on Dec. 18th 8) Zoom interviews finishing up this week (Jan 12). 9) Would any of the SC members be able to share a timeline for on-campus interviews? | 4 | |
449 | 11/5/2023 19:25:13 | University of Washington | Washington | Quantitative Understanding of Collective Behaviour | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130336 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 4:32 | Surprised this job doesn't have more chatter (something I don't know?). 2) was thinking the same thing but too shy to ask, fairly niche job title, I wonder how that impacted the number of applicants. (3) Any SC members here that can give input on timeline? x6 (4) Any word? I have heard nothing as of January 10 x6. (5) invited for zoom interview Jan 19 x2 6) congrats! 7) Did any Zoom interviewees get an idea of timeline for invite decisions? 8) invited for on-campus 2/5 | 12 | |
450 | 11/5/2023 19:21:51 | University of Washington | Washington | Quantitative Environmental Sciences | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130626 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 2/26/24 16:29 | can someone speak to why this position is non TT? At most places I've seen teaching profs are also TT 2) at most places I've seen teaching profs are non-TT, though with contracts regularly renewed fairly painlessly 3)SC member: UW does not allow teaching faculty to be TT (I do not know why). However, this is a full faculty position and is renewable (the expectation is that it is basically a permanent position). 4) any updates?? x3 5) request for zoom interview week of 1/22 x2 5) any updates on in person-interviews? | 1 | |
451 | 11/5/2023 6:21:06 | National Science Foundation | Virginia | Population / Community Ecology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/759052000 | Program Director / AD 4 | Government | 11/9/23 14:42 | This would be a really cool job IMO, and $169,889 - $195,000 per year. Pretty nice. | ||
452 | 11/3/2023 14:36:40 | Idaho State University | Idaho | Herbarium Curator | 12/1/2023 | https://isu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/5/home/requisition/2062?c=isu | Herbarium Curator | Museum | 2/21/24 12:18 | 60% research. Specimen-based research in the areas of ethnobotany, herbarium genomics, phylogenetics, and historical ecology. This position will remain open until it is filled. 1) zoom interview request 2/21 | ||
453 | 11/3/2023 13:24:03 | Case Western Reserve University | Ohio | Neurobiology / Neuroethology | 12/14/2023 | https://case.edu/academic-careers/assistant-professor-tenure-track-department-biology-0 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
454 | 11/3/2023 12:29:40 | UC Riverside | California | Agroecology & Sustainable Pest Management | 1/16/2024 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01794 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/13/24 14:36 | 1) Be aware this is a references upfront position. References are due Jan 5 with review date of Jan 16. 2) Any updates? 3) @2 I heard from someone, who heard from someone, that the search committee has a long list of ~10, but who knows. I haven't heard anything directly. 2) Thanks @3 for updating the info from someone who heard from someone lol 3) @2 Ik right. I felt silly even writing that. Who knows with these kinds of things, especially when the info isn't coming directly from the search committee. 4) Still nothing? 5) @4 Yep. 6) No news from me. Probably already interview someone 3/11 7) Wrote an email to head of SC and got his quick response. They have made shortlist for interview. 8) @7 I assume that means interview invites have been sent then? Seems like there aren't that many applicants from this ecoevo community 7) From what I understand they already sent the invitation to selected candidates. | 3 | |
455 | 11/3/2023 11:09:12 | Concordia College Moorhead | Minnesota | Microbiology & Bioinformatics | 12/20/2023 | https://hr.cord.edu/postings/10364 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/23/23 11:16 | 1) Weird that this one was posted but not the Computational Genomics or Genetics positions that are in the same cluster. 2) SC chair: the simultaneous computational genomics and genetics hires at FSU are administered through our Cell and Molecular Biology Area - the searches are in close contact and will share info, but applicants with a primarily evolutionary focus should apply to THIS search. 3) Neat. 4) @SC can you comment on the current campus climate, re: FL politics? 5) service statement, really? can I just submit my DEI statement instead? @1: You can post it if you want... 6) Originally 1, seems like the SC does not want evo people to apply to the other positions. 7) @1/6, I would interpret that SC statement that they want potentially evo people to apply to this search rather than only to one of the other searches hoping to be considered for all three positions. I would certainly apply to each one you think you'd be competitive for regardless. 8) @4, Current climate is active, with cautious optimism: email our search evolution@bio.fsu.edu if you have specific questions. 9) @SC if we are interested in the evolution and genetics job, should we apply for both, or if we apply for one and you will conseder us for the other one as well? (will it count against us if we apply to both with different research statements?) 10) SC @9 it will not count against you if you choose to apply to both jobs! 11) @5 Including content from your DEI statement in your service statement would work just fine from what i know (but i'm not SC). 12) SC: @5&11 - yes, including DEI info in your service statement is appropriate. Service may also include non-DEI activities. 13) I may regret this, but the link on the call doesn't work. If you want to apply here's the page https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U Now, no one use this information and keep me from getting this job. =) 14) FYI - This page does not appear to work properly in Safari, but is working for me in Chrome. 13 Again) Search Chair confirmed issue and said they are working on a fix-- Sorry 14, straight copy/paste when I found it. 14) any updates here? 15) Nothing as of 12/20. x5 16) LOR request 12/21 | ||
456 | 11/2/2023 17:37:18 | Georgetown University | District of Columbia | Environmental Science | 12/15/2023 | http://apply.interfolio.com/135568 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/9/24 10:16 | 1) I work at Georgetown and really like it. This is a new program so I'm not super familiar with it, but happy to answer questions as best I can. 2) What are research expectations like for STEM faculty there? 3) Because this is an interdisciplinary department, research expectations will likely vary by discipline. Georgetown is technically an R1, but in terms of research expectations it might be closer to an R2. I do know that the teaching load in the Earth Commons is 3 classes per academic year. 4) wasn't there a similar search last year? 5) The Earth Commons is a new department and growing, the similar search last year was completed and filled, this is a new position. 6) any updates? x2 7) nothing yet 01/09/24 8) no updates yet? 9) Anything yet? as of 2/11 10) any news on this search as of 2/21? 11) Rejection email received today 3/6/24 x2 12) I still haven't heard anything as of 3/9 - those of you who recieved rejection emails, do you know if you were long listed? | 3 | |
457 | 11/2/2023 8:58:52 | Florida State University | Florida | Evolutionary Biology | 11/27/2023 | https://www.bio.fsu.edu/current_faculty_positions.php#assist_prof_evolution | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/27/24 11:42 | 1) Weird that this one was posted but not the Computational Genomics or Genetics positions that are in the same cluster. 2) SC chair: the simultaneous computational genomics and genetics hires at FSU are administered through our Cell and Molecular Biology Area - the searches are in close contact and will share info, but applicants with a primarily evolutionary focus should apply to THIS search. 3) Neat. 4) @SC can you comment on the current campus climate, re: FL politics? 5) service statement, really? can I just submit my DEI statement instead? @1: You can post it if you want... 6) Originally 1, seems like the SC does not want evo people to apply to the other positions. 7) @1/6, I would interpret that SC statement that they want potentially evo people to apply to this search rather than only to one of the other searches hoping to be considered for all three positions. I would certainly apply to each one you think you'd be competitive for regardless. 8) @4, Current climate is active, with cautious optimism: email our search evolution@bio.fsu.edu if you have specific questions. 9) @SC if we are interested in the evolution and genetics job, should we apply for both, or if we apply for one and you will conseder us for the other one as well? (will it count against us if we apply to both with different research statements?) 10) SC @9 it will not count against you if you choose to apply to both jobs! 11) @5 Including content from your DEI statement in your service statement would work just fine from what i know (but i'm not SC). 12) SC: @5&11 - yes, including DEI info in your service statement is appropriate. Service may also include non-DEI activities. 13) I may regret this, but the link on the call doesn't work. If you want to apply here's the page https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U Now, no one use this information and keep me from getting this job. =) 14) FYI - This page does not appear to work properly in Safari, but is working for me in Chrome. 13 Again) Search Chair confirmed issue and said they are working on a fix-- Sorry 14, straight copy/paste when I found it. 14) any updates here? 15) Nothing as of 12/20. x5 16) LOR request 12/21 17) SC: LOR requests will be sent on a rolling basis through early January 18) Thanks SC, is it possible to note when LOR requests are complete? Understandable if it isn't possible. 19) LOR request 12/29 x2 20) LOR request 1/2 (21) LORs requested 1/3 x2 (22) Zoom interivew requested 1/5 x6 (23) at SC, will Zooms be staggered too? (24) Congrats! It's kind of upsetting they asked for letters this week that they knew would go straight into the trash when they get them a week from now. What was the point... x2 (25) They're probably moving fast, they asked for schedule today, then interviews Tues–Thurs next wk. (26) Was informed I am an "alternate" for Zooms and may still be contacted--I got letter request on 12/29. (27) @ 26 exact same for me, LOR 12/29 and got informed of being an "alnternate" today 1/9 ... also, congrats to those with interviews! (28) did they request letters from everyone? This is all confusing. Mine were requested on 1/3, alternate notification today. (29) did you get an email mentioning that the letters have been requested? or you heard from one of you letter writers? (28 again) I got an email from the chair requesting my letters with a link. 2 days letter Zoom invites were sent out before my letters were submitted. This happened at UVA last year too. I mean, I'm glad they liked my stuff enough to ask because obviously I'd like to get the job, but it just seems like kind of an odd process. (30) Has anyone who zoomed heard back? (31) Not invited for on campus (32) Not invited for on-campus, but am apparently an "alternate" x5 (33) Thats alot of "alternate" candidates (34) Yes it's weird, I'm an alternate a few places. just let me go. (35) OK wow it seems everyone not selected is an alternate... this is weird. certainly it would be better to give most of us closure and just keep a couple people hanging back. and there are still alternates for zoom? this is wild (36) Has an offer been made?,; (37) offer made and accepted https://x.com/KaylaStoy/status/1817021618159321116 | 13 | |
458 | 11/1/2023 13:40:52 | University of Minnesota, Duluth | Minnesota | Large Lakes Observatory Director | 12/4/2023 | https://findajob.agu.org/job/8021976/large-lakes-observatory-director-/ | Unclear | Tenure Stream | 11/9/23 18:49 | Not sure about rank, but definitely a faculty position. (Then should inquire or put open rank, I think, to not disseude apps) OP) I'm not applying, so someone else can try to find out. 2) I don't think the posting specifies, but based on history of hiring this role most likely someone at the full prof level | ||
459 | 11/1/2023 12:26:23 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota | Plant Conservation / Herbarium | 12/1/2023 | https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/36812 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/23/24 16:46 | 1) SC member: 50% teaching (2-3 courses/year) in range plant ID, plant systematics, range plant judging team, grad course in area of expertise, 40% research in plant conservation biology, rare plants, plant systematics, or plant population ecology, 10% service as herbarium director 2) any news? 3) rejection email 1/23 | ||
460 | 11/1/2023 12:12:29 | United Tribes Technical College | North Dakota | Traditional Ecological Knowledge / Indigenous Research Methodologies | 11/3/2023 | https://uttc.edu/2023/10/23/research-faculty-traditional-ecological-knowledge-indigenous-research-methodologies-closes-november-32023-at-500pm/ | Research Faculty | Non-TS Academic | 1/2/24 17:08 | |||
461 | 11/1/2023 12:09:29 | University of Rio Grande | Ohio | Wildlife Conservation & Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=178582776&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Wildlife%20Conservation%20%26%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/27/23 19:56 | |||
462 | 11/1/2023 12:07:15 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Drylands Ecology | 11/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133660 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/29/24 11:19 | Any updates? 2) no word here as of 11/28 3) Still nothing? (12/26) 4) Nothing on 1/8 x2 5) any news yet [1/29]? 6) No 4/2... | 3 | |
463 | 11/1/2023 8:23:20 | University of North Florida | Florida | Coastal Ecology | 11/27/2023 | https://www.unfjobs.org/postings/25945 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/22/24 16:19 | 1) Does anyone know the teaching load? 2) SC member: 3-3, with releases/buyouts possible e.g., for landing grants. Example: large intro lecture (150 students) and upper-level grad/undergrad lecture + lab (24 students) counts as 3. 1) Thanks SC! 3) the contact email for this job does not work! 4) 01/3 Has anyone heard about zoom interviews? 5) Nothing (1/4) x3 6) Updates? (asking on 1/14) 7) Nothing here 1/16 (x2) 8) Nothing here 1/21 x2 9) phone interview invite 1/23 x4 10) has anyone heard yet about campus interviews? 11) not yet as of 2/16 12) in person invite 2/22 x 3 11) ah dang, well congrats #12, I am happy for you! | 6 | |
464 | 11/1/2023 7:46:09 | University of South Carolina | South Carolina | Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management | 12/4/2023 | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/155951 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 11/1/23 10:01 | 1) Professional Track Faculty, Director of the Masters of Earth and Environmental Resources Management (MEERM) professional master’s degree program within the School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment. | ||
465 | 11/1/2023 6:08:08 | U.S. Forest Service | Michigan | Ecosystem Modeling | 11/22/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/758146900 | GS-12 | Government | 11/1/23 9:54 | (1) US citizens/nationals only | 1 | |
466 | 10/31/2023 20:16:34 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Indiana | Energy, Water, and Land Use Interdisciplinary Cluster | 10/16/2023 | https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/21014?job_application_id=286376. | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 4:09 | I came across this only a few days ago and decided to apply after seeking opinions on late submission in the General Discussion tab. Figured I'll post it here if there are others here who applied to this Env Science cluster hire, and would like to share updates. (2) Thank you for posting this! I've applied as well and would like to know the updates if anyone has! OP) considering that it's a 4 position cluster hire, I wonder if the review timeline will be longer than usual for shortlisting zoom interviews. 3) no idea re: OP's question. but, any updates? 4) anyone? 5) Nothing on 11/7 x2 6) Nothing on 11/10 x3 7) Heard that zoom interviews are underway 11/13 8) ;( 9) zoom interviews were the two weeks before thanksgiving. In person interviews being scheduled for January. Not sure how many campus interviews they are having or the breakdown by discipline, but I just scheduled my flights! x2 | 3 | |
467 | 10/31/2023 10:48:59 | University of Mary Washington | Virginia | Organismal Biology | 12/15/2023 | https://careers.umw.edu/postings/13584 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/18/24 5:45 | 1) preference for expertise / focus on terrestrial animals 2) As of 11/1 this does not appear on UMW's job page 3) SC member: almost through HR side, coming soon, promise! 4) @SC Where do faculty generally (afford to) live? 5) Lots of us live in the city, cheaper (for now) options in Spotsy and Stafford counties. Train a good option if partner has a job in DC. (6) Deadline extended to Dec 15. AP) @6 thanks for the info. Until the HR page shows an official new date, I'll leave the "Review Date" column as is. (7) It does? AP) Thanks #7, I updated the URL and date. 8) Anyone else having trouble accessing the application url? (9) SC member: New link here https://jobs.umw.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-of-biology-umw-virginia-united-states 10) Open salary records are a little shocking; seems to be another place trying to take advantage of DC proximity and a subsidizing spouse 11) Needs the letters of rec uploaded by the applicant? 12) SC: No, we only want three names at this stage, despite the online form's statement to the contrary. 13) Letters requested (per one of my writers) 1/10 13) Zoom invite followed 1/12 x2 13) On-campus invite 1/24 14)offer accepted 13) Congrats! It's a really nice school! | 5 | |
468 | 10/31/2023 7:35:41 | Stony Brook University | New York | Marine Conservation Ecology | 1/5/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/134633 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/31/24 10:44 | 1) question for SC: will letters be requested at application time, or only for finalists? 2) @ 1 - Not SC here but I applied to a job here last cycle and they didn't request letters until the first round of zoom interviews, so I think it would be safe to assume that they would do the same here. I also work at SBU and my advisor is on the search committee so I can ask/also answer any questions about the area. 3) @1 - I already submitted and it did not seem like letters were requested on submission. 4) Any word from those who applied? 5) Nothing here. 6) Nothing yet (as of 1/23) 7) Still nothing as of 01/31. Anyone else? 7) None here (1/31)! 8) Letters requested 2/1 - indicated "moving towards interviews". x5 9) @8 - did you get a direct notification, or just your letter writers? 10) not @8 but, mine was an email to me the applicant saying they will be requesting the letters 11) oops correction, it says to have you get your LORs sent in directly to the email. 8) ditto x1. 8) Zoom invite 2/2 x4. 12) in-person invite made in late Feb 13) Wishing you all luck. 14) SC does not respond to emails. 15) any news from this search? 16) Nope | 8 | |
469 | 10/31/2023 6:19:14 | Flagler College | Florida | Natural Sciences (open) | 11/27/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/135580 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 10/31/23 6:29 | 1) SC member: this position is for a faculty member dedicated to teaching in the Core (our Gen Ed program). "(...)teach students scientific literacy and foundational knowledge within the context of a focus on the environment, with courses often tied to climate and ecology issues pertinent to St. Augustine’s rich local coastal environs." Area of expertise is open within the natural sciences. This institution is not tenure-granting, but with good job security. | 1 | |
470 | 10/31/2023 3:29:10 | Michigan State University Extension | Michigan | Michigan Natural Features Inventory Director | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/515200/conservation-scientistfixed | Fixed term renewable | Non-TS Academic | ||||
471 | 10/30/2023 16:48:56 | Eastern Michigan University | Michigan | Microbiology | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.emich.edu/jobs/6b7c1928-5ad6-40fd-9134-bd702a8d92cd | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/24/23 17:43 | How much teaching loads per semester? So teaching only, no research at all? 2) Job description implies heavy teaching but they expect research and tehy want a research statement. 3) Zoom interview request 11/28 x5 4) Reference request 12/13 (went direct to letter writers) 5) to second 4), they requested one letter on 11/20 and the others on 12/13. Mildly interesting, right? 6) 12/23 Search committee email says that they are down to the final 8 and would email the top 3-4 candidates for in-person emails in the new year. x2 7) Invited for in-person interview 12/24 | 3 | |
472 | 10/30/2023 16:20:27 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Evolutionary Genomics | 12/8/2023 | https://uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:634290/type:job/where:4/apply:1 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/3/24 0:40 | The evobio programme is a cesspit. 2) Could you please be more specific? 3) I have heard it is an extremely toxic environment, so similar to (1) - people being bullied and harrassed; a lot of untouchable old people in the department with too much power. (4) @OP then get the job and make it better :) 5) I only know one person there on the younger end but the power dynamics sound similar, even if they didn't suggest harassment/bullying. More that they had to coopeerate with senior profs or risk their careers in serious ways. 6) What (3) said, and the investigation that happened was a sham, so don't expect accountability. 7) whats the city like though? It must have a sick music scene 8) @1,3,5,6: but is it any worse than the rest of Europe? 9) @4 Hard no. I wouldn't be prepared to subject my students to that. 3) again - sorry, @8, but wtf. You cannot generalize that europe is like X or Y. Departments come in every flavors and saying ' [Europe/NorAm] is X, Y or Z" is out of tone. x2 9) Did my PhD in a nearby department. My impression is that the main source of toxicity is already out of the university (maybe since last year?). I hardly think it's as toxic as @3 make it sound anymore. Also @7, hard no on the music scene, but it's a lovely town with a lot of nature and 1hr away from Stockholm. Having said that, I do suspect they have an internal candidate (totally speculation) +1 10) (9) must be talking about someone else. Wouldn't be the first internal candidate. 7) @9, I guess you don't like punk/metal? Uppsala is famous for it. x9001 11) This ad is so specific. They got to have someone in mind, don't you think? (12) I asked for the applicant list, 16 candidates. One internal candidate that checks all the boxes on sexual chromossome evolution and genome evolution. 13) wait you can just… ask for the candidate list? (14) Yes a lot of European universities will send this to you if you ask. (12 again) If your name is on it, by law, most Nordic countries have to share the list if requested. That's the rule of thumb. Anyway, the internal candidate is an assistant professor and a colleague told me that in Sweden (not all) assistant professors are permanent positions, suggesting this is a ear-marked promotion. 15) Ahh ok! This makes sense then. I honestly couldn't understand this ad. I fit the description perfectly so I applied anyway, but I couldn't figure out why they were looking for another person in this field at this level. It's also awkward to know that now there are potentially 15 other people who know I applied for this job in my little subfield... | 2 | |
473 | 10/30/2023 15:22:47 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Fungal Diversity | 12/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26297 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/12/24 17:52 | 1) any updates? 2) None yet (from the other person who indicated they applied). I wouldn't expect them to have shortlisted until the term has started though...x2 3) any idea of timelines for interviews on this position? 4) My assumption is by this point they have moved on with candidates that don't frequent this site 1/23 4) Shortlisted candidates have been invited for interviews 2/23 5) announced on twitter -- https://twitter.com/MonikaSFischer/status/1800626129923199014 6) surprise surprise UBC hires another american | 2 | |
474 | 10/30/2023 15:11:31 | Kansas State University | Kansas | Extension & Applied Fisheries Research | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.k-state.edu/cw/en-us/job/516245/assistant-professor | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
475 | 10/30/2023 14:43:10 | CSU Monterey Bay | California | Marine Invertebrate Ecology | 1/16/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/mb/en-us/job/533020/assistant-professor-of-marine-invertebrate-ecology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/19/24 13:54 | For those of you that applied alreaady, I know the app asks for names of references, but did it request letters on submission? 1) I did not get notified that letters were requested when I submitted, and none of my references have mentioned they got a request -- so I think no letters requested on submission. 2) Looks like the review data has been changed to 1/30 (possibly due to the CSU strike next week) 3) got a few emails about both these jobs via listserves today, so seems like they are trying to up the # of apps - and the search chair is James Lindholm. 4) Any updates? 5) No, but it has only been a week since the extended deadline.... 6) ah, forgot about the extended deadline. thanks for the reminder! 7) Invited to Zoom interview 02/20 x4 8) any updates? 9) nothing here (03/15) x3 10) On-campus interview request 3/19 x3 11) Rejection email 3/21 x2 12) Letters requested 5/6. The position has been filled June 2024. | 9 | |
476 | 10/30/2023 14:41:58 | CSU Monterey Bay | California | Marine Education & Outreach | 1/16/2024 | https://careers.csumb.edu/en-us/job/533025/assistant-professor-of-marine-education-and-education | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/31/24 2:23 | It looks like the education/outreach component of this is to develop and sustain innovative and extramurally-funded programs related to marine science education and outreach (e.g., NSF GeoBridge and REU, NOAA Education Programs, California Sea Lion Bowl, etc) (2) would someone with lots of outreach/education program development experience be a good fit even if their research focus is currently terrestrial? 3) it still involves teaching marine classes and doing research in marine systems, so unless you can switch your research focus, I think it would be a tough sell (2) I've taught marine adjacent courses before (invert phys, biodiversity, etc.) so it wouldn't be that huge a pivot, teaching-wise. I'm more self-conscious about my research, which is on land plants. I would happily switch to kelp forests though. Are you affiliated with the university? (3) No, I'm not affiliated, but I have interacted with people from the university through some of those programs. So I guess I'd say reach out to the search chair (not listed) and ask! It isn't totally clear from the ad what the independent research requirements are other than mentoring student research. 4) @2 I am at CSUMB will not be on the SC but I would say it is still worth appylying but you definitely want to show how you could integrate a marine focus moving forward and make sure your application materials don't look too terrestrially focused. You would be expected to teach marine classes and have a marine-focused research program. But we really want someone who really wants to be focused on the education/outreach programs so I would say it's still worth applying. 2) @4 thanks for the info! I suppose I will give it a shot 3) Looks like the review data has been changed to 1/30 (possibly due to the CSU strike next week) 4) got a few emails about both these jobs via listserves today, so seems like they are trying to up the # of apps - and search the chair is James Lindholm 5) Zoom interview request 2/20 x2; 6) In-person invite requested on March 18th, 2024 7) congrats 6, I was really hoping for this one =/ 7) official rejection 3/21 8) Any update on this position? The position has been filled June 2024. | 1 | |
477 | 10/30/2023 14:21:18 | University of Washington | Washington | Computational Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/135108 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/15/24 19:51 | Computational biology job in a Genome Sciences department - broad call, but highlighted research areas include "metagenomics and metaproteomics; population or evolutionary genomics;" 2) Note: Base salary is $10,667. That means a 1 month appointment and the other 11 would be dependent on grants. Typical at med schools, difficult for academic scientists who are non-clinical. 3) That's incorrect: "The base salary range for this position will be: $10,667 - $11,667 **per month** ($128,004 - $140,004 annually)" - highlighting mine. 4) double check during interviews, but i think it is ~50% hard money from talking to people in the dept, pretty good/common for med school. 5) It is a med school job and there is some degree of salary recovery, but I hope people don't read the misunderstanding above and think that they'll need to raise 11/12ths of their salary! Most labs in the department do seek NIH funding by nature of their work, but some run on USDA/NSF/NASA grants. 6) "Faculty with 12-month service periods are paid for 11 months of service over a 12-month period (July-June), meaning the equivalent of one month is available for paid time off."-> thus that's not PAID time off. Still not a bad salary, just confused by this description 7) I think the correct way to think of this is that this is a yearly salary of 130-140k with up to four weeks of PTO. 8) did anyone hear anything 9) Rejection email 1/10 (x6) | 1 | |
478 | 10/30/2023 8:57:03 | US Forest Service | Arkansas | Forest Wildlife Ecology | 11/24/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/757649100 | GS-12 | Government | 10/30/23 14:19 | US Citizens / PR only | ||
479 | 10/30/2023 8:46:10 | Texas A&M International University | Texas | Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMIU_External/details/Assistant-Professor-of-Biology_R-066173?workerSubType=0e1cd8ed3502012ddf607157e74b7d04 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/12/24 11:47 | ABDs will be considered but must have earned a doctorate before appointment. We strongly encourage candidates with a background in ecology, entomology, invertebrate zoology, evolution and/or population genetics to apply 1) What is ABD? 2) All But Dissertation (at writing up stage). 3) In job terms, typically means someone who hasn't graduated yet but will between when they apply and when the job starts. 4) Likely an internal hire. Beware, this place is a bit of a dumpster fire. 5) Zoom interview required (11/3). 6) Any news? 7) congratulations to the people interviewed. May I ask what you work on? Just curious. Thanks! 8) Any news? Asking on 12/13. 9) Any news? What happened to the people that interviewed? 10) Fed to bears 11) Got interviewed but never heard back 12) Was told that I was on the list for in person interviews but that the university ran out of its travel budget for the year and they had to cancel the search (this was in July) | 2 | |
480 | 10/30/2023 7:21:25 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Limnology | 1/10/2024 | https://www.jobb.uu.se/details/?positionId=664364 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/4/24 12:53 | 1) Is this position hired at the US- Associate Professor level or at the Swedish 'Associate Senior Lecturer' (US-Assistant Professor) level described in the international comparisons tab? (2) @1: This is hired at the US-Associate prof level (i.e., tenured). Did anyone get shortlisted for interview or a rejection email? | ||
481 | 10/29/2023 20:57:21 | University of Notre Dame | Indiana | Virology | 11/27/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133772 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
482 | 10/29/2023 9:54:45 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Florida | Quantitative Ecology / Ecosystem Modeling | 11/17/2023 | https://fgcu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/eaglejobs/job/Main-Campus/Assistant-Professor--Quantitative-Ecology---Ecosystem-Modeling_R0004388?workerSubType=7606cd1535ba016f9151c43d68012214&workerSubType=7606cd1535ba01e56580c43d68012414&workerSubType=7606cd1535ba014f6fabc43d68012614 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | ||||
483 | 10/27/2023 16:16:19 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Black Faculty Cluster in Quantitative & Environmental Science | 11/30/2023 | https://science.ubc.ca/blackscholars | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/29/23 9:07 | [this isn't the place to discuss whether you agree with targeted hiring initiatives -AP] | 1 | |
484 | 10/27/2023 15:44:59 | Adelphi University | New York | Microbiology / Genetics | 11/30/2023 | https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=ADELPHI&cws=43&rid=3026 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/9/24 14:41 | 1) Asst prof from the department: This is a really nice place to work. Everyone is very supportive and invested in your success. The salary range is $77,000 - $78,500, which is tight in the NYC region, if you don't have a working partner. However, we have union so you get a lot of other benefits and union protections. For instance, your service expectations are linked to actual hours per year (only 56 hrs/yr in your first two years). The teaching load is 2-3 (3-3 after tenure), but courses are capped at 24 students. You can also get teaching credit for having research students in your lab -- including a full course off per year if you've got 6 research students in a semester. So the teaching load is lighter than it seems. 2) My partner is in another department and loves it. 3) Can anyone comment on whether letter writers will be asked to submit reference letters upfront? 4) <- #3, looks like they just need a list of reference writers in the submitted documents so, no, I don't think so. 5) Asst prof from the department: No letters upfront. Letters are only requested at later stages for finalists. 6) Invitation for interview (Dec 08) x3 7) Campus invites sent out | 2 | |
485 | 10/26/2023 20:26:54 | University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Machine Learning in Biology | 11/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133260 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/9/24 11:01 | "The search is open with respect to biological subfield" 2) Is this the same job as was posted in March? Failed Search? 3) I got bingo! 4) @2 - yes, same position, search failed in spring 5) any updates? 6) nope 7) nothing here 12/20 8) nothing here too 12/21 9) based on the dept seminar webpage, I think invites have gone out.. | 5 | |
486 | 10/26/2023 11:24:40 | Memorial University of Newfoundland | Canada | Systems Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.mun.ca/biology/departmental-employment-opportunities/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/14/24 10:18 | research focus on molecular and systems biology. Exceptional candidates with expertise in genetics, genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, or other non-reductionist/large-scale molecular approaches are encouraged to apply. 2) Is this an EEB job? 3) This fits my expertise, in my opinion x4 4) I like to think there is one person with no imagination bouncing between posts asking if a job is ecoevo enough. 5) They are welcome to ask it, but then we can explain it is. Maybe they will learn something. 6) I feel stupid asking this, but what even is 'systems biology' in this context? I've done a brief google search but that didn't really help to clarify anything haha (2 again) Personally if an ad doesn't mention EEB or at least say "open to all areas" or something similar, I would like to know they are considering people from EEB backgrounds. Obviously I can imagine how systems biology could fit into EEB, but that is not the same question 7) Systems biology is more of an approach than a field. At least that is how most people I know use it, or classify themselves within in. My previous postdoc advisor was hired as a systems biologist, and he does ecoevophys work in marine inverts. So there are ways to spin in. (8) I am the person who posted this and it seemed to me an eeb type who uses the approaches listed would fit but I have just contacted someone on the search committee to ask them to weigh in here if they can 9) thanks @ 8! this may be relevant to me so thank you for posting/looking into it. 10) 8 again, quoting a member of the SC: "The vision is heavy on the side of computational and mathematical analysis of biological systems. Which is broad, and that was the point, but I can certainly see how our ad is confusing. In our defence, the Dean’s Office pushed hard for us to narrow the vision and connect this position more tightly to our undergraduate program. With that pressure, we are now expecting the successful candidate to be able to teach a couple of our molecular genetic intense courses, of which we have a half dozen to choose from. An evolutionary biologist (especially a comparative biologist) could fit the bill. Now that we are past the Dean’s Office and Provost quibbling about our ad, the committee will take seriously a strong candidate that is not a tight fit to the job ad. " 11) Anyone know who we can email with questions? 12) Any updates? 1/22 13) nothing 1/23 x2 14) letters requested Jan 31 (14 again) Zoom interview request Feb 20 (14 again) application withdrawn, offer accepted elsewhere 15) rejection recieved (never interviewed). I was cracking up at how kind of brutal the rejection was worded "I am writing to inform you that you have not been short-listed, and are no longer being considered for the position." 16) I think this is the kind of clarity so many people are craving here! 15) agreed, it's good they sent something, I just found the very blunt wording funny. None of the "we had a strong pool of applicants..." etc. | 5 | |
487 | 10/26/2023 10:51:52 | California State University Sacramento | California | Environmental Health Equity | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.csus.edu/en-us/job/531711/tenure-track-faculty-environmental-health-equity | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
488 | 10/26/2023 9:56:18 | Georgia Southern University | Georgia | Cell and Molecular | 11/1/2023 | https://cosm.georgiasouthern.edu/biology/files/BIO-ASTP-ASOP-Ad-Copy-FINAL.docx.pdf | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/1/23 12:48 | AP) What makes this an ecoevo job? 1) Nothing, it's explicitly biomedical 2) You can be evo, and still pitch yourself to a cell/molec position 3) This ad is for two positions. The cell molec ad says explicityly "or related fields that do not necessarily have biomedical applications". Just chill on the ecoevo gatekeeping, please. x2 4) I say this as a molecular-oriented ecoevo person: this doesn't seem like an ecoevo job. There's no mention of evolution anywhere. An ecoevo person could certainly pitch themselves for these positions, but it would have to be one hell of a spin imo. 5) It most certainly would not have to be a hell of a spin, plenty of cell and molecular biologists are evolutionary biologists. If you do molecular evolution or molecular ecology you should apply (I am on the search committee). 6) @5 thanks for the info! Would a plant person fit in here? 7) For anyone trying to work in a spousal arrangement, do not apply here. They are forbidden from even negotiating it by the state. Learned my lesson the hard way last year. 8) @6, yes a plant person would fit in! (committee member) 9) Zoom interview request 12/1 | 1 | |
489 | 10/26/2023 7:16:52 | Concordia University | Canada | Computational Genomics | 11/30/2023 | https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12808203/assistant-professor-and-canada-research-chair-in-computational-genomics?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/22/23 6:24 | 1) Reference letter request (direct to letter writers) 12/22 | 3 | |
490 | 10/26/2023 2:38:05 | University of Hohenheim & Natural History Museum Stuttgart | Germany | Biodiversity Monitoring | 11/15/2023 | https://berufungsportal.uni-hohenheim.de/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/12/23 19:19 | Unfortunately the portal does not provide stable links, so you have to go back to the main page, set website to english and find your way… 2) I mean, an unstable, dangerous portal would be on brand for anything involving Hohenheim. 3) The position will be at the natural history museum: https://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/en/jobs/detailansicht/full-professor-w3-of-biodiversity-monitoring-in-connection-with-director-of-the-biodiversity-monitoring-department | 1 | |
491 | 10/25/2023 17:15:53 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Conservation Science | 12/4/2023 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3901 | Assoc / Full Prof | Museum | 2/8/24 11:35 | 1) Same job was listed last year; anyone know what happened? 2) Also curious about what they are looking for this year, even more so given the repeat search. 3) I don't *think* it specified "tenured" level last year? 4) Should postdocs not even bother applying? 5) @4, it's for an associate or full professor, which usually translates to senior /tenured folks. I wouldn't bother applying as an assistant professor personally x3 6) It's a senior hire. Negotiations failed in the prior year. They have asked at least some of those on the short-list if they wanted their applications to carry over to this year. 7) So does that mean they aren't considering new apps? Is everything predetermined from last year? 5 again) I wouldn't make that assumption. Nothing is predetermined. It just saves some of the original applicants time if they want to reapply. 7 again) Thanks for the info #5!! 8) @6 any idea why negotiations failed the prior year? 9) @8 - many negociations fail at the AMNH. They usually go for highly qualified applicants that sometimes are already hired or have other offers. Although salary is higher than other places and the Museum is amazing, it is hella expensive to live in NYC and many candidates have turned down offers in the past due to this. It is not unheard of that the PV does not agree with selection by committee and kills the search too. 9) Rejection 12/29 10) Any updates? 11) Interviews of all candidates have taken place in January | 2 | |
492 | 10/25/2023 10:39:17 | University of Saskatchewan | Canada | Ornithology | 11/14/2023 | https://ornithologyexchange.org/jobs/board/academic-positions/houston-professor-of-ornithology-university-of-saskatchewan-r20149/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 5:56 | 1) Apply via email. 2) what's the likelihood that the entire campus will be destroyed by fire in the medium-term future? (3) Low 4) Saskatoon is surrounded by farm fields and prairie, not boreal forest. (5) Look up and watch "Corner Gas" to get to know Saskatchewan 6) LOL @5 but yes X1 7) Is this an EEB job? ;P 8) Well birds aren't real, so clearly not EEB. 8) Am i the ony one here to have applied via email? 9) It's a little unclear if non-Canadian citizens should apply. Does anyone have insight on this? 10) @9 yes, non-Canadian citizens should apply 9 again) Thanks @10 (11) Many Canadian jobs go to non-Canadians. In fact, the 'Canadian' priority seems to work against them because universities cannot offer to a Canadian if they had already offered to an American, so they often just interview and try to hire non-Canadians. So international applicants should not be discouraged in the slightests (12) any news? I applied via email but did not receive an acknowledgment... (13) No news as of 12/13 (14) One of my references told me that letters of reference were requested12/15. (15) any updates on this position? 16) interviews offered 02/02 x2 | 4 | |
493 | 10/25/2023 10:26:47 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | North Carolina | Avian Field Ecology & Wildlife Conservation / Management | 11/30/2023 | https://jobs.uncw.edu//postings/30172 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/21/23 8:37 | Preference will be given to candidates who focus on the management and conservation of waterfowl, upland game birds, and/or waterbirds. 1) When will UNCW hire me? I want to join you but this call is so specific! | 1 | |
494 | 10/25/2023 8:20:09 | Michigan Technological University | Michigan | Department Chair, Biological Sciences | 10/30/2023 | https://www.employment.mtu.edu/cw/en-us/job/493367 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
495 | 10/25/2023 6:51:56 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Biogeochemistry / Ecosystem Ecology | 12/15/2023 | https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/IowaStateJobs/job/Assistant-Professor-in-Biogeochemistry-Ecosystem-Ecology_R13253 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/13/24 12:16 | Is this vaccancy to be filled due to a faculty left ISU for another univeristy? In other words, is the committee looking for a candidate with the same or similar skills as the left faculty member? 2) willing to share the name of that person left for UWI? 3) @2 probably google search, "iowa state university biogeochemistry"? 4) does any know who is on the search committee? 5) I am a member of the department (not on the SC) and can address some of the questions here. While we have had a recent departure in this field, we are not necessarily looking for an exact replacement. Ecologists in our department see biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology as very important areas and would like to see applications from anyone who fits the description in the ad and we do not have any other ideas about what we want the research of our new colleague to look like. Additionally, we are looking to build more strength in global change biology and hope that our new colleagues will contribute to this (in terms of their research programs and potential new courses). I am not sure if we are allowed to share the SC members' names in a public forum (since I'm not on the SC, I don't know what the HR rules are), but if you email biogeochemist@iastate.edu you will likely get a response from a member of the SC. 6) Any update? 7) It just closed 5 days ago and it's right before two major holidays. Doubt we will hear anything before January. 8) we need updates x7 9) rejection email (1/19) x5 10) no rejection email but also no word (1/20) 11) in-person interview invitation 12) any updates? 13) We had 3 in-person interviews for this position that completed last week (writing this comment on 2/20). I'm just in the department, not on the SC (also not the previous commentor), so I don't have any further info to share. 14) Thanks @13! I take it you're not at liberty to share about whether a departmental vote is scheduled or has already taken place? 13) I don't even know if I'd be at liberty or not since I'm not in the know anyway; I'm just a postdoc and not particularly close to this search. 15) offer made 16) offer accepted | 6 | |
496 | 10/24/2023 20:30:26 | Georgia College & State University | Georgia | Computational Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=264955&PostingSeq=2 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/22/23 7:12 | "teaching responsibilities will include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses including introductory biology and environmental sciences courses (majors and non-majors), introductory courses in computational biology as well as upper level courses in the candidate's area of expertise" 1) I am interested in applying for the position, but I don't see the application open anymore. The job is no longer listed under the list of open faculty positions?? Please help. Thank you. 2) I emailed HR and it is now back up 11/30. 3) Got an email (Dec 11th) - invited for a phone interview x2 4) invited for campus interview (22/12) | 5 | |
497 | 10/24/2023 20:27:26 | San Diego State University | California | Marine Biology | 11/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133651 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/11/23 17:39 | |||
498 | 10/24/2023 19:31:16 | Hampton University | Virginia | Biology | 9/26/2023 | https://www.hamptonu.edu/hr/jobdetail.cfm?id=1348 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 13:40 | 1) Job posted: 9/26/2023; Closing Date: Open Until filled; 2) Different dept, but work at HU. It's a coastal HBCU in SE VA. Lots of opportunities coming down the pipe. Bio has some great folks who do a ton of great work. | ||
499 | 10/24/2023 11:12:36 | Emporia State University | Kansas | Landscape or Wildlife Ecology | 11/20/2023 | https://hr.hornet365.com/1521-assistant-/-associate-landscape-and-wildlife-ecology | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/20/23 6:03 | 1) This school was in the news last year for mass faculty firings. https://www.highereddive.com/news/aaup-emporia-state-academic-freedom-tenure-layoffs/648856/ 2) @1 true, but lots of schools are doing similar things (e.g. WVU) 3) @2 - yea, but important context. I wouldn't reccommend applying to WVU or New College, either. x7 | ||
500 | 10/24/2023 9:28:54 | St. Lawrence University | New York | Field Biology | https://employment.stlawu.edu/postings/3510 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/28/24 8:33 | Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate will co-teach, on a rotating basis, the fall semester of General Biology (BIOL 101) and support our degree programs in biology, conservation biology, and environmental science-biology by helping to offer some preexisting classes, such as our introductory ecology course (BIOL 221) and may develop new classes in organismal diversity and advanced topics in ecology according to their area of expertise. 2) Does anyone know when this was originally posted? It's not too late to apply, is it? 3) It was posted on chronicle of higher ed yesterday so presumably not too late to apply. 4) Any idea for deadline? OP) Please see the first thing I posted. 5) Any chance this is for an internal hire? 6) People on this board are entirely too concerned with the internal candidate bogeyman. Apply! 7) Certainly seems like there is a VAP who is a very good fit. @6, people are just as concerned with scolding anyone for ever mentioning internal candidates. 8) Maybe the internal candidates are posting there is an internal candidate to scare away competition 9) maybe the **external** candidates are posting there is an internal candidate to scare away competition (cue this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHjFxJVeCQs) 2) Seeing a VAP who's a good fit for an open position could also mean "the VAP is leaving and we need someone similar" 10) that isn't how VAPs work. x2 11) @10 it can be if they were hired to temporarily cover a position until a TT line was approved 10) @11, that isn't what the previous comment said. No department says 'welp, our VAP is leaving us time to just hire a TT line in the same field'. Of course VAPs are hired to temporarilyl cover positions until TT lines are approved, but that is a completely different order of events. 12) At the risk of jumping the gun, has anyone heard anything? 13) Nothing here as of 11/18 x4, 14) haven't heard anything as of 11/28. anyone else? 12) Nope, still nothing x4 15) Nothing as of 12/6 x3 16) Nothing as of 12/12, Committee wyd 12) Letters requested 12/19 x4 13) Aw shucks. Folks who got letter requests-- did you see that go out, or were you just informed by your letter writers? 12) I was notified x3 12) Zoom invite 1/12 x3 13) on-campus interview requested 1/26 14) Darn. Did kinda choke on one of the zoom questions, so not suprising 14) Email saying search cancelled 3/28 | 9 | ||
501 | 10/24/2023 8:57:10 | University of California, Riverside | California | Plant Resilience to Climate Change | 12/15/2023 | https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01827 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/12/24 5:05 | An ideal candidate would use genomics, broadly defined, to understand and predict the physiological response of plants to global change. Specifically, the candidate should work to understand processes that contribute to plant resilience to extreme climate events. The candidate’s research program should include quantitative, experimental approaches and may focus on plants in either agricultural or natural systems. 1) any word here? 2) none from my side 1/31 x3 3) in-person interviews ongoing 4) @3 does this mean that a long or short list has been made and candidates notified? 5) @4 it means that the finalists were notified a while ago and they have already begun to interview them | 4 | |
502 | 10/24/2023 8:32:05 | University of New England | Maine | Aquaculture | 10/17/2023 | https://une.peopleadmin.com/postings/16727 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/8/24 7:13 | 45420.30079 | 2 | |
503 | 10/24/2023 8:27:52 | University of New England | Maine | Biology (Disease Ecology, Mycology, or Cell Signaling) | 11/13/2023 | https://une.peopleadmin.com/postings/16746 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/8/24 7:12 | Review of applications will begin November 13, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. The school seeks candidates to teach primarily undergraduate courses in general biological topics and in their area of expertise. The typical teaching load is the equivalent of 9 credits per semester. The successful candidate is expected to develop an active, independent research program involving mostly undergraduate students and to seek external funding. Their research should result in peer-reviewed dissemination of work. A small master’s program provides additional student opportunities. 1) Does the University of New England have a research greenhouse? 2) 9 course hours seems like a lot (in addition to starting/running a lab). Can you give an example of what 9 hrs looks like? 3) @1 Yes, there is a small indoor greenhouse attached to the science building, which could be used for research but it is currently not being used. 4) @2, In general, typical teaching loads for TT faculty might be 2 lectures (different section, same course), ranging from 5-24 students per section, and 1 lab section (up to 24 students). Or it could be one lecture, 2 labs of the same course. Other loads might be 2 lectures of two unique courses, developed by the faculty member, and they might have a lab component. It varies. I would suggest requesting a course release for your first or second semester while getting your lab started. 5) @4 Thank you! Really helpful. 6) Any updates? 7) nothing yet...but I might be one of the unlucky ones 8) Any updates (12/13)? 9) As of 12/15, invitations for zoom interviews have not been made, but it is expected to begin in January 10) So, if my references have not been contacted yet, I can assume I'm out of the running? 11) Im not on the SC, but have heard reports from SC and no, they have not contacted references yet either. That will happen in early January. 12) Any news? 13) nothing as of 14 January 14) Should we assume that we didn't get Zoom interviews at this point? 15) Can I keep my hopes up and pretend that 23 January is 'early January'... 16) Zoom interview invitation 1/24 X2 17) Zoom interviews have been completed, and a decision will be made to invite candidates for in-person interviews 18) Campus invite 2/7 19) Any updates after campus interviews? 20) SC or other faculty, can you please post an update? 21) Offer made to candidate | 2 | |
504 | 10/24/2023 7:58:17 | Florida Atlantic University | Florida | Climate Change Ecologist | 1/2/2024 | https://fau.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FAU/details/Assistant-Professor---Climate-Change-Ecologist_REQ16945?jobFamilyGroup=a3f4baab6db41036e7a0fc8badf74f51 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/13/24 13:03 | did this search fail previously or is this another position? (2) what is the teaching load here? (3) This is a new position, this department is growing rapidly with lots of hires. Typical teaching load is a 1-1. (4) 5 ecologist hired in the last 3 years. 5) Any zoom interviews yet? 6) nothing here yet 1/17 x2 7) Zoom interview request 1/26 x4 8) Notification of being in top 4 of candidates with further details to follow next week, asked to provide references. 9) 03/19 Offer made to candidate. 10) offer accepted 11) Congrats! | 6 | |
505 | 10/24/2023 7:33:03 | Kennesaw State University | Georgia | Physiology | 12/1/2023 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 8:55 | (1) Job is focused on human diseases, but is based in a department of "Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology". (2) Evolutionary perspectives on disease and physiology are welcome to apply. 3) "uses mouse or rat models to study human diseases" - is this mandatory? 4) SC member here - experience with animal models of human physiology/disease and plans to use rat or mouse models at KSU is strongly preferred | ||
506 | 10/24/2023 7:30:50 | University of North Carolina Greensboro | North Carolina | Cell / Molecular Biologist | 11/1/2023 | https://spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/27165 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 9:42 | 1) Department member here (not on search cmte). Will check in from time to time to provide insight as possible. Would love to see folks applying cell/molec approaches to wild organisms apply! 2) Any chance UNCG will be looking to hire an actual ecologist in the near future? 3) Any updates? 4) @2, there will probably be some EEB (eg organismal) positions in the next few years. Pure ecology doubtful. Of course it's a dept. decision at end of day :) 5) anything beyond letter requests from this search? (interviews) 6) Any updates? 1/9 7) So they requested letters already? | 1 | |
507 | 10/23/2023 15:21:43 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Genomics & Physiological Mechanisms of Plant Adaptation to Temperature Stress | 1/4/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/527467/assistant-professor-genomics-and-physiological-mechanisms-of-plant-adaptation-to-temperature-stress | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/19/24 12:43 | 1) I wonder if anyone has any news on this search? 2) Got invited for a zoom interview (02/18) | 3 | |
508 | 10/23/2023 14:51:09 | Washington State University | Washington | Sustainable Forest Management Systems | 11/15/2023 | https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/details/Assistant-or-Associate-Professor---Sustainable-Forest-Management-Systems_R-10569?q=forest | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 4:19 | 1) anyone heard anything yet? (12/4) 2) No on 12/7 3) Zoom interview invite was emailed for this week (12/05) 4) after that interview have not heard anything.. | 3 | |
509 | 10/23/2023 10:52:15 | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Arthropod Molecular Biology | 12/31/2023 | https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/493800 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/2/24 18:37 | "We are seeking candidates who use molecular tools to address fundamental questions in biochemistry, pathology, immunology, microbiome interactions, developmental biology, and/or toxicology. We are particularly interested in candidates who use a combination of modern and classical approaches such as genome editing, RNAi, transgenics, functional genomics (multi-omics, protein structural modeling, etc.), high-throughput analyses, functional characterization of genes, single cell sequencing, electrophysiology, and cell culture." 2) very conservative dept without much diversity, 3) any updates? 4) Letters requested x3 5) Has anyone's referee not received the request for a reference letter? 6) I've not checked with all my referees, but the app portal says they all got a request 7) Does anyone not receive reference requests in their app portal? Just curious if HR requests letters from all applicants or not. 8) usually letters are only requested for applicants who pass the first sift 9) Zoom interview invitation 1/31 10) @9 were all your letters in? Seems wild to request letters so wuick before interview invites go out 9) @10 Nope, only two out of four referees uploaded their letters. 10) welp that doesn't bode well for me. congrats on your invite though! 9) Thanks @10 good luck to your application, any other folk received interview request? | 4 | |
510 | 10/23/2023 9:25:34 | Loyola University Chicago | Illinois | Genetics / Genomics | 12/1/2023 | https://www.careers.luc.edu/postings/26656 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/16/24 11:26 | "Researchers in all areas of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, or a related discipline are welcome to apply." 1) "The candidate also should be willing to support the mission of LUC and the goals of a Jesuit Catholic Education." - what does this mean, precisely? 2) See discussion from the Fordham job - it's nothing to wory about. This applies to all Jesuit institutions to my knowledge. 3) I have been informed by a colleague that anyone who needs space for vertebrates are very unlikely to be successful. I'm not sure if that makes it not worth applying, but sounds like getting lab space for those animals will be a challenge 4) They are probably referring to keeping live vertebrates on campus (e.g. mice, zebrafish, etc...). There are pretty tight regulations around live vertebrate spaces (IACUC, etc...). Doesn't mean people who work on vertebrates in general won't get lab space. 3) @4 thats correct. This job is replacing a bird geneticist, but they did not use lab space to keep live birds at all. 5) Anyone have an idea regarding the teaching load here? 6) teaching load is pretty high for a research uni--2/2 required every year, and they also expect you to be competitive for external grants and do research. 7) This uni has no PhD students in Biology btw. Only masters 8) Has anyone heard back for zoom interviews for this yet? 9) Nothing here (12/15). x7 10) anyone hear anything (1/8)? 11) Not here. x3 12) Nothing here (1/16) x2 13) I was informed by a colleague that this search has moved on to invite 3 candidates for in-person interviews following a round of zoom interviews. I got nothing. Sorry folks 14) Huh.. I guess it can happen that no one that uses this spreadsheet gets picked, I thought it was too unlikely 15) That does seem surprising with 10 marked applications from this sheet 16) Maybe, unless they just wanted someone more on the biomed side 3) have seen the short list, none of them are biomed. 17) Rejection email 4/10 x2 18) can confirm they hired someone and thats why the rejection emails went out. | 10 | |
511 | 10/21/2023 15:02:00 | Ohio University | Ohio | Department Chair, Biological Sciences | 11/19/2023 | https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/postings/47908 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/19/24 11:48 | We welcome applicants with research interests in any field of Biology, but we particularly welcome those who can contribute to research in comparative and/or integrative biology and who can contribute to teaching in an area of current need for the department. 2) Offer accepted. 3) Congratulations! | ||
512 | 10/20/2023 14:33:18 | University of Tulsa | Oklahoma | Animal Physiology | 11/15/2023 | https://universitytulsa.peopleadmin.com/postings/8246 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/27/24 11:45 | We seek a creative and interactive individual working on fundamental problems that include a laboratory component. 1) Note the job ad says applicants due by 11/14 for full consideration. 2) Zoom interview invite Nov 28 x3 3) Did anyone ask about the timeline for in person talks in their interview? I forgot to ask. x2 4) lol me too 5) On campus interview invite Dec 14 6) Congrats to those invited and hope you enjoy your visit! 7) Any updates? I wonder if they will decide to interview more people 5) On campus interviews finished 1st week of Feb, as far as I know 9) Any updates? 5 again) I interviewed in person and I haven't heard anything as of 13 March... assuming they moved forward with another candidate who's not using this page. 6) Kind of crappy they did not update other candidates if that is the case 7) @5, I'm in the same boat as you. Have you heard anything? It's just crickets chirping in the distance here (April 2nd). 5 again) Glad I'm not the only one! No I haven't heard anything but the search must be over by now, right? I'm not planning to contact as I've accepted another offer... I think I'm just still addicted to this sheet. 7 again) @5 Congratulations, that's awesome! I'm not sure the search is -over-, but I assume they have to be negotiating with someone by now, and they're holding onto us as potential falbacks in case their first choice falls through. I'm still waiting... and figuring that I'm going back on the market again next year. 5 again) @ 7 fingers crossed, I hope it comes to you! So much suspense in this process, ugh. 5 again) On Apr 24 I got a call from the search chair that they had hired somone for this position, but opened a 2nd hiring line for endocrinology. I declined bc accepted an offer already. Not sure if that's relevant to you/your area @ 7? | 4 | |
513 | 10/20/2023 10:36:38 | Utah State University | Utah | Recreation Resource Management & Nature-Based Tourism | 12/8/2023 | https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/7083/assistant-professor%2c-recreation-resource-management-and-nature-based-tourism/job?mobile=false&width=1290&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-420&jun1offset=-360 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
514 | 10/20/2023 10:28:26 | Northern Arizona Univeristy | Arizona | Remote Sensing | 11/30/2023 | https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=2&JobOpeningId=607535&PostingSeq=1 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/13/24 17:45 | 1) cluster hire - tenure-track and research-track positions. 2) "We are particularly interested in candidates focused on applications such as atmospheric modeling, archeological site mapping, conservation biology, environmental studies and geoscience research, urban mapping, astrobiology, planetary science investigations and analog studies" 3) I work here but am not on SC, great place to work and live if you do eco-informatics type work. AP) Link fixed. 4) Any updates? 12/21. 5) Updates? 1/16. 6) Any updates? Haven't heard anything as of 2/8. | 3 | |
515 | 10/20/2023 6:35:48 | University of New Brunswick | Canada | Environmental Microbiology | 11/3/2023 | https://www.universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=62639 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/20/24 5:45 | "We seek candidates who will develop an innovative research program investigating bacterial and/or archaeal adaptation to the environment and their roles in ecosystems using modern microbiological, genetic, and/or biochemical techniques. We will also consider outstanding applications from other environmental microbiology fields that fit within our Department's academic plans." 1) incate citizenship? So it's not like the US, in Canada prioritiy gives to canadians? ==discrimination? 2) It's a hard sell to say that there's no discrimination in favor of US citizens in the US, even if it's not officially stated. In reality, I don't think that prevents Canadian universities from hiring well-qualified international candidates 3) Apply if you want the job. Here's an explanation of what this can look like in practice (i.e. if the committee justifies why the non-Canadian is better then they can be offered the job - this is easy to do!): https://www.uwindsor.ca/faculty/recruitment/412/simultaneous-recruitment-non-canadians 4) Any word or updates? 5) Letters requested (21-Dec-23) 6) update? | 2 | |
516 | 10/20/2023 5:47:05 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry | https://careers-whoi.icims.com/jobs/2177/tenure-track-scientist-mc%26g/job?hub=8&_gl=1*13n2nac*_ga*OTA0MzY1MjgzLjE2OTQ1MzU0NTk.*_ga_5Y2BYGL910*MTY5NzgwNTg3Ny43OS4xLjE2OTc4MDU4ODEuMC4wLjA.&mobile=false&width=1090&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-300&jun1offset=-240 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/20/23 21:13 | "The successful candidate(s) will conduct research in any area of marine chemistry and geochemistry that complements, diversifies, and strengthens existing programs on the chemistry of the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, particularly those areas addressing the ocean’s response to anthropogenic stressors, the development of innovative ocean observing approaches, large-scale ocean chemical cycles, high-temperature geochemistry/petrology, and microbial drivers of ocean chemistry." | 3 | ||
517 | 10/19/2023 19:18:27 | Fairfield University | Connecticut | Marine Biology | 11/10/2023 | https://ffd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EmploymentOpportunities/job/Fairfield-CT/Assistant-Professor--Marine-Biology_JR0001856 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/20/24 10:07 | 1) This review date is actually November 10, not December. [fixed -AP] 2) "demonstrated excellence in using technology in the classroom is required" what does this even mean? 3) Invited for zoom interview 11/17 x3 4) References requested 12/1 x2 5) Invited for campus interview 12/12 x4 6) thanks for the update. was really hoping for that one. oh well 7) Does anybody know who was hired? 8) How did I miss this one? GAH! 8) It looks like this has been reposted, unless they are hiring another marine biologist | 5 | |
518 | 10/19/2023 19:15:33 | University of South Florida | Florida | Marine / Coastal Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psc/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35459&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/10/24 7:42 | 1) Is the link for this not working for anyone else? 2) yeah it seems like their employment website is not working at all x2 3) it works for me (4) works in Firefox, does not work in Chrome for me x2 (5) i tried both safari and firefox on a mac, and the site will not open. (6) this annoyed me so much I emailed HR about it. Hope their email isn't down too. (6 again) they replied saying don't use chrome and try clearing your browser cache. NOT anything about trying to fix the problem. lol ok. I would be reeeeally pissed at HR if I were on a SC at this school. (7) Anyone on SC able to comment on no locations for teaching/research statements to be submitted? @ 7, the application instructions say to upload all materials as one document. 7. Yes, Sorry. Noticed this right after I asked. 9. Rejection 12/13 10) did anyone else hear back? Seems odd to send rejections before interview invites. Zoom interview request 12/15 x3 11) Have all zoom interview requests been sent at this point? 12) Not sure, but I never received an interview request or a rejection x3 13) @11, I've done the zoom interview last week. 14) Thanks #13 for the update. (from 13: you are welcome! good luck with everything!)15) Updates after Zoom interviews? (asking on 1/17) (16) No updates but was told invites would occur within a few days after zoom interview (x1 on 1/18) 17) Thanks for the update 18) Still no news after Zoom interviews, does it mean rejection (1/26)? 16) I've made that interpretation, but it's possible that things are just taking longer and if no one on here has a campus invite then it's quite plausible you're not rejected yet (thanks!) (x2) 19) Wanted to provide update, campus interviews are indeed occuring 20) Thanks for the update (x1 and so sad for myself, but congrats to onsite people!! x2) 21) Very kind, thank you! Fingers crossed for everyone here! 22) Does anyone know who was hired? x2 | 8 | |
519 | 10/19/2023 17:02:04 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Marine Data Science | 12/11/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02610 | Asst Teaching Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/11/24 10:45 | "Applicants must provide the names and contact information for 3-4 references and must request letters of reference within the application system in order to complete application requirements." 1) zoom interviews 2/23-2/26ish | 1 | |
520 | 10/19/2023 13:30:41 | Murray State University | Kentucky | Botany | 11/10/2023 | https://www.murraystatejobs.com/postings/11069 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 9:47 | 2 | ||
521 | 10/19/2023 12:35:56 | University of Oregon | Oregon | Data Science | 10/29/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25568 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/17/24 6:29 | "We invite applications from researc+hers working in Data Science, broadly defined, including those working in other domains who contribute to data analysis methodology for that domain" "We are building the Data Science department to center justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JDEI), in our department's research, teaching, and organization. Strong faculty candidates will therefore have demonstrated impactful contributions to JDEI." 2) "Applications will be reviewed starting October 29th, 2023, and applications must be complete by December 1st, 2023 to ensure consideration" Does this mean that if you apply by Oct. 29th you might get some response (positive or negative) earlier than the 1st? 3) not EEB 4) seems pretty clearly relevant. It specifically invites applications from researchers "working in other domains who contribute to data analysis methodology for that domain" and then list ecology and evolution as particular domains of interest. I am an ecologist that will apply to this job and I'm glad it was posted here. 5) Pretty clearly calls out potential EEB connection: "Faculty in the department of Data Science can additionally work with PhD students and integrate in specialized research communities through affiliations with world-class research Institutes on campus (e.g., the Institute of Neuroscience; the Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Center for the Study of Women in Society)." (6) Can anyone comment if this position is seeking to hire a minority 7) @6 that would be illegal 8) wth #6? that's messed up 9) I work in a department like this, we are chock full of ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and bioinformaticists in addition to more traditional CS and EE folks. This posting is totally appropriate here. 8) I think the deadline for this position has changed to 12/1 9) @8 they have begun reviewing materials 10) @9 Still accepting until Dec 1 though? "applications must be complete by December 1st, 2023 to ensure consideration" 11) got called for zoom interview 11/15 x2 12) @11 wow they called you? 13) I got emailed for a zoom interview ... 14) damn, I was pretty into this one. Congrats to those who got Zoom invites! 15) I also thought I was a good fit for this. Congrats to the zoom invites and good luck. 16) It looks like this discussion also accidentally got copied to the Murray State job. 17) Anyone who did a zoom interview hear back yet? 18) Just got an email saying they're reviewing another batch of applications and they are delaying their decisions until February RIP 18) 2nd round of zoom invites 1/16 | 10 | |
522 | 10/19/2023 10:16:25 | Augustana University | South Dakota | Developmental Biology | 11/13/2023 | https://www.augie.edu/faculty-positions#Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Biology%20-%20Developmental | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
523 | 10/19/2023 7:51:47 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Sustainable Landscaping | 11/12/2023 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/145223 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 15:30 | There was a prior search at the Associate/Full level that failed. The position is an endowed position that requires a lot of teaching. | ||
524 | 10/19/2023 4:40:15 | New York University | New York | Computational Biology | 11/10/2023 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37546716/assistant-professor-of-computational-biology/?TrackID=159667&BatchID=1247&cmpid=JBE_TL_20231019_jobtitle&utm_source=jbe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JBE_TL_20231019_jobtitle_job3 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/6/24 7:32 | areas of interest include "AI and ML applications to biology, computation-enhanced imaging, modeling of biological networks, genomic sciences, quantitative ecology and epidemiology." 1) Looks like you submit info for letter writers and it sends out the email automatically upon app submission. 2) Heavier emphasis on Biology or AI/ ML? Does this search focus more on Biology Ph.Ds, or Ph.D. holders in data science and / or computer science? 3) received email from SC, they have a long list and are sending out feelers for who should be on the short list for interviews 4) I'll take a side of "not even making the long list again" with my lunch thank you 5) I'm not sure they wrote everyone on the long list vs requests for clarification. 6) that wasn't clear, but they asked about resources so there must be a "short" long list they're working from. 7) I'm so confused 8) If HR won't let them move down list to backup candidates, they may just be trying to avoid inviting people who already have something lined up and would turn down the school. But that's pure speculation. 9) Not sure what HR would have to do with it, it seems to me they are at the stage where thye've collected all applications, weeded out the clear no-fits, and now are seeing who they should invite for interviews. I was told that the email feeler should not be an indiciation that there will definitely be an invite. 10) Anyone hear anything else? 11) Nothing. I was hoping they'd be back in touch before the break. 12) nope 13) I'm curious how many people got the long list email -- add to the number in parenthesis if you did, I'll start (x6) 14) So... everyone who uses the spreadsheet who applied? 15) I applied and didn't get the long list email x2 16) If I were just guessing (in spite of #14's cute comment), I would guess that 10-20 people got the long list emails and they will bring about 5 in for interviews. I'd thought from the urgency of the message we'd hear before xmas, but that window is almost closed. Hopefully we get news soon and there are enough of us to post-not-ghost the others. 16) Email saying I'm on the short list, zoom interviews likely mid-January (12/22) x2 17) Anyone on the short list mention they wanted wet lab space? 18) nope 19) I said that I do need some wet lab space and did not make the short list. 20) I said that I will and made the short list. 21) Any news post zoom interviews? 22) Nope, as of 01/31. Any idea on time frame? 23) Any other news since? 24) Zoom interviewee here - haven't heard anything yet. 2/6 25) Anyone heard about campus interviews yet? 26) Nope as of 2/13. Any one have any ideas on the time frame? 25) Any news at all? 26) In person interviews sent out. | 6 | |
525 | 10/18/2023 11:52:30 | Washington State University | Washington | Western Lands Plant Ecology | 11/13/2023 | https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/details/Teaching-Assistant-Professor---Western-Lands-Plant-Ecology_R-10464 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 10/23/23 14:37 | "Teach courses including but not limited to Disturbance Ecology, Arid Land Plants and Ecosystems, Introduction to Wildland Fire, Silviculture, Natural Resource Ecology." 1) Would be an attractive position if it offered more than my current postdoc salary. 2) "This is a temporary position expected to end on August 15, 2027." This is a rolling contract, which will be renewed each 3 years. | ||
526 | 10/18/2023 9:23:24 | University of California Davis | California | Integrative Animal Physiology | 12/1/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06074?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/16/24 12:02 | 1) emphasis on aspects of physiology that are relevant to sustainable animal agriculture including animal performance and well-being. 2) No cover letter requested or required? – Could a member of the SC weigh in? 3) In my apps I always sent a cover letter anyway even if it wasn't specifically asked for, not sure if necessary 4) Always attach a cover letter, even when it doesn't request/require it 5) 4-6 references lol 6) I read that as "do you have 4-6 people to vouch" not "we will carefully read 4-6 letters" 7) Getting mixed signals here. Is this exclusive to agri-species only or can an integrative phys mouse model person apply? 8) Have invites/interviews happend here already (9/1)? 9) I'm not sure anything has been sent out yet? (1/15) 10) 8 again - okay thanks. I applied late and wasn't sure I'd be considered at all. So I guess either it's just slow, or none of us were considered... 12) On campus interviews happening this week and next | 2 | |
527 | 10/18/2023 8:16:10 | Utah State University | Utah | Watershed Sciences | 11/15/2023 | https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/7128/assistant-professor-in-watershed-sciences/job | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/27/23 8:07 | 1) SC member and junior faculty here--happy to answer any questions. I'm very happy here. 2) no required DEI statment, does the SC consider DEI and want it integrated into the other aspects of the application or is it not important for review criteria? 3) SC again: integrated throughout. DEI is important/considered for review. 4) Anyone hear anything on this? was really hoping on this one. x3 | 5 | |
528 | 10/18/2023 8:16:00 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Florida | Conservation Biology | 10/22/2023 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37534088/assistant-professor-conservation-biology/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/18/23 8:18 | 1) I think this University does not have normal tenure, but does have reasonable job security according to someone I know there, fwiw | 2 | |
529 | 10/18/2023 8:01:01 | University of Central Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Ecology / Zoology | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=105361&clientkey=05027ACF42B26FF3DD70CE4664A18E9F | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/4/24 6:09 | Position primarily teaching intro bio, aquatic ecology, invertebrate zoology. Apparent emphasis on invert zoology. Undergraduate and Master's level research mentoring expected. (1) any SC members here know the application deadline? There isn't a contact email? 2) Okay, I took the plunge and went through the application form. When you get to the last page, it'll ask for a cover letter, CV, list of references (that it already asked to be inputted into the form), teaching statement, research statement, and transcripts. The form is very confusing though. (3) SC member here, application reviews start after 11/25. 4) Anyone heard anything? 5) Nothing 1/5 x2 4) Still nothing 1/14 5) Still nothing 1/28 5) Rejection email 10/3 LET'S GO | 3 | ||
530 | 10/18/2023 6:20:53 | University of Louisiana Monroe | Louisiana | Vertebrate Physiology | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/ulm/jobs/4239843/assistant-professor-of-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/20/23 19:08 | 1) Teaching load is typically 12 contact hours per semester (former faculty member) 2) Zoom request 11/20 | 2 | ||
531 | 10/18/2023 5:57:25 | Elon University | North Carolina | Biology | 12/10/2023 | https://jobs.elon.edu/jobs/ae8f1911-85cb-469f-ba28-96bae66090d0 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/8/23 12:20 | 1) Specifically need instruction of anatomy to contribute to biology & nursing. 2) anyone from Elon checking this board? | ||
532 | 10/18/2023 4:35:07 | Texas A&M University - San Antonio | Texas | Population Genetics / Genomics and Biostatistics | 11/13/2023 | https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/3001990/assistant-professor-in-biology-population-genetics-bioinformatics/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/6/24 1:59 | 1) 3/3 teaching load 2) On top of expectations re: external funding, publishing, mentoring grad students, and expanding the grad program. That's... a lot 3) That's ridiculous x2 4) Someone with no experience in using geographic information system aren't supposed to apply, right? Go ahead and apply...the priority skills are population genetics and biostatistics. 5) Any updates? 6) Phone interview invite 12/27 x3 7) Anyone get Qs for interview? 8) Campus interivew invitation 01/19 x3 9) any updates? | 2 | |
533 | 10/17/2023 15:37:10 | Eastern Kentucky University | Kentucky | Vertebrate Physiology | https://careers.eku.edu/jobs/79d1857a-e5a4-4d3d-b473-5bd64a4710ab | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/31/23 9:26 | No advertised review date; submission email states "Please be advised that the selection process will commence in the near future" as of 10/15. 1) Phone interview 10/31 | 1 | ||
534 | 10/17/2023 15:10:21 | The Citadel | South Carolina | Integrative Organismal Biology | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.citadel.edu/cw/en-us/job/496444/assistant-professor-of-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/30/23 14:47 | Why add it two days after the due date? 2) because "application review will begin October 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled." 3) you don't want to be there anyway. One of the most depressing college campuses I've ever experienced. 4) The deadlines are rarely hard, especially if you're a legitimate candidate. Also, if you're only using this spreadsheet to keep track of postings, you're exactly the kind of competition I want on the market. 5) at #4 chill out bro. x105 6) @4 what else would you use it for? 7) @6 #4 should have written "if this spreadsheet is the only thing you're using", but they're a poor writer and that's exactly the kind of competition I want on the market. 8) XD folks so salty this year 9) at #7 Lolll yessssss 9) Zoom invitation (10/30) | 1 | |
535 | 10/17/2023 11:33:07 | University of New England | Maine | Marine Sciences (Marine Mammalogy) | 10/12/2023 | https://une.peopleadmin.com/postings/16770 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 6:59 | Review begins 10/12/2023, open until filled. This position replaces a role of a faculty member who retired. The school seeks candidates to teach undergraduate and graduate courses such as Natural History of Marine Mammals, Marine Mammal Policy, Marine Conservation, and Behavioral Ecology.The successful candidate is expected to develop an active, independent research program involving undergraduate and graduate students that results in peer-reviewed dissemination of the work, and to seek external funding. FYI, Graduate students at this university are at the master's level (not PhD). 2) Invited to zoom interview 11/28 (x2). 3) Invited to in-person interview 12/20. 4) Received no phone call 2/23 5) The position has been filled 3/5 | 2 | |
536 | 10/17/2023 11:15:58 | University of Washington | Washington | Biological Oceanography, Marine Geological Processes | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132128 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/3/24 17:01 | Position 1: Biological Oceanography - "This position will specialize in the study of the ecological or biogeochemical roles of organisms and communities in the dark ocean." Position 2: Marine Geological Processes - "This position will specialize in the study of geological processes in the ocean." 1) Anyone heard anything on this one yet? (12/28) 2) Nope (1/2) (3) Zoom interview and reference request 15/01 (4) anyone heard anything after Zoom interview? 4) Nope not yet (2/14) x2 (thank you a lot, so we still have hope! x2) 5) Still nothing? (3/1) 6) Four people received in-person interview requests (02/03) 7) Are the 4 candidates for both searches? | 3 | |
537 | 10/17/2023 10:17:39 | Ohio University | Ohio | Physiology | 11/26/2023 | https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/postings/47926 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/20/24 10:09 | We are interested in candidates who use integrative approaches (experimental, comparative, -omics, or computational) in the widely defined field of physiology, including but not limited to energetics, hormonal regulation, behavior, neurophysiology, aging, immune function, microbiomes, toxicology or ecophysiology. 2) SC member here: This is a broad call but ecology and evolution types are strongly encouraged to apply. 3) References contacted automatically upon submission (just a heads up) 4) still early but any news? Or do we think we'll be waiting til after the holidays for updates? 5) nothing here 11 Dec (x3) 6) Still nothing? x3 7) Zoom interview invite 1/16 x5 8) On campus invite 2/3 9) Offer extended 4/11 10) congratulations! | 9 | |
538 | 10/17/2023 9:07:37 | Minot State University | North Dakota | Fisheries / Aquatic Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://prd.hcm.ndus.edu/psc/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=2944364&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 12:51 | This program has a a lot of resources for this particular position--a new electrofishing boat, backpack electrofisher, and a water quality multiprobe...adminstration is strongly backing the development of freshwater program and the new departmental chair is very accomodating plus he will support, and encourage, the pursuit of extramural funding. The teaching load is reasonable and centers on the candidates strengths 1) Job ad shares a date of 11/1 and 12/1. Which is accurate? 2) The URL doesn't seem to work.@1The review date has been reset to 12/1 @2 it appears to be working now...I would strongly suggest reaching out to the chair---super cool guy; wants this position to succeed [BTW...I'm a former faculty member] 3) Is there any information on starting salary and lab startup?@3) contact the Chair, he will respond...b.schmidt@minotstateu.edu 4) Again, this is a former faculty member here...MSU has had limited applications, this is a good opportunity...you will come into a ton of new equipment, lab space, and a Dean that is professional and understanding | 1 | |
539 | 10/17/2023 7:04:48 | UMass Lowell | Massachusetts | Ecology, Organismal, or Environmental Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://explorejobs.uml.edu/en-us/job/521066/assistant-professor-biological-sciences | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/17/24 10:36 | 1) Salary is not posted. What is the anticiapted salary range for this position, and is Lowell, MA affordable? 2) re: salaries, you can ok up current salaries here https://openpayrolls.com/university-college/university-of-massachusetts-lowell 3) Two-week turn around, how generous. 4) re: 3, applications submitted after the review date will be considered. And no letters up front! 5) Applied for a job there last year. Never heard anything back from them. 6) Unfortunately that is the norm 7) @5 it my be a UMass issue. I applied for a job at a Umass school and interviewed on campus - never heard from them again. 8) SC here, if you are thinking of applying but havent gotten your app in yet, don't let the listed 11/1 deadline deter you! We are having our first meeting on 11/8. Also happy to answer any questions you may have 9) The advertisement is very broad. Any idea whether the search committee would prefer a candidate with field-based versus lab-based research, or whether the search committee would prefer someone more evolutionary or more ecological? 10) @9It is very broad and we don't have a clear single thing we are looking for, but someone who could teach a quantitative upper level class (e.g., statistics or population genetics) would be viewed favorably, and someone who is either field based or could use a basic lab with minimal renovations would also be ideal 11) Does anyone know who the search chair/contact to email if we have questions? Did not see it in the ad. Thanks! 12) search chair is Jennifer fish Jennifer_Fish@uml.edu 11 again) Thanks #12! 13) any updates on this? 14) Seems like a ton of applicants. I bet SC are still raking through them just to make a first cut. 15) Any updates? 16) Nothing as of 11/22 X5 17) Nothing as of 11/29 x15 18) Nothing as of 12/4 x12 19) Phone interview (12/07) x13 20) Jeez, how many people did they invite to a phone interview!! 21) Definitely not a great feeling seeing that at least 10 other people were better candidates for a position that you thought you were a great fit for. x5 Very curious how many applicants there were in all. 22) Usually less than 1/2 of zoom interviews update on here for positions where I have known the number. Seems like they must have invited at least 20 people. Why in the world would they feel the need to zoom so many or want to subject the committee to that many zoom meetings?! x2 23) congrats! may I ask what organisms do the invitees work on? 24) birds (passerines) x2 25) small mammals 26) plants 27) aquatic invertebrates x3 28) LOL, so many interviewees they picked out a little bit of everything. 29) @21 especially when it comes to super-broad searches like this, it's really best not to take it personally; there's just so much involved that, from our perspectives as applicants, looks like chance. 30) Among those selected, the SC said they would like letters asap, but didn't provide where they should be sent. I asked, but no reply. Did anyone else find out? Thanks 31) Search Chair said she's working with HR to send the links to letter writers-- assuming there was a technical glitch and it should be resolved today or tomorrow 32) Anyone get a campus invitation? 33) Haven't heard one way or the other yet 34) iirc they said they would let us know early January 35) any news? hopefully this week? 36) none here x8 37) campus interview invite 1/10 x3 38) Congrats!! x1 39) https://twitter.com/matt_sasaki/status/1769860895650263376 40) Congrats to Matt! UML seemed like a really cool place/department and I am sure he will do well. Best of luck! | 38 | |
540 | 10/16/2023 15:53:58 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Applied Avian Ecology | 11/13/2023 | https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/58195 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/8/24 10:13 | 1) 3 letters up front 2) Interesting, the description on that does not strike me as the typical definition of applied 3) Applied isn't all that different than 'integrative' and 'mechanistic'. Everyone has their own idea about what it means and never checks to see if it matches what other people think. 4) Yeah, I see "applied avian ecology" and think bird pest control in vineyards, lol 5) Applied almost always means agricultural or management focused, *especially* when the position is advertised out of a Natural Resources department. 6) what @5 said plus they explicitly say they are looking for a research program "consistent with the land grant mission of UNH and New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station" x2 7) I don't think that's true 5. Probably true when it comes out of a natural resources department, but more broadly there is a lot of variation in what people mean by applied. Often people just means conservation oriented (without necessarily a direct management focus) rather than basic science oriented. That seems to be the definition being used in this advertisement. x2 8) you can see the type of reseach faculty do here: https://colsa.unh.edu/new-hampshire-agricultural-experiment-station/research#collapse_12068 9) Interested internal candidate exists 10) @ 9 tryna scare ppl away from applying... 4) I heard the last people to apply for a job here GOT EATEN BY SLENDERMAN (the internal candidate), y'all should probably steer clear X3 11) SC member here. There is an internal candidate but this is a fully open search - we want the best person! It is a great department and great position. The wildlife major in the department is thriving. The "applied" part is as described above - related to the AES/land-grant mission not necessarily constrained to a particular subdiscipline. 12) Slenderman is a lot like an internal candidate, in that if you believe in him he becomes real. 13) non-white applicants - definitely look into the area. Finding BIPOC community can be difficult. 14) SC member here again. The area is fairly homogenous (80-90% white). UNH is a bit more diverse than the surrounding areas and has demonstrated commitment to DEI - here is some info/stats on diversity and DEI activity at UNH: https://www.unh.edu/diversity-inclusion/sites/default/files/media/2023-10/22_23_unh_ddei_ar_.pdf. Boston is about 1 hour south of campus. We encourage all interested candidates to apply and look into the area! 15) Question for SC: I applied today 11/13 and was confused about references. Job post says three letters to an email address, but the application itself just asked for references. Are letters needed now? 16) Not on SC, but somewhere in the job ad it specified an email address to have your letter writers send their letters into. My understanding was they were requesting to have them emailed in now with your application. x3 17) SC member here: yes, please send letters via email. Sorry for any confusion. 18) Any updates? 19) None as of 11/30 x4 (20) None as of Dec 5 x3 21) Another week and still nothing... anyone else? 22) Zoom invitation 12/11 x5 23) On site invitation 12/22 24) Really @23? How is that possible that they already got university approval? 25) Darn. Not 23, but it seemed that zoom interviews ended on the 20th. I guess they could have met that day and asked for approval, gotten it on 21st, then sent invites. Given rush to get things done before holiday break it doesn't seem unlikely. 26) seems like someone getting a campus interview invite two days after the last zoom interview supports this all being a formal process to hire their internal person. 27) there is no longer an internal candidate in the pool | 7 | |
541 | 10/16/2023 11:17:09 | Utah Valley University | Utah | Microbiology / Bacterial Pathology | 12/31/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/uvu/jobs/4237781/faculty-assistant-professor-microbiology-and-bacterial-pathology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/7/23 18:01 | Eco/Evo of pathogenic bacteria. Not necessarily human pathogens. Bioinfo and/or physiology experience preferred. This is a PUI, but with a strong culture of undergrad research and good internal funding for student projects. 1). In the department here, but not on the search committee. More than happy to answer any questions! 2) Zoom interview request 12/6 | ||
542 | 10/15/2023 23:41:06 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota | Entomology | 10/30/2023 | https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/36341 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/30/23 6:12 | Two positions. "One of these positions will focus on insect pest management in small grains, pulse crops, sunflowers or other relevant crops with research interests in effective integrated pest management for insect pests of small grains and specialty crops that are economically relevant to South Dakota. The second position will focus on pollinator health, pollinator ecology or pollinator systematics with, research interests in ecological concerns related to native pollinator species diversity, pollinator decline, agricultural landscape and environmental change impacts, and pollinator ecosystem services to economically important crops in South Dakota." 1) Any updates? 2) nothing here as of 11/27 3) rejected 11/29. According to the email they already hired someone. Smells like it was an internal search :( 4) For which one? 3) they didn't specify (5) Did they send email to everyone? I did not receive any rejection email. 3) @5 I don't know. It was a generic HR-type email. No news is probably good news though. | 1 | |
543 | 10/15/2023 17:19:13 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Applied & Environmental Microbiology | 10/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25672 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 16:57 | 1) The closing date is actually 10/15 according to the description! 2) And 10/19 according to the header. 3) Anyone heard anything? 4) zoom interview invite rec'd 22 november %) thanks #4! do you mind sharing what your research is on? 4) microbial ecology 6) campus interview invite rec'd 8 dec 7) thanks for updating </3 | 5 | |
544 | 10/15/2023 11:55:17 | Colorado State University | Colorado | Ecological Economics | 11/1/2023 | https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/134630 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/14/23 11:00 | Bee-utiful job ad 2) I assume the link is a copy paste error, but I'm curious about the bees now! 3) link might bee an error 4) It's some sort of filtering test. Only those data-sciency enough to parse the application instructions from the data will bee considered [link fixed, puns can stay - AP] 5) It is worth noting that the 87 - 92K salary, while competitive nationally, is very low for Boulder where the median home price is approaching $1 million. 6) Well, I was going to apply for what would be a great job at a fantastic school in an amazing location, but now that #5 has pointed out how lame the salary is, I guess I won't 7) yikes, apologies for the copy-paste error... thanks for fixing, AP 8) 5 Here again. @6 Not saying don't apply. It is a fantastic school, just pointing out that people should not expect to live nearby as it is a very expensive area (and CU Boulder tends to underpay professors). If seriously considering the position explore Longmont, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, and the northwestern Denver suburbs. Be aware you will likely have to commute (I know that some are fine with that). Those areas are still expensive, but at leasy potentially within reach at that salary range. 8) I know someone at Boulder who has trouble (practically and ethically) recruiting grad students because it's so expensive to live there these days. Not that it will stop me from applying... 9) that's strange @8, because CU routinely punches above its weight in terms of grad recruitment bc of how nice a place Boulder is. This is a dream job folks - don't let anyone convince you otherwise 10) "nice" and "expensive" are two different metrics. Anyone can google average rent by # bedrooms vs average stipend and draw their own conclusions. 11) Boulder does have trouble recruiting top tier students because even a GRFP barely makes rent there. This is common in high COL places. 12) this job is at CSU not CU... it's in Fort Collins, not Boulder 13) Fort Collins is definitely not Boulder in terms of COL, but it's still very high there. What most would consider "nice" houses don't start until the $500ks. Great community though on and off campus. | ||
545 | 10/15/2023 11:54:19 | University of Portland | Oregon | Environmental Studies | 11/1/2023 | https://freshwater-science.org/job-posting/assistant-professor-in-environmental-studies-university-portland | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/8/24 14:54 | religious (catholic) college 1) Zoom interview request 11/27 X2 2) anyone hear about campus interviews? 3) nope 12/27 4) Any updates? (01/08) 5) none here (1/10) 6) Assuming nobody on this lists made the cut and that's why noboby here heard anything? (1/21) 7) Their first week of classes was last week, and Portland got hammered with winter weather, so things might just be a little chaotic right now. I wouldn't assume they've schedule campus interviews yet - maybe they have, but maybe not! 8) @7 I hope you're right and that's the reason I haven't heard anything :), 9) on campus interview occured starting 2/1 | 7 | |
546 | 10/13/2023 12:30:13 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | Marine Virology | https://social.icims.com/viewjob/pt16972452826121d867 | Scientist | Tenure Stream | 1/27/24 16:52 | 1) zoom interview request 1/25 x2 | 2 | ||
547 | 10/13/2023 8:35:15 | Marian University | Indiana | Genetics / Plant / Developmental | 11/1/2023 | https://marian.peopleadmin.com/postings/3193 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/24/24 0:09 | These got removed from sheet previously, but Evo and Eco folks would be welcome. Very broad search. 2) "Please Review Marian University’s Mission & Identity Statement before responding to the supplementary questions on your application: https://www.marian.edu/faith" 3) Applied to a job here once. They were very big about the faith-based identity and I had to fill out extra forms regarding it. Not sure if the position was ever filled 3) https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/marian-universitys-gay-straight-alliance-protests-schools-restrictions 4) Also heads up that this unviersity has recently eliminated an entire major/department: https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/ex-marian-prof-alleges-age-discrimination-after-termination | ||
548 | 10/13/2023 8:34:43 | Marian University | Indiana | Cell / Molecular / Neuro / Computational | 11/1/2023 | https://marian.peopleadmin.com/postings/3194 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/1/24 9:38 | These got removed from sheet previously, but Evo and Eco folks would be welcome. Very broad search. 1) https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/marian-universitys-gay-straight-alliance-protests-schools-restrictions 2) Yeah, not sure this got removed because of the subject, but because of LGBTQ descrimination (per conversation in General Discussion tab) AP) No it was the subject, which indicated no link to eco or evo at the time. 3) Also heads up that this unviersity has recently eliminated an entire major/department: https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/ex-marian-prof-alleges-age-discrimination-after-termination 4) I work here, so maybe I can provide context for some of these comments (I can't find any discussion about this in general tab #2, so I'm not sure what that is about). Yep, application requires answering some values questions related to the Fransican sponsorship. The university staff/faculty include folks from all faith traditions (including none), and these values are extremely broad, e.g. "Peace and Justice" and "Responsible Stewardship". I've judged this document as the university's way of assuring that they are hiring people who at least reflect on moral issues and can talk about them in the classroom. Second, yes the political science program was removed last year. Faculty voted against it, seemed like a very complex issue involving some big personalities that I can't really speak on. However, admin is very determined to shape offerings in order to best match their aggressive strategic plan, which is tough to retort since enrollments are climbing and more and more investments are being made in buildings and successful majors/programs. Place is not struggling financially in the broad scheme of things and biology is a big part of uni's goals. Lastly, the students who I know well and represent a multitude of diverse groups seem to feel supported and especially value their close relationships to professors. Am I 100% morally aligned to upper admin and board? Absolutely not (is anyone though?). Anyway, encourage anyone reading to not be be scared off because of the comments above and at least check it out for yourself. 5) Online interview invite (11/20). 5) In-person invite (12/7). | 1 | |
549 | 10/13/2023 8:32:56 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Colorado | Environmental Data Science | 11/11/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail?jobId=51968 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/26/24 7:37 | Bee-utiful job ad 2) I assume the link is a copy paste error, but I'm curious about the bees now! 3) link might bee an error 4) It's some sort of filtering test. Only those data-sciency enough to parse the application instructions from the data will bee considered [link fixed, puns can stay - AP] 5) It is worth noting that the 87 - 92K salary, while competitive nationally, is very low for Boulder where the median home price is approaching $1 million. 6) Well, I was going to apply for what would be a great job at a fantastic school in an amazing location, but now that #5 has pointed out how lame the salary is, I guess I won't 7) yikes, apologies for the copy-paste error... thanks for fixing, AP 8) 5 Here again. @6 Not saying don't apply. It is a fantastic school, just pointing out that people should not expect to live nearby as it is a very expensive area (and CU Boulder tends to underpay professors). If seriously considering the position explore Longmont, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, and the northwestern Denver suburbs. Be aware you will likely have to commute (I know that some are fine with that). Those areas are still expensive, but at leasy potentially within reach at that salary range. 8) I know someone at Boulder who has trouble (practically and ethically) recruiting grad students because it's so expensive to live there these days. Not that it will stop me from applying... 9) that's strange @8, because CU routinely punches above its weight in terms of grad recruitment bc of how nice a place Boulder is. This is a dream job folks - don't let anyone convince you otherwise 10) "nice" and "expensive" are two different metrics. Anyone can google average rent by # bedrooms vs average stipend and draw their own conclusions. 11) Boulder does have trouble recruiting top tier students because even a GRFP barely makes rent there. This is common in high COL places. 12) Anyone know if Nov 11 is hard deadline, just submitted app on Nov 13 13) Any news on this one? (11/29) x3 14) haven't heard anything as of 12/7 x5 15) 12/15 still nothing here x3. 16) "On demand" zoom interview invite 12/22 x4 17) didn't get an interview invite but did get an email my letter writers were being contacted 12/22 18) Just got a follow up to the letter requests saying this was done in error. LOL 12/22 17) I did not get a follow up saying that, did others? 19) yes, I got the same as 18. So my guess is they sent zoom invites, then went into the HR system to request letters for the invitees, accidentally requested letters for everyone, then sent the "oops" email to anyone who didn't make the short list? 20) Nope, some of us got neither invite nor oopsie - well done guys and good luck! 21) Anyone had previous experience with "on demand" zoom interviews? E.g., does the interview start when I click the link? Never encountered one of these and am somewhat mystified 22) Same as @20, got letter-request email but neither interview invite nor "oops" email... assume that means I'm out of the runnng, but confusing! Good luck to everyone 23) feel like the automated interview format made me even moooooore awkward than usual because there wasn't even a semblance of interacting with other people. had a nightmare that I had to watch the recording of myself afterward haha x2 24) any updates? 25) nothing 1/18 X2 26) heard invitations for campus interviews are going out this week! 27) anything yet 2/5? >.< 28) invited for campus interview in late Jan 29) heard an offer was made | 7 | |
550 | 10/13/2023 6:43:25 | Queens University of Charlotte | North Carolina | Conservation Biology | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/QueensUniversityOfCharlotte/743999932745443-faculty-assistant-professor-biology-tenure-track- | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/2/24 9:08 | 1) Please update the notes if you are contacted for an interview 2) Zoom interview invite 11/27 x4 3) Thank you for updating! Do you mind sharing what you research or have a history of teaching? I am interested in teaching at a school like Queens but have not been contacted for interviews. I am beginning to wonder if it is my research interests. Thanks in advance for any information you provide. 4) @3 I got invited for an interview, I study reptile and amphibian disease/conservation, teaching-wise I mostly have TA experience for ecology, microbiology, and intro biology classes. Hope that helps? 5) @4 Thank you for the info! We have pretty similar topics of study so I guess it isn't that. Best of luck with the interview. 6) Also invited for an interview on 11/27. Field of study is marine ecology & instrument design. 7) @3 if you share your email address I'd be happy to send my application materials for you to look at. Some of getting an interview is papers and teaching experience, but how you write the essays is critically important too. Or, after the search is complete, I'll come back and share my email address and you can choose whether or not to reach out. Either way, best of luck! 8) on-campus interview invite 12/19 x3 9) @7 I'm sorry for the late reply. I quit monitoring this page. I appreciate your offer to share your application materials. I hope your interview went well! 10) Can anyone confirm if they've moved onto the second step of selection or requested letters? I had a Zoom interview but never heard back. 11) A minimum of 3 (per comment 8) on-campus interviewees have been invited. 12) Seems that SC is ghosting candidates while they do in-person interviews, rather than just sending out rejections. 13) They could be keeping their options open. They were non-committal about future deadlines during my on-campus interview. 14) Recieved an offer. Really great department and student body, but had to turn it down due to low salary (62k), very little startup even for a PUI (5k), and no history of cost of living adjustments. Would be a great place for a single person who wants to teach (3:3 load) and can get by on less (someone without a family/home ownership goals). Note that since there are no annual cost-of-living adjustments, your effective salary would be 58k in 10 years even after accounting for pay increase of full professor - less than what you started at. They want to pay people more but don't have the funds, and I'm not sure what that says about long-term stability of the institution when salaries aren't competitive. 15) Also received an offer for the population geneticist position, also had to turn it down for similar reasons as 14. They were willing to bump salary to 64k max which just isn't livable in Charlotte. I spoke with junior faculty and they confirmed that they needed roommates to afford rent. The research capacity seems fairly high for a PUI as in-class research is mandatory, but the funding seems super limited and I don't forsee time for writing grants. The teaching load was 2:3 but with teaching labs that essentially becomes a 4:6. 16) This makes me feel better about not getting past the Zoom for the popgen position. It sounds super frustrating for everyone involved. | 5 | |
551 | 10/13/2023 6:42:34 | Queens University of Charlotte | North Carolina | Population or Landscape Genetics | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/QueensUniversityOfCharlotte/743999932744358-faculty-assistant-professor-biology-tenure-track- | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/12/24 9:46 | Any updates? 1) I received an email mentioning a Zoom interview, but wanting to confirm that I'm legal to work in the US (currently abroad). I'm not sure if this is part of their normal process of just a check in. I assume I'll get an official virtual invite at some point and will update then. 1) Congratulations and good luck! I interviewed them with once and everyone was really nice. 3) Invited for an on-campus interview 12/19 x3. 4) (1 again) shucks. good luck on your interviews! | 1 | |
552 | 10/12/2023 12:43:55 | James Madison University | Virginia | Organismal and Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates | 11/12/2023 | https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15715 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/22/24 18:47 | 1) Anyone heard anything about this one? 2) No x4 3) member of dept here; this search is just moving slowly but is definitely active; we are hiring 5 lines this year (all replacements) so things are bogged down 4) Thanks for the insight - it's definitely appreciated! X2 5) member of dept again, search is still bogged down but is active; not even at Zoom interviews yet 6) Thanks SC - any chance we will hear anything before the new year? 7) not on SC (just a member of dept) but can say that the univ doesn't approve steps in searches over the holidays which will prolong this into late January if I had to guess; for those still interested in the position please know the dept is very invested in filling this line despite these stepwise challenges in process 6 again) Thanks for the update. I am super interested, so I'll watch this space! 8) member of dept again, Zoom interview list selected but likely can't be approved til first week of Jan 9) Oh, HR... 10) @8 really appreciate the updates; you are my hero! x2! 11) Email for virtual interview received on 4 Jan. 12) member of dept again, on campus interviews being scheduled but still slow 13) thanks for the update! -- have notifications been sent out or just being scheduled at the moment? 14) dept member again, I think the dates have been set and candidates invited have been notified 15) offer made and accepted | 11 | |
553 | 10/12/2023 10:24:47 | James Madison University | Virginia | Plant Biology | 11/12/2023 | https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15716 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 12:51 | 1) a 2 pg research statement that incorporates a 5 year plan and dei statement! (2) Suspect this might be an internal hire, (3) @2 No, it's not an internal hire x2 (4) SC member here, def not an internal hire (4) Question for SC, how should we reference justice in our job applications? My research is on plants that aren't of conservation concern (5) Bummer, I thought this was open until filled but the job posting has been taken down. 6) Anyone hear anything from this search? Is it just closed to new applicants or straight up cancelled? (7) @6 I think it's just closed to new applicants 8) SC member here, yes the job ad closed and review has begun. 9) zoom interview request 12/8 X2 10) SC member again, Zoom interviews concluded 12/13 11) SC member again, on-campus interviews scheduled 12) offer made and accepted https://twitter.com/aeberardi/status/1775590260195602621 | 4 | |
554 | 10/12/2023 9:40:00 | University at Buffalo | New York | Ecology and/or Environmental Science | https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/postings/45697 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 7:40 | "researchers with a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinarity and with training and research in Sustainability Science. We welcome unconventional approaches to critical issues: topics of interest include but are not limited to urban ecology, agri-food systems, energy, climate, and other research areas in coupled natural-human systems." (1) When is the review date/deadline? 2) As a researcher applying conventional approaches to non-critical issues, I guess I'll pass. x2 3) visited last year, great people in this department. 4) anyone heard any updates on this one? 5) Nothing hereX2 6) Zoom interview requested (11/17) x2 7) Any news from those who got interviewed? (11/30) x2 7)I have a zoom interview requested 12/5 6) Do you mean a second round? I'm confused x2 8) I got a zoom interview, but haven't heard about campus interviews yet (I'm not 7, and my interview was requested 11/21) 6) I interviewed with them on the 20th. Maybe they felt the pool of applicants was not to their liking? Is this trickle-interviewing a common approach? 10) this is 7. This is my first interview. 11) Any updates after that? 12) I haven't gotten any updates yet (I'm #8 above) x3 13) Is anyone getting zoom interview requests in 2024? Unclear if a shortlist has been announced or they're still searching within the applicant pool. 14) Final on-campus interview for the position was Jan 8-9 | 6 | ||
555 | 10/11/2023 21:58:45 | University of San Francisco | California | Integrative Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://usfca.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USF_Full-Time_Faculty/job/USF-Hilltop-Campus/Associate-or-Full-Professor--Tenure-Track--Integrative-Biology--Department-of-Biology_R0008420 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/19/23 16:33 | Endowed Chair Search -- seeking Assoc or Full Professors in a wide range of research/teaching areas within biology. USFCA is a liberal arts PUI in the heart of San Francisco. 1) Grew up there so I'll provide some nuance. USF is actually in a quiet residential part of SF away from most of the stuff you see in the news nowadays.2) reference letters requested upon submission of application, really?! x2 | ||
556 | 10/11/2023 17:59:42 | Howard University | District of Columbia | Chair, Department of Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37542311/chair-department-of-biology/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/11/23 18:00 | Review date = December 2023 | ||
557 | 10/11/2023 15:48:32 | University of Alberta | Canada | Animal Behavior (Comparative Cognition) | 11/22/2023 | https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A108051964/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/29/24 14:30 | This was the least painful application submission procedure of all jobs this year, thank you! I love not needing to make an account x2 2) Any update on this one? x3 1/5 3) Nothing here x3 4) Still nothing as of 1/17 x2 5) Reference letters and Zoom interview requested (1/19) x2 6) Congrats! x2 5 again) Thanks all! 5 again) In-person interview invite received (2/28). x2 | 5 | |
558 | 10/11/2023 11:23:31 | Auburn University | Alabama | Environmental Systems (Land/Water Connectivity) | 12/15/2023 | https://www.auemployment.com/postings/41217 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/27/23 8:08 | SC member here- happy to answer any questions. 1) Could an ecologist with some experience in ecohydrology/ precip. hydrology be competitive? The ad seems to be more targetting a hydrologist. 2) Yes, I think any scientist interested in surface water issues could fit. We are looking for someone who investigates any connection between land and water with a focus on aquatic systems. Alabama is a surface water state so reservoirs are everywhere. 3) Could this include coastal/marine systems? 4) Probably would not include coastal or marine since Alabama has a small area that is coastal. More interest would be in those looking at water receiving ag runoff, which is more inland for Alabama. | ||
559 | 10/10/2023 13:24:44 | California State University Channel Islands | California | Environmental Justice (broad) | 11/27/2023 | https://csucareers.calstate.edu/detail.aspx?pid=108908 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/7/23 14:18 | So can you study anything through an "environmental justice lens" for this position? The ad is hard to understand but lists a ton of PhD fields that they are open to. [link fixed -AP] 2) this school has lost a lot of TT faculty and lecturers in recent years, more so than most of the other cal states. tread carefully and ask good questions! 3) A close friend is very frustrated with his ability to do research here. He can still get some things done, but it's an uphill climb. He generally likes the school for teaching and the location. 4) received request for interviews (12/7) - good warnings to have in mind, thanks guys! | ||
560 | 10/10/2023 13:15:36 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Statistics of Environmental Justice | 12/15/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02548 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/11/23 1:29 | wow those upper ends of the salary range! 2) Wow those housing costs! 3) not shocking considering career level (full prof/chair) | ||
561 | 10/10/2023 13:03:24 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Hawaii | Conservation Biology | 12/4/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4236582/assistant-professor-conservation-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/23/24 10:35 | 1) anyone know who the chair of this search is? 2) near the end of the ad it says, "Inquiries: Dr. Amber Wright, anwright@hawaii.edu". 3) Apparently they have contacted my referees! but they haven't contacted me... 4) @ 3 this is normal, letter requests often go out without informing the applicant (I hate it, since one of my writers often needs a heads up even when she gets an email) 5) has anyone gotten interview invitations yet? 6) not here x4. 7) Not yet, but they asked my referees for reports by the 4th of Jan so I guess interviews will be invited the week of the 8th. 7) any updates? 8) Nothing yet as of 1/14 except that my references were requested 9) Received invite to a Zoom interview on Jan 18 x2, 10) Any updates? My references got requested but I never heard anything else 9) @10 I interviewed on Zoom today (Feb 1) and they said they will do Zoom interviews through next week and aim to invite in-person interviewees in 3-4 weeks 11) Campus interview invite recvd 2/20 x1 | 7 | |
562 | 10/10/2023 12:54:01 | Utah Valley University | Utah | Biology and Physiology | 11/15/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/uvu/jobs/4237361/faculty-assistant-professor-biology-and-physiology | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2/25/24 6:28 | Candidates with broad physiology background (e.g. animal physiology) are of interest. 1) While first review has started, the application deadline is 12/31/2023! From the department (not on the search). Happy to answer any questions! 2) Updates anyone? | 2 | |
563 | 10/10/2023 9:03:27 | Roger Williams University | Rhode Island | Global Environmental Change | 11/15/2023 | https://rwu.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=168539 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/19/23 13:33 | GIS experience and ability to teach GIS/remote sensing is a must; area of specialization open with interests in wildlife management, forest dynamics, food systems, environmental justice, disease ecology and others that expand existing departmental strengths and course offerings 1) zoom interview request 12/1 2) invited for campus interview 12/18 x3 | 2 | |
564 | 10/9/2023 16:22:02 | University of South Alabama | Alabama | Department Chair / Biology | 11/7/2023 | https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicaffairs/resources/academicaffairspostings/3219_biology_chair_ad_longad_appr.pdf | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/9/23 16:24 | SC member here - we are flexible in terms of research expertise and subdiscipine. | ||
565 | 10/9/2023 11:05:39 | Chapman University | California | Environmental Science & Policy | 10/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131721 | Instructional Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 2/7/24 17:54 | 1) Help design, implement, and assess innovative new programs that lead to demonstrable advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion for our students, faculty, and staff. Position has resources to help achieve those new programs. We would be excited to bring another ecologist/evolutionary biologist on board! -Biol Faculty Member 2) Salary range $82K-92K (thank you SC for including!), is that practical for the location? 3) @1 are partner hires negotiable? 4) Cost of living manageable w/ excellent benefits; we are open to partner hires and there is precedent -Biol Faculty Member 5) When clicking on the link, deadline now says 11/2 -- Can we confirm that this is the actual deadline? 6) Any chance of a wet lab here with vivarium facility? (7) Deadline extended. Plenty of wetlab space, no existing vivarium but equipped for animal work more generally. -Biol Faculty Member (8) deadline extended again . . . to Nov 6th. (9) Any updates? 11/15 10) Not here but hoping to hear something atleast next week though it is thanksgiving week. When do we give up hope for even a zoom? One month after application due date? 10) Has there been any news on this? today is 5th december. | ||
566 | 10/9/2023 9:14:20 | University of Wisconsin (Trout Lake Station) | Wisconsin | Aquatic Research Scientist | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/aquatic-research-scientist-boulder-junction-wisconsin-united-states | Research Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 11/9/23 8:38 | SC member - this is a full time hard money research line with capacity to mentor graduate and undergraduate students. | 2 | |
567 | 10/9/2023 7:01:43 | University of Groningen | Netherlands | Wadden Sea Ecology | 10/31/2023 | https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S000ADSP | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/11/23 1:25 | The successful candidate is expected to develop a strong ecological research programme focused on the Wadden Sea, preferably with a link to conservation, environmental change and/or evolutionary ecology. 2) Dang, more Wadden Sea jobs than a lot of whole subfields 3) Faculty member here: Overall good vibe and place to work 4) What's up with the Wadden sea? 5) its very important in ecologically interesting. 6) @4 its local to the area. | ||
568 | 10/9/2023 6:09:15 | University College Dublin | Ireland | Plant-Microbe Interactions | 10/25/2023 | https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/2996629/lecturer-assistant-professor-in-plant-microbe-interactions/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/15/23 9:00 | Seems preference will be given to people studying (or with a background in) studying beneficial interactions, and also folks with teaching experience/interest. Note that applications close at 17:00 local time. Also, it would begin December 1 2023, or shortly thereafter. Q1. it is not very clear what kind of documents do they ask for, does anyone know? | ||
569 | 10/9/2023 6:05:43 | Providence College | Rhode Island | Aquatic / Marine Biology | 10/31/2023 | https://careers.providence.edu/postings/8237 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/15/24 5:30 | Did anyone ever hear anything back from this one last year? 1) not even a rejection 2) With all the department drama, it was probably postponed until now 3) It seemed like they cancelled the search last year, prob because of the dept issues as #2 said. would love this job but I'm scared I would get fired if I talk to students about contraception or abortion. : ( 4) I'm thinking of applying to this job, can someone elaborate on the dept issues/drama mentioned by #2 and #3? 3 again) https://www.thefire.org/news/mere-hours-after-fire-letter-providence-college-drops-termination-proceedings-against-biology 4 again) thanks! 5) It would be really great if a search committee member could offer insight (and perhaps an apology) about why the search failed and no one was afforded the basic courtesy of an email. X3 6) From what I recall the salary range looks higher than the postings last year (3 again) I can see why SC would specifically not want to wade into a discussion of dept & poetntial legal issues. Would be curious to hear what on campus interviews are like, bring it up or don't? A real minefield. *5 again here*) The SC could have sent an email without going into details. Even a vague/short email is better than leaving people hanging. I swear, most SC members either forgot how hard it is for aspiring professors or they are old enough that getting a professor job was WAY easier for them and they don't give the struggle of hundreds of applicants a second thought. 3) Well, I applied anyway. What the heck. At #5 the resl problem is when they do'nt even get back to you after in person. See the Gen discussion tab for some fun rants on this. *5 again*) That's even worse (i.e., ghosting a finalist, after a campus visit). If that happened to you, I'm sorry; that's awful. 3) yep #5 has happened to me and many others. It's incredibly rude IMO. 3) Refs contacted, but I assume that was automatic after applying x3 6) Not sure—the platform said that requests went out for my application, but my references don't seem to actually have received anything. So maybe not automatic? 7) In the reference request status part of the portal, for me it says 'Recommendation solicited' and the time stamp is exactly when I submitted the application. I can confirm that my references did receive a push for letters. 8) some requests for letters went to spam inboxes so have your people check there! 9) anyone recieve any updates? 10) nope 11/20 11) STill nothing here 12/7 x3 Are they going to post this job once a year just for fun but not hire anyone? 12) I heard they did hire someone last year but they backed out for a different offer - still haven't gotten notice on that app (over a year ago!) 13) that's normal #12 unfortunately, at most you may get an automatic email from HR after they hire someone.7) still nothing! as of 1/12 - the Roger Williams position is already having interviews and that app was due after the Providence app! 13) I think we will never hear back on this one. They probably already interviewed and even made offers by now. 7) Think its worth contacting the search chair to ask? 14) contacted the search chair a couple times and haven't heard a response 7) @ 14 that's good to know, thanks for sharing! what a shame. 15) Interviews for this position have not happened yet, invites should be going out soon 16) Wow, really? To #15, what date was this, and are you SC or how do you know? 7) anyone actually hear about getting an interview? | 4 | |
570 | 10/9/2023 6:04:50 | Texas State University | Texas | Chair, Department of Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178564596&Title=Chair%2C%20Department%20of%20Biology | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
571 | 10/8/2023 23:45:09 | Utah State University | Utah | Movement Ecology | 11/27/2023 | https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/7097/assistant-professor-in-movement-ecology/job | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/22/24 10:02 | [link fixed -AP] 1) Job ad has no review date/deadline – can anyone on the SC weigh in? 2) Review of apps will begin 11/27/23; link now has the due date (member of SC) 3) @2 thanks! 4) No letters of reference or area where we should discuss our contribution to DEI? 5) FYI it looks like statements get copied and pasted into the portal, so no formatting, letterheads, or figures are allowed – am I misreading this? 6) Zoom interview invite on 12/6 (fast!) x2 7) On-campus interview invite 12/19 x2 8) Offer yet? 9) offers were made in February and I believe declined; I heard additional candidates were brought in for on-campus interviews after original on-campus interviews had concluded. | 5 | |
572 | 10/8/2023 18:20:35 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Minnesota | Environmental Science | 11/30/2023 | https://jobs.aag.org/job/postdoctoral-fellow-in-environmental-science/71019701/ | Postdoc to TT | Postdoc to TT | 1/10/24 12:30 | 1) $65k salary, $4k research funds annually, $1k travel money annually, office, benefits, etc included. [discussion of PD-to-TT positions moved to General Discussion -AP] 2) Is this position its own thing, or is the Geography department just urging people to pick them in a more-general program? 3) Looks like only certain departments get authorized to search for postdoc fellows in this program, geography being one of them (found info here https://cla.umn.edu/research-creative-work/presidents-postdoctoral-fellowship-program) 4) Faculty member at UMN here - the PPFP fellows are dept specific, so in this case Geography searching for one means that Geography gets their own pool of applicants and conducts their own search and hires independently of the rest of the departments who are also hiring via the PPFP this year. It's run very similar to a normal departmental faculty search since the intention is convert this person to a TT position. 5) at #4, so why the PD-TT program? I do not see what advantage this has to simply advertising a PD and then later advertising a TT position? Even the add says you will be considered for TT, not that you will be converted directly. Those are two very different things that raise questions about the transparency of the position. Please, do not take this as insult. I am genuinely asking a hard question because it really does not make sense to me to take this approach. 4 @5) I'm just generally at UMN, not this dept, and I think the discussion of this type of position got moved to another tab, but in short - there are pros and cons to all kinds of hiring and its hard to know how likely the conversion step is without talking to the search committee. UMN uses this mechanism fairly often for recruiting people to the school that are extremely promising but need a bit more time to develop their identities as indepentent scholars without the pressures of everything else that TT entails (teaching, committees, grants, etc). 6) Just putting it out there that, although it varies a bit across departments and colleges, UMN doesn't have the greatest record of actually converting these positions to TT 7) oh interesting. did you find some data on the fellows outcomes? I'm also curious how many choose to leave, stay, or are not converted by the dept 8) FWIW I spoke with someone in the department and they seem very serious about converting this position to TT. They've not had a postdoc fellow like this before so no history of denying conversions. It felt like they're treating this like a normal faculty search on their end. 9) Zoom invite 12/29 | 2 | |
573 | 10/8/2023 17:07:46 | University of California Davis | California | Microbial Biology | 10/17/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05986 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/5/23 13:14 | Dup? AP) I can't find it. (1) Has anyone heard anything? (2) No x6 (3) 11/30: Still nothing X5 (4) zoom interview invite 12/4 x2 | 7 | |
574 | 10/8/2023 16:46:07 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Microbiome Science | 11/20/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133438 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/10/24 9:57 | 1) Does this university have a conservative/religious population? 2) Moreso than say UT Austin or UGA, but not to the point where it bothers me. I'm a postdoc though, you may have a different requirments for a permnant position. Its in a pretty rural area. 3) Clemson is a public university. 1 again) What is it like living there? 2) I like it, lots of outdoors stuff to do and the weather if pretty great (mountainy enough to avoid the worst summer heat). Not a lot of indoors stuff to do, but greenville is an hour away, Atlanta and Ashville are 2 hours, if you really need a city fix. 1) Thanks! 4) Faculty here from different department. Clemson is amazing. SC overall is conservative, but like most college towns Clemson is more balanced. Ask more specific questions here if you have them and I'll attempt to answer. 1 again) Thanks for chiming in, faculty from different dept! What do you mean by 'amazing'? Will I feel alienated if I'm not only liberal but progressive? What is there to do for people in their 30s and 40s? 5) so no diversity statement, or mention of it being woven into the other statements? Should we not include that information? 6) How are folks interpreting this: one page teaching statement that describes...how they envision contributing to the teaching mission of the department, Does this just mean what classes would you teach? 7) Any updates? x8 8) Got Zoom interview invitation (12/13)! X5 9) Updates for next round will come 9 Jan or later (5 Jan) 10) On campus interview invite (1/10) x3 11) @10 Congrats!! 12) Congrats! What do you all work on? x2 13) I work on plant microbiomes 14) I work on animal microbiomes 15) environmental microbiomes!-I hope we all get hired and get to know each other!! 15) Cool, good luck everyone, seems like a great department with a lot of room for interesting collaborations! 16) Thank you! x3 17) Does anyone know how many people are being interviewed? 18) I think 7 based on an email with the travel agent, but unsure! (X1) 19) Rejection email after Zoom interview 20) any feedback from interviewees? Curious how they went. 21) I felt like it went well! Just waiting now...(X2) 22) any updates? 23) Nothing here as of 3/14 (was told at the interview that it would be late March most likely) 24) Any updates? 25) none here (18 Mar 2024) 26) Still no news here (3/25) x2 27) Recieved an email today (3/26) saying that my application is still under active consideration and that further updates wll be provided ASAP x2 28) I didn't receive an email, did the folks in 27 receive this email unprompted or following a check-in with the search committee? 29) 27 here, this was unprompted for me (x2) 28) Congrats @27! 30) Thanks! 27 again, hoping for the best but still waiting 31) still waiting too (27 x2 here)! Asked about an updated timeline and was told that was not possible at this time. Fingers crossed we will hear sometime soon! 32) Thanks for asking! Definitely going crazy waiting. I wonder if that means it is out of the hands of the search committee 33) unclear from the email--I wish we knew more about the other 4 on campus interviewees. Trying to stay positive. X2 33) Asked about a timeline as well and was told it was still not possible 34) Two offers were made but that does not mean they will be taken. 35) Aw man, that is a bummer. Do you know when the offers were made? 36) Any other updates on offers? x2 37) Any updates? 38) Any news (5/8)? 39) Does anyone know what happened with these offers? 40) asked for an update -- "process is ongoing" 41) Thanks! Seems to be taking a while, was this today? 42) @41 this was last week! (sorry, forgot to add the date!) 42) I saw the job ad was taken down, not sure if this means that the jobs were taken 43) Job ad is visible on my end? 44) I meant to say that it is no longer on the department website 45) I see! yep, you are correct. 46) I emailed the search chair and he said that one of the two positions has been filled, but the process is still ongoing for the second one. 47) thank you for the update! 48) Any updates on the second job? 49) no response after last inquiry 50) That is too bad... I may ask again 51) response saying to expect an update next week (8 July 2024) 52) Great, thanks! 53) Recieved an email saying that the search was closed (7/10) x2 | 7 | |
575 | 10/8/2023 14:08:22 | Macalester College | Minnesota | Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences | 10/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo?joblist---5380-25341 | Postdoc to TT | Postdoc to TT | 4/4/24 7:46 | 1) Dept member/SC member, here - this is part of a cluster hire across the college via the Native and Indigenous (MNI) Initiative funded by a Mellon grant (info here) that aims to capitalize on the numerous Indigenous scholars on campus whose work involves Native and Indigenous perspectives. The postdoc position itself is a "teaching faculty" postdoc, with a reduced teaching load and substantial support for research and a very competitive salary. The provost office's aim is for the postdocs in this cluster hire to be mentored into successful tenure-stream targeted hires on campus. We are open to a very wide range of fields/specialties. Happy to answer Question | ||
576 | 10/7/2023 10:58:14 | University of Alaska Anchorage | Alaska | Genetics / Genomics | 10/23/2023 | https://careers.alaska.edu/en-us/job/525769/assistant-professor-of-biological-sciences-geneticgenomics | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/30/24 4:25 | "Candidates with expertise in genetics/genomics of wildlife, fish, plants, eukaryotic model organisms or microbes, or in population or conservation genetics, are especially encouraged to apply." 2) Anyone got an idea for how quick this search will go? 3) @2 no idea. No news yet though. 4) any updates? 5) nothing as of 11/20 6) rejection email received 20 Nov x2 7) No word here, and honestly not sure if that's good or bad? 8) no word here either (11/22). No news is good news, especially if others are recieving bad news (sorry to those folks) x2 9) HR email saying my application had been forwarded to the SC for review, 10 minutes later HR rejection. :( Ouch. 10) invited for zoom on 11/27 11) my heart just broke =( 12) anyone else get "the good HR email" a while back but no word since? I'm wondering if I should write the search chair to confirm that I didn't make the cut. 11 again) I got the good email but nothing since. Was really excited about this job. 12 again) yeah, same. I kinda wish they hadn't gotten my hopes up with that email.13.) Did anyone hear post-zoom about in person invites? 14) rejection [2/12] 15) https://bsky.app/profile/jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social/post/3kouli7n3hl2a | 10 | |
577 | 10/7/2023 7:32:56 | University of Rochester | New York | Evolutionary Genetics & Genomics | 11/1/2023 | https://www.rochester.edu/faculty-recruiting/positions/show/16322 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/25/24 5:57 | 1) are letters due up-front? Application portal says "Upon submission of your application, emails will be sent to your reference providers. They will be directed to a site where they may submit a reference" 2) Does this position have the possibility of a wet lab? 3) spoke to the SC chair, they do require reference letters up front, although they will consider "incomplete" applications 4) Who is the search chair? 5) There can be a wet lab component to space, questions about the search can be sent to the chair Justin Fay (6) Postion is 'Computational Evolutionary Geneticist/Genomicist', not just 'Evolutionary Geneticis/Genomics' 7) anyone have updates? (8) No 11/22 x7 (9) No 11/29 x6 (1) No 12/6 x4 (11) No 12/12 x5 (12) Zoom interview invitation 12/13 x5 (13) another day, another failure x1M 14) mentioned that in-person invites will go out early in the new year. 15) any news yet? 16) nothing here 1/9 x3 17) In person interview invite 1/15 18) Congrats 17 - this one stings. x2 19) Yeah this is a great department for evolutionary genomics. Very jealous of those who made it to on-campus. Congrats and good luck! 20) email rejection after Zoom 1/25. appreciated the communication. (21) Final rejection 2/16; did not zoom x3 22) got a rejection for this one...funny thing is I never applied?? What?? 23) LOL, how does that happen? 22 again) I double checked and I have no login for them. I have no idea. 24) @22 I also got a rejection and did not apply. It's in my field and I considered applying, but never wrote materials or submitted anything. No clue. 22) @24 wow thank you for confirming I am not crazy! This job is so relevant to me, but I am so certain I did not apply its made me borderline paranoid. I checked my computer for "rochester", requested my login info (got nothing). How does this even happen? 23) I think this scenario is like the whole job-search journey as a micocosym. Now we just have places telling us they didn't want us, even if we never asked. 22) were we on some long list to email? Do we respond to find out?? 23) https://x.com/reject_resubmit/status/1794102445649375274 | 14 | |
578 | 10/6/2023 16:02:43 | Utah Valley University | Utah | Environmental Science | 11/30/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/uvu/jobs/4210118/faculty-assistant-professor-environmental-science-and-management | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/16/23 19:23 | 1) broad research interests, from search committee: interest in folks who can/want to teach environmental policy but their research area can be near anything related to the environment. 2) closing date on app is 11/30 actually [updated -AP] | ||
579 | 10/6/2023 12:01:21 | Colorado State University | Colorado | Data Analysis - Hydrologic | 10/8/2023 | https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/134481 | Research Associate III | Non-TS Academic | ||||
580 | 10/6/2023 8:21:04 | University of North Texas | Texas | Ecology Education | 11/1/2023 | https://jobs.untsystem.edu/postings/77301 | Clinical Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 10/8/23 18:05 | "research that integrates applied skill development for undergraduate students’ post-graduation success in the fields of prairie conservation, urban blue-green infrastructure, urban/native habitat corridors, non-profit conservation, park interpretation, environmental consulting practices, municipal forest canopy, water quality, and wildlife biology. Consideration will be given to candidates with a broad scope of ecological restoration and applied field techniques with expertise in local flora and fauna." Clinical Assistant Professor track is a Professional Faculty position that balances a teaching, research, and service workload, dependent on the faculty member’s research program. 2) Faculty member in the department. Non-TS, but we hope that the person we hire stays a long time! Many of our Lecturers do. (We started using these Clinical positions only in the last couple of years.) The Clinical line includes promotion opportunities. | ||
581 | 10/6/2023 5:54:09 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Soil Biogeochemistry | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/12350 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/1/24 18:44 | Open until filled, but was just posted on Wednesday, so you probably have 2-3 weeks at least. [review date added -AP] 1) FYI, if you answer no to any supplmental questions on the application you will be immediately rejected. 2) any update about inverviews? x6 3) zoom interview x 3 4) Any update? I saw the job is reposted on Linkedin! 5)any update on the campus interview call?x3 5) Rejection email sent today | 3 | |
582 | 10/5/2023 23:01:15 | Monash University | Australia | Ecology | 10/11/2023 | https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/352455/lecturer-senior-lecturer-in-ecology-/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/8/23 6:50 | "particularly encourage applicants with experience and research interests in field ecology, experimental ecology, plant ecology, phytoplankton ecophysiology, or ecological genomics." 2) Having trouble parsing what documents are actually required for application - CV, "A statement addressing the selection criteria outlined in the position description – this is essential for all Monash jobs." What else? Anyone know what such a statement should look like? 3) I have some experience applying for these--read the role description and address each point (responsibilities, criteria, etc) carefully. Treat it like a grant application, step by step, don't get too creative. Australian jobs are often extremely metrics-focused, much moreso than even American jobs. 4) Any idea what is the teaching load? 4) I applied to a Monash job last year and got an interview. I submitted a cover letter that was a little longer than usual (with more description of my research) and a document that addressed each of their "selection criteria" point-by-point in a short paragraph. (5) Wow, that seems rediculously straightforward! (6) Anyone have heard? 7) Nope (Nov 3) 8) Received an invitation to interview 9) Congrats! x2 (10) Rejection email (x2) | 8 | |
583 | 10/5/2023 14:21:11 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Alabama | Human Physiology | 11/5/2023 | https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/19605 | Asst Prof in Education | Non-TS Academic | ||||
584 | 10/5/2023 14:20:06 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Alabama | Anatomy | 10/31/2023 | https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/19590 | Asst Prof in Education | Non-TS Academic | 10/6/23 9:52 | |||
585 | 10/5/2023 14:18:41 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Alabama | Biology (Quantitative Emphasis) | 11/5/2023 | https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/19539 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/5/23 18:57 | Note there are TWO TT openings 1) Is there an SC member to tell us about eco/evo in the department? 2) SC member here: there is a strong focus on ecophysiology and evolution in the department, quantitative approaches to these fields are encouraged to apply 3) @SC is Birmingham a decent place to live for POC and queer people? 4) Similarly, does the department value DEI? Ad didn't say very much about this. 2) yes, very queer friendly and a main value of both the dept and our Dean is DEIB and it is a leading goal at dept and college level; we serve a very diverse community X2 [discussion of a right-wing faculty member & his blog removed; this isn't the place -AP] 5) I don't see how it's the place to ask about DEIB but not talk about that. I am glad for whoever posted it because I was about to apply and decided not to. 6) If you are going to allow department members to claim they value DEI and are queer-friendly, etc, you should also allow people to question that. DEI needs to be a lot more than letting black faculty interview with self-proclaimed white tribalists. x2 7) pretty telling that it got deleted and no one has addressed this very legitmate concern.... 2) DEIB is a core value and goal at every level of the university. Within the department we have invested in active recruitment of students from underrepresented groups and continued support for all students, staff, and faculty in our program. We support the ROSE network among others and would welcome colleagues who seek to strengthen adn build upon these initiatives 8) Zoom invite 11/16 x4 9) In-person interview invite 12/05 x2 | 8 | |
586 | 10/5/2023 13:13:29 | Jacksonville University | Florida | Marine Science | 11/15/2023 | https://www.ju.edu/humanresources/faculty/asst-or-assoc-prof-marine-science-sept2023.php | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/5/24 14:50 | SC member: all research areas within oceanography are encouraged to apply, ability to teach physical oceanography is preferred 1) Any update on this position? Interview invitations? | ||
587 | 10/5/2023 13:06:17 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Earth Surface Processes & Global Change | 11/19/2023 | https://ees.natsci.msu.edu/job-opportunities/2023-2024/tenure-track-faculty-2023.aspx | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2 | |||
588 | 10/5/2023 11:42:58 | College of the Atlantic | Maine | Organismal Biology (Terrestrial) | 1/2/2024 | https://www.coa.edu/human-resources/job-openings/ | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 2/3/24 4:46 | SC member here, happy to field questions -- we are searching for two positions this fall, one terrestrial-focused and one marine-focused. Please see the ad for more details. 2) What is the expected salary range? x2 3) How would FW systems fit into this? I study FW fish in lakes and streams of Alaska and BC x2 4) Is there school housing or subsidy to permit EC folks to actually live in a vacation town? 5) "COA does not have a tenure system; ... positive reviews leading to continued appointments." 6) Oof. Very cool program, but non-tenure position based on reviews seems untenable? 7) And with just a few hundred students I'd be very worried about the long term viability of the school. 8) @SC-Are there any startup funds availably to establish undergraduate led and assisted reserach? 9) Alum here. This position is replacing faculty who have been there for decades, which is the case for most faculty (it's a place people tend to stay long-term). I'm not aware of a single professor who wasn't renewed in the 20 years since I matriculated. And as someone who came to COA from a school that did shut down, I can say that COA has an excellent endowment and is very financially stable. These are great questions to ask during an interview, but I hope they don't prevent people from applying to a really incredible place. Many SLACs don't have a typical tenure system, but are a lot of folks' dream jobs. 10) What does the leadership role in the museum refer to? management, curating collection, reserach lead? 11) What is the salary range? COA doesn't seem to even be in the AAUP faculty salary survey data. 12) SC member here. @2 & @11, salary range is $72.5-106K depending on experience.@3, FW systems would be a good fit. Lots of collaboration possibilities with USFWS, NPS, state agencies, and fishing collectives. @4, there is limited COA-supported housing nearby, and also some more affordable places within a 40-minute commute.@5 and @6, please see 9.@8, no startup since research is not part of the obligation here, but there is $5K/yr in professional development funds (which rolls over if you don't use it) and $1500/yr for course materials (does not roll over) plus lab fees. @10, all of the above, potentially, plus teaching museum-related courses. Contact the Dorr Museum director for more information (and please note that we're searching for two positions right now, and we only need one of them to fill this museum role. Please apply even if you don't see yourself taking this on!). 13) @SC I would be curious to know how many applications this position ended up getting! 14) SC member here: @13, that is confidential per COA policy.15) oh my lord, that app took me 2 days! x2. 16) Seems odd that there's no reported applicants for the marine one yet. 17) @SC "To complement our existing strengths in biology and field science, we seek colleagues with expertise in the biology of animals, fungi, and/or microorganisms, one of whom will have a terrestrial focus, the other marine." -- is the omission of plant expertise purposeful? No botanists need apply? 18) I wish that all jobs were like this and that there were 150 of these jobs so that we could all have one!! (plus there can still be some jobs at R1s for the wacky people who like that) 19) Hello everyone! I was wondering- did you take January 2 at midnight to mean tonight or yesterday night? I originally thought that the application was due today but realized as I was re-reading the application just now that perhaps it was actually due yesterday? 20) Anyone have an interview request yet? x2 21) Nope. x2 22) Wow, not even giving committees two weeks to review applications before the comments come in? LOL. 23) zoom interview requested x3. 24) ouch. Have all shortlisted candidates been notified? 25) @SC can you address #24? 26) Rejection email 1/16 x3 27) no rejection, no zoom invite. Do I even exist? x 2 28) could they be sending out results as they finish each app? Does everyone who has heard something have an early in the alphabet name? 29) A friend and I got emailed at nearly the same time and our names are in different parts of the alphabet. Interestingly the text of the rejection emails we got varied so they may be sending some by hand. 30) @29 interesting, thank you for sharing that! 31) Rejection email 1/30x2 | 11 | |
589 | 10/5/2023 11:41:30 | College of the Atlantic | Maine | Organismal Biology (Marine) | 1/2/2024 | https://www.coa.edu/human-resources/job-openings/ | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 2/23/24 12:53 | SC member here, happy to field questions -- we are searching for two positions this fall, one focused on marine systems and one on terrestrial systems. Please see the ad for more details. 2) This job makes me wish I was less committed to research - what a cool school. x2 3) "Faculty positions are unranked, and COA does not have a tenure system; ... positive reviews leading to continued appointments." 4) Does COA offer sabbaticals? 5) @4 yes 6) SC member here. @2, faculty members do continue to research and publish here, but not at an R1 scale. @3, please see comments 9 & 12 in our posting for Organismal Biology (Terrestrial). 7) Have zoom interviews been requested for the marine position as well? 8) Got a rejection letter on Jan 17th! 9.) Zoom interview x 1 10.) Zoom interview last week -sorry for the delay in posting. Was travelling. Zooms set to continue through this week w/ on campus invites coming by next week (per search committee). 11.) Got formal "we aren't inviting you to campus" email after zoom. That was unusual! About 1 month ago :( | 4 | |
590 | 10/5/2023 9:54:57 | Loyola University Maryland | Maryland | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | 10/27/2023 | https://careers.loyola.edu/postings/6969 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/23/24 19:04 | any updates here? 1) I thought the deadline was tomorrow? 2) That's the priority date but app details say "Review of applications will begin on October 27th and will continue until the position is filled." 3) Any updates? 4) Phone interview requested 11/29 5) Damn I was really excited about this one. Right up my alley x3 6) Has anyone followed up with SC? 7) followed up in what way? to schedule an interview? 8) for an official rejection maybe? 9) "Hi, SC. I will arrive in August to start! Kthnxbye." 9) update: received email 3/10 from dept chair that the "search has now been concluded" and application is no longer under consideration 10) they also posted a visiting teaching prof position to start July 2024 so I wonder if they canceled the TT search. Note: this original position was filled, and the visiting position is for a microbiologist (unrelated to this search) | 9 | |
591 | 10/5/2023 9:03:55 | University of St. Thomas | Minnesota | Global Health & Non-Communicable Disease | 10/16/2023 | https://facultyemployment-stthomas.icims.com/jobs/7389/tenure--track%2c-assistant-professor-of-biology%3a-global-health-and-non-communicable-disease/job | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/5/23 9:10 | SC member here, this is a very broadly defined job for folks taking a cell/molec approach to global health very broadly defined. Not a traditional ecology/evolution-type job though | ||
592 | 10/5/2023 7:26:53 | Georgia Tech | Georgia | Integrative Physiology | 11/1/2023 | https://shorturl.at/MPW03 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/3/24 16:20 | 1) this has a focus on "health and disease" but says they are also looking for biomechanics, interactions w/ environment. could animal physiologists apply or only human health related applications? (2) dept seems human-centric. 3) This link doesn't work; found this one: https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=03000&JobOpeningId=263912&PostingSeq=1&. 4) the application asked for Additional Documents but the posting does not. any idea? 5) Same issue on the other GA Tech Job(s). Is this papers? 6) Any updates? 7) nothing as of 11/29 x2... with so few ecoevojobs folks applying, we might be stuck in the dark 8) Still nothing? 2/5 9) I asked an acquaintance in the department, and it sounds like they did Zoom interviews in Jan (9 again) I mean to write that in a different row, apologies! 10) Good to know! Thank you@9. 11) On campus interviews ongoing | 3 | |
593 | 10/5/2023 5:34:10 | University of Kansas | Kansas | Genome Biology | 11/15/2023 | https://employment.ku.edu/jobs/faculty/assistant-professor-in-genomics-or-genome-biology/26379br | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/3/24 15:20 | "We are seeking applications from researchers working in any area of genome biology in any system, who use experimental, quantitative and/or computational approaches to address fundamental biological questions" (1) Zoom interview request (11/30) x2 2) damn :( congrats to the interviewees though! (2) Letters requested & second zoom (seminar) request (12/20) x2 (3) In-person invite (2/2) | 15 | |
594 | 10/4/2023 12:52:28 | Southern Methodist University (SMU) | Texas | Earth Sciences | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133668 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/4/23 12:55 | faculty here. this is an endowed chaired position that comes with unrestricted research funds. preference will be for geology-focused research but includes "quantitative, measurement-based approaches focused on the evolution of earth's fluid envelope and lithosphere, paleo- and modern climate, biogeochemical systems, and earth hazards" - the university has launched research initiatives including "climate change", "earth hazards", and "energy" | ||
595 | 10/4/2023 12:05:46 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Environmental Communication | 11/15/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02609 | Asst Teaching Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/15/23 9:24 | 12/13 Invited for campus interview x 1 | 1 | |
596 | 10/4/2023 10:38:21 | Auburn University Montgomery | Alabama | Environmental Science | 11/1/2023 | https://www.jobs.aum.edu/postings/6436 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/5/23 14:32 | 1) I did an on-campus interview for this job last spring- apparently funding fell through and they didn't offer the position to anyone. Overall, really liked the other faculty members but hated Montgomery. 2) If you don't a bit of a commute you can live in the Auburn area, which is much nicer than Montgomery | 1 | |
597 | 10/3/2023 21:25:47 | Stetson University | Florida | Animal Physiology | 10/13/2023 | https://www.stetson.edu/administration/human-resources/media/2024faculty/Job%20Description-Organismal%20Biologist.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 12:57 | Primary teaching responsibilities include upper-division courses in the field of expertise (the ability to teach an upper division course in animal physiology and/or vertebrate anatomy is very desirable), introductory biology courses, and mentoring of capstone senior research projects. 2) teaching letters required upfront 3) Contacted for Zoom interview last week (written 10/24) 4) Campus invite 5) Offer received 6) Congrats! Would love to see more info added to the Negotiations tab (feels like there have been few additions recently - nudge nudge) 5) nudge nudge i already did | 1 | |
598 | 10/3/2023 21:09:20 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Quantitative Ecology or Evolutionary Biology | 11/8/2023 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/516384/assistant-professortenure-system | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/5/24 6:09 | SC member here. Last year's search was successful, but we continue to need folks in this area, so we are searching again. This year we're looking for people who develop (and apply) cutting edge quantitative methods in EEB. If you applied last year and develop quantitative methods, consider applying again. Integrative Biology and Plant Biology are both possible home departments. Feel free to ask more here! 2) Hello! Would someone who does evolutionary genomics be a good fit for this position or are you looking for someone more theoretically oriented? SC) @2 Yes, "all research areas within EEB will be considered". 3) What qualifies as "cutting-edge" quantitative methods? New statistical methods? 4) Would the development of phylogenetics / genomics pipelines satisfy the quantitative methods requirement? SC) @3-4 we're looking for something beyond routine application of existing methods. Phylogenetics and genomics are within the scope of EEB. 5) Any updates? 6) it's been like 3 days. I figure they got swamped with apps so it'll be at least a week or two before updates roll in. 7) I thought for sure some info would come out this week. Anyone heard anything? 8) Based on the similar job posted at MSU last year, it may still take a while. Last year applications were due 11/15/22, letters were requested on 1/27/23, and on-campus interview invitations were 2/24/23. 9) I keep coming here and reading "interview invitations were..." in the last message and having a heart-attack, so I'm just going to change it. No news as of 12/5. 10) haha sorry about that @9 😂 11) Good point (8). Early fall rumor mill was they wanted to get interviews in this calendar year. Clearly I need to be more realistic and update my daydreams. *SIGH* 12) Managing expectation is important given other rumors about this search (x2) (13) What are you talking about @12? Seems like unfounded speculation. 14) ok if everyone is going to start mentioning rumors I demand be filled in (x2) 15) interview invite 12/11 16) Thanks for the update! (17) @15 did they request your letters already or just go straight to in person interview? 18) Letter requests and interview invite at the same time 19) I'm curious what these rumors were about that @12 mentioned. Would you mind clarifying? 20) Not 12, but I've heard this search was for two candidates interviewed last year (x4) 21) Ah I see, thanks for that info (22) Email saying they are interviewing four people, I am on the 'reserve list', and also asking to submit reference letters. (23) That seems very weird and somewhat... cruel? 24) @23 I'd rather be on the reserve list than not. x3 25) Yeah agree with that @23 and @24. I got letter requests here last year for essentially the same job and got nowhere this year. This is a tough road y'all. x2 26) Offer received 27) Wow, congrats! What an exciting day for you! I wonder what that's like haha... 28) I'll repeat what I previously said, this was not a "real" search so you shouldn't feel bad. 29) What? 30) @29, see @20 31) this was a real search, someone who did not interview last year was offered a position 32) Oh ok, thanks for that info. I guess I'll go back to feeling bad about it haha 33) I wouldn't feel bad about not getting an offer since this is replacing multiple early career faculty that left. Seems like a red flag. 34) So many bad takes in one cell. x2 35) @33 that's also just...not true. It seems like you think you have inside info that you do not have. (22 again) Rejection after 'reserve list' 2/16 36) Not sure if the rejection @35 received is revalent to this search. I applied to the quantitative job posting last year but not this year. I got an email today (2/16) saying I am rejected. 37) damn. Still no word at all for me. I assumed my app was thrown out ages ago, but it'd be nice to get a rejection letter :/ 38) wow, this one is such a mess 39) email: "although we appreciate your interest, we regret to inform you that you will not be moving forward in this process." x3 (40) On campus invite 3/22 41) Really? after offers were already made? 42) Probably for a spouse (40) Nope, I was on the 'reserve' list that was posted about earlier. 43) Same here, also got an invite from the reserve list. 44) I guess @26 turned down the offer? @ 42 some spouse(s) are also interviewing (40) Although MSU would be a fantastic place with great colleagues, I declined the invitation in favour of a non-academic opportunity | 16 | |
599 | 10/3/2023 20:28:18 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Plant Conservation or Ecological Restoration | 11/15/2023 | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2684 | Asst Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 1/4/24 13:59 | This is to fill the position of a colleague who was recently promoted to department head. Note that "Scientist 1" is MOBOT's HR's way of saying "Assistant Scientist" (i.e., "Assistant Professor", but without the professorial duties). 1) Zoom interview request 12/7 x2 2) in-person interview request, 1/4 | 3 | |
600 | 10/3/2023 17:31:57 | University of Wyoming - Casper (Branch Campus) | Wyoming | Conservation Biologist | 11/13/2023 | https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/233423/?utm_medium=jobshare | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/20/24 12:24 | Joint position between Department of Zoology & Physiology and the new School of Computing. Expectations are to help build the Zoology and Wildlife programs at the University of Wyoming Branch Campus in Casper. WIth this position, that includes offering courses such as Conservation Biology, intro to R/Python/GIS, herpetology, ichthyology, etc. with many non-lab based courses taught in a hybrid fashion. The University of Wyoming branch campus fosters learning for non-traditional students, as well as distance. While working in a branch campus can be challenging, collaboration and integration in the department is absolutely feasible with several faculty leading successful research programs w/ graduate students in Casper and/or Laramie. 1) Is the hiring committee for this position the same as the committee for the main campus position? 2) No, it is a different committee, but from the same department 3) So it is possible to have graduate students that are at Casper and support those with lab resources needed for a conservation program (i.e. genomics)? 4) @3, graduate students are typically based in Laramie and the Casper-based faculty will spend some time on campus here too (they have office space, shared lab space, there are core facilities on campus for genomics and other more complex equipment). I would say it's worth applying and asking about resources like that because it's a supportive department and lots of things are possible 5) So are tenure decisions/expectations etc made from the main campus? Or there is a separate department/policies at the branch campus? 6) @5 tenure decisions/expectations are made from the main campus, and in particular, are based on expectations from the Dept of Zoology and Physiology. 7) Are there any updates on this position? 8) Zoom interview request 12/14 x4 9) In-person interview request 1/18 x 2 10) email saying position was filled 5/16 | 3 | |
601 | 10/3/2023 14:56:06 | Georgia Tech | Georgia | Quantitative Biosciences | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=3000&JobOpeningId=263909&PostingSeq=1&PortalActualURL=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsc%2fcareers%2fCAREERS%2fHRMS%2fc%2fHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3fPage%3dHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26Action%3dU%26FOCUS%3dApplicant%26SiteId%3d3000%26JobOpeningId%3d263909%26PostingSeq%3d1&PortalRegistryName=CAREERS&PortalServletURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsp%2fcareers%2f&PortalURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 7/27/24 11:45 | 1) "Applications will be considered beginning November 2023 but the search will continue until the positions are filled" 2) It's so confusing when the ads don't specify how long the statements should be. 3) Forget page lenghts, what is "Additional Document"? I went through the list 4 times like what on earth am I missing. 4) Ad language seems to favor an ecologist, is it worth applying for quantitative evolution folks? 5) a microbial ecologist, specifically 6) I feel like the ad went back and forth, as if someone on the committee wants that and then another person backtracked. But maybe I'm inferring too much from it. 7) Hi everyone - new faculty member here in Bio but not on the SC. The search is broad and not limited to only microbial research - if you could describe your research program as 'quantitative' then please consider applying (including if you're eco and/or evo). We have an exciting eco-evo group developing here and would love to have you join! 8) @7 So is the bit about community organization/ecosystem function a preference? Or are you all specifically looking for someone working on broader scales? 9) 7 here - I can't answer specific questions about the search (as I'm not on the SC and so don't know the answers), When I said broad I wasn't referring to scale, but that the SC will probably consider a broad range of research programs (not just microbial systems, as someone had earlier commented) 10) Yes @3, what is "additional document"? Is this a manuscipt? 11) any progress on formulating a long list? x2. (12) I'm in this dept and I think there's already been a short list decided on (13) email for in-person interview received 11/27. 14) Ugh, had high hopes for this one x3 15) Any updates? 16) Did anyone ever get an offer for this job (as of 3/7)? (17) I believe someone did. x2 https://x.com/seanASanderson/status/1816867131755233538 | 15 | ||
602 | 10/3/2023 11:48:44 | San Francisco State University | California | Biological Data Science | 10/31/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/sf/en-us/job/532585/assistant-professor-biology-biological-data-science | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/25/24 9:55 | We seek a colleague whose teaching and research interests include a commitment to increasing diversity and retaining Black and Latinx students and providing students with opportunities to develop skills leading to careers in biological data science. Candidates are welcome from a broad variety of disciplines including but not limited to: bioinformatics (-omics fields), machine learning, biostatistics, computational biology, statistical genetics, ecology and ecoinformatics, health equity, systems biology, environmental and climate sciences. [Lengthy discussion of whether there are unwritten racial preferences, which would be illegal in the US, deleted. It's best to take the job ad literally. -AP] (1) I've been on a search committee (in USA) where illegal factors were very much front-of-mind when making decisions, pretending like people 'follow the law' is naïve and unhelpful for foreign applicants just seeking information. 2) @1 do you think the SC would write that here? (1) of course not. (3) Does anybody knows how many courses per semester are you required to teach? (4) Usually incoming faculty at the Bio Dept have reduced teaching loads, so my understanding is 2-2, and goes up to 2-3 after receiving tenure. Worth writing to the search chair to confirm. 5) Any updates? 6) @5 they started sending out requests for letters of recommendation. x2 7) Were applicants notified directly or they contacted references directly? 8) @7 I think both. 9) This is the second CSU I got to this stage with, and the process was pretty similar, but I got the interview invite right at the same time. I guess they change your status in the system and you get that automatic email. Pretty sure recommenders also get it. Let's see how long before they do interview invites. 9) Ok just got the invite email 11/21 x3 10) congratulations on the invite- I am atleast glad to know for sure that this door is closed for me. Hate keeping hope up just because there is no news. 11) Has anyone heard about in-person interviews? I believe CSU faculty are going on strike so unclear what to expect here... 12) haven't heard one way or another, but I remember them saying they expected to hold interviews in Feb so I assumed invites went out already. 13) In-person interviews happening all through February, I received my invitation late December. 14) Interviews done as 08/03/24 my guess is deliveration it is on its way and an offer should be send out in the coming weeks. 15) Any news on this? 16) Got an offer 4/16/24 17) Offer accepted | 4 | |
603 | 10/3/2023 11:28:08 | Lake Superior State University | Michigan | Wildlife Management | https://jobs.lssu.edu/jobs/6e2761df-8cd0-4424-b64e-c683b16a0b83 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/21/23 9:02 | 1) received request for an interview | 2 | ||
604 | 10/3/2023 11:25:08 | Cornell University (AgriTech) | New York | Insect Ecology / Controlled Environment Agriculture | 1/2/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25893 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/3/23 11:26 | Position is at the Cornell AgriTech satellite campus in Geneva, NY. | 1 | |
605 | 10/3/2023 6:10:30 | Harvard University | Massachusetts | Evolutionary Biology | 12/15/2023 | https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/12859 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/26/24 9:40 | (1) Three letters up front 2) is this assistant prof level? just says tenure track professor 3) @2 says assistant or associate level (3) Letters upfront is so lame. (4) @2 personal contact in the dept. told me it's a junior position. (5) I believe that only Full Professors have tenure in this department, so it would be pre-tenure even at the Associate Professor level. (6) #5 is correct. (7) If successful applicant also is in the field of one of the open/soon to be open museum curator positions (e.g., herptology, malacology, etc.) then this may also be part of the position. (8) does any one know if letter requests are sent out automatically? or only requested if SC interested? 9) @8 letter requests are sent at time of submission (10) 3–5 letters can be requested 11) FYI once you submit, recommenders automatically get a request from Daniel Hartl, which makes them think you're being seriously considered at Harvard, lol. 12) any updates? 13) nothing here, but I assume I won't be gettting good news whenever I heard back lol x4 lol (14) I'm surprised only 11 people applied from this board?! 15) I did not because of the tenure situation (see #5). 16) @14 I didn't apply because I'm a postdoc in the dept. I LOVE it but they wouldn't hire someone similar to faculty already there. It is not that kind of place.17) has anyone heard anything yet? 18) nope x6 19) any news as of Jan 18? 20) Nope, no news as of 1/18 x3 21) no news but I talked to an internal prof that says even though this is a broad search they are really looking for someone in genetics, maybe this was obvious in the posting but not to me, so I think id be out on that anyway 22) man if i'd known this, I could have written a much more focused applicaiton. (23) They're just going to poach a shiny prof from another elite place; app won't make too much of a diff here. 24) a boy can dream 25) @23 I think part of the app matters - the number of science/nature papers on your CV! (26) no news as of 1/28 x11 (27) Harvard OEB have their department schedule available to see online, seems possible that their upcoming seminars are actually interviews. (28) @27 they are not, or at least not related to this opening. (29) So has this search been canceled??? 30) @29 did you receive any communication saying that? I've not heard anything at all and the application portal still says "in progress" 31) Harvard doesn't have classes in January, so the faculty were likely all scattered. They probably haven't met to review applications yet. 32) Any word? 33) none as of 8 Feb x7 34) Asked for an update from the email they provided, and got a response that "no response was authorized", so no word from the search 35) "no response authorized" sounds very different from "no decisions made!" - it seems like this search may well have failed for some reason 36) @35 it sounds more like HR didn't give SC permission to talk about the search. (37) I am new to this discussions but I also applied and my references sent their letters by mid Jan. I haven't heard anything yet. Would be interesting what news can people from inside the Dept. like @16, can share. 38) @36 is correct 39) Feb 19, still nothing here x10 40) So at what point do we consider this a failed search? 41) @38's reply implies that it isn't - but it has certainly been a suspiciously long time 42) I would guess that the drama has delayed this search. Some people will probably get an "are you still interested in this job" email over the summer 43) what drama? 42) the whole fiasco with the university president 43) o really... other searches are happening, I didnt realize that this search would be affected because of the president 42) I mean, it's just my assumption. My experience (at another university) is that searches get way slowed down when drama happens on campus, but I dunno how things work at Harvard or the OEB. (44) Harvard is the best example of 'the rich stay rich'; completely dysfunctional and stifling place, yet the endowment will never stop growing. (45) on campus interview invite received x2. 46) @45 congrats! I am curious to know if what @21 mentioned is true, that they were looking for someone with a genetics background. Can you tell us what is your background? Mine is on organismic evolutionary biology (plants). 47) I am 45, and I do not work on genetics at all 48) official rejection email 2/29 x3 49) I got an in-person invite, and I do evolutionary genomics across animals. (50- I was 37) Also got official rejection email. Invited people for interviews: all the best and let us know how it goes.(49 again) Finished with on-site interview. Not sure how many are after me. They told me not to expect to hear anything back until the end of April. @49 if you want to know(?) there are 4 candidates total (I am postdoc in the dept) @50, thanks for the details!...got a rejection email, but that wasn't surprising. Got the feeling they wanted someone who could also fill a curator role in the museum, and I don't focus on any specific group enough to warrent that. 51) same postdoc in the department, at least one new candidate is announced 05/21. | 15 | |
606 | 10/2/2023 13:17:19 | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife | Washington | Ecotoxicology / Toxics Biological Observation System (TBiOS) | 10/18/2023 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4222061/ecotoxicology-research-scientist-research-scientist-1-permanent-12618-23?department[0]=Dept.%20of%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife&sort=PostingDate%7CDescending&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Rank Open | Government | 12/16/23 9:11 | 1) Research scientist position - ecotoxcology/ecology focus. Job closes 11/8 but review begins 10/18 (2) Email saying I made it to next stage of process 10/18 3) received notification that the role was filled x2 | 1 | |
607 | 10/2/2023 12:24:51 | The George Washington University | District of Columbia | Computational Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://www.gwu.jobs/postings/105827 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/4/24 11:31 | 1) We are looking for an investigator who is using or developing bioinformatics and computational approaches to study areas of biomedical sciences that intersect with fundamental processes in biology such as (but not limited to) evolutionary genomics, molecular epidemiology, molecular microbiology and pathogen biology, systems biology, and emerging omics. 2) Senior hire, minimum qualification = tenure at the time of application. 3) There's an odd set of questions at the end. Like you think I'm applying for this job without papers?? Is that supposed to intimidate candidates into not submitting? 4) @3 its probably meant to weed out those who are obviously unsuitable. You'd be surprised how many unqualified applications some jobs get...5) search committe member here, the university requires to hire someone with tenure. 6) @SC (5) - OK if under tenure review currently? 7) @(6), unfortunately we require people to have tenure by the time they apply. 8) Will Ful Profs be considered? 9) @(8) no, only associate prof. 10) letters requested 11/15 11) Interview request 12/27/23 12) Failed search I think. | ||
608 | 10/2/2023 11:00:42 | SUNY Oswego | New York | Great Lakes Ecology | 10/23/2023 | https://oswego.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=168231 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/13/23 13:21 | 1) Any SC insights about living in Oswego? 2) SC member here - Oswego is a town of ~17K. There are many SUNY Oswego faculty that live in town and are active in many aspects of the community. Alternatively, some professors opt to live in Syracuse or its suburbs and commute (~40 minute drive). Happy to address follow-up questions. 3) was last year's search a failed one? and this is a re-advertisement? 4) zoom interview request 11/13 | 1 | |
609 | 10/2/2023 9:35:43 | Iowa State University | Iowa | Comparative Animal Physiology / Ecophysiology | 12/1/2023 | https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/IowaStateJobs/job/Assistant-Professor-in-Comparative-Animal-Physiology---Ecophysiology_R13070 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/9/24 16:04 | 1) Any updates? (12/14) 2) None as of 12/18. 3) Received rejection email 12/22 4) Hm, no rejection here but no other contact either. 5) Zoom interview invite 12/22 x3 6) Did anyone get a campus invite? Haven't heard anything as of 1/17. 7) I figure it will be after the 18th when the references are due? Nothing here 8) SC member here. @7 is correct, once letters are in we will go through our standard process to determine our on-site interview list before we can send invites and move to next stage in the search. We anticipate that should all go smoothly, but it just takes some time to organize everything. 9) Thanks SC! 10) Invited for campus interview. x3 11) Anyone get an offer? 12) I was the last person to interview last week (Mar 2nd), and they said the goal was to get an offer out within 2 weeks. Before someone gets an email offer, they said their LOR would get actual phone calls for references - some weird rule CAS has or something. 11) Thanks 12! 13) Offer made 13 again) Offer officially accepted | 5 | |
610 | 10/2/2023 9:20:35 | University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin | Biology | 10/29/2023 | https://jobs.uwstout.edu/assistant-associate-professor-of-biology-2-positions/job/26627975?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/15/23 15:16 | 1) Phone interview request (11/3). 2) On campus interview request (11/14) | 2 | |
611 | 10/2/2023 8:40:58 | University of Toronto | Canada | Computational / Statistical Ecology | 11/21/2023 | https://jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-Assistant-Professor-ComputationalStatistical-Ecology-ON/574545517/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/5/24 7:11 | 2nd or 3rd search for a computational ecologist 2) The previous ones failed? 3) I'm on the faculty here, and don't recall any previous searches in this area. 4) There was one last cycle on the Scarborough campus of U of T, I believe. This one is at the St. George campus - they hire separately. 5) There was a successful "computational biologist" search initiated in the fall of 2020 at St. George 6) the search mentioned in (5) hired a computational evolutionary biologist. I guess that is the reason why this seach focused on ecology. 7) The different campuses search, interview, and hire independently; undergrad teaching is also independent on the 3 campuses. There have been no previous searches in computation ecology for this department and campus. If you do anything remotely computational or statistical, apply! 8) I wonder if they would only look at applications that are purely computational, or would there be an opportunity to be predominantly computational but also have a wet lab / or field program? 9) In reply to (8): as faculty in this dept, though not on the search committee, my instinct is that computational + wet lab or computational + field would also get looked at seriously. You don't get any of the jobs that you don't apply for. You also have no way of knowing the research foci of the rest of the applicant pool; it may be that many applicants have this research profile. Make sure your research and other statements emphasize the computational aspects of your work. 10) Some departments, apparently, will strongly look down upon applicants that apply mulitple years in a row. I'm considering not applying to wait until I have a stronger CV, of course at the risk of there not being an appropriate hire in the future. I had two questions -- are searches in this department typically targeted? And secondly, I wonder if this would be one of those departments that would still look at an application in subsequent years? 11) In reply to (10): if you think you'd like a job here, apply now and whenever there's an opening that's plausibly relevant. Your profile and c.v. will change over years; search committees almost always turn over for every search; the applicant pool changes dramatically as well. Apply any year you want, and don't worry about applying multiple times... the search committee looks at 100s of applicants per search, and there's unlikely to be any memory of "s/he/they applied last year"-- interviews might be a different story, as there's more collective memory. We look at all the applications, for every search. Not sure what you mean by "targeted"-- some ads are broad ("ecology" or "evolutionary biology"), some are focused in specific areas ("computational/statistical ecology"). Depends on departmental plans, retirements, growth opportunities, joint positions with other units, etc. Hard to forecast all that, so just apply if your work is relevant. 12) I think (10) is asking if the department generally has a person in mind when they put out this or other job ads. 13). In reply to (10) and (12): no, we don't have individuals in mind when we post ads for open searches. 14) are reference letters requested from only one of the reference writers named? (that's what is happening for me so far). 15) @14...when I applied all 3 went out. Did you submit the application recently? Sometimes the system takes several hours to send them out to the referees. 16) I think it's just that I didn't get all the notifications, somehow, but my 3 references confirmed they received the invitation to submit anyway, so it's all good! :) 17) Curious if anyone has insight into the timeline for this search, or thoughts on whether we should expect an update before the holidays? 18) IMO I think it's too soon before the holidays to expect any updates 19) campus invitation 12/14 x2 20) @19 so invites have went out already? 21) On-campus interviews have been scheduled (4 people invited) 22) Congrats and good luck!x3 23) Rejection email. Did someone accept an offer? I'm excited for them, this looked like a great position! X2 24) I interviewed and haven't heard anything yet, rejection or otherwise. (25) Did this fail? x3 26) don't think this failed based on casual conversation w/ someone on the search committee (i'm not involved at all) | 12 | |
612 | 10/2/2023 7:49:24 | Texas Tech University | Texas | Natural Resource Management | 11/3/2023 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25898&siteid=5637#jobDetails=823344_5637 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Faculty | 10/2/23 8:01 | |||
613 | 10/2/2023 7:45:30 | University of Flordia | Florida | Remote Sensing | 11/1/2023 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/528717/assistant-professor-in-remote-sensing-geography | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/20/24 14:59 | 1) Position is listed as open until filled, but review date is informed from post on T A&M job board. 2) Any updates? 12/21 3) position offered and accepted (saw the announcement) | 1 | |
614 | 10/1/2023 17:45:37 | Wesleyan University | Connecticut | Evolutionary Developmental Biology | 12/15/2023 | https://careers.wesleyan.edu/postings/10119 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/25/24 12:56 | 1) Unclear if letters due on same date as application, but references will be automatically contacted 2) Dept admin on behalf of SC: Letters ideally should be received by 12/31/23 for full consideration. Note from SC Chair: We are searching for applicants at the Assistant, Associate or Full professor level whose research addresses fundamental biological questions related to the broad field of evolutionary developmental biology, using any study organism. Faculty in Wesleyan's Biology Dept run active, externally funded labs while teaching one full-credit course per semester and contributing to the PhD program in a lively, diverse Liberal Arts setting. 3) Any updates? 1/5/24 x2 4) Any updates 1/17? 5) Zoom interview request today, 1/17 x3 (6) Anyone hear anything yet after Zoom interviews? (7) I never did... x3 (8) contacted for on-campus interview on 2/15 (9) Any updates?? | 4 | |
615 | 10/1/2023 12:59:52 | Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide | Oregon | Marine Community Ecologist | 10/20/2023 | https://elaw.bamboohr.com/careers/30 | non-academic | NGO | 12/10/23 10:09 | I'm not totally sure what to classify this one as, but I think it is okay to post here. Location flexible. 1) Any updates? 2) I had a zoom interview with them on Nov 16th. Congrats. 3) Any one make it to the 'final' round here? Anyone who had a zoom interview want to comment on what that was like? This is an interesting sounding position but is quite different from most of the typical jobs posted here. | 4 | |
616 | 10/1/2023 8:30:30 | Stockholm University | Sweden | Systematic and Evolutionary Botany | 11/21/2023 | https://www.su.se/english/about-the-university/work-at-su/available-jobs?rmpage=job&rmjob=21842 | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/16/24 8:51 | 1) anybody knows what the working environment is like at this department? and if there are any internal candidates? the add looks very broad, but also emphasizes swedish and teaching, so don't want to waste my time. (2) seems quite good and there is not an internal candidate from what I've inquired (3) Swedish is not required initially but you'd have to learn. (4) I asked for the applicant list. 29 applicants, including 5-6 people with associate-professor positions who have multiple advised postdocs and thousands of citations - should be hard for younger candidates to get an interview (but you never know!) (5) Job has been offered to someone who got Ph.D. in 2017 | 2 | |
617 | 9/30/2023 10:22:57 | University of North Texas | Texas | Computational Biochemistry / Biology | 11/16/2023 | https://jobs.untsystem.edu/postings/77075 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/10/24 10:21 | 1) "emphasis on the application of computational approaches, such as deep and machine learning, for studying protein function and evolution, molecular recognition, novel therapeutic and immunological target development". We are hiring several tenure-stream & lecturer positions this year. Most not EEB (but this one might interest an evolution person), but check our university faculty jobs site. The ads are starting to be posted (late Sept.). 2) anyone heard about this or other UNT jobs? | ||
618 | 9/29/2023 15:16:45 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Director of the School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences | 11/13/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133227 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 16:19 | 1) "emphasis on the application of computational approaches, such as deep and machine learning, for studying protein function and evolution, molecular recognition, novel therapeutic and immunological target development". We are hiring several tenure-stream & lecturer positions this year. Most not EEB (but this one might interest an evolution person), but check our university faculty jobs site. The ads are starting to be posted (late Sept.). | 1 | |
619 | 9/29/2023 13:27:04 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Fisheries Biology | 10/31/2023 | https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/67102 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/7/24 7:18 | 1) 2-2 teaching load, 2) posting says application due date is both 10/31 and 11/7/23 3) @2, I noticed that as well. Has anyone asked the search/dept chair about this? I'm wondering if it is still possible to apply... 4) SC member here -- please feel free to apply through 11/7 and I'm sorry for the confusion! 5) @ SC member, any updates or timeline that you can share? Thanks! 6) Any updates? - Dec 13 7) Nothing here on Dec 14; just kidding... just got a rejection email. x3 8) got an in-person interview for end of January 12/23 9) in person interview request (1/8) 10) Sounds like they are interviewing four candidates. 11) did an an-person interview a few weeks ago as well, heard nothing since then. 12) Reached out to references | 3 | |
620 | 9/29/2023 11:39:26 | Western Carolina University | North Carolina | Aquatic Biology | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/25534 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/9/24 8:43 | Higheredjobs says that application review begins immediately, but institution website says Nov 15 - assuming the institution website is more accurate? 1) Actually the job ad on the institution website says "immediately" at the top and "Nov 15" further down - proofread people! 2) Zoom interview requested (11/28) x2 3) Campus interview requested jan 8th. | 2 | |
621 | 9/29/2023 10:45:29 | Eastern Illinois University | Illinois | Animal Physiology | 11/30/2023 | https://www.eiu.edu/jobs/posting.php?id=234 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/10/24 10:23 | Zoom interview received (12/8) x2 ; Full interview request received (12/18) | 1 | |
622 | 9/29/2023 9:45:52 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Environment and Sustainability | 10/27/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty_Career_Website_live/details/Assistant-Teaching-Professor-of-Environment-and-Sustainability--Environment-and-Sustainability-Studies-Program_R0006049 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 12/6/23 12:07 | "research and teaching related to socio-environmental justice, community engagement, leadership, citizen science, social movements, participatory action research, or ethics" 1) Zoom Interview invite 11/2 | 1 | |
623 | 9/29/2023 9:44:02 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Remote Sensing | 10/27/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty_Career_Website_live/details/Tenure-Track-Assistant-Professor-of-Remote-Sensing--Environment-and-Sustainability-Studies-Program_R0006050 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/21/24 11:29 | "research and teaching related to the collection and processing of remote sensing (e.g., RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, radar, and LiDAR) data and computational techniques with attention to environmental justice, equity, communities, and sustainability". 1) Zoom interview invitation for the week of Nov 6. 2) Campus interview invite for mid-late January. 3) offer accepted. | 2 | |
624 | 9/29/2023 9:17:17 | UQAM | Canada | Host-microbiota interactions | 10/14/2023 | https://bio.uqam.ca/babillard/offre-demploi-poste-de-professeure-en-interactions-microbiote-hote/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/4/23 5:12 | Do you need to speak French to apply to this position? Can application essays be in English? 1) 'Master spoken and written French, or have the potential to acquire a functional level in French within two years of employment.' is one of the selection criteria. 2) SC member here. Application materials can be in English. It is not mandatory to speak French to apply but a willingness to learn is important. (3) If you haven't been [and can stand the weather], Mtl is one of the best and most vibrant cities in North America. Folks should seriously consider this opportunity if it's your field. (4) note 'in a human health context' (5) I know nothing about this search but I'm in this department (as a postdoc) and I've found it quite a pleasant place to work. I realize the university has a scant reputation outside of Quebec, but there's a strong ecology group here and in Montreal broadly. (6) #4, it's actually "human health and/or animal biology context". This position is a re-advertisement of a failed search from last year, the scope of the position has been expanded to include both health-related and organismal/ecology research. The associated research chair can be via CIHR (=health) or NSERC (=pure biology/ecology). If you work on animal microbiome ecology/evolution, please consider applying. (7) @6, what about environmental microbiomes? (ie ocean, soil?) (8) The position is for someone focusing on animal host-associated microbiomes | ||
625 | 9/29/2023 7:35:45 | University of Tennessee | Tennessee | Vertebrate Biology | 11/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132022 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/17/24 8:38 | "Postdoctoral work and the expertise to teach comparative vertebrate evolution and/or human anatomy are preferred." [review date updated -AP]. 1) EEB is the top rated biology department at UT, Knoxville is a great place to live, and the faculty are a group of delightful and supportive colleagues...APPLY! 2) @1 I fully agree. I was faculty there for a while, and absolutely loved the department, the grad program, and the undergrads. Great place to launch a career! 3) any advice on the "teach human A&P part"? I could teach compartive vertebrate, but I'm not an A&P person. Should I skip this one? 4) it does say "or"... 5) I'm a faculty member in the dept. The hope is the candidate will teach human A&P once every two years or so, but it's a hope, not a requirement. Also, people who work on paleo are welcome. 6) to fac. member and/or search chair: curious about a possible timeline for long list?? x5 7) Aim is to have long list before the holidays (and hopefully send out letter requests - depending on university admin). 8) received an email 12/22 saying they are contacting my references X2 9) any updates? 10) I haven't heard anything as of 1/13 11) Still nothing here 1/31 X2 12) received email on 2/6 saying they are waiting for admin approval of the short list, and once it is approved they hope to have in-person interviews in late Feb or early March 13) Dang, was feeling hopeful about this one. I'm guessing only finalists got this email? 14) formal interview invitation on 2/16 15) Has anyone heard any updates on this one? 16) no updates as of 4/17, though I expect they've likely contacted their first choice by now.. I was under the impression the last inverview was scheduled for the week of March 18-22 | 12 | |
626 | 9/29/2023 6:46:59 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Watershed Ecology | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/12299 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/14/24 12:13 | 1) Question for SC - would coastal/marine ecology fit here, or are you looking for freshwater? x4 2) any updates? (12/4) 3) Phone interviews week of 12/4 4) letters requested 12/6 5) seems like the search failed-- new post as of July 2024 with new adverstisement 6) has anyone heard about timing for the new search? | 2 | |
627 | 9/29/2023 1:54:34 | University of Virginia | Virginia | Contagion Science | 11/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130429 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/29/23 5:20 | "Joint appointment in Biology/Social Science" | ||
628 | 9/28/2023 19:54:05 | University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa | Hawaii | Plant Genomics / Herbarium Director | 11/15/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4222578/assistant-professor-plant-genomics-herbarium-director | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/21/24 20:04 | 1) I'm the current collections manager of the herbarium and I'd be happy to answer any questions about the herbarium (Carrie Tribble, contact me at cmt2@hawaii.edu) 2) anyone heard anything yet? X2 3) Letters of recommnedation request 12/1 x2 4) Any updates? 12/15 5) Zoom interview request 1/16X3 6) Any updates after zoom? 7) None as of Feb 8 x3. 8) In-person invite 02/21/24 x2 | 3 | |
629 | 9/27/2023 15:58:20 | Cornell University | New York | Population Biology and Genomic Architecture of Species Success | 11/20/2023 | https://apps.hr.cornell.edu/recruiting/facultyview.cfm?posting_id=_JOB_POSTING-3-72747 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/3/24 12:18 | 1) what does that focus/topic even mean 2) the description of what the research program will be is so oddly specific. Targeted hire for an assoc prof? 3) lol 4) It's in a Computational Biology department, so mainly on the informatics side, it would seem 5) It seems like a particularly good point in time to study species in decline -- Not sure if that would fly for this candidate. 6) @1 I'm at Cornell in SIPS. This is part of the moonshots - a new research and cluster hire initiative. I would look into them as you prepare your application to get insights. 7) Submission link is not public yet. Not sure if that's normal in process or if the search chair needs to do something to open the actual apps. (8) Anyone else feel that applied conservations genomics is a big grift meant to pry funds from gullible funders/non-scientitist leadership? 8) The funders who put money to genomics usually won't/can't pay for conservation directly. Take some of the NSF funds for conservation genomics and let USFWS keep their money for population monitoring and habitat protection. Otherwise that comp bio money will go to other nerdy things with no conservation impact at all. NSF funded climate science isn't the thing solving climate change. But it's necessary to know what to do with climate change. 9) SC chair here - @2 It's a completely open search. We do not have any particular candidate in mind and are open to applicants at both the Assistant and Associate Professor levels. The position description is quite specific because it is part of our Cohort Faculty Hire Initiative in "Empowering Biodiversity for People and Planet". @7 The application link is now open. Happy to answer any questions. 10) Are letters required up front? 11) x2, can't tell from wording if letters are required upfront 12) @10 once you finish the application part the portal will say incomplete without letters of rec. 13) Any word yet? 12/6 <-None x3 14) I know they probably want to hibernate in Ithaca during January. But I thought someone would have heard by now on this position. 15) maybe they decided that we are all so awful they don't want any of us :-) 16) Or you're all so awesome they're trying to negotiate another line. ;-) 14 again) @15, I can see winter in Ithaca making them curmudgeonly enough to pull that. 17) On-site interview requested on January 18 18) Wow - so no Zoon interviews? or did I miss something ? Sucks for me but very big congrast though @17 19) Thanks @18 - this was an interesting job posting and I had no idea what to expect. But to answer your question, there was no initial zoom interview. Good luck with your other apps! 20) I just came across this position being re-advertised? https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25620 Did others see this? Does this mean they secured a new line? I missed the listed deadline because I just saw this :/ Are previous applicants automarically considered...? 21) @20 there's a cluster hire going on (see @6's comment above) 22) https://x.com/ErikEnbody/status/1830997566676214102 | 4 | |
630 | 9/27/2023 10:52:05 | Chicago Botanic Garden | Illinois | Conservation Science (Spatial analysis expertise) | 10/23/2023 | https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=21ef98a3-d325-4110-a85a-7729320b6f80&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&selectedMenuKey=CareerCenter&jobId=448537 | Asst Prof | Non-Profit Research Organization | 11/16/23 9:59 | Specifically, we seek early-career applicants who have spatial analysis expertise and are interested in dedicating their first year in this role to co-creating a research program with diverse regional partners to tackle impactful regional questions in urban ecology. Conservation scientists are employed by Chicago Botanic Garden and teach and mentor students through the joint program in Plant Biology and Conservation with Northwestern University. (1) invited for zoom interview 10/30 x2 (2) thanks for the update #1! (3) they said they'd issue visit invites this week (4) in-person invites sent (11/16) | 4 | |
631 | 9/27/2023 8:56:54 | New York Botanical Garden | New York | Science | https://www.nybg.org/about/work-with-us/employment/?p=job%2Fos2wofw8 | Assistant Curator | Non-Profit Research Organization | 12/19/23 13:00 | Four positions. "NYBG is seeking Biologists and Data Scientists with interdisciplinary experience in biodiversity informatics, data science, systematics, evolutionary biology, genomics, ecology, food security, remote sensing, machine learning, ethnobotany, and/or conservation." (1) 85K Salary in NYC... ouch. 2) recall the same positions last year. failed complelely? 3) NYBG is notorious for not paying scientists very well. Even the university across the street is paying $10-15K more than that. They do have a new Director of Science plus other new top-level admin so maybe they can move in the right direction over time. 4) Previus search did not fail...they made two hires and the process continues. (5) @1, yes they would probably have 10x the applicants if they made that just 10-15k higher. Might be reasonable for a post-doc in NYC, but not equivalent to a faculty position. 6) not a popular one per the # to the right b/c of low salary? 7) Maybe it's that hell website for applications keeping people away 8) Don't forget their salary includes the summer. 9) wow, how can one live there? 10) any updates? it says a start date in early January. 11) No updates so far. Prob. going through a big pile of applications. 11/14 11) Email from HR requested recommendation letters. Is this for all applicants or a smaller pool? 12) only ref request ? r there other questions for you to answer? 11 here) yup other questions too 13) i saw on Glassdoor reviews from salary to management to career dev not very positive or very negative more precisely. 14) zoom interview invite 11/16 (x2) 15) [Previously posted but unfortunately deleted so am reposting] @3, if a person is interested in teaching 3-4 courses a year, yes, by all means go accross the street where the salary is a bit higher. I don't think there are any equivalent posting there at the moment, but one can always hope. Depends how you wish to spend your career. Advantage at NYBG and at most freestanding research institutions is the opportuntiy to engage in long term projects. 16) curious how do they do interviews here? as I recall on the posting it says a starting date in Janunary. Do they do on-site job talk? 17) in-person visit invite 12/19 | 6 | ||
632 | 9/27/2023 8:09:37 | St. Edward's University | Texas | Director of Research - Wild Basin Creative Research Center | https://www.applicantpro.com/openings/stedwards/jobs/3045924 | Director of Research | Director of Research | 11/17/23 12:36 | 1) anyone have any idea what paygrade 416 means? 2) Only thing I could find: https://www.crowleyisdtx.org/cms/lib5/TX01917780/Centricity/Domain/107/Compensation%20Plan%202013-14.pdf | 1 | ||
633 | 9/27/2023 6:17:58 | Susquehanna University | Pennsylvania | Animal Physiology | 10/13/2023 | https://jobs.susqu.edu/postings/3504 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/6/24 10:06 | 1) Contacted for phone interview (10/16) 1) Contacted for campus interview (10/27) 1) an offer has been made 2) This posting seems to have been bumped up again. Was the offer not taken? | 1 | |
634 | 9/26/2023 16:33:31 | University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Ecology | 11/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133155 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/15/24 7:25 | (1) Instructions say "contact information for three references (letters will be requested after the first round of selection)". However, interfolio is requiring the three references. (2) why does this same discussion of references come up for every application? interfolio can require the information without immediately contacting the references. The search committee wants to gather the information for if/when they decide to contact them so they can act quickly. 3) @2 because we all over-think things. (4) I think 1 might have a point. Normally you can just upload a single PDF to interforlio with all the references, but interfolio asks for 3 different files. Seems like an error in how the page got set up. I guess one could upload three PDFs each with contact info for one reference?! Not very efficient, but will satisfy the system. (5) I'm sure it depends on how it is set up. i've had to submit a pdf with references and fill out the individual contact information into forms on interfolio for a single application and still the references were not contacted until later in the process. (6) Search Chair here: We do indeed only want the contact information at this point. Looking into setting up the interfolio to make that clearer. If you submit your application before then, adding the same file with three contacts three times would work to get the system to submit. [UPDATE: This is fixed now, you will only be asked to enter contact information for references -- SC] 7) @6 - Awesome, thank you SC! x4 (8) How many recent hires in EEB in this dept have been postdocs? (9) I'm always confused by review date. Does review date mean that for full consideration you need to have all materials in by 11/5? Interfolio doesn't list any dates as far as I can tell. 10) I'd just submit at this point. If it says review begins I normally submit the night before, but it's probably splitting hairs. 11) submitted this morning. fingers crossed. at least 300 apps with quite a number of APs? 12) @ 11- where did you get the ≥300 application figure from? are you estimating from the "number applied" column here? 13) @ 12. yes, that's my guess. at least 10x the number. 14) the WSU job had a similar number and got around 300 applicants. But that was a much broader search. I think someone said for an eco/evo job it would be more like 7X? 14) any updates on this? 15) @14 nothing as of Nov 13 x15 (16) 11/27: One of my letter writers told me they got a request today X15 17) Wow, a lot of letter requests for this one 18) Well the job ad said that LOR would be requested from people who made the first cut. Might be a large "long-list". (19) Has anyone heard anything post letter requests? (20) 11 Dec, nothing here x8 (21) on campus interview invite, 12/15 x2 22) Congrats to the invitees!! (thank you!!) 23) This job was just reposted on Chronicle yesterday (1/29). I guess they are still actively accepting/reviewing applications? 24) Who knows? A lot of jobs get randomly reposted on those sites 25) on-campus interviews happening now 26) When is now? 27) "We're in 'now' now" "When will then be now? -Soon" 28) Spaceballs the job hunt! 29) 😂 | 32 | |
635 | 9/26/2023 14:00:23 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Virology | 10/16/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/7201?c=illinois | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/13/23 16:07 | "use modern experimental, computational, and/or quantitative analyses to study the host interactions, pathogenesis and immunology, evolution, ecology, population dynamics, and/or replication of viruses." 1) any updates? | ||
636 | 9/26/2023 12:58:36 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette | Louisiana | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | 11/1/2023 | https://louisiana.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/2488?c=louisiana | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/11/24 5:26 | Hiring two positions from any subdiscipline of Ecology and Evolution Biology 2) I applied yesterday but didn't receive any confirmation email, is it normal?! thanks! 3) Had errors returned when trying to upload materials, so I emailed the application to HR x3 3)Was told there was an outage yesterday and to try again today (11/2). They said they cannot process it via email so I'd try again today, worked for me. x2 4) I was able to submit it this morning. x2 SO annoying. Someday I will learn to submit before 9pm on due date lol 5) had the same issue lol! 5) any updates? (6) Way too early (7) Search committee member - we know about the upload problems and all applications close to the deadline were considered. expect remote interview requests within a week or so (11/20) (8) Thank you for the update! x5 (9) Zoom invitation on 24/11 x3 10) Campus invite 12/12 11) I feel like I have a problem with a 15 minute zoom interview conducted through an owl 12) Anyone heard anything on the evo side? 13) any updates as of mid-march? 14) heard the first offer(s?) was rejected and they are moving to possibly interview more people, seems 50/50 if it will fail or they'll keep inviting interviews 15) someone did an accept an offer (me) - just waiting for paperwork to go through. I'm super excited so I hope they fill the second position soon so I can have another eco/evo colleague! 16) Congrats @ 15! https://x.com/mel_toups/status/1808515022609387700 17) Email stating position filled. 18) https://x.com/YoichiroTamori/status/1810253835497345456 ? 19) https://x.com/ACWesterband/status/1811200232044257389 | 19 | |
637 | 9/26/2023 12:18:06 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina | Microbiology | 10/20/2023 | https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/265990 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/13/24 14:22 | "focus on molecular mechnanisms that mediate pathogenicity, symbiosis, microbial community assembly and dynamics, engineering microbiomes with useful phenotypes, and/or host responses to infection/colonization, seeking candidates who study interactions of microbes with non-mammalian eukaryotic organisms (particularly plants), and/or with each other in soil, water, and other environments." (2) Does anyone have any updates?? 3) I've heared nothing as of 11/8 x8 4) Nothing as of 11/15 x7 5) 11/17: One of my references got a letter request today. Landed in the junk folder. 6) @5 Did you click "send Emil remainder" on system or your reference got a request directly from them? 7) My letter writers were also contacted - thanks for the heads up @5, I'll have them check spam 8) @7 does it say that your references were contacted on your application profile? (9) 5 again: @8 I see what you mean- in my application profile it does not say anything was requested or received (although at least one of my recommenders has submitted in response to the request) 7) I'm not sure where to look for this? (10) @2 et al - I was contacted today (Nov20) to schedule a Zoom interview for the week of Dec11! x3 (11) Congrats! (12) 10 here on Jan8, haven't heard any updates since my Zoom interview... anyone have any news? (13) Rejection letter (Jan12) x3 | 11 | |
638 | 9/26/2023 12:10:01 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina | Plant Signal Networks | 10/20/2023 | https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/265990 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 13:59 | focus on deciphering how key properties of plants emerge from the integration of signaling networks controlling growth, development, responses to biotic or abiotic factors, or combinations of these. 2) There is a paragraph in the ad that starts with "Host-Microbe, Microbe-Microbe Interactions. Candidates focus on molecular mechanisms that mediate..." and seems to be suggesting different search criteria, but is included under the department description. Should this be considered by applicants? 2) Nvm - I see that two positions are on the same page 3) Review date and deadline are different? 4) any updates? x2 5) they might interviewing someone already (seminar list on their website) 6) There are seminars every week how would you recognize which one is invited candidate? 7) Has anyone heard back regarding this position (11/21)? 8) Nothing for me as of 11/28...news? x2 | 3 | |
639 | 9/26/2023 10:51:46 | Indiana University | Indiana | Animal Behavior | 11/15/2023 | https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/20413 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/6/24 7:27 | 1. Would they consider hiring at the Associate Professor level? 2. great behavior history here, but friightening stuff coming out of the President's office 3. @2, can you link to any articles with details about what you're referencing? 4)I'm a post-doc at IU and I have to say most of us dislike the President (she's a puppet for the trustees) but so far it has not really impacted our day to day. 5) Letter Writer recieved a request for letter (I was not told by IU, my letter writer told me) 12/1 x7 6) Anyone heard anything since letter requests? 7) Nope 8) Was told they wanted them by the 8th, so it's only been a week. 9) Zoom invite 12/18 x4 10) 12 slots given for zoom interviews fyi 11) To be clear, that's 12 time slots to choose from, no indication if that is the number of finalists--but I will say a worst case of 33% reporting (4 people at time of writing) means this page is amazingly good for keeping track of hiring progress. (12) Any update on this? 13) Less than two weeks since interviews. I know one committee member was traveling last week so that may have slowed the process. 14) Emailed for status update on 1/29 and was told I did not make next round 1/30. =( 15) darn :( guess none of us EEBers here made it 16) Campus interviews have been scheduled. | 13 | |
640 | 9/26/2023 6:28:06 | University of Zurich | Switzerland | Plant Diversity & Macroevolution | 11/25/2023 | https://jobs.uzh.ch/offene-stellen/assistant-professorship-tenure-track-in-plant-diversity-and-macroevolution/fd740c82-a247-4903-a92a-834c65d8bd72 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/23/24 9:03 | 1. Would they consider hiring at the Associate Professor level? @1 SC member here, the position will be hired at the Assistant level, I suppose it is your choice if would want to apply for it if you've already advanced past that level 2. Was the review date incorrect? The link says that the job listing is now closed 3) @2 no, the link changed for some reason. REview date is still the 25th 4) @3 would you mind posting the new link? 3) https://jobs.uzh.ch/offene-stellen/assistant-professorship-tenure-track-in-plant-diversity-and-macroevolution/1c4386d8-1439-40e3-a6b7-ec3b09021086 4) rejected [1/9] x2 5) any other news since 1/9? I have not heard anything at all | 3 | |
641 | 9/26/2023 5:02:58 | James Madison University | Virginia | Plant Biotechnology | 10/19/2023 | https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15538 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/22/24 18:48 | 1) did this search fail last year? or is this an additional search? 2)When will refenrce requsets be sent? 3) yes search failed last year 4) offer made and accepted | 1 | |
642 | 9/25/2023 11:20:13 | University of Western Ontario | Canada | Global Animal Migration Ecology | 10/21/2023 | https://www.uwo.ca/facultyrelations/careers/pdf/Advertisement_Science_GlobalAnimalMigrationEcology-CRC_2023.pdf | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/18/24 10:32 | (1) Why are jobs in Canada always so specific? X3 (2) They have already picked out their hire? Just speculating. 3) I don't think they are noticeably more specific than US jobs. This university has an advanced facility for avian research with a wind tunnel, so the topic for this particular search is pretty clearly aligned with that resource. X2 4) They recently created the Center for Animals on the Move (CAM), further aligning the position with this resource. 5) Canada Research Chairs are often quite specific, no? I don't think it's true of Canadian jobs in general 6) People on here are so quick to suggest an internal hire with virtually no evidence. Just apply to the job if you want the job. Being an internal candidate is often a disadvantage (7) The specifificity of Cdn jobs matches my experience as a broadly-trained ecologist restricted to working in Canada. Nothing I can really apply for. 8) As a member of our search committee I can clarify some of these questions. First of all there is no internal person targeted for this position. It is fully open to any applicant that feels they may meet the basic criteria. It is open to any animal taxa not limited to birds. The AFAR is a globally unique facility that could or could not be used by the candidate. We are simply looking for an established researcher in order to meet the CRC Tier 1 requirements. The ad may seem specific but most of that is boilerplate from our faculty relations. It is not restricted to research in Canada. We welcome applications, so please apply if you are interested. 9) Hey SC - any updates? 10) I recieved another offer and asked for an update - looks like they made a first pass (and I got my rejection email). | ||
643 | 9/25/2023 9:53:24 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Medical / Veterinary Entomology | 11/13/2023 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/516299/assistant-professortenure-system | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/7/24 15:00 | 1) Any updates? 2) Seems the listing is gone, so closed already? 3) Application deadline was 15 Nov. Would not imagine any contacts until after the holidays unless the seach committee is planning to work after finals. 4) @3 the original ad did not say deadline is 15 Nov, what was said is application review starts from 15 Nov. Does that mean the same thing as "deadline"? 4) 3 here. It normally means they will start reviewing apps then, but if other apps come later they would be considered. I've personally always used the "review begins" as a hard deadline as it's human nature to give more weight to the earlier apps (i.e., it's harder to displace a good app already on the "good" list). (5) any updates? 6) It's been like two weeks, it's the end of term, and it's the holidays. I'd not expect anything until next year. 7) Letters of rec requested 8) Darn. Have not gotten a request for letters. Am I the only one? 9) @8 ask your references. I wasn't notified by MSU that mine had been requested, but my reference told me it had. 9) trying to figure out if everyone got letter requests or are the requests reflective of a short list 10) "semi-finalists" contacted for zoom interviews +2 11) Another MSU Entomology search sent out zoom invites today, interesting that they both lined up in this way 12) Any word on campus interviews? 11) They're probably holding the zooms this week 13) Zooms were conducted during the week of January 15th. Waiting to hear about campus interviews. 14) Invite for in-person interview 7 Feb 15) is this still going on? Has an offer been made? 16) On campus interviews completed.17) I'd hope so, they were like two months ago. 18) I heard this was a failed search 19) Dept member: Can unfortunately confirm, though they are looking to repost the ad quickly and be interviewing candidates before the EntSoc meeting in November. 20) Will there be any changes to the job description or level of hire considered? | 4 | |
644 | 9/25/2023 9:14:29 | California State University - Chico | California | Wildlife or Fish Biology | 10/26/2023 | https://jobs.csuchico.edu/ch/en-us/job/530032/assistant-professor-of-wildlife-or-fish-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/27/24 11:00 | 1) so this position doesn't ask for a teaching, research, or diversity statement....is this intended to be a pretty lengthy cover letter then? 2) maybe not too lengthy but should touch on all these things. I think they ask for teaching and research statements from their short list of candidates 3) any updates? 4) Nothing as of 11/22 5) Zoom interview (11/30) 6) recently heard of a title IX incident from this dept, something to consider in terms of how the school handled it 7) Any updates? 8) On-campus invite 1/2 x 2 9) Any updates on offers? 10) @9 I chatted with the search chair on 3/21 and they mentioned that decision is with the Dean. Not sure if that means the Dean is negotiating with a candidate or they are waiting for the Dean to make an offer | 9 | |
645 | 9/25/2023 7:39:24 | Texas State University | Texas | Aquatic Resources | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/43752 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/5/24 19:11 | "specializing in biological-hydrological interactions in aquatic systems"; deadline for priority review is actually 10/15 (AP don't know if you can fix this) AP) Updated (though job ad still says 10/1) 1 again) Thanks AP! There's an error in the ad according to the SC. Don't know why it wasn't fixed, but 10/15 was correct deadline for priority (but if folks are still interested, please apply!) 2) position went to internal candidate | ||
646 | 9/25/2023 7:12:49 | Monell Chemical Senses Center | Pennsylvania | Chemical Ecology / Chemical Biology | http://apply.interfolio.com/132930 | Rank Open | Non-Profit Research Organization | |||||
647 | 9/24/2023 10:37:44 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Plant Physiology | 10/30/2023 | http://apply.interfolio.com/132708 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/11/24 14:31 | AP) Why does this job keep getting the wrong comments? Maybe if I put something here it will fix that. 2) Thanks AP, any updates? 3) request for zoom interview Dec 1 4) The same job was just posted again yesterday, on HigherEd Jobs. Is it possible that they are hiring two people or is this a mistake? New ad says review will begin on October 30th so I'm guessing this is a fluke. I've just emailed the contact person to ask. 5) confirmed to be mistakenly posted twice | 1 | |
648 | 9/22/2023 11:57:22 | University of Miami | Florida | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | 10/15/2023 | https://umiami.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMFaculty/job/College-of-A-S---Biology---FAC---Ecology-and-Evolutionary-Biology---Asst-Professor---Professor_R100070576 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2/13/24 6:15 | "We welcome applications from candidates who would enhance or complement our existing departmental programs in Biodiversity & Global Change, Tropical Ecology & Evolution, Development & Disease, Neuroscience & Behavior, and Microbiome Biology & Species Interactions." 1) Does anyone know what the expected salary would be? Miami is not exactly an affordable place to live in SC) The salary is negotiable and will depend on rank and qualifications. Miami is expensive, but UM is private and generally pays well. 2) any idea who the search chairs are for this? I couldn't find info on the website 3) EEB search chairs are Kenneth Feeley & Amy Zanne. This dept is also running an MCB search, chaired by Kevin Collins. 4) Miami is also unaffordable for potential grad students, and it looks like the base stipend is $24,950. I see the Dean's Fellowship approaches a livable wage of 35K. How easy is it to secure that for grad students in a lab? 5) Jeez, $25k in Miami is ridiculous. SC) The grad student stipend has been increasing and is now at ~$30k for 9 months - so close to $40k if you pay summer salary. And you are allowed to pay grad students' summer salaries with your start up. Health insurance is covered 100% for all grad students. Unlike many other universities, UM Biology does have lots of TAships available for grad students (and lots of internal fellowships) and we guarantee 5-years support for all grad students. 6) @SC that actually seems like a great deal for grad students! Kudos, UM! 7) Does UM also offer housing subsidies for new faculty members? A quick Zillow search shows that housing prices around UM typically exceed $1.5M. SC) Housing is expensive (bubble ready to burst?) but salaries are fairly high. If you are able to commute a short distance (by car, bike, or public transport - yes, Miami does have a working metro), you can of course find much cheaper housing than what is right around the university. UM does not offer any housing subsidies for new faculty, but we have been pushing for it. SC) Update on graduate student support - for what its worth, a senior administrator just announced unofficially that we should be expecting a very large increase in grad student stipends. 8) Thank you, SC, for sharing this information. Could you please provide a timeline for this search? SC) applications are due this weekend (10/15) and we hope to start reviewing files, formulate a short list, and request letters asap, with interviews in mid to late January. We would like to have someone starting August 2024, but start date is negotiable. 9) someone please be kind enough to put me out of my misery as soon as you hear about references or zoom (x3). 4 again) Big thanks to the SC for your response! 10) Letters requested 11/1 x12 11) Any chance the SC member is still checking and could let us know approximate number who had letters requested? Just wondering if it is still a very long list or if I should get my hopes up. 12) I just realized that 6 letters were requested at the time Im reading this, and there are 6 folks who logged themselves as having applied to this position. Curious about numbers of applications too. 13) Was the nortification about the letter sent to the applicants? If so, I was not selected... 14)Yes, the notification was sent to the applicants 15) :'( this is so brutal x3 16) Thanks for letting us know. Congrats to long list folks. x3 SC) We received 250 very strong applications and sent out reference letter requests to 35 pre-tenure candidates. At this time we are focusing primarily on "junior" candidates, but we are actively working on adding more mid and senior level candidates to the list so we may still be requesting letters from additional candidiates in the future. 17) thanks for the transparency, SC, much appreciated. But wow I didn't even make the top 35? That's a reality check. Ouch. SC) It was an extremely strong and competitive applicant pool and our selections were made based on many different factors, meaning that lots of really great candidates didn’t make the cut. (36) 250 strong applicants for 2 jobs is a tragic statement about the overproduction of phds in our field. 19) Absolutely. But 250 is not too many compared to some jobs. Duk advertised two positions last year and got over 550 applications, and I've heard of others (maybe Michigan last year) getting closer to 1000! (20) Yeah UMich was around 850 IIRC 21) 250 is definitely low for an open search like this at a really nice private research uni. Very low. I would guess that if this number is a result of the "Florida effect." Even though Miami is somewhat insulated as it is private, FL is a wasteland for top academic applicants on the job market because of the political environment. 22) any updates from those who had letters requested? 23) Some of those comparisons are pretty extreme outliers. 600+ for even a pretty broad ad is unusual. That U Washington cluster across many departments for 5 positions a couple years ago had ~1200. 250 seems a little low, but I think 3-400 would be very normal for a job like this. I know people want to avoid Florida, but people also need jobs... 24) Any update 11/28? 25) Haven't heard anything 11/29 x 5 SC) We are still reviewing letters and hope to send out interview invitations soon. 26) Thank you, SC. Will there be Zoom interviews, or proceed directly to campus interviews? 27) Relevant discussion going on in the "General Discussion" tab re: Florida banning hiring Chinese (and some other nationals) grad students and postdocs. 28) @27 UMiami is private. The florida "ban" only pertains to public schools. 29) Any news? Asking on 12/21 x2 30) Candidates were invited for in-person interviews. 31) job has been offered and accepted. | 36 | |
649 | 9/22/2023 8:07:48 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Quantitative Ecology | 11/4/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132743 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/7/24 13:39 | Polytechnic Campus. 1) Tried to contact the Associate Head with inquiries on the structure of the letter of interest a week a go but no response yet. Any ideas on how to clarify a few points? 2) unconventional! it does not even require research statement. 3) Received zoom interview request for a different position at this campus (Genetics) which was unlisted here. Not sure of course if timelines are the same between searches. 4) updates? 5) none here x2 6) feels like a zombie position x3. 7) 12/18 any updates?? 8) no updates. is this job still active? 9) Zoom interview invite 12/19 10) zoom interview 01/10 | 5 | |
650 | 9/21/2023 20:07:23 | Chapman University | California | Life Sciences | 10/25/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131560 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/21/24 8:44 | 1) Help design, implement, and assess innovative new programs that lead to demonstrable advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion for our students, faculty, and staff. Position has resources to help achieve those new programs. We would be excited to bring another ecologist/evolutionary biologist on board! -Biol Faculty Member 2) Salary range $82K-92K (thank you SC for including!), is that practical for the location? 3) @1 are partner hires negotiable? 4) Cost of living manageable w/ excellent benefits; we are open to partner hires and there is precedent -Biol Faculty Member 5) When clicking on the link, deadline now says 11/2 -- Can we confirm that this is the actual deadline? 6) Any chance of a wet lab here with vivarium facility? (7) Deadline extended. Plenty of wetlab space, no existing vivarium but equipped for animal work more generally. -Biol Faculty Member (8) looks like another deadline extention...to Nov 6 9) Any updates? 11/15 10) nope, but its only been a week since the deadline actually passed. 11) @10 when do we give up hope for zoom usually? a month after application due date? 10) I'm not sure. for "normal" jobs I'd say a month, but sometimes academic jobs can take ages to send invites. I try to tell myself that no news is good news. 12) Any updates? 13) nothing here as of 11/28 X 5 (14) Has there been any news on this? today is 5th december. 15) nothing here but I am loosing hope because there are no more days left to schedule zoom interviews this semester. So I am in the process of colsoling myself that this is never going to happen. I really thought I would get zoom interview though :(- oh man typos everywhere. I am depressed. 16) I've applied to positions with a much longer wait than this. One this year was due mid-October and they let all applicants know it would be late December before anyone heard. Hang tight -- until someone on this site reports hearing something, probably its still up in the air. 17) Invitation for Zoom Interview received 12/6 afternoon x2 @17 congratulations! Thanks for updating us. I am going to chalk this to one of those places that I really thought would work out and didn't even get a zoom. 19) Congrats!! 20) Congratulations to those who recieved interview requests! Thank you for sharing! 21) Did anyone with Zoom interviews hear back yet [12/20]? 22) nope [12/20] - still no word as of [1/5]. Not sure when I should give up hope for an in person invite :/ 23) received in-person invite via email 22) alas, no invite for me :( congrats on yours though! 24) Received an email stating that the position was filled. x3 25) When did you all receive that last email? I interviewed but haven't seen anything in my inbox yet and slightly confused. 26) @25 on 3/6. Email didn't state that they filled the position, but that they selected a candidate 27) @26 thanks for the clarification! Still can't find any emails, but appreciate the sign to start moving on :) A tough part of getting along far enough is being left in the dark indefinitely 26) if you interviewed in person but haven't heard anything yet, I would assume you're the runner up. Here's hoping the top choice declines so you get an offer! 27) Thank you! | 8 | |
651 | 9/21/2023 18:13:28 | Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | Biology | 10/15/2023 | https://jobrxiv.org/job/johns-hopkins-university-27778-tenure-tenure-track-biology-department-faculty-positions/ | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 1/17/24 13:41 | "All areas of molecular, cellular, developmental, genetic, genomic, evolutionary, and biochemical/biophysical biology will be considered." 1) Any idea how long these documents should be? Should DEI be integrated with the teaching statement? 2) @1 I usually go with 1-2 pages as the assumption in these cases 3) The app doesn't want a cover letter...? 4) Not a single organismal biology in this dept. Barely even any ecologists or evolutionists. What are the chances they will hire one now? 5) @4 Not good, I predict. JH seems to pride itself more on the medical/cell bio/genomics side of things 6) I would guess that someone working on evolutionary medicine and functional genomic type questions would be suitable, but not your average ecoevo person 7) I applied here as an ecoevo person several years ago. Multiple faculty were abysmally rude, very clearly opposed to evo or comp bio, and pushed for crispr only. They were extremely dismissive of evolutionary medicine or medical sequencing analysis. If you really want to be at this school perhaps still apply, but emphasize cellular mechanisms no matter what the job says. 8) Application portal is not letting me apply. Says I'm missing docs but they're all there. Anyone else? 9) What suppose to be their recommendation letter deadline? The same as the application deadline? 10) has anyone received an interview invitation? 11) It's been 2 weeks since the cutoff, but applications are rolling. Think about how long it takes to get 5 profs into a room at the same time. Then allow time for all of them to score 100-300apps. It's probably going to be some time before they get in touch. Sit tight. 12) any updates? 11/30 13) Not here, but this one is a reach for me. x2 14) Updates? 12/6 I'm slowly losing hope. 15) nope... I'm not hopeful 15) My app is locked in interfolio, with edits no longer allowed. I don't know if that means anything. (16) Maybe it means that the 5 profs got in the same room. No guarantees that they did anything else 15 again) Another position where I made the long list just went to the same state. I would guess it means advancing to letter request equivalent, but not shortlist. (17) Invited to Zoom interview 12/18x2 (18) Rejected Jan 17th, 2024 - email said over 350 applicants. x2 | 8 | |
652 | 9/21/2023 12:36:16 | Ohio State University | Ohio | Director of the School of Environment and Natural Resources | 11/17/2023 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/649852/director-and-professor-school-of-environment-and-natural-resources/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/30/24 13:00 | They had a couple of really great candidates for this, but somehow hired no one. | ||
653 | 9/21/2023 12:29:05 | Georgia Tech | Georgia | Earth System Science | 10/1/2023 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=3000&JobOpeningId=263674&PostingSeq=1&PortalActualURL=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsc%2fcareers%2fCAREERS%2fHRMS%2fc%2fHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3fPage%3dHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26Action%3dU%26FOCUS%3dApplicant%26SiteId%3d3000%26JobOpeningId%3d263674%26PostingSeq%3d1&PortalRegistryName=CAREERS&PortalServletURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsp%2fcareers%2f&PortalURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu%2fpsc%2fcareers%2f&PortalHostNode=APPLICANT&NoCrumbs=yes&PortalKeyStruct=yes | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 2/16/24 9:36 | "Areas of particular interest to the department include geochemistry and biogeochemistry of oceans, sediments and surface waters, high-temperature and isotope geochemistry, geomicrobiology, astrobiology, Earth system science of carbon removal and greenhouse gas mitigation, and coupling between solid and fluid components of the Earth system." 1) No mention of length/number of pages for application materials? 2) any news? 3) no news (12/18) 4) heard onsite invitations (2/16) | 2 | |
654 | 9/21/2023 11:51:51 | Texas State University | Texas | Microbiology | 11/6/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178545456&Title=Assistant%2FAssociate%20Professor%2C%20Microbiology | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/18/24 8:45 | SC member here- this is a cluster hire of three positions (Microbial Functional Genomics, Microbial Ecology, and Molecular Microbiology); will monitor here for questions! 1) What is the department and the university like? SC) we are a high tier R2 actively pursuing R1 status; new faculty are really well supported (1-1 teaching load, low service, competitive startups). Department has a wide diversity of researchers across subfields! 2) I did my PhD in this department, and LOVED my time there. If I were a fit for this hire, I wouldn't hesitate to apply (state politics aside...). 3) @SC member. Does the department or the university have any solutions for the issues caused by the recent Texas senate bills? x2 SC) this is a complicated question, but in regards to the search: We are a diverse faculty that serves a majority-minority student body (HSI). We hope that qualified candidates will address their “fit” with not only the research we perform but also the culture of our department, and how they will support our ongoing efforts to engage varied perspectives in the biological sciences. Also, it should be noted that the DEI bill does not impact scholarly/creative activities, student organizations, etc. SC) the website for the cluster hire is now live; it's role is to provide helpful insight regarding the search and application preparation: https://microbiology.wp.txstate.edu 4) LOR was requested on 12/15 or so x3 5) Invited to a campus interview x2 6) @5, have you heard anything after the first email? They said they will send details later, but I've not received the second email. 7) SC member here; chair is out of the country currently. I would suspect you will hear more when he returns. 8) Thank you, SC!! 9) Have offers been made?? 10) Offers should be out or going out in the next few days, pending higher up approvals; UPDATE- confirmed all offers are out and in negotiations. 11) Thanks for the update, SC! Congrats to everyone who got offers! 12) Have all the offers been accepted? 13) Update from this morning is that 2/3 offers have been accepted. | 4 | |
655 | 9/21/2023 11:50:19 | Cornell University | New York | Plant Biodiversity & Adaptation | 10/25/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25644 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/3/24 9:24 | 1) SC member here. Happy to anwser questions! 2) Is it evolutionary-focused? or also considering moleucular stuffs? 3) definitely evolutionary-focused; molecular stuff is welcome 4) is it really an open position? The ad looks like maybe tailored for an internal candidate? 5) agree w/ 4. This looks like they have someone in mind. 6) I've only seen transcripts requested for R01 positions if they are trying to tailor the posting, but maybe I am wrong. Transcript requests seem rare and odd 7) transcripts are normal for Cornell, unfortunately. 7) SC member here - @4 and @5 there is NO internal candidate 5) @7 thank you for clarifying! That's great to hear! (8) Transcripts are *unofficial* for those wondering, so should not be too much trouble to get. (9) Reference letters requested. Over 100 applicants, refs from top 20. (10) Question for SC, email was a bit vague about letters, did all apps get it or just the top 20? (11) must have been just the top 20 because I didn't get an email... :\ (10 again) ah sorry 11, but thanks for the info. (12) SC member here. @11 is correct (it was an extremely tough selection process!). (10) Thanks SC! 13) Zoom interview invite 11/16 x2 (14) congrats / RIP! (15) I thought letters were due 11/20? I guess they decided about zoom invites without waiting for all the letters to arrive. (16) Can SC confirm if all candidates with letters requested have been informed if they got zoomers? (17) I think safe to assume it's over (18) SC member here, the zoom interviews have been completed and we are currently putting together campus interview. @15 is correct. Again lots and lots of really tough decisions.... 19) In person visit invite 12/11 (20) Rejection email Dec12 x4 (21) Succesful candidate announced on twitter 22) @21 drop a link! (23) looks like https://x.com/daniel_anstett/status/1778805868915560700 24) Maybe also https://x.com/marxhannah/status/1807556301976694858 ? | 6 | |
656 | 9/21/2023 6:03:35 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Massachusetts | Wildlife Ecology | 11/1/2023 | https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/520604/assistant-professor-wildlife-ecology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/21/24 14:15 | 1) SC Member here, I am happy to answer questions as they arise! 2) What is the salary range? 3) @1 Does your department's definition of wildlife include plants, or are you looking for a candidate that focuses on animals? x2 4) The same question as #3. Can a microbial ecologist that works with land-use/climate change apply? @3 and @4: "While taxonomic expertise is not restricted, the ideal candidate will have experience working with terrestrial vertebrates". 5) SC member: I don't know what the salary range will be for this new hire but I can tell you that I started as an Assistant Professor at $79k in 2017 and that all of our salaries are public at this link - https://cthrupayroll.mass.gov/#!/year/2023/ 6) Any thoughts regarding consideration given by SC to assistant professor vs postdoc? 7) SC member: Both postdocs and current Assistant Professors are encouraged to apply! 8) any updates? 9) none here x9. 10) SC member: we are still evaluating applications, thank you for your patience! 11) thank you SC! can you share with us approx how many applications were recieved? 12) Zoom invitation received 11/27 x 8 13) Dang, I really wanted this one and thought I had a decent chance. Out of curiousity, would any you invitees share what taxa you work on? 14) Sad about this one too, it seems like a very cool department! 15) Campus interview invite 12/22 x4 16) Any news here 17) Nothing as at 3/11 x2 18) I got an HR form letter rejection 07/18/24 | 17 | |
657 | 9/21/2023 0:35:40 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Behavioral Ecology | 10/16/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty_Career_Website_live/details/Assistant-Professor--Department-of-Biology--Three-Tenure-Track-Positions-_R0006028 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/8/24 18:39 | " investigate animal behavior and life history with an emphasis on the evolutionary processes that influence behavior in natural environments." 1) Would folks with more eco and less evo focus be considered? 2) Any update on this one? 3) nothing as of 11/1 x4 4) Zoom interview invite 11/3 x8 5) Full interview invite on 12/1 x2 6) Anyone else from a Zoom interview hear anything yet? Nothing for me as of 12/9 x3 (7) Did the in person interview get confirmation that this was Behav Ecol. search in the email? (8) @7 yes - in my email it specified the Behav Ecol search (9) offer made (10) ...and then? (11) first offer passed, second offer made | 16 | |
658 | 9/21/2023 0:35:08 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Neurobiology | 10/16/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty_Career_Website_live/details/Assistant-Professor--Department-of-Biology--Three-Tenure-Track-Positions-_R0006028 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/2/24 8:49 | investigate the neural circuit basis of behavior using any combination of classical and modern approaches. 2) Possibly https://x.com/sewestrick/status/1830324117222088824 | 2 | |
659 | 9/21/2023 0:33:21 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Evolutionary Biology | 10/16/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty_Career_Website_live/details/Assistant-Professor--Department-of-Biology--Three-Tenure-Track-Positions-_R0006028 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/4/24 9:08 | "investigate the evolution of multicellular organisms in natural systems with a research program focused on core questions in evolutionary patterns and processes" 2) There were Evolutionary Biology and Neurobiology searches here last year, did they fail? 3) would this affect your interest in the position? Never understand the logic of this question. Searches fail all the time for mundane reasons. Top candidate dragged feet then declined and Dept was not allowed to make second offer, etc. Failed searches do not signify disfunction or malfeasance 4) I'm not @2, but basic curiosity seems like pretty obvious logic to me. x7. 5) I don't know if the search failed or not. I do know that they went through two rounds of in-person interviews last year, offered the job to people that went elsewhere, and did not offer it to the remainder. I know of people that had a bad experience last year and have still not heard anything back. 6) Here's a basic reason to want to know if a search failed: If I get this job will I have a colleague that started the year before that I can get some immediate mentorship from? 2 here) Curious because last year I didn't even get a zoom interview - and so I might not waste my time again (I know, I know, the pool is different). And if 5 is right, kudos to them for going back into the pool, but that seems to just reinforce my reasoning. 7) Many departments, if they make a new hire, publizice on websites, X (formerly twitter), etc, so not too difficult to determine if someone new has started 8) Search is a repeat, but refreshed in scope. All applications welcome. 9) at #9, is the scope refreshed enough that if we didn't make a zoom interview its legitimately worth reapplying? 10) @9 Yes, all applications welcome. 11) anyone heard anything on this? 12) nope as of oct 26 x9. 12) Still nothing as of the morning of Nov. 1. If the neurobio search is underway as indicated in the note above, maybe they're hoping to knock that out before they move on to this search? x2 13) Still getting hits on my website from Winston-Salem, so I think they're still looking 11/2 14) anybody hear anything? 15) nope as of nov. 9 x6 16) This is taking to long. Do I smell a canceled search? (17) No, why would you suggest? 18) Yeah, it hasn't even been a month yet. 16) again. True, I guess my anxiety made me feel like it had been a much longer time 20) search is still active. 21) No word here as of the morning of 11/17/23 x5. 22) Zoom interview invite 11/17 x5 (23) Damn x4 (24) Any word on in-person invites yet? (25) Nothing here yet [12/1]X4 26) In-person invite 12/12 x3 (27) Didn't seem like the kind of place that would ghost me after a zoom interview... ah well (28) They ghosted me after a campus visit for the same position last year... (29) Wow, OK—dodged a bullet it seems. 30) To be fair, WF is far from the only uni to "ghost" even after an in-person interview. Doesn't make it right, but doesn't necessarily mean a bullet was doged or otherwise. (31) A place that ghosts people who they interviewed in person is certainly a place with cultural issues X2 32) @31 it says nothing about the culture of the department and literally only means that their HR systems are lame x2 (32) No—as someone who has been on committees it's your perogative to update people after an interview—or at the very least forewarn candidates that the HR system will prevent this. 33) Zoom interview invite on 3/21/2024 - evidently they search is still open! 34) As someone who had an in-person invite and interviewed back in Feb, WTF 35) @34, same here. I mean one of us unacceptable, ok that happens, but both? I would think that's unlikely. And why wouldn't they go back to original Zoom pool? It's all very confusing. (36) I zoomed earlier in the year, did not hear back, but was asked yesterday if I might accept an offer to interview. I declined. (34 again) I'm debating emailing to ask the status of the search and allude to the fact I heard zoom interviews had resumed. Though at this point, I'm pretty insulted. (37) @34 maybe this would encourage them to be nicer when it comes to communication (35 again) @34 I'd like to know their response, since I'm sort of in the same boat (though I after finding out I was not top choice at WF I took another offer). (38) For those who interviewed, what was your impression? (35 again) I liked it! I was really impressed with the recent hires, in particular. I thought it would have been a lovely place to work. It's definitely preferably living-wise to where I accepted, though it's hard to say which is the "better job" - both borderline R1/R2 positions with similar startup packages, though I expect where I accepted had higher salary. They each had +s/-s to compare (other was public), but overall I would have accepted, no question. I have to say it was not my strongest interview experience (both of my seminars had rough points), so maybe I ended up being unacceptable. (34 again) No word back yet. I frankly find this all hard to understand. I had good interactions with everyone, and gave a good seminar. People seemed excited about it. I am/was interested, and would have been happy to negotiate. The fact they are moving on like this makes it seem like there was no one they were happy with, which is wild. 33 again) campus interview invite on march 29! (35 again) congrats 33 - hopefully it works out for you. and @34 - I don't get it either. I hope they eventually give you some clarity. I agree it's wild that 2/3 of us who interviewed were interested in the job and didn't get an offer. Maybe I gave the wrong impression when I let them know about my other offer or maybe I just didn't do great on the interview. I'm not in a position to ask at this point, so I guess I'll never know. (34 again) first they apologized since they thought someone had contacted me about it. second they said they wanted someone who did biogeography across a wide variety of lineages, and since I didn't do that, then I wasn't a good fit. I think thats crazy because if they knew they wanted someone that specific then WHY did they invite me out. It was clear I don't do that specific type of question. Good luck to them -_- (35 again) @34 yeah that's bizarre. I don't do anything like that either. I've learned not to take these things too personally. Good luck, 34. I hope something works out for you this year! 38) To me this just smells like some contingent of faculty (maybe not even on the SC) that are adamant that any hiring should go in a specific direction. (36 again) They're bull****ing you, 34. I was recently asked to interview and declined [in part because they ghosted me after the zoom interview and I told them this] and don't study biogeorgraphy across a wide range of lineages. Fully agree with you that being rejected based on what you do after an interview is completely a waste of your time. (34 again) just weird all around. They could have had me for cheap since it was close to family. They lost out on 750k in NIH money I was bringing with me as s postdoc. Frustrating to have had this interaction with them. 39) When I interviewed in person last year for this same position, the chair of the department said that my talk had been the best evolutionary talk he had ever seen. Then they ghosted me and readvertised this year. I was already the second set of in-person candidates after the first batch was unsuccessful. It looks like the disfunction runs deep. 40) yikes how many people have they interviewed in total and how many offers have they made for this position? 41) i zoom interviewed and was NOT impressed that all of the members of the search committee present during my interview were old white men with the sole exception of one young white man. they asked me questions about diversity, and i, a minority woman, felt slightly affronted and like they were being REALLY hypocritical. they couldnt even get one token woman on the panel? crazy. no in person requested, but i didnt vibe with all this. (36 again) When I zoomed there was at least one woman on cmte, for what it's worth. 33 again) Campus interview last week 33 again) on april 26 email that they extended an offer to someone else (42?) Nice they are updating you (43?) curious if they managed to fill this in the end? (44) Hopefully the faculty in that department can put their egos aside and hire some of the great people in this year's job market pool. | 24 | |
660 | 9/20/2023 16:52:32 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Biology | 11/3/2023 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/506524/assistant-professor | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/30/24 4:46 | Multiple positions. Three broad areas: "molecular, cellular, orphysiologydevelopmental biology (including evo-devo and evolutionary cell biology); organismal biology (ecology, evolution, or behavior in any taxonomic group); physiology (in any taxonomic group)." 2) Is this the same posting from the past couple of years that keeps failing? 3) Thoughts on living/working in Starkville? 4) @2 I don't think so. I know someone who got the job last year. 5) Any updates? 6) No word here as of 11/13/23. x7 ; still no word 11/24 x5 8) Zoom invite 11/30 x7 9) (very nice) rejection email on Dec. 11 x8 10) Invited for campus interview 12/21 x5 11) At least one of positions filled: https://x.com/PhilDavidson/status/1798375022148608333 12) Physiology search failed in late June--search starting again and I was a finalist!! Bad luck. | 19 | |
661 | 9/20/2023 8:47:19 | University of Nebraska, Lincoln | Nebraska | Genes, Genomes, and Evolution | 11/3/2023 | https://employment.unl.edu/postings/88052 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/7/24 10:31 | 1) I vagluely remember this from last year, another failed search? 2) No. Search last year was for same broad subject area but was successful. This is just the 2nd of the two positions approved for this cluster hire. 3) Review date extended to 11/3 4) I guess they didn't have as many applications as they wanted? 5) maybe most are like mine - repeats that they rejected in the first round last year (shrug) 6) What do they need more applications for? I submitted mine. Just offer me the job and be done with it! x4 7) Anybody hear anything yet? 8) 11/19 no word yet 9) still no word either way here 11/22 [update intended for another university deleted -AP]; 9) 5 Dec, any updates? 10) 12/6 no word here. x6 11) 12/8 nothing here. 12) Nothing12/12 x3 13) Nothing 12/22 x3 (/14) 8 Jan, any updates? (15) Nothing 1/8 x8 (16) Wow this is taking forever. x2 (17) Any chance no one here made the long list? Seems like it shouldn't happen but this is the longest gap I've seen between application due dates and first contact. Lots of places with this due date have already started on-campus... 18) That's what I'm thinking too :/ sucks for us! (1/21) (19) I applied for this one and if I get another offer I'd almost certainly have to withdraw from this search even though it's a great job for me. 20) Emailed search chair, decisions for interviews coming this or next week Jan 23. 21) Thanks 20, much appreciated x7. 22) Zoom invite 1/26 x4 (BTW this is 20--yay karma!) 23) Thanks for nudging them 20! 24) Committee suggested quick turnaround for campus invites, decisions likely as early as 2/6. 25) Anyone heard back? 24) Sent an email, I was surprised they gave that quick turnaround as usually HR has to approve list and it sounded like they might have interviews until 2/5. 25) on their seminar schedule it looks like candidates should present starting Feb 22. Anyone heard anything? 24-again) I didn't get a response to my email, tried again Tuesday. No response. Hope they're still deciding and not ghosting me. 26) not involved with this search but am affiliated with UNL so can confirm that all on-campus interviews for this search have been scheduled and started earlier this week (sorry 24 :( ). 24) Thanks 26! I figured that was the case, I'm sure there are HR/logistical reasons, but it really is frustrating that the committee cannot update Zoom candidates on progress. I was holding dates open on my calendar in case of an invite (e.g. family trips, course lessons, etc.). 24-again) official rejection email 2/22 25- Job accepted with enthusiasm! 26) @25 Congrats! This is a fantastic position. | 14 | |
662 | 9/20/2023 7:11:38 | University of Maine | Maine | Soil Science | 11/6/2023 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=82603&job=assistant-professor-of-soil-science | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/24/24 11:34 | 1.) Any word on this one? 2) no updates here 11/14 3) invited to zoom interview 11/17 x3 4) any who did a zoom interview get a timeline for when we'd hear back? x1 5) did the zoom last week, and the chair said will make decisions in two weeks for campus interview. Anyone got the invitation on site pls update here. 6) invited to on campus interview 1/31 7) invited to on campus interview 2/2 8) anyone hear back after on-campus? 9) offer made 10) offer accepted 11) https://x.com/alison_elinor/status/1792660165528830171 | 3 | |
663 | 9/20/2023 6:16:17 | Le Moyne College | New York | Physiology / Integrative Organismal Biology | 10/2/2023 | https://lemoyne.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=165816 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/20/23 11:12 | Salary 64.8-71.5k 2) There is also a position for an "Ecologist" (previously posted) which seems to be a different position (same review date of 10/2) 3) Zoom invite (10/12). 3 again) Anyone get an in-person invite? I haven't and assume I'm out of the running. 4) Didn't apply to this one, but the in-person invites for their ecology position were super fast 5) this job and the ecology post were re-posted on HigherEdJobs on 12/20...anyone know why/what that means? 4) Hard to say. I see old stuff pop up all the time on HEJ and Chronicle. Seems unlikely that both this and the ecology search would somehow be back on, considering they did in-person interviews (for the ecology position at least). | 1 | |
664 | 9/19/2023 20:30:54 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Marine Biology | 11/7/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131522__;!!IKRxdwAv5BmarQ!flwIv4_DfjTwBBNm2sXJbsyE5wAuFoGWPR3C7TcI0r0RNXZrs5Njv82cc199SZf6FpUCSCJ1oW4h1We3uMs3t7XNADYHNQ$= | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 5/9/24 10:00 | Any one have any insight on this department - not a university I typically think of for Marine Biology, although I see they offer a couple classes. 1) I think they just "acquired" Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences https://bios.asu.edu. 2) 1 page research statement 3) I interviewed at ASU last year and they mentioned the Bermuda Institute and were in the process of expanding a ton in marine biology research, which honestly is a bit strange considering they are land locked and hours away from the ocean, but everyone seemed to be very nice 4) Haven't seen this submission requirement separate from teaching statement " Evidence of teaching effectiveness – e.g., student evaluations, syllabi, peer observation, annual evaluations, etc.". Or does it go into teaching statement? Any experience with this type of submission doc with others? 5) Well it used to be an ocean. It does say Marine in the "broad sense". good luck 6) it is a surprisingly good program from what I've heard. They travel for field work. 7) Hmm, as I was hunting for information on people's research, I realized that the programs mentioned above are in the School of Ocean Futures, but this job is in The School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences... 8) Yes, I can confirm this isn't associated with the new School of Ocean Futures or BIOS, which are associated with the main (Tempe) campus. This position is on the West campus in Glendale. 9) @4, agreed. Unsure. 10) Zoom invite received on 11/27 x 3 11) sigh, congrats to the other 3 x2. 12) Any updates after Zoom interviews? 13) Nothing as of 12/17... anyone else? 14) Nothing as of 12/21 15) Any updates after Zoom interviews? (asking in 1/2/2024) x2 16) Invited for an in-person interview 17) rejection email 5/8 (did not have any interviews) | 3 | |
665 | 9/19/2023 15:47:54 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Nebraska | Anatomy and Physiology | 10/9/2023 | https://unk.peopleadmin.com/postings/5176 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/20/23 8:31 | 1) Invitation for Zoom interview on 10/12/23 | ||
666 | 9/19/2023 15:46:52 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Nebraska | Biology (any health science related discipline) | 10/9/2023 | https://unk.peopleadmin.com/postings/5177 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
667 | 9/19/2023 15:31:35 | California State University, Bakersfield | California | Developmental Biology | 10/25/2023 | https://www.csub.edu/facultyaffairs/FacultyEMPLOYMENT/Job%20Postings/TT-BIOL-Developmental-2024.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/6/23 7:41 | |||
668 | 9/19/2023 14:42:37 | San Diego State University | California | Geography & Environmental Sustainability | 11/3/2023 | http://apply.interfolio.com/131245 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/20/23 6:27 | |||
669 | 9/19/2023 14:12:11 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Biology Education | 11/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132543 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/19/23 14:14 | We seek an individual who will participate in the department’s pursuit of excellence in post-secondary education through scholarly activity and practice. | ||
670 | 9/19/2023 12:32:52 | University of Texas at El Paso | Texas | Biological Sciences | 10/31/2023 | https://utep.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=167637 | Department Chair | Tenure Stream | ||||
671 | 9/19/2023 12:19:31 | University of Wyoming | Wyoming | Ornithology | 11/6/2023 | https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/233280 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/8/24 10:13 | SC member here - We invite applications from candidates using diverse systems and approaches to study the physiological or evolutionary ecology of birds. Please reach out if you have any questions. 1) Any updates? 2) None 11/29 X2 3) Zoom interview invite 12/2 x2 4) On-campus invite 12/19 x2 5) Congrats! 6) Any news? 7) none here 3/5 8) Offer made 9) Congrats, and thanks for updating! | 11 | |
672 | 9/19/2023 10:16:25 | UC Davis | California | Avian Ecology / Waterfowl Conservation & Management | 11/15/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06020 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/21/24 20:58 | Don't duck this one. 2) :) 3) I don't have any experience with waterfowl so I'll be a total quack applying for this one 4) If I don't get an interview it'll be water off a duck's back. 5) @1-4 very funny. But seriously such a narrow search. Surprisingly so for a UC. 6) My guess is it's a replacement for retirement and has money earmarked specifically for ducks. There is a lot of waterfowl research support in WFCB with connections to long running projects and an endowed chair connected to it who I think recently retired. 7) person 6 is correct; I know the retiree. 8) references requested 12/14. 9) in-person interview invitation received 1/18/24 10) https://twitter.com/KevinRingelman/status/1804183630291275954 | 2 | |
673 | 9/19/2023 8:16:31 | Western Carolina University | North Carolina | Forestry / Fire Ecology | 11/10/2023 | https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/25401 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/22/23 13:16 | SC member here, let me know if you have any questions 1) What is the typical teaching load in this department? 2) SC: We have a relatively high teaching load (3/3, class size is ~20 students) with minimum requirements for scholarships/external funding. First-year teaching load is 1/2, and you can reduce your teaching load for the next years by securing some internal or external grants. AP) Extended deadline on advice of SC. | ||
674 | 9/19/2023 7:40:55 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Microbiology | 11/2/2023 | https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/143760?fbclid=IwAR3v3Kv_ARTr3nffSM7qnFZwPs0UB23yQHgLd_R3CwDi0JJ-QhyhQ9kTnZM_aem_AW8XHdLbT9BgsJnOJ5Zo4sLEfdqqjPOTv_pS5FoOD2Ec5U8Lg4rH4wcV7bGsfAqhhQE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/22/24 12:31 | "Key focal areas may include: pathogen physiology and genetics; host-pathogen interactions, either with a human host or with non-human reservoir and vector hosts; impacts of global climate change and human migration on the epidemiology, evolution, and transmission of emerging and/or tropical pathogens or zoonoses; development and study of vaccines and therapeutics to combat these pathogens; research into mechanisms for antimicrobial resistance and development of alternative therapeutics." 1) 11/20 any updates? 2) No on 11/23 x3 3) still no 11/29 x2 4) 5 Dec, any updates? 5) Dec 11, no X3 6) Dec 21 invited for zoom interview 7) On-site interviews scheduled Feb 7 8) Rejection email received 5/6 9) Did they hire anyone for this? | 4 | |
675 | 9/19/2023 6:22:44 | Austin Peay State University | Tennessee | Disease Ecology / Biology | 10/25/2023 | https://apsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/15999 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/27/23 10:25 | Does anyone know about the teaching load? 2) heavy. 3) Two classes (w/ labs) per semester, with new faculty getting a release of one lab 4) department is very flexible on courses taught. Normally 2/2 a semester. 5) Zoom interview Nov. 20 6) Out of curisosity, what is your background, 5? 7) Did anyone hear from the search committee after their zoom? 8) I had a zoom for the Aquatic Bio position and have not heard back. Maybe there are HR hang ups? 9) Dept member, not SC: this search had a minor HR hang up which held up campus invites but I believe it is resolved now. 10) On campus invite received 12/19 x2 | 2 | |
676 | 9/19/2023 6:21:47 | Austin Peay State University | Tennessee | Aquatic Biology | 10/25/2023 | https://apsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/15998 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/25/23 8:49 | [review dates added -AP] Any updates? 2) Contacted for Zoom interview x2 | 2 | |
677 | 9/19/2023 6:20:06 | Austin Peay State University | Tennessee | Plant Evolutionary Biology | 10/25/2023 | https://apsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/16003 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
678 | 9/18/2023 19:05:37 | Columbia University | New York | Evolutionary Biology / Evolutionary Ecology | 10/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131172 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/2/24 1:35 | This is a very short timeline...is this an internal hire? (1) Probably 2) Looks like rolling application consideration. Not necessarily short. It would be helpful if an SC member could confirm. (3) wasnt there a similar job post a few years ago? Did that search fail? (4) Yes, that search failed. (5) SC member here. Evaluation of applications will actually begin OCTOBER 6--it took a bit longer than usual to get this posted becasue of new NY laws to post salary range. 6) Thanks SC! x3. 7) Shouldn't this new deadline be updated on the job posting? 8) already 3 applied dang it is going to be a popular one. anyone know about the salary? seems low for NYC but some bay area ones have discussion about the range not being a real range, same here? (8) Should the app be addressed to anyone in particular? 9) this was a listing last year for the same job IIRC. Also--I'll just say it here cuz I applied in the past, but they required a DEI statement but as far as I can tell nobody in their department has lifted a single finger on a DEI initiative--I searched the website for hours and found nothing. Makes writing this statement a huge burden. (10) To SC member - can you share any info about the SC's feeling towards pre-tenure assistant professors vs straight outta postdoc applicants, if there was any discussion about that? (11) @10 All schools like this will favor pre-tenure asst profs no matter what they say in response. (12) 10 here - not necessarily, they can be harder to convince to move depending on the situation 13) @10, I would guess Columbia is in a position both in prestige and location that they don't worry to much about having to convince applicants to move to them. (14) @11, can you share why you think a school like this would favor a pre-tenure asst prof over a postdoc? (15) I think they probably worry - area is expensive, crowded, and salary is potentially meh. someone with a TT spot in a smaller town might ask for a lot of resources (personal and professional) to make the jump. (16) For the statement about increasing diversity, has anyone focussed on B-diversity (eg differences in species numbers between populations) or just talking about alpha-diversity (species richness)? I submitted mine with only alpha but am worried I should have went broader (17) Anyone know who the search chair is? (11 again) @14, these schools have strong programs only because they have the funds to recruit people who have demonstrated success elsewhere. they don't take risks (18) does anyone know how distinct the E3 department is from the rest of the Biological Sciences department? It seems like a lot of evolution poeple are over in the other department and the focus of this department is quite narrow (19) @18 - I did my PhD in E3B at columbia - it was very distinct from the rest of the BIological Sciences (most definitely a completely separate department in every practical sense). It did have really awesome ties into the consortium institutions (places like WCS and the American Museum of Natural History). Also had very close ties to earth sciences at the Lamont campus. Cool dept, super smart faculty. (20) has anyone received a zoom invitation? (21) nothing here x16. (22) Reference letters requested x7 (23) Said they were requesting letters from the top 10% of applicants, then moving straight to in-person interviews, so no zoom stage. (24) Was this letters email straight to the candidates? (25) @24 Yes, emails were sent directly to applicants and to references (26) @25, Thanks for the info. Another one bites the dust! x4 (27) Surprised this is taking so long... (28) Any updates, SC? (29) Were shortlist invitations already sent out? Asking on 12/05. (30) Nothing here 12/8 (31) Nothing here 12/11 x3 (32) In-person invite late in the day on 12/11 x3 33) Rejection 12/12 x3 (34) Neither rejection nor invitation x3 35) @34 I got that in a previous year. I think it meant I was on the backup list. Unless it meant you had an incomplete app. (34 again) I had a reference request, thanks for info! 36) Neither rejection nor invitation people, should we ask? (34) Nah, just assume we're rejected. If they wanted to interview us, we'd know x2 (35) I had an in-person interview, emailed to ask about status, told they offered it to someone else and are currently negotiating 36) Lmao asking for a diversity statement as they call in the riot cops, what a crock | 25 | |
679 | 9/18/2023 14:30:24 | The University of Texas at Austin | Texas | Biodiversity Science | 10/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132398 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/23/24 5:54 | "we seek a candidate who possesses outstanding capacity and motivation to devote time and effort to mentorship" 1) What is biodiversity science? This seems more broadly defined here than in the Stony Brook job below. 2) Sounds like all EEB, so yes, very broad. 3) Yes, this is a broad search in terms of research focus, but note the emphasis on mentoring 4) is the "mentoring statement" and emphasis on mentoring basically a way to get around the TX DEI ban? I'm thinking about interpreting it as so 5) @4 - yes. 6). This was a failed search last year becuase I got an email saying "As a result of personal life changes", but unclear what were the reasons? It would be great if the SC can explain more here, thanks. (7) nice to see UT can still swing a DEI search with the political climate of texas. kudos to cmte for passing the GOP smell test x2 8) It really isn't that hard to do, and it's often part of grant writing. Global Warming -> Climate Change; DEI -> Mentorship and Student success. 9) @6 I don't understand - you applied for this job previously and got that email? 10) This is a new search, not a failed search from a previous year 11) Does this job have different tenure requirements? Or is this just a way to add more pre-tenure work to someone who shoulders a lot of mentorship/DEI burden? 12) I'm on the SC; @2 and @3 are correct, the search is broad in terms of research focus. @4 and @5 No, the emphasis on mentoring is meaningful, that said even though we are not allowed by law to use certain terms, the department is committefd to a climate that includes everyone. @10 you are correct, this is not a failed search from a previous year. @11 college & department both value mentorship and yes, it is considered in T&P. (13) This world of 'asking for DEI statements while also not failing the GOP smell test' is a special kind of hell! 14) Agree w/13, and "even though we are not allowed by law to use certain terms" is so dystopian. (Not a dig at the SC, appreciate all the effort you're going to to make this work!) x3 15) Well...fudge. Uploaded all my documents on time but didn't click "submit". Rookie mistake. 16) @15 I doubt anyone will notice you're a day late – submit it! 17) it looked to me like the system was set to lock at midnight on the 30th. But maybe 15 could email the application materials in? (18) rejection email 19) @ 18, when did you receive this? (18 again) oops wrong UT search, that was for the plant one. No updates on this one. 20) letters requested x13 21) Did you get notification that letters would be requested, or did one of your letter writers let you know? 22) I did not get a notification, my writer let me know x12 23) Any updates? (24) Nope 12/19 x3 (25) still nope 01/02 x5 (26) No updates for me (01/02). The department’s event calendar displays placeholders for interviews from Jan 22 to Feb 12. However, no names have been added to the calendar yet. 27) Their dept calendar has "IB Faculty Meeting" scheduled for Jan 9th – I don't meant to do too much unhelpful tea-leaf-reading here, but my guess is that that that's a big decision meeting and that they're going to move straight from long list to on-campus invites after that date (and to be clear: I have zero inside information, this is total speculation). 28) i am in the dept. and heard that the sc plans to send invites to zoom interviews to a subset of the applicants who received letter requests and that this would happen in early january. 29) Any updates as of 01/09? 30) The department calendar has changed so it looks like it might have been pushed back. 31) Any updates 1/12? (32) No x4 (33) Zoom interview request 1/12 x5 34) Congrats y'all! I have never been able to make it over that hump 😔 x3. (34) Just received the "regrets" email for everyone that didn't make it past the 1st round. 175 apps!!! Sheesh, I'd have saved the time and not applied had I known how deep the pool would be. To those that got an interview - kudos! It means a little more when the pool is that deep. x3 (35) no "regrets" email (even in spam) here and no letters/zoom invite.. anyone else in this boat? (36) 175 apps is actually quite a bit lower than you might otherwise expect for such a great and broad position. I bet if this same job was in Minneapolis or Seattle it would get 400+ (37) @35 I had a letter request but no zoom request and no "regrets" email (yet) x4 38) obviously the politics in Texas aren't a problem for 175 people (39) I applied and the politics are definitely a problem for me. x2 40) Just got the 'regret' email at 1/31 x5. 41) Got the "regret" email on 1/29 after letters were requested in December. 42) Also just got regret email after LOR were requested – but email had a personalized salutation, so seemed thoughtful. 43) rejection after zoom interview 2/1 x3 44) Interviews are showing in dept's calendar. 45) The seminars do not look like that much biodiversity related. [discussion of inferred invite list deleted -AP] 46) heard through the grapevine that the job went to an internal candidate 47) @46 not true 48) This position just popped up on chronicle of higher ed, did the search fail? 49) @48, I saw that too. The deadlines are all unchanged, so I think that's a weird HR error 50) Jobs pop back up on those sites all the time, I don't think it means anything | 22 | |
680 | 9/18/2023 12:03:11 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Evolutionary Biology | 9/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129559 | Lecturer / Sr Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | 12/13/23 14:09 | |||
681 | 9/18/2023 10:05:34 | Stony Brook University | New York | Climate Change & Biodiversity | 10/23/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128054 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 3:07 | 1) "employ innovative computational and data science approaches" 2) NY state law requires salary range, which can't be located in the description. 3) busted! 🚔 4) In the criminal justice system, salary reporting based offenses are considered especially heinous. 5) @2, 3, and 4, unfortunately the law does not apply for government agencies. 6) Isn't the review date Nov 08, 2023? 7) "Review of applications will start on Oct. 23, 2023, and applications will continue to be accepted until Nov 6, 2023." I am not sure what this means concretely. 8) @6 and 7. the "Deadline" on the very top of the job ad says Nov 8, 2023 though, this is misleading and should be fixed or considered if candidates submit their jobs later than Oct 23 but before Nov 8!! 9) fingers crossed. 10) any updates? 11) @10 nothing as of Nov 13 6x 12) Email about "Midsearch review in progress" Nov 15. x4 13) Assume this is the stage where long list gets compiled? 14) Also trying to figure out what this email means 15) Seems like a hybrid between "keeping applicants updated" and "internal memo". Scratching head... 16) Pretty sure this email was just an accident. I really wouldn't read anything into it. 17) updates? 18) not yet 11/20 x4 19) zoom interview invite 11/21 x3 20) 104 total applicants, 10 invited for zoom round 21) anyone heard back after zoom? 22) They requested letters after zoom, but no word about in-person interviews (they said they'd likely do them in feb in the interview though, so sounds like they aren't in a huge rush) (21) Thanks, @22! 23) invites for in person sent 1/2 x3 24) Congrats to those invited. Any idea how many were invited? 25) 4? 26) any update on this? | 17 | |
682 | 9/18/2023 9:48:41 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Georgia | Forestry | 10/20/2023 | https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psc/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=57000& | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/18/23 9:48 | 1) Tenure track or instructor | ||
683 | 9/18/2023 9:45:19 | University of Alaska | Alaska | Marine Policy | 10/14/2023 | https://careers.alaska.edu/en-us/job/525465/assistant-professor-of-marine-policy | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/18/23 9:46 | 1) two positions, one at UAF due by Oct 15, other at UAS due by sept 24. | ||
684 | 9/18/2023 9:42:39 | Chadron State College | Nebraska | Rangeland Management & Ecology | https://nscs.peopleadmin.com/postings/11167 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/18/23 14:40 | ||||
685 | 9/18/2023 9:39:42 | Texas A&M | Texas | Range Management | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/AgriLife_Extension_External/job/Alpine-TX/Assistant-Professor---Extension-Specialist--Range-Management-_R-065969 | Asst Prof & Extension Specialist | Tenure Stream | 11/17/23 10:12 | Assistant Professor and Extension Rangeland Specialist position with an emphasis in Beef Cattle and Livestock. This position is 60% Extension, non-tenure track in the Department of Rangeland Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University and 40% in the Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross Statue University. 2) To be clear, this is not at College Station, it's in Alpine (where Sul Ross U is). Alpine is Trans-Pecos, closer to Big Bend | |||
686 | 9/18/2023 9:37:01 | Stanford University | California | Freshwater | 11/15/2023 | https://facultypositions.stanford.edu/cw/en-us/job/494637/pretenure-faculty-postion-in-freshwater-stanford-doerr-school-for-sustainability | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/26/24 7:32 | 1) Yes! We have a role below for 'Ocean' Ken -- now one for 'Freshwater' Ken (he come's with waders and a snorkel mask!) 2) My lake has a beach, yo. 3) Letter request. No idea if it was automatic. 4) Can confirm letter was automatic - argh annoying!! 5) updates? 6) Zilch. 12/12 7) any news? zooms? 8) Still nothing... starting to think that they were not looking for ecoevo folks, or at least that we didn't make the first cut. 9) Just received rejection email this morning = 1/23/24. 10) 8 here, same! Their ears tickled... 11) same, rejection email 12) I do feel like this app was a waste of my time, more so than any other. | 3 | |
687 | 9/18/2023 9:36:14 | University of Minnesota Crookston | Minnesota | Forestry | 10/16/2023 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&ACTION=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/18/23 9:40 | 1) Tenure track of instructor | 1 | |
688 | 9/18/2023 7:53:13 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Applied Quantitative Ecology | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/12210 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/4/24 19:12 | This is apparently a different position from the Wildlife Population Ecologist position also at URI. Seems like pretty similar positions, but notice the different review dates!! 2) Weirdly, this ad also targets research on terrestrial vertebrates.3) There is a faculty whose focus is already in applied quantitative ecology. Is this opening a replacement or a new position with the same focus? 4) they are very serious about research being on terrestrial verts, your application will be rejected from the system if you fail to attest that you have demonstrated record of scholarly achievement as shown by (a) publications related to quantitative ecology of terrestrial vertebrates 5) I mean... feels like a reasonable expectation? 6) Zoom interview requested 10/31 x5 7) in-person interviews expected after Thanksgiving 8) @7 did you already get an invite? 9) @8 no they just gave a timeline during my interview, I expect we will hear next week or the week after? 10) in-person interview invitation 11/16 11) Anyone else hear back? 11/27 12) 3 in person interviews are set 11/27 13) I had a phone interview but did not hear back about an in-person interview, so I'm assuming I'm out. 14) @13 they invited 3 people for campus interviews but usually HR mandates that unis can't let the rest of the candidates know until someone has accepted a position in case they need to go back to the long list | 10 | |
689 | 9/18/2023 7:08:55 | Ursinus College | Pennsylvania | Neurobiology | 10/1/2023 | https://www.ursinus.edu/live/profiles/1781-assistant-professor-neurobiology-tenure-track | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
690 | 9/18/2023 6:43:53 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Ecology at the Landscape or Larger Spatial Scales | 11/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/132414 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/9/24 5:22 | 1) Who should we contact if we have any questions? 2) I'm at the institution but not on the search committee, leave question here if possible if not I'll see if a committee member is willing to put their contact info here 3) luttbeg@okstate.edu (me) is the chair of the search 4) Reference letters requested 11/13 x4 5) Any updates here? 6) Not really. For me they asked for two letters on 11/13 and then a third letter last week. Anyone else have that experience? 5 again) All 3 of my letter writers asked on 11/13, think they were due early last week - maybe some like yours @6 were due a little later so waiting on them to move forward? 7) Contacted for in-person interview 12/15 x2 8) Interesting, so they just skipped the zoom interview. Rare. 9) Notified by SC that the position has been filled. | 4 | |
691 | 9/18/2023 5:48:41 | Stetson University | Florida | Biology | 1/15/2024 | https://www.stetson.edu/administration/human-resources/media/2024faculty/Job%20Description-Cell%20Biologist.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 9:06 | "Specifically, we seek a candidate who can support the Molecular and Cellular Biology program. We strongly prefer candidates who can teach one or more of the following courses: developmental biology, genetics, immunology, and microbiology." ***This position has re-opened with a new deadline of January 15, 2024*** | ||
692 | 9/18/2023 3:17:27 | West Liberty University | West Virginia | Ornithology / Aviculture | https://westlibertyuniversity.bamboohr.com/careers/170?source=aWQ9MjY%3D | Instructor / Asst Prof | Non-TS Faculty | 12/6/23 15:56 | ||||
693 | 9/17/2023 14:54:15 | Mars | California | Cacao Genetics & Breeding | https://mars.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/USA-California-Sacramento/Associate-Scientist---Cacao-Genetics-and-Breeding_R75051 | Assoc Scientist | Industry | 9/19/23 11:27 | Now if it were a job *on* Mars I might apply (like X2). Pay could be higher considering its an industry job IN California. 2) "including access to our in-house Mars University" is this a Futurama reboot tie-in? <-LOL 3 ) Just would recommend looking carefully at contracts and benefits for this when being hired | |||
694 | 9/16/2023 12:52:00 | Simon Fraser University | Canada | Biological Control | 11/10/2023 | https://www.sfu.ca/biology/about/employment/faculty/faculty-thelma-finlayson-chair.html | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/25/23 19:11 | 1) Notification that they are contacting letter writers for the long list on 11/23. | 3 | |
695 | 9/16/2023 11:47:57 | University of North Texas | Texas | Microbial Genomics | 10/16/2023 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/649563/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/15/24 10:51 | (1) Faculty member in the department, here. Environmental research is one of our major areas. We have a very diverse student body. Teaching statement should address engagement with students from diverse backgrounds. 2) This was a failed search last year becuase I got an email saying "As a result of personal life changes", but unclear what were the reasons? It would be great if the SC or UNT faculty can explain more here, thanks 3) UNT faculty. Hired someone then it fell through due to their "personal life changes". (4) Had a Zoom interview (5) Have the campus interviw invitations been sent to the selected candidates? (6) has anyone heard about any of the UNT jobs? 7) I had a zoom interview in November, but have never heard anything after that (6 again) on campus interviews for most positions happened from late Jan-early March but I haven't heard anything since (7 again) Were you invited to an on-campus interview for this position? (6 again) not this position, another in the department, but they scheduled interviews for all the jobs around the same time from what I was told. I went in early March and I think they had 1-2 more interviews to wrap up. (7 again) Thanks for the info! 8) I heard the offer was made and accepted | 3 | |
696 | 9/16/2023 6:45:57 | University of Wisconsin Madison | Wisconsin | Forest Ecosystem Ecology | 11/15/2023 | https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-madison-wisconsin-united-states-9acc3b82-de14-465c-be7a-b85b9b5c46ed | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/1/24 9:49 | "preferably with a focus on energy and material (e.g., water, carbon and nutrient) transformations and fluxes within and across biotic and abiotic ecosystem components." 1) Failed search from last year? 2) Yup, search failed last year 3) Why failed? 4) who knows the search chair? 4) updates? 5) nothing here as of 11/27 x5 6) nothing here as of 12/4; anybody else? x2 7) if not this week, then won't be next week as it's AGU week. then? 8) updates? 9) nothing here as of 12/18 x5 10) nothing here as of 12/27. anyone? 11) new development? 10 again) none here x3 10) anything as of 1/15? 11) Failed search yet again? 12) in person interviews scheduled 12) Not failed! | 6 | |
697 | 9/15/2023 15:22:28 | NatureServe | Virginia | Ecological Modeling & Biodiversity Data Science | 9/29/2023 | https://app.trinethire.com/companies/31463-natureserve/jobs/82538-ecological-modeler-biodiversity-data-scientist-remote | Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 12/4/23 15:08 | 1) houses cost ~2 million in Arlington, yet this position is paying 80,000 in salary? 2) August 2023, the median listing home price in Arlington, VA was $775K 3) It's listed as a remote job. 4) Where is the 9/29 deadline coming from? I see nothing on the link stating a date. @2/3 and yet even with a median home price of 10x the pay, this non-profit wants to hire phd level people? remote option assumes the person hired will not work in the DC area then. This is a PROBLEM. 5) Since I haven't seen updates here - a colleague of mine who applied said they have gone through three rounds of interviews thus far - so interview requests were likely sent in early-to-mid October. 6) Received email saying the position has been filled (11/15) x 2 | 2 | |
698 | 9/15/2023 13:23:24 | Grants Community College | New Mexico | Biology | 10/6/2023 | https://careers.nmsu.edu/jobs/biology-assistant-professor-tenure-track-9-month-grants-community-college-new-mexico-united-states | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/20/23 7:10 | 1) teaches Anatomy & Physiology Microbiology; and Cellular and Molecular Biology. this position does no require a PhD so not sure if allowed on this page? AP) If it's a permanent faculty job, that's OK. 2) It really is rough for those interested in teaching positions that such a high percentage of community college jobs want someone who can teach Human Anatomy. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing more *permanent* CC jobs here. Some CCs do have a tenure system and some even have opportunities for undergraduate research. 3) I totally get that people don't want to teach anatomy, but I genuinely think anyone with a life science phd is qualified to teach human anatomy. 4) Agreed, @3! A lot of paleontologists teach human anatomy! | ||
699 | 9/15/2023 11:52:39 | Miami University | Ohio | Behavioral Biology | 10/16/2023 | https://jobs.miamioh.edu/cw/en-us/job/502258/assistant-professor-behavioral-biologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/20/24 10:04 | Although listed in "Teaching" category on this site, the Behavioral Biology position is like all other TT faculty positions on the Oxford campus; research productivity is equallty important to teaching. There are excellent research facilities and support from the Biology department. College of Arts and Science and the University. 2) Are there two separate teaching statements requested? i.e. a teaching philosophy AND evidence of effective teaching? Or are those a singular statement like most other schools? 3) @2 Generally, Evidence of effective teaching can include past teaching materials, student evals, syllabi, etc. (i.e. "proof" you've taught a full course and roughly what that looked like). 4) Appreciate you! @3. Hadn't applied to a school where that was required before, good information to know. 5) There was a random text box that asked for experience working with diversity and inclusion. This was annoying because there wasn't a place to actually upload a diversity statement and I couldn't proceed without entering text in the box. 6) @5Yes, that was a rather fun surprise. 7) I got one of those for another job in Ohio (the UC Blue Ash position) and the character limit on it was really short too. 8) Any updates? 9) Nothing as of 11/5 x6 10) the plant biology search on this site was updated for letters requested, but maybe it is farther along 11) Letters requested. Not clear if just a short list requested or everyone. Email sent to letter writers. 12) based on plant biology search I would assume long list 13) so just to be clear, were you directly updated that letters were being requested from letter writers or did your letter writer tell you that they received an email? 11) One of my letter writers happened to tell me that they received an email request for this position earlier this week. I didn't get any direct communication about it from the search committee. X2 13 again) Thanks @11! 14) on campus interview scheduled 15) Did they skip straight to campus or did you already complete a zoom interview? 16) Straight to on campus x3 17) Any news? 18) offer accepted | 6 | |
700 | 9/15/2023 11:18:18 | California State University, Bakersfield | California | Biology - Physiology | 10/13/2023 | https://www.csub.edu/facultyaffairs/FacultyEMPLOYMENT/Job%20Postings/TT-BIOL-Physiology-2024.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 15:09 | "We are looking for an animal physiologist with special consideration given to those with teaching and research experience at the organismal level." --> Does anyone know if they will consider other physiology study organisms (like plants, or fungi, not just animals?) 2) I presume in that case they would specify "physiology" and not call out a specific kingdom. 3) Invitation for Zoom interview 10/23 4) Invited to campus 5) I was not invited to an on-campus interview, but I received an email stating, "Due to budgetary issues, the California State University system has initiated a temporary hold on all new hires" and "Your application will be retained and considered if the hold is lifted at a later date." Did everyone who had Zoom interviews also receive this email? 6) FYI, I had a campus visit and received an email from the search chair directly, not an automated one. | 1 | |
701 | 9/14/2023 17:50:45 | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) | Sweden | Mycology | 10/17/2023 | https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=8920&rmlang=UK | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
702 | 9/14/2023 15:23:39 | Salisbury University | Maryland | Cellular/Molecular Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://www.salisbury.edu/administration/administration-and-finance-offices/human-resources/careers/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/13/23 8:44 | Zoom request (to be done at the week of 10/9) 2) Has anyone recieved an invitation for a zoom meeting? 3) Already did the zoom interview this week. In person invite (10/20). 4) Offer made and accepted (12/13) | 3 | |
703 | 9/14/2023 13:02:17 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Community Ecology of Plants & Fungi | 10/29/2023 | https://jobportal.ku.dk/alle-opslag/?show=160114 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 3:15 | 1) notification of not having been shortlisted (12/7) x2 | 2 | |
704 | 9/14/2023 11:38:46 | Emory University | Georgia | Theoretical Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131940 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 3:08 | 1) Would this positions consider for candidates with expertise in genomics? Ans: Possibly yes. Recommend reaching out to Dr. Gordon Berman (gordon.berman@emory.edu) directly. 2) "Applicants should arrange to have three confidential letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf." At the time of application or sometime later? Ans: At time of application. (3) Ah shoot, was going to apply to this but I didn't catch the letters were up front and I'm not going to ask my letter writers for a 3 workday turnaround—if SC is wondering about app numbers, putting this here to help. x2 4) As an actual applicant, I am really hoping the search chair will find a way to make it past their grief. Hopefully at least one of the apps will suffice to overcome the loss of one app. (Pick me!! Pick me!!) @3, note the application deadline on Interfolio is Dec 1st, not the Nov 1st on this sheet (that was my mistake) [review date fixed -AP] 5) There was a similar search in 2021 for 2 positions on experimental, theoretical and/or computational biologists, does anyone know if the positions were filled or this new position is a replacement? 6) @5: Those positions were filled, but one of the people hired moved. 7) Anyone have updates? 12/4 8) Dude, is that a joke? You think the committee reviewed the apps in 3 days? 9) Review was supposed to begin on Nov 1, but yeah I think it will still be a while, especially with letters up front. 10) The site says review began on November 1, chill 8. 11) Zoom interview 12-11-23 x4 12) Anyone heard news on in-person yet? I've got silence. 13) Nothing, but was told during Zoom that it would be "some time" because Dean, HR need to approve next steps before they can notify 12again) Thanks, #13! 14) Looks like there are a bunch of talks clustered over the next weeks -- probably in-person interviews? 15) Well if they aren't hiring me I hope they hire my friend on that list. 16) any update here? I was ghosted after Zoom, so just curious. | 7 | |
705 | 9/14/2023 11:37:01 | Emory University | Georgia | Human Anatomy & Physiology or Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 11/10/2023 | http://apply.interfolio.com/131946 | Rank Open | Non-TS Academic | 1/27/24 8:57 | We have approval to search for two Teaching Track faculty members at the rank of Assistant or Associate Teaching Professor. One will teach Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (CVA) while the other will teach Human Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) I and II. Both will have the ability to teach other intro or upper level biology courses according to their interests and expertise and will rotate in and out of CVA and A&P with other faculty members. 2) anyone hear any updates on this? 3) Short-listed candidates are interviewing in January | ||
706 | 9/14/2023 11:23:57 | UC Berkeley | California | Genetics, Genomics, Evolution and Development | 11/1/2023 | https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04110 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/18/24 14:49 | 1) dept is pretty cell/molecular, ideas for the focus? 2) The department has a ton of people studying evolution. Focus on evolution. 3) Someone told me it's unlikely to get past the rest of the department unless you have cellular mechanisms. That's unofficial but seems likely good advice 4) yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if specifically want people who can connect functional genetics with evolution. That's what the big papers from the department seem to be doing these days. 5) Any idea if a plant biology candidate would be competative? Seems most of the department studies other systems. 6) I hope so. I'm applying as a plant person. They just poached Moi Exposito-Alonso from Stanford, so I assume they're cool with plant science 7) that was a different dept... dont think any plant people in mcb 8) Noah Whiteman is in MCB and works on plant defense evolution 6) whoops. my bad. he's affiliated with the genomics institute though, and it looks like this position could be too 9) Salary range starting at 74k. Can one live on that in the bay area? 10) Actual starting salary is usually a good bit higher. But not super easy to buy property. 11) The application has you sign something saying they won't do a reference check until like the last step, but then you have to request references up front? Not sure what the deal is 12) I feel like the reference check was for criminal background etc. not professional references 13) that would make sense @12. I'm so glad my writers have letters ready already cause that was an unpleasant surprise. 14) any news? 15) nope. no word as of 11/27 x6 16) nor as of 11/29 x4 17) nor as of 12/4 x4 18) zoom invite 12/11, 12 spots x3 19) aw darn. do you mind sharing your research area? 20) evolutionary genetics/functional evolution x2 20) Do you mind sharing your DEI statement? /sarcasm.... 21), rip. 22) well that email was awkward... 23) OMG i'm dying that happened. also only 8 people on the email...? thought they said 12. I'm over here googling everyone and feeling impostery. huge variety in topics too dang. 23) I'm curious to know what happened? *-* 24) they emailed the zoom candidates in cc instead of bcc so we could see the other interviewees (though only 8 on the list, curious because they said 12?) 25) Wow a major whoops 26) @24, i think the other 4 people went today and 8 tomorrow 26) did anyone get a chance to ask when we might hear/timeline? 27) damn, that's awkward, it also makes you a little more stressed out knowing who your competitors are (28) It's berkeley, they'll offer to a flashy prof (29) of the 8 names I saw, 5 were postdoc, 2 prof, and 1 I couldn't tell 30) any word post-zoom? (31) nothing here yet (32)12/22: campus invite x2 (33) that's hysterical, letting people know/rejecting the day before holiday break (34) any idea how many campus invites? did they go conservative with profs or kept some postdocs in too? (35) any word post interviews? (36) offer went to a professor 37) congratulations! | 6 | |
707 | 9/14/2023 8:37:16 | University of Maine | Maine | Microbiology | 10/13/2023 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=82601&job=assistant-professor-of-microbiology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/26/24 16:37 | Any details from the committee? 2) I am the one that posted this job - I just saw it on twitter, not sure if committee is on here 3) This is biomedical, rather than EEB. AP) Borderline, but mentions "microbial population dynamics" so it's OK. 4) Any updates? 5) No 6) Zoom interview requested on Nov 3 7) Rejection email 8) I didn't get a rejection? Nor a zoom request. Hmmm... 8)Anyone know who the search chair is? I'd like to reach out about my application status but don't want to contact HR and the listing is down. 9) @ 8 did you ever figure out what happened with this one? I also got no zoom and no rejection 8) @9 Nothing yet. Glad to know I'm not the only one in limbo. 9) Search was cancelled | 6 | |
708 | 9/14/2023 8:32:27 | Appalachian State University | North Carolina | Developmental Biology, Immunology, and Molecular Biology | 10/16/2023 | https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/42031 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 5:06 | 1) cluster hire for three asst. prof positions in Developmental Biology, Immunology, and Molecular Biology, from department member on twitter "Areas of specialization are open to any model so the net is very broad." 2) Carnegie classifies this as a master's college so is this university more of a regional PUI or the equivalent of a research intensive SLAC? Because I've never seen a 3 person cluster hire in a regional PUI before. 3) It is a larger masters regional university that is trying to keep up with record enrollment (over 21k now). 4) Likely to be related to a new dept chair? Common for Sr hires to request cluster hires in their field during negotiation. 5) I know the areas of specialization are open, but can any SC members comment on whether the Molecular Biology focus should be on model species? 6) No positions should focus on model species. There are already 3 zebrafish focused faculty so non-model could be more attractive 7) Heads up that housing cost in this area, albeit rural, is very high. Something to think about for those that make it to the salary negotiation stage. 8) @7 Current faculty member here. Unless something has changed recently, there is no negotiation for salary or start-up. You're given what everyone else is given. 9) any updates? 10) In-person interviews starting the week of January 18th. 11) These openings are still posted on the App State Website. Are these still active as of 4/3/2024? | ||
709 | 9/13/2023 20:27:35 | Missouri State University | Missouri | Host-microbiome interactions, microbial pathogenesis, microbial metagenomics | 10/30/2023 | https://jobs.missouristate.edu/postings/71128 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/21/23 13:00 | 1) I don't see a search chair 2) I love that this first comment sat for 2 months with no reply. So I'm here to say that I, too, do not see a search chair ;) 3) Zoom interview invitation Nov 21 | 1 | |
710 | 9/13/2023 15:40:44 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Louisiana | Microbiology | 10/31/2023 | https://ulsselu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SLU/job/Hammond-La/Assistant-Professor-of-Biological-Sciences_R-1261 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 16:22 | Virtual interviews week of 12/4/23 | 1 | |
711 | 9/13/2023 15:25:07 | Cal Poly Pomona | California | Mycology | 11/10/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/po/en-us/job/531852/biological-sciences-assistant-professor | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 17:16 | Area of research specialty is open. 2) Search committee member here, this is a fantastic place to work and we welcome your questions and applications! 3) any updates? 4) nothing yet 5) Just received the rejection letter. Hope others were successful! 6) Anybody who gets the offer, please update here. This is a small field and we all cheer for each other. | 2 | |
712 | 9/13/2023 8:09:59 | Illinois State University | Illinois | Population or Community Ecology | 10/16/2023 | https://jobsearch.illinoisstate.edu/en-us/job/517530/assistant-professor-of-population-or-community-ecology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/13/23 16:35 | 1) Does anyone know the teaching load here? 2) for #1, teaching load is 4 credits per semester, 1 semester teaching realease the first year 1) Thanks @ 2! Would that be like 1 course that's lecture + lab, for example? 3) Lecture + lab coordination or Lecture + graduate seminar. 4) One page only for the teaching statement is hard! 5) Zoom invite 10/30 x2 6) shoot I was optimistic for this one :( x2 7) Only one person here got a zoom invite? 8) Any news about on campus interviews? 5 again) none here. they said "the week after Thanksgiving" in the zoom, so until I hear otherwise my thought process is "no news is bad news" (as is the case with pretty much all of these). Seems like only a few from here so could be people outside of this list 9) on campus interview x2 | 9 | |
713 | 9/13/2023 8:08:16 | Illinois State University | Illinois | Ecology of Human Impacted Systems | 10/16/2023 | https://jobsearch.illinoisstate.edu/en-us/job/517532/assistant-professor-of-the-ecology-of-human-impacted-systems | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/22/23 6:17 | 1) fail search last year? I applied for the same position name last year and stopped at Zoom interview 3) I had an on-site interview last year and was told they were waiting on another candidate before I ultimately accepted another position.4) Zoom interview invite 10/30 x3 5) Campus interview invite received 11/21 x2 | 4 | |
714 | 9/13/2023 1:07:54 | University College London | United Kingdom | Ecosystems and Biodiversity | 10/26/2023 | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs/details?jobId=14779&jobTitle=Professor+of+Ecosystems+and+Biodiversity+Research | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/21/23 5:05 | 1) The application requests Qualification Certificates; do they want us to upload copies of our parchments? 2) am I correct in understanding they are looking for current asst and assoc profs only? 3) 2023-11-7 invited to interview on 17/18 january 4) 11-21 Rejection from HR. | 1 | |
715 | 9/12/2023 15:33:37 | University of Basel | Switzerland | Ecosystem Ecology | 10/5/2023 | https://jobs.unibas.ch/offene-stellen/professorship-in-ecosystem-ecology-open-rank/3464d037-f4ae-42b7-a491-9dca3080e9a1 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/28/23 6:32 | 1) any intel on this one? I'm not familiar with this university... seems analogous to a PUI or maybe R2 in the US? 2) No, it's a pretty serious research-intensive university. 3) #2 is correct. this will likley be competitive due to its proximity to Zurich. Basel is a cool city and the department has some great people. 4) does anyone know if there is a german language requirement for this position? 5) has anyone heard anything back yet? 5) One of my colleagues has an interview after Xmas 6) rejection 28/11 from their automated system | 3 | |
716 | 9/12/2023 14:33:15 | Sewanee: University of the South | Tennessee | Physiology | 10/20/2023 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37520961/assistant-professor-of-physiology/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 19:33 | Sewanee has renewed this ad with an extended submission deadline of 11/20: https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37557102/assistant-professor-of-biology 1) Noticing a lot of extended deadlines for red state jobs... | ||
717 | 9/12/2023 14:15:11 | Auburn University | Alabama | Vertebrate Physiology | 11/5/2023 | https://www.auemployment.com/postings/40833 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 11:42 | SC member here - official review starts Oct 20 but we will likely continue to accept applications until mid-November 1) SC again, we'll continue to review incoming applications through November 5 2) LOR requested + Zoom 11/6 3) Zoom interview invite and LOR requested 11/6, (4) in person invite it's requested 12/6 | 3 | |
718 | 9/12/2023 7:59:34 | Duke University | North Carolina | Terrestrial Ecology | 10/20/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25638 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/10/24 11:42 | 2 positions: 1 Asst. Prof and 1 at Asst/Assoc. "Research on both plants and animals is encouraged as are technical frontiers in modeling, geo-spatial methods, experimental networks, and/or remote sensing"; 1) They want 3 letters up front!? That's a lot of wasted free labor from our references! 2) @ 1, exactly. THOSE SCHOOLS WHO STILL REQUEST LETTERS EARLY ON SHOULD BE BLACKLISTED 3) Anyone knows who's in the search committee? 4) Jim Clark is the search chair. 5) Is there something that is supposed to go in the "1 additional space for publication" field? I've submitted my application but it's saying that I'm missing this document (along with two of my rec letters, which I know haven't been sent yet) x2 6) I just applied and there was no "1 additional space for publication" space anymore. It was there when I looked at the form before though. Gone now. I'm waiting on two letters but the rest is done with no errors. 5 again) Thanks Future PI Slack Job Applications 2023-2024 - North America only 7) Does anyone know if the ref letters are required by the due date? 8) can anyone weight in on the specification of research on "both plants and animals"? does this mean no involvement of animal is not good to proceed to apply for it? 9) @7, I wrote to the search chair and he said it's alright if letters arrive next week. x2 9) I had also heard from the chair that it's alright if letters are late, although without any firm deadline. I interpreted "both plants and animals" to mean "either plants or animals," although who knows! There are a lot of possible specialties mentioned here, but I wouldn't assume any one of them is a strict requirement. 10) @ 9 thanks. and good luck to you 11) bet this one will be spectacularly competitive or NOT (when some super stars will show up and others just be kicked out the race immmediately). 12) ref letters are still not completely in yet, hope it's okay 13) any updates? 14) Nope as of 1 Nov. x4 15) still nothing as of Nov 8?16) not yet. bet they got flooded by apps. x2 17) zoom interview requested Nov 17 x8 18) Any updates about on-campus interviews? 19) not as of morning of 12/6. Jim did say it should be rather quick, hopefully by end of the week? x2 20) Any news? x5 21) nothing as of 6:30pm 12/15 22) nothing here 12/18 x5 23) on-campus interview invite 12/21 x3 24) with two positions available, does anyone know the total number of on-campus invites? x2 25) Would love to know the current positions of people interviewing. 26) @25 i'm a 5th-year postdoc, and yourself? 27) any updates? 28) nothing as of 2/12 for me 29) Anything as of 3/1? 30) any word? 31) should we expect that an offer has been made as of 3/22? 32) heard that they made the decision 33) any word on notification timeline? or if anyone has been given an offer? 33) I'm at Duke and I ran into someone in the hall who was visiting post offer 34) dang. thanks for letting me know. x2 35) No problem, sending love your way. This is a tough business. At least you got an interview! Better than most of us can say. 36) have offers for both positions been made? Or just one of them? x2 37) They gave both offers but not sure whether candidates will accept. 38) According to a Twitter post, it seems that one of the offers went to the search committee chair's former postdoc. [opinion about selected candidate removed -AP] 40) https://twitter.com/tongqiu_geog/status/1807871618615857516 congrats! | 20 | |
719 | 9/12/2023 6:17:15 | Princeton University | New Jersey | Ecology, Evolution, and/or Behavior | 10/25/2023 | https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=32023 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 6/20/24 9:23 | "particularly ecology or behavior" 1) Why can't these searches just use the normal application materials. 2) yeah, this is a lot: a vision statement [for] their first five years in the context of one or more major unsolved problems. also include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three reprints, contact information for three references, and a one-page statement describing the broader impacts of the candidate's professional activities (similar to NSF) 3) Seems pretty standard to me, just worded differently. Vision statement = research statement. BI statement = DEI statement. Having 3 published papers to attach as reprints should be easy. Cover letter and CV are standard job packet components. x2 4) I like the vision statement (despite the cheesy name). The instructions are very clear about what that document should contain, moreso than for most research statements.x3 5) Have to agree. Sometimes the top tier schools are pretty agregious but this seems like a fancy way of describing the standard materials. 6) That vision statement request is pretty different from nearly every research statement I've read x2 7) I guess this answers the question from the Venting Tab, "Who determines the standard?" 8) Is this worth applying to for folks who study evolution? 9) In their last round, lots of people were notified as 'tier 1' applicants who then somehow were not interviewed - is there any point in re-applying, or does this mean that those folks simply did not meet the search criteria and should let it go? 10) How many is "lots of people"? From the message I saw, it read as if there were only ~10.. 11) @9, if the last search had a different focus, worth reapplying. Also worth reaching out the SC if you made the long list but weren't called to see if you fit for this search. (like x1) 12) Is this worth applying if i dont have a CNS paper? 13) @12 tbh no, look at who got hired last time and make your decision that way. 14) CNS isn't required, but a previous stint at an Ivy, specifically Harvard, definitely helps. 15) It's an open rank position. They may be hiring someone with tenure, so I think it's reasonable for them to ask for a little more in the way of an application. 16) GREAT department. Lofty goals, but the support and community to enable it. 17) anyone know the geographic area? whats it like living there? 18) I was a grad student at Princeton and found it to be a really nice place to live. Lots of convenient amenities on Route 1, but also a lot of nice ruralish green space. ~1 hour from both Philadelphia and New York. Some faculty lived in Princeton proper, others a bit further away in other townships. Seems like a nice place to have a family, but students/postdocs/faculty who were more into big city settings found it a bit quiet. 18) close to the ocean too (45 mins). 19) For those interested, there will be a Q&A webinar hosted by the search committee on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 12 PM EDT - https://princeton.zoom.us/s/95659402367 no registration required. 20) @12 - I'd worry less about not having a CNS paper and more about not having a PhD from an Ivy League school. Just saying. 21) seems like I've seen different posts for this job. Why does the job ad say eco-evo-behavior but social media and colleagues are saying behavior only? That seems like a bait and switch if true and misleading by others if false. Is there some political battle about which faction gets this search? @19 where was this zoom advertised? Is it definitely open to anyone? 22) the zoom is put on by the department/search committee. They did the same with their evolution post last year. It is open to anyone interested in applying 23) Am I reading this posting correctly that there is no teaching statement? 24) Curious as to what kind of information could this Q&A possibly contain? I'm not applying so won't attend, but am sincerely interested in what purpose this serves. I suspect to reassure everyone to drop their preconceived notions about what gets you hired there? 25) I think that the reason Universities started doing these webinars is to try to make the application process more accessible to diverse groups. 26) I see the application asks for contact info for references. Do we know if refs are contacted when we apply/if letters requested up front? 27) @26 and everyone, it was just stated during the webinar that letters ARE requested upfront by the Oct 25 deadline. 28) Letters can arrive past the deadline, as was stated towards the end of the webinar. The application with contact info for references has to be submitted by the deadline. 29) Was the Zoom recorded and will it be posted for those who couldn't attend? 30) To the best of my knowledge, the zoom Q&A was not recorded. 31) I was in the webinar, and it was definitely recorded (the little red recording indicator was in the corner of the screen). Maybe there are HR reasons for not posting it though? 32) Letters requested at the time of application. 33) Anyone ask in the Q&A about the lack of a teaching statement? First time I've seen that, and I'm wondering if I should even drop my teaching info from my cover letter... 34) Is anyone able to see the status of their recommendation letters? When I click the link emailed after submission, I don't see any change to that area so I'm not sure how we tell that letter requests have been sent out. x2 35) Clicking the link provided, under each name I can see if the letter was submitted or not (either "Waiting for response from reference." or "Recommendation has been provided."). It takes a few days for requests to be submitted, so if you just submitted the application this might be the reason of not seeing the updates. 36) @33 - If memory serves, they mentioned in the Q&A that the "Broader Impacts" document would be the place to mention teaching. 37) Letter writer indicated that they didn't get a prompt yet after I submitted my application. They're ready, and waiting for the email request. 38) In my case it took 3 days. 37) Thanks @38. I guess it's maybe not automatic then. 39) Do we assume the deadline is midnight EST or will midnight West Coast be OK? 40) No idea @39. I always assume the time zone where the posting was made, if there is a hard cutoff, which sometimes isn't clear. Good luck! 41) I read the above, but am still not clear about letters of recommendation. It sounds like they are auto requested a few days after the application is submitted, but when are they due for full consideration? not sure what deadline to tell my letter writers here. 42) I don't know what to tell them either, I hope that the information is in the email that gets sent out to them. 43) I remember during the webinar they said it's ok if the letters arrive a week past the deadline. I would send them in asap. You can read last year comments on a position within the same department (row 993). 44) Submitted before the deadline, but letter writers still haven't gotten requests -- anyone else in the same boat? x6 45) Mine letter requests happened as soon as I submitted, with confirmation from my letter writers to submitted them ASAP. I don't know why it wouldn't for everyone else?x2 46) My letter requests were sent after a 3-day delay, like others mentioned. Found out from one letter writer that they got it today. 47) as a letter writer I am confused - am I supposed to send the letter now, or was this just for contact info? 48) @47 - I believe you are supposed to submit the letter now. The search committee wants letters for all applicants. 49) Any updates? 50) in the Zoom info session, they said the following about timeline: first Search Committee reads all applications and ranks them. The top ~1/3 will be read by the entire faculty, who will shortlist 5-7 people for interview. They said everyone should hear whether they've been shortlisted or not by the end of the year. Interviews in January and February. 51) I really do appreciate the transparancy on this round. I hope it spreads to the rest of the field. x2 52) Any updates about this search? 53) Curious if this search will actually lead to hiring somebody or just be a failed search like it has been for multiple years in a row 54) they did hire someone last year (55) I interviewed last year and invitation came on Dec16 (56) @53 they made two hires last year. (57) [in dept] we initially offered two PIs the position, they both declined, then one postdoc who accepted. (58) Any invitations go out yet? (59) no news here (12/15) x4. (60) Just curious – SC, would you mind sharing how many apps you received? (57 again) Last yr was around 275 58) On campus interview invite, 12/17 x3 59) Congratulations 58 (X 3)! Please, can you share your career level with us? (61) and your general field? 62) r.e. 60/61 Thanks! I am a third year postdoc in behavioral ecology x2 63) Were there any neuroscience oriented candidates selected for zoom? 64) Has anyone heard or not whether they have been selected? It is allmost mids of January already and I havent gotten a response email yet. 65) On campus interview scheduled (7 candidates in total). 66) Would love to know the current positions of people interviewing. Saw the two posdocs. How about the other five interviewees? 67) 6 postdocs and 1 assistant professor 68) @66 where did you find the list? not obvious from EEB seminar list. 69) actually 2 assistant profs and 5 postdocs (70) I think it was the same last year (it was 3prof 5postdoc) and the first two offers went to asst profs. 71) So no mid-career folks being interviewed despite being open rank.. (72) From the website it looks like only profs were invited (several behavior and otherwise). Does this mean that the listed seminar speakers does not include the job candidates? (73) @72 you are right, job candidates talks are not posted publicly. (74) received my rejection letter today (I was not one of the candidates invited to campus for an interview; on-campus interviews have not finished yet, though) - 12-Feb-2024 x3 (75) I haven't heard anything yet - not even a rejection. 12-Feb (76) @75, you might want to check your spam folder. I got an email from the search committee on 1/28 saying that, although they plan to offer a position to someone they've already invited for interview, I was on a sort of wait list, so I won't get a rejection email right away. x2 77) @74 do you know when on campus interviews will wrap up? 78) I interviewed and was told to expect news around the end of Feb 79) Have any offers been made yet? (80) No news here yet (interviewed earlier this month). (81) received informal offer by email 82) Congrats! 83) @81 congrats! would you mind sharing your career stage? (81) I'm a postdoc. 82) Awesome! What's your field? 83) Has anyone that interviewed received a rejection yet? (84) I interviewed and have received an informal rejection email from the chair, but have not received an official rejection. x2 (85) Hm... does this mean they only made one offer for this job? (86) Congrats 81! I never heard anything after submission, not even an initial rejection. Some things never change. 87) https://x.com/Bernard_Y_Kim/status/1802738221396435239 (or for the Princeton biodiversity job?) | 21 | |
720 | 9/11/2023 18:14:58 | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | Environmental Science / Ecology / Sustainability | 11/1/2023 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1769 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/9/24 9:19 | 1) In case a SC member sees this - I believe AL is the freshwater arm of UMCES, but the ad mentions marine work. Does it make sense for marine folks to apply? There don't appear to be any marine focused faculty, so I may have answered my own question... 2) faculty member at AL here...research at AL emphasizes terrestrial / freshwater environments, but some faculty do cross over into marine systems (though probably not much beyond estuaries). Several faculty collaborate with our marine colleages at other UMCES labs. It is a great place to work. 1) @2 - Thank you! If I apply I will do so understanding that my work my be at the periphery of AL's focus. 3) any updates? 4) It's the morning of Nov 6th, 2 business days since the deadline. Way too early for an update. 5) ........what about now, mr. crabs? are there any updates now? 6) @5 this made my day, thank you. 7) so as of 11/28 any updates....!? 8) Should have some updates soon, large number of applications to sort through. 9) contacted for zoom interview 12/5 x3. 10) Any news? (1/10) 11) also waiting. based on timeline they gave for holding on-site interviews I'd think invites need to go out this week at latest. 10 again) Thanks 11. Good luck to you! 12) No news as of 1/16, anyone else? 13) None here (1/16) x3. 14) Speculation, but if 3 people on here (out of I think 6 who got Zoom interviews) haven't heard anything, I'm guessing they are either behind their timeline goal or their campus invites leaned away from ecology (really broad ad) or skewed toward the associate level, assuming folks on this board regularly skew more junior. 15) @14 - Do you know how many people got Zoom interviews, or is that speculation? 16) These things take time as the faculty have to meet to discuss the candidates and Zoom interviews + winter break in the middle. In short, its a timeline thing, nothing more. 10 again) Thanks @16 for the update! It's much appreciated. 12 again) Just invited for an in person interview (1/19) good luck everyone! 17) Any updates? 18) Nothing here, and I'm pretty sure interviews finished more than a month ago. So guessing offers are out, but maybe it's just slow. | 6 | |
721 | 9/11/2023 8:55:17 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Chemical Oceanography / Biogeochemistry | 11/1/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/1002Y-Energy-Coast-and-Environment-Building/Assistant-Professor---Chemical-Oceanography-Marine-Geochemistry_R00086171 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/11/23 9:13 | 1) SC member - Although the eco/evo is thin in the ad, our search is very broad, and chemical oceanographers/biogeochemists who can collaborate with our diverse physical/ecological focused faculty are encouraged to apply. Will try to monitor for questions. (2) Any updates? | ||
722 | 9/9/2023 14:38:12 | University of Mississippi | Mississippi | Molecular Evolution | 10/9/2023 | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37523482/assistant-professor-in-molecular-evolution/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/12/24 10:04 | "We seek candidates using genomic and/or computational approaches to study consequential questions in evolutionary biology." SC Chair: I'll watch for questions. This is a broad call. Don't hesitate to apply or reach out with questions (bnoonan@olemiss.edu). 2) Are you looking for candidates working with any particular system? 3) Is Oxford MS safe for racial minorities/ LGBTQI+ ? x3 4) I think you mean Oxford MS! @4 Woops, fixed! 5) Email sent asking for availability for zoom on 10/16 x 2 6) Wow! Fast turnaround, congrats @5 7) In person interview invite, all dates for early/late Novemeber. Very soon! 8) In person interview in Nov, though never heard anything back regarding offers, so assuming whomever it was, was not me | 8 | |
723 | 9/8/2023 11:51:32 | Skidmore College | New York | Plant Biology | 10/2/2023 | https://eodq.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/requisitions/preview/1250 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/13/23 14:35 | 1) This job was recently re-posted on HigherEdJobs (~10/12), so seems like it's not too late to get your app in! 2) has anyone heard any updates? 3) a weird email update that says: If your application is selected for further review, you will receive a follow-up email from me, sent within 24 hours of this email. No email means your application is not being considered further. 4) Interesting. I wonder if that's a way to circumvent any weird HR rules regarding sending rejection letters 5) 10/25 email asking for letters 6) Emailed directly or the email was sent to letter writers? 7) @6 emailed directly 8) any update on Phase II process? x2 9) no updates as of 11/13 after 4pm (thus assuming they have moved on with their list of 3) | 2 | |
724 | 9/8/2023 10:58:20 | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | Tennessee | Microbial Physiology | 11/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130406 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/5/24 16:05 | 1) Anyone hear anything yet? 2) 11/19 not yet! x5 3) Anyone hear anything as of now? 12/4? 4) Not yet x4 5) Any updates (12/18)? 6) Nope (12/21) x4 7) Rejection email (1/3) x6 8) Invitation for onsite interview (1/8) | 6 | |
725 | 9/8/2023 10:56:50 | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | Tennessee | Plant-Microbe Interactions | 11/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/131119 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 7:45 | This is part of a cluster hire in the Dept. of Microbiology along with the Dept. of Entomology & Plant Pathology. We're interested in plant-microbe interactions very broadly, including ecological and evolutionary questions. 1) Should someone who focuses on a plant pathogen apply to this as well as the microbial physiology search or no? Don't know if SCs are the same. 2) Hi - SC member here: the search committees are different for the two positions; we definitely consider pathogens as relevant to plant-microbe interactions, though please note this is for assoc/full and the physiology search is for assistant 1)@2 Thank you- missed the associate part. 3) any updates yet? maybe still a bit early I guess? 4) I didn't apply for this job, but another in the cluster. Nothing yet on that one 5) SC member here: we are still in the process of reviewing the applications as of 11/15 3) Thanks for the update! 6) Anyone hear anything on this yet or know the projected timeline? 7) Invitations for zoom interviews have gone out | 3 | |
726 | 9/8/2023 10:35:16 | California State University San Marcos | California | Biology (Physiology) | 10/1/2023 | https://careersmanager.pageuppeople.com/873/sm/en-us/job/531509/assistant-professor-of-biology-physiology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/9/23 18:31 | Does anyone know anything about this search? Looking at their faculty page, this department already has two physiologists. Are they really looking for a third physiologist? 2) Does plant physiology count or is this an animal-focused search? 3) Department member here: the department has 5 physiologists and is replacing a recently retired physiologist. We are seeking a physiologist that is able to teach our core physiology course which is Comparative Animal Physiology (lecture and lab), but the area of research is flexible as long as the candidate can develop upper division electives in their area of expertise. 4) Received a rejection email "The position remains open until filled; however, at this point you have not been selected to interview." 5) Any updates for interview? x2 6) invited to on-campus interview on 11/9 | 3 | |
727 | 9/8/2023 10:24:15 | University of Virginia | Virginia | Microbiology / Infectious Disease | 10/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130419 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/18/24 13:39 | Hiring multiple positions in this search 1) any idea if immunological research would fall in the scope of this search or are they looking for people specifically on the microbe side? 2) got an email verifying they were reviewing my application x3 3)Nice to have them at least acknowledge it- makes me feel like they maybe won't ghost us all. 4) I've received the acknowledging email, but just took a look at the interfolio, the status turned back to the "incomplete" becasue Confidential Letter of Recommendation or Evaluation are missing. Does this happen to everyone? x2 5) mine says complete still? 6)Mine said they were missing but now is back to "complete". x2 6) 4 again. Thanks everyone for the info! 7) just got the rejection email -- at least they are communicative x4 8) got email about probable zoom interview coming up soon (10/30) x5 9) got an email about the zoom interview (11/8) x 3 10) Ack, missed the cut again 11) 10 again, official rejection email. 4 people on here got the email about a potential zoom interview (including me), then 3 get actual zoom interview...wonder what that says about my application hahaha 12) @11 I also got the potential zoom interview email followed by rejection and would argue it was too promising/too much transparency 13) hey 12, sorry to hear that, but I'm glad I'm not alone! 14) @12,@13 Me, too :-( 15) @14, we're in this together 16) department seminar invite 12/4 x2 17) To everyone who got the potential zoom interview e-mail but no zoom, sorry to hear that, that's rough! (18) Ouch... I hope we can all agree that informing select candidates about 'potential interviews' is not good practice. Just rip the band-aid. 19) Yeah, it was brutal, but so is pretty much everything for most of us on here haha! At least I was a "long-list candidate" 😂. The email said, "We are pleased to inform you that the search committee has reviewed your application and is considering moving you forward in the search process." But...nope nevermind. 20) in-person invite on 1/29 21) 2 Offers were made | 9 | |
728 | 9/7/2023 16:35:40 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Biostatistics & Data Science (Teaching) | 12/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25566 | Asst Prof of Teaching | Tenure Stream | 6/26/24 14:24 | Tenure-track educational leadership position in the Zoology department. (1) Wow, both searches failed at UBC last yr? x3 (2) What's the salary range? 3) any insights into why the search failed last year? 4) Is it true they heavily favor Canadian applicants? 5) No @4, it's not true. They're "supposed to", but it's not enforced in any practical sense. Apply if you want the job! 6) SC member here. We encourage applicants to read through the educational leadership criteria linked in the ad, and encourage applicants of all nationalities to apply. 7) Hi SC member. What's the salary range? 8) expected starting 12-mo salary is $105,000 8) why doesn'tt the 12-mo salary align with research-oriented assistant professors in the department? (9) @8, The position doesn't require a Ph.D., so the qualifications and training time are significantly less than the research-oriented assistant professors. 10) Strange answer @9 since your recent hires for AP Teaching have PhDs and you will likely offer the job to someone with a PhD. 11) SC member here again - @9 that isn't the logic here. Pay scales are very similar and Assistant Professor salaries in the department tend to rise quickly for members of both teaching and research streams. More on UBC faculty salaries can be found on the faculty association website: https://www.facultyassociation.ubc.ca/worklife/salaries/ (9 again) @SC member, to clarify, I was just noting that the salary might and should be lower for some candidates given the requirements for the job. Candidates without a PhD should have a lower starting salary than those with, just given the difference in training time. The high end is absolutely competitive with research stream professors, and this is great. No complaints here! 12) Is that $105,000 CAD or USD? If CAD, then the salary is roughly $76,000 USD, which is a much more difficult wage for Vancouver living. (13) Since it's Canada it's CAD. 105K is fine for Vancouver, rent is about 2-3K / month for an apt. 14) Yes, new UBC faculty here, you can definitely live on the salary comfortably, even with a family, if you are happy with urban apartment living (it is my preference but not for everyone). And salaries go up very quickly in your first few years. 15) Hopefully SC is aware that skilled data scientists make much much more than 105k in Canada (16) Yes but we are asking people to teach , therefore they're not as valued by society (although arguably producing more value for it) 17) 105000 after tax gives 6500/month, so unless you're "fine" with spending close to half of salary on rent, or have a partner who makes similar, you definitely wont be "living comfortably" on that salary especially not with a family 18) I do live very comfortably, as do my peers, but I recognize that everybody has different standards of living. A very personal consideration when moving to cities with high housing costs. For me, the pros of living and working here overwhemlingly outweigh the cons. Anyway, this conversation is getting beyond the scope of this particular job, but happy to answer any questions about this position!! 19) This salary is manageable for the location. Any city in North American with a high cost of living would be very challenging for a family on a single salary. This shouldn't be a surprise. 20) @18 how is discussing the salary for this job 'beyond the scope of this particular job'? The issue isn't whether the salary is "manageable" for Vancouver -- lots of salaries are -- its if you're paying enough to get someone that can teach data science effectively 21) who should we address/email questions on the application to? I have a question about the CV formatting since it says "Curriculum vitae, including a summary of teaching experience and evidence of effectiveness." Normally I would include those in my 2-pg teaching statement, but you want them as an additional page(?) in the CV? thanks 22) I think we've already handled this inquiry via e-mail but find me at kaitlyn.gaynor@ubc.ca 23) any updates?? 24) received an email for Zoom interview 25) will there be any more Zoom interview offers? 26) invite said they are zooming with 10 candidates 27) received an on campus interview request 28) updates? (29) Interviews have concluded or will conclude this week 30) updates? 31) failed search? (32) Not to my knowledge, I think an offer has been made. (33) looks to have failed :-( 34) wait, what!?!?! (35) :-( (36) more details please? (37) Top candidate turned down the job for another position, and they were not able to offer it to Canadians after this AFAIK 38) SC obviously f'd up making their pool (again) 39) ouch | ||
729 | 9/7/2023 14:08:40 | University of Utah | Utah | Climate Change Science & Impacts | 10/16/2023 | https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/152984 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/29/24 10:27 | 1) anyone know the review date? 2) Oct 16 was mentioned in an email sent to a mailing list, but yes, nothing in the job ad itself 3) I emailed, will report back; email response: "While no formal deadline is listed, you are encouraged to submit your materials before mid-October, since review of applications will start by then." So Oct. 16 as mentioned above sounds reasonable. 4) The deadline is now in the job ad: "Our review of applicants will begin on October 16, 2023." Admin, can you please add the review date? Added! - AFP (5) Any updates? (10/31) 6) I saw this job posted on Science Careers and it has a Nov 5th closing date there https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/649299/open-rank-professor-in-climate-change-science-and-impacts/ . I just applied and I hope it's considered. 7) Any updates? (11/09) 8) Invited for Zoom interview (11/13) X2 9) Thanks for the update. I'm wondering if all 3 departments have the same timeline. 10) How did people's interviews go? 15 minutes is so short :( 11) Invited for campus interview 12/5 X2 12) Any updates or offers? (13) In dept and heard an offer went out (14) Thank you @13--which department (maybe all three went out at the same time)? (15) I heard at least one offer accepted in geology | 6 | |
730 | 9/7/2023 11:46:14 | Southern Illinois University | Illinois | Ecology & Biostatistics | 10/6/2023 | https://jobs.siu.edu/staff/job-details-staff?jobID=15818&job=assistant-professor-ecology-and-biostatistics | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/7/23 11:46 | Emphasis on plant community ecology | 1 | |
731 | 9/7/2023 10:29:24 | Lake Superior State University | Michigan | Natural resources / forest conservation | https://jobs.lssu.edu/jobs/tenure-track-assistant-professor-sault-ste-marie-michigan-united-states | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/7/24 7:10 | 1) no review date included in job posting, "Responsibilities include teaching core courses in Forestry and Soils, and additional courses [..] Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Technology, Fisheries and Wildlife Management, and [GIS]" 2) UP of Michigan is beautiful. You'll have to be fine with lots of snow, though 3) this position has been filled | 1 | ||
732 | 9/7/2023 10:23:46 | Ohio Wesleyan University | Ohio | Neuroscience | 10/4/2023 | https://www.owu.edu/about/offices-services-directory/human-resources/career-information/faculty-positions-for-2024/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/7/23 11:16 | 1) Emphasis on Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. | ||
733 | 9/7/2023 9:54:03 | US National Park Service | Florida | Marine Ecology | 9/12/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/745806100 | GS-12 | Government | 9/7/23 9:55 | 1) in Everglades National Park "responsible for developing and implementing a broad and complex program in coastal, estuarine, and marine ecology as it relates to Everglades Restoration and resource stewardship; and for directing operation of the Florida Bay interagency Science Center", only open to US citizens and closes after 100 applicants | ||
734 | 9/7/2023 9:51:17 | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Maryland | Interdisciplinary Biologist / Ecologist | 9/18/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/746816000 | GS-12 | Government | ||||
735 | 9/7/2023 9:35:21 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Wisconsin | Conservation Biology | 10/9/2023 | https://www.uwec.edu/job-postings/20076/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/1/23 16:51 | 1) Preference given to candidates working with invertebrate systems 2) Are references contacted at the time of application, or not until later in the process? 3) SC member here - references will be contacted later in the process! 4) Thank you @3! 5) Zoom interview request 10/16 x2 6) Oof, really thought I had a shot at this one 7) @3 While I'm sad to be out of the running, thanks for sending a prompt rejection email! (only school for me so far this cycle who has had the curtesey to tell me no) Good luck to those still in the running. 6) You got a rejection email? I didn't get either. I looked back at my application and I guess I didn't set a "preferred" method of contact, maybe that was why I didn't. 7) Or maybe that just means I was well and truly dead, whereas you're still on some sort of long list they don't want to definitively exclude yet...? 6) Maybe. I have gotten zoom interview invites where they said "we had a candidate drop out and you were next on the list", but that was in late April, where it's easy to imagine a zoom invitee already having accepted another offer. I kinda doubt anyone's declining a zoom interview in October. 7) I also received no communication 3) SC member here again - there are multiple lists at the moment, will be communicating with candidates as soon as HR allows us re: different lists 5) Campus invite 10/27 8) Campus invite 10/25 | 8 | |
736 | 9/7/2023 6:05:09 | University of North Dakota | North Dakota | Quantitative Conservation Biologist | 10/16/2023 | https://careers.und.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-of-quantitative-conservation-biology-grand-forks-north-dakota-united-states | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/20/24 4:31 | 1) 69k isn't great, though matches about a GS11 government research starting job in ND, so I suppose is reasonable (though that's more of a postdoc level. a GS12 would be more Assistant Professor level) 2) GS-12 is considered postdoc level 3) @2 both GS 11 and 12 can be post doc level depending on experience. #2 again) so I was shortchanged by only being a GS11 for my two year postdoc? Thanks for insights. I was told GS12 was ~ beginning Ast. Prof. 4) USDA here- most of our post docs are 11s, with 12s being ast. prof. 5) Video interview request 10/30 5) On-campus interview request 11/27 6) On campus interviews completed, an offer should be made soon. 7) Email saying the faculty voted to fail the search 3/18 8) Ouch 9) wtf | 3 | |
737 | 9/7/2023 5:39:39 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Discipline-Based Education Research | 10/15/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0646-Life-Sciences-Building/Assistant-Professor_R00086401 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/31/23 11:32 | 1) Posted by SC member. Will check in periodically to answer questions. (2) Invited for zoom interview in Nov x2 | 2 | |
738 | 9/7/2023 5:38:04 | Oberlin College | Ohio | Community Ecology | 10/23/2023 | https://jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/14437 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/5/24 17:51 | Standard teaching load (4.5 courses per year) 1) The ad lists three reference letters among the documents but then says "**By providing three letters of reference, you agree that we may contact your letter writers." Do we need completed letters to apply, or just provide references? It seems like the latter based on looking at the application. Any SC members on here to answer? Thanks! 2) Please stop asking for letters of recommendation at the application stage. It's such a waste of time for anyone that isn't among the 10-15 people chosen for initial interviews. Committees need to stop putting convenience (or whatever justification) before being considerate to potential candidates x3. 3) chair says "The letters are due on Oct. 23, and referees receive a link with upload instructions once their names and email addresses are submitted into the system." @3 Thanks. And argh, I thought they only wanted contact info so now I guess my letter writers have one more unexpected thing on their plates this week. 4) The need for refs by the date was NOT clear in the ad or the application so mine have still not all been submitted. Not sure what to do. So frustrating. 5) For any SC members, just FYI I did not apply explicitly because there was a requirement for letters upfront 4) Yep #5 makes a good point and it's even worse that the wording was so ambiguous we couldn't even tell what was required. 6) Been a few weeks with this one - anyone heard anything? 7) nothing here as of 11/9, 11/15 x3 8) Nothing for me as of 11/27 x5 9) Nothing as of 12/4 x 5 10) per some website snooping it looks like they are interviewing candidates on campus this week 11) https://www.oberlin.edu/events/biology_seminar_migration_and_sharing_in_microbial_communities https://www.oberlin.edu/events/biology_seminar_measuring_and_manipulating_the_mosquito_microbiota https://www.oberlin.edu/events/biology_seminar_big_mammals_bigger_pictures Yup, looks like they're interviewing 3. 12) Thanks #11 I guess I'll cross that one off, sigh. I prefer to know rather than keep hoping. 11) Yeah, sorry to be the bearer. It's surprising that no one on this sheet got so much as a zoom, though I guess maybe not many of us applied? 12) yeah I often wonder how #s on here relate to total apps etc. Anyway, it's interesting to see who got interviewed. Thanks! 13) Thanks @10 and @11 for the update! Always a bummer to find out this way, but it is what it is. Best of luck, all! 14) Man, that was an insular shortlist. 2 of the 3 interviewed were Oberlin grads and one of those was a current VAP? x3 15) Seems they hired the VAP | 7 | |
739 | 9/6/2023 10:45:28 | University of Tampa | Florida | Biophysical Oceanography | 10/15/2023 | https://utampa.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Faculty/job/Assistant-Professor--Biophysical-Oceanography_R0007833-1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/4/23 5:17 | 1) Zoom interview request 10/25 2) campus interview request 11/29 | 2 | |
740 | 9/6/2023 8:46:14 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Wildlife Population Ecology | 11/10/2023 | https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/12118 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/14/24 12:45 | 1) Terrestrial vertebrate focus. Open until filled 2) Will the committee consider applicants finishing their PhD in May? 3) any news? 4) nothing as of Nov 27 x7 5) Nothing as of Dec 4 x4 6) Nothing as of Dec 8 x5 7) email from commitee saying they are still processing applications, 12/12 x5 8) The email also said they had ~50 applicants. Seems like a pretty low number. 9) Hm, the email said a "strong pool of 50 candidates" ... I wasn't sure if this meant they had already narrowed down the pile a bit? Because I agree, 50 seems lower than I would expect! 10) Any news 12/21? 11) None here 12/21...x5 12) Invited for zoom interview. x3 13) invited for zoom interview Jan 2 (seems like after the other 2 who posted yesterday?) 14) Probably too early, but...any updates? 15) still waiting 16) Campus invite 01/25 17) Nice and informative rejection. Other schools take note! Congrats to the person who got it! 18) @17, curious, were you interviewed before your rejection? Not sure that folks who were not invited for interview received rejections. 17) @ 18 I was a zoom interviewee | 7 | |
741 | 9/5/2023 13:53:58 | Rhodes College | Tennessee | Organismal Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://rhodes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Rhodes_Careers/job/Assistant-Professor---Organismal-Biology_JR-470 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/26/24 10:31 | 1) "qualified applicants for a tenure-track faculty position in organismal biology (including but not limited to plant biology, freshwater biology or invertebrate biology)". 2) any idea on salary? Looks like it might be low ($58k for an assistant prof. bio). 3) 60-65k in Memphis TN. 4) listed as 66.5K at https://data.aaup.org/ft-faculty-salaries/ 5) Has anyone received requests for zoom interviews for this one? Looks like their other search moved onto that stage very quickly. 6) Zoom interview invite (10/12). 7) In person invite (10/18). 8) Offer made and accepted 9) Congrats! You should definitely add your data to the negotations tab. 8 again) Thanks! Will do | 6 | |
742 | 9/5/2023 13:52:33 | Rhodes College | Tennessee | Evolution | 10/1/2023 | https://rhodes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Rhodes_Careers/job/Assistant-Professor-of-Biology---Evolution_JR-469 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/15/23 6:11 | 1) This required an undegrad transcript. My undegrad was from a different country so that isn't straightforward for me to obtain. So I just uploaded my grad transcript twice. SC member if you're seeing this, please don't trash my application! I promise I'll obtain the undedgrad transcript if I get shortlisted! 2) Is it common for an institution to ask for your undergrad transcript when applying for a faculty position? 3) Not common, but I've definitely seen it. Probably some kind of weird HR requirement 4) link not working for me. suboptimal since I can't see what they need or any page limits. guess I'll just assume everything needs to be less than 2 pages... 5) Zoom request 10/5.x3 Fastest turnaround I've ever seen.x2 6) Le Moyne's was 1 day faster 7) @5 if you don't mind can you tell us in vague terms how much teaching experience you have, and what your research focus is? I really thought I had a chance with this one :( 8) @7 teaching experience - oodles - have assisted more courses than I can count, and led a couple too. research - evolutionary genomics. Don't get discouraged! if this is what you want, keep plugging! (AP now but did 6-yr postdoc - tenacity is key!!) 9) Thanks for the ancouragement! But yea that's a lot more teaching than me, and I think genomics are heavily favored by SCs these days. Good luck with the zoom! 9.5)@7 I have a year as a biology instructor and was instructor of record for 3 courses during my PhD. My research is focused on diversification using morphology and phylogentic comparative methods. You never know what the SC is looking for. Just keep trying like others have said. 10) @7 dang, my background is pretty similar to yours 11) in-person invite 10/18 12) Has an offer been made? 13) I would like to think an offer was made. They are probably negotiating with their first pick. 14) Heard from the chair. Offer made and accepted (not me), but I appreciated the communication. Rhodes was a class act throughout the process. Congrats to their new colleague! | 5 | |
743 | 9/5/2023 13:30:51 | UC Davis | California | Insect Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05990 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/9/24 7:41 | "The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program in insect biosciences to address critical or emerging issues in any aspect of insect biology. We define insect biology in the broadest sense." 2) So this needs a research statement AND a future research plan, as separate documents? 3) @2 yes 4) Are letter writers prompted to submit a reference following application submission or will letters be requested upon making a short list? If prompted, do letters need to be submitted by December 1? 5) Any clue who the SC chair is? Contact info is someone from HR. 6) letters do not appear to be needed up front. Only contact info is requested in the form and emails are not sent upon submission. 7) anyone know who's on the committee for this one? 8) Not sure, but I would guess Louie Yang and perhaps Jay Rosenheim are both on the committee 9) Jay Rosenheim is the chair of the committee. 10) ~95 total applicants 11) I suppose the odds could be worse. Thanks for the info @10! x2 12) Any expection date to make first cut? 13) @10 it surprises me it's so low given the breadth of the job ad! Any idea why? 14) Has anyone heard yet? 15) 12/26 no 16) I haven't heard anything yet either but I figured no one would hear anything until after January 1st. Plus, the job posting states that the first filter is looking through the DEI and research accomplishment statements before looking at the full packets. This will likely add more time to the process because people need to agree on those candidates prior to looking at the full packets of the long-list candidates. I'm not on this search committee but I have served on others and this is my assumption here. 17) @13 my guess is that entomology dept is more niche still than a general eco/evo department. For ento departments, ~100 applicants is really large in my experience. x2 18) That's definitely true, though it's rare for entomology departments to post ads this broad. Usually it's something pretty specific (med/vet, aquatic, vegetable crops, systematics, etc.) 19) any updaes? 1/5 20) no word here [1/5] x8 21) 1/15 - Any word? 22) no news for me 1/15 x8 23) no news here 1/23 24) letters requested 1/24 x14 25) did they reach out to you 24 or to your letter writers directly? 26) I didn't hear anything directly, just word from my letter writer (not 24) I also received word from letter writers, but nothing directly (not 24). Finalists? 27) Seems like there are lot of us with letters pulled, probably premature to go on Zillow 25) just heard that my letters were requested as well, maybe eveyone had letters requested? Seems odd that more people report getting letter request 28) Probably requested from everyone 29) I think letters were requested for the long list? It is definitely odd that they were pulled before an initial round of interviews but there is no way they pull 4-6 letters for everyone 30) How do you know how many applicants there were? 31) I got letters requested too. did anyone not? Seems unlikely that everyone on the board made the long list, but who knows... 32) Has anyone emailed the search committee to ask? 33) For a person (myself) who has applied to over 40 positions without receiving any shortlisted opportunities, I am quite certain that they request reference letters from all applicants haha. x2 34) Seems like only about 15-20 were pulled out of the ~95 applicants, I'm assuming shortlist zoom interviews will go out next 35) @34 where are you getting your info? 36) I'm at a different university- here we pull lettters for a long list prior to zoom interviews, but much shorter than initial applant pool. Not sure how UC Davis does it though. 36) it seems wild to pull letters for everyone two months after the deadline, surely they've reviewed the apps enough to have a long-list, but I suppose it could be an HR system hiccup. 37) Any updates? Has anyone approached SC? 2/4 38) @37 I have not approached SC, but have spoken with someone familiar with the search. Those who got letter requests made it past the first cut. The process at Davis is very slow as the whole department gets a say in selecting the short list for interview invites. 39) any news yet? 40) none here x12 41) Can anyone from inside the dept tell us anything about the timeline for this search? 42) Still no news x6 3/4 43) Is this the slowest job search in all of history? 44) How about @43 do us a favor write an email to SC chair inquring the progress haha 45) request for on-campus interview x3 46)Rejection letter received x10 47) Congrats! Is anyone who got a invitation willing to share their profiles? subfield, publications, work exp. etc 48) Also, did they go straight to on-campus interviews, or was there a zoom round first? 49) no Zooms, straight to in-person 50) that seems crazy, given the number of people who must have applied! 51) I think the dept is expecting to make multiple hires from this search given the large number of retirements this year 52) @51 the rejection email explicitly said they can only hire one person from this search 53) any news after interview? 54) I think an offer was made (not to me) | 16 | |
744 | 9/5/2023 11:48:52 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Itasca Station Scientist | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/356842 | Station Scientist | Non-TS Academic | 9/12/23 16:13 | Prefererred MS or PhD in biology, ecology or related scientific field, with field-based experience. 2) any ideas on pay range for this one? 3) Looks chilly 4) As someone from this part of Minnesota, I will say it is a harsh environment. Winter temperatures in the -20s or -30s F are not at all uncommon. Summers are very buggy as well. But it's a beautiful area with lots of outdoor recreation opportunities in both summer and winter. The nice thing about the cold is that the snow actually sticks around and is beautiful, instead of immediately turning to brown slop. Also, the winters aren't as gray as they are on, say, the East Coast. Once you get past mid-January, it tends to be pretty sunny. 5) I lived in northern MN for a couple years and I miss it. It is one of the most gorgeous places in the country, Itasca being one of my favorites. The people are amazing. I seriously miss it and would highly suggest giving it a try for anyone on the fence. 6) I wonder if the pay range will be low. The position seems classified for a BS level. 4) Yeah, they're willing to take someone with a BS but prefer MS or PhD. Kind of a weird qualifications spread, so hard to say what the pay is. Though cost of living would be very low there. 7) I thought it was interesting there was a statement about temp housing for this position and did look up houses for sale/rent. From what I can see online are fairly few and far between, though I'm not from around there so any insight could help others... based on the prices of the homes though that may indicate a lower pay range due to lower COL 8) Yes, few houses are available up there. The population density is very low. It may be hard to find a house. 9) I lived up here for a couple years. we had an amazing house on a modest salary. However, it's rural, conservative and very different since 2016. It ain't the twin cities, but it's also full of natural beauty. | 1 | ||
745 | 9/5/2023 9:26:36 | US Fish & Wildlife Service | District of Columbia | Conservation Biology | 9/19/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/747136400 | Permanent Biologist | Government | 9/5/23 18:17 | Three positions | 4 | |
746 | 9/5/2023 5:47:55 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Population Genetics | 10/30/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0646-Life-Sciences-Building/Assistant-Professor_R00086400 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/9/24 10:36 | 1) Added by SC member. Will keep an eye out for questions. 2) PhD alum of the dept here. Couldn't recommend it more as a vibrant and collegial place to work! And fee exemption for grad students fully kicks in in 2025! x2 3) Awesome to hear from happy PhD students. I think that really says something about the department. 4) How strictly will the hire be based on the "Scholarship First" goals? These are fairly applied in nature so should more theoretical applicants bother?? 5) SC Member: The hire will not be strictly based on the "Scholarship First" goals. If you are a candidate working in an area of population genetics and/or pop. genomics, we will review your application equally against all others. 6) Just a note, after submitting the application, I had to go back into my account and separately add my birthday for some reason. The system said my application would not be reviewed without doing that step. Only after doing that did I get a confirmation email.7) any tips on getting your reprints to be < 5Mb? 8) @7, I usually run them through a free pdf compressor software online. It compresses the quality of the graphics (sad), but gets the job done. 9) I got the same birthday prompt right after submitting the app. FYI be VERY careful with the lengthy disclosure questions...I mistakenly answered one "yes" that prompted an HR response about all sorts of certifying documents, but there's no way to edit apps, so I withdrew mine, and then realized that there's no option to re-submit after withdrawing (so I ended up making a new account with my personal email address). Just a head's up about this. 10) To the SC member- have Zoom invites or letters been requested yet? x2 11) Received an email 11/29 I have not moved to the next round. Kinda nice of them tbh. x4. 11) @10 all applicants should have been updated re: their application status today. 12) Second year in a row getting a nice rejection at this stage from LSU! 😅 13) SC – Thank you for sending out rejections! It's very nice to have a status update. 14) Campus interviews scheduled. | 6 | |
747 | 9/5/2023 2:52:27 | University of Bremen | Germany | Animal Ecology | 9/30/2023 | https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/university/the-university-as-an-employer/job-vacancies-1/job/2763?cHash=ba7c6c789eb70ceee01e85345c88a24c | Professor (W2) | Tenure Stream | 9/11/23 12:12 | 1) "We welcome applicants* who are interested in invertebrate ecology at the level of individuals, populations, or communities to ecosystems or landscapes" | ||
748 | 9/4/2023 13:57:30 | NatureServe | Virginia | Spatial Ecology | 9/29/2023 | https://app.trinethire.com/companies/31463-natureserve/jobs/81919-spatial-ecologist-ii-remote | Spatial Ecologist II (Remote) | Non-Profit Research Organization | 9/4/23 13:56 | Position is open until filled. | 1 | |
749 | 9/2/2023 14:53:01 | Dauphin Island Sea Lab | Alabama | Avian Ecology | 10/15/2023 | https://www.disl.edu/about/employment/avian-ecology-faculty-position/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/28/23 12:32 | |||
750 | 9/1/2023 12:41:06 | Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | Neuroscience | 9/22/2023 | https://www.brynmawr.edu/inside/academic-information/provost/open-faculty-positions/assistant-professor-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/15/23 11:36 | 1) It looks like letters are requested through iterfolio at submission | ||
751 | 9/1/2023 10:51:25 | California Institute of Technology | California | Land Surface Processes | 9/5/2023 | https://applications.caltech.edu/jobs/land | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 11/16/23 5:51 | 1) Note: this department has been incredibly toxic with a colleague who interviewed for their last search, hopefully they will treat their applicants better in the future. 2) Geobiology has previously been explicit about not wanting (evolutionary) biology in the department 3) Any updates? 4) Nope (10/30) 5) Short listed candidates invited for campus interviews in Nov/Dec (no zoom interview round), but made it sound like they could send out more invites depending on how that round goes 6) Thank you for the info @5! Would you know if the invitations have already been sent? Otherwise, I still have hope ;) | 3 | |
752 | 9/1/2023 8:50:18 | Northern Michigan University | Michigan | Anatomy & Physiology | 10/15/2023 | https://workatnmu.nmu.edu/en-us/job/494270/assistant-professor | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/10/23 10:12 | 1) "Ability to teach courses in one or more of the following areas: human anatomy and physiology, animal physiology, introductory biology, courses in specialty" 2) Anyone know the teaching load? 3) NMU is 12 credits per semester so roughly two classes and two labs or 3 lectures per semester. 4) From SC member: "We are looking for someone who must be able to teach within our Human Anatomy 1 and 2 sequence. That is the focus of the search. So a physiologist or a scientist in a 'related field' would be of equal interest." | 2 | |
753 | 9/1/2023 7:16:57 | Colorado State University | Colorado | Phylogenetics | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/131808 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/13/24 13:17 | 1) SC Member here. Hoping to get a great colleague to join what, in my biased opinion, is an excellent department to work in. Will try to check in periodically to address questions. 2) Thank you, SC member! 3) What does this mean "Application Materials will be reviewed by department faculty at the finalist stage of interviews." ? 4) @3 It means that app materials (except letters) for finalists who interview on campus are shared with all dept faculty. Other apps remain internal to search comm. 5) phylogenetics is pretty broad, any insight as to what flavor of phylogenetics this position is excpected to fill? 6) Who is the search chair for this position? The contact given on the ad is in HR, what if we have questions about the scientific scope of the position, who can we contact? 7) From #1: @5 yes, definitely a broad area and the (non-exhaustive) list of example topics in the ad reflects the fact that we don't have a specific "flavor" in mind. Really are open to anyone with strong depth of experience in phylogenetic methods. Also, important that at least part of their research program addresses biological questions (at any level: molecular, cellular, organismal, etc). Someone with a purely computer science and algorithmic focus would probably not be a good fit. @6 Not 100% sure if HR wants us publicly disclosing SC members. Feel free to reach out the contact in the ad. He'll put you in touch with SC for non-HR questions. 8) @7, thank you! Will do! 9) Question for the SC member - would a research program that uses but doesn't develop phylogenetic methods be competitive? 10) @9 Yes, we are looking for a substantial depth of expertise in phylogenetic approaches, but that doesn't mean candidates necessarily have to be developing those methods. 11) thanks CSU for listing the salary range! 84-90K. 12) In case anyone's wondering, that salary range is for 9-month appt. Obviously higher with summer salary. 13) I submitted my application materials but would like to update them. I wasn't able to do that in the system. Is it still possible to do so? 14) @13 From SC member: I suspect so but not entirely sure how the system works. Get in touch with the search contact listed in the job posting. He would be the best admin contact. 15) It says 45% research, 45% teaching - how is teaching effort allocated? Is 40% 2-2, for instance (meaning 10% for a typical 3-credit course)? 16) @15 A 45% teaching appt in our dept is typically a total of 1.5 courses per year. 17) Any idea when should we expect to hear back? 18) rejection email today 10/31. Happy halloween x11 19) References weren't even contacted... feelsbadman.jpg 20) (Im)Patiently waiting for an email 21) Has anyone received an interview invite yet? 22) No rejection email or interview invite for me yet 11/1 x6. 23) Any ideas of how many applied for this? 24) I received rejection letter two days ago 25) @23, based on the genearal rule of 10x the "number applied" column, would seem like ~200 applicants 26) Are there even 200 phylogeneticists in the country? 27) @26, what are you talking about? There are DOZENS of us. DOZENS! 28) Still no word either positive or negative as of the evening of 11/03/23. X5 29) rejection email, no details on applicant pool size 11/6 x4 30) Invited to zoom interview 11/6 x4 31) No rejection and no interview invite here as of Nov. 9. I guess that means I'm being held in reserve? 32) @31 no... it usually means their HR system is probably slow in sending out letters. Sometimes (not rarely) you wont even get any letter at all. I once got a rejection letter actually signed in pen -- I was strangely happy with that. 33) or... they are reserve. 34) @31 from SC: Unfortunately, everyone should know their standing at this point and all interviewees have confirmed. No reserves. May just be a system/email/spam glitch. Sorry. 35) Rejected after zoom interview 12/07 36) Any updates? 37) received final rejection 05/03 (after zoom interview) 38) https://twitter.com/phyloprog/status/1790062844324524049 | 22 | |
754 | 9/1/2023 6:18:18 | Belmont University | Tennessee | Environmental Science / Biology | 9/30/2023 | https://belmont.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=10&id=2772 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/26/23 22:14 | 1) Religious school that requires a statement of faith 2) They used to require chapel attendance or other faith based events. I'm not sure how broad the interpretations are, but I know someone whose diploma was denied over it. 3) Students are required to attend 5 events related to spiritual wellness (broadly defined) though most are Christian-based. 4) Faculty do have to be Christian (a few exceptions are being made in some of the other colleges at the university, but not in the sciences | 1 | |
755 | 8/31/2023 16:50:23 | Scripps Institute of Oceanography | California | Marine Eco-Physiology | 5/19/2023 | https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03271 | Open Rank Researcher | Non-TS Academic | 12/20/23 13:16 | Is there a reason to post last year's job here? Are they still looking for applicaitons before the final closing date? 1) Accepting applications until Nov. 30th. I'm curious about updates from anyone who applied. 2) Are these positions 100% soft-money? 3) @2), 25% from institution, 75% from grant. 4) @ OP, there was a Tenure Stream job here with a similar subject last year which I interviewed in person for. Not sure if there was also a non TS one open as well. If there wasn't, then I guess they didn't like anyone they interviewed. 5) I applied to that job before the May 19th, and like both times before with Scripps I never received anything informing me about progress or rejection, although I know they recruited people for the previous two, not sure about this one. 6) Seems like this position was built with someone already in mind ... 7) I just got an email invite for an interview for the tenure-track researcher for this position, I applied last year with no word, interview next week. x2 8) @7 any request for on-site interview? 8) one of the 7 here, no word for on site interview for me at least. 9) Same here, no news since the Zoom interview. Wondering if the search was cancelled. They mentioned having administrative issues during the zoom interview. | ||
756 | 8/31/2023 12:28:09 | Miami University | Ohio | Plant Biology | 10/16/2023 | https://jobs.miamioh.edu/cw/en-us/job/502257/assistant-professor-plant-biologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/8/23 5:56 | Are reference letters upfront or not for this position? Doesn't say anywhere 2) I suspect not. I've sat on other search committees here, and we typically request them before bringing folks in for interviews 3) I heard this search ended badly last year. International applicants should be aware that they could be waisting their time and effort if applying x1 4) Thanks #3 5) Deeply saddened that it isn't in Miami 6) on the upside, Ohio will still be above water by the time you make full professor 7) is this the same search that happened last year/earlier this year (what is time when on the job market?) that was looking for a plant systematics person @3? 8) yes @7 RE: Yes, this is the same position, we are searching for systematists or those using systematic approaches to answer questions in plant evolution. Letters are not required up front. We were terribly disappointed as to what happened with our top candidate last year. This was a situation that was out of the control of our Department, though it appeared to be an uncommon issue, so international candidates are encouraged to apply.-R. Moore (Committee Chair). 9) Any updates? x2 10) letters requested 11/6 x2 11) any updates? X2 12) on-campus interview invitation 12/1 13) Dept has google sheet publicly available seminar list | 2 | |
757 | 8/31/2023 10:42:46 | University of Missouri Columbia | Missouri | Plant-Microbe Interactions | 10/15/2023 | https://erecruit.umsystem.edu/psc/tamext/COLUM/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=9&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=9&JobOpeningId=48478&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/30/23 9:05 | 1) Any updates? 2) none as of 11/8 x3 3) Definitely not as communicative as last year about things- weren't they supposed to be doing zoom interviews by next week? 4) Anything on this one yet? 5) Nothing on 11/16 x3 6) Suprised to still have no updates on this one as of 11/20! Any insights? 7) Rejection email 11/20 x3 | 6 | |
758 | 8/31/2023 10:19:36 | Stanford University | California | Animal Physiology | 11/15/2023 | https://facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/494619/assistant-professor-in-animal-physiology#:~:text=The%20Biology%20Department%20of%20Stanford,physiological%20ecology%2C%20and%20comparative%20physiology. | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/31/24 16:41 | Search chair? Table this time. When will they give window a chance? (2) Is this related to the search in integrative/organismal bio from last year? Was that search successful? x2 (3) Last year's search was successful. I saw a Twitter/X post about it ( https://twitter.com/Vane_Barone/status/1663726740282413056?s=20 ); 4) Letter request is automatic. 5) No DEI statement requested, but "candidates may optionally include as part of their research or teaching statement a brief discussion of how their work will further these ideals" (6) Depending on the SC, DEI is extremely important for hiring at Stanford so definitely do not leave this out. 7) FYI, after submitting my app my letter recommenders got an auto-generated request to upload letters within 2 weeks. Ad and September webinar didn't mention this, but letters really are required up front. 8) Imagine holding a webinar for your open position and not mentioning that. 9) Any updates? 10) It's only been a week since the deadline – a little soon for an update. And, in the September webinar the committee said apps due Nov, they'll select a long list of people to zoom interview in December or January, and have on site interviews in Feb or March. 11) Updates? 12) no news here 12/18 13) Zoom invite, late 12/18 x2 14) congrats! Is anyone who got a zoom invitation willing to share their subfield? 15) My subfield is evolutionary genomics 16) did they go really sub-organismal with this search? talks on the department calendar seem very cellular 17) On-site interview invitation 1/24/24 - (organismal focus for me) | 9 | |
759 | 8/31/2023 10:05:51 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Botany / Plant Ecology | 10/15/2023 | https://seok.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/175?c=seok | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/26/23 10:57 | |||
760 | 8/31/2023 10:03:33 | University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College | Ohio | Biology | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinnati-Assistant-Professor-of-Biology%2C-UC-Blue-Ash-College-OH-45201/1070470900/?feedId=130800&utm_source=Indeed&utm_campaign=UC_Indeed&utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/20/24 21:29 | eaching Undergraduate introductory biology for majors and/or non-majors, with the possibility of teaching environmental studies, ecology, and/or microbiology. Review date says "mid October" 2) Any updates? 3) Nope (10/18) still nothing as of 11/8 x2 Ayy I'm not the only one willing to move to Ohio 3) 11/17 just now got an email saying they have started reviewing applications 3) 12/4 Got an email asking "select candidates" to respond to a series of questions. The questions are very similar to what is typically asked in PUI zoom interviews. 4) Huh, haven't seen that before (not applying to this job, just noticing the odd format). Is it meant to precede zoom interviews, or replace them? 5) Based on the email I got, it looks like these questions are meant to precede Zoom interviews. 3) On-campus invite 1/4 x2 3) Polite rejection email after on-campus 2/20 | 2 | |
761 | 8/31/2023 10:00:09 | UC Berkeley | California | Emerging Zoonoses - Integrative Biology & Public Health | 10/27/2023 | https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04076 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 9:02 | 1) I assume salary ($74,600 –$97,200) is for a 9 month appointment? Even if so, isn't this low for the Bay area? 2) lol to living in the bay area on that, but berkeley is notorious for terrible salaries from phd through prof, assume theyll get some ridic number of applications anyway bc berekely 3) Grapevine says they may have someone in mind for this one x4 4) SC member here to address questions: (to 1) salary is base, and will be significantly higher after off-scale increment which is common at UC (you can get an idea of salary ranges here: https://ucannualwage.ucop.edu/wage/ but keep in mind these don't always take into account increments, which can be substantial), (to 3) I can also confirm that there is absolutely not a person in mind already - we are hoping to get a great and diverse pool of applicants and will of course consider each equally and carefully Thanks! 4) thanks SC member! any advice on topics given the split with public health? looking for a basic biologist or more applied person? to 4) we are hoping for someone to hlpe bridge the two departments! So they have to have overlapping interests with each dept - but given the focus of the call, hopefully that will come naturally. Also to point 1 and 2) The campus minimum off-scale component is $22k, which is adjusted to market conditions resulting in competitive salaries, so that will be on top of the 9 month. 5) any page length requirements for documents? other berkeley job with the same document list has page lengths listed x2. 3) application asks for a research accomplishments in addition to research objectives. Should these be non-overlapping documents? 4) new FAQ here: https://bit.ly/492pjt9 6) any idea of the timeline for notification/interview structure? 7) any news? 8) not here. (the other berkeley sph molecular epi position asked for letters) 9) Just heard one of my references was asked for a letter (Nov 22) x2 (Nov 14) 10) what was the deadline for the letters? wondering if theyre doing zooms when we would hear 11) @10 - letter deadline is December 6th. 12) any news? anyone else apply to the other berkeley molecular epi/public health position? they said theyd decide zooms today and nothing yet... 13) nothing here 12/13 14) got email rejection from phylo position 12/18 15) same; no word from this one though. starting to lose hope (16) a friend got an on-site invitation this week (17) 5 people invited for on campus interviews, suspect there may be a leading candidate (18) what makes you think that? wondering if wed guess the same person... (19) @18 one candidate has prior connections to the dept 20) more than one candidate has trained in the dept. maybe thats why i didnt get an interview *eyeroll* 21) i mean, or those candidates just have stupidly competitive CVs 22) how did interviews go? 23) any news yet? | 4 | |
762 | 8/31/2023 9:27:32 | William and Mary | Virginia | Integrative Organismal Biology | 9/30/2023 | https://jobs.wm.edu/postings/55850 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/27/23 14:00 | 1) We are interested in individuals with research and teaching expertise in Integrative Animal Physiology and welcome broadly trained applicants studying animals from any taxa. The research area is open but will ideally span multiple levels of biological organization. 2) Are there any length guidelines for statements? No page numbers mentioned in either the posting or online application. 3) Does anyone know who the chair for this search is? 4) Letter requests went out already?? Do they really need to be submitted before zoom interview stage? 5) They requested letters immediately upon submission for me too. Anyone hear about a zoom interview yet? 6) just got request for zoom interview 10/9 x6 7) those who got zoom interviews, would you mind sharing what your research focus is? 8) My research is primarily, evolutionary and ecological physiology x3 9) Anyone get invited for the in-person interview yet? 10) nope x3 11) I received an on campus interview invite today x2 (10/25) 12) @11 any updates? 13) I'm not 11, but I had an on-campus interview and haven't heard anything. 14) looks like this job and 2 other W&M positions were reposted on HEJ yesterday/this morning? Multiple failed searches or HR glitch? 15) No not a failed search think HR needed to re-approve positions with salary lines. I also had an on campus interview and just prior to the holidays recieved an offer for this job and started negotiations. | 19 | |
763 | 8/30/2023 14:23:59 | Hope College | Michigan | Neuroscience | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.hope.edu/postings/2770 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/28/23 5:54 | 1) Area of specialization is open. Candidates are expected to develop a Neurophysiology course. Hope's Neuroscience Program is interdisciplinary and incorporates perspectives from bio, chem, engineering, math, nursing, philosophy, and psych. 2) Note that Hope requires a statement of faith. 3) on campus interviews starting week of Nov 5 3) https://neuromatch.social/@DanielDorman/111614727426477575 | ||
764 | 8/30/2023 12:31:57 | Colgate University | New York | Molecular Biology | 10/13/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130257 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/22/23 13:25 | Anyone know the teaching load here? 2) Teaching load is 5 credits per AY. Lectures are counted as 1 load credit and labs are counted as 0.5 load credits. 3) Was here two years as a postdoc and really enjoyed the time (even during covid!). Facilitites are nice and well kept, faculty is collegial, and there are numerous community-building avenues sponsored by the college at large. The area is also quite lovely. 4) @2 - is that a 2.5:2.5? 5) @1 not necessarily, it can be a 3,2, or. 2.5,2.5 depending on what the departmental teaching needs are. 5) Zoom invite (10/25) 6) on-campus interview 11/9 7) an offer has been made for this position (12/9) 8) initial offer has been declined (12/22) | 3 | |
765 | 8/30/2023 11:47:51 | Hope College | Michigan | Biology | 10/2/2023 | https://jobs.hope.edu/postings/2823 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 12/30/23 15:41 | Two positions, "teach in Introductory Biology and one or more of the following areas: Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Developmental Biology, Human Physiology." Statement of faith required, but note they support evolution. 2) I know someone who interviewed here for a TT position last cycle and was turned away for their lack of faith. 3) SC here. Hope College is a PUI with 3,000 students and a focus on student involvement in research in the sciences. Teaching load in 3/3 with labs counting as a full credit. We have recently had a number of retirements and are looking to fill two positions, with wide consideration for research area. We are a religiously affiliated school and we are financially secure with increasing numbers of student applicants. Although the immediate area is conservative, Michigan passed a constitutional amendment last year to secure access to reproductive health care. We have a vibrant downtown area that hosts an annual tulip festival and easy access to an unsalted coast and numerous natural areas. Grand Rapids airport is 45 minutes away and the city hosts a communal art program (Art Prize) every fall. @AP - review date should read 10/2 per linked ad? AP) Thanks, updated the review date! (10/31) Zoom Interview Invite 4) first round of interviews concluded 11.10.23 5) Search committee here. Offers made. We had excellent candidates and requested our administration that we be able to expand the search - to bring more folks to campus and hire for additional positions. Unfortunately, this was denied. But we need to fill five more positions in the near future to be fully staffed due to retirements and changing curricular needs. If you feel you fulfill the teaching and research expertise indicated in upcoming job ads and believe yourself to be a fit for a religiously-affiliated liberal arts college, please consider applying again, even if we were unable to offer you a first round interview this time. | 2 | |
766 | 8/30/2023 10:57:42 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Indiana | Biology broadly | 10/2/2023 | https://rosehulman.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/9/home/requisition/498?c=rosehulman | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/13/23 8:38 | I'm on the search committee, we're searching broadly for candidates with a passion for teaching. A focus in genetics or organismal biology is a plus, but not required. We are a PUI, no graduate students in biology at our institution. 2) Top notch school for math and engineering. You'll have enthusiastic nerds here I know. 3) Any insight into whether a computational/quantitative biologist (ie, no lab work or field work) could be a fit in this department? 4) Yes, we already have a CS/BIO cross appointed faculty. So it is certainly a possibility. 5) No word here yet as of 11/13/23. | 1 | |
767 | 8/29/2023 20:51:11 | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology | Japan | Any Field (Including Eco/Evo) | 10/31/2023 | https://groups.oist.jp/facultypositions | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 4/3/24 22:12 | Did their search fail last year? 2) No, they're doing another (I don't think they hired in ecoevo in the end last time) 3) They hired an evolutionary biologist among others last year. 4) Does anyone see a salary range on here? Anyone know? 5) It's about the same as a US R1. 6) Search Committee member here: We are rapidly expanding and planning to hire 10 people this year, on top of multiple people last year. We also have major gaps in ecology, evolution and marine, especially given our setting in the subtropics and methodological needs (e.g. we are looking for computational, theoretical, organismal AND field people). This place is amazing and you will be able to do the research of your dreams on mostly internal funding with guaranteed postdoc/staff scientist/tech and student lines and a full time adminstrator for your lab, the newest equipment with tech support, and a US R1 pay scale plus housing and childcare subsidies in a very low cost of living area (by Western and Japanese standards). We also go to great lengths to resolve two body problems both in academia and outside (many non-academic spouses are employed at OIST in various offices) and offer internal assistance for living in Japan (i. e. translation when contacting places, help finding resources and English-speaking doctors, free language classes, etc). Teaching load is 1 small graduate class per year in your area. Please apply! 7) I applied last year and only received a rejection letter. Would it be reasonable for me to apply again? I am asking this because I was told not to by the search committee in the following year after I was interviewed for a similar position at the same institution in UK (unless I had a Science or Nature paper in between). 8) This gets discussed a lot here, but it probably can't hurt, especially given that the app only asks for a cv, cover letter, and research statement. I applied last year and am doing so again. (9) @7 did the SC explicitly state those journals as the criterion to be hired? 10) @9 I now do not remember exactly, but I do remember that the committee member emailed me back and said a "significant achievement" since the last interview (only 1 year in between) and might have mentioned Nature. 11) @7 How about Nature communications? Does that count? 12) How about "Nature and Science"? http://www.sciencepub.net/nature/ 13) Nature Scientific Reports also counts 14) Letters and additional documents were requested on 11/16 x2 15) Apparently only "Nature" counts 16) Should you submit the additional documents if you weren't longlisted? I'm really crushed but I don't feel like I was able to submit my entire faculty package x2 17) I don't think you can submit the additonal documents without getting the link from them. You will feel nothing after failing 100 times like me ;) x2 18) I didn't receive a longlisted email and yet the system allows me to submit the extra documents and request reference letters. x2 (19) It says "Longlisted candidates have received an email from OIST. Please follow the instructions in the email." If you didn't get one, I'm sure you didn't make long list. I didn't get one, and I am sure I didn't make long list. 20) @19 Are you still able to upload file on system? 20) Anyone know if they plan to hire again next year, or does this search mark the end of their expansion push (missed the app. deadline)? 21) I was also not longlisted (received no email about it) and feel crushed (I am Japanese) even after failing about 50 times in the last 1.5 years. I would like to know what differentiated applicants who were longlisted vs not listed. It would help me calibrate my competency in the job market. Was it Open Rank? I heard that Japanese universities do not hire people > 40 years old for assistant prof positions. Is this true? I did not write my birthday on the application, so I suppose this rumor does not apply to OIST? Usually Japanese CV forms have a blank for a birthday. 22) I was also not longlisted and I am also Japanese. I have been longlisted at other jobs on this board that >2x as many people here say that they've applied to. I would appreciate the feedback. 23) @21 and @22 I was also not long listed. To give you a sense on who else wasn't long listed, I am a US researcher (35yo) with 15 publications (8 first author), 160 citations, articles in Ecology Letters/Functional Ecology/Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, and 1.6M in extramural funding (US NSF and USDA mostly). I am straight to PhD and started publishing my work in 2019. Given comments I see above, I'm assuming they wanted more experienced researchers but just like you IDK. Maybe you have many X the number of papers I do and still did not move forward. (24) I've got >1k cites, >12 f/o papers (>20 total), no long list, white male. 32/yo. 25) I am #22. I got a PhD in 2015, older than usual, Japanese female, non-Japanese BS, MS, and PhD, 20 pubs (11 first), 2000+ citations but 1200 come from minor contribution on review papers, papers in AmNat, J Anim Ecology, Royal Society B. 26) I made the long list. 34/yo male, PhD in 2021 + 2 year postdoc, instructor of record of grad-level course, 750 citations, 30 papers (19 first author), Curr Bio, Proc B, Mol Biol Evol, Nat Ecol Evol. 27) I'm not long-listed either, 36 yo male Japanese, 41 pubs (20+ as the first, three of which are PNAS, others in Proceedings B, J Applied Ecol etc.), have a US NSF grant. 28) this is a rank-open hire that can draw from any field, so it shouldn't be that surprising how competitive it is. 29) Heard there were around 300 EEB applicants 30) Invited to a campus interview 31) Any updates? 32) Interviews are finished and external letters are being solicited for finalists before any offers can be made. | 11 | |
768 | 8/29/2023 16:06:11 | Oxford College of Emory University | Georgia | Biology | 10/2/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130755 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/19/23 9:16 | "broadly trained biologist whose research incorporates a strong field component to address questions of biological significance related to areas such as aquatic or terrestrial landscape ecology, community ecology, population ecology, organismal biology, conservation biology, or evolution" 1) focus seems to be on undergrads only. 2) Does anyone know if there would be potential to co-advise Emory PhD students? (I am a professor there. Our research programs are primarily with undergrads) 3) 2, I went here as an undergraduate and things have changed a bit in the decade + since I was there, so take my response with several grains of salt. When I was a student there, no faculty did much research. However, the department is much younger now and I think they have started prioritizing undergraduate research opportunities more than they used to. I know faculty there occasionally served on undergraduate honors thesis comittees, but I wouldn't expect a lot of opportunities to advise graduate students. It's also worth noting that the campus is approximately an hour drive from Emory's main campus in Atlanta and serves only first and second year students. After the second year, they continue their undergraduate education on the Atlanta campus. 4) Interviewed here a while back and had a positive experience. Ended up not accepting a multi-year teaching instructor renewable position, but found the SC collegial. Also, from what I learned then, #3 is on track - there isn't much collaboration with Emory's main campus. Only first and second years on campus here. On the upside, cost of living is more reasonable in theis are (Emory area is very expensive) and your commute would be less stressful. 5) Any updates on this as of 11.29? 6) I had a Zoom interview but haven't heard anything for several weeks...7) @ 6 thanks. Same. 8) 12.06 - Any updates? Anyone heard anything? 9) 12/18 - Any developments here? 10) nothing as of 12/18 11) Rejection email 12/19 | 3 | |
769 | 8/29/2023 15:57:30 | USGS | Nebraska | Research Ecologist / Wildlife Biologist | 10/6/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/746186600 | Asst Unit Leader / GS 12-13 | Government | 1/14/24 13:52 | 1. Any updates?2) on campus interview invite 1/12 | 2 | |
770 | 8/29/2023 11:48:33 | UPenn | Pennsylvania | Bioengineering | https://apply.interfolio.com/129365 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 9/26/23 13:44 | 1) I believe this is due on Nov. 21, if anyone has permissions to update it. | |||
771 | 8/28/2023 20:48:49 | Cal State Northridge | California | Marine Biology / Ecology | 9/18/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/nr/en-us/job/530739/assistant-professor-marine-biologyecology-biology-department-2412 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/28/24 18:03 | 2 positions 2) Does anyone know who the search chair is? I don't see an email in the posting. 3) Search chair is Nyssa Silbiger 3) more and more jobs in Cali require authorization to work in the US - sad to see this restriction 4) This is not a restriction of the job at the time of application 5) Is the listed salary ($82-88k) enough to live comfortably in Los Angeles as a primary caregiver to another person? This is an honest question. I'm not trying to complain. 6) I'd say it may be tight on that salary, but possibly doable. A car is an absolute necessity though. (7) @3 the college sponsors visas for foreign nationals. 8) @5 As someone who grew up in the area and still has family/friends there, I'd say the salary is grossly insufficient. I have friends who make $150k+ who are struggling to find affordable housing. Sorry, I'm not trying to be discouraging, but I just wanted to share. 9) @8 is correct, this salary range is absolutely not enough for SoCal where rent is ~ $3k a month for apartment. Single family earner? Would need a 2nd job...10) it looks like those numbers weren't adjusted for recent pay increases (they match the 2016-2020 hires). The most recent hire I can find got 91K + 8K other pay in 2022...so higher numbers are probably negotiable. (not to say those numbers are enough either...but it's a CSU...) 11) Also something to take note of is that their two most-recent marine hires have left/are leaving and a couple other folks have retired/partially retired...so the current marine faculty are more like 2, not the 7 the website shows... 12) any word yet? 13) @12 none here (10/2) 13) Invited for zoom interview 10/9 x9 14) darn it...but congrats to those who got zoom interviews x2 14) any updates after the zoom interview? 15) invited for in person interview on 10/19 x2 16) That was fast! There were still Zoom interviews on 10/19. 17) rejection email stating the search has concluded 18) second rejection letter 8 months later =p 19) lol, revived this old sheet to share that I also received a second official rejection letter today. | 12 | |
772 | 8/28/2023 7:36:36 | Harvard Medical School | Massachusetts | Systems Biology | 10/31/2023 | https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/12693 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/21/23 7:38 | Failed search from last year? 1) I applied last year, and the email they sent was vague but implied the search was cancelled/suspended rather than failed per se x2 2) Yeah, my impression was that the search last year failed before candidates were interviewed for whatever reason. 3) I heard the department needed a bit more time to figure out the niche they were trying to fill. Hopefully they have a more clear picture of that this year. 4) The last search was cancelled after in-person interviews due to internal disagreements over the nature of the research and teaching they wanted the new hire to conduct 5) wow, well that kinda sucks for everyone who applied x 2 6) the dysfunction of academia is really inexcusable. x 3 7) Sounds like they couldn't agree on whether the new hire should get crushed by teaching load, or research expectations. Just agree on both and hire somebody! 8) Any idea if they clarified at all their target? Job ad still seems pretty broad 9) . A candidate’s field of study may feature but need not be limited to the following: marine, freshwater, polar, glacial, coastal, agricultural, arid, urban, grassland, or forested systems, or foci that could include earth surface processes, ecology, biodiversity, pollution, energy transitions, or public health. Lol definitely broad. 10) This search is in a different department than last year and has some clear different goals. I applied both this and last year, and had to revise my materials significantly to address the change in position. 11) I'm literally looking at both job ads (this year and last year; same college, same dept, same position) side by side and they are almost identical (most of the major parts are exactly identical). Both last year and this year, the job ads are VERY broad. If the reason for the failed search last year is "trying to find the right niche", then I would imagine a second broad job ad is not the way to do it.... @ 10) there's THREE ads now at Bates for different climate/env sci related jobs - one in env studies, one in earth sciences, one in physics. You might be looking at a different ad! x2 11) Any updates (10/25)? 12) Nothing 10/26 x7 13) Sending love to Lewiston x10 14) Nothing 11/3 x8 15) Zoom interview invite 11/6 x5 16) Letters requested 11/13 x 3 17) on-campus interview invite x1 18) congrats! | ||
773 | 8/28/2023 7:30:02 | University of Vienna | Austria | Complex Systems Science in Microbiome Research | 10/4/2023 | https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/d_personalwesen/Jobs_Recruiting/Dokumente/ZMU_TT_Complex_Systems_Science_in_Microbiome_Research_EN_TT0623ZMU01_.pdf | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/23/24 0:53 | If this is helpful for anybody, there was no Zoom interview, and candidates were directly shortlisted and invited to an in-person interview. Rejection sent. | 2 | |
774 | 8/28/2023 5:26:45 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Wisconsin | Fisheries | 10/2/2023 | https://jobs.uwm.edu/postings/37677 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/22/24 12:15 | Position is partially funded by WI Dept of Natural Resources (DNR). 1) Did they expect reference letters in the initial application packet? I entered contact information, and now references are getting emails to send in their letter for (today's!) review. 2) Did not realize they wanted letters up front, wish that would have been clearly communicated. I also only entered contact information. 3) I did hear back from them; they did not need the letters up front, they were just really fast about requesting them. 4) Request for teams interview offered on 10/18. 5) had a Teams interview 10/25 x3 6) anyone invited for an in-person interview? 7) Not yet. I did ask the admin assistant who said the committee was meeting this week (10/30-11/3) and invites would go out sometime after that. 8) I got an email stating I would not be receiving an invite for an in-person interview. 9) Can the previous poster clarify if they had a teams interview. 10) i had got the same email as #8, and yes, i had a teams interview. 11) I appreciate the clarification #10. I had a teams interview but have not had any other communication since. 12) In person interview offered 11/6 13) In-person interview conducted 11/20-21. 14) In-person interview conducted 11/30-12/1. 15) Did they provide an update on what the timeline was for making an offer? 16) Prelim offer extended on 12/21 17) Offer accepted 1/18/24 | 3 | |
775 | 8/28/2023 1:55:59 | University of Groningen | Netherlands | Behavioral Neuroscience | 11/1/2023 | https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S000AB8P | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/28/23 19:24 | "emphasis on neurobiological studies of behaviour under ecologically relevant conditions" 1) Great city, great university, great department. Highly recommended | ||
776 | 8/27/2023 17:28:57 | James Madison University | Virginia | Discipline-Based Education Research | 9/22/2023 | https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15259 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/22/24 18:48 | 1) did this search fail last year? 2) @1 yes 3) Any updates? 4) currently reviewing applications 5) Zoom interviews scheduled 6) on campus interviews in Jan-Feb 7) offer made and accepted | 3 | |
777 | 8/27/2023 14:18:25 | Millsaps College | Mississippi | Cell Biology (Broad) | 9/18/2023 | https://www.millsaps.edu/resources/employment-opportunities/assistant-professor-of-biology/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/27/23 14:19 | The successful candidate will offer an upper-level Cell Biology course with laboratory and should feel comfortable teaching one or more of the following core courses: Introductory Cell Biology, General Zoology, General Botany, and Genetics. Course load is 2 courses and labs each semester. | ||
778 | 8/27/2023 6:23:24 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | South Carolina | Developmental Biology / Biomedical Science | 10/15/2023 | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/152083 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/12/23 8:34 | 1) Search committee includes Drs Kim Ritchie (chair), Daniel "Tye" Pettay, Mercer Brugler, and Xiaomei Zhang 2) The position says Developmental Biology, but would really like to have a cellular biologist that has the ability to teach a course in developmental biology for the Biomedical Concentration. Would be great to have someone that can merge both biomedical and marine biology as far as the research focus. | ||
779 | 8/26/2023 6:30:26 | University of Stirling | United Kingdom | Soil Ecology / Biogeochemistry | 9/20/2023 | https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-at-stirling/list/details/?jobId=3778&jobTitle=Lecturer%20in%20Soil%20Science | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/27/23 2:58 | (1) Could anyone explain this a little bit, "For the purposes of sponsorship, this is a postdoctoral role under SOC code 2311."; (2) That's the occupation code for sponsoring a skilled worker visa (2311 = higher education). | ||
780 | 8/25/2023 20:37:12 | Centre for Genomic Regulation & Centre for Mathematical Research | Spain | Theoretical Modelling & Predictive Biology | 9/30/2023 | https://crm-jobsboard.kenjo.io/Research_Fellows_the_Barcelona_Collaboratorium_for_Theoretical_Modelling_and_Predictive_Biolog | Independent Research Fellow | Non-Profit Research Organization | 8/26/23 23:41 | |||
781 | 8/25/2023 10:47:10 | Penn State University | Pennsylvania | Integrated Forest Health | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Assistant-Professor-of-Plant-Pathology-and-Environmental-Microbiology--Integrated-Forest-Health-_REQ_0000044797-1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/8/24 14:18 | I couldn't actually find a review date in the ad, so the review date here is arbitrary. Posted late July. AP) I removed the review date. I guess apply ASAP. (2) Are there any other applicants for this position besides me? I am wondering if the selection process is still ongoing...3). Yes, I applied as well, but have heard nothing. No response from search chair 4) Invited to a zoom interview (!) | 1 | ||
782 | 8/25/2023 8:15:42 | Fordham University | New York | Quantitative Biology | 10/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128986 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/19/23 14:26 | Salary range is $94,000-$110,000. SC member: This search is broad, but we are particulary interested in people doing research in phylogenomics, evolutionary genomics, and/or disease ecology. Ideal candidates could teach genomics / computational bio and biostats courses. This application does NOT require letters of reference up front, just contact information. 2) It says no letters required upfront, but when you are applying it says 3 are required as part of the application. Perhaps a mistake from their HR? @2) Thanks for highlighting this...it should be fixed now 3) Can somebody (SC) speak to this being a Jesuit institution "still influenced by Jesuit teachings", and to what extent that does or does not impact faculty studying evolution, etc.? 4) SC member here: Fordham is no longer officially run by the Jesuits, so they say they are in the "Jesuit tradition". There are classes and programs in Jesuit philosophy / theology available for undergraduates, and a fellowship available for women in the sciences at Catholic colleges (Clare Booth Luce; many of our PhD students have this fellowship and don't teach for a few years. You don't have to be Catholic to get it). There are some Jesuit brothers living on campus, and a few still teaching. But day to day Fordham's Jesuit affiliation has zero impact on faculty outside of theology or other narrow programs (and Jesuits do not deny evolution FWIW). The mission statement of the university says something about the university being for people of all faiths and no faith. The new president of Fordham is the first non-Jesuit to hold that post (and the first woman). 5)Just want to chim in that I did my undergraduate degree in biochemistry at a different Jesuit institution and my intro biology professor was a Jesuit- I literally learned evolution from a priest. Jesuit education is about educating the whole person and definitely not anti-science. 4) SC member again: in response to a request: the teaching load in this department is 2.5 courses / year (1 / 1.5). Half of a lecture course or one lab section counts as 0.5 courses. A lecture course that meets 2x / week for 1.25 hours each session typically counts as 1 course towards the load. We have both undergraduate and graduate courses. 7) Did they add more questions from HR recently? I've submitted my application but now it is saying it is incomplete as two required questions were not answered, but I don't know how that's possible when you can't submit it without answering them all? There is no option to edit, can the SC member ask HR to enable editing? 8) Is anyone else unable to access the department website? It may be because I am in Europe, but even if I use a VPN i'm getting a 403 Forbidden error. 9) No problem here 8) It's working for me today. *shrug* 9) Zoom invite 11/10 x5 (10) Congrats / RIP me! x2 11) campus invite email on 12/19. x3 | 12 | |
783 | 8/24/2023 12:22:32 | Washington University / Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Plant Biodiversity Science | 10/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130484 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/5/24 6:25 | David and Dorothy Kemper Chair in Biology. 1) anyone have any updates on this position? 2) they contacted my references several weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything 3) I suspect campus invites will come before the holidays (dept member, not on search committee) 4) Any updates? 5) Campus interviews are in late March and April | ||
784 | 8/24/2023 12:08:48 | University of Southern California | California | Molecular and Computational Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-angeles/assistant-professor-of-molecular-and-computational-biology/1209/53260016160 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/9/24 13:30 | (1) Is this a repeat of last year? x2 (2) someone recently announced they are starting USC job in this field (3) Rejection (1/4). 354 apps. x4 (4) Rejection but made it into the top 30 applicants! Dunno how many they interviewed though. | 7 | |
785 | 8/24/2023 4:43:05 | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | California | Entomology | 10/15/2023 | https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=2fc0a355-012e-4bef-9c85-724ae074a06a&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=452963&lang=en_US&source=CC2&fbclid=IwAR0cly67MWCc0QdAmfViJq4BNekWIQP9ui1Ot3Ry8InHZcyJdKHz8PhmOXU | Asst /Assoc Curator | Museum | 5/22/24 9:36 | 1) anyone have any idea of the salary range on this? 2. It's in the job ad on the museum website: $80-86k. Which is on par with starting faculty salary at CSUs in the LA area, and a very low standard of living for LA on a single income. 3) did anyone get an email back when they emailed in their materials? 4) @3 not immediately but a day later, I got a non-automated confirmation email 3) Heard back this morning (10/25) that materials were received- whew! 4) @3 wow that is a long time before confirming! Glad it came and you can breathe easier 5) Any news on this one? 3) @5 I haven't heard anything beyond confirmation that my materials were received. x4 6)12/28 Still nothing x4 (7) Was told that search committee met for the first time about a week before Christmas. 8) Invited for online interview 1/9/2024 x1 9) invited for online interview 1/16/2024 x1 10) letters request 01/26/24 11)rejection 2/8/2024 12) invited for in-person interview 2/8/2024 x2 13) https://x.com/meganbarkdull_/status/1792899197747724513 | 3 | |
786 | 8/23/2023 14:15:25 | Montana State University | Montana | Land-Atmosphere Interactions | 11/3/2023 | https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/37472 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/4/24 17:05 | (1) No salary listed, but recent hires appear to be ~$65 for 9mo (2) SC member: add 10K to that and you have a better starting point for recent hires in comprable positions at MSU, including this one. (3) @2 That is good to hear! Bozeman is an amazing place and the MT university system needs to keep up with COL increases! (4) @3 SC member: I absolutely agree. MSU is making an effort on this front including multi-year 4% salary increases on top of more recent base salary increases. And remember, you can (and should) always negotiate! (5) They also recently implemented 10% raises at promotion from Asst to Assoc and 20% raises at promotion from Assoc to Full. (6) $65K for an assistant prof in Bozeman?? My postdocs make more than that in a place where the COL is lower.(7) Median house price in Bozeman is 750K, just saying. (8) Any updates on this search? | ||
787 | 8/23/2023 9:03:15 | Willamette University | Oregon | Environmental Science | 9/15/2023 | https://willamette.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/willametteuniversityjobs/job/Salem-Campus/Tenure-Track-Faculty_R0005259 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/12/23 12:21 | Any updates? 1) I was invited for zoom interview 10/6. 2) anyone get this yet? (12/5) | 11 | |
788 | 8/23/2023 8:58:33 | Cal State Long Beach | California | Urban Ecology / Evolutionary Biologist | 9/19/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/lb/en-us/job/530804/assistant-professor-of-biological-sciences-urban-ecologisturban-evolutionary-biologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/11/24 16:03 | (1) anyone else having trouble with the application website? 2) Anticipated 12 month salary works out to $84000-$94000, is that reasonable for the area? 3) CSU faculty salaries for LA are tough. If it is just you, then you can rent and be okay. If you have or want a family, you'll need a partner who makes the same or more - or have access to existing family money. It's crazy expensive here. - homes in safe parts around LB are well over 1 mil. 4) just to contribute to the housing discussion, I live in LB on a salary of 64k currently with a partner who works part-time, we 'get by' but yes it is expensive. LB is a great place to live though imo 4) Any updates? x8 5) nothing as of 11/7 x4 6) Zoom invite, 11/9 x4 7) On-campus invite received 8) Congratulations!! x3 9) Any updates? Did this one get filled? x5 | 11 | |
789 | 8/23/2023 8:39:19 | American University | District of Columbia | Biology (Ecology) | 10/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129962 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 3/4/24 16:25 | (1) The ideal candidate for this position is a collaborative Ph.D. scientist with an established research program in molecular-, evolutionary-, conservation-, global change-, or disease ecology at the organismal, population, community, or ecosystem level. (2) Can anyone speak to the expected teaching load? (3) Are reference letters being solicited at the time of application submission? Or only for long- or short-list candidates? (4) Are applicants expected to express potential collaborations in other departments? 5) established research program & experience teaching both undergrad and graduate level.... are they not looking to hire at the assistant level? 6) Any updates? 7) nada on my end as of Oct 30 x6 8) Still nothing as of Nov. 7 x11 9) Nothing as of November 15 x12 10) Still nothing as ov Nov 21 x7 (11) Nothing as of 27 Nov x4 12) just got a rejection email 11/27 13) Interesting, I did not get a rejection email. Rejected from even a rejection? (14) same, did not receive rejection or any other contact x8 (15) same as 13 and 14, maybe 12 updated the wrong job? 12 again) Sorry - yes I was rejected for the environmental science position at Am U not this one. Whoops. Best of luck everyone! 16) Invited for zoom interview 12/1 x2 (17) CONGRATS #16! BTW, this department usually provides the interview questions ahead of time so that candidates can prepare for the Zoom interview in advance. Best of luck! (18) Uh oh: https://www.american.edu/hr/news/12042023.cfm (19) That link doesn't say anything substantial. Most schools are undergoign the challenges of the 'academic cliff'. At this point applying to any academic job comes with uncertainty about the school's future financial state. (18 again) Huron's track record is concerning, to say the least though x2 20) Invited for full 12/14 x2 | 26 | |
790 | 8/22/2023 17:08:21 | Pacific University | Oregon | Integrative Biology | 9/1/2023 | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=73990&clientkey=ABFDAFED645B6920CFDB8559C078F8A5 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/4/24 19:10 | expertise in terrestrial vertebrates or aquatic/marine invertebrate or vertebrate animals (2) Wasn't there a similar search last year at Pacific? Does anyone know if that search failed? x2 2) they posted this on aug 22 but are reviewing on sept 1?!?!? 3) it's been on Indeed since June (mentioned on the 22/23 page) 3) They did not say why the search failed, but there were 2 positions last year (one for vertebrate biology and another for evolution??) that opened and made it to zoom interviews and then it all got shut down and no specifics were given. Now, there is only one position being offered. They apparently have a number of lawsuits that may have something to do with hiring? https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/21/pacific-university-forest-grove-oregon-education-lawsuit-sexual-physical-assault/ https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/23/pacific-university-oregon-labor-bureau-fine/ https://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/local/court-sides-with-one-of-the-former-professors-suing-pacific-university/article_cc6a441a-3301-11ee-880f-f35b5a2295a4.html 4) Seeing that all those were title IX associated lawsuits makes me excited because it means that this institution is actually doing something to write the wrongs? 5) Pacific University (OR) != University of the Pacific (CA) 6) Anoyone hear about an interview yet? 7) @6 not yet 8) i heard back for interview 10-17-23 9) anyone hear about an in-person interview yet? (10-31) 10) @9 Nothing here 11) @ 9 nothing here (11-5) X2 12) got email saying they are taking longer than expected (11-7) X2 13) Anyone receive an invite for campus visit? I received the delay email that said some folks have been invited - would be good to know if (and how many) folks have been invited already...X3 14) Still no word here (11-21), anyone else?15) same as 14... crickets! 16) i got an invitation last week, sorry for the late response. (11/22) 17) good to know, thanks for responding @16 18) i also interviewed in person the week before thanksgiving. haven't heard anything else yet. 19) has anyone heard anything official? (12/19) 20) @ 19, I had recieved the same taking longer than expected email. I received an email yesterday that I was no longer being considered. 21) i was told someone else was being offered the position 12-19 | 9 | |
791 | 8/22/2023 10:15:03 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Evolutionary Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25398 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/29/24 6:40 | (1) Two positions. Search failed last year. (2) Any insight into why it failed or what they might be looking for; i.e., what we might emphasize--if we have it--in our apps? (3) why do searches fail when so many people are desperate for jobs? (4) the search last year failed because the person that was offered the job accepted another position 5) Person, Singular? Only one person worth employing? This institution usually gets lots of applicants. 6) @5 its more common than you think. They probably wanted that person specifically and didn't even look at other apps 7) @3 you're essentially hiring a colleague for life. sometimes a search doesn't bring in anyone that the faculty feels is the right fit. depending on the nature of the funding for the position, they'll often cut bait and wait until the following year or even later in the hope of generating a different applicant pool. (8) my understanding is that it failed because of dysfunctional department politics. this department is notorious for that (see discussion in General Discussion and in Venting this year and last). What I heard is some search committee members didn't even schedule meetings with non-offered candidates. This department also has a history of interviewing nationals from the developing world to fill out diversity quotas but categorically will not offer to them. Very likely most of the interviewed candidates weren't given serious consideration. 9) Search members not meeting candidates and not seeing talks would be an HR violation at my school that could pull the search completely. Seems rude to candidates as well. Past searches have not handled COIs well. It makes me think this school does not value fair hiring practices if they let those practices continue. It's a shame because it is such a great school. (10) @7 -- when you get well-over triple-digit apps, if you can't find a "colleague for life" it is perhaps because the faculty is not willing to expand their view of their ideal colleague. x2 (11) maybe this is a department that needs to clear house after a few big name people retire. x3 (12) This is one salty, bitter job board; I thought gossip and venting were reserved for other pages? x6 13) @12, seems like a lot of useful information to me. (14) useful but take it with many grains of salt x2 [personal attack deleted, while I ponder how to clean up the rest of this borderline appropriate discussion -AP] (15) Please don't let this unfounded speculation discourage you from applying. In my experience it's quite an amazing environment for new faculty! x5 16) @15, if you are one of the people who makes it past the interview issues, then I'm sure it is. That doesn't mean they did right by all candidates on their past searches. x3 (17) I'm in this dept as postdoc and have no idea why people here are so negative. This place rules, and everyone should apply for this job. x2 (18) previous postdoc with one of the 'bigwigs' - not a great Dept. 19) Good dept or not, good luck living in Vancouver on this salary - unless your partner happens to make the same or preferably much, much more. @19, what is the salary, I don't see it in the ad? (20) expect between 110-145 depending on experience (12 month), is my best guess. (21) The university provides faculty housing (22) @18 why is the dept "not great"? Are you talking about Zoology? Everyone I know who's either worked or studied there is fantastic and has loved it aside from the usual gripes about vancouver housing. Super collegial, collaborative and interdisciplinary department with a strong sense of community among students and faculty. 23) @18 and @22, the word you're looking for is "quaint" 24) seems like people's experiences of UBC depend on whether specific faculty members believe their research qualifies as "evolutionary biology." 25) as a pdoc in the dept, my impression is that the search failed last year because they were looking for someone to fill the macroevolution methods void that was recently created, but the department could use some younger faculty and I speculate their search this year so as to avoid another delay in hiring such a person - p.s. the dept is great. (26) Definitely being macro/methods is an advantage, but the person they offered to last year does not fit this mold! (27). Getting ready to submit an app.....aaand letters due by the 1st.... (28) @27 That sucks... what I do is when I see a job, I immediately check to see if letters are needed. If so I start the online app so those letters can be sent right away. You can come back and fill in the rest of the app later. This is not an endorsement of letters upfront. Good luck! (29) Anyone have updates? 30) As of 10/10, nope (but it's only been <10 days since the deadline; I wouldn't expect to hear anything until November, at least) 31) Counting down the days until November so I can ask again x4 (32) Happy November! Still nothing on my end x15 33) Still nothing as of 11/7 x6 (32 again) Just checked - last year the search was posted Oct 17th, letters requested in December, invites in January. Might be a long wait... SC head mentioned interviews early in the new year on Twitter (33) A weird quirk of the search last year (if you look back at the previous job ad) is that interview email requests were directed to >1 candidate's junk boxes - so keep an eye on them too! 34) Email about in-person interview x4 (11/23). 35) Ooof. Happy Thanksgiving, I suppose. Congrats to you, 34. (36) Canadian TG is in October (37) I'm sure plenty of Americans applied to this (34) I am american, and was incredibly surprised to get an invite. It was a nice TG surprise! (37) UBC hiring non-Canadians? That would be unheard of (/s, pretty much all faculty are american) x4 (38) Interviewees all have only non-Canadian educations, so hope this can put a rest fo all comments that non-Cdns don't have a chance at Cdn job mkt. x2 (39) Just saw the list, how did they get this past HR? (40) @39 do you mean because of no Canadians? Or some other factor? (41) and how'd you see the list? (42) If you continually checked their seminars page, they were listing the candidates the week they presented (then they disappeared). 41 again) they said the just saw the list, which made me think that wasn't what they were referring to. Not sure what they are referring to to be honest. DEI? I had seen a few white men and one WOC I think. (39) A friend in the dept sent it to me; it didn't look like there are any Canadian people being considered. I am surprised that is legal. (40) @39 the way they can accomplish this is by finding flaws in every Canadian applicant in order to say they are unqualified. Every application can have some "flaw" such as "fit". (41) One was Canadian (43) rejection (44) @43 was that after interview or no? (45) No idea to #44 but I received a rejection 03/01 after no interivew X3 (43) after 46) https://x.com/ArthropodLegs/status/1781030018346361009 ? 47) Congratulations! 48) LoL, yet another American hire at UBC https://x.com/AsherLeeks/status/1816861702517862660 49) That person could be a Brit (or just went to Oxford) but yeah they really hate Canadians | 25 | |
792 | 8/22/2023 9:23:33 | Grinnell College | Iowa | Bioinformatics | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130038 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/26/24 9:59 | From ECOLOG: "works with large biological data sets and/or computational tools...area of specialty is open" 2) This is one of the worst set up interfolio applications I've seen x3. 3) so wait, do I request letters or not? I can't tell. 3) Emailed the search chair yesterday, will report back. 4) did you hear back on the letters? also review date here doesnt match what is in the ad? 5) @4 - thanks for pointing out the date in the ad. 3 again) no response from chair. :-( I just told my references to ignore this request coming from Grinnell for now, which is unfortunate. 6) I agree wholeheartedly with @2 7) That Interfolio applicaiton was a piece of work. I emailed my materials to the search email address (BiologySearch@grinnell.edu) and the chair's direct email (deridder@grinnell.edu), since it seems that Interfolio won't submit the application unless reference letters are uploaded. 8) Anyone heard anything? 9) Nope x2 10) Given they ended up with letters for all (most?) of us, I'd assume it would take longer than places that don't have those in hand. Just a hypothesis... 11)Got an email saying that they DO need letters submitted 4 again) also got an email asking for letters...so annoying x2 12) Wondering if every applicant (who didn't already have all letters submitted) got this, or just a subset? 13) Virtual interview invitation (10/19) x3 14) rejection email Oct. 20 x3 14) Any Zoom interviewees get the in-person invite yet? Getting a bit stressed over here. 15) Nope. Chair said likely late this week. x2 (15 again, adding more info: Chair implied it could take longer than late this week because of admin stuff, so keep that in mind if you don't hear anything by the end of tomorrow.) 16) on campus invite received 17) Congrats! (And :-( me) x2 18) oh man, an actual rejection email after the Zoom! That's the first I've ever received at this phase. I sincerely appreciate not being ghosted! But of course, bummed. Congrats to the folks moving on though - seems like a great place 19) Has anyone heard anything? 20) Email saying the position has been filled, 1/11. https://x.com/colorfulagamids/status/1816209567115862459 | 6 | |
793 | 8/22/2023 8:06:34 | North Dakota State University | North Dakota | Natural resources / water | 9/19/2023 | https://prd.hcm.ndus.edu/psc/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=2949044&PostingSeq=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/13/23 17:50 | Committee member here: water / aquatic is broadly defined for this position. Open to aquatic ecology and similar fields. Teaching heavy appointment, so really interested in someone who is an excellent educator | ||
794 | 8/22/2023 1:23:47 | University of Cyprus | Europe (Other) | Plant Ecology & Climate Change | 10/9/2023 | https://websites.ucy.ac.cy/biol/documents/newsfeed/20230714Ecologyposition/BIO_Ecology_%20EN_03072023.pdf | Lecturer or Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/5/24 20:33 | For informal enquiries please contact Alex Kirschel kirschel@ucy.ac.cy 1) Ad says fluency in Greek language required w/i 3 years. | ||
795 | 8/21/2023 11:35:34 | Washington University in St. Louis | Missouri | Neuroscience | 10/2/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130284 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 12:18 | Includes neuroethology and evolutionary neuroscience (1) be careful about this place, last year they offered a position and then cancelled the line apparently last minute. Does not seem like a serious institution any longer 2) yes, they did recind the offer for the Evolution hire last year, and its good to make users wary, but I am not sure that is cause to call this institution "not serious". Should be noted that that decision was also not the department's but some admin who deemed it not fiscally responsible int he current economy (3) I am the person who had the job rescinded and would be happy to talk to anyone about my experience dealing with WashU, you should be able to find my contact. It would be a great place to land. (4) Reference letters requested (per reference) (5) Campus visits scheduled | 2 | |
796 | 8/21/2023 7:39:13 | American University | District of Columbia | Environmental Health and/or the Global Carbon Cycle | 10/16/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130493 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 10/31/23 13:03 | We are particularly interested in scholars who work in areas related to soil science, food systems, agroecology, blue carbon, environmental toxicology, environmental epidemiology, or related fields. 1) Is there any way to find out the salary range? DC is so expensive it's important to know. 2) It probably varies by department and which rank (this is an open rank position), but AAUP faculty salary survey (https://data.aaup.org/ft-faculty-salaries/ click on drilldown tab) has $108k for 9 month assistant prof salary 3) Invited to a zoom interview on 10/31. | 3 | |
797 | 8/20/2023 21:30:52 | Stockholm University | Sweden | Data-Driven Evolution and Biodiversity | 10/15/2023 | https://www.su.se/english/about-the-university/work-at-su/available-jobs?rmpage=job&rmjob=21336&rmlang=UK | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/28/24 9:00 | (1) Anyone heard anything? I got an email that there were >60 applicants but not much other info. (2) nothing more than (1) x2; 3) I asked the HR for the applicant list. Tons of computational peeps. 65 applicants (4) @ 3 they gave you the applicant list?? (5) Most universities in Scandinavia will give you any documents that have. your name on them (6) @ 5 wow. wild. did they give you any sense of timeline? (7) They emailed all candidates to say names of reviewers (all external, from USA/UK). Re: timeline I'd expect Jan. (3 again) Yes - it is common to do this in Feno-Scandinavia (which includes Finland). The committee is very computational-based, but with an evolutionary focus. I'd just add that the timeline should be February since the external committee got a deadline February 1st. Adding a week of delay, plus another week (or two, or three) for the internal committee to decide who gets invited to interview (I think every member of the committee produces their own, independent report). So I'd say mid/-late February or even March for the reports + interview invites. (1) In-person interview invite recieved Feb 27. (8) I find very little correspondance between those recommended by reviewers and those invited. I think 3 were recommended once each, and 2 weren't recommended by any. Others that were among the top for 2/3 reviewers were not invited. I'm not one of them, just pointing out that it seems like the reviewers were given a lot of work but not a lot of weight in the decision. Strange process. (9) Agreed, and the 'minutes' were not very transparent about how the decision was made; however one thing to keep in mind is that the reviewers are primarily evaluating the fit for the DDLS portion of the job, but the SC—people at the University—are paying more attention to the longer term 'fit' within the department. So the final decision was likely some balance between the two and we only have the first half of the picture. (10) Someone told me that "it always seems to go to someone already in Sweden for their postdoc" which absolutely turned out to be true in this case. I'd also like to mention that the external reviewers DID NOT watch the talks when the decision was made. They only looked at slides that they made you submit two days before the talk. (11) WTF? (11) How can a SC that is made up of theoretical physics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry (along with 2 external "reviewers" who did not even watch the job talks) possibly select a candidate for data science in evolution and biodiversity? This place is a fucking joke. Top 3 candidates were male. Also external "reviewers" were white male. Very little diversity in both the departments of Zoology and ecology, evolution and plant sciences. One of the PIs we talked to had done his PD there. Stay away. (12) Devil's advocate here. @10 Scandinavians like to hire ' conservatively '. A colleague will likely stay 30 years. They don't want to risk giving 20 million to someone who may use it and leave after 4 years. Someone's who is in the country, likely speaks the language, is more likely to stay. That's as good of a criteria as anything else. This said, yes, I agree, then they shouldn't fly people across the Atlantic. @11 committes can be diverse in terms of discipline - I don't see a problem there? I do see a problem in external being only male and 2 (all?) from USA. (13) Having seen the list myself, there was only one white male; the other two male candidates were from Africa and another from Latin America. Please, let's be more intelectualy honest before throwing fake information. (14) @13 what's fake about anything I said? I've seen the ranking. The top 3 candidates ARE MALE. The two (originally 3) external reviewers were ALL WHITE MALE. Nothing untrue about what I said. Wouldn't a SC that actually studies evolution and biodiversity better suited to judge someone's potential for success? And then you'll probably say that's why they had external "reviewers". The "reviewers" didn't even watch the job talk. And who's getting 20 million? Nobody's startup is 20 million. It's a 6 year contract before tenure. Sounds like you should be careful about spewing fake information. (15) Suspect @12 is talking in SEK and these positions are slightly under but close to 20 MSEK. 16) 20,000,000 SEK = $1,892,523.58 - still not bad! (15) These are some of the best-funded positions around, though note that salary comes from this and people cost a lot in Sweden. (17) If it's so attractive, why did only 65 people apply? (18) @17 - because the application required tons of material? because not everyone wants to move so high up north? idk. (12) I'm sorry you didn't get the position @11/14, it's a competitive market out there, and I hope you get your spot. I don't know where you got the info that the top ranked candidates were all male. I just hope if a woman gets the position, she doesn't feel that she got it because of her gender/sex/nationality, but because she does brilliant research. (19) @12 I saw the ranking of the candidates. It was already decided on since last Tuesday. (20) How does one see the ranking? 21) Email with the name of the recommended hire. He does really cool stuff.x2 | 6 | |
798 | 8/20/2023 21:28:07 | Dartmouth College | New Hampshire | Evolutionary Biology | 9/29/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130168 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/4/24 13:54 | The ad says Sept. 30th, not 29th. I will submit before the 30th, but what should I tell my letter writers? (2) Do we need to just have the letters requrested by the 30th or do the letters have to be in by the 30th? (3) Any information on whether letters are recommended as you submit? (4) My letter-writers got requests when I submitted, so it triggers immediately. (5) any updates? 10/24 6) Nope x3 7) What are the chances none of us managed to get an invite? I suppose its more likely they are just taking their time 8) Yeah, I think those chances are close to zero 9) Hurry up and wait, I guess 10) Any updates? (11) No 11/9 x5 (12) No 11/17 x4 (13) invited for interview 11/21 14) Congrats! 15) They sent me an email asking for my phone number to call me about something? I assume its about an interview, but not quite sure 11/21 (update: it was an interview notification) 16) offer made 17) aw man 18) offer accepted 19) Congrats! x2 20) Rejection email (recieved today, 26 Feb) said they got 188 total applications, in case people are interested for calibration. 21) Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't get that far through the rejection email before filing it. 22) https://twitter.com/Emily_L_Behrman/status/1764714288017531282 | 26 | |
799 | 8/20/2023 21:21:51 | University of California - San Francisco | California | Microbiology and Immunology | 10/31/2023 | https://aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF04655 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/21/23 6:30 | "a focus in the broadly defined areas of Microbiology, Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Response, Virology, and Innate Immunity. Candidates are expected to hold a PhD and/or M.D. degree. eligible for membership in our many diverse graduate programs, including but not limited to Biomedical Sciences (BMS), and Tetrad (Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Genetics)" 1) how long before the gatekeepers come after this one for "not being ecoevo enough"? | 2 | |
800 | 8/19/2023 0:15:56 | Brown University | Rhode Island | Organismal Biology | 10/12/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130242 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/5/24 7:17 | Looking for a broadly trained organismal biologist who uses integrative approaches to address questions in evolutionary and/or ecological contexts. 1) "candidates should have expertise in at least one of the core topics: physiology, biomedical imaging, embryology, neuroanatomy, gross anatomy"--looks hard... 2) The link from their job description to the interfolio application page doesn't seem to work for me. It just takes me to my general interfolio page, but I can't find the details for this job. Did anyone else get into it? 3) @2: "Application materials may be submitted beginning Aug 21, 2023." 4) Teaching expectations for this position include Human Anatomy at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School. 5) Brown University *handshake* every community college - expecting you to teach human anatomy 6) EEB, but also teach gross anatomy to medical students? Kind of a strange combo 7) not that strange for those who study organismal biology with eco/evo bent. There are lots of us (8) Marginal EcoEvo job? Can't imagine applying for this (9) #6 here again, I am an organismal biologist who is solidly EEB, and I have to say this is odd from my perspective. Unless someone does biomech`anics, or happened to have taught anatomy as a grad student, I'm honestly not sure of the overlap, but whatever! (10) biomechanics, functional morphology, evolutionary morphology, comparative morphology, ecomorphology, eco-evo-devo, paleontology, just to name a few... (7 again) let's not gatekeep too much based on our own biases of how "small" our fields should be. I strongly consider myself an evolutionary biologist with eco tilt yet there are plenty of jobs listed I don't qualify for. This is one I do. Why is teaching human biology automatically outside of evolution? Plenty of extremely well-known evo biologists who focus on form/morphology/anatomy have taught human anat. This is not a marginal ecoevo job and it absolutely makes sense to be on this sheet. If GIS can be on here (which I agree with) organismal biology can be, too. x2 (11) Don't ya'll have better things to do with your time than police whether job postings are ecoevo or not? (12) @11 Nah, we're all unemployed! That's why we hang around here so much! ;p haha x3. (13) From within the department: they are legitimately very open to people with 0 existing anatomy experience, which is why the ad is phrased the way it is (14) In addition to being a big +1 to being an eco/evo person for whom this job is extremely relevant, I also want to highlight that affiliation with anatomy courses is a terrific way to support your students and postdocs! anatomy classes always need TAs, postdocs can be supported through teaching anatomy, and there is plenty of $$ in med schools for those roles. Plus, the vertebrate eeb/organismal biology community has a long history of getting hired as anatomy faculty. (15) @14 that'd be a totally valid point if Brown Med weren't pushing to transition to a prosection-based model. Anatomy jobs are a gamble these days. (16) This posting is a bit odd, innit? "Hey do some organismal biology, but oh you have to teach about humans too." It is odd in that they're going to set aside millions of dollars to hire a tenure-track professor to teach one class when the new prof likely researches something else. (17) the combination of human anatomy and EEB is a stereotypical and extremely common position listing for vertebrate paleontologists, if you talk to many paleontologists that is in fact their job description for teaching. many paleontologists work at medical schools and their graduate training specifically prepares them for this. not sure why this is a controversial posting x1 (18) It's controversial because some people just lose their minds when a posh job is posted and they're not a fit for it. x3 19) In case some people missed it. Teaching gross anatomy to med students involves human cadavers so is different than an undergrad A&P. To each their own comfort level. 20) AMEN TO @18 YOU SAID THAT EXACTLY RIGHT. My goodness.. this needs to be said more often. x2 21) Anyone know the search chair? 22) Elizabeth Brainerd is the search chair. 23) This dept has a number of labs that focus on comparative biomechanics (some with paleo focus) and these folks take care of human anatomy classes because it pays the bills & human anatomy is a rare and specific expertise to hire someone to study specifically (as 14 said) . 24) Any updates? 25) letters requested x4 26)when were letters requested? 27) today 11/3 28) Zoom interview invitation 11/21 x2 29) on campus interview invitation 12/14 x2 30) offer signed 31) https://x.com/patrick_a_green/status/1806719268865908743 ? 32) don't think so--afaik green & caves accepted offers the year before 32) https://vivo.brown.edu/display/jtingle | 9 | |
801 | 8/18/2023 23:58:06 | Brown University | Rhode Island | Ecology | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130379 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/1/24 10:49 | Anyone know who the search chair is? The search chair is Jim Kellner. 2) @1 what does this mean? 1) Nothing - I asked who the search chair is and someone else answered without numbering their response. 3) Anyone has a salary idea, I see this is a ten-month appointment only. 4) it mentioned here: https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/648831/assistant-professor-tenure-track-in-ecology/ $110,000 - $120,000 with benefits. 5) anyone else having trouble submitting this application? Not sure if it is on my end or a website issue-I keep getting a warning that my documents are not complete (despite everything being uploaded correctly). 6) The only issue I had was that the status of uploaded documents was not refreshing by default, so when I advanced to the last it was showing that some are pending. A refresh of the browser solved the issue. 7) @5 this is a common issue I have with interfolio applications. Usually if I wait 30 minutes and come back my documents will all be recognized as complete and I can submit without problems. 8) Is the application closed? I don't see a link in the ad... eek. I guess they were really serious about 11:59 eastern. 9) did it close on the 29th or Oct 1? 10) on time, Oct 1 11) any word on interview requests (x2)? (asked on 10/14 and 10/15) 12) nothing 10/17 x6 13) Why did so many people apply to this one? I don't understand why 35 for this one and 20 for Columbia. 14) @13 I applied to this one and not Columbia because of location - my research leans towards coastal/marine ecosystems and RI is great for that work. Personally, I also couldn't see myself living in NYC long-term. 15) @13 I applied to both but location is one reason I'd be more excited about this job. I expect living/working in NYC is exciting for some and a no-go for others. Personally I'd prefer Providence to NYC and also see more exciting collab opportunities for my work at Brown. 16) Invitation for on-campus interview (no zoom/phone interview prior) 10/20 17) Congrats! x5 18) Congrats to @16, this is really fast, even no letters requested? 19) @18 Thank you! And yes, no letters requested either 20) @16 - wild! x2 21) That's intense. Maybe it was a targetted search? 22) TBH something about this doesn't seem right....23) But has anyone else (beyond @ 16) heard anything about this search or knows if letters were requested? If the department had already moved on, I guess we would have received a first wave of rejection letters? Many thx! 24) All 5 interviewees decided on already. x2 25) Wow, congrats! 26) letters requested 27) ? 5 people were already invited... 28) @26 might mean for the other Brown job 29) #26 here, nope, definitely for this position! Letters requested post-interview (never seen this before, but might be a great option for avoiding some of the downfalls of reference letters by letting people form their own opinions first) 30) offer made 31) offer accepted 32) 🎉 | 40 | |
802 | 8/18/2023 12:42:57 | Dartmouth College | New Hampshire | Indigenous Environmental Studies | 10/31/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129872 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1 | |||
803 | 8/18/2023 11:36:49 | University of California, Santa Cruz | California | Geographical Information Systems | 10/17/2023 | https://recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01595 | Asst / Assoc Teaching Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/7/23 6:45 | This position will entail three key roles intended to support a growing geospatial program in the Department of Environmental Studies: 1) lead a newly-approved GIS Masters’ program; 2) teach undergraduate, graduate, and professional development courses in Geographic Information and Spatial Data Science; and 3) maintain Center for Integrated Spatial Research (CISR) facilities and support geospatial research in the department. 3) any news? 11/7 | 1 | |
804 | 8/18/2023 8:27:59 | Bates College | Maine | Environmental Studies | 10/6/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130443 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/31/24 13:18 | Failed search from last year? 1) I applied last year, and the email they sent was vague but implied the search was cancelled/suspended rather than failed per se x2 2) Yeah, my impression was that the search last year failed before candidates were interviewed for whatever reason. 3) I heard the department needed a bit more time to figure out the niche they were trying to fill. Hopefully they have a more clear picture of that this year. 4) The last search was cancelled after in-person interviews due to internal disagreements over the nature of the research and teaching they wanted the new hire to conduct 5) wow, well that kinda sucks for everyone who applied x 2 6) the dysfunction of academia is really inexcusable. x 3 7) Sounds like they couldn't agree on whether the new hire should get crushed by teaching load, or research expectations. Just agree on both and hire somebody! 8) Any idea if they clarified at all their target? Job ad still seems pretty broad 9) . A candidate’s field of study may feature but need not be limited to the following: marine, freshwater, polar, glacial, coastal, agricultural, arid, urban, grassland, or forested systems, or foci that could include earth surface processes, ecology, biodiversity, pollution, energy transitions, or public health. Lol definitely broad. 10) This search is in a different department than last year and has some clear different goals. I applied both this and last year, and had to revise my materials significantly to address the change in position. 11) I'm literally looking at both job ads (this year and last year; same college, same dept, same position) side by side and they are almost identical (most of the major parts are exactly identical). Both last year and this year, the job ads are VERY broad. If the reason for the failed search last year is "trying to find the right niche", then I would imagine a second broad job ad is not the way to do it.... @ 10) there's THREE ads now at Bates for different climate/env sci related jobs - one in env studies, one in earth sciences, one in physics. You might be looking at a different ad! x2 11) Any updates (10/25)? 12) Nothing 10/26 x7 13) Sending love to Lewiston x10 14) Nothing 11/3 x8 15) Zoom interview invite 11/6 x4 16) Letters requested on 11/13 x3 17) on-campus interview invite received 11/21 x1 18) Huge congrats!! https://twitter.com/jbaumann3/status/1783868071439987160 | 16 | |
805 | 8/18/2023 7:27:35 | Middlebury College | Vermont | Evolutionary Biology | 8/24/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/130107 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/8/23 9:32 | I added this because it looks like a rare example of a position targeting a current VAP. Because it is only open for 10 days and it is not posted anywhere other than the career website of the school. 1) Ugh I was excited about this until I read this 2) People complain about Universities not offering their VAPs tenure-track position, and they complain when they do, but you can't complain about both. If it is an internal hire, good for that VAP I'm sure it is making their dream come true and I'm glad that they won't be stuck in VAP limbo watching their career dwindle. If you are interested, throw your app at it and move on. +2 (3) totally agree. It's actually heartening to see a VAP--who has already given to the school--be recognized as a good colleague with the promise of a long career. No need to butt them out with "the latest and greatest shiny new thing" when a great candidate is right there. Normalize steady careers and locations! 4) @2 & 3, I don't think the complaint is about them hiring the VAP, but about lots of other good candidates applying, thinking they have a chance, even interviewing. I have gone on three on campus interviews where an internal candidate was ultimately hired. I spent so much time prepping and traveling for those, and I just wish they had promoted the internal candidate without a national search (yes, this is possible at some places). At least this one seems very obvious and gives a super short turnaround so maybe it won't waste too many people's time. 5) Agree with 4. I'm not annoyed with a VAP being hired for a permanent position--that should be normalized! I'm annoyed that institutions still run a national search for internal promotions of that nature, which takes up other people's time and energy. That also happened to me last season. Doing all of the prep and practice for an on campus interview ate up a lot of my time and it was all for naught. 6) anyone hear anything? 7) Confirmed will be internal hire (8) Can we normalize not wasting people's time with public job postings for internal hires? Again, good for this person and university. But come on. 9)I don't know anything about Middlebury but a lot of schools force you to do an advertisement even if it's an internal hire. They have to pretend like it was an authentic search. | 2 | |
806 | 8/18/2023 5:23:30 | University of California, Berkeley | California | Fungal Biology | https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04065 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/4/24 17:04 | 1) More or less orgnaismal biology position focused on fungi 2) is this to hire an internal postdoc? 3) @ 2 - no this is an assistant profesor position... though after the postdoc union strike last year, current senior UCB postdocs could be taking a pay-cut to become an assistant prof at UCB... which is ridiculous. (4) Asst prof search at berkeley last year in global change interviewed only profs. good luck postdocs. 5) @ 4 the reason i (2) bring up an internal postdoc is bc there's one who would be a stellar fit 6) @4 microbial global change positions were two assistant professors and one postdoc so not totally correct (4 again) Meant GCB search, not microbe. Congrats to this postdoc, who had no chance at Berkeley: a declining power in science due to low-risk hiring. 7) Any news on this search? 8) it just closed two days ago so I'm assuming we won't hear anything until next month, maybe? 9) I may just find who was hired for microbial global change position last year! It should be difficult to compete such level of person as a postdoc... 10) Any news? 11) Nothing here as of 11/14 x6 12) 11/20 Letters of recommendation requested X2 13) @12 Congrats! Sadly, I was not selected... 14) Ditto @13; congrats 12 1 15) Still haven't heard anything, anyone else in that boat? 13 again) @15 actually the same as you. My references haven't said anything about this, so I expected I was not selected. 13) any news? or does anyone has any insight on the timeline? 14) Same here, as far as I can tell no references were requested so there was only one lucky person on this form! :( 15) 12 here, haven't heard anything since LOR request 16) Forgot to update here, my letters were also requested and I have heard nothing else. 17) 12 and 16, may I ask at what level did you apply? 18) 12 here, I'm an assistant professor 19) 16 here, I am a postdoc 20) No updates since letter request as of 12/18 x2 21) Nothing so far on 12/22 either, looks like it will be after the holidays 22) Nothing beyond letter request 12/28 x2 23) I've been invited for an in-person interview!!! (no Zoom interviews), date range for interviews is mid-Jan through the end of Feb. 24) Congrats! I heard nothing beyond letter requests, so I assume I didn't get one x2 25) https://x.com/LotusLofgren/status/1787891002792903049 ? 26) yup, Lotus has accepted this position! woohoo! 27) Yay, congrats! x2 | 6 | ||
807 | 8/17/2023 19:51:35 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Mammalian Ecology | 10/31/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/7208?c=illinois | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/24/24 6:06 | Shelford-Pitelka-Batzli Professorship 1) any committee members want to weigh in if it is worth sending in an application at a lower level? E.g., I would be qualified for an assistant prof position but am a mammalian ecologist. 2) From Search Committee: Unfortunately, this position is only available for those of Associate Professor rank and higher. 3) From an applicant. Any estimated dates for review and short list? x2 4) Zoom interview invite (11/17) x2 5) Any of the zoom folk hear anything yet (I haven't)? 6) Any updates? It has been a long time since any news! (Jan. 10). 7) In-person interview scheduled for Feb. | 4 | |
808 | 8/17/2023 12:51:15 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Insect Microbiomes | 10/6/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/7190?c=illinois | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/25/24 19:12 | 1) Any updates? 2) I think it is way too early for an update. I would give them until the end of the month. x2 3) Update: got invitation for Zoom interview x2 4) Did anyone hear back about an in-person? I've heard nothing as of 11/7 x2; 5) Did they tell you when they would make interview decisions? I failed to ask about their timeline (facepalm). 6) They gave me the impression that they were moving quickly, but I don't remember specific dates 7) Thanks! I'll definitely update here if I hear anything. 8) in person interview invite 11/10; 9)Congratulations!!! 10) Any idea if an offer has been made? 11) Have they filled the position? | 3 | |
809 | 8/17/2023 11:25:31 | University of Texas at Arlington | Texas | Microbiology | 10/13/2023 | https://uta.peopleadmin.com/postings/24337 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/24/24 9:41 | Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, microbial pathogenesis and physiology, antibiotic resistance, microbial genetics, host-microbe interactions, synthetic biology, and the impact of microbes on environments. (1) Any updates? | 2 | |
810 | 8/17/2023 9:17:45 | Grinnell College | Iowa | Climate Science | 10/1/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178499825&Title=Environmental%20Studies%20%2D%20Climate%20Science%20%2D%20Tenure%20Track%2C%20Start%20Fall%202024 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/22/23 15:37 | "broadly trained earth scientist who studies climate change. Possible areas of specialization include, but are not limited to: atmospheric science, biogeochemistry, climate modeling, hydrology, glaciology, paleoclimatology, and oceanography. Teaching responsibilities will include an introductory geoscience course, an intermediate-level course in climate science..." 2) Any updates? | 1 | |
811 | 8/17/2023 8:45:39 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Plant Biology | 10/6/2023 | https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/7194?c=illinois | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/11/24 8:19 | 1) Multiple other positions are part of this cluster-hire 2) Note: this is more of a cohort hire and no collaboration between departments is necessary. 3) Any updates? 4) Invited to Zoom interview 5) Dang! Congrats @4 4 again) Thanks @5! Has anyone here been invited to a Zoom interview? I am wondering if invitations for campus interviews have already been sent to the selected candidates. (6) Rejection saying offer has been made 7) @6 what date was this? (8) 12/14 9) https://twitter.com/0_minyaaa/status/1767188068153606557 | 4 | |
812 | 8/17/2023 7:35:47 | NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center | Washington | Conservation Biology Division Director | 8/30/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/743514600 | ZP-5 (GS-15) | Government | 8/22/23 13:23 | AP) I changed the Subject Area based on the ad, but it wasn't 100% clear. Anyone have more info? 1) This would be a sweeeet gig. Gonna be competitive from internal NOAA folks if you aren't already at Fisheries. 2) Its a GS15, basically that is the equivelant of a senior full professor at university. The qualifications will be steep. 3) I am a federal scientist. Its weird to see this posted here. You will not be considered for a GS-15 unless you have prior government experience doing this kind of work. | ||
813 | 8/16/2023 13:41:49 | Our Lady of the Lake University | Texas | Plant Biology | 9/8/2023 | https://ollusa.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=164951 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/5/23 15:25 | 1) No point in applying unless you've been given a sword by a strange woman lying in a pond. 2) @1 that's just for tenure 3) no basis for a system of government but absolutely sufficient for an academic promotion 4) I'm a moistened bint. Should I bother applying or is this only for sword recipients? (5) Context please... excalibur? (6) They're jokingly referencing Monty Python and the Holy Grail (this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m15MNLtpYUE) 7) The host of this sheet may need to change their name to Our Lady of the Potato. 8) Website (via link) says closing date is September 8 AP) Thanks! It also says October 1 on the same page, so seems a bit chaotic.(8 again) Chaotic would be apropos for this institution and department. | ||
814 | 8/15/2023 11:11:18 | Southern Oregon University | Oregon | Environmental Science | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.sou.edu/postings/11453 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/12/23 12:22 | "The candidate should demonstrate competency in environmental sciences broadly with specific interest in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, soil science, hydroclimatology, and/or ecohydrology." 1) this salary is painfully low for Ashland, OR???? 2) Many postdocs earn more than that salary! 3) Friend of mine was faculty at this school - left after a few years because the salary was painfully low and they were horribly overloaded with teaching. Beautiful area though 4) I am a current faculty member at Southern Oregon University (SOU), but I am not affiliated with this search: Indeed, SOU is a small, regional, public university with a high teaching load (~12 contact hours per term) and low research expectations (~1 paper required for tenure). Like many regional universities, SOU has struggled financially (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/03/22/president-proposes-steep-job-cuts-save-his-institution), but I (and I think many other faculty members) are optimistic about the future. This position could be a great fit for an environmental scientist who would enjoy teaching during the school year and mentoring students through research during the summer. Here is some more information about SOU and faculty life there: a) Faculty salaries increase 2-3% every year based on explicit salary tables outlined in the collective bargaining agreement; b) Many faculty enjoy comfortable lives in Ashland at the current salaries, but the cost of housing makes buying a home difficult for new faculty. Being a dual-income household helps, of course; c) Many faculty still own homes in Ashland and surrounding cities; d) Ashland, OR is an amazing place to live and do research, especially for environmental scientists and ecologists; and e) The administration is actively growing environmental degree programs and research programs. If you are an environmental scientist who loves teaching and wants to live in a vibrant small town with near-perfect weather, amazing restaurants, abundant public lands, and world-class theater, then you should consider SOU. 5) This isn't an ecology or evolution listing though 6) @5 The ad specifically mentions soil science and ecohydrology. Seems germane to this board. 7) Yeah, it's not much of a leap from soil ecology or biogeochemistry to this stuff. 8) I appreciate the SOU context-- thanks @4! 8) These vacancies can be filled by anyone with an aquatics background. ECOHYDROLOGY and SOIL ECOLOGY are pretty clearly ECOLOGY! 10) Man, the ecoevo gatekeepers are riled up this cycle... 11) I am advocating for a statement of erring on the side of inclusivity for job postings. This is a board to help people and having more postings is more helpful. Having to scroll past a few lines that don't apply to you doesn't hurt anything. (x7) 12) in support of #11, if you are truly an EVS graduate, you should be able to teach some soils. If you can't, your degree is really something else. The USEPA defined an EVS PHD as someone with a multidisiplinary degree drawing from Social, natural, and physical sciences. The recommended background was courses in env. policy/law, environmental biology, environmental chemistry/geology, and later, env. sociology was added. this was published many years ago in Science. However, most programs are poor-man's ecology or chemistry programs with little real interdisciplinary nature. An EVS person should have an emphasis in one of the four areas. But, they should have no problem teaching a few freshman courses in any of the other fields. 13) Search committe member here -- deadline extended to 10/27. 14) Any updates? 15) zoom interviews this week 16) 12/5 - anyone gotten an offer? | 1 | |
815 | 8/15/2023 10:04:28 | Northeastern University | Massachusetts | Biostatistics | 9/1/2023 | https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/Boston-MA-Main-Campus/Assistant-Associate-Teaching-Professor--Marine-and-Environmental-Sciences_R116265-1 | Asst / Assoc Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 9/29/23 8:02 | Dept of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Is anyone aware of the salary range for this position? 2) Anyone heard anything? | ||
816 | 8/14/2023 13:02:09 | Bard College | New York | Biology (2 positions) | 9/22/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=178498564&Title=Open%20Rank%20%28Tenure%20Track%29%20%2D%20Biology | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 5/25/24 13:13 | "The successful applicants will ask cutting-edge questions in neurobiology, genomics, immunology, or developmental biology. They will be prepared to contribute to core courses such as genetics, physiology or biostatistics, as well as teach courses in their area of expertise." 1) erm, no info on teaching load, requirements or really any info about the job. 2) Was there a similar (or exact same) search last year? 3) This one comes up a lot. It's a pretty weirdly organized/non-traditional school, which I think is why it doesn't really give much standard info. 4) I have some inside knowledge on this. They've run this search twice, both failed. This is the third run. They didn't seek to renew their 2 VAPs until the last second, but they had already found appts elsewhere by then. Something strange going on here. 5) also insider knowledge, i second that something strange is going on, but want to mention that the VAPs were not in the subfields that program was trying to fill. Still both chose to leave after being invited to stay. 6) worth remembering that staying in a VAP for a long time can be a a hinderance in the job apps. Unless you somehow get research off the ground, while there. 7) Zoom request 10/5 8) anything post Zoom for anyone? 9) I did not get a zoom invite, yet today got an email that they are requesting my letters of recommendation through Interfolio? I'm confused.. x2 10) is it clear to anyone how to request letters and link them with the application? I don't see how to do it from my Bard application page. 11) @10 I made the mistake of going into "Letters" on the left panel. Instead, you should click "Edit" for your Bard application, and under "Additional Documents" you can select to request letters. I hope that's what we're supposed to do, it's what I'm going to do now! 10 again) I actually did request letters, and then attached them to the bard application under "additional documents." Did you have a Zoom, 11? If so, have you heard from them? I had a Zoom, but only the generic letter request since. 12) this is 11, @10, I did not have a zoom, so I was confused when I got a letter request. Since there are 2 openings perhaps there are 2 search committees working on different timelines? 13) Has this search moved to another stage? I did not get invited for a Zoom interview, had letters requested after others had Zoom interviews, and then just now got a second request for letters. I am unimpressed with the level of professionalism. x2 14) finally reject email 3/5 15) I never even got a rejection email for this | 9 | |
817 | 8/14/2023 12:20:17 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Insect Physiology | 10/17/2023 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/336070 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/23/23 6:52 | Due to a technical issue, THIS APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 17 (I'm on the search committee) [updated -AP] 2) zoom interview requested! | 3 | |
818 | 8/14/2023 12:06:27 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | New Mexico | Chair of Biology Department | 10/15/2023 | https://www.nmt.edu/hr/docs/hr/jobs/DeptChairProfBiology23-136.pdf | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
819 | 8/14/2023 10:25:55 | UC Berkeley | California | Comparative Biomechanics | 10/1/2023 | https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04087 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/11/24 16:04 | Are there monetary benefits in addition to listed salary and normal benefits? Like help with housing? It just seems so low for starting out in the bay area. x2 (1) It's possible...when I interviewed at UCSD, there were resources through the larger UC system to help with buying a house etc. (3) UC system can offer up to 150K forgivable loan for downpayment (forgivable means you won't need to pay it back after working in the UC system for some years) (4) @3, source? never heard of that (5) @4 - this information is correct, per colleagues that have received offers at UC Berkeley (6) These are likely the minimum salaries at each step. (7) Note that there are off-scale salaries. Every faculty at UCB receives higher salary than the outlined minimum salary (you can find online how much the recently hired professors are paid). (8) Does anyone know who the search chair is? (9) Search chair is Dudley, I've heard. 10) Does anyone know what to make of the "Brief Description of Research Accomplishments," given that they also request a research statement and ~300 word summaries for each of three publications? 11) Yeah, echoing 10) I'm confused on what "brief" means too. Could the SC give page limits? (12) In the absence of guidance, I think I'll aim for about a half page, but who knows what they're looking for... (13) FYI, there's no place to upload the summaries of the significant publications, so I asked an administrator and they said to append the summary to the publication PDF as the first page before uploading (14) any updates? (15) reference letters requested 10/17 x8 (16) any news? 18) invitation for on campus interview 11/15 x3 19) any news on this? x2 | 3 | |
820 | 8/14/2023 9:23:44 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Animal Physiology | 9/15/2023 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/wcupa/jobs/4109454/23-191-tenure-track-assistant-professor-of-biology-animal-physiologist?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/5/23 10:39 | Specifically states interest / need in vertebrate physiology. 2) Zoom interview invite (10/9). 3) On campus interview (10/19) 4) Did you actually get invited for an on campus interview or is that when they said they would let you know? 5) Yes, I got invited for an on campus interview | 1 | |
821 | 8/11/2023 9:26:37 | Texas Christian University | Texas | Ecology | 9/12/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178498631&Title=Assistant%20Professor%20of%20Biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/19/24 14:57 | The successful candidate's research will strengthen existing areas of ecological, evolutionary and/or environmental research in the Department, including but not limited to conservation biology, invasion biology, ecotoxicology, microbial ecology, urban ecology, and/or restoration ecology. 1) Is this a failed search from last year? 2) @1 Don't know for sure, but my best guess is 'yes.' 2) fingers crossed 3) any updates? 4) this is a R2 ? 5) @4 Yes, TCU is R2. 6) Asked for a zoom interview 7) is this a done deal if not getting one yet ? 8) @7 That's how I approach it when I've heard somebody's gotten a request for a zoom interview. 9) I did my zoom interview last week and just got invited for an on-campus interview later in October. 10) https://twitter.com/AnnikaSNelson/status/1770158640760049698 | 10 | |
822 | 8/11/2023 7:08:40 | Stanford University | California | Oceans | 10/30/2023 | https://facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/494603/assistant-professorship-in-oceans-stanford-doerr-school-of-sustainability | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/15/23 9:23 | My job is just "Oceans". (2) Looking for hires that go with the flow? (sorry, couldn't help it; esoteric hire). 3) This Oceans department just opened in Stanford to incorporate interdisciplinary work on marine sciences, so it's probably open to not only marine ecologists but also other types of applicants such as oceanographers 3) Ken is perfect for this 4) Sorry 3, but Ken has no chance. Beach would be an outcast in an Oceans department. He's just too narrow. 4. it's a new wave 5) I'm loving these comments 6) I'm not getting these comments :( 7) go watch Barbie @6. @4 8) I think he's Kenough to at least apply. 9) FYI they automatically request references when you submit the application. 10) Letter request was automatic. 11) is there a deadline with the letter request? any clue what to tell letter writers? 12) My letter writer said the automatic request they got said "It would be most helpful to receive your letter within two weeks.” 13) Anyone hear back yet regarding interviews? 14) Zoom interview requested 11/21 x 4, 15) @14 people, curious what broad fields you are in --> Marine ecology! 16) same, marine ecology/genomics! 17) Invited for campus interview 12/12 x 2 | 18 | |
823 | 8/11/2023 6:49:41 | Centre College | Kentucky | Microbiology, Plant Biology, Genetics, or Ecology | 9/8/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129886 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/18/23 6:48 | Two positions. Zoom interview request (9/25). Has anyone heard back from the Zoom interview? 2. Got in person interview invite (10/18). | 6 | |
824 | 8/10/2023 22:38:46 | Marist College | New York | Environmental Science | 9/15/2023 | http://careers.marist.edu/cw/en-us/job/493480/assistant-or-associate-professor-of-environmental-science | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 14:18 | The ideal candidate will have expertise in the study and conservation of fish or wildlife, and preferably utilize the Hudson River as a teaching and research system. 1) Anyone know of the review date? Not in the ad 2) Just got an email, the review will start 9/15/2023 with a start date of August 2024 3) rejection email 10/17/2023 x5 4) Long shot, I know, but did anyone else here apply to the Biology Lecturer position Marist also advertised with a 10/1 deadline? Anyone hear anything from that? 5) Possibly unrelated, but I applied to a job in their bio department last year, assumed I was rejected, and just got an email from the search committee about my CV...so maybe they never filled the position from last year? | 8 | |
825 | 8/10/2023 13:49:16 | Union College | New York | Environmental Physiology (Ecophysiology) | 9/19/2023 | https://jobs.union.edu/en-us/job/493320/assistant-professor-of-ecophysiology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/5/24 9:35 | Candidates should be broadly trained physiologists using innovative research approaches that may include, but are not limited to, genomic, molecular, or computational techniques to better understand organism - environment interactions. 2) "Preference will be given to those whose research includes plants and who can teach Plant Physiology or Plant Biology." 3) We have a second opening for an 18-mo Visiting Assistant Professor in Biology. The candidate would teach EnvScience, an Intro Bio class, and potentially a third course during their time at Union. For more information, visit https://jobs.union.edu/cw/en-us/job/493321/visiting-assistant-professor-of-biology 4) Letters automatically requested after submission, FYI 5) Zoom interview invite, Oct 6th. x2 6) Invited for campus interview 10/24 x2 | 4 | |
826 | 8/10/2023 8:54:38 | University of California - Davis | California | Microbiome Sciences | 10/1/2023 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05866 | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 12/11/23 15:54 | "Microbiome Sciences, including the role of microbiome in human health and disease, microbial metabolism, microbiome ecology, interaction of mucosal pathogens with host-associated microbial communities, metagenomics, antimicrobial resistance, microbiome changes and implications in viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections" 2) MD degree required AP) We can leave this one, in case someone finds it useful. 3) MD requirement was apparently a mistake: https://twitter.com/phylogenomics/status/1689750981813354498 4) URL says they are no longer accepting applications...?? Was this search cancelled? 5) looks like maybe the opening was reposted? https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF05950 (6) any updates on this?! | ||
827 | 8/10/2023 6:39:20 | USDA Agricultural Research Service | Mississippi | Disease ecology and epidemiology | 8/30/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/740288900 | Research Unit Leader, GS-14 or GS-15 | Government | 4/17/24 11:12 | Build a new research unit with 4 PI scientists plus their students and postdocs. The unit also has significant funded collaborations with Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Geospatial Research Institute. Both the research unit and the collaboration have long-term internal financial support. The Unit is also in a unique position to access and publish derived data from other USDA agencies. It's a great opportunity to make a real impact on the mitigation of animal and zoonotic diseases. Open to PhD or DVM. Salary $116,393 - $177,978. For questions about the position you can email adam.rivers@usda.gov. apply from 04/18/2024 to 05/17/2024. Open to US Citizens and in some cases permanent residents seeking citizenship. (1) I wish these jobs were open to hiring green card holders, I'm a zoonotic disease biologist, but I can't apply since it requires citizenship. (2) In fairness, many (most?) other nations have citizenship requirements for their government jobs, as well. | ||
828 | 8/9/2023 18:12:26 | Salem State University | Massachusetts | Marine Biology | 11/3/2023 | https://careers-salemstate.icims.com/jobs/2921/job?utm_source=indeed_integration&iis=Job+Board&iisn=Indeed&indeed-apply-token=73a2d2b2a8d6d5c0a62696875eaebd669103652d3f0c2cd5445d3e66b1592b0f&mobile=false&width=1200&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-480&jun1offset=-420 | doesn't say | Tenure Stream | 2/2/24 22:36 | 1) Failed search from last cycle it seems. Interesting. 2) Received an email that the job ad has been updated and looks like the deadline has been added as 11/3 AP) Updated 3) rejection email received 12/7 x4 4) Didn't receive a rejection email, so I guess I'll interpret that as meaning that I got the job? Sweet! 5) Had a zoom interview yesterday on 1/8, they said they're hoping to have candidates come for in-person interviews ~end of Jan/early Feb 6) Invited for in-person interview with dates in late Feb / early March | 8 | |
829 | 8/9/2023 6:21:25 | EnvironScience | Ohio | Bat Ecologist | https://www.enviroscienceinc.com/contact-us/careers/ | Non-academic | Industry | 8/9/23 6:25 | No review date listed; so, I am assuming open until filled. Link is to the career page in general; bat ecologist is on the 2nd page of listings. They have a similar position open for fresh water mussels. | |||
830 | 8/8/2023 11:29:37 | Scripps and Pitzer Colleges | California | Molecular and Cellular Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://www.scrippscollege.edu/hr/faculty/two-tenure-track-positions-in-molecular-and-cellular-biology-the-w-m-keck-science-department-pitzer-and-scripps-colleges | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/2/24 12:01 | 1) Search committee member here. Evolutionary biologists who use molecular and cellular tools are encouraged to apply. Great place to work in a growing department with new building, new greenhouse, and more hires anticipated. Starting salary range $90-98.5K. 2) sounds great - any chance of associate-level hiring (unlikely I'm sure, but thought I'd ask). 3). The position has only been approved at the assistant level, but we would be interested in advanced assistants with credit towards tenure. Unlikely that associate-level hire would be approved, but very manageable tenure expectations 4) What's teaching load like here? 5) I believe the teaching load is 13.5 credits a year. One example of how this roughly works is to teach ~2 sections of a (often the same) course one semester (6 credits; e.g., 2 sections of intro bio) and an upper division lab that you would prep the second semester (e.g., lecture + lab for the same course; ~7 credits). Every few years you may need to take on an extra section of a pre-prepped lab to make up that extra half credit. 6) Curious, given there are already 4-5 VAP in this department, what chances do external candidates realistically have? 7) Excellent chances for outside candidates. While occasionally, visitors have been hired for open tenure lines, it is the exception and not the rule. 8) Did anyone hear anything here? Assuming I didn't make the interview stage 9) I haven't heard anything either, but they've moved ahead with the other search, so perhaps they have with this one too? 10) any news 12/12. 11) I've heard nothing. 12) Still nothing, as of Feb. 2 | 2 | |
831 | 8/8/2023 7:31:39 | California Institute of Technology | California | Developmental and Organismal Biology | 9/30/2023 | https://applications.caltech.edu/jobs/devorgbio | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/2/23 15:54 | Letters required upfront? Yuck. What a waste of everyone's time. x2 (2) agree with 1 and not applying if letters required up front. X8 3) A huge "BOOOOOO!" to this SC. (4) legit not trolling here, but is asking for letters up front really that big of a deal? Don't most people's references have stock letters more or less put together at this point in their careers? Is this really a deal breaker? Isn't something like a 4 page tailored research statement more demanding? 6) Yes, no, yes, some of us care about other people's time besides our own (4) @6, no need to get snippy. I was just curious why this point is a deal breaker for some when other parts of the research package take much more time and effort to prepare (like a 4 vs 2 page research proposal) but aren't a deal breaker. Many people's references have letters ready from previous apps, and it doesn't take much time to tweak on their end. I actually do care about other people's time as well. Thanks for your mature and respectful response though. (7) if you fit the job description, apply. Your letter writers will not mind, trust me (from a letter writer). Best advice is to apply to as many jobs as you can, if you want a succesful job season. Not applying because of letters unneccesarily reduces your chances of an interview in a given year. x4. (8) I suggest not to post an irrelevant argument that does not help people in looking for a summarized description of useful items from the position. (9) fun fact for the "upfront letters are gross" crowd: your writers may get more advanced notice and prefer it that way! I usually know I'm applying 4-6 weeks ahead of time and give them notice, but when I've been invited for interviews they're usually given ~2 weeks to get their letters in. x2 (9) the entitlement and self-importance of the position of the folks who claim they don't apply for a job with letters up front is galling. But tbh, keep on keepin' on! less competition for the rest of us! x 3 (10) Anyone hear anything? 11) No word yet, but remember they did send an email out with some details on Oct 2nd "zoom interviews will be conducted approximately between 20 Oct 2023 through 10 Nov 2023. A symposium-style in-person two-day interview will take place at Caltech on December 11-12 for Assistant Professor-level job candidates" 12) Invited for zoom interview 10/17 13) Any updates on symposium? 14) Received a rejection email today (11/28), so presumably they have their shortlist now. x2 | 5 | |
832 | 8/7/2023 19:06:08 | LeMoyne College | New York | Ecology | 10/2/2023 | https://lemoyne.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp;jsessionid=E4D185ECD64FB9F872F4D3D9660BA769?JOBID=165773 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/22/24 14:17 | We are seeking a broadly trained ecologist dedicated to undergraduate teaching excellence with a commitment to a strong research agenda at a comprehensive liberal arts institution. (2) Review date is 10/2/23. 3) Fair warning, it's got one of the more obnoxious application forms. And just a friendly tip, it is "Le Moyne" College, not "LeMoyne". 3) Zoom interview invitation received 10/5 4) dang that was quick x2 5) in person invitation received 10/16 3) Dang, wish a rejection email had come just as quickly 6) I saw this pop up on Higher Ed Jobs again and their application site still shows it's open 12/20 7) Any insight on whether their initial interviewees aren't in the running? Or just an erroneous re-posting? 8) Seems early for them to have gotten to the point of reposting the ad, even if all the in-person candidates sucked or turned them down 3) Rejection email 1/22 | 9 | |
833 | 8/7/2023 16:56:39 | University of Groningen | Netherlands | Ecological Genomics | 10/31/2023 | https://www.researchgate.net/job/1000395_Tenure_Track_Assistant_Pofessor_Ecological_Genomics_08-10_FTE | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/30/24 0:52 | "We are searching for an Assistant Professor, who can strengthen our position in the field of Ecology, more specifically Ecological Genomics and with an emphasis on the Wadden Sea." (1) *googles Wadden Sea* (2) ditto :) x3 3) "wadden sea" means they want a local, yeah? I find it hard to believe that most international candidates would have even heard of it. 4) There was a field trip to the Wadden Sea when ESEB was in Groningen LOL 5) SC member from the UG here: No, we are not necessarily looking for a local - we are looking for someone willing to work in the Wadden Sea area 6)Guys, the Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World heritage site involving Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands and is a major spot for Europe's migratory flyways... 7) Any updates? 8) Received a 'Thanks for applying, but...' email 12/20. (9) but... we had an internal candidate? 10) None of the 4 shortlisted candidates is local. | ||
834 | 8/7/2023 10:00:43 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Evolutionary Biology | 9/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129559 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 8/22/23 16:01 | 1) I think they just had someone leave in this field. Likely trying to fill that gap. 2) Is "renewable" really a permanent position. If not, should be in Fixed-Term tab (I very much appreciate that these were split into dif. tabs this year!). 3) it says promotion through the ranks is expected, so I imagine its "renewable" much the way many TT jobs are "renewable" after the first 1-3 years. That is, like many contract jobs, the contract itself is short-term but the position is supposed to be long-term. 4) Faculty member here- @3 is correct 5) Position is permanent with annual reappointment for first three years then eligible to request promotion to senior lecturer and eventually Principal lecturer. No one in evolution group has left, but I am planning to retire. | ||
835 | 8/6/2023 7:39:00 | Washington State University | Washington | Integrative Biology, Organism-environment Interactions | 9/20/2023 | https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/job/Pullman-WA/Assistant-or-Associate-Professor_R-9969?q=Professor | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/12/24 10:52 | Anyone know who search committee chair is? (1) potentially replacing a prof who moved to UCSC last yr; worked on evolutionary adaptation to extreme environments using genomics. (2) Are they looking for someone similar? That is my field... (3) Like 2, also interested in whether the focus will be on evolution. Would ecological research be applicable? (4) I suspect that, like most searches, they have a broad vision and probably some specific thing they're looking for that only will become apparent after everyone's applied! Just shoot your shot if you have materials. 5) Faculty member in department here - this is meant to be a broad search for people who integrate among subdisciplines in biology. We are looking for someone with strong quantitative skills. 6) @5 is there ever a faculty search where they're looking for someone with mediocre quantitative skills? 7) @4 second faculty member here. There isn't anything specific behind the scenes, we're open to a wide range of disciplines as we hope this is the first of several hires. (8) Thanks for the info, faculty members! 9) @6, isn't that the majority of faculty hires? 10. what's with the snarkiness? not a faculty member! 🤣 10) guess this is not for someone international, right? it says at the end WSU only hires US citizens & lawful authorized people. 11) I second that question. Are non-citizens who can get a visa welcome to apply? 12) yes international applicants welcome and encouraged. 13) Once a non-American citizen accepts a job at a US university, the Uni will sponsor them for a visa, and they will be a lawful authorized worker. Go ahead and apply! 14) what 13 said is typically quite true, but note that there is no guarantee a school will want to sponsor a visa, especially smaller schools. Just piping up to say that sponsorship is certainly common but not a "given". 15) Just to be extra clear to those who asked, WSU is not a "smaller school" 15) I interviewed here last year and had an awesome experience. I ended up taking a position elsewhere that was a better fit- but the folks were super nice the town(s) adorable (great food, cool farmers market), and the grad students were top tier. For folks who fit the very broad posting, don't pass this one up. I really enjoyed my time interacting with the community here. 16) search chair is Wes Dowd 17) Does this position only asks for a CV first? I see no option in the system to upload the other documents. 18) The ad says "External candidates, please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of your application." 19) a second position was just added to this posting, with a deadline of October 15 20) Thanks WSU for listing salary range! 85-90k for assist, 90-95k for assoc 21) pay attention to the word "potential" for the second position. Your best bet is to apply before the first deadline of 9/20 to automatically be considered for both. 22)Logged into account at 9:00 AM from europe and it was not available. I read that the deadline was 11:59 on September 20, but the link to both jobs is dead? Is this an error or did it close on the 19th? 23) @22 it looks closed for me too. 24) @22,23 Same here. I've emailed the SC chair about the issue. 25) I submitted my application last night but received no confirmation email that it submitted OK, so I went to double check the ad this morning to email SC but the job also seems to have disappeared. Did others who applied get confirmation emails of submission? 26) I never received a confirmation email, but the application dashboard says "Application Received" 27) Search chair here: There was a HR issue with the application site but the posting is now available again so please try to apply before tonight's deadline. Apologies for the confusion. Also, I do not believe that Workday issues a confirmation email when applications are submitted. Thanks. 28) Thank you SC-I came here to ask about workday confirmation! 29) "The max number of files that can be uploaded is '5'". They asked us for 7 documents. Not a big deal, but wanted others to know. 29) Yeah, anyone struggling with upload? My file is WAY over size limits... 30) Yeah 5MB for that number of files is really hard. I wasn't able to compress one of my reprints enough - couldn't get it under 9MB for that one file! So I included a link to it in my cover letter and explained the file size issue. Hopefully that's okay! 31) I ended up submitting multiple files cause of the limit. One of my reprints alone was nearly at the limit, even compressed. 32) Received a confirmation email from workday this morning (applied yesterday). x3 33) Very strange-I didn't receive any confirmation from workday (site for internal candidates)-I wonder why the discrepency? 34) I am so used to workday pooping out that my advice is to not sweat it. 35) @34 lol yes 36) Any word yet? 37) Nope. It's still very earl. Only 12 days total since it closed; 8 workdays if the search committee takes weekends off. 38) Anyone heard anything? 39) @38 Nope x8 40) Zoom interview invites sent today. x 2 41) For both positions or just the initial one? 42) unclear from the email I recieved. 43) SC, out of curiosity, how many applications did you receive for this position? 44) several hundred, and the second round of review has not begun. 45) For those of you that received an invite-what do you work on? 46) You guys forgot to send me my invitation x4 47) @45, invert and vertebrate. evo genomics and physiology mostly. (48) @SC, what does it mean that second round of review has not begun? Also, seems strange to do zoom interviews but not letter requests? 49) not SC, but can say that zoom invites also included a request for letters. 50) I assume "second round of review" refers to the second hire they're likely making for the position, which had a review date of 10/15, but it's not clear how they'll review applicants for the 2nd position. 51) Can people who got invites this round share their career stage? 52) @ 45, same research topic as @47 for me. So I guess they have a type. 53) I suspect there will be more zoom interviews, potentially from folks who applied before the first deadline. (54) Why @53 ? 55) Invited for Zoom interview for second phase 10/24 56) @55 did you apply by first or second deadline? 55) @56 first deadline 57) what do you work on 55? 55) eco-evolutionary dynamics in plants 58) zoom interviews now complete - in-person interview invites are likely to be sent thursday PM 59) thanks so much for the updates! we really appreciate it. 60) Are the zoom interviews complete for both possible hires, or does the SC still intend to make zoom invites to applicants that applied by the second deadline? (and yes, thanks for the updates!) x2 61) Barring something unexpected zoom interviews are complete. It was incredibly hard to narrow down from the 300 apps - so many wildly impressive folks across career stages applied. Providing unofficial updates here feels like the least we could do 62) on campus invite received 11/2 x2 63) Assuming if we didn't get an email yesterday, we didn't make the cut? 64) Any news on the second position? 65) scheduled interviews are for both positions. 66) 2 offers made 67) 1 offer declined 68) a second offer was made for the declined position 69) negotiations continuing 70) another original offer declined (71) Dear SC—Even though you declined to interview me for the position I will consider an offer if you make one to me. 72) third offer declined (73) Woah, is this going to fail?! 74) This department ghosted me in the past after an on campus interview. Really wonder why all the declined offers though. I certainly would have taken it. x2 75) probably competing offers combined with low startup packages (for an R1) and somewhat rural location. 76) Sure, but three people with competing offers seems unusual. It is very rural but people know that when applying. 77) And hey, we're ecologists! A lot of us like it rural. 75 again) don't know who all was offered, but it was listed assistant/associate, so maybe not even competing offers, but retention packages?? I dunno… just a thought. 78) Yeah I mean retention packages seems likely although still seems odd to have 3 in a row. 79) Not sure if this is relevant but WSU is having considerable issues: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wsu-is-headed-in-the-wrong-direction/ 80) Folks who declined mostly cited the location and/or had competing offers. Dept will be hiring for several positions in the next 2 years and is a great place to work and live (if you like rural). (81) Many people would really like to live here and I hope the SC considers inviting some folks out who were lower on the list. many of us still looking and would be happy there. 82) Unfortunately there will not be other interviews offered for this cycle; an HR limitation. We definitely hope folks will apply again in the fall - there were a ton of applicants that the committee was enthusiastic about that we did not get to interview. (81 again) @82, sorry to hear that. did this search fail altogether? 83) The system is just so incredibly nuts, I am literally on the campus, would stay, have good research productivity, and work in an appropriate research area. (81 again again) @83, do you know that they hired NOBODY from this search? Probably one of the most desirable jobs, with multiple lines for hiring, in a field with terrible employment prospects, getting nobody? This is really maddening, and the HR people need to get out of the way 82 again) It's possible there will be one hire from the search. The HR component is silly but I've heard folks deciding they did not want to live in Pullman was the primary issue for this particular search 84) a lot of folks I know at WSU actually dont live in pullman, but in Idaho. (85) I get it, but really annoying for me to hear because I'd love to live there, was asked to apply by someone in the dept, failed to get a job this year, and am out of funding and looking for a job in industry to feed my family. (86) I also heard from a fac member that candidates who received offers decided they didn't want to live in Pullman...maybe expected from a search advertised so broadly. (87) @86 Its probably because they have other offers at more desired locations. I doubt anyone will turn down this offer without another offer on hand. @87 - I've heard some folks opted to stay in non-TT positions instead of moving due to location. Seems wild to me! (88) Based on some things I've heard about departmental finances, I'm not suprised 89) heard startups were ~500k and starting salaries around ~90k - seems normal for mid- to lower R1s. x2 (90) Given number of applicants, this is clearly sufficient for them to have hired someone. 91) offer made 92) congrats! x2 (93) great! please update if you decline :) 94) Offer accepted 95) Glad someone got it! | 36 | |
836 | 8/3/2023 17:21:33 | Stanford University | California | Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Associate Director for Research | 9/1/2023 | https://jrbp.stanford.edu/content/job-opportunities | Associate Director for Research | Non-TS Academic | 3/13/24 20:33 | "The expected pay range for this position is $76,000 to $139,000 per annum" - this seems low for a bay area phd? 2) does this come with housing? Could explain the pay. (3) Stanford staff is eligible for subsidized rental housing. It definitely does not come with housing, you'd have to pay a rate that is a bit lower than the (insanely high) average for the area 4) $104k/yr is low income in Bay Area 2) For comparison the mandator postdoc minimum that I found online is $71k b/c this is non-tenure stream it may be a slight step up from postdoc level but not faculty equivalent. 5) Don't expect subsidized housing is availalbe if its not explicitly offered. I did not receive it when I worked at stanford as academic staff. I have only heard of it for faculty. 6) I don't know about this job, but field station jobs like this often provide on-site housing so you can live at the station full-time during the operating season. 7) updates? 8) I haven't heard anything yet. Anyone else? 9) https://jrbp.stanford.edu/news/welcome-dr-adriana-hernandez-new-associate-director-research-jasper-ridge-biological-preserve?fbclid=IwAR3BWnhUtyb6jTcZdT3OZ-tTW007k4MhFaZCQevY4ZP8Xyon31qQkbpp6kY | 1 | |
837 | 8/3/2023 10:11:44 | Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena | Germany | Digital Collectomics | 9/10/2023 | https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12803055/-w3-or-w2ttw3-professorship-for-digital-collectomics/?LinkSource=PremiumListing | W3 or W2TTW3 Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/10/23 10:26 | W3 = full professor or will hire as TT W-2 (assisant) and allow move up the ranks. 2) wow another new 'omics' word? | ||
838 | 8/3/2023 10:10:35 | Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena | Germany | Bryophyte Ecology & Evolution | 9/10/2023 | https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12803058/w2-professorship-for-bryophyte-ecology-and-evolution/?LinkSource=PremiumListing | W2 Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/10/23 8:11 | W2 = associate professor in the German system | ||
839 | 8/3/2023 10:09:40 | Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena | Germany | Integrative Plant Taxonomy | 9/10/2023 | https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12803071/w3-professorship-for-integrative-plant-taxonomy-including-the-position-as-the-director/?LinkSource=PremiumListing | W3 Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/10/23 8:10 | W3 = full professor in the German system | 1 | |
840 | 8/3/2023 6:52:27 | College of The Holy Cross | Massachusetts | Comparative Physiology or Biochem | 9/11/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129434 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/28/23 5:20 | SC update: Dept. is meeting on the 19th so we can review late apps until the 18th. 1) Are there updates on when candidates can expect to be contacted for preliminary interviews?. SC again: We expect to contact Zoom candidates this week after one more meeting tomorrow (9/26). SC: Zoom invites sent. 2) thanks for the updates. Curious if anyone here was selected & what sub-disciplines were selected for | 2 | |
841 | 8/3/2023 4:09:01 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Georgia | Plant Conservation | https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1854976 | Director | Non-Profit Botanical Garden | 2/7/24 8:03 | Any ideas for expected salary range on this? 2) Salary: $95k-110k 3) Offer made to top candidate | |||
842 | 8/2/2023 12:19:17 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Hydrology | 9/18/2023 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/332594 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/26/23 6:38 | 1) no pay scale or DEI statment? 2) Does this really belong on ecoevojobs? 3) yes ecology is broad and this position would encompass ecohydrology and watershed work as well 4) yes 5) interviews out | 1 | |
843 | 8/2/2023 11:34:28 | Whitman College | Washington | Ecology and Evolution | 9/26/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129038 | Instructor | Non-TS Academic | 11/27/23 14:11 | I met a PI here recently who spoke extremely highly of the place and seems to get a remarkable amount of research done. 2) But presumably that PI is tenure stream, right? (1) Ah, yes, my mistake. 3) Per email from someone in the department on 8/14/23: "As a department, we are excited to be designing a new introductory 2-course series for our prospective life science majors. The successful candidate will teach lecture and lab sections of the first course “Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity,” as well as one to two courses per year in their areas of interest. We especially welcome expertise that differs from existing departmental offerings, including newly emerging and interdisciplinary subfields of biology. The standard annual teaching load is five courses, with each lab section counting as a half course. The College provides programming and grant funding to support innovations and growth in teaching. Lecturers also have access to funding for professional development activities and have the opportunity to apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer status after four years." 2) Any updates? 3) None here as of 10/20/23.x2 4) Still nothing as of the morning of 10/27/23. x5 5) Still nothing as of the morning of 11/03/23.x2 6) Just received request for zoom interview 11/04/23.x4 7) Did anyone else recieve a request to upload reference letters to interfolio this weekend? Seems strange after SC already asked to have letters sent directly to them. 8) Yes, but then that correction email went out. 9) Invitation for on-campus interview received on 11/21/23! x2 | 7 | |
844 | 8/2/2023 11:07:39 | Holy Family University | Pennsylvania | Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://www.holyfamily.edu/about/administrative-services/human-resources/jobs-holy-family-university/open-faculty-positions/assistant-professor-biology | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 8/14/23 16:46 | "The area of expertise within the field of biology is open. Candidates who can teach courses to support our health sciences majors (Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology) is desired." Series of multiple year contracts + promotions analogous to tenure. "All employees must understand the mission of Catholic higher education and be committed to the core values, mission, goals and objectives of Holy Family University." | ||
845 | 8/2/2023 9:10:38 | Wheaton College (MA) | Massachusetts | Marine Ecology | https://jobs.wheatoncollege.edu/postings/3980 | Professor of Practice | Non-TS Academic | 11/20/23 14:45 | Any info on what the difference between VAP and Professor of Practice is? 1) VAP is temporary, 1 or 2 years typically. PoP's are permanent jobs with a promotion structure, although no tenure. At least at my university! 2.) can anyone from Wheaton chime in? Is this truly a TT or permanent position? 3) talked to a friend in a different dept there - its a long-term, NTT position - no research expectations, 3-3 teaching schedule, a little bit of service expected 4) Any updates? | 1 | ||
846 | 8/2/2023 6:53:48 | Penn State University | Pennsylvania | Soil Science | 8/21/2023 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Assistant-Teaching-Professor-of-Soil-Science_REQ_0000046049-2 | Asst Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | ||||
847 | 8/2/2023 5:07:10 | Villanova University | Pennsylvania | Environmental Science | 9/15/2023 | https://jobs.villanova.edu/postings/26433 | Asst / Assoc Teaching Prof | Non-TS Academic | 12/9/23 5:32 | 1) Anyone heard back yet? 2) nope, as of 10/22 3) Zoom interview requested 11/2 4) on-campus interview 12/7 | 4 | |
848 | 8/2/2023 4:42:51 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Evolutionary Ecology | 9/18/2023 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/329357 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/27/24 12:09 | (1) Another job without a DEI statement, due to GOP legislation? 2) anyone know what ended up happening with tenure in GA? (3) SC chair: Please incorporate your DEI statement into the teaching/mentoring statement. Tenure is secure at UGA. The only change that happened is that we recently needed to revise our annual review criteria. The Odum School has a robust Tenure and Promotion process. If you have questions, you are welcome to contact me - my email address is on the job ad. (4) Is this only at the Assistant Level, or are other ranks condsidered? (5) USG has new HR policies where hiring must be "free of ideological tests, affirmations, or oaths" (6) @ 4: Unfortunately, this search is only at the Assistant Professor level. (7) heard from a letter writer that my references have been requested. x6 (8) @7 when were they requested? (9) SC chair: This afternooon, I sent our admin the information about the long list of candidates for whom we are requesting letters. She is in the process of emailing references. I believe she will finish sending out the emails tomorrow. If you have questions about the timeline, please feel free to contact me. (8 again) Thank you @9!! (10) @SC chair, any chance you could tell us the total number of applications received? (11) SC chair: I see no reason not to share. 163. I'm probably not going to check this site for a couple of weeks, but you can always email me with questions. (12) Invited for on-campus interview 13) Pretty fast turnaround! Was there a zoom interview? (14) Letters were due by the 3rd, so I doubt it. (15) @12 No zoom interview (16) invited for on-campus interview 10/12 (16) an offer has been made for this position (17) Wow, this one went fast! Congrats to whomever it went to (18) multiple offers out; (19) the first offer made was declined, applicant went elsewhere (20) It's funny how it works, few people get many offers, most get none. hope this doesn't fail | 33 | |
849 | 8/1/2023 16:17:11 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 9/16/2023 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/647179/university-of-michigan-lsa-collegiate-fellowship-program/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/1/24 7:47 | Note: "Applications are due by Monday, October 16, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. [...] However, we request that applicants submit their materials (except letters) to EEB first by September 16, 2023". (1) So cand idates for EEB should ignore the general September 8th deadline? (email to EEB and do the official September 16 deadline). (2) The LSA Collegiate Fellows Program was designed to enhance diversity amongst postdocs and ECRs transitioning into faculty positions - maybe fair to assume the same is true for any associate level hires. (3) @2 The Sept 8th deadline is for other departments, not EEB ("For candidates for the following departments: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology[...]: Monday, October 16, 2023", but the department asks to send materials directly to them by Sept 16) (4) Folks should be fully aware that these are DEI jobs and therefore adjust your effort and expectations accordingly. (5) Does this mean URMs are encouraged to apply? (6) it is not a "DEI job" it is a standard tenure track job in the EEB dept. URMs and those with exceptional DEI track records are especially encouraged to apply. x4 (7) Am I reading the ad correctly - could someone who is a new assistant prof at another university apply? (8) re: (7) yes that's correct x3 (4) @6 that is a very disingenuous statement. look at who has recieved these positions in the past—I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this and I strongly support these sorts of initatives, but certain people should know that they're very unlikely to be considered for the position. (9) Could someone who is in the middle of tenure-track (e.g., 2-4 year into the tenure track but not ready for promotion yet) apply? (6) re: (9) yes! 10) Yeah @4. I've just looked at the full list of awards through this program from the last 5 years and it is pretty clear that I should not waste my time. 11) Where does it say to email EEB by Sept 16? I only see the October deadline on the website 12) @11 2nd to last paragraph: "Applications AND reference letters are due by Monday, October 16, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants must apply through the application portal in order to be considered for the Collegiate Fellows Program. However, we request that applicants submit their materials (except letters) to EEB first by September 16, 2023 by emailing a single PDF to eeb-chair@umich.edu." 11 again) Thank you! 13) Member of the search committee here -- @6 is correct! (14) I had the worst interview experience of my life in this dept. Caveat emptor. (15) Do you have any ideas about how they will match the tenure-track systems of different countries, as the systems (time, terminologies) in many countries will differ from the USA? (16) Could someone please explain what is a writing sample? -> Published works (2-3 works; 35 pages maximum per writing sample). This is the first time I see this document. (17) I believe that is copies of your best publications. (18) !!Elligibility criteria - PhD earned between 2019 and 2024!! 19) @18 this is true but only for the Collegiate Fellowship, not for the Senior Collegiate Fellowship. 20) Gosh, it is the second time I see a position at UM and it is always such a mess re: submission of application material, letters etc. It is always so confusing. I'd suggest UM to review these and make it easier for everyone. Personally, this confusion and having to submitt the letters in advance are the reason I am not applying. 21) The application link is not working for me. 22) The entire network was down for about 3 days at UMich. The link should be working now. And this search is not a mess. it is a program run through the college. You submit your materials to EEB for feedback to improve your application. Then you submit to the college at the later deadline. Reach out to the department if you have questions or are confused. 23) @14 would you mind elaborating, still thank you if not. 24) Can we still apply if we missed EEB's Sept. 16th deadline? x2 25) @24 yes! I asked them a while ago about this. Get your materials to the department asap though. The Sept deadline was "soft" so they could help improve materials from suitable candidates. 26) @25 Does this mean they will tell applicants whether they are "suitable" before the October deadline? x6 27) @14 what was so bad about it? just curious about what to be aware of. 28) Has anyone heard anything? x6 29) Virtual interviews happening this week. 25) @26, I suppose so. I don't really know for sure. It's just what I was told when I inquired. I didn't end up applying though. 30) @29 This week is over.. is there a point in applying on 10/16 if we weren't contacted? 31) @30 I am not on the committee, but I would suspect not because that application (due in Oct) would not go through EEB, it would go to another entity who decides on who is hired. So, if one is not approved or considered by the department first, I don't think there would be much of a chance in that second hiring round. 32) This feels pretty awkward. Will they reply to our application to tell us not to apply? Wondering if I should tell my letter writers not to bother. x10 33) Radio silence here too. Well, at this point, I won't even bother applying, especially since reference letters are due by the 16th. 34) Rejection letter--didn't get a Zoom invite x12 35) Rejection letter - after zoom interview. x3 (35) Was the interview with EEB or with the DEI Fellow program? (36) @35 with EEB (37) Hm, didn't realize that was even a formal interview with EEB. Any idea what they were looking for? @35 on campus interview happening this and next week with the EEB community. (38) @36, heard through the grapevine that the preferred candidate is an assoc prof from another R1 the department has wanted to poach for a long time, so there's little you could do with this 39) lmao 40) Oh FFS x2 41) did anyone else list other departments as options? (42) If what 38 says is true, I cannot think of any greater indictment of 'DEI' culture in our field... using this to poach someone who is already succesful is the most cynical thing I've ever heard. x2 43) Why do they waste our time? I spent a lot of effort on this particular application 43) @38, what you heard through the grapevine is not true. There has never been a preferred candidate. 44) @38 Agreed, not on the search committee but am familiar with the search. That doesn't make sense. 45) @44 - unclear who you agree with? You agree there is a preferred candidate or not? 46) @41 I did (stats) and no word yet 47) any word? x2 48) still nothing here (49) email about campus invite for biophysics (50) Negotiations for the position were underway after the offer was made unofficially in December/January; the position was accepted (51) I hear it might be multiple hires; at least one ECR (postdoc) | 19 | |
850 | 8/1/2023 14:32:35 | Harvey Mudd College | California | Biology & Climate | 9/18/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25224 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/9/24 6:05 | Joint position through the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment (HCCE) and the Department of Biology. All areas in the biological sciences that align with the HCCE mission will be considered, with preference given to candidates whose research and teaching interests sit at the interface of biology and climate. 2) updates? 3) seems a popular one geting lots of apps. 4) any updates? x3 5) running slow here. noticed some quick moves from other instituttions with even much later dates. 6) it is a small department and new center, so slowness is kinda understandable (7) any updates? X1.5 (8) none here (9) Zoom interview invite (10/13) x3 (10) Thank you good people for updating - it was in my spam folder (11) Any info on where the zoom invite came from, so I can make sure it's not hiding in mine? (12) initial one was academicjobsonline.org, which is admittedly sus (13) did anyone hear about in-person interviews? (14) last possible zoom time and ref letters due just last Friday, so guessing it'll be a few days at least (15) Invited for in-person 11/1 (16) Congrats! x2 (17) Rejection email 11/8 (no interview) x3 (18) rejection email after zoom interview. (19) Any updates? (20) Position filled and internally announced | 13 | |
851 | 8/1/2023 12:22:14 | HHMI Janelia | Virginia | Multiple | https://www.janelia.org/our-research/our-labs/group-leaders | Asst Prof | Non-Profit Research Organization | 8/1/23 12:23 | Multiple topics, some of which overlap with evo. Biophysics, systems bio, behavior, and AI may be more relevant to this board. | 1 | ||
852 | 8/1/2023 11:06:34 | EPA | District of Columbia | Aquatic Science | 8/9/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/739825100 | GS-11 | Government | 8/3/23 7:39 | "This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date." "You must be a U.S. citizen." | ||
853 | 8/1/2023 10:28:42 | University of the Pacific | California | Biology | 9/15/2023 | https://pacific.peopleadmin.com/postings/26183 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/1/24 14:00 | 3 positions. (2) They advertised two positions last cycle that look similar, was this a failed search? 3) Salary is $71,000-$74,000, seems low for the location? 4) Now, $75-77k. 5) any updates? x4 6) UPDATE. Just got word they are moving forward with different candidates. Sucks but at least they have the courtesy of not ghosting folks. 7) wait so they sent rejections? Crickets over here…. x3 8) Rejection email Oct. 5 9) Request for zoom interview received Oct 5 x3 10) Invitation for in-person interview received 10/17/23 11) https://twitter.com/EzraKottler/status/1753085177998250331 | 9 | |
854 | 8/1/2023 1:52:35 | University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna | Austria | Movement Ecology | 8/5/2023 | https://www.researchgate.net/job/1000025_Assistant_Professor_of_Movement_ecology_in_wildlife_research | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/6/23 11:09 | Anyone hear anything? 1) official rejection email Nov 13 | 2 | |
855 | 7/31/2023 13:13:34 | University of Wisconsin Madison | Wisconsin | Soil Carbon Science | 10/1/2023 | https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-in-soil-carbon-science-madison-wisconsin-united-states | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/18/23 13:07 | Note that the start date is January 1, 2024. "This position is funded through the Dairy Innovation Hub and will largely focus on soil carbon storage and cycling in the dairy production systems of Wisconsin." 2) Any updates?X3 3) Zoom interview invite 10/19X3 4) OP here (person who submitted this; didn't apply myself): I'm glad to see some people have applied, lol. Good luck! 5) any updates? x3 6) zoom interviewed. have not heard anything back. 7) invited for campus interview 11/7 8) is the list of job talks publicly available? x2! 9) anyone heard if an offer has been extended? | 4 | |
856 | 7/31/2023 10:11:11 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota | Applied Avian Ecology / Ornithology | 9/10/2023 | https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/35502 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/30/24 12:29 | No salary listed but recent hires started around $75k (9mo.) w/ ~90k startup + TA/RAs. SC here - this position has been re-posted as 'Applied Avian Ecology' | ||
857 | 7/31/2023 9:08:12 | Gustavus Adolphus College | Minnesota | Organismal Biology, Conservation, Ecology | 9/25/2023 | https://gustavus.edu/employment/job/2129 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/27/23 13:04 | "Ability to bring interdisciplinary and non-animal perspectives", so it sounds like plant people will be preferred? 2) Or maybe microbe, but seeing as no one cares about microbe conservation they probably do mean plants. 3) FYI - slighty tweaked version of last year's seach (per email comms from search committee). Last year the search failed "due to timing constraints". No red flags, IMO, just context that could be helpful. Sounds to me like a pretty typical Bio/ ES job ad. 4) Is anyone familiar with this school/department? What is it like? 5) Any updates? 6) Nothing 10/26 x3 7.) 10/30 still nothing :) x2 8) STILL nothing 11/4 9) STILL NOTHING 11/9 It's been almost 7 weeks... 10) They're too busy investigating all the loons with laser eyes... 11) 12/1 updates? at this point i'm assuming invitations must have gone out to folks not updating this sheet? 12) Had a phone interview the last week of October, dead silent ever since 13) Received email notification that they offered to another candidate who accepted 12/17 | 6 | |
858 | 7/29/2023 13:00:58 | University of Florida / Florida Museum of Natural History | Florida | Vertebrate Paleontology | 10/9/2023 | https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/2945188/ast-curator/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/4/23 8:26 | 1 ) Letters requested 10/23 and due 11/8 | 2 | |
859 | 7/29/2023 11:34:43 | University of Texas - Austin | Texas | Plant Biodiversity and Evolution | 9/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128915 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/17/23 9:30 | 8 | ||
860 | 7/29/2023 4:19:20 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Community Ecology | 8/15/2023 | https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/128547 | Asst Prof | Non-TS Academic | 11/7/23 7:00 | 1) Aanybody has any familiarity with academia in the netherlands? 2) To me feels a lot like the US, especially in Amsterdam 3) Academia in Netherlands is very grant based, usually no startup or positions provided at Asst. Prof. level. Full Profs. often provide support for starting Asst. profs. IBED is a good institute as far as I know though with good faculty. 4) Has anyone heard anything? 5) nothing as of Sept19 for me 6) First interview (8 candidates) at 18 Sep. Second interview (3 candidates) started from this week. 6) offer letter 2 Nov 7) Congratulations! | 3 | |
861 | 7/28/2023 8:17:33 | Hofstra University | New York | Physiology | 9/15/2023 | https://hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/2138 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/15/24 9:26 | "Preference will be given, but applications are not limited, to individuals with special interests in neurophysiology, endocrinology, or ecological physiology." 2) Invited for phone/zoom interview. x5 3) when was the date you guys were invited? trying to figure out if the search below has moved on... 4) Campus invitation. From the email it sounds like the search below has also progressed to campus invitations. 3 again) Thanks @4. 4) Not sure what's going on with this search; they re-advertised it for a second time (3 total postings) on HEJ this morning 5) not sure I understand, someone got a campus invitation for the physiology position? 6) Yes, the physiology position is doing campus interviews and they are overlapping with another set of interviews that I assume are for the genetics position below. 7) ok thanks! 8) update? 2/15 | 2 | |
862 | 7/28/2023 8:16:38 | Hofstra University | New York | Genetics | 9/15/2023 | https://hofstra.peopleadmin.com/postings/2131 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/8/24 0:44 | Two positions, plus a physiologist in the row above. Genetics searches are very broad! (2) Preference for those who employ a model organism... sad (3) It's sad "We will be hiring geneticists using any experimental organism, but preference for one position will be given to applicants who use a model animal system in their research." Does this mean computational/theoretical people who don't use any experimental organisms are excluded? (4) Faculty member here! Please apply regardless of whether you use a model system or not. But also - stay tuned, we are posting a fourth TT line soon with an October review date that is specific to computational biology and part of a larger cluster hire. Happy to answer any questions. Anyone heard back? (5) Nothing here. x2 (6) No news for me. Any updates on the fourth TT line for computational biology? x2 7) It is going to happen but might not be run until later this year or even next year. 8) Has a job offer been made yet? 9) Any update? 2/14 10) Job offers made and accepted | 3 | |
863 | 7/28/2023 7:02:23 | University of Hong Kong | Asia (Other) | Global Change (Earth Sciences) | 8/31/2023 | https://jobs.hku.hk/cw/en/job/520804/tenuretrack-associate-professorassistant-professor-in-global-change-in-the-department-of-earth-sciences | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/3/23 7:51 | this is likely open because so many people are leaving Hong Kong, and the Earth Science department. Would advise against it, many people are choosing to leave | ||
864 | 7/28/2023 2:40:03 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Plant-Soil Interactions | 9/25/2023 | https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/working-at-utrecht-university/jobs/assistant-professor-in-plant-soil-interactions-08-10-fte | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/28/23 2:42 | These two positions are both in the same group and related but separate. Focus here is on plant-soil interactions. molecular expertise, rhizosphere and soil microbial community. Climate change and soil carbon expertise beneficial. | ||
865 | 7/28/2023 2:39:30 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Ecological Scaling | 9/25/2023 | https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/working-at-utrecht-university/jobs/assistant-professor-in-ecological-scaling-08-10-fte | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/7/23 15:59 | These two positions are both in the same group and related but separate. Focus here is on upscaling the ecological processes that link environmental change to changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in time and space. 1) anybody knows who is in the hiring committe or to whom I should address the motivation letter? 2) Any applicants here anything back on this yet? 3) Nothing yet as of 10/26 4) No updates for me (10/31) 5) Same for me as of 10/31 6) Rejection email 11/7 x3 | 1 | |
866 | 7/27/2023 17:01:24 | Cawthron Institution | New Zealand | Marine Invasions | 7/31/2023 | https://cawthron.elmotalent.co.nz/careers/careers/job/view/73 | Scientist / Sr Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 2/5/24 3:40 | Review date is in the process of being extended. OP) new due date is 10 Sept with new link https://cawthron.elmotalent.co.nz/careers/careers/job/view/85 | ||
867 | 7/27/2023 8:36:22 | Harvard University | Massachusetts | Microbiology | 10/3/2023 | https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/12558 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/27/23 12:14 | 1) Figured "creative basic research on viruses ..." could mean evolution/ecology. If not appropriate, AP, feel free to remove. AP) Thanks for the justification, seems appropriate. | ||
868 | 7/27/2023 4:42:36 | Penn State | Pennsylvania | Chemical Ecology | 10/1/2023 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Assistant-Associate-Professor-of-Chemical-Ecology_REQ_0000046331?q=entomology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/1/23 7:18 | 1) "We seek candidates who use chemical approaches to address fundamental questions in ecology, evolution, and/or behavior of organisms across any level of biological organization. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, plant-herbivore interactions, microbial ecology, chemical communication, evolutionary genetics of secondary metabolism, and ecological metabolomics." - The position is in the Entomology Department and the candidate would be expected to teach an entomology course, so probably ideal for folks using insects or other terrestrial invertebrates in their research. 2) Any required length for statements? 3) Any updates? x3 4) Invited for zoom interview on 10/16 x2 5) Anyone knows how many candidates in the shortlist? 4) Not sure 6) Any updates? 7) I received a prompt to upload reference contact information on 10/27, following zoom interview on 10/25. No idea if this means anything! 6) It sounds like you made the next round. I didn't get that request, and they told me in the interview that the next steps would be requesting letters from the people they are considering inviting to campus. Congrats! 7) My references received letter requests due in early Nov, but no updates since. @6, Good luck; hopefully we're both still in the running! | 5 | |
869 | 7/27/2023 4:38:48 | Wageningen University | Netherlands | Plant Biodiversity | 9/4/2023 | https://www.wur.nl/nl/vacature/assistant-professor-causes-and-consequences-of-plant-biodiversity-change-tenure-track-2.htm | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/29/23 12:35 | 1) Do my eyes deceive me?! "Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply for this position. In the case of equal suitability of candidates, preference will be given to female candidates." 2) this is pretty standard from them these days (3) This is generally true for all jobs these days and it's refreshing to see it written directly. x2 4) If their department is male-dominated, and they would like to diversify it, this is the perfect way to do so. I am glad that they are being up front about it. 5) link is now broken. here's a working one: https://www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/assistant-professor-causes-and-consequences-of-plant-biodiversity-change-tenure-track-1.htm | 4 | |
870 | 7/26/2023 15:49:07 | Colorado State University | Colorado | Weed Science | 9/1/2023 | https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/130007 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/7/23 12:38 | 1) Not that kind of weed 2) @1 darn (3) Heard of someone being offered this job a couple years ago but that it was cancelled at last minute 4) this position is filling the job previously held by Scott Nissen after his retirement last year 5) The search wasn't cancelled, rather they actually rescinded their offer... department is nice enough but working with the chair at the time was a nightmare (they were chairing two departments and running 5 searches on limited funds) | 1 | |
871 | 7/26/2023 6:06:04 | University of Liverpool | United Kingdom | All disciplines | 10/1/2023 | https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/fellowships/application-process/ | Research Fellowship | Research Fellowship to Permanent Position Track | 8/1/23 6:54 | This is a Research Fellowship with start-up package leading to permanent positions (subject to criteria being met). Sounds like postdoc to faculty track. Open to all disciplines, they offer researcher development and leadership training 2) Teaching increases throughout fellowship and startup is 5-10k per year depending on if you do wet lab or not 3) not quite like a postdoc to faculty track - researcher would start at level 8 or 9 which basically equal to lecturer | 1 | |
872 | 7/25/2023 23:46:42 | University of Tübingen | Germany | Human Evolution | 8/4/2023 | https://scholarshipdb.net/jobs-in-Germany/Full-Professor-W2-Of-Human-Evolution-University-Of-T-bingen=wp7E4xUR7hGUYQAlkGUTnw.html | Full Prof (W2) | Tenure Stream | 8/1/23 6:54 | Review date is in the process of being extended. AP) Would "Non-Profit Research Organization" be more appropriate than "Industry"? OP) Could be, definitly a Research Organizarion but not sure about its finance structure | ||
873 | 7/25/2023 21:07:57 | Pepperdine University | California | Zoology / Animal Physiology | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/127591 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/27/23 15:03 | "active participation in community of faith" 2) could this include the church of the flying spaghetti monster? 3) @2 - nope: https://www.pepperdine.edu/about/our-story/mission-vision/ [continued discussion of faith requirements deleted; if you want to discuss the topic generally, move it to General Discussion -AP] | ||
874 | 7/25/2023 14:19:24 | University of Reading | United Kingdom | Ecology | 8/18/2023 | https://jobs.reading.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=12252 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 10/2/23 11:13 | can't tell if this is letters up front or not, and what application materials are required. 2) UK applications don't follow a specific format. You probably need to write a cover letter that addresses all the criteria of the "person specifications" directly, plus a couple of other documents. I'd be surprised if letters are upfront - I'm a current Lecturer at a different uni and they only asked for mine after offering the position. 2) letter are not upfront. The application form was a breeze 3) Any idea of the teaching expectation for these Reading jobs? How many modules/courses per year? 4) Lecturer from another UK institution here - I do a 1/1 at a institution at a relatively teaching-focused institution. Teaching generally signficantly reduced compared to US. 5) Has anyone heard anything? 6) Email that I didn't make the short list (9/11) 7) I got one of those today too :( x4 | 6 | |
875 | 7/25/2023 14:18:59 | University of Reading | United Kingdom | Zoology | 8/18/2023 | https://jobs.reading.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=12257 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | ||||
876 | 7/25/2023 14:18:26 | University of Reading | United Kingdom | Conservation Biology | 8/18/2023 | https://jobs.reading.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=12253 | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 10/11/23 7:53 | |||
877 | 7/25/2023 13:14:36 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Massachusetts | Genetics / Cell and Molecular Biology | 9/5/2023 | https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/519795/lecturer-biology-department-2-positions-available | Lecturer | Non-TS Academic | 11/16/23 14:52 | Call is for 2 Positions. 2) Teaching load for lecturers is 4/4 3) This is not true in the Biology Department. We operate under a 2/2 load for lecturers. Happy to discuss more - Current Bio Lecturer | ||
878 | 7/25/2023 11:36:36 | Gonzaga University | Washington | Molecular Biology | 9/18/2023 | https://gonzaga.peopleadmin.com/postings/19753 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/7/23 12:59 | Not an ecoevo job 2) @1 - How is this not an eco evo job? 1) It's for a molecular biologist and there's no mention of ecology or evolution in the description. If this is an ecoevo job, what biology job isn't? (2) Disagree with flag. "Area of specialization is open." Job could certainly be of interest to people doing heavily molecular-bio focussed evolution. 3) A molecular ecologsist or someone working on evo-devo may be interested in this job. x5 4) Seems broad enough of a job call to definitely be of use to evo-evo people, so let's keep it up - AFP 5) I applied for this job TWICE last year. They posted it, then reposted the ad after the dealine and asked everyone to reapply (I suspect because they forgot to ask for a research statement the first time), and then ended up canceling the search after the second deadline. It's the same ad for the same field. Just a note. x3 6) given the diversity of folks who follow this job board, I would like it to remain more on the inclusive side for job listings. I'm not a molecular anything btw, but I think we should keep it. It's just one row in the list that is very easy to scroll up and down through.7) any generic molecular biology job can be filled by ecoevo. This is 2023 not 1970. x2 8) @5 more evidence that this university doesn't really exist! 9) Anyone ever hear anything back? I'm starting to think @5 and @8 are on to something! 10) Rejection email -at least we know the school exists! 5) Lol! | 3 | |
879 | 7/25/2023 8:34:22 | New York University | New York | Animal Studies | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128830 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/21/24 7:46 | 1) Does anyone have any impressions whether they will consider life scientists, or whether this position is really slanted more toward social science/humanities perspectives on animals? 2) Yes, life scientists will be considered as long as the objective of the research is focused on what nonhuman animals are like, how human and nonhuman animals relate to each other, and the significance of these relations | 2 | |
880 | 7/25/2023 8:33:43 | New York University | New York | Environmental Science | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128823 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/25/23 8:35 | 1) will consider applications from scholars at the advanced assistant professor level. | ||
881 | 7/24/2023 13:19:29 | USGS | Nevada | Research Ecologist / Wildlife Biologist | 9/1/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/738678700 | GS 12-13 | Government | 3/19/24 5:48 | Assistant Unit Leader (1) Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. 2) I always forget these gov jobs go here. We definitely don't do a good job of posting them, but USAJobs makes them easy to find I guess. 3) Just remember that for federal jobs it's important that your application materials match the key words from the position description/qualifications exactly. The first round of applications are examined by HR people who aren't biologists x4 3) yes- use the specific language used in the ad! 4) Zoom interview request 12/7 x3 5) I was told that they would likely contact folks for on-campus interviews by mid-Jan 6) 1/15 any updates? 7) none here 7) here again, on-campus interview offer 1/16/24 x2 8) Congrats, good luck! 9) Did this search fail? I s | 3 | |
882 | 7/24/2023 11:31:14 | Kalamazoo College | Michigan | Invertebrate Biology | 10/1/2023 | https://biology.kzoo.edu/tenure-track-invertebrate-biologist-search-fall-2023/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/17/24 5:58 | 1) Wants 3 letters up front, but "appreciates the effort" involved >_> 2) replacing an entomologist who's retiring ("This search is to replace our beloved colleague Dr. Ann Fraser, who is retiring"), her website includes classes she taught etc. recently working on pollinator biodiversity and citizen science. 3) Excellent, excellent small school with engaged students & a great, small department. Fantastic research support for a school of this size. 4) @3 Couldn't agree more. 5) Did any of you get a confirmation of submission? While I appreciated not having to fill out the same five pages that everybody else uses, the form here seemed perhaps a little too bare-bones... 6) @5, I got an email confirmation about 90 minutes after I submitted. My letters were already submitted. It doesn't seem like the email was automated, so I think they might have checked that everything was there before confirming. 7) I just heard from the search chair; apparently several applicants haven't gotten confirmation emails. They're working on figuring out why. 8) Zoom interview requested 10/11 9) Aw shucks. But thanks and good luck @8! x2 8) Thanks, @9! In-person interview invite 10/20 10) 8, if you don't mind sharing, what level of teaching experience do you have? 7) Oof, really thought I was well-positioned for this one. I have ties to the area, have worked with a wide range of invertebrate groups, have been instructor of record for 4 courses, and have a friend who’s a faculty member in another STEM department there who reviewed my materials, helped me tailor them, and said I looked really competitive. Ah well. Goes to show you can never let yourself assume anything. 11) @7, I'm really sorry to hear that (I'm in the same boat as an unsuccessful applicant). Did you do a zoom interview? You might be able to ask for feedback from the search chair 12) @7 Similar here - family in the area, instructor of record for multiple courses, history of working on inverts, lots of undergrad supervision. Hard to know sometimes. I'm really starting to feel like the more I tailor my application, the less likely I am to interview! And just to be clear, I'm sure all the applicants who landed interviews are amazing and I wish you guys well! 7) @11, thanks. And no, not even a zoom invite. And dang, you were probably better positioned than me, at least on "the metrics". I don't have a whole lot of mentoring experience myself (trying to change that in my current position despite barriers). And yeah @12, so far the one zoom invite I've gotten this cycle (Le Moyne, unfortunately no in-person invite followed) was for an application I tailored much less than others and even had an embarrassing typo in the cover letter (not the name of another institution, mind you, but pretty bad for someone who prides myself on proofreading skill, lol). 9 again) I'm in the same boat, @7 and @12: been teaching faculty for 6 years, have experience at a peer SLAC, some undergrad mentoring, lived in Michigan for years, study insects, but never even got a nibble! That made for a downer week. 13) Man, at least I’m not alone! I also have a lot of teaching and mentoring experience with both terrestrial and aquatic inverts, and yeah, nothing. It’s rough. Either the pool was absolutely star-studded or they were looking for something specific, like a pollinator ecologist to replace the retiring prof. Part of me also does wonder how much they really weighed teaching experience. The teaching statement instructions in the ad stuck out to me as kind of odd; it seemed they were really trying to express openness for candidates without significant teaching experience (just “potential”), which, from what I’ve seen, would be atypical for a SLAC. 14) Heard the pool for this one was very large and had a lot of assistant and even associate profs applying. I assume an offer's been made and probably accepted at this point, though haven't seen to whom yet. 15) https://provost.kzoo.edu/faculty-information/new-faculty/ Maybe not surprising, it seems the new hire is indeed a pollinator biologist. | 7 | |
883 | 7/24/2023 7:00:41 | Swarthmore College | Pennsylvania | Microbiology | 10/1/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178438952 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 3/29/24 12:55 | 1) any updates? 2) Nope 3) has anyone heard back? 4) no x6 5) wondering whats going on with this one 6)are people really that concerned less than 3 weeks in? I'm giving it a month before I even think about it. 7) has anyone heard back or emailed the chair? 8) @7 no x5 7) I emailed the chair. I am not on their short-list. Probably short-listed have already heard or will hear very soon. Good luck to the short-listed candidates! 8) @7 that's nice that they told you. they might have targeted human health microbio if people here weren't selected 9) Frustruating that they won't just send the rejections if we're out of the running. Oh well. Onto the next. 10) I am more human health micro, and have not heard anything back from my app. x3 11) @10 that's also too bad! I do wish they would be willing to send rejections 9) I wonder if they can't send rejections until they have a signed offer. Or they just prefer the ghosting method that so many schools use. 10) I asked a source and was told they are inviting candidates / organizing visits now so if we haven't heard we are not on the shortlist and likely out of running 11) Rejection email (11/17) x3 https://twitter.com/Marisa_Egan11/status/1772670240289075355 | 9 | |
884 | 7/23/2023 6:52:38 | University of Geneva | Switzerland | Genetics and Evolution | 10/23/2023 | https://jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=1&p_web_page_id=61148 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/7/23 9:20 | (1) Does anyone with experience in recent CH hiring patterns feel comfortable commenting on the likely characteristics that succesful candidates might have? 2) sure. it's one of the most competitive markets in the world and always has been. the ins and outs are always institute specific (e.g. ethz often you have to be below 35). Typically you will need a high impact factor paper. it's also very challenging for women to get selected and they are often very senior when they are, though this is changing in some places. (4) Interesting, it seems like most of the junior hires recently have been women in EEB (5) I'm not sure #3 is correct, there's been a big push to hire more women in most universities in Switzerland. I cannot say how effective it has been though. (6) To #1: it is highly variable and does not necessarily rely on high impact papers. Also depends on university, Geneva is not very prominent or well-funded. (7) Would they appoint a senior person on a non- or reduced) tenure track position? (8) @7 this is pure speculation, but based on my experience as a postdoc in Switzerland, they are not averse to hiring senior folks. In fact, almost every non-Swiss person I know to get a job in Switzerland started their lab elsewhere and moved to Switzerland later. (9) Did anyone who applied hear anything back yet? (10) nothing here (X5) 11) email with pdf letter stating "not invited to interview at this time" 23/10 (x4). (12) Same but why do they even bother with "Thus, we consider your application as active". Just sever it and let it go.x2 (13) @AP please mark review date as past for this [done -AP] | 7 | |
885 | 7/20/2023 15:11:15 | University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth | Massachusetts | Coastal Biogeochemistry and Nutrient Management | http://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/518525/research-professorprincipal-environmental-scientist | Research Professor | Non-TS Academic | 7/31/23 19:04 | Two years fully funded. Expected for this to be a pathway tenure track position. 1) I interviewed in the Bio department, and it was a little weird. Spent some time at SMAST and it seemed very cool - much more research-oriented than main campus. x2 2) I flagged this for AP because it says it is 2 years AP) Borderline case, since it's expected to become permanent. Thoughts y'all: leave it here X4 or move it to Fixed-Term X1? 3) I would leave it here and keep the other tab for those institutions without a tenure system/ jobs that have no chance to become permanent x2. | |||
886 | 7/20/2023 11:58:40 | Arkansas Tech University | Arkansas | Fisheries Science | 9/8/2023 | https://atu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/2340?c=atu | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/13/23 10:07 | 1) Haha, "stream" [x4] 2) any word about zoom interviews? | 2 | |
887 | 7/20/2023 7:23:06 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Data-Driven Evolution & Biodiversity | 10/15/2023 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/646161/assistant-professor-in-data-driven-evolution-and-biodiversity/?TrackID=18322&utm_source=jobs&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-careers-job-alert&BatchID=5763&JobAlertId=113501&fbclid=IwAR37CQ90eR2H7Y60BCIrQnkSvzfNb9-GfxpLYuBUQAc-whZUO16a44hMdIE | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/28/24 20:36 | "Applicants who have obtained a PhD degree or achieved the equivalent competence in five years or less prior to the end of the application period will be given priority" 2) There are a bunch of these at various Swedish universities: https://www.scilifelab.se/careers?filter=ddls-fellow should each get its own post? AP) If they have their own selection process, then yes (for ecoevo positions) 3) Any idea what the salary is and if this is good for Sweden? Glassdoor looks like these are fiarly low paid positions. (4) Expect around 50-60K USD starting. (5) Have seen the following on the applications for the DDLS jobs: "Female applicants are particularly welcome, as most teachers at the departments are men." 6) @3/4 Salaries in Sweden are post-tax, comparing to US salaries probably not appropriate (4 again) Am familiar with Swedish system and those are pre-tax. Take 20-30% off the 60K. Just keep in mind that your quality of life in sweden on 40K (take-home) is probably similar to around double that (post-tax) in NA 7) yes quality of life is good but expect more like 38-40% of your salary to go to taxes, an 2 percent to union fees etc. 8) "Documented ability to teach in Swedish or English is a requirement unless special reasons prevail." Is this an exclusive or inclusive "or"? 9) Sweden is very expensive, and taxes are high. Yes, there are benefits but I wouldn't underestimate the living costs. Work-life balance = perfected. In my experience, most science depts have many international profs, and most courses are taught in English. 10) I loathe with a passion these positions that put a time limit on how far out your phd is. It is ludicrous. Do I have to list all the BS I went through as a postdoc to get an extension? The sexual harassment? The miscarriages? The antagonistic postdoc advisor? Like, we all have life experiences and some of us get through that post-PhD period faster than others. It's absolutely ludicrous they put these timelines on us. I was excited about these positions until I read that. (11) I'm sorry this all happened to you, but I do think any request for extension within reason would be accepted by committee (10 again) Thanks 11. I appreciate that. Perhaps you're right about an extension. I also just hate this strategy - it just rewards folks who had it easy, not necessarily people who are inherently more talented or productive (for the most part). It likely disadvantages women and/or other non-straight-white-cis-men groups, since our paths tend to be less straightforward. Maybe I should have put this in the venting tab to begin with... (12) @11 Many of the applicants will likely have taken at least one period of parental leave by the time they get to the post-doc stage, so asking for an extension is very straightforward and wouldn't really stand out at all. x4 (13) I asked for the list of applicants and counted 71 people ... (14) Received a message on Dec 22 saying that "The recruitment process is ongoing and the recruitment committee will have their first meeting in the end of January. I will get back to you with more information after that meeting." (I assume this went out to all applicants.) x3 15) Received a message giving names of whose application was sent for further review and whose was not (with reasons why not). 1/25 (16) Seems like there is one candidate who is already a professor in the dept who is moving ahead, so I wouldn't get my hopes up for this one. (17) Expect next update in April (omg!!) (18) Any updates? 14 Apr (19) Nothing here 22 Apr (20) Committee hadn't met as of this past week. (21) Any updates? May 16. This is going really slow. (22) Cmte will meet on May 23rd to decide interview list. Best of luck to the scandinavia-based postdoc who will get this job (23) Yes, FWIW 3/3 jobs in this scheme have gone to scandinavia-based postdocs. Maybe uppsala will make it 4/4 (24) Scandinavian postdoc here - I was invited to interview. I'd like to remind our colleagues that US/Canada applicants are positively discriminated in their countries, and that Europeans are seen as not having serious CVs many times. that's my perception. also - working culture in Scandinavia has it's perks and they rather have people well adapted to the climate and society, as opposed to someone who comes and leaves. (25) I agree with 24, it sounds quite bitter to dismiss Scandinavian colleagues just because they may be prefered in their own context (whether it makes sense or not is a discussion of its own). (26) I applied for this and was encouraged to apply but not invited to interview. I am personally not bitter about the preference for Scandinavians but feel like it was a huge effort to apply for this and that it was a waste of time. But maybe you feel the same about apply for North American jobs. (27) week of May 23rd - received an email invitation for a job interview. I'm a postdoc with NA citizenship and PhD, now working in EU. 28) Received (and declined) an invitation. I'm a postdoc based in the US with US citizenship and PhD. | 3 | |
888 | 7/20/2023 6:33:58 | University of Richmond | Virginia | Cellular / Multicellular Interactions | 9/8/2023 | https://richmond.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/2981?c=richmond | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/10/24 8:25 | Not strictly eco-evo and would involve teaching cell/molecular biology, but this is a pretty wide search and could have overlap with many folks looking here ("plant physiology, symbioses, pathogen-parasite/host interactions"). This is a friendly department and the school has excellent resources for doing research with undergraduates. 1) Any news? 2) Was notified on 10/2 that a "shorter list" is being forwarded on to the rest of the dept for further review 3) offered and accepted | 2 | |
889 | 7/18/2023 21:00:15 | Williams College | Massachusetts | Ecology | 9/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128410 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/5/24 7:29 | (1) Any point in applying beyond assistant prof level? Salary/research support range? How is fieldwork supported (seems important from the job ad)? 2) Field work would be supported by start-up, external grants, and potentially small pools of ongoing internal funding. The appointment is anticipated at the beginning assistant prof level (tenure evaluation in sixth year). Salaries/startup are competitive with highly selective/research-intensive SLACs. 3) Had a colleague in this department. Seems like teaching is way more important than any research/research funding 4) Is this just a hire for the VAP? The ad description perfectly matches the research interests of their VAP. 5) can anyone from the SC elaborate on what you consider as "state-of-the-art methods"? are these field methods? 6) Machine learnomics 7) Does it just mean 'we're a really good school and we want the best' without having a lot of actual meaning? Maybe that's just wishful thinking haha. 8) Ah I was excited about this job but hadn't seen the VAP. They are a good fit and an alum of the college to boot! 9) Has anyone had letters requested yet? (asked 9/29) 10) Nothing x7 11) References requested 10/4 (I got an email asking to have my references uload letters to Interfolio) x7 12) Any updates? (asked 10/23) 13) Nope x2 14) Just got a Zoom interview request 10/23 x4 15) Congrats! 16) Any updates? 17) Nothing as of 11/1 x3 18) Did anyone ask about their timeline for campus visits? 19) I believe the job ad said that campus visits would take place in November and early December. So we should be hearing soon! 20) Invited for campus visit 11/2 21) Congrats! x3 22) Saw in the fixed-term jobs tab that this was a failed search?! 23) Allegedly so | 36 | |
890 | 7/18/2023 5:45:09 | U.S. Virgin Islands - Division of Fish and Wildlife | US Virgin Islands | Fisheries Research Ecologist | 8/18/2023 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/dopusvi?department[0]=%7CDepartment%20of%20Planning%20%26%20Natural%20Resources-%20STT%7C&department[1]=%7CDepartment%20of%20Planning%20%26%20Natural%20Resources-%20STX%7C&sort=PositionTitle%7CAscending | Senior Fisheries Biologist | Government | 7/18/23 5:47 | Base salary is 61K; full-time, permanent position (Fisheries Biologist III). Manages a research program based on individual skills and interests applied to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Works in a team managed by Fisheries Chief. | ||
891 | 7/18/2023 5:39:06 | U.S. Virgin Islands - Division of Fish and Wildlife | US Virgin Islands | Research Ecologist/Supervisor | 8/18/2023 | https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/dopusvi?department[0]=%7CDepartment%20of%20Planning%20%26%20Natural%20Resources-%20STT%7C&department[1]=%7CDepartment%20of%20Planning%20%26%20Natural%20Resources-%20STX%7C&sort=PositionTitle%7CAscending | Chief, Wildlife Bureau | Government | 7/23/23 9:07 | Base salary is 72K; full-time, permanent position. Supervises PhD level, MSc level, Bacherlor's level biologists to provide support for grants management, develop a research program using apportioned (permanent) federal funds to the states, develop vision for relevancy for the Territory. Position can be based in St. Croix, St. Thomas, or St. John. | ||
892 | 7/17/2023 16:22:37 | Friedrich Schiller University Jena | Germany | Mechanisms of Metabolic Microbial Interactions | 8/1/2023 | https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/646109/-junior-research-group-leader-f-m-d-/ | Jr Research Group Leader | Tenure Stream | ||||
893 | 7/17/2023 16:00:39 | Scripps College (Keck Science Center) | California | Environmental Earth Science | 10/9/2023 | https://findajob.agu.org/job/8021286/tenure-track-position-in-environmental-earth-science/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/12/23 13:28 | |||
894 | 7/17/2023 14:34:22 | University of Lausanne | Switzerland | Evolutionary Ecology | 9/30/2023 | https://www.unil.ch/dee/home/menuinst/open-position-in-evolutionary-ecology.html | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/23/24 10:26 | They recently kicked out their chair of 20 years for sexual harassment: https://www.science.org/content/article/sexual-harassment-allegations-leveled-leading-evolutionary-biologist. Good that they finally took action, but it took a decade of complaints. People in the department have long told me it's an unhappy place. 1) must be able to teach in french within 2 years. [discussion of another university deleted -AP] 2) I interviewed here a few years ago - there were only 2 female faculty and it didn't feel welcoming - things may have changed though and I'm impressed they got rid of Keller. 3) The department is known for its favoritism, and rumors suggest that a number of internal candidates already have certain arrangements. (3) Still will apply, but a shame to hear. This is what keeps universities weak. (4) everyone should apply who wants the job - after the keller situtation this is going to be a position the Dean will take a personal interest in, I doubt backroom deals will cut it (5) I talked to someone on the SC, and they have applied for 4 lines in ecology and 4 in evolution, of which this is the first. The intent is to help reshape the department (both in opening new research directions and in improving EDI). (6) Is this a experimental behaviour job or can behavioural geneticists apply too? (7) will the other positions also be assistant/associate prof? (8) Any updates? (9) SC Emailed *all applicants* with interview dates for those selected (Dec 19 & 20) (10) I really hope they update us soon, I am delaying planning travel so that I could make this in the extremely unlikely event I am selected (11) Has anyone heard anything? Demanding that potentially hundreds of people postpone travel plans during the holidays is quite a lot (12) SC, if you see this, I'm on the verge of withdrawing my application because I am needing to choose between travel home to see family overseas vs. wait for you to confirm the interview list. Please either delay the interviews or announce within the next few days. I can't afford more expensive tickets and prices are skyrocketing. (13) to @12, I don't find an option to withdraw the application. Just image you won't be the choosen one and book ticket, that's what I've done ;) (12) This few hundreds cancellation fee if I am wrong will be the difference between getting my son a Christmas gift and not. I will probably just need to buy and declare I cannot attend (13) Invited for in-person interview 11/14. 14) Congratulations! x2 (15) Rejection email 11/22. (16) I didn't get a rejection email or an invitation for in-person interview. Anyone else in this boat? (17) I got a rejection email (16 again) discovered the rejection in my spam nvm (18) Offer made for the position. (13) @18 Congratulations! | 8 | |
895 | 7/17/2023 14:32:54 | University of Lausanne | Switzerland | Computational Metagenomics & Microbial Modeling | 8/1/2023 | https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?company=universitdP&career_job_req_id=20969&career_ns=job_listing&locale=en_US | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/17/23 14:36 | The job specification says "2 years, renewable twice" but actually it's a TT open-ended position (silly HR formulation). | ||
896 | 7/17/2023 12:06:48 | Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission | California | Fisheries | 8/15/2023 | https://www.iattc.org/getattachment/5e7aff34-71bd-4906-a47f-db22d7d3a28b/IATTC_Senior-Quantitative-Scientist-2023.pdf?lang=en-US | Senior Scientist | Non-Profit Research Organization | 7/17/23 13:49 | Base salary equivalent to GS 13:1, higher based on experience. Expected start date in La Jolla, CA Jan 2024. Position is primarily focused on applied and theoretical research on stock assessment of tropical tunas. "Work covers range of topics, which often involve quantitative methods development, including population trend estimation, population assessments, spatio-temporal studies of fishing vessel behavior, development of sophisticated data screening algorithms for fisheries data review, and sampling designs for data collection by human observers and electronic monitoring." | ||
897 | 7/17/2023 6:12:23 | US Forest Service | Washington | Research Social Scientist | 7/31/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/737271900 | GS 12-13 | Government | 7/17/23 6:13 | permanent, open-ended promotional potential with three vacancies between multiple locations in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. " integrate community well-being with ecosystem health in natural resource policy and management" | ||
898 | 7/17/2023 6:10:04 | USGS | Georgia | Assistant Unit Leader / Research Ecologist | 8/28/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/737303000 | GS 12 | Government | 1/18/24 12:20 | What unit is this position associated with? 2) Like the ad says...the USGS Georogia Cooperative Research Unit at the University of Georgia 3) The Coop Unit is housed in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources 4) anyone heard anything on this one? 5) zoom interviewed early Jan 6) invited for on campus interview end of Feb | 1 | |
899 | 7/17/2023 6:08:51 | US Forest Service | North Carolina | Research Ecologist (Landscape) | 7/21/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736692200 | GS 12-13 | Government | 8/22/23 6:12 | is this the same position posted last summer? was it a failed search? Can forest tree breeders apply to this? Population geneticists? 2) regarding the failed search, it is complicated, but more or less some HR stuff prevented this from being filled. it is direct hire though, so be aware. possibly prevents lateral movement in the agency | ||
900 | 7/17/2023 6:07:36 | USGS | Arkansas | Unit Leader / Research Ecologist | 8/28/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/737302300 | GS 13-14 | Government | 1 | |||
901 | 7/16/2023 23:57:14 | Villanova University | Pennsylvania | Ecology | 9/29/2023 | https://jobs.villanova.edu/postings/26330 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/9/24 9:24 | 1) be aware, sends out request for recs automatically, and won't let you submit without attaching a "Contribution to Mission" Statement, despite it saying it wouldn't send them out and that you didn't need that until you are selected as a finalist in the posting. 2) I was able to submit without the contribution of mission statement. Maybe they fixed it. 3) I am having issues creating an account to apply...is anyone else having issues with this as well? 4) I just made an account with no issue 5) Anyone know who the search chair is? Also, anyone know if they fixed the automatic letter request? 6) @5 I updated one of my documents today (after initial submission) and my references got another system generated reference request, so I think not. 7) @5, the search chair is Dr. Vik Iyengar 5) Thanks @6 and @7! 8) were folks able to upload both grad and undergraduate transcripts? 9) @8, I combined unofficial versions of both into a single PDF and uploaded that. X2 8) @9, roger! 10) Any updates yet? 11) the app was due friday... sorry! my bad! confused this with the mechanistic biology position at Villanova without checking the subject area! :P 12) Invited for zoom interview x4 (Oct 6) 13) congrats and good luck! 14) Rejection after zoom interview :( x2 15) @14 it's nice they told you something though (did not get Zoom interview) 15) No news for me (10/20)...did anyone receive a campus interview invite yet? 16) Invited for on campus interview on 10/19 (10/22) 17) @16, congrats!! what's your area of expertise if you don't mind sharing?! 17) @16 Congrats!! @17 also curious about research area. 18) @17 - Sorry for the delayed response. My expertise is fish ecology/aquatic/marine community ecology. 19) Was an offer made for this job? 20) Yes. Offer was made 12/8. 21) https://x.com/slziegler220/status/1744821498379194441 | 22 | |
902 | 7/16/2023 23:52:13 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Paleontology | 9/1/2023 | https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/236445/asst-professorasst-curator | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/25/24 1:42 | Preference for a candidate who works on fossil mammals or invertebrates. 2) Received zoom interview invite on 9/27 3) maybe: https://twitter.com/anshuswain/status/1804556103675773051 4) no that person was in an interdisciplinary search (systems biology or something like that). The person hired on this one: https://x.com/lukenweaver | 2 | |
903 | 7/16/2023 16:20:02 | Kiel University | Germany | Microbial Phylogenomics | 8/8/2023 | https://jobrxiv.org/job/institute-of-general-microbiology-kiel-university-27778-research-group-leader-m-w-d-in-microbial-phylogenomics/ | Research Group Leader | Tenure Stream | 7/16/23 16:21 | Technically fixed-term for six years, but more similar to an asst prof job than a postdoc or VAP. | ||
904 | 7/16/2023 9:50:32 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Biopsychology | 9/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/127311 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/30/23 10:10 | In the psych department and seems to be a neuro focus, but some of the other groups in the department also skew behavioral ecology, so thought it would be worth posting here. 2) are letters requested upon submission? 3) @2 - It looks like letters are required up front 4) On the submission site it just says names and contact info, and that individuals will be sent a link to submit, not that they are due the 15th? (that I can see so far). If due the 15th they should have been clearer about that... 5) Yea, my rec letter writers got a nice surprise after I submitted my application. This was the least clear posting regarding rec letters, don't understand why it's so difficult. 6) Rejection email on 10/13 x4. 7) Did anyone ever get an invite for zoom or in-person interview? | 4 | |
905 | 7/12/2023 12:37:38 | Shoals Marine Lab | Maine | Marine Science / Oceanography | 8/7/2023 | https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/56800 | Executive Director | Non-Tenure Stream Academic | 9/20/23 5:10 | 1) Any insights on what it would be like to work at Shoals? 2) Also - I guess you only live out at Shoal's May-Sept? Any sense for what that means in terms of housing, etc.? 3) Housing is quite nice on Appledore (think classic NE beach homes with porches and lovely views) especially for the director yet it is a remote and very small island mostly inhabitated by gulls. The station has invested a lot into neat sustainability efforts (compost toilets, wind turbine, rainwater catchment & water savings) that can make living there rustic (e.g., twice a week showers for most people). I don't know how much of this would apply to the director. Source: I worked as an instructor a few summers ago at Shoals. 4) Have on-site interviews started? 5) I worked there >5 yrs ago as a cleaner & maintenance, the director has access to a guest house with private shower etc 6) Any updates on this position (interviews, responses)? Is it an "inside hire"? 7) Any updates? | 1 | |
906 | 7/12/2023 9:52:17 | Cary Institute | New York | Ecology | 9/30/2023 | https://cary-institute-of-ecosystem-studies.breezy.hr/p/e82a42d8a4a0-ecological-scientists-open-rank-assistant-associate-or-senior-scientist | Rank Open | Non-Profit Research Organization | 4/3/24 10:19 | [discussion about salary info removed, see below -AP] 1) Cary Institute does not award tenure 2) I thought Cary was a soft-money institution, so at least there's a 12-month salary - POST IS UPDATED with salary info, range is $115-130K for assistant scientist/assistant professor level, also it is a hard money position) 3) I worked at the Cary Institue as a technician and later did field work there as a graduate student. I think this is a great position for someone who is entirely focused on research and has no interest in teaching or outreach. You can build your own research program, but institutional support is more limited than what you would generally find at a traditional academic institution. There is a lot of pressure to bring in large federal grants, but if you feel confident in your ability to do so, it can be an excellent opportunity for the correct person. 4). I'm a scientist at Cary. Salary is competetive with top notch institutions. It is a hard money position with a community goal of recovering a portion of salary. Feel free to reach out to the search committee with any questions. Many many opportunities for outreach and teaching if interested. Communitity is caring and egaged. 5) I was also a field tech at Cary and I disagree with the statement that this is a position for someone who "has no interest in outreach or teaching". Not being a University does mean there is less teaching, but there are still plenty of opportunities to teach if the scientist is interested. Also, the amount of outreach Cary scientists do is often more than a tradition academic position due to the time release of not having consistent teaching requirements. 6) @4 I am curious about the faciltites at the institute, is there any opportunity to chat with someone before hand? I could not find information about labs and othr facilties on the webpage. 4) @6. The search committee is listed on the ad and enthusiastic to speak to folks. reach out to ask about facilities and what you would need to do great science! 5? 7) can anyone speak to the housing market there? It looks like there aren't many houses under $400k based on a quick search 8) Given what (7) had discussed, anyone know if a remote position would be considered? 9) Theres places well below that price 25 min away in Poughkeepsie. 10) @8 This is one of the premier field research oriented institutes in the States. How would one run a program virtually? AP) Review date corrected. 11) @10 Nothing in the ad suggests they are only considering field researchers. It is absolutely possible to be an ecological scientist without conducting field work. I have the same question as @8 regarding the openess to remote work. 12) The way the salary is written in the ad as an "annualized basis" is not clear. Could be so many ways to interpret that 13) I interpret annualized basis as per year 14) In HR lingo "annualized basis" is total compensation provided to an employee in a year. So I agree it is not necessarily just salary they are including. Do they pull typical academic no summer salary shenanigans here? 15) It is a 12 month salary. This is a non-profit, if you are interested in seeing some of the staff's salaries, tax records are publically available. 16) is it too late to send in now? 17) If you still can-then I would 18) That's a heck of a lot of applicants!! 19) It's for more than one position though, so apps per position maybe are a regular ratio (whatever that is). 18) any updates? 20) doubt they have even starting sorting through the applications yet. 21) Chill out folks. All these positions with people asking for updates 1 or 2 weeks after closing is crazy x3 22) Yeah, unless the ad promises a tight schedule (e.g., "we will conduct Zoom interviews in mid-October" for a 10/1 deadline), it's silly to be wondering about updates not even 2 weeks in 23) any updates? 24) No as of 10/18. I think it is still early. 26) This is one of the most popular jobs on here so far (and for multiple openings) so they could have a few hundred applications to go through 27) Still haven't heard anything as of Oct 24. Anyone else hear something? 28) No word here Oct 25. x9 29) moving slow even if this is a big hire for the institute/committeete 30) It's 31 Oct, and still no word. x4 31) Invited for in-person interview, 9 slots provided x4. 32) well dang. good luck to the interviewees (x5) 33) Officially heard back that I did not get an interview (10Dec) - in person interviews scheduled over next month or more 34) Wondering what the current rank/position people with interviews are at. 35) I'm a postdoc 36) @34 I have a couple years of experience at the staff/project scientist level. 37) Any updates? 38) I've just finished the on-site interview, and heard they will make a decision by the end of February. 39) Thanks for the update @38. Do you know how many positions they plan to fill and if there will be another call? 40) Approximately 2-3 people will be hired through this call, with ongoing recruitment expected in the coming years. Based on the information I've heard. 41) Thanks @38, wondering how many cadiddates they invited for the on-site interview? 42) 2/22 Did an in-person interview and just now received a "moving forward with other candidates" letter - congratulations to those with offers! X2 43) I also had an in-person interview, but I did not receive this email or an offer email @43 Interesting! I would assume that you are still in the running. @43 Wondering if anyone following this platform has received an offer. If not, it seems they have not sent out offer letters yet. If yes, you might be a backup, you are still in running. 44) Offers have gone out (x2) | 29 | |
907 | 7/12/2023 6:33:25 | US Airforce Academy | Colorado | Biology | 8/31/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736269800 | Asst Prof | Non-Tenure Stream Academic | 1/18/24 15:31 | 1) There is a one year trial period, so listed here as "fixed term" - unclear on what the tenure situation is within the airforce, but I would hazard a guess it does not exist. Open to the public, no requirement for military service, US citizenship and registration with the draft required. 2) No tenure for civilians. Very different academic culture than your typical university. 3) The Naval Academy has tenure for civilians. Are you sure the Airforce Academy doesn't offer tenure? 4) I don't know if this is at all similar to other (civilian) jobs for gov't agencies. They don't neceessarily have tenure but it's virtually impossible to hire someone performing adequately. Anyone in the know? 5) From the "Learn more about this agency" button on the job posting: "The USAF Academy does not offer tenure. Initial faculty appointments are for 3 years. At the end of the second year, the original appointment may be extended for an additional 3 years (6 years total) with the possibility of successive extensions. This appointment system provides long-term employment stability for reappointment-eligible faculty with extensions occurring with at least 3 years remaining on a current appointment. Extensions are based on an assessment of performance, Air Force and departmental needs, and financial constraints. Historically, 95% of eligible faculty are extended, and the average length of time on faculty for those currently serving in this system exceeds 12 years." 6) Anyone heard anything? (10/31) edit: rejection email 1/17/24 | 2 | |
908 | 7/11/2023 18:58:40 | Washington & Lee University | Virginia | Physiology | 9/15/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/127895 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/14/23 19:19 | Job is listed as Physiology, but search will be broad so if you consider yourself more "Integrative Biology" but can teach Physiology, you are definitely encouraged to apply. 1) I have worked in the department as a visiting professor a few years back. Wonderful place to work, I cann't reccomend it enough. 2) Current (but new-ish) faculty member here. This is the happiest and most supportive department. Upper Admin is supportive and there are tons of opportunities to connect across disciplines. Truly a gem in higher education. 3) App requirements are a bit confusing to me. Do they want a 1-2 page research statement, a 1-2 page teaching statement, and then also optional DEI statement? Does "option to include" mean we should include if we have these items to provide? Not sure the strategy here. Thanks! 4) Zoom interview invitation. x 3 5) Any updates? 6) not for me...seems like invites should have gone out? 7) Yes, is it reasonable to expect a rejection email after a zoom interview and thinking that not having received one yet could mean they are still deciding? My first cycle of application so don't know what to expect. 8) I've had quite a few zoom interviews where they never told me I didn't get invited and after time (or someone posting an interview here) figured out I didn't get a campus invite. Would be sort of unlikely with 3 people updating zoom interviews for no one to add a campus interview but could happen. 8) when is it (if at all it is) ok to send a follow-up email asking for decision? 9) No harm in following up, but it can only really be bad news. If you get a response let us know! 10) I guess no one on here got a campus invite and no contact from the search committee. Boo. | 3 | |
909 | 7/11/2023 15:18:25 | University of Alberta | Canada | Molecular Ecology | 9/30/2023 | https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A106151339/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/15/24 8:43 | (1) Anybody hear anything? Also, did some of the discussion for this go away or was there none? 2) I got a confirmation after submitting, but haven't heard anything since (it's only been a few days since the deadline). I don't think there was previous discussion on this position here. (1 again) thanks, 2 (3) Email confirming I made the 'long list' 10/23 x3 (4) same as 3, long-listed (3 again) long list = zoom interview (x5) (5) Wow, seems like quite a long long-list! (6) Invitation for in-person after zoom 12/4 x2 6) Congrats! 7) Offer received! 8) Congratulations! 7 again) Thank you! 103 apps, 14 longlisted, 3 on-campus interviews 7) Offer accepted! (8) Rejection (& congrats to 7!) 9) Saw a twitter post for the lucky new hire this morning, congrats! (10) https://twitter.com/ClareVenney/status/1765853263511831009 | 11 | |
910 | 7/11/2023 10:49:54 | University of Washington | Washington | Ecological Restoration and Management | 10/15/2023 | https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/position-details/?job_id=117587 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 4/22/24 10:03 | 1) "Faculty in this area could focus on any terrestrial ecosystem(s), including but not limited to urban, wetland, forest, rural, wildland, and alpine, and could work at multiple ecological scales." does this mean research on aquatic ecosystems is not going to be considered? 2) Probably so, considering that there is another department that has an aquatic focus: SAFS. 3) sweet. told to have 1st round in late Dec. if shortlisted. can you believe this? in Dec. 4) Does this mean they will directly make a shortlist without making a longlist?? Will they do virtual (not campus) intereview for shortlist candidates?? 5) the email says it will do virtual interviews. you did not get the email? thought it's sent to all. 6) I didn't get an email like this... x2 7) this one is running too slow x1 8) updates? folks 9) none here as of 12/6 x3 10) anyone? I have nothing as of 12/13 x2 10) Rejection email 12/14 x4 11) Invite to Zoom in early January x3 12) after Zoom interview have not heard anything. x2 13) Invite to campus interview 1/27 14) Anyone hear anything following on campus interviews? 14) no (as of Apr.2), but I was told not to expect to hear anything until the first or second week of April. 15) Offer received and accepted -- seems like they had a great group of candidates 16) Thanks for the update 15. Best of luck! 16) Thanks! You too! | 8 | |
911 | 7/11/2023 10:49:13 | University of Washington | Washington | Sustainable Bioresource Engineering | 10/15/2023 | https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/position-details/?job_id=117577 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
912 | 7/11/2023 7:16:38 | East Tennessee State University | Tennessee | Forest Ecologist | 8/15/2023 | https://jobs.etsu.edu/postings/25730 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/26/23 18:27 | 1) just submitted. see what happens 2) If you applied, please add +1 to the "Number Applied" column! I interviewed in this department last year and found everyone to be really great. Exciting things happening with a new program of study, too. 3) R u in the department right now? 2) Nope, they hired someone else 4) had a Zoom interview x2 5) congrats. how did that go? what unusual Qs did you get? 5) any updates? 6) Campus interviews are happening 7) any updates? 8) I heard the offer will be made in Nov 9) next week? | 3 | |
913 | 7/11/2023 5:38:53 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Biological Engineering - Plants | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/41746/ | Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | |||||
914 | 7/11/2023 4:54:40 | APOPO | Africa (Other) | Head of Research | https://apopo.org/head-of-research-and-innovation/?v=13c4998a4a40 | Head of Department | NGO | 8/25/23 1:38 | The job will be based in Morogoro, Tanzania. Package includes salary, housing, medical insurance and more. APOPO trains scent detection animals for humanitarian purposes. While most known for training African giant pouched rats, in recent years dogs have also been added. This position is the head of the research and innovation department. It will oversee international and Tanzanian researchers, trainers and work closely with the Head of Training and the team. Whilst a background in animal training and behavior would be useful, sound knowledge of research and scientific approaches are more important. Morogoro is a beautiful town, 4-5 hours drive from Dar es Salaam. 2) Inquired about salary - was told 'commensurate with experience' 3) I am a post-doc here and the salary&package for me is approximately equivalent to international post-doc salary. Hope that is helpful info. In addition to a salary, I get a house, vehicle, internet and petrol allowance, insurance, 1 return flight per year for me an my husband, & all visa cost for me and my husband is covered. | |||
915 | 7/10/2023 19:11:41 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Complex Systems | 10/1/2023 | https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12801128/faculty-position-in-complex-systems/?utm_campaign=nature-careers-newsletter&utm_edition=202307060600&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 12/21/23 14:29 | 1) Might be of intrests to theoretical folks 2) Any sense for whether an ecological modeler would fit the bill here? 3) @2 It depends I'd say. 2 of their "core faculty" are in different areas of ecology FWIW (4) They reccomend that the research statement should be "5-10 pages in length including a one page executive summary"!!!! (5) Posting says closing date of August 27, but ad description says review begins October 1? (6) Anyone know if they are still accepting applications? (7) Letters are requested at time of application, FYI. (8) Anyone have an update? (9) Nothing here (10) Update that application 'still under consideration' and asked to fill out a survey x5 11) zoom interview invite (16 Nov) x2 (12) congrats / RIP me. Spend a week on this app. x3 (13) interview request 12/20 | 5 | |
916 | 7/10/2023 8:23:03 | Carleton College | Minnesota | Biology | 9/1/2023 | https://carleton.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/CarletonCareers/job/Assistant-Professor-of-Biology_R-00561 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/19/24 16:57 | 1) the "long runway" is finally over 2) What does that mean? Just curious... 3) https://twitter.com/mikenishizaki/status/1584766423510851584 Oh good, I've been saving myself! x3 4) Every morning I caress the locket containing a piece of the call for applications for deferred employment from my beloved. Oh happy day! 5) I've been adding one word a day since the runway opened. Almost at the perfect application now although not sure I'm going to make it by the early deadline! 6) LOL this is the humor I need to get through the application cycle x2 [lengthy discussion of possible "internal hire" removed, since one particular person was singled out. as former 12) wrote: "Considering they announced a year ago, it seems extremely cynical (even for us) to think it's just a ploy to hire their VAP." -AP] 13) I have inside info on the posting and it really isn't to hire their current VAP although they may want to in a separate hire (I don't know that for sure, though, if you're reading, current VAP). they really just wanted to do something unique with this timeline. 14) Who is the search chair for this position? 15) If I submit an application by Sept 1 midnight, does that fall within the deadline? x2 12) So if 18 people took the time and effort to scroll down this specific board to note that they'd applied, what's the estimate of how many total applicants this job got? 200? 300? More? 13) In previous years the figure people bounced around was 5-10x as many applicants as noted here. I know of one (very popular) search where I can confirm it was ~8x as many applications as recorded here. 16) This write up is from 2019, but the author found that the multiplicative factor was 10x the number of people listed on the EcoEvo jobs board: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ 12) Interesting! I suppose this one might be even higher, considering it's not strictly an ecoevo-only position. 13) Letters requested x4 14) Would all the letter requests necessarily go out at once? 15) RIP 16) Would be interested to know what sorts of people/qualifications they decided to move forward with, if they are equally represented across biology (any hidden preferences), etc.... 12) I dunno if they'd have a hidden preference for a specific field, though their department is big enough that some candidates would probably overlap a lot with existing faculty members, so they might have a preference for whatever the gaps are. 17) letters requested to candidate or to writers? 12) I think to candidates. I don't recall inputting reference contact info with the initial application. 18) @17 candidates were asked to go in to the system and provide contact info for writers and letter writers were then contacted and asked for letters 19) Any updates? x3 20) still nothing... 10/16 x2 21) Any updates? 22) Who's gonna bite the bullet and reach out to the the search committee? 23) looks like their job candidate seminars are scheduled to start today https://www.carleton.edu/biology/events/seminars/ 24) 8 candidates? That's crazy 25) It looks like 4, with a research seminar one day and teaching seminar the next day 26) Ah yes, you are correct. Well I guess I can stop stalking this job posting now. 25) One advantage of not even being asked for letters is I got to stop caring weeks ago. 27) Would be very curious to know how many total applicants they got, though it would probably be a pretty depressing number. 28) I'd also be interested to hear what the finalists' research areas are/were. Such a broad search! x3 29) anyone from SC here? Can you comment on whether on campus interviews are over? 12) According to their seminar schedule, their last interview teaching seminar is happening today. 13) crazy that no one on this sheet was invited for even a zoom inerview 12) No one active on the sheet at least, but yeah. Maybe they were leaning more molecular in what they actually wanted. Or maybe they just got 500 applicants. Very broad biology search at a prestigious SLAC in a low-cost-of-living blue state with a stable climate is a recipe for an incredibly competitive pool. 12) Official rejection received 12/5, wonder if this means an offer has been accepted? x4 13) @ 12 did you interview? Zoom or in-person? 12) Haha, no. Not even a letter request. 14) Rejection letter received 12/6 said they have "nearly filled" the position so sounds like they are in negotiations x2 12) Interesting. Did *you* interview? Mine didn't say that. 14) I did not interview (zoom or in-person) but my letters of rec were requested x2 12) I feel like an RPG player trying to figure out all the alternate endings 15) https://www.carleton.edu/mentoring/new-faculty-teaching-program/new-faculty-orientation/#acc2_0 | 23 | |
917 | 7/8/2023 13:17:20 | Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | Animal Behavior & Evolution | 9/18/2023 | https://www.lclark.edu/live/files/34887-assistant-professor-of-biology-animal-behavior | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/30/24 3:56 | 1) Search chair will be at ABS and ESA meetings if anyone wants to talk in person about the position 2) FYI this is an amazing department. I interviewed with them last year and everyone is super fantastic. x2! 3) Does it seem possible that someone studying invertebrate evolution and behavior might be considered? (4) aww thanks, #2, wow, that's kind. And #3 - SC here - all applications will be fully and holistically considered. In a small dept folks wear many hats, and candidates bring many varied dimensions of opportunities for our students. That said, we worked hard to make the ad transparent about current needs and priorities. @3&4) so, no. 5) Very interested, but not a US resident or citizen. Is it possible international candidates will be considered? 6) @5 Yes! 7) What is the salary range for this position? x2 8) Salary is negotiated with the Dean, variable across fields and experience. Strong benefits package includes retirement contribution by college of 9% of salary. Faculty can add up to 2/9 of salary in summer support from external grants. There is some access to college-owned housing at below market rates. Portland has gotten more expensive in recent years and many faculty are in dual income households. 9) Has anyone had an issue submitting on Interfolio for this posting? I have uploaded all the required documents but it still lists it as 'documents missing' so it won't allow me to submit. I've used Interfolio many times before without this issue, so I'm sure I have it input correctly. Not sure if it is an issue with Interfolio at the moment or with this particular job. 10) SC here - please feel free to reach out or share details here I can make sure there's nothing awry on our end. In particular I hope the OPTIONAL slot was made optional, not required, and wonder if this could be tripping you up. Haven't otherwise heard problems from submissions to date. I don't have access to the system yet though - so will check with HR if I can describe what to look for. 9) @10, thanks for responding. I think it was an interfolio issue not an issue with your ad. It worked for me the next day. 10) @9 whew, thank you for letting me know! For what it's worth for anyone else, it's not too late to submit! There are several internal steps happening to get the system organized for the committee...11) Rejection email received X4 12) Request to submit letters received. x10 12) Any updates? (10/17) 13) nothing here...x5 14) nothing here (10/31) x6 15) Zoom interview 11/1 x4 16) If SC is monitoring - have all Zoom interview invites been sent out? 17) Rejection email 18) @17, did you get a rejection email after doing a zoom interview? x2 19) SC: all candidate were contacted about their status before the zoom interviews, and all remaining candidates will be contacted about their status at the next stage. 20) Anyone get an on-campus interview invite? 21) Rejection email received x5 11/21 (post-zoom interview) 22) Yes 20, on campus invite received. x2 23) there are 4 people who were invited per SC. great communication from committee 24) Offer was made and accepted. 25) Congratulations! | 13 | |
918 | 7/8/2023 12:55:00 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Evolution | 9/1/2023 | https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/64857 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/8/24 21:59 | no salary listed? 1) Is it normal for salary to be listed? 2) No love for plants :( . 3) @2, UVM has a dedicated plant sciences department in their college of AG. Plant folks may look for job postings there. 4) @3 be nice to non-AG plant people, #2's sentiment is justified ;-) 5) Are references required by Sept 1 or not? Thanks. 6) @1 the current faculty salaries are published online: it seems to be around 67k$ for recently hired assistant profs. 7) seems to be $67k base, but summer salary can be added. so the number will go up when summer salary is included. (8) LOL, "address important questions in invertebrate or vertebrate evolution". Can anyone here suggest a few questions in vert/invert evolution that don't apply to non-animals? What is the role of teeth in diversification? How do eyes drive cognition? (9) As I understand it, this is a search for an evolutionary biologist (broadly defined)... who happens to work on invertebrates/vertebrates systems (notice that theoretical questions are mentioned). It seems that the questions can be anything within the scope of the search... 10) I just heard back from the chair of the search, turns out ANYONE that is an evolutionary biologist can apply (this includes PLANT folks too, as long as their core question fits within the scope of the search). So, yes, there is love for plants :) anyone that may be a good fit should apply! 11) Also, notice that, while there is no mention of a diversity statement in the description of the job part of the post, a diversity statement is REQUIRED (this is mentioned at the very bottom of the post). 11) "as long as their core question fits within the scope of the search" -- which is... all of evolution? Also, who's the search chair? 12) "All of evolution" -- YES. This is for a broad search for an evolutionary biologist. The chair is Brent Lockwood (bllockwo@uvm.edu ). 13) These broad "evolutionary biology" searches aren't that uncommon... if you work on evoution you should apply. Or talk to the chair if in doubt. Knowing and talking with people in the dept I know they care more about your cool questions than your system. 14)Looks like reference letters are due upfront, sigh why do they do this for generic searches... 15) @14, .. folks please read the ad carefully... LETTERS OF RECO ARE *NOT* DUE on Sep 1. Just the contact info for recomenders. 16) @15 the actual application form asks you to fill them in, but it doesn't seem like it will request it automatically. 16) does anyone know the teaching load? (17) My guess would be 2-3 courses per year. 18) I've been told similar (2-3 courses) by someone in the department. Also warned that salary is comparatively low with little room for negotiation (~$70k if I remember right) 18) UGH; 19) any updates? have they requested the letters of reference yet? 20) Nothing here x10 21) @19 here, phew, I was worried 21) IME, less than 1 month after the deadline is way too early to hear anything from them 22) it is one thing to hear back but another to know if they have requested letters from reference 23) based on my experience last year, a month is early for either thing. 24) Invitation for Zoom interview Oct 2 x5 (25) Wow, before letters?! 26) Out iof curiosity: those invited for interview, what is (in your own opinion) the most "prestigious" journal you've published in? 27) American Journal of Potato Research for me 28) Nothing higher than 4 or 5 impact factor, just journals relevant to my field and impactful for the community. 29) @26 Proc B? eLife? Other than that all evo bio journals: Mol Biol Evol, Syst Biol, Methods in Ecol & Evol, Evolution, so nothing fancy. 30) Heads up, got an invite and letter requests were sent out Oct 3-- @26 Evolution and AmNat here (3 total in those). 31) @ 26, PNAS. Have 12 first-author pubs ranging from PLOS One to PNAS, though been mostly publishing in MBE recently. Also, NIH K99 money...and yes I am an evolutionary biologist. Just convinced them to fund stuff that is evol bio related. (32) Any of you work on plants? (33) @32 Not me (34) Did everyone who had a virtual interview get the request to update felony status on your application? (34) @33, no? x6 35) on-campus interview invitation received, so so excited (10/19) 26) Congratulations!! (27) Interviews listed https://www.uvm.edu/cas/biology/biology-seminars-2023. Only 4 interviews, 3 are asst profs already. congrats to you on the interviews, but damn it's tough being a postdoc. (no blame given for people looking to move, either, but it's really tough seeing a future for myself in this field when I can't even make it to this stage). 36) I don't think that's right 27. I just looked at the candidates and it seems that only 1/4 is in a permanent asst prof position. Funny enough, one of them is a 'presumed' internal candidate from one of the other jobs on this board. lol. 37) Yeah, it's one asst prof, one postdoc, one VAP, and one "research scientist" (though seems to run their own lab so close-ish to an asst prof) 38) Doubt that is true for the last one if by close-ish you mean a non soft money job with stability. They are basically attached to another lab at the school as former postdoc and that is a normal title for someone who is phased out of postdoc or needs to get PI status for grants. 37) Fair enough. 38) Just got an email that I was not asked for an interview (1/10) x4. I appreciate that they contacted at all (so many places never get back to you), but I'm also really thankful for this message board that kept me up to date in real time when interview requests went out 3 months ago. I really helps peace of mind and planning for the future to know that the search has moved on. 39) Interesting...received nothing so far...(same person updating a few hours later, received rejection) 40) Offer accepted.41) congratulations! 42) https://x.com/evolauterbur/status/1810450050830545394 | 39 | |
919 | 7/7/2023 15:15:54 | Bucknell University | Pennsylvania | Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity | 9/1/2023 | https://careers.bucknell.edu/cw/en-us/job/497428/smith-postdoctotenuretrack-fellow-in-ecologyevolutionbiodiversity | Postdoc to Tenure-Track | Tenure Stream | 12/18/23 13:06 | (1) From the inside - looking for someone working with big data. Position starts as a postdoc (reduced teaching load, financial support for research, mentorship), then transitions to tenure track. (2) Define "big data". Not an ironic question, I'm actually trying to determine if I fit x3 (3) I'd love a some clairity here as well, I would love to generate large ecological/behavioral data sets but that doesn't necessarily fit everyone's definition of "Big Data" (which I tend to assume means something more in line with bioinformatics/genomics/etc.). [General discussion of postdoc-to-tenure-track positions moved to General Discussion tab -AP] (4) From the inside again - big data = broadly defined. Bioinformatics, genomics, ecological/behavioral datasets welcomed! (5) The prior person in this position is now in a tenure-track position at University of Georgia in a position with a strong teaching and outreach focus but they also have a very strong publication record (6) Why am I the only applicant so far? Is there a red flag I'm not aware of? 7) Because the rest of us are terrible procrastinators. 8) BIG yes to 7, hahahaha. You're better than the rest of us, 6. 9) Should have asked this earlier, but no way to go straight to Asst Prof? 9) Any updates? 10) @9 nope 11) got interview 12) congrats! Good luck! 11) thank you :) 13) I got my interview invitation 10/6/23. 14) any updates? 15) No word yet on in-person interview as of 10/27/30. x2 16.) As of 10/30 still no news re: in-person X4 16) should we assume no news means no interview? 17.) Not if no one has heard anything. Timeline wasn't super clear from Zoom interview they may just be behind 18) During my Zoom interview, I was told we'd probably hear back either late last week or sometime this week. 19) during my zoom, i was told week of oct 24.. 20.) I heard a similar timeline to 18 and 19-- expected to hear by last week. Hard to believe that no one here got on-campus but it is possible :(. Notably, fall break happened BEFORE zoom interviews and they only have 1 week betweek Tgiving break and end of term (dec 5 is last day of class). So... if they want folks on campus before january we may have all missed the boat 21) how common is that though? (that no one gets an interview...) i feel like a postdoc to tenure-track position wouldn't "fail" like a tenure-track position would. i feel like they're just behind...but im too scared to ask LOL 22) if the search committee is monitoring this...can we get an update? 23.) NOT AFFILIATED w/ Bucknell but I heard from a peer that someone they know was invited to campus. So??? 24) Still no official word one way or the other as of 11/13/23. 25) On campus interviews concluded 11/10/23. 26) Well that escalated quickly. 27) lolololll 28) got my rejection letter x2 :) (> 1 month after in-person interviews announced) 12-15-23 | 14 | |
920 | 7/7/2023 9:28:47 | University of Nottingham | United Kingdom | Evolutionary Functional Genomics | 8/3/2023 | https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=MED276623 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 9/17/23 11:55 | (1) Is it just me or is this pay insanely low for a TT job? (2) <60K USD. Pretty typical for UK. (3) Interviews taking place. (4) The recruitment process ran into unavoidable delays according to an email I recieved last week. Not a good sign imo. (5) interviews finished on Friday, job will be offered by mid next week. | 3 | |
921 | 7/6/2023 7:07:37 | Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | Environmental Studies | 9/20/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/127687 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/30/23 7:05 | "quantitative methodologies, such as spatial analysis, or hybrid quantitative and qualitative methodologies as a model to students of our data-intensive approach...Areas of interdisciplinary research are open, and might include environmental justice, natural resource management, urban planning, or agricultural systems as examples." 1) Curious about asking for letters of rec upfront (always difficult!), the position listed above for the same university doesn't require letters upfront. I always that requesting letters this early limits who will apply 2) What is the salary range for this position? 3) Any updates? 4) Invitiation for Zoom interview on 10/27 | 5 | |
922 | 7/5/2023 9:20:03 | St. Olaf College | Minnesota | Geospatial Specialist | 9/1/2023 | https://careers.stolaf.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-of-environmental-studies-geospatial-specialist-northfield-minnesota-united-states | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/5/23 9:20 | Note: this is for a geospatial specialist with a social science or humanities focus | 1 | |
923 | 7/5/2023 2:10:48 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Conservation Biology | 9/11/2023 | https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/41785/ | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/19/23 15:35 | Miriam Rothschild Professorship of Conservation Biology 2) Should current postdocs apply? Or is this far above that level? x2 3) Post-docs are not eligible for full prof positions in the UK. 4) Might still be too junior, but I guess they can have a laugh and toss my app if they need it. | 1 | |
924 | 7/2/2023 7:01:18 | Museum of Natural History Vienna | Austria | Parasitic Hymenoptera Curator | 8/15/2023 | https://jobs.nhm.at/Academic-Curator-Hymenoptera-collection-mfd-de-j89.html | Curator | Museum | 9/20/23 7:50 | Would this requirement of working with Hymenoptera Parasitica be a strict demand? 2) Yes, there is already a curator of Aculeata. 3) Zoom interview scheduled | 2 | |
925 | 7/1/2023 11:06:04 | Scripps & Pitzer Colleges | California | Evolutionary Biology / Functional Morphology of Animals | 10/1/2023 | https://www.scrippscollege.edu/hr/faculty/tenure-track-position-in-evolutionary-biology-functional-morphology-of-animals-the-w-m-keck-science-department-pitzer-and-scripps-colleges | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 8/11/24 16:16 | "We are especially interested in applicants whose work explores form and function in an ecological and evolutionary context and who incorporate quantitative and/or computational techniques, including phylogenetic approaches" 2) Department member here. Great place to work in a growing department with new building, new greenhouse, and more hires anticipated. Starting salary range $90-98.5K. See also mol/cell and envi sci ads. 3) Thanks for including salary in the ad! 4) What's teaching load like here? 5) Is there any help with faculty housing considering the cost of living in that area? Yes 5) Curious, given there are already 4-5 VAP in this department, what chances do external candidates realistically have? 6) Is it worth applying for non-vertebrate biologists? Yes, if you can demonstrate you could teach vert anatomy well 7) Regarding VAP questions: Excellent chances for outside candidates. While occasionally, visitors have been hired for open tenure lines, it is the exception and not the rule. 8) Regarding teaching load: I believe the teaching load is 13.5 credits a year. One example of how this roughly works is to teach ~2 sections of a (often the same) course one semester (6 credits; e.g., 2 sections of intro bio) and an upper division lab that you would prep the second semester (e.g., lecture + lab for the same course; ~7 credits). Every few years you may need to take on an extra section of a pre-prepped lab to make up that extra half credit. 9) Search committee member - Regarding non-vertebrates: while the candidate would need to teach vertebrate anatomy, their past or future study systems are not limited to vertebrates 10) any updates? X2 11) Invited to Zoom interview on 10/24 (sorry @ 10 for the late update) 12) should we assume no zoom interview = rejection? 13) @ 12, It seems like they have other interviews scheduled for both positions, so it probably means a rejection will follow soon. 13) so does the terror of the internal candidate strike again? 14) I dont think so. 15) Advance to campus interviews Dec 5th 16) updates? | 8 | |
926 | 6/29/2023 10:55:33 | California State University San Bernardino | California | Organismal Plant Biologist | 9/8/2023 | https://careers.csusb.edu/en-us/job/529530/department-of-biology-assistant-professor-in-organismal-plant-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/6/23 7:12 | 1) ugh, transcripts 2) Gross. Really really gross. No one needs this and if HR needs them for the hire, just put them in for the final pick. 3) Any updates? 4) Job search canceled :( 5) WHAT, really, this fast?, 6) budget issues I think...multiple searches are being canceled at this institution 7) Oh no, did an e-mail get sent to applicants? I didn't see that in my inbox. 8) Another deflated applicant here -- The update just landed in my inbox this afternoon. x3 | 3 | |
927 | 6/29/2023 9:04:15 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi | Texas | Coastal Ecosystem Sustainability & Resilience | 8/31/2023 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/job/Assistant-Professor--Environmental-Science_R-062970 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/23/23 6:28 | 1) Is this a failed search from last year? It seems the same. 2) Any updates here? 3) nothing here (10/22) 4) invited for a Zoom interview (10/22) | ||
928 | 6/29/2023 8:24:38 | Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) | Germany | Spatial Freshwater Ecology | 8/15/2023 | https://karriere-igb.softgarden.io/job/33500676/Tenure-track-Position-in-Spatial-Freshwater-Ecology-f-m-x-?l=en | Asst Prof | Non-Profit Research Organization | 7/28/23 13:33 | 1) This is likely an internal hire for a spatial freshwater ecologist who is wraping up a major grant. | 1 | |
929 | 6/29/2023 4:03:15 | Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) | United Kingdom | Computational Ecology / Evolutionary Genetics | 7/18/2023 | https://www.qmul.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/items/8162.html | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 8/4/23 4:07 | This is not the first time this position is advertised; same reference and all. I know a person who applied but didn't get shortlisted for an interview due to the "large number of applications". Surprisingly, though, they still haven't been able to find someone to fill the role... Either they are looking for very top candidates, or the starting package is not attractive. Moreover, the working conditions are questionable (check it out here: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/queen-mary-university-ucu-strikes-resignations-b1063246.html). 2) The appointment is permanent, not tenure track 3). Intra-department person here not involved in shortlisting. I heard through grapevine that shortlisting was difficult for this one. 5 were interviewed, top candidate was offered the job, but used it to negotiate better terms in their country. This took 1-2 months. 2nd-highest canidate was offered the job, turned it down because they are a postdoc and want to remain fully research-focused - this one does need a new Msc-level module. **I would strongly encourage past applicants to apply** - when there are are 50+ candidates, half of them are typically excellent... so the shortlisting process isn't random but its hard for it to be great - but one shouldn't interpret not being shortlisted as a rejection. 4) Recently my university hosted a researcher working at the School of Biological & Behavioural Sciences working in this particular field and in an informal conversation sHe expressed a very good impression of the departmentand and working conditions. We all know too well that universities positions not usually represent those of the departments and groups within. 5) Contrary to popular belief, the top candidate for the job did not negotiate a better position at their home university. They just decided that all considered it was better to stay at their home university 6) got an email saying I didn't make the short-list already :( | 3 | |
930 | 6/28/2023 13:07:11 | California State University, Bakersfield | California | Microbiology | 8/25/2023 | https://csucareers.calstate.edu/detail.aspx?pid=104632 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/4/23 15:57 | Any inside clarification? 2). Need to mail the applicaiton materials? Really?? 3) Zoom interview week of 9/18 x2. 4) any updates? | 4 | |
931 | 6/28/2023 12:29:12 | Norwegian Institute for Natural Research | Norway | Ecological Statistics | 8/20/2023 | https://nina-english.attract.reachmee.com/jobs/34-researcher-with-modelling-competence | Researcher | Non-Profit Research Organization | ||||
932 | 6/26/2023 5:25:34 | Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières | Canada | Plant Biology | 8/20/2023 | https://www.researchgate.net/job/998176_Tier_1_Canada_Research_Chair_in_Plant_Biology-Call_for_applications | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/3/23 11:01 | CRC Tier 1. "The University is looking for an expert in the metabolic engineering of plant systems or microalgae for the generation, production and/or catabolism of new and/or existing plant compounds" - doesn't sound ecoevo to me. 2) Sounds very molecular ecology, and sure there are some on this board with interest. 3) That description doesn't sound like molecular ecology! 4) Note that if you want to live and work in Trois Rivieres, you almost 100% need to speak French or be prepared to learn it very quickly (this ain't Montreal) | ||
933 | 6/23/2023 7:35:31 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi | Texas | Department Chair, Life Sciences | 7/30/2023 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/job/Professor-and-Department-Chair--Life-Sciences_R-061546 | Full Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
934 | 6/23/2023 6:52:34 | Penn State | Pennsylvania | Climate Risk | 8/20/2023 | https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Co-Funded-Department-of-Geosciences---Institute-of-Energy-and-the-Environment--and-Earth-and-Environmental-Systems-Institute-Faculty-Hire-in-Climate-Risk-and-Decision-Making_REQ_0000045109-1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | ||||
935 | 6/22/2023 8:42:36 | University of Manitoba | Canada | Lake and Coastal Wetland Ecology | 9/13/2023 | https://viprecprod.ad.umanitoba.ca/default.aspx?REQ_ID=27318&Language=1 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/12/23 13:32 | Something this university does not talk about much is that Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Freshwater Institute is next to campus. They do lots of freshwater research too, so could be a place for cool collabs for a freshwater ecologist in this position. 1) I'm in the department and happy to answer questions. It's true we have the DFO freshwater institute on campus. We also have close ties to the IISD experimental lakes institute (https://www.iisd.org/ela/). Lots of fun and a very friendly department :) 2) The link to this has been pulled from the University Affairs website in error. Do still apply! 3) Phew, had a moment of panic there when I didn't see the posting anymore! Thanks for updating, came here to double-check and will definitely be submitting something :) 4) interview notifications went out 11/10/2023 | 1 | |
936 | 6/22/2023 6:22:48 | Bucknell University | Pennsylvania | Animal Behavior | 9/15/2023 | https://careers.bucknell.edu/cw/en-us/job/497403/tenuretrack-position-in-psychology-and-animal-behavior-openrank?fbclid=IwAR1rwd9-B-ioiIjY4OQmt3_7hAkyZfVNLb6S2aRRSZxMkI2aGRSGVIym0Uw | Rank Open | Tenure Stream | 7/20/23 12:16 | Especially seeking someone working with non-human primates (Bucknell has a primate center) 2) would a no primate person even be considered? I don't study primates but I feel like Bucknell would be a great fit. 3) person will work with the primate center - so consider applying instead to an upcoming position in the Biology dept (will be posted soon!) 3) (2 here) thank you for answering my question! I appreciate it :) 4) np! | ||
937 | 6/21/2023 22:58:25 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | California | Urban Ecology | 10/1/2023 | https://careers.csudh.edu/en-us/job/528127/assistant-professor-biology-urban-ecologist | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/27/23 11:02 | seeking Urban Ecologist who does research on ecological processes in human-dominated systems 2) According to twitter partner hires are 100% impossible 3) transcripts, really? 4) Cal States tend to ask for transcripts 5) anyone know what it's like in the dept/school/dominguez hills? i'm from socal but haven't really heard of this school 6) it is a teaching focused majority-minority institution neat LA's urban core. probably a great place to end up if you care about DEI and having an impact on non-white students 7) (5 here) thanks for the info! 8) contacted for zoom interview 10/4 x2 9) anyone contacted for in-person yet? 10) yes, last week (10/20) | 2 | |
938 | 6/21/2023 17:14:49 | Smithsonian Institution | Virginia | Conservation and Science | 7/18/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/732529200 | SL 00 (~full prof) | Non-Profit Research Organization | 6/21/23 17:15 | Director for Conservation and Science for the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute | ||
939 | 6/21/2023 15:54:50 | USDA Agricultural Research Service | Washington | Weed Science | 7/21/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/732775300 | GS 12-14 | Government | ||||
940 | 6/21/2023 15:52:49 | USGS | Alaska | Research Ecologist | 7/31/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/732666200 | Unit Leader / GS 13-14 | Government | 7/18/23 7:19 | Also listed under fish biologist https://www.usajobs.gov/job/732665900 | ||
941 | 6/21/2023 13:29:11 | Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville | Texas | Rangeland and Restoration | 8/1/2023 | https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/swenson-endowed-chair-in-rangeland-and-restoration-research-south-texas/ | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/1/24 13:58 | The Swenson Endowed Chair will oversee 2 endowed graduate student fellowships and other resources to support rangeland and restoration research. 1) is this really asst/assoc professor? "Endowed chair" reads more full prof. 2) Endowed positions can be any rank. The position is funded/supplemented by an endowment. | ||
942 | 6/17/2023 4:58:20 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin | Computational Microbiology | 7/15/2023 | https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/bioinformatics-pipeline-computational-scientist-madison-wisconsin-united-states | Bioinformatics Scientist | Non-Tenure Stream Academic | 6/17/23 11:19 | "The Department of Bacteriology (https://bact.wisc.edu) seeks to hire a Research Cyberinfrastructure Specialist to support expanding computational microbiology research in our department." | ||
943 | 6/17/2023 1:09:28 | USGS / Michigan State University | Michigan | Fish Biologist (Assistant Unit Leader) | 7/20/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/730920900 | GS12 | Government | 12/12/23 9:54 | See also https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/michigan-state-university-and-usgs-team-state-federal-partnership-fishery 2) Phone interview conducted 9/28 3) Any updates? | 4 | |
944 | 6/14/2023 13:28:47 | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Plant Reproductive Bio | 8/16/2023 | https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/471411 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 6/15/23 5:49 | |||
945 | 6/14/2023 5:10:51 | University of Kansas | Kansas | Director, Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum | 8/1/2023 | https://employment.ku.edu/jobs/faculty/director-biodiversity-institute-and-natural-history-museum/23733br | Director | Tenure Stream | 6/10/24 10:50 | Looks like another failed search for this position 2) I know it can be difficult to recruit sometimes, but failed searches seem a bit ridiculous when we account for all the people seearching for jobs. Out of all the applicants not one person was willing and qualified? I think schools may need to start considering the backup list more seriously. 3) I know the position was offered to at least one applicant in each of the previous searches who both opted to stay at their current institution. They might have eased up on some of the application requirements, though. It looks like "eligibility for tenured appointment at the rank of full professor" is now only a preferred qualification. 4) looks like success this time around https://biodiversity.ku.edu/ku-names-new-director-lead-biodiversity-institute-natural-history-museum | ||
946 | 6/13/2023 10:01:29 | St. Olaf College | Minnesota | Aquatic Ecology | 9/18/2023 | https://careers.stolaf.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-of-biology-aquatic-ecology-northfield-minnesota-united-states?applicant_guid=07598b85-40eb-427c-9467-63c9c0354b27 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 1/25/24 8:07 | "I like warm hugs!" 2) Whenever I read about St Olaf (the institution) I think of Betty Whilte's character in Golden Girls who had fond but bizarre memories from her home town of St. Olaf, which is a real place but not the same place where the college is. 3) what is the desired start date? 4) August 2024 5) New faculty in this department here: the department and school are *wonderful*. It is feasible to live in the Twin Cities or Northfield (or in between). I am very comfortable at St. Olaf as a queer non-Christian person. Happy to answer any other questions here. 6) I previously held this position and loved my time at St. Olaf and living in Northfield (despite leaving!)-- you can't ask for better colleagues. 7) @5 &6 how tied is the department to having someone who works in aquatic systems? Do you think a terrestrial ecologist has a shot? 8) #5 here: being honest, some kind of aquatic focus is absolutely essential.9) Thanks for saving me time :) 10) What are the paid time off and parental leave benefits? 11) Parental leave (including for non-birth parents) is basically this: you can take a semester of parental leave without a pay cut if you teach January term (1 course) and a full load (3 courses) in the other semester of that year. You can also teach less in the leave year, but for a reduction in pay. Can you clarify what you want to know about PTO in the context of a faculty job? We have access to FMLA and long-term disability, but PTO doesn't apply in the same way for full-time faculty at many institutions.12) Thanks for the info! 13) 10/04 Just had letter requests sent to my references (didn't get an email myself, good idea to check w/ your letter writers!)+1 14) Invitation for zoom interview 10/06 +2 15) Invite to campus (11/06) 16) Anyone have info on whether an offer been made? Was more than one person invited to campus interview stage? 17) Multiple people invited to campus. Formal offer made and accepted. | 10 | |
947 | 6/6/2023 10:19:56 | Carnegie Institution for Science | Maryland | Life and Environmental Sciences | 8/6/2023 | https://jobs.carnegiescience.edu/jobs/life-and-environmental-sciences-director/ | Director | Non-Profit Research Organization | 7/31/23 12:44 | When you click the link for this the location says Pasadena CA, is that correct? 2) Yes, Carnegie is moving their life science departments there from Palo Alto and Baltimore. (3) Yes, and nobody seems enthusiastic about this (as a current carnegie PDF) | 1 | |
948 | 6/4/2023 16:01:23 | University of Florida | Florida | Space Biology | 11/23/2023 | https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/527209/assistant-professor-space-biology | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 11/14/23 7:12 | 1) Excuse me, space biology? 2) If only it came with a $100B endowment to support my plans for fieldwork on Europa 3) @1, Yep! The post says that adaptations to extreme environments is of special interest; thus why I figured it was worth putting on here. 4) This department partners with NASA, which has a big presence in the state. I'd apply if it got me a tour of the former rocket launch room. 5) The field of research is properly called "Astrobiology". "Space Biology" makes it seem like they're looking for a GIS tech. x2 6) Seriously, check out NASA's Exobiology program. There are a lot of opportunities for contemporary ecology, but it's not on a lot of folks' radar. 7) there are some pretty solid people in this dept, but also issues...as for the loose boundary between Exobiology (formerly Astrobiology) and Space Biology, NASA re-structured its funding divisions and moved human related research (Space Biology) into the general science funding pool, with the increased push for manned missions and the effects on humans (ionizing radiation is a biggy in this field) the center of Space Biology is shifting to microbial research and away from animal models...but that could change again. There is also state funding, the Florida has state funding for space research. Just some comments from someone who was in the dept and is in this research field 7) the only way i'd work at a school in florida is if i could actually be in outer space most of the time x2 8) I have a colleague who could be a great fit for this, but the political backdrop is unsafe for one of his family members. So he probably won't apply. It's really unfortunate for a department that should recruit well otherwise. 9) I have a feeling at @7 is not a field biologist. Despite politics, there are a lot of reasons some biologists want to work in FL. x5 10) Yes. Gainesville is great (I don't live there, but would like to!) 11) 7 here, i am definitely a field biologist. i have no desire to live somewhere that is on the fast track to fascism. @9, i have a feeling you are a straight white christian man. 12) it's me, the real 7, looks like your counting is a bit off, and maybe we could not insult each other, going straight (pun intended) for identity instead of the argument, i mean, didn't we all take debate in 7th grade, attack the statement not the person, @ the false 7 and false 9, i mean with all the animosity online, i would like to think the highly educated could just not, academia is stressful enough in the job hunt, a safe forum for information sharing is a very low bar to clear x4 13) @original 7 do you know if this search is mostly focused on people working on the human or the microbial side of space biology/exobiology/astrobiology? | 1 | |
949 | 5/31/2023 10:00:04 | University of British Columbia, Okanagan | Canada | Dept Head - Biology | 9/15/2023 | https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/job/UBC-Okanagan-Campus-Opportunities/Head---Biology_JR13102 | Assoc / Full Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/13/24 17:09 | Seems like previous leadership in dept (micorhizea guy) dissapeared from Academia. what happened? (1) Not sure but he moved to the UAE. He already had moved from guelph | ||
950 | 5/25/2023 11:44:34 | St Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Marine Science | 10/1/2023 | https://www.smcm.edu/hr/smcm-job/assistant-professor-of-marine-science/ | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 2/23/24 12:51 | This department has had many (3+?) searches the last few years that are in a similar vein. Are these different searches for a growing program, a hiring cluster, or failed searches? 2) The marine sciences program is new. There was also an earlier cluster higher this year to increase diversity in the department. OP) Great @2, thank you! 3) What kind of diversity? I think we know, but that is kind of vague really. 4) @3 I'm not associated with the department, I just looked at the prior ads e.g. the organismal bio job on line 1135 and the integrative bio one on last year's list. In response (I am affiliated with the marine science program at St. Mary's College of Maryland) The marine science department is new, first recruited class started FA22, Fall 23 we are looking at more than doubling enrollment. We are increasing faculty & resources to keep up with increasing enrollment. Marine Science has only had one search. It was successful. More info about staffing is on our website. All the statements about previous cluster hires and other organismal and integrative bio hires is not from the marine science deparment. Those were in the biology department which does not oversee the marine science program. Diversity is broadly defined at SMCM, hence the perceived vagueness in advertisement. 5) Any updates as of 10/26? x2 6.) NOTHING as of 10/30 x3 7.) Can SC chime in here? 8) STILL nothing 11/4 x2 9) Has anyone heard back from this? 10) Nope as of 11/6 x4 11) STILL NOTHING 11/9 X3 12) Is this search still happening? No updates from me as of 11/22 x2 13) Nor me as of 11/27 x2 14) This is making me feel better about the other 10/1 deadline job I applied to and haven't heard anything from 15) I emailed the search chair about 2 weeks ago and received a reply that the committee was in the middle of reviewing applications 16) Nothing as of 11/28 x2 17) STILL NOTHING as of 12/3 x3 18) 12/08 and no updates. x2 19) Invitation for Zoom interview 12/13 x3 20) Have any finalists been notified? 1/4 21) What happened to this one? Did they invite any finalists to on-campus interviews? 2/23 22.) 3 on campus finalists from end Jan to last week (today is 2/23) - I was one. Dept met to discuss candidates on tuesday. Haven't heard more. | 7 | |
951 | 5/24/2023 9:57:14 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Multiomics | 8/1/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LSU/job/0229B-Animal--Food-Science-Laboratory/Assistant-Associate-Professor--School-of-Animal-Sciences-_R00072265?Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03ed2adb83abd3b&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03fe8372c16be53&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03e9103890abcfc&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03fa8fe7ecdbe13&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03c558ab5c0bac4&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03ea5230b41bd10 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 7/20/23 6:46 | Animal science; typically livestock 2) link is broken | ||
952 | 5/24/2023 9:51:53 | LSU AgCenter | Louisiana | Entomology | 7/31/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LSU/job/Macon-Ridge-Mrrs-Office/Assistant-Associate-Professor--Field-Crops-Entomologist-_R00081161-1?Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03ed2adb83abd3b&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03fe8372c16be53&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03e9103890abcfc&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03fa8fe7ecdbe13&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03c558ab5c0bac4&Job_Profiles=7a9995fc77aa101fe03ea5230b41bd10 | Asst / Assoc Prof | Tenure Stream | 10/26/23 6:35 | |||
953 | 5/23/2023 12:43:26 | University of St Andrews | United Kingdom | Ecological Statistics | 8/3/2023 | tinyurl.com/28j64n4s | Lecturer | Tenure Stream | 5/26/23 8:13 | Closing date fixed. -AFP | 1 | |
954 | 5/22/2023 11:00:10 | University of California Santa Barbara | California | Freshwater Ecology | 8/28/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02491 | Asst Prof | Tenure Stream | 5/8/24 9:12 | 2024 Here we come!! Good Luck everyone! (Again) 2) UCSB had a similar position 3.5 years ago but it looks like no freshwater person in the department. Was that never filled or did that hire leave? x2 3) letters must be requested by the due date 4) I would've thought there'd be better salary support in such a high COL area 5) Based on other recent hires in UC system I know, I expect its in the mid to high end of that range for EEB hires. See the line about "off-scale salaries" 5) dept member here, @2 that search failed, an offer was made but the person went elsewhere, so we are re-running the search. @5, I can confirm that salaries for those recently hired are very much on the upper end of the quoted range. 6) how soon after review date would you prefer letters turned in? 7) @6 Search committee member here - ASAP on the letters please, 8) any news? x4 9) WE WANT NEWS x5 10) it's been over six weeks, so I'm guessing they already conducted or at least sent out requests form Zoom interviews? 10) @9 not me. 11) I wouldn't count this out if no one here has reported an update. UCSB is on quarter system, so they're only just started the academic year and I've seen searches take over two months after deadline for a first update x2 12) I'm not on the SC but am in this dept and no, no invites (zoom or otherwise) have been sent out. @11 is right that the quater just started, and we have a somewhat lengthy process with getting interviewees approved before we can send invites. 13) Thanks for that info! Any idea of the timeline here? x7 14) Heard about folks recieving interview requests x2 15) How did you hear about the interviews? 16) Same question - has anyone here actually gotten an interview invite? I heard from folks at UCSB just a few days ago that the search was going very slowly 17) not me x6 18) I wonder why it has gone so slowly 19) invterview invitation received week of the 13th x2 20) no zoom interview? 21) nope, no zooms x2, 22) any news? 23) an offer has been made 24) Congrats to whoever got the offer! UCSB should probably take the rest of the applicants off their fundraising email list 24) I received that too. Stay classy UCSB | 11 | |
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1 | • Use this sheet for fixed-term faculty jobs. • Use Add Job link to add a job. Add info on search status to Notes. +1 Number Applied if you've applied. Use column L to flag anything that requires moderator attention (leave an explanation why in Notes). • No unsupported attacks on individuals or departments allowed. Comments can not be deleted. • Use the Notes column to discuss the specific position listed. Put more-general discussion (living in state X, etc.) on the General Discussion tab. • To sort, use Data > Filter Views. • Respect privacy: Do not include names of short-listed candidates or supposed "inside candidates". Give names of successful candidates only after their acceptance of a position has been made public. • Feel free to highlight research areas under Notes, but don't just copy-paste the entire job ad. • 2022-23 site open for updates. | ||||||||||
2 | Timestamp | Institution | Location | Subject Area | Review Date | URL | Rank | Last Update | Notes | Number Applied | Mod Flag |
3 | 7/3/24 6:37 | Southern Connecticut State University | Connecticut | General Bio, Anatomy & Physiology, Botany | 7/5/24 | Instructor | 7/3/2024 | Review begins July 5th but applications will be considered until positions are filled. Multiple lecturer positions available. | |||
4 | 6/19/24 5:49 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Developmental Biology (two year) | 6/21/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 7/3/2024 | ||||
5 | 6/19/24 5:48 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Neuro / Cell Biology (two year) | 6/21/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
6 | 6/17/24 12:20 | Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | Physiology | 6/24/24 | Instructor | 7/12/2024 | ||||
7 | 6/14/24 13:07 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Anatomy/Biology | 7/14/24 | Instructor | |||||
8 | 6/14/24 3:46 | University of Bangor | United Kingdom | Conservation Science | 7/4/24 | Lecturer (maternity leave cover) | |||||
9 | 6/10/24 12:28 | Williams College | Massachusetts | Ecology/Evolution | 7/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 8/11/2024 | They don't mention anything about this being renewable, but want someone who can do undergraduate research projects? 1) Did they ever fill their open Ecology position? 2) yes I would wonder about question from (1) -this listing appears to be someone filling the role of the permanent position including having preferred postdoc experience x2 1) Yeah, "preferred postdoc experience" for a VAP is very odd 3) And the seeming expectation that you'll be doing research with undergrads, given that it's only a 1-year position. 4) Yeah, is this the type of VAP that supposedly puts you on the inside track to the eventual tenure line? 5) The answer to Q#4 is super school specific - many schools strongly prefer not to hire VAP permanently (which was my personal experience). These kinds of positions can be great springboards to a TT position elsewhere though. 6) This is definitely a strange ad. A lot of it reads like typical TT SLAC job ad (with the heavy emphasis on involving undergrads in research and the preference for postdoc experience), but it's a 1-year VAP? Are they actually expecting people to establish a "dynamic research program" and involve undergrads within that span? While also teaching? 7) Also really curious to know the fate of their September search. It'd be a shame if it had failed. 8) Can confirm, the fall 2023 Ecology position was a failed search. 2) is the expectation that this VAP may fill the TT position in future? 9) @2... isn't that always the question!! 1) Lol for this ad I'd say it better be inside track for the TT position. If not it's just "postdoc experience preferred for a position more demanding and more precarious than most postdocs" 2) I guess the question for me here is going to be whether they are forward about it during interviews 10) Every VAP is exactly that though... you get "a position more demanding and more precarious than most postdocs", while simultaneously being a cheaper disposable option while filling the university's need for a permanent position. As a former VAP - can confirm, it is predatory. I taught more classes, with more students than any of the TT faculty for $25-50k less. We DO NOT NEED more training y'all, I have a terminal degree and two postdocs already. Anyway - this discussion should either stop, or get shuffled to "venting"/"general discussion" 11) anyone heard back from this? 12) Zoom interview invite 7/4 | 3 | ||
10 | 5/21/24 12:47 | University of Tampa | Florida | Marine Biology | 5/21/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 5/29/2024 | ABD considered, review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. | |||
11 | 5/14/24 6:08 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Wisconsin | Wildlife | 5/29/24 | Lecturer | 1 | ||||
12 | 5/10/24 6:40 | University of Louisville | Kentucky | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | 5/10/24 | Assistant Professor - Term | 5/17/2024 | The Biology Department at the University of Louisville invites applications for a full-time, Assistant Professor Term position beginning August 2024. Applicants must have a doctoral degree in biology or a related field at the time of hire. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a commitment to teaching excellence and use of student-centered approaches to teaching science at the college level in the classroom and laboratory. Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to teach sections of our core and supporting courses potentially including but not limited to Ecology and Introductory Biology (for majors and/or for non-science majors). This is a one-year position with potential for renewal, depending on successful job performance and availability of funds. Applicants must apply online through the online application process (HigherEdJobs #R103984 or https://tinyurl.com/3w8e2py2) and submit the following documents: 1) a cover letter 2) teaching statement 3) curriculum vitae; 4) sample of teaching evaluations if available; and 5) contact information (including email addresses and phone numbers) for three references. Expected Start date: August 1, 2024 Review of applications is ongoing and will continue until the position is filled. Faculty member here - I really love our dept and Louisville is a fun city to live in. Still affordable and a bit of a hidden gem. 1) this shouldn't have the full description in it, and isnt it a permanent position 2) It's in the fixed-term tab... 3) but its equivalent to jobs that are full-time lecturers and get reappointed every year or 2 years. This job posting is no different. | |||
13 | 5/9/24 9:21 | Ursinus College | Pennsylvania | Cellular Physiology | 5/9/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 5/19/2024 | 1) this says the review date was 5/9 but it is still open and applications will be reviewed immediately! | |||
14 | 5/2/24 9:02 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | Ichthyology | 5/9/24 | Instructor | 5/9/2024 | 1) at all related to the search that failed (?) for curator at INHS on the main page? 2) unrelated to the curator search but an internal candidate is already identified for this posting 1) seems to be a trend at this place | |||
15 | 4/28/24 4:16 | Western New Mexico University | New Mexico | Wildland Fire Science | Asst Professor "Limited Term" | 4/28/2024 | "Plan, develop, and implement course curricula for the new wildland fire science program including instruction of field-based courses in fire science, wildland fire management, and/or policy." | ||||
16 | 4/27/24 2:46 | University of South Dakota | South Dakota | Biology | 5/3/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
17 | 4/12/24 13:21 | University of Sheffield | United Kingdom | Zoology | 4/4/24 | Research Fellow | 7/2/2024 | 3 year fellow; 1) Rejection 4/23 X2 | 3 | ||
18 | 4/4/24 15:03 | Reed College | Oregon | Animal Behavior | 4/12/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 4/5/2024 | I've been a VAP and PD at Reed, it is a high quality PUI. You would have a lab to conduct research out of while mentoring undergraduates through a senior thesis. This post is to hold for someone that has a cichlid fishroom, though the committee isn't looking for a fish person specifically. 1) question for SC: would the department support visas for out-of-country applicants? | 2 | ||
19 | 4/1/24 17:28 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Developmental Biology | 4/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 6/19/2024 | Still reviewing applications (4/16)! - updated to a two year position! (6/9) | |||
20 | 4/1/24 17:27 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Neurobiology / Cell Biology | 4/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 6/19/2024 | Still reviewing applications (4/16)! - Updated to a two year position! (6/19) | |||
21 | 4/1/24 17:26 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | Molecular Biology | 4/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | Still reviewing applications (4/16)! | ||||
22 | 3/28/24 10:51 | Cal Poly Humboldt | California | Conservation Biology / Wildlife Biology | 4/1/24 | Instructor | 4/10/2024 | Due date extended to May 1. Also according to ECOLOG, there are up to 2 positions available, and "Depending on satisfactory performance evaluation, available funding, and programmatic need we anticipate renewing this position for the foreseeable future (in fact, we count on that, but I can't say it so directly!)", and "pay will be at least 15% higher than listed on the website because of our recent successful labor action." | 1 | ||
23 | 3/27/24 10:12 | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | New York | Biology | 4/26/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/28/2024 | SC: Candidates from any area in biology will be considered. We have particular needs in cell biology, neurobiology, and behavior. 1) The position asks for a research statement - does it include time/space/funds for mentoring students in research? SC: Space and modest funds are available if mentoring students in research (e.g., independent study) is of interest, but it isn't an expectation of the position. | |||
24 | 3/26/24 14:46 | California Ocean Science Trust | California | Ocean & Coastal Ecosystem Health | 4/2/24 | Senior Science Fellow | |||||
25 | 3/18/24 16:27 | National Zoo/Smithsonian | District of Columbia | Bioinformatics/CompBio | 4/26/24 | multi-year bioinformatician | 3/18/2024 | Open to US Citizens and Permanent Residents | 2 | ||
26 | 3/14/24 9:49 | California Department of Fish and Wildlife | California | eDNA | 4/2/24 | Senior Environmental Scientist- Term | 3/14/2024 | Join our interdisciplinary team and lead the development of an eDNA module, which will be implemented as part of our long-term monitoring program assessing aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity throughout California! This position can be viewed akin to a postdoc or as a foot in the door with governmental work. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate the utility of eDNA monitoring by building something from the ground-up, to form relationships within CA Fish and Wildlife and our many partners, and to understand how to successfully collaborate with a state agency. Specifically, this position will be responsible for developing protocols that use eDNA metabarcoding approaches for the detection of terrestrial and aquatic species, designing genetic data management infrastructure, and synthesizing metrics of biodiversity to assess watershed health and help implement conservation restoration measures. This position will involve dynamic, expanding responsibilities in the areas of regulations, monitoring, applied science, and conservation. Candidates with a PhD or MS and sufficient experience to meet the qualifications for a Senior Environmental Scientist are encouraged to apply. Please note, you have to take an 'exam' to qualify for this position. It is not an actual exam, it is just transcribing your CV and academic transcripts. 1) also if you read the position description it indicates the 12 month term position could be extended to 24 months or become permanent. | |||
27 | 3/10/24 14:03 | Pepperdine University | California | Zoology and Physiology | 3/29/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/11/2024 | SC seeking colleague who can teach VERTEBRATE Physiology (advanced) and Zoology (intro) courses. (1) Wasn't this university a plot point in the Sopranos | |||
28 | 3/8/24 8:47 | Wellesley College | Massachusetts | Ecology | Visiting Asst Prof | 5/29/2024 | Review is ongoing. I am not on the SC but do work in the wellesley bio dept as a visitor right now and am happy to answer Qs. The job ad is vague but they are definitely looking for a full time visitor to teach ecology, ecosystem ecology, and intro bio. 1) how likely do you think renewal for this position is? Are they really hiring three positions? OP: Yes they are hiring three visitors, ecologist is full time. The dept is definitely doing a full search for a TT ecologist next year so the only way the ecologist will be reapppointed is through the TT position. Wellesley sometimes hires internally during searches 2) I have a friend in the area who would be interested in this type of position, though he's a single man - would a single male applicant be viewed negatively/with suspicion at a women's college? 3) @2... obviously not. x2 4) did someone accept this position? OP: Position has been filled | ||||
29 | 3/7/24 11:22 | Cornell University | New York | Lecturer in Ethics in Life Sciences | 3/31/24 | Lecturer | 3/7/2024 | While not stating ecology or evolution in the job ad, this position will teach a class which crosses ethics in disciplines across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ecology and Evolution is one of these departments. Further, this position will be hosted by the Department of Microbiology (which includes microbial ecology!). 3 years renewable, full time. | |||
30 | 3/7/24 11:08 | Ithaca College | New York | Evolution and Ecology | Instructor | 3/14/2024 | one-year, full-time Instructor in Evolution and Ecology 1) any option for renewal? | ||||
31 | 3/6/24 5:41 | Colgate University | New York | Microbiology | 3/8/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/6/2024 | This is a great place to work! | |||
32 | 3/5/24 17:17 | Duke University | North Carolina | Marine Science | 4/1/24 | Visiting Scholar | 3/5/2024 | repeat of two lines below... | |||
33 | 3/5/24 16:10 | Northern Michigan University | Michigan | Controlled Environment Agriculture | 3/28/24 | Instructor | |||||
34 | 3/5/24 10:21 | Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | Ecology | 3/18/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/25/2024 | SC here. Review of applications will begin at the beginning of next week, and I'm happy to answer any questions. 1) Hi! Just a clarification. "Next week" as in March 25th-29th? Not sure when the comment was posted. 2) @1, review is happening THIS week (Week of March 25). Please get your applications in ASAP. Letters are automatically requested. Thanks! | |||
35 | 3/4/24 10:02 | Duke University Marine Lab | North Carolina | across the spectrum of Marine Science and Conservation, including, but not limited to, marine ecology, marine climate change, restoration ecology, coastal and ocean engineering, and those applying data analytics or other quantitative approaches to marine sciences | 4/1/24 | Mary Derrickson McCurdy Visiting Scholar | 7/11/2024 | This position is designed for early career researchers and presents an opportunity for an interdisciplinary, immersive, and highly collegial experience with 'lab-life' 1) How long is this position for? 2) In the past it's been an initial 9-month academic year term with the possibility of extension to 1 year or 2 years. If my memory is correct, I believe the last person to hold this position actually got it extended again and was there for 2.5 years. I was a PhD student here so that's where my info comes from. Strange that they don't put the term in the ad! {Search chair here: yes, the initial appointment is 1 year, with the strong possibility of renewal). 3) is this strictly at the marine lab? Or is there potential for field work at marine lab and residence in Durham? 4) Anyone heard back yet about this position? 5) Nothing here as of 05/24 6) Still nothing as of 7/11...so assuming its a no! | |||
36 | 3/3/24 10:45 | UC Davis | California | Entomology/Nematology | 4/5/24 | Lecturer | 3/4/2024 | Fixed-term is right! 2) woah, one quarter term? wild. | |||
37 | 2/27/24 11:12 | William & Mary | Virginia | Organismal Biology / Animal Behavior | 3/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/27/2024 | "We seek an individual with expertise in organismal biology and animal behavior who can teach a mid-level animal behavior course and an organismal biology course." | |||
38 | 2/26/24 11:26 | Barnard College | New York | Computational Biology | 3/1/24 | Term Assistant Professor | |||||
39 | 2/23/24 14:01 | fRI Research | Canada | Fisheries research | 4/15/24 | Fisheries Biologist | |||||
40 | 2/23/24 11:30 | Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame | Indiana | Anatomy and Physiology | 3/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
41 | 2/22/24 11:39 | Union College | New York | Human Anatomy and Physiology | 3/8/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
42 | 2/19/24 9:11 | Rhodes College | Tennessee | Biology | 3/14/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/19/2024 | "...teaching responsibilities will include upper-level courses in candidates' area of expertise and participation in the introductory biology laboratory that covers cellular, biochemical, and molecular biology topics." | |||
43 | 2/19/24 6:18 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Aquatic ecology, limnology | 3/15/24 | Faculty/Acadmeic staff | 2/19/2024 | SC here, we're on a tight deadline to fill this outreach/extension position. Great position for someone interested in outreach and extension with room for a little research and a little teaching. Great department! 1) sounds like a great position, can you say anything about whether there might eventually be opportunities beyond the one year? | |||
44 | 2/17/24 17:30 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Microbiology & Immunology | 3/13/24 | Lecturer | 2/17/2024 | 3-year oisutui | |||
45 | 2/15/24 12:22 | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | New York | Epidemiology | 3/11/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/27/2024 | "Teaching responsibilities will include an epidemiology course for our interdisciplinary program in public health, an upper-level course in biology that aligns with the candidate’s specialty, and potentially an introductory biology course tailored for non-majors. We are especially interested in candidates whose epidemiological research intersects with neurobiology, behavior, or cell biology." 1) Geneva is a wonderful town - wish I was an epidemiologist. SC: This search was canceled. A new posting is up for any area of biology. | |||
46 | 2/7/24 8:27 | Vassar College | New York | Cell Biology/Genetics | 3/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/7/2024 | "The position carries a teaching load of 3 units in one semester and 2 units in the other" | |||
47 | 2/7/24 8:26 | Vassar College | New York | Intro Biology/Ecology | 3/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/7/2024 | "The position carries a teaching load of 3 units in one semester and 2 units in the other" | |||
48 | 2/1/24 20:29 | Grinnell College | Iowa | Biology | 3/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/1/2024 | The teaching load is five courses over two semesters, with lab sections counting as 1/2 course. Courses to be taught include one intermediate-level course—BIO 251 (Molecules, Cells, & Organisms) or BIO 252 (Organisms, Evolution, & Ecology)—and electives appropriate to the applicant’s expertise. | |||
49 | 1/31/24 12:29 | Lake Forest College | Illinois | Ecology, Behavior & Evolution | 2/29/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 4/25/2024 | 3:3 teaching load, labs count as a course. This is a sabattical replacement and open to any specialty, just needs to offer an upper level course with lab and one without (different semesters). Topic is open in the realm of EBE. 1) so no opportunity for permanent hire later? 2) Despite this board's obsession with "internal candidates" most VAPs are not direct pathways to hire x3 1) @2 chill--people just want permanent jobs and don't like taking adjunct positions that are a ton of work for little long-term benefit. Its not that deep. | |||
50 | 1/27/24 8:45 | Vanderbilt University | Tennessee | Climate Science | 2/9/24 | Assistant Professor of the Practice | 1/27/2024 | This is a 9-month, non-tenure-track faculty appointment with a 2:2 teaching load, 3-year renewable contract conditional upon performance, and opportunity for a 3-month research effort supported through individual or collaborative external grants. | |||
51 | 1/24/24 13:50 | Washington College | Maryland | Microbiology | 2/16/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/11/2024 | 1-year VAP, folks with an ecology or evolution focus are welcome to apply, but must be able to teach Microbiology 1) still reviewing applications until position is filled | |||
52 | 1/20/24 14:58 | Washington Department of Natural Resources | Washington | Vegetation ecology | 1/31/24 | Research ecologist | 1/20/2024 | 18-month project position with potential for conversion to permanent position | |||
53 | 1/17/24 10:52 | Kenyon College | Ohio | Microbiology (ecol, evol welcome) | 2/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 2/14/2024 | SC member here: We got started a little later than we wanted here, so if folks miss our deadline, please apply or at least reach out to the search chair to learn whether that still makes sense! This is a wonderful institution. Visitors in Biology at Kenyon have a strong track record of landing TT jobs, and there's a great culture of mentoring visitors and supporting research with students 1) When you say "Visitors in Biology at Kenyon have a strong track record of landing TT jobs," do you mean at Kenyon or at other institutions? SC member again: In my institutional memory, both, although visitors are often sabbatical replacements so there may not be a TT job on the immediate horizon (so success on the job market outside of Kenyon while/after visiting with us is far more common). | |||
54 | 1/17/24 10:51 | Kenyon College | Ohio | Integrative Biology | 2/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 1/17/2024 | SC member here: We got started a little later than we wanted here, so if folks miss our deadline, please apply or at least reach out to the search chair to learn whether that still makes sense! This is a wonderful institution. Visitors in Biology at Kenyon have a strong track record of landing TT jobs, and there's a great culture of mentoring visitors and supporting research with students | 2 | ||
55 | 1/15/24 2:26 | Finnish Museum of Natural History | Finland | Entomology | 1/23/24 | Curator | 1/15/2024 | four-year fixed-term position | 1 | ||
56 | 1/12/24 9:22 | University of Montana | Montana | Geography, forestry, ecology | 2/14/24 | Instructor | |||||
57 | 1/12/24 9:21 | Univeristy of Montana | Montana | environmental or natural resource social science | 2/14/24 | Instructor | |||||
58 | 1/12/24 9:20 | University of Montana | Montana | Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences | 2/14/24 | Instructor | |||||
59 | 1/2/24 8:47 | University of Delaware | Delaware | Wildlife Ecology | 2/15/24 | Instructor | |||||
60 | 12/29/23 8:46 | Kennesaw State University | Georgia | Biology | Lecturer | ||||||
61 | 12/21/23 5:10 | SUNY Geneseo | New York | Ecology | 1/1/24 | Lecturer | 2/6/2024 | 1) That salary, yikes...2) Ouch. Lower than almost every postdoc salary I've every seen. 3) No kidding, such a shame. The Finger Lakes region is beautiful, and cheap to live in too (ot so cheap that 50k is super-viable, but still). 3) lol SUNY striking hot again with the BS salary 4) also reference letters required up front :/ 5) zoom interview requested 1/17 5) Campus interview invite 2/6 | 2 | ||
62 | 12/19/23 9:12 | Bates College | Maine | Biology | 2/9/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 3/7/2024 | Bates College a private, highly selective, residential college in Lewiston, Maine is devoted to undergraduate study in the liberal arts. The Department of Biology invites applications for a one-year full time Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, beginning August 1, 2024. Ph.D. is required by the start date. The department is seeking an organismal biologist whose teaching and research center around terrestrial animals. Teaching responsibilities (5 courses) will include contributions to the biology and general education curriculum. Specific course offerings will depend on the candidate’s areas of expertise, but these courses will include a 100-level general education course, a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) course at the 100-level, and a skills-based course offered during our 3.5-week Short Term. To receive full consideration, candidates should submit their applications by February 9, 2024. 1) FWIW, I had a very positive experience a while back as a VAP in this department - treated as full colleague, given lab space and some small amount of research funding, paid full year salary (not just acad year) so I could work on research in June and July even though I was not teaching there in the fall. 2) any updates? | 3 | ||
63 | 12/12/23 11:32 | Union College | New York | Biological Sciences | 1/15/24 | Lecturer | 2/23/2024 | We invite applications for a full-time, Lecturer position (non-tenure track teaching faculty) in Biological Sciences, beginning Fall 2024. The position is renewable with a contract period of three years. After six years Lecturers can go up for promotion to Senior Lecturer with five-year contracts. The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Biology or a closely related field and the potential for excellence in undergraduate teaching. The candidate is expected to teach a first-year course w/lab (Cellular Foundations of Life) and coordinate the lab component of the course. The candidate will have the opportunity to teach upper-level classes for majors or general education classes for non-majors. Preference will be given to candidates whose expertise spans cellular and organismal biology and who can contribute to classes focused on the latter. We seek an individual who demonstrates a strong commitment to student-centered undergraduate education, including those with a professional interest in pedagogy. Service duties include working with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Although research is not an expectation of this position, the successful candidate will have the option to continue scholarly activity and will have access to College funds and a wide array of advanced instrumentation and facilities. 2) Why is this under Fixed-Term when it is advertised as a permanent job with a promotional track, albeit not tenure-based? 3) I submitted the ad to the permanent job category, but it got placed here. 4) Zoom interview on 3/14, indicated they are looking for someone long term, just not tenure track! No word on in campus yet. | |||
64 | 12/7/23 16:28 | Soka University of America | California | Environmental Studies/Science | 1/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 12/19/2023 | Potential applicants may want to read the notes on the Soka University faculty position listed over on the Permanent Jobs tab | |||
65 | 12/7/23 7:18 | Trinity College | Connecticut | Vertebrate Biology | 2/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 1 | ||||
66 | 12/5/23 9:38 | Eckerd College | Florida | Marine Invertebrate Biology | 2/1/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 1/16/2024 | Anyone have experience here? In practice what does the 3-1-3 teaching pattern look like. I'm less familiar with the SLAC teaching loads (assuming that's what this fits). Seems like a sweet if short job for the right person that is passionate about inverts. | |||
67 | 11/17/23 6:53 | Piedmont University | Georgia | Lab Instructor | 12/8/23 | Instructor | 11/17/2023 | Start Date: January 1st | |||
68 | 11/16/23 19:26 | Dickinson College | Pennsylvania | Environmental Science | 1/15/24 | Visiting Asst Prof | 1/31/2024 | This is a position for one year initially with potential to extend to a second year (following teaching review). Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, aquatic ecology, climate science, and conservation. Interdisciplinarity is encouraged. 2) zoom interview request 1/31 | 3 | ||
69 | 11/7/23 12:57 | Oberlin College | Ohio | Organismal Biology | 12/1/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
70 | 11/3/23 19:00 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Ant Evolution | 11/29/23 | Asst Research Prof | 1/14/2024 | New position funded by benefactor with particular interest in topic. No internal candidate. Initial funding for 10 years 2) Eccentric rich people funding esoteric research? More of this please 3) This position seems borderline permanent, or at least moreso than some listed there (4) Agree should move to permanent. 'Asst' prof still needs tenure evaluation so this is even more 'permanent' than that. (5) AP Please move to permanent if possible (or ask me to and I'm happy to, just don't want duplicates). If morton arb. job can stay there this definitely should go there. (6) I wonder what ever happened to this search. | |||
71 | 10/24/23 1:29 | Bournemouth University | United Kingdom | Sustainability | 11/20/23 | Lecturer (similar to Visiting Assistant Prof) | 10/24/2023 | 12 month position. | |||
72 | 10/16/23 12:47 | Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | California | Environmental Planning | Instructor | ||||||
73 | 10/10/23 16:40 | Algoma University | Canada | Biology | 11/6/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | |||||
74 | 10/10/23 11:16 | Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | California | Geospatial Sciences | 9/6/24 | two-year full-time academic year lecturer | 10/10/2023 | 1) Dept member/SC member writing here: this position is likely to covert to a TT position. We are interested in finding people with a passion for both teaching and applied geospatial projects in natural resource conservation, ecosystem ecology, agroecology, etc. Support for developing/maintaining research program through lectureship position that includes undergrad and MS students. Please don't hesistate to reach out with inquiries. | |||
75 | 10/8/23 14:09 | Macalester College | Minnesota | Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences | 10/15/23 | Postdoc to TT program | 10/8/2023 | 1) Dept member/SC member, here - this is part of a cluster hire across the college via the Native and Indigenous (MNI) Initiative funded by a Mellon grant (info here) that aims to capitalize on the numerous Indigenous scholars on campus whose work involves Native and Indigenous perspectives. The postdoc position itself is a "teaching faculty" postdoc, with a reduced teaching load and substantial support for research and a very competitive salary. The provost office's aim is for the postdocs in this cluster hire to be mentored into successful tenure-stream targeted hires on campus. We are open to a very wide range of fields/specialties. Happy to answer Qs! | |||
76 | 10/2/23 9:25 | Warren Wilson College | North Carolina | Conservation Biology | 11/15/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 11/22/2023 | "Courses taught will include General Biology, Ecology, Introduction to Conservation Biology, Conservation Biology, and Topics in Conservation Biology seminars in the applicant’s area of specialty." 1) Zoom Interview Invite 11/22 | 1 | ||
77 | 10/1/23 15:28 | University of Canterbury | New Zealand | Antarctic Marine Ecology | 10/26/23 | Lecturer (5-year, fixed-term) | 10/3/2023 | This one is strange, I've never seen a fixed-term lecturer position in NZ. I would guess (purely from experience in the NZ system, no special knowledge) that there are reasonable odds of this turning into a permanent position. (2) Think it's teaching relief for a current faculty member who received a grant | |||
78 | 9/27/23 18:33 | East Carolina University | North Carolina | Field Botany/Ecology/Evolutionary Biology | 11/13/23 | Teaching Assistant Professor | 9/27/2023 | Teaching duties will include an introductory biology course in ecology, evolution and biodiversity and upper-level courses in field botany and plant biology. In addition, the person hired to the position will provide leadership in an established long-term research program for undergraduate education in plant ecology and an associated CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience). This is an exciting opportunity to get involved in field-based teaching and research with undergraduates. | |||
79 | 9/25/23 14:47 | Cal Poly Humboldt (aka Humboldt State) | California | Wildlife Biology | 10/15/23 | Lecturer A or Lecturer B depending on qualifications. | 9/25/2023 | There are two positions and the minimum qualifications are now only an MS or ABD required, PhD preferred. These are 1.5 year + full-time positions. | |||
80 | 9/21/23 16:35 | Middlebury College | Vermont | Genomics / Cell Biology / Genetics | 12/31/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 12/5/2023 | 1) This is a one semester position, it is open to anyone with relevant genomics/cell bio/molecular expertise, including those who do work with ecology/evolution questions 2) note that this is distinct from the posting below, which is a 3-year VAP with research 3) as of 12/5/2023 the link states the search has closed. | |||
81 | 9/6/23 15:41 | Union College | New York | Biology and Environmental Science | 9/29/23 | Visiting Asst Professor | 9/18/2023 | 1) This is an 18-month Visiting Assistant Professor position to teach Environmental Science and Introductory Biology, plus the potential to teach upper-level courses in Biology or our general education curriculum. Research activities in collaboration with undergraduate students are strongly encouraged, with laboratory space provided in addition to the opportunity to apply for College-funded research grants. 2) Did the TT search in this program fail last year? 3) Department Member here #2: No, it didn't. This is a separate position. If you considered applying for our TT Ecologist position last year, please apply for this opening. | |||
82 | 9/6/23 13:50 | Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | Open, but needs to teach Intro Labs | 9/22/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 11/16/2023 | 1) This is an 18-month VIsiting Assistant Professor Position to teach introductory biology labs and an upper-level course in the candidates area of expertise. 2) Any updates on this? The website says it's open until filled and it's still open so I don't know if that's a good sign or not for my applicant a few weeks ago. | 1 | ||
83 | 9/6/23 13:49 | Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | Neurobiology | 9/22/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 11/16/2023 | ||||
84 | 8/30/23 11:22 | Vassar College | New York | Biology | 9/15/23 | Instructor | 10/24/2023 | Any idea if this will be renewed for more than 1 year, or is this a hard stop? 1) It is a renewable position on a 3-year contract basis. The goal is to find someone that loves teaching and wants to stay long-term, ideally. Lecturers can also get promoted to Senior Lecturer after several years. 2) Thank you for clarifying #2! :) 3) Anyone heard anything? 4) Not yet 10/23 5) Zoom interview requested 10/24 | 1 | ||
85 | 8/30/23 7:51 | Juniata College | Pennsylvania | Wildlife and Environmental Science | administrative - faculty affiliation may be negotiable | 12/12/2023 | 1) Invited for zoom interview 10/11 1) Rejection Email 12/4 | 1 | |||
86 | 8/30/23 7:48 | Juniata College | Pennsylvania | Sustainability | treated as administrative - faculty affiliation may be negotiable | ||||||
87 | 8/28/23 8:57 | University of Richmond | Virginia | Organismal Biology / Evolutionary Biology | 9/30/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 11/9/2023 | One-year position, renewableup to 3 years. "Preference will be given to candidates who can teach comparative vertebrate anatomy at the advanced undergraduate level and who are able to teach the second course in our 200-level curriculum (BIOL 202: Integrated Principles in Biology II) focused on evolution, ecology, and organismal biology. We are especially interested in recruiting individuals who have an interest in broadening access and inclusivity in STEM disciplines, which aligns with the University’s strategic plan (https://strategicplan.richmond.edu/). Successful candidates will be committed to inclusive undergraduate teaching." Starting date can be as soon as January 2024. 1) Zoom interviews sent 2) Offered & Accepted | 2 | ||
88 | 8/4/23 8:26 | Middlebury College | Vermont | Cell Biology or Genetics / Genomics | 10/9/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 8/4/2023 | "three-year visiting appointment, will teach an introductory course in cell biology and genetics, a middle-level course in molecular genetics, electives in their area of expertise, and will contribute to the college-wide curriculum via occasionally teaching in Winter Term." 1) search committee can confirm that ecology/evolution related applicants who use these types of tools (e.g., genomics) are welcome to apply | |||
89 | 7/18/23 14:51 | Colgate University | New York | Human Anatomy & Physiology | 8/25/23 | Part-time Lecturer | 7/18/2023 | "The individual hired will teach one Human Anatomy and Physiology lecture, plus two labs in the Spring 2024 semester. Continuation of this position in future semesters is possible pending institutional need and evaluation of teaching effectiveness." | |||
90 | 7/17/23 8:51 | Colby College | Maine | Ecology/Evolutionary Biology | 7/26/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 7/24/2023 | Uff da, that is some quick turnaround. I suppose if you already live in the area it's not a bad option though. 2) Who lives in Maine? lol x2 3) I grew up in Maine, and I definitely recommend the area around Colby for living! Maine is great. But yeah, if you don't already live there it would be a super quick move. 4) Especially for one year! | |||
91 | 7/13/23 12:23 | Cal Poly Humboldt | California | Wildlife | 8/1/23 | Instructor | |||||
92 | 6/22/23 17:43 | William & Mary | Virginia | Organismal Biology/Ecology | 8/14/23 | Visiting Asst Prof | 7/15/2023 | 1.5 year VAP starting January 2024. Expertise in organismal biology, ecology, and biostatistics who can teach an upper-level conservation biology course and a biostatistics course. | |||
93 | 6/14/23 7:34 | Boston College | Massachusetts | Environmental Studies | 7/17/23 | Visting Asst Prof | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | • Use Add Job link to add a job. Add info on search status to Notes. Use column J to flag anything that requires moderator attention. • No personal attacks allowed. Comments can not be deleted. Flag offensive comments for moderator attention using column J. • Feel free to highlight research areas under Notes, but don't just copy-paste the entire job ad. | |||||||||
2 | Timestamp | Institution | Location | Subject Area | PI | Review Date | URL | Last Update | Notes | Mod Flag |
3 | 12/23/24 8:25 | Eckerd College | Florida | Marine Science (Botany or Phycology) | 2/1/2025 | https://eckerd.exacthire.com/All_Open_Jobs?jobs=[] | ||||
4 | 7/29/24 5:57 | Central State University | Ohio | Bee Behavioral Genetics, Genomics and Evolution | Hongmei Li-Byarlay | 8/2/2024 | https://careers.centralstate.edu/postings/7578 | 7/29/24 6:18 | can meet at the Evolution 2024 conf in Montreal july 29 or 30, email: hli-byarlay@centralstate.edu | |
5 | 7/16/24 13:21 | Smith College | Massachusetts | Plant-herbivore interactions and climate change | Mariana Abarca | 6/24/2024 | https://smithcollege.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/smithcollege/job/Smith-College/Postdoctoral-Researcher_R-202400290 | 7/17/24 19:13 | Deadline has passed but applications can still potentially be submitted. 1) cant find salary range or offer? | |
6 | 7/16/24 0:40 | Aarhus University | Denmark | Remote Sensing and Computational Ecology | Quentin Geissmann | 7/16/2024 | https://au.dk/om/stillinger/job/two-year-postdoc-extendable-in-ai-and-remote-sensing-to-monitor-earthworms-in-the-field | |||
7 | 7/15/24 14:15 | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Phylogenetics, population genetics, biodiversity, conservation | Dave Weisrock | 7/15/2024 | https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/535971 | 7/15/24 14:17 | Position is open until filled. Multiple projects are available to work on ranging from the genomics of hybridization in lemurs to conservation genomics of endangered salamanders. | |
8 | 7/12/24 9:52 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Wetland restoration and climate | Jen Owen | 7/10/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/519975/research-associatefixed-term | 8/19/24 7:41 | Position is open until filled. Multiple projects are available to work on ranging from the genomics of hybridization in lemurs to conservation genomics of endangered salamanders. | |
9 | 7/12/24 6:44 | University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability | Michigan | Agroecology and Biodiversity | 7/12/2024 | http://apply.interfolio.com/149411 | ||||
10 | 7/8/24 7:23 | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources | Canada | Terrestrial Ecology | Stephen Mayor | 7/18/2024 | https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=216247 | |||
11 | 7/7/24 16:39 | Columbia University | New York | Soil Ecology/ Environmental Data Science/ Remote Sensing | Dr. Yushu Xia | 7/22/2024 | https://academic.careers.columbia.edu/#!/140929 | 9/22/24 15:31 | 1 year initial, potential for extension, $70k starting, 2) well, $70k starting but also $70k final offer as per the link... "Salary Range $70,000 - $70,000", 3) The position is still open: https://xia-soil-systems-lab-columbia.squarespace.com/opportunities | |
12 | 7/3/24 8:13 | USFWS | New Mexico | eDNA, fish | Temporary Geneticist | 7/16/2024 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/798149500 | 7/21/24 22:40 | There is also a masters level position: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/798150100. ; Must be a U.S. Citizen or National | |
13 | 7/2/24 14:41 | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center / MarineGEO | Maryland | Coral Reef Ecology | Emmett Duffy | 7/23/2024 | https://trustcareers.si.edu/postings/043da0c0-79d4-4486-9d0c-5e916d6112f5 | |||
14 | 7/2/24 10:19 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Quantitative Wildlife Ecology | Meggan Craft | 7/2/2024 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/361827 | 7/2/24 10:25 | We are looking for a quantitative wildlife ecologist to join our team to estimate white-tailed deer density and group size using camera traps. We are excited about recruiting an individual with specific skills in wildlife density estimation using camera traps, spatial ecology and GIS, statistical inference, and/or machine learning. The task of the new team member will be to estimate white-tailed deer density, group size, and habitat selection based on deer radio collar data and a 100 camera trap grid in suburban park reserves. up to 2.5 year position; $62-65,000/yr. Goal: estimate white-tailed deer density and group size using camera traps. | |
15 | 7/2/24 7:04 | University of Kansas | Kansas | Population modeling | Daniel Reuman | 7/15/2024 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?PageType=JobDetails&partnerid=25752&siteid=5541&jobid=4962749#jobDetails=4962749_5541 | 7/2/24 7:26 | 3 years of funding; $58k-$62k | |
16 | 7/1/24 12:30 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin | Plant Ecophysiology | Al Kovaleski | 7/16/2024 | https://plantresilience.cals.wisc.edu/people/join-us/ | 7/2/24 6:19 | 2 year position, field work in winter so you can enjoy summers! | |
17 | 7/1/24 11:17 | West Virginia University | West Virginia | Forest ecophysiology | Justin Mathias | 7/31/2024 | https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/wvu_research/jobdetail.ftl?job=24661&tz=GMT-04%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York | 7/1/24 11:19 | 1 year initial, potential for extension, $62k starting. | |
18 | 6/28/24 10:09 | University of Bath | United Kingdom | microbiomes, microbial community ecology | Independent fellowship | 7/28/2024 | https://www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy.aspx?id=25618 | 6/28/24 10:13 | 2 open positions. 3 year fixed-term post but success will lead to a permanent position (so same post listed on permanent jobs sheet). Prize Fellows are eligible to apply for externally funded fellowships (and grants) and can supervise PhD students. | |
19 | 6/27/24 4:22 | CESAB (French Center for Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity) | France | Quantitative Ecology, Data synthesis, Conservation | Colin Fontaine (CNRS) / Reto Schmucki (UK CEH) | 8/1/2024 | https://fondationbiodiversite.fr/openpdf.php?pdf=https://www.fondationbiodiversite.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Offre_CMS_Dragon_VA | 6/27/24 23:52 | 2 years postdoc position, preferred location is Montpellier but could be in Paris if needed. (1) CESAB is an amazing place to work - highly recommend | |
20 | 6/26/24 7:49 | North Dakota State University | North Dakota | Evolutionary genetics | Sarah Signor | 8/1/2024 | https://www.signorlab.com/join-us.html | 6/26/24 7:49 | 3+ years of funding for a postdoc, mostly a computational position. Some experience with bioinformatics required. | |
21 | 6/26/24 4:22 | INRAE (Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment) | Europe (Other) | pathogen transmission, avian influenza, mechanistic modelling, disease ecology | Guillaume Fournié | 7/20/2024 | https://jobs.inrae.fr/en/ot-22192 | 6/26/24 8:06 | PhD position in France | |
22 | 6/25/24 10:56 | SPUN | California | Mycorrhizal Field Ecologist - North America | North America | 6/28/2024 | https://spun.bamboohr.com/careers/25 | 6/25/24 10:57 | 3 year position; we are looking for someone to start asap | |
23 | 6/25/24 10:54 | SPUN | South America | Mycorrhizal Field Ecologist - South America | South America | 6/28/2024 | https://spun.bamboohr.com/careers/26 | 6/25/24 10:57 | 3 year position; we are looking for someone to start asap | |
24 | 6/24/24 12:58 | Colorado State University | Colorado | Evolutionary Physiology | Kathryn Wilsterman | 7/1/2024 | https://www.weebly.com/editor/main.php#/ | 7/1/24 11:30 | potential for long-term support (5 years); computational/bioinformatics experience valuable 2) link not working @2 - use www.thewilstermanlab.com - thanks! | |
25 | 6/20/24 20:11 | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | New York | Migration biology / ornithology | Adriaan Dokter | 7/8/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27782 | 6/20/24 20:12 | 2 year position | |
26 | 6/20/24 15:38 | Appalachian Mountain Club | New Hampshire | Global Change Ecology | Dr. Jordon Tourville | 7/15/2024 | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=142894&clientkey=BBCC05572F3551CD7692FCADEA3B8414 | 7/15/24 17:05 | 2 year position, $55k, mix of remote and fieldwork. Research areas broadly in global change ecology and montane ecology. Looking for specializations in any of the following: forest, plant, soil, wildlife, landscape, community, or ecosystem ecology. Preferred someone with good quantitative and remote sensing skills. Review of applications to begin July 19th - need a cover letter, CV, and 2-page research statement. | |
27 | 6/17/24 8:18 | Utah State University | Utah | Quantitative/Spatial Ecology | Erica Stuber | 7/15/2024 | https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/7998/postdoctoral-fellow-ii/job | 6/17/24 8:20 | up to 2 years,$60-65k, remote considered. Research areas: multi-scale distribution modeling, spatial 'scales of effect' | |
28 | 6/14/24 10:34 | University of Victoria | Canada | Marine ecology / natural climate solutions | Julia Baum | 7/1/2024 | https://www.bluecarboncanada.ca/were-hiring | |||
29 | 6/13/24 14:58 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Evolution/Neuroscience | Soojin Yi | 5/28/2024 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02769 | 6/13/24 14:59 | Experience in single-cell genomic/epigenomic data is highly regarded, 3-5 reference contacts when applying | |
30 | 6/13/24 13:33 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Oceanography/Bio-Optics | Jason Graff | 7/15/2024 | https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/phytoplanktonecophysiologylab/opportunities-to-join-our-lab/ | |||
31 | 6/12/24 5:45 | Michigan State University | Other | Bioacoustics, computational biology | Grace Smith-Vidaurre | 7/15/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/519573/research-associatefixed-term | 6/12/24 5:47 | This is a remote-friendly position. Area of interest include modeling experiments to simulate social and signaling systems, as well as behavioral experiments in parrots and songbirds. The postdoctoral scholar will be encouraged to continue developing their independent research program. | |
32 | 6/11/24 14:04 | Princeton University | New Jersey | Developmental Biology/Vertebrate Morphology | Christopher Griffin | 6/11/2024 | https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/position/34961 | 6/11/24 14:05 | "The Griffin lab is broadly interested in the influence of development on the evolution of vertebrate form. The postdoctoral work will fit within this research focus, but the postdoctoral associate will have the freedom to develop their research in an independent direction." | |
33 | 6/10/24 15:04 | The University of British Columbia | Other | Ecology | Mary O'Connor and Julia Baum | 7/15/2024 | https://www.bluecarboncanada.ca/were-hiring | 7/9/24 16:48 | Blue carbon | |
34 | 6/10/24 8:07 | Vanderbilt University | Tennessee | Global change ecology | Lin Meng | https://forms.gle/n7C6AqEBs7xNx1jK8 | 6/10/24 8:07 | Specific areas of interest include: 1. Phenology changes and modeling; 2. Human Health & Environmental Justice; 3. Wildfire dynamics in tropical ecosystems; 4. Urban greenspace for climate adaptation. | ||
35 | 6/9/24 3:42 | U. California Santa Cruz | California | Conservation & Population Genomics | Malin Pinsky | 7/1/2024 | https://globalchange.sites.ucsc.edu/2024/05/30/postdoc-position-open-in-gcrg-temporal-population-genomics/ | |||
36 | 6/7/24 14:55 | Helmholtz Institute for One Health | Germany | Phage ecology and evolution | Dr. Jan Gogarten | 7/1/2024 | https://www.helmholtz-hioh.de/fileadmin/HIOH/Jobs/Stellenausschreibungen/081_2024_HIOH_EVCO_PD_final.pdf | 6/7/24 14:56 | 2 year position, potential for extension. Huge collection of wild non-human primate samples to explore. | |
37 | 6/7/24 13:34 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota | biogeography | Rachel Short | 7/1/2024 | https://rashort.weebly.com/people.html | |||
38 | 6/7/24 10:33 | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | Integrated nitrogen modeling | Xin Zhang | 6/20/2024 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1781 | |||
39 | 6/7/24 10:32 | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | Sustainable agricultural technologies | Xin Zhang | 6/25/2024 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1870 | |||
40 | 6/4/24 12:48 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Environmental Health | Courtney Carignan | 6/17/2024 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/518084/research-associatefixed-term | |||
41 | 6/3/24 7:14 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | Evolutionary Genomics | Caiti Smukowski Heil | 6/17/2024 | www.heillab.com | 6/3/24 7:16 | Current projects in the lab are focused on hybridization, recombination rate variation, and domestication using genetics, genomics, and experimental evolution in Saccharomyces yeast. The position could be tailored to the applicant’s interests and skill set within the realm of these topics. This position could be a split between experimental and computational work, or could be computational only. Experience with genomic data and a strong interest in evolutionary processes are required. Start date is flexible, but preferred start in summer/early fall 2024. Funding is for 2 years and follows the NIH postdoctoral fellow payscale. Please see www.heillab.com for more information about the Heil lab. | |
42 | 5/30/24 9:48 | Cornell | New York | Quantitative Ecology - Postdoctoral Associate - Bat Abundance Using Mobile Acoustics | Angela Fuller | 6/28/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27542 | |||
43 | 5/29/24 1:48 | University of Zurich/Eawag | Switzerland | Ecology and Biogeography of amphipods | Florian Altermatt | 6/26/2024 | https://apply.refline.ch/673277/1173/pub/1/index.html | 8/5/24 9:19 | (1) Only for fresh PhDs: "To qualify, applicants should currently be in the process of either completing their PhDs and/or have received their PhD after May 1, 2023." | |
44 | 5/28/24 13:57 | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Phylogenetic Comparative Methods, Macroevolution | Rosana Zenil-Ferguson | 6/12/2024 | https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/529948 | 6/6/24 4:33 | Will start reviews mid June. Preference to candidates interested in Tropical American Macroevolution, and have experience with comparative methods. Located in Lexington KY. ~$58K (and trying to stretch it a litte more) 2) can vouch, great PI | |
45 | 5/28/24 10:05 | SMU | Texas | Marine Microbiome | Alexander Chase | 6/22/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/146881 | 5/29/24 11:49 | biopharmaceutical potential of marine organisms, focusing on invertebrates (i.e., sponges and corals) and their host-associated microbiome. Specifically, this postdoc will work to establish links between biosynthetic potential of environmental samples to the production of marine natural products through the lens of chemical ecology | |
46 | 5/27/24 10:08 | University of Arizona | Arizona | Plant Ecology | Elise Gornish | 6/1/2024 | https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/19599?c=arizona | 5/27/24 10:10 | Postdoc (located either in Tucson, AZ or remote-ish) for one year to mostly work on analyzing and writing up data sets describing plant trait response to dryland management approaches. Some field work with assistance of graduate students and field techs in the fall is included in this position and there is built in time in the position to pursue interesting side projects. Basic requirements is a PhD in ecology or something similar, good analytical skills, ability to work in the field in temperatures that reach over 100 degrees and tolerance to terrible puns. Pay is 56k/year with benefits and the mentor is pretty laid back. Questions about this very general description? Email Elise Gornish (check out gornishlab.com to get a feel for the lab). | |
47 | 5/27/24 7:11 | University of Toronto - Scarborough | Canada | Soil microbiology | Terrence Bell | 6/30/2024 | https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/microbiomemanipulationlab/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2024/05/PostdocAd_letterhead_TerrenceBell_May2024.pdf | 8/2/24 10:03 | Position open until filled. Ideal start date is September 2024, but that is negotiable. 2) no salary/range given? with average rent of +2000 CAD in Toronto, salary should be listed. OP) Keep in mind that this is east Toronto, so not as $$ as downtown. Nowhere is cheap anymore...average rent in Ottawa is $2000+ and even Kingston, ON is average of $1500+! Starting salary is ~$55k, which can be increased if postdoc receives an internal or external award (e.g. https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/grad-edu/utsc-postdoctoral-fellowship-program) to cover some of their stipend cost. @AP Position has been reposted above with new review date...didn't think I could edit this one. | |
48 | 5/24/24 10:57 | University of South Dakota | South Dakota | Comparative Biomechanics & Thermal Effects of Chameleons Feeding | Christopher V. Anderson | 6/7/2024 | https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/39208 | 5/24/24 10:59 | One-year NSF-funded position with the possibility to extend for up to three-years, review of applications will begin June 7, 2024, and continue until a candidate is selected. | |
49 | 5/24/24 10:29 | SUNY-ESF/Hobart & William Smith Colleges | New York | Island restoration following invasive mammal eradication | James Gibbs/Brad Cosentino | 6/14/2024 | https://landscapemosaic.org/documents/postdocAd.pdf | 5/27/24 1:46 | So this is remote - how remote exactly? Would you have to be in the US? If so, would you still be able to acquire a visa to live in the US? | |
50 | 5/22/24 3:23 | University of Copenhagen Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate | Denmark | Dynamic goals in nature management | Jacob Heilmann-Clausen | 6/5/2024 | https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/?show=161640 | |||
51 | 5/21/24 12:50 | Botanical Research Institute of Texas | Texas | Plant Systematics | Morgan Gostel | 7/31/2024 | https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=100258&clientkey=6593A843A71D6AB648349B61C391D09E | |||
52 | 5/20/24 12:24 | University of South Florida | Florida | Ecology, Entomology, Agroecology | Estelí Jiménez-Soto | 6/10/2024 | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6404b499cd10dd208e69b97f/t/664ba0626daf41109938b079/1716232290363/POSTDOC+POSITION+Agroecology+lab+2024.pdf | 5/20/24 12:27 | One year position, 55K/year, research and travel allowance. | |
53 | 5/17/24 12:55 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Spectral Biology | Matthew Austin | 6/10/2024 | https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/mbg/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/3242 | 5/24/24 8:42 | Two year position. 1) I hear they're trying to make the hiring more transparent, but given the discipline you might still get ghosted ;) (2) LOL | |
54 | 5/16/24 16:04 | Texas Tech University | Texas | Bat Macroecology | Richard D. Stevens | 6/1/2024 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25898&siteid=5635#jobDetails=864148_5635 | 5/17/24 21:26 | The Stevens Lab in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University is searching for a postdoctoral research scientist to investigate the macroecology of bats. Initially the postdoc will be tasked with creating species distribution models for the bats of North America and these models will be used as the basis to address a number of macroecological questions addressed with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. There will be ample opportunity for the postdoc to address their own interesting questions within this collaboration. More generally, the responsibilities of the postdoc will be to analyze large spatial and/or temporal datasets and to write manuscripts and proposals. The position will begin 1 August 2024, or earlier if more convenient, and is a 12-month, full time, fixed term position with reappointment contingent on satisfactory performance. Funding for the position is available for two years with additional years obtained through grants. | |
55 | 5/16/24 15:47 | Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute | Oregon | Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology | Joshua Stewart | 6/15/2024 | https://www.oceanecologylab.org/news/open-postdoctoral-scholar-position-the-role-of-marine-mammals-and-seabirds-in-shaping-the-early-life-history-of-salmon | 5/16/24 15:48 | $61k per year for up to 2.5yr | |
56 | 5/16/24 7:04 | German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) / Leipzig University | Germany | Ecosystem Mapping, Geocomputation, Modelling, Data uncertainty, Machine Learning, Remote Sensing | Carsten Meyer | 6/13/2023 | https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/university/working-at-leipzig-university/job-opportunities/detailed-view-job-description/artikel/postdoctoral-researcher-m-f-d-2024-05-07 | 6/3/24 5:37 | The application deadline is 13 June at 23:59 CEST. Online interviews of short-listed candidates will be on Friday 28 June and in the following week (1-5 July). There is a preference to the position to start on 1 September, as the funder requires the larger project to start on that date and there will be a project kick-off workshop with the wider consortium on 3-4 September. 1) is the position from 2023 or 2024? THe website says 2024 so the Review Date may be an error. 2) The position is for Sep. 2024! 3) I would only apply for this position with a lot of prior information. The supervisor does not have the best track record in project management. If you want to apply, talk to former employees or people at iDiv about it. | |
57 | 5/15/24 0:54 | University of Helsinki - Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences | Finland | Soil Macroecology and Global Change | Helen Phillips | 6/7/2024 | https://jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki-Postdoctoral-Researcher-in-Soil-Macroecology-and-Global-Change/794413602/ | Two year position. 1) I hear they're trying to make the hiring more transparent, but given the discipline you might still get ghosted ;) (2) LOL | ||
58 | 5/14/24 5:38 | University of Trieste - Department of Life Sciences - Italy | Europe (Other) | Ecotoxicological effects of airborne 2D-nanomaterials on the plant-pollinator system | Dr. Fabio Candotto Carniel | 5/22/2024 | https://web.units.it/node/51488/assegno/pub | |||
59 | 5/14/24 5:05 | Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) | Asia (Other) | Soil/invertebrate ecology | Weng Ngai Lam | 5/1/2024 | https://ntu.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Research-Fellow--Forest---Urban-Ecology-_R00016929-1 | 5/14/24 5:10 | Position open until filled. 3 year contract. | |
60 | 5/13/24 10:52 | University of Toronto Scarborough | Canada | Bioinformatics/RNA sequencing | Ina Anreiter | 6/12/2024 | https://utoronto-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/ina_anreiter_utoronto_ca/EZ4DEDfgS8FMiOfkiAd1jfcBrlxJj25hx7anDW-PH540Ig?e=BLXiEq | 5/15/24 5:54 | Im confused by the pay - is it 60k per year or is it 71k per year? I've not heard of 500 Prof. Development Funds before and I thought benefits was included in base salaries so this sounds like extra pay for benefits? Here is an updated link : https://utoronto-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ina_anreiter_utoronto_ca/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fina%5Fanreiter%5Futoronto%5Fca%2FDocuments%2FPDF%5FONT%5FRNAseq%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fina%5Fanreiter%5Futoronto%5Fca%2FDocuments&ga=1 OP) link does not work 1) the URL does not work here or in the URL cell. 1) Here is another link that works: https://bioinformatics.ca/jobs/post-doctoral-opportunity-in-ont-rnaseq-bioinformatics/ | |
61 | 5/8/24 13:43 | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | New York | Avian Life History Data | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27488 | 5/14/24 19:57 | Position open until filled. 1) I don't see "open until filled" mentioned in the Cornell link or in the other places I've seen this position advertised. Any insights? | |||
62 | 5/7/24 10:28 | Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies | New York | Forest and fire modeling | Winslow Hansen | 5/7/2024 | https://www.caryinstitute.org/about/careers-cary?bzid=4bc395560247 | 5/7/24 10:31 | 1) Review will begin immediately. Position open until filled. Start date is 10/15/2024 at the latest. Hybrid or remote work will be considered for the right candidate. | |
63 | 5/6/24 9:02 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Ecological modeling, plant-soil feedbacks, coexistence, individual-based modeling | Anny Chung | 5/31/2024 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/371146 | 5/6/24 9:04 | 1) 5/31 is first round of candidate review. Position open until filled. | |
64 | 5/3/24 12:38 | Purdue University | Indiana | phenology/ecology | Dan Park | 5/10/2024 | https://www.bio.purdue.edu/lab/park/news.html#postdoc_ad | 5/7/24 16:18 | Position open until filled. 1) This has been advertised multiple times, right? 2) They are looking to hire one more postdoc, more phenology focused. | |
65 | 5/2/24 6:29 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | Evolutionary Genomics/Weed Science | Acer VanWallendael | 5/21/2024 | https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/200949 | |||
66 | 5/2/24 5:13 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Tennessee | Mycology/ Plant Pathology | Tomas Allen Rush | 5/23/2024 | https://jobs.ornl.gov/job/Oak-Ridge-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate-Fungal-Systems-Biology-TN-37830/1160254900/ | |||
67 | 5/2/24 1:38 | Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences | Europe (Other) | Hybridization as an evolutionary process which reinforces the adaptive potential of tree species in the face of climate changes | Katarzyna Sękiewicz | 5/12/2024 | https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/214637 | 5/4/24 3:49 | Poland not "Europe Other" 2) can't believe this is an actual category? 3) The strong US bias is occasionally quite annoying 1) I agree Poland is a pretty importat EU country with some great researchers based there... | |
68 | 5/2/24 0:41 | Senckenberg | Germany | Comparative Genomics | Michael Hiller | 6/7/2024 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/Jobs//Senckenberg_Frankfurt.ComparativeGenomicsBats | 5/9/24 12:36 | Michael is really nice. I second this, amazing opportunity and super cool research. | |
69 | 5/1/24 9:42 | University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | Fisheries Acoustic Science and Machine Learning | Carrie Wall | 5/31/2024 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Postdoctoral-Associate/52807 | |||
70 | 5/1/24 9:23 | University of Florida | Florida | Computational/Quantitative Ecology | Miguel Acevedo/Rob Fletcher | 5/20/2024 | https://maacevedo.github.io/post/24_04_30_quant_ecol_postdoc/ | |||
71 | 4/30/24 11:47 | The University of Kansas | Kansas | Evolutionary genomics | Katya Mack | 5/15/2024 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?PageType=JobDetails&partnerid=25752&siteid=5541&jobid=4932650#jobDetails=4932650_5541 | 5/8/24 10:12 | Position is open until filled. | |
72 | 4/29/24 14:56 | USDA-ARS | New Mexico | Improving and applying rangeland NPP models | Sarah McCord | https://jornada.nmsu.edu/jobs | 4/29/24 14:57 | 1) GS 11 position, US citizens only. | ||
73 | 4/29/24 14:50 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Comparative genomics | Independent, transitioning into a tenure-track position | 5/17/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/144623 | |||
74 | 4/29/24 12:05 | Cal Poly Pomona | California | Restoration Ecology | Erin Questad | 5/17/2024 | https://www.cpp.edu/faculty/ejquestad/postdoc-ad.shtml | |||
75 | 4/29/24 11:06 | University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | Fisheries Acoustic Science and Machine Learning | Carrie Wall | 4/29/2024 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Postdoctoral-Associate/52807 | |||
76 | 4/29/24 4:03 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Behavioral/sensory ecology | Robert Heathcote | 5/31/2024 | https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DHJ328/postdoctoral-research-associate | 6/3/24 11:01 | 1) How many applicants? | |
77 | 4/26/24 12:16 | USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station | New Mexico | Riparian Ecology | Katelyn Driscoll | 5/31/2024 | https://www.btfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PostdoctoralAssociate_JobAnnouncement.pdf | |||
78 | 4/26/24 6:16 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Animal behavior | 5/31/2024 | https://my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form | 5/2/24 20:38 | Dead link 2) Think this is correct? https://my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form?p_recruitment_id=172390&p_display_in_irish=N&p_company=10&p_internal_external=E&p_applicant_no=&p_process_type=&p_refresh_search=Y&p_form_profile_detail=&p_display_apply_ind=Y | ||
79 | 4/25/24 11:21 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Massachusetts | Quantitative Ecology | Malcolm Itter | 6/17/2024 | https://www.mitter-forestecology.com/lab-opportunities.html | 5/6/24 7:04 | See full posting linked in URL. 72k/yr for 1-2 years. Bayesian modeling of future U.S. plant communities. | |
80 | 4/24/24 11:35 | Hourglass Climate, Inc. | Other | Ecotoxicology - Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement | Grace Andrews | https://drive.google.com/file/d/183jU5m742FWuxAGoLXzxw4hGqwUfx4tO/view?usp=sharing | 7/24/24 11:01 | Remote position, 2 yr term. US citizenship or Permanent residency required | ||
81 | 4/20/24 7:41 | Boston University | Massachusetts | Biology/Education | 3/29/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27418 | 4/22/24 12:58 | |||
82 | 4/19/24 23:58 | Shenzhen University | Asia (Other) | Viromics | Zhichao Zhou | 5/1/2024 | https://www.x-mol.com/groups/viromics/positions/60224 | |||
83 | 4/19/24 6:17 | Trent | Canada | Conservation Genomics | Dr. Paul Wilson (Trent University) and Dr. Micheline Manseau (Environment & Climate Change Canada) | 5/17/2024 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/PostDocs//TrentU.CaribouConservationGenomics | 5/4/24 14:11 | ||
84 | 4/18/24 10:56 | USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)/Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) | Minnesota | Forest carbon, GIS/remote sensing, harvested wood products, land use change, forest inventory and analysis | Grant Domke, Jon Knott | 5/1/2024 | https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/nrs/programs/fia | 5/6/24 15:20 | The FIA program is responsible for compiling estimates of the land base along with estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals for the forest land category, woodlands, and harvested wood products in the U.S. each year as part of the National Inventory Document submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The postgraduate research associate positions will serve within a team tasked with developing annual GHG inventories based on extensive forest inventories, models, and remotely-sensed information. The incumbents primary responsibilities will be to formulate and conduct research to estimate the land base and carbon stocks and stock changes – using national forest inventory and auxiliary information (e.g., remotely sensed products, climate data, trait data) – for forest ecosystems and harvested wood products in the U.S. Please reach out to Grant Domke (grant.m.domke@usda.gov) or Jon Knott (jonathan.knott@usda.gov) for complete listing (job ad not publicly listed) | |
85 | 4/17/24 14:11 | UCLA | California | Quantitative Ecology | Chuliang Song | https://www.clsong.com/#join | ||||
86 | 4/17/24 11:50 | University of Wyoming | Wyoming | Ecology/limnology | Collins, Fetzer, Walters | 6/9/2024 | https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/240878/?utm_medium=jobshare | 4/24/24 20:48 | This position is part of a large, interdisciplinary NSF EPSCoR project about water and climate change in Wyoming. Feel free to contact any of us if you need more information! 65k salary, you get included in our excellent retirement plan as a postdoc, ideal start date in the fall, funding for up to 3 years | |
87 | 4/17/24 10:50 | University of Wyoming | Wyoming | Collective behavior, salmon, machine learning | Ben Koger | 5/14/2024 | https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/240906?keyword=Koger&mode=location | 4/29/24 6:41 | $65k for 2 years. Can be interested in focusing on the ecological questions, the machine learning methods questions, or both | |
88 | 4/17/24 7:18 | Trent University | Canada | Conservation genomics | Paul Wilson | 5/17/2024 | https://x.com/clycaon/status/1780183404866150663?s=46&t=w2sjbunJoLRFj0_3ynvo8w | |||
89 | 4/17/24 5:15 | Lund University | Sweden | Modelling, carbon cycling, soil microorganisms, ecology, hidrogeology | Albert C Brangarí, Johannes Rousk | 4/28/2024 | https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:711889/ | |||
90 | 4/15/24 8:50 | University of Nevada, Reno | Nevada | Quantitative Ecology | Robert Shriver and Joanna Blaszczak | 5/1/2024 | https://nshe.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UNR-external/job/University-of-Nevada-Reno---Main-Campus/Postdoctoral-Scholar--Natural-Resources-and-Environmental-Science--Quantitative-Ecology-_R0141876 | |||
91 | 4/14/24 18:27 | Xavier University of Louisiana | Louisiana | Plant Ecophysiology | Harish Ratnayaka | 4/25/2024 | https://jobs.xula.edu/postings/3063 | 4/18/24 13:42 | This position is part of the MIssDelta consortium sponsored by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine involving 14 academic/research institutes. Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required. Please email hratnaya@xula.edu with questions. | |
92 | 4/13/24 19:45 | Cornell University | New York | Biophysics / Experimental Evolution | Andrea Giometto | 5/1/2024 | shorturl.at/artKL | |||
93 | 4/12/24 8:03 | University of St Andrews | United Kingdom | Evolutionary Genomics & Bioinformatics & AI | Carolin Kosiol | 4/26/2024 | https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/6599/0/425572/889/research-fellow-in-bioinformatics-ar2977nb | |||
94 | 4/11/24 23:44 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Phylogenomics of hybridizing lemurs | Katie Everson | 5/3/2024 | https://www.eversonlab.org/join-us | 4/12/24 14:36 | 1) I know Dr. Everson and she is a new PI who is an excellent colleague and human to work with. If this is your niche def apply! | |
95 | 4/10/24 17:08 | San Francisco State University | California | Genomics - Phylogeography - Pop Gen - Museology - Bioinformatics | Jaime Chaves - Jack Dumbacher | 6/1/2024 | https://www.galapagosresearchlab.com/ | 4/10/24 17:57 | Salary $58K (12 months) + 42K (4.5 months) total | |
96 | 4/10/24 11:07 | Texas A&M University | Texas | Evolutionary Genomics & Neuroethology | Rachel Moran | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/TAMU_External/job/College-Station-TX/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R-072109 | ||||
97 | 4/9/24 18:34 | University of Washington | Washington | Fisheries | Andre Punt | 7/1/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/143963 | |||
98 | 4/9/24 11:06 | Aarhus Universitet | Denmark | Ecophysiology | https://au.career.emply.com/ad/postdoc-in-ecophysiology-and-nutritional-biology-of-soil-invertebrates/m14zft/en | |||||
99 | 4/5/24 10:40 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas | South America | Molecular Ecology (eDNA) | Gustavo Q. Romero | 5/1/2024 | https://gqromero.wixsite.com/lab/opportunities | |||
100 | 4/5/24 10:08 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Biogeochemistry/Paleoceanography | Rebecca Robinson | 4/15/2024 | https://web.uri.edu/gso/research/robinson-lab/people-of-the-robinson-lab/ | |||
101 | 4/4/24 4:31 | Northeastern University | Massachusetts | Biophysics, cytoskeleton | Dr. Maijia Liao | 4/15/2024 | https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/Boston-MA-Main-Campus/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R123652 | 4/4/24 4:33 | Applications reviewed until position is filled. Starting salary 70K. International applicants are welcome to appy. Boston is a charming city! | |
102 | 4/3/24 14:41 | Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | Texas | Coastal ecosystem health | Michael Wetz & Jenni Pollack | 4/3/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/details/Assistant-Research-Scientist_R-071892 | 4/3/24 14:42 | Initial appointment is for two years, but the position is expected to continue to be funded longer-term as part of the Texas Coast Ecosystem Health Report Card program, which is a seminal project at HRI. Includes salary and benefits (medical, retirement). | |
103 | 4/3/24 9:00 | University of Colorado Denver | Colorado | Molecular Ecotoxicology, Toxicogenomics | Alan Vajda | 4/15/2024 | https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=32768&lang=en | |||
104 | 4/2/24 8:42 | West Virginia University | West Virginia | Ecosystem ecology | Steve Kannenberg | https://www.stevekannenberg.com/opportunities | 6/17/24 13:29 | keep scrolling for postdoc announcement 1) interviews next 2 weeks | ||
105 | 4/1/24 15:28 | Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute | California | Marine Aquaculture | Dr. Danielle Haulsee/Mark Drawbridge | 4/30/2024 | https://hswri.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Aquaculture-Postdoc-PA-2024.pdf | 4/1/24 15:28 | PRAs work under the direct supervision of a HSWRI Senior Research Biologist (SRB), in this case the Chief Science Officer (CSO). The primary focus of the position will be to help expand research into the propagation of new aquaculture species with an emphasis on low trophic level organisms. Priority areas of research interest include propagation methods (e.g. spawning and larval rearing), nutrition, and physiology. Although possible research approaches will be suggested at the start of the post-doctoral position, the associate will be expected to contribute substantially to the design and conduct of the work. This position will be funded for 2 years (upon favorable annual reviews), with potential for advancement to Research Scientist depending on successful completion of project goals, contributions to publications, and grant and fundraising activities during the term of the position. | |
106 | 4/1/24 8:38 | Central State University | Ohio | Plant-Pollinator Ecology | Marcus Nagle | 4/19/2024 | https://careers.centralstate.edu/postings/7570 | 4/1/24 8:42 | Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. This is an up to 2-year position. Can start as early as June 1. | |
107 | 3/29/24 5:31 | Caney Fork Farms | Tennessee | Agroecology, Soil Science, Regenerative Ecosystems | Asher Wright, Kris Covey | 4/21/2024 | https://www.caneyforkfarms.com/jobs | 4/3/24 11:35 | This is permenant research and outreach position. Includes housing. Unique opportunity to lead in a growing space. | |
108 | 3/28/24 13:24 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Populaiton & Community Ecology | Casey Pennock | 4/26/2024 | https://ael.osu.edu/opportunities | |||
109 | 3/27/24 16:10 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Global Change Biology | Kai Zhu, Peter Reich, Peter Adler | 4/22/2024 | https://seas.umich.edu/globalchangebiology/postdoc-opportunities | |||
110 | 3/26/24 14:11 | Bowdoin College | Maine | Marine Biology | 4/8/2024 | https://careers.bowdoin.edu/postings/13733 | 4/6/24 0:04 | Postdoctoral Fellowship (76K per year, 2 years + research expenses). This position has an option for a pipeline to a TT position. Part of the PRODIG+ program - applicant needs to demonstrate personal, adademic, or work experienc engaging diversity, equity and inclusion. This is a repost, applications are being considered until April 12th, 2024. 1) will the applicant need to state the PI s they want to work with? 2) No they don't need to state who they may work within in the application MODFLAG::: THIS IS A COPY FROM ABOVE POSTING ONE CELL UP | ||
111 | 3/25/24 15:23 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Behavioral Energetics | Michael Reichert | 4/5/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/143528 | 3/25/24 15:24 | Applications reviewed until position filled, but would like to do so before field work begins (May) | |
112 | 3/25/24 14:35 | University of Pretoria, South Africa | Africa | Black rhino population dynamics and metapopulation management | Adrian Shrader | 4/15/2024 | https://ndusbpos-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/keenan_stears_ndus_edu/EbMgly5opSZIlafmAicjXqcBTp7k1J-89nQpCq2wji5H4A?e=V8yGZ0 | 3/26/24 11:02 | The advertised position is for a one-year postdoc in South Africa. International applicants are welcome to apply - working remotely is an option. 2) Pay is excellent to support good quality of life in South Africa. | |
113 | 3/23/24 6:20 | University of California, Davis | California | Animal behavior and cognition | Felicity Muth | 3/31/2024 | https://www.beecognition.com/join-the-lab | 3/28/24 6:49 | TWO postdoctoral positions in bee cognition/ behavior, and one post-bac position. I will monitor this thread to answer any questions (FM). NB review date is not the deadline to apply 2) Hi Dr. Muth, when will you approximately announce the decision for the interview? | |
114 | 3/22/24 12:59 | Stockholm U | Sweden | Plant mitochondrial genomics | Gitte Petersen | 4/21/2024 | https://www.su.se/english/about-the-university/work-at-su/available-jobs?rmpage=job&rmjob=23316&rmlang=UK | 3/28/24 11:16 | ||
115 | 3/21/24 21:26 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi | Texas | Herpetofauna species distribution modeling and movement/habitat use | Shawn McCracken | 4/21/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/details/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R-071801 | 3/22/24 13:17 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately and on a rolling basis. Ideal start date is June/July 2024 but I'm prepared to fill the position ASAP. Initial appointment is for one year with second year extension based on performance. See link for full details. | |
116 | 3/21/24 13:38 | University of Georgia | South Carolina | Infectious disease ecology | Mekala Sundaram | 3/21/2024 | https://twitter.com/MekalaSund | 3/21/24 13:39 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, but no current closing date of review. For more details on PI: mekalasundaram.com | |
117 | 3/21/24 6:19 | NYU | New York | Evolutionary Biology/Molecular Evolution | Xiaoxue (Snow) Zhou | 4/1/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140338 | 3/27/24 10:18 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, but no current closing date of review. Start date flexible. Informal inquireis welcome (snow.zhou@nyu.edu) | |
118 | 3/20/24 12:57 | Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana | Evolutionary Biology | Kathy Darragh | 4/1/2024 | https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/22779 | |||
119 | 3/17/24 2:23 | NTNU | Norway | Statistical ecology | 3/31/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/258040/postdoctoral-fellow-in-statistical-ecology | 3/27/24 10:18 | |||
120 | 3/17/24 2:23 | Norwegian Institute of Marine Research | Norway | Seagrass ecology | 4/4/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/259638/postdoc-in-seagrass-ecology | ||||
121 | 3/17/24 2:22 | University of Tromsø | Norway | Marine Ecology/Biological Oceanography | 3/20/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/254419/postdoctoral-research-fellow-in-marine-ecology-biological-oceanography | ||||
122 | 3/15/24 3:14 | University of Lausanne | Switzerland | Theoretical Evolutionary Ecology / Biology | Charles Mullon | 4/12/2024 | https://bit.ly/3Vf7and | |||
123 | 3/14/24 14:13 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology | Wisconsin | Aquatic ecology | Dr. Zachary Feiner | 4/30/2024 | https://hr.wisc.edu/postdoc-and-research-intern-vacancies/ | |||
124 | 3/14/24 12:55 | Ohio State University | Ohio | Tick-borne disease ecology | Risa Pesapane | 3/19/2024 | https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Post-Doctoral-Scholar_R99387-1 | 3/14/24 13:00 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately and on a rolling basis. Start date is ideally by early May 2024. This position is targeted to early career postdocs interested in vector-borne disease and/or wildlife-targeted vaccines. The position involves fieldwork for tick collection, small mammal trapping, recruitment of study participants, and networking with a broader regional team of researchers and technical experts at the CDC. One year minimum with the possibility of renewal, depending on continuation of funding. See link for more info. | |
125 | 3/14/24 7:12 | Caney Fork Farms | Tennessee | Agroecology, Soil Science, Regenerative Ecosystems | Asher Wright, Kris Covey | 3/18/2024 | https://www.caneyforkfarms.com/jobs | 4/4/24 17:07 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately and on a rolling basis. Start date is June 1, 2024 at the latest but we are prepared to fill the position ASAP. This position is targeted to early career postdocs interested in regenerative agricultural systems. This position works closely with Caney Fork Farm's board of research scientists. This position will be based at Caney Fork Farms in TN but will be co-appointed as a Research Associate in the CoveyLab at Skidmore College. | |
126 | 3/14/24 2:38 | University of Geneva | Switzerland | Plankton ecology | Bastiaan Ibelings | 3/28/2024 | https://www.unige.ch/forel/evenement/actualitesrss/postdoc-position-phytoplankton | 3/14/24 2:40 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, but no current closing date of review. Please contact bastiaan.ibelings@unige.ch and mridul.thomas@unige.ch right away if interested. | |
127 | 3/14/24 0:49 | University of California Davis | California | Neuroethology / Neurobiology of Behavior | Eva K Fischer | 5/1/2024 | https://www.ekfischerlab.com/news | 3/25/24 4:01 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately until position is filled. Start date flexible after Aug 2024. See link for more information. 1) Just coming on to say that Eva is a wonderful person and mentor! Don't hesitate to apply. | |
128 | 3/13/24 8:53 | Penn State | Pennsylvania | Evolutionary Genomics | David Toews | 3/18/2024 | https://www.myworkday.com/psu/d/inst/9925$149944/rel-task/2998$16774.htmld | 3/25/24 4:01 | Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, but no current closing date of review. Start date flexible. Informal inquireis welcome (toews@psu.edu) | |
129 | 3/11/24 13:59 | Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (CIMAR) | Hawaii | Computational Biology, Statistics, Genomics, Marine Science | Jonathan Whitney & Laura Gajdzik | 3/29/2024 | https://hr.rcuh.com/psp/hcmprd_exapp/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?FOCUS=Applicant | 3/28/24 15:10 | The Bioinformatic Assistant Research job is a 3-year, full-time position at NOAA Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center (Honolulu, Hawaii) for US citizens or lawful permanent resident. This postion targets early career postdoc with strong programming skills and knowledge of metabarcoding pipeline. | |
130 | 3/11/24 9:19 | Czech Academy of Sciences | Europe (Other) | Molecular ecology, evolution, conservation | Petr Kotlik | 4/15/2024 | https://www.iapg.cas.cz/en/laboratories/lme/Research | 3/11/24 9:47 | This 2.5 years position is available for an international postdoc (i.e. non Czech) to develop their own project within the scope of the lab. The PI does very exciting work and it is well funded; plus, Prague is a great place to be! | |
131 | 3/5/24 16:21 | Binghamton University SUNY | New York | Microbiome and ecological interactions | Fellowship (mentors depend on applicant) | 3/24/2024 | https://binghamton.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=173272 | 3/5/24 18:52 | This Fellowship is designed for the posdoctoral fellow to move into a tenure-track position. The Fellowship is part of the SUNY PRODiG+ initiative that focuses on two goals: (1) increasing the number and share of excellent diverse faculty committed to advancing the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (2) strengthening the pipeline for retention and support of these faculty. Eligible candidates must demonstrate personal, academic, and/or work experience engaging diversity, equity, and inclusion and/or a commitment to facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the campus community. | |
132 | 3/4/24 10:05 | Duke University Marine Lab | North Carolina | Across the spectrum of Marine Science and Conservation, including, but not limited to, marine ecology, marine climate change, restoration ecology, coastal and ocean engineering, and those applying data analytics or other quantitative approaches to marine sciences | 4/1/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26906 | 3/5/24 11:25 | This position is designed for early career researchers and presents an opportunity for an interdisciplinary, immersive, and highly collegial experience with 'lab-life' | ||
133 | 3/1/24 10:42 | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | New York | Quantitative Ecology, Conservation | Andrew Stillman, Gavin Jones, and Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez | 3/11/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27198 | 3/12/24 17:26 | SC here: 2-yr position with potential year 3 working on an integrated population model. 1) Is there a limit on how many years out someone must be from the completion of their PhD to apply? 2) Preferred start date Fall 2024. | |
134 | 2/28/24 20:05 | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology | Japan | Ichthyology/Fish Biodiversity | Lauren Sallan | 3/15/2024 | https://www.oist.jp/careers/postdoctoral-scholar-or-staff-scientist-ichthyology-macroevolution-unit | 4/25/24 16:17 | 1) Confused.. is this a new position or the same one posted earlier? 2) This is a separate position in Ichthyology. 3) New review date: Open until filled or 06/01/2024 4) Perspective from a current postdoc in this unit: my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive and I have greatly enjoyed working with Lauren and the other members of the unit. Collaborative environment, many opportunities (and funding!) to work on independent research projects, mentorship opportunities with interns and students, and emphasis on work/life balance. A car is essential, but coming from a big city, I enjoy how easy it is to do outdoor activities (especially diving/snorkeling) and find that I can get everything I need here. Happy to answer any questions about this position! ; | |
135 | 2/28/24 8:42 | University of Graz | Austria | Climate change (interdisciplinary) | Free choice for applicant (see posting) | 4/30/2024 | https://climate-change.uni-graz.at/en/news/climate-change-graz-post-doc-fellowship-program-2024/ | 4/9/24 15:08 | OP: we have funding for three month fellowships for up to 5 candidates, up to 6 years post PhD. Topic and choice of supervisors very broad - see posting for details. | |
136 | 2/27/24 14:52 | University of Southampton | United Kingdom | Marine ecology | Ryan Reisinger | 3/21/2024 | https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=2628224HN | 2/29/24 19:01 | Happy to chat (r.r.reisinger@southampton.ac.uk), although I am in the field for the next 3 weeks, so replies may be slow. More about the project: https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/safeguarding-antarctic-krill-stocks-for-baleen-whales/ | |
137 | 2/27/24 12:43 | Purdue University | Indiana | biodiversity, ecology, biogeography, data science | Daniel Park | 3/11/2024 | https://www.bio.purdue.edu/lab/park/news.html#postdoc_ad | 2/27/24 12:46 | Open until filled. Informal inquiries welcome - happy to chat (danielpark@purdue.edu) | |
138 | 2/26/24 23:24 | Stockholm University | Sweden | Life history functional genomics | Chris Wheat | 3/1/2024 | https://t.co/ToErH8ITM5 | 2/26/24 23:27 | "We are looking for someone experienced in several of the following fields: butterfly husbandry, use of CRISPR/Cas9, measurements of life-history, use of various whole genome sequencing techlogies and molecular biology (e.g. DNA/RNA isolation, ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, HiC, histology). A background in computational bioinformatics is also desired. Expereince in the field of EvoDevo is also a plus." | |
139 | 2/26/24 11:54 | Northern Arizona University | Arizona | Disease Ecology | Joe Mihaljevic | 3/11/2024 | https://in.nau.edu/human-resources/current-job-openings/ | 2/26/24 11:55 | up to 4 years; Search job opening 607731; NSF EEID-funded | |
140 | 2/23/24 10:13 | Yale University | Connecticut | Evolution and Climate | David Skelly | https://campuspress.yale.edu/skellylab/join-us/ | 2/23/24 10:14 | jointly overseen by Prof. Martha Muñoz and Prof. David Skelly | ||
141 | 2/22/24 9:04 | Temple University | Pennsylvania | Phylogenetics / Tree-of-Life / Computational / Methods / Biodiversity Bioinformatics | S. Blair Hedges and Sudhir Kumar | 3/20/2024 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/PostDocs//Philadelphia.Evolution.TimetreeMethodsBiodiversity | |||
142 | 2/21/24 9:56 | Texas A&M/AgriLife | Texas | climate-smart strategies and impact on the biogeochemistry of bioenergy crops | Nuria Gomez-Casanovas | 2/21/2024 | https://sites.google.com/view/gomez-casanovas/job-openings?authuser=0 | |||
143 | 2/20/24 10:05 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Ecology, Behavior | Jennifer Hellmann | 3/18/2024 | https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Post-Doctoral-Scholar_R98802-1 | 2/20/24 10:05 | 2 years of funding | |
144 | 2/20/24 8:25 | University of St Andrews | United Kingdom | Bioinformatics | Carolin Kosiol | 2/23/2024 | https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3160/0/417161/889/research-fellow-in-bioinformatics-ar2630rh | |||
145 | 2/20/24 7:40 | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute | Other | Hydrology | Jefferson S. Hall | 3/15/2024 | https://stri-sites.si.edu/recruiter/users/jobs.php?id=378 | 2/20/24 7:42 | 3-year position based in Panama | |
146 | 2/19/24 12:01 | University of New Mexico | New Mexico | Molecular Ecology and Evolution | Ellen Martinson | 3/20/2024 | https://ellenmartinson.weebly.com/join-us.html | 3/11/24 14:04 | 3 years of funding; would be a great job | |
147 | 2/16/24 8:47 | University of Michigan and University of California Santa Barbara | Michigan | Quantitative Ecology/ Coral Reef Ecology/ Fish Ecology | Jacob Allgeier and Deron Burkepile | 3/15/2024 | https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/245321/research-fellow-allgeier-lab | |||
148 | 2/16/24 8:22 | University of Arizona | Arizona | Plant Sciences, Plant-microbe interactions | Rebecca Schomer | https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/18877?c=arizona | ||||
149 | 2/16/24 2:22 | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Norway | Statistical (coastal) ecology | Bob O'Hara | 3/31/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/258040/postdoctoral-fellow-in-statistical-ecology | |||
150 | 2/14/24 12:57 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pennsylvania | Senior Bioinformatician Echinoderm Genomics | Veronica Hinman | 3/4/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/140269 | |||
151 | 2/13/24 7:27 | Oak Ridge National Lab | Tennessee | Aquatic Ecology/Ecotoxicology | Teresa Mathews | 3/11/2024 | https://jobs.ornl.gov/Exempt/job/Oak-Ridge-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate-Biodiversity-and-Ecosystem-Health-TN-37830/1089639800/ | |||
152 | 2/12/24 19:32 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Disease and Spatial Ecology | Meggan Craft | 2/13/2024 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/358672 | 2/23/24 16:54 | 2 years postdoc funding from USDA, Salary $62,000 +benefits. Remote possible. craft@umn.edu NOTE: this search is open until a suitable candidate is found (so the review date has not passed- moderator, could you please update this)? | |
153 | 2/9/24 8:11 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Plant pathology | Milton Drott | 2/28/2024 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/359591 | 2/9/24 8:15 | A mix of population genomics and wet lab work to help address an emergening threat of Fusarium Head Blight in Eastern Africa. Open until filled | |
154 | 2/8/24 0:42 | Aarhus University | Denmark | Community ecology / macroecology / statistical ecology | Gavin Simpson | 2/29/2024 | https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/two-year-postdoc-position-in-statistical-community-ecology-macroecology-or-animal-science | |||
155 | 2/7/24 6:58 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Wetland Ecology | Gary Ervin | 2/9/2024 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/507068/postdoctoral-associate | 2/7/24 6:59 | 2 yrs of funding from USACE; salary $55K + benefits; search continues until filled; inquiries by email to gary.ervin@msstate.edu | |
156 | 2/6/24 11:56 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | Genomics of Ice-Binding Proteins in Marine Inverts | Jessica Glass | 3/17/2024 | https://careers.alaska.edu/en-us/job/527554/postdoctoral-researcher-college-of-fisheries-and-ocean-sciences | 2/6/24 11:58 | 2 yrs of NSF funding at $67K/yr + benefits. Informal inquires welcome (jrglass@alaska.edu). | |
157 | 2/5/24 5:04 | Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | Functional Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and/or Eco-Evo | Thomas Mozdzer | 2/23/2024 | http://apply.interfolio.com/140428 | 2/27/24 7:05 | Open unti filled. 65K salary + benefits, located in suburban Philadelphia, and great experience conducting research with undergraduates. Full time RA on the project for project help. Happy to answer any questions here. 1) Is there a option to send a link to submit recommendation letters to the recomendors? @1 - letters are automatically requested via interfolio. I look foward to seeing your applicaiton | |
158 | 2/4/24 14:43 | University of California, Irvine | California | Evolutionary genomics and epigenomics, transposable elements | Grace Yuh Chwen Lee | 3/31/2024 | https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF08783 | 2/4/24 14:45 | Start date flexible. Informal inquireis welcome (grylee@uci.edu) | |
159 | 2/4/24 8:26 | University of Nebraska Lincoln | Nebraska | Population Biology | 4/1/2024 | https://employment.unl.edu/postings/89729 | 3/24/24 17:10 | Postdoc fellowship opportunity to develop own research project that can be done with any PI from the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior section of the School of Biological Sciences. Link to website with more info: https://biosci.unl.edu/population-biology-poe-postdoctoral-fellowships 1) Salary is low, even for Nebraska and that's before taxes. (x2) | ||
160 | 2/4/24 2:49 | SLU | Sweden | microbial physiology and ecology of denitrification | Grace Pold | 2/29/2024 | https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=9737&rmlang=UK | |||
161 | 2/2/24 2:32 | Naturalis Biodiversity Center | Netherlands | Plant metabarcoding | Barbara Gravendeel | 3/1/2024 | https://www.naturalis.nl/en/about-us/job-opportunities/postdoctoral-fellow-metaplantcode | |||
162 | 1/31/24 17:59 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Spatial Ecology | Joseph Hoyt | 5/31/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/528423/postdoctoral-associate | |||
163 | 1/31/24 12:52 | NOAA | Washington | Genomics | Various | 2/7/2024 | https://usajobs.gov/job/773227200 | Employees of various Gov't institutions, or US citizens/PR only | ||
164 | 1/29/24 22:32 | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) | Japan | Macroevolution or Paleontology | Lauren Sallan | 3/1/2024 | https://www.oist.jp/careers/postdoctoral-scholar-or-staff-scientist-macroevolution-unit | 3/24/24 7:56 | Postdoc or Staff Scientist. Develop your own project with internal materials/travel funding and technical support. Position renewable to 3 years+ based on progress, Start date flexible in 2024/2025. Benefits include housing stipend, relocation, childcare subsidy, ongoing assistance for life in Okinawa. 1) Isolated island, good for a few years but most people tend to want off 2) Confused how an island with millions of people, huge cities, and cheap, direct flights to Tokyo, HK, Taiwan, Singapore, and Seoul can be called 'isolated'. 3)The institute is a good distance away from the Nara Airport, "huge" cities are not necessarily there. There's nothing much around the immediate vicinity of their campus. 4) PhD student at institute, can say it is isolating at times and can be difficult to maintain and create collaborative networks, island life gets tiring fast (but may be different for others) 5) Has any OIST postdoc ever been "promoted" to a Faculty position there? 6) @7 no, it's against internal policy. 7) PI is known for power harrassment issues; 8) @7 is it possible to elaborate further? Further context would be really helpful before I decide not to apply. 8) I know many OIST students, they all say the same thing in terms of isolation, especially because the physical location of the institute is far from the main city of Naha. 9) Perspective from a current postdoc in this unit: my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive and I have greatly enjoyed working with Lauren and the other members of the unit. Collaborative environment, many opportunities (and funding!) to work on independent research projects, mentorship opportunities with interns and students, and emphasis on work/life balance. A car is essential, but coming from a big city, I enjoy how easy it is to do outdoor activities (especially diving/snorkeling) and find that I can get everything I need here. Happy to answer any questions about this position! | |
165 | 1/29/24 10:54 | University of Maryland | Maryland | Climate Data Science / Modeling / Agriculture | Matt Fitzpatrick | 2/19/2024 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1817 | 2/5/24 6:36 | This position can be filled as a postdoc or as a data scientist / research assistant. | |
166 | 1/26/24 14:39 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Speciation and Behavior | Valentina Gómez-Bahamón | 3/30/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/528315/postdoctoral-associate | |||
167 | 1/25/24 10:46 | University of California, Santa Cruz | California | Watershed Resilience, Aquatic Ecology | Eric P. Palkovacs | 3/1/2024 | https://palkovacs.eeb.ucsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Postdoctoral-Scholar-in-Watershed-Resilience.pdf | |||
168 | 1/25/24 7:28 | University of Namur, Belgium | Europe (Other) | Broad scope with stability, coexistance, in field of Ecology and Evolution; Many postdoc opportunities (Marie Skłodowska Curie COFUND action) available at my university. Contact me if you're interested (frederik.delaender@unamur.be). | Frederik De Laender | 3/20/2024 | https://cometowallonia.eu/ | 2/2/24 8:48 | ||
169 | 1/25/24 1:03 | Gulbenkian Science Institute (Lisbon, Portugal) | Other | Ecology | Giulia Ghedini | 2/29/2024 | https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/187955 | |||
170 | 1/23/24 9:55 | Cornell University | New York | Ornithology | Laurel Symes | 2/12/2024 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27049 | |||
171 | 1/22/24 11:36 | University of Arizona and Working Lands Conservation | Utah | Biogeochemistry, Soil Ecology | Dr. Aaron Lien and Dr. Kris Hulvey | 1/15/2024 | https://www.workinglandsconservation.org/postdoc2024 | |||
172 | 1/22/24 5:54 | Smithsonian Institution: National Museum of Natural History | District of Columbia | Deep Time Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship: Paleobiology, Evolutionary Biology | Department of Paleobiology | 3/15/2024 | https://fellowships.si.edu/opportunity/deep-time-peter-buck-postdoctoral-fellowship-program | 1/22/24 5:59 | 2-year postdoc; ~75% time to original, independent research, 25% developing and delivering education and outreach. stipend: 62k/yr, research/travel 5k/yr, health insurance 5k/yr, one-time relocation allowance 1k | |
173 | 1/21/24 7:53 | Augustana University | South Carolina | Evolutionary biology | Carrie Olson-Manning | 2/1/2024 | https://www.augie.edu/faculty-positions#Postdoctoral%20Scholar%20and%20Teacher,%20Evolutionary%20Biology | 1/27/24 9:15 | Teacher + scholar postdoctoral opportunity 2) This university is in South Dakota, not South Carolina 3) Review will be ongoing | |
174 | 1/20/24 7:35 | University of Oslo | Norway | Computational and Natural Sciences | Various | 5/14/2024 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/255679/dstrain-msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-in-computational-and-natural-sciences-18-positions | 1/23/24 12:41 | OP) Notice there are some 'themes'. This will be a competitive process, requiring project applications. My recommendation is that you contact the PI for a given theme and discuss your application with the PI. The PI should be invested in your application, so that you're competitive. See here for themes and PIs https://www.uio.no/dscience/english/dstrain/research-areas/biosciences/index.html; happy to answer any questions. | |
175 | 1/19/24 14:12 | Bowdoin College | Maine | Marine Biology | Mentoring established in consultation with successful candidate | 2/12/2024 | https://careers.bowdoin.edu/postings/13396 | 3/11/24 22:19 | OP) Notice there are some 'themes'. This will be a competitive process, requiring project applications. My recommendation is that you contact the PI for a given theme and discuss your application with the PI. The PI should be invested in your application, so that you're competitive. See here for themes and PIs https://www.uio.no/dscience/english/dstrain/research-areas/biosciences/index.html; happy to answer any questions. | |
176 | 1/19/24 12:59 | Clemson University | South Carolina | Population and Quantitative Genetics | Shyamalika Gopalan | 3/18/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/139581 | 1/19/24 13:06 | Start date is flexible | |
177 | 1/19/24 7:21 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Population Ecology, Invasive Species, Conservation | Casey Pennock | https://u.osu.edu/pennocklab/join-the-lab/ | ||||
178 | 1/19/24 1:11 | Naturalis Biodiversity Center | Netherlands | Monitoring and mapping fungal diversity | Jorinde Nuytinck | 2/12/2024 | https://www.naturalis.nl/en/about-us/job-opportunities/postdoctoral-fellow-to-improve-identification-of-and-unambiguous | |||
179 | 1/18/24 4:23 | Eawag | Switzerland | Evolutionary ecology of aquatic ecosystems | Blake Matthews | https://apply.refline.ch/673277/1130/pub/1/index.html | ||||
180 | 1/17/24 12:10 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute | Texas | Fisheries | Dr. Greg Stunz, Dr. Matthew Streich | 2/1/2024 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/details/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R-057419-1 | 1/17/24 12:11 | Start date is flexible (May 2024 ideal), position open until filled. | |
181 | 1/16/24 2:54 | New York University | New York | Urban-system Biogeochemistry/Ecology | Mingzhen Lu | 1/31/2024 | apply.interfolio.com/138813 | 1/16/24 3:05 | Start date is flexible, position will be open until filled. Salary range 70k-75k, with relocation compensation and discretionary research fund. The selected individual will lead highly independent and forward-looking investigations along the interface of ecosystem ecology and urban-system science. This position will be fully supported by a startup grant. | |
182 | 1/16/24 2:53 | New York University | New York | ARCTIC BELOWGROUND ECOLOGY | Mingzhen Lu | 1/31/2024 | apply.interfolio.com/138815 | 1/16/24 3:00 | The selected individual will be expected to investigate the belowground mechanisms of the ongoing Arctic vegetation shift. Candidates should have sufficient fieldwork experience (especially in Arctic tundra or alpine vegetation) and expertise in belowground ecology (e.g., root ecology, microbial ecology, mycorrhizal ecology). Start date is flexible, salary range from 70k-75k plus relocation compensation and discretionary research fund, fieldwork site will be toolik Alaska. For more inquiries, please email mingzhen.lu@nyu.edu. | |
183 | 1/16/24 2:52 | New York University | New York | Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Modeling | Mingzhen Lu | 1/31/2024 | apply.interfolio.com/138814 | 1/16/24 3:02 | Start date is flexible, salary range 70-75k, with relocation compensation and discretionary research fund. The selected individual will be expected to develop a class of mathematical models that can describe terrestrial biogeochemical cycles by integrating with our existing global stoichiometry database (including both natural and man-made materials). Candidates should have domain expertise in biogeochemistry and be comfortable with dynamical systems (ODEs). | |
184 | 1/12/24 13:31 | University of California, Davis | California | Marine Ecology, Climate Change, Fisheries | Mikaela Provost | 2/16/2024 | https://mmprovost.com/ | 1/12/24 13:44 | 2yr postdoc; ideal start is May 2024 but flexible; please contact Mikaela (mmprovost@ucdavis.edu) with any questions | |
185 | 1/12/24 2:12 | Lund University | Sweden | Modelling, terrestrial ecology and hidrogeology | Albert C Brangarí, Johannes Rousk | 1/23/2024 | https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:684343/ | |||
186 | 1/11/24 13:13 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Quantitative Spatial Ecologist | Brian Davis & Melanie Boudreau | 1/25/2024 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/507123/postdoctoral-associate | |||
187 | 1/11/24 8:27 | National Park Service | Other | Ecology/climate change/conservation | 1/28/2024 | https://www.nationalparks.org/science-parks-postdoctoral-fellowship | 1/25/24 6:49 | 45316.28423 | ||
188 | 1/11/24 8:19 | University of Notre Dame | Indiana | Remote Sensing and Spatial Ecology | Jason Rohr | https://www.jasonrohrlab.com/postdoc-opportunities | ||||
189 | 1/11/24 8:01 | Northern Arizona University | Arizona | Comparative/Evolutionary Genomics | Marc Tollis | 2/12/2024 | https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=607691&PostingSeq=1 | 1/11/24 8:03 | 2yr postdoc, will work closely with colleagues at AMNH (Burbrink) and Princeton (Simões). Remote is possible! I'm trying to extend the application deadline, looking for someone who can start September-December 2024. Email marc.tollis@nau.edu for questions. | |
190 | 1/10/24 11:26 | Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo | California | Ecological Informatics | Tim Bean | 2/15/2024 | https://jobs.calpoly.edu/en-us/job/534964/frost-postdoctoral-research-fellow-ecological-informatics | 1/21/24 17:08 | $62k base salary + benefits w/ additional for each class taught; broad flexibility for research projects (focused on wildlife / spatial ecology); feel free to e-mail w/ questions wtbean(@)calpoly.edu | |
191 | 1/10/24 10:11 | University of California Davis | California | Plant ecophysiology | Justin Valliere | 1/29/2024 | https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06238 | 1/10/24 10:12 | Email jmvalliere@ucdavis.edu with any questions. | |
192 | 1/10/24 6:58 | University of Kansas | Kansas | Evolutionary Genomics | Katya Mack | 2/12/2024 | https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?PageType=JobDetails&partnerid=25752&siteid=5541&jobid=4872219#jobDetails=4872219_5541 | 1/10/24 8:54 | Start date is negotiable. Email katya.mack@ku.edu with questions. | |
193 | 1/10/24 6:53 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Disease Ecology | Joseph Hoyt | 2/5/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/527188/postdoctoral-associate | |||
194 | 1/8/24 18:50 | University of California Riverside | California | Sex chromosome evolution | Polly Campbell | 1/23/2024 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tlnu2US634IFwg-_aVapMjLXWzMO8DSr/view?usp=drive_link | 1/10/24 18:37 | 1)The link requires a login? Thanks - fixed! 2 years, >/= $60K, email polly.campbell@ucr.edu with questions | |
195 | 1/8/24 17:54 | Pepperdine University (Malibu campus) | California | population genetics/genomics and arthropod vector ecology | Javier Monzon | 1/15/2024 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133120 | 1/8/24 18:00 | >$64k/year + benefits in a beautiful location! Gain experience conducting research with undergraduates at PUI. | |
196 | 1/8/24 8:41 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Modeling | 1/22/2024 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/Xayh648arluD/postdoctoral-scientist-in-mcdr-modeling | ||||
197 | 1/4/24 8:52 | Marian University | Indiana | Genomics/Evolution/Amphibians | Dr. Rob Denton | 1/29/2024 | https://marian.peopleadmin.com/postings/2368 | 1/4/24 8:53 | ~55k/year, 3 years of funding, teaching opportunities built in. Start as early as May 2024. Great opportunity to experience PUI job while staying immersed in research. | |
198 | 1/3/24 11:42 | University of Arizona | Other | Ecology/Soils/Carbon Sequestration/Ecosystem Services | Aaron Lien and Kris Hulvey | 1/15/2024 | https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/18498?c=arizona | 1/3/24 11:43 | 2-3 years of funding. This post-doc is not effected by the current UA hiring freeze. Initially based in Logan, UT with option of spending time in Tucson. | |
199 | 1/1/24 7:15 | St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program | Florida | Estuarine Ecology and Living Shorelines, Data Analysis | Jessica Graham | 1/13/2024 | https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=56106&PostingSeq=1 | 1/1/24 7:17 | 2.5 years of funding, highly collaborative team across NW FL to assess living shoreline effectivness. Based at FSU Panama City, FL. Looking for quantitative expereince to analyze historic and new monitoring data. Opportunity to work with Estuary Programs, NGOs, state agencies! See salary and contact in the url. | |
200 | 12/30/23 22:16 | University of Arkansas | Arkansas | Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics | Xuan Zhuang | 1/31/2024 | https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS/job/Fayetteville/Postdoctoral-Fellow-in-Quantitative-Genetics_R0049450 | 1/10/24 21:47 | Open until filled. Please contact xz036(@)uark.edu | |
201 | 12/22/23 17:41 | UC Santa Barbara | California | Bioinformatics - single-cell, neuroscience, evolutionary biology | Dr. Soojin Yi | 2/29/2024 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02653 | 1/17/24 10:14 | 2-years with possibility of renewal, 1-yr genomic/epigenomic data analysis experience required. PI will respond here semi-regularly. 1) considering remote candidates? 2) @1 unfortunately no. this department specfically will not work with postdocs for enabling remote work. | |
202 | 12/22/23 12:43 | University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | marine ecology | Hongjie Wang; Jason Grear | 1/2/2024 | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NX8WrrpptHN63zvz3N-3O7SkVKAuI_Kr/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114967051500495414672&rtpof=true&sd=true | |||
203 | 12/22/23 11:14 | University of Wyoming | Wyoming | Animal Movement Ecology | Dr. Ellen O. Aikens | 2/8/2024 | https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/234137/ | |||
204 | 12/22/23 8:38 | National Park Service | Other | Multiple | 12/22/2023 | https://www.nationalparks.org/science-parks-postdoctoral-fellowship | 2/27/24 11:43 | Multiple positions in the U.S. Open to the first 75 applicants per position or until Jan 28, 2024. See link for position descriptions (2) Applications for three positions extended to March 24 | ||
205 | 12/22/23 8:37 | North Carolina State University | North Carolina | EvoDevo/Genetics | Christina Zakas | 1/31/2024 | https://thenode.biologists.com/jobs/postdoc-in-evodevo-genetics/ | |||
206 | 12/21/23 14:07 | University of California Davis | California | Ecology and Environmental Toxicity | Brett Poulin | 1/25/2024 | https://www.nationalparks.org/science-parks-postdoctoral-fellowship | |||
207 | 12/19/23 6:53 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas | South America | Microbial Ecology | Valéria Maia Merzel | 1/15/2024 | https://fapesp.br/oportunidades/6641/ | |||
208 | 12/18/23 19:49 | University of Denver | Colorado | Evolutionary Ecology of Deer Mouse Botfly Interactions | Jonathan Velotta | 12/22/2023 | https://jobs.du.edu/en-us/job/496963/postdoctoral-research-associate | 12/18/23 19:51 | Start date negotiable. First field season Spring 2024. NIH salary range. Please email jonathan.velotta@du.edu with questions. Review of applications until filled | |
209 | 12/18/23 12:23 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Disease ecology/ statistical modelling | Patrick R Stephens | 12/18/2023 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/PostDocs//OklahomaStateU.DiseaseDynamics | 12/18/23 12:24 | Note that I will still be looking until I find a suitable applicant. This was a very rushed search, so if you get an application in before the end of the year you will still be under full consideration despit what the dates on the ad say. | |
210 | 12/14/23 6:18 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies | Vermont | Ecology and Conservation, Community/Citizen Science | 2/28/2024 | https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2024_Postdoc-Position-Description_Final.pdf | 1/10/24 19:20 | VCE invites applications for a new conservation-focused postdoctoral fellowship. This award is meant to support an early career researcher interested in new, cutting-edge, and innovative approaches to analyzing community-sourced datasets (i.e., community or citizen science). The successful candidate will work with VCE’s existing datasets as well as other open-sourced data. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with VCE scientists to develop models, tools, and publications using existing datasets with ample opportunity to develop and test their own independent research questions with the available resources. Note: Link appears to be dead. | ||
211 | 12/13/23 11:28 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Entomology/Ecology/Museums | JoVonn Hill | 1/15/2024 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/506963/postdoctoral-associate | |||
212 | 12/13/23 11:00 | University of Hawaii (Maui) | Hawaii | Agriculture (Water-use efficiency) | Rosemary Gutierrez-Coarite | 1/15/2024 | https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu/jobs/4306389/junior-researcher-85455t | |||
213 | 12/13/23 4:22 | University of Hamburg | Germany | Ecology | Jochen Fründ | 1/5/2024 | https://www.uni-hamburg.de/stellenangebote/ausschreibung.html?jobID=7abbdfb5c44144e40b6ace55d0cc15d3897647bc | |||
214 | 12/12/23 13:12 | University of Maine | Maine | Climate change and fisheries | Michelle Staudinger | 12/15/0023 | https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobid=83489 | 12/12/23 13:13 | Preferred start date is winter 2024 but will review applications until filled | |
215 | 12/12/23 10:09 | University of South Florida | Florida | Behavioral ecology, Sexual Selection | Yusan Yang | 2/5/2024 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/state/details.cfm?JobCode=178632406&Title=Postdoctoral%20Scholar%20Research%20%2D%20Behavioral%20Evolution | 12/12/23 10:10 | Open until filled. Happy to answer questions. I will also be at SICB 2024 to chat! | |
216 | 12/8/23 12:57 | University of Texas at Austin | Texas | Ecology | Amanda Koltz | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lNRn8Z9Wd3-g3djat4eCwoNgpi4HwXvQ/view?usp=sharing | 12/12/23 9:28 | Preferred start date winter 2024 but reviewing until filled | ||
217 | 12/7/23 11:22 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Biogeochemistry | 2/1/2024 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/htjctRbX_wgx/postdoctoral-research-scientist-in-trace-metal-biogeochemistry | ||||
218 | 12/6/23 23:06 | Aarhus university | Denmark | AI and remote sensing for citizen-science pollinator monitoring | Quentin Geissmann | 1/15/2024 | https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/two-2-year-postdoc-in-ai-and-remote-sensing-for-citizen-science-pollinator-monitoring | |||
219 | 12/6/23 17:08 | Texas A&M | Texas | Plant Microbiomes | Joseph Edwards | 1/31/2024 | https://utexas.box.com/s/lwm1ztilgo8jd42inl3cftot9hfieij7 | 1/5/24 9:04 | If anyone sees this and is going to PAG, I'll be there. Please let me know if you'd like to talk. | |
220 | 12/6/23 7:16 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Ecological Modeling/Population Dynamics/Infectious Disease | Nicholas Kortessis | 12/10/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Staff_Career_Website_live/job/Winston-Salem-NC/Postdoctoral-Researcher--Department-of-Biology_R0006323-1 | 12/6/23 7:17 | Posting again because I'm still reviewing applications. | |
221 | 12/6/23 5:29 | Norwegian Institute for Nature Research | Norway | Seabird ecology | Sveinn Are Hanssen | 1/2/2024 | https://nina.attract.reachmee.com/jobs/41-postdoctoral-position-in-seabird-ecology | 12/18/23 8:08 | Any idea what the salary range is? Glassdoor suggests between NOK 580-617k, which is about $52-56k in USD. 2) From the ad: "NINA's everyday language is Norwegian, and language training is provided"; 3) @1 This is usually contingent on the 'years post PhD'. If you're free off your PhD, 580 K. If you're 4-5 years you can ask more. Always ask 1-2 levels more than you want. | |
222 | 12/5/23 8:19 | Cornell University | New York | Fisheries Management | Thomas Detmer & Pete McIntyre | 12/15/2023 | https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id=86647 | 12/14/23 19:33 | This looks like it should be a 12/15/2023 date. | |
223 | 12/5/23 5:14 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Coral reef ecology | Doug Rasher | 1/8/2024 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/pgTIHgUOy8SW/postdoctoral-scientist-in-coral-reef-ecology | |||
224 | 12/4/23 21:55 | University of Oslo | Norway | Proteomics, Venom biology | Eivind Undheim | 12/22/2023 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/254322/postdoctoral-research-fellow-on-identifying-toxin-function-using-mass-spectrometry-based-proteomics | 12/4/23 21:56 | Happy to answer questions. I know the PI (excellent person and scientist), great section for ecology & evolution and department. | |
225 | 12/1/23 8:35 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Macroecology, biodiversity science, AI | Marta Jarzyna | 1/5/2024 | https://www.jarzynalab.com/news/open-positions-ai-biodiversity-change | |||
226 | 11/30/23 10:14 | Marine Science Institute | Europe (Other) | Recreational fishing + (Behavioral ecology OR Social media) | Dr. Valerio Sbragaglia (valeriosbra@gmail.com)) | 1/31/2024 | https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/ayudas-contratos-juan-cierva-2022 | |||
227 | 11/30/23 9:12 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Ecological/epidemiological modeling | Dan Holstein | 11/30/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/2259-Energy-Coast-and-Environment-Building/Postdoctoral-Researcher_R00089040 | 12/1/23 8:37 | www.seascapelab.com dholstein1@lsu.edu. NSF EEID funded postdoc to study stony coral tissue loss disease. OPEN UNTIL FILLED! | |
228 | 11/29/23 17:15 | University of California, Davis | California | Ecotoxicology | Bruce G Hammock | 12/20/2023 | https://ucdavis.joinhandshake.com/stu/postings?page=1&per_page=25&sort_direction=desc&sort_column=default&query=aquatic%20health%20program | 11/29/23 17:16 | Analyzing longterm analytical chemistry data to characterize how contaminants vary with flow | |
229 | 11/29/23 14:51 | USDA ARS Hilo, HI | Hawaii | Host-Microbe Interactions | Charles Mason (charles.mason@usda.gov) | https://www.hirenethawaii.com/vosnet/jobbanks/jobdetails.aspx?enc=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 | 11/29/23 14:52 | Reviewing until filled | ||
230 | 11/29/23 13:20 | USDA Agricultural Research Service | Oregon | Computational genomics | 1/4/2024 | http://grunwaldlab.cgrb.oregonstate.edu/post/postdoc-opportunities/ | SC: Must be US citizen or permanent resident. Position is embedded with team at Oregon State U. Highly collaborative. | |||
231 | 11/29/23 11:51 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas | South America | Ecology | Gustavo Q Romero | 1/10/2024 | https://gqromero.wixsite.com/lab/opportunities | |||
232 | 11/29/23 11:49 | University of South Florida | Florida | Disease ecology - SARS-CoV-2 | Andrew Kramer | 12/15/2023 | https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psp/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35282&PostingSeq=1 | 11/29/23 11:50 | Job ID 35282 at USF Careers. Modeling of multi-host zoonotic disease with a focus on SARS-CoV-2, open until filled. | |
233 | 11/29/23 11:45 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas | South America (Other) | Ecology | 1/10/2024 | https://gqromero.wixsite.com/lab/opportunities | ||||
234 | 11/29/23 9:27 | University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus | Minnesota | Environmental Science, Infectious Disease, Plant/Soil Science | Dr. Stuart Siegfried Lichtenberg | 11/29/2023 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/356241 | |||
235 | 11/29/23 6:46 | University of South Florida | Florida | Disease ecology | Andrew Kramer | 12/8/2023 | https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psc/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35752&PostingSeq=1 | 11/29/23 11:47 | Job ID 35752 at USF Careers, focus on multi-scale models of vector-borne diseases | |
236 | 11/28/23 16:16 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Evolutionary, developmental, and functional genetics | Roberto Márquez | 1/31/2024 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/527860/postdoctoral-associate | 11/28/23 16:19 | Two positions funded for three years. Starting summer-fall 2024. At least one position will work heavily on genome editing. | |
237 | 11/28/23 11:15 | USDA Northeast Climate Hub | New Hampshire | Climate and Forest Management | Erin Lane, erin.d.lane@usda.gov | 11/28/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-USFS-NRS-2023-0460 | |||
238 | 11/28/23 8:24 | Pontifical Catholic University of Peru | South America | Diversity & Ecology/Molecular Biology | Dr. Geoffrey Gallice | 12/31/2023 | https://www.sustainableamazon.org/research-technician | 11/28/23 17:20 | Not sure if "research technician" is equivalent to postdoc? A PhD isn't required. | |
239 | 11/27/23 21:31 | San Diego Natural History Museum | California | Conservation Biology | Michelle Thompson | 1/5/2024 | https://www.sdnhm.org/about-us/employment/ | 11/27/23 21:37 | 3 years of funding, we will continue reviewing until filled, with a preferred start date as soon as possible. | |
240 | 11/25/23 0:42 | Curtin University | Australia | Genomics | Professor Ben Phillips - Population Biology and Genomics Group (https://popbiolgenomics.org/) | 12/22/2023 | https://staff.curtin.edu.au/job-vacancies/?ja-job=818282 | 11/25/23 0:40 | ||
241 | 11/20/23 16:37 | Oregon State University | Oregon | Disease Ecology | Fletcher Halliday | 12/1/2023 | https://agsci-labs.oregonstate.edu/diseaseecology/opportunities/ | 12/14/23 6:36 | Reviewing until filled, with a preferred start in winter 2024, but start-date quite flexible. More info at https://agsci-labs.oregonstate.edu/diseaseecology/ | |
242 | 11/20/23 10:53 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Microbial Ecologist | Dr. Jessica Ernakovich | 11/27/2023 | https://www.permafrost.org/newsitem/job-opportunity-microbial-ecologist-unh/ | |||
243 | 11/16/23 8:41 | University of California San Diego | California | Evolutionary Genomics/predictability of evolutionary trajectories | Diana Rennison | https://twitter.com/lifeatthebench/status/1722395660941689088/photo/1 | 11/16/23 8:42 | Applications reviewed as they are received | ||
244 | 11/15/23 12:55 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | North Carolina | Evolution/ecology/CT scanning | Bryan S. McLean | 1/1/2024 | https://spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/27765 | |||
245 | 11/15/23 8:55 | University of California, Santa Barbara | California | Fisheries and climate change | Chris Free | 12/22/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02658 | 2/4/24 12:52 | Any news about this position (number of applicants, timing of interviews, has it already been filled)? | |
246 | 11/15/23 5:31 | University of Exeter | United Kingdom | Microbial Ecology & Evolution | Gabriel Yvon-Durocher | 12/19/2023 | https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=823676h2G0&WVID=3817591jNg | |||
247 | 11/15/23 1:16 | GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research | Germany | Genomics of marine symbioses | Prof. Dr. Ute Hentschel Humeida | 12/12/2023 | https://www.geomar.de/en/karriere/job-single-en/wissenschaftlerin-m-w-d-genomische-basis-mariner-schwammsymbiosen | 12/29/23 6:02 | A 3+3 position as 'junior group leader.' PI has much of the data already, as part of a larger project, which will allow for a quick start for the selected individual. 1) The deadline for this is now 14th January 2024. | |
248 | 11/14/23 9:00 | University of Utah | Utah | Ecology/Evolution Broadly | University of Utah, Independent Research, You are the PI | 12/6/2023 | https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/155192 | 11/14/23 9:03 | Hiring multiple positions. Three years of funding. Teaching/mentor focus. | |
249 | 11/14/23 6:02 | UMass Lowell | Massachusetts | Muscle physiology | Nicolai Konow | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/822/lowell/en-us/job/521376/postdoctoral-research-associate-biological-sciences | ||||
250 | 11/14/23 6:02 | UMass Lowell | Massachusetts | Biomechanics and muscle physiology | Nicolai Konow | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/822/lowell/en-us/job/521375/postdoctoral-research-associate-biological-sciences | ||||
251 | 11/13/23 10:38 | Montana State University, Bozeman | Montana | Agroecology | Jessica Kansman, Will Wetzel, Kevin Wanner | 11/27/2023 | https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/38795 | 11/14/23 9:39 | Reviewing until filled, but please email or submit an application asap! | |
252 | 11/13/23 8:41 | University of California Los Angeles | California | California Conservation Science | Brad Shaffer | 11/26/2023 | https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/jobs/postdoctoral-fellowship-with-the-la-kretz-center-for-california-conservation-science/ | |||
253 | 11/13/23 5:43 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Macroecology | Carsten Rahbek | 11/23/2023 | https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx/?cid=1307&departmentId=19217&ProjectId=160530&MediaId=5&SkipAdvertisement=false | |||
254 | 11/12/23 7:13 | New York University | New York | ecosystem ecology, urban science | Mingzhen Lu | 12/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/127698 | 11/12/23 7:19 | 2 opennings, flexible start date, continue until filled | |
255 | 11/10/23 9:59 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Evolutionary Ecology, Plant-animal interactions | Marjorie Weber | 11/13/2023 | http://www.theweberlab.com/postdoc-position.html | 11/10/23 11:01 | Will continue to review until filled :) | |
256 | 11/9/23 14:19 | Central State University | Ohio | Agricultural science, entomology, soil science, project management | Li-Byarlay | 12/1/2023 | https://careers.centralstate.edu/postings/7422 | 11/9/23 14:20 | Project manager position, up to 5 yrs, work with minority students in ag | |
257 | 11/9/23 14:17 | Central State University | Ohio | pollinator ecology, Plant-pollinator interaction | Nagle/ Li-Byarlay | 12/1/2023 | https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaqq8pqwxjlckPBsYR--z7SY9Deh1evXR-qi-WsPnuaOveuw/viewform | 11/9/23 14:18 | the job posting is coming soon, up to 3 yrs postdoc, usda funded research | |
258 | 11/9/23 14:11 | Central State University | Ohio | honeybee genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, social behavior of grooming | Li-Byarlay | 11/16/2023 | https://careers.centralstate.edu/postings/6987 | 11/9/23 14:12 | 2-year postdoc. Encourage to apply for USDA postdoc fellowships | |
259 | 11/9/23 9:06 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin | Aquatic Vegetation and Fisheries Community Modeling | Zachary Feiner | 12/9/2023 | https://hr.wisc.edu/postdoc-and-research-intern-vacancies/ | 11/9/23 9:08 | Two-year postdoc as part of a collaborative team of Upper Midwest US (MI, MN, WI) ecologists interested in leveraging extensive ecological datasets to investigate macrophyte communities, model relationships between macrophyte communities and fisheries characteristics in lakes, assess fishery responses to changes in macrophyte habitats, and develop tools to identify and prioritize habitat management strategies. | |
260 | 11/6/23 13:57 | University of Central Florida | Florida | Entomology/Soil Biology/Myrmecology | Josh King | 1/31/2024 | https://ucf.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Postdoctoral-Scholar_R105548 | 1/27/24 11:48 | Post doc is still open. Please apply! NSF funded, 3-4 years of support. Please feel free to reach out with questions. | |
261 | 11/3/23 10:15 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Squamate Genomics and Evolution | Frank Burbrink | 11/3/2023 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3904 | 11/3/23 15:50 | 2-year postdoc, will be part of a team of 3 total postdocs (1 morphology, 2 genomics) and three PIs. This is from an NSF grant. Also this was just posted today so the 3rd is not the review date. | |
262 | 11/2/23 9:57 | USDA ARS Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory | Missouri | Bioinformatics & Microbiology (2 years, GS-11, $69K-89K)) | David Kang | 12/31/2023 | https://careers.entsoc.org/jobs/19356806/research-biologist-computational-bioinformatic-microbiologist-postdoctoral-res-ass-gs-0401-0403 | |||
263 | 11/2/23 7:03 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Conservation Science - Interdisciplinary (2yrs) | Center for Biodiversity and Conservation | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3902 | 11/16/23 11:12 | (1) Is the position open to remote work? | |
264 | 11/2/23 7:03 | American Museum of Natural History | New York | Conservation Science - Innovation (1yr w possible extension) | Center for Biodiversity and Conservation | 11/27/2023 | https://careers.amnh.org/postings/3903 | |||
265 | 11/2/23 1:48 | Institute of Vertebrate Biology CAS | Europe (Other) | Bird Ecology and Migration | Petr Procházka. | 11/30/2023 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KkAwWpQeAUBKhfvKg-b_yCZuC68mEML_/view?pli=1 | |||
266 | 11/1/23 14:27 | University of California Santa Barbara | California | Global Change | 12/1/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02630 | 11/15/23 16:23 | New postdoc fellowship program at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management! (1) remote work optional? | ||
267 | 11/1/23 14:27 | Stephen F. Austin State University | Texas | Wildlife Ecology | Glasscock, Antoniazzi, Eversole | 12/1/2023 | https://careers.sfasu.edu/postings/10839 | 11/1/23 15:02 | Good pay and stability for several years. Opportunity to work on a diverse array of projects. | |
268 | 11/1/23 13:28 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Environmental Chemistry | Christoph Aeppli | 11/1/2023 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/uPudksYiHX_7/postdoctoral-research-scientist-in-environmental-chemistry | |||
269 | 11/1/23 11:33 | USDA ARS | Mississippi | Pollinator Ecology/Entomology/Biology | 12/1/2023 | https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/stoneville-ms/pollinator-health-in-southern-crop-ecosystems-research/ | 11/1/23 11:35 | The Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystem Research Unit (https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/stoneville-ms/pollinator-health-in-southerncrop-ecosystems-research/) of the Agricultural Research Service is searching for postdoctoral researchers (2 vacancies) in Ecology/Entomology/Biology. This is a full time, term appointment initially for 1 year, with possible yearly extension(s) contingent on performance and funding availability. The researcher will be working on projects relating to pollinator health in intensive agricultural systems in cooperation with multiple stakeholders in Stoneville, MS. The incumbent will have the flexibility of working on a wide range of topics relating to pollinator health in natural and agricultural landscapes focusing on nutritional ecology, plant-pollinator mutualisms, insect physiology, chemistry and/or toxicology. The primary goal will be to (i) improve the health of pollinators (managed honey bees as well as native bees) during these periods of changing climatic conditions, (ii) reduce the impact of stressors, including pesticides, pests, and pathogens on pollinators and (iii) develop ecosystem level approaches to sustain plant-pollinator populations and mutualisms for conserving bee and plant biodiversity sustainably in the face of large-scale agriculture. Specifics: This position requires a thorough knowledge of insect behavioral ecology and insect physiology. Additional preferred qualifications include strong theoretical and statistical skills, and proficiency in experimental design and data analyses. Supplemental knowledge of molecular techniques (to identify pollen source, genotype bees etc.) and floral chemistry are desirable. Willingness to work with bees in lab and field settings and learn beekeeping skills is a positive. Demonstrated ability in oral and written communication of research results is required. Qualification requirements: PhD. in biological sciences or related disciplines. Applicants must also meet U.S. citizenship or permanent residents who meet certain eligibility requirements may apply. Additional information on the employment of noncitizens can be found at this link. To apply for the position, please send (1) cover letter detailing your interest and fit for the position, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) contact information for three professional references, and (4) unofficial transcripts to pierre.lau@usda.gov. Review of applicants begin on Friday, December 1, 2023 and will be ongoing. *ARS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider*. Are you interested in working with our research unit? We're hiring *TWO* postdoctoral researchers to work project broadly related to pollinator health... A really wide range of topics are included and could be honey bees or wild bees, biodiversity, conservation, plant-pollinator interactions, agroecosystems, etc. I'm not the main contact for the positions, but if you're interested and want to chat, I'm more than willing to answer questions about the research unit or about living and doing research in small town rural America. | ||
270 | 11/1/23 8:34 | University of Michigan | Michigan | AI for Wildlife Conservation | Neil Carter | 11/30/2023 | https://midas.umich.edu/ai-in-science-2/apply-2/ | 11/1/23 8:37 | There are actually two separate postdoc fellow programs that are applicable: One is the Michigan Data Science Fellows program: https://midas.umich.edu/fellows/apply-2024/ The other is the Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship: https://midas.umich.edu/ai-in-science-2/apply-2/ | |
271 | 10/31/23 10:27 | St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program | Florida | Estuarine Ecology and Living Shorelines, Data Analysis | Dr. Jessica Graham | 12/8/2023 | https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=56106&PostingSeq=1 | 11/1/23 7:19 | 2.5 years of funding, highly collaborative team across NW FL to assess living shoreline effectivness. Based at FSU Panama City, FL. Looking for quatntiative expereince to analyze historic and new monitoring data. Opportunity to work with Estuary Programs, NGOs, state agencies! | |
272 | 10/31/23 6:22 | Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University | Massachusetts | Plant Science | Independent Research | 1/11/2024 | https://arboretum.harvard.edu/research/programs-and-opportunities/katharine-h-putnam-fellowship-in-plant-science/ | 11/2/23 19:18 | (1) "Putnam Fellows are full-time employees of Harvard University with a salary of $83,000 per year, employee health insurance eligibility, and annual support of up to $10,000 for research, travel, initial relocation, and other professional expenses. Putnam Fellows are expected to be in full-time residence at the Arboretum during their 2-year tenure and are provided office and research space." | |
273 | 10/30/23 17:25 | Cornell University | New York | Complex traits evolution | April Wei | 11/30/2023 | http://aprilweilab.github.io/ | 10/30/23 17:27 | Looking for a computationally strong postdoc to work on complex trait evolution. Ideally, someone who can work with us for at least 1-2 years. The position is fully funded for 5 years. | |
274 | 10/30/23 17:20 | University of California Davis | California | Fish Ecology and Life History Diversity | Robert Lusardi | 11/13/2023 | https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/news/open-postdoctoral-position-fish-ecology-and-life-history-diversity | 11/9/23 20:18 | A primary goal of the project will be to understand how selection pressures differ between ecosystems and result in differences in key life history traits of native salmonids between river types (runoff, spring-fed, etc.). | |
275 | 10/30/23 7:02 | USDA Northeast Climate Hub/ ORISE fellowship | New Hampshire | Tribal Climate Equity (Forestry and Agriculture) | Erin Lane, US Forest Service | 11/29/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-USFS-NRS-2023-0440 | 10/30/23 7:03 | Review begins in November, position will open until filled. | |
276 | 10/30/23 6:58 | USDA Forest Service | New Hampshire | Climate Equity | Erin Lane | 10/30/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-USFS-NRS-2023-0440 | 10/30/23 6:59 | Please consider applying as Post Masters or Post Doctorate (stipends are adjusted accordingly) | |
277 | 10/27/23 12:46 | Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies | New York | Forest and fire ecology, simulation modeling or AI | Dr. Winslow Hansen | 11/27/2023 | https://www.caryinstitute.org/about/careers-cary?bzid=3b3cd6d8bc11 | Review will begin on 11/27/2023 but will continue until the position is filled | ||
278 | 10/27/23 10:57 | University of Helsinki | Finland | Co-evolutionary consequences of biodiversity change | Anne-Liisa Laine | 12/4/2023 | https://jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki-3-Post-doc-positions-in-Ecology%2C-evolution-and-statistical-analysis-of-plant-microbe-interactions/781231102/ | 10/27/23 10:58 | Three position: (1) Ecology & evolution of plant-microbe interactions, (2) Soil microbial ecology, (3) Ecological statistics | |
279 | 10/27/23 10:57 | Wake Forest University | North Carolina | Population Dynamics Modeling/Infectious Disease Modeling | Nicholas Kortessis | 11/6/2023 | https://wfu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Staff_Career_Website_live/job/Winston-Salem-NC/Postdoctoral-Researcher--Department-of-Biology_R0006323-1 | 10/27/23 12:27 | Application will be reviewed until filled! | |
280 | 10/27/23 4:56 | University of Central Florida | Florida | Soil Ecology/Entomology/Ecology | Dr. Joshua King | 10/27/2023 | https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=178510307 | 10/27/23 5:03 | Reposting | |
281 | 10/26/23 12:22 | University of San Francisco | California | Teaching Postdoc - Biology / Genomics | N/A | 1/8/2024 | https://usfca.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USF_Staff/details/Gerardo-Marn-Diversity-Fellowships-DISSERTATION-or-TEACHING-POST-DOCTORAL-FELLOWSHIP_R0008606 | 10/26/23 12:25 | Teaching postdoc that will allow a recent PhD graduate to work with department faculty to continue in developing research independence while teaching a course each semester. | |
282 | 10/25/23 13:51 | University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences | Alaska | Fisheries, Stock Assessment | Dr. Curry Cunningham | 11/7/2023 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wv_SOgalj8GZ5BDzePsQvP8F7RI4XV-H/view | |||
283 | 10/24/23 0:50 | University of Hohenheim | Germany | Eco-evo-devo, developmental genetics | Kristen Panfilio | 11/10/2023 | https://thenode.biologists.com/jobs/phd-postdoc-in-insect-developmental-genetics-and-molecular-evolution/ | 11/1/23 7:18 | Can alchemists apply? 2) what does this mean @ #1? | |
284 | 10/23/23 10:04 | University of California - Los Angeles | California | California Conservation Science | Brad Shaffer | 11/26/2023 | https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/jobs/postdoctoral-fellowship-with-the-la-kretz-center-for-california-conservation-science/ | |||
285 | 10/23/23 5:17 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | Microbial Computational Ecology & Bioinformatics | Emma Ransome | 11/23/2023 | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/NAT01548/research-associate-microbial-computational-ecologist-examine-pathogen-suppression-wheat-through | 10/23/23 5:19 | Part of a £multi-million project involving 5 Postdocs and 2 technicians to combat one of the most destructive root diseases of wheat crops https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/248639/245-million-gift-launches-novel-research/ | |
286 | 10/23/23 5:15 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | Mathematical biologist/ecologist to develop the ‘Digital Microbiome’ | Samraat Pawar | 11/23/2023 | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/NAT01549/research-associate-mathematical-biologistecologist-develop-%E2%80%98digital-microbiome%E2%80%99-microbiome | 10/23/23 5:20 | Part of a £multi-million project involving 5 Postdocs and 2 technicians to combat one of the most destructive root diseases of wheat crops https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/248639/245-million-gift-launches-novel-research/ | |
287 | 10/23/23 5:12 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | Environmental microbiology | Thomas Bell | 11/23/2023 | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/NAT01550/research-associate-environmental-microbiologist-examine-pathogen-suppression-wheat-through | 4/5/24 14:29 | Part of a £multi-million project involving 5 Postdocs and 2 technicians to combat one of the most destructive root diseases of wheat crops https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/248639/245-million-gift-launches-novel-research/ | |
288 | 10/22/23 8:30 | Norwegian Institute of Marine Research | Norway | Seaweed ecology | Thomas Wernberg | 11/10/2023 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/250161/postdoctoral-position-in-seaweed-ecology | 10/22/23 8:30 | 3 year position on kelp ecology | |
289 | 10/20/23 10:46 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Oceanography and Modeling | Dan Pendleton & Nick Record | 11/27/2023 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/vR-5Z8NKyieD/postdoctoral-research-scientist-in-north-atlantic-right-whale-modeling | |||
290 | 10/20/23 10:42 | USGS | Nevada | plant communities and biological soil crusts in the Great Basin | Dr. Lea Condon | 11/16/2023 | https://www.usajobs.gov/job/752808200 | 10/20/23 10:43 | 2 positions. GS11 with promotional potential to GS12 | |
291 | 10/20/23 10:41 | USDA-ARS | Utah | Rangeland ecology | Hailey Wilmer (hailey.wilmer@usda.gov) | 11/24/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-ARS-PW-2023-0415 | |||
292 | 10/19/23 22:26 | University of Namur, Belgium | Europe (Other) | Ecology, Environments, and species coexistence | Frederik De Laender | 11/15/2023 | https://eccology.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Postdoc-offer-3.pdf | 10/19/23 22:29 | 1) Understanding the effects of environmental change on ecological communities is an important objective for science and society. However, meeting this objective is challenging because environmental change comes in many different guises, and different communities contain different species that grow and interact in their own distinct ways. We offer a postdoctoral scholarship on theoretical ecology for up to two years at the lab of Frederik De Laender at the University of Namur to address this challenge. More specifically, this scholarship’s objective is to examine how differences between communities and between environmental drivers lead to different effects on coexistence. While the literature is replete with simulation models, the aim of this project is to achieve a more cross-cutting understanding through a new theoretical approach and apply it to the cases of temperature change and pollutants. 2) interested and how to apply? Email your CV and a motivation letter to F. De Laender. | |
293 | 10/18/23 1:25 | University of Munich | Germany | Microbial Ecology | William Orsi | 10/18/2023 | https://www.isme-microbes.org/jobs/phd-position-environmental-microbiology-microbial-ecology | |||
294 | 10/17/23 9:53 | University of Massachusetts, Amherst | Massachusetts | Aquatic biodiversity | Graziella DiRenzo & Allison Roy | 10/29/2023 | https://grazielladirenzo.weebly.com/job-posting2.html | 10/18/23 9:22 | The analyses for this project are almost complete and we are looking for someone to help us write up the papers. They should be fairly straightfoward. 1) I've been in a position like this before that I came to regret. These aren't really postdocs, they're contract writing where you have to produce a product everyone has in mind but won't describe to you. | |
295 | 10/15/23 9:29 | Emory University | Georgia | Interdisciplinary science | Any Emory College faculty | 11/1/2023 | https://livingtheory.emory.edu/programs/tarbutton-fellows.html | 10/22/23 15:35 | The analyses for this project are almost complete and we are looking for someone to help us write up the papers. They should be fairly straightfoward. 1) I've been in a position like this before that I came to regret. These aren't really postdocs, they're contract writing where you have to produce a product everyone has in mind but won't describe to you. | |
296 | 10/13/23 12:33 | University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Quantitative fisheries science | Easton White | 9/25/2023 | https://quantmarineecolab.github.io/join/ | 10/16/23 17:54 | 45215.74629 | |
297 | 10/13/23 3:45 | University of Houston | Texas | Eco-Evolutionary Biology | Molly Albecker | 11/1/2023 | https://docs.google.com/document/d/12JwDQh_d0R0bdoafttiI57eDA6PhUqo6qWeu1nRTKEI/edit | |||
298 | 10/12/23 6:46 | New York University | New York | climate<>ecosystem interactions; Earth system modeling; natural climate solutions; climate extremes | Sonali Shukla McDermid | 11/30/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128073 | |||
299 | 10/11/23 5:34 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Biodiversity Data Science | Daniel Kissling | 11/15/2023 | https://vacatures.uva.nl/UvA/job/Postdoc-in-Biodiversity-Data-Science/780135902/ | |||
300 | 10/10/23 19:02 | Indiana University, Indianapolis | Indiana | Insect Neuroanatomy/Neuroethology | Meghan Barrett | 1/1/2024 | meghan-barrett.com/opportunities | |||
301 | 10/10/23 19:01 | Indiana University Indianapolis | Indiana | Insects as Food and Feed, Insect Welfare | Meghan Barrett | 1/1/2024 | meghan-barrett.com/opportunities | |||
302 | 10/10/23 12:02 | Northeastern University | Massachusetts | Coastal Hydrology | P. James Dennedy-Frank | 12/1/2023 | https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/Nahant-MA/Postdoctoral-Research- Associate_R118368 | 10/10/23 12:29 | Correct url is: https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/Nahant-MA/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R118368 -- apologies for the error | |
303 | 10/10/23 9:26 | University of California, Santa Cruz | California | Spatial ecology, Species distributions, Climate change | Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela and Erika Zavaleta | 10/31/2023 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OiBgurELbSMq3S6srdokJc14mFi_AT73/view | |||
304 | 10/9/23 12:58 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina | Freshwater Science | Amanda DelVecchia | 10/15/2023 | https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/266083 | |||
305 | 10/9/23 12:58 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina | Freshwater Science | Amanda DelVecchia | 10/15/2023 | https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/266083 | |||
306 | 10/8/23 14:09 | Macalester College | Minnesota | Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences | Department-wide posted | 10/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo?joblist---5380-25341 | 10/8/23 14:17 | 1) Dept member/SC member, here - this is part of a cluster hire across the college via the Native and Indigenous (MNI) Initiative funded by a Mellon grant (info here) that aims to capitalize on the numerous Indigenous scholars on campus whose work involves Native and Indigenous perspectives. The postdoc position itself is a "teaching faculty" postdoc, with a reduced teaching load and substantial support for research and a very competitive salary. The provost office's aim is for the postdocs in this cluster hire to be mentored into successful tenure-stream targeted hires on campus. We are open to a very wide range of fields/specialties. Happy to answer Qs! | |
307 | 10/6/23 8:55 | Univeristy of North Dakota | North Dakota | Wildlife Biology | Susan Ellis-Felege | 11/1/2023 | https://careers.und.edu/jobs/post-doc-research-fellow-uas-wildlife-grand-forks-north-dakota-united-states | |||
308 | 10/6/23 6:09 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Disease Ecology, Mammals | Joseph Hoyt | 11/30/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/527188/postdoctoral-associate | |||
309 | 10/6/23 5:36 | Czech University of Life Sciences (Prague) | Europe (Other) | Vegetation Ecology | Petr Keil | 10/31/2023 | https://petrkeil.github.io/news/2023/10/06/GRACE_postdoc.html | |||
310 | 10/5/23 15:58 | University of Alabama | Alabama | Neuroscience - genetics | Nicole Ackermans | 12/8/2023 | https://careers.ua.edu/jobs/2ea97046-7ced-4207-9a25-25db4967fad3 | 10/5/23 15:59 | More detail here:https://nicoleackermans.com/2023/09/09/hiring-a-postdoctoral-researcher-or-visiting-scientist-in-genetics-neuroscience/ | |
311 | 10/5/23 6:42 | UNC Charlotte | North Carolina | Genetic Novelty and SVs | Rogers | https://jobs.charlotte.edu/postings/52545 | 10/5/23 6:43 | Recruiting a postdoc on NIH R35 grant to study genetic novelty and evolution of genome structure. Contract for 1 year with option to renew dependent on performance. Must know how to code, python preferred. Experience with Drosophila will be helpful. Multiple data sets in hand for analysis. Also open to phenotype screens. Email for more info before applying. | ||
312 | 10/5/23 5:36 | charles university (Czech republic) | Other | Ploidy genomics | Levi Yant, Filip Kolar | 10/30/2023 | https://www.yantlab.net/ | 10/5/23 8:34 | Two positions! | |
313 | 10/4/23 3:59 | University of Oslo | Norway | Evolutionary Genomics | Andrew Foote | 11/3/2023 | tinyurl.com/mtx8nmht | 10/4/23 7:57 | CEES postdoc here - The department is fun, having a good basis in genomics (Kjetill Jakobsen is leading the Norwegian genomes initiative, Mark Ravinet has a group on population genomics, Bastiaan Star and Sanne Boessenkool a group on aDNA) evolution (Thomas Hansen and Eivind Undheim do a lot of outstanding evolutionary work), and ecology (Atle Mysterud, Yngvild Vindenes). Oslo is a nice place to live: quiet town, but has the infrastructure and culture offering of an European capital. The salary is good - I believe someone renting a 1 room flat and cooking their own food could save ~1.000-750 USD a month or even more. | |
314 | 10/3/23 20:33 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Conservation Population Genetics | Matthew Albrecht | 11/15/2023 | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2680 | |||
315 | 10/3/23 20:31 | Missouri Botanical Garden | Missouri | Rare Plant Conservation and Population Dynamics | Matthew Albrecht | 11/15/2023 | https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2676 | |||
316 | 10/3/23 17:07 | University of California Davis | California | Sediment-Transport Modeling and Fluvial Geomorphology | Nicholas Pinter | 10/4/2023 | https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/news/postdoc-sediment-transport-modeling-geomorph | 10/3/23 17:57 | The position will remain open until filled; preferred start date of November 1, 2023. We expect that the initial appointment will be for 2 years, contingent upon job performance, with the reappointment possible thereafter pending continued funding and mutual agreement. 1) not ecoevo? wrong doc maybe? | |
317 | 10/3/23 13:29 | University of Regina | Canada | data management, advanced statistical analysis, scientific collaboration, aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, community ecology, fish ecology, and food webs | Kerri Finlay and Bruno Soares | 11/30/2023 | https://www.ciee-icee.ca/ldp-postdoc-positions.html | 10/26/23 11:29 | Priority will be given to candidates who have proficiencies in at least some of the following skills: data archiving, R programming, version control (e.g. GitHub), reproducible research, database construction, collation of large databases from multiple sources, citizen science, advanced statistics (e.g. hierarchical modelling, structural equation models, meta-analysis), equity and inclusion in scientific collaborations and the working group method. | |
318 | 10/3/23 12:17 | University of California, Santa Barbara | California | Quantitative Population Ecology and Statistical Modeling | Cheryl Briggs | 10/1/2023 | https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02598 | |||
319 | 10/1/23 12:26 | University of Alberta | Canada | Avian Ecology, Conservation Planning | Erin Bayne | 10/15/2023 | https://borealbirds.ca/impact-assessment-postdoctoral-fellow/ | |||
320 | 9/30/23 18:29 | University of Alaska-Fairbanks | Alaska | Freshwater ecology/water quality | Jeff Muehlbauer | 11/1/2023 | https://akriverecology.weebly.com/join.html#opportunities | 10/22/23 14:32 | 1) Is Fall 2024 the expected start date for this position? | |
321 | 9/29/23 5:59 | Syracuse University | New York | Functional Morphology & Biomechanics | Austin Garner | https://www.sujobopps.com/postings/100795 | 9/29/23 6:00 | AP: this position is open until filled, so I wasn't sure what to put for the review data, and just clicked today's date | ||
322 | 9/28/23 12:12 | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center | Maryland | 3 positions: Oyster Reef Ecology, Ecology of Urban Estuaries, Marine Biodiversity Conservation | Matthew Ogburn | 10/25/2023 | https://serc.si.edu/get-involved/job-opportunities/interdisciplinary-postdoctoral-research-fellows | 9/28/23 19:25 | 3 year Federal term positions (GS-09) | |
323 | 9/27/23 17:36 | Pepperdine University | California | population genetics/genomics and arthropod vector ecology | Javier Monzon | 9/27/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/133120 | 9/27/23 17:39 | NIH-funded project to do population genomics and microbiome study of ticks expanding in geographic range. | |
324 | 9/26/23 21:59 | San Francisco State University | California | Genomics, Phylogenetics, Bioinformatics, Pop Gen, Museomics | Jaime Chaves | 10/26/2023 | https://jaimechaves.weebly.com/ | 9/27/23 9:56 | Join the GalapaGenomes at SFSU and California Academy of Sciences. For more details here https://jaimechaves.weebly.com/uploads/6/3/9/7/63971367/postdoc_hire_add.pdf (1) is the salary 58k or 58k+41k? I'd love to apply, but there's no way one can live in SF on 58k... | |
325 | 9/26/23 10:37 | University of California Santa Cruz | California | Population modeling | Malin Pinsky | 7/24/2023 | https://globalchange.sites.ucsc.edu/2023/07/16/were-hiring-a-postdoc-2/ | 10/1/23 21:39 | Still open as of 10/1/2023 | |
326 | 9/22/23 13:22 | University of California - Los Angeles | California | California Conservation Science | H. Bradley Shaffer | 11/26/2023 | https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/jobs/postdoctoral-fellowship-with-the-la-kretz-center-for-california-conservation-science/ | 9/22/23 13:24 | The 2024 UCLA La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellowship in California Conservation Science is now accepting applications.The deadline to submit is November 26th, 2023 | |
327 | 9/21/23 15:56 | USDA ARS | Mississippi | Entomology - post doc to work on the molecular side of pathogen infection in invasive ants | Michael Grodowitz (michael.grodowitz@usda.gov) | n/a | 9/21/23 15:59 | No URL - Open until filled. USDA ARS in Stoneville, MS. If interested email Michael Grodowitz at michael.grodowitz@usda.gov. US Citizens only, GS11 ($69,107 FY23). Project to be focused on molecular side of pathogen infection in invasive ants. | ||
328 | 9/20/23 12:34 | USC | California | Statistical and Population Genetics | Arun Durvasula | https://sites.usc.edu/durvasula/2023/09/20/postdoctoral-researcher-position/ | ||||
329 | 9/20/23 10:18 | State University of Campinas | South America | Molecular Ecology, eDNA, Ecological Network | Gustavo Q. Romero | 10/20/2023 | https://gqromero.wixsite.com/lab/opportunities | |||
330 | 9/20/23 9:03 | GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences | Germany | Data Science and Global Land Monitoring | 10/15/2023 | https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/career/job-offers/details/8370 | 9/20/23 9:04 | Fixed-term: 4,5 years | ||
331 | 9/19/23 11:40 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Forest Health | John J. Riggins | 9/19/2023 | https://forestentomology.org.msstate.edu/index.html#jobs | 9/25/23 7:04 | Open until filled. (still unfilled as of 9/25/23) | |
332 | 9/19/23 6:11 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | Environmental Chemistry | Christoph Aeppli | 10/15/2023 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/uPudksYiHX_7/postdoctoral-research-scientist-in-environmental-chemistry | |||
333 | 9/18/23 7:53 | Auburn University | Alabama | Wetland Remote Sensing | Zutao Yang | 11/1/2023 | https://wordpress.auburn.edu/emo/opportunities/ | |||
334 | 9/12/23 11:50 | University of California, Santa Cruz | California | Spatial Ecology/Conservation Ecology/Connectivity modelling | Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela | 10/31/2023 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z-c2dNp_HCTc6wWeDS0I7FMedF1Wysma/view?usp=sharing | |||
335 | 9/11/23 14:26 | Georgia Tech | Georgia | theoretical ecology and evolution | Sam Brown and Rachel Kuske | 9/18/2023 | https://brownlab.biology.gatech.edu/opportunities/ | |||
336 | 9/11/23 8:09 | Auburn University | Alabama | Forest and fire ecology | Heather Alexander | 9/11/2023 | https://forestfireecology.auburn.edu/opportunities/ | 9/11/23 8:15 | Open until filled; Part of a US Forest Service grant to help understand the carbon and flammability consequences of forest restoration using prescribed fire; highly collaborative research | |
337 | 9/9/23 0:45 | Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute | Massachusetts | Marine genomics | 11/30/2023 | https://gmgi.bamboohr.com/careers/43 | ||||
338 | 9/8/23 11:40 | Stanford University | California | Climate change and genomics of ectomycorrhizal fungi | Kabir Peay | https://twitter.com/mykophile/status/1699926342631092405 | ||||
339 | 9/7/23 8:21 | University of Tennessee - NIMBioS | Tennessee | mathematical and computational modeling | Nina Fefferman | 9/15/2023 | https://ut.taleo.net/careersection/ut_system/jobdetail.ftl?job=23000001T1&tz=GMT-04%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York | 9/7/23 8:23 | epidemiological risk in wildlife trade networks, focusing on network and game theoretic models -- open until filled, potential for fully remote work | |
340 | 9/7/23 1:10 | University of Bern | Switzerland | Ecological synthesis | Markus Fischer | 10/15/2023 | https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jobs/106707ce-08d0-490c-99e1-ba6571a836f1 | 10/3/23 6:24 | postdoc or data scientist part-time at 60 - 80% Updated link: https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jobs/12743982-1bbc-4488-b11e-137a80ef8d65 | |
341 | 9/7/23 1:08 | University of Bern | Switzerland | Social-ecological synthesis | Markus Fischer | 10/15/2023 | https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jobs/ceec4300-ddf0-4c3e-975a-f89db26c3ba1 | 10/3/23 6:24 | possibility of working 80 to 100% of time UPdated link: https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jobs/4481c632-36c0-411a-a4c1-bbbe0b2c5dc2 | |
342 | 9/6/23 1:28 | National Tropical Botanical Garden | Hawaii | Systematics and evolution of Hawaiian plant radiations | Ken Wood and Warren Wagner | 9/11/2023 | https://ntbg.org/about/jobs/ | 9/16/23 10:33 | Open until filled. Part of a collaborative NSF project between NTBG (Ken Wood), Smithsonian (Warren Wagner), UCLA (Felipe Zapata) and WUSTL (Michael Landis). 2) as of september 16th, this position is still accepting applications, maybe for another two weeks max | |
343 | 9/5/23 16:36 | U of Arizona | Arizona | Forest Carbon and Demography | Margaret Evans | 10/16/2023 | https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/16842?c=arizona | 9/5/23 16:37 | Open until filled, thoughful mentor. | |
344 | 9/3/23 15:50 | USDA-ARS | Maryland | Fungal Systematics & Taxonomy | Catalina Salgado-Salazar | 9/30/2023 | https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fmsafungi.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F08%2FPostdoc-AD-Mycos-USDA-mredit.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK | 9/3/23 15:50 | Very good mentor. | |
345 | 8/30/23 11:37 | Texas State University | Texas | Bioinformatics | Lauren Fuess | 9/15/2023 | https://fuesslab.wp.txstate.edu/opportunities/ | 9/13/23 9:56 | Preference to candidates who are passionate about research + teaching; part of an NSF planning grant to establish a CREST center in global change bioinformatics; open until filled with moderate flexibility in start date (1/1/24 latest possible) | |
346 | 8/30/23 6:05 | University of Missouri | Missouri | Aquatic Nuisance Species | Drs. Allison Pease and Brandon Gerig | 9/30/2023 | https://erecruit.umsystem.edu/psc/tamext/COLUM/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U | 9/5/23 15:06 | 74k annually+benefits, set for 4 years. | |
347 | 8/29/23 12:02 | Cornell University | New York | Conservation Bioacoustics | Independent fellowship | 10/15/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/24693 | 8/29/23 12:04 | In addition to salary support and annual raises, applicants can anticipate approximately $10K/year in research support, with the possibility of additional funds through collaboration with ongoing projects at the Center. In the cover letter, applicants should suggest one or more members of the Center as a potential postdoctoral advisor. This person is not required to be a direct research collaborator, but will provide administrative support, professional guidance, and a connection into the Yang Center and Lab of Ornithology. Any member of the Center can serve as a secondary or co-mentor. Primary advisors can include: Dena Clink, Ben Gottesman, Daniela Hedwig, Holger Klinck, Aaron Rice, Larissa Sugai, Laurel Symes, and Connor Wood. Please reach out to us with questions! | |
348 | 8/29/23 6:13 | AgroParisTech | France | Forest Ecology - Ecological Modeling | JM Serra-Diaz | 10/1/2023 | https://www6.nancy.inrae.fr/silva_eng/Offer-Position/Post-doc-PhD/Post-doctoral-postion-in-modeling-Seedfor-project | |||
349 | 8/29/23 6:12 | AgroParisTech | France | Forest Ecology - Seed Ecology - Microclimates | JM Serra-Diaz | 10/1/2022 | https://www6.nancy.inrae.fr/silva_eng/Offer-Position/Post-doc-PhD/Post-doctoral-postion-Seedfor-project | 9/3/23 6:45 | Reveiw date is 10/1/2023 (wrong year) | |
350 | 8/28/23 17:56 | University of Guelph | Canada | Ecology and evolution | Joey Bernhardt | 10/1/2023 | https://www.bernhardtlab.org/join-us | 8/28/23 17:58 | Salary is $70k + benefits + $5k for travel. Open to interests aligning with the theme 'Adaptation to global change'. | |
351 | 8/28/23 10:15 | McGill University | Canada | ecology, evolution or environmental science | Dr. Laura Pollock | 9/30/2023 | https://www.ciee-icee.ca/ldp-postdoc-positions.html | |||
352 | 8/27/23 6:38 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | South Carolina | Barrier Island Biotic & Abiotic Systems | Kim Ritchie (Director of Pritchards Island) | 9/1/2023 | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/148359 | 9/12/23 8:37 | 1) This is a teaching postdoctoral fellowship. The search committee includes Drs Kim Ritchie, Daniel "Tye" Pettay, Mercer Brugler, and Joe Staton. 2) Will continue to review applications until filled. | |
353 | 8/25/23 14:39 | US Environmental Protection Agency | Oregon | Postdoctoral Fellowship on Coastal Climate Change Linkages to Human Health and Well-being Endpoints | https://zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/EPA-ORD-CPHEA-PESD-2023-08 | |||||
354 | 8/25/23 5:59 | University of Florida (Whitney Lab) | Florida | Evolutionary of Neural cell types | Joseph Ryan | 9/13/2023 | http://ryanlab.whitney.ufl.edu/postdoc/ | 8/28/23 6:34 | Does anyone have any information on working conditions at the Whitney lab? I have heard some pretty horrible rumors but am unsure if true. 1) PI-dependent. I've heard good things about working with Joe. | |
355 | 8/23/23 14:38 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi | Texas | Ecology, Physiology, Corals | Keisha Bahr | 8/28/2023 | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/details/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R-064134 | 9/6/23 14:46 | Applications reviewed continuously. $60k plus benefits | |
356 | 8/23/23 12:42 | Texas A&M University | Texas | Evolutionary genomics | Mahul Chakraborty | https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMU_External/job/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate-Chakraborty_R-060533 | ||||
357 | 8/23/23 9:51 | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Computational biology & Evolution | Anton Suvorov | 9/15/2023 | https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/526775/postdoctoral-associate | 10/3/23 11:48 | 1) New PI, but a really good mentor to work with! | |
358 | 8/22/23 15:58 | Chicago Botanic Garden - Synthesis Center for Conservation & Restoration | Illinois | Restoration Ecology & Synthesis | Dr. Alicia Foxx | 9/15/2023 | https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=21ef98a3-d325-4110-a85a-7729320b6f80&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&jobId=9200396490119_1&source=EN | 8/22/23 15:59 | Reposting due to extended application deadline; Possibility of remote work | |
359 | 8/22/23 15:12 | Vanderbilt University | Tennessee | Tropical ecology modeling | Lin Meng | 11/1/2023 | https://www.vanderbilt.edu/postdoc/position-detail/?id=755 | 8/22/23 15:14 | open until filled. The project is to use FATES to understand edge effect on carbon and fire in Amazon. | |
360 | 8/22/23 12:03 | University of Washington | Washington | Data science; Aquatic food systems | Jessica Gephart | https://uwhires.admin.washington.edu/eng/candidates/default.cfm?szCategory=jobprofile&szOrderID=225874&szCandidateID=0&szSearchWords=&szReturnToSearch=1 | 8/22/23 12:07 | Not technically a postdoc, but could be appropriate for someone looking for a postdoc: "This research team brings together global trade data, local consumption data, and environmental pressure data to understand the opportunities and risks of seafood globalization for sustainable production and food security.This position is based at the University of Washington in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and will interact with a broad network of interdisciplinary and international collaborators. The Aquatic Food System Data Scientist is a two-year grant-funded position with the possibility of extension dependent on funding availability. The desired start date is January 2024." | ||
361 | 8/21/23 16:17 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Evolutionary Ecology | Regina Baucom | 8/31/2023 | https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/238494/research-fellow | |||
362 | 8/20/23 15:32 | USDA-ARS/Oak Ridge | New York | Fungal Comparative Genomics | Lovett | 9/5/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-ARS-SCINet-2023-0284 | 8/20/23 15:33 | ||
363 | 8/18/23 10:04 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi | Microbial ecology | Nathan Wisnoski | 8/18/2023 | https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/en-us/job/506481/postdoctoral-associate | 8/18/23 10:05 | Focus on spatiotemporal dynamics of coastal bacterial communities. Ignore review date. Applications are being reviewed as they come in now. | |
364 | 8/18/23 8:28 | University of Central Florida | Florida | Soil Ecology/Entomology/Ecology | Dr. Joshua King | 9/14/2023 | https://ucf.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Orlando-FL-Main-Campus/Postdoctoral-Scholar_R105548 | 8/18/23 8:29 | A postdoctoral scholar position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Joshua King (http://sciences.ucf.edu/biology/king/ ) at the University of Central Florida (https://www.ucf.edu/) to study the impacts of soil macrofauna (ants) on soil carbon and soil microbial communities. The postdoctoral associate will be part of a collaborative team (UCF, Yale University, University of Texas Tyler) working on NSF-funded research aimed at understanding how highly abundant social insects that live in the soil impact bacteria and fungi that live in or near their nests and how these, in turn, may impact organic soil carbon over local and large, regional scales. Translating local scale impacts across larger scales is a key part of the project. | |
365 | 8/16/23 13:48 | New York University | New York | Terrestrial ecology; natural climate solutions; climate<>ecosystem interactions | Sonali Shukla McDermid | 10/1/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128073 | |||
366 | 8/16/23 12:25 | New York University | New York | Behavioural ecology, visual signalling, primatology | James Higham | 9/4/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/129167 | 8/16/23 12:26 | A post-doctoral associate is sought to work on the evolution of conspicuously colored natal coats in primates (bright fur colors, exhibited by the infants of some primate species). The PDA will help coordinate photography of infant and adult primates, and will lead experimental work testing behavioral responses of primates to images of infants. This work is likely to involve field trips to Japan and Việt Nam. The project is in collaboration with Dr Will Allen and Dr Nick Justyn, Swansea University, UK. | |
367 | 8/16/23 8:52 | Unicamp | South America | Amphibian Conservation | Felipe Toledo | 8/16/2023 | https://www.naturalhistory.com.br/pdfs/posdoc_opportunity.pdf | 8/16/23 8:53 | Overall description: We are seeking for a scientist, PhD in Biology, Zoology, Ecology or similar areas, to carry out a Post-Doctoral project with a FAPESP fellowship, evaluating the causes of threats to Brazilian amphibians, historical, current and future. The objective will be to consolidate a database that will be useful and applied in amphibian conservation. The fellowship holder will be located and use the structure of the Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), at Unicamp, in Campinas, state of São Paulo. The project lasts for 2 to 3 years and includes the possibility of an additional period abroad to carry out an internship with qualified professionals who can contribute to the project. Eventual adjustments to the project can be made to take advantage of the skills of the candidate. In addition to the scholarship, there is an additional grant to cover the expenses of project and this fellowship will integrate a FAPESP thematic project being carried out under the coordination of professor Felipe Toledo. | |
368 | 8/15/23 17:23 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | New York | Aquatic Ecology & Evolution | Rick Relyea | 9/15/2023 | https://community.esa.org/message.htm?hid=393372&mode=view&mmode=&sort_by=&sort_order=&start= | 8/15/23 17:26 | We are seeking multiple post-docs who are interested in bridging the fields of ecology, evolution, and ecotoxicology. Great opportunity to conduct large, cutting-edge experiments. Open to any aquatic taxa and food webs. | |
369 | 8/15/23 9:39 | Princeton University | New Jersey | Paleobiology, Phylogenetics; Macroevolution | Tiago R. Simões | 10/1/2023 | https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=31581 | 8/23/23 5:28 | ||
370 | 8/15/23 9:38 | Princeton University | New Jersey | Macroevolution; Phylogenetics; Herpetology | Tiago R. Simões | 10/1/2023 | https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=31601 | |||
371 | 8/15/23 8:51 | University of South Florida | Florida | Genomics, transcriptomics, and machine learning | Mark Margres | 8/16/2023 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/PostDocs//USouthFlorida.TasmanianDevilGenomics | 8/15/23 8:52 | We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher for August 1, 2024 to work on | |
372 | 8/15/23 7:05 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Any 2 profs in MSU EEB | 11/6/2023 | https://eeb.msu.edu/initiatives/postdoctoral-fellowship/about-position.aspx | 8/16/23 9:07 | The Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) program at Michigan State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. The MSU EEB Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year position that includes a generous salary and research stipend. Fellows are fully participating members of EEB with cutting-edge research programs and innovative community engagement initiatives, mentored by two or more EEB faculty members. A list of possible faculty mentors can be found here: https://eeb.msu.edu/people/core-faculty/. Candidates should contact potential faculty mentors before applying. Contact Emily Josephs (josep993@msu.edu) with questions. 1) Is a $65,000/year salary and $16,000 total in research funds throughout the position really "a generous salary and research stipend"? 2) @1 Not bad in East Lansing. | |
373 | 8/14/23 14:50 | Marquette University | Wisconsin | Ecosystem Stability and Climate Change Synthesis | Nathan Lemoine (Marquette), Lauren Toth (USGS), Joan Dudney (UC Santa Barbara), Deron Burkepile (UC Santa Barbara) | 10/1/2023 | https://employment.marquette.edu/postings/19848 | 9/8/23 16:49 | We seek a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on an exciting, highly collaborative and global-scale synthesis project that seeks to understand ecosystem vulnerability and resilience to climate change. The position is funded by the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. One of the projects will be focused on evaluating the interaction between diversity and climate history in predicting ecosystem stability, resistance, and recovery to “climate shocks” (i.e., heatwaves and droughts) using a cutting-edge statistical approach to synthesize existing long-term datasets across an unprecedented gradient of species richness. Additional projects will include a review paper, a paper focused on foundation species resilience to climate shocks, as well as other papers that emerge from working group brainstorming sessions. We seek a candidate with a background in quantitative ecology to collate and analyze the data and lead resulting publications. Knowledge of Bayesian statistics, spatial statistics, GIS, R, and the STAN programming language preferred. 2) Others in Lemoine's department warn he has lost 100% of grad students prematurely (at least 4) since starting in 2019 and dates employees and students. 3) For Moderator - Comment #2 is clearly a direct and unsubstantiated attack on one of the PIs. It should be removed if possible. | |
374 | 8/14/23 11:12 | University of Guelph | Canada | Ecology, evolution, ecological forecasting | Joey Bernhardt, Helen Booker, Maria Corradini | 9/1/2023 | https://www.bernhardtlab.org/join-us | 8/14/23 11:13 | Reposted from below to reflect new job ad that includes part-time, full-time, remote or on-campus work options | |
375 | 8/14/23 0:07 | Wageningen University | Netherlands | Single cell RNA-sequencing of plant defences against insects | 8/28/2023 | https://www.wur.nl/nl/vacature/postdoc-researcher-single-cell-rna-sequencing-of-plant-defences-against-aphids.htm | 8/15/23 7:29 | 1) industry collaboration means its unlikely you'll be able to publish results. This is probably a great opportunity for someone who wants to exit academia afterwards, but not so great for someone looking to beef up their CV for faculty apps 2) Not sure about the "unlikely you'll be able to publish results" bit. Really depends on the goals of the project and whether or not the results might lead to a patent. Definitely someting to ask about in the interview process. 1) industry collabs at my current institution almost always have a 5+yr publication embargo. I can almost guarantee that will be the case for this job. | ||
376 | 8/13/23 16:20 | USDA-APHIS, Utah State University, Colorado State University, Columbia University, Pennsylvania State University/USGS, Southern Illinois University, University of Minnesota, University of Tennessee Knoxville | Other | Quantitative ecology, disease ecology, movement ecology, | Kim Pepin, Kezia Manlove, George Wittemyer, Meggan Craft, David Walter, Maria Diuk-Wasser, Mark Wilber, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau | 10/1/2023 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qhM1_QMrPKWwnk_tiQVxTa1TZdNsLnWf/view?usp=sharing | 9/28/23 3:27 | Our transdisciplinary research team is seeking several post-doctoral researchers and PhD students that are skilled in biological data analysis, computer programming, and mathematical modeling. Our research team has been conducting coordinated, targeted surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and Chronic Wasting Disease in deer across 12 study sites in the USA. Data being collected include GPS location data, longitudinally replicated animal-level physiological data, and a variety of SARS-CoV-2 and CWD diagnostics. Funding for positions is available now. We are looking for motivated analysts with complementary skills to work collaboratively towards the research programs objectives. We are particularly excited about recruiting individuals with strong interests in interdisciplinary disease ecology and specific skills in at least one related research area, such as epidemiological modeling, movement ecology, statistical inference, phylodynamics or geography, or machine learning. The task of these new team members will be to develop, refine, and implement methods to analyze data emerging from the surveillance program. Candidates will be housed at one of our team institutions, and will interface with the national group through biweekly all-hands meetings and more frequent in-depth discussions (including, for example, a topics lab exploring emerging techniques at the movement-disease interface). We will foster collaborative relationships between the post-docs and affiliated faculty through team retreats, co-led papers, and a strong collaborative culture. Interested parties should contact Kezia Manlove or Kim Pepin with a CV at kezia.manlove@usu.edu or kim.m.pepin@usda.gov. | |
377 | 8/11/23 9:25 | University of Guelph | Canada | Ecology, ecological forecasting, plant disease | Joey Bernhardt, Helen Booker, Maria Corradini | 9/1/2023 | https://semicircle-fuchsia-zgtp.squarespace.com/s/Ecological-forecasting-in-plant-disease-wm8w.pdf | 8/14/23 10:22 | ||
378 | 8/10/23 10:38 | Oklahoma State University | Oklahoma | Statistical modelling, data science, disease | Patrick R Stephens | 8/14/2023 | https://patrickstephens21.wixsite.com/stephenslab/general-clean | 8/10/23 11:18 | Open until filled. The project is to investigate spillover risk and outbreak dynamics of filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statistical modellers, particulalry that have used ensemble machine learning approaches, and that work in R are primarilly what I am looking for. Salary will depend on experience, but even for someone with little to no post doctoral experience would be $54,840. The line is funded for up to three years. I expect some of our highest profile work to get done in the next two years, and we have already published in TRENDS and PLOS. I will start conducting zoom interviews once I have multiple viable candidates, and the start date will be as soon as can be arranged after that. I actually have multiple potential opportunities: https://patrickstephens21.wixsite.com/stephenslab/about-4 | |
379 | 8/10/23 8:13 | University of Colorado | Colorado | Genomics | Alisha Quandt | 9/1/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=48897 | 8/15/23 8:55 | ||
380 | 8/9/23 13:22 | University of Colorado Boulder | Colorado | Ecology | Mike Gil | 8/18/2023 | https://gillab.org/join | 8/15/23 8:55 | ||
381 | 8/8/23 23:54 | UC Davis | California | Spatial ecology | Xiaoli Dong | 12/31/2023 | https://xdong05.github.io/downloads/postdoc_2023.pdf | 8/15/23 8:54 | ||
382 | 8/8/23 7:55 | The University of Texas - Austin | Texas | Biodiversity | 12/4/2023 | https://cns.utexas.edu/research/research-initiatives/stengl-wyer-scholars | 8/9/23 6:10 | Independent postdoc with mentor(s). 70k salary + 10k allowance for research and travel. 3k relocation expenses. Anything related to "studying organisms in their natural environment", taken broadly. You may do theory or experiments and still be thinking about mechanisms from the "natural environment." Apply! | ||
383 | 8/8/23 7:32 | University of Bristol | United Kingdom | Forest Ecology and Remote Sensing | Tommaso Jucker | 9/11/2023 | https://www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/details/?jobId=320335&jobTitle=Research%20Associate | 8/10/23 8:12 | 3-year funded Postdoc working with airborne LiDAR and satellite data to better understand how habitat fragmentation impacts the 3D structure and composition of tropical forests. Applications close on 11 September. Expected start date January 2024, but negotiable. | |
384 | 8/3/23 7:58 | Carleton University | Canada | Bioinformatics, forestry, plant/pest interactions | Catherine Cullingham (catherinecullingham.com) | 8/8/2023 | http://www.csee-scee.ca/bioinformatician-pdf-tria-for-grant-funded-opportunity/ | 8/3/23 8:02 | OPEN UNTIL FILLED; more info on research group: https://tria-for.ualberta.ca | |
385 | 8/3/23 5:40 | University of Calgary | Canada | Viromics, Viral Ecology & Evolution | Ann Gregory | 10/31/2023 | https://www.integrativeviromicslab.com/open-positions | 8/3/23 5:44 | 3-year funded bioinformatics postdoc available for hire in January 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive. | |
386 | 8/2/23 12:11 | University of Michigan | Michigan | Ecology and/or Evolution | 9/14/2023 | https://societyoffellows.umich.edu | 8/8/23 12:23 | |||
387 | 8/2/23 4:18 | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | Species Distribution Modeling | Matt Fitzpatrick | 9/5/2023 | https://umces.peopleadmin.com/postings/1735 | 8/2/23 4:19 | 2nd of 3 anticipated postdoc hires in late 2023. Excellent working environment in the central Appalachians. | |
388 | 8/2/23 2:23 | University of Konstanz | Germany | Open | 10/10/2023 | https://www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskolleg/fellowships/postdoctoral-fellowship/ | 8/2/23 2:25 | 2-year postdoc fellowships with the Uni Konstanz Zukunftskolleg. Research can be in any subject area represented at the University of Konstanz. Up to two positions can be funded by the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior. | ||
389 | 8/1/23 15:58 | Arizona State University | Arizona | Coral Nanobiotechnology | Liza Roger | 9/1/2023 | https://sms.asu.edu/About/Employment-Opportunities#tab-id-1625-3/ | 8/1/23 16:01 | OPEN UNTIL FILLED. Research related to oxidative stress in reef-building corals (NSF funded), specifically to examine free-radical concentrations and dynamics within the complex coral-algae symbiosis through a multidisciplinary lens with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion within science training. | |
390 | 8/1/23 9:55 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Plant Phenology, Deep learning | Daijiang Li | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/1079-Digital-Media-Center/Research-Data-Scientist--IT-Analyst-3-_R00074121-1 | 8/1/23 9:55 | This position will be open until filled. Can meet at ESA. | ||
391 | 7/31/23 13:39 | York University | Canada | Ecological Genomics | Amro Zayed | 9/1/2023 | http://zayedlab.apps01.yorku.ca/wordpress/2023/07/postdoctoral-positions-in-ecological-genomics/ | 7/31/23 13:42 | Two positions one bee genomics and coral genomics. in Toronto | |
392 | 7/31/23 13:31 | UCLA | California | HYBRIDIZATION | Stepfanie Aguillon | https://stepfanieaguillon.com/join-the-lab/ | ||||
393 | 7/27/23 18:50 | ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY | Arizona | Coral Nanobiotechnology | Liza M. Roger | 8/1/2023 | https://sms.asu.edu/About/Employment-Opportunities#tab-id-1625-3/ | 7/27/23 18:53 | research related to oxidative stress in reef-building corals (NSF funded), specifically to examine free-radical concentrations and dynamics within the complex coral-algae symbiosis through a multidisciplinary lens with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion within science training. Qualifications:Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Marine Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering or related areas; Candidates with cross training are greatly encouraged to apply; No more than five years of previous postdoctoral experience, nor have been employed previously as an assistant professor, associate professor or professor on the tenure track; Non-US citizens should be eligible for a J-1 Scholar visa for the duration of the fellowship. For additional information and policies regarding postdoctoral scholars at ASU | |
394 | 7/27/23 11:01 | Smithsonian Institution | Other | Climate Change | Various (Researchers across the Smithsonian Institute) | 8/31/2023 | https://fellowships.si.edu/CCF | |||
395 | 7/27/23 10:59 | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) | Other | Socio-Ecological Resilience | Various (from STRI or National Museum of Natural. History) | 8/31/2023 | https://fellowships.si.edu/Resilience | |||
396 | 7/26/23 10:37 | University of Chicago - Chicago Botanic Garden | Illinois | Ecological Conservation & Restoration; Synthesis | Dr. Alicia Foxx | 8/21/2023 | https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=21ef98a3-d325-4110-a85a-7729320b6f80&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&jobId=9200396490119_1&source=EN | 7/26/23 10:39 | Option for remote work; Review starts 8/21 but this is not a hard deadline. | |
397 | 7/26/23 10:30 | Purdue University | Indiana | ecology, biogeography, biodiversity, data science | Daniel Park | 8/15/2023 | https://www.bio.purdue.edu/lab/park/news.html#postdoc_ad | 7/26/23 10:30 | The position will remain open until filled. Can meet at ESA in Portland. | |
398 | 7/26/23 10:18 | Chicago Botanic Garden | Illinois | Synthesis restoration ecology | Alicia Foxx | https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=21ef98a3-d325-4110-a85a-7729320b6f80&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&jobId=9200396490119_1&source=EN | 7/26/23 10:42 | Option for remote work; Review starts 8/21 but this is not a hard deadline. | ||
399 | 7/26/23 6:45 | University of Georgia | Georgia | Ecology | Any faculty member within Ecology | 9/1/2023 | https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/331208 | 7/26/23 6:59 | Odum School of Ecology Research and Teaching Postdoc, 2 yrs of salary with $2K for research stipend each year. More information about the postdoc program can be found here: https://www.ecology.uga.edu/academics/odum-postdoctoral-scholar-program/ | |
400 | 7/25/23 23:13 | University of Regensburg | Germany | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Tomer J Czaczkes | 1/1/2024 | https://www.animal-economics.com/join-the-team | 3/6/24 12:49 | Fieldwork in Spain testing control approaches for invasive ants. Prior experience not required, but good organisation skills essential. 2 years. | |
401 | 7/25/23 12:28 | George Washington University | District of Columbia | Evolutionary genomics | Linyi Zhang | 8/28/2023 | https://www.gwu.jobs/postings/104176 | |||
402 | 7/25/23 9:09 | German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig | Germany | Ecology (plant, insect, biodiversity, land use) | Anne Ebeling | 8/18/2023 | https://www.idiv.de/fileadmin/content/Vacancies_PDF/Vacancies_2023/Auss217-2023.pdf | 7/25/23 23:00 | Relating community assembly to ecosystem functioning (CAFE) across trophic levels in space and time, 2 year postdoc position | |
403 | 7/25/23 7:15 | Humboldt University Berlin | Germany | Conservation Prioritization in South American Dry Forests | Prof. Tobias Kuermmerle | 8/31/2023 | https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/125365 | |||
404 | 7/24/23 13:52 | University of Akron | Ohio | Biomechanics | Henry Astley | 8/14/2023 | https://uakron.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UACareers/job/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_JR100235 | 7/24/23 13:54 | Biomechanics of snake locomotion, $60k for about 3 years in low CoL area, learn new skills and work with fascinating animals. Send any questions to hastley@uakron.edu | |
405 | 7/24/23 2:12 | Weizmann Institute of Science | Israel | Marine Metabolomics | Assaf Vardi | 8/1/2023 | https://www.weizmann.ac.il/plants/vardi/positions | |||
406 | 7/23/23 9:38 | Marian University | Indiana | Genomics, Evolution, Polyploidy, Amphibians | Rob Denton | 8/1/2023 | https://marian.peopleadmin.com/postings/2369 | 7/23/23 9:40 | Up to 3yrs of funding, 55k/year in a very affordable city, teaching opportunities built in and rotations in R1 collaborator labs. Start date anytime and will review as applications come in. Reach out with any questions (rdenton@marian.edu)! | |
407 | 7/23/23 4:02 | ETH Zurich | Switzerland | Forest dynamics and demography | Lalasia Bialic-Murphy & Tom Crowther | 8/31/2023 | https://crowtherlab.com/join-the-lab/ | |||
408 | 7/23/23 0:37 | Humboldt-University Berlin / Geography (http://hu.berlin/biogeo) | Germany | Conservation planning and land use | Tobias Kuemmerle | 8/31/2023 | https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/125365 | |||
409 | 7/22/23 17:52 | Arizona State Unviersity | Arizona | Coral Nanobiotechnology | Liza M. Roger | 9/1/2023 | https://sms.asu.edu/About/Employment-Opportunities#tab-id-1625-3/ | |||
410 | 7/22/23 13:49 | Yale School of the Environment | Connecticut | Ecological monitoring (vegetation) | Bill Lauenroth | https://postdocs.yale.edu/yale-postdoctoral-positions | ||||
411 | 7/21/23 15:15 | University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Evolution, Genomics, Reproduction, &/or Symbiosis | Dr. Amelia Lindsey | 8/15/2023 | https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/356512 | |||
412 | 7/20/23 8:02 | Michigan State University | Michigan | Evolution, Genomics, and Plant Biology | David Lowry | 8/2/2023 | https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/515633/research-associatefixed-term | |||
413 | 7/20/23 5:26 | University of Warwick | United Kingdom | Psychology/Animal Behavior/Primatology | Dr Adriano R. Lameira | 9/3/2023 | https://warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/mobile-1/appcentre-ext/brand-4/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/9-Research-Fellow-107785-0723/en-GB | |||
414 | 7/19/23 14:52 | University of California - Davis | California | Ecohydrology & Processed-Based Restoration | Drs. Robert Lusardi & Sarah Yarnell | 8/31/2023 | https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/news/postdoc-research-associate-ecohydrology-restoration-beaver-dams | 8/17/23 17:22 | Applications will be reviewed as they arrive. The position will remain open until filled, with a preferred start date of September 1, 2023. The successful candidate will help execute and guide a collaborative data synthesis project aimed at improving drought resiliency in rivers in northern California by understanding the effects of beaver and beaver dam analogs on both the life history of native fishes and stream hydrology... | |
415 | 7/19/23 12:00 | New York University | New York | Land-based Natural Climate Solutions, Terrestrial Carbon, Terrestrial Biogeosciences, Biosphere-Climate interactions | Sonali Shukla McDermid | 8/16/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128073 | 8/16/23 13:45 | https://apply.interfolio.com/128073 | |
416 | 7/19/23 10:39 | The Ohio State University | Ohio | Macroecology and Remote Sensing | Marta Jarzyna | 9/1/2023 | http://jarzynalab.com/opportunities | 7/19/23 10:42 | The successful candidate will work on an NSF-funded project and conduct research in the areas of remote sensing, species distribution modeling, and trait-based ecology. Specifically, the candidate will (1) use NEON AOP, GEDI, and other sources of LiDAR to quantify vertical and horizontal heterogeneity of vegetation structure, (2) quantify the multiple facets (taxonomic, functional) of avian diversity across scales from local to continental, and (3) elucidate the scale dependence of associations of multi-faceted bird diversity with vegetation structure. This position is part of a larger project in collaboration with Drs. Kaiguang Zhao at OSU, Benjamin Zuckerberg at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel Fink at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. | |
417 | 7/19/23 0:29 | University of Vienna | Austria | Evolutionary modelling | Himani Sachdeva or Joachim Hermisson | 9/17/2023 | https://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/sfb-polygenic-adaptation/open-positions | 7/20/23 0:41 | There are two independent postdoc positions | |
418 | 7/18/23 8:48 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | Maine | climate change and epizootic shell disease in american lobster | Dr. Maya Groner | 8/15/2023 | https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/bqM81KSwLl4t/postdoctoral-scientist-climate-change-and-epizootic-shell-disease-in-american-lobster | |||
419 | 7/18/23 7:51 | University of Oregon | Oregon | population genetics | Peter Ralph + Andrew Kern | 8/18/2023 | https://evol.mcmaster.ca/~brian/evoldir/PostDocs/UOregon.TreeSequences | |||
420 | 7/17/23 23:15 | Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) | Germany | Deep learning | Prof. Dr. Masahiro Ryo | 9/1/2023 | https://jobs.zalf.de/jobposting/e92747d855ea234ed7d6ede1d68822a4894bd0a20?ref=homepage | |||
421 | 7/17/23 10:01 | Louisiana State University | Louisiana | Neuroendocrinology, Transcriptomics, Animal Behavior | Christine Lattin | 10/1/2023 | https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0202-Life-Sciences-Building/Postdoctoral-Researcher_R00082671 | 7/17/23 10:02 | The Lattin Lab at Louisiana State University (thelattinlab.com) is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to work on NSF CAREER-funded projects using transcriptomic approaches to study neophobia behavior in house sparrows. The postdoc is also expected to develop at least one independent project building on lab expertise in physiology, neurobiology, & behavior. Ideal start date is January 2024 (although earlier may be possible). Salary is $59,000/year and includes health insurance; up to 3 years of funding is available. If interested, please apply through the LSU Workday job site, and submit: 1) a cover letter with a brief description of research interests and experiences, 2) a current CV/resume, 3) a research product of some kind (paper, pre-print, poster, etc.), 4) two letters of recommendation. Applications should be submitted by October 1, 2023 for full consideration. Experience in neuroendocrinology, computational biology, or working with birds is helpful, but not required. We highly encourage first-generation students and students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields to apply. | |
422 | 7/15/23 0:11 | Washington State University | Washington | (invasive) insect distribution models | Drs Gengping Zhu and Dave Crowder | https://labs.wsu.edu/drgengpingzhu/team/ | ||||
423 | 7/14/23 12:09 | University of Vermont | Vermont | Evolutionary Biology and Molecular Genetics | Melissa Pespeni | 8/1/2023 | https://blog.uvm.edu/mpespeni/2023/07/14/postdoc-position-in-molecular-genetics/ | 7/15/23 23:49 | We are particularly interested in hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate with molecular genetics expertise (e.g., reporter assays, CRISPR-Cas9) interested in linking genotype to phenotype to environmental conditions in non-traditional model organisms. | |
424 | 7/13/23 14:18 | New York University | New York | Terrestrial Ecosystem Science | Mingzhen Lu | Until filled | http://apply.interfolio.com/127698 | 7/13/23 14:22 | We are recruiting for two postdoc positions. The selected individual will be expected to develop investigations under one or more broader themes of interest, consisting of: 1) Linking plant traits with global biogeochemistry; 2) Understanding vegetation regime shifts and their belowground drivers 3) Bridging ecosystem ecology with urban sciences. | |
425 | 7/12/23 13:57 | University of Tulsa | Oklahoma | Neuroscience | Any faculty member with neuroscience expertise (see link) | 9/2/2023 | https://universitytulsa.peopleadmin.com/postings/7719 | 8/3/23 13:44 | The Department of Biological Science at the University of Tulsa is looking for postdocs in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience to participate in research and get training and experience in teaching. Candidates can elect a faculty advisor based on their area of expertise. | |
426 | 7/12/23 13:54 | University of Tulsa | Oklahoma | Integrative Biology | Any departmental faculty member | 9/2/2023 | https://universitytulsa.peopleadmin.com/postings/7711 | 7/12/23 13:56 | The Department of Biological Science at the University of Tulsa is looking for postdocs in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience to participate in research and get training and experience in teaching. Candidates can elect a faculty advisor based on their area of expertise. | |
427 | 7/6/23 19:01 | Duke University | North Carolina | Evolutionary Biology | Sara Lipshutz | 8/31/2023 | https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/25067 | 8/30/23 16:25 | We have found a spectral difference in back plumage in the two lineages that hybridize in western Panama, Jacana spinosa (brown back) and Jacana jacana hypomelaena (black back) (see attached plots). In the rest of South America, Jacana jacana subspecies have brown plumage. We recently found a mutation in the ASIP gene, which correlates with this plumage difference. Our next steps are to build a phylogeny of the Jacana genus, potentially using whole genomes, to trace the evolutionary history of diversification in this group, relative to hybridization and this plumage mutation. We also plan to run additional PCRs on ASIP and MC1R across the genus. 2) Position filled | |
428 | 7/5/23 23:26 | Institut de Recherche pour le Développement / University of Haifa | France | Evolutionary biology, crop domestication, paleogenomics | Muriel Gros-Balthazard, Meirav Meiri, Guy Bar-Oz | 7/31/2023 | mailto:muriel.gros-balthazard@ird.fr | 7/5/23 23:26 | The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) holds a crucial position as the cornerstone species within the oasis agrosystems of northern Africa and western Asia. Despite its significance, the origins of date palm diversity remain shrouded in mystery. Notably, distinct genepools have been recognized in West Asia and North Africa. Positioned at the crossroads of these genepools and civilizations for countless millennia, the Levant emerges as a pivotal region. However, the precise origins of date palm cultivation in the region and the sources of these genepools continue to elude us. In this compelling research endeavor, our objective is to characterize the date palm populations in the southern Levant, and unravel their cultivation origin. Through the comprehensive analysis of numerous modern and ancient genomes across the region, as well as seed morphometric data from both modern and archaeological seeds, we aim to study the intricate interplay of biological, ecological, historical, and human factors that have shaped the diverse landscape of date palms in the southern Levantine region. This multidisciplinary approach will provide invaluable insights into the demographic and selective processes that have influenced the diversity of date palms, facilitating the development of effective conservation and improvement programs. | |
429 | 7/4/23 11:05 | Finnish Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) | Finland | Forest Health & Biodiversity | 8/4/2023 | https://haku.valtiolle.fi/spa/public/apply?guidAssignment=812a2222-7c4a-41b3-ac0e-dec429816448&description=True | 11/29/23 13:12 | 3 year fixed term position. | ||
430 | 6/30/23 16:38 | Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute | California | Marine Biology/Bioacoustics | Dr. Ann Bowles | 7/30/2023 | https://hswri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ABS-Postdoc-PA-2023.pdf | 6/30/23 16:46 | The primary focus of the position will be to develop state-of-the art hardware and software to collect and process data on animal behavior, sound production, and acoustic environments. The position will include work on animals in both managed care and under free-ranging conditions, with a focus on marine mammals, birds and fishes. Although possible research approaches will be suggested at the start of the postdoctoral position, the associate will be expected to contribute substantially to the design and conduct of the work. This position will be funded for 2 years (upon favorable annual reviews), with potential for advancement to Research Scientist 2 depending on successful completion of project goals, contributions to publications, and grant and fundraising activities during the term of the position. | |
431 | 6/30/23 13:03 | New York University (NYU) | New York | Plant Developmental Biology | Joyce G. Onyenedum (formally "Joyce G. Chery") | 7/17/2023 | https://apply.interfolio.com/126348 | 6/30/23 14:21 | We are seeking to hire an enthusiastic new member of the Onyenedum Lab to elucidate the developmental underpinnings of the twinning motion of vines. Priority will be given to candidates with a strong background in plant anatomy, and experience in plant developmental biology, cell wall biology, and molecular biology. The postdoc will work closely with the PI and one junior lab associate (recent undergraduate) as a team to generate, and interpret the data. This work is supported through an NSF CAREER award. The salary is $62-63,000 and is based in person in Manhattan, New York, USA. | |
432 | 6/30/23 9:57 | University of Maine | Maine | Forest Ecology | Sydne Record | 8/1/2023 | https://sites.google.com/maine.edu/record-lab/opportunities | |||
433 | 6/28/23 11:16 | McGill | Canada | ecology, evolution or environmental science | Dr. Laura Pollock | 7/31/2023 | https://www.ciee-icee.ca/ldp-postdoc-positions.html | 6/28/23 11:18 | Priority will be given to candidates who have proficiencies in at least some of the following skills: data archiving, R programming, version control (e.g. GitHub), reproducible research, database construction, collation of large databases from multiple sources, citizen science, advanced statistics, and collaboration in working groups. Prior teaching experience is an asset. We particularly encourage candidates with experience in hierarchical modelling and meta-analysis. | |
434 | 6/27/23 10:07 | US Environmental Protection Agency | Oregon | Wetland restoration/nutrient reduction | Ryan Hill | 8/4/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/EPA-ORD-CPHEA-PESD-2023-02 | 5/3/24 10:10 | Postdoc for 3-4 year project working on large-scale geospatial analysis of wetland restoration, placement of wetlands relative to landscape nutrient inputs, and optimization of wetland placement to intercept nutrients. This important work will improve how land managers consider wetland restoration and nutrient reduction efforts to improve water quality nationally. Postdoc is located in Corvallis, OR next to Oregon State University campus. Unfortunately, the ORISE program is only accepting US citizens at this time. We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis so the position may close before the listed date. | |
435 | 6/27/23 9:15 | University of Texas at Austin | Texas | Forest dynamics and theoretical ecology | Caroline Farrior | 8/1/2023 | https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/cfarrior/forest-dynamics-plant-strategies-and-inclusive-theoretical-ecology-postdoc-position | |||
436 | 6/23/23 10:09 | The University of Texas at Austin | Texas | Ecology / sensing of biodiversity, micro-climate, and ecosystem processes | Timothy Keitt | RISE Team | asap | https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/keittlab/news/seeking-postdoctoral-scholar | 6/23/23 10:10 | A primary goal of RISE is to assemble data needed to better understand how natural communities in and around Texas are responding to human-induced changes in the environment and what effects these changes have on the ecological services they provide. To this end, we utilize available environmental and biodiversity datasets, especially citizen science data, such as eBird. The team is also actively developing technology for in-situ sensing of biodiversity, micro-climate, and ecosystem processes. | |
437 | 6/23/23 8:33 | USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station | Montana | Wildlife ecology | Dr. Jody Tucker | 7/21/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-USFS-2023-0288 | 11/14/23 19:29 | $68,000-71,000 annual stipend (~$5600-5900/month). The participant will also receive a health insurance stipend supplement to help offset the cost of health insurance and is eligible for reimbursement of up to $1000 in relocation expenses. Start date is September 2023 (flexible within September). This position will be in person in Missoula, MT. However, a period of remote work at the beginning of the appointment may be considered if needed to facilitate the September start date. Applications will be reviewed and the position filled on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible, however latest date applications can be submitted is July 21, 2023 by 3 pm EST. | |
438 | 6/22/23 22:35 | University of Colorado Boulder: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | Colorado | climate-adapted wildfire management; modelling; landscape & fire ecology | Dr. Laura Dee and Dr. Katherine Siegel | 7/20/2023 | https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=49431 | 11/14/23 19:29 | ||
439 | 6/22/23 10:28 | USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range | New Mexico | Nutrient Circulation for rangeland management | Sheri Spiegal | https://jornada.nmsu.edu/jobs | ||||
440 | 6/22/23 8:22 | University of Konstanz / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior | Germany | Collective behavior; animal communication; complex systems; quantitative behavior; movement ecology | Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin | 8/15/2023 | https://stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/2a4aa9c3af65236876e4644f0b74101de4b3b99c0 | 6/22/23 8:23 | We are seeking a post doc with a quantitative background and enthusiasm for tackling biological questions to join our interdisciplinary and international team studying communication and collective behavior in animal groups. The researcher will be based in the Communication and Collective Movement Research Group (CoCoMo) at the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, located in Konstanz, Germany. The researcher will join the Communication and Coordination Across Scales Project (CCAS), an interdisciplinary collaborative project that integrates behavioral field biology with computational approaches to understand how animals use vocal signaling to coordinate collective behaviors. | |
441 | 6/21/23 9:24 | Case Western Reserve University | Ohio | Microbiology, ecology, evolution | Gina Lewin | https://www.thelewinlab.com/postdoc | 3/13/24 18:43 | We have funding for a postdoc to study how genomic and transcriptomic heterogeneity interplays with microbial interactions and disease. Postdocs are also encouraged to apply for independent funding to pursue this project and projects of their own design. | ||
442 | 6/20/23 16:10 | Utah State University | Utah | host-symbiont interactions in vertebrates, parasite ecology, microbiomes | Sara Weinstein | 8/31/2023 | https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/6546/postdoctoral-fellow/job | 3/13/24 18:43 | ||
443 | 6/14/23 7:14 | USDA Agricultural Research Service Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory | Alaska | Machine Learning/High Performance Computing/Food Security and Native Communities | Claire Friedrichsen | 12/31/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-ARS-SCINet-2023-0228 | 6/14/23 7:20 | Monthly stipend: $7,911.97 The SCINet/Big Data Research Participation Program of the USDA ARS offers research opportunities to motivated postdoctoral fellows interested in solving agriculture-related problems at a range of spatial and temporal scales, from the genome to the continent, and sub-daily to evolutionary time scales. One of the goals of the SCINet Initiative is to develop and apply new technologies, including AI and machine learning, to help solve complex agricultural problems that also depend on collaboration across scientific disciplines and geographic locations. In addition, many of these technologies rely on the synthesis, integration, and analysis of large, diverse datasets that benefit from high performance computing (HPC) clusters. The objective of this fellowship is to facilitate cross-disciplinary, cross-location research through collaborative research on problems of interest to each applicant and amenable to or requiring the HPC environment. Training will be provided in data science, scientific computing, AI/machine learning, and related topics as needed for the fellow to complete their research. | |
444 | 6/13/23 9:56 | University of Alberta | Canada | Animal Cognition | Lauren Guillette | 7/15/2023 | https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A100151278/ | 6/14/23 7:19 | 2 yr position in Animal Cognition Research Group, International applicants welcome, must be within 5 years of PhD (extensions for e.g. parental leave). https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A100151278/" | |
445 | 6/12/23 8:10 | University of Texas at Arlington | Texas | Urban Ecology and Evolution, Museum Science, Environmental Justice | Shane DuBay | 7/20/2023 | https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a0b92566f4ca37f64599587/t/648736ea39a91321863adf05/1686583018239/postdoc+ad.pdf | 6/12/23 8:38 | This position is funded for three years to work on projects that use natural history specimens to understand environmental change and its impacts. | |
446 | 5/29/23 3:46 | Arctic University of Norway | Norway | Integrated systems research for coastal ecology and sustainability | Vera Hausner | 8/1/2023 | https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/245737/postdoctoral-research-fellow-in-ecology-and-sustainability | |||
447 | 5/26/23 18:03 | Oregon State University / NOAA | Oregon | Marine Ecology, Salmon, Modeling | Joshua Stewart | 7/15/2023 | https://www.oceanecologylab.org/news/salmon-marine-survival-modeling-post-doc | |||
448 | 5/25/23 9:41 | Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard | Massachusetts | biodiversity, taxonomy, zoology, botany, paleontology | any MCZ Faculty-Curator | 9/30/2023 | https://mcz.harvard.edu/biodiversity-postdoctoral-fellowship-program | |||
449 | 5/22/23 4:04 | University of Florida | Florida | Biomechanics; Functional Morphology; Evolutionary Biology | Dr. Christine W. Miller | 7/24/2023 | http://www.millerlab.net/opportunities.html | 5/22/23 4:10 | This position is listed as Postdoctoral Associate #2 online. The Miller Lab at the University of Florida welcomes applications for an NSF-funded postdoctoral researcher to take a functional and biomechanical approach to understanding the influence of nutrition on the structure and composition of sexually selected weapons in insects and consequences for behavior. This work is interdisciplinary and will involve collaborations with researchers at Imperial College London (David Labonte) and the University of Cambridge (Walter Federle). The postdoctoral associate will work within this international research team and have opportunities to develop complementary projects within the context of the funded research. Applicants with expertise in biomechanics and functional morphology will be especially competitive. | |
450 | 5/19/23 6:34 | Harvard University | Massachusetts | experimental science | 8/18/2023 | Fellowships | 5/19/23 6:36 | The Rowland Institute at Harvard is seeking applications for Rowland Fellowships commencing in the 2024 calendar year. We aim to support the most promising, early-career experimentalists in their independent pursuit of groundbreaking research. The term of the Fellowship is for up to five years with a stipend beginning at $90,000 per year. To qualify, applicants should currently be in the process of either completing their PhDs and/or have received their PhD after August 1, 2022. The Rowland Fellows program is open to scientists from a broad range of fields including chemistry, biology, and neuroscience. Research conducted by current and past Fellows can be used as a guide, but should not be considered restrictive! We choose Fellows based on the best proposed science at the time of submission. | ||
451 | 5/4/23 14:05 | US EPA | Oregon | Environmental Science | Ryan Hill | 8/4/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/EPA-ORD-CPHEA-PESD-2023-02 | 7/23/23 13:34 | We are recruiting a postdoc to work on a project to help prioritize wetland restoration when nutrient interception is the objective. Please share this advertisement widely with anyone that may be interested. Close date is 8/4/2023, but applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and the position may be filled before the close date. The position is located in Corvallis, Oregon within the EPA Office of Research and Development's Pacific Ecological Systems Division. This research opportunity with EPA will leverage recently developed geospatial methods and datasets (Leibowitz et al. 2023; https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-023-00057-w) to hydrologically link several million existing and potentially-restorable wetlands to upslope nutrient sources and downstream waters. Specifically, this research will bring together EPA and other federal geospatial datasets of existing wetlands, potentially-restorable wetlands (https://rb.gy/bd0), stream and/or lake network hydrology (StreamCat and/or LakeCat), and landscape nutrient inventories into a connected framework that will allow for optimization of wetland restoration scenarios within several million watersheds of the conterminous US. The mentor for this opportunity will be Dr. Ryan Hill. | |
452 | 5/4/23 12:32 | EPA/ORD | Minnesota | Environmental Science | Joel Hoffman, Katie Williams, Samantha Rumschlag | 11/1/2023 | https://twitter.com/rumschsl/status/1654197993648668672?s=20 | 7/19/23 17:11 | The Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Duluth, MN will soon be advertising two related Post-Doctoral Research positions focused on changes to human well-being following environmental restoration in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC). The first position will focus on mapping and measuring changes to ecosystem services and associated benefits from Great Lakes coastal ecosystem restoration efforts. This research will include measuring how benefits change due to climate change, particularly future change in lake levels. The goal of this project is to forecast how changes in ecosystem services could influence human communities within neighborhoods and urban areas. Ideal candidates could have experience in one or more of the following fields: ecology, biology, environmental science, epidemiology, public health, geography, environmental economics, or a related field. The second position will focus on community resources and capacities. This project intends to use social science case study methodologies to better understand community values, decisions, abilities, and actions in relation to environmental concerns. Ideal candidates could have experience in one or more of the following fields: geography, environmental studies, anthropology, sociology, or a related field. Work from both of these postdoctoral positions will support ongoing remediation and restoration projects led by EPA Great Lakes National Program Office. The postdocs will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers including social scientists and ecologists focused on translational ecology, an approach in which scientists, stakeholders, and decision makers together develop solutions that address sociological, ecological, and political contexts of environmental problems. The PI’s leading this work include Joel Hoffman (hoffman.joel@epa.gov), Katie Williams (williams.kathleen@epa.gov), and Samantha Rumschlag (rusmchlag.samantha@epa.gov). Interested candidates should be in touch via email ahead of the job posting to express interest. The job posting will occur towards the end of May via Zintellect (https://www.zintellect.com/), where candidates can apply. This position description serves as a tool for recruiting ahead of the job posting. Anticipated applications materials include a cover letter and CV/resume. Start dates are flexible but are expected Fall 2023. | |
453 | 4/25/23 14:59 | USDA-ARS Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology | Hawaii | Insect genomics, insect pests of tropical agriculture, tephritid fruit flies | Sheina Sim | 7/21/2023 | https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-ARS-PW-2023-0061 | 4/25/23 14:59 | USDA-ARS in Hilo, Hawaii seeking postdoctoral research fellow in chromosomal evolution and diversity in pest fruit flies. The Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit is seeking a highly motivated individual to use genomic tools to investigate sex chromosomes and large structural variation in Tephritidae to contribute to foundational and applied research that supports fruit fly pest management programs in the United States. In this position, the incumbent will investigate genomic structure and characterization of sex chromosome structure and structural variants with applications to species and strain identification and insect diagnostics. The ideal candidate for this position will have a Ph.D. in biology, genetics, bioinformatics or a related field, with a strong background in genomics and molecular biology. Experience working on a command-line interface is required, experience working with insects, particularly tephritid fruit flies, is a plus. Candidates willing to relocate to Hilo, HI are preferred, but remote applicants who are a great fit will also be considered. Starting salary is $71,877 with health benefits and a negotiable relocation allowance. As a postdoctoral fellow at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), you have access to several high-performance computing clusters, training opportunities, and a large and active network of postdoctoral research fellows as your peers. About us: The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) represents the research arm of the USDA and has about 100 research centers across the United States. The Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center is located on the east side of the Big Island (Hawaii Island), in the town of Hilo which has a population of about 50,000. Our in-house multimillion dollar genomics facility has a suite of state-of-the-art instrumentation, with the capacity for high-accuracy short-read sequencing, high-fidelity long-read sequencing, and ultra-long read sequencing, as well as supporting laboratory equipment such as automated liquid handling devices, automated nucleic acid isolation devices, and molecular diagnostics methods. To apply, please send your CV, cover letter, and most recent peer-reviewed publication to sheina.sim@usda.gov. | |
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3 | 8/3/24 8:16 | DEI statements when not requested? | 8/5/24 7:47 | I am based overseas and not privy to the up-to-the-minute USA politics nonsense. Are we submitting DEI statements when they're not requested or not? 1) I would say no. And most of the time places that don't ask for a separate DEI statement ask for some commentary on those issues in one of the other documents anyway, so put it there. 2) Put it in your teaching statement but avoid the title words DEI. Talk about Broadening Participation, like the NSF requires or Student Success. The profs probably still want the info and it can only make your teaching philosophy stronger. In TX, FL, GA, etc try to avoid commenting on your own identity extensively and focus on how you will help students succeed. Sincerely, Assoc Prof in the South. 3) I was told by someone in a department (private school, blue state) I applied to last year that they wanted DEI statements even though they didn't ask for one. I submitted a DEI statement with my application and made it to the interview stage. No idea how common this is. 4) Was the person who reached out to you someone you knew in the department? Did they reach out before or after you applied? That situation reads as a parody of university DEI mindset - "look at how inclusive we are, asking for a DEI statement... from the well-connected applicants that we deign to reach out to" 3) It was someone I knew (who wasn't directly involved with the search) and reached out to before applying. 4) if this is true this is a horrible trend. Academia already has enough hidden agenda, we don't need to keep adding to it. Search committees on this page, pay attention and don't do awful things like this. If you truly want to be inclusive you should be clear with your expectations for applicants. 2 again) We added language to our teaching statement that doesn't explicitly ask for DEI but any savvy reader should see we are asking for DEI. e.g. "student success across all backgrounds". If that isn't in their job ad, then this school is messing with candidates and doing the field a disservice. 5) Speaking as someone who's served on numerous search committees at a Canadian research university, I'd recommend only providing the application materials the ad asks for. 6) Yes, my thoughts would be to only send the materials that are requested, but if you are strong in something that isn't asked for (whether that be DEI or something else), you should definitely work it into your other materials. You can address DEI in your teaching and research statements. When I've applied to teaching focused jobs that don't ask for a research statement, I put a bit more info than usual about my research in the cover letter. Etc. | |
4 | 8/2/24 6:16 | Setting yourself up for success as a new assistant prof | 8/5/24 11:40 | I am starting an assistant prof position next week. I had strong reservations taking the job, which haven't gone away. Both the job itself and department are bad fits for my career goals and interests (e.g., too high teaching load, unproductive and/or rude colleagues doing low-impact work, not the right discipline for me, etc. -- the full list is long). I am planning to apply for jobs this cycle, but I'm wondering what I should focus on as I start the job in order to stay competitive and leave. For example, is it best to just crank out papers, should I bother with renovations, how many lab members should I attempt to recruit, should I focus on grant writing (and how many? internal or external?), should I focus on connecting with colleagues, etc.? Moving within my institution might be preferable to leaving fully because I do think the broader university is a good fit. 1) Publishing your way out is the most effective strategy if you really want to leave. x2 Spending startup, recruiting students, and writing successful grant proposals that can be moved to a new institution are all important for that. I would also suggest an attitude check - "unproductive and/or rude colleagues doing low-impact work". That's a lot of judgment before you even really know what is going on there. "If you run into an asshole in the morning, then you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole". 2) Getting grants will help-- the overhead sweetens the deal for the school. But that takes more time usually than papers. Publish as much 1st author work as you can given the situation, even while setting up trainees. It takes them so much longer to do the work and write the paper. If you need pubs fast, be your own postdoc. 3) I have some overlap with the OP's situation, and I think it's only in the OP's interest for them to have an honest accounting of the personalities and scientific impact of their colleagues, even if that is not rosy from the outset. Good luck, OP! 4) If you like the uni, why do you need to move? Can't you just spend more time with the department that you like instead of your own? Go to their seminars and happy hours, collaborate with their faculty and submit grants with them? Figure out if you can accept any grad students through their program even? I know very few situtations where the department would be the defining feature. And spending time in the other dept will get you away from the rude colleagues. There are far more workarounds for that than leaving for a new school. 5) From someone who started my current job in a somewhat similar situation: at this point your job materials are more or less set for the fall season barring paper submissions with quick turnaround time. Get those done if you can. After that set yourself up well for the next 1-2 cycles while also trying to improve your current situation. Grants are good for that because they make you a more attractive candidate but can also get you better treatment at the place you're at. 4's advice about branching out within university is great. @3) senior person here - it's fairly common to see people come out of famous or otherwise well-resourced labs thinking they are hot shit. Then they struggle to balance teaching, grantwriting, and setting up a new lab. I've seen them get bounced before tenure, at tenure, or barely eke it out and be miserable because they thought they were better than everyone else at their institution. Turns out they weren't under the circumstances! In my opinion it's much better to enter a new position with the attitude that you will "bloom where planted". Approach your colleagues with curiosity as fellow human beings that might have something useful to share (or to just be friendly). You can't fullyl judge an entire place from one or two campus visits. And if it was THAT bad, then they shouldn't have accepted the job.4) Senior person here - Its fairly common for people who ARE hot shit and land in dog shit universities to get bounced because the crap faculty aren't capable and they are jealous of the newbie even if the person if very likeable and doesn't make waves. Seen it happen frequently. My point isn't to attack #3, but #3's remark just brought it to mind. It is vitally important that if you end up in a place you just don't fit to get the F out of dodge and go somewhere you do. This isn't 20 years ago. People move all over in academia if they can, they are often recruited away when their shoes are too big for the university in which they reside. 5) So whats the secret sauce for moving? Get a grant and get publications (really nice ones if you can) and then roll the dice? @4) Are you suggesting that it's OK to treat colleagues badly because you think you are more successful and your research program is superior? I think from a basic humanity standpoint that people shouldn't act like that and I wouldn't want to work with them. And what is a "dog shit" university? 6) 4 is saying it isn't right for faculty at a university to treat a new hotshot colleague like crap because they are jealous. Seems like you are trying to flip their comments. (but @4 probably was a bit inflammatory to phrase it as dog/hot shit, even if it seemed clever word play to you.) 7) @ 5 That's a very "creative" way to read what 4 wrote - being generous because your reading comprehension can't be THAT bad. 8) Hi OP, I am in a very similar situation you are, but I'm 4 years into my position and have not been able to leave despite applying and landing a couple of interviews elsewhere. I have gotten over 1.5 million in external funding, plus have good teaching evals, and moving has not been easy. I have tried my best to be as collegial as possible and pretend I want to be here for ever, in case I have to, and apparently I will (or that's how it feels at the moment). Anyways, because of teaching load and other personal reasons and starting during covid, I have not published as much as I'd like to and I think that's hurting my chances of leaving. All of this to say, that I would put all my time and effort in publishing and get your lab's research going so that you can publish independently and people can see what your research vision is when you're ready to start applying and interviewing again. | |
5 | 7/29/24 17:19 | Start-up funds guidelines | 8/2/24 6:58 | 1) Does anyone know what level of start-up funds to expect at an R2 state regional university (say 20k students) in a department with a doctoral program? I know we have the survey, but lets face it, it is pretty hit-or-miss because most do not fill it out. 2) depends on subdiscipline but 300-600 is ballpark I think 3) Agree with 2, but note you may get more if you accept in-kind support or shared equipment. A sequencer that can be used for teaching is easier to purchase than one for just your lab. 4) 3-600 k seems quite high for an R2 unless you are doing -omics type work. For more field oriented eco-evo types I think 150-300k is more likely. It also depends a lot on how/if they count student support in startup. 5) Can confirm from recent experience that $225k was offered at a large R2. 6) while i got a startup in that ballpark at an R2 4 years ago, on the market this year I encountered several R1s, including one recruiting at the associate level, that were going to offer around 500K or less. Recent convos with colleagues have also highlighted this. Several "good" R1s offering startups under 400K. So temper your expectations. 7) I second 6 having been initially offered $300k at a "good R1" (which I negotiated up to a whopping $450k ("whopping" is used sarcastically there). I think it depends on the department/chair, deans, etc., if you have any other offers, and if there are others in line behind you that they also want. I can't speak to an R2, but I've heard from other competitive R1 colleagues in eco/evo that they got around $200 k recently. 8) I think it really depends on the university (and department) and region. I was offered 150K from an R1 but 650K from an R2, both in the same region (less affluent than coasts). If a doctoral program I would think that research is a bigger focus and would hope you get at least 200-300K...but again, regional calibration is important. 9) somthing else to consider is what core facilities are on campus. many places will offer smaller startups if there's ample shared infrastructure since you won't need to buy expensive machines/etc. 6 again) also consider cash vs. other contributions. the uni I got my PhD from is now R1 and typically only offers like 300-400K cash, but the total package is closer to 1 mil because grad support, postdocs, etc aren't part of the cash package. 10) There is substantial overlap between R2s that have strong eco/evo programs and schools that are R1s because they bring in a lot of research dollars from other units (e.g., a medical school) but don't commit resources to faculty in other units. The numbers here give a realistic (but wide) range, so it's probably unknowable before getting to the interview stage unless you have some inside knowledge of recent packages at that institution. In my experience, tenure expectations often are moderately positively correlated with size of startup package, so to the extent possible you want to make sure that aligns with your needs and ambitions for your research program. 11) Six years ago I received $285k startup at an R2; however, as others said, there were hidden benefits. Cost of one PhD student; $40k lab rennovation and not a penny came out of my start-up; and >$10k in equipment from older labs (although this included a new -80C which I was promised from a lab but was broken when I arrived, so make sure you get any promises like that in writing). I found that the money was plenty to buy lab equipment, supplies, first few data-sets; but not enough for a post-doc which put both paper and grant production all on me. 12) At the R2 I just left, the admin wanted to offer about $150K in startup last year, thinking they could get a more computationally-oriented person for cheap. That's laughable, of course, so they ended up going up to about $400K in the end. R2's and smaller R1's are probably the most variable categories for startup funds. | |
6 | 7/28/24 5:36 | Disclose trans identity? | 7/31/24 12:46 | Hi--I thought I would ask this here in case anyone has any insight or experience, particularly other trans/LGBTQ individuals. I am a trans person on the academic job market and I am unsure how much to disclose my trans identity in applications (DEI statements) or at other points in the job search process. I am not "stealth" and my field is small so many colleagues are aware that I am trans, but I have undergone hormone replacement therapy and at this point am able to pass as a cisgender person. I am worried that in areas that lean more conservative or even moderate, search committees will see being trans as a liability or otherwise something negative (I think in more progressive places it might be viewed favorably). I don't know of any openly trans individuals working as faculty in ecology or evolution, so I am looking for guidance. 1) To answer your question I don't think many departments would consider it a liability. Many midwestern and southern places are actively seeking to recruit diverse faculty. HOWEVER (and I don't know your status so this may not apply to you) if you have only done your transition in one place (CA, WA, East Coast, etc) I highly highly highly recommend that you think extraordinarily carefully about what it will mean for you to be in a smaller Midwest or southern community, or even inland towns on the coasts. As someone who has been on HRT in 4 states, the process to *MAINTAIN* (not start) your care can be exceptional if you are in a healthcare desert, as much of the US is. I know multiple trans faculty, and the only one I know who set up shop off of the coasts left for this reason. 2) Hi! Hello fellow queer ecologist! I'm nonbinary and haven't done any kind of medical transition, but I look such that people at job interviews have often asked me my pronouns. My experience has been that people seem to either feel neutral or positive about it? I've had on-campus interviews in the Northeast and Southeast. At one interview, people told me they were glad that I was queer because they had queer students and thought I would be a good mentor for them. At other interviews people have made a point of showing me where all three types of bathrooms are. And then I had someone who was talking to me about how she tends to forget to ask people's pronouns and is trying to learn to be better in class for her students. On one hand, these are examples of people trying to be good (and largely succeeding). On the other hand, I felt awkward and would actually rather have just not talked about it and found the bathroom myself. I haven't had any experiences of people saying anything negative, but I guess if someone felt negative about it I probably wouldn't know because they wouldn't say anything about it. Also I guess if there were people in the department who would be inclined to discriminate then perhaps that wouldn't be the right place for me anyways? But that's an personal preference thing. In terms of the DEI statement, I have never put anything in there about any of my identities. I've always focused on describing concrete actions that I've taken to support my students, my department, etc. (A couple paragraphs on DEI in teaching, a couple on DEI in research, a couple on DEI in service and then done). I think it would work fine to discuss your identity if you clearly related your experiences to how you would then support your students/the department if you got the job. So that's just a little bit about my experience in case its helpful in any way. The question of how out to be though, I don't really know the answer to that one. But good luck and I hope that you get a job that you are very happy with!! 2) Actually, maybe I should add that over three years I had nine on-campus interviews before I was offered a job. I can be awkward, so I just assumed it was that, but towards the end I did start wondering if my presentation had anything to do with it. At that point I went to a tailor and made sure that my shirts fit. Got a job shortly after that. The issue is probably just that I'm not very good at interviewing, but I suppose we could consider the possibility that gender was involved. Either directly or indirectly because I was having difficulty dressing for the interviews. 3) I can relate a bit to the weirdness about deciding whether to share or not. I'm a cis gay woman (more "normalized" at this point in time than being trans, I think) but it still is such a weird decision. On the one hand, it feels extremely relevant to the DEI statement since I've experienced a lot of discrimination, mainly in non-work areas of my life, for it and it lets me connect with and be seen as 'safe' to queer students. On the other hand, how absolutely bizarre to share my sexual orientation with my interviewers!! I haven't yet submitted apps for TT jobs so I can't speak to that, but what I settled on when I was applying for postdocs was not sharing it in my written application because I didn't want my sexual orientation or my partner's gender to make a difference one way or another and FOR ME PERSONALLY I did not feel like it had made a difference in my professional life and I wanted to keep it that way. Then when interviewing, if I was specifically asked about DEI, I would talk about things I had done to promote DEI and the way I encourage underrepresented students to feel welcome and supported, and then I would casually mention that my partner was a woman so I could relate to what a lot of queer students go through. I sort of figured that I didn't want a position if that mention would negatively affect the interview, but I also didn't want to make it the cornerstone of my discussion of DEI since I don't want it to be a cornerstone of how anyone views or interacts with me, nor do I care about DEI only in the context of my own experiences. But my personal views aside, just thinking about trying to get the job, the DEI statement does put you in a strange position where on the one hand it MIGHT be beneficial to share being trans but on the other hand it might make the search committee view you more negatively (even if they outwardly support LGBTQ+ people) or it might just make people act weird towards you when you interview. For the record, I found even the older faculty at the tiny school in the tiny conservative town in the US South where I used to work were very supportive of trans colleagues and showed no outward evidence of prejudice; they all acted quite normal, in fact. Hopefully you get more comments from trans people who can speak to their experiences interviewing, but I think there's pros and cons to both with both professional and emotional risk/reward to both. 2) I think there also is kind of a rule on the job market that people shouldn't mention whether or not they're married or have kids during the interview process. And I know for sure that the search committees aren't allowed to ask. But I'm not sure if that's just to prevent people from being discriminated against based on that, or if there's some additional reason. 4) The reason for the advice about marriage/kids is that there is definitely still a tendency for committees to not want to make offers to people they think won't come or won't be happy because they need a job for a partner or will be unlikely to accept an offer because of obligations associated with a partner's career or family, etc. Maybe that is a little better than it used to be, but I think still a real issue, especially for women. I think there is a lot of good discussion above about why you may or may not want to disclose information about your identity either in materials or in person and a lot of that really comes down to a personal decision. I do think that at most (definitely not all!) biology departments in the US right now this identity isn't going to negatively impact chances of job offers (will certainly help in some places, maybe neutral many places, and a few places where individual faculty might hold it against you). Of course just getting offers is a different issue from whether you actually want to work in various places.5) KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. It won't help you get the job and might hurt you with bigots. 6) it really depends on how important your identity is for your goals. If your trans perspective has motivated you to do certain outreach/DEI-type activities or informed the inclusive teaching/research practices you'll use, then definitely mention it. If you're only mentioning it to 'check a box' then don't. 7) HiI As a facultly member, I just wanted to say that any department would be privileged to have a faculty member colleague with such experience and personal understanding of the issues with the LGBTQA+ community. I would hope that they would see the value add on top of the (key) impact of your research program. 8) Recently this was posted on this board - https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/6791/. Many of the authors are openly trans, in E&E departments, and several are faculty if you wanted to reach out. They might have added context. | |
7 | 7/23/24 10:29 | Anyone finding a lot of errors/crashes on this sheet in the last week or so? | 8/2/24 13:18 | Yes, it varies depending on what browser I'm using. AP) Another good reason to start a new one! Could you tell me more about these errors / crashes? Works fine using Opera which I mostly use, but with Microsoft Edge (which I'm sometimes forced to use on my university computer) it immediately crashes "google docs has encoutered an error". Sometimes it still works though. No other info on error, and haven't tested other browsers. 2) I hit a similar error whenever I try to view the sheet without being logged in to my google account. It works fine if I'm signed into gmail. It's never been like that before though. AP) Sheesh, now I get it on Safari! (3) I've been getting it as well | |
8 | 7/20/24 9:53 | For those of us going into an Nth year on the market, subdiscipline woes? | 8/1/24 9:56 | I just want to hear which subdisciplines people think are having the most difficulties finding jobs? 2) The more grant money the more likely the admin is to give the department the hire. Second to that is credit hours (think premed courses 300 persons per class). 2) I'm just over 10 years post-PhD with clsoing in on 100 papers and a few million in successful grants. I'm fully employed and making over $100k plus benefits but I have not been able to land a TT job. Recently, I saw the hires for a few positions I applied for. They have basically the same CV I did 7 or 8 years ago (more multi-author papers, fewer first-authors; similar school rankings; far less teaching and supervising experience) but they do all check diversity boxes. Their paper titles could very well be in my own publication list, so it's really not any difference in quality of research or output or potential. 3) not sure what the previous comments have to do with OP's question lol. I'm in evolutionary genomics and going into my third cycle. There's tons of opportunities in my field, but it's also quite crowded and competitive. I should probably find a way to shoehorn climate change into my work :/ 4) n=1 of course, but people who are genuinely interdisciplinary. If i get to another interview for topic X that says "you are too Y" when Y just told me I am too X I will scream. 5) @ 4 doesn't help with the consoling but at teast we can take comfort in knowing that interdisciplinary folks aren't as good at any of their individual disciplines as specialists. 6) Yeah 4 I think my biggest problem has been not fitting neatly into a single 'job title'. I wouldn't even claim to be truly interdisciplinary, but people have a view of what an ecologist, an evolutionary biologist, a physiologist, etc looks like and I do think it's really hard if you work across areas like that even within a discipline. I hope you're joking 5! 7) @ 2 sometimes personality is a factor in job searches... Maybe explore that before you put people down for being "diversity hires" x5 8) Didn't realize "white guy" was a subdiscipline. What are its main journals? 7) @ 8 The Annals of "well, actually" 9) Anyone who does any -omicas definitely has an advantage over someone who doesnt. Even when ads don't specifically mention that (e.g. "evolutionary biologist"), it feels like those positions disproportionately go to ppl doing genomics 10) @2 @7 w/out getting into the race/diversity issue, I feel like personality does definitely play a role. Extroverts have the upper hand over introverts in campus interview settings. Thankfully this is something us introverts can learn to improve on/fake/mask, though it's difficult/exhausting 2) @7 I know that reality interfering with opinions can be upsetting, but facts don't care about your feelings. x2 11) @2 LMAO thank you for showing us why no one wants you in their department x3 12) Regarding the original question, I am curious if anyone has done any simple quantifications on the subdisciplines listed on ads on this board over time? I have been under the impression that quantitative ecology and -omics have been a large one. I agree climate change has been a big one. I also have felt like my subdiscipline was terrible [aka not hiring] a few years ago when I started looking at jobs, but there have been more ads last cycle and already starting this cycle. Maybe the market is improving again? My experience on the market has been that being exactly the ad is the best way to succeed, but it is hard when there are few jobs that really fit you. 13) @2 agreed with @11 and @7... Is it hard to believe that someone who is underrepresented within the sciences could actually be the most qualified for the job? Part of qualifications means that people actually want to interface with you and that you can be trusted not to be a jerk to students. Also find it hard to believe that someone can produce over 100 quality papers in quality journals that time frame and be able to talk about them meaningfully. Sometimes it's about more than statistics. x2 (14) @2 Haha facts don't care about your feelings? As a matter of fact, I'll steer clear of wherever you end up! Let us know! 2) @13 not at all but if you read my actual comment you'll see that what I was referring to was "qualified" but nowhere near "most qualified" by any stretch of the imagination. (15) @2 You don't seem "most qualified" by any stretch of the imagination to mentor diverse students. 2) @ 15 you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. | |
9 | 7/16/24 19:21 | New sheet? | 8/3/24 9:34 | This sheet's officially a year old! When are we headed to a new one? 1) New jobs for fall are starting to appear and will ramp up by August. 2nd the motion for a new sheet. Time to shake the etch-a-sketch on the vent page!! AP) Yeah, I guess you guys are right. Expect a new one in the next couple weeks. 2) Hey AP, I know you were considering recombining permanent and non-permanent jobs b/c it was extra work to maintain when people disagreed where they should go, but what if you had one sheet for TT and one sheet for everything else? It was nice having a little separation and that might be more straight-forward? Thanks for all you do either way! 3) I know this is likely an unpopular opinion, but I'd vote for deleting the "General Discussion" and "Venting" tabs. I'm not sure their usefulness/toxicness ratio is high enough to justify their existence. It might help all of our mental health to be a little less online, and in so doing, less anonymous interaction might help reduce our tensions among peers and generally like-minded people. 4) @ 3 After years of those arguments, we need to keep those tabs up to watch the reaction as the DEI fad dies though. x2 5) I think it's easy enough to click through every tab that you want or don't want to click through. AP has enough work to do without having to moderate disagreements on small things like which tab a job should be on! 6) Here's one vote for keeping General Discussion and Venting tabs. Being able to ask questions and get community feedback has informed concrete decisions I've made in my career, for which I am grateful. X8 7) Yes, there's definitely a lot of conflict on the venting tab, but I've also gotten a lot of really good concrete advice from the general discussions tab. Especially about smaller/detail things that might not be as google-able or that I would have felt weird asking advisers. I'm thinking like clothing choices, what to do at the dinners, whether or not its okay to book my flights so that I can also visit family after the interview, etc. I think I ended up being a lot more informed about how the job market works from being on here all the time. Bigger things too in addition to the small things. When I got an offer and had to respond quickly I had some ideas in my head from reading this over time already about how to approach that. 8) Agreed, I've gotten great advice on these tabs. Even venting posts that start off as just venting often get constructive replies that sometimes seem to help the OP. If these tabs aren't working for you though, maybe you could see if it's possible to just add the URL for these tabs specifically to the blacklist of a distraction blocker browser extension so that you don't just mindlessly click through them when you check the job postings on this sheet. 9) I reluctant to even state an opinion as I think AP is a benevolent hero whose judgement I trust and offering my own takes on this feels sort of out of line.... BUT - re permanent vs fixed term job tabs. One solution would be a single long-format tab with a new column for job type. Could include: TT faculty, fixed term facult, private industry, etc. This would mean no extra tabs, no arguments about which jobs go where, less work for AP, and possible allowing a broader remit for what gets listede here (a good thing). It's pretty easy to filter and sort your own view of the tab so folks could just look at what they want to see if they want a more targetted view. 8) Just seconding the vote to keep the General Discussion tab. I find this INCREDIBLY helpful – I've gotten a number of my own questions answered by very helpful people and have weighed in to help others. Utility of General Discussion is tremendous; if you don't like the venting tab, just don't click it...it's pretty easy to ignore.9) @4 what do you mean by "DEI fad"? 10) @3 again here, I knew it would be unpopular! As far as "not clicking the venting tab" is concerned, OK. I guess that solves the problem...why didn't I think of that? But it seems clear, to me at least, that having the option to click it and anonymously vent does not lead to a healthy community dynamic. On the other hand, I'm happy to hear that the Genearl Discussion tab has been so useful to so many--it seems important to keep that. Good luck to all job-seekers this cycle! 11) I agree that as a benevolent dictator AP can do as they please, but also like the suggestion of 2, that separating TT and nonTT positions might be a more straightforward way to avoid combining. I feel like putting temporary jobs on the main sheet is rewarding institutions making these temporary positions by giving them equal billing with TT jobs and free advertising. x 2 12) Personally I'm fine with the current layout. Have one sheet for "permanent jobs", which would include tenure-stream but also permanent government/industry/NGO jobs and permanent/assumed renewable NTT positions like Lecturers, and one for explicitly fixed-term jobs. x2 2) I like the current layout too, I just know AP has commented that it is harder to manage b/c jobs get posted on the wrong sheet (or people think they should go on a different sheet...) 13) ... bump. Happy August! Can we get an update, AP? | |
10 | 7/16/24 16:33 | Apply right after moving | 8/2/24 5:47 | I'm moving to a different postdoc position at a different institution, and a TT job position I'd like to apply showed up recently. The review starts ~1 week after I start my new postdoc, so technically I'll be at the new institution when I submit my application, albeit for a short time only. Should I use my new institution's letterhead for cover letter? How much should I talk about my planned research projects there (which haven't really taken place) in my research statement? Should I request a ref letter from my new PI there? Suggestions are greatly appreciated! 1) Don't ask the new PI for a letter - they won't be able to actually say anything about your capablities yet. I would also personally not use the letterhead for this type of thing - it really doesn't add anything when you're applying for a job. 2) unless the institute you are moving to is somehow MUCH more fancy then your current one, I would use your current one and ask your current PI for a reference. Maybe don't mention it to the new PI. As this is a TT position, your application should focus on your planned research when you head your own group, don't waste space talking about your planned postdoc work unless you secured the funds and planned the work yourself (3) I created my own letterhead so I wouldn't have to keep updating that aspect of my letters. Worked well enough to get interviews and a job! 4) I never used letterhead and all and definitely got first round interviews 5) Wow the full spread of advice here haha. I would use the new institution's letterhead. If your new advisor knows you (e.g. you two knew each other before this position started), I would ask them for a letter of rec. I'd also be sure to talk about these job applications with them! Get as many eyes on your application as possible. And yes, weave in your upcoming work into your narrative. Even without results, you can use it when you try to show that you're on an exciting trajectory. 6) I have never used letterhead for my materials. what would be the point? I have my contact info at the top of the cv and cover letter. | |
11 | 7/16/24 9:06 | Surprised by how supportive people are of new PIs | 7/18/24 12:39 | OP) As a new PI, it's hard not to be apprehensive about the upcoming months especially considering how competitive and difficult everything is supposed to be. One thing that's suprised me (in a good way) about this stage is how supportive other PIs in our field are with sharing information, time, reagents, invitations to speak, building support groups, etc. Thankful to be part of such a generous research community. 1) Totally agree with all of this | |
12 | 7/15/24 18:26 | Applied for faculty job in 2023-2024? https://faculty-job-market-collab.org/ | 7/16/24 20:46 | This takes too long to complete. Asking for the name of every place I made a zoom interview at is a lot to type! (Before you comment that I'm bragging: I'm leaving academia because I couldn't get a job) (2) it took me like 10 minutes at most, but I've only had a few interviews so far. 3) I am current faculty, looking to relocate. The moment I answered yes to 'have you held a tenure-track position before', the survey ended. x2 It seems like they will not get a representative survey, unless they explicitly only want to focus on current non-tenure track folks (which are of course the majority). 2) Last time I was full hog on the job market, I applied for >180 positions. Spring I interviewed at 1-2 places (phone/zoom). Not bragging, point is, I still filled out all the data on here! 4) No option for staff scientist positions on the first page. Survey is set up for a very rigid definition/consideration of the academic pipeline | |
13 | 7/14/24 6:53 | PhD Economics | 7/18/24 10:27 | Congratulations, Dr. X? I hope you find a great job for yourself after graduation? 2) ????? | |
14 | 7/11/24 9:45 | Tailoring materials based on institution type? | 7/12/24 0:41 | ||
15 | 7/6/24 4:04 | How useful are temporary teaching positions? | 7/28/24 7:49 | Following the discussion in the Williams College VAP post, I thought I’d pose this question to folks. (As opposed to “are they exploitative, because we all know the answer to that.) How useful are temporary teaching positions (VAP, teaching postdoc, fixed-term instructor, etc.) for people seeking teaching-focused jobs? 1) I am in a non-TT position. In terms of gaining teaching skills, it has been very valuable. And our non-TT faculty are involved in the department, so I have learned a lot about being a faculty member in general. I am able to do research with undergrads, but my research outputs (i.e. publications) have taken a huge hit because it is hard to get old stuff out when my energy is going towards teaching. I did have an increase in interviews once I starting focusing on more teaching-focused jobs (since I think I am out of the research-focused race), but nothing has led to a TT job so I am kind of stuck in this position. So I guess I would say they are useful if you can get a couple years experience, but have a plan so you don't get stuck in the position long-term...and if you still want to do research, do whatever you can to make sure you can still get papers out, etc. 2) As someone who just finished a 2-year teaching postdoc, I’d say they definitely have value, but it may depend on your specific situation and what kind of teaching positions you’re going for. Based on my experience and what I’ve seen from others on the job market, I’d say a position like that is more useful for getting a permanent *Lecturer* position (which is akin to what I got) than it is for getting, say, a tenure-track SLAC job. I know plenty of people who’ve gotten TT SLAC positions just coming out of research postdocs wherein they’d taught a course or two. So the full-time teaching experience of a VAP/TP position doesn’t seem necessary in the slightest (hell, it probably hurts if it keeps you from doing research) *for that type of position specifically*. But maybe it’s more helpful for other types of permanent teaching position, like lecturer jobs, because it proves you can actually handle a full-time courseload? 3) They are only useful if you want a teaching-focused job (e.g. at a public PUI). SLACs generally expect more research than your average PUI, so research postdocs with teaching experience on the side is best. x2 4) Just to add my personal experience- I did a one-year research postdoc and then a one-year VAP. I applied for jobs while in both positions (TT jobs at PUIs/SLACS). I got interviews both years, but I didn't get any job offers while I was in the postdoc. I got two offers the second year while I was in the VAP. Both were TT offers, one at a public PUI, and the other at a private school that I'm not sure whether you'd call a PUI or a SLAC. But that second offer has a 2/3 teaching load, some expected research, lab space, a (very small) startup, sabatticals, etc. So I think in my case the VAP did help me get a job. Or it was just chance! But people in the department where I did the VAP said that their previous VAPs had all had good luck getting jobs too. Certainly, it was a very difficult position, and it was very difficult to get any research done while in that position. I second the person who said that you should do whatever you can to make sure you keep your research going at least a little bit. I signed up for a program that pairs faculty with first-year students who want to do research. Keeping a student going on research meant that I had to be doing enough to at least have tasks ready for the student, so I think that was helpful for me. I also went to a conference which meant I had to have a presentation ready. And I joined a faculty writing group. Basically, things that give me hard deadlines on my research. Because I was very busy, and I simply wasn't going to do anything that didn't feel urgent/immediately necessary. I might not need to say this, but definitely don't do a VAP if you want a job at an R1. Do a postdoc and get some teaching experience on the side, either through your postdoc position or by adjuncting a class somewhere else. (5) Adding anecdata to this, my experience was the same as @4, research postdoc > VAP > TT offer at SLAC. I collected enough data as a research postdoc that I was able to have papers continue to come out as a VAP. 6) My spouse was in a teaching VAP position for a couple of years. Towards the end of their appointment, a search opened up for a teaching-focused position and they got it. I think the fact they were already known in the department and had performed well in their job played a huge role. 7) They can be very helpful for getting a teaching-focused position, especially if you've never been instructor of record before. You'd just do better to think of "teaching-focused position" as meaning Lecturer, Assistant Teaching Professor, Instructor, Lab Coordinator, etc., not Assistant Professor at a SLAC. At least from the *applicant perspective*. From the handful of SLACs I interviewed at and conversations with friends at SLACs, it seems like the expectations for research output once you’re hired are pretty low (the most common thing I heard was that they expect *one* publication with student co-authors by the time you go up for tenure), but the expectations for what you’ve done as an applicant are higher than most people expect. Hence the common preference/requirement for postdoc experience. 8) I second @7's points, but want to add that it's common for SLAC labs to be very active with 5-10 students, but since the research is all done by undergrads the actual output expectations tend to be low. This is why they tend to favor research postdocs - they expect you to be *doing* research even though they don't expect lots of grants/pubs to come of it. 7) Yeah, that's a good point. And even though the expected outputs are low, you're still a PI, you're still in charge of the lab/leading/guiding the research, so that's another edge research postdocs are more likely to bring. 9) How do you tell which SLACs want the productive research postdocs and which ones want the rising star ABDs? 10) If there is a serious answer to that question, it’s probably “look at the CVs of the faculty”. If the department is full of people who got hired right out of grad school, maybe that’s what they see as “the right path” into positions like theirs. Though it’s also by no means impossible for an ABD to have a SLAC-ready CV that would take others a postdoc to attain. I’ve known grad students who taught courses, even ones they developed from scratch or heavily revamped following all the latest pedagogy literature. And I’ve known grad students who by the time they finished were basically running a sub-lab of undergrad mentees within their PI’s lab. It’s conceivable that some people have done both, and I imagine those folks would be extremely competitive for SLAC jobs. | |
16 | 7/5/24 13:11 | How do I write an email to decline an offer because I accepted another one? | 7/12/24 17:45 | I have just accepted an offer (Yay!), and need to write an email to decline another offer. I wonder if I need to include details about why I chose the other offer, or if I should keep it as simple as possible. I do not want to spoil the relationship with the department I am declining, and I want to be polite. 1) it could be polite to include 1-2 short, sweet reasons about what the other position offers that aligns with your long-term goals, which don't draw attention to 'shortcomings' of department or colleagues you're declining. 2) You might write the SC chair too (or at least CC them), since they invested some effort in getting you an offer 3) just write a polite and simple "thank you for the offer but I've decided to pursue another opportunity" email to SC and HR. No details necessary. x3 4) Thank you for the advice, everyone! | |
17 | 7/2/24 8:49 | Length of negotiation column in Negotiations tab? | 7/10/24 13:39 | Would any other folks like to see a length of negotiation column in the negotiation sheet? I think it would be extremely useful to have the full spectrum of negotiation length and determine an average length as well so that we don't just have anecdotes. 1) I agree! 2) germany - time from interview 6 months, time from offer 2 months 3) This would be cool! It would also be cool if the majority of people actually filled that info out. | |
18 | 7/1/24 8:55 | Other job boards you all track, academic or otherwise? | 7/18/24 7:20 | I'm diving headfirst into the job market, tired of postdoc life. Any other recs for job websites or job boards? Ideally looking for an academic position but I am not opposed to leaving academia x2 2) I use HigherEdJobs to search too. Sometimes if it's a university or system I'm really interested in, I'll check their job postings directly. 3) I second HigherEdJobs. But also JobRxiv and LinkedIn. People say LinkedIn sux for academia, but I've found some great opportunities (that I didn't get lol) through it. 4) Indeed.com--doesn't often have academic postings but it does have plenty of industry postings 5) I actually have really good luck with Indeed (most of the jobs posted here that are relevant to me show up there), but I think it depends on your search settings 6) tell people! so they can send you links :) 7) Set up your searches on usajobs.gov for federal positions. Unlike academic postings, federal positions are usually only posted for 1-3 weeks and not broadly circulated relatively speaking. 8) If you're interested in federal positions look up some tips on navigating that process and/or reach out to current federal sciences. There are some major differences and it's very easy to mistakenly get yourself judged "ineligible for further consideration" 9) Late to this thread but have a few to add (I do marine ecology so a couple of these are only relevant to that): https://www.esacareercenter.org/jobs/ (mostly academic or senior non-academic positions), https://careers.conbio.org/jobs/ (both academic and non-academic), https://www.conservationjobboard.com/ (mostly non-academic), https://jobs.schmidtmarine.org/jobs (marine only but great for non-academic ocean-focused jobs), https://jobs.fisheries.org/ (fisheries only, mainly non-academic). I also have had good luck finding interesting postings on Indeed with alerts for vague keywords like ‘ecologist’. Another approach for non-academic job searching is to spend some time googling and reading about organizations that work in areas relevant to your field and when you find an interesting org, bookmark its careers/jobs page and check it occasionally. I just accepted a non-academic job offer that I’m really excited about - found it just by identifying some organizations I’d be interested in working for and checking their job postings regularly until stuff I was qualified for appeared. | |
19 | 6/28/24 8:44 | New paper on accessible interview processes | 7/4/24 4:55 | Just saw this new publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110220 Looks like an important read for folks on search committees! 1) Hahaha the authors could have just written "An Etiquette Guide for Dogs" - that target audience might be more likely to actually read it! (2) Jokes aside, looks useful for anyone planning to conduct an interview in the future. 3) Link is not working, can someone share the title of the paper? (4) Worked for me after hitting refresh. But here is the title: Accessible interview practices for disabled scientists and engineers 5) They were forced to remove the last section, "Make sure to contact all applicants to inform them of the outcome in a timely fashion" by irate peer-reviewers who sit on SCs. | |
20 | 6/27/24 8:03 | Switching Unis - When to Start? | 6/28/24 12:56 | OP) I recently started my TT position (<1yr). I already received a few grants that I applied to already, so I am in a good place. However, more and more, I am realizing that I am pretty unhappy with the location of the uni and want to be closer to my family. When do you start putting out feelers to leave? Can I take my grant money with me? 1) If you are unhappy then you should start applying as soon as you want. I left my first TT position after 1.5 years because I wasn't happy. There is no reason why you should feel obligated to stay in a place that doesn't work for you. Many grants will transfer, assuming they are not specific to the university. It can be a headache to transfer funding, but is totally doable. 2) If you're unhappy and don't see that changing, start looking. As a now-tenured faculty member who's finally leaving my university this fall, in hindsight I'd say the sooner the better after you know you're not happy, and I would have tried while an Assistant Professor - there are way more jobs at that stage than later on. Good luck! 3) I have not tried moving grants personally, but my PhD advisor moved universities while I was in his lab. He was allowed to move grants (USDA) per the funder and university policy. However, the university he was leaving dragged their feet and held up the transfer such that he ended up subcontracting himself at the new university and transferring lead-PI status to someone at the university he was leaving. My impression is that you should be able to move federal grants, but your current place could make it challenging. 2) @OP, I went through this myself. It was a miserable time frame. Best option is to ONLY apply for vacancies meeting your desires. You will find that there are not that many. five hour drive is closse in our business. 4) Start now.. I just spent a year on the market with no success despite a strong record to date on as a PI. You never know how long it will take for the right fit to show up, so start early accepting it may take a cycle or two | |
21 | 6/26/24 4:54 | how broad should job search be? | 7/5/24 5:25 | OP) Hi all, I am a 5th year postdoc and getting pretty desperate because I cannot apply for TT positions out of the country due to family. Is it then okay to apply for jobs that aren't 100% my specialty or interest? It is either this or leaving academia. 1) Give it a shot if you want, but ime any academic job that isn't a perfect match for you and your research isn't going to pan out. Non-academic jobs tend to be a bit more flexible as they are more interested in your skills than your nebulous "vision" and "fit" 2) It seems like some people apply to anything slightly related to them (like the people applying to 30-60 jobs a year), while others apply to just those they fit really well. My general strategy has been to (a) apply to things I fit extremely well or (b) apply to things where I want to live. It appears the success rate for jobs I fit better is higher (along the lines of what 1 mentions), but it seems like people do get offers for things they don't fit well if they just happen to hit the jackpot and others with better fit don't apply, decline an offer, etc. It seems like throwing spaghetti at the wall in terms of apps is OK but while balancing the lower odds of success (and greater waste of time applying) if you don't fit as well (3) I think 1 and 2 are right. My experience is only within the US, but from what I've seen, you have a much, much higher chance at jobs where you're a perfect fit in terms of specialty/interest. Nearly all postings will get some applicants who perfectly fit the specialty requested, so it's hard to compete with them if you're not also a perfect match. However, of course you can still submit an application and see what happens. It's also possible that the situation is different in your country. (4) I recently got a job that, based on the job ad, I was not a good fit for. I applied anyway because I was casting a wide net. It turned out that other things were happening in the department that I wasn't aware of and they were interested in someone with my specialty they just didn't know this at the time they posted the ad. All this is to say, you never know what is going on behind the scenes in a department or what they are actually looking for. (5) I had the exact same experience as @4! (6) In line with @4 and @5, my take is that you should apply for any job that you're interested in even if it isn't a perfect match in terms of research in the ad. Many committees don't know what they're actually looking for until they see it, and if they're excited about a candidate they're often able to shuffle some things around behind the scenes to get people they want, even if it wasn't strictly in line with the initial ad. I just wouldn't spend too much time re-working your research materials to fit the ad; submit a statement that outlines the work you would be excited to do rather than what you think they'd want you to do, which has the added advantage of making it quicker to apply to other postings. (7) Third-ing the experiences of 4 and 5. I applied to a search in a different sub-field because there were some elements that worked with my application materials; was surprised to get the job. 1) @4/5/6 how different from your 'core' field were these jobs? I'm curious for my own sake, because anything that didn't seem "perfect" didn't get me an interview. 8) Maybe it's different if you really fit some specific type, but I think of myself as generally straddling fields a bit anyway (at least with respect to the way most jobs are advertised). I have a slightly higher interview rate for jobs that I thought were a perfect fit for me, but really only slightly higher and most of my interviews have been at positions that I thought were a bit of a stretch. (4 again) @1 I fit within the broad job category (i.e., Subject Area column on the sheet) but the job ad mentioned specific sub-fields with taxa and ecosystems that I do not study. I will say that up to this point I was only getting interviews for jobs I thought I was a real good fit for, it's just funny that the job I actually got is the one I almost didn't apply for because I figured I had no chance. 1 again) Thanks for sharing your experiences. Maybe I will try applying a bit more broadly this cycle | |
22 | 6/25/24 8:28 | Mentorship as postdoc on CV | 6/27/24 7:29 | OP) wondering how you all format a mentorship potion of a cv as a postdoc for the various mentoring you've done and what makes sence to a search committee 1) I've generally put stuff like that (i.e. mentoring an undergrad doing an independent study) under "related teaching experience" along with other non-university teaching I've done 2) I have a mentorship section and list the students I have mentored - generally and separated by projects/theses, where appropriate. 3) I have two sections on my CV, one for "formal" mentorship programs that I participated in (e.g. NSF REU) and another that lists all my former mentees 4) I don't have a dedicated section but indicate with an asterisk all mentored student co-authors on pubs | |
23 | 6/25/24 7:49 | How to request instructor copies of textbooks? | 6/26/24 13:24 | So, this might be a silly question but I know that as an instructor/prof, publisher might send you free copies of textbook on the off-chance you might use it for your courses. What I'm not sure of, is how to go about requesting copies of books for a new course or even in established courses but that might need an updated edition of a textbook. Anyone have any pointers? 1) Typically the publisher's webste will have links to a form to request a desk/instructor/evaluation copy. They often require an account and will also usually request course information (enrollment, course #, etc.). Some publishers may also have a representative for a set of disciplines or regions that you can contact. 2) Yep, publisher website will have that information. Many of them are shifting to digital copies as well, so you no longer get a print version. Some also offer very steep discounts, up to 85% off, for you to purchase copies. 3) Unless you plan on using online submission services for assignments (e.g. with Campbell Biology) - which is itself a highly unsavory and quasi-unethical thing for an instructor to do - I would strongly recommend trying to get your hands on the digital resources to make slides etc. but NOT require students to buy the text. You could make sure that it's up on PirateBay or SciHub. This past year I asked for the 11th edition of a textbook I had been using for a few years and knew there were a lot of used copies (bookstore generally will buy them back). Publisher had sent me the 12th, I said no thanks, there are no substantive differences from the 11th. Told the bookstore to stock the 11th and buy used copies. Stopped by the bookstore on the first day of class, and they only had the 12th. 11th was on the syllabus. Short version: screw textbook publishers - they don't exist to facilitate anything but their own sales figures. Also an FYI: know how you can find the full digital resources (test banks, etc.) on sites like CourseHero and StuDocu? Because publishers sell them their content that users can then access on a "gray market" for a few less dollars. | |
24 | 6/21/24 10:24 | How about general advice about setting up a lab? | 6/25/24 18:15 | I was hoping the post below would focus on the OP's last question, "What other tasks of lab set-up am I missing?" Any current PIs willing to share what new PIs should prioritize, and what they wish they knew or did when starting their lab? How do you even stay organized? 1) Time is more valuable than money. You don't want to end up with white elephants, but generally getting a functional incubator/water bath/pcr machine is more useful than spending 6 months researching the perfect equipment. And your needs will evolve as you set up the lab, hire people and make progress. Make reasonably informed purchases but also act reasonably quickly to get items in hand. 2) Spend enough on supplies that you don't waste the time of the people you hire. Their time is the most expensive thing you buy, so if they are constantly wasting their time with gloves that tear, making complicated solutions that you could buy pre-made (esp. if you don't use in large quantities), DNeasy kits vs teaching the students old-school, or whatever, then you are in the end wasting money. Don't go crazy, but think carefully about where to skimp on supplies. 3) Seconding all that. Peoples time are the most expensive thing. Don't waste it, and make it easy for your lab members to do their research and not get stuck on paperwork or bad equipment/reagents. Fisher and VWR are basically the same price as each other, don't waste time price shopping there. MidSci and Genesee are cheap. Get a PHCBI -80C and a regular freezer from costco or home depot or a restaurant supply store. Make sure you spend time writing grant proposals your first year, dont spend all your time on buying lab stuff. If you have a large startup, get a lab manager who can do a lot of the price comparing and supply ordering for you. My startup wasn't high enough for that. 4) DO NOT buy a self-defrosting freezer if buying outside lab suppliers. It runse freeze-thaw cycles repeatedly and will wreck every sample in your lab. Also check chemical/blast certifications. The lawsuit would be more expensive than the freezer if something goes wrong. 3again) oops yea, make sure its a manual defrost freezer. They are becoming harder to find but self defrost is bad | |
25 | 6/18/24 10:13 | labor of setting up new lab | 6/28/24 6:50 | I'm a new PI planning to set up a lab this fall. I'm trying to envision the *labor* that goes into this, and how much might feasibly be outsourced to a mid-career graduate student who seems interested. I'm sure the specifics of tasks vary by field, but in general I was thinking of setting up a lab as requiring a lot of researching preferred equipment and then purchasing it...are these reasonable tasks to delegate? What other tasks of lab set-up am I missing? (1) Is this a troll post? Didn't you make a list of the things you need when negotiating your offer? Ethical implications of dumping this kind of work on a random ("mid-career") grad student aside, who would trust a grad student to make major purchasing decisions or to negotiate prices on the lab's behalf? x5 2) This seems like exactly how one ends up with 10k in unexchangeable reagents for a machine that is a *slightly* different model from the one you actually got lol 3) Even if you were this kind of troll, the student will not have purchasing system privileges or authority to sign off on anything. You really wanted the job so badly you did a PhD, postdoc, all those job apps, and putting in an order for PCR machines is too much for you? x2 4) Chill, guys, my reading of OP's question is more that they're trying to find tasks for the interested grad student so the grad student can be involved, not that they're too lazy to do it themselves 5) while it might be reasonable to involve a grad student in this sort of thing if it is a purchase that directly affects that students research (like equipment they specifically need for their project and are knowledgabe of), this is well outside the scope of what PhD students should be asked to do, in my opinion. If you want help with purchasing there are entire administrative divisions to assist with this at most univeristies. And if you really have no opinion on which $30k microscope you should buy, the sales reps will gladly tell you ;) 6) It is a really good idea to save $10-20k for a postdoc to develop their project ideas and bring something new to the lab. But aside from that it wouldn't be right for your students to take over your administrative burden. And as PI you should be planning the lab across multiple projects and the interests of all trainees, which requires a different view of the research plan. OP) thanks @4. this wasn't my idea and I was pretty confused by it; was trying to see if there was something I was missing after more than once receiving suggestion (probably well-intentioned) that a grad student would help me set up a lab 7) how are you going to have a "mid-career" grad student anyway if you're just setting up your lab? 3 again) Thanks for clarifying, OP. It sounds like someone else is misusing a grad student's time, and usually this means they aren't the top student. They may actually mean pulling equipment out of boxes or carrying things rather than choosing what to order. If not, I'd be super wary of another PI trying to spend your startup on things they need rather than your own research needs. If the specific student they point you to is particularly large and ripped, then they are just offering you convenient muscle. 8) There may be things that an undergrad work study student can help with, such as organizing things or washing old glassware. 9) new PI just set up my lab last year. For major purchases, you definitely need to buy it by yourself. I only delegated purchasing tasks for minor things like notebooks, pens or pins to my lab manager. You can definitely have people help you unpack packages or organize the lab. 10) I think a technician can be a HUGE help in corresponding with reps and setting stuff up, but you would definitely want to give very direct input and coordinate closely with tech. Agreeing with what others have said - not the right ask of a graduate student | |
26 | 6/16/24 9:22 | Really need to be in a high density low car urban area. Deal breaker? | 6/28/24 7:12 | OP) My partner is not willing to live outside of a high density urban area, I'm still in my first year of postdocing and I'm in a rural (town under 60k pop) area that's all cars. It has had serious detrimental impacts on both of our mental health and physical wellness. I was raised in an east coast city, she in a European city. My question is, with such a constraint on places I'm willing to live, should I start pursuing industry now from the jump instead of holding out hope? 1) If you have an interest in teaching, you may want to consider community colleges. They tend to get overlooked, but they provide opportunities in larger cities. 2) Europe is the move. Certainly hard to get a permanent position there without doing a postdoc, but getting a postdoc is not too hard. Have been here three years without a car and haven't been in major cities.3) Not addressing the lifestyle aspect, but I was surprised at the number of my future colleagues at a southern CA school who don't drive. Being very strategic about location has allowed them to walk to work, walk children to school, etc given the mild weather. Grocery delivery and rideshares are another piece of the puzzle. They are from non-US big cities with better public transit, and it seems to work for them! 4) I understand a preference, but not a full ban on areas where you might need to drive. Are you wanting to avoid locations where you spend an hour in traffic? Or is any driving at all a mental health issue for you? Or is this more about city lifestyle and nightlife? If you can't get a job in SF/NYC would you rather switch fields completely? No matter what your criteria are, limiting by geography will naturally limit your job options in a tight market. You may need to broaden the scope of institutions to compensate as #1 suggested. 5) we all have restrictions on where we'd like to live, but in this job market the possibility is very real that you may have to end up somewhere less than ideal for you, or drop to industry/other fields. Basiically, in TT you'd be EXTREMELY lucky to land a good job AND and a good location based on your personal preferences. With that said, I did my PhD in medium-sized city in the South with bad public transportation, and i'm now in a large city in the South with limited public transportation, and I've never had a drivers license. I survived. OP) Thanks everyone, yes Europe would definitely be the move if anyone was hiring postdocs in my field (though maybe I haven't been looking in the right places). I think both of us were caught off guard by the realities of single-family zoned suburbia in the American west. I think @4 while certainly not those two cities only (Philly, Chicago, DC, Boston and Seattle also have reasonable public transit infrastructure), I do think that for me personally it would be worth it to leave academia over it. 6) currently a postdoc in Europe and have an impression of a pretty good market for postdoc applicants - I don't know your specific field, but maybe worth reconsidering if there are more places you can look for opportunities? And even if you're not seeing relevant posted opportunities, definitely consider fellowships - e.g. Marie Curie to go anywhere in Europe, Fulbright, many countries have specific fellowships (many specifically to promote mobility from abroad). I don't think it's at all impossible to meet your location criteria in the US, but Europe would open more options! 7) You may want to look at the HFSP fellowships to see if you are eligible 8) I've been through large cities and small college towns, even without good public transport every institution has a core where you can live without a car (foreign students/ postdocs do it all the time!). You may pay a premium, your neighbors might be students, you might not have a mid-life house w/yard set up but it's always available. 9) Seconding 8 - in the southern US, I've lived in one mid-sized college town, one city, one very small town, and one large college town, and while I've consistently owned a car, I've never used it on a daily basis in any of those locations. I just made strategic decisions to live within (or within a safe, enjoyable biking route) of the walkable and/or bikeable core area. In all these places, I've gotten to know my neighbors and been walking distance from friends. I think there are a ton of US cities/towns where you can set up a walking- and/or biking-centric lifestyle, but you have to make sure to live in the right part and to avoid the neighborhoods that look close to things on a map but all the connecting roads are highways. So I think it's fine to keep your US options open too and not make too many assumptions about the car dependency of a particular place without visiting and/or researching it first. | |
27 | 6/15/24 15:51 | Side gigs? | 6/16/24 15:19 | How weird is it to advertise data analysis services on my personal website (where SCs could see it)? 1) Most universities allow professors to do consulting, and we all know postdocs don't pay that much. It could be viewed as a positive if you play it right. You know how industry works and can help trainees place well. Just be ready to acknowledge profs have a huge work load so you might need to scale back consulting as a new PI. OP) The consulting would be to fill holes in my current grant-funded contract (indirects are brutal). | |
28 | 6/15/24 5:04 | Giving up or not? | 6/25/24 10:19 | many years past without an offer. I still get interviews giving me an illusion of hope, but no offers yet. Giving up or not? just stressful (1) Seriously consider it. Life is better outside. (2) NTT faculty member in a quasi permanent position here. Even with this I am on the path to 'giving up' as well. None of it is worth it. Trying to generate alternative careers is daunting though...my skillset as an ecologist doesn't translate as easily to industry as many on this board would have you believe. This is all to say, you're not alone out there OP. 3) I'm in a similar position to (2) and I don't know what to try next. I like where I live so I don't really want to move unless it is something much better than I have now, but I am not doing what I want to do either. | |
29 | 6/14/24 14:01 | Obligations to grad students | 6/26/24 6:28 | I have a new soft money position, and I've just taken on two new Ph.D. students for a funded grant. The university is not being very supportive, I'm only paid part-time, I'm not getting promised departmental support, etc. A job elsewhere has been posted that I'm interested in, but it's at an undergraduate-only institution in my home country. My Ph.D. students, who have moved across the world to work with me, would not be able to complete their intended projects at my current university if I leave, there's neither the money (the funding would be withdrawn), expertise, and little prospect for other faculty stepping up. I have no idea what they would do, probably they would just go home. Would I be an asshole for bailing on them? I feel some paternal responsibility towards my students but I also have a family to support. 1) Perhaps this could be a negotiation piece, if it comes to an offer? Not unusual to delay start to wrap things up elsewhere, and then use that time to get students sorted. Also, you cant set yourself on fire to keep others warm. 2) Harsh as it may be, you won't gain anything by staying where you are for the sake of your grad students. And you can't really rely on grad students to meet their "commitments", e.g. finishing papers you paid for after they finish. The worst consequence is this will become a low-readership sob story on twitter about how someone's advisor left during a degree. 3) harsh indeed. <_< 4) Do you have any resources / connections you can leverage to help them continue their programs at different university nearby, or at least within the same country, in case your students are interested in pursuing that if you were to leave? Rather than passing judgement on asshole / not asshole, leverage your creative energies to try to get everyone's needs met. Ask your students their needs and preferences. Could you stay for a year to help train them, then offer part-time guidance from afar while the money stays and they are technically in someone else's lab? To the extent you're able, have an open and honest conversation with your students, offering them some options, and see their response. [just tried to delete part about the money staying - didn't see that it wouldn't on first read - board won't let me delete]x2 5) If grad school is indeed a "job" - as we see when people argue for better pay - then there's no reason to consider this at all. Business close and relocate and restructure all the time. Give them a notice that the lights are turning off in whatever period is required by your place of business and move on. Of course do whatever paperwork is needed to get them set up in another lab but no one would think twice about doing this to you. 4 again) I'd like to push back against 5 at least a little, as far as the contractual differences and similarities between grad school and any other job. Grad students and (often) their subsequent employers are looking for a degree, which can't be obtained unless a certain amount of time is invested in meeting all the degree requirements. Time spent toward a degree but being blocked from obtained the degree does, I would argue, have a different cost than being fired from a job (where the only expectation might have been salary and skill development, no letters needed to signify the skills being obtained) x2 6) My controversial opinion is that this isn't really as big a deal as people make it out to be. I was abandoned by my PhD advisor in year 3, and I know many folks with similar stories. We all found new advisors and graduated just fine. OP should look out for themselves. 7)You are in a tough position. Legally you don't owe your students anything, but I think on a personal and mentorship level you at least need to do what you can to make sure you leaving doesn't screw them over more than it needs to. If you can serve as an external committee member for them from your new institution, that would probably be valuable. Also just helping them figure out how to transfer to a different lab at your current institution and maybe advocating on their behalf if neccesary. It sounds like you havent applied for a new job yet and youre def not an asshole for considering it or taking it if you got the offer. | |
30 | 6/12/24 8:45 | Timelines and choices | 6/13/24 8:19 | Hi All. So in January I was told a position I was final two, and just missed last year would be hiring again , and that they really wanted me to apply. I really liked it last year, felt like a good fit, and that it complemented my skills-however it is a cluster hire (1 per department for each science faculty) and so taking a while- the app deadline ended up being mid-April, and 1st round interview will be next week. In the mean time, I got invited for another in person interview for a position elsewhere (final two)-and they say the final decision will be next week. Geographically the one I should hear from last week is much better, however I am worried about resource access and did not get that same dynamic energy for that job, plus it's in a country where whilst everyone speaks English-it is a second language. The other job is geographically much less advantagious, but I really liked the place, and there are more student scholarships, potentially better funding, and better pay- but the timelines really won't match- for the 1st one the final decision should be next week, whereas for the second the 1st round interview is next week (but they encouraged me to apply and the dept head and search chair talked to me pre advertisement to ask me to apply). How would people approach this, and how do you balance different considerations? My current plan is if I do get an offer from the 1st place to try to buy time to hear from the second-though obviously I don't know how long I will have to make a decision, or how to balance the different practical facets, or the fact that for some reason I just liked the 2nd place more (when I interviewed last year- and I don't know if I can put my finger on why, though cultural similarity was definately part of it as it is closer to my nationality, and I worked elsewhere in the country previously). Suggestions very welcome, especially as most of my freinds suggest whichever is closer to where they work, rather than weighing options-thanks all 1) This sounds like a situation with a lot of considerations, OP, so I totally understand the mental bandwidth devoted to weighing pros and cons, anticipating outcomes, etc. At the same time, I think you might be a little be easier on yourself in terms of making decisions right now. At this exact moment, it sounds like you don't have an offer from either place. Also, during the negotation process, you might (well, hopefully will) find out more about exactly what each school is offering. Are there any specific decisions you need to make right now about changing what you're doing in light of not hearing back from either place? If not, maybe you've done the weighing that you can do in advance of an offer and can just sit tight until you hear back (I know, it's hard) OP). Thanks, don't have an offer right now- but only two of us got in person interviews, and as I know we'll likely know next week and will need to respond-trying to prepare first if I do get an offer (I'll also be at a conference next week so juggling commitments), obviously no issue if I don't get an offer, but if I do I need to plan how to handle it (and likely find how to buy time as I know they want to fill the role fairly fast and I don't know what is reasonable in terms of asking time etc) 1 again) looking on this board, and drawing on my own experience and that of friends, there seems to be a huge range in terms of timeline in the offer and negotiation process. I've heard of one situation where candidate was given advance notice of the offer, got the letter, and was told they had 1 week to respond yes / no, no negotation. In my case, I received a verbal offer and the offical letter, with about a 10 day window for binding signature, was about a month after the verbal offer. If you get an offer from the earlier school, respond with professional promptness and enthusiasm, but also a lot of the information and decisions you might be asked for are deserving of some deliberation. Take a day or so to respond if you need it. Maybe you need a second visit to fully assess fit with partner (if one exists), potential collaborations outside the department, schools, etc. A second visit can take some time to arrange. Some people on this board have even told offering schools that they're interviewing elsewhere and would like to complete the interview before making a decision, and were granted the time to do so! OP) Thanks! the options are on different continents-from each other, but I think I just need to ask for reflection time if I do get offers- and try to pinpoint what is bothering me about the 1st position and be objective in weighing options | |
31 | 6/11/24 12:49 | Ready for the next job season | 6/13/24 9:00 | I feel optimistic for the next year's job season and cannnot wait to see what's out there. 1) I don't. :(; x2 2) i am not excited, 6 years doing my msc and phd for no job opportunity. Waiting for the results of an interview made last month, application on october 2023 and the application for new candidates still open :( 3) I'm watching searches fail and top candidates not get jobs because schools dragged out negotiations too long and it's "too late" to move down list. So frustrating to see empty positions and good people go without a position because a chair didn't get it together to go to candidate #2. 4) First of all, I agree the market is extremely frustrating to say the least. Second, it does seem like there are already a lot of postings for this time of year, so maybe [hopefully?] there will be comparatively a lot this year, compared to the last few years. | |
32 | 6/8/24 21:10 | HBCU but not black? | 6/11/24 19:24 | OP: I sometimes see listings pop up here for HBCUs. I grew up in a majority black area but am not myself. I do not have experience specifically teaching majority black classes at the undergraduate level. Am I correct in not applying to these jobs? Are HBCUs interested in seeing applicants who have no specific culturally-relevant competencies? (1) You might be incorrect. I know a few people hired at HBCUs who are not black and did not have connections to black education specifically. However, they did have a compelling history and forward-thinking ideas in how to support underrepresented student populations, and they sincerely believed in and wanted to support the HBCU mission. No first-hand experience myself, but I imagine HBCUs want top-level educators that support the particular mission of the school, like any other school. 2) A friend told me they are very wary of white savior types and people who want to use others. Your post doesn't sound like either of those, from your post. If anything the opposite. You might want to find a way to carefully communicate that in your apps if you apply. 3) Faculty in the biology departments at two HBCUs in my area are quite diverse as were the grad students I met in one of them. (1) has good advice that is consistent with my experience. 4) I've worked at multiple Historically black institutions. I'm white. My current post is at an 1890 landgrant university. Having worked at every level from R1 to SLAC, the 1890 is a blend of both worlds. It is not a regional state university. There is much talk about financial status of these schools. Frankly, its over-blown for 1890s. Now, if you are not part of the landgrant mission, the teaching loads can be horrendous. It all depends on what you want. I like the international diversity, the students, and my coworkers. Then, I never thought twice of applying to an hbcu. A student is a student. | |
33 | 6/5/24 13:01 | Is it misguided to turn down a tenure track job when you've got no other offers? | 6/10/24 8:15 | I got one tenure track offer this cycle and have been a postdoc since 2020. The one offer has some glaring red flags, but the job could be alright overall. Does anyone turn down tenure track jobs in favor of postdoc purgatory if they see red flags on their [only] offer? 1) I turned down my only offer a few years ago, it was really hard and I feel your pain. I found something better the next cycle and I think about what a mistake it would have been to have taken the first one every now and again. But that's also survivor's bias. 2) I've turned down several offers because of partner/family issues and I still think about some of them and regret not taking them as I try to piece together soft money funding. That's not quite the same as a red flag about the job itself though. 3) We hear a lot of venting on this board about people taking a TT job they don't want and leaving for a better position/school as soon as they can (because the first position isn't necessarily replaced and there's more competition for the second one) but one thing that doesn't pop up often is people getting stuck where they don't want to be. A few years teaching, admin, whatever, at a backwater school can make one entirely non-competitive for a higher-ranked school. There are other considerations too, reputational - was it a Florida school? An extremist ideologue school like BYU on one end of the spectrum or Evergreen on the other? 4) I did this at a school that I thought would be super dreamy but I encountered a ton of glaring red flags during my campus interview and when the offer was presented. @3 mentions a really good point. It would not have been a good place to get stuck and this weighed into my decision. Turning down an offer (especially the only one) is extremely painful but red flags are certainly worth a serious think. 5) As alluded to above, I think the main question is whether it would be a dead-end or if you could grow your CV to stay competitive in case it does suck. Also, consider your alternatives. I'd say six years of guaranteed salary plus research and teaching opportunities is better than postdoc purgatory, as long as you can keep your options open. OP @3: It is at a mid-tier school. Not Harvard/Stanford, but solid mid-tier reputation and not extremist. (6) I'm an ecology postdoc at Stanford and it's certainly a mid-tier school in my field! 7) what type of red flags are we talking @OP? You don't have to give full details but the type matters. Personally, if I thought that the job could grow my personal research at all, it was a guaranteed decent salary and the move wouldn't be problematic for my family, I would take the job over most interpersonal flags. I could stomach a bad departmental politics situation if I thought I could leave for the better. 8) I think until we know what type of red flag it is, its hard to say cuz it could be ok OP: The red flags are mostly with the department chair rather than university, position, or department, although the position itself isn't 100% aligned with my career goals. I think there are 2 major categories of red flags with them. First is repeated messaging about how I don't need resources for research (e.g., postdoc funding, space) because the research assignment is low (40%) and how I am not expected to publish more than a paper a year and don't need to get invited to give talks, etc. That said, I think what I'm being offered is sufficient to succeed in the research realm with some creativity. The second flag is not really trying to get a partner accommodation set up in the first place and then not giving time to see if one can be put in place before requiring me to sign a contract (and the chair actually said they'd not have sent me a contract knowing I required a partner accommodation). I suppose spinning off the second point, there's just a lot of offhanded commentary that makes the person seem rude. Then again, chair terms are short, so I'm not sure if one bad actor matters in a longer career. 7) by no means just take advice from randos on a board you don't know, but I would take the job probably. Spousal accommodations can range from "hard" to "total non-starter" if your partner is NOT a spouse that becomes significantly harder. So from my POV that isn't itself a red flag, just lack of a green flag that partner support would be. As for the department head--yea one person (albeit a powerful one) wouldn't deter me. I would be somewhat concerned about the language of lack of space/support for research, but personally I know many PIs who have been at places like that and have still done well by bringing in funds, then took that success elsewhere or even took over as department head. Bottom line for me is if you think your career can grow and it works for your family, do it. 8) I think this really depends on your situation, particularly with funding/current job security. I can offer this: I turned town a pretty uncompetitive TT offer at an R1 earlier this season (with no other offers on the table at the time) because I knew it would be challenging or near-impossible to sustain the work I do without much support, odd student pay structure, and lack of facilities; for those reasons and more, the decision was heavy, but it wasn't "hard". Part of the reason I was able to make that call is because I had more postdoc funding, which I felt incredibly grateful for. I did end up getting another offer from an R1 that I was over the moon about (and accepted); had I not, my feelings about my decision to turn down the initial offer would have remained unchanged – I just knew that offer wasn't right for me and my goals, and that was reinforced by how un-excited I was my the whole thing. You want to feel excited when you get an offer, not bummed out or stressed by it. 9) Very happy for you and your situation, @8, even as someone who is accepting an R1 TT offer (funding in current soft-money position will run out before next job cycle) with an exquisite cocktail of feelings ranging from graditude, trepidation, and resolve OP) Thanks all for your stories and thoughts! @7, don't worry, I gathered advice from people in real life as well (mentors, recently hired faculty, etc.). I decided to take the job. We'll see what my response to someone next year is who asks a similar question. Hopefully I will say I took a job with red flags and it worked out overall. Then again, maybe I'll say it was horrible and ruined my career. I'm thinking of all of us on this f%^^&& s!&***^ a*^ market! 7) congrats! make the best of it and build your own support network! | |
34 | 6/3/24 9:10 | Family Leave | 6/9/24 13:47 | I was just offered an assistant professor position (yay!) but was told there is no maternity leave. It's an R1 in the US, so I knew it would be worse than non-US schools, but i'm still shocked that there is nothing provided. Do most universities in the US not have any family leave for faculty? Or does anyone have suggestions for how to get around this (teaching release?)? 2) I am at an R1 state school in the US South - and when I was hired there was no parental leave (this recently changed, hurray!). Most southern states are frankly anti-woman and anti-parent. That said, I would ask your potential new (female and male) colleagues about this. In my department, people have found ways to take ample time off - either on the books or off - after having a baby. 3) First, a lamentation for the lack of support provided to parents in the U.S.. Given that, your position is likely eligible for Family and Medical Leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This legislation ensures 12 weeks unpaid leave to eligible for employees, for reasons including the birth of a child. If you have stockpiled PTO in advance, it may be possible to take FML and PTO concurrently. Wishing you luck and wishing all of us in the US more supportive working conditions. 4) If you feel you have a good raport already, talk with your future department chair or others in the department to see what has been done in the past. Some departments are able to setup co-teaching assignments where the semester can be split between faculty or place the person needing leave in completely asynchronous courses where everything can be done virtually or other service related roles to make it work. It's a really crappy sutuation with many US universities! OP) thanks for the ideas everyone! fingers crossed for a better future for families in the US! 5) It is common to have a waiting period prior to paid leave of a year or 2-3 semesters but I have never heard of a place that offers no leave of any kind. I have also never heard of PTO for faculty - this has not existed at any of the places I have worked. 6) @5, PTO in the form of sick leave is not uncommon for faculty. My university doesn't have vacation PTO for faculty, and I think that is the case most places. But you may be able to use sick leave. OP, it isn't clear whether you are referring to paid maternity leave, vs a suspension of teaching duties, etc. My state now offers paid parental leave (a number of others seem to have it pending). We had a child before it was offered though and my institution at the time was able to grant short term disability following the birth (which was very little money, but better than nothing). That might be an option to explore. 7) If nothing else, there should be short term disability leave for up to 6-8 weeks at partial salary. That's what I'll have to do | |
35 | 6/1/24 11:02 | How to break the news of 'failure' to collaborators and colleagues? | 6/6/24 10:11 | I failed to obtain a faculty position after three cycles, and need to move on. I have ongoing collaborations, and planned ones as well, but I can't complete them or follow through on commitments. Has anyone navigated how to share this 'failure' with colleagues? 1) Notify them of your success when you are ready to announce your next job? 2) I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm currently employed full time outside of academia but am still teaching and publishing and collaborating, etc. Long work weeks. Anyways, if/when I or anyone else gives up on the dream, I'd say to give about two months' notice and make sure you answer any/every request after that with a hard "no". If your collaborators value your input, editing, mentoring, whatever, hopefully two months will be enough to make some nepo arrangement. If not, well, no reason to feel bad about walking away from them because they were never interested in your advancement or job security. 3) Yeah, I'd agree with 1 and 2. I have half a toe remaining in an academic interest door, although I have been the person everyone expects to be at an R1 based on their CV. I wish I'd invested my time in other, more in-demand/employable and useful training early on. I just sometimes casually drop that I'm considering XYZ instead, and people say, "REALLLLYYY?? THAT'S SO SURPRISING!!" But really, I think people should understand your pathway if they're worth your concern.x2 4) Honestly, OP, I wouldn't overthink it. The nature of academia is such that people in temporary positions (grad students, postdocs, other non-TT associate research positions, etc) are not supported long-term by their institution and so it is no one's fault but the system's when someone in one of those positions has to leave and can't follow through on project commitments they made. It's just the nature of the beast. It sounds like you're looking for jobs outside academia because you gave it a shot but didn't land a TT position in a reasonable amount of time. I don't know how you feel about sharing that news - worried about letting your collaborators down? ashamed to share that you didn't manage to land a job out of a pool of many, many talented and qualified people? something else? - but it's totally reasonable news to share and everyone with any perspective will understand and wish you well in your job search (or at your new job, if you share after you land a new position). Of course it can be a difficult topic to navigate with people who are so entrenched in academia that they cannot imagine a life outside it, as well as with people who won the TT lottery and cannot imagine why you didn't - but just let it roll off you. I'm a postdoc and made the decision in December that I'm going to mainly look for non-academic positions, for a whole variety of personal/geographic/lifestyle reasons. I shared that conclusion with my PI a few months ago, along with a tidbit of my reasoning, and he was just immediately supportive and started brainstorming people he knows in government and NGOs who I could talk to for advice/insight. I've talked to a couple collaborators about the fact that I'm looking into non-academic jobs, so probably won't complete xyz paper/project/whatever, but that when I leave I'll do a hand-off and I'll still be available for the occasional question if there are things that aren't clear to the person who takes it over. Additionally, a lot of the jobs I've looked at (including a non-profit one that I'm really excited about and just had my final interview for!! fingers crossed) involve collaboration with academics and a fair amount of freedom in choosing some of your projects, so I can likely continue to advise on my old relevant projects as part of my new job. (OP) Appreciate the kindness and thoughts everyone! (5) @OP, you're doing what is right for you, and you should be really proud of yourself! 6) I am in a similar position. I recently started applying for non-academic jobs and have planned a "will" for how to pass on my unfinished projects out to collaborators. Other than folks who get datasets dumped on them (and those who ask me about it), I don't really feel the need to share. (7) Very recently in this position myself. Dont feel bad OP -- if no one is paying you for the work, then, well, that tells you their priorities. I left things unfinished. Ive accepted that most will always remain unfinished. there is one paper Id stil like to write someday out of sheer personal interest. I'll also always respond to inquiries that show true interest in the work and be as helpful as I can. Other than that, I'm moving on to my honestly more fulfilling (and more well compensated) life. It's not a failure. In the 'real world', people move on from jobs all of the time and no one expects you to continue working without pay. if they need collaborators, they can hire you as a consultant. 8) @7 that's actually a helpful reminder for me! I have been feeling a bit guilty about leaving things unfinished at my postdoc and feeling like I'm letting my PI down since I'm planning to leave as soon as I can get a non-academic job (before my postdoc appointment ends)... but I'm just not being paid enough to stay here. | |
36 | 5/30/24 12:57 | Personal Websites - 2 | 7/26/24 20:48 | Related to the question below, but for those who are continuing on to new positions in academia. If you start your own lab at a university, do you keep your individual personal website? Or transition to a new lab website broader than just my-name.com? Or some combination of both? 1) I'm also in this position and have the same question. I've heard of departments chairs having opinions about whether faculty can host their own websites, or if everything needs to be hosted by the university. Trying to take a cue from what others in my department have done; might ask department chair at some point. 2) I keep my own and to be honest its been great as the University likes to change the websites with every new provost of design or other nonsense position so having my own, opinions of the higher ups be damn, has been more consistent. 3) I looked into this as well after I got my position and opted to keep my-name.com as my lab website. It felt like an even split between people with my-name_com versus name-lab_com, so this was the easier approach 4) If allowed, I would keep my personal website for sure. You will be easier to find, can likely provide more information, and often univeristy web sites are less than intuitive to navigate and many have a design that leaves much to wish for. 5) youre always going to be allowed to keep a personal website, there is literally nothing the department can do about it, even if they dont like it, unless you are doing something like using a logo without permission or advertising the website as an official univeristy website 1) right, of course, if there's no policy then we can do whatever we want, relationships with colleagues be damned .../s 6) @ 1 unless you've got a blog or something criticizing colleagues and employer directly, I'm not sure that you're in touch with reality on this. 1) @6 totally bizarre comment. This is drawn directly from my experience with a faculty member who wanted their own website but whose department chair discouraged it, who subsequently chose to not host their own website in order to maintain a good relationship with department chair. Just because my experiences differ from yours doesn't mean they aren't 'reality'. 6) @ 1 bizarre comment? There is no reason whatsoever to not have a personal website. Would you listen to the chair's dating or parenting or clothing adivce in order to "maintain a good relationship"? How about changing your research goals, or hiring/not hiring different types of students? As long as you're not criticizing the employer or colleagues, your point is just silly and there is absolutely no reason to worry about this. 7) Okay, wait, but is there some consensus on this? It seems that people in my new department don't have lab websites listed, but I always kind of thought it was good practice? I'm new at a PUI, I have very little online presence, and I don't want to make a website, but I was thinking I probably should so students interested in research can look at it? But it seems like almost nobody in my department has one? They have university pages, but those are just bios and (usually outdated) publication lists. The most important info to me seems like a notice to students about what types of projects they should contact you about, whether you are looking for students, etc. Are there really departments that would be upset about thsi? Should I make one even though I really don't feel like it? Also, does anyone have recommendations about which website to use? I heard squarespace? Is there a decent one that's free? | |
37 | 5/28/24 5:48 | Can I take supplies and equipment bought with grants to a new job/university? | 5/30/24 9:52 | I am moving to a new position and would like to know if I can take the supplies and equipment I bought with grants for which I was the only PI. Has anyone had a similar experience? 1) That is a complex negotiation between your current institution, the new institution, and the funders. The shot answer is yes, but things like consumables will be much easier than expensive equipment. 2) I know of at least one case where someone was able to take a lot of their expensive equipment bought with startup, but there was a negotiation where the hiring university worked out to buy the equipment at a reduced rate from the other university. I guess it worked out for both since the equipment was cheaper than it would have been to replace and at least the first university recouped some of their lost start up costs. 3) Similar to 2, I heard of a case (and this could be folklore!) where the startup from the new university was used to buy the equipment and other supplies from the first at a highly reduced rate, I want to say it was like 50% of the original. It is probably easier to make that work when the equipment is highly customized and not likley to be used by other current or incoming faculty. 4) I have heard of cases where the timing of the purchase makes a difference, and the current institution requests to keep things purchased shortly before a postdoc leaves, but allows the postdoc to keep things purchased early in training and already used to support the postdoc's research at that career stage. Don't know how widespread this is. 5) I've never heard of a postdoc taking things with them (at least officially). Why wouldn't the equipment stay in the PIs lab at that point? 6) @ 5 equipment includes laptops. Not much value in something that's been personal use for a year or more even though it is "lab" property. Could also be research equipment that was specific to the postdoc's project, I'm aware of some having left with their fish respirometry gear - not cheap but can fit in a suitcase. 6) @5 if the postdoc is bringing in their own funding, e.g., through a fellowship they wrote, I'd certainly hope they could take their equipment with them. I took small equipment with me even as a PhD student because I bought it with a small grant that I wrote and there was nothing written anywhere saying it belonged to my faculty adviser. 5) Laptops makes sense, I was thinking of bench top equipment. Even for something like a respirometry setup, I don't think a postdoc would ever have been allowed to take that anywhere I've been. Usually if it hits a few thousand dollars it needs to get a tag and be inventoried each year. Of course a PI might bend the rules and 'loan' out that kind of equipment to a leaving postdoc, but it wouldn't have been an official university policy. 7) At my uni anything over $2500 has to go through CapEx procedures and belongs to the dept, not the PI. This gets especially awkward for personal/fitted equipment like drysuits. That said, their inventory system sucks and there's no one paid to track down equipment, so who would know if something were to go missing? (¬､¬) 8) My advice is to just take it with you and ask for forgiveness/permission later, if anyone even notices. I was in a similar situation and this is what I have done. I think in general, for things like consumables or anything that isn't put under the category of "major equipment" by the university finance people when it was purchased, you can simply do whatever you want. For major equipment, the issue is that the Universities spread the costs out over multiple years ("depreciation costs"), and the finance people might get upset if the equipment is still under its depreciation period (usually like the first 3-5 years). At the end of the day, just do what you need to do to keep doing research, as that is why the stuff was purchased to begin with. One thing to keep in mind is that with this strategy ("ask for forgiveness, not permission") you really only risk pissing off your old instituion, and likely just some financial admin people (not facutly, who won't care and might even give the same advice). Your new institution will be fine with you bringing everything along from the old place, of course! OP) Thank you all fo your input! 9) Some of these comments (take it with you and hope they don't inventory) actually put you at risk of felony level theft charges if the former school doesn't sign off, or if items are purchesed on state funds. I recommend covering your butt and working with the Office of Research at your new school to get the transfer handled professionally. 8) again. I have a really hard time beleiving a university would seek felony theft charges before simply asking that relocated equipment or materials purchased on an external grant be returned, and it is pretty legitimate to argue that taking stuff with you that was purchased on an external grant, in order to be used at a new institute for the original purpose proposed in the grant, is acting in good faith. If you ask and they tell you no, then of course I bet you could expect some consequences if you did take something with you. A further complication is some funding agencies actually dictate the rules on how equipment purchases may be transfered or not, so it is not even always up to the university (but I wouldnt trust the univerisity to get it right). There is also a real risk that you get different answers from different people you ask at the institution, and in my experience of doing this once they actually had no idea how to handle it. My advice here was pragmatic, and I think if you have some key peices of small equipment you need for your research, that you purchased on an external grant you were PI on and not a start-up, and no one else is using or relying on, then the pragmatic thing to do is to just take the stuff with you and sort it out after the fact. Of course moving that -80 that the university paid for via your startup, and is filled with other peoples samples, is a pretty dumb idea 10) this is a wild question to ask an anonymous message board. Talk to your department admins. They will know what the procedure is. 11) in defense of OP, asking about other people's experiences, and norms and how to navigate them, seems like a reasonable use of this board, even when institution-specific policies are likely to come into play 10) @11, I get that, but I assume that OP has access to people with working knowledge of the relevant institutional policies and those are the people they need to talk to - not the random denizens of a job board who may or may not be making shit up lol 12) @ 10 making shit up like "felony level theft charges"? 9 again) I saw the letter the university sent a colleague specifying the charges for removing state purchased equipment, listing items over $1000, and the preliminary list of what they would send to the state Bureau. Things got returned, but it was a huge problem to move equipment back in the timeframe given. It is *not* made up. Your new and former ORS should have policies and procedures. So please send the email and let them work through the ugly admin details to move items correctly. 10) @9 I just want to clarify that I'm not accusing you (or anyone in the thread specifically) of making shit up. I'm just pointing out the way it is here.9) I 100% agree with 10 that you should be asking someone way more legit with legal authority if you can!! (And thanks 10.) | |
38 | 5/27/24 7:08 | Where you did your PhD matters in job interviews? | 5/31/24 11:19 | I know the obvious answer is "absolutely". Search Committee members can weigh in here. I got my PhD from a researcher reputable in my field but from a university that has no brand recognition (i.e., not in the top 200 schools worldwide). For a variety of factors (primarily family care responsibilities) I made the best with my situation. I have an independent fellowship during my postdoc working with an advisor who does cutting edge work, but again not a university with brand recognition. The advice I received throughout my time in academia is to pursue the best projects, where I can do my best work. I'm doing that. Publications and citations are comparable to those getting jobs. But am I being delusional? How much does the PhD granting institution matter? I've heard stories where search committee members veto applicants who don't come from certain schools. Input and advice to make the best of my situation is appreciated. 1) I think that ecology hires come from many places, but if you're only working at unrecognized schools, you'll have a harder time (still not impossible). I know that after moving from a school ranked >100 outside of the US during my first postdoc to an Ivy League school for my second, I suddenly got way more interest. It would be silly to think that it doesn't matter at all (and I've found that SC members like if you went to the same school as them, just as a talking point), but it will depend on many things. 2) Search committee members who would veto an applicant just on the grounds of where they got their PhD are extremely rare, if not entirely nonexistent, in ecology (same isn't true in some other fields, such as economics and business). Recently hired TT ecology profs got their PhDs from a huge range of institutions, and Ivy League institutions aren't overrepresented relative to how many PhDs they grant. Data here: dx.doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1624 3) @2 it's a nice study, but not really answering the question. Wouldn't a better question be, of the students who attended a "top" unversity, what percent of them got a TT job and how does that compare to "non-top" universities? Further, "ecology" is such a broad field and term that it is probably obscuring real and observed preference for top institutions and labs for certain "subfields". Speaking from observations, of people in my cohort, there were two large-ish "top" labs where nearly every TT seeking applicant succeeded within 0-2 years of graduation. 4) My anecdotal experience is that lab matters more than university. Some bigwigs do zeitgeisty research and alums seems to have a really high chance of success getting on the TT while other labs - even at the same high-ranked university - have much less success. I've also noticed that there's some degree of people staying "within their tier" so-to-speak, meaning that people who got PhDs from lower-ranked universities get jobs at other lower-ranked universities but not at R1s. 5) are you US based? I was always told that in Switzerland (where I am based) you have to do a postdoc abroad to be 'taken seriously'. On my postdoc abroad (Canada) I did get told by a professor to go to a 'big name place' for my next position. When I actually started interviewing for (and then got) professorships, what actually mattered was that I was part of some invitation-only very well regarded working/specialist groups. So perhaps that could be a stratgey (i.e. ask to be invited) that allows you to not move? 6) Original poster here. @3 is asking valid questions. And I appreciate everyone's thoughts. I did my PhD in Canada, and have gone abroad to the US for my postdoc. I think doing one's best work, regardless of PhD granting instution or postdoc post, should matter most because from a funder's perspective it's ultimately the work that gets the dollars for grants. And grants talk big to search committees. But, again, I may be naive about what search committees subconsciously are biased towards, like fancy school names. 7) OP, you don't think grant reviewers are thinking about pedigree? Just look at some of the reviewer comments that get posted online occasionally. I do think that if you are doing really great work it doesn't matter much, but for any given level of work there is absolutely some pedigree bias especially at schools that think of themselves as 'fancy'. Probably matters less once you actually get to the interview stage to make your own impression, but I have seen way to many people interviewed at elite schools that have background at a 'peer' institution or often a one degree link to the department. And it seems to me like undergrad and PhD institution often matter a lot in those departments so it's hard to make up for that later on. OP) Thank you all for your input! 8) A side effect of the anti-DEI legislation I have noticed as we started to look for lecture positions recently is that people with a degree from a discriminating university (e.g. BYU and their anti-LGBTQ bigotry) dont have an opportunity to write in a DEI statement on how they would be open to these type of students. Instead its just kinda assumed these folks would carry those bad attitudes with them. So if you did get a PhD (or even an undergrad) from an institution with that kind of reputation I would do something to make sure to address this. 9) I am the original poster, and I am not sure who decided to write "OP) Thank you all for your input!". You are not the OP. @7 you raise super important points. This is the kind of feedback I was hoping to hear in this thread. Why kid myself if PhD granting institutions creates a bias in the search process? OP) @9 if you were the original poster, why does your comment start with 9 and not OP? #) I am Sparticus OP | |
39 | 5/26/24 0:35 | Time allocation during job talks | 5/27/24 10:41 | I have a job interview coming up. The time allocated for the presentations (public + interview) themselves is VERY short. During this time I need to present my vision for future projects. My dilemma is whether I give more detail about a few projects, or fewer details about more projects. I should mention that I aim for doing this at the interview talk behind closed doors to the committee panel who is not directly associated with the department I would be working at and are therefore not likely to scoop these ideas. Any input? 2) less detail about more- it's all about getting people excited about big ideas of what you're doing rather than convincing them that you can do it through details (your pub. record should convince them of that). 3) My (American) advisor told me to just do 1 project for a short 20-30 min talk at a European interview. I did, and there was less enthusiasm. I am confident now it was a mistake, and I should have done an overview of the broad projects in my research program. 4) If I were on a hiring committee, I'd want to hear about breadth and diversity of work, but I also want to see somebody get into the (audience appropriate) nitty gritty. It's easy to propose big ideas, it's harder to demonstrate an understanding of the context and problems to solve within those big ideas, and to show that you have the skills/data/networks to tackle them in a way that's attractive to funding agencies. This is some of the advice I've gotten - pick something to get into the details of, but make sure to highlight it as part of the broader research program you hope to develop. Most of all, though, there's no knowable right answer, no crystal balls about what a search committee wants. I'm also funneling this through my own experience where there was only a public talk and no chalk talk, so I wanted to be sure to blend the bigger picture in as well as possible. | |
40 | 5/25/24 14:37 | Personal websites | 6/10/24 13:29 | For people who made personal websites to market themselves on the job market... what have you used your website for AFTER you've given up on academia and are no longer seeking TT faculty jobs? 1) Much like 1984 I use mine as a site to praise the field of academia and especially the great positive transformative effect the simultaneous corporatization and EDI initiatives are having while expanding graduate recruitment and telling every least remarkable PhD candidate that they're a superstar. x3 (2) I just quietly took mine offline a few weeks ago. 3) I'd say update it and keep it up so people who are interested in the work you've published can contact you and current grad students who are looking for jobs outside of academia can network with you (3) agree with @ 2 and I'll add that speaking invites, media interviews, and other opportunities that may or may not be desirable in your new career can also find you easier if you maintain your website (4) I originally started putting one together for TT positions, then realized that's probably not the path I actually want to go career-wise, so I just turned the website into a project portfolio that shows work I've done. I'm starting to look for NGO and govt jobs, and I have the website set up to show both research-related and technical skills (for example, common-language summaries of research I've done, as well as examples of GIS products I've made). A lot of job apps I've looked at, particularly for more technically focused jobs like data science positions, have a field to put a link to a personal portfolio website so I use it like that. | |
41 | 5/24/24 10:12 | The waiting game... | 6/3/24 10:25 | I had an in-person interview three weeks ago, everything went really well and I got some nice compliments. After the interview, they asked my references for letters and it sounds like they are sending some packet to the dean's desk (though I don't know if I'm the only one in the packet). However, this job posting was very late in the season, I know they intend for this position to start in August, so I was hoping to hear back quickly. My apartment complex is asking for me to sign a new lease, so I'm stuck in this weird in between. Is it fair to send an email to the chair? Ask about my chances? It's possible that someone else got the offer and I'm stuck in limbo until they either sign or pass on the position. I hate the waiting game... 1) OP, what happens if you sign the lease and then get the offer? Will it be logistically feasible to bail on the lease without undue financial consequence? 2) If you're changing jurisdictions, don't worry about the lease, just bail on it. Lots of people do all the time. If you have to rent again in the same city/state/province that's not good advice, though. 3) Even if they intend on you to start in August, that is pretty short notice between negotiations/signing and then starting. You'd be well within your "rights" to move the start date til January at the ealiest, or just next August. I know of several late posted positions where the successfull applicant has a later start date. But this is all speculation...just email them to ask because then you will know for sure.4) In a very similar situation, with the University requiring a very quick start (August) with no decision given so far. OP, did you go ahead and email the chair to ask for more details? 5) In a similar situation, but I am negotiating budgets with funding agencies, and I find myself stalling because I could (hopefully) have an all new budget format in a few months... really wavering on whether to reach out. Even if the answer is I didn't get the job, at least I know I can move forward with this grant. | |
42 | 5/22/24 8:59 | TT job offer but partner refuses to move | 6/9/24 16:16 | I was offered a tt position. The school isn't great and it isn't in the most desirable area. My partner encouraged me to accept the offer but now he has refused to move. We have a son (4 years old, to make things even more complicated) and he doesn't want our son to move either. My partner suggested that I go on my own and look for something in the country where we are living currently (we're not living in the US and he isn't a US citizen). I don't know what to do because I want to start a lab and want to teach but I don't want to leave my 4 yr old. I was told by a lawyer that litigation would be expensive and after this poorly paid postdoc (ending in July), I can't afford it... Thoughts? 2) No suggestions to offer, just condolences on your partner making things difficult for you. Hopefully you and your partner can have an earnest dialogue about how to proceed. 3) I mean, they definitely get a say, as it's their whole life and the life of your shared son. Without knowing the whole context, it's hard to know where I would fall on this. Have you discussed the idea of your family moving to this new place for 2 years while you search for another job in a more mutually desirable location? What would moving do to their career? 4) Also doesn't even sound like you are that excited about the job so the partner not wanting to move seems at least reasonable. I've been in similar situations and it is hard for both partners. By litigation, you mean that you are considering leaving partner and trying to force custody of your son? That seems like an awful lot for a job that isn't great in a not too desirable area unless you already were inclined to do that for other reasons. 4) I think a legit therapist will have better "thoughts" than internet anon randos. Good luck. x5 5) The way you tell it sounds like your partner pulled a bait and switch on a major life decision, which would be a deal breaker for me. Regardless of what you and your partner choose next, I am very sorry to hear a story like this. (6) As a former academic with an academic spouse, I want to support them but also it can be very challenging. We are just in a field that forces these decisions and it is no fun. 7) My thoughts are in line with @5. Not knowing your whole story, it seems like there's a relationship issue totally separate from quality of the job, which is your partner not being transparent with you about their priorities at a critical juncture (you deciding to accept the job). If you decide you want to continue with the tt job and litigate for the kid, maybe the added financial security of a tt position would give you the resources to do that? Sorry to hear this - from what you've shared, it sounds like your partner has put you in this position by not being forthright about his priorities. This is a different issue from it just being difficult to support an academic spouse - yes, it can be difficult and raise questions about priorities, but both partners need to be transparent about their respective priorities at every juncture in order for it to have a chance of working. x3 8) I can only add my condolences here and agree with 5. Something is up here. My non-academic advise would be to seek out a couples councilor and to get legal advise on custody. In many countries if you leave the country without your children, you can loose a lot of rights. If you were to leave I would strongly encourage you to first draw up a post-nuptual agreement with a custody clause in it. I would also ask your new employer about remote working or commuter permits/dual residency? Perhaps you can keep your residency and go back and forth? <--Excellent advice, x3 9) Remote working for a tenure track job with a lab?? Good way to get off on the wrong foot with both the family and the new job. 8) Remote working is actually common in Europe and is super common at the beginning of many senior professorships where people need to balance two labs. Perhaps you haven't seen it yourself #9 but that could just be because you missed it? Regardless, the decision is the poster and the head of department's. 9) OK, but that isn't the case here if you read the details of the original post. 10) I also offer my condolences. This sounds like a situation that's totally unfair to you, and to echo others, your partners actions are concerning and raise red flags. How would you feel about the offer if the issues with your partner and son were removed? Would the job provide you with the financial resources for litigation? Would the new department be a supportive environment for you going through this process, or would you feel like you didn't have the energy to start a lab, teach, and navigate your personal life? OP here Thanks for your thoughts. Already talked to a couples therapist and a lawyer. I'm also worried about backing out so late in the game and feel horrible, but I don't see how this job will work. 10) You've been put in an awful situation, but it's not your fault. If I knew a potential colleague had a similar situation, I wouldn't blame them at all if they backed out. It's okay to prioritize the other parts of your life at this moment. 11) I'm sorry OP. This sounds like a terrible situation! I just moved to a TT job without my partner, but it was a lot easier since we did not have any kids yet. The decision to end the relationship was not so much about the job or the location and more about other things going on in our relationship. But it certainly adds a huge complication to something that's already very challenging and stressful. I hope that you're able to figure something out that you feel good about in the long term (even though I'm sure it feels terrible right now), whether that be this job or a different opportunity. | |
43 | 5/22/24 7:42 | People here overinflate their credentials to scare others off the job market | 6/3/24 10:00 | E.g.: 15 campus interviews 2) Accusing other people on this sheet of lying for bizarre made-up reasons belongs on the venting tab, if it belongs anywhere. x3 3) Alternative perspective: you're not as exceptional as you think you are/other people are a lot better than you give them credit for x3 4) Yep I didn't post in anon quals but have had 10 interviews in a year while applying selectively, 15 isn't far fetched if someone applies to a lot of positions. 5) I could see that many interviews being possible but what's not being said is 95% of them have to be at backwater schools that are just happy to get applicants, period. 6) Eh, I've known a few friends who for whatever reason tapped in the zeitgeist and had a huge number of interviews including at many top schools all in the same year. These were great candidates, but in all honesty it wasn't that clear to me what allowed them to be so successful, but clearly something about their package hit search committees in the right way. x2 7) 3 over here implying academia is a meritocracy x3 8) I think if someone was gonna troll Anon Quals with fake entries, the most likely angle would be like "queer woman of color ABD going 5 for 5 on R1 offers with 2 pubs and no grant funding/5 for 5 on PUI offers with 2 semesters' TA experience and nothing else", to "prove" that "DEI candidates" have it easy. Which would be perfect outrage bait for anyone stupid enough to believe that. 9) @2, there's definitely a huge amount of lying on this board 10) why so hung up on comparing yourself to people on an anonymous board? 11) I work in a specialized field so defintely cannot pull those numbers, don't care - it has nothing to do with me x2 12) Yeah, the implication that someone who gets a lot of campus interviews is "better" than someone who doesn't is pretty suspect. I don't think anyone is getting those high numbers without being a great candidate and being very good at conveying such, but like 11 said, things like field also play a huge role. 13) I'm curious how someone claiming to have gotten 15 interviews is supposed to "scare others off the job market". Seems like if you wanted to do that, you'd make fake lines of people with multiple first-author CNS papers and millions in grant funding applying for 30+ jobs and getting 2 zoom interviews and no campus interviews/offers. If anything, this year's AQ tab so far shows that while it's still very stochastic, you can get offers without having inflated credentials 14) if you think that people are here to overinflate credentials to scare others, then you probably need some maturing to do before starting your faculty job. x3 15) @14 if you don't think that many faculty overinflate their abilities/credentials you will have a rude wake up call when you interact with more faculty.14) @15 Oh faculty overinflate their credentials for sure, but to suggest that people do it here to "scare" others of the job market...... 16) Do people actually pay attention to each other's credentials on here? Feels more useful a they aren't fake, they'd be biased. So I tell myself there's no point in talking these quantitatively. There's one kind of entry that could make me frustrated (if real): someone who's worse thes a way to check jobs and occasionally see what people are talking (and/or fighting) about, rather than closely analyzing the career history of anonymous strangers in the quals tab 17) There's no means to prevent fake entry, and even ifn me in some ways but better in some other ways got better result, which means it's what I don't have that matters and what I have don't. If someone want to scare others off, this is a clue for design (just joking; please don't do so!) 18) @ 17: that's the crux, isn't it? Nepo hires, EDI hires, spousal hires, ABD niche hires - sure they meet the qualifications, but the whole reason they're contentious is because they would never be selected in a blind process, which means on paper at least, they ARE worse than you. 19) I came second SIX times in a row. Stuff like that does happen. Remember that in each country the bar for on campus and for getting a tt position can be very different. 20) YO! This is kind of exciting to be "called out" on the ecoevo spreadsheet! Yes, I did in fact have 15 in person interviews this season. I don't know what to tell you than to say it was true, and that despite ALL THAT FUCKING WORK of interviewing NONSTOP for MONTHS, I still only got 1 offer. As that saying goes "don't hate the player, hate the game". 21) Wow, that sounds like quite an ordeal! Glad you at least got an offer out of it! 22) lmao, love seeing the baseless speculation getting called out. there's so much BS spread here from people who have no clue what they're talking about. x2 23) Looking forward to your apology to #20, OP. Or are you planning to double down on calling #20 a liar who's trying to scare others off the job market? 24) i propose we invent - and start flaunting - a new metric, the bs-index: the number of interviews that also included a job offer. it's like an h-index but cooler 25) @24, how is that different from just the number of job offers? 26) @ 25: Well, single measures or even averages (means) are useful to describe properties of phenomena, but just as important is variance - have you ever heard of things like standard deviation, standard error, 95%CI, range? One job offer from one application is a very different response from one offer out of one hundred applications, even though both presumably have the same outcome (a job). 25) So you want ratio of job offers to job applications? Ok sure, that makes sense, but it's not what 24s wording says. 26) It also doesn't have much to do with measuring variance 26. Maybe you should think more carefully about your stats class. 27) @ second 26: Give your head a shake. I have to assume that you're the poster who got smacked up, but that doesn't excuse you posting nonsense like that. Or maybe you don't know what "variance" means, but either way it's not a good look. 28) I think this topic has gone off the rails enough. Mods might want to remove it or move it to "venting". | |
44 | 5/21/24 12:48 | Staying competitive after the phd without doing a traditional pdf? | 5/26/24 18:37 | Is it possible to remain competitive after my Ph.D. if I can do some academic teaching, publish a bunch of papers colalborating with people and mentor students but without being "officially" a post-doc (as in, I wouldn't be a pdf and wouldn't have pdf funding) ? 1) If you keep publishing and doing all the things, you can still be competitive. Have seen people move from government jobs to faculty positions for instance. Depends how similar your environment is to an academic environment, although some types of faculty positions (e.g. urban landscaping) would actually value real-world professional experience. I think if you're planning to do all the academic stuff on the side of a real job, it's hard to imagine you'll have enough time to truly keep up with the pace of full-time postdocs. Op) Yeah, I suppose that's fair. My issue is mostly being geographically constrained (family and money...) and not seeing any immediate postdoc possibilities. However, there are some teaching opportunities and I have a shedload of data to keep publishing over the next year. 2) I think you can! There are remote postdocs still too, so an opportunity may arise in the near future. I had a similar experience and dealt with the academic isolation by joining lab meetings online (dropping in occasionally to my PhD lab, finding a new research group to work with). Heck, you could probably take this gap year to write a postdoctoral fellowship with a PI you want to work with, and get in on their lab meetings. 3) In my PhD lab, there's one 100% remote postdoc and one that comes in person ~2-3x a month. Never heard the PI complain about their remoteness. Maybe look into remote? OP) Thanks for the suggestions! My main issue with remote postdocs isn't that they are remote but I don't see a lot of them advertised as such. That said might chat with some PIs to see if they'd consider it... | |
45 | 5/21/24 9:54 | Running a queer- and trans-inclusive faculty hiring process | 6/20/24 1:53 | 1) Subtle but droll, OP! 2) I'm not OP but one of the other co-authors. We are sharing version 2 of our manuscript and broadening the call for feedback and consortium authorship to anyone in biology or adjacent fields. Article: https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/6791/ Please consider providing feedback and sharing with your networks! More info here: https://forms.gle/dj4iNiy4boZ6Was7A OP) Sorry, I submitted this and then couldn't find it! Version 1 was previously posted here but wanted to let everyone know that it is no longer restricted to microbiology and you all should submit feedback/join as consortium authors if appropirate! Thanks #2 for posting links! 3) I think it's great this was written and excited to see the final form it takes! As someone from the LGBT+ community, my only feedback would be to increase discussion of intersectionality. This may be beyond the scope of the article, but anecdotally I've noticed that lots of "DEI" jobs have recently been going to white, cis gay or bi men and women. Of course we should have all forms of represention , but it makes me sad to see other people miss out who have often overcome more barriers related to nationality, race, class, disability etc. (not to mention trans folk, who I feel have v. low representation in faculty pools). In short, I think it can be v. limiting to say "this person is part of the LGBT community and therefore must have been disadvantaged and/or a good representative for students", when in today's world that just isn't true (which is obviously a GOOD thing, that there aren't as many challenges for many gay folk). 4) The longer people talk about EDI, the more it is emphasized that it's really about penalizing. Gay? Great! White and gay? Nope. 5) @4, I think the discussion is actually quite different than that. The idea is that working to create opportunities for marginalized groups is good, but you can get a phenomenon where those opportunities overwhelmingly go to people in the marginalized pool who have the most systemic advantages (so, who are the "least marginalized" at a societal level). This can make institutions think "we're doing great with creating opportunities for marginalized groups!" when they're actually missing huge swaths of people. For example, there was frustration at one of my previous institutions (a state university in the south) about a competitive scholarship + support program designed to help first-gen undergrad students navigate college, in order to combat the disadvantages these students have coming in. Despite the fact that a huge percentage of first-gen students at the university were black (which makes sense, given that black people were completely locked out of education for a large part of this country's history, and that legacy lives on today), but the students selected for this program were overwhelmingly white. The frustration was not directed at the individual white students, but at the fact that this program designed to combat systemic disadvantages was actually promoting them - white students coming in tended to come from wealthier areas with better schools, so they were more competitive for this scholarship, so the disadvantages of black students were compounded because they missed out, systemically, on the opportunities this program afforded. We are in a really weird time in which, as a society, we have inherited these incredibly far-reaching impacts of past and present discrimination, which a lot of us want to combat. At the same time, we live in an economic system that requires us as individuals to compete with each other for very limited opportunities that can be very high stakes in terms of impacts on our own lives. These are obviously difficult to balance - how do we create opportunities for marginalized people to escape the legacy of discrimination, while not locking people from systemically advantaged backgrounds out of opportunities to pursue the lives they want? The frustration that comes up so often on this board speaks to people angry about (their perception of) this second thing. It's super complicated obviously and yeah, not everybody is good at separating frustration at systemic issues from frustration at individuals, both in expression and in perception. But I would really encourage everybody to try to view things through a systemic lens and understand that "attempts to make things better for LGBTQ+ people in academia have overwhelmingly made things better for white cis gay/bi people and left others behind" is not the same as "you deserve to be punished for being white" 6) thanks for this thoughtful response. 7) hardly a thoughtful response though. @5 is spouting the same weird DEI word salad about systemic racism and "it's complicated" and "i understand you're frustrated" that the pro-DEI crowd love to repeat because it distracts from the simple fact that the policies they support directly punish young people who had nothing to do with - and did not benefit from - the discrimation of the past 8) @7 I think maybe your reading comprehension is lacking. Maybe leave this one to the adults? | |
46 | 5/20/24 2:28 | Second visits | 5/24/24 10:11 | How common are second visits following an offer? Is the assumption that you will accept the offer and it is just for you to get a better sense of the campus before visiting, or is it meant to help you decide if you will accept the offer and facilitate negotiations? 2) Depends on the school, but most commonly to help you (and family) decide if you want to live there. It usually showcases the town and a different side of the university. Often lab space can be negotiated on the 2nd visit before signing the offer. A few schools do 2nd visits after, usually if they have fewer resources to pay for travel (e.g. many PUIs). Expect a meeting with the Dean on the second visit and often times faculty you missed on the first visit. 3) My impression is that second visits are common, especially at R1s, although I was recently told a second visit would not be supported. I feel like a second visit is needed to take a closer look at the area and where you might live, see any campus resources you missed during the interview (including lab space, which can help determine specific things that need to be negotiated), and to meet with potential collaborators or colleagues who you were not able to connect with during the initial interview. All of this should be done pre-signing imo. 4) I don't think they are very common except for at pretty well funded R1s. Of course you can always pay to go back yourself, but a lot of other types of institutions push for decisions much faster and aren't going to wait a long time for a second visit. Of course it can't hurt to ask. 5) I think most R1's will do a 2nd visit. It happens before signinging anything. They're really selling you their institution (aka recruiting you) on this 2nd visit. You should ask for it if you want it. 6) I'm at an R1 and we typically support second visits after candidates have accepted an offer. The idea isn't to sell them on anything, but to facilitate administrative stuff (house hunting, introductions to deans/admins, etc.) to make their transition easier. I have no idea if this is typical of other places though. 7) I accepted an offer from a SLAC and was given a $2000 stipend for a second visit, to be reimbursed with my first paycheck (along with my moving stipend). I arranged details of the visit on my own with my spouse, a few months after accepting the offer. However I'm already very familiar with the area so it wasn't a big deal | |
47 | 5/19/24 9:07 | Is a signed offer letter worth as much as a contract? | 5/23/24 11:15 | What are the next steps after all parties negotiated and signed the letter if not? 1) For my position, signing the offer letter was equivalent to signing a contract. Next steps were background check and new hire paperwork.x4 2) In theory it should be, but until the contract is signed, I wouldn't trust it to be over and done with. 3) When does the university start new hire paperwork? I signed the letter and did a background check in January, but is new hire paperwork usually right before the start date? 3) My next paperwork was the day I arrived on campus. Make sure you check the # of IDs required. It's sometimes difficult to find that social security card after a big move. 4) The 2 universities I've been offered positions at made it clear that the offer letter was not a binding document, but not to let that worry me. | |
48 | 5/15/24 19:25 | How are negotiations typically initiated? | 5/17/24 13:23 | Are written offers typically provided first, or do department chairs/deans discuss expectations with a candidate during a phone chat prior to drafting an offer letter? Do further negotiations typically take place during a second visit? 1) I negotiated a position this spring. I was asked to provide a list of equipment / requests for a startup package during my on-campus interview. I got notification I'd be getting an offer, and then had a long conversation with the dean where they laid out the initial offer and we did some negotiation on the main points. That resulted in the 'official' offer letter where the expectation (at least as conveyed by the admin) was that there would be no more negotiation. I'm sure this varies by school though. 2) I have just finished negotations in Germany, I was asked to prepare a written document of my needs after a formal offer. I asked for a ball park ceiling figure for investment funds. I also was adivsed the DHV can help you draft this document. This then pin ponged back and forth and then we had an in person to finalise it. My situation was a bit weird though as everything needed to be done really quickly 3) phone first, then written "draft" letter which I revised with my counteroffer. Once we agreed on the letter, then it moved through HR to make it official. 4) Also on the phone first with them laying out an offer, then conversations with the chair as the go-between regarding negotiations, and then a write up of the contract to be signed. | |
49 | 5/15/24 12:12 | Leaving current position and feeling like a horrible person for it | 5/20/24 7:27 | I'm a pretty new asst prof and just made the decision to leave my current position for another job that's a better fit for my family's needs. I told folks in my current department that I'm leaving, and I feel like a horrible person. I know that I'm doing what's best for my family, but I also know that it's annoying for my department that I'm leaving so soon. I guess I just need a reality check that it's ok to disappoint people. Also please don't jump down my throat about complaining about this when some people don't have any job offers. I'm feeling pretty distressed as is and just looking for some community. 1) First - Congratulations on the new position! Second, our jobs don't love us back and there's more to life than work - it's OK to do what's right for you. Third, people leave jobs and move. It happens. Your current department will find their way, and sure, some people may be disappointed and that's okay. It will all be okay. 2) congrats on the new position! if it helps, I just accepted a job at an institution that's not a perfect fit for me. I long to be in your shoes in a few years. If I'm ever in your shoes, I would probably feel distressed as well and would not let that stop me from making the choice that would be best for my life comprehensively in the long-term, not the choice that would be most convenient for my colleagues in the short-term. 3) Sometimes with things like this it helps me to try and look at it from the other point of view. If a colleague told you they were moving to a new opportunity that was a better fit for their life, you'd probably be genuinely glad for them, even if you were disappointed to lose them as a colleague and so on. Most likely anyone whose opinion is worth caring about feels the same way about you. Congrats! x3 4) Do what is right for you and your family, we give up so much for science and it doesn't love us back... 5) I'm a a faculty member in a department where we've lost a couple of colleagues in the last couple years. It's tough to see them leave, but I (and I think my other colleagues) hold nothing against them. 6) I was faculty in a department that lost a couple of talented faculty who left to pursue options that were a better fit for their family. I was happy for them and understood why they made that choice, and I eventually did the same thing. You're not a horrible person. You're putting your family first, and no one else can do that for you. Congratulations and I hope the new position works well for all of you. 7) I'm in the same positon, and my chair told me essentially that the department had invested in me and leaving betrayed that investment, that because of my betrayal future startups will have to be smaller, that she's tired of people like me coming and using our low-R1 as a training environment for the jobs we really want, etc. I didn't move here thinking I was going to leave, but we found a better situation for my family. Even with that attitude, no regrets. 8) @7 With that attitude from your chair, I would have even fewer regrets, perhaps would even feel validated. x6 9) What a nasty attitude from that chair. Honestly I think this whole thread is getting at how strange the system is. Like it's so weird that we're basically expected to take a lifelong position at whatever place happens to hire us from the small pool of places that happen to be hiring for our exact field in the handful of years after we graduate... Postdoc positions are short and insecure, and the salaries are usually low especially considering most of us have just spent years in grad school earning an even lower stipend, and you supposedly become so much less desirable for a TT position the more time passes since you've defended - so obviously people have to take TT positions that they really don't want to stay at long-term. I don't have any brilliant ideas for a better system, but I think it makes sense that so many people feel bad trying to balance the bizarre expectations of the current one. OP) Thanks, y'all. Your responses made me feel a lot better. I appreciate this community! | |
50 | 5/11/24 16:22 | new PI - grant submission # targets | 5/21/24 2:05 | New PIs, how do you set goals for yourself in terms of submitting grants as lead PI? Do you set a general number per time, or have the calls that you usually submit to? If you're targeting a number, what's the range of that number (obviously contingent on research appointment, I understand)? 1) hard to say, but I didn't think about it in terms of numbers, rather I knew there were three main research thrusts I wanted my lab to work on, and I just made sure I had something in prep, something in review, and (ideally) something funded at all times for those three projects (same for papers). From a numbers perspective, it's basically 2-3 big NIH/NSF grant proposals per semester, many of those being resubmissions. If you take a 10-20% hit rate for NSF proposals, you should have at least 10 proposals submitted there before you go up for tenure if you want to have something to show for it. YMMV though (bc your first proposals are probably going to be fair - I know mine were). I'm 50% research-40% teaching (2:1 in terms of courses). I'm going up for tenure this year and two of my projects have been funded (from NIH and NSF). 2) @1, that is an insane submission rate. No one I know in EEB even in very well funded labs at big R1s is submitting 2-3 big proposals per semester. I guess if you are crossing into NIH realm it's a bit different, but I don't think that is a reasonable benchmark. x1 3) Yeah, 2-3 per semester seems like a lot. The labs I've worked in (that are the basis for my own proposal approaches) aimed for 1 or 2 large proposals per year. With an increased frequency if funding is running out, and additional proposals for collaborative work or targetted calls. 1) Whatever works, but funding runs out quick and you need hits - maybe my runway needed to be longer bc I was not a good grant writer in the beginning. But get stuff in, sleep on it at your own peril I suppose. 2) Yeah great that it seems to be working for you 1, I just think it's an unrealistic number of submissions for a lot of us! My PI at an Ivy submitted ~1 major proposal per year and had no problem getting tenure. If you are doing heavy field work in a particular system it's hard for me to see how you could have many concurrent proposals that are all actually competitive. Plus if you are 100% within NSF it is very hard to get a second full proposal funded while a first is active, at least during the first couple of years. If you're at a PUI or R2 and teaching a fair amount, even submitting anywhere close to 1 a year as the lead is probably unrealistic. 4) 2-3 per semester is completely unrealistic if you are going to also keep up with publishing, teaching, and mentorship. Aim for 1-2 big a year, plus a few smaller grants if you can would be my advice (2/3rds of the way to tenure) 5) I'm outside of the US; how are there that many funding sources? Outside of health research we only have one basic research fund (and you can only be PI on one of those every three years), anything else has to be in targeted calls or applied fields, very prescribed work. I couldn't submit more than about two per year even if I wanted to! 1) completely unrealistic apparently, but I did it, and I got funded. so - YMMV. i should say, my startup was a little smaller than traditional EEB and had to be done in 3 years - so I had some pressure. Did I overdo? maybe. But I got the dollars and did what i needed to do to get them. OP) Thanks everyone. I don't see any way I could do 2-3 big proposals a semester at this career stage, unless I took everything else off my plate (which is not really feasible). Maybe if I get an avenue of research that I'm submitting nice incremental proposals in, with a few years of practice under my belt. Maybe then! Good to have a variety of perspectives here. 1) I don't think 1 or 2 per year is enough and the years I did do that, I was dinged by my annual review committee and chair that I needed to step it up. Seems like there's some Ivy League experience on here - yeah those come with plenty of endowed or guaranteed funding situations for students. I will say that if you are in a program that doesn't have guaranteed GRAs or TAships, the only way to fund students is through grant support so if you want people you need money and that feeling of desperation comes on pretty quick. 6) That may be 1, but the rate you are submitting is far above anyone I know in EEB. Not a criticism, just the truth, good for you if you can keep that many projects going! I'm curious if you are more in field/animal ecology type work or if you are more bio-med adjacent (given NIH funding). I do think that there is a real difference in culture and expectations across that gradient. 1) genomics/molecular evolution. Most people I know in my field submit 25-40 grants before tenure. 7) omg 40 grants before tenure... I am suddenly more stressed about my new position than I have ever been before! Current position they expect 2 per year... 8) Three things here: 1. success rate and quality vs quantity come into play here. That many applications for only a few successful ones might not be an efficient approach. 2. I've had 4 apps in one semester once but those were all collaborative across two or more universities so no one person contributed much more than one page. 3. Need to decide on what's better for you and for the field: superlab or a group with 3-5 grad students. I don't care what anyone says, the 20+ person labs don't have the same degree of mentoring for students, but they MAY result in more opportunities/contact/networking for their grads. I've been in both types of lab - superlab students often leapfrog their small lab peers in hiring but the small labbers tend to be better scientists. 1) yes but to support 3-5 grad students you need 2 or 3 active grants! (notwithstanding startup or TAships). Efficiency went out the window somewhere around year 3 and I hadn't scored a lead PI grant yet. Then it was all grant proposals all the time. I made the wrong decision to focus on papers early on since I thought that would lead to grants - I guess the 30000foot view is it did, but I should have put more in my first year or two. 7 again) I really appreciate this perspective, 1. I have a short and not-very-generous startup too, but R1 productivity expectations. Luckily I'm heavily computational which is fairly cheap if I do have a dry spell, but I am glad to have had this wake-up call! 9) Still think this answer is crazy. I know lots of genomics/molecular PIs but none who submitted 25-40 major grants before tenure! Good for you if you can do it. 10) The 25-40 figure must include small funding opportunties. I can't see someone applying for 20+ full-sized seven-figure grants pre-tenure, but its doable for small grants. Especially in genomics; there's tons of money out there for sequencing projects. | |
51 | 5/10/24 13:32 | How long do negotiations take? | 5/15/24 16:21 | Between the time of the job offer to the final contact being signed, what has been people's experience? 1) 3 days for me. My asks were minor and the chair was supportive. 2) I am curious about this as well. If a second visit is allowed, it seems like negotiations could be open for at least a few weeks? I feel like I would almost always want a second visit. 3) Easily could take months. I'm in this situation as well as several people I know. Juggling multiple offers, sorting out two body problems, etc. It depends on the search and department but many are willing to wait and do not rush you to make a decision. 4) 3 months for me without competing offers or a second visit. Partly due to increasing startup by applying to local recruitment funds, partly due to tough negotiations on timeline for family reasons. 5) 1 month from verbal offer to signed contract for me. I was told this was surprisingly quick | |
52 | 5/9/24 14:39 | 3-minute technical presentation?? | 5/28/24 6:44 | I've been invited to a (10 minute) interview for my first teaching/lecturing position. During this interview, I'm asked to give a 3-minute technical presentation on an element of one of the courses given by the institute to 'demonstrate my teaching style'. a) how do I teach something in 3 minutes?? and b) I don't have a teaching style, I've only every tutored (PhD student in a non-US country, no TA positions available through my uni). Any advice?? 1) wow 3 mintues is not very long! I'd suggest backwards planning: identify the main point you'd like your audience to take away from the 3 minutes they have with you. Then arrange your slides and materials around convey that point. I'd strongly recommend drafting a version and then delivering it to get feedback. Maybe let go of focusing on 'style' if that is tripping you up - they might be more interested in evaluating your *efficacy* as a teacher. How well can you tailor the content to the time and audience you have? Clearly and engagingly present the information? Challenge audience to think through concepts? 2) Start looking for very short science clips on youtube. That's the best basis I can imagine for a presentation this short. Truth is they probably just want to know if you can communicate or not. Even 15 min teaching demos are considered very short. OP) Thanks for the advice! I chose a really simple and defined concept as adivsed and I think it went OK! 1) nice work and best wishes, OP! OP) I got the position, thanks everyone :) | |
53 | 5/9/24 9:22 | postdoc fellowships for non-american and non-europeans to work in america? | 5/10/24 17:18 | 1) Hi, most of the postdoc fellowships I'm seeing to work in the US are either for US citizens (e.g. NSF) or Europeans (e.g. Marie Curie). I was wondering if anyone know of any that are available for other international people? Thanks! 2) HFSP 3) Second the HFSP. Also, this page list a bunch of funding opportunities for postdocs based on where they are coming/going to/from: https://asntech.github.io/postdoc-funding-schemes/. It doesn't look like it's been updated in a number of years, but hopefully is a good starting point. 4) NOAA Climate & Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship is open regardless of nationality, if you have a global change/climate change angle to your work! https://cpaess.ucar.edu/cgc 5) The DECRA program in Australia https://www.arc.gov.au/funding-research/funding-schemes/discovery-program/discovery-early-career-researcher-award-decra OP- thanks!! | |
54 | 5/8/24 9:35 | When to tell your current Dept Chair/Dean that you have a job offer? | 5/12/24 9:53 | OP) Not sure my current institution would do much for a retention offer, but I'd also like to leave on good terms. 1) I would decide first on whether you'll be seeking a retention offer. If so, I'd organize your thoughts on what you'd want to have to stay (with a mental minimum on what it'd take). If you know you're leaving the timeline of notifying should be influenced by letting anyone working for you have maximum notice to find a new job or plan to move (if that's possible). 2) To echo 1, I'd agree it depends on your certainty about leaving for the other offer. If it's possible, you might think about giving informal notice, but only if you think it would not be used against you if the new offer fell through. I believe in not making any official resignations at your current job until everything is completely finalized at the new institution. At this point in the year, it would help to give them as much time as possible, but you are also the only one who can prioritize your best interests. 3) i didn't want a retention offer so i waited until everything was formalized at the new position | |
55 | 5/7/24 14:51 | How long after in-person interview for job offer? | 5/9/24 10:00 | 1) I've had 2 offers - one was 10 days later, the other was 6 weeks later - in both cases I was second choice (or at least not first) 2) For me, it was 2 months later (at least not first choice) 3) There's a post below on this from 3/18. Totally depends on the university and where you are in the candidate line-up – a friend got an offer 2 days after the interview; I got one 7 days after interview and another 2 weeks later. Some universities can take 3-4 weeks to make a verbal offer. OP) If it has been 6 weeks, is it ok to reach out to the SC chair to ask if a decision has been made? Or does that just put them in an awkward position? 4) I think after 6 weeks you could certainly check in to ask about their timeline, although you might hear nothing back. x2 | |
56 | 5/7/24 4:46 | asking program officers / specialists for feedback about proposal idea | 5/13/24 12:53 | How consistently do early career proposal writers reach out to program officers / specialists about your proposal ideas before completely developing your proposals? I'm thinking here of proposals to NSF, NIH, USDA. If you reach out, is it for general fit of your idea to the RFP, or do you feel the need to have more specific questions? What documentation of your idea do you provide (1 page project summary, a couple sentences)? Do you generally hear back, and if so was it helpful? 2) This is typical for big proposals, especially those without a pre-proposal sifting stage. Usually there's a contact address somewhere on the call for proposals. A short summary (1 paragraph to 1 page) is usually enough. 3) Agree with 2, but in my experience it is actually much more likely to be really useful after your proposal is reviewed (unsuccessfully) to help improve for the next submission. Not that you shouldn't also try talking to the PO before the first submission. 4) I have always found this to be pretty awkward to do, but I often get useful nuggets from doing it. OP) thanks everyone for the advice. I wrote the program officers of two different program areas to ask whether my idea was more suited to one specific call or to a different specific call and was directly to apply to the area I wasn't initially inclined to apply to, so I'm glad I reached out! | |
57 | 5/6/24 12:27 | Casual reminder that one can be a great collaborator but a terrible boss/mentor | 5/24/24 7:42 | It's only natural to support your collaborators if they are doing interesting research and are advertising a postdoc or PhD position. But unless you have worked in their lab, it's often difficult to provide an accurate picture of the lab atmosphere. So, whenever you read an opinion about someone, it might be good to figure out if it comes from a lab alumnus/alumna or from a collaborator. x5 2) I feel like I could have written this. I took a postdoc position with someone who everyone sang the praises of, only to realize that although they are "nice" and "do good work", they are fairly selfish as an advisor, prioritizing their own career growth over supporting me. Currently grappling with how to get out of the situation as cleanly as possible. 3) (Mods, can you please delete the previous comment?) 4) so there with you @2. Everyone sings the praises of my postdoc adviser, who left me adrift to collect hardwon data, then when it came time to publish made sure those data would advance her chosen career narrative - never mind about my own. This while on an independent fellowship. 5) When I started my current postdoc, I shared the news on Twitter and got very encouraging replies from famous people I had never met who all said that this is an amazing lab etc etc. Fast forward to now, I tell anyone who asks me about the lab that it is an extremely stressful place and that they can certainly find something better. I am also doing my best to get away. 6) A lot of times the externals are commenting on the papers that come out of a lab, which can often be different from working conditions within the lab. Ideally we all want to find a place that can combine the best of both. | |
58 | 5/6/24 4:41 | New UK visa rules & costs | 5/8/24 2:31 | https://www.science.org/content/article/u-k-visa-changes-imperil-recruitment-scientific-talent-policy-experts-warn relevant for those non-UK folks considering UK posts. (1) Just want to second this, as a current international asst prof leaving the UK, and point out this bit "Fifty universities—out of 141 in the country—are already cutting jobs or freezing hires, Lucas says. A drastic drop in international student numbers in the next academic year could make the situation worse, causing up to 80% of universities to fall into deficit, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by Universities UK." It is an absolute hot mess here, and despite how much I love this country, I would not recommend it to anyone right now. 2) This piece is a little bit scare-mongery, but not far too from the truth. The place where I work is still going to sponsor visas for international students/postdocs, but it's not a university. 3) Is the same true for Scotland? Some universities seem to hire TT faculty would that be a good sign? 1 again) I honestly don't know about Scotland. At my uni (in England) we were hiring TT-equivalent appointments a year ago, and now we are actively trying to shrink our faculty through voluntary severance. There is talk of "redundancies" which is a fancy way of saying layoffs. Tenure protections don't exist here like the US. I think the more prestigious universities are a bit buffered from this, but I'm honestly not sure for how long. Also, it is expected that the Tories (responsible for a lot of the decisions that got us here) will lose the next election, which maybe means that some of this is temporary and the sector will bounce back? But for the hundreds of academics facing layoffs in the next year or two, that is little comfort. | |
59 | 5/5/24 14:13 | Where to look for research oriented (Industry) jobs? New PhD, Eco Evo oriented | 5/9/24 4:19 | If you work in water related fields, then check out: https://www.joshswaterjobs.com . Otherwise, (unfortunately) LinkedIn can be a good resource. (2) Indeed.com, https://www.enviroscienceinc.com/contact-us/careers/, https://www.davey.com/careers/ 3) thank you so much 4) advice on creating a resume (not a CV) for specific job ad ? 5) LinkedIn for sure. JobRxiv has some good ones sometimes too. @4 read the job description very closely and put any key words/phrases you find into your resume. The language you use to describe your accomplishments/experience should match the language they use to describe the role 6) thanks a lot! | |
60 | 5/1/24 18:30 | What's something you wish more search committee members knew? | 5/6/24 10:46 | 1) Writing your job add too broadly is a big mistake – you'll end up getting 100+ more applications than you want (realistically, 300+ applicants per position is not ideal), increasing search committee workload by dozens of hours and resulting in far less time spent per application; you will inevitably miss many excellent applicants. I know it's hard, but come to a focused agreement about the hire you want. 2) @1 but then people would accuse them of "internal hires" 3) Lol 2. There is a lot of room between 'Evolution or ecology' and 'Predator-prey interactions in x species at x field site'. x4 4) Yeah, even saying "animal ecology" vs. "ecology" if that's what they really want would help reduce the applicant pool. 5) Related to this, I really wish that job ads would be more specific about what classes they want you to teach, especially in cases where there is a requirement or very strong preference for the hire to teach a particular class or two. x3 6) make sure your wording around application deadline reflects HR processes of how post-deadline applications will be handled w.r.t. full consideration. E.g., writing "review starts 15 Jan, but applications considered until position is filled" probably conveys to applicants that applications received 16 Jan would receive full consideration. If this isn't the case, write instead "applications received on or before 15 Jan will receive full consideration" With applicants juggling multiple deadlines, interviews, and other committments, you can miss out reviewing applications that were sent in close to the deadline that people reasonably thought would receive full consideration. x2 7) I don't think we will ever see this: but a goddamned timeline for applicant review would be actually amazing. Months of ghosting/waiting is crippling to us termporary position folks. Its literally driving me insane. x5 8) Asking for letters upfront is a waste of my time, my letter writers time, and your time. Do you really want to read an additional 6 pages for all 300 applicants? x3 9) I have to agree with 7, the single most painful thing about the job search for me has been the constant uncertainty about when you'll hear back (if at all), when it's time to "give up" vs hold out hope for an update, etc 10) If we're making wishes that won't be fulfilled, I would wish that the job search process could at least be constrained to a 4-5 month period so that any offers would be closer to lined up allowing informed decisions and so that I could at least compartmentalize job searching into a discrete part of the year instead of it stretching out for 9 months. x3 11) Requesting reprints is...lol. A really good way to bloat file sizes. 12) That the one person from the department should not be on hiring committees anymore 13) I honestly think that search committees should put forward some number of candidates to the rest of the department before bringing the final few out. The times I've heard that the search committee love me (and other people), but the rest of the department didn't think I was a fit for the search is crazy. Also, if you have a preference for say like a neuro person because you have a new neuro major or whatever, then don't put out a broad search that says nothing about that preference. Don't waste your time, or my time. 14) These discussions about whether or not I will actually move are really really stupid. Like sure I moved from city to city 6 other times for my career, but oh the 7th for a faculty job I'm just gonna peace out because of location? Stop being prejudiced and inventing stories about who wants to live where. We applied for the job and that means we are willing to move for the friggin job. x2 15) I wonder how often there really is discussion about how likely someone would be to move, unless of course it is about someone who already has a permanent position. I'd think it more likely that there'd be concerns about how long you'd stay if you did come.16) @15 I think @14 might be refering to search committees / deans / currently faculty asking candidates why they want to come here, and then expecting to hear something that is not confined to their career trajectory research-wise but to always have some personal reason like 'oh my family lives here and I want to be close to them' or 'I've always wanted to live in a state with xyz thing going on', when in reality plenty of candidates don't have the luxury of seeing through stringent personal preferences about location and don't like having to cook up some new pot of ... for each search. 17) @15 & 16, it is absolutely common for there to be discussion and speculation/guessing about whether a candidate will move. I've been asked versions of this question directly in several searches where the uni maybe was percieved as being in a less desireable place or far from anywhere I've spent time before. x3 | |
61 | 5/1/24 14:28 | Looking to make a move as dossier is being submitted | 5/3/24 6:30 | OP - P&T dossier will be submitted later this year. Looking to make a move to a different institution in the meantime - for several reasons - want to work through some scenarios with you all for if i get an interview and subsequent offer at a different institution while I'm mid stream in the tenure review process? How would you negotiate coming on as an Assoc at the new institution? I assume people have done this? Not looking to gain years towards tenure at the new institution and would want to start on as Assoc 2) At many places, hiring at a higher level than advertised ranges from difficult to impossible. At my university, all hires with tenure need to go through the college P&T committee, who will solicit external letters, so it definitely slows things down. I'd advise you to remain flexible, at least at the application and interview stages, to avoid giving them a reason to discard your application. Wait until you have them on the hook with an offer before making your demands, but even then, consider all options. No one is going to hire you in year 5 if they don't think you'll get tenure at their place in a couple years. It might be worth the delay if the university is a signficant upgrade. 3) I moved at this stage & know several others who did as well. It's a pretty common time to move. I suggest staying open to what you find - you may get an offer that's worth moving as an Asst, you may move as Assoc and go up for tenure in a year, you could negotiate a strong retention, a lot can happen. Universities that support Assoc + tenure moves are kind of like spousal offers - some do it all the time, in other places it's impossible. Second not mentioning upfront demands too - don't eliminate yourself from any search. Even if the search committee/chair says 'we can't do xyz' when it comes time for an offer, maybe you get a new grant... sometimes a lot CAN be done by upper admin but faculty didn't know. OP) Thanks for the insight to both of you. @2 - For your transition, did you get on to your new position as Assoc or did you take years toward tenure, make the move, and then go up a year or so later? Also, for your friends that made this same transition, what was their situation? @3 I moved Assoc with tenure, expedited process at my new uni. I know 3 people had tenure & gave it up to move as Asst then go up after X years (all said it was worth it); 2 people moved as Assoc no tenure (higher pay) and many who moved as Assoc with tenure; Full and moved as Assoc with tenure; moved as Asst with X years credit. A lot of different situations! This is a good post regarding moves http://ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-really-moving-blog-post.html | |
62 | 4/30/24 11:44 | What did you learn from this job cycle? | 5/8/24 17:40 | OP what lessons will you carry into the next cycle to be more successful or better maintain your sanity? For me, I need to check this sheet waaayyy less and not talk myself out of applying for things. Also practice succinct timed answers for zoom inteviews. 1) Got an offer this cycle, but definitely will take some lessons to share as advice with colleagues and future students. One of the biggest I'd say is that in most cases, you are not a good judge of what jobs you're a good fit for and which ones you aren't, at least from the search committee's POV. There were jobs I was sure I'd least get an interview for and then got nothing, and also jobs I thought were longshots barely worth the trouble of copy-pasting my appliation materials for that went all the way to campus visits. x7 2) Two pieces of self-advice. 1, Practice ending everything on a strong, memorable note. Last slides of a talk, final activity of a teaching demo, final sentence in to an interview question. 2, Good mentors make all the difference. It may not be your PI or direct research collaborators, but take the time to build relationshiops with "arms length" professors who can share their insight. 3) People will always draw lessons and create narratives from weighted random number generators. https://xkcd.com/904/ 4) You can be indisputably the best candidate on paper and in person, but will still lose out to a former student. x2 5) If you're applying for PUI jobs (especially SLACs), research is still really important, as much as or even more than teaching. x3 6) Search committees think my credentials qualify me to be their colleague (job offers/interviews) but ecoevojobs participants disagree. 7) looks like 6 might be a nepo hire? 8) Search committee members (or mentors) who have seen these things 'from the other side' often know less about job searches and selection than many applicants and their views are highly overtrained based on one department and a few searches. 9) Negotiating really works. Be bold and it can pay off big. 10) @8 lol, in addition to having participated in searches, every SC member has also applied to jobs and has been successful at being hired at least once. Not sure why you think many applicants somehow understand the system better. 11) I learned that the job market sux and I hate it thx x2 12) @10, current faculty often got lucky to land a job early in their job search (statistically, 'lucky' applicants have to be overrepresented among faculty because we all know the reasons people drop out of long job searches). In many cases they also completed one or a couple of interviews many years ago. I really don't think faculty appreciate how diverse various aspects of the interview process are at different institutions/departments and (some) current job seekers have way broader experience interviewing across departments and types of institutions. I think it's pretty reasonable to suggest that a lot of faculty (certainly not all) have little idea what they are talking about in their job seeking advice, but are still happy to dish it out. 13) Yeah, I'd definitely take advice from a faculty member who'd put in a lot of applications over the course of more than one cycle before getting their job, not so much someone who got an offer from a single-digit number of applications as an ABD or first-year postdoc. 14) @13 the most helpful advice I've gotten was from a friend who recently got a job as a first-year postdoc. I wouldn't write people off just because they're young hotshots. 15) Having good "luck" as a job seeker in the past does not at all mean their advice is worth less. Even if someone didn't do a ton of interviews themselves and learn from mistakes, they have likely seen all sorts of things from candidates over the years, good and bad. Also having experience with how various colleagues treat applicants can be really helpful. 13) Fair enough, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of very recent hires. 15) @13, true that very recent hires might be hit or miss int erms of ability to give good advice. Some of them certainly benefited from really good advice they recieved and might be able to convey that too. 16) ime recent hires have better advice than older hires, who tend to be out of touch with current job market trends 17) Maybe the real advice is that all advice should be taken with a grain of salt. 6 again) @ 7, nope, I knew no one in the departments where I got interviews/offers, but this is exactly the attitude I'm talking about, so thanks for that. 7) @ 6 EDI hire then? 17) >_> Cut it out @ 7 18) The process of deciding on the selected candidate varies widely among schools. At some the department votes on a ranked list and the Dean usually goes with it, others the department just sends pros and cons with no ranking and the Dean decides. Had no idea how much unilateral power Deans could sometimes have, which is crazy given that meeting the actual Dean (not an Associate Dean) does not necessarily happen during an the interview. 19) Stopped applying for every position I was conceivably qualified for, starting applying to the jobs that I was a close match for. 20) I had several preliminary interviews for positions over the last 18 months that were never filled - and based on some insider info, these weren't "failed" searches, they were overly optimistic searches that did not have funding secured when they were advertized. Which just adds a whole other level of BS to this whole ridiculous process. | |
63 | 4/30/24 1:40 | LOOOOONG admin | 5/4/24 3:51 | I wish sometimes universities understood how long hiring processes (in Germany it is over a year) can be a killer for Junior staff. 1) I am a postdoc in Germany and the bureaucracy is something else here. I got hired in 2021 during the quarantine and had to work remotely from the UK for 4 months before moving to Germany. They could not work out how to deal with the fact that the UK offers public health insurance through the NHS and doesn't rely on health insurance companies in the same way as Germany. Their solution was to have me work without pay for 4 months until I move to Germany, then pretend that I was in Germany the whole time and give me all the money that they owed me. Without interest of course. 2) Oh wow! I am about to start a position and it has been over a year between application and contract and I have been told this is the Uni working at breakneck pace | |
64 | 4/24/24 8:40 | Attrition | 5/3/24 5:51 | Is there any way to estimate the success rate among PhD eco/evo types for attaining some kind of TT position? Sometimes I find myself looking at the jobs page thinking that there are so many postigs that there should be something for everyone, but I know from my own experience and that of others that many of us do not make it. In the end, what do we think the probability of getting a reasonably good job is? 20%? 50%? 80%? 2) What are you counting as the pool? Everyone who starts a PhD in eco-evo? Finishes degree? Or actively applies for TT jobs? Pretty sure that in all three cases all your percentages are too high. OP) Finishes a PhD and applies to at least one TT job or has interest (even if not exclusive) in academia (3) My guess would be that fewer than 10% of PhDs get an academic job that they're happy with 4) The NSF does a PhD survey that I still get every 3ish years. That is probably the best data I know of across the past few decades. 5) https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bes2.1624 ~1/3 of PhDs end up in TT roles. 42% get at least an offer OP) thanks, all. These numbers more or less fit with my expectations and experience - about a third of my grad school cohort has jobs by now (or had them and left them). I figured this would be impossible to assess accurately but some kind of estimate as was provided by the Fox 2020 article is useful. The NSF survey data I always take with a grain of salt as response rates vary and they are point estimates that surely miss a lot of people. 6) Yes and the data cited in the Fox article (whish is from NSF survey data) is for people who got their PhD between 2000-2011. 7) keep in mind that is in the USA where positions are relatively plentiful. In Canada it is probably closer to 10%, maybe even lower. 8) Of my 2016 PhD cohort in a big EEB department, approximately 1/3 left before graduating. Of the remaining fraction, somewhere between 1/4 to 1/3 ended up in faculty positions and the rest went to various industries, museums, agencies, etc. 9) @6/7 the "42% recieve an offer" reported in the Fox paper is for the North American (USA + Canada combined) job market based on posts to this very board 6) I just don't believe the anon quals postings on this board are very useful at all as any kind of representative sample, as the Fox blog posts often admit (but then go on to analyze and interpret credibly). The Fox paper also cites another paper nalyzing NSF survey data from 2000-2011. 10) @6 genuine question: what do you think the problem is with the anon quals data? It's defintiely a tiny sample and I could see it skew towards people who got an offer (ie: voluntary sampling is biased towards "boasters"), but I don't see any other obvious issues. 11) Yeah, I don't see why it'd be a bad representation of people who got offers 6) I think that a *lot* of people who are only partially committed to the job market do not visit this site much, let alone bother to post in anon quals. People who are maybe just applying to a couple of jobs or who don't think they are likely to get an offer, but still 'want' a TT job if it works out with their situation. Also a lot of room for response bias by identity or people with various kinds of identifying characteristics, although it's less clear to me that those would bias offer rates. Not to mention people likely don't bother to come back and update. How much of a problem are any of those things? Who knows but there is absolutely no way to check from the anon quals alone. A better, but harder, project would identify actual cohorts from a sample of ecology phd programs and track their outcomes (the NSF survey data at least tries to do something closer to that). You'd still have non-responses but at least you could try to account for them. 12) Look. PHD programs don't want this info out. Some programs pump out hundreds of phds, of which only a small fraction are well-prepared. The rest end up in perpetual postdocs or unemployed. THen, they brag about having so many PHDs that make it to the professor stage. truth is, these schools just have a lot of students, some of whome end up lucky. THen, you have the opposite extrreme. Schools that produce only a handful of PHDs, but all are successful in attaining and holding faculty positions. Most insitutions fall somewhere inbetween the two extremes. but, you will seldom ever hear the % of grads that actually earned tenure somewhere. 13) @12 lol what universe are you living in. Sure, relatively few PhDs end up in TT roles, but PhD unemployment as a whole is negligible and wages are, on average, much higher for folks with PhDs. Most people I went to grad school with are making 6-figures in industry roles. Even as an "underpaid" postdoc, I'm making more money than my friends from college who only have a bachelor's degree. x2 | |
65 | 4/24/24 5:01 | Is it appropriate to message faculty? | 5/7/24 4:05 | OP) Is it appropriate to email faculty (randomly from searching them up) at places you want to apply to just to ask about the department or anything like that? I feel like this would be strange to me, because these people would have no idea who I am and likely think I am spam or worse, trying to get some secret foothold in during an application process. I often see comments below saying "talk to people in the department to find out X or Y" but what if I want to find out about work-life balance, or even salary - that seems like something I can only ask if I even do get an interview. Have any of you ever emailed faculty in departments you've never been a part of just to find out if it's something you'd be interested in applying to? How do you secure a "coffee talk" with them out of the blue? 1) I'm sure people have their own opinions about this, but I'd consider this sort of disussion exactly what the zoom and in-person interviews are for, and then the offers facutly make to answer any questions you have as you are leaving an in-person interview. The interview process is about the department and the candidate incrementally finding out more about each other. You don't have to be certain when you're applying that you would accept the job; you just have to have a sense that you might. Then you can find out more if they advance your application (although admittedly its sucks that salary information isn't posted at the outside and I agree this could be a determinant, although there are probably ways to find out a general range other than cold emailing people) 3) I can't imagine doing this before applying. Why waste the time? applying takes enough time. you can reserach the school easily using the internet. If you get an on campus interview you ask those questions of faculty. then follow up with more questions as needed if you get an offer. It takes most people many many applications to even get an interview. 4) Reaching out via cold email before even applying seems a little weird. If you know friends of friends who work in a place, definitely chat w/ them and network through the grapevine. If not, apply, and if you advance, begin asking those questions. 5) Agree with the responses and especially for the questions you pose. It would be one thing if you want to try to figure out if there is a particular desire for research/teaching that you can emphasize in your materials. None of the questions listed above will help to get a foothold in the application process, so why bother? Even in the case of more useful information I'd probably only do it if I had at least a vague connection to the person I was emailing.6) Yes, it is strange. 7) totally agree with @4. Don't cold email anyone, but reach out if you know someone to get the inside scoop for sure 8) I want to add that my Postdoc supervisor (in the UK) was suprised I didn't cold email faculty here. I came from outside the UK and wasn't familiar with the system. I still don't know if this is common practice or useless advice | |
66 | 4/23/24 15:03 | Canada Research Chairs Redux | 5/7/24 8:53 | [moved from University of Windsor -AP] 2) Canadian here. It is not true that CRCs are reserved for women or LGBTQ applicants. x2 3) Also a Canadian here, yes, they most certainly are. x6 (4) See: https://universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/universities-are-ramping-up-targeted-hiring-to-meet-crc-equity-goals/. 40% of chairs now are women and it must be 50% by 2029. CRCs almost all go to minorities now because of the past bias. 5) @2 a big east coast school lost one of these because their shortlist wouldn't add enough diversity to the website. 6) can y'all keep it to the venting tab? As lovely as it is seeing the same commentary on every Canadian job most of these comments have nothing to do with this posting (1 again) Agree, I just noted this because it's generally a waste of time for ECR WMs to apply for CRCs and I think it's fair to make this clear. x5 7) This is absolutely nonesense! At University of Calgary 4 out of the 8 Cummings School of medicine CRCs were WM. Get over your whoa is me attitute. 8) Did you just assume their gender? 9) I actually thought this was a respectful conversation about applying for this position until @6? x2 9) @ 7 that's only remotely relevant if we know what the applicant pools were, plus that's medicine, not EEB. x5 10) 'woe is me'...It is true that a bunch of CRCs have gone to WM in the past. My understanding is that, because of this (which is not what was supposed to happen), there is increased pressure on institutes to stick to the demographic groups they are targeting through these searches or they risk losing funding going forward. Anyone should apply, but it's reasonable to understand that this is a priority hire. 11) "whoa is me" 😂 x2 12) @ 7, 10,11 - can't take the argument of anyone who doesn't know the expression they're using seriously. We gotta "tow the line" on standards! 10) Let's be honest, we all have blind spots. Took me way too long to learn that the expression wasn't "nip it in the butt". I just wrote 'woe is me' in a matter-of-fact way to try and avoid someone else pointing it out in a more mocking way. 13) https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/france-is-bacon 14) I'm not WM, but no job targets or prefers groups I belong to. It's not just WM who are "victims". I'm not against the idea of targeting marginalized groups when hiring, but I wish they expand their scope (e.g., everyone who isn't a cis straight WM). Of course the reason why I'm thinking so is at least in part selfish... 15) Let me get this straight 14, you want departments to start posting positions that are targeted to 'everyone who isn't a cis straight WM'? LOL. 16) It costs me nothing to check "queer" instead of straight, it's not like they can do the old "prove it" test. Such a stupid criterion.x2 17) @16 that is such a dick move 16) @ 17 However so? It's like selecting candidates based on whether they perfer Star Wars or Star Trek. As the first Trudeau famously said, "The government has no place in people's bedrooms", and neither do employers. 17) @16 sure! if scientists who liked Star Trek were chemically castrated, beaten/killed, fired, blackmailed, blacklisted, forced out etc etc for liking Star Trek. What a great and totally accurate comparison. 18) I feel like so many people get to the demographic checkboxes and think, "If only I could check [systemically discriminated-against group] box, I would have an advantage in this hiring process," but they're picturing a world where somehow every moment of their life has been exactly the same except their skin is a different color or their partner is a different gender or whatever, as though it's a minor thing like a parallel universe in which you wore slightly different outfits. In fact those things would have dramatically altered your life experience and would have raised hurdles that would have made following your career path harder (if you even got a chance to start on it). Even if YOU managed to get over those hurdles, statistically speaking many others in your group would not have. Increasing the number of people of that group in a department helps remove a lot of those hurdles for the next generation, which is one reason why it's prioritized. You can lie and check 'queer' if you want, but it just feels so nasty to those of us for whom huge parts of our lives have been defined, negatively, by discrimination against us for being queer. I'm gay, and I can tell you that I would trade in a heartbeat any advantage I might get in a hiring process for a world where I experienced no discrimination for being gay. I do genuinely understand the frustration at being possibly disadvantaged in the hiring process simply for the way you were born. I'm white and I've felt that sting of disappointment when you see an awesome opportunity and realize it's targeted at racial minorities - but I also understand that the goal of that targeting is to undo centuries of oppression and create academic environments where non-white people feel happy, safe, understood, and supported. 19) @18 Well said. Thank you for taking the time to articulate this. x6 20) except you can't undo history and more to the point: current targeting is punishing a generation of scientists that did nothing to harm racial minorities x2 21) @18, please read about the ecological fallacy. I think there is a very compelling argument for faculty to represent the demographics of students and the country, but let's not pretend search committees have any way to evaluate actual hardships faced by individual candidates. 18) @20, you can nitpick the wording if you want, but it absolutely is possible to undo the ongoing negative impacts of history. Our society is a certain way because of historical inequity, and it’s totally possible to change things. You’re focused on the ways that prioritizing diversity in a department punishes majority candidates, but what about the ways that historical and ongoing systemic discrimination and oppression punish minority candidates? Our society is fundamentally unfair in a zillion ways and no one has come up with a perfect way to fix that; I do think prioritizing diversity in academic positions has downsides, but it’s an attempt to solve an incredibly complex problem and I think on the whole that’s good. It’s a balancing act, and I certainly am not advocating for a system in which white cis straight men cannot get jobs, but I frequently see white cis straight men get TT positions (just glance through the anon quals for anecdotes), so I’m not convinced things are so dire for them. @21, In my mind, the importance of faculty diversity is (in line with your point) about the systemic impacts that comes from that, not about rewarding individuals for overcoming hardships. I’m not arguing that a search committee should choose candidates based on their personal hardship, and I’m also not arguing that demographics define the hardship an individual has faced. You can obviously have two people who fall into the exact same demographic groups and have had wildly different life experiences. However, at the same time, race/gender/etc impact the life experience of everyone in our society. These factors impact how you are perceived and treated in so many situations. The focus on “I’m so frustrated because I totally would have gotten this job if I were black” ignores the fact that being black comes with a huge amount of racism that makes it even harder to get to that point. Like, some white people focus on every unfair disadvantage they might have in a hiring process, rather than every unfair advantage they might have had in the lead up to that point. I get what you’re saying about the ecological fallacy, but trying to undo the impacts of systemic racism requires systemic solutions. In a fundamentally unfair society, attempts to solve unfairness are going to be complex, imperfect, and messy. 22) @ 18 tl;dr discrimination is good as long as it's against people who aren't you or if it otherwise makes you feel good. Got it, thanks. 23) I made a comment earlier that isn't here or didn't register. This started off about women and LGBTQs and got sidetracked to race as it always does, but 18 is missing the fact that lots of supposedly "disadvataged" group member are and have been highly privileged, and there is a non-zero amount of PhD candidates or graduates who have absolutely been unfairly advantaged by these initiatives. Sometimes this leads to lesser standards and otherwise fine candidates who have never actually been pushed to develop their skills fully. In other cases, e.g. Pruitt and Dixson, privileged rich-kid gays absolutely leveraged and parlayed their "minority" status into lucrative positions and ended up having to fake it once they got to where they wanted to be. The anti-discrimination system might help some, but it impedes others and is ripe for exploitation. "But it's always going to be messy and imperfect", @18 will whine, while failing to give a convincing reason why anyone who doesn't beneift directly and did not participate in historic inequities should accept one imperfect system over another. 23 again - for lowering standards, just look at how one ridiculous, white male ecology prof in the US who brags in his pinned Tweet about never having had a white grad student was credulously and ignorantly defending both Dixson and Pruitt specifically because he claimed their sexual orientation was the cause of the whistleblowing, instead of the fact that they falsified data in multiple studies that formed the bases of their employment and awards. Also see: former Harvard president and several other high-profile individuals currently under investigation for plagiarism. 24) i see what you did there @20, editing the count on 19 from x6 back down to x2. changed it back now. *tiny violin* for you 25) Sigh ... @18, valiant effort. So unfortunate to see @23's argument of "But one time there were two bad gay people" so therefore we shouldn't do anything. If even a group of scientists can't avoid forming policy decisions based on individual anecdotes what hope does the rest of the country/world have? 26) lol at @18's attempt to defend biased hiring with the old "lots of other things aren't fair" chestnut of an argument. ok there, but how about we address this specific wrong 23) @ 25 that's not what I said at all. Those are two concrete examples of people who gamed the system and did it while fully exploiting their sexual identity. How many does it take to get you to see there are problems with this approach? How many others lost out because of those two, and how much damage did Dixson in particular do to the credibility of all in her field? You can be reductionist and absurdist but it's not a good look and indicates some pretty shallow thinking. Your dismissal of my comments is no different than that dude I mentioned who blindly leapt in and said "They get a pass on bad behaviour and deserve less scrutiny/lower standards BECAUSE they are gay". 26) Really don't understand your point 23. I don't know as much about Dixson, but in Pruitt's case at least the fact that he was gay has very to do with anything. He was publishing a ton of seemingly very important papers and would have been in line for all kinds of jobs/opportunities regardless of any identity. It also isn't like he made it somewhere on identity and then had to start faking things to keep up. As we know now he was faking from the very beginning. For whatever faults, he also wasn't exactly a 'priviliged rich-kid', so you are missing or distorting some facts to try to fit your opinion. These individual examples just don't seem very connected one way or another to the points discussed here. 27) Woah this thread got wild. Not sure what Dixson and Pruitt's identities have to do with anything. They were fakers who made shit up and thought they could get away with it. "Publish or perish" doesn't only apply to people with marginalized identities, it is the unfortunate state of modern science and sometimes people do bad things under that pressure. The list of people who got caught making shit up includes A LOT of straight white men: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientific_misconduct_incidents 28) @ 27 thread was about women/LGBTQ. Dixson and Pruitt both orudly advertized to make themselves more deserving minorities, clear examples of the potential to abuse searches and targeted hires. As for your link, that's just the "man or bear" fallacy and misunderstanding probability. 27) LOL @28 I think you missed my point, but thanks for exposing your inability to engage in rational debate. Take care of yourself. 29) @28, that is also just not even close to what happened in those particular cases. Sheesh. 28) @ 29 actually if you look into them a bit more, you'll see that they both advertized themselves and "queer in STEM" and whatnot and used that to leaverage their early career awards. It also gave them a limited buffer against criticism and a leg up in the hiring process. It is, as often said on this general subject, "nuanced" but this is a very clear and real consequence ("messy") of EDI approaches. 30)this is fucking delusional thinking the search or award committee’s for both pruitt and dixson (hired in 2011 and 2015 respectively) were swayed in their decisions because of the DEI boogeyman reasons in your head @28. and not you know, the too-good-to-be-true-because-it-is publication records of both because of them being fraudsters. x2 28) @ 30 who also shouted "Queer in STEM" at every opportunity and never failed to check a diversity box whenever one was there. But, if you don't like them as an example, there's also Claudine Gay and Kendi. 31) "DEI is bad because I can name a couple gay people who did something bad" is definitely the nuanced take that will finally turn people against the woke mind virus | |
67 | 4/22/24 12:27 | Salary negotiations | 5/4/24 3:54 | OP) Without competing offers, how do people approach negotiating salary for TT positions? In my case, I'm dealing with a university that has a salary scale, and my initial offer was based on being evaluated at a certain point on that scale (based on what criteria, I'm not sure). I could say (in nicer words) "based on my _ experience and my expertise in _, I think I should be paid $_____," but they already know all that, don't they? And yet it seems like many people do manage to negotiate salary increases without competing offers. I'd be glad to hear about how people frame their requests! 1) This is a tricky question and topic. Some might say ask for 10-15% more than you are offered as a general rule. You can try to access some of the available data on salaries to help calibrate. Do keep in mind that admins are reluctant to pay new people more than what their current faculty make as this can cause lots of unhappy faculty. It also matters what kind of COL increases are available in your state or at that uni - I started with a lower salary than people I know at other institutions but have passed them up given my uni's annual raise strucutre. 2) the publicly available salary information is often difficult to interpret because it often contains benefits or the 12-month earnings while you are likely being offered a 9-month contract 3) Ask some junior faculty how the process worked for them, and maybe for a range of salaries. 4) COL differences between your current location and new location can potentially be used to your advantage, but as 1 said, within 10-15% is a generally safe zone for negotiating. Also look up the housing market changes in the area, being able to eventually purchase a home and using that plan in negotiations can indicate you plan to stay long term. 5) Ask the last hired faculty member for their letter of offer. If this is within a year or so, then this will also be the salary you should ask for. 6) @5 ask for that +3% COLA increase per year (don't equate your 2024-2025 salary with their 2023-2024 salary) 5) Good suggestion. In some cases, this will be higher than the previous faculty member's current salary. Some unis are only giving a 2% yearly raise. Say what you must about we should be fighting for the best salary for ourselves, but differential starting salaries for new faculties will often lead to big issues in the department, especially in public universities where salaries are public. 7) https://www.aaup.org/file/ARES-2022-23.pdf can help to at least get some data and numbers behind your request (if the offer is below median for your location and institution type, that is) 8). Some universities don't give raises for years at a time 9) I asked them to match my current (higher) salary and they said yes. I have had friends show how their experience clearly puts them into another category. Even if they know you could be in another band/category they might try to put you in a lower one. Just polietly state that you think youre in the wrong one? Otherwise the "win win" negotiation approach could help? Showing them why it is to their advantage to have you higher? eg. then you can buy a house and would be looking to stay long term | |
68 | 4/22/24 8:22 | sharing of teaching materials | 4/24/24 8:50 | OP) If a faculty member has retired and the courses they used to teach are being taken up by a new TT hire, is there any reason why the retired faculty wouldn't want to share their course materials with the new hire? Not just syllabus, but lecture slides, discussion questions, etc? 1) Well, no GOOD reason. There are lots of reasons they wouldn't, but they are all petty. If they felt pushed out, they might not want to do a favor to whoever pushed them out. There's the ego of "see how they do without me". There's "I had to make all my own course materials, why should I make it easier for someone else?". So...lots of reasons. But no good ones that aren't super petty. The only good reason I can think of is if the person who "retired" is actually going to another competing institution, but it doesn't sound like what you meant. There is also just the effort thing - it is easier not to. If the person used the school's LMS though, you can likely get the institution to give you access to previous versions of the course (and all the materials within it). 2) I'm not totally sure on how common it is (and to what degree it is enforced), but I've heard course materials where I am (large state university system) technnically belong to the institution. So they may be obligated to share or leave these materials. 3) They might just be embarrassed by them, especially if they put little effort into them and/or haven't changed them for 20 years. 4) IMHO, once you have a permenant job, you should be willing to share, esp for adjuncts and other less secure folk. 5) The LMS approach can work, though you might not always be able to get editable versions of past materials (e.g. slides might be uploaded as PDFs rather than .pptx files) 6) If they are not budging on sharing and the school doesn't have the files, try reaching out to your network (either direct or broadly on twitter/bluesky) and you may find people willing to share from other universities. 6) A few years back I taught a course as a contractor. The TT faculty (who happens to be a highly toxic, older woman) declined to share her materials with me so I built the entire course. Then a former PhD student of hers taught the course a few years later, with the original materials supplied. My version is inarguably better, but the situation sucks and I detailed it for a new Labour Relations Dean. 7) There's a corollary to this, which is when you take a temporary teaching position and get materials, but they aren't very good, and you want to apply for teaching jobs, so you feel intense pressure to heavily revamp/rebuild them anyway so you have something to talk about in your application materials and interviews. x2 8) @7 And then you do the same for a different course the next semester, and then again for a third course the following semester, ad nauseum. 7) And all for courses you might never teach again! 6) @ 1 that's a really hard "absolutely fucking not". I'm the 6 who posted about a shitty tenured prof not sharing - I delete my content as soon as the course marks are settled. If the university wants to give MY content that I built as a contractor to someone else, they can pay me for it. Another contractor can put their own work in if a tenured person won't share - or they could offer to give me a good chunk of their contract $ for my content. But that's my entirely reasonable and immutable position as a contractor - a tenured person should absolutely be archiving their content. 9) Having received materials from several other teachers for various classes, it's rare for them to actually be super useful. I've often wondered if it was even saving any time at all, although it can be nice to get a general structure and ideas for assignments etc. Most professors don't have their materials organized enough to be super useful or legible to anyone else. | |
69 | 4/22/24 7:35 | Job invite with caveats | 4/30/24 6:39 | So, I have gotten an invite to an assistant professor position (yay!). However, the institution (in another country) will not pay for any expenses assosiated with the on campus interview (no pre-Zoom interview). Further, the interview talk (not the public lecture) should be given in the local language. At no point did the add suggest that this would be a requirement. They wrote that familiarity with the language would be a plus. What is one to do? Travel costs are a lot and it is a given that I will only be able to give talks in English. Is it normal for institutions not to cover travel costs? Will I automatically be disregarded if I suggest Zoom talks and interviews in English? 1) quick point of clarification, OP - do you speak the local language? 2) I have never heard of an institution not covering travel costs for an interview. Sounds like a huge red flag to me. 3) Ditto 2 - if they can't pay for interview expenses, what kind of support can they provide to a new hire? @1 OP here, I have some familiarty with the language, but would not be able to give a talk, no. 4) Institution not covering travel costs is the norm in some countries, and actually law may bar them from doing so. 2) Huh, okay. Still, if I am spending potentially thousands out of pocket on international travel then it had better be for an amazing job where I think I have a near certainty of getting an offer. I'd be very cautious if I was OP given this plus the language issue. 5) This sound sketchy for a N American perspective... OP if you go through with it please at least make a vacation out of it! Stay a few extra days to have fun so its not totally wasted 6) personally I would not go. I mean, if you got the job, this is how you would be treated? And presumably they would have higher expectations for language going forward and no travel reimbursements? Heck no. Seems like a waste of money unless you can do the trip for free somehow... or you feel really certain you'll want/get the job and have no other option for employment. Just my opinion- I'm in the U.S so maybe I don't understand. 7) I'm living in France now and multiple professors have told me this is how the hiring process here works. Universities never pay for your travel. Regarding the language, I would ask the search chair if you can give your talk in English, explaining that you can do introductions in the local language, and would be willing to teach in the local language after X years. If they're not okay with you presenting in English, then it may not be worth your time and money to go. 8) Very clear that you should skip this. You will not be able to follow the directions that they just gave you and would pay out of pocket to do so? (9) Huge red flag. Even if it's 'working culture' in France - or whatever country -, it is plain wrong to expect that people pay themselves. The only way of breaking this system is for the best candidates to tell the universities to pay - then you'll see them changing their culture. 10) This sounds like it might be similar to how it was where I did my postdoc in West Africa. My advisor there was surprised to learn that in the US schools cover interview costs. It's just not how they do it there. If you really want the job and it's the norm for that part of the world (maybe you can find out by asking around or googling?), then I think it makes sense to go if you can afford it. I agree that the language is something worth communicating about. You would certainly need to ask to do that in English if you can't in the local language. I liked the idea of sharing something about how you see yourself moving forward with the language (e.g., I could teach a class in that language in ___ years). It can certainly be challenging navigating academia across cultures- good luck! 11) @ OP here. Thank you so much for all your input. I should perhaps have pointed out that I in my coverletter directly stated that I had some familiarity with the language and expected to obtain fluency with language courses within the first couple of years, should I get the position. So they already know what my current level is and what my plans are for actively learning the language. I reached out to them via email yesterday and said thank you for the interview invite, that I would gladly accept, but that I would not be able to accomodate the requirement to give a lecture in German. I would be happy to give the lecture in English instead. I have also inquired about travel costs (to give them a chance to respond to this directly). I have heard nothing back yet. Oh, btw...they also adressed me as Mrs, not Dr. This is a country that is very formal when it comes to academic titles. 10) I would not like to be addressed as Mrs at work! One of the best things about getting the PhD was being able to not be called Mrs or Ms anymore! I don't need my marital status in my title, and honestly I'd much rather my gender not be there either. x3 11) if they don't have money for travel cost, they won't have lots of money for research support.12) OP here w/update. Surprisingly enough they have accomodated all my requests, so I will be giving both my talks and the interview in English over Zoom. I am honestly quite surprised by this flexibility on their behalf. Maybe I have been too quick in my somewhat negative judgement of them, but I am still weary of possible restraints when it comes to future (financial) support should I recieve a job offer. Those are details I am looking forward to get clarification on during the interview. A downside by doing this over Zoom is that I might not be able to get as good a feeling for the chemistry with the people I might end up working with, but this is where we are at. If nothing else it will be good interview experience. | |
70 | 4/22/24 4:34 | How concerning is a university with state-run benefits? | 5/15/24 6:42 | OP) I am looking at the benefits package and the health insurance (an everything else) is for state employees, no real choice when it comes to health coverage and pretty mediocre retirement plans. How important should this be? It is a state that is constantly reducing access to health care and already lists many health concerns that are not covered. Weighing no job vs. one with bad benefits! (bad benefits that could potentially lead to very high health costs) 1) What state? Most states have better benefits than other universities. Obviously no job is worse than one with perceived bad benefits OP) SC 2) Pretty standard for public schools - most do not have their own plans. And as 1 suggested, insurance pools are massive for state plans so rates tend to be better than smaller private schools. The only exception is a small university with a med school and teaching hospital where health insurance may come at no or very little cost. 3) I can't speak to SC specifically, but you should ask about Social Security. In some states, professors at public universities don't contribute to Social Security. I think it puts more risk on employees when all of their retirement - or virtually all of their retirement - is in one source, like a state pension plan or an employer contribution to some sort of investment account. 4) retirement plans with any employer are usually one source. you can open your own retirement accounts (Roth IRA, etc) or you can increase your contribution to your 401k even if it exceeds the employer matching. i wouldn't factor "one source" for retirement into your decision, especially if the one source is a pension, which provides a fixed income until you die- no risk of running out of money. | |
71 | 4/21/24 15:32 | ChatGPT usage on applications | 4/23/24 17:05 | OP) I have been reading over applications submitted for a position advertised in my lab and it definitely looks like a significant number of people that applied used ChatGPT to help refine their writing. I am curious how many people have seen this? The ideas seem to be original but it definitely seems to throw me off that the background all seems AI generated 1) I hate this with a passion and would have zero interest in hiring someone who doesn't even prune AI text, to me this shows little attention to detail and poor assessment skills x2 2) Here at my university we have a summer internship program that I sit on the committee of and we had 2 applicants this summer (this is targeted towards sophmore/juniors) that used AI to write their application essays. It was so obvious and it blew me away. To me, it's academic dishonesty and they should have been disqualified, but the committee was split mostly because "we had not yet set up a protocol or procedure for dealing with situations like this" so we kept them in the pool and one of them ended up getting an internship. Not super happy about it, but at least we all agreed we need to make a protocol for dealing with this issue. I still think it's complete academic dishonesty. 3) I like the take on AI that's basically 'if you didn't want to write this, why should I want to read it?' seems to still be applicable with job applications 4) If I was sure someone didn't write their material, that's a no go for me. But I'm curious what are the things you see that make it so obvious? Sometimes I'm suspcious with student material (writing is not what I would expect from them), but I'm not always sure how to tell it apart from good old fashioned plagiarism. 5) I've been using chatGPT to help me get out of writer's block, be it in job apps, grant proposals or manuscripts. It's very helpful. Obviosuly I always heavily edit whatever chatGPT spits out. I would never submit it in a way that it was obvious it was AI generated. 6) writer's block is where the work takes place, and the learning 7) Also curious about the "tells," what makes it obvious? x2 8) So far all the automated or human testing for identifying AI generated texts perform pretty badly. Unless you're seeing pasted in chunks in a different font or something I'm skeptical that you can really pick out AI text reliably in this kind of application. x2 9) @7/8 "raw" GPT generated content tends to be highly repetitive and reuse weird phrases. It's relatively easy to fix this with a little editing, which is why it's so glaring when people don't x2 10) Also, citations are often wrong in odd ways that seem to be unique to AI. For example, an intext citation of (ScienceDirect 2014). I think a person would be very unlikely to make that mistake, but it seems common in AI text my students generate. But I guess you wouldn't see that in application materials. 11) Haha, at least not someone with a Ph.D. Citations like that are pretty common in undergrad writing. | |
72 | 4/21/24 8:09 | What do you mean when you say you were "ghosted"? | 4/23/24 4:05 | HR rules often don't allow notifying candidates they aren't under consideration anymore until after the position has been filled. 1) So email people once the position has been filled. It's not hard and yet... 2) Yeah, sometimes you get a "position has been filled" email months later, but other times not even that 3) if they can automate "we have received your application" they can automate "position has been filled" and yet they can't be botherd to be decent.4) IMHO this only applies when you've had some form of interaction beyond the initial application - i.e ghosting is only a thing after a Zoom or on-campus interview or perhaps if you get emailed to arrange reference letters. Of course every single applicant should get a "this position has been filled" email down the road, but the lack of that email for most applicants isn't ghosting. 5) For me it would be if I am communicating back and forth and suddenly my messages/calls go unanswered. For others it seems to mean they are not getting updated regardless of whether there is back and forth communication. 6) People generally use this to mean never hearing back about a position they interviewed for, either just never being contacted again after the interview or not getting any response when they contact the search chair. 7) It only really bothers me when I've actually one through a full on campus interview and then never hear anything back. A little annoying after a zoom interview. In the context of this job board when it gets discussed the most is after a campus interview with no contact at all afterward to let you know you didn't get the job. | |
73 | 4/20/24 12:33 | Reminder to check your spam folders | 4/20/24 12:33 | Found a rejection email in my spam from an interview a while back. I'd fallen out of the habit of checking my spam folder | |
74 | 4/19/24 18:57 | Men: announce your jobs! | 4/25/24 8:53 | (OP) I've been hearing rumblings that the 'announced' jobs this year skew heavily female, but know several men that got jobs they just haven't announced. Announce them to lessen this ratio, please! (1) What is it with this need to tell others how to behave? Announce your jobs if/when you feel comfortable to. That's it. x6 2) What's the reason the "ratio" has to be accurate? Unless you're worried that women being more likely/quicker to announce jobs gives ammo to people trying to make an anti-DEI case or something, even though that case would be self-evidently stupid. 3) At this point I would absolutely not announce landing a TT job, personally. If you happen to be white, it'll have trolls calling for more DEI; if you happen to be BIPOC, it'll have trolls call you a diversity hire; if you're female - well actually that's ok because we know beyond any doubt that women are hired over men across EEB. 4) What does this even mean, like announcing it on twitter/X? For what reason do jobs need to be "announced"?? 5) plenty of men are updating the negotiations tabs. No need to post on twitter if they don't want to. 6) Just yelled out the window. Done. (5) If it helps, I won't announce my job as a woman x2 7) I can not announce my lack of a job 8) If I get a job I will definitely be waiting to post my negotiations, I have zero desire for people to try to pick apart who I am and what job it is immediately after jobs are filled. 9) Hopefully this means the trend of self-congratulatory job announements over social media is ending. 10) @ 9 I don't personally have a problem with the self-celebration, what I fucking hate are the nonsense toxic positivity replies like "Yasss you deserve it/they're lucky to have you because you're so awesome!" and the candidate is ABD or less than a year out with one paper. 11) I have no problem with people announcing their new job. It's a tough market and there's nothing wrong with a little celebration, not to mention it's good to let people generally know where you're moving to generate student/postdoc interest. It's sad to see how your bitterness and resentment twists other people's accomplishments and happiness into this. x2 12) @ 11 what are you replying to? 13) Agree with @ 11, I have been advised by more senior faculty to make an announcement specifically to generate interest for recruiting purposes. I'll be doing it at conference talks this summer too. If that's perceived as self-congratulatory that's fine. 11) @12 I'm mostly replying to 10's comment hating on people they deem to be undeserving of a job 14) It's one thing to just say "hey, I work at XYZ university now and am recruiting students to work on ABC" but another (more annoying) thing to post a staged selfie in XYZ university swag with an accompanying Oscar acceptance speech.10) @ 11 read the comment again, you didn't understand it. 15?) I wish everyone would announce publicly because I want to know who got the job! It's ok for the newly hired faculty and their colleagues to be happy about it. I know I will be if I ever get a mf-ing faculty job! Let's not be so bitter we can't let someone else enjoy success. x5 | |
75 | 4/19/24 17:40 | Do you know anyone who secured a TT job simply from knowing the right people? | 4/30/24 1:34 | OP) I know network is key for a lot of things but how often does it come into play for landing the job? Has it happened to you? Do you know someone who got the job just because they knew someone? Does it happen more often if it's nepotism? Also really curious if anyone knows someone who got the job that didn't deserve it at all simply for knowing the right people. 2) In my department, nearly all new TT hires overal the last several years have been internal 3) The search chair's own postdoc or a close collaborator of the sc got hired at about 7 searches the one year I got my faculty job. OP) @2 When you say internal, you mean postdocs/grad students from within the search committee's labs got hired? (4) I interviewed somewhere last year where two of us were collaborators of the chair. The other woman got the job, I was second. (5) Most Cdn jobs recently have gone to postdocs of the same two people at UBC x2 (6) This is soooo not true! Who the heck keeps saying this. 7) the answer to "who the heck keeps saying this" is probably whoever @5 is! 8) The most recent hire in my dept was the PhD student and postdoc of the dept chair, who was themself the PhD student of a now-retired faculty member of the department 9) @5 I'm very grateful you're bringing this up. It's honestly unfair how often UBC folks get shortlisted for Canadian jobs while others from less prestigious labs are doing comparable work. Also - from reading the responses so far, it's pretty depressing how much knowing the right people matters. For unis advocating that DEI matters and equal/fair opportunity, it doesn't seem to be the case. There's a real disconnect here where unis claim they are 'woke' and fair, but job searches end up running like any other job - do you like the person, do you know the person, are they a good fit. I just wish unis would be more honest about it instead of hiding behind equitably written job ads. 10) At one school several recent (3/4) EEB TT hires have been postdocs of one particular PI - who happened to have some sort of brain injury or disease that the dept has kept quiet (as they should, really) while not placing them on leave (as they absolutely should). So the dept hired his postdocs in ridiculous pretend searches (where they all gave underwhelming job talks) and now that group seems to be functioning as a weird melange of permadocs playing "Weekend at Bernies". Same school, in one process about 8 years ago, had the SC email the dept before apps were due and said "No matter what, we're only making offers to female candidates". Fast forward, and that particular hire ~8years ago and all 4 of the more recent EEB hires (including the nepo permadocs and one legit outside hire) are women. 11) @10 it would take only one person to forward that email to HR and the search would be shut down, and possibly the department put on probation - see https://www.newsweek.com/university-washington-white-asian-candidates-excluded-employment-interviews-1856321 12) its not all Cdn jobs but @5 is right about the UBC influence/nepotism x3 13) @11 the linked story is about an american uni. laws are different here and canadians are more timid about suing 13) saw a teaching job get offered recently to a former student ... who has a couple semesters as a TA as their only teaching experience 14) Yes, I've known many internal hires in the Netherlands, Belgium and private universities in the US which was just based on knowing the right people. 15)@11 I've seen something similar in my dept (internal job ad with language about specific protected classes), but I'd prefer to not kill my career by reporting it 16) I've seen quite a few VAPs shift over to TT positions which is still internal but seems potentially less of who you know and more that you've shown you can do the job with crap resources so hopefully you do better with actual TT resources. 10) @ 11 this was in 2017 or 2018 and a faculty member told me about the email, they did not forward the email precisely because internal faculty emails are marked as "confidential". 11) @10, are they at Trump University? because marking some illegal shit "confidential" isn't an enforcable defense. But I'd go the anonymous route for reasons @15 suggests, if I wasn't just going to let it slide 17) Kind of similar to what @16 describes, I work at a place where most of the current junior faculty were trained by senior (or recently retired) faculty members. It took a little bit more than "knowing someone" for them to get hired, but the insider scoop definitely helped. 14) Yes I think the originally framing of the question is a bit odd because other than a few unusual stories it would rarely ever be the case that someone got a job by simply 'knowing the right people'. Much much more common for a candidate to be pretty good, but maybe not the most competitive in a vaccuum and knowing people or having connections is just enough to push them into the top spot or even just to let them get a closer look that then gives them a chance to interview, etc. That is still annoying if you don't have similar connections helping you, but it really isn't the case that many tenure track searches are hiring someone who doesn't 'deserve' the position. 18) @ 17 the "deserve" part is where the problem lies here - some fresh grad with no individual output but from a prestigious lab may well be a great candidate, but no one would ever know that from their current accomplishments. Other great, maybe better, candidates, might not look as sexy on paper for a variety of extrinsic reasons. 17) Ah yeah, I missed the 'deserve' part that OP mentioned. I wouldn't say that any of the internally hired junior faculty I brought up don't deserve their position - they certainly keep the grants and big papers flowing - but being a part of the network is probably more important to getting hired here than at other places. 10) @ 11 I guess you missed the part where I said I was told about the email instead of having received it. And yes, information shared in camera that is later disseminated is very much punishable. Third, the "HR wouldn't tolerate it" nonsense does not in any way square with the existence of targeted hires, e.g. the job at Windsor that sparked another CRC identity-over-merit thread above. 19) FWIW I recently landed a TT job at a Cdn uni and get asked a weird amount if I knew anyone there beforehand. The answer is no, which is actually unlikely given that I know folks at most Cdn unis. Also, no connection to UBC. Not to deny or discredit any of the concerns above, of which I know little, just to bring some balance to the discussion (it's not all bad @8!) | |
76 | 4/19/24 7:50 | Eco-evo Job board for other disciplines | 4/19/24 18:16 | ||
77 | 4/19/24 6:20 | Where do PIs post grad student positions these days? | 4/21/24 19:35 | OP) I typically use the Texas A&M natural resources job board, but where else gets broad viewership for grad positions? 1) I see a lot posted on the ECOLOG listserv 2) ECOLOG, EVODIR, twitter, bluesky, email, lab website, department website, linkedin even. 3) jobrxiv? Nature jobs? 4) FindAPhD, twitter, bluesky, linkedin, field-specific listservs, personal website | |
78 | 4/17/24 22:24 | What font are your materials in? | 4/23/24 0:58 | 1) Comic Sans x3 2) If I was on a search committee and saw Comic Sans, I'd have a big laugh. But seriously, 1) it's a matter of personal preference. Sans Serif fonts tend to be used. Google search which fonts are most popular for job applications. I will warn you though, and this happened to me once - pick a universal font. Once I got fancy with my font and it was not recognized across all computers. Then months later, when I wondered why I didn't hear back from a job search, I opened my PDF only to realize the font did not load properly in my PDF reader. 3) Call me old-fashioned, but I always prefer Times New Roman over Arial. Just...dear god...anything but Calibri – *shudders*. x2 4) No idea. Whatever the current google docs default is. 5) Computer Modern 4 LyF, shoutout to my LaTeX folks. 5) If you're thinking about this, you're overthinking it, As long as it's not comic sans... 6) What's the problem with Calibri? I like it. I've been over Times New Roman since high school, though, and would reject anyone who submitted materials using this font without a second look. 6) Payrus, like a thoughtless child just wandering by a garden yanking leaves along the way 7) ALIENS AMONG US 8) Ah, how delightfully humorous, my good fellow/lady! 9) Phenomenally well played. 10) Calibri for life. x2 11) I lolled so hard when I saw this font change; well-played, AP. AP) I wish I could take credit for it. Brilliant! 10) lolz. I always do times new roman for text. no need to get fancy. arial for things like fig legends. 11) I'm a wingdings kinda person. It gives my readers a little extra challenge 12) papyrus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8PdffUfoF0 13) Used to use Times New Roman, switched to Aptos Serif. For fashion. 14) In all seriousness, your job materials are a demonstration that you can write grants that get funded. You generally can't write grants in Calibri (or Papyrus or whatever), as almost all require Times New Roman or Arial. Not using standard fonts can get your grant application thrown in the trash. Just write in these standard fonts...there is no reason to do anything else. x2 15) Jurassic Park font | |
79 | 4/15/24 13:08 | Job talk slide size | 4/27/24 14:04 | OP) ok, I know we've been in the 16:9 dimension for a decade, but I recently gave a talk at a school in a stuffy old seminar room that had a standard 4:3 screen. 16:9 does not down size well on a smaller box screen (all of the text gets smushed and hard to read), whereas 4:3 has the bottom edges cutoff when projected on a wide screen. What aspect ratio are you all using for job talks? Have you ever had issues using 16:9? 1) I always use 16:9 but it just put black bars along the top and bottom when using a 4:3 screen, instead of compressing the slides 2) 16:9 - if it doesn't fit it just makes the hosts look bad, not you. 2) Most projector screen I seen in academic buildings are still 4:3 and I tend to use this as my default unless I get instructions to go 16:9. That said, 16:9 usually projects just fine even if it doesn't take up the whole screen (ie there is space at the bottom). Changing dimensions when the slides are already prepared is a nightmare. 3) I often ask the search committee when invited what size to prepare. 4) I had an issue with talk dimensions during my seminar. I ended up exporting my talk to PDF and then projected from there and it worked. 5) Doesn't work if you have videos. | |
80 | 4/15/24 5:06 | AP interview | 4/21/24 15:30 | https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2024/04/15/a-very-brief-interview-with-ecoevojobs-net-organizer-and-moderator-anonymous-potato/ 1) Cool! Thanks for sharing some insights AP - and many thank yous for all you do. 2) Alright then, keep your secrets AP. 3) love this. 4) Thank you, AP!!! Your work does not go unnoticed – this is both a super useful resource *and* has the nice community feel of everyone rallying together. x18 AP) Thanks y'all, I hope to provide Jeremy with the full exposé soon. 5) I always thought AP was also an allusion to Assistant Professor, which is the position that most job postings here for. 6) I feel sorry for Kids These Days who missed the joy of the potato job.x2 7) Just read this - so cool! Also wtf...there are actually jobs that clearly state anti-LGBTQ?? How is that possible? lol. 8) @7: no, that's not what AP means by "anti-LGBTQ" ads. Read the comments on the DE post for clarification, or search the discussion threads here. 9) @7 the designation refers to jobs at small, religious colleges that are known to discriminate against LGBTQ students/faculty. The job ad itself doesn't say "no gays" or anything like that, but the school is known to be bad. 10) There are some colleges that allow discrimination based on sexuality. I think they're allowed to do it because they are religiously affiliated. The job ad might not say that they won't hire gay people, but they do have an active policy of discrimination. Geneva College, for instance: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/07/13/christian-college-coach-fired-pro-lgbtq-instagram | |
81 | 4/13/24 10:56 | feasibility, strategies for academic dating market at rural institution | 4/16/24 17:17 | For people who've had experience to compare partner-seeking at *both* more rural and more metropolian universities, can you speak to your experiences? Did you find limited cohort size in a more rural place a barrier? 2) I am worried that if I move to a small town I will never meet anyone and will be alone forever. It's hard enough in a medium sized city now. OP) @1 my worry exactly; I'm trying to figure out if this is a substantiated worry or a made-up story I'm telling myself. Looking in the literature (outside my field) on this topic didn't help, so everyone share your anecdotes please. 3) I think it is a legitimate worry, especially if the culture/demographics of the rural area don't match your profile. I ended up in a very rural place and came with a partner, so I don't need to navigate dating, but even finding enough people to be friends with or share hobbies with is just much much harder here than it was when I was in large university communities or small cities. Not to mention a lot of the people I get along with best at the college live an hour away to be in a more urban area. That makes sense, but I don't want that commute and it makes it so I rarely see those people outside of work hours. 4) I have not been in that situation, but I have colleagues that have struggled with dating in a small, rural college towns. Keep in mind, these rural college or university town populations are dominated by students, which are not an option for dating. So you are left with unpartnered faculty/staff and townies, which may or may not be a great pool depending on the area or your preferences. 5) On the other hand, if you are a relatively good catch, you might not have much for competition OP) @5 is this a speculation you're making, or based on your experience or someone else's experience? I'm particularly interested in hearing about people's experiences :) 6) Rural or small-population dating is bleak. It's very unlikely that you'll find a high-value partner near your own age who isn't already divorced and childless. One way around this is to try to aim for 20yos, but but that strategy is available to one sex more than it is to the other. x2 7) My social circle has always been small and it seems I'd be in a situation as 6) described no matter whether I'm in a big city or a small town. Retrospectively I feel grad school was probably my last chance and I've missed it forever. 8) I'll weigh in on some possible positives of dating in a smaller town / more rural area: everyone tends to know everyone in these communities, so there might be a better chance of being introduced to someone you'd click with (even if the online dating pool is small) and depending on the particulars of the community, there may be a lot of people drawn to the area for similar reasons to you. 9) Haha I'm very interested in this question because I'm about to move to a rural university after my partner of 5+ years left me. We'll see how it goes... 10) This was something I was very nervous about when on the job market. The 2-body problem is difficult and well-discussed, but the "1-body problem" is much less talked about, but challenging as well. I ended up in a town of ~30k (so not tiny, but not a big city) and ended up meeting someone not associated with the university. I was in a much larger city for my postdoc and had very little success making any connections. However, making non-colleague friends here has been a challenge. 11) Helpful feedback shared. It's often not spoken of how much postdocing can dictate being single, hopping around from institution to institution. The lifestyle isn't accomodating to long-term partners. And when you finally do land the 'job of your dreams', you need to play catch-up in the dating life. Not easy. 12) If I were single in the tiny rural college town I live in I think I would just bite the bullet and decide to commute 45 minutes so I could live in at least a medium size city. Not to mention it would drastically improve my restaurant and activity options on the weekend. 13) not mentioned here but a big factor is how big the university is. There are rural places but the college is large and has its own gravity of people and vibe. This is common in midwestern state college towns IME. But if you are working at a small school comparatively, and its rural...might be way harder to meet people in general. 14) Absolutely 13, but at least for me I don't even consider those huge state college towns as 'rural' in the sense being discussed here. Lots of SLACs in truly small towns with only 2000 students. That is a very different dynamic! 15) Interesting topic - I always thought I'd be very unhappy in my current town if I were single - if our student body is any indicator of the culture - as someone above wrote - being youngish in a southern town means you likely had kids before you turned 20, got married and then divorced by your early 20s. Grandparents are in their 40s and Great Grandparents are in their 50s or 60s. Seriously. It's not uncommon for a student to miss class because of a divorce or custody hearing at the courthouse-and the students look young, like kids. The singles I have known who met people, met them through the university or some other professional connection. So, it's not hopeless to meet someone, but realize the standard approaches won't work and most people you may encounter will be very different than you. Unless you are meeting other professionals from some other city or state, you will find yourself in a foreign culture basically. 16) Thanks to OP of this thread, I'm interviewing soon at a place that is a much smaller city than where I live, and this is a (private) worry. It's so intimidating too when the small town SC keep trying to attract you with "the schools are great" and you don't know if you'll ever find someone to have kids with. OP) exactly @16. I just had this exact experience. Found myself on the way to breakfast with SC, hearing about how great the schools are, suppressing a quiet sob 17) I declined a postdoc in very rural Illinios and this was very much a factor in that decision. 18) I know someone who interviewed for a PhD position in a state known for its religious majority and he was told by the other grad students that he wasn't going to get a girlfriend for at least 6 years if he didn't have one already because they were all taken (i.e., married). | |
82 | 4/12/24 13:29 | how long did you hear back from a 1st round zoom interview? | 4/20/24 11:06 | one week past, should we presume no chance to proceed? 1) don't assume anything yet...I've certainly heard something much later than a week 2) 1 week is WAY too soon to make assumptions. They might be doing interviews for a full week or even 2 after you have yours. Best way to estimate is look at the latest time slots they gave you as an option to interview, pad that by 0.5-1 week, and thats approximately the *week* (not day) they would make some preliminary decisions. So usually ~2 weeks after last interview is safe bet they have contacted some group of applicants. But even then, if they have a longer list or rolling list you may still get called. Once its been ~1 month since zoom, I would email asking what your status is, and just pray they actually reply to you. 3) I usually hear back within a month or so, but sometimes longer. Once, I got an on-campus interview invite three months after my zoom interview. Although, I guess it couldn't probably take three months right now given how close we are to the end of the academic year! 4) i once heared back in one week. not sure if this prompt postive response generally means i am very favored? 5) 2 wks past now. shoot an email to the chair a couple of days ago with no response. it's done? 6) @5, yes. | |
83 | 4/12/24 9:26 | Anxiety before academic travel/talks | 5/6/24 2:49 | I assume everybody has some anxiety before traveling and/or giving talks, but I'm trying to calibrate 'normal'. How do you generally feel the days/weeks leading up to and during travel for academic purposes? 1) I oscillate on a rollercoaster of feeling confidence/excitement and anxiety. For me, it's not the travel, it's the presentations and wanting to do my best. 2) In general this decreases with experience (though not for everyone). Teaching a class helps minimize it. For me personally, I might get about 30 seconds of nervousness right before a seminar or conference talk. Just remember that someone is going to an absolute nadir of a presentation at each conference, and as long as it's not you, no worries! 3) Repeating helps a lot. Getting a variety of experience helps a lot too. Early in grad school I would be fairly nauseous well in advance of my talk. That gradually went away. A few years of teaching has also helped incredibly. But I still get nervous for a new audience or setting I'm less familiar with. OP) For those that have answered (thanks!) and others - I guess my question is more specifically what does that anxiety or nervousness look like in terms of physical symptoms? Like anxiety/nervousness often looks like shaking, sweating, gut issues, insomnia, etc., but how severe are those things for you? 4) I had really poor sleep for at least a month leading up to my campus interview. I'd fall asleep thinking through my slides or teaching demo, then wake up really easily through the night and continue ruminating. 5) I recently got a prescription for propranolol for this exactly. It's a beta blocker that handles the physical symptoms of anxiety (heart-racing, sweating, lack of appetite, gut issues, insomnia, just like you). I haven't had the opportunity to use it for an interview yet, but it does work pretty quickly. I felt like such a mess during my last interview, I wanted something that I could take during occasions like this to help calm down. 6) I normally get two hours less sleep for the two nights leading up to the interview because of nervousness (the night before travel and the night before the interview). Day of interview/job talk normally I have trouble eating much at all. I also definitely need to wear a color that my sweat won't be too obvious. Not sure how normal this is, but I am a person who generally has low anxiety otherwise. (7) I went to a lot of interviews this year, and just the possibility that I wouldn't be able to sleep at all and that this would ruin my performance was making me anxious. As it turned out, most interviews I slept fine, but there were a couple were I didn't sleep much/at all, and it actually changed my outlook that if worst comes to worst, I can deal with it. 8) Like 5, I have beta blockers for acute anxiety like interview talks and conference presentations. If you are considering this route, please make sure you try them prior to your interview, maybe a practice talk or something that could lead to slight anxiety so you can see how well they work for you. They can work wonders for most, but for some they can work almost too well and lead to being too calm to where it is detrimental. OP) Thanks for sharing, y'all! It's helpful to see folks who are NOT always calm, cool, and collected. I feel like my anxiety about conference/job travel is becoming a bit more chronic - yes, shakiness and gut issues the entire time I'm at a conference while worrying about personal interactions/being awkward and about giving a talk, and then a more generalized anxiety that creeps in and out months before that generally dreading the entirety of travel from driving to the airport until returning home. I think my brain has learned to fear the acute stuff at the conference/institution. (9) Your issues are common. As others suggested, meds and therapy can help. Don't believe the stigma that it's not OK to get treatment. This stigma is part of the reason baby boomers are so weird and dysfunctional. (10) Following up on 9, I have to say that about 90% of my talk anxiety (and general anxiety - which has waxed and waned over the years, depending on stressors) went away after starting SSRIs. I wish I had started 5 years earlier. | |
84 | 4/12/24 5:30 | what does an assistant research professor entail? | 4/12/24 9:55 | I see increasingly more positions like this? do they have good career growth potential like tenure-track APs? 2) In some places it's a solution to keep people after 5 years of postdoc work. At other places you work on other people's grants or are soft money. It varies widely so ask for lots of detail before signing contracts. If you want to drive your own research program clarify whether you can apply for grants in your own right or not. 3) Have seen this most often as a way to accommodate a partner hire in a soft money position or at med schools and other programs where soft money hires are the norm. More often than not this person has lab space and is independent. 4) Yeah, it's really variable. I know some Research Assistant Professors who get tenure (and become Research Associate professors) and who teach, advise grad students, and are functionally the same as any other kind of professor. 5) Definitely variable, I've seen it for Asst Profs who do no teaching, only research and service, but I have also seen it as a temporary title if someone doesn't get tenure but has a year to wrap things up before leaving 6) As someone currently in an Assistant Research Professor role, I feel qualified to answer. While it seems variable among institutions, at least at my institutions, ARPs are often spousal accomodations. Typically the research portion of appointment is funded with soft money, such as from grants, but also may be from other external sources such as donations or funded by an NGO. While not eligible for tenure, we can promote through faculty ranks at the same rate as tenure track faculty (e.g., Associate Research Professor (after 5ish years), Research Professor). Teaching appointment may also be variable; my appointment is 25%, but could flex depending on department needs and research funding. | |
85 | 4/10/24 21:36 | Where do you actually *really* want to be? | 4/19/24 11:44 | Consider it a little poll. A) Northeast (all) x5 B) Northeast (exurb/rural) x1! C) Northeast (city) x1 D) Midatlantic (all) E) Midatlantic (e/r) F) Midatlantic (c) x 4. G) Southeast all H) Southeast (e/r) I) Southeast (c) J) South all x1 K) South (e/r) x1 L) South (c) x1 M) Middle west (all) N) Midwest (e/r) x2 O) Midwest (c) x4 P) Southwest (all) x1 Q) Southwest (e/r) R) Southwest (c) S) West (all) x8 T) West (e/r) x2 U) West (c) x1 V) Northwest (all) x2 W) Northwest (e/r) x1 X) Northwest (c) x2 Y) No Preference Z) Outside US x5 ZA) Canada x6 ZB) EU ZC) Add others 1) What's the (e/r) notation mean? 2) I'm guessing "exurban/rural". And "c" indicates "city". Based on the first region. 3) Can we have a category for 'preferences not captured by geographic location?' or is that 'no preference'? 4) Also am I limited to one choice? "No preference" isn't correct for me, but there are many of these locations I would be equally happy to live in. 5) Santa Barbara or bust, baby! x2 6) I want to be in a city, not super picky beyond that, as long as it's not a state that's meddling in higher ed. x2 7) Anything but the dreary northeast/midatlantic. 8) I feel like the West should be devited into west coast and intermountain west. x2 8) is somewhere I can afford a house on a prof salary a valid option? 9) "outside US" is, uh, rather broad, but I would love to stay in the specific non-US city where I am. that said, I've just accepted a job in another (also great) city in the same country and I'll just hope I can come back to visit often! 9) Florida. 10) Anywhere but Florida 11) No F no TX, and would prefer not AL,MS,LA,AR. 11) San Diego for me, and I also want faculty salaries to be twice as much as what is currently. x2 12) EU/Canada/Australia > blue states >= Midwest swing states >= other swing states > red states > my authoritarian home country >= Florida (other places not listed due to insufficient knowledge and/or feasibility of getting a job there) 13) Data on application numbers suggest that "Pacific Northwest" should win this poll: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ 14) Continental Europe. Preferably Switzerland, or somewhere else that's beautiful, safe, clean, and profs make bank. 15) Scotland, Japan, Netherlands, Vermont, maybe Iceland or New Zealand... 16) Unpopular opinion - Texas has its flaws, but it's kind of awesome. AMAZING food. Some very cool cities. Hill Country. I've lived in both Florida and Texas and I do not equate the two - I'd take Texas any day. I was hoping to get a job there this round and I thought I had it locked up! alas, nope. x2 17) gonna agree with 16 – as long as you don't talk politics, I'd take Texas over e.g. Seattle any day. 18) Unpopular opinion #2. Florida has its flaws, but is kind of awesome too. I mean, the wildlife is out of this world (just for one thing) -- and if you like Hispanic culture, language, & food, Miami/south Florida is amazing. Almost everyone I know who has a permanent position there seems super happy. (Yeah, they complain -- but, really, who doesn't?) I'm faculty & have kind of given up on getting a job down there (after multiple attempts -- evidently, some people are willing to work there), but still hope to at least winter in Florida when I retire, assuming it's still above sea level by then. 19) I'm in NZ and trying to escape, the universities and research funding here are FUBAR. 20) agree with 17 and 18, I will take to live in low cost metropolitan areas in Texas or Florida over high cost places like Boston or Toronto. The wage-live cost ratio is more suffercating than politics for me. 21) Upstate NY is great! Friendly people, very reasonable cost of living, relatively close to cities and lots of great outdoor stuff... 22) I often think that the US state-level generalizations are a bit odd, since the experience is going to be so different between individual counties, towns, and cities within each state. Like, living in Portland OR is going to be different from rural eastern OR which is going to be different than Corvallis OR. Same with New Orleans vs. Baton Rouge vs. Dupont LA. In my experience, the horror of red states from people born & raised in blue states is often quite overblown. (And look at an election map of a red state - there are going to be blue areas, usually centered around cities and larger towns; and in any blue state there are going to be red areas, usually everywhere outside of the cities/larger towns.) A lot of cities and towns within red states are quite progressive politically. Plenty of areas in southern states have a lot of racial diversity, while there are plenty of cities/towns in blue states that are very white (compare Durham NC with Boulder CO, for example) - not a dig at the latter, just an observation that people looking for areas with non-white cultural communities can find that within plenty of red/purple-state areas but wouldn't find it in plenty of blue-state areas. I agree that the impact of red state governments is a major problem - access to HRT and abortion come to mind as key issues. At the same time, I'm a gay woman born and raised in a red state and I've had people from blue states act as though I must have experienced non-stop homophobia there and it's like.... no I lived in a town with rainbow flags everywhere and rainbow crosswalks on the street and we had a thriving queer community. I've also lived in other (rural) places in my state that were not like that. Anyways, just my long-winded thoughts to say that the assumption that crossing the border between a red and blue state represents some huge change in what you'll experience is strange to me because it just does not mesh with my experience. 20) totally agree with 22! My personal experience of living in a blue city in a red state had been fantastic. I got the benefit of living in a culturally and racially diverse city while also enjoying the relatively low cost of living. 23) Agree with a lot of your perspective 22, but for me and I think a lot of people with these preferences there is also the layer of distance to family/friends. I would pretty happily live in one of those red states even if it wasn't my top preference if it didn't also mean living a long flight from all of my family. 24) Honestly surprised that there is so little love for the midatlantic... 25) I grew up in New England and had actually never heard of the Midatlantic until I had a job in PA this year! I would probably have called New York and PA the Northeast. I was always confused about what DC was. I think I would have categorized Maryland as the South if I had to say something. | |
86 | 4/10/24 8:20 | typical yearly credits for 50% teaching | 4/11/24 10:12 | Any perspectives on what constitutes a typical number of credit hours taught during a year for a TT faculty on 50% teaching appointment? I'm sure it varies by institution somewhat, but numbers you know and their context would be really appreciated! 1) To me it seems like this would often translate to 2:2 teaching loads (or 6 contact hours per semester). We don't express teaching as a percentage of appointments here, but 4:4 certainly is 100% 2) While that is true in terms of your actual time, lots of places that teach 3:3 or higher still list their contracts as 50:50 teaching research (or with a bit of service). It is so institution specific that I'm not sure a general answer is possible. 3) Technically our load is like 4 classes per semester. This is the max they can assign if you do no research and no service-- usually a punishment on the way to firing people. So our teaching counts as 1 course, supervising grads is a course or two, research is a course equivalent, and service is a course equivalent. Try not to confuse an HR math game with the actual duties for the job. Ask questions and try to get clear answers so you don't apply for the wrong job or bail on a good job. 4) We are considered 60% teaching and 40% reasearch+service and have a 3:3 in my department, however, other departments in my same college are also considered 60% and they have a 3:4 and still others are 4:4 (long term goal is to get everyone to 3:3) so it varies by university, by collge, and by department. 5) We are 50:40:10 (research, teaching, service) and technically are a 2:2. But grad student supervision and research course enrollment counts, so functionally we're a 1:1 6) We're 40:40:20 and your 40% teaching is usually coordinating one course (not necessarily teaching 100% of it), teaching a few weeks in a second course (team teaching), and a grad student seminar. Grad student supervision counts as research time, not teaching. 7) Had a 100% teaching job once - no research or mentoring and very little service and that was 18 contact hours per semester - I think 4 courses, one or two with labs. Even with a high teaching load this was the easiest (ie lowest time investment) job I ever had. | |
87 | 4/10/24 3:08 | Outing yourself in open / transparent manuscript review | 4/23/24 12:17 | How many people, while on the job market, will attach their name (either through the journal's mechanism or signed in the comments) to paper reviews? I can't tell if the benefit of visibility (if any) is greater than the risk of harming relationships. Even if I generally like a paper but have criticisms I don't want people to remember those when they're reviewing my job materials later. 1) I don't think it is a good idea to sign reviews. I don't think there is any benefit in terms of visibility. There is certainly risk, in that even if you write a positive but critical review but the editor rejects the paper, the author now assosciates you with that rejection. It can also have the potential to be interpreted in the context of a quid pro quo if you write a glowing review, even if you dont mean it that way. Many other scenarios could play out as well. You fail to catch a major flaw that another reviewer does catch, and now your name is assosciated with a lack of rigour by the authors. Despite what twitter says, I think it is generally good for science that peer review stays anonymous, and I think many or most probably agree on that. I think it does make sense to sign a review in some limited cases, for example if the paper is building on a method you yourself developed or something like that. x2 2) I have 60+ papers and I've been an associate editor at a journal for 6 years now. I regularly use Open Science Framework. I have never seen a compelling (or even remotely good) reason to sign a review.or to have open peer-review, including publishing reviews anonymously alongside the final articles.The promulgation and promotion of garbage pre-prints and fictional papers in predatory journals during the pandemic should be more than enough to put this idea to rest permanently. 3) The only time I've had a reviewer sign was when they rejected my ms, but put a literal fuck-ton of effort into the review (not nitpicky stuff, genuine intellectual work) and wanted to get on the author list of a revised version. Other than this very rare situation, I see no reason to ever sign a review. 2) @ 3 - icky. x2 (4) I reviewed a paper that plagiarized from one of mine word for word in places. I signed the review since I figured they would assume it was me anyways and I believe they suggested me as a reviewer. No one else except the author themselves would recognize the wording, structure, etc. when just reviewing a manuscript 3) @2 it wasn't as icky as it sounds since the problems they found (and solved) were genuine and it didn't feel like a coercive power-play. On the other hand, your experience sounds super icky, but I don't see the need to sign the review. That seems like a 'write the editor about it' situation to me. 4) As an editor at more than one journal, no reviewer should EVER be trying to get added to your author list for any reason. That is a misuse of their reviewer position. They are supposed to evaluate the quality of the work and create a list of queries to answer and/or revise. They are not supposed to repeat the work or start a new manuscript on your data during their review. That is a massive ethics violation. You could report it to their institutional RIO as well as the EIC and AEs for the journal. I have only seen that happen once that I know of and the person who did it is widely known to be an ahole. 3) I mean, there's a contigent that thinks analyses should be redone by reviewers though. In the end it was a weird situation where I would have felt uncomforatble submitting the revised ms without this person since they wrote new code/models for the review that ended up going in the final paper. I agree that coercing authorship is a huge no-no, but this was a special case and not that. 5) If you must do it, be consistent and sign every review, rather than only the positive ones. 6) I had a couple times where a reviewer wanted us to use some significantly different and potentially complicated statistical approach and signed indicating that they were open to being contacted for questions. I took one of them up on it and it was really helpful to be able to go back and forth with them about it before resubmitting. I've signed a couple of times when I was commenting significantly on mis-citing my own papers or adding in suggestions about papers I wrote. I hate when anonymous reviewers recommend citing several papers that all seem to be written by themselves (has happened many times), and anonymity is probably lost or assumed lost in that case anyway. I agree that there isn't a good argument for it as a general practice. OP) What about journals with "transparent review" policies that encourage but don't require reviewers to sign their names, to be revealed upon publication with the reviews (e.g. ProcB)? 2) @ OP terrible idea, zero benefit to the authors or the reviewers. Every single paper has some aspect that a reader would want to see changed or redone - this casts doubt on the reviewer as well as the content creator. In the extreme cases, if a paper gets retracted - whether for topic or for some tricky data manipulation or whatever - it'll black-mark the reviewer just as much as the author(s). 7) I always sign my reviews, mostly with the idea that authors could reach out to me if they need anything cleared up. I think the stakes either way are much lower than people imagine. x2 8) i've known it to happen in cases where the reviewer was like "hey this is good stuff but you guys are misunderstanding something about your results that i happen to be an expert in. its a lot to describe here, we should talk" That seems fine. 9) LOL at the above comment, authors = "content creators". I guess that makes big shot profs the "influencers". What a time to be alive | |
88 | 4/9/24 12:46 | Withdrawn applications in ANON quals | 4/10/24 13:22 | OP) After I accepted an offer I wanted, I withdrew an application from a University that had already invited me for an in-person interview. I couldn't find a mechanism to report that on ANON quals. If a lot of people withdraw applications after accepting offers, that could affect our estimates of offer rates 1) I don't think this matters for estimates of offer rates. Sounds like something you could just list in the "Discussion" column. 2) I buy multiple lottery tickets, I got one winning ticket, i threw the rest out, this increased my record of getting a winning lottery ticket. 3) The payout is dependent on # tickets in hand, so that's not the best analogy. Write in the comments of the position you accepted that you turned down offers and maybe give us the highest pricetag startup for comparison. 4) I sense a Monty Hall problem set coming for the job board! You open one door and get a TT job you don't like, do you want to switch to open one of the other doors or leave them shut forever? 5) I opened my door and found a komodo dragon. Do I want to keep opening doors on the chance of getting a pony? Or accept my awesome Slytherin pet and embrace my research future while I have it? Note this door may close within 5 weeks of opening and there's no guarantee on when or if another one opens. | |
89 | 4/9/24 11:14 | Negotiating as a teaching assistant professor | 4/10/24 9:34 | I got an offer for a position at a UC as a teaching assistant professor. Could I negotiate a position for my spouse? He is currently in a tenure-track assistant professor position. I was told that teaching assistant professor can't negotiate spousal hires and was wondering if this is true at all? 1) It's definitely worth an ask. Generally speaking, it's easier to get spousal hires for people who are already on the TT 2) We've had no luck on or off of TT with offers for TT jobs, but you have to ask! Our reception has varied from an immediate 'no' to a few days of looking into options with nothing materializating. 3) I know a lecturer (teaching position; person coordinates intro bio labs) who leveraged the offer to get a TT spousal hire for their partner...so you never know. I think it depends on the university. 4) I know of someone who was hired as a teaching professor at a UC and they were in the middle of negotiating a spousal hire, but another professor ended up getting the job. I don't think asking for the spousal hire is what led to another person getting the job, but it sounded like the original person's parter wasn't getting a very good offer as the spousal hire. 5) sorry, what's a UC in this context? I don't see it referred to elsewhere 6) I assume University of California 7) I know of someone hired in a teaching track position at a reserach uni who negotiated a soft money position for a spouse who was more reserach focused. It can't hurt to ask. there is a good thread in this page on negotiating a spousal hire you can search for. | |
90 | 4/9/24 7:51 | Caring for elderly while postdocing | 4/18/24 5:46 | Reaching out to this community and welcome your advice, experience, and wisdom. I have an elderly parent whose cognitive health has been declining over the past year. Preliminary testing suggests early-to-moderate onset of dementia. A year prior I began my postdoctoral fellowship, and the living arrangement allows me to live with my elderly parent while advancing in my career. The latest health developments have been incredibly taxing on the whole family unit, to say the least. The journey as a postdoc has become difficult, but not impossible. I try my best to protect my time to write/revise papers, write a grant, mentor students, learn new computation skills, attend seminars – but the episodes of taking care of my parent are sporadic and unpredictable. Perhaps this post resonates strongly with parents of newborns and toddlers navigating their way. Perhaps there are folks, postdocing or well on the tenure-track who understand where I’m coming from and wrestle with caring for an elderly parent. Getting on the tenure-track is highly competitive. My parent has been one of my biggest rooters and supporters throughout this journey. Paradoxically, my parent has found themself in a situation that requires my support – and it is not their intention to hinder my career progress. But I am human, and I care for this person deeply. Any advice you have or motivational words you can share are greatly appreciated. 1) Sorry to hear of your parent's health condition. This is not practical advice, but just context, that many (but not all) of the people you are competing against also have care responsibilities they are trying to fulfill as well. I have a friend who took a full month of leave last year to care for a parent. She got a job. Good luck to you. 2) There are a lot of things to take into account for you and this is going to be a personal decision, you're going to get examples of poeple who took time off to be a caregiver and those who chose not to or were allowed not to due to their support network, and in both groups you'll find people who regretted their decision and others who were happy with it. Whatever choice you make, you are bound to question whether its the right choice. Having been in a somewhat similar situation during grad school and postdoc, I understand the desire to be the caregiver being somewhat at odds with the desire to progress in your career. Focusing on what is best for you, both you today and you down the road, is all the advice I feel qualified to give, but I also sympathize with how hard that is to figure out. 3) First, OP, so sorry this is happening to your family. I was in a caregiver position for a family member in undergrad (also living with them, also my biggest supporter), but their condition although severe, was not degenerative. They got better-ish coincident with the time to apply to grad school, so I was able to go abroad and they have maintained their health to the level that is possible with this condition (knock wood). I almost never mention this. This is to say, more people may be sympathetic than you know. Hugs and sympathy. 4) OP (1) here: Thanks to everyone for your caring advice. I received advice that I should disclose this in my job apps, but I'm not sure or comfortable with disclosing this information. I understand the logic - by letting the search know, they understand how your research productivity was impacted. But at the same time, it could (however unconsciously) deter a search committee from inviting you because you're not appearing fully dedicated to the job description. This post is now burried, but if anyone has advice I'm appreciative. 5) Have a trusted and thoughtful letter writer address this in their letter. They can leave out details but contextualize things somewhat. Many faculty are in this position themselves so it will likely be legible to them. (BTW, this is a big and good reason for letters up front) | |
91 | 4/8/24 9:01 | teaching preps in first semester | 4/9/24 21:01 | I am negotiating a 50/50 research / teaching position and trying to figure out how to arrange course preps. These will be all-new courses, essentially. It looks like I can get 1 teaching release in the first year. Is there a clear advantage to teaching 1 course both of my first semesters, or lumping two courses into the second semester? I'm a little nervous about the prospect of teaching a course starting in...September! having had no on-the-job time at all to prepare for it in advance of the first week. Is this really what universities expect? 2) "All-new" = totally new, or just new to you? i.e. can you get materials from previous instructors? What kind of classes? Is it something you're an expert at, or will you have to figure things out as you go? OP) both new and new to me; it seems these courses have been taught but were developed so long ago, with now-outdated teaching modalities, that it would be simpler to just start from scratch. Intro courses (that I haven't taken in a long time). 3) As someone who's gone through that process, I would say you want to prep the course as you will want to teach it going forward. If you use the outdated materials your first time, you'll still have to spend a lot of time getting a handle on them, figuring out what you want to say, etc., and then it'll be just as time-consuming to revamp the course next year. You'll save time in the long run going ahead and redesigning the course your way. As for time, you certainly don't have to have everything prepped before the semester starts, but depending on how long lecture prep takes you (usually longer if a broader intro course you need to brush up on), you might have to just accept doing some of the prep work before you're officially on the clock. Which sucks. OP) @3 thanks and right, I'm not debating teaching the class first with the old materials. I'm trying to decide if I should teach 0:2 or 1:1 my first year. 4) You know yourself best, but teaching prep for a new course will take all the time you give it, and it's hard enough doing one class at a time. I prefer one new prep a semester -- you learn some general teaching/syllabus strategies in each course that help with the next course but you only have one new set of content to preparing or assignments to be scaffolding, etc. Getting it ready to start by January instead of September is not dramatically different because you're going to otherwise spend that first semester trying to settle into your lab and get adjusted, not necessarily prepping two courses. I'd just start with one and rip the band-aid off. The second will be easier. But none of them are truly easy until you start repeating the courses. 5) I'll make the case for lumping by doing the 0:2. I was once told that teaching will eat up as much time as you let it, and I have found that to be true. By doing both new preps at once, you'll force yourself to limit the amount of time spent on each. On the flip side, having that full semester to devote to research, writing, setting up a lab, etc. will be immensely valuable to you. Especially during that first semester of teaching, it's really tough to flip the switch from thinking about lecturing or grading to thinking about challenging research tasks. x4 6) I have to say, as someone who's been listening to two newly-hired VAP friends vent about the ungodly workload of prepping courses for the first time (even if you have access to decent materials) and the mistakes you inevitably make teaching any course for the first time, it really emphasizes the stupidity and short-sightedness of how universities have come to rely so much on temporary, contingent teaching faculty. 7) To add my 2 cents, I'd rather do this one course per semester, personally - two at once, from scratch, would just be too much and would serious interfere with your ability to do anything else all semester. There's an upper limit on PowerPoint. 8) I'd also prefer to do one course per semester. For one thing, I know myself and I would not be efficient at getting anything ready months in advance. I'm curious what you mean by "outdated modalities"... lectures? Everyone has a different style, but for me it is a good way to start a new course. Basica traditional lectures and you can throw in various activities that might vary from week to week. Accept that the first time around won't be perfect and reflect as you go along and at the end. It will make the 2nd time around way easier. 8) Do you expect to have access to research materials and equipment the first semester? If not, it might be good to do both the first semester and use that semester for ordering, organizing, planning, and teaching and then have the second semester open for reseach when you hopefully have equipment in place. 9) Since you're still in the negotating stage, if you want to go for 1:1, try to see if you can start 2-3 weeks earlier so you have more time to actually prep before the semester starts (especially since, in my experience, that first week would otherwise be filled with new faculty orientations and trainings...) OP) great advice, thanks everyone! | |
92 | 4/7/24 14:45 | Old-Non Functioning Equipment | 4/8/24 5:41 | What is the most tactful way to respond after being offered old and/or possibly non-functioning equipment, in leui of including it in a start up? 1) Is there any way to get more information about how it actually performs? You could talk about the needs you see for your research in terms of capacity, reliability, maintenance costs, and any other concerns you'd have about starting out with that older equipment. Also, a general piece of advice I got about start-ups requests was that 'the nuts and bolts can only hurt you'. If you say you need a -80 freezer, they'll find the ancient one in the retiring PI's lab and offer you that. Only specify what you really need to specify 2) Ask for a guarantee of replacement if it breaks within 5 years. They may benefit from spreading the costs across years, but you would still get new equivalent. I was handed centrifuges and PCR machines that were used. They work fine 7 years later. Be careful with incubators since temp fluctuations can hurt experiments in serious ways. 3) Explain that you'd want to put a warranty on any major piece of equipment, and old units cannot be warrantied. The cost of servicing these can quickly approach the initial cost with few exceptions. | |
93 | 4/6/24 3:57 | “Retirement” age for grants? | 4/19/24 18:28 | OP) I just learned that a 79 year old was awarded a major 5-year national grant. Should there be a maximum eligibility limit, for example associated with retirement (or transition to emeritus)? 1) There are. Over a certain age, (very) senior PIs need a co-PI that is more likely to survive the grants duration. 2) I guess if you can still be president you can still hold an NIH grant. OP) @1 that's an interesting approach. In the case that spurred this post, the grant is strictly to support a single PI's research program rather than a project and neither co-PIs or transfer of PI is possible.3) Probably an R35? But we shouldnt be ageist about the age when someone gets a grant. Someone may start their first tenure track position at 50. There shouldnt be a number when someone is eligible for something or not. OP) I don't disagree with you @ 3. Society imposes maximum retirement ages though and I'm reacting to the apparent disconnect between enforcing a retirement age for faculty positions but not grants. I'm not saying don't let emeritus professors do research or even get grants, but it seems odd to bestow the responsibility of large long-term grants to individuals no longer employed as faculty. Don't individuals with such a large workload responsibility deserve to be paid? Maybe I don't understand professors emeriti. 4) There is no mandatory retirement age in the US - right or wrong, it is illegal. 5) And there should also not be a "maximum age" when one can start a tenure track position! x 3 6) I get the knee-jerk "WTF" but after correcting for age/experience/CV length, merit should be what we all want - not identity criteria. 7) You are talking about age discrimination. So long as people are productive, they can get valuable work done. 8) @ 5 - absolutely but it might be useful to have a minimum age, like for the US presidency. 35 and up. OP) Thanks everyone, coming from a non-US system I didn't know about the lack of mandatory retirement age and was confused how someone could be given the responsibility of a grant when they no longer held a faculty position. The example was also not in a US context FYI, but the same applies I think. 9) I guess its controversial here, but I personally think we should NOT be awarding single PI grants for folks over 70 (or lower?). I really don't care if that makes me ageist. We have a problem in academia where older scientists don't/won't make room for the newer generation when funds are limited. Older scientists can still be key contributors to new and exciting research without sucking $100ks away from ECRs and career vulnerable folks. x3 10) to piggy-back off @9 ....if you are 79 years old, how does being a solo PI or lead PI even matter to you or your career? Wouldn't being a co-PI allow them to do the same contribution to the science without like...taking valued funds from the government. 11) I vote no age discrimination. Quality of applicant and proposed project. 9) @11 can you articulate better why? If a 79 year old is a truly amazing scientist, could they not contribute to a grant just as effectively if they were a co-PI or as critical staff? Awarding major grants to these folks does nothing for their careers at that stage, but could majorly boost another qualified scientist. Either way, the 79 year old could contribute to good science. Is this not a better outcome for using our limited science funding overall? 11) Well I understand we are very interested in advancing our careers, but I don't think that grant regulations necessarily need to be decided based on that. The purpose of grants is simply to get good research done. If an older person's proposal is the best one, then I think they should get the grant. And sure, maybe it wouldn't be hurting the quality of the older person's research, but obviously if older people are applying to grants as a PI its because they want to be the PI. I guess just on principle I don't think that we should ever limit opportunities for people based on their age. I'm simply opposed to the idea of age discrimination uniformly regardless of how much it negatively impacts people. And perhaps the people who would be impacted by the discrimination might experience negative impacts that we can't predict right now or that we aren't thinking of because we are not the people who would be impacted and have different experiences than that demographic. (I'm not opposed to programs that are specifically for a specific demographic. Like, if there's a specific grant program for early-career researchers or grad students or postdocs or whoever, that seems fine) 12) Forced retirement should aboslutely be a thing. Old timers often hold science back, not because they hog the grants or are too old to do science, but because they tend to cling to outdated paradigms and impose them through the power they accumulate over their careers. Fresh blood = fresh ideas. Turnover helps science move forward. 13) @ 12 not really. The problem with pushing higher turnover is that we get more repetitions of published results - I see this as related to the "don't cite papers more than 10 years old" BS. For example, one person I'm aware of with that attitude published a paper showing that fish demonstrate fright responses to avian predator shadows or silhouttes - problem being, that was never an unsettled question and dozens of other papers they did not cite and had never bothered searching for showed the same results. But theirs was the most recent, therefore the best. 14) @12, if that was true of all "old timers," we wouldn't have to worry about them getting competitive grants. 12) @13 I don't see how letting peole run labs into their 70s/80s reduces that issue. There's too much science for anyone to read everything! I also don't really see repeating experiments as a major problem, a bit lame that your example didn't cite relevant papers, but replication is a fundamental part of the scientific process! @14 the old timers I'm talking about are the ones reviewing grants, papers, and job applications. My issue isn't whether or not they get funding, it's how long they have power over the system. We should cut them off at some point and let others take the wheel. 9) I fundamentally only care if they are getting funding. older researchers can be great scientists and contribute a lot. But grants are career-makers and a 79 year old already has a career. They don't need 1/2 a million 15) @9 by that logic no one with tenure should get grants... 9) People with tenure absolutely still have plenty of room for career growth (promotion) and can have longevity and freedom to do big things with big grants. They might have 20+ years of advising and prime PI work to do--thats the best time to fund. Look me straight in the eye and tell me a 79 year old has meaningful use of such a career boost. Again, this isn't about capability at that age, but future career longevity and looking to the future. I think its obvious to most that funding a 50 year old with a large lab, students, etc. is a much more valuable science asset to fund than the 79 year old who could attach themselves to projects and provide expertise anyway.16) i dont care a whit about a 79 year old who is still active! thats great and im 100% against age discrimination. bad juju. i care about ANYONE of ANY age who sits on their butt after getting tenure and takes up space that could be given to another, more active employee--old or young. I also object to the idea that grants should be used to boost careers of people who already got the ultimate boost many of us will never get: TT and tenure. Frants should be used to do goid science and train trainees. 17) Quite separate from the general "Actually discrimination is good when it benefits me/hurts someone I don't like or care about" that pervades this thread and this board in general, the idea that "grants further MY career" as opposed to "grants facilitate the generation of knowledge is a pretty concrete indicator of how twisted the academic hiring process is and how much brain damage it's caused to so many people. | |
94 | 4/5/24 10:29 | Negotiating for a lecturer position | 4/8/24 16:02 | OP) I am negotiating a lecturer position, and I was wondering what kinds of things I should be negotiating. I have a verbal offer for a reduced teaching load and reduced service in the first semester (this position has service and teaching requirements). I am asking for moving expenses but what else should I be considering? 1) Maybe a bit of startup? I'm negotiating for a lecturer position right now that offered a little bit of startup funding for office/teaching supplies and conference/workshop travel. 2) Budget for new office furniture/computer/office remodelling (if needed). You want your office to be comfortable for work. You may not have an opportunity to do that after you start. 3) Funds for professional development and conferences. 4) Seconding 2 and 3 - I've seen some lecturer positions offer a bit of startup (10k or so) for these purposes. 5) Get your office and location in writing. I've been stuck in shared offices or an office across campus from the home department where you never see anyone to interact with. 6) Maybe you don't need to frame it as startup, but you should ask for a few thousand of "professional development" funds each year, that you can use for a conference, teaching workshop, computer, etc. 7) I negoatiated a guaranteed summer course in my first two years 8)Is this "lecturer" in the US sense or UK/Aus sense? 8) Agree with office equipment and travel for conferences. Also any "teaching equipment or supplies" that you may use in your courses. OP) thank you everyone, this is super helpful! Please keep the suggestions coming. @8 This is a US lecturer position. 3 again) You could also ask about the number of new course preps to be limited, so you aren't constantly developing new courses to teach. 9) Yeah, getting them to commit you to one or two courses for your first couple years would be good, if possible 10) Agree that limits on new course preps is a good thing to ask for. BUt 1-2 over the first couple years might be unreasonably low (unless this is heavy on lab sections). Maybe 3-4 instead of 5-6 (I'm basing this on what I see lecturers doing at my institution). 11) I agree about professional development funds (that way you don't have to appeal to the department head everytime) and would also suggest at least a few weeks of summer salary ahead of the first year so you actually have time to prep your courses / deal with onboarding / go through trainings before the semester started | |
95 | 4/5/24 8:33 | Culture shock for kids? | 4/10/24 11:12 | Very curious to hear what this is about? OP) for people who had postdocs in cities with kids, does anyone have experiences about what transitions to a rural/semirural permanent post was like? (1) about to move my little kids from Europe to my home state in the Deep South. I'm nervous... 2) My parents moved a lot when I was a kid (though not nearly as much as I have as an ECR). It sucks for the kid(s) and they will hate you for a bit, but they'll adjust after a few years. The real downside is, even after the adjustment, depending on age, your kids won't have close, lifelong childhood friends. 3) I'd counter and say it's what you make it out to be. My sibs and I moved frequently as kids. The easiest ones were always when my parents were happy (or at least didn't continuously talk down about the place we were living). Culture shock was real when we moved to the Deep South for the first time, but I made friends. I have close friends from my childhood all over the US from the various places I lived (and most of my moves were pre-internet), as my parents always made it a priority for us to stay in touch with a few close friends from each city. I think it made me a more adaptable adult. 4) I don't know about the city to rural specifically, but I've been forced to move my kids twice already and still not in a permanent job so we are looking at one more move at some point. It has been harder each time and I know that at ages now (middle school) it is going to be really painful if/when we move again. Plus they are aware of the uncertainty now and it just makes it so hard to feel fully connected to the local area. I hate it. If it were just me or me and partner I wouldn't care much about moving, but having to do this with my kids has been the hardest part of trying to make this career in academia work and of course it isn't really something I was considering back when I started grad school. 5) This is one reason I don't want a kid. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if they're having miserable childhood because I move around a lot, or I end up having to take them to my increasingly authoritarian home country. 6) My mother already complains that she can't understand her grandchildren's accent after we moved abroad. 7) @3 thanks so much for sharing your experience. I have tried to maintain a connection with parents of close friends my kid had in the places where we have lived. We visit each other every now and then. I think it is also an opportunity to talk to kids about friendship, attachment and how people change through time. I am also grateful that you mention it is easier if parents are not talking down about the place we are living in. I’ve made this mistake, but I will try to avoid doing it in our next move. 8) Kids are wonderfully resilient. Moved with kids to Asia and they thrived. Obviously all kids are different and there are things that will be tough, but they will make friends and settle probably more quickly than the adults. That said, moves are easier when kids are younger - we knew people who moved with middle and high school kids and they were doing fine, but uprooting a kid at that age is more challenging. 3) not sure if I'm doing this right but it's 3 again. We moved lots; I attended 3 elementary schools and 3 middle schools. When moving, I'd also say that school fit can be super important for the kids. We moved when I was in 8th grade (Oct). The first school that year wasn't a good fit for me, but my parents decided to try another school after winter holidays that was a much better fit both academically and socially. I'm glad they didn't make me "tough it out" and looked for solutions. 9) Unfortunately 3 that isn't really an option in many rural places where smaller colleges are (as I've found out). That seems relevant for OPs question too, since options for neighborhoods, housing, schools etc are going to be much more limited than if you are moving from a city or big college town. 10) I moved around a lot as a kid, I never liked the lead up to the move, and then it was always fine. I have lifelong friends going back as far as when I was in my second (of 3) elementary schools. As an adult, I have a pretty easy time making new friends and I think that moving around as a kid had a positive effect on that. | |
96 | 4/5/24 5:45 | Low salary AND low startup? | 4/10/24 6:56 | OP) I've been offered a TT position at a small PUI university, but it is far from ideal, then again, so is my situation. My postdoc funding runs out next december (about 9 months from now), before I'd have the chance to hear back from more faculty positions. This position would have me at a 3:3 teaching load (or 2:3 with courses that have labs) and I would have to start teaching immediately in August. No reduced teaching load for the first semester like so many places seem to offer. The university itself is nice, but they are offering a "modest" startup of 5K, and the salary is just 63K over 9 months, 72K after full professor, no other increases. I've asked how negotiable those numbers are and basically got an answer that there is no wiggle room. I'm conflicted over whether my entire family should pick up and move for a job where my research career would likely end as they don't have any kind of granting office, and this position is a 10K pay cut over my current postdoc salary. At the same time, I am so tired of the instability of being a postdoc and being on soft money. The city itself and the school are nice, and a little cheaper than where we are now, but not enough to offset the paycut. There is one more job I am hoping to get an interview for in a couple weeks, but I'll need to give this PUI my answer before then. Is giving up research and taking a paycut worth the stability? Is it worth saying "yes" for now, even if I'd happily go for this other job in a few weeks if an offer was made? What would you do in my position? 1) no one can answer that besides you unfortunately. I had a similar pathetic offer that I chose to accept for two main reasons, first one being stability like you mention, second one being that it was where I wanted to be geographically (1 hour away from where I grew up), so it was just too much right for me to turn it down. I teach similar loads to that (2:2), salary is that ballpark, and my startup was $5k. Having no grants office is weird and that would be a flag for me, we have one. I am now in year two and have two externally funded grants for my research, so it is possible to teach and continue research!! at least with a grants office. 2) take the job and keep your eyes peeled for better opportunities. Jobs don't have to be forever - in fact, it is normal to move around, even in academia. x2 3) Definitely take it and don't feel bad about it if that is the right decision. It can be hard to move though especially from a job with high teaching load and low research support/time. 4) If you take the job, look into opportunities to work with people at bigger institutions. NSF has funds for things like that (and maybe they get administered through the other instituion's grant office). Who knows, maybe you get a courtesy appointment there and things take off for you. There are some options to look into. Best of luck to you. 5) the only thing this brings up for me is that you have a family. If your partner would need to find a new job in this location (and at that salary it sounds like they would), could they easily? Alternatively, if you had a several month funding gap in your current location, could your family make it work? No one here envies your choice. Hope you can make peace with your decision whatever it may be. If you are fairly convinced you'll move, you might be able to get a short term spring adjunct to fill some of the financial gap. At 5k can you do any of your work? 6) I turned down a similar position (low salary, meh location, NO start-up, and high teaching load), but I had funding for a full year so had the luxury to keep looking a bit, I am about to sign an offer for a less than ideal position (no research, only teaching) but it is in the prefect location, where I know my partner can get a job, and we'll be close to family (also I have no funding lined up for the fall, so need something considering living on one salary with kids is not possible anymore). All that is just to give you insight into factors that informed my decision. 7) Doing research at that type of school is difficult but not impossible. This is what the NSF BRC is for. I wouldn't overly fret about not having a grants office - most grants offices at PUIs aren't very helpful anyways. If you get help from program officers and colleagues I'm sure you'll be able to submit proposals. It'll be a challenge with your teaching load but if you are motivated you can do it, and if you get funding you'll have an easier time leaving for a position that suits you better (if that's what you want). 8) Very similar sounding to my PUI job. That salary is pretty comfortable here (although admittedly the housing market is rougher than it was). You might have to recalibrate what you want to do for research, but no reason to give it up. I can't realistically be the PI of really large grants, but I don't want to be either. You can take it and use it as a stepping stone as others say. 9) Whats the cost of living? I stupidly took a similar job offer (55k/5k) in a mid-high CoL area years ago and had to leave after a year. My plan was to try and hit a proposal for Summer Salary but once the 3:3 load hit I knew that wasn't possible. If the salary is good for the CoL of the area and research expectations are the bare minimum (maybe one small paper every 2-3 years) then I'd say thats "normal" for the type of College as long as you dont mind teaching. Most people in that Department had spouses with proper positions for the area. OP) Hey all, I just wanted to say thank you for the kind words and supportive advice. At this point, with the advice of my PhD/postdoc mentors, I've decided to reject the offer. The paycut, lack of research support (no lab spaces for faculty, no core facilities, no grants office), and no prospect of raises over time made me realize this wouldn't be a smart long-term move and I really don't want to move somewhere just to apply to more faculty positions. Here's to hoping next year's faculty applications will be a bit more fruitful, if not, I think that will be the sign that I need to look outside of academia. 10) Good luck OP. Sounds like the right decision. x2 OP) Thanks all, this is the most supportive Google Sheets I've ever been a part of, haha <3 | |
97 | 4/4/24 9:00 | I'm starting a new TT job with a 9-month salary | 4/4/24 15:43 | Op) should I spread my 9 month salary over 12 months? Will that affect my taxes or my ability to get summer salary from grants? 2) Yes to the 1st, no to the 2nd x2 3) If you have the option, it's up to you. Mine is spread over the year by default. And any summer salary feels like a bonus. Total taxes owed are not affected. It could change the witholding rate though. 4) It's mostly a "six of one, half-dozen of the other" situation. Pro: stable monthly paycheck, con: you're giving the university a little bit of an interest-free loan every year while they hold back your salary. 5) Also check to see if there's a difference in timing of the first pay check. At my institution, if you select the 12-month option your first pay check is delayed a month. That, combined with many free high yield savings accounts now offering 5% interest, made me select the 9-month option. 6) If anyone looking at VAP positions is reading this subject, extra benefits of 12 month is continued health insurance and continued access to email if there is potential to stay on the next year. 7) We have no choice at my current institution and we all get paid over 12-months. People are routinely asked to do work in the summer by administrators, when we're not on contract. I think if we were only paid for the period of our contracts (9 monhts) that would stop or it would at least be easier to say no. | |
98 | 4/3/24 19:39 | EcoEvo data on GitHub | 4/5/24 17:58 | OP) Does anyone have that link to the GitHub repository w/ EcoEvo jobs data? It was floating around a while back... 2) `Control` `F` (or 'command' 'F') and 'github' is your friend here: https://github.com/mikeblazanin/ecoevojobsR | |
99 | 4/3/24 4:20 | taking TT job with intention of switching asap vs settle in | 4/9/24 11:31 | I'm very likely about to accept a tenure track job at an R1 university. This is the only offer I've received this year (after 5 in-person interviews) and my funding in my current job won't last through the end of next job cycle. I feel I need to accept the job, but at the same time it's in a risky location for me to spend a lot of time, given other life goals, and I see the resources there as being a challenge to building a successful research program long-term. I've heard people say that it's a good idea to settle in to a TT job ('take it and worse case scenario you move after 5 years!') but I'm dreading the possibility of spending more than a year there. Any advice as to getting right back on the job market while trying to start up a research program? 1) You're going to do whatever you think is best for you ultimately but to everyone else, this a real douchebag move. Move in 5 years? Sure. In the meantime, when the next employer calls your current one, the current one can say that you're dishonest and never really showed up but did cash the paycheques. You're not doing groundbreaking, world-changing research, so it's a gamble whether or not that will offset your poor personal reputation. 2) I would consider the stress and expense of moving somewhere you only plan to stay for a year or so. Staying where you are even if the funding lasts for part of the time left may still be better financially (and probably even emotionally) instead of moving somewhere you know you don't want to be and where you won't have the resources to support your planned work. I would really weigh the life goals heavily in this scenario. OP) fascinated by the difference tone between responses here and responses to 'switching between TT jobs?' post earlier this season. Don't we all have to consider a non-ideal offer in light of the possibility of not getting another offer? 3) I think 2 makes a good point to consider. It is so much work to move and set up in a new place. However, if you need the funding and don't have anything else lined up they offered you the job so you should go and do the best you can. Maybe you'll like it better than you expect, but you don't owe the department more than what the contract says despite 1s opinion. You aren't suggesting skipping out on the job responsibilities while you are being paid. I do think it's really hard to job search in the first 1-2 years of a new TT job just because you are going to be so busy with new teaching and moving etc, but good luck. 4) @1 is not helpful unfortunately. OP, I understand this is a difficult choice (honestly I've tried to avoid this by not applying to jobs where I don't want to go). But are you sure you couldn't end up wanting to stay? If you are 100%, I might suggest declining and hoping for the best going forward. But I understand if you decide otherwise. 5) I'm moving after 2.5 years, but my position is a bit different in that startup isn't typical here in the UK, so it's not like my employer made a huge investment in me. I'm not sure if this was known to the places I applied, but I still managed 4 in-person interviews and 9 Zooms this season, so a decent proportion of places didn't hold it against me that I was looking to move quickly. 6) To echo others - if you are 100% sure you wouldn't want to stay in this position, don't take the offer. Moving and getting settled in a new place/job is exhausting and time consuming. It might be more worth your time to focus on applying for additional funds to stretch your current position for another year, rather than risk moving and being miserable 7) I agree with most - I have no moral problem but it feels impractical. For one year, how would you even plan out your lab? You wouldn't want to invest too much in setup and infrastructure, yet if you don't then you'll be screwed if you don't get a new job after year 1. If you even gave yourself 3 years you could make that investment worthwhile, do some valuable research, and then present your successes when you apply for new jobs. 8) To take OPs side, presumably they would be trying to leave in one year but given the reality of jobs and interviews you would have a fallback of continued funding in case it takes 2-4 years to get a job in a place you like better. Job searching while also needing to put together some kind of funding is so soul crushing that I can see the appeal even if you are close to 100% sure that you will leave the job eventually. (9) It's so much easier to secure a job once you already have one. The system abuses us so much, just take it and move right away. Many people do this. (10) OP, do you think in the time at this new position you would be able to move forward on your research? I think that may be a big consideration. Student reviews will be unforgiving in your first year at a new post because you don't have the material down yet and you will likely have oodles of admin to slog through in addition to all the resettling. Just be careful that you don't jeapordize your own ability to get said future jobs by doing all of the terrible job-starting work for this one. 11) Not everyone of us is able to immediately get an offer at the place of their dreams. It seems to me that being condescending towards people like OP who try to make the best of a bad situation is yet another sign of privilege. 12) I'll just echo the sentiment that it can be very difficult to keep research productivity on track in the first year or two in a new position. This depends a lot on logistical and monetary support, teaching, etc., though. In a year the OP can probably still sell themselves based o ntheir current CV, but coming up with a contingency plan for maintaining productivity in the event that another offer does not come next year is important. 13) For context,it's rare but not unheard of for someone to leave a TT ecology job after 1 year. But it's much more common to leave after 3-6 years, for the reasons other commenters have noted. https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/are-there-any-generalities-about-ecology-profs-who-move-from-one-tt-position-to-another/ 14) That makes a lot of sense 13, but that data can't speak to how many of those people were trying to leave from year 1 and just took a few years to do it successfully. Presumably being in a job would also make you at least a bit less selective in the applications you are submitting since they have to be better than your current one to try, so that probably means applying to generally more competitive searches.15) A job is better than no job, if the place really wants to keep you they will make it worth your while to stay even in an undesirable area, I would say take the job! 16) Considering how difficult it is to get an offer I would take the job. That being said, I've been trying to move for the last 3 years, have had multiple interviews and no offers so also consider the possibility that oyu might not be able to move as soon as you'd like or ever. 17) a TT job offer is a long-term offer - they are looking for someone to stay for a career, or at least a good portion of it. that is why it is TT. taking that job with the intention of immediately going on the market is selfish - maybe it is not unethical, but it hurts others while benefitting only you. no one is talking about graduate students - are you going to recruit them, then leave? course offerings are often tailored around faculty interests - will you start a new class, get it on the books, and then leave? you are in a tough position with funding, so maybe you should take it. but the intention to leave right away is worth reconsidering in light of the impacts on others, perhaps 18) it is neither selfish nor unethical to do what the OP suggests. The people at the institution where you work owe you nothing except the money and the benefits you accrued during the most recent pay period, and you owe them nothing but the work they paid you to do (write a grant, mentor students, teach classes). This is life and death - you need a job, take the job. Nothing wrong with immediately playing the market again the next year. Assuming it's in a free country, it's a free country! 19) If I were on a SC and saw an applicant who was only one year into a TT job at a good university, unless they had a very clear reason why they needed to come here, then I would probably think that the candidate is a flake, overly-entitled, or difficult to get along with. 20) @19, bitter much? That is a wild assumption. People move jobs all the time for all kinds of reasons. @OP If I were you, I'd take the offer and stay on the job market. There's absolutely no shame in it, despite what idiots in this thread think 21) @ 20 - everyone is going to/should do what they think is best for them, but one does risk damaging their rep as 19 and others have said. From a collective perspective, it's in no way guaranteed that any school will be able to replace such a hire - Queen's had someone do exactly this 3 years ago and there's been no move to start the hiring process again. OP) Thanks everyone for your input. I'd consider myself a pro-social person and I like to value my colleagues and the institutions I serve. At the same time, as others have pointed out - unemployment is a big risk, and how many of you would sacrifice your ability to fulfill some majorly important and personal goals (e.g., find a partner, have a family) all for a professional faithfullness to your colleagues and institutions 22) To add to the differeing expereinces, I was able to get feedback from a job search where I was close but didn't get the position and the major reason was that the person who got the position was making a lateral move and was "proven". While jumping around every other year would look odd and maybe would be considered a red flag, changing after the first or second year in your first job would indicate to me that there are issues in the job, either beaurocracy, toxicity, or internal struggles that are only seen from the inside, not that the applicant is flakey. 23) People change jobs, it happens. And, a job and/or the place someone lives won't love them back - so people move. It's normal. And to 22's point - a move with some time as an Assistant Prof under your belt can't be a bad thing. It also feels better to be applying for jobs while having one because the stakes are lower than being in a position where the funding is ending and nothing is lined up. Good luck. 24) Its also just none of my business as a search committee member why you want to move. Maybe the job you're in is toxic, maybe you want to be closer to a field site, maybe your partner is struggling to get a job in the same location, maybe you have friends or family near the new institution, maybe you're in a state that is hostile to you politically and need to move to feel safe. There are so many reasons that are disconnected from actual performance that trying to guess is a fool's errand, and asking, especially when it might be for personal reasons that I shouldn't know about as a search committee member, is inappropriate. x3 25) My opinion is that the system we live in is one in which the university is trying to exploit you just the same as any corporation. The fact that we act like they are not and that what OP is thinking should be some serious sin just allows them to further exploit their employees. Employees change jobs all the time. You can’t tie your own hand behind your back. You do not owe them anything and they certainly would never return the favor. Some people may be upset, but academia has never needed help to be upset with someone. They also get upset grad student have the gall to ask for a living wage. The only consideration is would you be unliveably unhappy because if so you might be better off finding a career where you can live somewhere you can be happy. Academia probably isn’t worth a lifetime of misery if a new job doesn’t pan out. It sucks, sure, but do what you have to do. 26) ironically, @25 in this case the inividual is exploiting the univerisity, but "the university" gets blamed for exploitation. when offering a TT job becomes "exploitation" because someone does not feel they make enough money or live in a place they prefer, the values have been turned upside-down 27) @26, how is the individual 'exploiting' the university? They don't suggest anywhere that they won't fulfill the responsibilities of their contract while they are employed. I agree with 25, but at least with corporations the fact that everyone is looking out for their own interests is more transparent. 28) OP, I get it and know logically I should not begrudge you... but as a postdoc actively applying, I admit I am still annoyed when people jump ship from TT jobs. Those jobs do not come back for years after, if ever, so you effectively take two spots instead of one in a VERY small and competitive market. Its extra bad when a TT person comes in and gets a second or third job that could go to a new postdoc. i know at the core this is a systemic issue, but it still hurts and still pisses me off. 29) @28, hate the game, not the player. 30) @28 that's not how it works lol 31) @30, what do you mean. What 28 describes is fairly common. If 3 people leave TT positions my department, the university will replace 1, maybe 2 of them. And it could take 2-5 years. This is true some other places I'm familiar with. I'm think the net effect has be that people moving institutions can hasten faculty shrinkage. But I wouldn't fault anyone for doing it if it is right for them or their family. 30) it's also common for retiring big-wigs to be replaced with 2-3 junior hires, for replacement hires to happen quickly, or for departments to expand and open new TT positions. The job market is constantly in flux. Ultimately though, people who move from one TT job to another aren't hogging multiple positions. That's a wild way to percieve the job market imo x2 | |
100 | 4/2/24 8:29 | when to tell current department i'm moving? | 4/2/24 10:40 | i'm a asst prof and i have a verbal offer that i'm highly likely to accept. at what point should i tell my current department? i'm assuming i should wait until after i get the formal, written offer. for context, i don't want my current department to make me a counteroffer 1) Congratulations. Wait until you have things in writing. Nothing counts until you have a written offer. If you are not interested in a counter-offer from your current institution I wouldn't tell them until after you have signed the offer and then you are simply (or not so simply) informing them that you have accepted another offer and will be leaving. When exactly you do that may also depend on what you/your students need from your current institution. I recommend to be strategic about that timing, if need be. Look out for yourself and your students. Some places/people will support someone and their decision to leave and other places/people may be petty. 2) I'd want to be absolutely sure before saying anything. You should focus on making sure things are lined up properly for you , but it is admirable to think about the interests of your soon-to-be former department. If you are advising students, how will they make it work going forward. That's good to start figuring out as soon as possible and you may need to bring others into that process. It's also nice to give your chair a heads up as soon as possible in case your departure is going to dramatically affect course offerings for the fall. But every deparatment has dealt with these issues in one way or another and it should not be your top concern. 3) Be careful about leaks! I told a few students who would be affected a bit early, so they could plan, and pretty soon my dept chair was calling asking if there was something I needed to tell them... x2 | |
101 | 4/2/24 4:45 | how often are on-campus candidates rated "unqualified" | 4/5/24 9:15 | I'd really like to hear how often this happens from people who have been on SCs. 1) Whereas people may be qualified for a job (have the necessary degree and experience) they may be unsuitable for the current position. For example, someone interviewing for an R1 job who cannot articulate their long-term research plans or describe a grant proposal they would submit, or at a SLAC, someone who does not envision involving undergrads in their research. Sort of mincing words - to some these may make an applicant unqualified. In any case, this happens with about a quarter of the people we bring to campus. 2) At a PUI, we probably also rate 1/4 of interviewed candidates unacceptable. This is usually because while they may look good on paper and perform well enough during a zoom, they end up being poor communicators during the on-campus. many faculty then worry about their teaching ability and their ability to attract and train UGs. 3) I haven't been on a search committee, but I have seen some truly bad research talks, chalk talks, and teaching demos. Not hard to imagine a fair number that I've seen resulting in someone being rated as unacceptable. 4) Most often 1-2 out of 5 are completely unqualified or self eliminate. Sometimes by not being prepared, others by being jerks. If you cannot explain a single experiment you would do as faculty, you will fail the chalk talk. We see it happen with surprising regularity. There can be another version of "unqualified" that simply means someone pushed for a different topic (e.g. you are great at evo but we want cell bio). Also note that URMs and women are more often accused of not doing their own work, even if they were the main force pushing it forward. They also may be falsely perceived as less likely to move. That leads to some people being ranked unqualified for reasons relating more to prejudice than science. 5) A lot are unqualified because they don't have the required qualifications in the job ad (not just PhD). But maybe you are more asking about being deemed unacceptable or related term because of poor interviewing or something else not in the written application. That is fairly unusual where I am, but I can certainly imagine it happens a lot more some places, depending on various factors like the search procedures and ranking steps, and the "pickiness" of the other faculty (OP) I seriously thought this was a rare thing. It's wild to me that after all the hoops we have to jump through and hundreds of applications these positions get, that anyone who makes it all the way to the on-campus round would be deemed unacceptable. I thought maybe some people would be eliminated by being jerks, and maybe a candidate here or there for not living up their cv in person, but not 20-25%. x2 6) When I was a grad student on an SC one interviewee (out of 3 on-campus) had a recent Science paper, was still ABD, and it was immediately clear that they had stumbled in to a long-running project that was heading there anyways and had no real conception of the work. They were a mid-tier PhD candidate, at best. My first concrete experience with CNS not indicating quality in any way. They also happened to give a research talk that was underwhelming compared to the average exit exam/seminar and it was painfully obvious that they would not be a competent instructor anytime soon. (Of course the guy hired, also with a recent Science paper, immediately proceeded to bang an undergrad during a field course, got a sexual harassment case, has yet to get their own individual grant or have a grad student who wasn't co-supervised, and is sitting at a <3 rating on RateMyProf with over 30 reviews - but god damned if his CV didn't look pretty good at the time.) 7) @5, there are lots of ways to screw up a job interview (speaking, in part, from first-hand experience). 8) I also think part of the misconception here is what that 'unacceptable' rating means from the search committee perspective. Generally it just means this group of faculty don't want to extend an offer to the person for whatever reaspon even if higher ranked candidates turn down the offer. I've seen candidates ranked unnacceptable in a search get multiple other offers at great departments in the same job cycle, so clearly they weren't doing something that made them truly unhireable. 9) Sometimes the committee also doesn't really know what they want until after the search, which I think is a terrible practice, but I've seen it happen at multiple institutions, where a search is failed because of infighting or indecisiveness about what they actually want. The candidates are perfectly qualified, but the search changes its mind about the expertise or field of study it wants to prioritize. 10) @9, yeah this happens and it can be a sign of dysfunction in the search committee/department. But I also see the argument for trying to be somewhat flexible in what you want. You get too specific in one way or another and you make the search difficult because the pool of applicants becomes smaller and the pool of the "acceptable" ones even smaller. By the way, by far the most contentious couple faculty meetings I ever sat through were about writing a job ad...for a search we never got to run anyways. 11) My former supervisor had a story about a candidate for a research+teaching job who was asked about teaching during an informal 1-on-1 with a staff member and responded "It's a necessary evil". *trombone* Thanks for playing. 12) Q:"Why do you want to work at this school?" A: "Well I'm not sure that I do." Applicant was shocked they didn't get an offer. They thought it was some kind of hard-to-get power play. Save that approach for Tinder, buddy. 13) I was once talking to someone during a job interview and they made it clear that they weren't sure that they even wanted to be a professor...so then why are you interviewing for an Asst Prof job? (They definitely didn't get an offer). 14) To be fair, half of the professors I talk to these days aren't sure that they even want to be a professor and they are happy to say that and complain about the job to anyone who will listen. X 2 (OP) so here is my next question - in the case where this happens, how often is it a reflection on the applicant (either a jerk, didn't prepare, or clearly not living up to CV) vs. the search committee not doing the best job choosing their candidates for on campus - either because they don't know what they want or some other disfunction? 15) @ OP - no way to know apart from personal anecodtes because the process is entirely opaque. By contrast, I applied to a job in Denmark where they used externals to choose their short-list and I saw a list of numeric rankings and where I fell on the distribution. That's how it should be done. 16) One thing I haven't seen mentioned but have experienced on a couple SCs is the situation where excellent candidate materials talk about work/expertise in areas A, B, C, and D, with slight emphasis on areas A/B that the job ad focuses on. The interview gives more time to see where real passions/interest lie and it turns out that A/B are minor side interests, and candidate puts all energy/vision into C/D. This can make a top candidate drop to the end of the ranking -- not really "unqualified," but effectively so in terms of an offer. Is this the candidate's fault or the SC's dysfunction? I'd say neither. But it's a more tangible part of the amorphous "fit." 16) @15 - it could totally go the other way too. I know of several searches for topic X where the winner ended up being someone studying topic Y. That could be due to many reasons: the department got wowed by the candidate doing Y; people couldn't decide on the right candidate doing X and decided to go with Y; or there are different adminstrative structures that make it easier for searches to be run with flexibility. Basically, it seems like there is no one size fits all approach for the pitch. But I agree that misrepresenting yourself on your research statement is generally a bad way to go. 17) As someone with a diverse research program, this kind of 'fit' thing really annoys me. If the department really cares most about A/B, then make that crystal clear to candidates! I could give a very good talk on several different areas and would honestly be more than happy/excited to keep work going in each of those areas, but if the department doesn't make it clear what they are looking for I may well give a talk and interview emphasizing C/D because I am trying to guess at what will play best. 18) Maybe talk to the search committee and other faculty beforehand to get a sense of their priorities instead of guessing? And in the end these are all things outside of any candidate's control so I'd argue that you'd probaby come off stronger when you're true to yourself rather than trying to contort your research into some imagined role you think the search is for. 19) I've been in meetings where candidates were being discussed after the campus visit, and the person I and some others thought was far superior to everyone else was called "unacceptable" by two faculty members. Once that happened, they were basically disqualified. The people said some things to try and justify their position along the lines of them not being qualified, but I thought then (and still do many years later) that they were intimidated by the person who interviewed in terms of how good they were. Our loss. That person has moved on to have an awesome career and I think that we missed out because of a couple colleagues who were being jerks. So, it happens, but sometimes for no good reason. 20) On a couple of search committees over the past few years, we had two candidates in two separate searches that were voted "unacceptable" by the faculty. In both cases, the candidates are well qualified for the position, but they tried to bulldoze over everyone when they are here. It could be that they are trying to project confidence or show how knowledgeable they are. However, trying to cut short everyone's sentences and interupt other folks and basically try to belittle the current faculty doesnt seemed like someone who would be a colleague that one would want to work with for a long time. | |
102 | 4/1/24 13:02 | # of first author pubs - dependent on subfield? | 4/3/24 23:41 | From the Anon Quals tab, # of first-author pubs is negatively correlated with PhD year, unsurprisingly, but there's a lot a variation. I'm curious what drives the variation? In my corner 3 chapters = dissertation and they become 3 papers. Some may have a pub from master's, and then I'm sure post-doc productivity varies with amount of fieldwork, pandemic impacts, etc. But are there certain subfields of ecology that are optimized for many papers quickly? 2) Behaviour is one area where studies can be done and published quickly, but my 10 years post-PhD and 70+ papers haven't translated into a TT job. 3) I've also noticed that people who do work with a natural history component often have a large number of (rather short) natural history notes. But ultimately I think there's a lot that can't be chalked up to subfield. Scientists do vary in productivity. Some people start grad school very focused and finish with gargantuan seven-chapter dissertations. Others are late bloomers, and some never really hit their stride at all. I know some excellent scientists who just could never bring themselves to finish writing up their results and click 'submit,' which (as it turns out!) is sort of a prerequisite for publishing. 4) Can depend on the overall novelty of your work as well, especially methodologically. If you have to spend the first year or two nailing down a new method and then applying it, you might not have as many pubs as you would if you were just "plug and play" with protocols and systems that your lab has well-established. 5) I feel like all academics understand that this varies considerably based on study system, methods, how high you are shooting for pubs, advisor, etc. More to do with a collection of many factors than "subfield" 6) Not to mention luck... 7) I mean luck plays a role in everything, but when you're comparing 5-10 pubs vs 30-40+ at the same career stage there is clearly something about the way people work driving some of that variation (assuming similar field/type of research).OP) I had figured about some of the factors, such as using existing data/protocols vs. spinning up a project yourself. But just curious if norms in certain subfields lent themselves to faster publication cycles. Experiments, though I'm sure difficult and expensive in their own right, may be one way to be fast, at least relative to questions that require multiple seasons of field data. 8) I have a lot of publications and at least in my experience it is just really hard to tell how quickly papers will come from projects. I've done field, lab, experimental, observational, meta-analysis, etc etc and across all those types some just come together really quickly whereas others get stalled in various ways for a long time (or never make it over the finish line). My impression is that in general people who publish a lot are those who always have lots of different projects going on at any one time. Being a fast/confident writer makes a huge difference as I see so many projects that are essentially complete languish for a long time waiting for the final write up. I seem to recall an analysis at some point in ecology about authors who publish a lot of high impact work also publishing the most impact work. I think a similar thing is true for all kinds of writers. Whether or not search committees value that kind of research profile is another thing entirely. In my case I think that I have published in enough different areas that I don't really get perceived as focused on a single thing that a particular job search might be looking for and it makes it hard to tie together my various research threads in a convincing way. 9) not all pubs are equal. A single Nature or PNAS paper can have enough data to fill up 3-4 society journal papers. Also some journals are sketchy (e.g. anything from MDPI) and having lots of papers published in them just looks bad imo. Quality is more important than quantity for getting on the TT. There's also a "trajectory" component, so folks with fewer papers that lay the groundwork for exciting future research directions tend to be more desireable than hyper-productive people. 10) I will say though that some papers I see published in the nature family (looking at you Comms) seem like they have graphs and conceits designed by a high schooler on acid. 11) Ditto 10 - more gradients! More colors! More convoluted shapes and panels, panels, panels! 12) "Nature Scientific Reports" lol | |
103 | 4/1/24 13:00 | navigating post-interview stage with competing offer in hand | 4/2/24 20:04 | OP) I interviewed on-campus 2 weeks ago, and let the chair know that I had an offer in hand from another institution and would probably need to decide in 2 weeks. I was the last candidate and have heard nothing from them. Should I assume I wasn't first choice, since they haven't rushed to get me an offer? I don't have a firm deadline yet for the offer I do have. Should I follow up with institution I'm waiting to hear back from, in writing, only when I have that firm deadline? 1) I wouldn't assume anything. Though you did tell them that you needed to decide in 2 weeks and it sounds like you don't have a deadline. That may have been a strategic error on your part (they may have passed you over for another good candidate without a known offer), or they just haven't met yet as places have been on Spring Break recently. If you're interested in the position, email the Chair and let them know that. OP) ack. I handled the offer disclosure exactly as a very experienced academic currently serving in an admin role advised me - frustrating to hear this could have played as a strategic error. | |
104 | 4/1/24 9:30 | Start-ups over $500K | 4/14/24 21:46 | I see startups over $500K in the negotation tab (and some are over $1 million), and I wonder what people are asking for to get a number that big? How much of it is people (e.g., postdocs/technicians/grad student stipends) that can add up quickly, vs other items for the lab? 2) Usually I see similar offerings for postdocs/students/techs. If someone does molecular work, the freezers, incubators, reagents, and other lab equip can really add up fast. Mol bio is more likely to get huge startups, but also has huge materials/equip costs. Comp bio you should be asking for servers and data storage, but it's hard to match a big molecular lab, esp with animal costs. 3) Trust me it's VERY easy to get to over 500K if you do any kind of sequencing.. startup is also funding a lot of important preliminary projects, personnel, etc. For molecular bio folks, folks with animal care needs, or both, 500K is a bare min. 4) Can people with only dry lab get that much? 5) I am a dry-lab person at an R1 and my startup was over $500k. That was a few years ago. Personnel salaries made up a huge chunk of it. 6) Yeah...it's VERY easy to add a budget up to over 500K (fieldwork, sequencing, equipment, supplies, summer salary, grad student RAships). A postdoc for 2 years is ~$200K (salary plus required university fringe and benefits) – things add up fast. OP) Thanks for the insights folks! | |
105 | 4/1/24 7:11 | Arcadia and similar job tracks - what's the deal? | 4/5/24 10:02 | I was wondering if anyone here would apply to the Arcadia job but don't see any so far. I wonder why? Perhaps there's not enough computational evolutionary genomics folks on here (at least this late in the season)? I am wondering about places like this - a little different but Colossal seems to be gobbling up recent PhDs in the field as well. 2) Personally, I did not apply because I would not want to live in Berkeley, California. The pay did not seem high enough for the cost of living + moving costs for me (https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/California-Berkeley). x2 3) If you just don't want to relocate to there, fine, But if it is about pay and moving, why not apply and worry about negotiating those things if you get an offer? @3 - 2 here, seems like my answer wasn't sufficient for you! These were sufficient reasons for me to not apply. I would reccomend listing this position as remote and/or increasing the range of pay. 3) Thank you for clarifying. I read your the first sentence as potentially being dependent on second sentence. But now I understand they are independent. 4) similar to @2. I am excited and interested in the idea of university-independent eco-evo research, but Berkeley is like...one of the hardest places to live reasonably in right now. Its notorious for being challenging to get housing and have it be affordable. They could offer the moon in salary and I might make more as a postdoc in the midwest. If Arcadia is serious about expanding opportunities in science they should either relocate somewhere more affordable or allow remote/hybrid workers. Corporations can make VHCOL places like that work because they pay in kind. OP) all this makes sense to me. I think these enterprises are just more likely to be in the Bay area, since that is where the VC interest is concentrated. I was looking at the salary, which to me seems low for the cost of living in the region, so it looks more like an entry level position. Also, since these places have greater flexibility in hiring and career tracks (academia being the most constrained when it comes to these things), I was thinking it might be worth a shot for lots of people here to at least get on their Rolodex - there could be a lot of unknown opportunity beyond what is posted on the website.5) Entry level shouldnt be unlivable after this much education. (6) 150K is ABSOLUTELY livable in Berkeley. I just didn't apply because if you end up needing to venture beyond BART, the Bay Area itself is a car-dependent traffic hellscape. 7) i applied for one of the positions and made it to second round! but got rejected..not sure why but it's kewl 8) I think it is funny that people talk about how Arcadia salary range is not enough for living in the Bay area but guess what academia pays way less than that even. 9) @8, agreed, but I actually think the people posting these types of things are a small number of trolls who are likely bitter for other reasons. 10) I interviewed for a previous position there, they asked significant work for interview and then ghosted. Their funding model is nonsensical as well, better have an exit plan if you want to go there. | |
106 | 3/30/24 12:06 | TT offers at flashy R1s | 4/3/24 7:07 | OP) Curious what the typical salary and startup looks like at fancy R1s (Harvard, Stanford, UChicago, etc.) for a new assistant professor in ecology and evolution. Is there a significant difference from other large R1s and if so, what's the amount? How much does cost of living influence salary versus prestige and/or endowment? Public versus private? I can make some guesses based on the "Negotiations" tab but this information is not explictly stated and I strongly suspect that many offers from the aforementioned places are not reported. 2) The few that I know about have been highly variable depending on career stage and what people are planning to do research wise even within a department. I suspect maybe that is more true at fancy places than at less research intensive departments that have some 'cap' that more or less applies to everyone. I've been surprised though that some friends who have gotten jobs at R2s or lower ranked R1s have gotten startup packages as big or bigger as a few that I know about at Ivies (albeit to do a lot of molecular/genomics work which is expensive). Those fancy R1s though often have a lot of extras in place like grad student/postdoc support that might not need to come directly from your startup. Plus they are really expecting PIs to bring in lots of their own grant money pretty quickly. 3) don't know about salaries, but I can say that I've interviewed at 3 R1s that were offering the same startup as the R2 I also interviewed at.. research level does not always indicate investment. 4) Assistant professor salaries at these schools are typically in the $100K - 150K range. Still less than what you'd make as a law or business prof at almost any mid-tier state school or entry-level programmer. 5) on the subject of start-ups, the advice I was given is that the start-up is basically an investment that is proportional to the aniticipated indirects you will brin gin over 10-20 years. That advice helped me contextualize the start-up package and I actually chose a place that that offered a lower start-up but that also had more reasonable funding expectations - I didn't want federal budget crises or stochastic panel compositions to influence my tenurability more than necessary. Sort of a safe play, but I can't complain about where I ended up. 6) So I take it that no one actually has a non-speculative answer to the original question. 7) What do you expect 6? There are comments above based on a few examples people know of. Probably not going to find a comprehensive database or something. Startups are also just so variable within departments and between colleges that this is a really hard question to answer in a satisfying general way. | |
107 | 3/30/24 11:01 | Maternity leave policies | 4/10/24 12:31 | OP) I'm starting a tenure track position in the Fall and I just found out I'm pregnant. My institution (PUI) has a maternity leave policy of 1 paid semester off after 1 year of work, and the HR person said if it's before 1 year then you just have to use FMLA leave. Any thoughts on whether I can ask for leniency on their policy to have the spring semester off for maternity leave? When and to who should I bring this up? 1) Our dept chair has leeway to not assign teaching. It's possible they could work things out for you. Faculty are less likely to bail after 1 yr, so it would be great if they didn't fault you for it. So many people have kids this time of life. x2 2) My uni in the UK did not accomodate me when I showed up 5 months pregnant. Their policy is that you need to work six months before qualityinug for leave, so if I had shown up two months earlier I would have qualified for leave. My department did have a policy of a teaching release after maternity leave, so that was great. I don't know what they'd do in the US, but I'd ask. It's absurd that we make it so difficult and then wonder why we lose women at every step in the pipeline. 3) agree with asking dept chair or other admin about accomodations. I know of this working out for people but I'm sure it varies. They should want to help you succeed. As an aside I can't fathom how these wait periods to use leave policies are not viewed as the blatant descrimination they are. It drives me into a blind rage.x4 4) Whether or not it qualifies as discrimination, I've seen a few ppl take various mat leave/sabbatical combos that have taken them off-campus for up to 5 years at a time as new hires - during which they completely failed their grad students as supervisors, did zero undergrad or grad teaching, brought in no money, and only published as "permadocs". That's one's prerogative and right in certain countries but at the same time, they were literally not doing their jobs for years without already having put their time in as employees. Also gonna add that, although rarely used, there are "probation" periods even for TT hires, so it makes sense from the employer's perspective to make sure that period is passed. Imagine coming back from mat leave and THEN doing your probation and THEN getting canned. Entirely reasonable but oh the complaints in that hypothetical scenario. 5) Not saying the scenarios you described have never happened 4, but they seem exceedingly unusual. You could come up with various ways that people at any career stage took advantage of benefits. The permadoc-maternity-sabaticcal 5 year especially seems so unusual as to have no bearing at all on the conversation. I also don't really get your point about probationary periods. Sure, it would be bad (do you mean look bad?) to have a maternity leave then probationary period and not get renewed (technically, those performance reviews might be a year but in reality it is almost unheard of to not get renewed until the 3rd year review). It wouldn't really look any better though to serve a couple of years then have maternity leave and then get non-renewed right after returning. I don't see how the probationary period has any practical effect. 6) 4's comment sounds like a "welfare queen" type argument - something exceedingly rare story of abuse used to invalidate the entirety of a very necessary system. x2 4) @ 5, 6 - it happens often enough that there are these policies in place. For 5: dismiss someone before kids vs someone with yound kid(s) - shouldn't matter to an employer or anyone else, but the latter is worse optics. As for performance reviews and not being renewed, perhaps those need to be more rigourous and less theatrical. 7) These policies aren't in place to avoid the made up situation you describe! They are in place because management will always do whatever they can to avoid costs unless they are forced to extend benefits. The same thing happens with delays for insurance to kick in and waiting periods before retirement contributions start. It's an easy way to avoid extending maternity leave and retirement to adjuncts/VAPs/postdocs hired on 1-2 year contracts. Your whole optics example is bizarre too. Someone taking maternity leave after 2 years then coming back and not being renewed after third year review would still have the 'optics' of not renewing with young kids. 6) @ 7: At any job, there's a probationary period. Unionized blue-collar? 500 hours before you're a full member. Government job? 6-12 months. Can't imagine the level of entitled delusion required to think this is unreasonable or unusual. It's absolutely batshit insane to pay benefits for someone who won't stick around or can't/won't pass the probation. And quite apart from made-up, the only female prof in ecology where I did my PhD (at the time) did exactly this - she was on campus for one semester and had a whole cohort of grad students who wasted their time. 8) @6 Might be time to brush up on your basic understanding of statistics. 9) Is a 1 year waiting period for maternity leave common in academia? 6) @ 8 I teach statistics; this is a Poisson distribution and it only takes a few outliers to have policies change. See: 9/11 and the TSA. 10) Huh 6?? You could just stop digging at this point. 11) @9, I don't think it is uncommon. I think periods like this (and that might exist for other benefits) are standard across employees in the organization...and faculty don't get special treatment. x 2 6) @ 10: You seem unfamiliar with Bayesian approaches, too - this is an example of extreme events updating priors. Once bitten, twice shy, as the saying goes. @ 11: Finally, someone else with some common sense and a less-than-generational sense of entitlement! 12) Parental leave seems like it should be a special case, since there's a ticking timeline for people who want to have biological children. I'm a ciswoman, finished my PhD in my early 30s, and want to start a family before the health risks start increasing. This coincides with me starting a new position...Ideally every country would have reasonable paid parental leave, but the US doesn't, and why shouldn't we push for employers to provide it to us? 13) Not to mention we have this whole stage of 1-2 year postdoc and visiting contracts with people moving around right at this age where you could spend a significant number of years in these 'waiting' periods where you are not getting full benefits or retirement contributions. x2 | |
108 | 3/28/24 10:47 | Late season job posts very slow | 3/29/24 17:39 | OP) Is it just me or are these late season jobs moving very slowly through the hiring process? Or is it just the agony increasing as it becomes clear I won't get a job? 1) no objective information here, just sympathy that waiting is agony, especially as the stakes get higher 2) Yeah, I'm waiting to hear on my last in-person interview (all the others have come back as rejections)... though at least I got a timeline from the search chair (that they expect to have the offer out mid-April and will send a status update around then if it's taking longer). So nerve-wracking! 3) This is also where the venting tab gets increasingly bitter. 4) Yeah. Two of the one's I've applied for haven't even sent out invites for interviews yet... | |
109 | 3/28/24 8:30 | Student debt | 4/2/24 9:34 | OP) I'm curious how much student debt your are carrying from undergrad or grad school, if any. And is it affecting your approach to the job market, in terms of what jobs you apply for and your expectations? 1) Thankfully don't have any dept from higher education schooling 2) ~ 27K from undergrad, none from grad school and yes, it has made an impact on my job search. I am targeting public schools for bc of the potential to get my loans forgiven. It has also just set me up to have less in my savings so in terms of thinking about moving really far or to a place of HCOL, it matters for me. 3) I paid off my undergrad debt (65K) just this year...and it feels really good to be free. I deferred loans in grad school because I couldn't afford to make payments. Just here to say: it's possible, you can do it, and I see you. 4) If you do research that is at all related to human health you should look into the NIH's loan repayment program. It's the only thing allowing me to stay in academia for the time being. 5) I've never had any student debt. Honestly I've come to realize this fact is better at showing/reminding me of my privilege more than about anything else. In fact one time years ago I was in small group and the conversation turned to student debt. It was know I had gone to this good and not cheap university for undergrad, so they were curious how bad my debt must be. In that moment I suddenly felt compelled to lie about this because I realized how privileged I was and it made me feel guilty. So I just made up a number that wasn't small, but not crushing either. It was weird. I don't know if anyone else feels like this, but it's just something I can't forget. 6) I also never had debt but in my case it was because I chose the cheap state school for undergrad rather than the expensive private school. Between working sumemrs and during the semester and the modest saving my single partent had done, I was able to get through. All situations are different, but this was one of the best decisions I ever made. Learning how to live cheap paid off in grad school as well. | |
110 | 3/27/24 23:15 | Anyone with 'heterodox' (lacking a better term) DEI statements get interviews? | 4/5/24 5:38 | (OP) My DEI statement this year got me a few interviews but no offers. I feel my DEI statement is inauthentic because I'm mostly copying what other people have written and would prefer to write something that would challenge most of the current paradigms about DEI. But I worry this will prevent me from getting interviews. Did anyone here who might write a statement emphasizing things like colorblindness and viewpoint diversity get anywhere? 1) it doesn't necessarily sound like institutions that are valuing the DEI statement highly (or are looking for standard fare on it) are a good fit for you. If you aren't really interested in ethnicity as a DEI message, find some area where you /would/ want to make some progress. First gen students, students from poor families, military veterans, physical disabilities, etc. all of these are DEI issues. If you truly don't think diversity, equity and inclusion in any of these forms are important in our morphing institutions, I won't argue with you… but I will suggest that you look at departments known for not caring (it is frankly many) or look in states where DEI work is no longer considered. 2) I would stick with your current DEI statement. I don't think that very many search committees are looking for heterodox opinions on DEI 3) Use a statement that aligns with the department or university's stated goals, however you want to interpret them. Most new faculty aren't going to have time to challenge or change the DEI landscape of an institution. 4) I doubt that your DEI statement "got you" interviews or prevented you from getting offers. For better or worse, most people, even those who truly care about DEI, have pretty boilerplate statements. For depts that don't care much, boilerplate is fine. You may miss out on some jobs in depts that highly value it but you might not want to work there anyways. Anyplace that would value "colorblindness" has already eliminated DEI statements from the process. So I agree with everyone else that you have plenty to lose and nothing to gain by making the changes. (OP) All good to read thanks. By 'got me interviews' I just mean my application which included a boilerplate DEI statement was selected for interviews a couple of times. I mostly want to talk about how I think the intense focus on identity above all else is counterproductive, and I take a different view to how we can best advance DEI. But sounds like I should just keep boilerplate :( 5) I think that your opinion that the intense focus on identity above all else is counterproductive is totally valid. But I certainly would not consider your DEI statement to be a good place to share and discuss that opinion X4. 6) Agree with @ 5, and extend that advice to avoid discussing it in interviews as well. (Not because it is right or wrong, but because you have a limited amount of time that would better be used for talking about more positive things.) (OP) @5, honest question, is this because you think that these issues aren't relevant to DEI or because I would experience some filtering based on differences of viewpoint? and @6, I agree completely, but I'm often asked in interviews about how I would run an 'anti-racist' lab, and I view treating people equally without regard to their ethnicity as truly anti-racist, whereas the more pervasive view of treating people of particular ethnicities differently, I view as racist. 5 again) I think you would experience some filtering based on your viewpoint. Emphasizing things like colorblindness and viewpoint diversity would not seem strategic in a DEI statement (assuming that your primary goal is to get a job) (OP) I see, thanks for clarifying.. 7) not a PI, so feel free to ignore my opinion, but "anti-racist(" doesn't mean not racist, it means fighting racism. I don't think one lab can really fight racism on an institutional level, but if someone is asking you that, they might want to know how you would address inequality in higher education. If your answer is just that you won't be racist, it's possible that people won't like that answer simply because it's not actually what they're asking about. Just my two cents 8) i slightly disagree with 7. if anti-racist rant fight8ng racism, then id be all aboard, but it often refers to the specific tenets put forth by kendi regarding "anti-racism" as a movement, many of which are quite controversial outside of academia (and in some states within). 9) The best DEI statements I've read are focused less on personal philosophy of DEI, and more on actions you will take. Based on what you've already said, you should look into universal designs for learning, as these are practices that do not single out individuals, but are aimed at helping everyone. I also recommend looking at initiatives the school already has to promote DEI, and see if any speak to you. The DEI statement is not an op-ed about how DEI doesn't work. (OP) I would like to write such a statement, but the actions I will take are unconventional and make sense only in light of the philsophy. (10) I think you should write your DEI statment honestly and in a way that reflects your views and intentions (within the parameters of the requested document). If your DEI statement does not currently align with your views, then your application isn't totally honest. 11) Agree with 10, although it sounds like in OPs case writing honestly will clearly take them out of contention for quite a few jobs and they seem to know that. 5) I would tend to disagree with 10. I don't think that job applications were ever about pure honesty. For example, most people would try to present enthusiasm for a position, and to make a case for why it was a great fit for them, even if it was actually their back up job. And you might present your research interests and goals differently if you were interviewing for a PUI versus an R1. Applicants are certainly obliged to be honest about their credentials, and it wouldn't be acceptable to misrepresent your publication record or your teaching experience on your CV. But I think that being strategic and selective about which opinions and goals you discuss, and which you don't discuss, is part of the normal process of putting together any good application (12) @OP, I think obviously the safest answer is to write a boilerplate DEI statement that matches the current zeitgeist. However, if you feel strongly about it, perhaps you could experiment with writing an evidence-based DEI statement that cites research on DEI issues in higher ed (for example, what works empirically to support 1st gen students, why do minority students have lower retention rates in STEM and what empirically works to support those students at the higher ed level, what are documented downsides of existing approaches, etc etc). My thinking is that this might help you avoid generic statements that you feel are inauthentic and instead discuss approaches you can support with evidence. Also, understanding the research behind certain "orthodox", mainstream DEI-related beliefs might actually make them more understandable to you. While I think the translation from nuanced study to often heavy-handed implementation frequently leaves much to be desired, there is a lot of scholarship on these issues that might be interesting to you. For example, Apfelbaum et al. 2012 discuss the colorblindness approach ("We document the practice and implications of color blindness in a wide range of contexts: interpersonal, educational, organizational, legal, and societal. In each domain, despite the ubiquity of the color-blind approach, there is mixed evidence as to its effectiveness in accomplishing intended goals.") By reading the scholarship on these topics, you might be able to write more authentically about these approaches without feeling like you are just regurgitating the boilerplate statements. 13) I also think the reality is that if you are going to write your DEI statement on 'heterodox' issues like colorblindness and viewpoint diversity you should be prepared to be ruled out of quite a number of searches regardless of your other materials. Whether you agree or disagree with that selection criteria it is a pretty clear reality in my opinion. Other places won't care, but then a lot of them may not be requiring diversity statements anyway. (14) A bit sad that you can just parrot whatever BS you want as long as it agrees with the zeitgeist, but if you go against it you are expected to do a second Ph.D. worth of research into it. Most of us just have values and emotions, we shouldn't need to have citations in a DEI statement. 15) Give us a break. Reading a few papers to understand your teaching/advising philosophy = a second PhD? Not to mention just parroting whatever you think the zeitgeist BS is in your diversity statement definitely won't serve you very well for the departments that are actually valuing those statements and the evidence that you have actually put some thought/effort into both the statement and the work you have already been doing. 16) there is a thing I've read about where DEI statements can be "too good." This works against minorities who have a deep understanding of (and motivation to reduce) diversity issues, since they might not appeal to the predominantly white/neurotypical/etc people on search committees. White people are better at writing DEI statements that appeal to white audiences. 17) The "white audiences" statement makes some sense (people are better at communicating with audiences they share background with in general), but what is "too good"? 16) that's just my interpretation of the "white audiences" thing. In my opinion, a statement that conveys a genuine first-hand understanding of and actionable steps to decrease barriers for underepresented minorities is "better" than a more generic one written to appeal to clueless white people, but they tend to be less successful at getting jobs so I consider them "too good" 18) @ 16: that's more work than someone like Kendi has put in... 19) 16-17, I guess a pretty similar thing happens with all kinds of statements though. Some people have a great sounding research or teaching statement, but then are only average at actual research output or teaching performance. I know several people who I think do really amazing research, but aren't quite able to sell it in a statement or grant way, despite the papers and projects they produce being fantastic. The same thing surely applies to DEI statements that some of the people doing the best work or making the most impact in this area for whatever reason aren't producing statements that read as well to the search committee audience. | |
111 | 3/27/24 15:01 | reading the tea leaves in reference requests | 4/2/24 12:05 | OP) I completed an on-campus interview just over a week ago. Had a great feeling about it (for whatever that's worth) and am juggling another offer that I'd gladly turn down in favor of an offer from place I recently interviewed. I let the chair know in the exit interview that I had a decision timeline because of the competing offer but was excited about this position, etc. I learned that my references have not been contacted and now am I feeling confused, although I've had more than one in-person interview where references were contacted after all the final interviews were completed. My questions are: does SC always contact references if they are provided? In a situation like this, would the SC possibly contact the references only for a top-choice candidate? I know I should just sit back and cool it but the speculation and waiting is driving me crazy. 2) Yes, it is possible that SC only contacts references for the 1st choice candidate. Depends on HR rules, which vary, but I just served as SC chair and did this. OP) Thanks! Is it possible they wouldn't contact references at all? 2) Don't know! I've never seen it but I can't say it never happens. 3) For a moment I thought this was a shitpost about reading tea leaves in the unpersonalized email notification of a pre-zoom-interview reference letter request 4) I had an SC contact my references only after they'd already made me an offer. I thought that was pretty weird. Maybe they decided that they didn't want reference letters to be a major part of their selection process, but they still had an HR requirement to do their due diligence and check references before they gave me a formal contract? 5) I got an offer without SC ever contacting my references - neither pre-zoom interview nor after my on campus interview. So it might be the same situation for you, OP! 5) At my institution it is fairly common for us to only contact the top choice's references. Basically to make sure there aren't red flags, and to satisfy an HR requirement. 6) We usually check the references for all candidates that receive an on-campus search - not just the top choice. 7) @6, is that on top of already having requested letters? Seems unecessary and cruel if you aren't about to make an offer. I think candidates assume at this stage that if references are called an offer is imminent (mine would tell me right away if it happened). | |
112 | 3/27/24 11:36 | Perceptions of Dyslexia in statement for TT jobs | 4/2/24 6:49 | OP) Since there is the discussion below - in general, would this be seen as a negative by committees (not in a diversity statement)? 1) Beyond possibly race, SCs do not want to hire equity-seeking colleagues who identify as such. This is asking for future headaches - for example, harsh as it sounds and is, a dyslexic colleague may not be as useful as one who is not at grant co-writing or editing student mansucripts. It is foolish to advertize something like that until you have the job. As someone else noted in the thread below, there's the imaginary world that should be, but we have this world instead and no one is going to change that as an applicant. 2) I disclose this in my DEI statement when talking about specific approaches I have taken as an instructor to help all students access course material. I had someone bring up that specific part of my statement during an in person interveiw in what seemed to be a positive way. I didn't get the job though, so who knows if it actually worked in my favor. @2 This is exactly how I have included this in the past and why I added this question. 3) I have no personal experience on either side, but I don't see any benefit to disclosing that. 4) Very kind of 1 to demonstrate the narrowmindedness and ignorance you might encounter if you disclose any disability or neurodivergence. 5) Like a lot of things, I think it is OK to mention if there is a good reason. But not just to work in because you think maye you should. By the way, I would avoid using the term neurodivergent also, mostly because it's essentially a new word no one used or heard until maybe the last couple years. So many readers will treat it as a buzz word, fairly or unfairly. 1) @ 4 - hate to have to write this on a thread about dyslexia, but you should re-read what I wrote because you clearly didn't understand my point. No one is doing themselves any favours with unnecessary disclosures - the real world is not twitter or reddit. 6) I am dyslexic, and when I told people several (including my advisor) told me to quit academia. I'm better at experimental design and math than most of the people who said that, and my funding record is better too. But a typo in my manuscript that will by fixed in journal typesetting means I shouldn't be in science? Do not disclose in a job app. #1 is right, even if rudely worded. @6) My advisor reccomended I mention it because I am good at math and experimental design - these are not odd for dyslexics! 6 again) I literally said I am good at this and people still told me to quit my job. Do not mention it in a job app. Too many people will use it against you. x2 4)@1 I understood your point exactly - my issue is with you plainly stating that you think a dyslexic colleague would be less "useful" than others. If you don't actually believe that, you should have couched that statement a lot more carefully. But yes, as previous respondents have said, and as you illustrated, it seems that people have very ignorant and close-minded perceptions of neurodiversity and disability and this is something to be very wary of when disclosing. 1) @ 4: try again, you still didn't get it. And don't disclose until you have job security. As a parallel example, having been to rehab for an addiction is a mental health issue and just as protected as neurodiversity - but use your common sense. What would happen if you disclose that? No job, that's what, because it'll be seen as a liability. Live in reality. | |
113 | 3/27/24 9:01 | Warm weather attire...women/femme edition | 3/31/24 9:56 | There's a thread below that really deals with masculine presenting candidates. What is appropriate for feminine/very feminine candidates to wear for campus interviews in very warm places (e.g. the south in May)? I've only interviewed (and lived) in cold places, and usually wear a plain colored sheath dress, black tights, and ankle boots. Would it be appropriate to have bare legs if it's going to be really hot? 1) Honestly I might expect the AC to make it brutally cold. 2) In warmer weather, I've gone the dress + 3/4 sleeve blazer + pantyhose route - I'd be hesitant to have bare legs 3) Agree with @ 1 and @ 2 - bring layers, and hose will keep your legs warm in frigid AC without making you overheat too much if you spend some time outside. 4) linen!! 5) I guess an unpopular opinion but I think bare legs are fine. I also wear tights (as in the same tights I wear to my ballet class) over pantyhose, because I find them more durable. 6) I live in the south. long skirts and dresses are cool and great for covering legs without tights. Lighter weight dress pants also a good option, with blouse/button up. A sleeveless blouse - can pair with blazer or lightweight cardigan, so you can take a layer off outside. Layer tank tops under shirts to absorb sweat. Wear a black shirt to avoid showing sweat. Linen is cool but not always professional looking. Heavier weight linen wrinkles less and dark colors show wrinkles less. If it's summer (ie May in much of the south) I would not worry about bare legs personally as long as skirt is at least knee length. But opinions vary.That said AC may be brutal so layering is your friend. You can always take something off if needed. 7) I don't think people who haven't spent much time in the south quite appreciate just how brutal the AC can be. I swear they crank it down to 60F in some of the buildings here. 8) Sharing an insight from someoneelse who works in the South, our buildings and HVAC are not in great shape and when the AC is running it means that some spaces are comfortable and some are extremely cold. Our buildings do not have room-level climate control and some places get overly cooled. We have asked for O&M folks to balance it the HVAC but it never seems to work. Good dvice to dress in layers. 9) I wore a dress with bare legs to an interview and got the job, and it wasn't even a warm place 10) I agree bare legs are totally fine. I wore capri-length pants, nice sandals, and a short-sleeve blouse and got an offer in the south. Most important thing as others have said is bringing layers for the temperature swings with the AC! | |
114 | 3/26/24 10:37 | Perceptions of Autism in diversity statment for TT jobs | 3/29/24 12:09 | OP) Currently reassessing my diversity statement and hoping to get some perception of potential search committee memebers of how they might react to seeing someone disclose ASD in the context of disability advocacy for students, positive, negative, neutral, etc. 1) Personally I would view that positively. Can't say how generalizable that view is. 2) If you can back it up with some previous initiatives, then thats all good. Otherwise, depending on how you sell it, it might look like you wanna capitalize on that to increase your chances on the job market 3) One school only the hosts knew I had diabetes, and they made sure the requests were private but handled. Another, everyone sees everything and some people ridicule health issues. Hard to decide what the best strategy is. 4) Yeah, especially if the candidate is a white guy, I could see people stereotyping someone disclosing ASD as "this person is gonna say racist/sexist things and then use autism as an excuse". 1) I think OPs framework is valuable because they are justifying how the positive actions they can take are aided by their ASD. As someone who mentors ASD students as part of an initiative (but who is not ASD myself) it's a real challenge and I could see having a colleague with personal experience as beneficial. I guess to me that fights @2s concern that someone might view OP as just trying to game the process. 4) I preferred phrasing of "neurodivergent" in my own statement, both because I believe my diagnosis is personal and because there are enough folks who misunderstand what it means that I was worried I'd be viewed negatively. 5) @ 4 I see what you did there. On a serious, not-making-a-racist-joke like 4 though, I think this type of thing should be kept very, very private until after you're employed. It's only discrimination afterwards, and just "fit" can be used to dismiss your application beforehand. (6) Don't do it—you will be discriminated against. Just say you have an 'invisible disability' or similar if you wish. DEI as handled by academic institutions is 'skin-deep' in acadmia (race, gender) and people will make negative assumptions. I say this as someone also with ASD. 7) Including neurodivergent advocacy in your DEI statement is great (though I'd couch it more broadly), but I don't see the upside of outing yourself. Either people will see it as negative, or just eyeroll because like 50% of academics are also on the spectrum.x3. OP) So basically all of these negitive views are based around inaccurate perceptions of ASD (do people really beleive 50% of acedemics are on the spectrum, ASD is ~1% of the population, has a 14% college attendace rate and 39% compleation rate (Wei et al, 2013), which is dismal compared to other underrepresented groups) It's such a polarizing and misinformed topic, has anyone here been on a search committee where this was a topic? 8) @5 why is @4 being "racist"? They're stating that they fall on the neurodivergence spectrum and don't want to be judged negatively for it. That's not racism. 9) There's two 4s, not sure which one #5 is referring to. 5) the one that made a racist comment, i.e. the first 4. OP) Can we not derail the conversation to analyse some specific responce. 10) I said in my DEI statement that I'd leverage my own experience as a neurodivergent person to better help my trainees getting through their situation. I have no idea if that had been viewed as positive or negative my SC members. Honestly, a reason why I wrote so is because I don't have a lot of DEI-related experiences to brag about; had I had something better to write, I'd probably skip the neurodivergence part in case I get discrimination. 11) I took a similar approach to #10. I have ADHD, but don't explicitly disclose in my statements. I just mention "my personal experience as a neurodivergent scientist", but focus more on how it informs my teaching philosphy than my own identity/diagnosis. Am I opening myself up to discrimination? Probably, but I would prefer to work somewhere that values my perspective. 12) A few months ago there was a thread on here where about 1/2 of responders made it very clear that they consider EDI to exclusively refer to race and outright argued that neurodivergence and disability accommodations were not EDI. A smaller group thinks EDI is mostly LGBTQ related. While I would personally not disclose anything related to a personal disability until after being hired - as 5 said above, it's only demonstrably discrimination AFTER you're hired - be aware that there is no shortage of people with very rigid and self-interested opinions of what does or does not constitute EDI/IDE/DEI/JEDI/JEDII etc.Universities with Access or Disabilities or Accommodations offices already serve students with learning disabilities or neurodivergence or sensory impairments, so the (silly) argument for race-exclusive EDI is that they are more deserving. 13) I somewhat agree with @12, not on a personal level but in terms of advice. Personally I think disabilities and neurodivergence are definitely diversity and inclusion we should promote! Do I think that is what universities are looking for? Sadly no. I have interviewed at places where its very clear that the Dean/admins above the SC level have clear optics to hire racially-diverse candidates, LGBT candidates and sometimes also care a lot about women. If you are white and have an invisible disability, that is not as desireable. I am saying it like this because I think it helps put in perspective what may or may not be important to disclose in a statement. I don't think talking about neruodivergence in statements is out of place, but beware "othering" yourself for things that may not actually be valued. Sorry this is the world we live in. 10) again--this topic relates to what I fear deep in my heart--even though everyone is talking about DEI, I doubt how much institutions and SCs truly care about it, and to what extent the DEI-related policies are performative. If I'm rejected due to descrimination (explicit or implicit), I have no means to know anyway thanks to the lack of transparency of the hiring process. I know I have some traits that technically count as diversity (neurodivergence & ethnicity), but I'm not confident at all whether people reviewing my application would consider these as desirable diversity at all. In the end I guess perhaps a boilerplace solution is the best strategy to minimize risk? (What I said almost feel like something that should go to Venting; apology if it really is...) 13) Worth saying that often many department initiatives for DEI are actually very well meaning and thoguhtful. But at my last 2 universities, hiring-related decisions are ultimately handled by those higher than our department head, and at least at my current uni they will steamroll departmental candidate choices for the sake of ethnically-diverse candidate pools. So the department might be truly non-performative but it doesn't matter when it comes to hiring. | |
115 | 3/26/24 7:40 | how to leave a position without burning bridges | 4/3/24 11:13 | i recently started as an asst prof at a supportive and friendly department, but then saw an ad for my dream job so applied to it and got the offer. how do i navigate conversations with my current department so i don't burn bridges/leave them in the lurch with teaching stuff? i haven't had a negative experience here, this other job just works much better for my family 1) be honest, they should understand and if they don't why would you want to keep that bridge anyways? 2) Going through a similar situation now. Almost everyone will be supportive. A few people will be salty. Either way, there's nothing in particular to do except be honest and open about everything. 3) Totally agree. Had the same situation a year ago. This is your whole life you're talking about! You can't worry about the people who don't take it well, they don't matter. 4) signing on to previous comments and congratulations on landing your dream job! I think folks are generally understanding about valuing family, even if it means they loose a good colleague. 5) I've had a couple colleagues leave recently for jobs that were better suited/family reasons. We're sad to see them go, but we understand. Just say it's the right move for you and the family. 6) I'd just be honest, explain that it was a really difficult decision, reiterate that you loved the place...and that this other opportunity was just one that you couldn't pass up for you and your family. x4 7) Burning bridges only applies if you might move back. If you're on to better and brighter things, it's them who should be trying to keep it cool with you. OP) thanks for the advice. when would you recommend telling me current department that i'm likely leaving, given that i don't want them to make me a retention offer? 8) Be ready for your startup to be immediately frozen when you say you're leaving. | |
116 | 3/25/24 13:18 | How much can you negotiate with only one offer? | 3/26/24 5:42 | 1 (not OP)) limited personal experience here, but I have learned to negotiate for salary based on salary of other incoming assist profs in the same department. That is, if you can't say 'institution X has offered me $$', you can say 'you previously offered so-and-so $$, so if I'm not coming close to that it seems like we have an equity issue'. Of course, if what they're offering in terms of salary is as good or better than other recent hires, you might not have much leverage. Also, you probably talked in your campus interview about what you'd like to accomplish if you're hired. If they made you an offer, they want you to accomplish those things! And if what they're offering in terms of start-up package needs some attention in order for you to be successful, frame your asks that way - getting you resources for mutual benefit of you and the institution. 2) Rarely will you get more than $5k without a counter offer. The university offers full-time-equivalent pay, which 9mo faculty are then 0.75xFTE. Usually that base number is set evenly for all faculty in your division (college or dept). To get more, the department has to dip into its own budget. If you have a counter offer many schools have a special pool of funding that only gets accessed to meet outside offers. Those negotiations to match the market do not come out of the dept or college budget. They usually come from the president or system level office. That money will never become part of the regular dept budget. It's to the chair's advantage to submit that match for you if you are eligible. It raises pay for the avg faculty in the unit and they get to brag that they recruited in a competitive field. You might do better to negotiate for shared equipment or other regular budget item without a counter offer. Getting named Masters or PhD director sometimes will give you a slight pay bump in the form of summer salary, but not higher overall pay if you could otherwise get to 1.0FTE on grants. 3) Go for whatetever you can, understanding that all needs are unlikely to be met. If you don't try negotiating, you'll never know the limits. Just because you *don't* have a counteroffer doesn't mean you're powerless. 4) Check out the negotiations tab to see what others have got. There is a column there about competing offers (Y/N), and lots of people say they don't have another offer and still negotiate successfully. Also, remember that the people hiring you should want you to be successful, so ask for what you need. | |
117 | 3/25/24 11:11 | Interviewing for Leadership | 3/26/24 11:38 | My institution has been interviewing for multiple leadership positions. If you are Associate or higher applying to lead a group of faculty, we want to see your vision for leadership. That means candidates need to address how they will build teams of people within our existing expertise, and how they will use joint resources effectively to build research capacity. The goal is to create research, teaching, and training frameworks that accomplish more than any one lab on its own. Showing up with a long research talk showing how you would be a distinguished researcher on your own, is not the right mark to hit for these specific positions. You also want to make sure you are aware as possible of the existing faculty. Acknowledging the value to be found in fields that are not your own will help you succeed in these senior searches. I know that's a minority on this board, but as someone on the department side of these searches, it seems like a lot of people on the market need to consider the target they are aiming for. Being chair is more than a pay raise, and requires effort to serve the collective interests of the entire department. 2) Thanks OP! I will make sure that I never develop that type of skill set or vision so that I can never, ever, ever be considered for a soul-sucking position such as department chair, or, god forbid, anything in higher administration! Very helpful! 3) @2 seems an odd response; having interacted with department chairs before, I've seen them can bring valueable and really needed leadership to a group of academics. OP's points seem like a valuable counterpoint to individualistic mindset we get trained toward. 4) @3 I think @2 is concerned about protecting their own soul from being sucked than implying that adminstrators are the soul-suckers OP) I have the same view as you, 2. I am NOT putting myself forward for this chair job. But if you want the chair job, be chair, not just some a-hole who gets 3 mos summer salary, runs back to their lab, and pushes all the responsibility onto faculty. | |
118 | 3/24/24 16:17 | Voice/accent training? | 3/30/24 10:46 | OP) Has anyone, particularly native English speakers, had or considered formal English accent training/coaching for interview or teaching purposes? I'm afraid of sounding retrograde as a white guy with a fairly strong American Southern accent. I'm sure it isn't doing me any favors, especially as I'm neither located in nor applying to many jobs in the south. I have had many zoom interviews, but a very low success rate progressing to in-person interviews, and so I'm trying to eliminate potential factors. An actor family member had voice training to lose her southern accent and increase her odds of being cast in screen roles, and suggested I try it. (1) This will likely help; people are prejudiced against your accent. It certainly won't hurt. 2) Hmm in terms of what's practical I'm not sure. But I will just say that I'm so sorry this is something that you're having to think about. It's not fair that you should have to change your accent to get a job. I suppose your priorities and what you're looking for matter. I'm gay and I've opted not to hide it in my appearance/gender presentation because I don't want to work somewhere that would have not hired me because of that (Also, ten years ago, when I think the likelihood of not being hired because I was gay was higher and when I was also less comfortable with my identity, I did dress up to look less gay during interviews. I don't know if it mattered or not.). You might consider that. How would you feel about working with people who would have discriminated against you for your accent? If the answer is not too good, then you might not want to hide it. If you think you could work with those people anyways, well then it might be an okay idea. 3) As a non-american, what is this prejudice against southern accent, I would never get it!!! My husband with southern roots would be embarassed to talk in his southern accent, despite me telling him I just love hearing it!, 4) English is not my mother tongue and after more than a decade abroad, my English accent is still heavily influenced by the language that I grew up speaking. I never thought that this would be yet another thing to worry about. Oh boy. (5) @OP I'm from the American South too and a lot of my friends from there have taught themselves a more "neutral" US accent that they switch into at work. Frankly I think it does help you avoid a lot of the biased assumptions people make about the accent. My practical advice would be to agree with @1; it won't hurt and will likely help to avoid that bias if you can turn on a more "neutral" accent during interviews and talks. I feel gross saying this as obviously the bias is the problem, not the accent, but if you're trying to get a job then you're obviously looking for practical solutions, not aspirational ones. (If you decide to go that route, I hope as you get more established and the risk is lower that you use your real accent.) 6) Yeah, it's incredibly shitty that anyone would hold a southern accent against an applicant. 7) I highly doubt that many people are consciously judging people based on their accent, but there's certainly alot of unconscious biases at play 8) Just because a given school is in the South doesn't mean people making hiring decisions will not be biased against a soutehrn accent as most faculty and admins will not be from that state or region. I think the only leg up you might have in such a situation would be with students *if* they happen to be local. I did my MS in a southern state and commonly heard other grad students (not from the south) making fun of the undergrads' accents. 9) I gotta say, as a white male anglo, every time I see someone with a Southern accent give a seminar or lecture, I'm always taken aback by the cognitive incongruity of someone having that accent AND saying things that are intelligent. It seems like something that wouldn't go together, like a can of nuts & gum.10) Dude, not cool.x3 11) To me, as a queer person from the south, I don't hide either of those things on the logic that if someone is going to be shitty to me based on one of my identities, then I am uninterested in working with them. I am not so desperate to stay in academia that I want to work with a bunch of assholes. 9) @ 10 don't understand your reply. Never experienced a cognitive dissonance? Or seen white or asian person from the West Indies and it takes you a while to realize that yes, they actually talk like that? It's ok to anticipate someone to be on the slow end of the spectrum and be pleasantly suprised when they're not. <--literally the definition of prejudice 12) Ummmm .... actually, I don't think it's okay to anticipate that someone is on the "slow end of the spectrum" based on appearances. Most people don't think that's okay ... 13) I'm a little embarrased to admit I have the same response as @9 initially, then I try to catch myself and evaluate what the person is saying rather than how they're saying it. It takes work to undo those biases and acknowleding them is the first step. 14) @10, everyone has biases, 9 is acknowledging them and is obiously working to address their biases. To ignore your biases is probably worse in the long run than to acknowledge them and work towards breaking them down. I am from the south and was trained to not speak with a southern accent, I understand why it was trained out of me, it is part of the larger culture of assuming inteligence based on how someone speaks, which I am sure we all have to some degree and we all need to work on it. Its really unfotunate that OP and many others are still feeling pressured to change their way of speaking in order to get a job, but biases are out there and often the search committees hold such biases (they also show up in student evals, so its not just hiring committees that hold these biases). Hopefully we continue to move away from these biases impacting hiring. OP) Ok, yikes, while I urgently search for a voice coach, is there anyone else here who I can surprise and impress with my knowledge of cell signal transduction mechanisms or indoor plumbing? Christ. 13) @ OP TT job searches aren't really about expertise, though - and most SCs are looking for a peer, not someone who will outshine them. OP) @13 I was talking about prejudice, not search committees. The sarcasm was thick, I admit. | |
119 | 3/24/24 13:35 | Do people in PUIs/SLACs schedule meetings during spring break? | 3/27/24 20:06 | OP) I've noticed work culture at R1s/R2s varies strongly on this in terms of whether university business takes place over SB. Are PUIs/SLACs variable? Do they lean towards faculty getting time off (of meetings) during SB? 1) I'm at a PUI and I would be surprised if anyone tried to schedule a meeting over spring break. And they shouldn't. 2) I have wondered about this and it is helpful to know perspective of @1. I always thought the opposite that SB will be a great time to schedule campus interviews or catch up on non-teaching related responsibilities. Good to know. 3) I'm on the quarter system, so we are generally scrambling to finish grading winter quarter and prepping for spring quarter at my PUI. I usually dont have a ton of meetings, but its not a good time to take off either. 4) A lot of faculty at my PUI leave either for research or (more commonly) for personal time during spring break so interviews certainly would not work, nor would other meetings. There are a couple weeks - one before each semester - that are part of student breaks but when faculty are more or less expected to be available, but spring break is not one of these. It is more like thanksgiving where nothing official is scheduled. 5) Interviews should be done when students are there anyway, especially at PUIs 6) I had two zooms during the school's spring break- both were in the PUI/SLAC category. | |
120 | 3/24/24 8:43 | Is there a standard for how faculty salaries should increase over time? | 3/27/24 7:23 | OP) Should an indication of future salary increases, in addition to my starting salary, be part of my offer letter? 1) In my experience is not part of the letter but you can ask the Dean/Provost for details. Depends on how the institution works but its likely that the process is set across the board for the entire rank (in your case Assisstant I assume) and written on some faculty handbook , or bylaws, or however they call it there. 2) Some systems give COLA and will have clear records online. Others are more capricious with raises, and a few only give a raise if you get an outside offer. Most get a pay bump ($5k-9k) at tenure 3) It's not typical to have salary increases indicated in offer letters because: a) some universities don't give them; b) increase rates might depend on yearly budgets and are subject to fluctuation; and c) I doubt a department would agree to that for administrative and financial reasons. The chair should give you an idea of salary increases and pay bumps w/ tenure, etc, but I just don't think you'll get those in writing. 4) With State Universities it is more common to be able to dig up people's salaries (as state employees). So I usually take a few of the more Jr. faculty members and see what I can dig up for 3-5 years (rarely goes much further). Some states are better than others. More broadly this is a great excercise with federal jobs. Its interesting to see how different the pay is between agencies. The Smithsonian for example, really does underpay their scientists relative to say NOAA, EPA, FDA etc. But I digress. 5) I don't think they will go for laying out negotiated future pay increases (but I've been wrong on plenty). I think though it is too often determined by annual budgets and variable cost of living factors, and they also would want to reserve for some amount of discretionary control depending on your performance or evaluation. My institution has predetermined raises each of the next few years because of the union contract. I think many places are like that, at least for public universitites. So in my case, it would definitely not work. 6) short answer is no. The only information you can probably get, beyond what may be available to the public, is the promotion-associated raise structure. I have colleagues in a financially troubled state who essentially cannot get raises outside of promotion increases or negotiations pending outside offers. My institution gives annual COL increases but this varies widely and annual rasises may be few and far between at public schools, depending on the state's financial health. 7) Canadian university faculties have collective agreements with raise schedules explicitly spelled out. They get updated with each new CA but you know exactly what to expect at hiring. My experience in the EU suggests that they have a similar situation, leaving the US, as usual, lagging the developed world. | |
121 | 3/24/24 0:38 | Asking for feedback after interview and rejection — y/n? | 3/26/24 17:52 | 1) I would think it is ok to do this on case by case basis 2) I don't think it hurts to ask. I've asked a few times, sometimes been ignored, sometimes gotten feedback that was actually sort of helpful. 3) If you have someone you know well or someone you think was exceptionally positive you can ask. They may not be able to comment much, but sometimes they can give you helpful pointers for the future. If you need to sell the big picture more or perhaps be better prepared with experimental details they can let you know. If you were on the backup list there is probably less room for them to help than if you are below the hireable cut. 4) I've always been told *not* to do this. This also came up as a discussion point earlier this year, I think (it's somewhere on here). 5) I mean, most of the time there's just not much SC's are willing/able to say, because they don't want to accidentally say something that could be construed as hiring discrimination. 6) I love how committees are concerned about HR rules when it comes to constructive feedback and sending rejections, but not during the actual interview when they ask me sexist questions multiple times or suggest i shouldn't be hired over personal traits. | |
122 | 3/23/24 14:49 | Disadvantage applying from overseas | 4/29/24 14:17 | I've done a few rounds now and I've gotten at least a dozen zoom interviews, but not a single campus interview. I've had lots of very positive CV feedback (h-index 20, lots of teaching exp, etc.) and I'm a US citizen with a US PhD. I'm applying from Australia. How much am I disadvantaged simply from being far away? I feel like moving overseas for a postdoc might have killed my career. (1) I was in a similar position a year ago - US citizen that was postdoc abroad, applying to positions in the US - and was concerned about the same issue. The distance did not appear to make a difference that I could tell based on the ratio of zoom to in-person interviews I received relative to the statistics posted in the 'Anon Quals' tab here. When I did interviews in person, each department said the distance was a non-issue. Essentially, the price of the plane flight was fairly minimal compared to the investment in a life-long colleague and substantial startup funds.(2) i am also a postdoc living abroad (europe). i actually asked this question during my zoom interviews (would you be able to fly out an international candidate), and they all assured me it wouldn't be a problem. ended up being flown out for two in-person interviews. agree with 1 here that it's an investment in colleagues. it's awesome that you're getting zoom interviews--you're clearly a qualified candidate!! i hope you will get an in-person soon. (3) I'm in a similar position (Europe), but I simply assume the places that are skittish about flying me out won't offer me a Zoom in the first place. I've had 4 on-campus interviews, and 3 of which I had to be flown in from Europe (one time I was already in the US). (4) I applied last year in a similar situation (US citizen doing a postdoc abroad, which was a 12-15 hour flight from most places). I had three on-campus interviews, but there was the option of doing them via Zoom. 5) Based on searches I've seen/known about at three universities where 1-3 of 4-5 candidate were coming from overseas, I don't think flying people in for interviews is a big deal at all. BUT, I would be prepared to have extra strong responses about why the place is a good fit for you and why you want to move BACK to X location in the US. I think people understand that we all take postdoc positions where we gets them and where the jobs are good, but there could be a slight perception that if you wanted to leave the US, maybe you might not want to come back. So, I would just give extra strong "I really, really, really want to live in X place" vibes. 6) I had similar questions during my interviews this year - along the lines of "why would I want to come back from Europe". This really threw me at first - I am from the USA, all my family and friends are from the USA, not to mention it is MUCH more competitive in Europe. I am obviously biased, but I think hiring someone was has spent time abroad is an asset to any instiution as they will have developed intercultural skills useful as a researcher, teacher, and mentor. It shouldn't be perceived as a red flag. I will add that logistically there were zero issues with the (relatively) expensive flights. One uni even let me come a day early to adjust from jet lag and paid for the extra night. To me the big disadvantage to being abroad is that interviewing is much more energetically draining given that travel can take anywhere from 14 - 24+ hours one way, depending on your destination. Definitely something to think about if you postdoc on a different continent from your target job applications. 7) I always find it funny that people think it is insurmountably expensive to fly to europe; flights from Europe to the USA are often no different (or only slightly higher) in price than flights from one side of the US to the other, or from Canada to the US. Australia is a bit different, sure. I would be sure to make it clear in the job apps you are a US citizen though, I could see that making a difference 8) Recently accepted a postdoc offer outside US. Some (but not all) peers expressed concern that I'd have difficulty find a job in US in the future. No idea if it's supported by data or just a myth. But in the end research area is the most important factor for me. (I'm not US citizen, did my PhD & first postdoc in US, the second postdoc isn't in my home country either.) | |
123 | 3/23/24 10:20 | Warm weather attire | 3/25/24 10:47 | Chinos and a button-up w/ blazer are my typical go-to for on-campus interviews, but it is getting warm out there and I'm genuinely concerned about my wardrobe for a tropical sun interview. A short sleeve button up seems out of place, but I am going to melt in a long sleeve. What are some appropriate menswear options for an in person interview when the weather gets warm? (1) Short sleeve button up is A-OK! 2) I'd go with a long sleeve button up shirt and no blazer but with the option to roll up the sleves long before short-sleeve button up. Think about your most old school stuffy prof. Do what they want. It takes 1 person to call you "unprofessional", as stupid as those opinions are. 3) wear layers! wear the blazer but wear something underneath you can wear without the blazer so if its too hot you can take it off. maybe roll the sleeves etc. In hot climates their office buildings might still be maxing the AC so it could be colder than you'd expect. 4) I agree with layers. I've been in conferences in tropical/subtropical and have been absolutely freezing. My institution is northern and a classroom I use can be either over 80F or barely 60. Go with a long sleeve and a fair amount of antiperspirant just in case. 5) Check out a product called "Sweat Block" and use liberally the night before on hands, pits, face, wherever else you have a problem with sweat. 6) Consider an undershirt with armpit reinforcements if you're worried about sweating through. Certain colors and patterns may also be better at hiding sweat. Some brands (I think bonobos?) have dress shirts in athletic sweat wicking materials that may also be nice. | |
124 | 3/23/24 6:49 | Should we as a field train fewer PhDs? | 3/26/24 16:41 | (OP) The copetition for jobs is high and many qualified people who want positions don't get them. PIs must continue to 'pruduce' students to hit their own benchmarks, thereby generating an overproduction of job-seekers. Should train fewer people? How do we get there? 1) I would say grad programs need to be more proactive in preparing students for non-academic careers 2) a related question would be if trainees are always the best employees to complete research; as soon as they've acheived competencies, they leave 3) Yeah, long-term B.S./M.S.-level technician positions should rightly be way more common x3 4) Yes, we should. (5) @3 I agree. Same with permanent bioinformatician, programmer and any other technical positions. There are many great folks who would love to stay in academia, but maybe aren't crazy about being faculty. Would be a nice way of still being actively engaged in academic research, without constantly worrying about being jobless. Would be nice for depts. or funding bodies to sponsor these positions rather than being tied to individual PI grants. 5) (pssst, sorry OP the typos are very distracting! good question though) (6) I'm sure it's field/sub-field dependent, but anecdotally most of the graduates from my PhD program haven't even pursued tenure track positions and have instead gotten jobs in govt or NGOs (and a handful have gone to for-profits). So while there are definitely more PhD scientists than TT prof positions, are there more PhD scientists than jobs for PhD scientists? I don't have the stats but based again on my anecdotal experience there are a lot of orgs outside academia that want to hire PhDs. I agree with @1 that the bigger problem is grad programs treating academia as the default path and conveying to students that it's the only fulfilling/worthwhile path. I also agree with @3 times a million. It's such a weird system where so much of the work is done by low-paid trainees, who are then expected to leave as soon as they've gotten good at their jobs! 7) Absolutely we should have fewer PhDs - in particular, tightening up who is allowed to finish vs failed out. Much like a bachelor's or other undergrads like MDs, there's really no mechanism to whittle poor candidates out unless they do something egregious. I've worked with dozens of PhD students as a postdoc, RA, instructor, collaborator, and at least half of them have basically been at the technician level, not research leaders in any way. The more uniquely advantaged of them, i.e. wealthy white folks with some magic blood quantum, have been successful at getting themselves some perma-doc EDI TT jobs; most bounce around and end up in jobs that require an MSc. 8) It depends on why you think PhDs should exist. If you equate them simply with career advancement, yes, there are probably too many. If you believe that anybody should have the opportunity to delve deeply into a subject, become an expert, and advance knowledge, then, no, we should keep as many opportunities open. I learn towards the latter but acknowledge the painful transitions that can occur once the PhD is done and one's academic future ends. By the way, it's interesting to read the Wikipedia article on "PhD", in which "philosophy" refers to the "love of wisdom". Originally, a PhD was a conceptually broad complement to the MD and JD and emphasized a holistic understanding and production of knowledge. Sadly, that spirit has been lost in modern times as PhD students become "grunts" for professors rather than empowered intellectuals. 7) @ 8 my comment was directed at the glut of modern PhDs who do not become experts or advance knowledge in any discernible way. Entry standards are probably too low but I agree that more rigid requirements there exclude under-privileged individuals. Real comprehensize/qualifying exams would probably do the trick but I'm aware of only 1 student in the 17 years since I started grad school who was denied continuance based on their qualifying exam and sent away with a free MSc instead. I think that rate should be more like 40%. 9) @ 8 not sure where you got that "complement" idea - the MD and JD are both hundreds of years younger than the PhD, a JD is only nominally a doctorate and an MD is an undergrad-level technical degree that co-opted "doctor/doctorate" to legitimize itself. | |
125 | 3/23/24 0:11 | UK Salaries confusing | 3/26/24 14:06 | 1/OP) I really cannot wrap my head around UK salaries in comparison to US. With a family, I just don't see how I could survive with most lecturer salaries (even with spouse working). But then again, it always feels like the US is expensive in ways that Europeans don't fully appreciate, so maybe the math is just different. 2) There are far more things covered by university benefits or tax benefits compared to the US. Less of your own salary supports retirement, and a large employer match is put into the pension credits for you. So the recommended 401k style retirement savings requirements are super low. You don't have to save for huge college tuition for the kids like in the US. Food is subsidized more than in the US so the grocery store is cheaper. I think childcare is cheaper, but haven't ever had to arrange that. That's not to say it's great pay-- they need raises now that the pound has dropped so much. But people live on it because of the benefits that are not listed as salary. If you have no dependents then the US might be better, but really take the job that will help you succeed. I was on the backup list for one school in the UK, and I would have moved even if it meant a pay cut on paper. 3) US citizen leaving UK position here - the UK is highly variable in COL. I live in a high COL and I have colleagues who live 4 hours away by car and rent airbnbs during the week to come to work. The people at my institution who are comfortable on UK salaries tend to be high up on the payscale already (not recent hires), no kids and/or single, or have had their house for ages. If you're paying for visas and/or health fees for a family, that will eat up a large part of your salary. Public transit outside major cities is barely functional, so where I am you need a car. NHS is a hot mess, so more and more people have private insurance. When I moved here I held many of the same assumptions as 2, but that has not been my reality. The UK social system is nothing like what I experienced in continental Europe. I have friends in other parts of the country that have lower COL that are comfortable, but where I am it feels impossible. I'm thrilled to be on my way out, despite that I adore my colleagues and recognize that where I live is really quite lovely. Not to mention lots of UK HE institutions are totally broke and tenure as we know in the US does not exist, so you could still lose your job if your institution decides they no longer need you. 4) yea...I get what people are saying about more benefits in general from the UK system as opposed to the US, but one offer in the negotiations tab landed an equivalent Asst Prof job in the UK for ~$60k USD at R1 equivalent. That seems crazy low to me even with lots of benefits. If "moderate" COL looks anything over there like it does here I just don't know how that can be a good long term salary. Happy to be educated otherwise as I don't like over there 5) lots of US universities offer excellent benefits too. Many public universities offer near if not completely free health care and competitive retirement benefit. Let's admit it, US in general offers more and better paid jobs than pretty much all developed countries bc US is still the richest country in the world. | |
126 | 3/22/24 18:32 | Why are there so few jobs in Canada? | 3/26/24 4:55 | OP? Is this just a Canadian thing. I'm currently a postdoc in Canada (Toronto) and my whole life is here so I'm trying desperately to find good TT or even industry roles related to metagenomics but there is just nothing here! I'm just surprised since Toronto itself is a hub for research. 1) I've always thought this just has to do with Canada having far fewer universities than e.g. the U.S. Canada has ~220 four-year universities and the U.S. has ~2,500. But I'm sure there are other factors too. x2 (2) I don't know but I echo your frustration with the Canadian market 3) US has 8x the population of canada and 11x the universities (based on above numbers); a relatively similar ratio. What's the job ratio been like? (2) I've applied to every job I'm qualified for this year and put in 3 Canadian apps and 34 USA apps, so about 10x as many in usa. 4) because NSERC, CIHR, and SSHERC are cheap as hell. They want the world but give you 40k a year. (5) @4 That's true, but I don't think faculty positions are funded through NSERC, CIHR, or SSHERC. That money comes from elsewhere, and then those funding bodies support equipement (e.g., CFI) and research (e.g., Discovery) grants thereafter. (6) There are a few reason in my view. Canada is a small country in terms of its population. Not to mention the GDP per capita is 30% less than the US. Besides, the high-skill based immigration policy introduce more highly educated people without having the market keeping up the pace leads to a big mismatch between people's educated level and the jobs available to them. I've never seen so many people with PhD degrees everywhere else. 7) Canadian here. You can't compare university:population ratios in Canada vs. US without adjusting for university size. Canada doesn't have small undergraduate 4-year colleges the way the US does. Also, can confirm what #5 said: the size of a typical NSERC/CIHR/SSHERC grant has absolutely zero to do with the number of tenure-track faculty positions in Canada. 8) Another factor that is especially prevalent in Ontario (where there are a lot of universities), is the stagnant provincial funding as well as tuition freezes, so many Ontario universites are in rough financial shape this year. 9) I'd also like to circle back to OP's point that it is very hard to find EEB skill related industry roles, unless you are in fisheries/forestry. I'm a Canadian in the US and would love to come back for industry, but there isn't even anything I can do there. 10) Take a look at the recent TT ads for Canada - generally at least half of them are EDI-only hires. Memorial literally had their Provost and the CRC program pull a Tier II position last year because the SC's shortlist wasn't sufficiently "diverse". But York keeps hiring 10 TT - any department, faculty, or field - as long as they're Black or Indigenous. 11) The numbers cited by @1 are not correct. Canada does not have 220 four year universities, unless you count small and obscure visual art schools and things like that. Only 50 universities are in the Macleans university rankings, so if we're talking about TT jobs in Ecology, we're really talking about those schools. It's also hard to determine what counts as a university in the US, but many estimates I'm seeing are around 4000. My first job was in the US because it was MUCH easier to find a job in the US. Took me another 6 years to find one in Canada after starting my US job. I know of numerous other people in the same boat; stuck in the US and unable to find a job back in Canada. 12) Remember how the Canada 150 chairs were supposed to help Canadians return? Except every single institution hired flashy senior Americans instead? (including...Pru*tt) 13) Another Canadian living/working a TT job in the US here. I'd love to go back to Canada, but the year I got this job there were literally *zero* jobs in my (not narrow) field at universities in Canada and so I only applied for jobs in the US. There are so few universities in Canada relative to the US, so there are way fewer jobs and that's not changing. 11) The other thing is that Canadian schools work with way fewer faculty members and way less specialization. Take for example, Queen's University, which is a well-ranked Canadian school. Departments that might post jobs relevant to this board are: Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, Life Sciences. That's pretty much it. Then take Ohio State, which is similar in its relative ranking in the US. If I look just in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, I see at least Animal Sciences, Entomology, Horticulture and Crop Science, Plant Pathology, Environment and Natural Resources. I could then move on to the College of Arts and Sciences, where I find Evolution-Ecology-Organismal Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, etc. With all that tuition $$, major US schools tend to have much more specialized programs and therefore way more faculty members overall. | |
127 | 3/22/24 18:24 | How do you submit teaching evaluations for teaching stream positions? | 3/23/24 6:18 | OP) I want to apply for teaching stream positions but the application always mentions to also upload teaching evaluations. I have scanned copies for two courses I TA'd but as a pdf, each one is like 21 mb and they never upload because of size. Am I supposed to do something with them or is "teaching evalutions" something else entirely? 1) I can think of two types of teaching evals. Those can be student evals of a course or an evaluation from another faculty member (or someone from your university's teaching center). In my experience, teaching focused jobs often ask for "evidence of teaching effectivenes" which can include both of the two types of evals that I listed above. If you are applying for jobs right now, then I think you should submit what you have! It sounds like you have student feedback from the courses that you TA'd? Use those! I'm not quite understanding why the file would be too large. Is it a PDF? If not, I would convert it to a PDF. You could also merge the evals from the two courses into one document. So you end up submitting one PDF file. I think there are ways of reducing the size of PDF files if necessary. I would google it. In terms of long-term preparation for this type of thing, I think there are a few things you can do. First, you can ask for informal feedback from the students in your class midsemester. Then organize their answers and submit that as evidence of teaching effectiveness. You can also ask somebody to observe your class and write up a note about it. Your university might have a Center on Teaching and Learning or something like that and the people in that office will sometimes do teaching evals for you. If not, you could ask a colleague or mentor. | |
128 | 3/21/24 16:23 | List of toxic depts/schools | 3/23/24 11:25 | I feel like I saw that somewhere, but I can't re-locate it... 1) Is it this? https://academicjobs.fandom.com/wiki/Universities_to_fear OP) yep i think so, thanks! 2) Is there also a list of toxic labs even though the department may be ok? I can add one atleast! 3) That list seems pretty useless. More like a list of angry yelp comments or rate my professor than anything that could actually help you make any kind of informed decision.x6 4) mostly agree with 3 but if you were applying any of those places its nice to hear any and all gossip (but take it with a grain of salt). Also many of these are very dated and the dynamics of any department or SC can be dramatically different in a very short time. But if you find yourself on a SC take these complaints to heart. I am always floored by how how little respect some places give their job candidates. 5) If you want the real story, ask the postdocs. They usually hear from the students and the faculty in less filtered ways, and rarely have reason to be loyal to the department. And keep in mind just 1 faculty having gripes doesn't mean the department is trash, but if 1/3 of the faculty are getting lawyers, it definitely is. Also, if multiple faculty have been barred from taking students, that is a really bad sign of dysfunction. | |
129 | 3/21/24 9:31 | Anon Quals autofilling | 3/21/24 11:11 | When trying to update my anonymous quals it keeps autofilling my rejections into my offers and vice versa 1) Life is trying to say you deserve offers. (OP) @1 I wish I could have all those offers! =) | |
130 | 3/20/24 8:45 | What is or was your age when you first started as assistant professor? | 3/26/24 9:30 | OP) I am 40 so I am old, probably oldest than all here applying for their FIRST assistant professor position. For various reasons that were not in my control and for some that I should have navigated better, I am on the verge of realizing that I am NEVER going to be a TT faculty but I want to know how much does my age and number of years post-phd (more than 14 for me now) matter? I get zoom interviews still but no campus. 1) I was 36 which felt old at the time - I had a non-linear path to academia with a couple diversions along the way but I don't regret any of it, even though I got a very late start on any retirement saving. 2) I started when I was 37, but my advisor started when they were 26. 3) I am 44 so yeah feeling very old and still don't have a TT position. I was a non-traditional student and did a master's and a phd, so was in school for a very long time. I definitely feel like my age is a check mark against me (particularly because I am a woman). OP) I had a non-traditional path too that was out of my control but also made the best of it and don't regret it. And I do feel that definitely my age but also number of years post-phd are now counting against me. I don't know if the age and number of years post-phd counts more against women than men. I don't see why they would. Not saying it doesn't- I am a woman myself but I never thought that it would harm more because I am a woman. 4) I am almost 43 - have always felt older because I did MS then PhD, with work stints before and after. I think the years post-PhD is a bigger issue for me than actual age, but I don't know for sure. 5) this is always a discussion in our house and we joke about how in our field a lot of the time, we're past middle age before we get into a permanent position ...if late 70s is the average life expectancy of a healthy non depressed person, most of us are past the mid-way point when we start saving for retirement! wowza 6) 39 when I got my first (I started just under a month before hitting 40). I'm now 42 about to move to a new (and much better!) position. But I have pre-school aged kids so I take my time on everything. 7) You can back out a guesstimate of the typical age range from the Dynamic Ecology data. Newly-hired TT asst profs in ecology in North America typically are 3-4 years post-PhD, though anything from 2-6 is fairly common (and anything >8 years post-PhD is very rare). If you assume that a typical newly-hired asst prof finished their undergraduate degree around age 21, took 5-10 years to get a PhD (a range allowing for contingencies like getting an MSc first, not starting grad school immediately after finishing your undergraduate degree, varying lengths of PhD programs, etc.), and then spent 3-4 years as a postdoc, the typical newly-hired TT asst prof in ecology is in their early-to-mid 30s. Obviously going to be variation around this, though it's hard to imagine many new hires being much younger than about 27. As other commenters noted, years post-PhD probably matters more than chronological age. 8) I was 37, 5 years post PhD. Probably the majority of recent hires at my institution were a bit younger, but some a little older. By the way, not having a permanent position is no reason not to save for retirement. But I do wish there was better or more common advice about this. I had to play catch up when I was a postdoc. 1) @8 - totally true but living on a grad stipend was my main reason for not saving anything. Plus, no matching or other employer contribution really slowed my accumulation as a postdoc. I am fortunate to have a generous employer contribution now, and I contribute as much as I can so things are ok, but it was grim in my mid-to-late 30s. 8) @1, I hear you. I never contributed to retirement as a grad student either. The variation between postdocs and how valuable the retirement contributions are is something that should get way more attention. Luckily, my postdocs gave 10-12%, which helped a lot. 9) 41 now, still looking. Have had offers but along with age goes more complicated family constraints that have made it impossible to take options I would have earlier. (10) 31 years old 11) Started second faculty position a year ago at 39 after 6 years in first position. I definitely had way more energy/fear my first time around...not sure how much of that is experience vs. age. I certainly do NOT have the tolerance or stamina for frequent night or weekend work like I used to. Ultimately, that's a good thing, but I think the energy people give off changes with time. 12) Sure, but I don't think us 40+ year old applicants for first time assistant prof positions are allowed to show that natural change in energy. 13) I've known people to be 60+ get TT AP jobs in other fields, rare but it happens, especially for career changes! 11) @12 Sorry, yes, I totally agree with you! It's a common bias you probably have to fight against. I know we interviewed one person who was substantially older for their first-time TT (>50)...they made many comments in the interview that hovered around minimizing their workload, which I think really impacted how they were discussed. In that case, it was an actual issue, but others could be put in that box unfairly. 14) I was 36 when I started and plenty of people here began in their 40s (I'm outside the US where longer postdocs are more common). 15) 30 years old and after doing 2 postdocs 16) I was 37 when I first got offered a position that I had to turn down for different reasons. Now I am heading 41 with 9 years post-PhD (one year maternity leave) and still on the look - although it did take me another 1 year or so after turning the offer down to be very actively on the hunt again. I still have hope and now I am aiming for young research leader fellowships.. there are a couple of these over here in Europe. I think the situation is now such that is very common to have people in a position like mine. These grants allow you to start a small research group, with which it makes your CV more competitive for permanent positions... as if you hold a leadership post in a institution, just that it's not permanent. As for retirement, I kinda gave up on that. Not proud, but that how it goes... here in Europe my postdoc counts towards retirement and if I move out of my current country, I can take the money with me, which I plan to invest in my retirement in the country I settle. 17) I wish there were mechanisms like that in the US. There really isn't much between a regular postdoc and a permanent TT position here. 18) 32 y/o 2 years post PhD with 2-year postdoc. Finished PhD in 5 years. No masters. Took time off between undergrad and grad school 19) 35 with first faculty offer in hand this year. Took some time between undergrad and MS, then had a bumpy ride in grad school and postdoc. 20) Just as a word of encouragement from a faculty member who has served on many search committees (R2 uni) -- we recently hired someone into their first Asst. Prof. position who (I didn't know at the time, but recently discovered -- because they told me) is 44. I'll say that we don't pay attention to "age" at all, but "years-out-of-PhD" is something that we calibrate for. IMO you have to worry about it too much, as long as either (a) they have been productive years or (b), if there was a gap in your productivity, recent years have been productive. My two cents. 20) I'm 36, 8 years out from PhD though, which feels very long. Did PhD straight from undergrad. I think some of that is because right when I was at "peak" in terms of when I was most competitive, COVID hit. I had several schools that I was interviewing for cancel their search, and then pickings were slim for a few years, and I didn't apply during the 2022-2023 cycle for personal reasons. 21) also 32, 2 years out from phd 22) I will start my position when I'm 35, which feels pretty normal (some time off between UG and grad and then a PhD + postdoc...adds up). OP) Thank you @20 22) I was 37. 23) I'm 40, but also overseas where I have my own research group. Lots of zoom interviews, no permanent offers 23) I'm 37, female postdoc (phd at 33, time off bt grad and ug) and I have some gray hair I'm unwilling to color. I definitely think it has counted against me in interactions I have with TT faculty about future career opportunities. i feel like Im no longer one of the cool kids. it may not be explicitly ageism, but i think academic hiring tends towards a clique-y, personality-driven, popularity contest.X2 24) thank you @23 for putting this sentiment into writing - as a 35 yo woman who doesn't have the extroverted personality to be one of the 'cool kids' no matter how strong my research is, I feel this X2 (6 again) yes I feel this too. At 39 I still looked quite young. This time around, at 42 with a second kid and an embarassing amount more weight and grey hair, I feel like a solid backup choice for most positions but by no means an exciting candidate. Luckily, that was enough to get a job this time (the exciting candidate went elsewhere), but I was already thinking about how I'd need to lose 30 lbs and time my hair coloring appointments better for the next cycle. I doubt a man of any age would have to worry about this. 25) @ 6 - if that makes you feel better, keep believing it, but overweight and old-looking men are very much discounted at first glance just like comparable women are. (6 again) @25 the data are quite clear on this. Women are penalized much more so than men for being overweight. In fact, some data suggest women are penalized when they are of normal weight, but not sufficiently thin. 26) I agree women have it rougher in many respects on this issue overall. But I also think the ecology/environmental field can be especially bad at looking down on anyone not considered physically fit (and maybe outdoorsy too). 25) @ 6: that's what I was talking about - if playing the victim olympics makes you feel better, keep at it! 27) Just came here to say calm down #25, you're being a jerk. it seems like you're the one wanting to feel victimized, #6 is just stating facts. | |
131 | 3/18/24 0:35 | How long before you heard back after in-person interview? | 3/22/24 12:30 | This was just answered in the Venting tab 1) Come over to the Dark Side. Resistance is Futile. 2) Last year when I did not get an offer...I never heard back – totally ghosted. This year, within ~2 weeks of on-campus interview for one school (I was last interviewee) and within 1 week of on-campus interview for another school (I was 2nd to last interviewee). Decision times vary a lot by school, order, and number of candidates. A friend of mine got an offer within 2 days of an on-campus interview at a smaller school and other friends have waited ~4-6 weeks before getting offers. 3) no way of knowing- if you are first on campus then it'll be awhile, if you are last then you could hear back within a week. 4) My record for getting a formal rejection letter is 2 years after applying (looking at you UMass Amherst). Most just ghost though. [speculation removed -AP] 5) I am going to pissed off if they just ghost me; however, I kind of want them too as well because it is too hurtful to finally have that rejection call. It is like I don't want to keep hope up but I also do not want my hope to die off completely. And yes, I am aware this isn't a venting tab.6) For the job I received I heard back over 6 weeks after my in person interview (I was the first person that was interviewed and the school was carrying out other searches at the same time) 7) My so far two offers came within around one week of the last on-campus interview | |
132 | 3/15/24 16:35 | How does the committee vote on candidates? | 3/25/24 9:34 | OP- specifically after campus interview, is it just the search committee that votes or the entire department gets to vote? 1) I'm pretty sure it varies. There definitely are places where the whole department votes; not sure if that's always the case. 2) I don't know how universal this is, but from my experience the committe gives it reccomendations to the faculty and the faculty vote to go with those reccomendations or a different ranking of the final candidates. 3) Definitely varies across universities, and the results of votes can go to the Dean level, and they may agree with the results of the vote or overturn it so someone else gets the offer. It all makes it so hard to predict anything with job offers. 4) at my R1, the committee first decides who is acceptable/not acceptable, and then ranks the acceptable candidates. They bring both issues to the faculty for a vote, who can (but doesn’t have to) agree with the search committee. Once the ranking is voted on, the chair takes it to the Dean, who must approve the ranking before the offer is made. 5) I interviewed at a R2 this year where the faculty provide the Dean an UNRANKED list of candidates with their pros and cons. The Dean then makes the decision unilateraly. Finding this out blew me away, especially because the Dean was traveling during my interview and I never met them. 6) Yikes! Did they imply that you would have met the Dean if they hadn't been traveling? 7) Yeah, if the Dean is picking the person and is meeting some candidates and not others, that seems like a wildly unethical system. 8) i've been on half a dozen searches at two R1s - there was never a vote at all. pros and cons provided to the dean, who makes the decision. 9) I think this varies widely university to university. At uni where I did my PhD, search committee can make recommendations but faculty vote in anonymous ranked-choice and pick is decided from there. At one place I interviewed this year, all faculty vote; at another, search committee collects feedback from faculty but only the search committee makes the choice about who should get the offer. 9) It definitly varies with institution. In some cases there are specific procedures built into collective agreements. 10) If you can find the department's bylaws, it should say. 11) At my current uni, there's no vote, the SC identifies and the dept chair makes the offer with Dean's approval; at my PhD uni all faculty voted and the PhD students also voted, which counted as one faculty member vote 12) So all the PhD students voted and then it was divided into one vote? Like a candidate would get .6 votes if they got 60% of grad students? Really funny to include them but then make the vote basically meaningless. I guess it would only matter if the faculty were at an exact tie. 13) Usually the way the PhD student vote works is that the PhD student on the search committee (who coordinates grad student lunch, etc.) is responsible for arranging the ranked-choice student vote; students vote; PhD student rep takes that vote which "counts" as a single vote. 14) @12 any single faculty member's vote is meaningless in the same way, only a deciding factor if the votes of all other faculty members yielded a tie. To the extent that PhD students can offer feedback that is discussed within the committee/voting body it can be a good way to get thoughts about a candidate's teaching/mentoring potential that faculty might be less attuned to. 12) Yes 14, but a single faculty member is a single person, whereas the PhD students vote might be 40 people. Not necessarily saying that PhD students should be directly voting anyway and there are other mechanisms to consider feedback from grad students, but consoloditing them all into one vote just strikes me as very funny. 15) @12 yes I guess it is funny, now that you mention it! 16) Don't assume that every place handles grad student input into faculty searches in the same way. At my large research uni, there's a PhD student as a voting member of every faculty search committee. But the student votes their own best judgment, just like all the other search committee members do. There's no formal or informal expectation that the grad student on the search committee will canvas grad student opinion, or vote on behalf of the grad students as a group. 17) Pretty sure at the R1 where I was a grad student the entire department has to vote to extend an offer to a candidate, and it has to be unanimous. Not sure how the ranking works though 18) @17 unanimous? have they ever hired anyone? 18) Unamimous shouldn't actually be too hard. Juries do it all the time. It usually wouldn't be hard to get someone on board to make an offer if it was clear their preferred choice was not going to come out on top after initial survey or discussion. Every faculty vote I been in over the last 4 years has been unanimous, with the exception of one dissenting vote on a relatively minor curriculum revision. 17 again) Yep agree with 19. The risk of a search failing is a big motivator. The thing I took away from the unanimous vote practice is that it only takes one stubborn prof that you don't cater to to tank your interview, even if the person isn't on the search committee | |
133 | 3/15/24 14:52 | How to respond to a rejection call or email? | 3/21/24 3:29 | OP- I made this post in venting tab first but realized that this is an actual question I have. Through the grapevine I know I did not get a job after campus interview. I know that the chair will call me soon or email me. I am very disappointed and heartbroken ofcourse but I want to be professional and say something more than "thank you for letting me know". What do people usually say when they are told that somebody else got the job, especially if it is a rejection call? 1) I think that it depends on what they say. Once, I got an email from a search committee chair that the dept chair wanted to arrange a call. Usually that's good news, or so I thought. The dept chair was very nice and very complimentary, then said that they offered the job to someone else. I was nice about it, and I also nicely asked if they could tell me why I wasn't offered the job. They told me something (based on experience in a particular area) and that there wasn't anything I could do. I thanked them for the opportunity and that was it. So, you may have a conversation. If it's an email, you can mull that over a bit. It's okay to be disappointed. If it's a nice email, you could say something about future opportunities. I've also been ghosted for 5 months after an on campus interview and got a non-personal email from that search committee chair that said something along the lines of "you probably figured out that we offered the position to someone else" and no pleasantries at all, to which I didn't bother to respond. OP again) Thank you @1- this really will help me not sound disappointed when I talk to them if they call. I suppose responding to a nice email would be easier. 1 again) You're welcome OP. Also, if they offered the job to someone else maybe that won't work out and you'll get good news. Good luck. 2) I was heartbroken last year after learning through the grapevine that I didn't get an offer, and I prepped my extremely polite and professional email response for the eventual moment they'd let me know. That moment never came – I was never contacted by the university again, and was never officially rejected...I was just totally ghosted. I know people often lean on the excuse of "some HR departments don't permit universities to let candidates know the outcome, blahblahblah" – but ghosting is just so honestly unprofessional. So, that email/call might not come, and I would prepare yourself for that. On a real advice note: if it does come, my mentors/supervisors reminded me to stay *ultra* professional AND to give the committee no indication whatsoever that their choice was right. In my case I knew the vote was close and came down to a weird political situation, so I was told to take the high ground, be incredibly kind, and always leave them wondering whether they made the wrong choice. 3) lol @2 that is savage "to leave them wondering if they made a wrong choice" but unfortunately they probably don't care once the job has been accepted by whomever accepted it. I bet the committee does not give another thought to any candidate including the one that accepted the job. 4) Be cordial and say "thanks anyways" if it's a phone call; don't feel compelled to reply if it's an email. If you do reply to an email, make sure to wait a few weeks before you do! 5) Why wait to respond to the email? I always send a quick "thank you for letting me know," cross the job off my list, and then I'm done with it. No point letting it hang around cluttering up my inbox when I don't need to think about it anymore? 5 again) Oh wait I think it was a joke about making the committee wait! Sorry! Not the best at jokes haha 6) @3 on the contrary, I've remained annoyed with certain colleagues who lead us to make offers to the "wrong" candidates for years (especially when they don't accept and it results in a failed search). Pondering how it could have turned out differently. Nothing against the winning candidate though, it's always a fresh slate for new colleagues (even if they weren't my #1 choice). x2 7) Often the first offer is rejected or falls through and universities offer to the second or third choice. At my previous institution we even went back to the short list for new interviews if all interviewees rejected. I've had instances where I interviewed, was not offered the position and was asked to reapply the next cycle. You could be asked to apply to a different position the next cycle or someone on the search committee could move and then ask you to apply for a new uni/department. It's okay to be heartbroken & disappointed but this can be a long game so try hard to stay professional and show them you would be a great colleague. 8) It is good to be polite and thank them for lettting you know since not every search tells people they didn't get the position (they all should and in a timely manner!). In one this round I found out through social media that I didn't get a posistion and I let the search chair know that I had known for a couple weeks once they finally emailed because of the very public social media post and asked if they can consider, assuming their HR office allows, letting rejected applicants know sooner, especially those who had on-campus interviews. It shouldn't be that hard to be considerate, but looking at this and other posts, it really might be! 9) Both times I went to on-campus interviews, I had to contact the SC to ask whether they had reached a conclusion because the time was running uncofrtably late. And in both occasions I was of course not chose. I thanked both politely and asked for feedback. In one occasion I realised there was nothing I could had done, but on the other, the SC member told me something like "you felt a bit lost in your future plans". I was disappointed because I did that on purpose... I did not want to feel like I had very narrow minded plans for my research but also that I was open to work them out with the future goals of the department for expansion. Also, my aunt had passed away just two days before the interview and I was indeed a bit unfocused. I ended up writing this in my reply, and afterwards I regreted it because it felt a bit like whinning.... I should just have thankd as well. | |
134 | 3/15/24 6:18 | Queer and Trans Inclusive Faculty Job Search Manuscript for Community Feedback | 3/19/24 12:59 | Howdy! Check out our recent preprint put together by an international team of early career microbiologists: "Running a queer- and trans-inclusive microbiology faculty search". We are currently soliciting community feedback on this piece and welcoming consortium authors onto the team. We would welcome your experience and insights! Please also feel free to distribute to your networks as appropriate. You can find the manuscript here: https://doi.org/10.32942/X2J310 Please record your feedback on the consortium author form: https://forms.gle/Hn13RKchqyVuiuSX6 1) Not eligible to fill out the form myself, but I read the paper and I think it's awesome that you've done this! 2) Love this. Thank you! 3) Also love this. Are you wanting input from non-microbio oriented folks as well? x2 4) I want to send this to my current department, in which I am the only queer/single/childless person and have had a pretty isolating experience. Thank you. 5) why do I have to have a google account for this? OP) Hi all! Thanks for kind words! for #3, we are mostly sticking to micro or related (loosely defined) fields, but feel free to email the corresponding author (jw4336@terpmail.umd.edu), for #5 I think it is because we offer the option to upload a response - if this is going to be an issue for you just email your comments to the corresponding author (jw4336@terpmail.umd.edu) and she can coordinate. 6) Not in micro, but thank you for the work that you are doing for us all! | |
135 | 3/14/24 12:58 | How long (post PhD) as unemployed? | 5/20/24 10:31 | OP) I know a bunch of us have had gaps between funding/positions. But I'm curious what is the longest you've gone without a paycheck and how did you handle it? 1) ~10 days 2) > 1 year, really rich spouse which allowed me to be selective, and I was doing my own independent work! (2) I'll be unemployed shortly, who knows for how long! 3) 1-2 or a few months between positions? I've always just lived off of savings as best I can (always put a way a little each month in grad school bc typically no summer funding) and was super frugal during those times (I have also been fortunate to live in low cost of living areas). 4) 1.5 years, but this was during covid and my partner was an essential worker. I did apply for positions, read a lot of scientific literature, and started a side project (which turned out to be more successful than some of my later postdoctoral projects, but that's another sad story). 5) 1-3 months between each of 3 postdocs, but received rent + travel cost abroad as a visiting scholar during one of those gaps. 6) About 4 months. This includes the first month of my new job- I didn't get a paycheck until a month in. It was a long time and I ended up putting a lot on a credit card and we used up all of my partner's money too (which wasn't great because she's still a grad student and it took her a long time to build up her small savings that she had.) We didn't discover this until a few months after I had started getting paid again, but Instacart. The gig economy jobs will let you work when you have time and not when you don't. No committment. I've been using that to try and pay off the credit card debt or when we're tight at the end of the month. I think it would have been very helpful trying to hold myself over between jobs as well if I'd have thought of it sooner. The money/hour tends obviously is not great in comparison to academic jobs, but when you're in a situation where you really don't have any money, it can be really helpful to have a way of getting some! 7) 2 months (occured twice). I lived off of savings both times (and that felt okay about that because I had already signed contracts for the next job, so I knew it was coming). I was able to accumulate savings on that scale was because I was fortunate to graduate without any debt from school (undergrad-phd) and because I had multimonth field seasons during grad school during which my daily maintenance costs were $0 because I was at a field station where my PI paid for for lodging and food, but I still got an RAship with health insurance etc. I was also well compensated by market standards as a postdoc. 8) over a year. mostly got by on unemployment from postdoc (plus an extension during covid emergency), which was lucky since I did not have a partner or anyone else to support me. 9) 18 months during COVID. I got decent-ish unemployment benefits via my union (Finland) and my wife had a steady job. Had to go a bit into my savings. The mental stress and exhaustion of not finding anything suitable and/or getting rejections from job and grant applications was much worse for me. 10) 3 full calendar years, starting a couple of months before my child was born. not what I would have planned. we lived on my husband's modest salary. Pretty low cost of living area & didn't spend money unnecessarily. thriftstore, cooked meals at home, etc. | |
136 | 3/14/24 11:44 | When to Withdraw? | 3/22/24 12:43 | I have an informal but written offer from an institution I am super excited about (they cant have a final/signable offer before a background check). I've also been invited for an on-site at a different school. I feel nervous about withrawing from the second search (less enthusiastic about this one) because I haven't signed anything yet, but also seems wasteful to continue on with this process when I have an offer I plan to accept. Thoughts? Should I wait until the ink has dried? 2) wait until the ink is dry. You never know what might happen x6 3) You might also be pleasantly surprised by the 2nd if you interview there. and who knows, maybe they'd give you a quick offer that can help you negotiate with the original... 4) Background checks don't happen on a whim. I'm guessing you signed the letter and sent it back? If so you can probably turn it down, but if not signed until the background check comes back then wait. Assuming you don't have any arrests in the background. (5) Don't turn down the interview. Just go. If you think there's no chance you'd EVER accept the job then don't go, but if there's even a small chance, go. 6) Would you accept the second place if you didn't have offer #1? If so, maybe go to the interview But if you do have a prelim offer of some kind in writing, I'd say that's pretty solid (basically: you *do* have a written offer, but it's contingent upon a background check; unless you have something red-flaggy in the background check, they're going to give you a formal written offer...it's just a matter of when). OP) thanks all! The written was not signed by me (I just emailed back to say OK). I prefer #1, but if #1 fell through I would 100% take #2 (if I even got it). Based on consensus sounds like I stick with the second interview for now. 3) OP, when you say you "emailed back to say OK" are you referring to accepting the job? Did they explicitly say they will have a written offer to sign (or would a bad brackground check just void what you agreed to?)? I'm just wondering about the possibility of the email signifying it is a done deal. I've been an assistant professor for a few years. I never "signed" anything in the formal sense. It was just an email chain back and forth with the Dean. 6 again) OP, if you would 100% accept school #2 if school #1 fell through, then definitely keep your interview at school #2. BUT, if you end up signing/confirming with school #1 before your school #2 interview, it's still ok to withdraw. This happened at the university I'm at during a search last spring (candidate pulled out 24 hours before the interview), and yeah, it's not ideal and some people are grumpy, but it's much worse to go to the interview in earnest, maybe get people really excited, and *then* back out. On the flip-side: If school #2 might give you a competitive counter offer to leverage against #1, consider fully going through with the process to get yourself more good stuff. 7) A couple years ago we had a search that got cancelled. The decision on who to make the offer to had already been made but it wasn't in writing. There was no hire. Based on that, I'm with the others that recommend to not withdraw until the ink is dry and you officially have a position. 8) OP- is your offer from a PUI? If so, in my experience that is a solid offer and if you don't feel like investing in second interview then you don't have to unless you worry about background check not going through. On the other thand if the second interview is in a few days (less than a week), then go ahead with it. 9) 18 months during COVID. I got decent-ish unemployment benefits via my union (Finland) and my wife had a steady job. Had to go a bit into my savings. The mental stress and exhaustion of not finding anything suitable and/or getting rejections from job and grant applications was much worse for me. OP) Following up. Offer is from a state institution, so lots of formality. My fear is an unexpected hiring freeze that would totally upend everything (it's happened before). The informal offer was written but not to be signed by me and had lots of languge about nothing being final until provost/president approves and check goes through, then they will send an official offer. I'm just gonna wait it out for now. Very happy with offer from #1 so just feeling a bit guilty about stringing #2 along as an insurance plan. 10) In your case, I don't think that you're stringing anyone along. You don't have an offer yet to sign. You're doing the smart thing. Think of the alternative, what if you bailed on the second interview and the first offer fell through. Good luck!! x2 11) going through the same struggle, having informal offers but nothing seems certain. Just got an onsite interview from one of the dream institutions, and decided to continute interviewing! | |
137 | 3/13/24 11:16 | Postdoc to professor transition | 3/15/24 15:11 | One of the lucky ones - starting a professor position in a couple months. Any general advice on how to prepare for the transition from postdoc to professor? 1) Congrats! Me too! I would love advice/resources as well. 2) Honestly I'm in year two right now. The one thing they don't teach you in grad school is how to teach, so just accept what you do won't be perfect, it'll take years. But just do the best you can, and hoenstly that'll probably be better than 1/2 the department anyways! ;-) 3) Everything is 100x slower than you think it should be. It will be a rush of ordering equipment, setting up the lab, with other days all your work is held up by university gridlock and you can't do anything new. Do some projects yourself in the first few years. It's hard to get trainees running independently. 4) Do most departments not teach you how to teach? Ours had required pedagogy courses and mandatory TA terms (regardless of funding) for PhDs x2 5) Be open about your research. Im in my second year and am working on things that I accendently stumbled over or that came into my sphere pretty randomly but I became fascinated by them nevertheless. You need to find your own niche and by simply continuing your postdoc work this might become a difficult process 6) I'd suggest reaching out to 3-5 profs you respect to set up a call this summer and ask their guidance and advice. having mentors helps a lot. have a short-term plan and a long-term plan. if you are research intensive, limit your teaching prep. 7) gotta say I get pretty salty seeing new professors talk about how they don't know how to teach and its a crash course. As a postdoc with years of IoRs while doing research I just roll my eyes. Searches will say they value research AND teaching until it comes down to choosing X4 8) Looking at @7 and stuff on the anonymous quals, I'm curious about the situations where postdocs seem to have so much teaching experience. Have you done separate time as a VAP, or are you teaching as an adjunct routinely on top of the postdoc, or is teaching an actual part of your postdoc? Most people I know maybe were a grad TA for a lab or recitation section, maybe did an entire course, and then get bits and pieces of teaching experience as a postdoc, but have to seek it out. Where are the years of IoRs? 9) I was IoR 4 times for 2 preps at an underresourced regional R2 wannabe. Enrollments were high, so a handful of senior PhD students got to teach small service courses on their own (field lab, writing lab) to fulfill their TAships. We were handed previous course material but had lots of room to innovate and no direct oversight. A dubious benefit of being at a low prestige institution! 7) @8 I have actively sought out teaching during my 3 years as a postdoc because i have been told repeatedly it is helpful (and in many cases necessary) to have IoR to get jobs, especially at any place below an R1. I have essentially worked extra hard to take on more responsibility to do this work when I did not have to at both an R1 and then an R2 department. So apologies if I am bitter that places then turn around and hire people with no teaching quals (like happened at my current department). 10) AP, can we split the discussion on getting teaching experirence as a postdoc into a separate thread? It's an interesting topic on its own, but definitely separate from the original intent of the post 11) @10, no different than nearly every cell/conversation on this site. 12) If you're an instructor, you're an instructor; "instructor of record" is sometimes a silly thing we cling to. Some universities don't allow course leaders (aka "instructors") to be listed as "instructor of record" despite the instructor doing all the work (e.g., many universities have restrictions against grad students being "instructors of record" even when students design and teach new courses). You could be an instructor 5x and an instructor of record 0x. I advocate for describing your experience honestly using the language that sells it best. 13) the point stands though that many new professors don't have ANY real instructor experience, whatever you want to call it. TAing 5 semesters is hardly enough to be prepared to teach 2-6 courses when you start. And its reasonable IMO for candidates with real teaching experience to be a bit bitter than committees don't seem to care when hiring. x2 14) Not only do they not care, some small selective PUIs seem to actively prefer people who don't have teaching experience because they see people who have taken VAPs or been in adjunct positions as not fancy enough for their school. Departments are full of people hired ABD or after 1-2 years of postdoc who got hired in their first cycle applying and don't have any idea how lucky they were. Definitely not saying it is like that everywhere, but I have heard those things said more or less outloud in a few departments I've been around. 15) @14, I don't think it's a matter of being "fancy", but rather allocating time to teaching rather than research. They believe that it's easier to teach someone how to teach on the job, whereas it's almost impossible to teach someone how to run a research lab in addition to teaching x2 16) Idk about teaching experience vs. lack thereof, but it's definitely true that SLACs expect more "research momentum" than one might expect. It does seem like it's hard to get a SLAC job having pressed pause on your research to take a full-time teaching position. Everyone I know who recently got a position like that was either coming straight from grad school or a typical research postdoc (though always with some teaching experience), and the one who had worked as a teaching postdoc then transitioned into a more research-oriented postdoc at the same institution before getting hired. 14) Yeah I generally agree with you 15 & 16, but at the places I'm talking about they are willing to overlook not having obvious research momentum/independence for people who are shortly out of grad school. I really think there is often just a perception that this matches the 'right' career trajectory because most people in the department had a similar path. 17) The first year is really crazy - I'm in the thick of it right now. I wish that I had gotten a proposal submitted before I started, I wish I had submitted a few papers before I started (but I'm glad I didn't submit too many), I wish I didn't move right before I started (I'm never going to get unpacked), I am constantly reminding myself to be kind to myself. This is just how it is - you won't get much else done your first year except for building your first courses, figuring out your University logistics, and if you are lucky recruiting grad students and getting your lab set up. That is what most folks experience though - the next year will be easier! You can do it! | |
138 | 3/13/24 9:39 | Location vs position specifics | 3/21/24 10:09 | OP) How heavily are other weighing location versus the specifics of a position (e.g. teaching load)? I'm trying to decide if it's worth applying for a position that's in a town I'd love to live in...but if it wasn't for the location, I probably wouldn't look twice at the school 2) Personally, these are two different axes that would make me happy in different ways and I am considering stuff that's high on one axis but not the other, provided the position isn't so far down on the lesser axis that I don't think I could be happy there at least over the medium term, e.g., the time it'd take to earn tenure, and being in that role would make it difficult to get a position I'd like better (e.g., it's a super teaching-heavy position and I want to do R1-style research). 3) greatly depends on your situation. I moved to a large city last year for a postdoc because I had a good opportunity, but I have a family and now my wife has a career in this city and I am set on not moving. It has really limited my prospects and forced me to be flexible about what I am willing to take as a job. But ultimately my family's happiness is more important than landing my dream job, and so I am using that perspective to guide my path forward. 4) At this career stage (I have a TT job and am looking to move), besides the U.S. states that I have no interest in moving to based on their politics, I am all about the type of institution and institutional support, and I have broadened the spatial extent of where I'm looking. It varies a lot for different people and there is no correct approach here. There are lots of ways, and places, to feel successful in life and work. 5) Just don't make the mistake I did and take a job in a shitty location that also has the wrong balance of teaching and research ... now I am desperate to move. 6) I consider myself a pretty decent researcher, but I am in a teaching position. Honestly, at this point, I am applying for new positions and focusing only on the specifics of a position, mainly teaching vs. research and SALARY. I can only think of doing what I like and traveling wherever I want if I have a decent paycheck. There is no paradise if you are constantly frustrated. 7) I defined some "minimum acceptable" criteria with my partner on both axes (location and position)- below those thresholds an opportunity was not viable. The higher above that threshold for either metric, the better. Things that made jobs not viable are similar to what others above mentioned- no chance partner could find job, low salary relative to local cost of living, insitutional support significantly lower than requirements of job, location one or both of us would be unhappy. We could screen some of this before applying to positions, but some of this came out during the process of interviewing at places.OP) Thanks all! It's nice to hear how other folks are approaching these decisions! 8) I weighed the location pretty heavily. I actually limited my search to only about 10 states that would all put me within a day's driving distance of my family (parents and siblings). That was a very intentional choice because I really wanted to make them my top priority. I think mabye it's all about knowing what your priorities are. I knew I would rather work outside of academia than be too far away from them, and I reminded myself of that when I saw very tempting but far away jobs. 9) There are hints in the available data (though nothing definitive) that it's fairly common for people to get hired into TT ecology jobs in the US and Canada despite conducting geographically-restricted job searches: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/10/10/how-often-do-tt-ecology-profs-get-hired-near-where-they-did-their-phds/. Those data obviously don't tell you what your own priorities should be, or how shifting your priorities would affect your own personal chances of getting a job. 10) My guess, without any data, is that is easier to get hired in the state/region where you are already working. Factors like relevance of your field research sites/study ecosystem, and familiarity of your netorwk of references come to mind. 11) That makes sense in theory, but I've more or less struck out on interviews in the region of the country where I grew up, currently live, do field work, and have the most connections. Yet I've been reasonably successful in other regions that I am less interested in living in. I guess it may have to do with competition in different areas. 12) Agree with 11. I've done great work and have great connections in California. Yet, I only have campus interviews and offers from the East Coast. 13) Yeah I think this is true with the "except the West Coast" caveat 14) Yeah, my home state (which I'd love to return to) has not been friendly to me this cycle. Can't get so much as for zoom interview even for the relatively few suitable jobs that've popped up in it 15) Laughs in Canadian living in the US because I can't get a job in Canada. The board always asks if Canadians are preferred because of the HR docs, yet nearly every job I've applied for ended up hiring Americans. 16) I think the northeast is like California in that regard too. 17) I don't think so. CA seems to be an extreme. I have several NE offers and not even an interview in CA. 18) Lol 18, my experience is the exact opposite despite having way more connections in NE. 19) let's trade! Maybe they won't notice 20) It actually would probably alleviate a lot of faculty unhappiness with their jobs if they could trade spots for equivalent positions to someone at the same career stage! | |
139 | 3/12/24 12:59 | Anywhere to find examples of start-up negotiation letters? | 3/16/24 18:57 | OP) I found the examples of successful application materials in the "links" tab to be very helpful when I was applying. I was just wondering if there is anywhere where I could find examples of letters that people have written to the Dean to negotiate and justify their negotiation requests 1) I've gotten a couple examples directly from friends but have never seen a public database/repository. 2) I recently received advice to ask the offering party (whether it's the department chair, SC, dean etc.) if they can recommend connections with any faculty in the department who've been hired in the last 5 years. Then reach out to those faculty to ask what they did with xzy circumstance. That way you are stil deferring to the offering party but also getting advice from faculty with (hopefully) very relevant experiences. x2 3) I would suggest asking people from your network. 4) @3 something tells me that if OP had a network replete with folks who'd recently gotten TT jobs, they would've reached out to them. Willing to be wrong on this! 5). reach out to recent hires, in my current position we found some more junior people got literally double the startup as they had inside info | |
140 | 3/12/24 9:14 | Does having one offer help to get other offers in the same season? | 3/13/24 8:23 | OP) I got one verbal offer and have prospects I'm waiting to hear back from. Is there a best - effective, polite - way to leverage the first offer to get others? 1) I don't think so, unless by "other offers" you mean you already hold a TT position and want to elicit a counter-offer from your current employer. At best, you might get the other institutions to speed up their decision-making process slightly. But the news that you have another offer isn't likely to sway their decision-making process in your favor. If anything, it could sway their decision-making process against you. If there's another applicant they'd be happy to hire, they may not want to get caught up in a bidding war trying to win a bidding war for your services. 2) I tend to think of it along the same lines as @1. Not likely all that helpful to try to get a sencond offer, and potentially harmful. If another offer does come though, you might have time to use it to your advantage in negotiations. 3) I think if you let them know you have another offer but that you really want to go to their department (and can make that sound convincing), then you might be able to get them to speed up the decision a bit. Agree with 1 & 2 though that it is very unlikely to actually change anyones vote. 4) To OP, by "prospects" do you mean that you've done other in-person interviews and are waiting to hear back, or that you've applied to other jobs and that is in the early stages without interviews yet? If the former, you could let them know (if you're interested in the position) and as others have said it may or may not make a difference. If the latter, I don't think there's anything for you to do. It's only a "competiting offer" that can be used as any leverage when you have multiple offers, but one offer won't generate others. 2) Although if you did interview somewhere else and you really liked it, I can see it potentially being useful to tell them you really are intersested in them, but have another offer with a timeline....as a way to prompt them into offering you something (if they were likely going to anyway). In this case it might actually take away a little negotiating ability (hard to say for sure though). OP) Thanks everyone for your input, and sorry my original post wasn't very clear and maybe implied that I thought one offer automatically leads to another, which wasn't actually a misconception I've been struggling with. I'm waiting to hear back on one in-person interview (although I know they're negotiating with their top-choice candidate) and have one in-person interview coming up and am just generally trying to navigate the situation. My first choice is the one where I've done the interview but am not the top candidate, and I really want to find out more about the place I have an interview coming up soon. 5) This just happened to me. I had had three interviews in a row over six weeks and received an offer from one of them. I emailed the other two, let them know that I had received an offer, expressed my continued interest in their position, and asked if they might have an update for me. It worked very well. They both emailed me back the same day- one with an offer and one with a very kind rejection. This is what I've heard from others as well- that if they want to make you an offer they will try to speed things up for you. Your position is slightly more difficult because at one place you haven't interviewed yet and at the other they have to find out whether or not the first person who was offered the position is going to accept it. For the one where you already interviewed, I don't think it would hurt to try? They could put additional pressure on the timeline of the other applicant maybe? For the one where you haven't interviewed yet, I'm not sure. I have always avoided saying anything about other offers until after my in-person interview is complete, but nobody actually ever advised me to do that. Of course I imagine that you're trying to buy as much time to make a decision on your first offer as you can? 6) Based on the additional info you've given OP, I don't see what benefit there would be of letting committees know. You don't have an offer in hand so there isn't any timeline for a decision. If you get an offer from the upcoming visit and the first is still dragging their feet with a candidate who might turn down the offer, then it seems like it would be worth going back to them. 7) @6, OP still has the original offer, which presumably has some sort of ticking clock on it. So potentially an upside to letting committees know (and maybe a downside under certain circumstances). OP) @6 Yup, I do have an offer in hand. I reached out to the school negotiating with their top candidate and got a prompt rejection. After some more thought, I plan to disclose my decision timeline in the exit interview of my upcoming in-person interview. Thanks everyone for your perspectives. | |
141 | 3/12/24 7:37 | Multiple positions in the same department - letters of rec? | 3/12/24 8:51 | OP) I'm applying for two positions in the same department and the applications both request the letters of rec be sent to the same person. Can my writers just write one letter for both positions? 1) They can likely be the same, but they should change the position that it's for, if they include that at the top or in the filename. There may be two different folders/piles of letters for the different positions and different hiring committees, so I'd have them send two copies. The easier life is for the person receiving all the letters, the better. You risk missing a letter not making it to one of the job applications if they are expected to create duplicates or do anything extra for your situation. Alternatively, contact the search committee chair and ask what they prefer. | |
142 | 3/11/24 5:06 | Should we focus only on professional matters during on-campus interviews? | 3/12/24 7:29 | OP) I used to think it was nice to talk about personal topics (hobbies, family, places where we lived, etc.) with the search committee and faculty, but I am not sure anymore. Should these topics be avoided? 1) Recently had an on campus interview and did not get the offer despite seriously good vibes. I was quite open about challenges relocating family, but my wife joined me to explore the city while I interviewed. It was probably a complete innocuous reason for not being the final choice, but allowing myself to be a tad vulnerable during dinners is nagging on me. Not sure I would be as open in a subsequent interview, maybe compartmentalize personal stuff a bit better. 2) In my opinion, they're also hiring a colleague, not just a science robot. I talked about myself, my life, my hobbies, etc. at my last interview and kept things positive. I also stressed why the location would be ideal for myself and my partner and how we would put down roots there. Others talked about their lives, families, hobbies, etc. and told me they were comfortable around me, and I got the offer 3) I have avoided talking about it because I have an academic spouse and we need two jobs, but that also means avoiding talking about kids and it honestly makes it much harder to have generally conversations about hobbies activities because for me right now 95% of that revolves around kid/partner things. I've usually been given advice to avoid bringing it up, but I'm honestly not sure what the best approach is. 4) I waffle on this. On the one hand, is a place that will reject me for mentioning that I have a certain family life a place that I want to work? That's a pretty crappy move on their part. On the other, gotta get a job.I think both approaches are valid as long as you weigh the pros and cons. That's on the candidate side, though, if a search committee asks any of these questions in a leading way, it is absolutely a red flag. Like, if they talk about how its hard to afford the area as a single-income household (something that has been said to me), I would not consider working there. The two body-problem is a difficult issue, but so is scraping by in a pricey area with only one earner. 5) Maybe because I am an asst. prof., but all the SCs that interviewed me seemed very concerned about my desire to move to their area. So in addition to professional reasons (collaborators, field sites, etc.) it felt important to add some personal reasons as well. 3) I just think with the two body issue there is a very high probability of some faculty thinking 'well we won't be able to make another job so we shouldn't even bother making the first offer since it will be turned down'. I guess I don't know how true that is, but it does make it awkward to avoid those personal conversations when they would otherwise come up naturally. OP) I interviewed for a position almost two months ago and left with a great feeling (they were telling me what I should ask for when I receive an offer, and they were interviewing only two candidates). But I haven't heard back yet, which makes me believe I was not selected. During the interview, a search committee member mentioned that the university has a great spousal hire policy, and I got excited because my wife works in the same area. I even said that this would be the only issue that would make me not accept the offer because my current institution offered a position to my wife (but low salary overall). After leaving the interview, I immediately regretted saying that and haven't stopped thinking about it since then. 6) To OP - if it's been two months since your in-person interview and you're thinking about the silence a lot, I think that it would be okay for you to reach out to the Chair of the search committee to check in. If it's a job you'd want, you can politely ask about the status of the search and restate that you're very interested in the position. You may hear nothing back, or you may hear something about a delay (potentially). But at least then you've done something. In your position it would help get it out of my head a bit a least. x3 OP) Thank you #6, I will do that. Actually, thank you all for your replies. I truly appreciate it. 7) There was a good post on this tab a while back about negotiating a spousal hire you might find helpful. Waiting is agony. Best of luck. | |
143 | 3/10/24 8:59 | On a 1-10 scale, how high would a PUI/SLAC have to be for your preferences | 3/12/24 11:37 | OP) In terms of location, pay, etc., how much higher would a PUI need to be than an R2 for you to take the PUI/SLAC? 1) For me it would also depend a lot on the R2. Some R2s are great. Some are really resource strapped and have grad students who don't have enough support to really be successful plus you might end up teaching even more than at some PUIs that have a lot of resources and want you to do research. I guess the biggest difference is whether you feel like you have to work with grad students or could be OK only working with undergraduates. 2) Yeah, like 1 said, for me I realized early in my job search that working with grad students was really high on my list of priorities. So the PUI and SLACs I've applied to have had to be REALLY high in other aspects (perfect location, stellar undergrads, etc.) to compensate for not having grad students. All about your priorities 3) The perspective of the question asker is very odd to me. Many people would have PUI/SLAC be there top choice. It depends what you want out of a faculty job. x6 4) Yes, I've applied to only PUIs and no R1s or R2s because I would rather be at a PUI! So I suppose I could try to answer the opposite way. An R2 would have to be in a great location, place genuine emphasis on undergraduate learning, and have a friendly, collegial and non-competitive atmosphere for me to consider it. It would be fun to mentor grad students, but I wouldn't want to miss out on doing my own field work. x3 | |
144 | 3/8/24 16:32 | travel awards for adjuncts | 3/11/24 4:30 | 1) I am doing so many things that a TT faculty does. And those that I am not doing is because I am not allowed to as an adjunct and although I get zoom and campus interviews an offer has not materialized and it won't this year either even though i am perfectly capable and good at what I do and propose to do. So this should be in a venting tab but I really want to know if there are general grants available for adjuncts to keep going to conferences when their university only makes those available to TT faculty? Not having that supports restricts me and I am sure it affects my chances at TT positions too. x2 2) I think the point that you make about you being good at what you do is really important. That's what I've been telling myself before all of my interviews too. We are good teachers. We are competent researchers. We would be very good at these jobs if we could just get one!! 3) I don't know of grants, but if there are society conferences you went to as a grad student/postdoc, it may be worth reaching out to them to see if there are ways to help you get there. I don't think this is common, but it maybe worth asking, or if you serve in society leadership there may be offsets for conference attendance, that second route would take more time though. | |
145 | 3/8/24 16:15 | timeline after zoom interview? | 3/11/24 12:53 | OP- if I have not heard anything for two weeks, am I basically not getting a campus invite? Also, when they say "we thank you for your interest" in reply to thank you email, why does that feel like a sign that I did not get selected. 1) I dunno, I wouldn't read too far anything until there's a sign that it's really not happening... 2) 2 weeks is not that long, especially since some schools are doing spring break right now. Most places won't say much more than that in reply to a thank you email, to make sure that they are treating candidates fairly. Its impossible to read the tea leaves, unfortunately. x4 | |
146 | 3/8/24 16:12 | signs during and after campus interview? | 3/12/24 6:02 | OP- I know there is a thread exactly covering this and the conclusion is that there are no signs. But still give me something because even though my gut feeling tells me I did not get the job, it is hard to kill that sliver of hope until getting a rejection email or call. (1) There are no signs; just try to take your mind off! Go for a hike, read a book, take a cold plunge! x2 | |
147 | 3/8/24 9:58 | update jobs after signing? | 3/11/24 7:43 | Is there any reason not to do this? As someone who has multiple on-campus interviews and been ghosted on occasion, I feel like this would be a better practice than having shortlisted candidates learn from Twitter. 2) @OP agreed SC should contact candidates who didn't get the job, but is it the SC who you are referencing here? Who is doing the updating, and what/whom is being updated? OP) sorry I wasn't clear. I mean the successful candidate could update the sheet (on the positions tab) after they signed their offer saying the position is filled. I don't think it should have to be our responsibility to inform each other about this, but since SCs don't do it as often as they should, I don't see a reason we can't. Am I missing something? 3) No reason not to do it in my view. Just keep in mind many applicants are not looking at or participating on this site. 2 again) I think @3 makes a good point. In the searchers this year where I've been a finalist, there are mulitple applicants noted in this sheet who applied, but by the time it gets down to on-campus interviews I'm the only one still interacting with the sheet. The other finalists just aren't on here.3) Some people also might shy away once they feel less anonymous. X6 4) Yes but you can just list offer made or accepted without giving any other detail. No way to tell if it was a candidate, or someone from the searching department, or someone else that you might have told. x2 5) @4, that's definitely true. But I think there might be some superstition going on too. 6) I feel @ 4, feels far less anonymous, but I did just make the decision to update on job status myself because it feels wrong not to pay forward a culture of helping others when we all rely on this resource. x2 4) It's not anonymous anymore, but is there actually any way it could hurt us to make a note? Is this something that could upset people in our new departments? I am perhaps not as brave as 6, but I actually don't see any way it can hurt me and I'm happy to do it if there's no risk! I noticed that nobody seems to do and just thought for some reason I didn't understand that we weren't supposed to. 7) I don't know why people think it isn't anonymous anymore. Shortly after an offer has been made lots of people know about it. All of the hiring department, whoever you talk with about it and whoever they told. It isn't like these things are a huge secret. Any one of those people could write offer made on the board here. Of course if you're adding information about details that only you would know then that is a different story. In any case I can't imagine why the hiring department would ever care if you made a small update on here about the status of the search. 8) @ 4, for me the only potential "hurt" I see is a result of my own imposter syndrome. I'm less "qualified" than many people applying by the standards of discussions here (judging by Anon Quals and comments on this and the Venting tab) and it would hurt to see comments along the lines of those in a couple of the threads on these tabs. I don't think it's likely, people here are generally very supportive and congratulatory, but one negative comment can outweigh many positive ones and I don't need anything feeding the imposter syndrome any more than it already gets. 9) Hmm I see what you mean, 8. I've actually been thinking a bit that the data on here might be skewed towards people who have particularly high numbers? Like, I know that I'm happier with my record this year than I was the last two years and I quickly added my data to the anon quals sheet this year. My first year I didn't add it at all, and last year I did because I wanted to contribute/be helpful but it didn't feel good to put it up and I waited longer to do it. I bet people with higher numbers post more. 10) I'm not so sure about that, it's no fun to have high numbers in all those categories but still not have job offers. For sure the anon quals are not an unbiased sample though. | |
148 | 3/8/24 7:06 | Back up your data! | 3/10/24 8:19 | 1) Oh no, OP, what happened? 2) And get alarms for your freezers!! (OP) Student lost a presentation because the server they were storing it on deleted it. | |
149 | 3/7/24 12:48 | Review time for journal articles | 3/10/24 9:28 | What is your experience with the current review time for journal articles? Same as before COVID, longer, shorter? 1) touch and go, I've had quick turnarounds like within 6 weeks, but also 6 weeks just to assign reviewers. I think COVID just brought along larger variances. If by chance you get a proactive AE and proactive reviewers, you can get through the first round of review "just like old times". Otherwise, sit and wait (sigh) 2) I'm unclear why there would be a connection to COVID... For what it's worth I have had a paper that was rejected after a year in the review process, and one that was accepted after just a few weeks. Both well before covid. I have not noticed any change. 3) I think there was a very clear change post COVID when people became much less likely to accept review requests. A lot of journals/AEs commented on this. I'm sure it varies across journals but it is definitely real. It's hard to notice with any one paper since the variance has always been high, but the average weight time and likelihood of getting stuck in an extremely long wait is higher. I have submission to acceptance dates in a spreadsheet for all my own papers going back to grad school and it is very clear that the average has gotten longer (despite the fact that I hope I write better papers now for the most part). 4) Definitely longer. Both as an author and as an AE I've noticed this. 5) AE here - it really depends. I find that ECRs and reviewers from outside NA/EU/OZ are still fast and willing, but declines and times seem to be up amongst TT invitees from those areas. @2: it wasn't COVID per se, it was the "guarding my time" aspect of it. 6) Longer. In the past 2-3 years the shortest first round turnaround I've had is 3.5 months, the longest 9. In my case at least I think this has been a failure of the editors 5) @ 6 if it's marked "with editor" for protracted periods of time, yes, it's the editor's fault. The problem is when someone is invited the software takes a few weeks to send prompts. Inviting more than 1-3 over the minimum threshold can lead to >3 reviews in some cases and in others, having to disinvite others who have accepted. J Environmental Management just lost me as a reviewer forever because they asked for 2-week turnaround, I said it would be 4 weeks, then when I didn't submit by day 28, despite having read the paper, I got an email saying I was disinvited. So, AEs really can't push reviewers and neither group is compensated for any of this. A bigger issue than AEs is invitees ignoring invites. One ninny actually said on Twitter that declining invites was "uncompensated labour", so not only would he not review because he wasn't being compensated, he wouldn't let the review proceed with other invitees, and of course, like a total selfish jackass, he continues to submit his own papers for review. That's the sort of attitude that makes it worse for everyone. In short: don't submit if you don't review, and review at least 2 for every one you submit, otherwise there's no moral or ethical grounds to complain about times. 7) I would love to see some journals present an analysis of acceptance rates/turnaround times for TT faculty vs. postdoc/grad/research associates. Certainly seems like COVID emphasis on delaying tenure clocks and protecting time largely resulted in shifting more reviewing burden onto lower paid and more precarious employees. 2) Good, informative comments. Thanks. I have trouble guess and what the overall impact of many journals pushing for short review times of 10-14 days. I never do those because I doubt I will be able to give a quality review and have the impression most others can't either. 5) @ 7 it would be both interesting and hard to collect those data. I usually find reviewers from Google Scholar, which has the problem of unlisted emails (a whole other topic). I like to focus on scholars with recent (<4 years) pubs on the topic and don't discriminate between status, i.e. postdoc, PI, or PhD student provided they've started publishing. There is no way to flag their positions in the editorial manager system, though. As a side note, many many people from elsewhere do their PhDs in the US/UK etc and then return home to southeast Asia or whatnot and effectively leave the western academic radar. That's a big group of people who want to participate but are rarely included. 8) Good points 5. I do think that some journals would have internal tracking of career stage in their editorial manager system. Similar types of analyses have been presented with harder to get information (thinking of some of the papers from Charles Fox). 9) I recently started as an AE at a lower impact (but respectable) journal, and I am really blown away by how hard it is to find reviewers. Particularly I am surprised that so many ECRs refuse to review, and I have been making a point to seek out people in this category because I had assumed they would be keen. Like, if you are a first year postdoc with just a few papers, you should be accepting every relevant review request that comes your way. Its pretty amazing that in such a competitive, "small world" environment, people are fine to blow off these requests. Editors (which, after all, are colleagues that may one day evalaute your own papers, job apps, etc) remember who is a reliable and thorough/useful reviewer, and quickly forget the others. 5) @ 8 I really haven't seen a mechanism that would allow that - on both the AE and reviewer sides. In fact my journal recently switched the default entries for reviewers to NOT include institution and automatically address everyone as "Dr". Perhaps date of first review/submission to a publisher could be used as a proxy. | |
150 | 3/6/24 10:47 | International teaching positions | 3/7/24 14:28 | Any insight on how to find lecturer positions outside of the US? Dream is Australia/New Zealand but I'm open to any countries and not sure how best to search! x3 1) I'm interested in this too, I looked into it a fair bit and applied for one position in the wake of a certain Supreme Court ruling a while back. Some of the standard job postings websites include postings abroad, but the challenge sometimes can be finding positions that are specifically teaching-oriented...confusingly some countries use the "lecturer" title in a way that doesn't really mean "longterm teaching job" the way it does in the US, it's more like a sort of intermediate step between postdoc and assistant prof equivalent. Have seen some teaching-specific postings in Canada and I think the UK has some sort of "teaching track" for faculty. It's a bit of a shame that there isn't much of a "SLAC" equivalent outside the US (as far as I know) though, I'd love the opportunity for something like that. 2) I'm NZ-based. "Lecturer" = "Assistant Professor", in that it's a permanent research and teaching position. Some NZ universities now have teaching-track academic positions, which are permanent with a full set of ranks (Lecturer->Professor) but only do teaching, with no research expectations. Also team teaching is very common, even in 200/300 level courses, and there may be more department- or faculty-level control over course content and design, as the majors/programs are more tightly structured. There's nothing like a SLAC, I would say most of them are functionally like R2s (with some good bio depts more like an R1 dept in an R2 university). Note that most NZ universities are going through catastrophic financial crunches right now; mine lost 10% of its faculty in the past year through voluntary redundancies and layoffs. There is no tenure system. OP: @2) I appreciate the insight! How did you find your job? I've applied to one lecturer position but I assume being from out of NZ made my application less appealing. Are there any kind of sites where jobs like yours get posted? 2) I originally moved here for a postdoc, and I've been on soft money since. There are some student and cultural needs expectations (e.g. some basic knowledge of mātauranga Māori), but at least half the faculty are from overseas, it's just a bad hiring environment right now. There's no central location, just look on the university vacancy pages. | |
151 | 3/6/24 10:23 | Hearing back about first round -timeline | 3/7/24 15:51 | Someone on a job I applied to got a zoom interview yesterday. I haven't seen anything - do those invites typically all go out at once, or is it possible I could get invited in a second wave? 1) Yes it is possible that you could get a call in a second wave, but interviews usually go out at the same time x3 2) I've never gotten a zoom later than other people on the sheet. I think they tend to send them all on the same day. But it is conceivable. Maybe if someone declines they keep going down the list. 3) I've gotten zoom invites where they said "other people declined and you were next on the list". This is probably the time of year those are most common. 4) I once got one a day after others on the list (no explanation but assuming someone declined). It seems generally rare though. | |
152 | 3/5/24 12:12 | Only significant predictor of success is number of years post-PhD | 3/9/24 9:33 | You mean success in what? Longevity, yes 2) Is it a curve where success first increases with the number of years post-phd, reaches a peak and then decreases just as fast or faster? 3) Faster I think. I hope this isn't based on the anon quals data here though. Can't really conclude anything directly from that. 4) And we don't know if the assciation is a result of discrimination, nor if the association would persist if people no longer judge other based on years post-PhD. (5) In the anon-quals data, this doesn't matter statistically. I have tried putting in a bunch of predictors for offer rate and the best predictor seems to be gender 6) @5 without knowing distribution of gender in the candidate pool, this might be a dubious assessment, but could you please specify your findings within these limitations? (5 again) In a simple analysis of variance w/ gender (109F:73M; self-reported; 'other' removed) number of years as a postdoc, and total number of publications, only gender comes out as significant and highly so (P = 0.005) 7) Interesting. Can you see if that still shows up after limiting to R1 and maybe R2 (where I'd think offers tend to have more room for negotiation)? (5 again) Don't have the data for this unfortunately 8) In a much bigger compilation of many years worth of anon qual data, the only significant predictors of number of phone/video interviews, campus interviews, or offers an applicant will receive are number of applications submitted, and gender. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bes2.1624 7)@5 sorry I read that too quickly and thought you were using the negotiations tab data and "offer rate" was salary offer (5 again) Just had a look, and gender is a stronger predictor of offer number than even Application number in the Anon-Quals data! The nice thing about this data compared to Fox data is that he didn't have application number. (8?) Wait, so number/breed of cats offered to the search committee doesn't matter!? 9) <--LOL #8 x3 10) Uh, the Fox data includes data on number of applications submitted. (5 again) Of course.... -_- 11) The Fox data *was* the anon quals data from this job board. He had his own sheet for who actually took jobs from tracking down announcements, but the applicant side data was all from here. | |
153 | 3/5/24 11:25 | When to get out? | 3/7/24 10:08 | When would you decide to leave academia? Is having your own lab at an R1 in an imperfect location better than leaving the academy in a place you love? How would family dynamics play into your decision? 2) Why choose one when you can get stuck in a geographic location you don't like as a consequence of academic moves, but still end up not succeeding at getting a position to run your own lab? x2 3) @2 It can get even worse. Perhaps you do not have a place to go back to, because the conditions (unemployment rate etc.) in your home country are terrible. 4) To echo @2, you don't need to choose one! You could flop on the job market while trying to leave a nice R1 *while* the total uncertainty of being on the market causes people who love you to leave you for more stable prospects 5) Yes in academia you can truly manage to fail at everything at the same time. 6) This is a deeply personal decision and it's tough to get thoughtful discussion on this board. I'm imagining since you, OP, are asking here, you may not have a lot of personal connections with people who have recently wrestled with these decisions. I'd suggest seeking out these connections and exploring what leaving might look like for you, possibly even applying for non-academic positions and doing informational interviews. It's valid to give yourself a time limit on the market; it's also valid to persist in evaluating multiple options inside and outside academia and only choose when something concrete presents itself, although I can say from personal experience that the uncertainty sucks. Good luck! (7) I went 0/8 on interviews over three years and decided that I can't do it any more. (8) I agree with @6 - I think it comes down to what you value most and what trade-offs you want to choose, and it's different for everyone. My two cents - I can't remember where I got this idea from, but I started keeping a list where at the end of each day I would write down three things that I did that day that made me feel happy/fulfilled/joyful and three things that made me feel negative emotions. It made it really easy to see the pattern that the things that made me happiest/most fulfilled were tied to my community (hanging out with friends, volunteering at the community garden, tubing the nearby river with my partner, etc etc), while academic science was a mixed bag that made me feel stressed, upset, and annoyed even more frequently than it made me feel happy/excited. That made the decision easy for me - I want to center my life around my community rather than academic science, and I want to get a day job outside academia where I use my research skills 40 hours a week to work towards a better world (I'm interviewing at NGOs right now and keeping an eye on govt boards). For some people, the highs of academic science might more than balance out the lows, but that's not the case for me! It took a lot of introspection and thought to come to that decision though, and to change the vision of my future that I'd built in my mind, especially since within academia TT jobs are put on this pedestal as the be-all-end-all of ideal jobs. It also helped to talk to scientists outside of academia and to realize that their jobs sound really cool to me.9) @8 thank you for the from-heart-response! Your approach sounds really helpful to find clarity around the big picture. | |
154 | 3/5/24 7:16 | official acceptance if there's a visa requirement | 3/6/24 6:58 | Can a university in the U.S. officially accept an international candidate for a TT job before that candidate has the required visa? 1) someone can correct me if they have experienced anything differentl, but I would say yes. Have the official accepted offer should be helpful for the university to work on your behalf to get a visa (assuming they will help with this). (2) Yes, there should just be something like 'pending visa...' 3) Some states have 'rules' about right to work. I have never seen it be the deciding factor in an actual faculty search. Faculty are eligible for EB1 visas and then can apply for green card status. Most schools sponsor, but if your uni doesn't have great international support hire your own visa lawyer to work it out. It's very easy to make the offer contingent on visa status in the US, UK, and EU. 4) Some private PUIs will not sponsor visa. Found out sadly through personal experience. 5) The answer (from someone who was hired on an H1B visa & has been on the other side of multiple recent international faculty hires requiring visas) is unambiguously YES... however, other caveats mentioned in this thread (e.g., that some PUIs may be reluctant to sponsor) are still valid. I also recently learned that many institutions will not pay for the green card application until you have had a positive departmental tenure vote -- so this is a reasonable thing to ask &/or negotiate up front. (Normally, new faculty are hired with H1B status but this can only be renewed for up to 6 years, I believe.) Good luck! 6) Following up on the green card issue, many international APs apply for EB2-NIW without a sponsorship after being hired on H1-B, because some departments have a rule that EB1 sponsorship is approved after some time or tenure vote as mentioned above. | |
155 | 3/5/24 6:37 | Applying at the associate prof level for SLAC positions | 3/8/24 14:38 | Is it common at the assistant prof. level at a SLAC, if you are not being compensated adequately and you are concerned that at promotion to associate professor salary without extensive negotiation, to apply for jobs at the associate prof. level at other SLAC’s? If so does that reset the tenure clock if you take a job at the new SLAC? From what I know at a current institution there is only one “accelerated” track but still requires 4 years of teaching AFTER being hired before being able to go up for associate prof. promotion. 1) I think it depends on institution. I know of people who have moved from tenured associte professor positions to untenured assistant porofessor jobs elsewhere. Might depend on how the job was advertised. It's also definitely not uncommon to have to reset to a fresh tenure clock when moving institutions as an assistant professor. 2) In my experience, no it is not common to apply for jobs that advertise at a rank the candidate has not achieved. Possible, certainly, but not common. At myu uni, the promotion and tenure committee needs to discuss the applicant's credientials to decide whether they meet the standards typicl of associate rank, and note this may or may not come with tenure. It is unlikely to work out, largely because an assistant professor's job applicant is far less extensive than the promotion/tenure package and it seems unlikely that the committee woudl feel comfortable reviewing a less complete package. I do know of a case where this happened, and the person was granted tenure and the higher rank, but it was not at a SLAC. Coming in as associate without tenure would be an unusual circumstance at my uni - more typical would be assistant with fewer years pre-ternure, as negotiated upon hiring. The catch here is that the P&T committee wants to see a robust teaching portfolio at our institution, at least as the assistant/associate level. Coming in as full prof or after years at associate is different. 3) I think it is totally institution dependent. Most of what 2 says seems common but I've seen hires happen in so many different ways between institutions. 4) I've rarely seen positions advertised as at the associate level... isn't it more typical (if not fixed at the assistant level) to have an open-rank search? In that case, yes, assistant-level could apply, and i have seen tenure get negotiated in that process as well so that chosen candidate arrives as an associate with tenure... but I imagine this varies greatly by school! 5) As a mid-career person looking to move, there are both postings at the Assistant/Associate level, and Open Rank. This year, I've applied to about a 50:50 split of those two types. I've learned in my time being back on the market is that these positions often go to someone hired at the Assistant Professor level. Unless you're a star, making a mid-career move can be tough. A regret that I have is not applying for jobs back when I was an Assistant Professor - there are just WAY more job opportunities. About moving with tenure, it depends. There may be a shortened tenure period or the position will come with tenure. That depends on the institution. 6) Question for 5: were you at a SLAC and/or considering SLAC positions at the open rank level? Asking as it seems this might be even more restrictive for small liberal arts colleges 7) Also question for 5: do you think applying for an open rank might be viewed more promisingly if explaining your spouse got a job in the area for example as a reason for applying rather than dissatisfaction with the place that promoted you? I imagine they want good reasons for applying once already granted tenure/promotion | |
156 | 3/4/24 18:17 | Question about Anonymous Quals | 3/5/24 9:35 | When we list number of courses as instructor of record, do we count each different class we've taught, or does teaching the same class multiple times also count? Say I've taught Biology 1 three times. Do I count that as 1 or 3? 2) Personally I'd count that as 1, but wouldn't be surprised if others disagree. x2 3) I think it should count as 3 if the point is about the amount of independent teaching experience. You get a different kind of experience teaching a class repeatedly than only doing new preps. x2 4) I list my courses and in parentheses indicate the number of times I have taught each. It is important to indicate that you have repeated and presumably improved a course 5) @4, sure that makes sense on a CV. This question is about the anonymous quals tab on this wiki though where all you can list is a single number. 6) The only reasonable approach is to list it as 3. Content might be the same but you've tripled the number of students, admin, headaches. 7) Do whatever you feel is best for the anonymous qual tab. I don't think there are any standards. If it was up to me you would get 1 course credit the first time and some function of diminishing new credit for each additional time (something like 0.67 x the last value, so by the 4th time you teach a class it count as ~0.3). 6) Everyone on here saying each iteration doesn't count as 1 is wrong both philosophically and legally. You're the IoR each time with a fresh contract, there's no pseudoreplication here. 4 is right about listing on the CV where breadth of topics is arguably more important than iterations.7) in regards to the tab on this sheet that (1) asked about, I would actually like to see that column binned (e.g 1-2, 3-4, 5-10, >10) rather that a set number. I double count because I feel it is about teaching experience rather than specific courses, but how it is beneficial to this sheet is a few vs. a lot. OP) Hmm sounds like different people are doing it different ways. I guess I can do it either way then, but I think that might be slightly less helpful for people who are trying to use the info. Although maybe we shouldn't be trying to think too hard about comparing ourself to others anyways. 8) Yes, don't think too hard about for this. There are plenty of variables can't see here. Think about a lab section that is ready-made vs a lab section of a brand new course you developed. 9) The data is barely useful anyway even if it is entered consistently. You can always bin it yourself if you want to look at it that way. 10) and teaching experience could be evaluated totally differently depending on context or who is looking at it. You coulld emphasize experience developing curriculum, or the total experience working with a variety of students, or how it plays into your overall time management, amongst other things. Advice for applications or interviews: think about how to talk about experience from a variety of angles. | |
157 | 3/4/24 18:10 | Teaching-focused positions at R1s | 3/6/24 11:10 | I’ve been mostly applying to (and so far, mostly interviewing at) SLACs and other PUIs, but I also won’t turn up my nose at a good teaching-focused position (i.e. Lecturer) at an R1. I have my first campus interview of that sort next week and was wondering if anyone has tips or insights into how interviewing for a position like this would differ from an interview at a more teaching-focused institution? 1) Class sizes and logistics may be one potentially big difference compared to a SLAC/PUI. As you've probably already seen, criteria for promotion (if promotion is available at all) can vary dramatically between different R1 universities for teaching faculty, and salary can also vary widely (which IMO can be a good reflection of how much the university really values teaching faculty as a priority and an investment). From the Zoom interview you hopefully have a good sense of those things already, as well as a good sense of what courses they want you to teach (some R1s hire teaching faculty specifically because they need someone to teach some specific thing, and others it's more open ended). Teaching demo like at a SLAC/PUI will be very important so practice it well and tailor it to what you know about the department, and also use it to showcase the teaching methods from your application materials. Depending on the position they may expect you to conduct pedagogy research and publish it as part of promotional criteria, so you may be asked about that again depending on the position (this also varies between schools) 2) As person 1 suggests, ask a lot of questions because these positions are very variable. In particular, I'd ask about teaching load, course sizes, TA support, how courses are distributed, and how often to expect preps to change. Some places will support continued research, while others only provide support for pedagogical research. Be prepared to talk about pedagogy and course design; the candidates who struggle the most come in prepared to talk about their research but not their teaching, which suggests they aren't a great fit. While these positions are variable, some of them are really great and very worth considering! x2 3) in regards to the tab on this sheet that (1) asked about, I would actually like to see that column binned (e.g 1-2, 3-4, 5-10, >10) rather that a set number. I double count because I feel it is about teaching experience rather than specific courses, but how it is beneficial to this sheet is a few vs. a lot. Ack, sorry, wrong box, this goes above.4) I'll echo what 1 & 2 say and recommend asking about undergraduate advising expectations - I was in a 100% teaching position at an R1 for a year and ~25% of the appointment was going to be advising about 50 students. | |
158 | 3/4/24 15:48 | How do people typically ship their belongings when starting a new position? | 3/8/24 8:30 | I received a good relocation allowance, yet it's proving challenging to cover basic shipping costs within that budget, especially when relocating from one coast to another. What tips do you have for minimizing personal expenses during a move? 2) PODS? I used them when I moved for my post-doc and it worked well. Only issue was it takes a few days so I had to stay somewhere (luckily had family in between my previous institution and here) 3) Door2Door was cheaper for small moves, PODS was better for larger moves. Complicated in big cities b/c you need a parking spot reserved for them on the road. And break ins are common. 3) I've done UBox (uhauls version of Pods) and Upack (similar idea). They were cheaper than PODS, but still more expensive than what I got as a moving allowance, or will get for my upcoming move cross country move. Moving is just really expensive, and most places aren't willing to pony up. 4) Yeah, honestly there are no great options. Everything is pretty expensive for long moves, even if you do everything yourself (and that can be pretty miserable). My advice would be to make sure you don't take anything large you aren't attached to, and pack everything yourself. Get a few quotes/estimates, as they can vary quite a bit. Even more reason to keep costs down is that you get taxed on employer paid moving expenses (so what seems like a large allowance can mean you pay hundreds-to-thousands still). 5) @4 learned that the hard way 6) @4 @5 was this in the US? 4) Yes U.S. It's been true since tax laws were changed in 2018, and is supposed to continue through at least 2025. Where I am (and I'd assume most places) it gets added to a paycheck after you submit reimbursement.x2 7) easiest if you are moving from a house to a house with large driveways for parking trailer. 8) Unless you live in a small apartment and don't have much stuff, there is just no way to fit movI've used Upack / ABF, where you pack your things in a semi-trailer and you pay by the amount of space you take up, a few times. It's the cheapest by far, but I've mixed experiences. It is ing expenses into what even generous moving allowances provide. Moving with a family is just crazy expensive even if you do all the packing/loading yourself. 9) And sometimes the PODS, etc. aren't even an option in one spot or the other. OP) Thanks everyone. I find the entire process of relocating extremely stressful, and universities should improve in this aspect. A postdoc typically has minimal savings, and covering such a move imposes a significant financial burden. It's puzzling how universities can offer hundreds of thousands of dollars in startup packages, yet only provide basic and insufficient shipping coverage for relocation costs. 10) I guess they know that no one is going to turn down a job over the moving costs. We'll just suck up the financial loss. | |
159 | 3/4/24 14:24 | Publicly announcing new position? | 3/7/24 17:31 | At what point is it "ok" to publicly announce that you have a new position? I've shared with some friends and my references, now that an offer is signed, but if I wanted to update my website or post to social media, I wasn't sure when would be ok. Do I need to give time for the committee to contact the people who were rejected? 1) I think if the ink is dry you should feel free to tell everyone and celebrate because you got a job! x3 2) First off - Congratulations OP! And second...post your news! I dream of one day writing the post that I have half-drafted in my head (no new job yet for me though). 3) If the committee hasn't dispositioned the other candidates yet, they may never, and the other candidates will probably want to know sooner rather than later that the job has been filled...speaking as a not-top-choice candidate at a few places lol x2 4) I have always wondered about this and never gotten a chance to make this announcement and this year has turned out to be no different but over the years I have realized that I would probably just silently change my twitter description and let people find out or not even that. 5) Most SC will never notify other candidates (sadly). You could ask the SC about it, but if the paperwork is signed you should go ahead and announce. congrats! 6) To echo 5 - if you wait for SCs, you might have to wait until you're retiring or the other applicants have passed away. 7) Why do SCs not notify the other finalists (campus interviews)? Is there an HR reason? That seems so disrespectful! 6) @ 7: sometimes HR, sometimes laziness, sometimes rudeness/poor social skills. You'll see that this is one of the more common complaints on here; responses will vary from "be better" to "hands are tied" to "how dare you imply that I, an SC chair or SC member, am NOT too busy to send a basic decency email?". Another one that will come up is "they won't notify until someone else accepts" but a protracted timeline is not really a reasonable excuse when the issue is about simply never informing candidates. x2 8) Being updated is nice and all, but in the case of the protracted timeline mentioned by @6 above, do you all still really want/care about getting an email many weeks/months after you've given up on it? I've had that happend and it only makes me laugh. 9) @8 my interest in getting a formal rejection depends on my interest in the position: if it's not one I really wanted, then no, I don't care much, but if it is one I really wanted, then yes I definitely want to know. I'm waiting 2 months now while a school negotiates with their top-choice candidate and I'm pretty sure I'm second in line. I'm getting on with my life and other interviews but also salivating a bit at the idea of negotiations falling through with the first-choice candidate and the offer going to me instead - so yes I want to know and I want the SC to do me courtesy of sending a formal rejection promptly (after ink is dry on a contract) if they don't send me a formal offer! | |
160 | 3/4/24 13:19 | Job talk in another language | 3/11/24 21:48 | In a couple weeks, I have to give a job talk in a (non-English) language that's not my first language. I'm competent enough in the language, having been working in it (at least nominally) for a few years, but I still don't feel fully at ease in it and I'm very very nervous. After all, I have a hard enough time with job talks in English. Any advice? 1) I guess if it were me in this situation I would probably just try to basically memorize/write out exactly what I wanted to say. Practice enough times that it is more or less scripted. I've sometimes done this for talks that I really care about even in English. Maybe also have printed notes for slides in case you lose your place or can't see presenter view. Soundsy very hard! 2) Giving a job talk in a non-native language is an incredible accomplishment – Bravo. Anyone listening who has less than the utmost respect can F off. Practically speaking, I'd say write things out and practice as much as possible to gain extra ease and familiarity with the talk and language trip-ups so you'll perform as you want to when nervous (I tend to mix up my grammar a bit when I get nervous, and don't speak as fluidly). x4 3) Good luck! You will be awesome! 4) I just want to say you are amazing for being able to do this! x2 OP) thanks for your support everyone! I'll give it my best shot, and at worst it'll be a nice story to tell someday. | |
161 | 3/4/24 13:03 | Anon quals | 3/5/24 16:16 | AP, it seems like something is weird with the 'offers' column in anon quals where it is copying over the comments/discussion column rather than recording the number of offers. 1) I think someone manually typed theirs in because I have only 3 reponses on google forms and maybe that messed it up 2) It looks like a 2nd person entered manually now... 3) With all the other colors going on up top, it's not immediately clear there's a link to a form to submit (not like on the other pages where it's really obvious) 4) it's the same as it's always been for years | |
162 | 3/1/24 10:10 | separate thank you note to the dean? | 4/3/24 6:14 | OP- should I be sending a thank you note to the dean after campus interview or just to the faculty? 2) I never have, but could be useful when they're deciding on your startup! 3) when I've been on campus I send an email to every single person I met with in any capacity, from dean to lab manager. I don't know that this makes much difference for you as a candidate, but I guess I want to make a connection and come across as polite. 3) On that note, should you send thank-you emails to students if you have a lunch/roundtable with them? (4) Goodness I really do not want this 'thank you' email to be established as the culture of the academic job search... A thank you in person should be sufficient. 5) I have not. I only sent a thank you email to the search chair and thank people at the end of meeting them. An email to every single person is super polite but would be so tedious. Got an offer too. 3a) at other #3 I wouldn't bother for a group of students, or any casual group situation, only one on one. Honestly, I think thank you emails do not matter in terms of getting an offer, except maybe for SC. I think sending one to the Dean could be good though becuase those might be the type of people who care. 6) Thank you notes have been a common (though not universal) part of good interviewing etiquette for a long type. I sent them, and have also received many (even real, snail mail notes). It's not tedious in my opinion when realistically you are talking about a dozen or so notes 2-3 sentences each.7) it's not a typical thing to receive these notes, in my experience. I argue they are not needed 8) best to send a note to SC chair, department chair, department admin who set up your visit, and one or two other people on the SC who you'd like to have on your side during deliberations. So not everyone on your itinerary, but three to five notes per in person interview is not too much. 9) I think thank you's are nice. I send to search committee, any faculty I meet with one-on-one, or students IF (and only IF) I can add a personalized element. I doubt it would get me an offer in the first place, but nothing wrong with getting things off on the right foot! 10). SEND. THANK. YOU. NOTES. TO. EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. Deans are people too. Always personalize your emails. Talk spreads like wildfire and people notice when you thank them. X3 (11) What 10 says is not objective truth 12) Some people seem to really value and consider these thank yous but those people are idiots. Can you imagine doing interviews, having a preferred candidate based on the quality of research and teaching plus the rapport you felt during your personal interactions, and then saying - "No, that person didn't send me a thank you so let's now give the offer to the person we liked less and is a worse fit." I'm not sure I want such flippant and arbitrary people as colleagues. x3 13) Amazing that the idea of doing something nice without guarantee of reward is so controversial 12) @13 Exactly. But this isn't a conversation about whether we should do something nice for the sake of doing something nice. The conversation is about whether this is something we need to do as part of our job search to maximize our chances of employment. I have no problem with the former but a big problem with the latter. @6) Sending a DOZEN personalized emails is not tedious?? I agree it's most polite to send them to a few key people but let's not act like it's not tedious. It shouldn't make or break your chances either 8) it's tedious if you return after four days away and you need to get your life and already-existing tenure track job back on track. x2 Streamline! 13) I find it so funny that some search committe members are so offended when they dont get a thank you note, but dont even bat an eye at never acknowledging an application that took hours and hours to carefully customize to their bespoke format and departmental strengths. You want thank you notes? Committ to sending an email to EVERY applicant within 1-2 weeks of the relevant decision point - did not make long list, did not make short list, someone else accepted. x3 14) What is going on - why does this touch such a nerve? I'm pretty sure no search committee members are offended by not getting these. I'm also pretty sure no one is claiming this is "something we need to do to maximize our chances". It's like holding a door for someone. Not required. It's just something normal friendly people often do and it's a good habit to pass along. 15) We had someone literally argue to not go down list because someone else didn't reach out after the visit. And it worked. 12) I have served on 3 SCs and on every one someone has tried to argue for one candidate based on the thank yous that were or were not received and the specific content of the thank yous. It happens. Mostly older faculty in my experience but not entirely. 13) It might not make your chances, but it could break them, so why not thank people for their time? (I have also heard enough horror stories of people almost not getting positions because they didn't send follow-up thank yous; that seems extreme, but it really does cost very little to be polite). I draft once I get to the airport, finish on the plane, and sent all emails rapid-fire once I land for my first layover. 15) I got three offers and did 3 different thank you letters. One I sent thank yous to everyone I met including the dean. Interestingly dean was the only one who responded back. One I sent only to the search committee. One I sent only to the search committee chair. So it probably doesn't matter, but it is nice to send a thank you at least to the search chair. 16) I do at least send one to the search chair and ask them to extend my thanks to everyone or something. That way at least if it comes up in the discussion the chair can at least say that I did thank them. This is a really dumb thing though that should not ever matter. 17) Maybe you think it shouldn't matter (and I'd say it typically doesn't), but I definitely disagree that a simple polite gesture is "a really dumb thing". We need more politeness is this world, not less. 18) I think there is a real difference of opinion (and maybe regional culture?) on whether this is a 'polite' thing though or whether it is somehow not 'polite' to thank people for spending 30 minutes of their job meeting with you when they are the one interviewing you for a job. You could make a better argument based on politeness that every member of the department should send an individual thank you email to each candidate. x2 19) My problem with it is that it can be considered as a$$ kissing and politeness is over-rated and misused many times. But in general it is a good idea to be polite though sending personalized thank you notes isn't the only way to thank each person. I meant boot licking, not a$$ kissing but now I cannot edit my comment. 17) @19 Fairr enough. And I'd advise anyone to avoid the thank you notes if they struggle to write something they don't think will come across as boot licking. 20) I'm really curious if there are geographic differences in the US on how people perceive this. I grew up in NYC area and often felt like a lot of the politeness/friendliness in some parts of the country reads to me like boot licking and fake, but I know people from other regions percieve northeast attitudes as unfriendly sometimes. I guess my impression both on the sending or receiving superficial thank you emails tends more toward that regional background. (21) Agree with 20, I'm not American and am from a big city, if I got a thank you email I'd check in with my colleagues if they did do; if they did I'd feel the candidate was trying to manipulate us [which they are, just read the above discussion] and look disfavorably on them. 22) I would also view any candidate with suspicion who smiles, offers to shake my hand, or gives a verbal thank you at the end of our meeting... since these this would represent a clear pattern of manipulation ;) (8) @20, I grew up and lived in NYC until my first postdoc, and while I know what you mean about politeness/unfriendliness in other parts of the country, still I don't think sending thank yous are fake - especially if they are to the people who really went our of their way to host you including the office admin, search chair, and department chair. 20) @22, yeah I don't have any problem with a few key people who you maybe spent more time with or actually have something specific to thank them for, I mean more the idea of sending a thank you to every single person you met as some people advocate above just seems very fake to me. I wouldn't like to send those and I wouldn't really like to receive that kind of thank you either. 23) People are so dramatic on here. I don't think sending or not sending a thank you note is a big deal either way and shouldn't make or break someones application given all the other factors being considered. Getting a short thank you note and checking with your colleagues to see who got one and who didn't ( @ 21) is super dramatic and weird. x3 24) lol, completely agree with (@ 23) and people weirdly overreacting. I'm wondering if super anti-thank you note people just actually write really bad thank you notes. It's honestly not that hard to be genuine for a sec. 25) To be fair, the thank you note evangelists in the thread here are just as weird and dramatic and that tends to be the first extreme position that gets aired whenever this is discussed here. 26) There is a middle ground ... I wrote two emails, one to thank the dept admin who coordinated my visit and the other to the SC, asking her to convey my thanks to everyone I met. It got the job done 27) practices and preferences vary: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2024/04/03/poll-results-on-sending-thank-you-notes-after-a-campus-interview-for-a-faculty-position-plus-a-navel-gazing-postscript-on-the-influence-of-this-blog/ | |
163 | 2/29/24 13:54 | Has anyone used the personalized services of 'The Professor is in'? Thoughts? | 3/4/24 11:44 | OP - They offer a number of services for the job market (https://theprofessorisin.com). I've read the book, but here I am...still on the market. Wondering if it's worth the money for a document review? 1) I don't know anyone who has tried. Might be helpful, but I would guess that among-discipline variability might make those services potentially unreliable? I'd suggest getting as many peers/mentors/colleagues to look at your docs as possible...this cycle, I shared my stuff with 10+ folks and tried to synthesize feedback from all. Folks varied dramatically in amount/helpfulness of feedback, and I found the best advice to come from newly hired folks who had just gone through the process (rather than my PIs/mentors, who gave pretty limited feedback) 2) I have read that blog and listened to the podcasts for years, and they really don't tell you anything that an informed internet search, people who've been hired recently, friends or colleagues who have served on SCs, or a bunch of rounds of rejection also wouldn't tell you. In the end, there are so many stochastic elements to the job search that I think it would be money thrown out the window. You may get improved documents, but again I think over time there is a lot of saturation there and having another "expert" look at that stuff would just come down to differences in opinion and style rather than anything substantive. It's the same thing when my dept hires grant consulting firms. 3) I read the book and have referred back to it; not sure the paid services would be worth it? Hard to know because I never used them. The book/website are a really good primer, but sometimes a little outdated. 4) I know someone who used the document service and was pretty underwhelmed. I also think it is pretty geared to non science disciplines in terms of what the expected documents look like. Some of the advice in the columns is ok, but I think you'll get better writing feedback from peers. 5) Personally, I don't think it would be worth it. Having people in your own field read your materials would make more sense to me, like your mentors and professional contacts. If you need language/writing help, career services at your Uni might read things. If you need help with teaching statement, there may be a center for teaching at your UNi that would help. I know ours does. Just from reading their blog over the years, I wouldn't bother. 6) I think you'll get more relevant information through talking to recent hires or those on recent search committees in your field or closely related fields if that is an option for you. If you don't have people like that already in your network, sometimes people will volunteer their time to help if you post on twitter or bluesky, but its not always a successful route. 7) Slightly OT - has anyone used their negotiation services? I didn't negotiate (related to being a woman and non-native English speaker?) and have always wondered what it's like to have help with this part. 8) similar to responses above, I talked to people I met in the department about negotiations. They gave me an estimate of what was reasonable for startup and other considerations which gave me some ammo for negotiations and ideas for what was important OP) Thanks all for your thoughts on the doc review and advice. Much appreciated. 9) I used their negotiation services but I was also hyper-prepared. I read the professor is in book and did a ton of research on the school I was getting an offer from so I knew what salary to expect and what startup to expect. Long story short, I feel like I wasted my money. I guess if anything it was good to have an extra pair of eyes on the emails I was sending and the requests I was making. I did get to try a few things that I knew were above the standard for my school, but wasn't able to get anything so the negotiation services didn't really pay off. That being said, I don't think it was the professor is in fault's just the school I was negotiating with. | |
164 | 2/29/24 11:44 | Would you be concerned about a young candidate for an asst. prof role? | 3/3/24 19:00 | OP: What concerns and where are your personal age related "red" or "yellow" flag thresholds? 1) young as in true age or professionally (i.e., very recent graduate)? OP) @1Both 2) I am 27 and ABD. At an R1 interview this year a SC member directly asked me "why I thought I was qualifed for the positon despite my age" in front of a group of faculty. At another interview students approached me and asked how old I was. Interested in thoughts from others here. 3) Age-related questions are illegal, no? I would hope decisions are based off of accomplishments and collegiality, not age >.< OP) @ 3 Technically yes and maybe the question makes people squeemish, but as @2 said it is certainly a live topic for many committees explicitly or not... I was hoping that on an anonymous board people would be more forthcoming about their priors. 4) Nope. Wouldn't be concerned. If the candidates has the qualifications and a plan for establishing an independent research program, that's all good. 5) I have no concerns about calendar-age, but it would take some extra work to convince me to hire an ABD at an R1. Usually more of a track record & postdoc experience are needed to show a trajectory. But exceptions exist! 6) Nope – just project confidence; age doesn't matter. 7) Search committee member here. I don't care at all about an applicant's chronological age. 8) If anything the age hiring bias goes the other direction. At 27 committees can imagine any kind of amazing career trajectory. 9) When I was doing my PhD the department invited 3 for on-campus days. One of them was ABD, only a few papers but a recent Science one - they weren't older than 25, and looked younger than the average undergrad. It definitely counted against them and anecdotally, grad students who were asked for input unanimously ranked that person last - whether it was age or that they came across as less experienced/knowledgeable/mature than most of the grad students in the department, it doesn't really matter. 10) Maybe in the minority, but yes, 100%. To me being a good prof, especially mentoring/managing requires maturity. This is not always = age, but they can be related. I've seen more than one instance of a less mature guy (in years or otherwise) start as TT and have inappropriate interactions/relationships with students. Experience is worth a lot. I don't expect someone at 25 or 27 to have the maturity to do the whole job well. Maybe that's a bias on my part. Rather annoyingly (to me), I think R1's salivate at young/ABD/inexperienced candidates, who have achieved a lot for their age, generally due to coming from a priviledged background and elite schools (so, generally dating back to their priviledge in highschool). Again, maybe my bias, but I tend to think people from these elite backgrounds often have less life experience, empathy, maturity, etc. Not that it's their fault, but if anything may need more time to gain perspective. I've seen inexperienced and elite candidates get R1 offers, when they can't even articulate a mentoring strategy. I don't think that's what academia needs. I think grad students/postdocs are most likely to pick up on lack of maturity, maybe because candidates let their guard down. I know others will disagreee, but here's my opinion, since you asked. 11) @10, I agree with a lot of what you said. I'd emphasize I think some real life experience is important in how you interact with colleagues, students, and the broader community. There are definitely people who go to top schools for undergrad, go straight to a PhD, and might be getting hired as faculty (or postdocs for that matter) who have never had what most people would consider a real job in the real world. 12) Just chiming in to say there are real, valid concerns when considering candidates who are ABD/short postdoc, which tends to correlate with age. As someone who landed a faculty position young and off a short postdoc, I definitely didn't have the momentum going into my TT job that more seasoned folks did. Took me longer to get my first grants than some, etc. There is a benefit to more time in a postdoc to really develop your niche and generate preliminary data. 13) I grew up in a place where people love prodigies, and discriminations against people who are relatively old/did many years of postdoc has been familiar to me; but today I learned that selection in an opposite direction exists--really new knowledge. 14) If age is just a predictor that correlates with something, why can't SC members evaluate that "something" directly? And thanks @7! 15) To be fair, pretty much everything SC members evaluate is just a predictor that correlates with 'something'. 9) @ 10, 11, 12 - well said - I didn't want to mix topics but absolutely the "real world experience" aspect is vital to doing the job well. It's also a bit ridiculous to see an under-30 over-privileged PI who's never had any responsibilities with a 40yo, much more experienced and knowledgeable, postdoc. Spider guy was in that camp. The other recent fraudsters either were as well, or were on their way. 16) Spider guy? 17) I think they meant spiderman, who also entered a role of great responsibility at a young age. 18) LOL @17 19) I can think of some *cough cough* extremely protected reasons that you can get young very productive, extremely awkward, "immature", hyperfixated faculty job applicants that are more about neurodivergence than other factors 20) @19, I don't even understand what you are trying to say. Do you mean that there is bias against neurodivergence in hiring? 21) @ 20 Seems more like a suggestion that there could be a slight bias FOR that if the hyperproductive+young age factors get combined, in the absence of the extreme privilege someone else mentioned above. i.e. Sheldon Cooper. And that could have some ...interesting...effects on mentees, collaborators, colleagues - someone above mentioned inappropriate interactions. | |
165 | 2/29/24 8:49 | When is it appropriate to ask SC for an update after zoom? | 3/4/24 5:08 | in zoom SC asked about availability for on campus very soon after zoom but nobody on the sheet has heard back. Would it seem inappropriate to email SC and ask if they have invited people for on campus interviews yet? I don't want to seem needy, but I would like to know if there is still a possibility they expect me to drop everything and come on short notice. 1) has it been more than a week or two? OP) It's been ~2.5 weeks. They had asked if I could come as early as this week, the earliest dates I gave were next week. I would just like to know if I'm going to need a job atlk ready in a couple of weeks or not. I'm not sure how to ask in an appropriate way that doesn't seem presumptuous. 2) You could write a brief email asking about the status of the search and expressing your interest in the position. Others might disagree, but I'm not sure if you need to specifically mention a timeline for on-campus interviews. 1) I agree with @2 x4 3) I have done the followup email like this. I heard nothing back but I do not regret it. I was worried it came off a bit desperate but frankly its a need to know situation. 4) OP I understand the psychological aspect of this and @2 is right about that but the justification in your follow up comment is silly: you really should have a job talk ready, or to the point where you can polish it within a couple of weeks OP) just curious @4, what is your career stage and what prompted you say this? 2 again) I'm not exactly sure where @4 is coming from either, OP, but if your position is that you wouldn't want to do a whole bunch of work to make a job talk that may or may not ever be used, probably while juggling other responsibilities, I for one would see this as a reasonable position OP) Thanks #2, for me there is a big time crunch due to other deadlines and adult responsibilities, so having to totally re-do a job talk I last gave 2 years ago, prepare a teachind demo (worse than a job talk TBH) and reserach every person I might meet with would eat up a lot of time I need for other things. Obviously happy to do it if given the opportunity, but I'm certainly not writing a job talk on speculation. | |
166 | 2/28/24 11:46 | weird stories! | 3/5/24 7:08 | OP: I'm curious to hear about weird stories from people's campus interviews! mine: my flight was delayed (so much so that I *almost* missed a connection) because someone shat their pants on the plane on the prior flight 1) I landed in Philly for an interview during the superbowl last year when they lost. Had to move my hotel reservation last minutes out of concerns for rioting. 2) My interview included a 3 hour hike in the rain with an eccentric entomologist. It was actually really fun and he showed me lots of cool things. 3) I found out after a day of meetings that a search committee member whose office was next door could hear *everything* through the wall. Good thing I didn't take the bait with a couple prying questions, huh? 4) Learned how one professor basically hated all of their colleagues and our whole 1-on1 meeting was filled with their complaints. Never understood why they had this professor meet with people 1-on-1. 5) Oh I've had lots of complaining profs or grad student vent sessions. Not sure any rose to a truly weird level but it is surprising how much people are willing to share sometimes. 6) this was many years ago now, but a senior woman prof in another STEM department requested to be on my interview schedule to tell me how terrible it was to be a woman working there. I didn't take the job for a myriad of reasons, but I really appreciated her "look you should know this if you're going to come here" attitude. 7) I was going to add "x2" to 4 above but did want to expand that for me, this conversation touched on a past firing, lawsuit, poisining, and salting-the-earth of lab space with toxicants. Also on this visit had a departmental staff member casually drop a racial slur while driving me to the airport. That school was still my preferred option that year lol, but, maybe thankfully, I did not get an offer. 4 again @7) wow! That is way weirder! Sounds like you avoided a very toxic place (literally and figuratively) 8) I'm sensing that a limited series on an academic search, in the vein of The Chair, could be laugh-and-cry funny 9) Two professors added me to a group message to coordinate breakfast, then forgot I was still there and a few days later one told the other (and myself by mistake) that I was ranked last 10) OMG @ 9 that is terrible 11) @9 fastest anyone has ever gotten an answer 12) @9 LOL that suuucks. Did you reply to the text? Did they realise their screw up? 12) A search chair broke down into happy tears during a casual chat about the school's music program because of how wonderful it is when so many people work together to make something so beautiful. 13) Not weird per se but I interviewed on site for a postdoc position at an R1's field station. It seemed a bit off - the PI had left their spouse for the admin, the rest of the staff were coupled up with each other, etc., - and I asked a research scientist who had been there for about a decade if they'd take the job again, and they said probably not. 14) Lol 13, I can think of at least one place that matches your description...maybe that pattern is common enough that it doesn't narrow down the choices too much though. 15) Same @ 14, I was thinking... is that one of my old field sites? 16) Same, I interviewed at a place that was not exactly that, but similar situation. | |
167 | 2/28/24 11:20 | Length of job statements when no page limit is given | 3/8/24 8:37 | OP - All my job apps so far have had page limits for research, teaching and DEI statements (so far always 2 pages each). I'm applying for one that has no page limit listed - what do you consider a suitable length for these instances - 3 pages each? More? 1) No, in my opinion just stick with the 2 page version. Most people appreciate shorter 2) Generally agree with 1 especially if you already have the shorter version, but 3 page research is probably the most common for R1 so you'd be fine lengthening if you want to. I definitely would not lengthen teaching or DEI. 3) See recent Twitter polls about this – Research Statement: https://twitter.com/Liz_C_Miller/status/1732513502320021876 ; Teaching Statement: https://twitter.com/Liz_C_Miller/status/1732513632485789987 ; Cover Letter: https://twitter.com/Liz_C_Miller/status/1732513733832761801 4) I'm willing to be a lot of twitter poll respondents are job applicants who overestimate how much people want to read about hteir stuff. As someone who reads them, I prefer shorter. I also spend a lot of time with students emphasizing the importance of concise writing. And this difference likely won't affect whether or not you get an interview anyway. If theres somehting you can't squeeze in to your two pages, save it for a job talk. OP) Thanks all - I always assumed shorter was better, but didn't want to limit detail or specifics if it was expected in a longer research statement. | |
168 | 2/28/24 2:52 | How much time and detail on future plans in 50 mins research talk at PUI? | 2/28/24 16:09 | 5–8 mins 2) agree, at most probably 10 minutes 3) Yes, not a lot of time. But don't treat it as secondary either. You want the research talk to set up your ideas on future work that you might be able to do locally (and importantly, involve their students). Emphasize work you have already done with undergrads if possible. For my interview presentation at a PUI, they even put in their guidelines to note which other faculty I might be able to collaborate with. 4) Also emphasize cost feasibility. If your funding dreams don't come true, will you still be able to offer valuable research experiences to undergrads? 5) I've heard (maybe from small pond science?) that there are different philosophies of undergrad research at PUIs. Some value creating fantastic resesarch experiences, others value getting the research done, if undergrads learn something along the way, great. It's hard to know where most dept cultures fall along this spectrum! If the faculty care about publications with undergrads, though, I'd have to think it would be the latter philosophy that has stronger weight. | |
169 | 2/27/24 16:38 | Why even do a VAP? | 3/1/24 5:57 | OP) my text keeps getting overriden. MY question is simple, what is the value of accepting a Visiting assistant professor position? It seems useful for getting teaching experience, but so far I haveonly seen these jobs hire those who already have teaching exp. To move and start a new job that will definitely end in a year for marginal added value seems...not great. 1) Desperation. 2) I'm kind of wondering the same. I would happily be VAP if positions were slightly longer, like 3 years, and if there were some chances of turning permanent. But my current situation is that I have a partner, a child, a dog, a cat... cannot move overseas for a 12-month appointment, unfortunately. 3) They are sometimes advertised at 2-3 years and they often pay better than postdocs, but I totally agree it is a huge cost to take one of these for 9 months and the amount of work teaching all new classes full time means you will be maxed out and not getting research out while teaching. I do think they can help with teaching experience but like you say they often want teaching experience already to get hired. 4) Yeah, I'm in a 2-year (though told I could stay on for a third) teaching postdoc, which is similar to a VAP, and even in my second year, it's still a ton of work prepping classes (because you want to improve on your first run of a course), especially if you're trying to adopt more innovative teaching practices. 5) I think of them as a good idea for somebody who is looking for an eventual career at a PUI. You will get more teaching experience this way and you may enjoy the job if you like teaching (although yes it's definitely really hard the first year). As a grad student, I once asked a Department head at a SLAC whether he would rather hire someone who had done a postdoc or a VAP, and he said, "ideally, both." It is very difficult to keep your research going given the moving and high teaching load, but it doesn't seem impossible to make marginal progress. I'm in one right now. Again, I would absolutely not recommend it if you're looking for an eventual research-focused job, but if you want to be at a PUI, then it does sound like people who come out of these types of positions do tend to have pretty good luck landing those positions eventually. If you need teaching experience but you want to go on to work at an R1, it might be a better idea to talk to a postdoc supervisor or the department about whether it would be possible for you to teach a single class? The R1 where I did grad school had a few courses taught by grad students, and I could imagine them making room for a postdoc to teach a class if they wanted the experience. Or even adjuncting a single class somewhere in addition to your postdoc might be worth it? That would be a lot less teaching than a VAP, you would still get to put "Instructor of Record" on your CV, and you would still have at least half of your time available to put into your research? 6) Yeah, don't do a VAP if you're looking for an R1/R2 position. 7) To balance out what you need based on your career goals: (a) looking for R1/R2 = don't, (b) interested in PUI, have solid PhD research already but limited teaching/student engagement = good option, (c) insterested in fancy SLACs = it depends, they value research too so if you have plenty of teaching and student engagement already a PostDoc might be better. Plenty of candidates have some sort of teaching and mentored a few undergrad techs as part of their PhD research. A VAP position adds IOR experience and in some cases demostrated ability to run an undergrad-centered research program. It's not common, but some SLACs do have multi-year VAPs with research funds and space. I'd recommend that over a PostDoc to anyone interested in a similar TT position. OP) thanks for the insight. I am currently a postdoc with a teaching outlet 1x a year, have 3 IOR experiences already. I am aiming for a mix between SLAC/R2s. I want to stay local. There is a VAP opening near me, but it seems to me like the only place that would be useful for getting hired at would be the place doing the VAP, and they are very clearly not hiring in my area for awhile. 8) Agree with 7! The issue with VAPs is that they often set you behind in your research, so if you're looking for a position with any amount of research (even a SLAC), you'd be better off doing a research postdoc and trying to squeeze in some teaching/mentoring while you can. You'd be surprised how little teaching you need to get a SLAC position, but you really need to have a strong research program. 9) I've seen it work out when someone (presumably single and thus less encumbered) moves for a 1 year VAP to get IOR experience and publish PhD papers, then go on to a regular research postdoc. Kinda a like a super-intense gap year that sets you up to have both teaching and pubs. 10) Yeah, it seems like teaching is the thing you can have a "gap" in, but taking a break from research for a teaching-intensive position seems like suicide on the fancy SLAC job market. x2 11) @10, I'm not sure that's true given that the fancy SLACs are often the most likely to be offering the VAP positions. It is good to use the time to demonstrate how you involve students in research though (granted easier with some positions than others). OP) lol the position I am considering, as well as ones seen in the past are at SLACs. And while I would love to go, teach, and integrate research with them, there is basically no opporunity for research activity, its 1 year hard limit, and teaching 3:3 where I would have to develop 2 full lectures and a lab. Just seems like huge amount of work for measly payoff 11) OP, in that case. It doesn't sound too enticing, especially if you already have teaching experience. I was thinking more about the 2-3 year VAP with lower teaching loads and more mentoring time built in (which seem to be a little more common at the fancier SLACs). x2 12) agree with 11 that if you are already teaching occasionally as a postdoc, a VAP is probably not wortd ah it. My experience is that I was a research posdoc at an R1 barely interacting with undergrads, got some pubs out, but had limited teaching experience outside of being a grad TA. So I took a 2-year VAP, then got a SLAC job. So it worked out for me. OP) oh honestly I would consider a 2-3 year position much more quickly! I have only seen/applied for 1 year/9 month positions with no option to continue. No clue what the value is even supposed to be, seems like they just need someone to teach really badly 13) Yeah the value to the institution is obvious in that they maintain maximum flexibility in their budget by hiring 9 month VAPs. It is pretty common for those to get extended by a year or two, but of course you don't know that when you are committing and deciding to move. 8) @11, ironically, the fancy SLACs offering VAPs are often the least likely to hire someone coming out of a VAP. More often they'll hire a "rising star" coming from a research postdoc -- they want people who can do research and figure they can teach people what they need to know about teaching when they arrive (and mold them to their institution's style), as long as they can demonstrate the interest. 10) That is something I've often wondered, if too much teaching experience can be a liability if they think you won't fit in or if they don't like your specific practices for whatever reason 11) @8, I can see that being true sometimes. Probably varies by institution. Some palces legitimately strongly emphasize the student experience and therefore a high quality prior teaching experience can be a big plus. Others assume you'll grow into that and prioritize cutting edge research their students can get in on. @10, I doubt it's often a big liability by itself (other than potential lack of research). Many places are happy to see you have a good diversity of classes you could be ready to offer right away.12) Money and payoff-wise, VAPs are not good positions. 12) As a postdoc/RA I've been the full instructor of record for 12 courses at 3 universities. My teaching evals are always above department and course averages, and I'm sitting above 4.5 on Rate My Prof. I can't help but feel that this hurts me when applying for jobs, particularly when you take a look at the department you're applying for and most of the faculty are sitting at 2-3 and half their ratings are "Awful". As said above, ans I first heard from a big-shot at Canada's top school, they don't care about your teaching, it's all research (for R1/R2 types at least). I'm not in it to teach exclusively or even more than 25%, so I've never applied to a PUI or a SLAC. 13) @12, this gets to something that was mentioned elsewhere. The number of jobs where they "only care about research" is actually quite small relative to the total number out there, but the people seeking those jobs are over-represented here. VAPs are probably not a good fit for those people. 14) One advantage to a VAP that I have found is that it is generally much easier to be a PI/co-PI on grants, at least at the institutions I and my friends have been at. Every R1 I've interacted with sets up road blocks or makes it impossible for postdocs to be a PI, but I'm currently a VAP and have 3 federally-funded projects (NSF, NASA). I do want to end up at a PUI, and have an offer, and was told by multiple PUIs that they really only considered people who had more-or-less full-time teaching experience, because going from 1 class occasionally taught to a 3-3 course load is just too much of a gamble. OP) wow the advice here is so varied. 14 says PUIs they know would scoff at the 3-5 IOR experience resumes, while 8/12 and others say that SLACs would frown on too much teaching. My takeaway here is every place considers very different criteria. Which is useful to know but at the same time very unhelpful lol 15) Not directly related, but one thing I would suggest for VAP/teaching positions is to select ones where you will teach classes that will benefit you long-term. Having materials ready for courses you will teach as a TT professor is so valuable time-wise. But random classes you might never teach again are going to be less beneficial long term (other than the experience). 16) Yeah, materials for intro bio, general ecology, biostatistics, etc. are gonna be more useful than more specialized courses that might not exist elsewhere. In particular, a lot of teaching-focused positions want people to teach intro bio lecture, so having that specific experience (as opposed to just running labs) is probably a big asset. 17) Although how intro bio is split up and organized varies wildly across institutions. Nice to have some material to re-use, but I would actually think that a lot of more specialty/upper-level classes could transfer more directly between position (assuming someone else isn't already teaching your favorite class). 16) Though that depends on how much teaching leeway the position has. 18) Yes, but generally there is much more leeway for upper level classes than for intro series with multiple sections taught by different people where the goal is to have at least some level of similarity. 19) or alternatively, teaching classes where significant amounts of material are transferable to other classes (e.g., Ecosystems, or Advanced Ecology). | |
170 | 2/27/24 8:34 | Program ranking vs. Advisor | 2/29/24 18:06 | OP - Hoping this is allowed here. I'm in the process of choosing an eco-evo related PhD program and wanted to get some anonymous feedback about choosing a program. School A has the highest ranked program, but the professor is the least well-known from the people I've talked to (although established in their career). School B is in the middle rankwise, but the advisor is very well known and established. School C is significantly lower ranked, and the advisor is well known and established but not as much as B. The research fit for each program is about the same, and each faculty is a good communicator with a solid track record with graduate students. Given that I want to pursue academia in the future, how much weight should I be putting into school ranking/quality versus how well an advisor is known in the field? I'm also considering QOL things like location and pay but I didn't want to include that here. Thanks! 1) Interesting question. There are some advantages to well-known established advisors. Getting a postdoc might be easier. Getting things published is often faster (I think having well respected PIs get the benefit of the doubt more often). But I think the most important factor is how well you "fit" with the potential advisor. Some are great. And there are plenty of horror stories too. Ask things of people you trust that might know them. Ask their students what thier experiences are like (sometime some red flag clues can be found in responses even if they don't say anything too bad). And yes, consider location and somewhere that is livable (but remember it is not permanent) 2) I would try to take into account advising/mentoring style and personality, to the extent that you can know these things. Try to talk with former lab mambers as well as current about the type of supervision/mentoring they experienced and think about what supervision/mentoring you personally need to be successful. And check the labgroup vibes. Sometimes your gut knows what's best. 3) Have to agree with what others have said that fit and relationship with your advisor will likely be much much more important to your graduate career. School/program prestige is overblown in my opinion, and you should go with an advisor that has you and your best interests in heart, along with someone that you just get along with. You'll be much more miserable and potentially ineffective at your job at a fancy R1 with a crappy advisor, than at an R2 with less prestige and an awesome advisor that truly cares about you. 4) For what it's worth, I worked with a very good and very well known advisor at a less highly ranked university and had a fanstastic experience. 5) IMO program rankings aren't that meaningful in eco-evo--there are good people and well-known faculty at a wide range of universities, and the prestige that comes with attending a big-name program isn't as influential here as in some other fields. I think the most important considerations are fit with the potential mentor, whether they have a track record of good mentorship (to the extent you can discern this from conversations with them/their lab members), and whether the funding and university/lab resources are sufficient to support your work and a reasonable life while you're in grad school. 6) I agree with others – rank of program is arguably the least important (unless you're a coin-counter type); it is much, much more important to choose an advisor you think you'll work well with. That person will provide tremendous support and opportunity for you. Go with the program you think will facilitate your happiness, productivity, and set you up best for your next step; resources at "higher-ranked" institutions can sometimes do that (though they can also lead to laziness and entitlement). There is no one "best" way to choose what will work best for you, but I would highly prioritize advisor (not name, necessarily; but the relationship you could have with that person) over rank of school. 7) The advisor is the most important part of all of this. Not in terms of their status in the field, but as a mentor. A big-name person who's highly productive who doesn't know you well, is too busy to be around, and who may even be a big jerk isn't worth it. I wish I could go back in time and have left my PhD lab, but I didn't. I couldn't even use their reference letters afterwards (they were a jerk) and then where are you...having graduated from a big-name lab at a big school, but then it's even worse and people could interpret the lack of letters as not being a reflection of the advisor (though these days I would hope people on search committees would be more open minded). There are lots of great advisors out there, at all sorts of schools. My advice is to talk to current and former students - on the phone or Zoom. People may say things that they wouldn't want to write down in an email. 8) x1000 for the importance of the advisor relationship, but something that hasn't been mentioned about the programs is whether there are other folks (other labs, other grad students) that are in related fields so that you'll have a useful and robust committee of advisors, a community of people to learn from, etc. 9) I would also say that, if you're interested in teaching as well as research (and so might go for a position at a PUI), try to find a lab with a strong mentoring culture and lots of undergrads to work with. PUIs prize a record of mentoring/publishing with undergrads, and that's harder to build in a smaller lab without a lot of undergrads already there. 10) I agree with all of the above. Consider your quality of life (pleasantness of location, how far the stipend goes, TA vs RA responsibilities) and fit with your prospective advisor and their lab first. That said, if all of that were truly equal (it's almost certainly not, and if it feels like it is you should consider asking more or harder questions of the students in the prospective labs), B sounds like your best bet. 10) I was in OP's exact position and went with option A. The location was also ideal for me compared to the other two, and the lab and department seemed friendlier. I think I benefitted more from being at an excellent department and university compared to a famous lab at a mid-tier university with regards to equipment and funding availability, and networking opportunies with other faculty, students, and visitors. A famous advisor will only get you so far, and often these are the people least engaged in the success of their students, IMO. 12) Agree with above - rankings are mostly a game played by admin, I wouldnt bother with them except in extreme cases like top 10 vs top 100. Your lab and essp advisor is far more important than the building it is in and what school owns it 13) Fully agree with all the advice here about the advisor being the most important single thing. But I do think a lot of these comments undervalue the program. No program is going to fix a bad advisor, but top programs are often much larger with more classes, more opportunity for collaboration with profs and other grad students, more chance to switch labs if your advisor doesn't work out, etc. And depending on what you mean by 'high ranking', once you get to the really rich schools like Ivies or a few others there is a world of difference in resources available and I still do think that coming out of those programs makes it easier to get a job. 14) I echo the advice about ignoring the prestige of a program/school - outstanding scientists come out of all manner of programs and unlike other fields, the name of the school you went to is far less likely to give you advantages or hold you back. The key element of success, in my opinion, is getting something - preferably something reasonably good, though this is not critical - published ASAP. Metrics of success in academia, for better or worse, often operate as a positive-feedback process and the sooner you can come up with an idea, do the work, and get it out in the world, the sooner other doors will open. This is not the only path to success, but I thin kit is the most reliable one. Also work very hard and read as much as you can stand regardless where you end up. 15) Here is my piece of advice: Pay attention to what you can figure out about the atmosphere of the lab. You want a PI who will respect you. I ignored advice about this because I thought I could get along with anyone and regretted it later. Ask specific questions about the adviser's mentoring style, how he treats his students, what the expectations are, etc. You may not be able to get a straight answer out of current students, but you can probably read between the lines. If they tell you it's a difficult lab culturally or he's challenging to get along with, then believe them! And I also second the point about the prestige mattering less than the quality of the work that you do. You want to publish before you graduate if you can, and you want to get some teaching experience (especially instructor of record if that's a possibility) 16) Wherever you end up, you will be interacting with students way more than your advisor. Choose the department that has the best collegiality among students and also the best track record of success. If the student body seems isolated, disengaged, or whatever, then don't bother. You want a community of nerds who are all co-motivating each other in positive ways. 15) @16 Yes, but your adviser can still make you miserable if they turn out to be someone who for example, regularly shouts at or insults students | |
171 | 2/26/24 21:29 | campus interview and have sick kid | 2/27/24 9:14 | OP- I could find friends who will look after my kid while I am away for campus interview. But how do I actually focus and immerse myself in the interview while all I want to possibly do is just rush home, change into pajamas and be with the kid. How do I actually maintain relaxed focus without just rushing to get done? 1) Sorry OP. I feel a lot of this on interviews even when my kids are not sick. It really is a lot to ask people to leave whatever responsibilities they have at home for 3-4 days for an interview. 2) I focus on the stability that a successful job search (and interview) could bring to my family. Sort of "focus on this now, so I can give them infinitely more attention later" - and so, hopefully, this is my last season on the job market/having to (getting to) travel for interviews. 3) Would it help to schedule set times to call your family? I know that when I've had stretches of travel, if I have a waypoint to aim for it feels better and I can compartmentalize a little bit. I know that's easier said then done when interview schedules are largely out of your control, but perhaps there is a post talk, pre-dinner 30 minute break you can capitalize on? 4) That is a tough one. I feel for you. one thing I might do is leave something special for the kid, like little notes they can open every day, some special snack, small present(s), whatever makes sense depending on age. I tend to do at least a note when I travel so they have reminders of my love while I'm away. Also, making sure their caregivers have everything they might need so you don't feel worried. Then try as you can to keep your mind off it and stay in the moment. sending you a big hug. OP again) Thank you so much everyone, I am going to remember of this thread when I catch myself rushing to get done. | |
172 | 2/26/24 15:17 | How are job offers typically communicated? | 2/28/24 22:02 | OP-via phone or email? And do offers typically come from the dept head or dean? 1) In my experience, always by phone. Sometimes from department chair sometimes from search chair. Rarely from dean but I did have that happen once. 2) @1- you guys are getting job offers? (Insert the meme here lol!) x2 2) mine was via the search chair on phone, then the official offer was via the dean by email 3) I got a call from the department chair for one, got a call from the dean for another. And for another I got an email from the dean. 1) Not offers that I could accept, unfortunately (various personal/geographic restrictions). Feels worse to get them and have to turn down. 4) Might vary by institution type? Mine at a public PUI was a phone call from the dean (which was scheduled by email). It might depend on who you are negotiating with (Dept vs some/higher admin). 5) I've had three offers and all initially arrived via email. One (PUI) from a dean and two (PUI, R1) from department chairs. 6) Perhaps a poll would help here? Add your numbers: EMAIL x12 PHONE x19 OTHER // DEAN/PROVOST x13 CHAIR/DEPT_HEAD x13 OTHER x1 7) does that mean if i get a call, it's the real deal? or should i brace myself for a possible rejection via phone call? 8) Yes, rejections do occur via phone as well, especially if you had a campus visit x5 9) The department votes, and then the chair burns the ballots in a fireplace. If the faculty can't decide, a chemical is added to make the smoke black. If the smoke is white, a candidate has been selected. The chair emerges on a balcony, and announces the new hire to the faithful. 10) The poll was interesting until it was compromised. Someone mistyped and others went with it. 11) I went into sheet history and found the typo, should be accurate now | |
173 | 2/25/24 9:11 | Dressing for on campus interview | 2/29/24 13:49 | OP- is a suit, no tie, too much for an interview? it is a biology deparptment, not an eeb, and most of the faculty are genetic/biomed focused, so i figured it might be a little more formal than an EEB department. 1) Fine for an interview but if you're wearing a suit, keep it dressed down. If you're doing pants/jeans & sport coat, then dress it up a bit. Check out this twitter account for definitive guides to men's fashion: https://x.com/dieworkwear?s=20 x2 2) If you get on the interview and feel like it's playing badly, you can take off the jacket for a less formal look. Darker colors are perceived as more formal than lighter colors. Patterns/texture on the cloth sometimes also take an edge off. I'd advise against a full 3 piece suit, but just-the-vest can play nicely esp if you roll up the sleves 3) sounds fine OP. Good luck with the interview. 4)not bad advice here, but there is no problem with wearing a suit, with tie. It's not awkwardly formal. It shows you are serious and respectful. I've seen quite a few interviewees over the past few years. I only remember the ones that stood out as maybe too casual, not the other way around. 4) This sounds perfectly appropriate to me. Make sure it fits well - suit jackets can be tough. If they're much too big it can look immature, if too tight just plain unflattering. 5) My approach has been to wear suit & tie for the main interview day/seminar, and then suit without tie the second day. Then usually change into something more casual (dress shirt, slacks) for dinners. IMO it's better to err towards overly formal x2 6) Yes to the comments about making sure things fit correctly. Yes, to the comments about not going too casual. Even if you think your EEB people are all going to be in hiking clothes, you are likely to also meet with a dean or ather admin dressing more professionally. The advice that the interviewee should never be dressed less formally than the interviewers is good advice. Just don't look like you are going to a funeral. 7) I was told once to try and match the colors of the school you are interviewing at 8) @ 7 - risky if they're looking to outbreed the departmental stock though 9) @ 7 That's a little too Stepford for my taste! 10) I go for a startup kind of look: nice slacks, sweater, jacket, nice shoes and belt to match, no tie. A long coat (not puffy down or active wear) if you're going to spend time outside (usually winter or early spring for interview season). Looks professional yet easy going. 11) The goal is, after the interview, for them not to remember your clothing at all. Underdress and they'll likely perceive it as disrespect/lack of seriousness. If the interviewers are older, definitely wear a tie. 12) Maybe I've just been more on the field ecology oriented side of things, but a lot of the comments here just seem so far off from my experience! I've been to dozens of job candidate talks and pretty sure I've never seen a single candidate where a tie. I would certainly have felt very out of place with a tie or even a jacket at most of the interviews I've been on. I'm sure it varies more as you go into general bio or bio-med oriented departments. 13) Being underdressed is by far the bigger risk, so it's an easy recommendation to stick to a suit or well fitting pants/jacket combo. I think it is unlikely anyone will care about ties, but again, it doesn't hurt. Seems like there has been a pretty quick shift toward more casual in the past couple years, but this is by no means appreciated by everyone (although you'll stll be a step up from the students on Zoom classes in pajamas, in bed). And the other reason to step it up with your level of dress is that is has been shown to boost (or at least project) confidence. 14) I guess I'm not convinced that being underdresed is 'by far the biggest risk' at least in EEB departments. I've specifically heard faculty say (sort of jokingly) that candidates showing up to interview in a suit and tie would clearly not be a good 'fit' for the department. I'm sure that even in those departments you could be so underdressed that it would also be noted, but seems like there is some risk either direction. 15) Agree. I think a safe middle ground for most EEB/non-biomed general biology departments is something like: well-fitting slacks (crisp, dark jeans if you have a reason to think it's an especially casual department), well-fitting buttondown shirt (short or long-sleeved as temperature dictates), possibly a nice sweater if it's cold, and a blazer. You can bring a tie to be flexible, and ditch the blazer if you find yourself feeling uncomfortably dressy. No shorts, sweatpants, ratty jeans, t-shirts, field pants, sweaters with holes in them, etc. (I have seen people give conference talks in all of these, interview talks in some). I think @ 6 and @ 11 are right on - don't be the most casually dressed person in the room, and don't wear something that will have them remember you more for your clothes than your talk/meetings. Also, I hate that this is such a point of stress for all of us. I wish we could just wear what makes us comfortable and confident and not have to worry about it affecting how we're perceived, even subconciously. | |
174 | 2/24/24 22:27 | Unfilled slots during campus interview | 4/2/24 13:38 | OP- is it a bad sign that there is not much interest in your candidacy if your schedule has some unfilled slots and also some "breather" breaks? 2) There might be some unrelated conflicts and wrangling faculty is always difficult. Don't read too much into it. They may fill up later. 3) When I interviewed for the job I have now, I thought for sure I wasn't getting the job because so few people were in the room. It's a smaller dept but that search chair just didn't see the need to advertize the talks to the rest of the faculty and none of the trainees knew about it (very odd). 4) If any of them are after your talk, people might fill them. It happened to me that I requested a senior person on my schedule and they were not. But then they asked me to come after seeing my talk, and I used the break to do so. OP) Thank you all, so I interpret this as not a great sign but may be multiple reasons, only one of which may be less interest in me. 5) Also, you want some breaks in the schedule anyway! 6) @ OP, I think there's so much noise that you can't interpret it as a sign at all. Just go and be your best self, try not to let this kind of thing get into your head. 7) I'd also advise trying to avoid reading into things too much (easier said than done). I had a faculty member bail out on picking me up in the morning, which I was sure was a sign of disinterest, but I think they had some kid-related crisis. Sometimes things happen and for stochastic reasons people drop off of a schedule or miss a seminar. 8) love that the word "stochastic" is thrown around so casually in this forum and everybody understands it at some next level :) 9) @8, but we should be training ourselves to be good science communicators and avoid using jargon when not needed :) 8) again- but the word "stochastic" does not feel jargony when we are all so used to it. 9) You have to know your audience, and it is pretty jargony for almost all audiences. Back to the topic though, I agree with others that OP should not worry about things too much. There is a lot of random things that can affect schedules all the way up to the last minute. Also depends on the search chair. I chaired one search last year and was (somewhat) surprised how difficult it was to put the schedule together. Not always about availability, but just the need to be proactive through the process. 10) If it's a small department, they may just not have that many people. I wouldn't take it as a reflection on you. x2 11) I think it can also be a sign of general department culture/involvement rather than feelings on an individual candidate. 12) another faculty member here encouraging you to not read too much into this. Its hard to know what other scheduling conflicts are happening that day, and in general I think in-person engagement is still down post-COVID in many campuses. I'd just focus in the interactions you do have rather than worrying about the number of gaps in your schedule. | |
175 | 2/24/24 21:56 | Ordering grilled chicken or salmon at campus interview | 3/1/24 16:56 | OP- I have heard various responses to the question "what shall I order at dinner". Most mention not to order pasta or any saucy dish and to follow the lead of the company to order alcohol. But what do people feel about ordering grilled chicken or grilled salmon if it is not too expensive? 1) Other than the "don't drink excessively" rule I've never heard any rules about meals. It never occurred to me to worry about dinner. I figure they flew me out there and are paying for my hotel - saving $10 by ordering a cheaper meal seems a bit silly? 2) My spouse likes to tell the story of how she ordered this intricate, almost architectural dessert, while no one else had any. Everyone got to watch her deconstruct and eat it. Got the job. 3) Probably don't order the most expensive steak with lobster tail that is 2x everything else on the menu. If they make you pick the wine poll the table on red or white, bold or delicate, then pick something in the medium price range. Any other issue, order what you want. Expect faculty to be excited to have the dept covering a nicer meal than usual, so find a way that they can order dessert or wine even if you don't (mocktails or cheese courses may be your friends here). 4) Don't order something messy like chicken wings and if you go with a burger, cut it and use a fork if it's drippy. Also probably good to not be fussy about ingredients. 3 again) If you have serious allergies, tell your host ahead of times. "I'm allergic to all shellfish" can get awkward if they just walked you into a crab and oyster place. (5) I try to order the biggest predator on the menu to show who's in charge. x2 6) If interviewing for Dean, order a bottom feeder paired with a glass of faculty tears. ;) 7) Order whatever you want as long as it's not the most expensive thing on the menu. I avoid messy stuff, but go for it if you're brave. 8) During both of my interviews this year, the faculty were openly emphasizing that the "Dean was paying" and that I shouldn't hold back - they certainly weren't based on what they ordered! 9) @8, I believe the exact comment was made at my interview! Seriously, order what you want to eat and enjoy. It will help you come across that you are having a good time (and if you are not, maybe it will help compensate). By the way, another reason to go easy on the alcohol is that the university may not be paying for that. Mine won't and I imagine other publics might have similar policies. It's basically the treat of the whoever is taking you to dinner. 10) I try to follow the lead of the faculty who are joining me and let them order before me. Sometimes this means a drink and an entree, sometimes this means appetizers, $60 entrees, desserts, and bottles of wine. I'm fairly sure one dinner was $800+ for 3-4 people 11) Totally agree 10, but sometimes they annoyingly insist you ordering first!! 10 again) I also conversationally asked what people were planning to order and what they would recommend from the restaurant to get an idea of what they were planning. Someone picked the restaurant so at least one person should have an opinion! 12) oh nice idea #10! 13) it's the same rules as when you were a kiddo - follow the example of those you are with! | |
176 | 2/23/24 21:32 | How often do candidate rankings change after on-campus interviews? | 2/26/24 7:23 | Mostly a question for SC members. Is the ranking of candidates going into the on-campus interview period predictive (even loosely) of the final rankings? 1) Nope. Not in my experience. Anyone coming for an on-campus interview has a good shot. X2 OP) Exactly the answer I wanted to hear, thank you. Anyone with conflicting input can hold off ;) 3) Agree. Rankings often change once the candidates come in person. 4) I've sat on several search committees, including recently. Interviews often change the rankings. 5) it's usually so hard to narrow down the pool to 3-5 candidates, I'm not sure there's a 'pre-interview ranking' in most searches. Anyone has a shot. x2 6) I wouldn't actually say every candidate has an equal shot. It is more often the case that different people have different favorites. Sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for ridiculous reasons. Sometimes it just comes down to which faction gets its way. If you make the interview list you probably have an advocate on the committee. If you can figure out who, they may give you advice on how to show off your best work so the department can jump on board. 7) anything can happen during on-campus. everyone has a shot, and it is not uncommon that the best person on paper is beat out by another person who interviews better, gives a better talk, is more collegial, etc. x2 8) This all fits with the advice I got. With my last on-campus invite I told a mentor (who has been on multiple SCs) that I felt like I "really had a shot" with it, and they said of course I did, I wouldn't have been invited otherwise. (I got the job. :-) ) | |
177 | 2/23/24 17:23 | Short term SLAC jobs | 2/26/24 7:56 | OP) I'm a little surprised at how many short-term faculty job ads I see for top SLACs like Rhodes, Union, Vassar, Grinnell etc. I tend to think that excellence in teaching can hardly be achieved with high faculty turnover, or faculty who will in the back of their minds always be thinking about the job market. So how do SLACs achieve their excellence even with so many temp faculty? Or are they not as excellent as I think? 1) To the extent it's achieving excellence it is often by exploiting short term and tenuous labor when they know people will try really hard to deliver good classes. But definitely the class quality is more variable than you probably think from the outside. The big advantage is small classes with professor contact and you do get that even with short term faculty. 3) these are often sabbatical replacements or family leave replacements. They can't be filled by one longer-term position because each person is in a very different field in small departments (one year they need an ecology replacement, another it might be for the neuroscientist). This doesn't necessarily reflect turnover or lack of faculty retention. x5 4) Schrödinger's VAP - simultaneously the exploited contingent faculty being strung along with the promise of valuable teaching experience and also the privileged, handpicked internal candidate of ever SLAC job search 5) I mean, both of what you describe are pretty common 4. As the VAP you often feel both of those at the same time. 4) I believe it. I have a friend who was a VAP and was just hired on as a permanent Lecturer at their school - I've heard that kind of internal hire (VAP -> Lecturer) is more common than VAP -> TT. 5) That's probably generally true. There is also a ton of variability in how/why people are in VAP positions. Sometimes they came in on a 2-3 year VAP with a full national search including research seminar in a line that is going to open in a few years (often a gap is required before the TT hire for an opening line will be re-approved). That is probably a scenario where the department may really want to hire the person into the TT line eventually and they really do have the inside track to the position. Other times VAPs are hired for a sabattical replacement with no possibility of a line opening or at the last minute to fill an unexpected teaching gap. Those may get minimal interviews and investment from the department and little support as an internal hire even if a line does happen to open up. Lots of other 'VAPs' are spouses or otherwise local and are essentially adjuncts in all but name. The level of support and interest that the rest of the department provides in those cases varies wildly. | |
178 | 2/23/24 7:00 | Have folks started using AI tools for data entry? | 3/7/24 20:59 | OP) I mean like transferring hand written numbers from data sheets into excel? It seems like AI should be able to do this pretty well by now, but I don't know if user-friendly and affordable software for this is available yet. Getting pretty tired of entering data 2) I personally would never. Data entry is annoying but its one of those things that I want to be in control of. I wouldn't trust AI to do it without error x5 3) I told my students if they could prove near 100% accuracy on sheets with multiple different handwriting styles then they could do it. But I'm skeptical. 4) Nope, it's just something you have to do yourself. AI could never. I would not ever trust it. listen to podcasts or something. x2 5) Wouldn't trust AI to transcribe handwritten notes, no. But as someone who also gets really tired of data entry, finding ways to digitize the data right away is helpful. Using a digital labnotebook speeds things up a lot, with the added bonus of git for version control and being able to easily share entries with students/collaborators! 6) I'm skeptical that AI would make a lot more errors than human data entry errors. How easy it is to apply would obviously depend a lot on the system for recording data in the first place. 7) I feel like data entry gives me an opportunity to go over things in detail and see patterns I might have missed when taking the data in the first place (or if someone else was taking it). It's tedious and I procrastinate on it, but the act itself is useful to me. 8) Depends a lot on what the data is though. Field notes for a reasonable number of observations where you actually can catch mistakes because you remember the context is one thing. Something at a much higher volume and more routine might be a good candidate for automation.8) https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00646-z doesn't seem like it's that great. also AI has security vulnerabilities https://thehackernews.com/2024/02/new-hugging-face-vulnerability-exposes.html | |
179 | 2/23/24 5:39 | Offer timelines | 3/25/24 11:34 | [moved from MSU Plant Resilience job -AP] do you mind sharing when you received the offer that need to be resolved by mid-March? just curious about offer timelines generally 2. anyone have experience they can share about this. What is a reasonable timeline from verbal offer until acceptance? Do most go back for second visits (e.g., with family) | |
180 | 2/22/24 14:09 | note taking practices during on-campus interviews | 2/27/24 11:44 | OP) inspired by the post below about what to bring to an on-campus interview, I'm realizing with surprise that people take notes during the interview? What's this about? I normally jot down some key points on the flight home but am not familiar with other note taking. Note-takers, what are you writing down and from what meetings? Is this during one-on-one meetings that you're recording people's responses to specific questions you've prepared? Or if people say something about the position / institution during the formal interview, writing down those points? 1) Yeah, I was surprised by this too. Nearly all of the meetings i've had during campus interviews have had a relaxed conversational vibe, and I think it would be kind of weird to take notes during them (also feels kind of subserviant, like I'm a grad student or something? or maybe a fear of being perceived as too Type A? or maybe I'm a dreamer that doesn't think about strategic grill locations?) 2) I carried a notebook around with me for all my interviews, but I almost never wrote in it during meetings. Sometimes I would glance at my pre-interview notes (main questions for different types of people) in between meetings, but that's it. I tried to write some general thoughts during breaks or at the end of the day when impressions were still fresh in my mind. 3) I took notes on my interviews, especially when meeting with the dept chair, search chair and deans. It makes you look more prepared/interested and its helpful for remember weird details about space, startup, equipment, teaching, etc. 4) As someone interviewing candidates, I've thought it odd when someone is *not* referring to their notepad and not taking notes. We have important info to offer if candidates ask things. 5) weird to me also that people wouldn't take ANY notes. I agree most conversations should end up relaxed and conversive, but don't you all ask questions of the faculty? Thats an easy reason to write something down. My take is a good balance of attentive conversation and occasionally writing down something. You can even verbally say "thats really great info, let me jot that down" if you are worried about breaking the conversational vibe. Also shows you are actually invested x2 6) OP - feeling a bit defensive here - as someone who has never had the priviledge of being on the other side of candidate interviews and who receives very limited mentorship (from a superviser who has never gone through the process as they're a spousal hire) there are not a lot of avenues for norm transmissions about what these closed conversations look like. I think we are all trying to put our best foot forward and can't read the minds of our interviewers as to whether it will look weird to take notes or look weird to not take notes. thank goodness for a friendly community forum like this one. Also, yes, I definitely ask questions to faculty, prepared from a survey of their recent last author / first author pubs and their bios and about the department generally. 7) Sheesh 4, give us a break. It would definitely be weird to take notes in most one on one meetings and with the detials committees provide there is often no way to know ahead of the meeting whether it will be a conversation or some 'important information'. 8) take notes if it helps you, don’t take notes if it doesn’t. x2 9) I'm with 8 – bring a notebook and use if handy; don't use if conversation is flowing naturally and there is no need. I pre-write questions and brief notes aboiut people on the back-hand side of notebook pages before each meeting and leave pre-allocated space for each, which has the dual effect of reminding me about people if needed without making it look like I am. 10) I greatly appreciate this forum; otherwise I'd never know interviewers may expect me to take notes during but not after conversation. But I still wonder how universal this expectation is--things on the other side are still pretty mysterious to me. 11) @6 and @10, this is very low on the list of things to worry about, probably shouldn't be on the list at all. As @8 and @9 said, do whatever seems natural, it doesn't really matter. 12) I don't think it's a big deal either way. As others have said, notebook is good to have so you have your own prep notes. I've only written things down when it's something specific I need to remember. I once saw a candidate take notes during the grad student lunch, like when everyone was introducing themselves. Seemed odd honestly, but I don't think anyone cared. Basically, write something down if it's useful here and there, but don,t stress about it either way. 13) I would never think of judging a candidate based on whether they are or are not taking notes during a meeting - it seems overly formal/intense to me, but everyone is different and I woudln't think twice if someone did jot down a couple things. Are there faculty who are so pompous they think what they say needs to be written down? Maybe - but not in my department. 14) Feel free to jot down short notes about resources and programs that the department/college/university offers, details on teaching load, indirect cost return rates, course releases, student support options. Some of those things are not easy to find on the internet and it could help with considering a potential offer later and knowing what to get in writing. Some candidates come in looking to ask questions and get information and have questions they would like answered and may jot things down, and so in comparison someone coming in and sitting down with no questions can give a different impression. 15) @12 I especially try to take notes at the grad lunch, no way I can remember 12 people introduced in 6 minutes otherwise. 16) But what do you do with those notes about the 12 people? 17) i bring a nice folder to keep my itinerary and receipts in, and whip it out during interviews but I don't write much. I think it's a bit overkill to worry about whether or not your being perceived as taking notes, especially when talking to grad students. 18) I should have done what 12 did. I couldn't remember any students names and I later met with a PI who's students were there. I felt like a dummy and maybe I would have retained names if I wrote them down. I don't think that it mattered, but I cared and forgot. 19) I had a little notebook with me and wrote down things like names of programs or potential collaborators. I definitely found those notes useful also when I was writing thank you emails to jog my memory about the conversation. Related, the chair walked me through the schedule and told me a bit about some of the meetings, and I didn't take notes as they spoke. I really regretted it after, would have been great info for some of the meetings and I was stressed and immediately forgot it all. | |
181 | 2/22/24 11:52 | Bringing a computer to on campus interview? | 2/23/24 6:54 | OP) I have pages of notes that I have taken and I assume it is not feasible to have my computer with me durring the interviews. Any tips on how to organize and what to bring with you. I assume just having a notebook or a nice binder is acceptable. what do other peopel do? 1) Notebook is good (and there are definitely some meetings you'll want to take notes for). I wouldn't ever have my laptop open during a interview, but I'll have it with me so I can respond to emails during breaks or for my research talk/teaching demo. Also, one organizational tip I have: take a screenshot of your itinerary and make that image your phone background. Makes it super easy to check who you're meeting with next. OP)Thanks for the tip. So do you carry a backpack around durring the interview, or just your computer and notebook? 2) I like to carry a briefcase, just because my day-to-day messenger bag is starting to look a bit dingy. Have seen candidates with backpacks. I'd second @1's comment about bringing a laptop. I've rolled into a research talk and had the SC say 'so you have your computer?' [to present the talk - no discussion beforehand that I'd need my laptop] - don't assume they'll have the infrastructure in the room to present your seminars without your laptop. 3) I'd check ahead of time with SC that it's OK to bring a flashdrive with your talk - I didn't bring my laptop bc it's heavy and I didn't want to drag it around! I prepared notes / questions, but honestly have found interview schedules to be too hectic to have the chance to refer to them. The phone schedule tip is great. 4) It's definitely worth asking about the tech set-up for talks (knowing if you need to bring your own computer, if you should have the talks on a flashdrive / in the cloud, whether you'll have access to speaker notes...) as for wanting to have notes for meetings, I use post-its so I can easily grab what I've prepared for a specific meeting and stick it on the page next to where I'm taking notes 5) You should probably bring a notebook to jot down meeting locations or to write down a paper someone mentioned. If you are "taking notes" like in class or reading from notes it will seriously damage your score post interview. 6) Absolutely bring your computer – always way better to use it for a seminar and/or teaching demo. But otherwise you likely won't open it. I don't worry too much about the schedule because people will have that stuff down for you mostly. 7) In my experience almost every one-on-one meeting ended with the faculty member saying "okay, who do you meet with next"? They definitely did not know off the top of their heads. When I could answer quickly it made for a much smoother end of the meeting. When I couldn't (because the schedule had changed since I was last able to print it out), then the faculty person had to find their copy or find the email with the link to the current schedule or whatever and it felt awkward while I waited for them to do this and it caused delays to the schedule. So I agree with having a copy of your current schedule with you, and not leaving this up to the Department members. I think the screenshot idea is great. 8) your post it idea is genius #4 I'll definitely try this (if I ever get an on campus again lol). | |
182 | 2/21/24 19:37 | The Meltdown of the Universities and Ideas for Rebuilding Them | 2/26/24 10:53 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7hnX-e-i4k 2) Who's got an hour and a half to watch this? x2 3) Why not if it is of interest to you? Plenty of people in the audience apparently had time, plus some number of the ~36K views in 2 weeks. 2) @3 I guess I'm not that interested in heterodox thinking, lol x2 4) agree, am too busy being an overworked acadmic to listen to people dream about how to change things. Even if they are right I am likely not going to be the one to fix it (5) Haidt is brilliant and I hope many of us can take his words to heart, otherwise I fear the profession is doomed to irrelevance x2 | |
183 | 2/20/24 7:26 | Strategies for delaying final decision | 2/23/24 8:34 | OP) I am negotiating a tenure-track offer at the moment. How can I legitimately delay making a decision to see if other applications that might be a better fits pan out? Basically, I want to see the full landscape of possibility before deciding, if possible. 2) Similar situation currently, here's how I'm trying to navigate this: a) don't rush negotiations. ask for things in writing, reply in a timely manner but take time to think things through and consult colleagues/mentors/family as much as is appropriate. ask for a 2nd visit and don't sign until after that's happened. seek answers to any and all questions I might have about life there that aren't directly related to negotiations. b) request updates about other ongoing searches where I'm still a candidate or it's unclear. probably can't speed up the other searches, but may be able to gain better knowledge of what exactly I'm waiting for and what the timeframe might be. c) this feels crappy, but it's definitely not unheard of to sign one place and back out if a better opportunity presents itself, and I've been advised to do this if applicable. Don't hate the player, hate the game. 3) "Failed search last year" is what will happen. 4) You can stretch things out within reason. But how much do you think you need to relative to what they are giving you as a deadline for a decision? If you think you need 1-2 months and they want a commitment within a week, that won't work without rubbing them the wrong way. 3-4 weeks instead of 1-2 might be doable. And this could all vary a little depending on the type of institution. Accepting an offer and then backing out is not ideal, but definitely do it if circumstances dictate. 5) It's also possible to accept a good, first offer and then, if one you like better comes along, negotiate that one starting a year later, so you're not leaving the first institution high and dry 6) I don't think that is actually preferable to the first institution 5! They'd be investing a lot in getting you to come only to know you are leaving a year later. Better for everybody at that point to just back out. 7) I agree with 6. OP has an offer and no competing offers, just other applications out there. If the job offer they have isn't a fit for them based on what it is, back out. There is someone else who will take the job. Or, take the job and withdraw the other applications. See how it goes in the position and apply for jobs from there if after going it's not a good fit. x2 8) Institutions act entirely in their own best interest, fairly enough. But so should applicants. Do what's best for you even if it means backing out of an accepted offer. No need to hold yourself to a higher ethical standard than the institutions would 7) Sure @8 - except, they have an offer and no competing offers. It's not like they've been negotiating an offer and *poof* another offer appeared and they're looking for more time. If it's not the job they want - don't take it. The offering department, in what they thought was in their best interest, made OP an offer. They're not a bad actor here. 9) can anyone comment on the *original question* - how to ask for more time? What is the way to ask, to phrase this, reasons to give etc. so as not to alienate potential future colleagues? Is it bad to say you're waiting on another decision? What do you say instead? intersted to hear answers to OP's question. 8) In my opinion, accept the first offer rather than trying to push the timeline (if more than a week or two is needed). If later offer comes in that's clearer better, back out of first offer. No one wants to do that, but it can happen. You could risk first offer by pushing the timeline too much. 10) I suspect I'm second choice at a school I'd jump at the chance to work at. I really hope that in case people do accept the offer and then back out that this doesn't screw the next person in line. x2 11) Yes, better to try to get an honest extension than accept-then-back-out, because the search may be officially closed at that point. But if the institution isn't being reasonable with its deadline, do what you have to do. 12) The best way is to tell the institution that you need a delay because you have other "options" at the moment, and are considering them (which is true in your case). Who knows? Maybe they increase your salary offer or startup just to get you to say yes quickly. 13) In an ideal world 12 is right, but this risks them rescinding the offer by thinking you are not interested but just taking what you can get. Which is exactly what we are all doing, there will always be potential for a "better offer" unfortunately the way academia works is that by putting yourself first (makring sure you have a job but open to later offers) could impact someone else, but don't make decisions on what the school needs. Universities don't care about you, hopefully your department does, but you have to put you first and just try not to screw anyone over if you can avoid it. 12 again) After all the interviews, HR hoops, and finally getting everyone in the dept to agree on a canadiate,the dept wont rescind an offer because the candidate asked for an extension or otherwise negotates in good faith. It would take a big thing (and rare) for the dept to rescind an offer once an offer is made. X2 13) Unless you are local to this position, there are a lot of issues involved with a potential move that call for a fair amount of research (e.g., details on neighborhoods, commutes, schools) and could be used as an excuse. Maybe you could also mention considerations about a partner's job, for example you want time so they could explore going remote. 14) I think a lot of these comments are overestimating how willing departments are to extend timelines for decisions. It may be common at R1s, but a lot of schools really stick hard to a short decision time. 15) Even at R1s I'm seeing universities simultaneously press candidates to ask for more time from other schools while only offering firm 2 weeks on their own offers. There's a lot of hypocricy and very firm timelines going around, at least this year. 16) if you don't feel they'll accommodate extension, accept if you think you'd like the job. you can back out if you get an offer you think you'd like more. people do that all the time in academia and in other sectors. in other sectors they just hire someone else and it's academia's problem that they have ludicrous hiring procedures. you will likely piss people off going that route, but you gotta look out for you as no one else is going to. 17) Just want to say, this has been one of the most useful threads I've read. Plenty of nuance, but also plenty of institutional knowledge has been shared. Thank you OP for asking this question! 18) Keep in mind that the Dept. vote migh influence all this. In my current Dept. if we had a close vote and the first candidate keeps asking for extensions because they have "options" (different than showing an actual offer from somewhere else) some people will be happy to "flip" their vote, and keep a hard decision deadline so we don't lose Candidate #2. If Candidate #2 sucked and you're the clear star it's a different story. x2 19) 18 is right (and good points by others too). It's just hard to fully know all the dynamics. Many department members could also be worried that they are going to be competitive against the "other options" and would like to move on to someone without those options sooner rather than later. 20) Stall by asking for a second visit. 21) Most places won't do a second visit (at least not that they pay for). That is really a big R1 thing. 22) @21 that sounds bad, but I'd still want a self-funded second visit with the family before committing to a job | |
184 | 2/19/24 12:40 | Lack of salary info in job ads | 2/23/24 8:36 | [moved from MSU FW job -AP] 1) No salary information in the job post, Lame! 2) This is typical, stop bitching about it. x2 3) the more we bitch about it, the more likely it is to get back to search committees who may actually try to change future searches! Better to make changes from within, but posting salary ranges should become the norm! 5) Seconding #1 and #3, whether it's normal or not, it should be! x3 6) Search committees do not determine salaries so they can't write them into ads. And if the salary is hard-coded into the ad, HR might not allow negotiation over the upper end. Unforeseen consequences of what seems like a good idea. 7) Give us a break 6! Search committees and departments absolutely can push to include salaries. They may not win right away but it is possible to make small changes. There is all kinds of evidence that salary transparency generally leads to higher wages. It's a public university anyway so you should be able to look up salaries, but that also means it should be pretty clear what the expected salary is. 8) Salaries are often set by state law (e.g., California) or the dean or provost's office and may vary based on experience. Public universities have public salaries listed. The people who are writing these job descriptions are often limited by HR as to what they can say. I promise you they aren't going to be swayed by the armchair activism of a bunch of grumpy people on a job message board where jobs routinely get hundreds of applciants. 9) @ 8 - I dunno about that, they've been swayed pretty hard by armchair activism about EDI. 10) @9 But none of those decisions or policies are coming from search committees, which is what I think @8 and others are getting at. 11) That just isn't true. Whether you agree with it or not things like EDI and salary disclosures have changed a lot in the past 5-10 years. Where do you think those changes come from if it isn't from search committee members asking for them? 12) this would be a real issue to complain about if all public university salaries were not publically accessible. last year's similar hires give a reasonable lower floor. and 11) do you know for sure changes come from search committees? I don't think they typically do x2 13) The DEI stuff is top down 100%. The anti-DEI folks talk about activists like some kind of boogeyman, but the change is coming from admins. SC's don't really have much power outside of the specific hiring decisions they're tasked with. x2 14) Not sure salary info is going to be that helpful. My institution actually does require it, but it is frustrating because it lists the minimum starting salary, but that is often not representative of what would actually be offered. I've also been somewhere that published a range (this was non-faculty) and the range was really large and many applicants were under the false impression that they might be able to start somewhere near the top. I guess I universities moved toward grades like federal jobs have it might make sense. 15) As an assistant professor on a few job searches, I had zero input on the salary range or several other aspects of what went into those posts. HR and admin controlled many of those things. 16) Of course one person on a search committe can't unilaterally change things immediately. But faculty pushing/complaining/arguing for doing things differently can trickle up to chairs to admin to HR, etc. It's so strange and sad how people seem to think that TT faculty have no power to make any kind of even minor change in this system. 17) Current MSU fac member here. Some job classification allows the posting of salary ranges such as the one here: https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/517555/specialist-outreachfixed-term , while faculty positions usually do not post salary range due to different qualifications and experiences of individuals who applied for the position. A candidate could come into a asst prof position fresh from PhD, while another candidate may get hired with 3-4 years of tenure track experience elsewhere. The tenure stream faculty here are forming a faculty union, and we expect that this will allow the faculty greater input into many functions of the university, including greater input into HR practices, such as posting salary ranges for tenure track positions. 18) Are you all hoping to use this info to decide whether a job is worth your time to apply? By the way, I'm pretty sure more transparency on salary in job posting will directly translate to less flexibility in negotiations. My institution posts minimum salaries. Candidates are offered a little above that (~$2k) if they have experience witha postdoc or teaching. The "negotation" is that an additional $1k will be offered if the candidate asks for more. Union contracts and salary inversion policies make negotiating further essentially impossible. 18) @16 I just don't agree. At my current isntitution, the Dean ultimately chooses the candidate to give the offer to. We can and HAVE advocated from our department head and other tenured faculty about the choice, but they have still chosen against our wishes at least once in the last 5 years. I don't get where this sense that faculty can trump admin comes from it shows a lack of understanding the power dynamics at many universities. 16) @18, I didn't say faculty can trump admin, but they can create pressure to make various kinds of changes (whether or not this specific issue of including salary is important is beside the point). I'm well aware of the power dynamics, but your perspective is common and I think represents a fundamental lack of understanding about how any change for employees is ever made (not out of generosity from higher levels of admin). 18) @16 yea i still just don't agree too much. My uni is dealing with "our department picked X candidate, Dean chose Y". We have complained and put pressure but we are still in that spot. To say that the faculty have a lot of power in this dynamic is...farsical to me. We can hope to make change long-term, but unless we have union action little changes. 19) You gotta form that union! 18) as a postdoc...I cannot form a Faculty union. We are trying to form a postdoc union but the other postdocs here are not buying it...despite losing some benefits this year and next. idk what to do, and frankly I just want to leave before its solved 19) That's fair. I didn't realize you were a postdoc either. A little bit hard to keep track of who's who in these. When I was a grad student we had a union though, and it was incredible what it was able to do. It sounds like there are a lot of strong grad student unions, and some for adjuncts, but maybe that TT faculty don't tend to be as interested? And I'm not sure about postdocs. 15) I'd venture a guess that most of the faculty job postings that have salaries posted are from the eight states that have passed laws requiring salary transparency or perhaps the dozen other states where they're considering making that a law. Complain all you want on here, but don't kid yourself that it will lead to any changes. x2 19) Right, but why did they make those laws? Probably not because of this job board particularly, but certainly it could have to do with a recognition that many people in the field want fairer and more transparent practices, and they probably wouldn't bother if noboody cared. Maybe unions had something to do with it. When we work collectively, we can do a lot. 20) Exactly 19. People seem to think that the fact that anything ever changes has nothing to do with organizing and pushing for anything and that changes just happen to fall out of the sky from above. Makes me really think that a lot of our science faculty need to read some history of labor. Whether or not faculty or postdocs can unionize varies a lot from place to place. By most accounts, private university faculty in the US can't unionize per NLRB rules, although that is not totally tested and a few are unionized. Public employee rights will vary from state to state. The salary discussion above in particular is very detached from the actual reality and the fact that there are large fields of research and history on these issues. 21) there are enough jobs these days that DO have $$ info in the solicitation, that most folks can safely avoid applying for anything that lacks pay transparency in that area IF they wish! | |
185 | 2/18/24 13:06 | What is your backup career if/when you choose to leave academia? | 2/23/24 8:37 | A rich husband. Although that's probably not a bad plan even if I stay in academia. <3 x2 1) Obviously not an option for a single person... 2) Shrimp boat captain. 3) @1, also not an option for those of us that already have a not rich partner... 4) 3 sure it is, just need a better offer. Like an Ass Prof changing schools. 5) Imma open up a doggy day care. I'm only half joking... 6) 4, ok, but why is that not an option for a single person? 7) I would open up a BBQ joint, probably start as a food truck type, catering, but maybe eventually set up a brick and mortar. haven't thought about it tooooo much though ;-p 8) Try to get a government job I guess... ? 4) @ 6: It absolutely is, but - by the same rules as apply to ECRs - they just might not be competitive enough for a high-net-worth position. 9) biotech 10) @9 so I think a lot of people have this as a loose backup but idk about most of you, but my skillset is not a great fit for most of biotech. I work with live organisms and do a lot of organismal work. I can do the molecular stuff and I can do coding, but im not certain I am competitive vs a host of people with those same skills. On top of that, the biotech bubble has burst a bit and there are not nearly as many jobs (or pay as well) as 5 years ago. This is a general warning to those who are considering "biotech" broadly but haven't searched for jobs or put extra thought into how they will get those jobs. 11) Yeah exactly 10, and I think the same is true for data science jobs. 12) I would look at university admin jobs: would actually be excited to work in a grants office and some admissions work involves interesting travel. Failing that, or until a position materializes, I'd go for lifeguard. 9) @10/11 have you actually tried applying for biotech/industry jobs? I think you would be surprised at how easy they are to score. When they're hiring people with PhDs, they are more interested in transferable skills (e.g. project management). They can hire BS/MS level techs for gruntwork. The bubble mostly just affected start-ups with no revenue; the big companies are as strong as ever. I've turned down multiple biotech recruiters in my futuile search for a TT job. It gets harder to say no everytime it happens though... 11) I have looked/applied. I really don't think they are that easy to score. Maybe if you have a more serious bench background or come from a computational lab. I am organismal focused. I've done a lot of molecular ecology type work, but I don't think my background or training 'reads' as biotech. Similarly, I do a lot of stats/analysis/coding/data management, but it isn't the background that gets viewed as data science. I'm also geographically limited so that certainly doesn't help. I'm sure it would be easier if I were in a big metro area with a lot of local industry options. 9) your background sounds similar to mine and many of my friends from grad school who went into industry. Keep on applying and don't let the imposter syndrome stop you. Also, make a LinkedIn and fill it out. They're not necessarily easy jobs to get, but they're waaaaaay easier to score than a TT gig x2 11) Sure, totally agree about them being way easier than TT! I was just thinking that a lot of friends stepped right into those kind of jobs 5-10 years ago and I do think that the bar has gone up compared to how easy it was then. 10) @9 thanks for context/more info. I have looked at these jobs but not seriously applied. You mention that PhDs are in demand especially project management stuff, can you give some titles of jobs in industry that hire like this? I am on linkedin, etc. but its very hard to know where to start when you are a hard evolution/ecology type like myself. 9) Navigating titles can be tricky. The jobs that I turned down were all "scientist" positions. They were technically different but all required someone who could design experiments, do them, and then communicate the results to the rest of the company. Lately I've been looking into field application specialist jobs, which as I understand it, are sales people who teach customers about cool uses for fancy equipment. 9) @10 hmmm, I guess this is the thing that @11 and I are likely stuck on. I have not come across a biotech company that I would be appropriate to design and carry out an experiment for. I do experiments right now that range from field work, behavioral ecology experiments, and sequencing/genomic analysis. I can certainly design and run experiments, but I really struggle to see any company working on things like "carbon sinking" or "cancer pharmaceutical testing" to want to hire an evolutionary ecologist to run their experiments. The best I can offer is that I have some skills I can transfer that don't fit great, combined with a PhD in competency. Biotech is just too far from my basic research angles for me to see. I'd be happy to be wrong if anyone has experience here. 9) lol I also consider myself an evolutionary ecologist and one of the jobs I passed over was a cancer pharmaceutical testing gig. The others were agricultural stuff (these were less wild since I'm a plant person). I think the academic market has us believe we need to be an aboslute perfect fit to get a job, but that isn't really the case outside the ivory tower. Send out some apps and see what happens! 10) @9 thank you for the context. I have not received any offers or stuff like that, but I could go #opentowork on linkedin and give it a spin. Hard to imagine these places would want me--maybe I am dead wrong 11) I like to think government research scientist jobs are different but I've been working in gov in a non-research capacity. 6-figure salary and benefits but I'd rather be mowing lawns - it is absolute banality. 12) Not to mention those government research scientist jobs don't seem to be any easier to land than most tenure track jobs. x2 13) @12, that's true. There aren't that many gov search jobs equiavalent to faculty jobs. But you can also look into roles that are not research focused. Those are more plentiful and you later on you have the capability for moving around/up within the agency. 14) High school teacher! Actually, the more I think about it, I might like that more than academia haha. 11) @14 this is actually not so crazy depending on where you are. At least my state (Illinois) has a program for transitioning from industry/whatever to being a teacher. Easier if you have an advanced degree. The only drawback is its a 1-year process to do some testing/qualification stuff while you work another job, so you have to think ahead. But, still very possible 14) Yes! And also in some states, there is a teacher shortage right now, and so they will allow you to take a job and then earn your teaching certification/degree at night while you're already working. 15) and there are signing bonuses in some places given the need for teachers. 14) And we don't have teaching degrees, but we do have experience teaching. Not for everyone though I understand- you have to like kids. 16) Question for the 'rich spouse' camp: what would be the hypothetical dream academia scenario if you had a rich spouse and didn't need to worry about money, but wanted to stay in academia? 17) For me it would be the same- A job at a PUI that combines research and teaching. The only difference would then be I could buy a house instead of renting! Plus vacations! And no more driving Uber. And if we're really going to get into it, I would like to live near a lake. I am waiting for my spouse to becomes rich. She has made promises. 18) I am the rich spouse in real life (ha!), so the dream scenario would entail cool field work studying long-lived plants in exotic locations, no grant writing, taking classes/workshops if the mood strikes, and publishing every 2 years or so. Maybe a private tutor so my kid can come with 19) I guess if we're fantasizing I would run an institute where I just hire people who do really cool work that I like and then help out with their field/lab/writing. Like a max planck director but self(spouse) funded. 20) Dog rescue with coffee shop up front and a small studio apartment to live in up top like Luke Danes. | |
186 | 2/17/24 5:55 | "Good luck. You're going to do great wherever you end up." | 2/27/24 23:22 | Is it a bad sign if they end the interview by saying something like this?? 1) You can drive yourself crazy trying to psychoanalyze all your interactions post-interview. It means nothing, just sit tight until they make a decision. x24 2) Trying to predict an offer out of anything said or done at campus interview is about as scientific as entrail reading. x2 3) Recently had a good on-campus interview at a school I've absolutely fallen in love with, and need to print out "don't try to read the entrails" and post it around my workspaces. It's good advice, but hard to follow! OP) I think somebody cheated and added more than one vote to #1's comment! I know you're right, but it's hard to stop! 4) I think the most you can take from that statement is whoever said it thinks you gave a nice interview and whether you end up with them or elsewhere, you seem to be on a successful trajectory. x3 | |
187 | 2/16/24 21:59 | What should not be forgotten for the start-up budget? | 2/23/24 5:48 | I am currently negotiating for a position and I need to send a start-up budget for negotiations. It can be pretty generous for an R1. While I know what I want and need, what are some hidden things I should be aware of, or essentials that are not that obvious at first but are needed in the pre-tenure time? 1) Staff and student RAships. fill up your star up with money to support people. you can often find ways to get supplied, but being able to support folks is critical. I built in buffer money by over estimating the cost of a research tech. now im planning to break that up into additional RAs for grad students and hourly pay for undergrads. 2) Add 30% to your cost estimates of everything to account for inflation. Materials and equipment are rapidly becoming much more expensive due to materials shortages, transport issues, etc.; simultaneously unionization efforts and labor negotations mean that (thankfully! rightfully!) the cost of postdocs, grad students, RAs in a few years' time may be far more than current figures would suggest. 3) Lab furniture! Chairs, stools, everything costs $. Also check if lab renovations come out of your start up. Page charges to publish, travel costs for conferences. 4) Following from 3, office supplies (paper, pens, markers, PRINTER INK, etc.) - I've seen a lot of folks complain about how hard it is to get funding agencies to cover that stuff. 5) @4 not to derail this conversation, but funding agencies do cover that stuff in the form of overhead. Just got to convince the university of that fact. 6) Just got back from an on-campus interview and the support staff suggested buying a truck with start-up - if you do any sort of fieldwork and university policy would allow it, I think it's an excellent idea 7) similar to what @5 wrote, you might not be able to budget for office supplies since the school generally is buying that stuff 8) I just take paper out of the departmental photocopier and raid the mail room for the rest of the office supplies. 9) conference travel and publication fees! 10) Find out if/when startup funds expire and if that can be extended. | |
188 | 2/16/24 18:50 | Ways that ESA can better support early career folks at the annual meeting | 2/20/24 4:59 | Hey everyone. I am on the Ecological Society of Americas Meeting Committee. One thing we are trying to focus on this year is creating more opportunities for early career folks to get mentorship at the meeting. Do folks have ideas for events, workshops, etc that ESA could try to implement that would be helpful? 1) I once saw at a conference that grad and undergrad students could invite PIs to their poster via an app to initiate discussions with them. Liked that a lot. I forgot which one that was though. I believe an ESEB one 2) More resources aimed at postdocs - mentoring/info sessions around applying for jobs, career trajectories, writing/managing grants? As mentioned elsewhere on this sheet some postdocs do'nt have supportive mentors. Also, not exactly what you asked, but continued/more funding to attend (esepcially for postdocs - we don't always have $ we need from a grant!) and support for parents of young children - financial and otherwise. Maybe some sessions for parents to share with early career people how they've made things work on their career path. Grant writing info but also getting at the mechanics of how budgets can work and thinking through personnel, like the logistics of how to write a well-thought out grant. 3) Honestly? Collect and widely share data on demographic hiring trends in the field x2. 4) echo @3 show people the data! 5) extra drink tickets for attendees that don't claim any parent/child benefit AP) extra drink tickets for root vegetables 6) I think maybe we're going to far on this competition or whatever it is between people with and without kids. Some people have kids, some people don't. Neither is better or worse and we have to try to accommodate both. Accommodations are different than discrimination I think though. Giving one group something that they need and the other group doesn't is fine (childcare). Giving on group more of something that both groups probably want/need (extra drinks) sounds like discrimination. In terms of support for early career folks, this is basic, but I've enjoyed social events for people at different career stages (grad student drinks event, etc). Also the workshops that teach skills are useful, especially if there is a significant discount for grad students (unsure about whether postdocs would need the discount- depends on funding- I went to VAP instead). And of course good scholarships definitely matter. That opens it up to students who have less funding from their labs. I've noticed that there are also some scholarships for early career folks coming in internationally. For people from poorer countries who are early career, the exchange rate can sometimes be pretty insurmountable. For some of those folks, they are not going to be able to attend unless you cover really everything. Because otherwise the 1/3 of the cost left that they have to pay ends up being a month's salary. If you don't cover everything, you're setting up a situation where only people who have wealthy families are going to be able to take advantage of the opportunity. | |
189 | 2/16/24 12:11 | Trouble filling post doc positions | 3/4/24 9:42 | I've heard from colleagues that they are having challenges filling postdoc positions. I recently posted a position myself and thus far have only one applicant. I understand that these are temporary positions, but this seems to be very different than my experiences at that career stage. Are people leaving academia? (1) Yes—I am leaving after three years on the market. Acadmia is a great career if you are one of the annointed few, but in my experience after finishing phd it's pretty terrible if you're not going to 'make it' x4 (2) The NIH began soliciting feedback from postdocs on their quality of life last year, for this reason. It's a hard job for not much pay, and without a shred of a guarantee that it will pay off in any way. https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2023/02/14/share-your-thoughts-on-how-to-re-envision-nih-supported-postdoctoral-training/ 3) why even do a postdoc after me doing it. 4) Seriously, being a postdoc is absolutely terrible. Job insecurity + large work load + ridiculously low pay. I'm glad people are finding alternative carreer options because it gives me hope that the system might change eventually. (5) Academia is so divorced from the broader economy that I'm not sure any 'labor withholding' will matter. If the jobs get filled by less qualified people and we learn fewer things about ecology, it literally won't matter at all to anybody. (6) i think the disruption of covid meant a lot of people had the time to take a step back from their "normal" routines and rethink their goals, and among other things that was one wakeup call for current PhD trainees about whether they wanted to stay on an academic path given issues in academia with work-life boundaries (or lack of them), an often bleak job market, stressful funding climates, etc...so yeah I think that's one factor why there are fewer people interested in the postdoc route now. 7) at the risk of disturbing the dei trolls, I've noticed far fewer men applying for postdoc positions. they used to make up a large percentage of postdoc applications, but not any more 8) Even if the positions are "filled", these people will have to leave after some time. After that, nobody will ensure them a future inside academia. The science community has been relying so heavily on temporary workers (i.e., PhD students & postdocs) to function at all; how can this be expected to be sustainable in the first place? 9) I think the uprooting of ones' life for a temporary position with an often crummy pay and a poor future job outlook is just not what people want anymore. Many people at the postdoc stage are rather settled down these days and want some stability in their lives. If more PI's were able to offer remote work for postdocs I think they would have an easier time filing these positions. When you think about it, it's just ridiculous to expect people to move for a temporary position of 1 or 2 years - the admin and stress alone from relocating will eat away precious time from productivity of those years. 10) Yeah, moving, getting set up with a new doctor/dentist/veterinarian for your pets, getting a new drivers' license if you're in a new state... it adds up to a lot of work. 11) @10...not to metion if you are moving to another country... + many postdocs still have a 2 body problem. 12) To add to @10, and cost. And not just direct moving expenses, but things like changing your car registration and driver's license to a new state can cost several hundred dollars, etc. 13) but these things have been true for a long time, and yet the decline in post doc applications is recent 14) just check the demographic trends in post doc applications and you'll have your answer, it's not hard 15) pretty clear that the SM trending topics regarding fair pay and expectations are dovetailing with the rough data and arguments regarding hiring patterns to have a real-world effect on career choices. As has been warned for years, consequences of the latter are beginning to manifest. 16) there's been several studies in the past 5 years or so showing a majority (>>50%) of postdocs are pretty miserable. Many/perhaps most graduating PhDs (and even masters) can earn 25-100+% more in the private sector, with the same benefits of a postdoc, and without the costs and risks associated with a temp position. That anyone is surprised that there's a shortage of applicants for these jobs is um.. surprising. x2 17) @13, yes, not new, but I think people are becoming less likely to give in to that time/cost for 2-3 years. I did one postdoc, but I'm not moving long-distance again for another short-term position, even though my current job isn't great (but I have also done a lot of moving). 15) Postdocing was MAYBE bearable 10-20 years ago when academic jobs were more plentiful. Now? Pfft, you dont even have that. So many PIs say oh being a postdoc was the best... well, yeah its fine if you have a good chance of an academic job after a 2 year stint. These days postdocs dont even have that 16) So long as I can do it remotely, post docs are a sweet spot - sooooo much better than MS or PhD positions! Lost of output. Researchers are excited to work with you because they know you're competent and able to see projects through completion. The pay isn't bad (60K is more than many regional private institutions pay new professors). Your schedule is up to you, so long as you produce (but yes, of course the hours are long). That being said, many advisors are unable to get with the times and allow remote work. These advisors will miss the most talented prospective post docs - as they should. 17) The short timeline and uncertainty is still a problem though. If I could do a research only and mostly remote (or in spot I want to live) postdoc forever with pay in the 60-70k range (and going up with cost of living) I would gladly take that over many prof jobs. Most funding is only ~2 years though and even if you can string them together it means switching projects a lot. 18) as others have said--its the uncertainty and short tenure that are the biggest deal. The only "upside" to postdoccing is better odds at TT positions, and/or decent pay. Well, with wages for postdocs stagnating hard, and the TT market much more competitive than ever...why put off leaving academia for more pay and better security? Moving for a 2 year position in <insert small college town> where you know no people only to likely end up without a job and needing to move again. At least you make 60k now? pfft 19) It also really does seem like postdoc pay has stagnated more than grad/prof pay at many places. Especially where grad pay has had big bumps up postdoc pay has often barely shifted. 20) Things that would motivate/help people to take postdocs IMO (and seconding others)- remote work, better salaries, covering moving costs, longer funding periods, some evidence/promise that we will be mentored by someone who cares about our career. Bigger issues at play: bad TT job market (what are we working toward if there are no permanent jobs), not feasible to move and have low job security/ low pay (particularly with a family), general academic culture means many of us will be taken advantage of, mistreated, not mentored. And just to add a few of hte smaller things - it's hard socially and emotionally. For someone with advanced training, it often doesn't feel like one is getting respect or compensation that should be proportional. It's very isolating for many - not part of a cohort, faculty do NOT want to socialize with you, grad students are too young/ in such a different career place... plus moving so you don't know anyone. universities treat us like non-entities. Honestly, it's a mixed bag at best. x2 21) yep to all of this. Basically, the more I explain postdoc things to non-academic friends, they ask my why my job is a scam. Most people are shocked by my salary once they loosely know I have a PhD and am a scientist. 22) @16 Pay isn't bad, it is terrible! I'm sorry but saying that 60k is more than other jobs is not an argument for it being good. Regional private schools paying new professors <60k is outragous. Waiters and house cleaners make more than that. Maybe if you live in a small town or have income from a partner to support you, that is not bad, but if you are single and live in expensive cities (NYC, Boston, Seattle, Miami, most of California, etc) that is not nearly enough to pay your bills. 23) to reiterate: the pay has always been bad. that's just part of the deal of being able to research what you want when you want. pay is not the reason you can't fill post doc positions any more. check the demographic data and note which group is applying in much smaller numbers than before. then ask yourself why. 16 Again) 23 has it right - this is a career you take so you have academic freedom and can ask exciting questions. And, if you're a half decent academic, so you can help the next generaion do better than our own and support the most vulnerable among them, however needed. The pay is not commensurate with effort, experience, or emotional fatigue. It hasn't been in at least half a century. If you went into academia wanting to make enough to live in the big cities you listed, ecology was the wrong field. Business or engineering should have been your targets. I agree it shouldn't be that way, but lecturing your peers because you didn't realize the state of the field until you'd completed the degrees? That's not on me. I'll continue on because I can only change the system if I'm on the inside. But saying 60K isn't much, where I'm from, would make all of us seem like ivory tower arses because surprisingly few make that kind of money in that town of 200K. 24) I'm getting these vibes: "Please sir, I want some more." "For more! Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten his supper allotted by the dietary?" 25) RE: salary, whether postdoc or grad student: Sure more would be nice, but the only way I see that happening is to be a lot more "selective" and have fewer positions & hard streaming, as in most of the EU. Which means that most of the people on this board, myself included, would never have been accepted to grad school and perhaps not even to a BSc program. And $60K to screw around on our laptops whenever we feel like it makes the job a heck of a lot easier than pretty much anything else. X3 26) I honestly disagree with so much here. @25 do you have any idea how many middle management jobs at like advertising firms or other big businesses sit and screw around on their computer for most of the day?? The going rate is at least 2x postdoc salary, and most of these people graduated middle of their class in business school. The general sentiment here that academia is doing what you really love so its fine we get paid less is insanely toxic. Its WHY they can afford to pay us less--because we are too motivated to do this work to turn it down. Thats a BAD thing--if you are a basic research scientist in any field you do more service to society than the lion's share of business jobs who are just a cog in a profit machine for something that doesn't improve anything or gain any new knowledge. Also RE: "its always been like this". No it hasn't? Maybe thats true of the last 30 years or so, but historically speaking advanced scientific degrees were paid quite well and easily fit into upper-middle class. The argument about selectivity and higher pay is a reasonable one, and it might mean fewer jobs, but its still worthwhile--and ideally at some point in the future science is prioritized further and there would be more jobs at that higher pay. x3 25) @ 26 the big difference is working on what you want to work on. Go ahead and try making the same (or even more) money to do a job like you describe - if you want the 9-5 and don't give a shit what you're working on, it's great. If you want to use your skillset and actually be engaged, it is decidedly not great. Especially having to do only what you're told and defer to management with far less knowledge. I'm currently making over 100K on a non-research gov job and am writing papers in the evenings and have amped up my academic apps because there's zero personal/professional satisfaction with the day job. Should we be paid more in academia? Sure - but then there will be fewer spots for postdocs and PIs as universities will just use more contract instructors/adjuncts. Most of this issue is just US-based whining in any case - most of the world has proportionately better academic pay, with the notable exception of the UK. 25) @25 sure, but none of the reasons you gave are reasons not to advocate for higher pay or be upset that pay is low. "other jobs suck but pay more" is not a good rationale for academic jobs being paid proportionally less. And if the crux of this argument is "increased pay for academics means fewer academics" thats honestly still a better outcome than 3 decades and counting of wage stagnation for academics. Thats how you get brain drain and industry rot, and its already happening. An aside--but I actually don't buy the argument that raising pay for academics woul dmean hiring fewer. Maybe in the near term, but not long term. Universities can and should cough up endowment hoarding to pay their most valued assets: the highly skilled people they use to generate revenue. 27) Juices and drinks are up 29 %. Baby formula + food is up 10.7 %. Motor vehicle insurance is up 20.6 %. Repair of household items are up 18.2 %. Admission to events are up 13.5 %. Tax return prep is up 11.2 %. Vet fees are up 9.6 %. Outpatient medical services are up 8.3 %. OTC drugs are up 9.2 %. Motor vehicle repairs are up 7.9 %. Sewing machies/fabirc/supplies are up 7.1 %. Garbage & recycling collection are up 6.4 %. Rent is up 6.1 %. Laundry detergent is up 5.4 %. Sugar is up 7.2 %. You know what is not up? Postdoc salaries. [x2 PRAY!!!!] (28) Those business jobs generate sustained revenue. What we do is hard to price, excluding awarded grants. So comparison between them is nearly impossible and not worth the mental gymnastics. But, I genuinely don't think any of us should be making so much money that we become part of the social elite (so, I won't be advocating for any of us making $120k, as referenced above). Our job involves staying in touch with the everyday person. Hard to do that making bookoo dough. That said, current salaries are too low. There is a middle ground, and universities should find it. p.s. Cali, NY and a few other places are excluded from these $$$ numbers - they are unrealistically expensive and should pay accordingly. 29) And so academia can remain a hobby of the elite. It's quite fine to "not care about salary" if you have a little trust fundy cushion, family to gift your first down payment, parents who don't need help with retirement because never worked in a factory that shit the brick on pensions. If not, a higher salary is too tempting for graduates at all levels. I agree that academia should not be a route to building wealth, but accepting a low salary because "we do it for love of our work" is really hard to justify for many very talented people. x3. 30) I reject 100% of everything @28 said. The arguments above are about what professors *should* be making. Professors generate educational value in training highly talented people that are irreplaceable in many ways. They generate research and science and technology that cannot come from elsewhere--also invaluable in many ways. Joe schmoe middle manager at a big 4 firm doesn't do shit and is 100% replaceable. Yes, in the current economic system that person "generates revenue" while professors generate way less, but lets not kid ourselves about who is actually more valuable to society. One is one of the hardest to train and replace positions in society, the other is a profit leech. I can agree that maybe Professors shouldn't be "elite" earners, but they need to be payed SUBSTANTIALLY more to make it more than just a hobby for family-wealthy folks as @29 said. And current pay for all but the most established is barely above the median pay in the US...for the best trained scientists we have and who educate millions each year. Thats wrong. We can argue the best ways to extract more resources for academics, but anyone who says we aren't deserving can honestly gtfo. 31) I lived to see people advocating for not getting raises and better salary. Academics are seriously doomed! x2 | |
190 | 2/15/24 12:55 | AI used in peer reviewed journals--the future is here! Tremble or rejoice! | 2/20/24 0:09 | OP) https://www.reddit.com/r/labrats/comments/1arhyee/published_2_days_ago_in_frontiers/ 2) rat -> 🐀 3) If AI will get my reviewer response written without curse words my career will be easier from now on. 4) It's Frontiers. Even if a reviewer brought up concerns everyone would ignore it and publish a few days later anyway 5) Yikes, I saw this. Should I be worried that I'm considering submitting a ms to Frontiers? Any bad experiences with Frontiers I should know about besides this recent news? 6) I will never publish in frontiers again (not because of this specific paper). There are some good papers mixed in, but it is essentially a predatory publisher. x3 7) As someone who's given Frontiers (and MDPI) a shot as a reviewer multiple times, they are both garbage. Nothing like finding major flaws in manuscripts and getting an email back a few days later saying it was accepted with no regard to my reviews x2 8) @7 Same, I will never review for a Frontiers journal again. Basically made it impossible to recommend even a major revisions, and difficult to tell what changes are made and what are ignored 9) Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment is good, right? You mean all the other Frontiers journals that all are managed by the same people? 10) Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment is published by Wiley (on behalf of ESA) and fine. The bad frontiers journals are published by Frontiers Media. Definitely confusing though. | |
191 | 2/15/24 9:28 | Negotiation tab | 2/20/24 14:59 | Seems like most of the offers on the negotiations tabs are folks who got offers from R2s, PUIs, SLACs. Is there any reason why R1 folks don't share their offers, or do folks at R1 usually get their offers later in the cycle? Genuinely curious. 1) My SLAC tries to move forward with the search process quickly to get commitments from people before they get other offers - very tough to be making offers in Feb/Mar when lots of other offers are circulating. x2 2) very few universities are R1, so if represented proportionally there will be way fewer 3) Maybe R1 negotiations tend to drag on longer, but mostly I think it is random chance. As #2 said, R1 is proportionately low in the # of jobs, but I also think R1-focused job seekers are disproportionately active here (just an impression). The negotiations tab has several years of data. You could look for a temporal pattern. 4) just an anecdote, but I still have an R1 interview coming up, so the process is still ongoing. x3 OP) Thank you! | |
192 | 2/15/24 9:23 | Frivolous negotiation points | 2/26/24 7:27 | OP) I got an offer that I'm excited about and am starting the negotiation process. Is it silly/trivial to have one of the (minor) negotation points be an office with a window? I've spent enough time in windowless offices that I'm pretty desperate to have a workspace with natural light, but would a request like this come across poorly? 1) Seems like a reasonable ask, but don't be surprised if it is impossible because of limited space. Other more senior folks may also be ahead of you in line for choice offices. 2) Did you observe offices without windows when you interviewed? I would want one too and probably would not have thought about it because I assumed that's a given. 3) It's not frivolous, it can be really important for mental health and productivity. Would it make you turn down the position? If it would, absolutely make it a point of negotiation. If not, consider just asking about their process for assigning offices and lab space - once they have you, they (should) want to do everything they can to help you succeed. Some departments will have more flexibility than others. I successfully worked with my chair to get an office and student space with windows, but it worked because they had the available space. 4) Have you been offered space / been for a second visit? I would wait until then to see if it's an issue. As @2, I'd assume your office has windows unless there was reason not to. 5) like others I would usually just assume offices have windows, so maybe you could just start by asking what the office space is like and find out - if not, start asking about other options for offices 6) not asking for this is my single biggest regret of negotiations 6) Are you kidding? Faculty shank each other in the back over offices with windows. 7) Everywhere I've ever been the graduate students get stuck with all the windowless offices. x2 8) When I was a PhD student I lucked out and had an office with a window. The less fortunate grad students used to stand in the hall and peer wistfully inwards. "Back to your holes! Sunlight is not for you!" I would admonish them. 9) I see @8 is on-track for a PI position! lol 10) The wise and benevolent overlords at my university have made sure that no PhD student suffers by being confined to a windowless office by not allowing PhD students to have offices! Or even their own permanent desks! Everyone knows that hotdesking makes people feel like they belong and are valued by their university!!! Anyway, to bring this back to OP's point: I would fully commit murder for an office with a window so I think that's a very valid negotiating point. 11) I asked for that during negotiations and it ended up being crucial as another professor with similar start date got windowless 12) I have a friend who asked a window view and got it, not frivolous and possible assuming they have an office available. 13) I asked for windows for me *and my students* and got it. Yes, I know how lucky I am, and yes, I think I love my new chair. | |
193 | 2/15/24 7:29 | Signs of an impending offer | 2/16/24 21:37 | Is this a thing? Are there any "signs" before getting an offer (between campus interview and offer)? 1) I had good "signs" (being told I was a good fit, positive responses to thank you notes, etc) and ended up getting an offer. I was also the last candidate to interview. If I weren't, I wouldn't have taken it seriously. Even as it was, I think it was a close call in terms of their final choice. I think it's hard to trust the good signs but easy to see and trust the bad signs, personally 2) I've had good signs (similar to @ 1, including being told I could be "optimistic" and they would love to have me as a colleague) and then not gotten an offer. Found out later I was the second choice but the first choice took the offer. So my advice is not to take any signs seriously until you get an unambiguous phone call or email from the *search chair* (I also know of a sitution in which a candidate was told by a search committee member, not the chair, that they'd be getting an offer and then didn't, which is why I'm stressing hearing from the chair) x2 3) not sure if it was a "sign" but I received an email from the search chair a while after I had done my interview asking if I was still interested in the position, then received an offer the next week 4) I got an email from the Dean saying they wanted to schedule a call to discuss the position (within a couple days of the interview). That was a postive sign and I got an offer. x2 5) Within a couple days!? Wow nice, I heard it takes typically ~1 month after interviews are done for an offer to be made. Or was the few days later phone call just to talk more about the position? 6) I was the last interviewee (apparently) and got an offer within days of my visit. Didn't even have time to process the interview and visit when I got to call. I was actually on the bus heading home from work and let the call go to voicemail so I could call back on my own schedule. 7) @ 5 I think it varies a lot. I got a call the day after the vote, but some places need to send everything through upper admin after they make a decision, so that's probably what can take a while. 4) In my case, I'm pretty sure things moved fast because it was getting late and they didn't want a failed search 8) I got an offer after 2.5 weeks with an apology for the delay. It depends on the SC and admin (9) No 10) There are signs one faction likes you more but not signs that turn into actual offers. x2 11) Top three most reliable signs of an impending offer: an owl hoots three times as you exit the library at midnight; a ticklish feeling behind the ears as the committee discusses your CV; four paper review requests arrive on the first day of your vacation. 12) For me it was the search committee member dropping me off at the hotel after dinner and saying "I hope you decide to come here." 13) @12 people will also sometimes say stuff like this and then the job offer goes to someone else, just speaking from personal experience x2 12) @13, I'm sure you are right, and that would really suck. But in my case the offer came within 2-3 business days | |
194 | 2/14/24 4:03 | No Interview Schedule? | 2/16/24 10:17 | I have an interview coming up in two days and have not been given a schedule. I did get an email from the search chair with a location of where I should meet her on the day of the interview, and she said to let her know if I have any questions, and they told me when and how long my research talk would be. It almost seems like they are not going to be providing a schedule? But they probably will, right?? Should I ask for one? If so, should I ask today or wait until tomorrow, the day before. 1) Ask now, and indicate that you would like to know your schedule even if it might change (e.g. some one-on-one meeting slots not yet filled). In my (limited) experience, SCs are hesitant to share non-finalized schedules (for fear of confusion? making candidate feel bad if there are lots of empty slots? I don't know), but the sooner you get even partial information the more time you'll have to prep, e.g. looking up the research of faculty you'll be meeting with. 2) agree with #1 - ask for a detailed schedule asap so you can prepare as much as possible. 3) Seems like there's a lot of among-institution variation in sharing schedules - I had a visit where I got a schedule a full week in advance, but a couple others where I didn't get it until the day before. >.< Doesn't hurt to ask the SC chair. 4) I got a draft schedule for a visit the first week of March a week ago (~4 weeks in advance).. but agree it's highly variable. Having more time to prepare for one on ones is always nice though! 5) Definitely ask; it's not weird. Agree that universities vary widely w/ how communicative they are and how far in advance they give schedules, but common courtesy dictates ~1 week in advance at least; 3-5 days beforehand is ok but cutting it kind of close; <3 days is bad/a bit rude (also doesn't demonstrate much organization on their part!) 6) @5 that may be, but <3 days definitely seems to be the norm from interviews I've been on! I wish it was earlier. 7) I read "<3 days" as "heart days" instead of "less than 3 days" :b OP) I asked for the schedule, they sent it, and it includes a teaching demo that I didn't know about!! 8) Oof, that does not speak well for the committee/department's level of organization! I got my schedule maybe a week in advance, but knew from the interview notification that I had a teaching demo and what the range of topics was. Good luck! 9) Not telling you about a teaching demo until 2 days ahead of time is seriously messed up. Hopefully it is at least on an open topic and not a specific thing that you don't have any material ready for. x3 | |
195 | 2/13/24 22:53 | Ask about sabbatical during campus interview? | 2/14/24 15:34 | OP- should I be asking about sabbatical rules during campus interview? I don't think so since it seems too early to get into any of that given that sabbatical does not even happen till one gets tenure but just wondered. 1) I heard that you should not. That it sounds like you're thinking more about how much time off you'll be able to get than about the job itself haha. x2 I did ask once and didn't get the job, but I have also not gotten lots of other jobs. I've noticed that sometimes people will tell you without asking, which is nice. 2) You might slip it in to a question about support over a longer term (professional development, travel resources, sabatticals, etc.). 1) And of course you can definitely ask once you get an offer. Also, you might be able to find it buried online somewhere. 2) Keep an ear open for who in the department has been on sabbatical recently and ask them. You can bring it up during a teaching convo by askin about course preps and sabbatical rotations. 3) Better yet, ask how sabbaticals affect staffing - if a department scrambles during sabbaticals you may end up getting asked to teach something you don't want to teach 4) If there is a way to add it into resources, expectations, and professional development, I think it is a good thing to ask about. Some schools have pre and post tenure sabbaticals, some have them but you automatically go to reduced pay, there are so many different ways it is worked into the system that it makes sense to be a question. I would say it suggests you are considering the school for the long term and want to know what to look forward to as your career progresses. 5) For most schools you can find the policy with a quick google search. A lot of searches will have a meeting with the department chair that specifically goes over details like this and any other teaching releases, tenure expectations, etc. | |
196 | 2/13/24 18:13 | auto-notifications for this sheet? | 2/14/24 9:04 | Is there a way to set up email notifications for updates to a given cell? 2) I was just thinking about how useful this would be! | |
197 | 2/13/24 18:06 | Postdocs - jobs or networks? | 2/16/24 17:10 | TL;DR because my post got overwritten *again*: Do postdocs function somewhat like PhDs where you can either apply to a listed position OR reach out to a potential PI and see if they can create a position for you in their lab? i.e. Is it worth building connections and networks during my PhD with PIs and labs I'm interested in, or is it all just a lottery of waiting to see what positions are listed when I'm ready to apply and applying for those? 2) Networking can definitely matter but it's a crapshoot because no matter how much a PI likes you they may just not have the money and you can't bring people in on TA support like you might be able to do with a PhD student. You can probably make a pretty good guess about PIs that are likely to have more flexibility in hiring postdocs based on their funding record and resources of the department/institution. 3) It is definitely worth building a network during your PhD - the listed positions that are publicly advertised are typically grant-funded positions. If you make connections with a PI you'd like to postdoc with, there may well be an opportunity to develop a grant proposal that includes a postdoc position specifically ear-marked for you. Another option is that the PI would support you in applying for your own fellowship that would fund your postdoc in their lab. 4) pursue both. you'll likely need to try multiple avenues to find the right position.5) Definitely network- you never know when the postdoc whose research you admire will become a new PI themselves with start-up funds to hire you. Also great if your social network starts sending you postings for positions of interest because they know you're on the market- I found postdoctoral positions to be highly variable in how they were advertized and its great if you have people who think of you when they see a cool job. 5) what the heck, people! the most important piece of advice is, do everything you can to obtain your own postdoc funding. Many PD positions are very constrained because if the PI has moey, it's to get a specific thing done. And that thing is very unlikely to be exactly the thing you want to do. 6) As 5) said, there's a lot of constraint, yet you're expected to show how "independent" you are and present a "coherent" research program that is *yours* to be competitive for a faculty job. It's ideal to have your own funding, but only if you're eligible (e.g., you aren't an 'alien'). 7) I sort of semi agree with 5 and 6. Having your own funding is great, but from my experience it can be somewhat limiting as postdoc grants are smaller that big ones awarded to PIs. IMO the ideal PD would be working with a bigwig on a high-powered well-funded project that's aligned with your interests and more-or-less guaranteed to result in flashy pubs. 8) Also, OP might be asking this question fairly early. They should definitely be taking the opportunity to identify PIs that they can write an NSF/NIH grant with, which would be the best of both world (bigger/longer funding, they have a say in what it's about). 5) both my postdoc positions were only gained due to "who I knew" fi that helps. I'm pro "network" even if you don't have a specific motive in mind. x2 | |
198 | 2/13/24 14:36 | Does the title of my job talk matter? | 2/17/24 11:04 | I'm stressing out trying to come up with a succinct, informative title...how much does it actually matter? They asked for an abstract too, so I assume people will skim that to get a sense of whether they're interested? (1) Most abstracts are too long. Titles are also often too long or confusing. Just try to go for the easiest to understand version. Doesn't matter nearly as much as whether people like your actual talk, in person. 2) This is the kind of thing (rephrasing existing writing) that LLMs such as ChatGPT are great for, I'd give it a go if you're stuck! x2 3) lol, literally just took me 8 hours to settle on a talk a few weeks ago so I feel this angst. Yes, it matters – but it won't make or break you. Best advice I've been given is to capture your research and visions for a research program in the title (aka be broader than a paper title). My personal preference is to avoid colons because they're an overused crutch. Oh, and I tried chatGPT and it kinda sucks for this – poll your friends and get input on ideas. Ask your best title-makers for their snappy ideas...some people are just gifted at it. | |
199 | 2/13/24 13:08 | What is the deal with tenure in Georgia? Does it exist or not? | 2/14/24 10:05 | Not sure about tenure, but many places don't give sabbaticals 2) Yes normal tenure still exists. No changes to that process as far as I know, but there were changes to post tenure review processes. The state Univ system has weakened tenure, so it would be easier to fire tenured profs.Obviously how this plays out would seem to depend on individual circumstances in a given department - admin would need to be trying to get rid of someone for it to make a difference it seems. For TT and tenured profs I know (I am in GA) it has not made any difference materially in their lives. Certainly a danger to academic freedom but may not make a difference to individuals. (3) @2 - are you subjected to yearly post-tenure reviews? I read that the state law instated this (2 again) to #3 I'm a postdoc so I am not 100% on the details but yes I think that sounds right. A tenured prof was telling me that the new timescale of evaluation is not really fair (at least in R1 context) because getting a grant can take multiple years, you can't expect to get one every year. So, I think they were saying this could be used against you if you had an admin supervisor who had it in for you. I'm sure y'all can find more details by searching but I just wanted to comment with what I know (yes, tenure definitely still exists, but has been weakened). | |
200 | 2/12/24 10:17 | Sample syllabi for on-campus interviews | 2/16/24 15:32 | I’m interviewing for teaching positions and have been encouraged (by others, not by the SC or anyone directly involved with any one search) to bring sample course syllabi to distribute (syllabi for the course(s) you would teach at that job. My questions are 1) is this something that really boosts an applicant’s profile, and 2) are there any tips (do’s and dont’s, etc.) for prepping these? 1) The answer to the first question is yes. The syllabus should reflect your understanding of best practices in undergrad teaching and should be transparent with respect to course policies and expectations. I have reviewed some outstnading syllabi and some that were clearly slapped together by someone who had not put much effort into course prep. A syllabus does not need to be 'flashy' with lots of graphics or mems or whatever (opinions about these things differ) but it does need to desmonstrate that you have thought deeply about teaching. In short, if the committee is asking for these documents, they are important to them and they will review them carefully. OP) In my case they aren't asking for them - is providing them without being asked still helpful (assuming they're good)? 2) It's always a good idea to have a couple copies of documents that can help make the point that you're prepared for the kind of position you're interviewing for. For on-campus interviews I carry a folder with a couple copies of an updated CV and one-pager summaries of pending/in progress grant proposals (I'm applying for research jobs). They don't get pulled out often, but can be good to be prepared. If you're not asked for these, you might want to spend your prep time making sure whatever you're asked for is top-notch first, but I can't see it hurting to prep something like this. 3) just want to say it should not be an expectation for applicants to design a whole plan for a course they are not yet even hired to teach, on top of preparing a research talk, teaching demo, and all the ancillary research into the faculty, school, etc? This process is hard enough, we don't need to be adding extra assignments. It's ridiculous to me. x5 4) If you already have a syllabus handy from having taught a similar course, bringing it along seems like it could be helpful. But yeah designing one totally from scratch seems like overkill and not really sustainable if you're going to multiple interviews 5) I just wanted to say thank you for asking this question. I was not thinking about bringing a syllabus but totally should. 6) Be careful with bringing syllabi for a particular job. Samples of what you're thinking may be fine, but this could backfire if someone misses the mark of what some faculty member (who may teach something completely different) may have in mind for that class. People can be finicky, so be careful giving them ammunition. Also, the search committee hasn't asked OP to do this. 7) Yeah, I've also been advised that this can help distinguish you, though never actually told to do so by a search committee. I'd definitely be selective in what jobs I'd actually do it for - only ones I really want. I'd say it's probably best to do in a situation where you're proposing a new course in your discipline. If a position was to teach Intro Bio or Biostats or some other core course, I don't know if I'd bring my own syllabus for that, because like #6 said, something in it might rub someone the wrong way. 8) Here here to 3's comment above. Please don't expect candidates to do this. I once had a search that wanted me to bring my 'sample syllabi' for two specific courses that they listed and that I hadn't taught before. What a ridiculous extra burden. Maybe it's just me but I also think I would feel very weird pulling out and distributing a syllabus that wasn't requested. Definitely good to be able to talk through a few course ideas though. 9) In 10 years, if any universities are still around, candidates for a 1-year contract teaching position will be expected to include a full semester's worth of course materials at the initial application stage | |
201 | 2/10/24 7:41 | Meeting with administrators – in person interview | 2/13/24 14:38 | I have my first on campus interview and I have no idea what to expect for the meetings with administrators. Do they ask questions about funding? Salary? Research? Is it just informative or are they interviewing me? Any advice is welcomed. 2) Pretty variable in my experience. Often they want a high level summary of what you work on. Usually will talk about faculty support, tenure process, etc. Ask about why you want to be at X school especially if it is teaching oriented and you have been at bigger research schools. May ask about grant funding. 3) In my experience, they mostly talk at you. It's a good idea to have a couple of questions prepared (I googled for inspiration), but hopefully they'll give you their "vision" for the future of the university and the department. 4) The ones I've had so far have been mostly being talked at with details about the university, tenure process, etc. On my last campus visit, the dean I met with walked me through a printed-out templates of an offer letter and an annual faculty report, which was actually super insightful and helpful 5) @4 that sounds so useful - more admins should do this! 6) I wish schools would stop doing these meetings until a second visit - I have never found them useful, but it's still stressful so not a break in the schedule 7) Agree that these never seem useful at all. Wish they could just be skipped. Sometimes they put two or three of them on the schedule. 8) Not to mention if you look up those administrator salaries and then calculate that they are meeting with every job candidate (3-5 candidates per search * searches run each year * 30 minutes), the cost to the university in administrator time for those meetings is pretty incredible. 9) I think it happens rarely, but I have heard of departmental picks being vetoed by admin (seemingly based on one of these meetings). 10) @ 9 absolutely, it's admin that will be deciding whether or not candidates qualify as "diverse" when that's a hiring goal. 9 again) just clarifying that in the example I have, the person who was vetoed and the person who got the job were likely of the same demographic group. 11) Woah @ 9 do you know why they vetoed them? 12) Even more bizarre are visits with HR about a job you might not even be offered. 9 again) no specifics were provided; it was information given to me in the context of telling me to be professional and agreeable in those meetings 13) Hard to imagine what you would have to do to piss off the administrator and get vetoed! Mostly I've found those meetings very boring. At least if they talk at you for a while you don't have to come up with enough questions to fill the half hour. 14) be ready for anything. Sometimes more of a chat about the school etc, but I've been asked a full onslaught of standard but fairly intense interview questions. It felt like a bit much for someone not on the SC. Like a zoom interview but worse. 15) from my experience at one school the provost asked me about my research since it was out of their area and wanted to know how I would fit within the department/school, they also asked about my teaching style and how I would deal with AI in the classroom (lead to an interesting discussion). at another interview the first admin talked about the vision for the department and school (which were questions I asked) but the second admin I met with had really great questions to learn about my story, my interest in teaching, and how I would deal with the work/life balance of an academic position. We also talked about DEI (since that was part of their position). I usually am prepared to ask overarching questions about the direction of the school and how they are planning to deal with potential downturn in applicants in the future and plans to bring in a more diverse student population. 16) My experience has been this was a time for the applicant to ask questions that are generally decided outside the department, I asked about projected enrollemnt and any concerns there (enrollment cliff related) and how the university works with DEI, this was especially important in states where legislature is moving against DEI activities- get a feel for the school's stance if that is important to you. When it was used for the admin to question me there have mostly been questions about where I see myself and my lab up to tenure and post tenure, major goals and plans like that. | |
202 | 2/8/24 9:43 | Requesting interview details prior to zoom interview | 2/13/24 8:56 | I have a zoom interview early next week, notified and scheduled at the start of this week. The original email said they would provide more details of the interview once it was scheduled, and that interviews would include a set of questions relating to research etc but I haven’t heard anything yet. Would it be appropriate if I followed up about the details of the interview? I don’t want to be annoying as I know the SC is busy and perhaps are planning to contact me closer to the interview, but at the same time don’t want to be unprepared in case it was an oversight. My friend recently had an interview for the same university in a different department and got the questions in advance so I am wondering if this is the case here. This is my first zoom interview out of grad, so I’m new at navigating the ins and outs of the interview process. 2) I recently received a zoom interview request on a Friday for an interview the following Monday, was told that I'd receive the questions 24 hours in advance. No information received over the weekend; I followed up with the search committee chair Monday morning and received a prompt email with the questions attached and an apology that it had dropped off his radar. Seemed odd to me, given emphasis on treating all candidates equally, but I had a few hours to prepare and got the follow-up interview request. If the SC didn't specify when they'd send the information, I'd suggest following up after about 80% of the time has elapsed between when they invited you and when the interview is scheduled. In the meantime, look over at the Questions tab in this document and review your application materials (have them pulled up for the zoom!) to prepare. Best of luck! OP) Wow a few hours before! I'd be stressed haha. Thanks so much for the advice! The questions tab is really helpful - such a great resource (as is this whole sheet). 3) Yeah, a few hours before the interview is pretty standard. Enough time for you to prepare but not so much time that a person could be super-well coached to answer them. OP) @3 That makes sense! 4) Not sure I'd call that standard. I have done quite a lot of zoom interviews and I've only ever had one that sent questions 24 hours ahead of time to be 'fair to all candidates'. In most cases they either don't send questions at all or send them when the scheduling is happening. 3) Fair enough. I was just speaking from my experience. They definitely don't send the questions in advance most of the time, but when they do, it's usually been <24 hours before. 4. Ha I got the question in advance once...by interviewing for the same job the year before! Same questions, asked by mostly the same people. 5) I had two rounds of interviews for a government job, the first time I got the questions with 2 hours notice, and the next time I got 45 minutes. I'm glad I got this information instead of not getting it, but that was stressful and I had to rearrange the rest of my work day and meetings to . Hiring managers, if you're going to give people the questions ahead of time, please give them 24 hours. x3 6) My friend's zoom interview questions went to his junk folder, which he learned when the interview began. After some uncertainty, the interview went on. They did give him the chance to follow-up on one question that he didn't do well on. Got the job! | |
203 | 2/8/24 7:20 | Ask to take a personal day or two on first on-campus interview? | 2/9/24 13:54 | OP) At my own expense, of course. I don't want to request anything that would mean extra hassle for the people flying me out, but I have friends in the area and would like to explore the town and the campus. And maybe indicating that I have a strong interest and personal connections in the area could be a plus for my interview? 1) Shouldn't be an issue at most places and has happened with candidates at my university. Lots of ways to sell the idea - househunting, getting a feel for the area, or building on existing connections as you have indicated. 2) You can ask to book your fly-out date at a different date (as long as price is the same; say you have prexisting travel planned), but I wouldn't tell them you're using their time to have fun – I think that looks weird and I actually think it can come across the wrong way. 3) just say you have family in the area not friends. Even if you are lying. I think this comes off much more earnestly as an opportunity to spend time with family than "i wanna see my friends" 4) I planned an extra day when I interviewed at a place where I have family and nobody thought it was weird. IMO house hunting seems too presumptuous if you don't have an offer. I think it's fine to be vague about what you are doing - you have personal ties or other business in the area. But please don't lie as #3 suggested! To me nothing could come across worse than lying and saying you have family in the area when you don't. What if you got the job or later in negotiating and you have to keep pretending you have family there or what, pretend they died or something?? Lying is way worse than saying you want to see an old friend or just want to see the area. 5) What would you do if you have a previous collaborator at the university where you're interviewing? I had this happen, didn't take extra time, but that person came to the dinner. It was fun for us, but I didn't get the job and it was implied that it was seen as a negative (paying attention to someone who wasn't associated with the search). Would it have been better to ask for an extra day? 6) Agreed - do not lie! And @5, it would be better (IMO) to take extra time than to have a non-SC or department member along for a dinner during an interview - I can see how this could be a turn-off for the interviewers. Often, the people you are interviewing with do not need to or care to know what your post-interview plans are as travel may be booked through an admin or travel agency associated with the school. If a candidate was 100% engaged with the interview process but said they planned to take a couple days to see freiends or even take some downtime in the area post-interview, I can't see why this woudl be a problem. I interviewed overseas and the people I interviewed with suggested I should spend a couple days sightseeing after the interview. 7) @5, that smacks of potential politics against the collab at that school. I don't think it was a bad move, but to avoid outside influence on the search one could do breakfast before heading to the airport. Or extra time. TBH most faculty don't jump at the morning airport slot anyway. They might appreciate someone else handling it. 8) I have an interview coming up where I plan on spending a day or two extra, but the location is close (~4 hours driving) and I was given the option to drive myself up. That made it easy to handle the extra days without informing the search chair. 9) I have always asked to fly in or out a day or two earlier or later, and it has never been a problem, they just book the flight earlier or later. I book my own hotel room for any extra nights. and I cover all additional expenses for those days. You're considering moving somewhere for a job, I think it makes sense to check out the place. Once, someone in the department got me a complimentary ticket to a local museum after finding out I was planning to stay for the weekend (I didn't ask them, they just offered it up). Being interested in the area could be seen as a positive. | |
204 | 2/7/24 14:17 | Six references? | 2/13/24 11:13 | This job i'm applying for asks for contact information for: "at least two current or previous supervisors, two faculty members, and two other references not related to the applicant (including classified support staff)". I'm a Ph.D student and I usually list my PI, committee members or teaching supervisors. How am I supposed to have 6 different references?? 2) you can list senor lab members or postdocs in your lab that you work with OP) we are a pretty small department with no postdocs and I am the senior lab member...can I list Ph.D students in other labs? 3) Do not list students, that won't be considered a positive. This is very odd. What kind of job is this? Are those last 2 supposed to be personal references? Like attesting to your character?? 4)Yes, definitely odd! Can you go back in time? An MS or undergrad advisor? Professors you took classes with? 5) I applied to (and got an offer from!) a TT job requiring six reference letters. I used my 3 normal 'go-to' witer (all profs) and then some people I TA'ed for (a mixture of profs and lecturers). It was annoying but I think the barrier of entry was so high that it reduced the competition for the position. 6) That sounds ridiculous and most likely that someone clicked the wrong boxes in HR. Email the SC if you can. Dept Chair if SC isn't listed. 7) I think it would be ok to list faculty instructors you may have had a connection with, or your department chair or graduate program coordinator. Just let them know you are asking because you need to list 6. | |
205 | 2/7/24 11:52 | Engagement Statement | 2/13/24 12:26 | Thoughts on what goes into an engagement statement? How does it differ from a DEI statement? 1) I haven't been asked for this on an application before, are you able to say any more on what the posting is asking for from this statement? "Engagement" as in community engagement/outreach outside of STEM or "engagement" with professional societies, etc? OP) The ad is very non-specific, just says please provide research, teaching, and engagement statements with the application. I've not encountered this before either, thought I'd ask to see if anyone had. | |
206 | 2/7/24 7:49 | Social media | 2/12/24 6:39 | Where are folks announcing their jobs these days? 1) Lol, texting friends maybe? 2) we're not we're just trying to survive and thrive x3 3) I really wish people would announce because it's usually the only way to find out who got a job. x4 4) I'm using my announcement as a carrot for getting two papers submitted, so it'll be a couple of months. 5) Time for a new tab here? 6) Legitimate question - is there a reason to want to know who got what job beyond simple curiosity? I ask because I feel like I woudl rather not know in many cases x2 7) @ 6 a thorough database could do a lot to resolve speculation about hiring, BUT given the inevitable sniping over internals, nepotism, Shiny New Thing, and EDI, it's probably best for newly hired individuals to be discreet outside of their personal networks. x2 8) On this topic, when the social media link to someone's job announcement is posted to the notes on a job here, is it the person themselves posting the link or someone else posting it? 9) is it just me or are there just too many 'social medias' to try and 'keep up with the academic joneses' - with regards to posting stuff things the past few years...just like streaming services... are they losing their original appeal? 10) It's probably best to keep some socials private and some professional. It doesn't look great on the hire or the school if they're personally active on the same account b/c everyone shares a terrible take or 'likes' something embarrassing sometimes. 10) @8 in my case it was posted here by someone else 11) @8 if someone makes a public announcement of their new job, it seems solidly in the public domain 12) @ 11 it absolutely is but the rule here is no naming/IDing of individuals. I had a post deleted a while back where i repeated an absolutely idiotic and deeply embarrassing block of text a new PI had on their website, also in the public domain. 13) Learning who got a job over you can go either way. Sometimes it’s someone with at a similar stage to you and with a comparable record, so you can shrug, chalk it up to better fit, and take away that if that person was competitive for that job, then you’re also competitive for jobs like it. Other times it’s an assistant professor, or a random ABD with no discernable qualifications, or some inexplicable wunderkind with 15 Nature papers, and you feel worse about yourself and/or the job market as a whole. 14) I know it isn't helpful in any practical way, but I would always prefer to know who got the job especially if it is one that I made it to the interview stage for. 15) when sc doesn't communicate about the search even to the finalists, seeing *who* got the job is equivalent to seeing *that* the position was filled and that you're surely and truly out of the running. This is why I appreciate when people make job announcements on social media. x2 16) @ 15 agreed. The main (former) tracker of hirings always got criticized for having an incomplete dataset but most job ads are vanished from university websites (if they were posted there to begin with) and I've never seen a university announce a hire. Was it filled? Failed? Did they ask for a bird person but hired a mammalogist? Who knows? (3 again) I do find it useful to know becuase I get a sense for what would make me competitive for that type of job. How much more do I need to do to get there, it's actually helpful to know. 17) @ 12 dying to know what that was about. AP) @12 sharing someone's good news is very different than using their words to trash them. The former is fine, the latter isn't conducive to a community-oriented resource like this site. x2 18) Knowing who got the job helps me to see what would make me more competitive for that type of job. I get to see how much that person has done and get a sense for how I might get there. Also sometimes the only way you find out a job has been filled (due to terrible ettiquette on the part of SC chairs). | |
207 | 2/6/24 10:59 | VAP interview process | 2/7/24 8:49 | OP) I've started applying for some VAP positions because I'm interested in SLAC jobs and that seems like a good way to get good experience. How does the interview process for VAPs differ from TT positions? Are there typically campus visits or only Zoom interviews? 1) Mine were entirely on Zoom: initial ~30min zoom interview followed by a full interview on Zoom in which I gave a teaching demo to the dept and had a few meetings with faculty. This was the case for two separate VAP positions I applied to, got one of them. 2) For me, most of the interviews have been in-person and seemed very similar to TT jobs I have interviewed for. In some cases though, the number of people being interviewed was fewer. In once case, I know they only invited me to interview on campus, so the interview was a bit less stressful knowing that I had less competition. Some of the jobs asked for a teaching demo, some a research talk, and some both. I'm doing a VAP now, and I have found that it is a great way to gain teaching experience (although its true that its very difficult to keep up a productive research program). 3) At my SLAC we tend to do on-campus interviews sequentially, starting with the top choice and then move down through the list as needed. Some form of remote (Zoom, Skype, phone) first-round interview is typical as well. x2 4) Can be both Zoom followed by campus interview, depending on the position 5) I've mostly seen on campus interviews although typically shorter and usually with just a teaching demo instead of a traditional research focused job talk. 5) ecoevojobs 22-23 link > general discussion > line 174 | |
208 | 2/6/24 9:30 | How to show (non-PI) grant support on CV? | 2/7/24 16:03 | OP) I feel like this is something I should know but I don't so I'll throw it out there. Say you have no role in writing a grant but you're written into it to cover some of your time. Does your affiliation with the project go on your CV somewhere? How? 1) In the grants section of your CV, I suggest including the following info: The the timeframe of the grant, granting agency, that grant name, state that you're a Project collaborator (or whatever fits for your role), the name of the PI (literally as "PI: their name; Institution" (include institution if it's different from yours), the amount you got of the award, and the total grant size. 2) But if you really had no role in writing it or collecting data that went into it I wouldn't include it. If you were already in the lab working on the project and helped planning things out and the position was written specifically for you that is a bit different. Either way, you want to label it very clearly because you don't want it to look like you are trying to claim credit for a grant that you had nothing to do with getting. 3) Yeah, if you're a collaborator on a grant and worked on concepualising the work with the PI - then you're a collaborator and I'd list it; if you are paid to work on a grant but didn't write it in any way, it could potentially go somewhere under "employment" but not under grants awarded. 4) agree with 3 this would go under employment. If you didn't write the grant it doesn't really matter what grant you're funded on. But I don't see what there is to say about it, since postdocs/soft money people are probably often funded from more than one grant. I have bullet points under each position listed in my CV explaining what I did in that position. If it were me, I would put a brief description there. 5) I agree with 3 and 4. This grant shoudl not go on your CV. I would only list grants that you are the PI of a co-PI on. As mentioned, you can should list it under your employment, but i wont not even make mention of the grant, just that you are employed in that lab. Essentially, if somone looks up the grant and does not see you name listed as a PI or co-PI, they will conseder it misreperesentation on your CV. Most postdocs, lab techs, lab managers, and many students are paied from a specific grant, but that does not mean they had any part in obtaining the grant itself . If it were the case we would all have way more gants on our CV. I would have millions of dollors on mine. 6) I mostly agree with 5, and 100% agree if someone is paid as am employee or student on a grant. But, there are some grants for which people are collaborators and have intellectual contributions but due to grant restrictions (e.g., a grant given within an institution) someone outside cannot be funded - but can be a collaborator. Also, super large NSF grants are limited to 5 PIs/co-PIs and there can be a lot of Project Colllaborators who have a subcontract and contributed to the conceptual ideas behind the grant but may not be listed as a formal PI/co-PI. I think there's some nuance about what is suitable for listing in a grant section. | |
209 | 2/3/24 23:40 | How not to feel awkward submitting receipts for reimbursement after rejection? | 2/5/24 16:59 | OP) I am heartbroken that I did not get an offer- and keep thinking of all little things I could have done better or should not have said. But this isn't a venting tab so for now how do I not feel awkward while submitting receipts for reimbursement to the department who rejected me after campus? 1) Unfortunately, I think that if you feel awkward about it now, you will probably feel awkward about it when you send the receipts. I'm sorry that you didn't get the job- they are just so hard to get!! But, you might as well just send those receipts in in the quickest and most efficient way you can so that you can stop thinking about it and get that money! x3 2) Here's how: this is a department that made you pay to come out and be rejected, and if you don't ask for the reimbursement, they're more than happy to fuck you over by not just repaying you. This is a business, and they give zero fucks about your feelings. Now, I did feel a bit awkward once about reimbursement after I declined an offer, but I knew as soon as I looked at the town that it wasn't gonna be for me. 3) Yeah, dont' feel bad about getting your money back! 4) Agree very much that the university is a business and you don't need to feel bad about business expenses! Honestly the same holds true with the actual people you're interacting with, but I see how that feels more personal--but remember, there are almost certainly people on the search committee who feel bad and awkward that they had to reject you! After all, they were excited enough about your candidacy to bring you for an interview and the hard reality is they can only offer one position. I would imagine that rather than any negative feelings about the reimbursement, they're far more likely to be eager to reimburse you for your efforts and expense in traveling to meet with them when they unfortunately weren't able to offer a job after all that. It's understandable to not feel great after a rejection, but the reimbursement is a normal business transaction and definitely nothing to feel bad about! 5) They owe you money. Get your money.x2 OP again) thank you all- these thoughts really helped nand even made me smile a little- like I am not a total failure! | |
210 | 2/3/24 12:40 | What are the dinners like during on-campus/final round interviews? | 2/6/24 9:21 | 1) Usually they just take you out to same moderately fancy place to chat. For the dinners, I try to let go of the pressure to prove myself and just have a nice time talking about science (or other things) around some good food. My one big rule for myself, based in personal experience, is not to drink - not even a glass of wine. 2) I find them pretty awkward...trying to keep a conversation going while being exhausted from travel/whirlwind of meetings 3) also find it difficlt to keep a conversation going; I follow faculty hosts' lead in terms of alcohol and have one drink if they are - hasn't been a problem 4) Following faculty lead works if they don't push you to order first.. 3 again) good point - I was recently at a dinner where fortunately one of the faculty was very gregarious and just asked me in a friendly way 'are you having alcohol?', which made it easy for me to say I'd follow their lead, but I appreciate that not everyone does this 4 again) that's really nice! I was in the awkward position where I ended up being the only one drinking at 2/3 of my dinners at a recent interview. Still I didn't think much of it. I feel like one drink is reasonable, even if you're the only one drinking. 5) My first experience was a bit awkward. People were friendly but mainly talked about internal administrative problems or specific research problems that I could not follow. I felt I should have participated more in the conversation but could not. Overall, I don't think they got to know me a lot, which I thought was the goal of the dinner. 6) That sucks. Sounds like they knew they weren't gonna hire you. 1) if you want to know why I don't drink during campus interviews, it's because at a dinner during my very first one, I had one glass of wine and started saying things like "I'm surprised you even invited me!" (normally have higher tolerance than that, but I don't think the nerves helped) 7) I always worry about dinners/meals and then end up having a good time. Faculty are generally friendly and want to get to know you as a colleague and person. I've never been pressured to drink but always follow the lead of other fac members in having beer/wine. One thing to remember: No matter how friendly the audience, you're still being interviewed – stay friendly, positive, and don't take weird bait (e.g. about negotiations – save that for after your offer). 8) Also a good way to see how faculty interact. If they don't seem happy, they're probably not. It can be a good opportunity to catch some unguarded comments that you can think about later. 9) LOL @ 1 I love it. I can see myself doing something this after like 2 drinks so I'm careful too. Did you get the offer? 10) Last one, by dinner time I was exhausted! For that reason ordered a mocktail and no one batted an eyelash. I advise snacking just prior to perk up and maybe even a coffee, because I was too relaxed after the job talk and felt that I cold have contributed more to the casual dinner conversation. Enjoy it! 1) @9 nope! while that was surely not the one thing that tipped me over, I don't think it helped the perception that I might have been a little wet around the ears (as I indeed was). 11) Hosting these dinners now for a search, and was the candidate last year (for senior positions). No one will care if you don't drink, and won't care if you have one or two drinks. Just don't get sloppy. In my experience, conversations at these dinners revolve more around what life is like at the institution, in the town / city where the institution is located, talk about mutual connections, etc. I have found them not too stressful as a candidate, but did feel basically talked out by the end. The faculty are often happy to have a free nice dinner and a chance to catch up with their colleagues. | |
211 | 2/2/24 4:48 | Negotiating things other than spousal hire for partner | 2/2/24 14:57 | Has anyone had experience negotitating non spousal hire things for their partner? At my current institution, there was one person who got hired and later on (like 2 years later) his partner interviewed for an open position here. Is that a thing that can be negotiated - opportunity to interview in open positions in the department in the next X years? (1) search below for a big discussion on how to negotiate a spousal hire. There were a lot of creative suggestions about spousal situations that may fit what you're thinking of 2) I don't know. Maybe, but why would you do this? Your spouse already has something for the next couple years they want to do? Or is finishing school? Are we talking admin or academic jobs or something else? And by "opportunity to interview" are you going to be resentful if theiy interview and then hire someone else (or do you expect that would imply preferential hiring?)? 3) Opporunity to interview seems far-fetched and counter to best practices in running a job search. Opportunity to apply? Sure, but that doesn't need to be negotiated. 4) Do you mean like having some type of affiliate status, so they can have access to library services, apply for grants, etc? 5) Yes, very common to give the jr researcher a soft money position or postdoc with the option to pursue the spousal hire program in 2 yrs. Lower risk for the school, but start off asking for the actual spousal hire and move down from there. OP) Thanks @ 5 that's the kind of situation I was thinking of. @ 2 yes already something for the next few years and differing career stage. | |
212 | 2/1/24 19:18 | Reply to rejection email? | 2/14/24 9:51 | ... am I supposed to politely reply to this rejection email? or is it okay to just not? 2) I would say only if late-stage, but not mandatory 3) if it is a personal email from SC after an interview, I would say "thanks for letting me know" and ask if they're allowed to provide feedback. Definitely not if it's some automated HR note. 3) honestly I haven't replied in the past, although if it's from an actual person you met, I think you should. I plan to summon the strength to do so in the future, just write something short and professional I can copy and paste. (4) I do after in person but not zoom (5) @3 I've heard this is a use case for chatGPT (I've never had a campus interview yet but might try that if one ends in the crushing disappointment) 6) Can be a good opportunity to say you're disappointed but that you would still be interested if the lansdcape changes (which can happen, even if rarely). But agree that this is best done after an in-person interview - no need if it is an earlier stage. 7) I had an interview (on campus) where afterwards I sent my thank-yous, including to the Search Chair. I didn't hear anything back from them at all...until five or so months later. They basically said: You probably guessed that we offered the job to someone else. The search is closed. Nothing about it being nice to meet me or anything. I didn't bother replying. 8) @7 I know that feels so hurtful to receive a message like that when you put so much of yourself into interviewing. I just tell myself that the SC/school is usually not allowed to engage until the candidate has finished negotiating and even then their correspondence can be regulated in a way to avoid conflict from the rejected candidates. | |
213 | 2/1/24 17:22 | Accidentally submitted application materials beyond page limit. | 2/4/24 10:08 | In trying to organize multiple application I accidently sent a 2-page teaching and 2-page DIE statement for a Job that asked for 1 page each. the deadline is past. did this screw up my chances or will my application still be considered? Everything else was in accordance with the guidelines. 1) I think the 'DIE' statement is a bigger deal-breaker (sorry, couldn't resist the joke). 2) Some people may be annoyed, but if you have a competitive application, this will not be a deal-breaker. x3 3) Suggest asking admin person (if known) if you can update your documents. Most SCs are careful to evaluate applicants in a consistent manner, and double the length of documents very likely will be viewed as unfair to others if SC members evaluate you based on those extra pages | |
214 | 2/1/24 13:51 | Start up moving as assistant professor | 2/2/24 9:27 | any other profs here? how does start up $$ compare from original pd offer to a move (assuming similar level R1s, moving after 4 years) 2) I am not moving but can compare my start-up with the new faculty that just joined, and $$ actually decraesed! (3) Yes my startup was about 2/3 that of hires from 4–5 years ago in my dept. 4) recently interviewed for an open rank job at an R1 that was offering the same startup I recieved pre-pandemic at an R2. 5) Totally variable by institution. It sounds like startups have been affected at some places post-covid, surely as part of financial restructuring. Start-ups at my uni have gone up a lot since i was hired, but even this depends on what you ask for. I know of poeple making lateral moves who have cashed in with large start-up packages. 6) From the university's point of view, there are two essential and one optional reason for startup: a) to equip your lab, b) to hire personnel before you get your first grant, c) to entice you to accept the job. As a moving asst prof, you'll still need a) but if you already have grants, b) is less important. c) is going to depend on your leverage and the institution's resources more than a) and b), where your interests and the university's are more aligned. Anyhow, if you have grants already, it might be reasonable to expect less funding for personnel without special justification. | |
215 | 2/1/24 11:14 | Presentation at an Interview | 2/2/24 6:55 | I have just been invited for an interview. In the email they said I should have a short presentation to the panel on “Good leadership requires …” using slides is not allowed. Any suggestion? 2) Never heard of anything like this. Is this an academic position? Industry? Government? 3) Way more common for post-tenure. Look up the business leadership blogs. Memorize a few talking points. Try not to panic over it unless it's explicitly a director position. No one really gets leadership until they are thrown into it. Do not under any circumstances say you want to be in charge. Say you want to build a greater network together than any single person can achieve on their own. 4) If I had to do this I would go to Chat GPT to get a basic script/structure and then modify to be within my personal limits for bullshitting | |
216 | 2/1/24 8:40 | Interview with EEB vs. general biology | 2/1/24 11:14 | I have only had interviews in Ecology/Evolution departments, but I have my first zoom interview in a general biology department (everyone is cell/genetics/cancer..., but no evolution labs) any insight as to how this might be different and what to expect? (1) I would say orient everything to a more general audience that may not know much about E&E and avoid jargon. 2) Agree with (1), also think about what their research prioities/interests are, try to make your work appealing as a potential colleague/collaborator to people who don't care about ecoevo questions. (3) You should try to find out if SC decides or if whole dept votes. I used to work as a PDF at UVirgina where whole dept voted on all candidates, so being accessible to all was *key*. Now where I work at a large private midwest school, only the SC votes and so it's less important.I | |
217 | 2/1/24 7:45 | Should I be doing thank you emails after a zoom interview? | 2/2/24 6:57 | Should I be looking up the emails of all the SC members and sending a thank you to them after a zoom? honestly I have never done this for the first round interview. Does that make me look bad? Should I at least email the committee chair? 1) I do, but I'm not sure it's common and it might be overkill; I figure: people took time out of their day to talk to me, so I might as well thank (overthanking is far less bad than underthanking imho). (2) I hope we can all agree to not make this part of the culture...x3 OP) for on campus I do it because you meet people and that feels different and seems like etiquette demands it etc, but for a zoom... like, thanks for taking 30 minutes to literally just do the most basic part of your job. I don't know maybe I've developed an attitude problem lol. #1 is probably right sigh...... 3) this is a common topic not just in academic spaces but all interview/job spaces. Most people say that the after-interview emails don't matter at all. But the reality is that if ONE SC member DOES care even the slightest, its worth the 10 minutes it takes for you to craft and send that thank you email. It seems silly and in 99% of cases won't matter, but when you are in the top 8 candidates of 150, and you REALLY want to be top 3 and then top 1, you do everything to cover your bases. OP) OK emails it is then! It's always nice to make a connection in case you might come across folks again or want to collaborate. 4) It shouldn't affect you either way, but no one has ever liked someone less for recieving a thank you email. To 3's comment--having now served on a search committee, there is a huge amount of work before even getting to the zoom interviews. Reading 100+ applications and having multiple meetings to rank candidates for first round invites is no joke. x2 OP) I sent emails and I was glad I did, it prompted nice connections and useful info. To #4's point - I do not think we should be thanking SC members for all the work they are doing as SC members, reading tons of applications, etc. That's their job, and IMO it's not in my purview as an applicant to thank them for doing the work of being on an SC, which is why I hesitated to think thank yous were necessary for zoom. I do think it's appropriate to express gratitude for any helpfulness or kindness they have shown to me personally - making me feel comfortable, giving helpful answers to my questions, etc. That felt genuine and appropriate, so that's what I'll do going forward. | |
218 | 1/30/24 22:36 | asking SC for feedback? | 2/6/24 18:23 | Well, we've hit rejection season. Is there any point in asking a SC for feedback about why you weren't selected (as someone who interviewed)? 2) There's another discussion of this somewhere in the speradsheet. Go ahead and ask, but don't expect a reply. 3) adding onto @2 it is usually not that helpful to talk with SC about why you didn't get job. They really only can tell you within the boundaries of HR rules. In other words you'll hear "You were great but not fit for this search" any variant of that. But don't stop from asking though 4) Asking can be helpful if they are able to give feedback- it could be as simple as they hired someone who had more experience, or they could really give feedback that your research didn't fit their support capabilities or something else that could impact how you present your teaching or research in a future interview. Like 2 said most won't give any information, but if they do it can be helpful, either emotionally (nothing to change) or tangibly in something you can adjust! 5) Agree that it never hurts to ask. When I've asked I've either been ignored, or been given feedback that was somewhat helpful/reassuring (the position went to someone with more experience in some specific way for example, but that I'd still be a great fit in a future opening they expected down the road) 6) the only time I've ever heard anything - and I don't bother asking - was when I secretly had a friend on the SC and they told me I'd have got the job if I pretended to be trans or something during the interview because they needed a diversity hire. So, not exactly useful, and nothing that would be HR-approved. 7) the trolls are out early today, 3 items twisted to the "DEI bad" narravite and it's only 9am on the East coast. x2 8) A couple times, I've had conversations with the SC chair about reasons why I didn't get offered a position. They were both very kind, and one time it ended up that in hindsight I could have pitched a different area of my research to engage with students more strongly (it was a multi-year visiting position and I talked about long-term research as opposed to work that could be done faster. They weren't sure how that would work out). The other time, the SC really liked me, and there wasn't anything that I could control, it was a small bit of experience that I didn't have, and someone else did. And being someone now on a SC, there are a lot of great people out there and times when it really could go any way. I'm not sure what feedback would come from that. Good luck!! 8) I was offered feedback last year and although I really appreciated it as it gave me closer it wasn;t super helpful tbh because there was nothing I could do about it. Essentially they told me they wanted to see more results and more data and more of a "finished story" of ongoing research, and I just happened to have none of that; they ended up hiring someone at the associate level so I think they just wanted someone more experienced than me and there was nothing I could do about it. 6) @ 7 I know reading comprehension can be hard but I didn't say "DEI bad" and telling something that happened isn't trolling. There was a specific admin goal to get a visible diversity hire. As it happened, the ultimate short list was not suitably "diverse" and the position ended up being cancelled for that reason exclusively. This sort of thing does sometimes occur behind the scenes. x2 (9) I have had many of these happen to me as well; I didn't get it for identity reasons [white male]; I didn't get it because I'm too junior and should have more results; I didn't get it because I work on microbes, etc. 10) really you didn't get the job cause you're a white male? give me a break. sorry look around there's no shortage of white males getting jobs. (9 again) I don't know what to tell you except for that this is true. They said, on the phone, we offered it first to candidate X because they are [ethnicity]. 10) ok @ 9 I shouldn't assume you meant anything anti-dei. It's remarkable they would actually tell you that. Important to recognize that if an excluded minority (or other disadvantaged person) is equally qualified, they have had to work harder and over come more to get there. For that reason, I would also count them as a better candidate compared with someone with more priviledge and comparable accomplishments. (9 again) I will say no more except to say that in this case the choice was made for university optics and nothing else; the ethnicity-priveledge correlation, which I acknowledge does generally exist, had a very anomolous residual in the case of the individual offered the position. though they were and are fantastic! 11) I thought we were academics? Is nuanced discussion of hard issues impossible? Search committees DO get told by university admin to take candidates on/off lists for diversity reasons. It happened at my last institution, all 3/4 candidates were white men and the Dean sent it back and said 1 max. At my current institution there was one SC member who was so adamant about hiring more women she would not entertain male applicants. In a lot fo cases really good people get hired and they are 100% deserving, but pretending like identity politics aren't happening in most hiring discussions at universities is silly IMO. Sometimes it's not even the department's decision, sometimes it is. We need to shift academia to be more diverse, but that doesn't mean every case where a qualified white dude isn't considered is a "win" for us all. We should all want hiring processes to be as fair and identity blind as possible. x2 (10 again) Being identity blind is not being fair! I am also white and I understand how this has benefitted me. Amazed at the people on here, truly. Things go off the rails so fast. 12) I was also told by someone I knew on the SC that I was not hired because I am a white man, this happens with some regularity and it is doing DEI a disservice to ignore that it is happening. 13) @10 How can you be confident in your hypothetical scenario above comparing two candidates a qualified minority had to work harder and overcome more than another equally qualified candidate with a different background? What if the latter individual battled cancer for 5 years and emerged victorious, while the former has enjoyed pristine health? Even in such a case, perhaps the minrotiy candiate indeed still did need to work harder and overcome more, who knows? It is impossible to accurately quantify how hard one has had to work or how much one has had to overcome based on demographic characteristics, and this therefore seems a highly suspect basis for hiring decisions. Anyone who has made it to the stage of applying for faculty positions has likely had to work extremely hard and overcome a lot to get there. x2 11 again) @10 its true many white applicants have had advantages getting to this stage. Ands its a good argument for why its important for us to be trying harder to hire better and more diverse. In my comment I said we should all want identity-blind practices, and I stand by that...at least EVENTUALLY. How long does academia need a diversity focus? Until we have disporportionately MORE diverse faculty than not? Does it need to be exactly even? Its of course impossible, so i reiterate that the ultimate goal of the DEI movement SHOULD be to end in an identity-blind place. For all the reasons 13 gave and more. Women are hired more often than men in EEB now. Is that...bad? good? fair? biased? We can go around in circles on this for decades, truly. Unfortunately, the reality right now is that University administrations have a lot of optics-based goals that steamroll any genuine consideration for "best" candidate or true "fairness". The best we can ask for is committees to try and view every candidate as a PERSON and what they will bring to the department. x5 14) There is also good evidence that at least for women, it is attrition, not hiring, that is the biggest issue, and that attrition is largely attributable to toxic workplaces. We should focus on hires who are dedicated to supporting positive workplace culture. 15) search committees are laser focused on hiring the best fitting applicant first, and prioritizing diversity second, because these are worthy goals of any search. Many times the top fitting applicants are actually a tie (because as stated above, everyone is so overqualified at this point), then diversity comes to the fore and is the tie-breaker. Thems the breaks, fellas. They are never putting diversity over fit though. If you didn't get a job, it's overhwhelmingly most likely because they liked someone better, period. 16) The truest take from #15 nothing else needs to be said. 17) The key word there is "fit" 18) That is actually not the truest take in at least one major system (UC), where explicitly diversity statements are considered over research. x2 19) @18 Im cool with a major University system with a student population of >75% non-whites (https://ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/_files/uc-facts-at-a-glance.pdf) making sure that the faculty they hire are aware of that and have a plan to make those students succeed. They're hiring people to work for them, not rewarding people with CNS papers with a job. 20) @ 19 I like how, taken to the extreme, this ends up back at segregation. 19)@20 in your twisted mind it does, the comment was in response about DEI statements which white people also write, and can do solid DEI work too.15) yeah i don't understand how this person somehow thinks that "we take DEI statements into account in our hiring decisions" means "we don't hire white people anymore" | |
219 | 1/30/24 11:19 | Do search committees indicate that they've recieved your application? | 1/31/24 5:47 | 1) No...that would be pretty unusual. But usually portals you submit to send a confirmation email when apps have been submitted. 2) The only situation in which I've seen this is when there was no portal, and the application was simply emailed to the chair. x2. Thank you - I ended up hearing back, but it was the latter situation where it was emailed to the chair. | |
220 | 1/30/24 10:17 | Clarification on "Applications received by <date>, will get full consideration". | 1/31/24 15:33 | Does this mean that you can submit ON the date (e.g., 31 January 2024) by the end of the day, OR that it had to be in BEFORE 31 January (e.g., 11:59pm on 30 January 2024) so it's there by the 31st? I've spent far too much time thinking about this. Please help. 1) i had this question too, and when i asked, i was told that it's end of the day on the day in question. so like jan 31st at 11:59 pm. but when in doubt, just email the head of the search committee :) 2) Best to aim for earlier if at all possible. Our HR system lags a bit and applications that are submitted just before the deadline do not always show up in our portal until a day or two later. It is our practice to check and add any straggling apps that may have been impacted by these delays, but this may not be the case everywhere. Also, application review may start before the submission deadlines as SCs try to get a jump on the massive workload. In theory this does not affect anyone negatively, but be aware that applications ay be read before yours if you wait until the last minute. 3) I also don't know the answer to this question (and it always annoys me), but I don't want to be the annoying person bugging the SC chair with lame logistical questions about deadlines (no one wants that), so I purposefully trick myself by recording deadlines as 1-2 days in advance in my app-tracking spreadsheet, and then I'm usually good with getting stuff in before the consideration date. x3 OP) @3 - I like your strategy. I appreciate the sensible advice of @1 - but I don't want to be that person, especially today. And, I hear you @2 - I hope more places are checking what's coming in, especially if it says "for full consideration". If only I had a time machine to go back a couple weeks, I could do a couple of these things. It would be more clear if they all said, "reviews begin on <date>. Applications submitted before that date will be fully considered". Oh well. Thanks folks!! 4) I'm pretty sure it always means this is last day to submit. I once had a portal automatically lock me out once it hit midnight. I was trying to cut it too close with last minute edits. Oops. 5) On that note, watch out for time zones! I usually figured that anything sent before the morning of the consideration date would be looked at, but got bit a couple of times by portals that close at 11:59 pm University's local time zone. 6) I have a similar story to @5 - though the portal didn't lock me out. They just never considered my application because it was submitted at 12:07am their time. I was sad. | |
221 | 1/29/24 18:22 | Are campus interview 1-1 meetings more about your research or theirs? | 2/2/24 8:05 | 1) Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some faculty have a list of questions they ask, while with others, I just had some smalltalk. In any case, its good to know at least roughly what the person you talk with works on. 2) i found it to be mostly small talk + opportunity to get more info about the program, tenure, admin, research funding opps, internal resources etc. you're just being interviewed to see if you pass the "vibe" test, so it's not really a phd defense. it is good to vaguely know what everyone does in the dept because that can steer the convo more naturally and there might be some resource that person knows about pertinent to their work that perhaps you want to know more about 3) While this is mostly true, you will occasionally get someone who pulls out a page of questions and does want to grill you like a PhD defense. It can be really surprising when it is mixed in with a string of other meetings that have been much more conversational. 4) I got at least one "what will your first grant proposal here be?" during a one on one last time. Remember that people like talking about themselves - prepare at least a couple of questions that will make each person feel like you're interested in their work or their experience and advice (preferably both). 5) I think both/either/neither – totally depends on the meeting, and you can somewhat steer things. It's nice to know what systems/topics your 1:1 people work on and to jot down questions in advance. When in doubt: Ask them questions and you'll be remembered as a curious person and good listener. Avoid talking about yourself the whole time. Faculty want a colleague; everyone likes feeling important, so ask them questions about them/the dept/place, etc. 6) Just came back from a campus visit and the variation in 1-1 meetings could not have been larger. Some were them telling me facts/details about the program, university, etc; some where back-and-forth science discussions; some where very casual "what it's like to work / live here"; some had detailed follow-up questions about the job talk. Tried to go with the flow but yeah it's hard to know what to expect going into each one. 7) neither. 1 on 1s are about showing you will be a good colleague. you've already proven your research potential (that is why you are there), now mostly people want to know if they want you down the hall from them for the next 20 years | |
222 | 1/29/24 12:10 | Future research | 1/30/24 7:48 | I'm 4 years into my TT position, have a few grants and a few research projects which are ongoing and I anticipate them being the foundation of my research program. I have an interview next week and debating on what to focus in future research? I would like to keep working on what I already started, but debating on whether the search committee would like to see my research program switching to investigating more locally-relevant problems rather than keep investigating what I'm doing now. Any thoughts? 1) Have plans for at least one local-to-them project. Can you expand anything you have currently going on to use a local system? x2 2) mostly agree with @1 but I think it majorly depends on what type of place you are interviewing at. A big R1 might not care *too* much about local things as opposed to whats a big deal for getting large funding sources. Smaller places with heavy emphases on undergraduates will like local systems more. 3) I somewhat disagree with 2; I think even R1s *really* like local projects and local systems (if only for students; can't always assume students can travel easily), but I think more prestigious R1s care a bit less. That said, I think a strong future plans section w/ a local component, tailored for each university, can make candidates stand out. Ultimately, the goal of the job talk is to demonstrate you're the best for the job, so pull out all the stops to do that. x2 4) I've seen candidates at R1s get criticised for not having a local project/system. On the flip side, other candidates for the same position got lots of compliments for their local project ideas (and one of those ultimately got hired). Sample size of 2 institutions though. | |
223 | 1/29/24 5:25 | Zoom interview where you know the search committee | 1/29/24 18:19 | I have a zoom interview next week at an institution I used to work for. I know every member of the search committee. I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this situation and how they thought to handle it re: etiquiette and how you communicate with them. Should I approach it like I would any other zoom interview, or would that come off as weird vs. would it look bad if I acted my true level of familiarity with them? 2) I wouldn't awkwardly force it to be like any other interview, but keep things professional. Don't fall into casual chit-chat just because you know them. 3) Personally I would acknowledge the relationship so it's not awkward - "It's nice to see you all again, etc" but I would not be any more casual or familiar than in other interviews. I do think it's good to highlight your familiarity with the institution as a strength - you know what it's like to teach or do research there, you would be excited to return, etc. 4) agree with #3; best to acknowledge quickly (and a good chair will do just that so you don't have to!) then move on as if it's any interview x2 5) If you are fortunate enough to get an in-person interview, try to avoid anything that looks like buddy-buddy-ness with your former colleagues, it could give a bad impression to the rest of the department. (Which may or may not have much of an impact since no one has as much influence as the search committee itself, but you still want other department members on your side.) 6) I have been the Zoom interviewer of people that I know. We just did a quick acknoledgment and hello, and then got on with the interview. Wasn't a problem.I would say don't make it weird by tyring to seem like they are your best buddies or anything like that. 7) Thank you OP for posting this question. I have done the mistake of being too familiar before and definitely should have been less buddy-like though it was wierd too. x2 | |
224 | 1/27/24 14:45 | Does an informal initial offer start the accept/decline clock right away? | 2/1/24 5:44 | If you get a phone call with a verbal offer, does the SC start getting on your case right away about how much time they'll give you to decide? Or does this clock start once they give you the formal offer? And do they pressure you to skip interviews at other schools and go for the second visit instead? 1) Clock normally starts with official written offer, not verbal. 2) Is there any negotiation between verbal and written offers, or does that start after the official offer? 3) Usually they give you a timeline after they hand you the letter. Obviously you cannot decide before you know the official details of the offer and you need to discuss with family etc. Also ask for a 2nd visit if you haven't already. You can't possibly decide before then. (4) entirely depends on many things. is there a strong second candidate that some people on the SC are excited about? If so, you might have a shorter clock than if you're the only or by far the best choice. (5) @4- interesting. I had heard a story of someone being pressured to sign fast because they were so interested in this person and did not want them to be snapped up by anyone else. But this seems like the opposite of what you say. And maybe in this case, the department is being more unfair than normal. @3- what if the 2nd visit needs to wait until after you are done with other interviews? x2 5) For one school the dean sent me an official letter attached to an email and gave me one week to decide. For another school, dean called me, told me about salary and startup etc. and told me I have one week to decide. The official contract came in a couple of weeks after that. 6) @5 it can truly go either way, and its usually a multi-faceted situation. Most departments are under some pressure to hire at all costs: meaning they really can't be slow on any offer because if candidate #1 declines after 3 weeks and candidates #2 and #3 interview/get offers during that time they could get screwed over. So often times departments truly want candidate #1 but give a short-ish timeframe because they want light pressure for them to either take it or move on. (7) Wow. This sounds rough. Does "you have one week to decide" mean you also only have a week to negotiate salary, startup, etc? Or they just want you to drop all of your other future interview prospects before even beginning the negotiation? 8) In my experience the negotiation takes longer than that at R1 schools. Often times the dept head has to go back and forth with upper admin to make changes to the offer letter. Getting all this done within a week would be a serious challenge on the university side. 9) I was told I'd have a week at an R2, but they were up front about being very limited in the amount of negotiation they could do (got a whole $1k extra salary, woo!). They were willing to extend the decision period from 1 week to 3 though (with the clock ticking after I received their signed offer letter), so it may be worth politely pushing back a little in situations with a short deadline. (10) @9- Good to know. What did you say that made them extend? 11) Also wondering, when people ask for more time to negotiate, does that eventually lead to them accepting the offer? Or are they basically asking for time to see if other offers come in? (12) 11- I can't say since I'm on the candidate side of things, but it seems unreasonable to judge why someone would need 3 weeks instead of 1 week to make a lifelong career decision. (11 again) @12 no interest in passing critical judgments here, just trying to understand how others navigate an offer they might feel ambivalent about. 13) I'd also welcome advice about how people navigate getting an offer with an interview 2 weeks out (and knowing you aren't the last candidate; i.e., process will take a while on university #2 even after you leave)... 14) 9 again, @ 10 I was attempting to find local work for my partner and the dean was unable to offer a spousal hire, so the dean's solution was offering more decision time in the hopes that they could help my partner could find enough solid job leads in that time to either get an interview or convince us we'd be able to find them work eventually. The dean knew that this was my only major sticking point. @ 11, I did accept despite having another zoom interview lined up (and didn't take the additional time - it wouldn't have been enough but I decided it was enough of a good faith gesture by the dean and the place was more or less my top choice out of my outstanding apps). (15) Surprised no one has said that the candidate has leverage here. If they really aren't willing to wait for you to decide, maybe they don't really want you? (And if they do really want you, they'll give you time.) 16) When I got my offer I had just agreed to an in person interview at another institution and the offering school agreed to wait until after my interview to allow me to make a decision, which was really nice! | |
225 | 1/27/24 13:35 | Student Engagement in Research Talk? | 1/30/24 7:29 | I asked this last year and didn't really come away with a strong consensus. I am interviewing for a teaching-focused position that has asked for a research talk rather than a teaching demo. Should I include some student engagement in my talk? For example, have students work in groups to propose hypotheses, ask questions during the talk and have students answer? I did a talk like this once before and did not get the job, but I was also not a very good fit for that position. 1) I was asked to do this for one interview. I just made sure my research talk would be clear for undergraduate students in the major. I did not include any student engagement activities and just presented a normal talk. It seemed to go over well. 2) I think if you try what you suggest and it works great it can look really good, but there is also a high risk of it not going smoothly and not coming off well (I know search committees that have complained about these kind of things). You don't know how many people will be in the room, mix of faculty vs students, how willing people will be to actually engage in your activity. It is a very different dynamic from a class where you've had some sessions for people to get to know each other. Plus you will use up a lot of time. 3) This would be a great and totally reasonable question for the search committee x2 4) I asked for advice on how to help a postdoc target PUIs. The feedback was universal that they wanted to see undergrad research more than any other thing in the talk. Whether or not you can teach will hopefully come through in your seminar. 5) In my opinion if you have a separate teaching demo you can use that for active learning exercises and do a more traditional "seminar" for the research talk 6) I had an interview at a PUI that only had a research talk and no teaching demo. I ultimately didn't get the job and when I asked for feedback, one of the things mentioned was that I didn't engage students by using think-pair-shares or other active learning techniques during my "research" talk. 7) from a PUI that only uses a research talk - this is because we do research with our undergrads and in our courses. How you pitch your research, presentation style, content that shows you have ideas for how undergrads might get engaged in your work, etc. - all this will be taken as an indication of how you'll teach as well, and if there are students in the audience you'd like their feedback to be that they think you would be an engaging, interesting professor. You can ask the SC about the probable audience, but I imagine there will be people there out of your subfield, students, etc. It does not take long to pose a question and let students brainstorm with a neighbor. Ultimately you should do what's comfortable for you... but it might be a mistake to consider a research talk as completely divorced from teaching skills. OP) Yes, I was originally inclined to do a couple of small interactive things like that, but then I wondered if it would just look weird? It sounds like people have mixed opinions/experiences on it. But definitely you're right that I should make sure to emphasize undergraduate research 8) I was asked to do this by two PUIs and eventually got offers from both. Neither had teaching demos. They told me to present my research to undergrads and faculty and include things that I would do in lecture. So I did include a bunch of think/pair/share activities and asked a lot of questions during the presentation. First 20 minutes I did intro to the topic. But I also asked questions when I was talking about the results. 9) I'm at a PUI where we only have a research talk. The most important things in my view are to make sure the talk is accessible to students of all levels (freshman ot senior) but still showing your data. Trying to be interactive can be awful if the audience ends up the wrong composition. I like to hear what someone would do in a classroom (e.g., "Here I would do..."), but not actually do it. It's also very important to give specifics about how undergrads will be involved in your research. 10) I echo 9. Active learning activities can work in a seminar format but they often feel forced and (in my opinion) are counter-productive. Things like Poll Everywhere and Nearpod can be highly effective but I find think-pair-share in a seminar to be forced and very awkward. The other points 9 made (accessibility, description of undergrad-friendly projects) are spot on and can (and do) make or break a talk. | |
226 | 1/27/24 6:46 | Any career choices for doing research without teaching or applying for grants? | 3/22/24 3:45 | Just want to do research, teaching and grant applications are just exhausting. Are there permanent jobs that can fullfil my wish? 2) .../s? x2 3) Sounds like a permanent postdoc 4) Depends what you mean by research. Feels like "Independent" won't describe it without writing your own funding, outside of a boss being cool with you using some of your time and their money independently, kind of like @3 said on a permanent postdoc sort of thing. 5) Own a large amount of farmland in the English countryside that you can collect rent from via a tenant farmer system, and live in the 1800s… 4) Wait, I think a government job might do this for you. You might have a little bit less flexibility about what you research, but from the few people I've talked to who work for like USDA or the National Park Service, they are given a budget to do research, and that's what they do. Maybe some folks also have to do some things on the more management side (wildlife/ecosystem management, not people/business management) x2 5) be a research scientist for a well-funded PI. you wont be independent, but plenty of PIs are happy when their lab members have their own ideas for the lab to try out. x3 6) I would honestly be quite happy to be a research scientist for a well funded PI if there was any realistic chance of finding that kind of position or of it being permanent once started. 7) One of those international research institutes like KAUST, maybe? 8) Max Planck Director? They don't teach and the generous core funding means they don't have to write grants either :P 8) My career as lottery winner is stalled worse than my academic career but I it is my ideal for research freedom and work-life balance. 9) to echo what others are saying: research scientist positions exist and are good (without some of the independence and salary). The big negative is outside of the absolute best funded places in the world (like KAUST, Max Planck above) you will be living on soft money for your whole career and that can be stressful and/or require grant writing. I know this is maybe a sad reality, but science simply requires funding and there isnt enough of that to employ lots of people permanently on just a "topic". The government jobs are about as close as you get, but if you want to get paid more and stay permanent you also might end up writing grants. | |
227 | 1/27/24 5:27 | Are my clothes hurting me? | 2/5/24 6:45 | Hello! So, I have had pretty good success getting first interviews (about 40% of my applications this year), but I seem to have much lower chances of move from a first interview to a second interview, and so far have not gotten any permanent jobs from my second interviews (although I've been offered 3 VAPs over the past two years). I am a much better writer than I am a speaker, and I am also just a bit awkward. So, I've assumed its that and figured well, I guess it's good I can write at least because it gives me more chances to hopefully eventually get one of the interviews right. But it was also just occurring to me that I wonder whether it could have to do with my clothes? I'm a short woman, but typically wear men's clothes when I have to dress up. They are often too big for me. What I have for my interviews is the smallest size that I was able to find, and I figured it was good enough. It's what I wear to teach and nobody comments (occasionally, I get a positive comment). But the pants are a little bit too long and so are the sleeves. How much does that matter? If your clothes are a little bit too big, is that going to look very unprofessional? I'm not actually sure what I'll do if you say yes! I have an in-person interview coming up this week and I don't think I have time to get anything tailored. Although maybe I should for next time? I guess I could try to use my women's clothes from a few years ago if the length is really a bad thing. Those are from my grad school interviews! I think they fit, but they're a few years old and I do feel pretty silly wearing them (I think I might also look silly, although hard to tell haha). Any advice? Is my problem probably just that I'm not the best public speaker/conversationalist and also that my competition is good? Or do you think I could have a problem with the clothes? 2) short, socially awkward woman here who has a hard time finding clothes that fit my body, and I feel your uncertainty and reluctance for sure. My perspective is that it's not possible to know in any specific situation how one person is judging you, consciously or not, based on clothing (unless they tell you, which is unlikely in a job search!). My approach has been to try to remove barriers to my own success, even if that means spending more $ and time than I really enjoy on getting some put-together, well-fitting outfits for interviews. I don't want to miss on out on a job and wonder 'if only I'd done this one thing differently that's actually under my control, maybe then that would've tipped the scales in my favor?' 3) woman here who hates clothes shopping- I got a friend who liked this kind of thing to come with me to buy interview clothes, she was very helpful and made the whole process less stressful, and we had sushi after as a treat. I ended up just going to banana republic and getting most of it there (expensive, but worth it for not having to go to multiple shops) 4) As a man who has served on SCs, clothing choices of candidates don't matter to me, but I've never worked at a fancy school where perhaps it matters more. 5) I can't say what SCs are making choices based on, but fit is very important - having the pants hemmed and sleeves shortened would both be improvements. You can do the pants yourself with iron-on adhesive strips. Moving forward, if you're concerned about this issue, try going into a mid-range clothing store like Tristan mid-day during the week and asking for a sales associates' help. They'll be able to get you a few professional outfits put together and will often try to include some sale items if you tell them you're on a budget. In general appearances DO matter, so whether you're cross-dressing or trying to switch up your wardrobe, fit is key. 6) Agree it is under your control so you should do what you can. I'm in a TT position and bought a professional coat just for interviews, and asked my fashion-savvy friends to help me pick it out. Is it a deal-breaker? Who knows. Probably not. But might as well maximize your chances. OP) Okay, but I have an interview this week, and I really don't think I can just go out to the store and buy something that will fit, because really everything is too big. And I'm not just saying it, I do look very silly in women's clothing. Like, there are places I can get shirts from, but it's to order, not just go pick up. I have two actually that I ordered and fit, but it's a white one and a black one, and those just seem overly formal? So I've been doing blue with the slightly too long sleeves. White that fits well is better then?? I guess maybe I should have done this earlier, but up until now I was just thinking that what I had was fine and that people were more judging me based on what I was saying/how I was acting. It really only occurred to me last night that this might be the problem. Y'all, what do I do?? I hate this! I am a wildlife biologist and I feel that I should be able to wear Carhartt's and a t-shirt! That last sentence was a joke, but seriously, help??? Other short, butchy ecologists??? 7) Petite sections are going to be your friend (I'm 5'3" and honestly can't shop outside of them for formal clothing) and you might also have luck at more high-end thrift stores. It's honeslty a balance between looking as professional as possible, which almost feels out of place within a wildlife department (I'm forestry), and actually being comfortable - and there is wiggle room there. I'd focus on fit over what makes up the outfit (women's blazers don't fit well? Maybe a more formal long-sleve dress or a cardigan that's well structured). Good luck with the nearly impossible task of dressing professionally as a woman in a natural resources field - it's a puzzle I'm still figuring out! 8) FWIW, I've seen female job candidates come through my department (basically agronomy) wearing all black shirt and pants. 9) Many tailors have short turn-around times (~a day) if you decide you'd like to go that route. But it sounds like you could wear your two well-fitting but more formal shirts, and you could dress them down with nice jeans or corduroys (this is what I did for my interviews). If you have a well-fitting sweater, you could wear it over your fitted shirts as well -- good luck! OP) Thank you 7-9! I didn't realize you could get something tailored so quickly. I looked it up, and yes! there are places near me that do it in one day! Dressing down the formal shirts also seems like a good idea. Would navy blue chinos and a white shirt (black shoes, black belt) seem like it would be okay? (or is that too much what you wear when you're 12 and singing in a choir? Consider that I already look a lot like a 12-year old boy, haha) 10) Make sure clothes fit well, so abide by traditional rules (pants shouldn't be too long, shirts shouldn't be too long or too baggy, etc). Departments really range in age, and the best way to make a good impression with professional dress is to dress simply and a little sharply – they should remember you and your science, not what you wore, but while you're there, you want to look like you're taking the job seriously. I agonized over what to wear (esp this year) and am glad I tried on clothes far in advance. But in previous job seasons where I've been stressed and pressed for time, I've been able to find something fast at e.g. TJ Maxx, though that's really hit or miss. 11) I've been wearing well-tailored wide-leg black slacks with a nice (but plain) sweater and scarf. It doesn't seem to be keeping me from getting offers. (I also have a short/stocky body). I got the pants at JCPenny and took them to a local tailor who hemmed and did a bit of work at the waist. I think the cost of pants & the tailor totaled to ~$30/35. 12) Reiterating the advice on FIT - a tailor will be your go-to person here, and it sounds like you found some options for that OP. Last year I found a great pair of interview pants at the thrift store with a length that would work with heels, but I was so over wearing heels, so I found a tailor to hemmed them for me in 4 hours two days before I left for an interview. I felt like a million bucks (or at least a responsible adult one could trust with a job). The biggest thing - wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident! If your old women's clothes make you feel silly, don't wear them! Good luck!13) shout out here to SPANX pants. They are pricey, but girls, they are pull ups! So comfy. Elastic waists <3 14) sending solidarity— I'm a queer woman and I have been wondering if I should remove my facial piercing, and how to feel like myself in a way that is hopefully not threatening. Even if I intellectually know all the reassuring advice about it, the doubt creeps in. 15) Do what makes you feel most confident, because that comes across. impossible to say how people are jusdging you, but if you're concerned then that may affect your confidence. If your clothes don't fit, get your pants hemmed at least, please darling please. This can be very fast turn around at most tailors. And/or go to a store that has women's petit clothing and get some clothing that makes you look put together. You can still keep things gender neutral with a pair of plain black slacks and a couple of relaxed fit button up shirts, etc. An xs men's sweater or vest could work. Relaxed blazers are in, so you should be able to find one that doesn't look too fitted/feminine. With a blazer you can always roll the sleeves up a little if too long actually look cool. Look put together but respect your own style! My 2 cents. Good luck! 16) I love seeing all the supportive and practical suggestions on here. 17) Early career faculty member at an R1 here. I would say it is pretty unlikely that anyone is explicitly judging your clothing choices, so the details of your outfits don't really matter. But what is far more likeley is if you feel uncomfortable in your clothes and that comes across in your demeanor. So wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident, even if that is a pair of Carharts :) OP) Thanks very much for all of the advice and support! I did end up using a tailor, and so at least now if I don't get the job I will know that it wasn't because my sleeves were too long! 18) Good luck, OP! | |
228 | 1/26/24 18:22 | How much DEI/outreach plans to include in job talk for a TT job at a big R1? | 1/27/24 8:23 | Whatever it takes to be true to your emphases/goals and address your fit to the position, which could be anywhere from none to a lot. 2) That's a great answer that I just want to second. Don't force it, just be yourself out there. | |
229 | 1/26/24 17:44 | Thank you email after interview | 4/3/24 6:14 | I recently had an on-site interview. Following the interview, I promptly sent a thank-you email to the search committee members. However, it's been a week, and I have yet to receive a reply from them. Does this suggest that I am out of consideration for the position? I would appreciate any insights or experiences you may have on this. 1) It means absolutely nothing! They probably get thank you emails from most the candidates and are either instructed not to respond (HR/committees often tell faculty that the search chair is the only one who should communicate with the candidates) or are just unsure what to say lest it be misinterpreted or awkward. I don't see the harm in them replying "nice to meet you too!", but the institution would probably rather they don't respond at all. All it takes is one idiot saying something inappropriate and they have a lawsuit on their hands or a reputational mess on the Ecoevo job board! 2) Yup, means nothing...many people won't reply. But always send thank-you emails! x2 3) And even if they do reply, don't read too much into it! I've gotten very encouraging replies (eg. "would love to have you as a colleague") and ultimately didn't get the offer. 3) Just wanted to say thank you to OP for posting this question that I too had but felt too silly wondering about it. 4) Yeah, I once sent out a thank you email after a zoom interview, over half of the search committee responded warmly, and then... nothing. So don't read into it either way. 5) My understanding is that a thank you note never requires a reply, ettiquette-wise, so I've never expected to hear back. Rarely I've gotten a response like nice to meet you too, but usually nothing. x2 6) practices and preferences vary: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2024/04/03/poll-results-on-sending-thank-you-notes-after-a-campus-interview-for-a-faculty-position-plus-a-navel-gazing-postscript-on-the-influence-of-this-blog/ | |
230 | 1/26/24 13:04 | Are search committees in conservative states seeing a change this year? | 1/29/24 21:05 | I've heard anecdotes that fewer people may apply to jobs in FL, for example, where they're going after tenure, but I haven't actually seen any data. I'm curious. 1) Yeah Ive been suprised by the low amount of applications in Utah this year. 2) can anyone based in Florida weigh in on how they are thinking about the tenure situation? (Obviously there's other legislation that can affect this decision a lot too, but I'm specifically wondering about tenure.) x2 | |
231 | 1/26/24 5:25 | When in the cycle should you stop applying? | 1/26/24 10:33 | I’ve applied to a couple dozen jobs so far and am doing all right (currently have 2 campus interviews scheduled, waiting to hear back from 3 zooms, and have 1 more zoom scheduled). There are a couple more jobs on my list to apply for, but I’m not sure whether I can manage the time (these positions specifically would require a fair bit of tailoring) what with the preparation I already have to do for the two campus interviews (and the two courses I’m teaching this semester). Obviously I can’t assume one of my currently-scheduled interviews is gonna lead to an offer, but still, is it wiser to devote more time to them at the expense of other potential positions? At least for now? 2) keep going until the ink on an offer is dry x2 3) Agree with 2, but if it's a question of spending time preparing for campus interviews OR writing new apps, I'd lean toward the interviews since your chances are better there. That said, I find there's a lot of interview prep I can do on an airplane when I can't write application materials very well on a plane. | |
232 | 1/25/24 9:53 | How to Negotiate Salary | 2/1/24 9:58 | OP) I've been offered a job (Yay), but I feel the salary is low for my experience. How do folks recommend going about the negotiating? Are folks doing this over email or by phone? What makes this process successful? 1) https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/tips-for-negotiating-salary-and-startup-for-newly-hired-tenure-track-faculty/ 2) I talked with Dept Chair on the phone. Told them I was asking for a higher salary. I made suggested changes to the "rough draft" of the offer letter, including the increase in salary. Sent it back to dept chair. 3) I did it over email, pretty formally, made a request for a substantial ($10k?) salary bump and don't remember supporting that request with a lot of reasons (as opposed to start up requests that were well justified). You may be a special case but my thinking was that we're all well qualified and we all want more money so why dress it up. I think they met me halfway, hitting a ceiling on what they could do. 4) I spoke with my chair over the phone to get a better understanding of what was far too high for startup so I had an idea (PUI so I knew it would be low) but my actual negotiation was through email with the dean who had told me the initial offer over the phone and I could counter. In my email I included reasoning for the increases. For salary, definitely use the cost of living in the area in your reasoning and if you can, look at housing trends. For me I was moving to a higher cost of living area and had the numbers to back that up. I asked for a higher salary than I figured they could meet, but they came back with something close which was great, I had heard to aim for about a 10% increase in salary and for me that worked. 5) You can talk on the phone, but I would followup with a summary/further suggestions in an email so there is a real record of discussions to point to if needed. Asking for 10% more is reasonable and unoffensive, even if that is not possible. Asking for much more can easily get into the unreasonable zone for many institutions. 6) It's the OP here again. I really appreciate all this! It's a PUI and a decent offer to begin with. They came back with 2% more (a bit lower than what I'd asked for). Would I be wrong to say that I'll be happy with the 2% salary increase and ask for some one time summer funding? 7) I think that whatever amount you counter-request sends a signal that you'd be happy with whatever is right in the middle between their offer and your response. So they're coming close to your request is a good thing. Absolutely could request 1-2 summers of summer salary with justification that this will help you with research to obtain grants that later will pay your summer salary instead. One-time payments vs. locking in to compounding base salary might be very feasible. | |
233 | 1/25/24 8:33 | Baby face | 1/27/24 8:18 | OP) I have a baby face and look much younger than I am. I keep being told that I look to young to be a professor. Do you think this may actually impact my ability to get/be a PI? 2) I don't have a baby face but I fear that I definitely look young (or maybe just immature) to be a prof. We will never know and cannot control this so hopefully we will find a way to not let this bother our confidence. 3) Don't worry about it - spider guy still looks like a 12 yo and he's already retired. x2 4) Ooh... I definitely worry about this. I get mistaken for an undergrad all the time at my current institution. 5) @3 OMG, the burn...I enjoyed that immensely! 6) Don't worry, a few years as a PI and you'll age considerably from the stress. 7) @3 lolllll thats brutal. As for OP, I think the answer is to dress and carry yourself as maturely as you can. I don't think it would sereiously impact you, and youthfulness can be an advantage for teaching in some ways. some of my TCEs have positive comments due to me ACTING more youthful. The students appreciated it. 7) FWIW (not much), in recent years my department has hired two TT profs who look young enough that they get mistaken for undergrads. As well as hiring other TT profs who don't look younger than they are. 8) Same - I get mistaken for early 20s...I think dressing professionally helps...maybe work some Seinfeld references into conversation? haha 9) A friend grew a well groomed beard for the job market to look older. I'm not sure that approach works as well for me as a woman. 10) Even with professional dress I got mistaken for a student on a recent interview. Already being in a TT job this round helps. But my first round the combo of short postdoc + baby face definitely brought on imposter syndrome. But in the end I landed a job, so I feel like it's more mental (though people's actions/comments don't help). 11) How you act on an interview is far (far, far) more important than how you look. 12) You'll be fine- I think there will be some bias against you, but it can also work in your favor if people think you're some kind of child prodigy. I say this as someone who also looks v. young and it hasn't held me back (despite it being a pain still being confused for an undergrad in my late 30s). HOWEVER I would suggest dressing in a grown-up way for interview - I think those of us who look young have to think about these things a bit more. | |
234 | 1/25/24 7:51 | I got a new paper accepted after my zoom interview | 1/30/24 5:10 | OP) and while I'm waiting to be invited for an in-person interview. Should I send this news and my updated CV to the search committee chair? Or to the whole search committee? 2) Why not? Send it to the chair! x2 3) Hard to imagine one paper mattering unless it is a very high profile paper. 4) Unless it is paradigm-shifting/high-profile, no, don't send it. x6 5) the preprint should have been on your CV so acceptance definitely wouldn't make a difference 6) Probably not going to matter for the on campus invite, but make sure to talk about it in your research talk if you get to the next stage 7) @5 not everyone publishes preprints. 5) @7 if you're not publishing preprints, you're doing it wrong - especially if you're on the job market x2 8) Whether you publish preprints or not isn't likely to make any difference to whether you get interviews. 5) @8 it really does. An in review paper with a published preprint can actually go on your CV, shows that you finish projects, and are confident enough to share your work. Obviously they're not as good as accepted publications, but they're way better than "in prep" or whatever. | |
235 | 1/25/24 5:25 | How to request accomodations for on-campus interview invitation | 2/7/24 14:38 | I was invited for an on-campus interview but can't attend in person because I'm in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. Should I say exactly that? or how should I go about it? 1) Unless you really don't want to reveal that, I can't think of any other way around it. It will just come off as weird or difficult otherwise - I guess you could use some coded language like "current family situation" which could mean childcare issues or caring for a parent or soemthing like that if you are worried about it. If you reveal you are very pregnant and the department is super callous or weird about it "well, we require in-person", then you did not want to work there anyway. Sorry that you are dealing with the job market challenges on top of everything else! 2) Many HR depts require SC to agree to a virtual/zoom interview if the candidate requests it for any reason. So, I think you can ask for one and not have to specify why. Personally I would be honest with them on the reason and can't imagine that they would give you a hard time about that (echoing #1, if they do, that's not a place you want to be). OP) Thank you so much! Any honest thoughts about my chances of getting the job if others are interviewing in person? (3) They should probably switch the whole search to zoom if one candidate can't make it. I unfortunately think it will work against you being the only one on zoom. (4) You should do what you feel comfortable with, but I would recommend disclosing the reason you need to interview via Zoom (overwhelmingly, most search committee's will be sympathetic & it may even earn you some bonus points), and I would not assume that Zoom interviewing creates a disadvantage. Many candidates mess up the uncontrollables -- and there are probably less of those via Zoom than in person! Indeed, a faculty search I was chairing got switched to Zoom part way through at the start of COVID & the one candidate to interview via Zoom ended up getting the offer! Good luck!! (5) I showed up to an in person interview 6 months pregnant, which made it impossible to conceal. Everyone was really nice and accomidating without me even asking (changed my schedule so I wouldn't have to walk as much, gave me a chair for my talk). I think any reasonable committee will be accomidating and I would just tell them you're pregnant. There is also a chance you don't make the interview if baby decides to show up before due date (which is not unlikely if you're talking about the last couple weeks before your due date). So, probably best to just be transparent. Also, if they are going to descriminate against you for being pregnant then they would probably be jerks about you having kids when you start too, so f*** them. | |
236 | 1/24/24 3:44 | What would the most humane job ad/job search process look like? | 3/28/24 17:53 | I would say such an ad would a) iDon't extend meetings into the scheduled 'breaks'. Don't schedule meetings continuously from 7:30am to 9pm. Give us a schedule with some actual lead time to prepare. No weird chalk talk or teaching demo formats/requests. Include salary information and clarify the teaching load in terms of classes+labs typically taught per year (with potential examples if it varies), b) not ask for any bespoke/non-standard documents or for special framing/formatting of standard ones, c) providing links to departmental course lists, core research infrastructure, etc., to make tailoring easier, 4) either not request letters up front or clearly state how and by when letters will be requested/submitted (i.e., whether "provide contact info for 3 references" means "and we'll call them if you're shortlisted" vs. "and we'll immediately email them asking for your letter"), and 5) promptly notify applicants cut from consideration at any stage. Any other ideas for this Magical Christmas Land scenario? 6) A common app for job docs (perhaps antithetical to the entire process, but hey, I can dream). 7) transparency about the timeline for every stage of the process, to spare applicants the painful ambiguous waiting game 8) humane? x2 9) Economics has a common job app format, a comprehensive centralized jobs board run by the AEA, and most departments provide admin support to help their finishing PhD students prepare and distribute faculty job applications. People on the econ job market still find being on the market incredibly stressful. 10) I came close to majoring in economics instead of bio. It's crossed my mind more than once that life might have been easier, though sexism seems much worse in the field. (11) Important conversation; I think SCs should have more indepth conversations about what they want up front and clearly define the jobs as much as possible if the jobs indeed will be narrow. 12) And dept chairs should keep search committees in line. 13) Agree with everything here: posted salary, clear description of teaching duties, clear description of research:teaching ratio expectations. Letters at longlist stage only. Standardised application form and CV form. Ample breaks during interview, and most importantly, LET ME EAT MY BREAKFAST ALONE PLEASE. 14) 15) And on the topic of teaching demos (this might apply more to really teaching-focused positions like lecturer or curriculum coordinator, but regardless) let us pick the topic, at least within the bounds of "topic that would be taught in X course". If you make me prepare a lesson on one specific topic, that might be something that I'm never able to use again. x3 16) I'm a simple man, just send me a rejection letter as soon as I'm out of the running. | |
237 | 1/23/24 9:55 | Do you list pending grants on your CV if you are just senior/key personnel? | 1/24/24 16:49 | What about grants in-prep or near submission? 1) If submitted and waiting for results, then yes. If in prep, then no.2) I have a seperate category for "grants under consideration" and include expected notification of results date. That way it's super clear for the committee. Agree w/ #1 - "in prep" doesnt count, submitted does. 3) I never list grants unless we've been told they will be funded. And I'm not sure I've ever seen it on a colleague's CV. 4) @3 not all jobs here are R1. At some PUIs you receive credit for grants applied for (even if not funded). 5) I'm at a PUI and when reviewing candidates without an actual record of funding I would view it as a positive if someone wrote a proposal that was submitted to a federal agency, even if pending or not selected. This may not be such a positive if the number of such proposals is more than a handful though. 6) Isn't the question about being personnel on the grant rather than a PI? Don't list grants on your CV if you are not a PI or co-PI and you just worked on (or will work on) the grant. A candidate did this in our most recent search and the SC blasted him for it. 7) It is not uncommen for a postdoc who wrote most of the grant and planned and will do all the work to be listed as senior personnel. View it how you want, but a SC blasting a candidate for including a grant is dumb. Of course it should be clear what your role is and whether it is funded of just in review. | |
238 | 1/23/24 7:40 | Does number of zoom time slots = number of zoom invites? | 1/23/24 13:55 | 1) Maybe but not necessarily. 2) More likely it's a number of blocks the committee has time. 3) sometimes yes, sometimes no; my most recent zoom interview I expected a hard start/cut off time for next interview, but turns out there was no one before or after me 3) Likely reflects the opening of all committee members on that day. But generally no more than 10 candidates get zoom interviews, and often less than that. 4) Hmm. I had a few zooms this year, and the 2 places that told me how many interviewed (both R1s) were 15 and 16 candidates. Perhaps it varies by institution types? The other places I zoomed (PUIs, R2s, SLACs) didn't inform me, so I don't know for them, actually. 5) I go in assuming the number of slots is the maximum number the committee is interviewing, but it might include extra times to try to make scheduling easier so the actual number could be lower | |
239 | 1/22/24 13:53 | Pregnant and due in September...concerned about logistics | 1/23/24 10:42 | 1) So, I just found out that I am pregnant and am on the job market for jobs that start Fall 2024. Full disclosure, I already have a tenure track position but am applying to new ones at other well-paying institutions (bc my job pays poorly and literally living paycheck to paycheck). So my Sept due date would mean I would need to take maternity leave my first semester. Is this possible? I'm concerned that if I defer I could lose health benefits during a vulnerable time (say, if I am in between jobs). Can I defer and stay at my current institution for another year. Is this possible? 2) first, congratulations! Second, I think this is something to worry about only in the late stages of the job search - meaning after you're offered a position and you move on to the negotiation stage. No place is allowed to rescind an offer based on a pregnancy, so they would have to allow you to take family leave. You can also defer, it is just one year (or half a year) so in the long run it is not a big deal for a department. I have seen people defer for much lesser reasons than a baby (i.e., they have a fellowship and if they don't finish it they'd have to pay the money back). As for now, apply and interview and tell no one that you are pregnant (unless it's physically obvious by the time you interview - even so, it's illegal for them to bring it up unless you do first). It's a complicated time in life, but you'll figure it out! 3) I know of several folks that have gone on mat leave right after starting! 4) Good question. At my institution, paid maternity leave kicks in after 6 or 9 months so taking leave right when you start would not be an option. But deferral seems like a highly viable solution and you could take your leave at your current institution before moving (?). There is always unpaid FMLA leave, but that may be a non-starter. 5) Thank you everyone! I've just been so stressed about it so it is helpful to get encouraging responses. I feel like I can't talk with anyone about it because I don't want to mention it to my current employer or potential future ones due to negative consequences, even though they legally cannot do that (still doesnt mean it can't happen) 6) I started a TT job and had a baby a month later. I told them before I signed the contract, but we agreed it was still in everyone's best interest for me to start in the fall rather than defer. I did only qualify for a 6 week maternity leave, though 7) CHECK THE INSURANCE!!! Our health insurance doesn't kick in until month 2!! So make sure you don't have a gap in coverage. No one told me before I arrived at my job. 8) Not OP but I just wanted to say that I appreciate this discussion so much because it's also a potential concern of mine X2 8) I agree w/ the strategy of do/say nothing until you have an offer in hand. If you get an interview or multiple, it may come up in some way because you may want to ask for some accomodations during your interview depending on how your pregnancy goes (IMO asking for a virtual interview b/c of this is completely reasonable esp. if pregnancy is complicated and you want to be close to your hospital/care provider, or for frequent breaks to rest or use the bathroom, etc.). I was very early into my pregnancy during my campus visits and so it was not visibly obvious however I had terrible morning sickness. I was honest w/ the search chair in asking for breaks every few hours and they were happy to accommodate. It is fine to keep this completely to yourself, but I also think its fine to share this sort of stuff with an SC because it can give you an idea of how supportive the dept is/will be toward faculty with families. ETA that yes sharing this info may harm your chances of getting the job in some depts but if that is the case then I think there's a good chance you will continue to be harmed in some way after taking that job for your decision to have a kid. | |
240 | 1/21/24 7:29 | Age limit, is there any age limit for permament positions as a faculty memeber? | 1/24/24 19:57 | 45315.83128 | |
241 | 1/21/24 4:23 | references in statements | 2/6/24 7:50 | are references usually counted towards page limits for statements? I've only applied for one job this cycle that explicitly said they do not and it got me wondering about all the rest. 1) IMO it looks weird to have separate pages of refs for short faculty statements – make them 1-2 lines long in size 10 font at the end of your statements and squeeze 'em in. x5 2) I don't do refs and most people don't either, unless to your own pubs. But really matching topic and title is easy. If they wanted refs they would give us 1-2 pages for it. 3) I do something similar to 2. I reference my own work like "(Name et al. YEAR Journal)" and don't reference anyone else. I don't put the whole refs at the bottom since they're in my CV 4) I second (or I guess third) no references except yourself, and only parentheticals in the text, they can look up your CV for the full reference. OP) Thanks for your input y'all! I was using 1's strat and will probably just keep this that then. (5) I don't use references in my apps except my own work or broad descriptions of areas of work. 6) @5 if you are applying to PUIs/SLACs you should definitely be citing pedagogical literature in your teaching statement x3 7) How many people do that applying at PUIs? I am applying to only PUIs. I don't use any references in any of my statements because I did think that you're not supposed to. I do seem to get first interviews (it's the second interviews and jobs that are the problem!) Do you really think I would have more success with references? 5) @7 it's possible. If you're getting Zooms you might be in good shape, but I was told by a friend who works a PUI to cite the lit. I don't have a ton of teaching experience, so I need more evidence to back up my teaching philosphy. I don't think a few references would ever hurt your chances though 8) have gotten SLAC and PUI interviews without putting references in my teaching statement. References are absolutely NOT expected to be in these statements. If you feel they are taking up space I would remove them. It is quite enough to say "Pedagogical literature say...(XXX et al. 2020)." and leave it at that. Even that is a lot, I have left the parenthetical out and been just fine. | |
242 | 1/19/24 8:30 | PUI Start-ups | 1/30/24 7:11 | For those of you that have been recently hired or work at a PUI (teach 10+ credit hours/semester), do hiring negotiations typically include a start-up for undergraduate research (if this was included in the job description) and/or course development? 1) They should. At my current PUI they had a good offer and I really should have asked for more, however at my last SLAC which focused on undergrad research this was non-existant mainly becuase they did not have the resources for undergrads in place. Thi sis a good interview question for you is to ask about what types of resources are available to support student success and also keep in your pocket some ways to make research cheap. 2) At my PUI we mostly end up 9 hours/sem but I think the defauly on the books is for 10+, and start up is definitely an item to negotiate. There may not be a lot of range but in some cases there actually might be. Our school does have money to spend on things like UG research but most dollars are tied to one mechanism or another and that there aren't a lot of "loose" funds. So sometimes the planets align and the administration can swing money but if not then they can't. Wouldn't hurt to ask. 3) Check the Negotiations tab, many PUIs/SLACs include startup, the amount varies quite a bit presumably with amount of emphasis on UG research 4) My PUI doesn't offer start-up funds. I recevied 1 month of summer pay and that was it. 5) PUI's seem to be much more variable and often with less movement around what's offered. I was able to negotiate a slightly higher startup than offered, but still much lower than many of my peers at other unis. My college treats course funding separate from research funding so I shouldn't need to eat into my startup for course development. 6) I've been at a PUI for a few years now. It is worth getting answers to how undergrad research is funded (or research in general). My startup was small and not very negotiable, but I have come across various pots of money that can be leveraged quite a bit. I can't do anything expensive, but can do lots of inexpensive things. We also have a fair amount of support for shared resources that has helped a lot. 7) I agree with others above that this is incredibly variable among PUIs. I'm at a private PUI and I got a mid 6-figure start-up. Friends of mine at other PUIs got 5k or nothing. 8) Mid 6-figure as in 500k!! That is the largest startup I've ever heard of at a PUI. Lots of good R1s are lower than that. 7 again) yes, 8, just under that. I feel very fortunate! | |
243 | 1/19/24 8:26 | Goverment scientist jobs | 1/26/24 8:54 | I am looking for insight on the timeline for applying and interviewing for federal government scientist jobs (PhD; GS11-13). Specifically AFTER you have been "referred to the selection committee". How long until you are contacted for an interview? How are these interviews unique from academic interviews and what would help candidates feel prepared to be successful? As someone who has been training to be an academic their whole life, but might want to pivot to a different career path, I feel like a fish out of water! 2x 1) I've had 2 jobs that took a week after the referal, one that took 37 days, and two more that I can't find referral date, but 2 and 4 weeks from the job closing respectively. There's another good thread on "Federal jobs interviews?" a few lines below 3) I applied for a position like this (GS-12 USGS for a biologist/research coordinator) was referred after about 3 weeks of the post closing, and I literally heard back that I was not hired 5 months later. Federal job timelines are insanely long at times. 4) There is no knowing. I've been contacted anywhere from 1-8 months later x2 5) I still have some 'outstanding' applications that got 'certified' then 'referred' in Sept/Oct. At this point, I basically assume they're dragging their feet on the rejection notifications. 6) I was invited to interview for a GS12 research ecologist position ~2 months after my application went to the selection committee. There are a lot of bureaucratic hurdles and no set timelines. 7) In my experience, the "referred to the committee" is not a guarantee of an interview and the interview request can come an insanely long time after you recieve this notification. Also, I interviewed for a GS-12 position in December and they told me in the interview that if I wasn't the selected candidate, I just wouldn't hear back from them because the system doesn't send candidates notifications until the posting closes which can be >1 year later. 8) In the USFS "referred to committee" means that your application cleared an initial HR fcheck or basic qualitications- you could be one of >100 easily. My understanding is that once the committee receives that list, they are on a clock from HR to select top candidates, interview, and rank selections within a specific period of time. I don't know whether search committees can easily get extensions on that clock. | |
244 | 1/18/24 13:43 | Vintage faculty | 1/19/24 9:17 | I have an interview coming up. While looking over the current faculty, I noticed that they seem, to be indelicate, old. Not counting emeritus or adjuncts, the median year of receiving a PhD is 1993 (and none post-2013). I'm pretty old for an assist prof myself, but am I right in thinking that this is an old department? Should it be a red flag? 1) Worth figuring out if a bunch of people fled at once, or if the admin just didn't have funding for new hires for a while. Ask around. 2) Our department is like this just becuase they had a hiring surge years ago and we had a mass of retirements at the same time becuase of this.Deffinitly check out the vibes, I really enjoy being in a department with lots of new profs as we really get to "own" and build our department how we want to. 3) Can reallly go either way: perhaps the faculty is renewing or turning over, or perhaps the department and school are cash-strapped, you ARE the retirement/death hire, and they won't be hiring anyone else for another 10 years, Then, you'll be the old person on the website who hasn''t published since you got hired because it's a PUI or whatever and you have to teach all the time. 4) My department is mostly full professor and all of them got their PhDs probably around the late 90's early 2000s. The department itself is ok (most people are nice and they are supportive of assistant professors) but they have a very difficult time retaining incoming assistant professors because salary is not competitive (all new hires since 2013 have left) and the department can't do much in that sense as salaries are standard across the university. | |
245 | 1/18/24 11:10 | Don't forget to check your spam folder! | 1/26/24 19:21 | Last year around this time, I was forlornly checking my email when I decided, "you know what? i'll check my spam folder while I'm here." And lo and behold, I had an invitation for an on-campus interview! And that led to the job I have now! Anyway just popping back in here in case anyone else has a nice surprise in their spam folder :) 2) I had the same thing happen with a USDA postdoc fellowship notification, now I check my spam folder regularly. 3) Same! It was a zoom invite for me, but nonetheless translated into a campus interview and then offer. 4) I check my spam folder these days to a truly pathetic extent. x1 5) Also voice mail to the office phone that you never use... almost missed that one! 6) I also find myself forced to answer called from unknown numbers now. Never sure whether it's gonna be an invite to an interview or a call about my car warranty... | |
246 | 1/18/24 10:56 | Scope of job talk | 1/19/24 15:21 | How many different studies have folks found effective to cover during their job talk? Obviously, the SC and faculty can see your whole CV so I know less is probably more, but how do you highlight productivity in the talk while also only deep-diving into a couple of projects? 1) Always focus on your most important and/or best work. Let that principal guide you and don't get hung up too much on how many projects/studies to talk about (usually, people cram too much into job talks). I do one (admittedly very integrative) deep dive, and put this into the context of my broader research program. Depends on your work though, and how is best for you to balance showing breadth and depth. 2) It depends. My job talk had to include my research expertise and my future plans (with no additional chalk talk). I went through 4 projects. But it took me a long time preparing to make sure the flow was right. It worked out well in the end but it really depends how you put it together and what they are looking for from your talk. 3) great article on how to balance breadth/depth! https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007163 x2 4) i put my CV and the aforementioned PLoSCompBio article into chatGPT and trained it to structure a 45 minute academic job talk that could describe 2-3 projects within my broader research program, with suggestions for how many slides and how much time to spend on each section. Obviously it needs a personal touch after that but it was a great way to get a scaffold going so I could flesh out the details myself. Try it! 4) I base the talk on one project and explicitly ask the committee chair if they want to hear a little more about in-progress/future work. If so I have about 2 image-heavy slides on each, usually one or two projects, and add those onto the end. Has worked ok, got offers on like 1/3 to 1/2 of the final round interviews where I gave a job talk. | |
247 | 1/17/24 2:43 | Can someone briefly describe how an academic job search works in a French uni? | 1/25/24 7:19 | 1) I am an american postdoc working in a French institute. this is my impression: i work for a research institute that is part of the CNRS and loosely linked to a local university (which i believe is the case of many institutes here). as far as i am aware, universities/institutes here don't put out individual calls for professors; rather, the CNRS has a nation-wide call for applications. it is very competitive. if you make the short-list, you have an interview and you give a presentation on your proposed and past research (~20 minutes). if you succeed in getting a job, i don't really know how it works in terms of placement--because the call is nation-wide, i believe CNRS has specific locations that they plan to flesh out and you may not have a lot of choice in where you end up, but i am not sure. speaking french seems to be very important, though i know several professors who did not speak french upon hiring (though they have now become fluent). 2) American postdocing in France here. Yeah as far as I can understand you are correct - for research focused roles it is generally through the CNRS, IRD, INRAE or another, that these calls occur annually. They are very competitive, but I think you have a good amount of freedom to decide place. I know universities will have positions open up from time to time, but nothing like in the US, and they tend to be more teaching focused (so French language is important) and they are not well advertized. I have asked dozens of French researchers about the system and always get opaque answers as if they don't fully understand it themselves and make a joke about French bureaucracy. Or they don't know the US system so they can't draw comparisons. 3) French person here. Before applying to the CNRS, you need to find a lab that will "welcome/sponsor" you (i.e., agreed to give you an office, some lab space, etc.), you can't apply to CNRS as an independant researcher and then decide later where you want to go. It is extremely competitive, and the age matters. Then you have the equivalent of assitant professor (called maitre de conference) and the recruitment process is really obscure: If you didn't do your PhD in the same department or do not have very strong personal connections with people already working there, your chance to get the job is close to 0! Also the teaching load is insane for maitre de conference. 4) What is the teaching like at CNRS centers? I guess I always thought that they were more loosely linked to a university and so more research positions, but it sounds like they generally have a lot of teaching? 5) There is no teaching in CNRS. You can give some lectures every now and then but it's not mandatory. This is why the teaching load is so heavy on the assistant/ associate professors, the system is completely unbalanced! 6) Is this the same system that's used in French-speaking West Africa, does anybody know? 7) @3 - are you implying that there is a lot more of "hire-within" (essentially promotion)? If so, that is so good! 8) (3 again) I personnally do not see nepotism as a good thing... x3 9) @3/8, hiring internally is not nepotism x2 | |
248 | 1/16/24 17:56 | Federal jobs interviews? | 1/17/24 15:32 | Has anyone interviewed for federal jobs (e.g. Natural Resource Specialist)? Any suggestions? I have a virtual interview and I am a little surprised I was referred for this one. 1) My personal experience with these is that the focus is on whether or not you have transferable/technical skills and how you may fit as a team member. There's a lot more structure than in academia so it's less what you want to do and what you can do - e.g. "how would you deal with conflict or an under-performing employee". 2) Based on my experience, I imagine that the questions could be quite variable depending upon the hiring manager for the position and the expectations of the job. My interview process with the federal government felt very similar in intellectual substance to academic interviews (minus questions about teaching). There was a long list phone interview and a short list virtual research presentation to a large group of people and longer second interview. The hiring committee was made up of 4 people (3 in my group and one external member) who asked a series of pre-prepared questions round robin. The questions flowed very directly from the expectations of the position and included both general research questions (e.g. what is the biggest conservation issue facing x region and why) as well as interpersonal (e.g. how do you approach communicating science to a broad audience?). The main differences in interview process for my position were 1) timeline- once you've been referred to a position (ie made the long list), there is a very quick timeline that hiring managers need to meet to rank their candidates and submit a selected first pick to HR for approval 2) all interviews were conducted virtually 3) there were no one-on-one interviews and 4) there was a bigger outward emphasis on equity in process (e.g. all portions of interview kept to strict schedule to ensure no candidate got more time). 5) thanks for this insight, its helpful.. follow up question - Was there an opportunity after zoom interview/job offer to meet/interact any of the team online or in person before accepting/declining the offer .. and did you have time to 'house hunt' etc. in the tight turn around time? I guess I'm curious how you gauge the "fit" of a government job compared to the typical way we evaulate/tour academic institutionons for jobs prior to accepting offers? just curious, I have no offers to speak of LOL @5 I reached out to team members immediately after learning I was the top ranked pick. I initiated that outreach and spoke with a mix of people the hiring manager recommended as relevant (given my career stage and interests) and that I selected. The nature of these conversations was very similar to academic job searches- I was trying to figure out if this was a team of people I wanted to work with for the next 30 years with a positive work culture with lots of opportunity to use my mind in a fulfilling way. There was no funding for a house hunt visit and no moving expenses. You can look at federal job ads to see if they are eligible for moving expenses before you apply. @6 thanks that is helpful! @5 Happy to help! Good luck with your interview! 7) If there's time for questions, get clarity on promotion potential. At least for USFS, there are two main promotion systems, 4-factor "RGEG" and 9-factor. RGEG has endless promotion potential through a panel review system (similar to tenure) whereas 9-factors are usually fixed at the GS-level they're hired at (just step increases). Makes a huge difference for long term career decisions. OP) Thanks everyoine for the insight -- it is helpful! I actually decided to turn down the interview because the job description for the specific location (more specific from the original job since it was an ad with several locations) really seemed like stretch for me and it was a term position, not permanent. (I was okay with the location, but if I had seen this description of duties, I probably wouldn't have included that location) | |
249 | 1/16/24 12:39 | I can no longer edit to add comments but can add new posts. Have I been banned? | 1/17/24 2:14 | You might just viewing the sheet in read-only mode. If there's an #htmlview in the URL for the sheet, delete it and you should be able to edit 1) to clarify further this sometimes happens when there's heavy traffic to the sheet OP again- thank you @1. It was the html! 2) I don't think bans are possible on public google sheets like this, but ngl sometimes I wish they were... | |
250 | 1/16/24 10:43 | What boosts or drops a candidate's standing at the campus interview stage? | 1/24/24 19:58 | As a follow-up to the question posed in row 7, what are the things that float or sink a candidate during the in-person/final round interview? 1) You can't win on the grad student lunch, but you sure can lose on it. Same for interactions with admins. Being uninformed or unable to describe your own future experiments also will put you on the no-hire list. 2) This is only slightly sarcastic, but you can lose if the person who wanted you the most is hungry/tired during the meeting and doesn't feel like yelling compared to someone else. x5 3) Might seem obvious, but acting interested in everyone (and the department as a whole) can play a big role. I've met job candidates that selectively engaged with faculty members or graduate students about their research and seemed dismissive when asked questions related to other disciplines--or they acted like they didn't really want the job. Conversely, if people feel like you really want to be there (i.e., you're curious about others research, connecting it to your own, acting excited about opportunities within the department), they may overlook some hiccups because they really want to work with you. 4) This should be obvious, but don't make sexist or racist remarks- we had a candidate manage both during their on-campus interview in their seminar and some 1-on-1 meetings 5) @4, too bad the same criteria doesn't apply to the current faculty doing the interviewing. x4 | |
251 | 1/16/24 9:20 | Scheduling conflict between 2 interviews | 1/23/24 9:16 | OP) I just received an email that I have been shortlisted for a job, and that the committee has set apart 2 days for zoom interviews. During both of those days I'll be interviewing in person at another institution, and thus unavailable. I am not sure how to approach this and could you some collective advise. I fear that if I just say that I am unavailable it'll look like I don't care enough about this job to move my other commitment. Yet saying "I can't because I am interviewing somewhere else" also may sound... a bit cocky? What would you do? I really care about the opportunity, I just don't see how either one of my options succeeds at communicating that. 1) i actually just had this happen to me! it is a good problem to have, OP. i think it is very reasonable to say to the search committee that you are really excited to interview and have the chance to meet with everyone etc, but that you will be unable to on those dates because you have already committed to another in-person visit on those same dates. (i assume it's in person). the committees cannot and do not expect you to move around dates--besides, nothing is certain for you at this point, and you should absolutely not move around dates for something that isn't guaranteed. (i.e. a job) i asked this same question to my advisers, and i was basically told this is a great position to be in because, if done tactfully and honestly, it instills a sense of FOMO in the other/both schools. the school that shortlisted you wants to hire the best candidate for the job, and knowing that other schools are also targeting you shows that other schools feel like you're among the best too. i think you can be frank wtih them and say you've already committed, and propose various other dates that might work for them too. if you feel like you don't want to be that honest, you can probably jsut say you have a work/family/etc obligation that you cannot back out of and leave it at that. congrats on the interviews! 2) Definitely be appreciative and kind; and transparent about your firm committements with other interviews. They will view you as desirable, and if dates are locked in elsewhere, that is good for you and not your fault. Try to give yourself a few days between each to prep and decompress...if possible. Good luck! 3) A fantastic problem to have! OP) Thanks everyone for your opinions. And good luck to you too (1)!! 3 again) I am now in the same position and re-reading this post for advice! | |
252 | 1/16/24 7:34 | Titles of job talks | 1/21/24 11:59 | OP) What are best practices or tips for titles of job talks? Does being too specific matter? Or should titles be sufficiently broad to encompass your proposed future work and entire research program? I haven't heard much about this. Any tips appreciated. 1) Connect them to key words from the job ad. I was once part of a search where the person who (I thought) was the strongest was voted down because of lack of connection to the job ad. Was clear to me how they fit, but they didn't draw the lines clearly themselves. Make them see how you fit what they want. x2 2) consider the expertise of the search committee too - if applying to an R1 research institution the committee may be closer to your field than a SLAC, so your title choice may change depending on what the audience will be and what they expect | |
253 | 1/14/24 12:00 | This is the actual danger posed by DEI | 1/16/24 10:21 | "To put it simply, the problem with D.E.I. isn't with diversity, equity, or inclusion — all vital values. The danger posed by D.E.I. resides primarily not in these virtuous ends, but in the unconstitutional means chosen to advance them." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/14/opinion/dei-diversity-unconstitutional.html 2) That's an opinion piece, hardly a factual basis to go around claiming DEI poses "actual danger". 3) to OP, yes, keep spamming us with these DEI hit pieces. you will surely get a job any day now. /s 4) damn you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel for arguments now lol 4) Can we stop with these? This board hardly seems the place to have these "discussions". If DEI bothers you that much, write your own op-eds, lobby Congress, etc. Don't waste AP's server space/resources with this crap. & for the rest of us, why do we keep feeding the trolls and wasting breath? x1 5) @4 optics. gotta show the interwebs that this bs isn't supported by the community here 6) These thoughtless knee-jerk dismissals of valid criticisms really aren't helping the cause, folks. 7) every time one of these alarmist, pearl-clutching articles is posted, anyone who dares to respond in an emotional way gets scolded despite the articles themselves being "knee jerk." Bold strategy to be repeatedly antagonistic to DEI work and then act all innocent and objective whenever anyone else dares to say something vaguely antagonistic in response. Many of the prior posts about this have led to patient and thoughtful counter arguments which tend to be either ignored or dismissed. 8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmhLtsK2ZQ 9) So true @ 7. You articulated my thoughts perfectly. 10) The article couldn't reasonably be called knee-jerk. It's written by someone who is supportive of increasing diversity and critical of the bad-faith arguments against it. That's hardly pearl-clutching, knee-jerk or hit piece. 7) A lot of these pieces will pay lip service to how they like the idea of diversity/inclusion, and then they'll paint in wildly broad and inaccurate strokes for the rest of the article, showing a general lack of understanding of what's already being done - reducing current DEI efforts to strawmen, or cherrypicking the most "unreasonable"-sounding examples without acknowleding the already existing huge nuances and varieties of approaches used by different universities. Or worse, in some cases just parroting talking points from people who aren't in academia that raise scary alarm bells without really engaging, again, with the very un-scary reality of what many schools are actually doing. There seems to be a push, both from people outside academia and from those within academia, to paint DEI as some sort of monolith, when the reality is that every department will give very different answers when asked what DEI is and how to promote it. These articles always miss that fact, and it's disappointing that people even within academia will parrot those talking points too | |
254 | 1/12/24 6:45 | What boosts or drops a candidate’s standing at the zoom interview stage? | 1/16/24 10:23 | Following the discussion about zoom interviews over in Venting, I’ll pose a question to folks who are or have served on search committees: what behaviors/actions in a zoom interview most commonly boost a candidate’s standing (to the point where you’re now considering them for a campus invite even if you weren’t before) or drop it? 2) Been on 3 SCs (SLAC) and have seen a candidate drop from the top 3 to no invite twice. First one was clearly looking for R1 jobs and their Zoom answers were a complete 180 from their statements (zero mention of student projects or engagement, asking about teaching releases), second one was impossible to hold a conversation with. Single phrase answers and didn't have any questions for us at the end. We even tried to make conversaton with new low pressure questions and trying to prompt basic candidate questions but it was the same story. 3) Yes, agree with 2 - in my experience it has been that the candidate's research interests or ambitions did not appear to align with the job, e.g., focusing on teaching or undergraduate research for an R1 job or vice-versa. Another thing is the ability to describe a compelling vision for a research program - some candidates talk about studies or projects but do not seem to have a plan. A smaller thing that can help is when candidates have clearly done their homework and have ideas for people/agencies to reach out to, or local projects in mind. 4) I agree with all of this; basically the zoom interview is an opportunity to demonstrate fit for the position and enthusiasm for the job. Those two things are kind of related, e.g. if you can articulate how your reserach program fits with what you perceive are strengths of a department 5) #2, wowza, you have to wonder what was up with that first one. Did someone else write their statements? 6) I bet that they were able to make themselves seem like a good fit in writing, but when they got to be in-person they got nervous and just said what they really thought. 7) On the one SC I was on a candidate could not explain a single experiment they would want to do in their new lab. Zilch. That wrecked their chances, and made everyone wonder if her PI wrote the statement. The only other cases I've heard of were someone suggesting they wouldn't want to move to that school. 8) Yes, 7 makes another good point - you really do not know how much a PI has helped with statements. In Zoom, the candidate is own their own, which can be revealing. 9) PIs help with statements?! x13 10) I'm surpised at the comment from (9) tbh! The ideas are my own, but I definitely had my postdoc advisor and my PhD advisor read and comment on them. If you can't get your PI to read yours, please get someone else who has been on a search committee to read/comment. 11) I think the implication is less "PI provided comments/critique" and more "PI heavily coached them/told them what to write". I can't say how often that happens. Probably not common. 9 again) In my case the situation was my (otherwise supportive) PI read my research statement, said "looks good!" and that was that, they weren't willing to read my other statements or cover letter and implied it was inappropriate to ask them or anyone else to do so. I'm shocked any PI has the time to heavily coach or even write the statements themselves. x2 (10 again) @9 I'm really surprised that they gave you that feedback 11) My PIs were not as blunt, but gave similar feedback as 9. Super supportive throughout my PhD and postdocs, great feedback on manuscripts and presentations, but when it comes to job apps, they've pretty much just skimmed for red flags. x5 12) Meanwhile I just haven't asked my PI or anyone in my department to look at my materials, because I'm at an R1 and applying for PUI jobs. I've just asked friends who are at PUI | |
255 | 1/11/24 18:02 | subreddit? | 2/3/24 12:19 | are there any interesting subreddits related to this job board? anyone interested in starting one? 2) Yes, but rather on an ActivityPub platform like Lemmy 3) sounds cool! I would join a subreddit or whatever format someone wants to start (NOT a facebook group though lol). 4) No x2 AP) Looks like u/AnonymousPotato is already taken. 🤬 5) I think it would be great to have some sort of subreddit or blog platform where all of these existential issues surrounding academic careers and hiring could be discussed more effectively. There are so many interesting and revealing points hidden in these unwieldly spreadsheets! (Not meant as a criticism BTW.....) x3 6) Future PI slack maybe? Or does it need to be anonymous? 7) Anonymous is a double edge sword. Protects people who's identity legitmately needs protected but also shields people who really should be held accountable for what they write. x2 8) @7 Yep, people need to be punished for wrongthink. Let's just hope you're never on the "wrong" side - or if you are, keep your fingers crossed that you'll be treated better than you're calling for. 9) @8 ah, classic dipshit rhetoric. it wouldn't be an anonymous mesage board without it. holding racists and other terrible folks accountable isn't "punishing wrongthink" but go off I guess OP) as a long time redditor, I’m thinking it’s maybe for the best to just let that dumpster fire go. especially if AnonymousPotato is already taken as a username. Lemmy seems interesting. 10) On Lemmy it shouldn't be difficult to find an instance where AP is still available. A semi-decent alternative could be a guppe group for Mastodon | |
256 | 1/11/24 11:18 | am I getting campus interview? | 1/17/24 7:07 | Yes! 2) How long does it typically take from the last interview to an offer? And how much slower would that be if the winter holiday was in the middle 3) See row 27 ("timeline from faculty vote to notifying top candidate") 3) I got a "you will be invited to campus" email before holidays and nothing since then. Not even a reply to my email. I have no clue what to think of it. This was also the place I never thought I would get invited to. Do search committees not work till the new semester begins? 4) Yes, search committees get a holiday break too. | |
257 | 1/11/24 10:23 | Canada Research Chairs | 1/12/24 7:34 | [general discussion of how CRCs are allocated moved from St. Mary's job -AP] 1) ... women are underrepresented as CRC's overall. There was a study done showing that has indeed been the case. 2) agreed with 1. There are equity targets explicitly stated by CRC, including raising the number of women: https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/about_us-a_notre_sujet/statistics-statistiques-eng.aspx (3) Just want to say that the gov't should take the previously mis-allocated CRCs away and make the allocation more equitable for early career ppl. 4) @3 - technically, that's what this is. But rather than remove people from their positions, which is probably not ethical, as people retire their positions are allocated for equity-seeking groups. (3 again) I think it's less ethical to impose disriminatory criteria on early career researchers who are applying for jobs than to cut-off the established researchers who benefited directly from bias. 4) Retirement isn't an argument here - these have fixed terms (7 or 10 years) and the Tier 2s are limited to <10 years post-PhD. 5) Pay for the sins of thy father, my son x3 6) Y'all are worried about CRCs and all I want is a permenant regular faculty job... (7) A non-trivial amount of asst/assoc prof jobs in canada are funded by CRCs, and so this really cuts out some people from getting them x2 8) A large-ish Canadian university I won't name but is on the east coast had a Tier 2 CRC pulled entirely last year because the shortlist of candidates was not "diverse" enough so rather than interview anyone the admin said "nyet". "Diverse" in this case did not refer to male/female, nor to EDI efforts, but instead to the colour of candidates' skin. Which is kinda funny, because this same university had their President fired right around the same time for being a literal Pretendian. 9) lol @8 Canadians are all gonna know who you have sub-posted. 8) Good. Unlike other schools, e.g. in the greater Toronto area or the rest of Ontario at large, the faculty at this one are actually concerned about the legality of these moves and seem more interested in individual candidates as opposed to gestures. See: "passed over for illegal reasons" in the Venting tab. | |
258 | 1/10/24 21:56 | How common is it for universities to sponsor H1B at postdoc or vap level? | 1/17/24 11:51 | I just noticed in an otherwise v appealing job ad "X university will not sponsor H1-B visas for this position". How common is it for universities to sponsor H1B at postdoc or VAP level? Does it also depend on candidate nationality? 2) Really depends on the advisor and the admin but more common is to get J1 or O1. Why would H1B be necessary? I also had to forfeit campus interview for a TT job at two private PUI because they did not want to sponsor any visa and they did not know until after the zoom interviews. Just ask and be prepared to say why you need H1B over J1. 1) Oh, I'm just starting to research and figure this stuff out, my european self tends to naively forget about the need for visas. I came across J-1 which sounded like it was only suitable for exchanges? Hadn't come across O1 yet. (NB: so I don't sound like a total twit - I'm still a couple years out from applications) 2) Almost never H1B. They are expensive, cannot be paid on state funds at many unis, and are subject to flagging, delays, and longer timelines even if expedited. More likely to get H1B, EB1 at the faculty level where it's a long term position. 3) Vanishingly rare to get H1B as a postdoc coming straight from no visa. But I did get one sponsored when my 5 years of J1 ended, because I was still funded to stay. It was a long and very stressful process because it happened during the pandemic. In my experience, institutions will not do O1 (mine wouldn't and told me to talk to an external lawyer, who suggested if I needed to go beyond H1B, O1 was not worth it and just go for EB1). 4) Have seen several postdocs get H1B while working as postdocs, but not before starting. I got H1B in my first faculty position, not as a postdoc. 5) H1B visas en ecoevo as postodc I would say are not that common. For VAP it really depends on the department. They sponsored an H1B visa for my spouse and me; I'm in a TT position and my spouse in a VAP position. 1) Thanks for the input, everyone! I'm not aiming to settle longterm in the US, so sounds like J1 is what I'd be after. Can I assume that all job postings, unless explicitly for US citizens only, will help with obtaining a J1 visa? 6) Pretty much...if you're from Canada for example, it's a no-brainer. There are certain origin countries that are trickier because of their relationship with the US and I have seen some fall through. But mostly, this will be worked out. The people hiring you know that you need a Visa. 7) My uni (elite private R1) is currently sponsoring me for H1B in a non-TT faculty position | |
259 | 1/10/24 11:23 | Verbal offer but no written contract yet, and still in-person interviews | 1/11/24 9:39 | I received an informal job offer for a Tenure track job, but the written contract is not there yet. I still have 2 more in-person interviews, and I do not know how to handle the situation. I was advised to go to the other interviews because nothing is fully secure without a contract. Still, the preparation for the other interviews is just so much, and I am not sure if it is fair for the committees and other candidates if I have one job that is kind of secure. Any advice on how to handle this situation? 2) "Go to the other interviews because nothing is fully secure without a contract." Follow this advice. Anyhow, you might find you prefer the other places or at least get some leverage to extract more from the first place. x4 3) Until you sign you get nothing if they bail. Go to the next interviews but hope the contract gets signed soon. If the offering chair asks you to drop interviews, tell them you need a contract to sign first. The documents have to be routed to deans and provosts. They really can speed it up if you get a 2nd offer (and often do). I'd say 30-60 days can be normal from offer to signing. When you send the papers back photograph all of them and keep the usps/FedEx receipt with tracking numbers. Don't mail it with a method you can't track for delivery. 4) Nothing is "fair' either way. You don't have a job until both sides sign. Go to the others interviews AND keep applying for any new positions that pop up that you might be interested. 5) Thank you so much for the advice. When do you think it is the right moment to cancel the other interviews? When I get the contract? Or should I wait until after the other interviews to sign the contract? This place is my top choice, and if everything they told me is in the contract, I would probably sign it immediately. 6) https://smallpondscience.com/2013/08/14/on-the-ethics-of-juggling-job-offers/ 7) Cancel the other interviews only once everything is fully signed and as legally binding as it gets. If the current offer has a deadline after the other interviews, by all means wait to sign in case you have the opportunity to leverage another offer in negotiations, but be polite and considerate about it. If they are pushing you to sign sooner and you're happy with the offer, though, signing straight away isn't a bad idea. x2 8) Thank you so much for the advice. I really appreciate it. 9) Agree with others – definitely plan to go to the other interviews! Best case scenario: You get a second offer from another school and can use that as leverage to up your offer at your #1 pick school. And congrats on the offer, by the way – fantastic! | |
260 | 1/10/24 7:10 | Location problem | 1/13/24 4:56 | Has anyone faced the two-body dilemma while on the academic job market? Have 2 TT job offers but will not work for family. One of them at a top school that I love. Feeling extremely depressed. Should I take the offer and go on the job cycle again (can make it work a year or two) or should I continue post-docing and go on the job cycle again? Any suggestions welcome! 2) If I were you I would take the offer and stay on the market, but in the future talk to your family and only apply to things that actually work for them. x3 (3) We've created a system that almost requires absolute flexibility in where to move; if you're not willing to go the system doesn't want you. I'd try again, but also realize you have an 'expiry' date and look outside as well. Sorry you're in this sitution, I've faced it too :( (4) I have a "location problem" for some other logistical/personal reasons and I'm only applying to places in locations that I'd actually want to relocate to, or would at least be open to, because what I've heard from others is that it's very painful to turn down an offer once you have one. I get a bit scared that I'm being too picky on location but it's hypothetically where I'll spend the rest of my working life so that's what my approach has been anyway. 5) Congrats on having two offers! Whatever you decide, that's a great accomplishment. We can't tell you how to jump since we don't know your personal situation or priorities, but for all of us I think it ultimately comes down to weighing what's most important vs what isn't ideal but can be made to work (and with 2-body, doing that as a team). Good luck! 6) echoing @5, congrats! It seems like common advice to take any TT offer and leverage it into a more suitable one if you're not happy, but if you can swing 2 offers in one season, I'd say there's also room to think about the time and effort sunk into moving and starting up a lab - just to move against in a year or two! - and how you'd spend your time as a postdoc and the extent to which that would align with your long-term goals. 7) You could always consider divorce. Your chances of finding a mate of similar quality within a few years is likely higher than finding a good TT job in a desirable location! x2 (8) DARK!- 9) In the olden days you could just drop the spouse and marry one of your first PhD students but that's generally frowned upon now - even though it most certainly still happens. 10) gonna echo 2: only apply in places you are serious abotu taking a job offer in where you would be happy to relocate. This industry sucks for this and we have little freedom. But tbh I don't really understand applying to a "dream" job that you know in advance wont work for your family situation. Isn't this just causing you personal hardship? I know of a few people who have gotten divorced over this stuff. Be careful applying for things if you aren't 95% sure you will jump at the chance. 11) While I agree with not applying places you know can't work, the reality is that trying to match two careers has meant applying to lots of places I might not try otherwise in order to try to find one that will be accomodating for a partner or that at least can be used as leverage to try to our current institutions to budge on accomodations. It sucks and we have both had to turn down multiple offers because so far none will make it work in a way that supports two careers. | |
261 | 1/8/24 12:39 | Timeline of "job season" | 1/8/24 13:15 | Are we expecting many TT faculty jobs to be posted this winter/spring for Fall 2024 start dates? At what point do they start to taper down until we start again next fall? I tried to get a sense of this from looking at last year's sheet, but still don't have a great sense of the seasonal rhythm of academic hiring. 2) We are long past the peak of posting. They really taper down after late October. At this point I would expect only a small handful of additional TT jobs with more fixed term positions. OP) Good to know, thank you! Someone told me about a second burst of job ads in January but I guess I should give up hope for that. 3) I would say there is often a long-tailed trickle of ads throughout January. Universities often have difficulty getting posts approved, and so searches will post late and at random times for the next month. But it will be only a few a week. 4) Agree, don't stop checking, but don't expect a whole lot. You can look at past years' spreadsheets to get an idea of what to expect in the spring. | |
262 | 1/8/24 5:16 | Dynamic Ecology is back, but won't be collecting job market data | 1/30/24 19:23 | https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2024/01/08/dynamic-ecology-is-back/ (1) Great that they're back. Will miss the job market data but not too surprising he's not collecting it again. 2) welcome back! 3) not that you asked, but some suggested topics: why is google scholar (and google) so bad lately, chatgpt and r mistakes, alt-ac career paths, why aren’t remote postdocs more of a thing now, why NSERC hasn’t increased their funding in forever and PIs wrongly blame grad students for just wanting to pay rent and not starve, updates on old stats posts (random effects, machismo, etc) 4) hopefuly theres some interesting stuff about actual ecology too @3 3)well two of those topics were taken up in recent blog posts, neat! | |
263 | 1/7/24 14:07 | tips for in-person interview | 1/14/24 10:35 | What are some strategies for preparing for an in-person interview? What are the most important points to make in conversations with faculty/the dean etc? What are “typical” conversation topics for these 1-1 meetings? 2) Dr. Erin Mordecai has a really nice blog post on this topic: https://www.mordecailab.com/blog/job-interview . I have Googled "faculty interview" and found many good blogs from faculty in similar departments. Jeremy Fox and Dynamic Ecology also have good blogs on the subject. They have been helpful to me. I will add that I helped out with three faculty searches at my PhD institution. I watched two candidates who looked perfect on paper get passed over due to interpersonal interactions or the quality of their job talk. It seemed that giving a great talk that emphasized your teaching ability and communication skills, as well as being a kind, caring person who cared about students and their colleagues made the difference. This department also listened to its grad students and was known to avoid candidates that the grad students raised red flags about. Just my two cents. This was at a public R1 university in the USA with an exceptionally nice department. 3) I also saw one or two candidates get passed over because they insulted the students. It's just one day and this dude can't keep it together? I will say I've also seen some wolves in sheeps clothing pretend to be oh-so-nice when really they are horrible to others in real life. The chalk talk is also a big deal to show you know your own work and its impacts. Not being able to outline any of your experiments is a face-plant. 4) Start early and practice! Practice the seminar until it's polished, practice the chalk talk (if you have one) until it's polished, and prepare at least a couple of questions specific to each person you'll be meeting with - faculty and grad students. Ask them about their research, their interests, or even for advice. Make them feel like you would be a great colleague, not just a great scientist. IME there isn't a "typical" topic, some people will want to tell you about what they do and not talk about much else, some people will want your elevator pitch and run from there, some people will have standard interview questions for you (eg. "tell me about your first grant here"), and some people will leave it entirely up to you. (5) I find Mordecai's tips [except for bathroom breaks and granola bars] to be a bit over the top and make me nervous. It's mostly chance, just be nice, personable, give a great talk, and know enough about each person you're meeting with to have a couple of points of conversation. 6) This is the best advice after having read mordecailab (5 again) Great to hear that 6! I think th for example, and need a top-up when they're alone. And not everyone knows how they're going to react beforehand, or they might react differently from the last experience, so it's wise to be prepared.) (7 again) Fair point. I was just frightened by someone else's snack tips before this interview. Some of this adat advice is good for some people not everybody is wired exactly this way :). Also another great tip: "IT'S TOTALLY FINE TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO ALREADY!". E.g., ask about what rhey have in core facility X, or what grad student stipends and support are like, etc. Even if you've asked someone, ask again. Having a little list of questions you can recycle through different meetings is a really good way to get through. People like to talk more than they like to hear you talk. (7) Now I'm afraid to read the mordecai tips, if bathroom breaks and granola bars are the most benign ones (what are the over the top ones??). I just went on my first interview and sure, bathroom breaks are good but I don't think you should rely on bringing your own snacks- it's ok to eat meals while you talk to people! You must eat and you can do it without chewing with your mouth open. 8) There are lots of reasons someone might need their own snack, and the tips aren't required/one size fits all. (Some people get too nervous to eat much during the interview breakfast/lunch/dinner,vice is just frightening. (8 again) Also fair! This whole process can be frightening. In general (not necessarily you) I think we can get overwhelmed with advice and lose some perspective on filtering it through what we know of ourselves (or even start to second-guess what we know of ourselves). I hope your interview went well, and good luck. (7 again) Thanks. I also worry we normalize an unreasonable system, but I guess there is not much role that we can play in that, especially if we aren't faculty. | |
264 | 1/7/24 10:00 | Tips for dealing with competition at campus interview | 1/8/24 7:15 | during on-campus interview, do you just watch the other candiates go before you? Does it not shoot the stress level to the roof? 2) Sounds like we've got a European here ;) 3) Be polite. Someone was rude to me at a European job interview and I've disliked them ever since. I'm not going out of my way to do them any favors at all. I have other people I met that I'm still friendly with at conferences. The world is bigger than just one interview. Good interviewers also notice how candidates interact at dinner. You don't want to be the person they talk about after as a "real piece of work". 4) I am from the USA doing a postdoc in Europe. This is pretty common in my host country. Another postdoc here has been through this type of interview process and put a positive spin - it's a nice opportunity to meet fellow scientists and expand your network. I'm not sure how well I'd actually believe that advice, but at least it was positive! I agree with (3) to leave a good impression - it's a small world, especially within the extremely competitive European research community. 5) Just be friendly and sociable. Don't watch the other seminars, go to a waiting room or outside and chat with whoever else is awkwardly hanging around. I really enjoyed meeting the other candidates when I had an interview in the UK, but I also know people who've had terrible experiences (mostly women cause sexism is unfortunately a thing still - don't be that guy) cause there were competitive assholes there | |
265 | 1/6/24 5:30 | masks during on-campus interview? | 2/4/24 19:25 | I'm about to go on an on-campus interview. I'm a covid-cautious person. My last on-campus I didn't bother because numbers were low and I didn't want to alienate my potential future colleauges. But now the numbers are high and I'm very nervous. Any other covid-cautious types trying to navigate this process have any advice? 1) I wore a mask for most of an in-person interview last year, and nobody at the university commented on it or made me feel weird about wearing it. Probably a red flag if you visit a place that makes you feel judged for masking! I did take the mask off for the meals and stuff and for outdoor interactions but wore it for everything else 2)oh yay! other covid cautious people! if it were me I’d still wear my mask at all times indoors but I have no idea how to navigate meals during the current surge x2 3) I was on an interview without a mask and about half the faculty were masked. You could ask if it's possible to eat outdoors with the grad students, or at least open windows if indoors. Ask the host/admin if you can be accommodated. There are enough reasons to be covid cautious (diabetes, immune issues, pregnancy, etc) that hopefully they can accommodate. I'd encourage you to not mask at the talk if possible, but you know your own risk factors best. We're usually more than 6 ft from people at the front of the seminar room. 4) I guess all you can do is ask if meals could be moved outside or what accommodations they can do. the 6 ft distance was debunked years ago, that made sense for droplet spread but not for an airborne virus 5) Last year I masked my whole interview except for my talk. This year I took the risk and didn't mask for my one onsite, but I met with only a small group of faculty. It was a tough decision as a covid cautious person, but I felt showing my face could show more of my personality and feel more of a connection to the faculty interviewing me. If anyone I talked to were to display symptoms (a lot of Covid spread these days are from people who are symptomatic but still going about their lives), I had a mask ready to put on. 6) I was super covid conscious leading up to my interview in the fall, and ended up masking for my talk and teaching demo (most of the faculty were masked too!). One-on-one meetings I only masked if the other person was masked, and many were held outside. Lunches and dinners were outside as well, which was great because a student from lunch ended up testing positive that same afternoon. (7) I'm at an interview in a cold weather place so outdoors is not an option. I'd like to wear a mask but don't want it to be offputting. This is a tricky dynamic to navigate, and I feel I will probably get sick at one of my interviews... wastewater numbers are through the roof. I'm taking my vitamins and crossing my fingers, and will bring a mask in my bag in case. 8) At an interview a year ago, I wanted to wear a mask the whole time and responded enthusiastically when they offered (without me asking) to have an outdoor dinner at a heated patio. Some of the other profs were masked as well throughout the meetings, but one of the committee members repeatedly commented on my mask and told me I shouldn't wear it during the talk, and there was also an indoor lunch. I ended up caving in to the pressure but I regret it - I didn't get sick but didn't get the job (and ultimately didn't want the job anyway, as there were other red flags). If I was doing it again, I would just wear it the whole time - if they didn't like it, I probably wouldn't like working there either. (9) Just chiming in to say how much it means to me to hear that there are other COVID-cautious people thinking about this too!!! x5 10) I'm worried that I'm going to get sick at an interview and miss another one. I appreciate this conversation. 11) I mask to the max when travelling to/from interviews, but tend to leave it off during the interview/seminar portions so people can see my face. Unfortunately, I think its one of those things that helps people engage with you better. x5 12) As someone who is not generally masking because it seems like overkill for me, I will say that I would NEVER think poorly of an interviewee for my department if they wanted to be masked 100% of the time (or where whatever PPE were necessary for them). I see both myself and my departmental colleagues as reasonably average people--heh--so I wouldn't be worried about it. Do what's best for you! 13) I have always masked in-person since 2020 and went on several in-person interviews in the last cycle. I wore masks in all one-on-one meetings, during my talks, and at meals unless eating. For every visit I was asked if I had any "meal preferences or dietary restrictions" and at that point I said specifically that I would like to eat outside whenever possible. If it's difficult to say you're always masking, you could frame this as "I'm very COVID-cautious when travelling." This was my go-to line when asked about it in one-on-ones (though this was rare). I basically never eat at restaurants indoors these days, but made the decision that the job interviews were where I would risk it. (In that it would be too difficult in some places to say I would ONLY eat outdoors.) I didn't end up getting COVID, which is mostly sheer luck... Finally, just want to affirm your cautiousness and say that you should absolutely be doing your best to protect yourself! If your future colleagues are put off by you wearing a mask, then maybe they don't deserve to be your future colleagues! (14) @13 unfortunately I don't think it's that simple. As the candidate you are the one being judged by everyone- it's not a fair situation. And what if someone on the search committee is openly coughing and sick but not masking? Wearing a mask while they are cavalier about it implies that you are judging their choice to move on from the pandemic. Not saying this is fair or reasonable, but it's true. And for me at least, it's not a black-and-white decision that the faculty's personal choices about masking is enough of a reason to give up on a potential job. (13 again) If you're someone that will be masking when you start the job, then you definitely want to be at a place where you will fill comfortable doing that for the forseeable future if you get the job. If you feel judged or like you won't be able to do that, then why would you want to consider that place for a job? It's not a surprise that the job I took was at a place where my requests to eat outside were met, folks that I met with were masked much more often than at other places, and nobody was bothered by the fact that I wore a mask during my interactions with them. (15) I masked through many on-site interviews last spring (2023)- for my talks and one-on-one meetings and my solution for meals in places where it was much too cold for eating outdoors was to carry a personal air filter that I would place on the table in front of me, typically next to my water glass (these have ~6 ft radius of impact). Five multi-day onsites and a zillion travel hours and no covid (also so much luck!), so it is possible (and I got a job offer). | |
266 | 1/5/24 17:38 | Chalk talks | 1/7/24 21:41 | Does anyone have any advice for chalk talks? What to present, what to draw on the board (if anything), any online resources that might be helpful that are EEB related? (1) Practice with people who will interupt you; ask if you have time to draw on the board in advance of the talk; draw your expected results and possible alternative findings. That's enough from me :) 2) Find out if it is literally a chalk talk, or if you're expected to have slides. (3) I found some youtube videos but all biomed related. I figure the main points are the same? I'm about to give my first chalk talk. I literally have no one to practice with since I'm already an asst prof and I can't exactly ask my colleagues for help. Stressed! 4) @3, I am in the exact same boat as you, how do we connect? lol 5) If you can't practice with other folks, run through it on your own enough to be comfortable but not so much that you'll be totally thrown off by having to go off script, and try to think about the kinds of questions people could ask. I found the biomed youtube videos to be very helpful despite not being at all biomed. Have a plan for what you want the board to look like when you're done, and bring it with you if you need to. Lastly - try to get excited about it (hard to get excited about something so scary and mysterious, I know). These are your potential future colleagues and collaborators you're talking to, they might have cool insights and ideas! Convey confidence and excitement about your research. | |
267 | 1/5/24 14:01 | Statement lengths | 1/9/24 16:12 | Job app did not specify length limits for statements.. how long should they be? 1) In absence of specific page limits I've been preparing a ~2 page teaching statement, 3 page research statement, 1 page diversity statement x3 2) Without page limits, I have a 2 page teaching statement, 3 page research statement, and a 2 page diversity statement x2 3) I do two pages for everything, but I'm mostly applying to PUIs | |
268 | 1/5/24 6:07 | A five-point plan to save Harvard from itself | 1/10/24 11:30 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/11/opinion/steven-pinker-how-to-save-universities-harvard-claudine-gay/ 2) great! disempowering the DEI. cherish those values but might not the right way (DEI) to do it x4 3) Go away. x2 4) This is a reasonable column (even if you don't generally like the author) with ideas worthy of discussion among academics, many of whom think there are some severe problems at universities. Just saying "go away" is neither helpful nor respectful. x5 (and see post below re: unpopular opinions—this is exactly the type of disagreement we should be receptive to as a field) x2 5) Saying "disempower the DEI" in the era of Desantis-type bans and other restrictions on higher ed is, to be fair, quite likely to provoke angry responses from the many people here for whom "DEI" is more than just a term, it's an important part of their whole approach to their career. 4) Then they can say what you said, @5 and defend the current DEI approach... not say "go away". For some substance, instead of DEI statements that require person-hours and arguably require political adherence, excessive (but certainly not all) DEI training, and especially DEI-titled admins, I'd like to see that $$ pay for undergrad tuition for poor students, who are disproportionately underrepresented. 5) @4 if someone wrote a one sentence statement about "disempowering" your field of expertise your first response might not be to patiently engage them in debate, especially not in an anonymous forum. 6) I think most of us would agree providing better opportunities for individuals from underepresented groups is a worthwhile goal. But some scholars have reasonably argued that the current DEI approach in practice profoundly harms the very individuals it purportedly champions (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/696856/woke-racism-by-john-mcwhorter/), in addition to restricting higher ed by threatening academic freedom, demanding conformity of thought, etc., as briefly outlined in the column linked above. There has to be a better way. 7) you say "the current DEI approach" as if there's just one, which I think is another reason why your comments are consistently poorly received. Assuming you're the same person who made a similar post previously, you tend to gloss over or ignore the fact that there's an already a massive, nuanced variety of approaches, backed by scholarly work, that different schools/departments/individuals can take in the classroom, and there's ongoing scholarship to assess the efficacy of those practices. A DEI statement is not an invitation to spout a single political viewpoint, it's a chance for candidates to show that they can comment thoughtfully on how they'll teach and/or mentor a diverse student body. Seeing as teaching and mentoring a diverse student body is part of the job, I'd rather hire people who can speak thoughtfully about how they'll do it rather than people who can't speak thoughtfully about how they'd do it. x2 4) Sure, I should have said "many current DEI approaches". And no, I do not think DEI is at face a bad thing. Of course not. Neither did whoever wrote comments 2 and 6, as well as OP, I'm guessing---I'm a different person from them, and I don't believe I've ever started a DEI thread, nor do I consistently post in them. There are disagreements on how DEI statements are used; I have certainly seen them discussed on search committees in ways that made me feel uncomfortable. I'm glad your experiences have been different. My argument is that the convesation should be allowed, and those of us who are uncomfortable with DEI statements, etc., should not feel like we are risking our careers (i.e., "go away" or as in thread below, dismissed as "dumpster fire") by speaking up with concrete objections, like those in the column. 7 again) there's a difference between a more nuanced discussion of "let's talk about which DEI approaches do and don't work based on evidence and on our lived experiences as teachers and students," and someone simply saying "disempower DEI," which can easily be interpreted as a call to give up on DEI efforts entirely (something that unfortunately people like Desantis are openly advocating for). Given a political landscape that abandons all nuance and often condemns all DEI efforts, comments critiquing DEI initiatives without further clarification or nuance will likely be perceived as simply dismissing the entire idea of inclusivity in academia. Again, people will get defensive if they feel that a central goal of their entire career is being dismissed offhand, which some of the comments here appeared to do 3) Totally agree with everything @7 said and I appreciate them taking the time to write out such patient and thoughtful responses. I would have had more to say if OP had provided any evidence that they're hoping for a nuanced good faith discussion by posting this article, but they did not. So I stand by telling them to piss off and stop posting these crappy "hurr durr DEI bad" articles. 8) sounds like @3 didn't read the article 9) @ 7: If that's the "central goal of their entire career", then they aren't Evo-Eco scientists, are they? "Go away" seems like an appropriate response to that, specifically, on this jobs board. 10) @9 being a scientist and educator are not mutually exclusive 7) Agree w/ 10, many teaching oriented schools expect expertise both in your field of research and in modern pedagogy (see "teacher scholar model" as one example) including inclusive teaching practices. It's called higher "education" after all, so many of us consider the "education" component, and the mentorship, to be just as important as the research component. Even at the R1 universities where you might not teach, expertise in mentorship/management practices, including mentoring diverse groups of trainees, is a skill that can have a huge impact on the lab dynamic (both climate and productivity, ability to recruit people, etc) 9) You're not saying anything I don't already know and failing to acknowledge the point I was addressing - that of "central goal of their entire career". I'm all about inclusive teaching and would rather fight with the trolls who insist DEI is exclusively about BIPOC. 7) You misquoted my original comment - I didn't say "the central goal," I said, "a central goal." Promoting more inclusive academic culture, in part through inclusive teaching, is a central goal of my career and many others. In my experience the vast majority of what I personally do to promote DEI is in the classroom and through interpersonal mentorship interactions, and also in my experience, much of the discussions around DEI often center inclusive teaching as a central part of what DEI work means. That's part of what feels exasperating to see people just dismissing all DEI work offhand or linking to these hit pieces that use buzzwords like "woke" with little to no acknowledgment of all the valuable, evidence-based changes that have happened in undergrad curricula and shown real benefits to the learning of all students | |
269 | 1/4/24 14:39 | unpopular opinions | 1/8/24 2:22 | I'm a political centrist, but find that many of my opinions will be unpopular here and on academic social media because these spaces are quite left wing. How do we find others with similar views to discuss? 1) Are your centrist views about how tax dollars should be spent in the military industrial complex? Or are they harmful to other people who are trying to live their lives independently? Do you suggest laws to regulate business to maintain functional capitalism? Or do you suggest openly that people who are different from you don't deserve full civil liberties? Certain kinds of political beliefs are relatively common in academia, but if you want to take away rights from others you'll usually receive pushback. Either way, avoid politics on an interview unless you are 100% certain you and your host have matching views. 2) Yes, I've been feeling conflicted about everything that's going on in politics and academia. I want to be respectful of diverse political views and recognize that people with different perspectives can approach a problem in different ways and we can still work towards the same goals. But then sometimes its about people's rights and I just really wish that those weren't political. Like, I want to respect conservatives, but I also I want my kids to be able to talk about having gay parents when they're at school, and I want teachers to be able to read books about kids with gay parents because my kids deserve that. 2 again) Just realized that I didn't actually respond to your questions though! And that's because I don't know the answer! When there are fewer people like you in a group of people, then I guess it is harder to find your community. But maybe there are spaces in real life where you can find your people? When I want to meet queer, potlucking hippie-types I go to contra dances, but I don't know where you would find politically moderate academics! Maybe in the business or economics department?? 3) Centrist like Joe Biden or what? If the first kind, probably MANY academics are the same but don't want to incur the wrath of their more radical colleagues by touting it. Read the commentary here or the NY Times comments sections to find people with similar classical liberal views. 4) Like 3 said, classical liberal views come up here all the time but get labelled as RWNJ or racist by anonymous extremists. IRL the people who are loudest on this are usually complete hypocrites - white folks from affluent backgrounds with TT jobs screaming about "check your privilege" but certainly never going to do their own right thing and give their spot to a BIPOC or doing mental gymnastics about they're actually oppressed too because they once tried to be bisexual. 5) Hi OP I find the same thing. To 1)...your response, to me, reinforces the problematic issue and language that I think OP is alluding to. For example, could we have a constructive discussion here or on other social media or even in person about what "full civil liberties" are and ought to be? Or will a polarized, us vs them ethos dominate and create new problems? Or maybe that question itself is polarizing! The (correct, from a strategic job hunting point of view) observation that 1 makes to avoid politics during interviews exemplifies the metaissue. I wonder if it will improve or continue to intensify 6) ime the average academic isn't really that far left politically (the average undergrad on the other hand...), but the wild state of american politics has painted all professors as tankies. It's all a big media game and there is already a diversity of political views in the ivory tower 7) @4, I know you are frustrated with insincere white savior types, or people who only do lip service. But you don't have the right to question, undermine, or ridicule someone else's sexuality. Let's leave that out of it and keep the focus where it belongs. 8) US academics are in general a very centrist group, and are primarily classical or social liberals (center-right idealogies). While there are definitely left-wing (anti-capitalism, anti-colonialism) academics, and right-wing academics, their numbers are fairly limited. 9) @ 6 undergrads aren't actually all that extreme - they may parrot things they heard on TikTok or whatever but many of them are craving a more thoughtful approach to figuring out their world. 4) @ 7: you failed to comprehend the point and demonstrated part of what OP was concerned with but I guess you also missed the "SciencingBi" debacle. 6) @9 the extremes are always the loudest, but I would still say that the average professor leans to the right of the average student. 10) I have been a prof at a small college for about 10 years and I can say that the average faculty member at my institution leans left to very far left in comparison to the average citizen. I have been in multiple groups of faculty from across units where the discussion is about which type of marxism individuals best align with (Leninism, Trotskyism, etc.). I agree that the most extremes tend to be the most vocal and I am not suggesting that all profs are marxists but I am suggesting that the needle is far left of center for many with very few right or far right of center (depending on how one classifies libertarian views). Political views I find are rather predictable by discipline, as has been suggested above - I have never heard scientists talking about marxist perspectives but I have only every heard vocal suport for one (US) political party. I suspect there are some who do support other parties and viewpoints but are not comfortable expressing these opinions, which I believe is the problem OP is referring to. I do suspect that regardless of political affiliation, most of us hold the same or largely similar values and it is a shame that we can't be more open to other opinions. x2 11) Just popping in to say that I am with you OP--I always considered myself quite classically liberal but progressive in the "pro-wealth redistribution" sort of way, but I feel just lost in academia when it comes to many of the progressive trends. [edited by myself because it turned into a vent]. Anyway, you're not alone, but it can be hard to talk about because there really are a few radical people loudly policing ideas and speech---but many fewer than it seems. For what it's worth, I consistently find one-on-one or small group conversations on controversial topics among academics are still really invigorating; it's when everyone gets in a large group that the fear of being contrary kicks in because of the inordinately loud voices. 12) I feel like this is turning into reddit but worse 13) I work at a large public R1, and see little of the left-wing faculty referred to by #10. The most political debate among faculty I see (other than about things directly affecting our daily jobs) is about which conservative presidential candidate deserves support (among Trump, Biden, Desantis, etc.) 14) @13 wut? where are you?!? 15) this entire thread feels like it's a bunch of sock puppet trolls. **dumpster fire** 16) @ 5 please lead the way what you think are 'full civil liberties'. As a queer acedemic I am really interested to know, all ears! This is indeed a **dumpster fire** thread 17) Although someone asked this already in a less diplomatic way, I do think the meaning of "centrist" makes a big difference here. OP if you have some sympathies with right wing economic policies, I think you can find like-minded colleagues in the academic world, especially at larger research institutions (at least in my experience). If you have sympathies with strongly social conservative movements and/or MAGA alt right crowds you're less likely to find allies for reasons that hopefully are clear to most of us, given that many of us work in fields that are actively attacked by those same political movements (especially those of us in climate change-related research) 17) Keep in mind that Joe Biden, Hillary, and Obama are all political centrists and I would speculate that the politics of most faculty in my department align with them. Sure, there is a lot of virtue signalling and bandwagoning on the progressive issue du jour, but overall I don't think most faculty are particularly leftist. 18) If by "centrist" you mean that you think everyone should be treated equally in hiring and promotions, and that you don't think that making DEI statements should be mandatory, then I think that you actually probably do have a lot of company in biology departments on college campuses. Anonymous surveys suggest that there are a lot of centrists at Universities, but it might not feel that way because other people are also being careful to be quiet about unpopular opinions. As far as how to find others with similar opinions to discuss, I'm not sure. I wish that centrists were more free to openly discuss their opinions without getting shot down and labeled as racists x2 19) Many US universities are public (even more so when you weight by enrollment) and virtually all receive public funds in some form or another. If you're okay with discriminating against colleagues or job candidates with views you don't like, you're opening the door to allow the same treatment when your political opponents take office. It's absolutely vital for universities to be places where a broad spectrum of political views can be heard and the political views of faculty are not a liability. x4 20) the problem is that many political goals on the right wing (e.g. limiting access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare) are not grounded in any evidence based approaches to running a healthy society. Academics, especially scientists, follow the evidence. Imo there's room for a variety of evidence-based political viewpoints that span the spectrum, but none for the reactionary thoughtless ones that dominate modern conservative politics in the US. 19) It sounds like you're justifying discriminating against viewpoints you disagree with. If that's your standard, you'll have no defense for being fired for holding liberal views when a conservative governor gets elected. There isn't a single political ideology that is exclusively evidence-based, of course, so let's not kid ourselves that "we just support evidence-based policy." 21) it's worth noting that diversity of thought is, more often than not, explicitly mentioned in DEI policies of schools, provided that the speech doesn't violate school policies against hate speech, etc...in my courses I explicitly talk to students about agreeing on general guidelines for discussing potentially difficult or contentious topics within class discussions. As academics though I think it's understandable to have concerns about political talking points that aren't based on evidence or fact, given that informed and evidence-based opinions are the entire purpose of education. For instance, climate change denial and antivax talking points (some of the latter coming from parts of the left as well, but predominantely the right). Not saying that those perspectives should be "banned" on campus or anything of the sort, but if one political party is particularly adament about denying science, that party might end up being underrepresented among scientists for reasons unrelated to exclusion and more related to self-selection x2 5) hi @16 i was thinking about free speech | |
270 | 1/4/24 10:40 | LOR requested but no interview invite | 1/5/24 12:41 | Any ideas why this might happen? Are my LOR not good enough? (1) How long ago did they request letters? They might still be discussing applications, especially with the holidays it might be a bit slow too 2) other people already got invites to interview in person so I know for a fact I didn't make the short list 3) Did this happen once or 12 times? A lot of long-lists are 10-50 people that get letter requests, The interview list is usually 3-5. Just by the math once isn't an issue. 10x might be. 4) Do you have a specific reason to think one of your letter writers may be writing a weak letter? I have been on a few search committees and the LORs have never really been the thing to push a candidate in either direction. Typically they confirm what is already in the application. It is still worth talking to your letter writers about what you want them to emphasize in their letters. And share your application materials with them so they know what you are putting out there. 5) I read a negative letter in a different context from job apps, but similar review criteria. We all read the letter and said "wow what a dick." Everyone on the committee then looked for ways to override what was clearly motivated by an awful COI. If all your letter writers raise a weakness people will probably pay attention. 6) Thank you! I guess I had always been lucky in the sense that whenever LOR were requested I would then receive an interview invite which didn't happen this time. I'm in my fourth year of a TT position looking to move elsewhere and I guess I feel a bit self-conscious about my productivity and feel like some of my referees might no longer be relevant as I haven't kept much in touch with them since finishing my PhD so I'm not sure if they can speak about my most recent achievements and where my research program is at the moment and where it is going. 7) If I posted after every missed long list this board would be swamped x3 .4again) @6: If you are 4 years into your TT position and your letter writers from 4 years ago are not up-to-date on your current activities, then it is perfectly reasonable to find alternative references who can talk about who you are now (and not who you were 4-6 years ago). Our letter writers are supposed to be advocates and they need to do that from an informed place. If you don't help them by staying in touch or ensuring that they can write about your current work and future plans, then the letters probably aren't helping and may actually be undermining your application. | |
271 | 1/3/24 11:25 | Childcare during interview | 1/4/24 6:13 | I got an invitation to interview that offers help finding childcare during an interview if needed. That is huge. I do not need this, but I am really glad other people who do have access. It really is a fantastic move by the Dept. (1) really glad this is being considered but also worried about the information of having child will be used in negative ways, especially exposing one as a parent will have different (maybe even opposite) effects on mom/dad.. 2) They're going to find you childcare where you currently live? Or you're supposd to bring your kid with you to the interview? OP) Might just be financial support (pay babysitter you choose). Didn't ask the details because I don't need it. | |
272 | 1/3/24 7:17 | Updated Anon Qual data exploration app | 1/12/24 14:39 | OP) updated the EcoEvo jobs app; a little more data, marginal histograms, and the ability to plot your own data for comparison. https://john-benning.shinyapps.io/shiny/ (1) I feel that posting the data on gender and offer rate so publicly, given the obviously flawed and biased data, is problematic 2) after last year's troll who faked data and claimed it was sourced from here, I really don't see how this could be useful OP) I did not know there was any evidence these data were faked/flawed/biased in any particular way (tho I knew they were obviously not perfect). When u have the time, can you point me toward those discussion(s)? Feel free to email me too - jwbenning@gmail.com 3) What is the evidence that data was faked? 4) what is @2 talking about? x2 2) the evidence was an impossibly short amount of time that the troll claimed it took to generate the "data" on recent hires and also somehow had inside knowledge about multiple recent spousal hires, all while refusing to share the "data". That troll was supposedly looking at recent hire data, so the same methods as what J Fox has done, and not the same thing as what OP has done here. I want to make that clear it was different "data" then OP put together here. To find it, just search "DEI" on last years sheet, it was back in June. 4) I think its okay to have a tool to visualize data and see what we can see even if the data is flawed. We all know where it came from and how it might be biased, so it's kind of a 'use with caution' situation. If it says that women are getting more jobs, then so be it. x2 5) Are people still denying that women get more jobs? There was a PNAS paper ten years ago that showed this. The effect is even stronger today 4) Although we still make less overall and are underrepresented in leadership roles, so I guess we have a mixed bag on that. 6) it's not a mixed bag at the early career level though, which is what this board is about 7) Isn't the salary difference at ECR just due to negotiating differences? I.e. the fault of the hire, not of the institution? 4) I think if we could frame these problems less about whose fault it is and more about how to solve the problem then we might get more done and also people would be less upset. If the issue is that women don't negotiate as hard, then that problem could be solved by having non-negotiable salaries (with higher initial offers so that people don't get less money as a result). Or by providing more training on how to negotiate. Even if its not the fault of individual schools, its still not how we want things to be, so we should fix it. (and if we get to a point where men are considered underrepresented in the field, like they are in nursing for example, then hiring initiatives should support them too. But I don't think that's how the balance is yet.) 8) @5 How do you know the effect is stronger today? Was there a follow-up paper? 9) yes @8 there was a follow up paper. they even coauthored with someone who was sceptikal of the earlier paper (10) First paper I think https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1418878112 11) @ 4: Nice thought but "let's pay everyone more AND the same" isn't realistic. At the very least, there should be some discretion for higher productivity like there is in pretty much every other field. And if that sticks in your craw, paying people more will mean FEWER TT jobs, just like free tuition would mean fewer grad school spots. Careful what you wish for. 2) like many other PNAS papers, the title overstates the results and the evidence is underwhelming. the more recent followup https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15291006231163179 was more interesting, but if you read it carefully you’ll see it is a mixed bag for early career folks in our broader field of life sciences/biology and no evidence of a female advantage in hiring! It would be really interesting to have real ecoevo data, but imo this google sheet ain't it. 12) How could anyone read those papers and honestly claim "no evidence of a female advantage in hiring"? 13) for life sciences/biology, there was no evidence of a big advantage unlike other fields. look for table 3 and paragraphs around there. also, yikes to that leaky pipeline from PhD. 4) @11 I don't really mean that the salaries would be higher. I just mean that if people weren't going to be able to negotiate then the schools should try to initially offer the salary they want to end up paying rather than a low-ball one that they figure they're going to have to put up a bit after negotiations. So that the salaires end up the same in the end. (although it does seem like some of these places ought to be able to put their salaries up a little bit too! Many of these offers have us getting paid just about the same as the tuition and fees for one student. Shouldn't they be able to afford to give us tuition and fees for one and a half students?? Especially in high cost of living areas! I just googled "how do faculty live in EXPENSIVE CITY" and the consensus was that I should marry somebody who will make more than me! Unfortunately, I am already married and did not do that!) 14) @13, you mean the table that shows that women make up 1/3 of the applicant pool in environmental science but get 1/2 the jobs? 13) incorrect. biological sciences = 37.6% applied, 34.0% interviewed, 27.3% hired. even for AGRICULTURE/environmental science it's 42.5% women hired, which is not "1/2". the NRC data says biology 34% hired. it is still mostly men being hired in the end. also see Figure 4, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.12.092247v1.full.pdf there's a lot of year to year variability and it is still under 50%. it is not how @5 claims that "women get more jobs" 14) So @15 admits there is an advantage for women in environmental science. they also overlooked the fact that the advantage is increasing over time. careful reading and all that 13)@14 tell me you haven’t actually worked on a project in ECOLOGY funded by NSF without telling me you haven’t worked on a project funded by NSF. why are you even on ecoevojobs? I am pointing out real data sources, unlike you, and in reality we are no where close to your claim based on fake “data” that 83% of jobs going to women. 16) Theres nothing fake about the high percentages. On the negotiations tab: 60% of all R1 jobs were offered to women. Look at Canada! 82% of Canadian offers were to women. Go and download it if you don't believe me 19) @ 13: NSF funding has nothing to do with hires. The difference you see there is from a) a lag between ECR hires and the old boys' club at NSF, and/or (definitely to a lesser extent) b) the result of hiring based on identity instead of the best CV. At worst, unprepared and unsupported hires get to compete with better grant writers. x3 13) @ 19/14, you completely missed the point and are just exposing yourself as the troll. 20) noone is trolling, grow up | |
273 | 1/2/24 14:58 | Search committee pressuring me to schedule interview on date I'm not available! | 1/5/24 16:37 | 1) They gave you a list of days and you said you aren't available on any of them, or they told you one date? 2) I told them when I was available, but they have too many candidates for those dates and aren't being flexible. 3) It sounds like the search committee may have some difficult scheduling conflicts to manage among the interview candidates? Which if so is really unfortunate. But whatever; you don't know--can't know--all the constraints they're operating under. I think they're within their rights to tell you "interview on such-and-such date or else we won't consider you further." That sucks for you, but I don't think there's anything you can do about it. 4) Can't you just give them more dates (ones they didn't suggest initially)? Someone has to flex here. 5) Yes, I would think that if they want you and if you want them, then something is going to work out! If you are really not free on the dates that they offered, then I agree with 4- offer some alternatives. Apologize and sound polite. They have to understand, for example, that people might have multiple interviews and cannot reschedule those. 6) Sound polite and be as accommodating as possible. If you really can't budge...they should bend to you. If you don't *want* to budge, now is the time to do it (assuming you're really interested in the job). And yeah, it's pretty inconsiderate to only offer dates that you've already said you're unavailable for, I'm sorry. 7) If it is Europe, they won't budge. You will have to forfeit or make the date they offer. 2 again) Thanks all for the advice. Why does Europe sound terrible? 8) If they gave you 4 dates and you aren't free on any of them they might perceive that as a lack of interest. But other than that, I can do dates 1/2 but not 3/4 would be a normal response. The only time I really got pressure was when the search chair was pulling shenanigans. It may be important to distinguish whether the academics are saying no or if a department admin is arbitrarily saying no. Email the academic chair if it's an admin. 8) if they are scheduling other candidates with constraints on the dates you said you were available but not you, that certainly tells you something about their priorities, unless you were just very late to respond to their scheduling email. If you really want this job, move your own schedule and shine. That's the only way I can see. 9) Unpopular opinion here, but how unavailable are you on that date? I would try to do it. It sucks, but they are holding all the cards here. Even if you are wonderful, there are other great candidates. 10) After months of waiting at each stage it honestly should not be too much to ask a committee to just stretch out the interviews a bit to make the dates work. I've also learned that other candidates are often not flexible in the dates that they are 'available' and if you try to be extra flexible it often leads to getting stuck with your least preferred dates. 11) FWIW my partner was just hiring a gov science student position, they offered 4 dates to meet and one candidate said they couldn't do any of those so the search moved on. You're not the main character, bend or lose out. 12) That isn't what OP says happened here though 11. OP gave some dates that they were available and presumably other candidates listed only those same dates. 11) @ 12: semantics. Bad way to make a first impression in either scenario. 13) You'd have to have a very good reason to not be able to budge (which you will have to describe to the search chair). Interviews are often difficult for departments to schedule because of the number of people who need to be available to meet with the candidates. 14) I get it, but I'm still sort of amazed that scheduling among department members needs to be so hard. It speaks to how much freedom faculty have and are accustomed to. The boss could certainly say "these are the inverview dates, this is the meeting/vote day, make yourselves available if you want to be counted". 15) @14 I would imagine the restrictions on the department end are less about getting faculty members in to meetings. Bigger logistical issues are if there are other candidates on those dates, if the search is under a strict timeline from the deans office, organizing meetings between the candidate and the dean, organizing seminar times outside of normally scheduled seminars, etc. If a candidate absolutely can't make a date work because of pre-existing travel, major life events, or work obligations absolutely can't miss, then its just a crappy situation where someone needs to bend or the interview doesn't happen. | |
274 | 12/28/23 7:24 | Applying to jobs after the review date | 12/30/23 18:20 | There was a TT job I saw the day after the review date and was wondering if they would still accept the application. Is it worth taking the time to apply? I would think it is different in every department (and based on how long after the deadline). but would like to hear about people’s experiences with this. 2) Always send it in, but move as fast as you can-- same day as you see it. If HR doesn't cut off the app submission they will almost certainly see it. I had one school where I mixed up the deadlines across 2 depts. They still took my app. Another the submission system closed and I couldn't send anything in. The worst that can happen is they pass over your app, which isn't that different. 3) Be sure to send an email to the chair to make sure they check the HR system for your app. It won't just appear in their mailbox. 4) Apply, especially within just a day or two after. Often takes the HR person a couple of days to collate apps, and they will toss it in if they see it. Less of a chance if more time goes by, and if their HR department is a normal level of strict, they won't just let the search chair toss an app in. 5) It's worth a shot, but don't get your hopes up too high. I've had the same experiences as 2 - once it was fine, and once they decided to not look at my application because it was late. 6) Get it in as soon as possible but still dont expect a full review, likely you would only get looked at if the candidate pool for the initial apps was weak. | |
275 | 12/27/23 20:10 | 6-yr postdocing. should I continue trying? | 1/3/24 18:32 | See "timing out" post below – very similar (identical?) to this one, discussion relevant. 1) Do you have a paper(s) that is coming out in a high profile journal? Or do you have a pending grant proposal with a high chance of funding? If yes, why not? If no, then...you know the answer.. 2) Your best bet in that case is to target research institutes, medical schools, or group leader positions in Europe. They have more Research Associate positions than normal universities. The alternative will be industry which is far better for science than 10 yrs ago. 3) I think 6 years is still reasonable, especially if you have taken leave (and with the disruptions of the pandemic). I got my current job at 6.5 (with a 6 month leave in there) and a colleague got a seriously awesome job at 7. I feel like 6 years was actually pretty normal in the 2010s. You're still eligible for an ERC starting grant at 6 years post-PhD, and that opens doors in Europe. Something to consider. So IMO, 6 years is not doomed, especially if you have some track record of independent funding and/or IOR teaching experience, depending on what kind of job you're hoping for. Though I'd hesitate to start a brand new postdoc position without independent funding at that point. 3) I'm in research that is pretty molec/cell, and 6 years is not looked at as weird. As far as I can tell, all other ecoevo jobs I've applied for, though, have gone to postdocs with fewer years than me--4 years. I've decided to leave, but for a multitude of reasons. The 'timing out' thing sucks, but it is real. I think science in general--and at research universities especially--would greatly benefit from considering more lateral moves of PhD research scientists/advanced postdocs to TT or even tenured, especially those that have gotten their own grants and have done considerable mentoring or even teaching. Katalin Kariko might be the poster child of this, but there are plenty of great scientists who haven't made the cool kids list who deserve (better deserve?) the career stability, pay, and recognition. 4) I'd also say that there's a lot of us who were 2-4 years out when the pandemic hit, right when we were probably "most" desirable and the job market cratered. It feels like, especially in light of that, being a little longer out than was historically the case is not unusual and not a red flag. I don't know if there's a tactful way to bring that up in interviews, but I think its something that search committees should keep in mind! 5) @ 4 - there absolutely should be - did you see all the discussion about gender and "pausing the tenure clock" going on with Asst. Profs at the time? | |
276 | 12/27/23 10:35 | Sheet for 24? | 12/27/23 10:57 | I'm newer to this list/file and with 2023 ending in a few days how far into 2024 will this Google spreadsheet stay active and will we be provided with links or how to find the new one? Sorry if this is answered else where, I could not find the information. 1) It typically lasts for the whole academic year, so there won't be a new sheet until July or August of 2024. | |
277 | 12/26/23 7:38 | Beyond IOR experience - what do SC's expect for teaching-focused jobs? | 1/3/24 7:58 | Not posting this in the FAQ tab because I feel the topic could benefit from some actual discussion. It’s been said a few times here that it’s next to impossible to get a tenure-track position at a PUI without having instructor of record experience. But its base level, IOR experience just means you ran a course using someone else’s pre-developed materials. Useful experience, proves you can handle delivering a course, but is that actually enough for search committees at PUIs or for teaching-focused jobs in general (e.g. Lecturer positions at non-PUIs), or do they really want “higher-level” demonstrations of teaching ability? If so, where is the actual floor? Developed new curriculum for a course? Totally redesigned a course or developed a new one according to the latest evidence-based teaching principles? Got an NSF grant to develop a novel CURE and published with a bunch of undergrads? (Hoping it's not that last one.) 1) What's IOR? 2) Instructor of record, actually being the one charge of a course (at most institutions, the person whose name appears on the course roster). Not sure re: OP's question as I'm not at a PUI nor on search committees. One would think it's unreasonable to expect someone who hasn't held a long-term teaching position to have developed a CURE or have honed some incredibly fine-tuned inclusive ungrading practice or whatever, but you never know. And there are probably some folks out there who can claim those things but are still looking for teaching jobs... 3) Anecdotally people I've known who've been hired at PUIs recently did have instructor of record teaching experience, with some evidence that they'd taken an active hand in shaping the design of the course (so, not necessarily just running through someone else's material), but I don't think it's an expectation to have published with a bunch of undergrads or designed a CURE. 4) I don't really have any evidence to support this, but I've been figuring that the baseline is having taught a course as the instructore of record. In fact, I do know somebody who got a job at a PUI even without having been an instructor of record, although the person had a very clear interest in teaching and a very strong research record. 5) A SLAC dept chair told me that having developed course content was very important regardless of how it was done (IOR vs lectures for outreach). But he also said candidates who talked about how they could foster undergrad research or course-based research and group projects frequently rose to the top. Talking about how you would use that school to moonlight in the lab of a neighboring R1 university was viewed poorly unless framed as an opportunity for their own undergrads. 6) I'm at a PUI and have served on many search committees. There is no hard-and-fast rule in my experience. We've interviewed lots of candidates who hadn't been IOR. I can't remember if we've hired someone who hadn't, but that was rarely a topic of discussion. CUREs and publishing with UGs definitely not required. The equitable hiring training I've done stresses that we evaluate candidates where they are at their career stage, not as if they are all at the same stage. What we look for is someone who is strongly interested in teaching and mentoring undergrads - the last is key at many places. If the ad says you are to mentor research students MAKE SURE you say specifically in your research statement HOW you will involve students. Back to teaching, there are lots of ways grad students and postdocs can get experience without being IOR, including training sessions and workshops at your current institution. Even TAing is better than nothing if you are thoughtful in your teaching statement. In your statement, don't rely on buzzwords or trendy pedagogical techniques (they constantly change) - talk about your educational and mentoring philosophies. How will you motivate a bunch of pre-meds to want to learn anything that isn't human biology? Final thought, if you apply to a PUI with no grad program, don't talk about grad students - that annoys people big time. 7) #6, What does "saying specifically in your research statement how you will involve students" look like? I keep second-guessing my PUI research statements and don't know a lot of people in good positions to give feedback. Is it listing specific tasks/duties students in your lab would have, describing potential student projects, discussing how your research is valuable/interesting/feasible for students, etc.? 8) @7, not #6 but you should talk about what can benefit the students (not what can benefit you) and where you see student projects dovetailing with your work. Most people at a PUI (or at least at mine) would tell you that on average, supervising student projects will slow down "your" research, but supervising student projects is a part of the job that you'll need to do and should want to do (if you want that type of job). If you say "here are a bunch of things that undergrads could do to help with MY research", that won't go over well because it sounds like you're trying to develop a R1-style pyramid scheme where everyone's job is to glorify the professor at the top. There should be ways in which undergraduates can take ownership of parts of the research that you are interested in, ways in which the techniques or equipment you use could be used for student projects and could help students learn XX, ways that you can incorporate parts of your research into the classroom. It is largely about the way that you discuss this - it is not the students' job to support you and help you accomplish your research goals, it is your job to support student learning and research while still accomplishing your own professional goals. 7) Thanks. That’s definitely what I’m going for; guess I just need to find some PUI folks to look over my materials, assuming any more TT positions I’m interested in pop up. It's not like I've gotten zero interest for TT PUI positions, but so far nothing beyond a zoom interview - and my interview rate for teaching-only positions has been better than my rate for teaching + research positions 9) Some teaching-focused positions nevertheless expect PI-driven research, but it can be hard to suss out what each kind of school wants. Hopefully the search committee is open to a taking some questions via email if you're unsure! That's how I learned that a recently hired faculty is putting in major research instrumentation, and thus I felt comfortable describing potential undergrad projects as critical components of my overall research program. So, not quite what #8 was saying, but different from an R1 research statement nonetheless. 10) I was just hired in the last cycle at a PUI. I interviewed at two with minimal teaching experience on my CV, I had taught a lab section of an 100 level course and was preparing to teach a seminar type course to the grad students at a regional comprehensive I was presently employed. At the first PUI I interviewed at, they were focused on my research and how I was going to engage students in a lot of the questions they asked me in individual sessions. I had a research talk and then no teaching demo. They ended up hiring someone who was right at the stage of tenure review at their instituition, meaning they had like 5 years of teaching experience, and the feedback I got was that I didn't have enough teaching experience. I had done enough digging on the department that I had realised that everyone in the department had taught multiple years at another school before they were hired by that school. In others words, I didn't stand a chance and couldn't have known that. At the second school, I got to do a teaching demo and I think that is what sealed the deal for me getting an offer there. It made me really frustrated because I wasn't given an opportunity to demonstrate whether or not I could be a good teacher in the first interview at a teaching-focused PUI, but the feedback I recieved was about my teaching (or lack thereof). It is a great disservice to people like me who want to work at a PUI that our graduate education does such a poor job of making us prepared for that role, and that | |
278 | 12/23/23 11:24 | invited to interview at two separate depts, same university. should i tell them? | 1/3/24 14:27 | OP) dont want to hurt my chances/look uninterested in either dept or suggest that i'm a better fit for the other one, but not traveling back and forth a millionth time would be nice. maybe it shows im a good fit at the uni overall? not sure... 1) I'd tell them. If both departments like you, it could increase your chance of getting a job because each department can pay half. May even open another faculty line to do it. OP) i'm partially nervous theyll think oh well lets go with someone else because we may get her anyway through the other dept 2) I'd tell them too, reinforcing interest in the university overall and in the position in *that particular* department to each. Not telling them could lead to ackward situations down the line if they find out you interviewed in a neighboring department, which seems like relevant information, but purposefully didn't tell them. Not saying there's no possibility to backfire by sharing, but people in the department(s) may also find a transparent colleague more attractive x2 3) Transparent colleagues? Opaque people can't get hired anymore? DEI has gone too far... /s 4) Really the benefit is that you get to ask them what emphasis you should put into each job talk. Which side is my 'good side'? 5) Idk the size of the school, but if they advertise your talk--or even not ADVERTISE but just put up a few fliers--the other dept might see that, they'll find out that way, and that might be more awkward? | |
279 | 12/23/23 8:08 | Applying for postdocs as a more senior postdoc | 12/28/23 12:52 | OP) I applied for a lot of jobs this cycle (> 30) and I only got one offer, which is at a school that is far from my first choice (R2, non-preferred location). I'm in my second postdoc and I have been postdoccing for more than 6 years overall. My funding is running out and my advisor has grants pending, and would be happy to keep me on if they get one. My recent publication record is decent (at least one first author paper per year) and I would be inclined to turn down my job offer and try for a better one next year. If I turn down my job offer and if my advisor doesn't get their grants, what are my chances of finding a new postdoc as someone who has already been postdoccing for more than 6 years? I know some people postdoc for 8 or 10 years, but I think those people are usually staying put in a lab that they are established in. Are PIs open to hiring postdocs with more than 6 years of postdoc experience? Do Universities or funding agencies provide restrictions on how senior new postdoc hires can be? 1) Somewhat similar here. There ARE limits on some funding, like 2, 3, or 5 years post-PhD. Some universities won't call you "postdoc" after the first 2-3 years. I had one handshake offer fall through because the university unions had it in a collective agreement that anyone with a PhD got a pay bump 5 or 6 years post-degree - I would have qualified for that but the PI only had funding for the lower rate. That actually turned out well, they were new-ish and turned out to be a dud, so onerous rules let me dodge a bullet. I just saw a government of Canada postdoc program that is limited to <3 years post-PhD. All that to say, there are still positions for geriatric postdocs but it helps to think of yourself as more of a contract research scientist. 2) This is only my personal opinion, but if I were you OP, I would take the position and then if you aren't happy after a couple years there try to move into a new position with probably more levarge than you would have as a postdoc. 3) at my unuversity you would no longer qualify for a postdoc, and youd need to be hired as a research scientist. x2 4) Take that offer bro, like #2 said, more leverage a few years later if you are unhappy and try to land another faculty position. 5) I turned down a simlar R2 offer non-ideal location, and got a better job the following year. It was scary, but one of the best decisions I've made in this career - I think about how miserable I'd have been in that job. Depends on if you think you can be happy there for a while. 6) I agree with 4. If you were in your third year, I'd agree with 5, but after 6 years of postdocing you're already pushing the boundary on your marketability for PI. If it was stay at your current position, then the tradeoffs are less clear, but an entire new postdoc altogether, I wouldn't think that's a great idea. For context, I turned down a PUI job after my first postdoc (3 years) to do a second postdoc and that was the right decision. I got my current job ( Asst Prof now at R2) at year 6 of postdocing. I'm looking to move now for personal reasons, but I'm way more marketable now than if I had started a third postdoc instead of taking my current job. OP) Thanks everyone for your feedback and perspectives. I haven't decided what to do yet, but it is very helpful to hear about your experiences. Much appreciated! | |
280 | 12/22/23 20:40 | timeline from faculty vote to notifying top candidate | 12/24/23 8:23 | Is it reasonable to expect that a search chair would contact the department's top candidate the same day a faculty vote is held? I did an in-person interiew a few weeks ago and happened to learn the exact day the faculty would beet to decide on their pick. Was given the impression somewhat that the top candidate would be notified the same day - but is that normal? Is there not approval from dean or provost to get before extending verbal offer? 2) Usually they would still need approval from admin before contacting the top candidate. How long that takes can be pretty variable. The same day would be unusual but I think not impossible especially if admin had already been looped in earlier. 3) Sometimes a dept can notify the same day. We generally do, with language that is very careful ("You are the top candidate. You can expect to receive an offer, but we still need formal approval from the dean. We'll start the process of scheduling the 2nd visit once we get the greenlight from the dean.") 4) In my case they were working closely with admin, and I got the call the day after the vote. 5) totally depends on the university. some need to go through dept of equity, deans, etc before saying anything at all, others are more chill 6) In my experience, they typically give a timeline on when to hear back that is always grossly underestimated. They usually take way longer than they say, but I'm sure sometimes it goes the opposite | |
281 | 12/22/23 8:43 | Worth contacting search chair with news of new grants received? | 12/24/23 4:45 | Is it worth contacting a search chair to let him/her know I received the two big grants listed on my cv as "pending" at the time of application? 1) I think so, for sure!! If by pending you meant that you've already gotten them but it wasn't officially announced yet, then maybe not, but assuming you meant that you had listed them as "applied", that could make a big difference. I wouldn't get into a ton of detail, just an email to say "FYI, I got these two big grants that were listed as pending on the CV, happy to answer any questions you might have!" Chairs are annoyed when people try to use something as an excuse to contact them and sell themselves further, e.g., "hey, just wanted to check on the application status because I'm super busy with this exciting new project and writing a manuscript for Science about XX and ..." but this is a legit reason to contact them and let them know! 2) yes absolutely, keep it short and sweet - and put dollar amounts. s2 3) OP: Thanks for confirming 3) I think it depends on where you are in the interview process, but I kind of don't think so? Seems odd to reach out out of the blue and brag about money unless you're at a zoom or on-campus interview stage. 1 again) @4, I respectfully disagree - I agree that the tone matters in the email, but if someone has 0-1 funded grants on the CV and 2 more that they had just applied for (which anyone can do), that is a lot different from having 2-3 funded grants - this could make a difference in whether you move into that Zoom/interview phase and I think is important to mention. The email doesn't have to be bragging, could just say "I recently received two grants that were listed as 'applied for' in my CV - I've attached an updated CV reflecting this. Thank you!" 5) Slightly off topic but would contacting search chair about a new accepted peer-reviewed publication also be okay, in your opinion? 6) I wouldn't bother unless it's a really high profile paper. x3 | |
282 | 12/22/23 0:12 | when search committees "wants to talk" | 3/26/24 15:58 | so it's my first job season and i am curious to know what is common. i was invited to in-person campus visits to two schools. the first school left me a voice message saying they wanted to schedule a time to chat. i anticipated an offer (because why would they call just to tell me they were rejecting me?). ultimately however...they told me they were going with someone else. (totally fine). i just got a second message from another school saying they wanted to chat. what do i expect??? how common is it to be declined over the phone?? is this something that happens a lot?? i was feeling optimistic but now i am second guessing myself...i guess i have to wait and see, but i am curious to know what is common in the academic job market....thoughts? i guess this thread is related to the thread right below mine. 1) I'd say it's courteous to take the time to turn people down by phone. More personal and professional than by email. 2) I've never heard of this happening before. 3) Our chair makes a point of doing it by phone for those who are interviewed. That said, they also call to make the offer, so it could be either. I think it's courteous, too, especially because it's certainly not fun to make those calls, but it is even less fun to receive them, so I think making a personal call is an acknowledgement of that and the responsible thing to do. A lot of times departments really do like the "losing" candidates, and the faculty don't want to burn bridges, either. 4) I have never been called for a job I didn't get. It is definitely not common and I 100% do not want to be called to be told I didn't get the job! A prompt email is perfectly courteous. x5 5) Huh – I've never heard of being called to be rejected (seems hard for them to have to do, an email is totally acceptable). But it is true that a search chair will usually give a positive indication of why they're calling (i.e., in voicemail "hi so and so, we really enjoyed our conversation, pleased to invite you...") and if they don't, maybe it's a sign? 6) Have been called three times for offers and have received many rejections by e-mail or silence, never by phone. Odds are it's good news, but every case is different I guess. 7) Have interviewed several times and been rejected by email, and then one that I LOVED contacted me to schedule a phone call...it was a rejection and they did not give any hint of that at all. It was brutal tbh because I had to react in realtime. Fingers crossed for you OP that this doesn't happen! 8) I appreciate that it's polite to give a personal rejection, but at the same time it just seems cruel to call since the call is almost always good news. Ouch! 9) Last year I recieved three responses by phone- two were rejections and one was an offer. The offer came without notice while the rejection calls were scheduled ahead of time (e.g. "give me a call at your earliest convenience" or "lets find a time to talk in the next few days"), but I don't think there is any kind of standard practice. I actually appreciated the rejection calls, which came from the search chairs, though it was disappointing and stressful to not know which one it would be. 10) My new policy: Don't pick up. Let the call go to voicemail while you think over your next move, then call back promptly. Reacting in real-time can be hard and it can force you to e.g. pick campus visit dates on the spot. 11) I was rejected by phone, but I was an internal candidate who didn't get the job so my department chair called me. I had unofficially known for weeks from sources outside the department, so I knew why he was calling. But it also just felt like he wanted to make sure I would still come back and teach the classes I was scheduled for the next semester, even though I didn't get the TT job. I would have preferred an email.OP here @9--I actually did miss the original phone call, and they left an email asking to schedule a call. was super awk to have a zoom (a ZOOM) to learn i didnt have an offer. happy update tho--I got a job offer from the second university!!! and it's my dream job so i am thrilled. 9) Congratulations!! That is so great! x6 10) @OP what a roller coaster, but congrats! x4 11) Had a great campus interview for a TT position: one of the best talks I ever gave, great interactions wiht everyone I met, everyone told me I was a great/excellent fit for the department, some people even told me in confidence that I was the favorite candidate! Two weeks later I received a email from the chair to schedule a phone call the very next morning with the vice dean. I was sure I was going to get the offer, why bothering the vice dean for a rejection? haha, right? well, they offered me a non tenure track teaching position. I guess it's better than rejection ( and I got another TT offer few days before, so everything is fine), but be prepared for anything with these phone calls!!!! | |
283 | 12/21/23 10:48 | Info/advice for newbies | 12/21/23 11:39 | We need a tab with advice for newcomers to the job market, with answers to Qs that keep popping up in many ads. E.g.: don't expect salary to be posted, don't expect to receive a formal rejection for a long time, if ever 1) I agree, an FAQ would be helpful, also for common abbreviations (R1, PUI, SLAC, etc.) AP) Feel free to start a new tab folks! 1) Okay, cool. I just did that. Don't have time to type in any answers right now, but I put in a few questions to get us started | |
284 | 12/20/23 5:52 | Remote postdoc? | 12/26/23 5:23 | OP) I am a PhD student working on microbial bioinformatics. I would like to find a remote postdoc (due to personal circumstances). However, I feel that PIs are not very open to this possibility, although the work I would do could be done 100% remotely. I wonder if maybe I'm daydreaming too much with the possibility of a a remote postdoc... Any thoughts? 1) I am a PI and not legally allowed to hire remote postdocs. If someone already knew you well just didn't ask questions about how you got an address for legal mail delivery in the area, maybe you'd get away with it. But I've seen too many people in the pandemic to start someone off that way. Some people do work remotely. Most get so much less done. It's also more difficult to interact and fix problems with the work. You miss out on the lab culture and interactions that help people so much. That's the real reason so many are resistant. You might get farther if you can find a collaborating lab nearby that they trust. That way you'd have a lab of people and senior PI to keep tabs. 2) @1, I understand those concerns, but it is definitely much much more common to allow remote work for postdocs (or mostly remote work) since the pandemic and especially for computational/analytic projects. Unfortunate that you can't legally hire people remote, but most universities have ways to allow for remote work. It isn't at all unreasonable to hire remote postdocs when contracts are relatively short and the work can be done just fine from anywhere. I do agree about the missing out on lab culture, but I don't think it's necessarily true that remote postdocs will get less done on the project. 3) This is very PI dependent. I've known some to be chill hiring fully-remote postdocs for computational work, but some say hell no. It is definitely worth asking if you are interested in the project and fit the bill. 1 again) A postdoc already in my group was facing a move for a partner. I would have dealt with some days away if he'd ended up in that situation more than a few weeks. But he still would need a legal address in my area to keep his position. 4) Or do like my new postdoc: don't say anything, accept the position, and then tell the PI you're not moving and will be working remotely. /s 5) A lot of PIs also like to hire postdocs for the interactions they bring and to mentor grad students, formally or otherwise. Unfortunately, a lot of this work is far less effective when done remotely even if the research and writing can be done by a remote person.x2 6) @4, I might unhire that person if you still have the chance. If they act that way now it will only get worse over the course of the postdoc. And frequently those anti-social behaviors are coupled inability to work with others-- that often leads to lower productivity or lower quality work. 6) @1, I'm confused about this rule. Pretty much everywhere I'm familiar with has ways to hire remotely. It sometimes requires jumping through some hoops, but it certainly isn't illegal. I totally get that in person is better in a number of ways and it's great for your grad students, but you all have to realize that is often a very bad deal for the postdoc given the cost (money and personal) of relocating, short contract, and low pay. Of course there1 are some postdocs where the work just can't be done remotely, which is another issue. If you really want all the other people in your lab in person then do a better job getting multi-year funding and raise the salary or hire staff scientists. 1 again) State laws require that employees at the university live within the state. I'm not sure how far away they would tolerate, but I know 5 hrs drive isn't tolerated at all based on past enforcement. It is a fairly normal thing for an employer to require that employees be present on location. 7) Remote is often theoretically possible (depending on local rules) but as pointed out it comes with drawbacks. I don't think people realize that twitter threads about postdoc salaries, relocating, etc., aren't viable strategies in real life. Like, for #4's situation, maybe they can do a decent job and meet their requirements, but they also won't be contributing to the lab culture and student training. Crucially, you can meet your job expectations and still not end up with a good reference because acting like a duplicitous taint comes with consequences and there is nothing stopping anyone from viewing your righteous stand as markers of someone they don't want to - and don't have to - work with.. 8) @7, I hope you aren't in the business of 'training' any postdocs. Lots of comments on here about why the PI wants postdocs in person, but tellingly few about the value of these 'training' positions for the postdocs themselves. 9) We all shall just stop with this hypocrisy and be honest: its a zero sum game, PIs want whats best for them, i.e., a postdoc at hand to do their biddings, postdocs want whats often best for them, to avoid the cost of frequent displacements. In the end, choice is yours, I refused to move for a postdoc and now unemployed, but its totally worth it for the family :) 7) @ 8 - see, those are exaclty the kind of comments that might make you unattractive as a potential hire! Anyways, there HAVE been remote postdoc ads but I'd expect to see fewer in the future than there were during the pandemic. Also important to note that a remote position might leave you personally responsible for travel costs when you do have to be present. 7) Again - if a postdoc isn't training, as 8 felt the need to put in quotation marks, and it is instead a job, thinking you can obligately dictate to your employer is the type of thing that comes out online rhetoric. Maybe you can, maybe you can't, but it's one of those rights-vs-privilege things. Said as a geriatric postdoc and highly experienced grants to pay for the extra tax BS. If you can hire remote, it creates a vastly larger candidate pool. It's hard enough to find postdocs, let alone peoinstructor and supervisor who has moved multiple times to multiple continents AND had a remote postdoc where I was responsible for field travel costs. 1) No PI that I am friends with wants postdocs at their beck and call. Viewing that relationship as antagonistic is unhealthy and not the way to get quality science. Most PIs want postdocs to succeed in growth, career building, and produce high quality research. If your advisor isn't helping you build a CV for career success move to a new lab. Real positive advisor relationships work better in person if at all possible-- discussion and training is horribly difficult remotely. 9) for bioinformatics remote postdoc is absolutely possible - we can hire remote postdocs with about $1000 cost that can come from indirects on ple with PhDs who want to get up and move. I did my postdoc at a new instututuon I had to move to while having kids, and it was basically remote anyway. I didn't do happy hours or have time to hang around the water cooler, etc... all that is fat. The meat is - can you get papers. That's all that matters. Lab culture is overrated (considering how busy I am), focus on the true currency (papers) 7) @ 1 hear, hear! @ 9: papers are important but it's not clear that beyond the ability to get them published (apart from the lighting-in-a-bottle SNCs), numbers alone won't help you and can actually hurt if you look like a paper mill. 9) If it is your first postdoc, you might have a harder time getting someone to trust you. If you've already had a productive computational position, it might be easier. PIs might also have a hard time arguing that they can effectively mentor you if you are remote. You can also look for reserach scientist positions that don't have that requirement but are essentially the same research work. Might have to look outside of eco/evo into biomedical research for that, though. 9) @7 - of all the things to focus on during postdoc, that can position you for success on the faculty job market - it is 100% unequivocally papers. Not pure absolute numbers, but do you have a track record of steady production since your first paper? SCs can judge pretty well the quality of your publications, they don't have to be CNS, but there also needs to be sufficient quantity - and all your dissertation papers need to be out by first or second year of postdoc. I tell my trainees if you want a faculty job, what to focus on in early career is papers papers papers, then fellowships and grants, and then teaching/outreach/communication waaaaaaay down at the bottom (in fact this likely matters not at all depending on what types of jobs you're going for). In PhD/post-PhD, papers is the number one indicator of future success. 10) @7, universities are happy to call these positions training/student roles when it is used to justify low pay and poor benefits. They shouldn't be allowed to have it both ways without at least having the hypocrisy pointed out. @1, I seriously doubt this is the state law. Faculty must be disappointed when they can only take their sabbatical year within a few hours of your campus. 11) @ 10: That's a ridiculous argument. They would still have their official residence in the state. | |
285 | 12/19/23 9:31 | Timing out? | 12/20/23 19:51 | OP) I've been on the job market a few years, and my CV is OK (I have a few good first author pubs, and have been interviewed at a bunch of good schools). However, I have recently noticed that some institutions tend to interview and hire newly minted PhDs versus people with a few years of postdoc experience. The interviewed candidates have great track records, and definitly have the potential to be academic "rock stars", but I'm wondering where this leaves folks like me with multiple years of postdoc experience? When do people tend to "time out"? When should I give up applying for TT positions, or should I just focus on publications and hope my CV stays competitive? 1) I think this depends on you and what you want. I know some folks that get great teaching-focused and R1 jobs straight out of a PhD...and have postdoc friends that struggled to get traction on the job market and are now taking off in years 3-5 of postdocing. I think universities can be attracted to young, bright "superstars" that seem fresh, but don't necessarily think more experienced postdocs are looked down upon. If you're getting interviews, you're competitive – how long you keep trying to the right job (or a job) depends on you and your career goals. But my take: Don't let some preconceived notion of what committees do or don't want keep you from applying to jobs you're excited about. 2) My take is similar to 1. If you're getting interviews, especially on campus, you're competitive. I'm several years out, did a long postdoc, now an AP looking to move. I'm getting more interviews this year than last year. I think it really just depends on the university and their philosphy. I noticed the universities that interview me often have recently hired APs who started elsewhere. 3) I'm one of the lurkers on here who regularly pines for transparency in applicant/candidate lists with rankings and rationale because the dozens of hires I've been aware of and the searches I've been privy to sure seem to favor the fresh and new over the more seasoned. I'm leaning towards the cause being, generally, the fresher grads will be easier to influence by the existing faculty because FOTM in terms of research focus is very much a thing. 4) @3 Different faculty have very different criteria - some prefer a more established person (5+ years out of PhD, ideally already a prof) others prefer the new PhD grad with a fresh science/nature paper. The diversity of opinions only goes up once the faculty actually vote after interviews. 5) New hires into TT asst prof of ecology positions in N America vary widely in years of post-PhD experience. Getting hired straight out of a PhD with no postdoc is extremely rare. Anything from 2-6 years post-PhD is typical. New hires who are >8 years post-PhD are rare but not unheard of. None of this has changed since before the pandemic, and your own anecdotal experiences shouldn't lead you to think anything's changed at a systemic level this year. See https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/ecology-faculty-job-market-data/. Of course, these data don't tell you anything about how your own application will be viewed by any specific search committee. But as others said, if you're getting interviews, you're competitive. 3) My comment was based on about 13 years of direct observation. I'm aware of variation - hopefully we all are - and outliers. I'm also aware that dynamicecology gets shit on for not having an impossibly perfect dataset, and a big contributing factor for that is that institutions rarely even announce who they actually hire for which ad, and never in the case of hires for unadvertized positions. 6) For what its worth, I've recieved feedback from one position that I didn't get in the UK saying they prefer more experienced candidates. I'm 3 yrs post PhD w/ ~10 first author papers. 7) hard agree @3. publicly funded universities should be legally required to post who they hired for what position | |
286 | 12/18/23 20:33 | Really slowin down around here | 1/5/24 16:38 | OP) Job postings have been REALLY slow since November...anyone remember if this has been similar in previous years, or whether this year is an anomaly? 1) I've noticed a lot of jobs that aren't on the page. Mostly from smaller teaching-focused schools. Some of those are broad biology searches, and some are environmental science. Could it be because people are trying this year to make sure to only put jobs that are really very ecology and evolution specific on the spreadsheet? Anyways, yes, I've noticed not a lot of jobs on the spreadsheet, but there have been more (at least that are relevant for me) on the HigherEd Jobs website. You're checking that too, right? 2) About half of my zoom interviews thus far have come from jobs not posted here... 3) There are usually some that get released in Jan. Some will be more biomedical, some will be targeted to senior hires, and some will be committees that just didn't get it together before Dec. Also,#2, post the jobs if they are evo or send us a link to alternative site if another subject. This board works in part b/c people share info to overcome the asymmetry between schools and job seekers. x3 2) The wugh (even though I'm an ecologist, and so my plan is to do ecology at any job I apply for, and I do sometimes get interviews from these jobs that are called environmental studies or environmental science) OP) Thanks, all, helpful to know. I have HigherEd Jobs alerts set but I'ebsite I'm using besides this one isn't discipline-based. It's just HigherEdJobs: https://www.higheredjobs.com/Default.cfm. You can set it to send you a daily email with the jobs from whichever disciplines you want to see. Almost all of the ones on this sheet are on there, but not all of the ones on there are on this sheet. And okay, I'll post them as I see them. I get a lot of comments that it's not enough within the discipline thom generally surprised at how few jobs seem to be posted right now (obviously right now we're kind of in a holiday slow-down period, but early to mid-Nov didn't have a ton of traffic relative to what I'd expected). 4) This is similar to when jobs slow down every year. Doesn't seem to be anything unusual about it. 5) It's disappointing when people come here to see the crowd-posted jobs, but don't themselves post jobs that aren't already here like there's an advantage to doing that. 6) Having been guilty of that in the past, I will say it's much better to post the job and be able to see updates than to not post it and be stuck wondering because you think not posting it will mean less competition. 2) But also it is true that people complain a lot in the comments if they think a job isn't ecology/evolution-focused enough. I figure almost everyone uses HigherEd jobs, so posting or not probably doesn't impact competition much? (but also I will admit to feeling nervous about posting, especially if its a job that I really want. But I do usually post when the position is very ecology-focused.) | |
287 | 12/16/23 16:23 | new NGO/research institutes | 12/22/23 5:51 | academia is clearly broken and more like a pyramid scheme. maybe I am missing something, but why is starting a new NGO or research institute not a more viable option? anyone else thought about this? 2) Because how are you going to fund it? Have you seen NGO salaries? 3) This is something I have also considered. Seems like it could be done, but would be a tough slog to get off the ground. Certainly the ability to write in much lower IDC costs into grant proposals would be a nice perk. Seems like this could be viable if you're willing to risk having no income for a while, have some ability to fund pilot data collection/research supplies, and can work from home. Pretty niche situation. 4) I know one or two people who have done this, and essentially set themselves up as a consulting firm that can be put on to grants etc, and have been reasonable successful. 5) afaik, independent nonprofit institutions tend to have even higher IDC than universities, which can use tuition to help subsidise. so to me that indicates the finances are just crazy hard to work out. 6) the reason why is because academia is not a pyramid scheme, despite what internet blogs and forums like to repeat. there is brokenness, though. 7) @6, you're right. It's more of a Ponzi scheme than a pyramid scheme. 6) Yes, more like a Ponzi scheme than a pyramid scheme...but still not even close to a Ponzi scheme. 8) A lot of people close to me have worked at nonprofits outside academia. They typically have low pay and lack job stability, and are often very poorly run. Many of them rely on donors or income streams that are unstable. They guilt you into working long hours for crappy pay and benefits because you are supporting the "mission" or whatever. It's a hard case to make that they are generally better than academia. Exceptions might be if you got a billionaire to fund one as a vanity project and funding was stable over the years. (9) "They guilt you into working long hours for crappy pay and benefits [...]" sounds a lot like academia in general. To OP, could always go rogue like these peeps: https://binomicalabs.org/about-us/ 10) Yeah, but I think we're talking like $30-$40 working for NGOs. I could be wrong though. That's based on people I know doing human rights stuff, not science. But a lot of people start out working those jobs when they're young because they're idealistic and care about the cause. Then they hit their mid-30s and maybe want to have children or buy a house, and they realize that they actually would like to have some money, and so they stop working for non-profits. Lots of young people in those groups. 8 again) Yeah, if you think pay in academia is bad, check out most other nonprofits! The top executives are overpaid, but everyone else is starved. Postdocs make as much or more than most positions at non-academic nonprofits. Professors generally make more and have way more job stability and better benefits. There are exceptions, etc. | |
288 | 12/15/23 14:45 | recommendation letters- who to ask? | 12/16/23 5:39 | OP- It has been 10 years since my last postdoc and I have been adjuncting since then or have had one long-term soft money institute faculty position. Is my postdoc advisor's recommendation still relevant? My first postdoc advisor was also kind of an A-hole- famous enough where knowing how toxic he was, relatively younger but well-established PIs who openly talk against toxic culture on twitter still don't say a word about him. How do I get past not having his recommendation in a field that is too small world? I left his lab rather than being kicked out but I left after telling him that he isn't a nice person to work with and that I do not care how big he is in the field. But it has definitely hampered my chances because no one wants to go against him. 2) Also a soft-money researcher several years post-PhD and I nolonger use my PhD advisor or 1st postdoc advisor as letter writiers (and I'm getting interviews). I use more recent colleagues/mentors who better reflect my current work. Not a toxic situation in my case, I just feel like people who I work with currently can better reflect who I am professionally than those folks, and it seems to be working out. OP- good to know- thank you @2 | |
289 | 12/14/23 20:37 | Why this math professor objects to diversity statements | 12/22/23 13:00 | https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/professor-american-academia-parallels-soviet-union/676305/ 2) I was just thinking that its been a minute since someone lit a DEI discussion dumpster fire. 'bout time lol 3) What if we just decided not to talk about this one? We already know what we have to say on both sides of this, and I don't think our conversations change anybody's mind. x2 4) It is one thing to be against DEI statements but this guy also says “I am suspicious of an institutional requirement to do public good,”. He is literally working in a public institution. What is the point of a University funded by public money other than doing public good? 5) @ 4 differing opinions as to what constitutes "good" and how it should be approached. Of great relevance: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. 5) I'm not going to read that particular article but one excellent point that has been made before on this topic is that requiring these statements, or land acknowledgements, or anything else of the sort, is akin to oaths of allegiance and ultimately performative. It makes the sincere statements meaningless and rewards convincing bad actors, while acheiving none of the intended goals.x4 6) @5, that's not blanket true. Some places definitely just ask for DEI statements as lip service even though they don't care, but other universities absolutely care and value actions described in them. My last interview focused pretty heavily on DEI work (both my own and that of the department), but I've had others that could care less. I wish universities were more honest up front, cause I would 100% avoid places that perforatively request DEI statements and focus my efforts on applying to places with values that align with mine. 3 again @4) Are you seriosly making an argument against public university having a mandate of doing public good? Damn academics always have to be argumentative against even the basic truths. (x1) 7) @ 3 again: Define "good". Get people to agree on it. Get ready to reevaluate your "good" when new or better info emerges. What will you do when someone else comes along with their version of "good" that conflicts with yours? Or, get real and accept that universitites are about knowledge and today, being an academic is just about having a job. 8) Pretty sure most people would agree that teaching and research are good, and environments that are actively hostile, condescending, and marginalizing are bad...splitting hairs over semantics doesn't negate the fact that there's measurable data on which teaching/mentorship practices alienate people and create exclusionary environments and which teaching practices foster friendly, welcoming, community-oriented learning environments where people still engage in critical thought. Whole point of education is to have informed opinions, maybe you should build a more informed perspective about inclusivity rather than just smugly saying that the definition of "good" is subjective 7) @ 8 not great at introspection, are you? (x2) 8) @ 7 maybe I misunderstood something but it seemed that DEI efforts were being attacked here, my comment was intended to defend inclusivity efforts on campuses as being evidence-based and worth investing time into. If I misunderstood or missed something about what was intended, feel free to clarify. 9) eh, after last year I wish people would just stop feeding this troll and ignore the DEI rage bait they constantly post. last year they went so far as to create completely fake data from recent hires. they are not capable of a good faith discussion. 10) @ 9: are you referring to the NYT article about UC hires? Those data aren't completely fake but that's the underlying problem with the whole DEI issue: zero transparency about applicant pools vs hiring outcomes. The NYT thing was only about short-listed candidates, which addresses neither the applicants nor the eventual hires. 9) No, I mean they pretended to use the same methods as J Fox from the job postings here, but it was 100% fake. Other highlights of their 'contributions' last year included that Texas lawsuit funded by white supremacist Stephen Miller and how that was a slam dunk against DEI. the troll will probably keep posting similar bullshit 10) @ 9 This particular thread hasn't had a troll (although one faction is doing a very poor job communicating reasonably), and I doubt Stephen Miller uses this site... 11) No, it wasn't Stephen Miller who was on the site. Somebody just posted an article written by him. I'm not sure if the person knew who he was or not. I honestly think that it might be in all of our best interests to just stop communicating about this. I really don't think anybody on either side is getting anything from these arguments. We might as well just let it be. 12) for optics sake, its important to vocally support DEI intitiatives imo. We'll never change the dumbass troll's minds, but letting them post their garbage without dissent is sending the wrong message. (x1) 11) But, do you think that maybe if everyone ignored them they might just stop? I'm thinking along the lines of 'those people don't deserve our attention.' Like, when I was younger sometimes I would go to a dive bar with some lesbians and men there would say rude things, call us names or make jokes. But they didn't even deserve me to think about them, and so I didn't. And I had a good time and they got bored and ignored us. (I understand sometimes you can't ignore somebody, like when they're actually trying to hurt you and you have to get away, but sometimes you can). It's not that I don't work towards DEI in my work- I do, actively. Like, writing new lessons, publishing papers, on committees. I'm doing the work. But I don't know if it's worth the fight here. People come here to hide because they can't say this stuff in public. That's because we're winning. So I'm not saying we shouldn't do the work, but I dunno that these people deserve my time in this setting. 11 again) Or I suppose we could do something like just a statement of support for POC when we see these types of arguments, without actually engaging with the argument. That way the support would be written there, but we could avoid the rabbit holes. 12) The Atlantic article that started this discussion was not antidiversity. It just argued that people should not be compelled to affirm any political belief as a precondition for getting hired. And the supposed troll that posted the article also did not say anything that was antidiversity. Being opposed to compelled speach should not equated with being antidiversity 13) a DEI statement is not a "political view" or a suppression of free speech. Teaching and mentoring others means you are in a position of power, and a DEI statement shows you are equipped to succeed in that position of power by promoting the success of all your students including those from backgrounds that differ from your own. x2 14) I'm personally not against DEI statements and have found them somewhat useful in job searches. However, I'm not sure that they are worth the negative attention from outside academia. Enough people are against them that we'll start to see them used as a cudgel by critics, as well as a pretense for defunding academia. 15) The "ignore and move on" strategy should really be applied to arguments/posts from both ends of the spectrum. As 14 suggests, potential blowback won't have anything to do with trying to make things more fair for everyone. 11) @15 Yes, I agree (with the first sentence). I really did mean it when I said that I don't think people on either side are getting much from these arguments anymore. Part of it is that everyone really knows both sides of the argument backwards and forwards at this point, and nothing anyone says is changing anyone's mind. 15) @ 11 Soon enough we'll have outcomes to reshape those positions. 16) @ 15 there already are empirical studies on inclusive teaching that show how some practices promote more equitable climates than others with no detrimental impacts on learning. That's part of why it's frustrating to see people imply that DEI efforts are just a politics agenda, when at least in the classroom setting, pedagogy research has been going on for years about inclusive practices and their beneficial effects. 15) @ 16 equitable teaching is a red herring and you know it. No one is against accessible classrooms, that's not what stirs the DEI pot. (17?) "The "ignore and move on" strategy should really be applied to arguments/posts from both ends of the spectrum." & then proceeds to keep posting. lol. 16) @ 15 when I write DEI statements a lot of my focus is on equitable teaching, not sure what's "red herring" about it. 18) pretty much all the anti-DEI arguments are poorly thought out strawmen. The trolls like to ignore the "equity and inclusion" parts so they can wrap it up into the conservative anti-education agenda. 19) Non-US colleague here. I was expecting to read about DEI but instead the article seems to be anti-communist propaganda.. I eventually stopped. 15) @16 it's a red herring because the EI is valued and emphasized a lot less than the D, and also because this argument isn't about assistive text or recorded lectures - see how disdainful some are towards that constituting DEI on the "Not sure how to answer DEI questions" thread. 19) how many job postings do you see on this board that are restricted to only "inclusive" lecturers? 16) @ 19 not sure what you're implying there, but I see job postings in biology all the time that ask for not only instructors/teacher-scholars, but specifically for instructors/teacher-scholars who are familiar with the current literature on effective and inclusive teaching practices. They aren't phrased as strongly as "only inclusive educators need apply" but many schools with diverse students bodies are interested in hiring educators who are informed about inclusive teaching. It gets blown out of proportion IMO partly due to external political commentary and partly due to defensiveness within fields but everything I've personally been asked about DEI while interviewing has been pretty reasonable - if anything some schools strike me as making underwhelming efforts to improve inclusivity while others are doing more creative and interesting things | |
290 | 12/14/23 10:01 | Scheduling campus interviews | 12/18/23 7:20 | How do you go about scheduling multiple campus interviews? If you are waiting to hear back from one school about what month the interview will take place, is it okay to email them and ask for more specific timeframe ASAP? Is it bad to mention that you are trying to schedule another interview? Thanks! From someone who is doing this for the first time! (1) Congrats on the multiple interviews! Give a window of availability to the second one; if they get back to you first, contact the first one and say you're no longer available for days X–Y. 2) If one of them hasn't even told you the month, I'd just respond to the one that has given you a choice of dates and then force the second one to work around whatever you schedule. x2 3) Thank you for the advice! I am excited (but nervous)!! Best of luck to everyone out there! :) 4) I got three on-campus interviews in the same period/window. I tried to schedule them in the beginning or in the end of the week to give some room to travel to two in the same week. The other one I talked to the comittee (I said that I was not available/out of town) and they let me go to campus in the following week. The important thing is: try to also give you time to rest and decompress. | |
291 | 12/14/23 7:16 | When and how to ask for feedback from SC after interviews | 12/16/23 6:04 | OP) After an interview (either zoom or on campus) when my application doesn't advance, I would like to ask the SC for feedback. At least once a SC chair offered this, and I think often they would like to be helpful, but when is the appropriate time to ask? It feels weird since SC usually doesn't tell you when you're no longer being considered, even if you bascially know because others have gotten on campus and I haven't etc. If I know my applciation hasn't advanced, would it be appropriate to ask for feedback to help me with future interviews/applciations? Or do I wait until I'm formally told I'm no longer considered (which quite rudely often never happens)? What have others done? 1) I also find it helpful when the SC chair offers feedback and I wish they did it more often (as long as it's constructive, of course). I would suggest waiting at least 2-3 weeks after your last interview/interaction and then saying something like "Could you clarify if my application is still being considered for this position? If not, I would appreciate any constructive feedback you may have and thanks again for the opportunity to interview." But yea, I would only do this if you were pretty sure you weren't moving forward because if you are still being considered, it could be taken the wrong way. But curious to know what others think. OP) Thanks #1 that 2) I've always been advised against asking for feedback *unless explicitly offered*, particularly for a Zoom interview. OP) Thanks #2 why do people think it's bad to ask for feedback? My thinking is maybe they can give me insight into what would make me a better candidate overall. If you're no longer being being considered, what's the downside? 3) I don't really know, but I've also heard that you shouldn't ask for feedback. I think that it might be less about the SC and more about how some people take criticism. If you can handle possibly hard truths, worst case imo is that you hear nothing at all. 4) I don't think it hurts to ask, but I have asked many times and literally never got anything useful if I got any response at all so I've given up. Unless you have a personal connection to someone I just don't think they'll really say anything useful. 5) I think one important thinig to have in mind is that sometimes the SC has nothing to really tell you, simply because many subjective reasons may have played a role in choosing someone else. I think this is fair, but I fear sometimes not even the SC wants to admit it... for instance, I once had a Zoom pre-interview where it was clear they were looking for someone strong on quantitative methods to teach a course on that, even though they admited being short on people teaching more basic principles of zoology - and both my research and teaching interests have other focus. They didn't offer feedback but honestly, I didn't need it. Sometimes it's jsut divergent interests (that search failed BTW and I think it may have had to do with this disconnection between what the department needed and what the search committee had in mind). 6) In my experience, I wouldn't bother - depending on if you Zoomed or were in person, you'll either get no response or vague answers. The differences between top invited candidates are often very slim, so in that case they'd probably just say it was something about fit. They'll usually say it was a tough choice, even if it wasn't. If you are just a bad interviewer, then mostly you'll have to learn that on your own too. I only say it this way because it's all happened to me before. So after a rejection email following an on campus interview, I'd just be polite and gracious and move on. 7) During my first few times being a search chair I started offering feedback to any candidates who got on campus interviews. It was an odd experience a lot of times candidates really liked it but I had a few bad experiences where I told the candidate something to consider and they pushed back (and confirmed why we didnt hire them). I think you should reach out and ask the search committee chair for feedback particularly if you are new to the hiring game in acadamia, just wait a few weeks when you are sure you probably didnt get the job. Just be gracious and understanding. 8) Does your PhD or postdoc mentor know anyone on the search committee? They may be able to get information for you. I've seen some very useful, honest feedback come through the backchannel. Understandably, search chairs are reluctant to provide feedback to applicants (and at some universities, it is actively discouraged or forbidden). | |
292 | 12/12/23 21:19 | Withdrawing applications from red states | 3/4/24 6:38 | (OP) Seeing these stories out of Texas of a woman unable to get reproductive healthcare without a court case and then ultimately leaving the state... so scary. I hesitate applying to these jobs when it would mean bringing my wife into such reduced freedom... I am tempted to withdraw but am so conflicted. (1) It's frankly terrifying. I didn't apply to jobs in Texas (or Florida) because it just seems too scary to live in those states if you have a uterus or any number of other non-cis-white-male attributes (or household or lab members with those attributes!) x3 2) Not all red states are the same. FL, TX, and much of The South seem to be in a league of their own. That said, I give the local laws a google before applying to anything. 3) I live in The South but in a state that still has abortion rights and no restriction on travel, unlike TX. I have not applied to anything in Texas since 2020. The pandemic health mgmt first and then now the reproductive rights mean it probably isn't a safe state for me. I would not move there without getting my tubes tied. If my state moves to 6 wks and travel restrictions I will get my tubes tied immediately. I'm already looking for jobs and hoping to move to Blue Territory. I hope that works out this year. 4) Yeah, I'm from Texas, my entire family is there, and I love so much about the state but I just can't move back. Even a few years ago I would have, because I don't want to write off any place as a lost cause, but at some point your personal safety has to come first. 5) I understand being upset about the situation in Texas, but why couldn't we just leave the state if we needed to get an abortion? (OP) Having to have a short notice flight and hotel stay for my wife to see a stranger physician for an emergency medical procedure is far from accetable to me. Right now I can literally walk to our OB. 6) And it's more than abortion. If I had a queer or trans child, I would not be accepting a job in a red state in a million years either. 7) @5, not all abortions are elective. Some are medical emergencies when you don't have the luxury of being able to wait until you can book flights/hotels/etc. See the case of Amanda Zurawski, whose water broke at ~18 weeks. She and her husband have mentioned that they thought about leaving the state but were afraid that she would go septic while en route, either in the air or in a car in the middle of a desert. Ectopic pregnancies can also be immediately life threatening because they can cause a ruptured fallopian tube and thus hemorrhaging. I wish people would stop saying "you can just travel to a different state" because that is ignoring a lot of terrible things that can happen. Sure, it's possible to "just leave the state" in some cases, but not possible in a lot of others. And you can't predict when or where some of those bad outcomes may happen. 8) agree with #7! I know someone who had a pregnancy related medical emergency that threatened both her and the baby's life WHILE on public transit (and not with her partner). She was ok in the end, but it is very sobering to think about. 9) @5 TX has laws allowing restrictions on travel. They can place women in jail to prevent travel to another state. In that case it is forced birth and potentially a violation of 4th and 5th ammendment rights. But none of us want to be that court case. Look up what used to happen in Ireland if you are curious about the impacts of these laws. They lived with it until recently. 10) Woman here who had an ectopic pregnancy a few years ago: these laws are terryfying! It took me a couple of days to decipher the "cramps" I was having were actually my tube rupturing and flooding me with blood inside. It hurts and it is an absloute medical emergency that can cost your life. I'm so glad all that happened in a place with good healthcare and laws but it would be frightening if it were to happen in a red state, especially as a foreigner and as a minority. I've let a couple of applications to FL, TX, and OK pass... I am defo not putting my life in danger for a job. | |
293 | 12/12/23 6:40 | What to include on LinkedIn profile? | 12/13/23 2:36 | I'm a NTT faculty member, becoming increasingly disillusioned with academia. I have some great collaborators and students, but am keen to explore what else is out there. Based on lots of advice on this site, I just made a LinkedIn profile for the first time. What should I include to facilitate this being a useful resource for potential jobs in industry, NGOs, consulting, etc.? 2) List "skills" and try to get endorsements from others. Recruiters use key words to find my trainees. If you have "fancy" degrees make sure they are listed and emphasized (ridic but they notice the schools). Quantitative skills seem to be selling well these days as does sequencing expertise. 3) my LinkedIn is basically my CV - I list my big grants, pubs, work/volunteering experience, skills, etc. I don't have any endorsements of my skills, but I do have 100s of connections and relentlessly request people in my professional spheres join my network. When I lived in a major metro area recruiters would hit me up fairly regularly. I recently moved to a smaller town and things quieted down. Technical lab skills (analytical chemistry experience in particular) got the most attention. There seems to be high demand for people who know how to run a GC/MS these days. | |
294 | 12/11/23 10:14 | Peer reviews in CV? | 12/22/23 6:13 | Do you include peer reviews in your CV (that is, you serving as a peer reviewer)? If so, how? (2) yes, generally as a list of journals you have reviewed for. You could include how many papers for each journal but I rarely see that, as it woudl quickly get out of hand, and no one really needs that level of detail. Generall this is found in the Service section of your CV x2 3) I think that is a pretty standard CV item 4) Hell yes, it's a lot of work and it's important work so take credit. @2s specific suggestions are good. 5) If you've ever served for peer review for funding agencies, make sure you put that down too! I've been asked to review for some federal grants and I have a section detailing that on my CV right next to journal peer-reviews. 6) @5 related - what about smaller grants e.g. for grad students? I have reviewed for a sort of 'state' agency and in-house for my university and hadn't really considered putting them on my CV until I saw them on someone else's 7) Absolutely! I list peer reviews and journals and reviews for NSF/other agencies, and internal reviews for e.g. student grant competitions (each of those things communicates something different about service, IMHO) 8) yes - you want to make sure your CV reflects that 10-20% of your time has been spent on professional or institutional service, reflective of how your time as faculty will be spent. Or at least that you are anticipating that balance early in your career. 6 again) Do you list the organization or the grant you review? 7) You don't mean the individual submissions you've reviewed? Definitely don't do that; it likely violates privacy rules for submissions. I would list the organization, and if it is a big agency like NSF or NIH then also list the division/study section. 6) @7 Oh, no, not the submissions. I mean the name of the grant/fellowship e.g. XZY Graduate Fellowship for the Biology Department or Organization. 8) For NSF, you'll want to indicate ad hoc or review panel. For NIH, if you are an ad hoc or standing member of the panel. The exception to all of this is NSF GRFP, where they specifically ask you not to list anything other than NSF and the year on your CV. 9) I have been told not to do this before because it looks like "padding" your CV and gotten interviews without listing peer reviews. 10) it's definitely less important than your own publications and grants, but I often see a section for reviewing near the end of the CV. Espeically if it's a major govt agency panel, it shows that you are involved in the community and recognized by that community. | |
295 | 12/11/23 8:55 | How to negotiate spousal hire | 1/6/24 11:32 | What is the nost effective way to negotiate a spousal hire, particularly if they are in a different department/field? What is the best way to bring it up if an offer has been made? Is there any way to increase chances of success? I'm asking for a non-rockstar situation, don't say "get a nature paper first." Can anyone recommend good resources on this? 2) Have your partner get a Nature paper :P (sass aside, I would also be interested in the answer to this) 3) It depends on the institution I guess, in my department (medium sized R2 becoming R1 next year in the Southwest) it's impossible to negotiate one. My department has tried and we never get them; we recently lost a great candidate because of it :( 4) Find schools that do spousal hires. Talk to colleagues to figure out which ones will. Usually if there is a program for it , the standard is whether that CV would get an interview on the past 3yrs of searches. The president/chancellor/system office pays usually 1/3-1/2 of the salary, your dept pays another fraction, and the receiving dept pays 1/3 of the salary. schemes like that help them help you. Also apply to schools in rapid growth mode where it's easy to take one position out of the next 5 for the spousal. And recognize that sometimes the other dept doesn't want to play ball for anyone ever. If that happens consider being hired in a weird position, like a chemist hired in an applied dept because chemistry refused to take them. Keep throwing out what-ifs to see if you can find something that will work. If the CV is too junior ask for a dedicated hire after finishing a postdoc. 5) Ask immediately after receiving the offer.x2 Make sure your spouse has their CV and research statement completely up to date and send that to the person you are negotiating with. Be sure that you convey that you're very interested in the position and be prepared to give up negotiating power on other fronts (your own salary, startup, etc). Push for a second visit that includes an interview for your spouse - give the dept a chance to see how great they'd be. Getting a second offer to increase your personal negotiation power also really helps. Even with all that it's highly instituition dependent. OP) Thanks #4 & #5 your thoughts are helpful. My situation is a little weird because the spouse is both more senior than me and not in science. It seems like giving the SC all the info asap after an offer is key. I'm just trying to be prepared so I don't blow it if there is an opportunity. 4 again) Humanities profs are way cheaper than science. 6) 5 again - an underrated factor is how effective the dept chair handling this process is. If they're organized and advocate effectively I think solutions can be found. Frustratingly - that's outside the candidates control. 7) I'm not sure that the way you ask for it really matters that much (within reason) nearly as much as the schools policies and culture. Spouse and I (different fields) have both asked right away with offers that each of us have had individually at multiple schools and so far the answer has always been a flat out no. OP) Of course the biggest parts are out of our control (university policies and SC effectiveness) but ideas from 4&5 are super hepful (thanks!) and I would still love to hear any other inside info on how it works & suggestions/resources on being most effective in the negotiation process. 8) I think you have to take a hard line on it, that this is one of your non-negotiables, like a major piece of equipment. Of course, you also have to be at the right type of school as others have said. My spouse and I worked out successful spousal hires for our first job and again when we moved...luckily, she was teaching in areas of need for both schools, so there wasn't much difficulty finding a spot. The first school was very straightforward, as they have a lot of money, but are also in the middle of nowhere...so they understand that there aren't a ton of career options outside of the university. A colleague of mine, hired the same year, did not push hard for a position for their spouse (they were worried about ruining their own offer), so the spouse got nothing for 5 years. Two other colleagues, like me, had their spouses hired because they pushed hard for it. 9) @8, agree that you need to push hard, but you also got very lucky. Spouse and I have both pushed hard with no budging (to the point that we turned down good offers we would have liked to take). Most places seem to be pretty resistant to spousal hires and I do think it is especially hard when you are in different fields that don't have much incentive to do favors for each other. 9) One trick is to get the "more diverse" one hired/offered first, e.g. the wife has an offer and negotiates for the husband in a heter-normative situation; in a gay interracial scenario, you'd want a Black partner to be negotiating for their White partner; a trans person negotiating for their cissy; etc. You may laugh/get groundlessly offended, but a quick dig into actual spousal hires at more than your own school will show this to be mostly true. 8) @ the first 9, you are absolutely right. There are many scenarios where it just won't work and when we moved, we were anticipating that it wouldn't work for us. We got lucky for sure, but making the point that even somewhere that this could work for you, if you don't push hard, it may not work out. For $ across units, my unit has paid 2/3 of the salary of my spouse in the initial 3 years of their contract, which makes it more attractive for the other unit. @ the other 9, this has not been my experience and I think you just wanted to say something that would push other people's buttons. 10) At my university--which honestly has an ungodly number of TT-TT spousal hires even though we are in a highly desirable location--it does seem to be a lot easier, almost trivial, if the spouse is willing to take a non-TT but reasonably permanent position like a lecturer or research scientist, or nonTT research professor, depending on the career goals of the spouse. Some have been promoted from those positions into TT as well. Given the sheer number and % of TT-TT spousal hires we have, I actually think it is quite healthy for the university to lay off a bit. OP) Thanks #8 for the info and good for you prioritizing your spouse's career. # 10 thanks for the perspective on non TT options. Would love to hear more successful strategies! 11) I have also been given the advice of mentioning a spouse as soon as an offer is made, and being flexible on which kinds of other positions are possible for the spouse (like purely teaching positions, temporary research positions, associated research status to help with a NSF application etc). If you are foreigners, make sure to mention that having a job offer for the spouse will increase the chances for your Visa to be accepted, or it will speed up the process (the UK is about to change the minimum required per annum for a foreigner to be able to bring in family members... so this may be a deal breaker for some candidates). I personally think that once the spouse is in, it is just a matter of strategy to climb your way upp to a TT position - or at least to a position that suits their interests best. Good luck! 12) Totally disagree with the comment about it being a matter of strategy to climb up to a TT. Lots of places are notorious for leaving spouses stuck in uneremployed situations and never seriously considering them for TT positions. The place I'm at now is chock full of spouses in instructor/support/visiting roles and basically none ever move to TT even if they are doing more research and there is a need. 13) I'm in a very similar situation OP- one piece of advice I found encouraging is that with a spouse who is a more senior academic, at least the university knows what they are getting. So in some sense it might be easier to hire someone established rather than another postdoc who the university is rolling the dice on. OP) Thanks all, this is a super helpful discussion that I hope benfits lots of folks on here! 14) I had a job offer taken back after asking for a spousal hire / support. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. 15) I had the same experience as #14. Asked for spousal hire after a verbal offer. Shortly after the offer was taken back and no written offer was given. Have people who successfully got spousal hire asked after a verbal offer, or after a written offer? | |
296 | 12/11/23 7:18 | Feeling very confused about the timelines | 1/5/24 9:31 | First year applying after a long post-doc. I am waiting for responses from major R1s (including Ivys) that I was short-listed. Holidays are almost here, and it seems that everybody is on the same page, waiting for some kind of response from them. Do universities also conduct Zoom interviews in January? Or should most of them go directly to on-campus interviews? I am very anxious because I am already going to a second on-campus interview, but nothing from most places. 1) If you aren't selected to interview, many places will either not notify until the end or not notify at all. If they have already told you that you were short-listed and you are just waiting to schedule the interview, I would check back in after 2 weeks to make sure nothing went wrong, but it's just likely the end of the year has caught up with the search committee and they are behind. 2) I usually find out that I didn't make the next round thanks to this wiki because in all, except one university, I was not notified about not being selected for in-campus interview after phoine/zoom interview. When interviewing on campus, I've been ghosted (not in all , but a few) and also finding out that someone else got the offer thanks to this wiki. 3) timelines are super country dependent. Anything with a professor title in central europe can take 3-6 months to offer an interview but normally if they offer interviews you get the time within a few days-a week. I would email to ask for confirmation of the interview time because you need to schedule travel. | |
297 | 12/10/23 14:59 | Free labor | 12/11/23 11:27 | I'm in a gap between contracts, a polite way to say unemployed. While I've received a big fancy grant at the university where I've been for a few years, the grant doesn't start until March. I'm in negotiations with the dept about the grant (mostly salary) and it's not going well. Until that's sorted out, I don't want to be seen at my desk working for free (it's open plan, everyone will see me there) as it undermines my negotiations. I suck at working from home, my place isn't big enough for a home office with kids and it's completely unproductive. Any ideas? 2) Congrats on the grant! Work in the library? Or another department / university if you've got friends there. 3) Get one of those pairs of glasses with the nose and mustache and show up to work only with that and a baseball cap. 3) NIH allows spending on a grant up to 90 days ahead of the budget start, if you can convince the institution to assume the risk. Pull up that policy if it exists for your funder and take it to the negotiation. 4) Don't work. I know it sounds crazy, but if you're not getting paid, you could just not work. Do something else with your time. That said, when I've been in a similar position I was able to get a lot done at the public library. If your Uni has a library you can use, you'd be able to hide there and work covertly. 5) @4, not crazy at all. I would certainly be using much of the time to be catching up on projects at home, exercising, hobbies, etc. | |
298 | 12/10/23 11:54 | Internal candidates | 12/13/23 7:23 | OP) I was not called for interview for a position. They shared the 5 people short list: 4 internal candidates and 5th from the same country. This is an european country, of course. I wonder how others perceive these type of things? 1) I understand the annoyance, but I'm also glad to hear that some places are interested in promoting from within. Competition is good, but I also really dislike the idea that a student/postdoc can be automatically looked down upon for positions at their own institution, which is the flip side of this and I think is more common. I've spent so much time in my current place that my partner has built up a career for themselves, making it more likely I leave academia. 2) I also noted how the shortlist of a certain institution with a strong DEI rep was two-thirds white men who got their bachelor's degrees there...3) Well hires have been >50% female for years now, so as far as new hires go, men are currently under-represented in that dichotomy... 4) @3, that is only for the North American job market. Europe is still a boys club. 3) @ 4 fair enough! (5) I think it's pretty clear that the 'best' places in Europe have been favouring women candidates for a while now, and I think this is right and just. E.g., switzerland, sweden. 6) LOL at switzerland favouring women - I have worked there for 10 years and there is still a very good chance for male candidates and female hires can have some pretty nasty things said to their face. Do not put CH in the same line as Sweden for equal oppertunities. If you were not called for interview, are you a third party national and do you speak the local language? If you are third party they cannot justify interviewing you unless you are exceptional and if you don't speak the basics of the langauge, they may be uninterested in hiring someone who cannot teach BSc students or work with local stakeholders. | |
299 | 12/10/23 11:39 | Fixed-term research-intensive faculty positions | 12/11/23 8:47 | OP) I have an interview coming up for a fixed-term Assistant Professor position (not soft money, i.e. research assistant professor) at a European university, where this sort of thing seems to be more common. I'm a little confused about how these positions are meant to work: what sort of vision would they expect someone to present when the position only lasts ~4 yrs (barely enough the graduate a PhD student)? and what sort of investment could I expect from them in building a lab, knowing that there is no guarantee that they'll be able to keep me on after that point? I just don't really know what the endgame is! 2) What country is this? Unfortunately, countries like Denmark and Switzerland are hiring assistant professors in this way - which to me is very exploitative and only contributes to more precarity in the system. OP) yes, it is indeed in one of those two countries (and I've heard of examples in both!) I'm open to taking a position like this, although I completely see the systemic problems it poses. however, I don't quite get the motivation (is it just to be able to hire people without securing long-term funding?) and what it means about the expectations for the position. I mean, ambitious research programs take a long time to execute! 3) The endgame is, if you're a superstar and hugely successful, you might get rehired/promoted, or become eligible for a senior group leader position. If not, thanks and don't let the door hit you on the way out. OP) got it, so it's mainly a way of testing people out without any sort of real commitment. I'll keep that in mind! | |
300 | 12/10/23 7:21 | Self-conscious about position I didn't think I was a good fit for? | 12/17/23 11:22 | OP) Found out I got a Zoom interview (yay!) for a job, but it's one I'd wondered whether I was a good fit for at all, so I'm surprised. I do the thing they want, but I'm not *the* thing they want (i.e., I don't embody the exact thing they're hiring for, in my eyes anyways, because I do more than just this thing). I'm kind of self-conscious. Has anyone had experience with this? I know, I know, any interview is good (believe me, I'm psyched), and many committees/universities don't know exactly what they want...but it's hard to silence the imposter feelings. 1) I mean, maybe they want someone who does more than just the first thing? Is there something about your "second thing" that you could present as complementing the first thing? OP) Thanks @1...that's what I'm hoping. And yes, definitely – the things I do all do tie into what they want, but I'm self-conscious that I "don't belong" because I'm more integrative than just the one thing they're searching for, which makes me feel like a little bit of an outsider. I'm probably my harshest critic here. 2) Sometimes (often!) search committees don't really know what they're looking for, so I wouldn't be too confident that you do. Tailor yourself to the job ad and be responsive to what you hear during the interview, but don't make too many assumptions beyond that! OP) Thanks @ 2 ! 3) Also be prepared for someone to maybe bring this point up to see how you would answer it. I was in this position when I interviewed long ago. I definitely ticked some of the boxes on the job advert, but not all and my primary research focus and area of study was definitely not what they were expecting, so the dean at the time litterally asked me, "so why should we hire someone that works on XXX?" OP) @ 3, very good to know... 4) Yep! They clearly saw something promising in your application, but be prepared to defend your study system/research philosophy. Remember that they probably want to hear your defense of your own work, so dust off your rhetorical skills and don't be afraid! while being mindful of their needs, of course. | |
301 | 12/8/23 9:50 | Interviewing for R2 job | 12/12/23 5:03 | OP) What are good reasons to give, in an interview, for wanting a job at a less prestigious R2 school with modest research space and start-up package? 1) work life balance? Maybe balance of research with teaching? Went to a school like that yourself and have always wanted to return to that environment? Smaller department creates opportunities for closer interactions with colleagues (maybe?). Just brainstorming.... 2) agree with what #1 says!! It is 100% OK to actively seek out' less prestigous' schools. I hope SCs understand that not all academics are cut from the 'S,N,C cloth' and some are just genuinely here because we want to do cool science under the radar and mentor the next generation of scientists (3) I would phrase it as what you are looking for (more teaching and mentoring?) rather than "less prestigious R2." 4) No one will want to hear their school called less prestigious even if it is. Say you are dedicated to helping students learn, want to focus on integrating teaching with research, and would like to be a teacher-scholar. You may want to acknowledge the value of public access college degrees if relevant. If you think R2s are less work (e.g. work-life balance) you are in for a serious disappointment. The reality is we try to do R1 level research with less infrastructure. We have to work so hard for each pub. x2 5) Honestly, teaching in these environments can be much more rewarding than athighly ranked institutions. There are challegnes - often resource-related - to be sure, but there are benefits on the teaching side as well. If you don't want your whole professional focus ot be on scholarship, these institutions can be a great fit. When I interviewed at one such school the location was perfect for my research because of the proxmity to my study system so I saw this as a way to get more done in less time. Which was convenient, beacuse I woudl have had less time to devote to reseach at that school. 6) As someone who has been reasonably successful targeting R2s - shift your thinking from "prestige" to "fit." R2s have greater opportunities for high-quality teaching, for combining teaching and research, and (sometimes) for giving students a more targeted research experience. Figure out what's special about the department, what are they proud of, how can you fit into that and contribute to that? Check the grants and courses of the current faculty to get a feel for it. Talk about what kind of trainee opportunities your research provides, and how much you value the contribution of your trainees to your research (you do, right?) 7) All advice given here seem to apply more to SLACs. From what I've heard most R2s aspire to become R1s, so I'd emphasize research over teaching. 8) R2s are somewhat of a mixed bag, sometimes they're like really big teaching-focused PUIs/SLACs but others aspire to become R1s. I would definitely read about the school as much as possible to figure out what their priorities are and tailor your answers to what you find. x2 | |
302 | 12/8/23 9:12 | Worth mentioning in cover letter? | 12/9/23 11:19 | In cover letter, is it ok to mention that spouse is applying to another job in the same department? Or better not mention anything? We're both assistant professors elsewhere and I think we have a good chance at being considered for these two different positions and was wondering if mentioning it would help somehow? 1) That's a tough one. I don't think it could possibly help and could only ensure neither of you get serious consideration. I'd keep it secret (both of you) until either of you get to the negotiation stage. 2) @1, normally I'd agree with you but by the time you get to that stage with one of you the other search might have already moved along. I think this is a pretty unusual case of already being assistant profs and already having two jobs open at the same time that you fit. Depending on the school and match committee could see it as a way to get two good candidates who are likely to accept and stay. 3) I've always been told not to mention the potential for any spousal negotiations until an offer is made, so personally I would not. It's hard to imagine how it would help since the search committees would be making decisions separately. It seems hard enough for one SC to all agree, but that said I've never bene on a search committee so what would I know. 4) Do not mention it at all. There is a big chance the committee includes some old school schmuck who will use it against you. And if they aren't on the committee they could be on the faculty. Unless your spouse already has a job, but if they do the committee should already know the gossip. 5) @4 OP says their spouse already has a job? 4 again) I meant if the spouse has a job offer in hand from the school they are targeting. But if so, then they should already start negotiating for the spousal hire. 5) OK, but I think this is a bit of a different situation if both people already have an assistant professor job somewhere else (not enough details provided to know if those are permanent, at the sample place, etc) and if there are two openings in a hiring department that are good fits for each spouse. I agree that disclosing might work against you for some grumpy committee member, but you can't know that. Reality is that most likely outcome is 0 offers from either job. Next most likely is 1 gets an offer but they won't budge on partner hire and the other search has already progressed/offered and now the really don't need a new line in spouses specialty since they just hired there. Even with really strong record, just happening to both get to interview stage and get 2 separate offers is a very unlikely outcome, so the potential risk of disclosing should be weighed against that. Depending on details and department, disclosing could at least bump spouse into interview range if they were close already and department really wants the other person and they would have time to do that while both searches are still happening. Alternative if you know someone in the department is to try to let it be known by backchannel that you are both applying and really want to move there. Then there is a chance to let key people know without having it written out in job materials. | |
303 | 12/7/23 11:13 | Feeling discouraged about my job search | 12/12/23 6:22 | I'm a recent PhD graduate and current post-doctoral researcher and feeling very discouraged with my job search. I've applied to close to 100 jobs (government, private, state, and academia). I've gotten a handful of interviews but no offers yet. Any advice or words of wisdom? It's very disheartening that I've spent so much time on my education and it's such a struggle to find a job. 1) Not much for academic jobs, but if you're looking outside of academia, it might be helpful to remember that the PhD unemployment rate is like, miniscule. It doesn't mean you'll find a job quickly---and it will seem very hard in the meantime---but you will find one. And once you have a first nonac job, it'll get a little easier to get the next. 2) 1 is mostly right but one thing that is an absolute dog turd of a pill to swallow is, yes you have a PhD, but you may never do what you want again - whatever that may be: fieldwork, teaching, researching your favorite animal. If you loved grad school & postdoc like I did but weren't a Chosen One for academia, you're going to spend the rest of your life wishing you were doing something else. 3) keep on keeping on! Unfortunately, this is totally normal. My non-academic friends usually have to send ~150 applications out to get new jobs. Academic expectations are totally different from other sectors. My recomendation, if you're interested in industry, is to make a deatiled up-to-date linkedin profile. Recruiters will come to you. 4) OP are you me? I have applied to 121 jobs (academic, public sector state and federal, private): 44 desk rejections, 2 job closures and 1 interview and numerous ghosts. I feel the same way and second guess myself every day. 5) Yeah, I wish I had never gotten a Phd. Wish I had gone into horticulture trade school instead. (6) The non-academic job market is just very difficult right now, across all fields and industries. It will get better. And @2: don't pre-assign your fate. The Chosen One system is bad, and in many ways it is better to explore your own path. Don't let the academic pressure get into your head so much that it makes you feel that what you're doing isn't good enough. Academics often don't have to engage with reality, and being so out of touch is not a recipe for satisfaction. 7) @ 6 WTF are you talking about "being out of touch"? In the Humanities or various Grievance Studies, maybe. 8) And why do you think it will get better? It's only gotten worse for something like 40 years. Maybe it'll get better at some point but not likely to be in any timeline that matters to any of us here. (6 again) As I said, the non-academic job market is very difficult right now. It has gotten worse over the last year, not the last 40 years. The Fed is largely responsible for this by raising interest rates agressively, but the retirement of the boomers means that the market is shifting.9) If you are interested in staying in academia, I would recommend pursuing more postdocs. I did 3 postdocs because my CV wasn't yet competitive for the incredibly challenging job market. I would also suggest devoting greater energy to fewer applications. A tailored application written specifically for an academic position will perform better than a template you're sending to 100 jobs (when controlling for CV). Have you had several people review your application materials? The more eyes the better. Strong documents are a powerful tool. I wish you all the best! You can do this! | |
304 | 12/7/23 10:00 | Prioritize well-being for the next couple of weeks | 12/10/23 14:47 | A lof of news will come to all of us in the next two weeks as SCs aim to hit milestones before the break. A little advice that helped me last year: try to take a bit of extra time away from work to do the tings that you enjoy. See your friends, go out for a nice meal, get outside. It really helps especially because, chances are, most news will be bad, and we tend to react more strongly to bad news than good news. Take care everyone! 1) THanks OP this is great advice! x6 (OP) Well, this was prescient [sweat smile] | |
305 | 12/4/23 12:47 | How do you feel about zoom interviews that send you questions in advance? | 12/14/23 4:59 | 1) Seems like a nice thing to do but when I face something like this, the whole interview feels rehearsed and does not flow and I do really badly. How do I get over this? 2) Oh man I do so much better when they send the questions and I also spend way way less time preparing because I don't try to be ready to answer every possible question. It's become much more common in the last few years. 3) For one call the SC sent 4 or 5 general questions, which I prepared for, but then asked different, more specific questions on the zoom. It was really helpful! I rehearsed my talking points, but still spoke extemporaneously and naturally 1) again- when I rehearse I basically don't do well because I try thinking how I put it when I was 'practicing'. I have done so much better, even to the point of getting on-campus interviews when they did not send me questions. 4) I really like when they do this, because sometimes if a question is worded strangely I get really thrown off if I didn't know it was coming. I don't "write a script", but I write an outline and practice responses based on it 5) I also really like the fact that you know what questions are left so it helps to organize which of your main points you want to cover with each question. Sometimes without questions provided I expect there to be a subsequent more direct question about my research or teaching fit or whatever but then realize afterward that I should have included that info in an earlier question. I also just don't think unscripted questions with no chance to organize your thoughts tells you much about someones likely performance as a professor. 6) I've only been on a couple of search committees. The zoom interview's main benefit was that people who were overly dependent on an advisor showed themselves sooner without a trip. It's rare, but we had at least 1 candidate each time who could not tell us a single experimental design for their new lab or didn't understand the most basic questions about research or advising. I've heard of other rare cases where someone said they weren't enthusiastic about that school because..... Other than those edge cases, the opinion about who to invite for an in person interview didn't change much. You want to be prepared, but I hope that helps people worry a little less. Zoom interviews are always awkward for everyone. 7) @6, I completely agree with you but given this reality I wish that committees would not waste the time of 10-15 people on zoom interviews when most of them have little to no chance of moving up to a campus invite. 8) I really appreciate it when the SC sends questions in advance. I think it's more fair overall to people with different levels of interview experience, language abilities, and and communication styles 9) Definitely, it's a good inclusive practice 10) I don't think I've ever gotten the Qs in advance, but for the school types I've done they always ask about the same few things, so I've prepared for the questions anyway. @ #1- I reccomend writing an outline of 2-3 main points for each answer. You can have this on a piece of paper to glance at when you do the interview. No details, just the main points or parts of the answer. To me, if you're caught up trying to remember what you wanted to say, that actually means you haven't practiced/prepared enough, not the opposite. You should have clear in your mind the points you want to make, not be memorizing the exact words. I do practice anticipated questions outloud beforehand, but in the moment I just remember key points and speak. I hope this helps. 1) @10- thank you. That helps. Just these discussions here is helping me for an upcoming interview and I am practicing using questions an earlier interview committee had sent me. 10 again) glad that's helpful and I hope it goes well! I think zoom is always weird and awkward, so don't worry too much as long as you stay on message. good luck! 11) I view a primary purpose of Zoom/phone interviews to determine if a candidate can answer questions unknown to them beforehand - because that is an important skill as a faculty member in many contexts (with students, with colleagues, with financial partners, with administration). This purpose is lost if questions are provided ahead of time. I do not see this as being about inclusivity - if a less experienced person does worse on this part of an interviewm that does not make it "not inclusive" - it reveals that that candidate is less experienced or less skillful at that particular skill. And the idea that Zoom does not matter is 100% false - it can dramatically change the ranking of the semifinalists. 12) Those interactions are nothing like the zoom interview questions! In all the contexts you list I'd prefer faculty who would carefully go over what they know but double check and look things up (I do this with students all the time). Plus all the situations you list involve actual conversations with a purpose and the ability to go back and forth to clarify any points of confusion or incomplete answers. I do agree that you can drop out of contention with a bad zoom interview, but a good one will very rarely move you to the top if you weren't already near the top. 13) love this. as someone with ADHD who has serious difficulty thinking up responses on the fly, I find it super duper accomodating. 14) @12 yes, the interactions very much are. as a faculty member you will be in frequent situations that resemble zoom interviews - you will be put on the spot to answer a question in front of people you do not know. you will be asked to introduce yourself to new groups and make a first impression. this could be with parents, with funders, with colleagues, etc. it is simply wrong that these interactions do not come up. they are an important part of the job. they are often the first step towards a more interactive relationship - just like in the interview process (during an on campus, you have chances to intereact back and forth). and for ADHD, i can relate! but thinking of answers on the fly is a part of everyday duties as a prof. students/parents/agency partners/colleagues expect answers without sending them in writing - which is totally reasonable. 13) @14 yes, but those situations are rarely complete surprises with zero prompting whatsoever. Meetings often require on-the-fly responses, but the topic of discussion is known in advance. Sending the questions in advance better emulate these situations imo. From my experience, the pre-planned questions are just a starting point and additional questions come up in the moment as the interview becomes more conversational and less scripted. 14) @13. A planned zoom meeting is not "zero prompting"! The zoom emulates many similar scenarios. For example, I have a meeting with multi-agency partners tomorrow, over zoom, where I will be asked *something unknown* about an ongoing project and will be expected to sell myself as credible and reliable. This is totally normal! Many, many important meetings are not "conversational" - that is okay! 13) I mean, that's kind of my point. In "real" settings, you know the topic in advance, even if you don't have the exact questions. I've been asked some wild questions in interviews before (example: if you could be any animal, what would it be?) and that kind of improv doesn't emulate any work meeting I've ever had. 14) I would be a dairy cow, so that I can provide an endless stream of nourishment to the department, university, and students at the expense of my own health. 15) @13 that type of question is a major outlier. i've been on 5 searches and had 6 zooms before getting a job. i've seen 4 other zoom interview example questions. here is what they typically are: why do you want to work here? how will you build your research program? what makes a good teacher/effective teaching environment? how do you incorporate dei into research/teaching/serivce? what courses would you offer? how do you view the role of serive? 13) @15, yeah. I agree it was a weird interview with a handful of oddball questions. The ones you listed a certainly more typical. 16) I got them for one and really liked it because I felt like I was able to think about my answer to some of the questions more than an on the spot question would ask. I feel like I gave a much more thoughtful answer than I otherwise would have given that interviews are so short. | |
306 | 12/4/23 11:11 | When do visiting assistant professor jobs generally get advertised? | 12/8/23 20:26 | There's already a few out. I think I seem to notice more come up in January, February, and even March. OP) Thanks! This is my first year on the job market and I'm trying to prepare for upcoming applications opening. 1) No problem! You must be interested in teaching then if you're looking at VAPs in addition to postdocs? I'm doing one now and it's definitely good teaching experience, and also definitely a lot of work! Good luck with your applications- I hope you get something that works well for you! Yeah, Fall 2024 VAPs will mostly be posted in spring, some of them well into summer. Depends if a department has a sudden teaching need. There are also teaching postdoc positions, which can be good experience too (I’m in one), though in hindsight I might have been better served by a VAP position at a SLAC than a teaching ..postdoc at a non-PUI (an R1 in my case). That's just a hunch though, I don't have any specific evidence to back that up. My PUI interview rate has been fine. OP) I am interested in teaching. I'm currently applying to some teaching post docs, but I'm worried about my low number of publications so I think I might be more competitive if I take a VAP position and to to buy time to get more publications, although I realize there's probably not much time for publishing during a VAP either 2 (forgot to label my comment, which begins with the word yeah) - Definitely not as much, and can depend on the institution whether you're placed into a suitable lab or have lab space of your own. Teaching courses for the first time is a huge time commitment, even (at least for me) if you're mostly using other peoples' materials. 1) Okay, it sounds like our backgrounds really are somewhat similar! I came out of my PhD with instructor of record experience and feeling somewhat confident about my teaching, but definitely feeling like I needed more publications to be competitive. At the time I had only two, both first author. Because I thought that my research was my weakest area, I went ahead and got a postdoc right out of grad school. That was just for one year. It helped me feel more confident in my research and I did get a couple more publications out that year, although I'm still not as strong as I'd like to be with the research. Then, I applied for jobs including TT and VAP. I got some interviews with both but ended up with a VAP. It's definitely a lot of teaching experience and my colleagues have been very supporting. It is also A LOT of work. I'm finding it very difficult to keep up. And while I am trying to keep going with my research in the meantime, that has be very slow. I guess in conclusion, in my experience a VAP is great for teaching experience, but it seems unlikely that it will help you much with improving your cv in terms of research. Now, I'm not sure about a teaching postdoc. Maybe that would help you do both things at the same time? For me, the end goal is a job at a PUI where the main focus is teaching but where I am also maintaining an active research program with an emphasis on training undergrads (including field work, publications, grant proposals, etc). 2) I was kind of the opposite in some ways. I had 3 first-author pubs out of my masters' and 4 out of my Ph.D. (plus 2 pubs on some teaching materials I developed/evaluated), but no IOR experience. Applied mostly for teaching-focused positions, got some interviews, ended up in this teaching postdoc. The main thing that search chairs said when I asked what my application was missing was IOR experience. As far as I can tell, teaching postdocs and VAPs are basically the same thing, they just occur at different institutions and have different names (the places that hire VAPs don't have "postdocs" of any kind). 3) @2, I don't think that is quite right. A lot of teaching postdocs have significantly lower teaching responsbilities than a full time VAP. And most places that routinely hire VAPs do still occasionally have postdocs (e.g. on a grant), but they are certainly less common. Of course how these positions are defined varies a lot from place to place so there is definitely some overlap. 2) Maybe. I'm teaching a 2:2 load in this teaching postdoc, but I've definitely seen some advertised where it's 1:1 with more time for research. A friend of mine is doing a VAP and I think he's also 2:2. 1) The school that I'm at right now has both VAPs and teaching postdocs. It seems like maybe the main difference is that the teaching postdocs put more emphasis on professional development and have more time for research/a lower teaching load. Although my colleagues have been very supportive of my professional development as a VAP, the purpose of the position is clearly to get classes taught that need to be taught. My teaching load is 4:4 while TT faculty have a teaching load of 3:3. The teaching postdocs have 2:2 but also have research expectations whereas I don't (although I still need to do research for my own career, which is a challenge). Also, @2, good for you! If you were that strong in research and now have the teaching experience, maybe that job is coming for you soon! For others who don't have so much research, I'll note that even my first year with the two publications I did get some interviews at PUIs, including one that was a more competitive school for students. I'm hoping we all get jobs! 2) Uff da, you're a stronger soul than me then. I could not physically handle a 4:4 load, unless it was all courses I'd taught before and was happy keeping as is but for little tweaks or something. 3) A 4:4 VAP is crazy! No wonder you can't get any research done. Is it at least mostly repeated lab sections or something? 1) @2 and 3, You saying that makes me feel better about it! I really have been trying to get research done and like I said, it has just been very slow! It's only two preps. I have one class with a lab and then two sections of another class that does not have a lab. 2) Okay, that's not as bad then. But yeah, even with my 2:2 it's hard to get research done, just because I'm in the earliest stages of teaching those courses and prepping a lot of stuff for the first time. 1) Yup, it's a project! 4) I wanted to apply to TT positions but lacked publications. I decided to do a VAP and adjunct positions while getting my other research out. I would never recommend a VAP if what you want is to have more publications. It's called the "VAP trap" for a reason. Most teaching loads are very high and it would be hard to find time to write manuscripts when you have to prep new courses and teach them for the first time (maybe less so if you have taught the class or can get materials from others who have). Most VAPs also lack support (facilities, funding) for hands-on research, unless you can incorporate it in the courses you are teaching. I would recommend applying to TT research jobs while you do a postdoc. If you want a teaching faculty job publications won't matter as much and maybe a VAP could help you land your dream job or expose you to the reality of teaching-only jobs. 5) Yeah, do a VAP or teaching postdoc if you're going for teaching-focused jobs and need instructor-of-record experience or a chance to incorporate some of those active learning techniques you learned about in your grad school pedagogy workshops and then couldn't do anything with in your TA position because "all the lab sections have to be taught the same" (totes not mad here!) 4) how do people feel about doing a VAP not necessarily because you're not competitive for postdocs, but because several potential advisors have mentioned that they're not taking post docs next year? I have had several mention they're going on sabbatical or parental leave or just took several past docs and want to wait another year to take another. I've applied for several other post docs, so it may not end up mattering, but those mentors who wanted me to wait a year all seemed like very good fits, so would it necessarily be bad to take a VAP and wait for those professors to come back from leave? 5) That doesn't seem like a bad idea to me? You get the teaching experience for a year, and you know you're not shooting yourself in the foot with your research, because you already have something research-related lined up for the next year. 6) A VAP can definitely help you continue having an academic affiliation while you wait for the postdocs. I would however work hard to get a plan in place with those mentors who are asking you to wait a year. For example, have a timeline of postdoctoral fellowships you are planning to submit, define the project you will work on, etc. In a year you would not want to find yourself in a situation where these mentors would be unwilling to take you due to lack of time, funding, etc. | |
307 | 12/3/23 14:26 | How do you start your cover letter? | 12/8/23 5:13 | 1) I start by introducing myself with my academic/professional identity and priorities. 2) I have a paragraph with 3-4 sentences. It states the position I'm applying for, briefly introduces myself by saying what I am doing this year and what I was doing last year, and then states a few reasons that I think I'd be good for the position (which I develop in the rest of the letter). x3 3) Introduce myself- current position, research area, teaching experience, why I am a good fit for the position (eg can teach classes listed in ad) and express enthusiasm about the position. I try to keep it as brief as I can. 4) I write the initial paragraph of my cover letter with the awareness that it could be the only paragraph read from the application package. x2 5) Wise choice, #4. Personally though when I read apps, I flip straight to the research proposal page. Do the same polishing on that paragraph too! | |
308 | 12/2/23 7:20 | Conservative Colleges | 12/3/23 17:58 | For some reason, most of the interviews I'm getting this year seem to be at places that have reputations as being more conservative. I'm very happy to teach students with diverse political views. I have no problem teaching republican students, and have for example enjoyed teaching environmental science to students from agricultural backgrounds/in agricultural degree programs. Sometimes students from these backgrounds are religious, see their relationship to nature as having to do with taking care of what God created, are interested in working in agriculture themselves, and are more interested in issues related to soil conservation, land use change etc than climate change. It's rewarding because I know that they are some of the people who are going to be on the ground using the practices that we talk about in class. That all being said, I consider myself to be very liberal. And also I'm gay. I have a strong diversity statement (a lot stronger than my research haha oh dear please can I have a job) and my cv includes a lot of concrete actions that I've taken to support diversity. So, two questions: 1) Why do the conservative colleges want me?? Is it just chance? Am I somehow giving off conservative vibes?? and 2) What is it going to be like if I accept a position at one of these more conservative schools? Do you think I would be happy there? Are people interested in supporting students and faculty from diverse backgrounds? Am I going to have a problem being gay? (none of these are schools that actively discriminate against lgbt students or faculty in their hiring/written procedures) 2) Even at relatively conservative colleges, the STEM faculty are likely mainstream Democrats. They probably want you because you're a good candidate with a lot to offer! I wouldn't overthink it... 3) Agreed with 2. What even is a "conservative school"? Like, explicitly religious schools? Or just schools in more rural areas of red states? Especially if the latter, I think you'll find that even those areas are teeming with very good people of all political and cultural persuasions, including liberals, LBGTQIA+, colored, immigrants etc. I'm guessing your background and diversity statement actually appeals to them. You're overthinking this. OP) @3 I mean that when I google the school and look at the niche reviews and things prospective students say to each other, the schools are listed as places that are especially good for conservative students and where more conservative students go. Some are religious and some not. A lot of schools lean very liberal, but there are a few where conservative students feel more like they fit in. I'm talking about those. Yes, I guess my diversity statement must, or they're just not thinking about it like you said. For example, like Hillsdale College, but not that one. 4) Having done both, it is a really really different experience to live/work at a big university in a conservative rural area vs. live/work at a very small selective college in a conservative rural area. 5OP) Hmm how are they different? What is each like? I don't mind if the area is conservative, or if the students are. But I'm just hoping that my colleagues and especially the administration would be open to intentional DEI work (we can support diverse and first generation Republicans too right??) and that I don't get any trouble for the gayness. I've applied to public and private as well as selective and less selective schools, but they are all small and undergrad-focused. 4) At least for me, being at a big school in conservative/rural place was fine because most of my social/personal life was tied up in friends around university (not even necessarily in my department, just from that sphere). At small rural school I liked my colleagues fine, but college was a drop in the bucket in the community and it just isn't a personal situation I would choose to live in if given options. I grew up in a small town like that and at least if I had stayed there I would have had friends/family with history. Students and colleagues have mostly been fine at both places though. | |
309 | 12/1/23 8:31 | Optional references (e.g., 4 and 5) | 12/2/23 23:24 | (OP) To folks on SCs who have options for more than 3 references, what are your thoughts on candidates who submit the 'typical' 3 vs 5? I do have people lined up who can write for me as 4th and 5th, but they haven't done so this year and so I'm hesitant to ask them to submit additional letters unless it would be really helpful. 1) Same! I usually err on the side of 4 when it's 3-5, so as not to reach back too far in time. Interested in others' thoughts 2) agree on submitting 4 when asked for 3-5. Either an additional teaching reference if it's a position with a lot of teaching, or another research-related one depending on the position 3) As someone who's been on multiple search committees, I don't want to read more than three letters, but then I wouldn't provide that option. Seems like 4 is the sweet spot if they give you the option. | |
310 | 11/30/23 19:41 | Listing grants on CV | 12/4/23 7:29 | I am on currently on a research fellowship with a NGO and recently secured a couple large grants as a Co-PI. However, my salary and supplies are fully covered, so my institution did not want to request any subaward and instead provided matching costs. I had a huge role in writing the proposals and am wondering how these should be listed on my CV if I can't say a sub-award in the amount of $XX was made to my institution? 2) Are you listed as co-PI? OP) yes I am an official Co-PI. 2) Then just list it with yourself as co-PI, name the PI, and the institution that administers it. Maybe try to describe how much of the $ will go to you if that's easy to figure out. Congrats! 3) Usually people list budge amounts for the subaward and then "declined". Something like "co-PI, subaward amount $150,000, ($100,000 declined due to cost-sharing and budget overlap)." OP) I should clarify that my institution (the NGO) provided matching costs to support the proposal and I (co-PI) had a major role in the writing process (and will now be extensively involved in the projects / research teams). I'm wondering how much of the total award amount I should list on my CV under Grants since my NGO did not take a major sub award but rather provided the matching costs. 4) Recent search committee member here. Congrats on the grant! Make sure to explain your role in writing this in your cover letter. It can be difficult to decipher from CVs whether a candidate has actual grant writing experience (like you!), vs. candidates who's names were just added to grants to beef up CV or those who were named on a grant but didn't actually contribute to the writing. 5) I would list myself as a co-pi with the amount that you're receiving as well as the total amount. e.g., "$2 million ($50 million total)". | |
311 | 11/30/23 12:11 | Is it worth going to all interviews, and how do you politely decline? | 12/20/23 9:45 | 1) If you absolutely know you aren't going to take a job, I think you should stop the process then and not waste their time or your own. If you're unsure, then yeah, go through and learn more about the place. You don't have to give a reason why you decline, just be professional about it. If you want to give a reason to make the email more polite, "unfortunately this opportunity doesn't align with my family obligations"--which means nothing, or anything--works. And thank them for their hospitality. I will say that if you ran into a distinct problem during the interviews (like a racist prof), the chair might very much appreciate that feedback. 2) If you are dead certain you don't want that job and have multiple interviews at places you love, you could make a backup candidate very very happy to get an interview. x4 3) Yeah, I've definitely gone from "eh, I dunno about this" to "omg I want this job so badly" by attending an on-campus interview and learning more about the position and the institution. If you're unsure whether you want the job because you don't know everything about the job, it might be worth it to go and learn that information. If you know you don't want it because you can't imagine living in X place or you know the salary's too low, then just say, "I would like to withdraw from consideration". 4) I agree with 2. If you definitely know you don't want it then decline the interview. You'll look like a real A-hole if you go interview, get offered the job, then decline with a reason that you knew before even interviewing. 5) Some of the advice here would be good IF we lived in a world where candidates were treated with equal respect or even basic good faith. But we don't, so do whatever you want, try to be polite, and never feel bad about declining a job. They don't have to know that you are declining for a reason you had before the visit. @5 x2 !! 6) @4: What about SCs, schools, HR depts, etc., who look like total A-holes for any or all of the reasons that regularly come up on this board?x2 1again) I think that 2 things are true -- you should never feel bad for declining at any stage of the process, including the end; and, you should back out as soon as you know that you wouldn't take the job. 7) I recently declined an on-campus interview knowing I wouldn't accept the job if they offered it. I was nervous to decline but the search chair was really positive and I'm very relieved not to have wasted more of their or my own time--hope this helps! | |
312 | 11/30/23 6:26 | Tea leaves | 12/10/23 14:54 | I just got back from a campus interview. For folks who've gotten the offer, were there hints during your visit? I'm super excited about this job! 2) one time I knew I wasn't getting the job because there were literally no questions after my research presentation. just crickets x2 3) I would be careful reading into any tea leaves, when things go to a comittee you never know what will happen. 4) Yeah, and unless you're the last candidate, you never know what's coming next. I once gave a teaching demo at a PUI and students were really engaged, I got a big round of applause at the end, the retiring lecturer I was interviewing to replace was like "A+, awesome job!" and they went with someone else x2 5) I read some blog post saying, "Oh, you'll sense if you'll get the job" (couldn't find the link), but that seems like baloney. I'm waiting to hear back from a campus interview from this cycle which I feel went really well, but idk it just seems impossible to know. 6) Yeah I've had interviews that I thought went totally great and even cases where committee members were telling me flat out that they were voting for me and thought I would get the offer and then nothing. I just think it's really hard to tell x5. 7) My PI uses the metaphor of 'crystal balls' in this process and how he doesn't have one. He's encouraging and shares his opinions when I ask, but also very open about the fact that it's a crapshoot out there. Just ain't no way of knowing so there's not much point in prognosticating but it's so hard not to. 8) Do NOT read too much into positive feedback during interviews. I've received very positive feedback before, including the ("I'll vote for you" comments), and ultimately haven't gotten the job. Positive feedback is better than none, but it doesn't mean you'll get the job. x2 9) I agree it's impossible to tell. I also saw a search at my university last year where the committee rankings got overturned by faculty vote, and the committee's top candidate didn't get an offer because the faculty didn't like them. At some places, department heads can also overturn committee and faculty recommendations x2 10) It's really hard not to read into the positive feedback given in person but I definitely agree with all of the aforementioned comments. I've also had faculty members tell me that they were 100% convinced that I would get the offer and then I was runner-up after the department had their meeting and all the internal politics shook out. Fingers crossed for you! (and me lol) 11) I have a faculty position, and with the hires we've done since I've been here (10+ years), I have not once been right about who was going to get offered the job. It is a total crapshoot, and one thing that one faculty member says in the discussion of the candidates can throw everything for a loop. 12) It's important to remember that the department could honestly totally think you are fantastic, brilliant, would make a great colleague, etc., and you still won't get the job because there are other good candidates or other considerations. So the good feedback is still good, but it doesn't mean much in terms of a job offer until you actually get an offer. x2 13) @4 & @6 this exact thing happen to me at an R1. The teaching faculty asked me to keep my teaching demo to use it in their class. Faculty I was going to replace told me they were voting for me, etc. I later heard they hired the candidate who had the most publications, in typical R1 fashion. 14) The most publications is definitely not typical R1 fashion in my experience. More like the most trendy or best pedigree. 15) THE ONLY valid tea leaves you can possibly read are "I bombed this interview and will NOT get this job". 16) OP, good luck! But please don't get your hopes up too high, there are so many ways things can go in unexpected directions. I've got a personal example too, got told by multiple SC members (including the chair) that they wanted me, I should be "optimistic," then... crickets. Impersonal HR rejection months later. Fingers crossed for you! | |
313 | 11/29/23 11:32 | Timeline to hear back after on-campus interview | 11/30/23 19:18 | 1) How early/late are people hearing back after on-campus interviews? When can I email them for an update? 2) I think ~1 week after the last on campus interview is generally the earliest. Can be much longer or much much longer if you are waiting while the first choice negotiates. Or generally just never hearing back if you aren't selected in my experience. 3) It depends on when the last candidate is interviewed. 4) I think it's ok to check in and ask about a timeline after a couple of weeks. I wish I had done this when a SC chair ghosted me. 5). Varies by country and region, I pulled out 5 months after an on-campus interview, and apparently the committee are still deciding (imo don't hire if you take so long to process a couple of applications, especially if you have no sure timeline) | |
314 | 11/29/23 8:24 | CV under review/in prep? | 12/16/23 17:15 | I put that in my cv. OP) I am an early career researcher applying for faculty jobs. I have a few pubs which are in prep, but will be submitted within two weeks of job application be submitted. Should I leave these as in prep or can I move to in review? 2) There was a dogpile about this on twitter a while back. General outcome was that if you have a paper that COULD be a pre-print, then list it as in-prep. If you wouldn't feel comfortable sending it to the committee to look at because it was too early or rough, then leave it off. x2 3) Or better yet, post the preprint and include the link. I do think the main consensus though is that if you include these make it very very clear on your CV that they are not part of the peer reviewed article section. I used to include more of these when I had fewer papers but now I only list things that are actually in review and have them below my finished papers. 4) @3 so would you recommend three separate section: Published, Under review/revisions, and In Prep? 5) I include in prep/review/revision/accepted under publications with a separate subheading for each. As others have said only include if you have a draft complete enough to share. Usually these sections are at the end of my pub list. Do NOT list things as in review that are not submitted at that moment although I know it's tempting, but that is lying on your app! What if you don't get it submitted for some unforeseeable reason, or it doesn't go to review etc? If you DO get it submitted beforehand you can list as "submitted" but don't lie if something has not been submitted. OP) got it, thank you. I understand only including pubs which have compelte drafts (pre-prints) that I would be willing to share with committee. I will make clear subsections. Thanks all for sharing your perspectives. 6) We once got a CV with 22 manuscripts listed as "in prep" with only 5 actual pubs on the CV. It looked so stupid. 7) Yeah 1-2 "in prep" might be OK. Maaaaybe 2-3 if you've just finished your dissertation and they are all in the dissertation which has been published by the university. It should not be out of whack with your actual publication list or career stage, like @6 gave an example of. Better to just get them up as preprints ASAP, like. right. now. 8) "in prep for submission to Nature" 9) No 8, gotta send those in submit those in preps to CNS then *immediately* submit your job apps so you can list 'in review at CNS' quick before you get the rejection back an hour later. 10) if you put "In prep" it might help to say instead "In Preperation (Full draft available)" or put on preprint server, as others have mentioned. "in prep" is generally fine, esp. if you've recently graduated (in last 1-2 years) 11) I never put in prep papers on my CV, but do talk about them in my research statement. I think that's the classier approach, especially if you have lots of irons in the fire x2 12) @9, can't say "in review" unless it's actually sent out for review! x2 13) all I'm going to say is DONT mix preprints in with published papers; biggest SC pet peeve. 14) Yeah, the nuance between "submitted" and "in review" is not important. Most journals aren't transparenet enough for you to know what stage it's in most of the time anyway x2 12) @14, I think the difference is important! Being sent out for review by CNS, for example, is a pretty big deal (vs just submitting the paper there) (or at least, shows it made it past the first gauntlet) x2 15) I don't think any of those distinctions matter so long as you preprint the ms, but maybe I'd feel different if I was fighting for a Science paper *shrug* OP) I am not trying to fluff my feather or lie on my app.. just trying to get credit for my work esp as an early career person. 15) I'd be careful with pre-prints, in general. Lots of people think they're just as bad as "in prep", as #6 mentioned. Lots will say they're good, more democratic, less gatekeepy, etc., but using them as publicaiton currency is like trying to pick up a soccer ball and score by throwing it. 16) Agree with you in general 15, but I think the sports analogy needs some work... 17) oh yeah preprints are definitely not actual papers, but they are an easy way to provide proof that something is likely to happen with the work, or at least it's in a state that you don't mind sharing publicly with the world. From what I can tell, most people view them as better than "in prep", but it's totally true that they are not viewed like peer-reviewed pubs or a finished project. | |
315 | 11/27/23 20:16 | Acceptable postings | 11/30/23 6:35 | I don’t understand why this job board bans positions at universities like Baylor, but allows positions in countries where being LGBTQ can land you in jail. Baylor and Westmont aren’t putting anyone in jail, and imprisoning someone for being LGBTQ is further along the spectrum of awfulness than anything any university does. Why not be consistent and put the info about discrimination in the job ad whenever it appears, or, alternatively, ban any job that involves LGBTQ discrimination? AP) One is the choice of the institution, the other is outside their control. Perhaps an imperfect system, but I also don't have time to dig into every such case. 2) @AP I like this policy and think it is the best approach. There is a big difference between actively discriminating and simply existing in an area with shitty laws. x2 3) I agree that it would be a lot of work for the AP to look into laws for every country- and so perhaps the most efficient way is for folk from the community to point out that places are discriminatory in the comments so that other folk know in case they are not aware of anti-LGBT laws, for example. 4) Yes, and in my experience, we tend to know when we're going to a country where we're not safe. Maybe that's not always true, but I know that I'm always very aware of it. | |
316 | 11/27/23 14:40 | Do interviews accomodate jet lag? | 12/8/23 14:54 | If I'm coming from the west to east coast, should I expect them to care that 9am is 6am to me? (1) no, full stop. Any accommodation you'll have to arrange for yourself, possibly at your own expense (x4) 2) Academics fortunately don't enjoy early mornings so let's hope they don't do the 7am pickup. Once I told a search chair not to panic about early breakfast-- I'd eat something at the hotel. But you gotta judge that one the right way. Don't look like you want to back out of meetings. If you are hosting DO NOT show up earlier than the schedule said. It's not a nice thing to do ambushing a candidate who just got out of the shower. (3) @2 do you think it looked like you wanted to back out of the breakfast meeting? (4) I had 8a east coast breakfast meetings as a west coast candidate. I think the schedules are just often very busy and it's not really practical to start at noon... (5) I'm 0/2 on time change accomodations with 5-6 hour time difference. I'm a parent so I haven't slept in years anyway... 2again) @3, the host made it clear they weren't a morning person. In this case they were relieved. There are other cases where if I had done the same it would have been perceived as an insult. 5) Most that I've been on have run 7am to 9pm regardless of any time zone. Maybe if I'm lucky that gets down to 8-8. One interview I was on was nice enough to schedule periodic breaks during the day, but literally every break the person I was meeting with looked at the schedule as our time slot was supposed to end, then said 'oh good we have more time' and continued through the entire break. x2 6) Speaking as a former European postdoc who interviewed for a number of North American positions: no, the interview schedule won't be adjusted in any way to accommodate jet lag. I never expected it to be, and don't think it should be. 7) As someone coming from Europe for US interviews, both departments that have invited me for on-campus have offered to fly me out a day early to give me time to get over the jet lag. One day isn't enough but it's better than nothing... But the schedule was still 8am past 9pm on the interview days. 8) In all honesty, having done both a few times now, I'd be fine with just switching over to zoom interviews. I think zoom is as good or better for all the one on one or small group meetings plus you get real breaks when the meetings are off. It isn't quite as good for the research seminar, but still good enough to evaluate what committees need to. And it mostly cuts out the interview/social meals that are entirely unecessary for a professional interview. As a bonus, it is way less disruptive to everyones schedule, it's a lot cheaper, and it doesn't require a constant stream of long distance flights emitting CO2. 9) I interviewed for a job in a +12-hour time zone and started at 8 or 9 after arriving the night before. I was supposed to have half a day to adjust but a flight delay meant starting the interview within 11 hours of arrival in country. Didn't get that offer... (10) OOOOOH my time to shine with horror stories (might be slightly doxxy but oh well). Flew from NZ to Europe for an interview (17 hour flight + 7 hour flight), where all the other candidates were there simultaneously (all from Europe). We were all expected to follow the same schedule, and on top of that they made me go last in the talk symposium because of alphabetical order. All I wanted to do was lie down. There was another time I interviewed in Europe but from the US, and my flight was delayed such that I arrived 6 hours before my first meeting. I competed against someone already in the department who was sleeping in their own bed. Anyway no, they really REALLY do not care. 10) when I had in-person interviews in places where I'd have jet lag, I planned to arrive a few days before to adjust. This also gave me a chance to see the place and explore a bit/ decide if it was somewhere I'd want to live. The university was always happy to accomodate this - and I just paid for my own airbnb for the extra nights. Everyone is different, but I'm also the kind of control freak that couldn't just rock up hours before an interview and hit the ground running. 11) @10, that strategy makes sense if you can do it, but no way I can do this with in-semester interviews between teaching obligations and caregiver obligations. It's already nearly impossible to fit in 3-4 days for travel/interview without addint more days. It's a huge ask not just for me but for family and often only comes with a couple weeks of lead time to plan. Just do it on zoom! 12) agree with @11. One very famous place overseas gave 7 days to book travel, and I had to pay upfront. The flight was $2500. Would have preferred zoom. 13) Agree with 8 on zoom interviews being fine enough. 14) @8,11,12,13 I see your points, and I think zoom interviews are fine for SC to assess candidates. But having taken one job during COVID without ever having seen the lab space, campus, and city ... I want a campus visit before considering taking the next offer. 15) @14, I agree with the zoom comments above, but I don't think that's incompatible with flying a candidate out after an offer decision is made or basically made and just finalizing negotiation. Some places do that for second visits anyway. Would be a much more enjoyable trip anyway to have an offer and actually be able to use the time to evaluate whether you want to accept it (I know I it would change my mindset for questions I would ask). A lot of grad admission programs have actually switched to this model instead after deciding for a variety of reasons that the stress of the on campus interview weekend was not worth it and now bring candidates out for a recruitment weekend instead once offers have been made. Seems like the same thing would work for us aspiring professors. And it would still be cheaper and easier to arrange for the hiring department since they wouldn't need to fly out as many candidates or worry about arranging a completely packed interview schedule during that visit. 14) @15 Yeah, I'm on board with that. 15) The in-person interview process in the uS is gruelling, expensive and time-consuming, but I think if you have an option to do it in person AND you are genuinely keen on that job, it's worth doing. I'm not saying it should be this way, but I think asking to do it on zoom would put you at a massive disadvantage compared to other candidates. 16) Thats why they should do them all on zoom. 17) Agreed with @16, and others (numbering off). Zoom all the finalists and fly out the offer. x3 18) If it's a position with tenure, I don't think its unreasonable for a department to want to meet you in person before they give you an offer. If you're going to have to work together for potentially decades, you want to get a good impression of someone before committing to them. Obviously there's some downsides to this, and people that need accomodations should be afforded reasonable ones which may include shifting online (and departments should be fronting all the costs). Also, negotiations are already a long process. If you have to fly out a candidate, they reject the offer, and then work down the list you may increase the risk of a failed search. 19) I agree with @18. If it's potentially a lifetime position--and let's be honest, most asst prof positions are--then it's totally reasonable to expect an in-person interview prior to an offer (assuming the world isn't falling apart at the time). 20) Right 19, because in person impressions based on 2 days of back to back stressful meetings have been so clearly effective in keeping jerks out of faculty lines. 19) @20, you're assuming the search committees care about keeping jerks out of faculty lines. I'm just saying that it's really not an unreasonable request. High level/high promise jobs in any sector would generally want an in-person interview. x2 20) LOLOL 'high level/high promise'. These are essentially entry level jobs that start paying on the order of 60-90k. I get that they are super competitive, but it doesn't make sense to compare the recruitment to other 'high level' sectors, especially since interview practices in most other sectors aren't at all like TT searches anyway. 21) there was one time where they scheduled me for a red-eye cross country flight that landed at 4am then had an hr+ long drive. I got to the hotel to freshen up and they hadn't informed the hotel that I would be arriving at a weird time and the reservation had been cancelled. I basically had 1 hr to "rest" before the interview started. Needless to say, I was not at my best and also the search was a hot mess. I was relieved to not get it | |
317 | 11/27/23 12:05 | asking for an update from search committee | 11/28/23 10:57 | Thoughts on etiquette of reaching out to search committee after a Zoom interview to ask if you're still under consideration for the position? I never did it in my search last year but this year there's a position I was excited about, hoping I might still be in the running after a zoom interview a while ago, but at this point it's unclear if they're moving ahead with other candidates. Just don't want to come across as being pushy about it. 1) Depends on how long it has been since the Zoom interview, and did they give you an estimated timeline for informing people about the next step? I don't think that it hurts, especially if it has been awhile and you ask nicely. You can also reaffirm your interest in the position. Keep the email short and sweet. 2) Search committee chair, I would just ask 3) Perfectly fine to ask, but don't be surprised if they don't respond. 4) I think sometimes it's not straightfoward, and they don't want to explain that. For example, they may have a top 4-5 candidates that you're not in, but if all of those people suck during interview then they'll go back to the zoom interview list, but that could require another faculty vote, so basically it's up in the air. OP) thanks for the input on this, I decided to reach out, got a reply that was a bit cryptic but still friendy and not discouraging, so I feel better having at least asked. Thanks again | |
318 | 11/24/23 5:32 | (un/official) transcripts | 11/27/23 6:08 | OP) So I'm applying for a position that includes "unoffical transcripts" as part of the application material. What does it mean? 2) You can pull transcripts from whatever online portal. They don't need to be issued, signed, and sealed by the registrar (which would make them official) OP) But what are transcripts? They wanna check my grades? Really? I mean, I have excellent grades but it feels odd... so long ago. 3) Often the transcript is an HR requirement to prove you have the degrees you say. But one year I could not get one because my university grades have been archived. I don't think the search committee cares, but I still don't know if HR redacted my app over it. 4) unofficial means that you've provided it, rather than offical transcripts coming directly from the degree-awarding university. Like @3 said, it's just to prove that you have a PhD (I've not seen any jobs require undergrad transcripts) and they likely don't care about your grades. 5) I have most certainly seen job ads requiring undergrad transcripts, and some requiring GREs too, in the US. The latter is meant to exclude outside applicants. In Europe, job ads generally ask for a copy of the PhD diploma, not the transcript. Never seen a transcript or diploma requirement in the Commonwealth though. OP) Thanks all! | |
319 | 11/23/23 14:16 | What's the point of a postdoc? | 12/8/23 7:42 | So what's the actual point of a postdoc? It seems to me it's turning into this extended apprenticeship/purgatory. What's the point of doing a PhD (aka learning how to design, conduct & publish research) if it's not "enough" for a "real job"? I get not wanting to move straight into a professorial position, but then why aren't they just called research fellowships? I feel like the term postdoc is infantilising, especially after earning literally the highest degree possible - which is now apparently not enough to be considered a proper researcher x3. 2) echo the very last point. not enough to be considered as a proper rearcher. in a sense it's waste of time with low salary and still hard to get a formal job 3) To me it's just clearly the result of the pyramid scheme. So long as there are too many Phds and too few faculty positions, there will need to be some sort of "holding"--postdoc--which leads to the bloating of CV requirements. That said, after a few years of postdoc it seems even harder to get a job. If the game weren't so lopsided I'd actually say a postdoc would be a pretty good thing, if it were paid better. I've valued my experience in a different lab, on a different project. However, while it's made me a stronger researcher, I've also lingered too long and now see no future in academia, so there's that. 4) I think they're an unfortunate consequence of science being more expensive and complex than in previous decades. The days of solo-authored ecoevo projects are (mostly) long-gone and most projects require a team these days. There should really be more permanent well-paid academic scientist positions, because its bs that these unavoidable labor needs are being met with underpaid temporary positions. I'd happily continue working in a lab instead of fighting to lead my own if I had job security and a decent paycheck/benefits. x2 5) Ideally a post-doc is both a refinement of research/grant/writing skills AND a chance to learn new techniques or gain new expertise. But, all too many PIs hiring postdocs hire someone for their skillsets, to essentially be an RA or tech on a specific project x2. As mentioned above, it sure seems like many postdoc positions today do fall under "pyramid scheme": keep the output up so a lab can keep money coming so they can pump out papers and grad students who will go on to be postdocs, etc. x3 6) I agree with all the comments here. The point of a postdoc depends on if you are the postdoc or the PI. If you are the postdoc, the point is to grow your CV enough to secure a permanent faculty position. If you are the PI, the point is to have extremely cheap, very highly skilled labor do the hard analyses on your projects (speaking generally, and not very generously, of course). Some PIs are more helpful than others, e.g., including postdocs as co-PIs on grants (which is important), helping postdocs grow their networks, etc. Speaking personally, my time as a postdoc has been a almost a complete waste of time with regards to becoming more competitive for a faculty job--which no longer appeals to me. I have gained many new analytical skills and, naturally, a hardening disgust and rejection of the pyramid scheme that is academic science. 7) damn, seems like alot of you have gotten screwed by bad PIs with abysmal mentorship skills. Makes me sad to see how common that is *tear emoji* 8) Tbh a postdoc is pretty awesome (total research freedom with––finally––the qualifications to be taken seriously as a Big Kid researcher), but yeah, I dislike the fairly constant pressure to find a permanent position. 9) I brought in most of the funding and ideas for my PhD, but was told during my postdoc that it didn't matter at all and my cover letter for Asst prof positions needed to be all about how great my abysmally disappointing postdoc project was at demonstrating my "independence" as a researcher. so stupid. My PI wasn't toxic and I'm grateful for that, but I was a glorified RA with bad mentorship and got out of academia after that 10) what I find frusterating is that it is basically required now to even be considered for a faculty job. Even if you have more publications than some postdocs do coming out of your PhD, you won't even be considered unless you have a postdoc. It feels like a "weed out" process. 11) I gained very little from my postdoc as I already had many years of independent research experience. I have learned much more being a non-TT faculty member (we are very integrated into my current department) but it doesn't really help in getting a permanent/TT position. 12) I don't mean to disparage highly productive PhD students but there are huge inequities in opportunity for publishing during PhDs. I'm aware of one very high-profile PI who doesn't allow his students to pursue side-projects, which means 3-5 papers max for a graduate. Another PI encourages it (perhaps too much) and has had students finish with 20+ papers (many of those opinion pieces and 10+ authors but still puclications). And then the harsh reality is, the vast majority of PhD "led" papers that crack SNC are from students who joined projects that were headed that way anyways. I would like to see a much greater emphasis on the breadth of papers from PhD to postdoc instead of the raw numbers or that most bullshit of metrics, IF. 12) haven't read the whole thread, butt cynically and realistically the only reason PDs exist is so PhD have a job while they wait until they get lucky in the permanent job market. There's no other academic/professional/training reason for it. It's indeed a purgatory. 13) If we're comparing postdocs to Dante's books, I think the Inferno is more apt than Purgatorio. 14) Inferno is forever though. I'd happily take a permanent position somewhere down there lol 13) Yes, but in purgatory if you stick with it long enough and follow all the rules you can eventually arrive in a better place. In the inferno it's only downhill the longer you stay and no one escapes unless you manage to climb through satan's hairy legs. 14) Post-doc time can be a lot of fun and a way to get paid to travel and do cool stuff - it jsut doesn't come with benefits, allow you to save, put down roots, etc., and eventually the party's over whether you give up or get a TT gig. Some PIs suck, some are great, but none can get you a job (barring rare nepo cases). 15) The party is over long before giving up for many people. But most current PIs only remember the party. 16) Let me play devil's advocate as some one who is working in industry. Given the current state of large layoffs in biotech, doing a postdoc may be a say holding place to give you more advanced skills that will make you more attractive to biotech companies if you chose to go that route. | |
320 | 11/20/23 2:12 | data on time to interview requests | 11/22/23 6:34 | is there any data floating around on the range of response times? Seems like some places are wildly fast and others take their sweet time. I would be interested to know the distribution 2) You know how some professors walk into class with a fully planned syllabus, list of readings, assignment due dates, and 15 practice exams? And another walks in with a crumpled stack of notes they wrote 3yrs ago, says "Which class is this?? Oh yeah...." and then starts scribbling unintelligible equations on the chalk board. Like the one who refuses to give you an outline because there is no way on earth that they have one. Now imagine those are two different search chairs. Explains everything about the time to response. OP) yeah, I totally get that. I'm just a stats nerd and would love to play with some data. Is it bimodal or a bellcurve? What's the mean and std deviation? I need to distract myself while I wait for rejection letters lol 3) Figure out a way to scrape the google sheet version history to pull out the date of first 'zoom invite' comments on the job ads and match that with the closing dates. The data should all be there! 4) Ooh, that does sound fun. I made a chart a while back of number of postings per US state plotted against population, that showed which states were "over/underperforming" 5) I was told by several folks that R2 schools try to get their invites out faster so they don't miss out on top candidates once R1s start interviewing, which makes sense to me. So I think there is some stratification by "classification" for research. It also depends on the search committee's availability and on how many applications they have to review. 6) I've similarly been told that some PUIs try to go faster/earlier than R1s to avoid the "person who turns to PUIs after not getting any R1 offers" 7) I think people say this happens more than it actually does. Or maybe schools think they should do that, but realities of how schedules work out make it far from systematic. As an applicant, I don't really see how you could 'turn to PUIs' since even with the variable interview timing, almost all of the job applications are still due roughly together before you have heard back about even first round interviews from other applications. 8) I've also heard this but don't know how true it is. It does make sense for SLACs/R2s/etc to get offers out the door quick before R1s move though. I will probably take the first offer a school puts on the table, but would turn down a lower tier school for an R1 offer if by some freak miracle I had options. I'm sure many other applicants are in the same boat. 9) OP could classify schools by rank and see when their applications were due. I'm interested to see what the data would say! 10) Would really be better to have dates of interviews/offers though if the schools really care about this enough to have it influence their strategy. Some of those early searches still haven't even moved to first round interviews and others are finished. 11) Yeah, the ones I applied to moved really fast in deciding they didn't want me | |
321 | 11/19/23 18:16 | "Where did you find this job?" | 11/26/23 19:28 | Most job application forms ask you to indicate where you found that job (and list an ungodly number of options), yet has any of that data ever been released, anywhere, for any job/university? I'm curious.1) I always choose other and type in this listing, very rarely do I find job listings that aren't already posted here x2 OP) I do, but most of the ones I find elsewhere and apply to aren't specifically eco/evo 2) I don't know what academic institutions and government agencies do with this, but in the private sector/NGOs it's definitely regularly used to filter applications to people who were referred by a current employee or by some other connection 3) the Universities definitely see and review this information. Treat it like an upper administration question instead of a question from the department, etc. 4) @3 what do you mean? What is there to review it's usually a list where you can check off one choice. What information could they possibly get out of it that is relevant. 5) advertising in many of the traditional outlets costs $$$ and they want to know whether that is the right way to reach candidates 6) Sure, but I think the point is the way that you answer this question will not have any effect on your application. | |
322 | 11/19/23 16:02 | Applying to two jobs in the same department? | 11/30/23 10:51 | 1) How do you write two different research statements for two jobs in the same department (i.e., ornithologist and a geneticist). For one research statement you feature your bird research that might not all be genetics based, but for the genetics job you only feature your genetics work, and might as some projects where you worked on non-bird genetics. Does this take away from both of your applications and make it look like you are being dishonest in your applications? 2) It doesn't make you look dishonest, but it can make you look unfocused and like you don't have a "vision" 3) @2, I don't think that is usually true. In most cases the search committtees are entirely different so they wouldn't even be comparing notes until the short list or campus interview stage. I think the approach 1 describes is fine and normal. I think the more general question of how much to use your strongest/truest research statement vs. how much to tilt and emphasize research that seems to be a better fit for a particular job ad is always tricky, but that is true even when applying to just one job in a department. 4) I'd be a bit careful about making the two statements completely different (like suggesting totally different research directions) but for those two different jobs I think it makes sense to emphasize different things in the research statement. But if your intended projects are very different, that could be risky. In a search I was part of, the whole community looked poorly upon an interviewee who suggested different projects to different people--depending on the interviewers' interests. We'd have rather seen the interviewee sell their own research. 5) Yeah, it might make the most sense to write a single statement at the intersection of genetics and birds 6) @5, and risk not being a great fit for either position? I think 4's comment makes sense in the context of an actual on campus interview with multiple meetings, but I'd submit what you think is the strongest application for each of the individual positions or else if you're really that worried about it only apply to the one you think you are the best fit for rather than compromising both of them. 7) I know someone who did this and was the #1 candidate for both searches. | |
323 | 11/17/23 17:21 | Is 12 years post-phd too old to apply for assistant professor position? | 11/26/23 3:19 | 1) I mean would the search committee look negatively at you if you are not a postdoc anymore since you are too old (12 years post-phd is too old?) but an adjunct applying for assistant professor? 2) I know someone who was just hired as an asst prof at 65 years old. Definitely apply!! 3) @2 ok but I don't want to wait till I am 65. Tenure at 70 if they give you tenure?? 3) if you want to do it, go for it. I started as assistant prof 11 years post-phd after changing career path 4) You are never too old to apply for any academic positions 5) unless you are in some parts of Europe *cry* certainly OK in the US though 5) I like to hear that it may not be considered too old by search committees. 6) Definitely apply, but it is absolutely the case that a lot of search committees look unfavorably on too many years post PhD even though they really shouldn't. 7)@6 sigh...I thought so. 8) I'm assuming that you're in the US, so if it's an option to move abroad look into UK/EU positions. Longer postdocs are more typical outside the states.9) @6 and @7 more so for departments which primarily get NIH money. Once you are >10 your phd, you lose your ESI status, which gives you a better chance of getting a NIH R01. NSF does not have this consideration. 10) @9, I don't think it is more so with NIH money, it's pretty hard everywhere. It's very very hard to get interviewed at a lot of PUIs at 10 years post PhD because it doesn't match the image search committees have in mind if you have been in research positions for most of that time. 11) I'd actually say that biomedical fields are more likely to have very long postdoc durations, while ecoevo feels to me biased towards 1-3yr postdocs. 12) Either way outlook isn't looking good for me. It is incredibly awful to think that this is actually a factor that is lowering my chances even though the circumstances were not really in my hands. This is an awful feeling, especially because I have remained active in academia. 11again) @12 - it does suck, for sure. And it is not fair. It's age discrimination, and it is real. 13) it depends on the position and whether you think you can convince the SC that you can do the job. You can probably convince them you're excited to get back into teaching and you have the expertise and ideas to fill their needs. If it's more research required, then you'd have to show that you're competitive for grants - it depends on what you've been doing with your post-PhD time. But I don't think there is such a thing as "too old". We have made hires in my dept where the candidate is coming from a bunch of years in industry and they are "older" than the "average" asst prof. 14) @13 thank you - that gives me some hope this morning. | |
324 | 11/17/23 17:20 | How soon did you get invited for zoom at PUI? | 11/20/23 13:15 | 1) If it has been a month since the application due date, is it safe to assume that I did not make it to even the zoom stage? 2) Nope! A PUI I applied to had its applications close a month ago and just today sent out an email saying they were just starting to review applications. Sometimes it takes a while. 3) @2 Hearing this is the only good thing that has happened today so I am so biased towards believing that that is what has happened to me too. Was feeling pretty hopeless but maaaaaaybe there is a sliver of chance somewhere. Thanks! 4) My zoom invite timeline for PUIs ranged from 3 days after the deadline to a month after the deadline. 5) @4 thank you. 6) If the position is listed on this database, it typically seems to work pretty well. People will respond when they get an interview, so if nobody's said anything yet then they probably haven't scheduled interviews yet. 7) Yeah, unless the job is really specific or a bit of a stretch from eco/evo 8) The sliver of never goes away - I am still within a month of application due date so I have decided to completely lose hope once a month has passed. | |
325 | 11/17/23 8:20 | Thankful for this listserv | 12/14/23 16:47 | Just wanted to leave a note here as Twitter/X/whatever it is now called and other social media platforms become more difficult places to engage with, I'm thankful for the moderators of this wiki who manage to keep this an inclusive, collegial space!! x7 2) Amen! 3) It is truly an excellent resource. | |
326 | 11/16/23 14:19 | 15 minute longlist zoom interview---anyone ever encountered this?? TT R1 non-US | 11/23/23 4:06 | This is quite common. 2) I had one recently. 4 questions, the S.C. wasn't even there and it was just recorded for them to view later. The interview was conducted by the chair. It was actually a good experience, although weird to begin with. Only annoying thing; no time (or option, really) for me to ask any questions. 3) even one of 1-hour zoom for the 1st time. 4) I hate the time to ask questions in a zoom interview anyway. Such a dumb performance thing. OP) Thanks all, this is helpful! 5) Yep, I've even had 10 minutes, firm time limit. Seems like there is a huge range in how these are handled! 6) @ 5, that's barely enough to get through introductions! What can they possibly get in 10 minutes that they couldn't from your application materials? 7) @ 6 a basic sense of whether or not someone is a total weirdo, has purple hair, etc. Completely screwing up your camera or whatnot also wouldn't look great on a modern candidate. And just like no tenured prof anywhere in the world has a profile picture more recent than their PhD, candidates with online presences may not look as advertized. 8) @7 well I hadn't thought about it that way! If committees are using our physical appearance to evaluate us, then that doesn't seem good! I don't have purple hair, but I feel like even if I did, I would still be very good teacher with a somewhat interesting research program. I always kind of thought that I would die my hair purple once I go grey (which is happening surprisingly quickly) 9) wow #7 I hope appearance is not a major factor, that would be really messed up. This is a faculty job not a modeling contract so we should not be expected to look "as advertised" whatever that means, since we are not here to advertise our looks, rather our abilities as scholars and educators. 10) It is funny that these things are done on zoom giving all the hand wringing in another thread here about even glancing at candidate's websites. These could easily be voice only and were until very recently. I guess at some point though everyone has to see you for the in person interview. 11) @ 8 I once complimented someone on her blue hair at a conference, she told me it was her "tenure hair." There's a reason I haven't dyed my hair in the last couple of years. :-( 12) Also had a 15 minute interview and it was tough to fit everything in! Couldn't really go into detail on much. I really wasn't sure what the SC was looking for? In the past my zoom interviews have been 30-45 minutes. 5) @6 No introductions for the 10-min interview -- they provided a list of the people who would be on the call in the set-up email, asked a few questions, and that was it. Not sure how they whittled from there, but I guess even a couple brief answers were enough for them?! 6) It's not like everyone is "equal" going in to short zoom interviews... there are often already top candidates for in-person interviews. The zoom can help solidify those choices and give others with applications that didn't seem as strong a chance to make a case. I've definitely seen where a "top choice" just was very rude in a zoom interview while a lower-tiered finalist moved up because they were just so well-prepared. All of that is to say, at the zoom interview stage, the rest of the application still matters. 13) The appearance/weirdo comment above is just describing candidate "fit". At some point you'll need to be presented to a Dean or Provost and that will be an easier sell if someone looks the part. 14) Do butch lesbians 'look the part'? 15) depends on if the search committee is a bunch of d-bags or not 16) @ 14: depends, really. There was a thread on here last year about experiences with female academics being told to dress more feminine by other female academics. It does raise the question of whether butch lesbians actually look that way by choice, or if they do it to conform to stereotypes. Like people can enjoy heavy metal without wearing black concert t-shirts and growing their hair out and such. 17) @9: I see it's your first day on earth. We humans like to talk aspirationally but really, we're just dumb apes playing pretend and most of our decisions are made socio-sexually, not itellectually. | |
327 | 11/16/23 10:19 | Start Up Ranges at R2s? | 12/4/23 22:25 | Highly variable and dependent on your research field... 2) really just curious about general ranges, working on tentative versions of my need vs want list for wildlife ecologist position 3) check the negotiations tab, that's what it's for 4) Yeah, that tab would have that information at least for R2s in general, idk about wildlife ecology specifically since that's not the most common type of job OP) Thanks! 5) Hugely variable by institution, especially considering that some are new R2s and others are R2s striving to be an R1. I wonder if any insight may be gained be seeing how long they've been an R2. 6). In the UK it seems for some places there is none, which seems insane | |
328 | 11/15/23 14:49 | Failed search? | 11/29/23 17:46 | What does it mean when a search has "failed"? Does it mean they didn't find anyone competent, or that no-one applied? To what extent would universities modify (or not) their criterias to find a new employee rather than just give up? 2) A search "fails" when a university chooses not to make an offer to any candidate interviewed; essentially, the search gets cancelled. A department may then re-open the same search in a subsequent year, or may revise the posting to attempt to get applications from new/other candidates. Typically, departments don't like to fail searches because it's a very frustrating outcome after a lot of time spent trying to recruit and hire a new faculty member. But, if all candidates interviewed are deemed unacceptable, or if there's some other internal who-knows-what going on, failing a search may be considered a better option than committing to someone for the rest of eternity that the department knows isn't great or won't jive. 3) There are more routes for a failed search to occur other than a university chooses not to make an offer. That's likely rare. More often the first or second or even third candidates decline or back out. Generally Admin makes a department choose two or maybe 3 acceptable candidates and if they do not accept the search ends and "fails" x4 4) Have also seen searches fail because if internal disagreements on committees/departments where they just can't come to an agreement to get behind a candidate. Or admin unexpectedly pulls funding. Or some HR rule was violated and search had to be stopped and reposted the next year. I think the reason 3 gives is by far the most common though. An offer or multiple offers are made but they aren't accepted and it is too late or not allowed to go back to the applicant pool. 4) At a major Canadian school, a search (for a CRC position) failed last year because the proposed short list was not "diverse" enough so the school pulled the funding support and cancelled the position after the initial Zoom interviews to make that short-list. 5) All failed searches that I've been privy to, except one, were due to administrative bs and not hte quality of the applicants/interviewees. The exception being a targeted bigwig poach that didn't take. 6) I know of a search that began last year that the dept is trying desperately to not have fail, since at least 3 candidates have turned down an offer. They can't solicit more applications without "failing" the search and starting a new one, but admin is unlikely to allow a new search. 7) almost every failed search I've been close to has been because an offer was made to a top candidate, who is fielding other offers, and time ticks, and it takes a long time for that person to decline. Then they go to the 2nd top candidate, repeat all the way down, until there are no more candidates left from the short list. It's almost never the fault of the institution (unlessthey are punching above their weight in terms of candidates), which is something that is assumed on this site and really irks me. There are really never *unacceptable* candidates, don't sell us all so short! 8) ehhhhh I've definitely seen some candidates give "unacceptable" job talks, but they are definitely the minority. The vast majority of us job seekers are good scientists. 9) yeah but they are not offered the position! I've seen people with stellar CVs tank it at the talk, and no offer despite a plethora of Nature papers. 8) @9 True! 100% of the "unacceptable" talks I've seen came from people with CVs filled with Science/Nature papers. I suspect that they got those high-powered papers by working in a high-powered bigwig's lab, but never learned to think on their own without a science-daddy feeding them ideas. It makes me wonder how many great independent thinkers never get interviewed simply because their CVs aren't attention grabbing. 9) whaddya gonna do, CV is one way to filter candidates - CNS papers can get you interviews but so can a steady history of publishing in quality society and field-specific journals. SCs look atthe whole package in the end, but not everyone gets a shot. 10) We had a search fail because the person who accepted backed out a month before they were supposed to start. 11) There are no "unacceptable" candidates but there are "unacceptable" applications that the SC will mark in the system for HR. These are applicants who do not meet some of the search criteria, e.g. do not have a PhD by the start date, field of research do not match (e.g. a mouse cancer biologist applying for a plant ecology position). 12) I mean there may be no 'unacceptable' candidates, but in a lot of departments after campus visits candidates are literally grouped into 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable' categories so... 13). I interviewed and got an offer in Sept-way too low, so I declined, heard a search in a sister department at the same uni failed when 3 people declined that offer too. If universities want top candidates and don't disclose startup etc upfront, then give lowball offers-those searchs will fail | |
329 | 11/15/23 8:15 | Schools with no negotiation at all on salary or start-up? | 11/25/23 22:14 | OP) I saw a current faculty member comment on a job that there's no negotiation for salary or start up at their uni "you get what everyone else gets" - could this really be true or is this person just reliving some bitterness about their (clearly bad) negotiation experience? I thought every place negotiates, is this not true? 2) Negotiation is limited without an outside offer. If you do have an outside offer, most places will match using special funds from the chancellor/president/system office. I wouldn't expect salary to budge by more than $5k without it, and startup may be more limited. You could get more as in kind support but less likely more cash without an external offer. Asking for shared department equipment may be easier than pricey equipment for a single lab. 3) Some universities don't allow for salary or startup negotiation. A friend of mine got an offer from an R1, they said startup and salary weren't negotiable, he tried to negotiate...and they didn't budge. Seems like it's really dependent on the place. OP) Thanks all, very interesting. 4) I've been wondering, in situations like this how much can you negotiate for other things? (spousal hire, length of time to use startup, first year teaching load, other stuff people talk about on the negotiations tab) Probably varies by institution, I guess. 3) All of that definitely varies by institution. I will say that in places where salary is just not really negotiable because of constraints on relative pay scales (rather than because there is no discretionary budget) it can be possible to negotiate some of those things or even to negotiate a few months/years of summer salary that don't count as part of your 'base' compensation. 4) Negotiation can be very limited in certain countries where all universities are public. In the UK for example, there are payscales set by the government, which may vary by uni but are set within unis - meaning a Lecturer at a red-brick might start at grade 8 while at a non-red brick might start at grade 7. My uni offered me the highest in the Lecturer (Asst Prof) scale they could, but that's all the flexibility they had. So I would not assume whoever said that to you was acting in bad faith. 8) yes, from my experience failed searches are never that they found all candidates unacceptable. What happens most times is that a place makes an offer to their top candidate, but that candidate is very competitive and is fielding other offers. Meanwhile, time's a-ticking. The top candidate declines and goes somewhere else. Then they go to the 2nd from the top candidate, repeat, all the way down, until every candidate on their short list has accepted a job somewhere else. So failed searches are usually the "fault" of the candidates, not the instutitions (and on this site the opposite is almost always assumed, which irks me). There are never *unacceptable* candidates, don't sell us all so short! 9) Our school also doesn't negotiate, as pay scales are set by the union, and its a small college with no startup available. It happens! 10). Failed searches also happen when candidates decline offers-typically because offers are too low and not visible up front-I got an offer somewhere I was open to, but the salary would have been 1/3rd of my current one (post-tax) and no startup or positions-so not a chance. Heard the same place had had another search fail when 3 applicants all declined another position, was in London and the offer was lower than other big cities ..... | |
330 | 11/14/23 17:40 | French language requirement | 11/21/23 13:10 | Reposting the discussion from the jobs page to here: Candidates must be able to teach in both French and English at the time of hiring at undergraduate and graduate levels" (1) Dream job but I can't do the French. (2) Pay is also very low compared to some other Canadian jobs that I've seen 3) Just saw this - honestly, my guess is that this is an internally targeted hire. Even francophone Quebecois universities like UdeM typically allow prospective professors 1 year from start date to become proficient in french. The fact that applicants must be immediately able to teach in french without any additional time is....interesting (4) There is another posting from the same department with the same stipulation (New Cellular Models, Classic and/or Emerging Invertebrate Models). I doubt there are two internal hires at the same time 3) fair enough! I think it's weird that their french language requirements are more stringent than....well, exclusively francophone universities! Honestly it's a bit bizarre. (5) Can a Search Committee member clarify whether they require applicants to be officially bilingual in French and English? There are some of us who have done French immersion in grade school, but it might not meet the requirements. 3) I think the ad is pretty clear - you need to be proficient enough in french to teach at a university level at the beginning of the post. That's very unambiguous, and grade school french (I have this, similar to you) will not cut it to make those requirements! If you end up contacting the search committee for clarification please update us all, but if it turns out they mean something else then that is a very poorly written ad, haha. (4) I'd apply if there was a two-yr runway to learn, but I can't be there upon hiring. The U should be willing to give a runway, 3) I absolutely agree, it's a bit of a ridicuouls requirement all things considered. (5) This is pretty much selecting for people from Quebec, Franco-Ontarians, or people from predominantly french countries (France, Algeria, Switzerland, Belgium). 6) My French is rusty but could get to the desired level within 1 year. I guess skills in languages other than English are yet another thing to have to get a faculty position. :( 7) If they are stuck and get no good candidates that are currently perfectly proficient in French (this is going to be a very rare candidate), i think they might consider someone who needs a short runway period. My opinion is if you think you could get up to level in 1 year, apply anyways mentioning that you would need a short runway time. I am going to apply to positions here, and just mention that I'll need a semester/year to be able to get to French proficiency. If they want to throw out my application from the coverletter, that's fine but I at least have a chance if they get stuck. They also only released the ad less than 3 weeks away from the deadline, so they might end up in a tight spot. 7) I don't think it's a ridiculous requirement at all. Canada is a bilingual country. Ppl saying this is "selective", do you also say for universities in the US that they are selecting for people from anglophone countries?x3 8) Agree with #7!! Nothing ridiculous about it. Get over it. Happy for you french speakers out there. x5 (9) @7, almost everyone with a PhD in science is strong in English. As a native Spanish-speaker I despise english linguistic imperialism, but I've learned it. French is not so different from Spanish, but it is yet another layer. In Canada, biliginuilsim increasingly favors a linguistic elite that is very frustrating. Would the SC consider a 'runway' at all? 10) Not too late to fire up Duolingo! (11) As someone who used Duolingo for 3 years before starting a job in a French community and learning French on the fly, Duolingo won't cut it 3) again - nobody here is complaining about the position being French in general, only that it doesn’t allow for any onboarding time to become fluent. There are a huge number of people (especially among Canadians, myself included) who could absolutely become proficient in French (and would be happy to for a position like this!) given a short period of supported training. This is typical for most universities in Quebec, actually – most allow you a period of 1 year to become fluent in French. Literally nobody here is asking to be able to teach in English at a French university (although much teaching at UOttawa would be done in English anyways), there’s no ‘language imperialism’ or anything like that. Just that folks with some baseline French (most English Canadian academics - Canada is bilingual, after all!) be able to ‘dust it off’, which usually requires a small amount of time and support. You yourself said it – Canada is a bilingual country, and most Canadian academics could do this easily. It’s the stringent ‘must be fluent enough to teach immediately’ that folks are taking exception to. Again, to note, this is a requirement that is more stringent (in an English-province university) than pure francophone positions. There’s actually a position for Freshwater Ecology at UdeM (a mandatory French university) open right now (couldn’t find it on the board, interestingly enough….) that has less stringent requirements! That’s a weird situation, to me – that a putatively bilingual university (where many courses are delivered in English as the main language) has harsher requirements than a non-english university where courses and admin are exclusively in french! 12) I don't think it's going to get as small a pool as you all think: a lot of Africa is perfectly fluent in French, maybe they are fine with a pool of applicants that's not prominently US, that's all this is really. 13) For what it's worth, I was told last week by faculty from a univerrsity in France that if I were to get a position there, I would be given 2 years to get my French at teaching level. Makes you think. 14) Everyone's complaining about being expected to speak fluent French straight away but never have I ever heard of a position allowing a less-than fluent English speaker to learn on the job. Not everyone in academia speaks English, and even if they are able to publish in English, that's no guarantee they'd be able to speak fluently, and I don't see any allowances being made for them in anglophone countries. Maybe question your anglo-centrism before demanding every single position cater to anglophones. Also, Ottawa and the University of Ottawa are officially bilingual, this is a perfectly reasonable requirement. Why should the French-speaking students be forced to endure sub-par instruction just because some anglophones feel entitled? x6 15) As a poor French speaker who would have liked to apply for this position, hard agree w/14. 16) Well the students wouldn't have to suffer because the new hire could teach only courses in English for the first year or so. Maybe there's a class that urgently needs to be filled by the hire that has to be taught in French? Probably hires to US jobs should be given a year to learn English if they need it. Interesting conversation. 17) @16, you think people are going to learn French well enough to teach a college class in one year while also teaching full time and starting a new lab? Even with some 'rusty' French background it seems pretty unrealistic. 16) Oh I don't know I guess. I was thinking about myself. My French is pretty good from living abroad but I have a difficult time understanding the Canadian accent. I thought that just by living there and talking with people I might get better at it and become more comfortable. If you're talking to colleagues etc in French socially or in other parts of your job, it seems like that would help? I do find that just existing in a place (as long as you talk to people) is the best way to get better at a language? 17) U Ottawa is bilingual, that's all it is. The other university in Ontario with bilungual status has just taken an absolute beating in austerity measures and a francophone university planned for the province (in Toronto) folded, so UO is probably being extra rigorous on these hires. A behaviour-eco-evo there recently passed away young, they were francophone so that might be part of it, too. 3 again) Having interviewed for positions in Quebec, I can tell you that 1 year is absolutely enough, and that francophone universities absolutely consider the extra time it takes to learn a new language in productivity/teaching expectations. At the Uni I interviewed at, they give you one full year teaching deferrment to learn the language, then they start adding classes one at a time for the next consecutive years (so year two you teach one class, year three you teach two classes, etc.). This, couple with institutional support (which even the UOttawa position claims they provide) is sufficient. Canadian researchers, with baseline high school french, would be very adequately served by this and there were many US researchers there with zero french for which this system was perfectly adequate. If Quebecois universities that are literal hotbeds for the sovereigntist movements in Quebec can do it, UOttawa (a bilingual uni in an english province) can probably do it to, they just choose not to. And also, I don't know why folks are getting up in arms about English Canadian researchers expressing a desire for a Canadian job in a university in an english province to be accessible to them, particularly if they are happy to commit to teaching in French and have a baseline to work from (and just need a little support)? You guys sure get picky about stuff :/ 18) I'm going to start applying for cell/molec jobs and ask them to give me a single Intro-Bio course the first year and time to read papers and get ready for the position they actually need. 19) lol @18 20) I've thrown more than my share of grenades on this board but getting this butt-hurt about a language requirement is genuinely puzzling to me. US schools asking for GRE means only Yanks will apply, this ad is no more targeted than that. 21) Americans make the rest of the world publish in English, teach in English, give conference talks in English, trash people for accents in teaching reviews, and then someone is upset that a university wants its professors to be able to communicate with students in their original language in the country they were born in. Well God Bless the USA, I guess. **eyeroll** 22) @21, seems that a lot of the most bothered people in this comment thread are Canadians. 21) I'm American. Check your assumptions there. 22) @21 don't worry we could tell 23) lol @21 French is not the original language of anywhere in North America 24) @23, the comment by 21 is not referrring to indigenous languages in North America, just stating that there are provinces/regions/communities within Canada where most people are born with french as their first language. [<--- I am 21 and this is what I said and meant. At no point did I comment on the language first spoken in any geographic region across centuries. I only referred to the original language an individual person learned. I don't even know how one would define an "original language" of a country. We can support our colleagues from Indigenous Tribes without undermining people who have a right to education in their first language spoken. ] 24) @22 neither is English 23) wow you guys really love to mansplain. I'm well aware of which languages are indigenous and which ones aren't. As a member of an Indigeous tribe that had our lands colonized by the French, I took issue with the statement that "its the original language of that country." That is all. 25) I applied for another job at UOttawa that didn't have this language requirement. I wonder if they have specific teaching needs for French teaching right now that is urgent. 26) Are they required to maintain a certain % of courses taught in French? 24) @23, 21 did not say french "is the original language of that country". They said that it shouldn't be an outrage for "professors" to be able to communicate in "their original language" in the country in which they're born. Learn to read and stop trolling. Also I'm not a man. 27) @ 23 there's a statute of limitations on that grievance. My ancestors got colonized by the Huns and the Romans at one point, gotta stop crying about it. 28) @27 I know somebody in her 70s who was forced to go to a residential school for indigenous people. So that's people our parents age, people we know, who have been very directly impacted by colonization. So maybe there will be a point at which it will make sense for people to stop complaining about the impacts of colonization on indigenous people in the US, but I don't think that point has occurred yet. (Also, I think it's perfectly reasonable to wish that this job gave some extra time to learn French.) 29) And with intergenerational effects of wealth, status, education, etc the current generation still has disadvantages in academia. So maybe 27 should go do some reading and reflection about what they said to a URM here. 30) Yes, absolutely agree with 29. Some of those things you're talking about are going to be contested by certain people, but there are some things that nobody can contest that also happened very recently. For example, my mother taught at a school that had only been desgregated for 4 years when she started. That was a US public school, and they were supposed to desgregate earlier by law but simply didn't do it until the government came in and made them. That was in the 70s, so the students who were in that segregated school district would be in their 50s now. They could be professors. And certainly students who were in the Black schools were at a disadvantage and likely saw impacts on their SAT scores, college admission rates, and eventually, chances of getting a job in academia. 30) And @23, I'm sorry that you had to hear that. It's really too bad that people can't come to this board and expect to be spoken to with respect. This is a great resource that should be useful to everyone. x2 31) in quebec it is even stricter now with the language requirement in general, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-96-major-provisions-into-effect-1.6861311 and https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-96-indigenous-court-case-1.6817437 23) @28/29/30 I appreciate the support. Much love and I hope your job searches are successful. 27) @ 29: reflect on what? there's no new info. Even if everyone with some silly grievance got whatever reparation/reconciliation they were dreaming about today, their kids - farther removed from the actual incidents and with even less to complain about - would just ask for the same thing. Not sustainable and ultimately pointless. End anyone can say they're a URM anonymously, that's meaningless. 31) @27 you're just straight up an idiot who needs to do a bit of reading my dude. Colonialism is ongoing and traumas are inflicted on Indigenous people (and other marginalised communities) each and every day. Here's a little start for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women 32) @ 31 you're not going to get bonus points for cosplaying an "ally". Everyone's been colonized, get over it. 33) Okay, so you know you get negative points for saying what you are saying, right 32? Which is why you are saying it on this anonymous job board and not to your boss. If it were about points, we would say it to our bosses, and not to the anonymous job board. Most countries have been colonized, but not everyone has gone to a segregated school or been forced to go to a residential school for indigenous people. Some people who are alive and currently working in academia do have those experiences. 34) I think @32 is confused and thinks they're on reddit rn. There's no points on this site.35) Man, and all that because one university wanted an immediate french speaker, for once ^^ 35) this site is crazy toxic these days. I do my best to ignore it, but it's getting ridiculous. I don't know if it's just people trolling, or stressed out people lashing out or what, but it's a bit much. hopefully just a vocal, unstable minority that's unfortunately super active on here. the real world is a much friendlier place lately! | |
331 | 11/14/23 10:38 | Writing Your Own Letter of Recommendation | 5/2/24 10:46 | One of the people that I asked for a letter of recommendation asked me to draft it myself and said that he would make edits and then submit it. This is not something that I've encountered since I was much younger (a child) applying for summer-camp type things. It seems like really not the thing to do. I think the issue might be cultural. I'm applying in the US and this person has never lived or worked in the US. Is it appropriate to submit a letter that was first drafted by me? Would it disqualify me or get me fired if it was later found out? I would like to use this person's letter because they are my best reference when it comes to research (my other two talk well about my teaching and DEI). They're a logical person to use because they're my most recent post-doc adviser. Should I use the letter or try to get one from someone else? (1) I don't think it's ethical of them to put that on you. But if that's your situation, write the best letter you possibly can and hope they improve it more. I don't think it would be an ethical problem on your end, because they will edit and sign off on it. I've been asked to do this and I do'nt think it's OK but what can you do if yo'ure not the one in power. But maybe seek wise counsel from another former advisor or trusted mentor on what to do. I'm just a stranger on the internet. 2) It happens. It's lazy and unprofessional of the referee, but if you want their name on your list, there's not much else you can do. x3 3) I was also asked to do this by one of my references, they took what I wrote and completely rewrote the letter in their own words, but said I saved them a few hours of work in tailoring the letter for the specific job 4) I've written sections before, or given strong advice on what letter writers should focus on. But in almost every case the person writing the letter edits it to put it into their own tone, and of course reviews and approves the final submission. 5) As OP suggests, it's partially a cultural issue. I think the advisor wants to provide a good letter but may be worried that their "good letter" might not be seen as such by American eyes. As long as the advisor tweaks and approves it, I think it's ethically acceptable. 6) Someone did this to me two days before a deadline. It was the most undermining move I can imagine and I resented them for it completely. I never went back for another rec. If this is your advisor then that will be a problem. I DO have letter writers who ask for a paragraph about my work and its impact. That is fully appropriate. Frankly I can write glowing letters for ok students in an hour. Why can't our letter writers do that for us? It's such a basic professional request, I almost can't believe they do it. x2 7) I'm in US, all my writers are from US, I've been asked by all three of my primary to write my own letter. I assumed this was common. I still don't have a job though 8) Seems like it's more common than I thought. I would never do this and think it's quite unethical. The search committee is looking for a letter from the reference writer, not from the applicant. I'm bummed this is actually happening, but not surprised. 9) It's definitely a cultural thing (but also lazy and unethical) Coming from a different country and applhying to PhDs in the US, i think i wrote all my rec letters. 10) It is not the norm, but still fairly common (I'm not commenting on the ethics of it) 11) I'd rather have this than a poorly written or worse letter that you never get to see. At least you know what's in it. 12) Presumably some of these "letter writers" are modifying the letter you wrote with their own touch, but who knows what's going on. 13) I'm from the USA in Europe doing a Postdoc. My current postdoc advisor requires this from me. It's part cultural, part indifference, part (frankly) insecurity because their English is not as good as mine. Some intitutions in Europe are moving away from reference letters to avoid bias associated with supervisor reputation. 14) I've had this requested once when I was fairly new in my PhD program and applying for a special course - I assumed it was just because I would be better able to articulate how this would be relevant/useful for my research. Seems reasonable enough to me to write the basic outline of how your experience and interests align with a specific position for the person to then tweak and add some extra praise etc and send on | |
332 | 11/14/23 10:00 | How much to check in with letter writers? | 11/14/23 17:35 | How much do you all check in with/remind your letter writers to submit? It feels difficult on my end to know when universities are expecting letters to be submitted by, especially since there's so much variation in expectations (some schools requesting letters from all applicants, some requesting for just a subset of applicants). Essentially, I'm wondering how likely it is for me to be penalized if I have a letter writer who doesn't submit by some unknown-to-me deadline. I also feel a bit guilty hounding my letter writers when for all I know my application might have already been thrown aside by that school. Any thoughts are much appreciated! (1) If I know a letter request was sent out I will email my references with a heads up and if it's the first app for that type of job, my current CV and app materials for that job, especially for teaching jobs, since that feels less familiar somehow for them. I let them know I'm happy to provide info anytime etc. But usually I don't even know when ref requests have been sent so I just do'nt worry about it unless my refs ask me for info. I think it's good to give a heads up but ultimately it seems up to them unless you've got someone real flakey. 2) I keep a shared document with my letters, info about each position, instructions, and a spot for my letter writers to check off when they submit a letter. 3) Don't feel guilty for "hounding" letter writers, especially your formal mentors; i.e., grad and postdoc advisors. They knew they signed up for this responsibility when they hired you. 3) I write lots of recommendation letters (it often a joy to write about awesome people) and really appreciate reminders. And I love it when the folks I'm writing for do what @1 does. I hope that others understand that reminder emails are just friendly nudges. But you can also ask them if/how often they would like to be reminded. | |
333 | 11/12/23 14:34 | What to do when job apps request unusually short essays? | 11/14/23 8:08 | OP) I just submitted an app that requested a 2-page research statement. Almost all of my other applications have requested a 3-page research statement. I felt conflicted. The website let me upload a 3-page document, even though the instructions said there was a 2-page limit. Should I upload my full 3-page research plan (in violation of their guidelines) or should I upload a shorter version in which I don't have room to explain or fully justify all of my projects? (1) No, upload a 2 page doc. It really stinks having to do this and I wish cmtes would just all say 'max 3pgs' or not specify length. Most of us here I reckon have two versions of the docs. X2 2) Depends on the online system whether HR lets those through or not. If they do get through, the committee would just roll their eyes but probably still score the app the same. I have a friend who got multiple offers submitting a 5 pager on every single app. The HR risk still exists so choose your battles. 4) What about the reverse? If the app requests a 4 page statement and you submit 3 pages, do you look bad? I always write more stuff, because I don't want to look like I can't talk about my work for 4 or 5 pages. But it ends up being a lot of work... 5) I think 3 pages is more than enough even they ask for more unless it is one of the stupid fancy places that wants like separate 'previous research' and 'vision statement' portions. 6) For research statements, I think the path forward is clear: Don't risk getting disqualified by disobeying clear instructions in an ad – 2 pagers are annoying and too short, but follow the instructions. x2 (7) Can't stress this enough: FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS x5 | |
334 | 11/11/23 19:34 | Knowing back story / issues with open jobs - it's weird! | 11/15/23 8:22 | I have spent a long time on this board, and know a bunch of people who have taken - and left - tenure track jobs. It's always a little weird when I see a job ad that I know is a replacement for someone who left due to drama / toxic dept / bad work environment / etc. I know that everyone's experience is different, but it's so bizarre seeing people talk about a position in a dept that a friend had a terrible time in. Nothing really to do about it, just realized today how strange it feels and makes me wonder how much hidden knowledge like that exists among users of this board 2) I agree- sometimes I know details that wouldn't be appropriate to post on this board, but I wish people knew before they signed. I know it's important to separate systemic issues that affect many faculty from the individual conflicts. But if (fake examples) FrooFrooUniversity wouldn't give a plant biologist a greenhouse when they had more than one grant, or BigStateU reneged on the BSL2 vivarium, those still seem like a terrible red flag about how the admin would undermine faculty. 3) I wish stuff like that was appropriate for this board. It's anecdotal in some ways, but it's important to have enough knowledge to do due diligence. 4) If you are offered one of these jobs that is anecdotally problematic, then by all means reach out to the people that left! I did so with a person on their way out at my current position, and they told me a lot of useful things. They were even upfront that some problems were only about them, but others were very much systemic. It has been invaluable information and everything they told me has been proven true (and now I'm off to greener pastures after a decent run at this place). 5) also, if former workers don't want to talk with you, take that as a sign... 6) @5 only if they say "I won't talk to you about that." There's a million reasons why someone might not reply and most of them say nothing about their former post. 7) Is there someplace we can go to find out the dirt?? I have heard of one called universities to fear. Any others? | |
335 | 11/11/23 14:01 | Advice you give to undergrads / new grad students | 11/16/23 10:55 | OP) Given the state of the academic job market, I can’t imagine it’s at all responsible to just encourage every single undergrad you meet to go get a Ph.D. I typically tell undergrads not to go to grad school unless they know why they’re going and can identify specific skills or experience that grad school will help them gain, whether that's for an academic job or something else. x2 (1) I regret going to grad school and feel like I was used by my various PIs to boost their careers while I'm about to flame out x2 2) I loved research and had a great grad school experience. I would never recommend it for everyone. If you talk about X off-hours then you should go to grad school for X. LIfe is too short to get into a 5-7yr degree if you don't enjoy it. The worst decisions I've seen were people who went to grad school because they struggled on job interviews after college. If you just want a stable job, there are so many other ways to do that with such simpler training programs, including masters to industry pipelines. 3) I agree with 2, but there is also a huge push right now to change the culture of grad programs to 9-5 'jobs' and it cuts against this idea of only going if you would want to talk about X off hours. Not totally sure how to reconcile those perspectives. I know some grad students at very good schools who have done a very good job of setting boundaries, but honestly are not producing much research. I definitely would not advise my own students to go to grad school without a really in depth talk about what they want to get out of it and why. 4) I tell my students to look up job ads in fields they’re interested in and identify what those positions ask for as far as degree and skills/experience. If the ads for the types of job you want all expect a M.S. and GIS skills, for example, find an M.S. program that would involve GIS work so you can get that experience. 5) we should all have frank discussions with students that aren't the right identity for the market as it is today x4 6) I have also seen the push among current PhD students to change the culture of overwork, but many of them are in for a rude awakening. The realities of scarcity in academic jobs selects for those that are willing to let the job become their identity, or are just incredibly productive and/or lucky with their work turning out well. I know several of the top people in our field fairly well, and they work all the time. I don't think they could shut it off if they wanted to. Some of them publicly talk about working on grants and publications while on family vacations, or openly admit there is no separation between their work and personal lives. That's who we're up against. The CVs of asst prof applicants look like tenure files from a previous generation. 7) Yeah, as long as people do it, search committees will expect it. 8) I've seen faculty open first-year Intro courses with statements like "many of you will go through grad school" - it's an insidiious pipeline that won't benefit most of the students. It's also a bit protectionist or territorial, but if EVERY student is nudged to do grad degrees AND the standards for getting those degrees is dropping accordingly (as witnessed by the fact that every student is an "amazing" "inspiring" "talent" according to their PI on twitter), it's entirely safe to say that a PhD is the new BSc and will soon be the new high school diploma. 9) Ha, I don't know about that. I don't see any way that you can stretch PhD into the new BS or high school diploma. The total numbers in the US have risen, but it's still a tiny fraction of students that get one. Most jobs don't require a PhD and never will so it's sort of the opposite problem of problem where a college degree is required for lots of jobs that don't really need them (in fact the PhD won't even help at all for many jobs). I think the bigger issue is that if you are going into the PhD expecting to treat it as a job like any other you i) probably aren't interested enough in the subject to want to do the work and ii) probably aren't going to be competitive for the jobs you might think you want at the end. The reality is that if you want a lower stress job that will likely lead to a comfortable life there are far better choices than entering a PhD program. At least in basic sciences that don't have direct private industry routes, it really only makes sense if you are very very interested in the subject. Of course that doesn't mean that grad students should be expected to work extreme hours or be exploited labor, but it's sort of a hard balance to strike in how to advise students about realistic prospects. 10) @ 9 - Take government research/science jobs, state/provincial or federal. Apart from the seasonal labourers, folks on their way to retirement are heading out wth HS or undergrad and hiring MSc to replace them. Degree inflation is very real. It's also very true that currently, basically the only way someone doesn't finish a PhD is if they choose to quit (or commits some wildly egregious offence). No one is failing out. 11) @10 that depends on the program. There are still programs that kick people out at the generals exam. Agree that it's a messed up practice, but it happens. 12) @10, definitely not true. I know multiple people who failed out during my grad school time. Some failed their qualifying exams, others just had no results after ~7yrs. It absolutely happens. 13) @10, sure but this is hardly comparable to the degree swap from high school to college. The number of people who get PhDs is still a very very small percentage. Professional masters degrees is a very different thing than entering a PhD program. Also 'choose to quit' is sort of a euphamism for how most students stop PhD programs. Sure, they may choose to leave, but there are often lots of precipitating/programmatic factors and leaving is very common for those reasons. 14) @11-12 that student who left after 7 years probably would have been better off if they hadn't passed their prelims after 2. x2 15) Definitely 14, but some people sail through prelims just fine but lose steam/interest later on when they actually have to write up and think more seriously about a next step. 16) Going back to the beginning part of this conversation - there isn't one type of student who wants to do/is successful at a PhD. I love my research and it got me through a rough grad school experience, but working 9-5 is still way more sustainable for me than reading nonstop about science at all hours. I think those are different personaliity types and work modes, and not necessarily predictive of success one way or the other. Passion is essential, but it can manifest in different ways. But yeah, there will be people who work nonstop and are hyperproductive. That doesn't (always) make better scientists. I've seen that come through in job talks. If any of us are on a search committee in the future, it's on us to favor quality over quantity, because the latter just reinforces all different types of inequity. That doesn't mean I think I won't be a victim to that model - I might well be. But none of us (the hyperproductive included) are required to perpetrate it. 15) @14 depends what kind of "quality" you mean. I've sene that argument used to perpetuate the obession with "vision" and CNS pubs, but high-quality research comes in many forms. I personally find it easy to identify low-quality science, but high-quality tends to be more subjective imo. 16) I went to graduate school because I wanted to spend 5-7 years of my life learning--and doing original research in--evolutionary biology. I continued in my postdoc for the same reason. Thus, while I am upset that my academic career dreams are not going to pan out, I don't regret my decisions to attend grad school and do my postdoc. It's been a great 9 years of intellectual fulfillment. (OK, slight cry at *9* years.) I would ask ugs and new grads if they would be satisfied with that outcome, and if so, then pursue the degree. If their only goal is to "be a professor", then rethink field of study. My advice might be different if their topic of interest was more applied or they already knew they didn't want an academic job. | |
336 | 11/10/23 7:02 | Declining enrollment | 11/12/23 15:30 | To what extent does the declining enrollment in colleges, and the "demographic cliff" of continued decreases in enrollment, factor into your job search? Is it something that was included in your PhD/postdoc training/job preparation? https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23428166/college-enrollment-population-education-crash 2) My advisor brought it up and has been giving me tips on making a jump to industry. I don't think it comes up much in a lot of PhD job training discourse, which seems less than ideal. 3) This is true. I do see quite a few news articles coming out one after another, especically a few weeks ago, talking about program cut, enrollment decline, etc. Overall, enrollment going down for sure, but a high geographical heterogeneity exists, with top schools seeing climbing enrollment continuously. Another layer making facutly search even more competitive. 4) Personally terrified about the demographic cliff as I apply to SLACs in particular. Are there good ways to discern as a potential faculty member how well each school may weather the incoming storm? 2) Yeah, PUIs in general. 5) La la la I can't hear you 6) Definitely look at the endowment at SLACs, especially if you can find a source that shows the endowment over time. I don't know if there is a specific cut off, but colleges that have full on closed have mostly had endowments under 25 million. I'd say that institutions in the $100-$300 million endowment range are definitely concerned about the demographic cliff (fewer college-age students graduating high school), but they are unlikely to cut existing faculty lines to save $$ - they are more likely not renew a position when someone retires or leaves. These small schools are likley pushing for higher class sizes and more career-based options (internships), the latter of which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So if you get hired at a SLAC with a $100million+ endowment, I think your position is safe (they don't deny tenure because they don't have $$, usually) and the sciences are far less vulnerable to program cuts. I personally wouldn't apply to colleges with an endowment under $50 million, just because there is always the threat of closure, which also leads to high turnover as people search for more stable jobs. Looking at acceptance rate is a big factor too - my school accepts basically everyone who applies (technically 85%, but I think they make that up!), so if applications go down, enrollment goes down and we lose money. If a college has a 40% acceptance rate, then they can just lower standards a little bit and easily fill their class (so, less likely to have financial issues). As others have mentioned, the top-tier SLACs are doing better than ever (but have research+grant expectations approaching a R1 school) 7) @6 Thank you, that is so helpful! I've heard that looking at endowment-per-student is helpful, but it's so hard to know how much is enough. My alma mater, for example, has a $400+ million endowment but is struggling with enrollment, so endowment-per-student looks good but people are quite worried about its longevity. 8) It's real, especially in the northeast and rust belt. But effects will be unevenly distributed. Small, rural, nonselective colleges will be the most affected. Some have already closed and are the canaries in the coal mine. The more selective, wealthy institutions in large metro areas will not be affected as much, and most of them have strategies to deal with it (e.g. recruiting heavily from other regions that have more high school students). 9) Declining confidence in higher ed is also concerning re: enrollment https://news.gallup.com/poll/508352/americans-confidence-higher-education-down-sharply.aspx 10) Enrollment related concerns were one factor that led me to kick the tires again on my docs for a lateral move last year. I was lucky to get an offer but declined; the new place was an R1 but with the same problems, if anything more acute. This demographic decline is just one of the broader dynamics affecting enrollment. Two others I haven't seen mentioned are the health of the entry-level labor market and strength of a school's international recruiting. Right now our undergrad numbers are lagging because it's stupid easy for a good chunk of our applicant pool to walk onto any number of jobs that don't require a bachelor's and have been paying decently. If the labor market softens we'll get more students (and more credit hours from the students we have). My school and the one my spouse works at have both had very high number of students from South Asia in recent years. I thought that most/all schools were seeing this but during my interviews I found that this was not the case. I'm not sure about the magnitude and duration of all these so I'll apply pretty widely in the year or two before tenure and try to get a good handle on non-academic jobs. 11) I really dislike the idea of a softening job market as beneficial for academic employment as it reeks of elitism. I know this is my idealism showing, but colleges should offer potential students something positive (intellectual fulfillment?) that convinces them to choose education rather than "hope" to be a last ditch choice for ill-fitted students that involves accruing debt. Yes, I know college degrees are generally very worth the cost over time, but there are other ways to lead a fulfilling life so long as a means of support--job--is available. | |
337 | 11/9/23 16:51 | ecoevojobs.org is the only social media that I'm still on | 11/22/23 10:18 | No social media, no job offer for you then 2) I don't know if Anonymous Potato could afford to buy Tw/X these days. But I sure as anything hope Musk can't buy this site. It would be a shame if the best resource in the jobs market got turned into a dumpster fire like The Bad Place. 3) Don't you realize we are all in The Bad Place already! 4) What would the ecoevojobs equivalent of Twitter Blue get you? 5) @4 a turd mailed to your house instead of ghosting. 5) @3 that would explain why the discussion about the French speaking position above turned into a dumpster fire - they did warn anything French got you faster to the Bad Place! 6) The comments here made my day | |
338 | 11/9/23 3:53 | Canceling scheduled in person after offer from another place | 11/9/23 19:22 | OP) Could anyone with a situation like this give some insights? I'm talking about everything being booked already, like flights and hotels. 2) If you accepted the other offer or really think you will, I think you should cancel. Often universities book in a way that they can be reimbursed if flight/hotel needs canceled. No need to waste your time, their time, or their money. x3 3) Be cautious though, OP! Protect yourself. Some wouldn't cancel anything with any other institution until they had an offer contract in writing signed by both them and the Dean. You can go on other interviews with no repercussions until you have signed an offer letter.x3 4) We had a search at my institution last year where a candidate pulled out the day before their in-person visit after receiving a competing offer from their current university. Rather than being angry, the search chair mentioned that they were very, very happy that the candidate had pulled out before, rather than after, the campus visit––for what it's worth. 5) Sometimes it really does let them invite a backup candidate. I would echo the signed contract only advice, but if you have 3 offers and really wouldn't take this one, then I advise backing out. OP) Thanks for all the great advice. What happens with reimbursements if you had to book the flights etc. yourself and back out? Do people book refundable tickets in case this happens? 6) Don't book a refundable ticket yourself without approval from the reimbursing school. It might make the entire fare prohibited in reimbursements. Varies by school what the policy is. 7) If I had already purchased a flight but wanted to cancel, I would ask the school for a reimbursement, but if they said no I might just eat the cost without fighting to avoid any extra stress on my part :/. This is why it is much preferable for institutions to do the booking themselves. 8) Congratulations on your job offer! If you have signed with the other place, then cancel, but if not then go on the interview. I would still go on the interview if I were you, having an offer in hand could be helpful in moving the 2nd SC to decide on you and quickly put together a startup package if they decide they want you - it gives you a chance to see what they are willing to move to get you which you would never know in any other situation. I speak from my own experience. You don't need to be too humble - you are interviewing them too :-) 9) Tangentially related, I paid for my flight to interview for a postdoc position, ended up declining the offer, and they made me wait an uncomfortably long time for that reimbursment - like 6-7 months. R1 school in the US. Best to get them to book for you if at all possible. | |
339 | 11/8/23 16:16 | Who runs this job board, and are the moderators paid? Who pays them? | 11/20/23 16:30 | OP) Whoever's doing this/funding this thanks so much for all your help! 1) It's an anonymous potato, I figure someone pays them in N, P, and K. 2) Mr and Mrs Potato Head are financially secure thanks to their Toy Story royalties. It's only fair that they pay back to the community in this way. 3) I was just talking about this with some of my friends. Whoever AP is, I hope they are counting this as service on their CV because I imagine it is a lot of work to maintain this! Long live AP! 4) Yes, since the person (people?) is anonymous, I sometimes think about how much work/service they are doing here without being able to take any credit! I imagine it's a huge time commitment, and it really helps us out a lot! x3 5) Thanks so much, AP. We appreciate you! x12 5) If there were a venmo, cashapp, or even paypal for it, I would legit send a service fee. Long time user who has really benefited. AP) Aw, thanks for the kind words, we really appreciate it! | |
340 | 11/8/23 12:14 | Why is it relevant in the application stage to know who the search chair is? | 11/14/23 23:00 | I see this Q asked a lot, but never understood the point of it. 2) I think it is possible that knowing who the search chair could give you more context for how to tailer an application. It varies a lot by institution/search, but typically the chair of the search is the person in the department *most close* to the type of expertise they are looking for. I say *most close*, because they are obviously looking for something the dept doesn't already have.. but this is the person most equipped to evaluate the applicant and scientific fit and has the most power in shaping the search. Knowing who this person could give you more info on what parts of your science might be most interesting to the committee and how best to tailor your application 3) I always just assumed it is because the person has a question about the search and that is the appropriate contact x3 4) If I ask that it's because I want to ask them a question, like the review date is past and I want to see if I can still send my stuff. 5) I assumed it was so the applicant could direct questions to the right person. Much of the time, the SC chair is someone who was unable to dodge service and was guilted into doing the job. I would not adjust any materials based on the scholarly focus of the SC chair. 6) If I know the search chair's name I always throw it into my salutation in the cover letter. 7) I've been in multiple searches and who the chair is has never influenced the outcome of the search or who even is invited. In my institution the chair is the one responsible for organizing the rest of the committee and othe rlogistical and administrative tasks that no one else wants to take care of. I would think it's irrelevant to know who the search of the committee is. 7) I think people sometimes like to try to address their cover letter to the chair (I know reference writers I've used have asked for this in the past for that reason). x2 8) It is alway good to know the point of contact. That is it. | |
341 | 11/7/23 12:18 | Is the "reference position" field for describing your references current job | 11/8/23 8:28 | (e.g. "assistant professor") or for ranking the priority of your reference letter providers (e.g. position 1, 2, 3) 2) I think the former although I doubt it really matters as long as the email is right. 1) It's their job title. 2) The good news is that if you goof, the committee will still get the rec. Just make sure the email is correct. | |
342 | 11/7/23 6:08 | Apply for open rank positions as a postdoc? | 11/15/23 13:17 | OP) I often feel it's pointless, hard to see how I would stand out among profs (I'm not a super star, I have 4 first author pubs). Thoughts on whether it's worth applying? 2) If your research vision is a good fit for the call it's definitely worth applying. You'd be cheaper to hire than a more senior person 3) often positions are listed as "open rank" so that the university CAN hire at a higher rank if the right candidate comes along. Doesn't mean they are specifically looking for a higher rank candidae. But if the position is listed as assistant and a great higher rank candidate comes along, many schools cannot offer them a higher rank position. So they list calls as open rank to cover their bases. Hope that makes sense (4) Definitely do, I had several interviews at rank-open places last year 5) My institution (R1) just hired a postdoc in an open rank ecology search OP) THanks all for the perspective and encouragement! 5) TT ecology positions advertised as "open rank" or "asst/assoc" are almost *always* filled at the asst prof level, for the reasons #2 and #3 give (and also because senior profs are more likely to decline offers). https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/ecology-faculty-job-market-data/. If you want the job, definitely apply. x1 6) running a PUI open rank search, 3 of 4 invitees are post docs, 1 is a full prof. | |
343 | 11/6/23 10:16 | Postdoc required for SLAC jobs? | 11/15/23 13:19 | I've heard such conflicting advice - is there any reasonable hope of landing a SLAC assist. prof job without any postdoctoral research experience? I have lots of teaching experience, can I apply straight out of grad school? 1) as competitive as jobs are now, it is unlikely to get a gig (SLAC or otherwise) straight out of grad school, and many SLACs prefer instructor of record experience (which OP may already have). A faculty job at a SLAC where there is minimal research expectation may be attainable without a postdoc, but higher-ranking SLACs expect research and often explictly require postdoc experience. 2) Yeah, instructor of record experience is almost a must-have. I do know one person who got a TT SLAC job right out of grad school without IOR experience, but they'd had a curriculum development role for an intro lab that gave them pedagogy experience beyond what most grad students typically get. Also, experience mentoring undergrads (and ideally publishing with them) is a huge help. Not sure if it's "as required" as IOR experience, but like #1 said, the market is really competitive. OP) would you say IOR is more important than postdoctoral research? 3) If you want to be at a SLAC with little research yes IOR is way more important over a postdoc (having worked at a SLAC and now a PUI without a postdoc position). 4) I do think IOR is more important than postdoc for most SLACs (even those that expect research activity). I know several people in the last few years who have gotten SLAC jobs at very good schools with no postdoc experience. Some SLACs really do have a culture of hiring right out or with just 1-2 years of postdoc and it does not necessarily get any easier to get into those with more years of postdocing. 5) One friend used the strategy of a 1-year VAP, then a standard research postdoc to get her current SLAC position. I think the reason was that postdocs are less competitve, and she could revise and publish her dissertation chapters during the VAP. Depends on how many moves you feel up for, of course. 6) Definitely...two people I know recently got SLAC jobs pre-PhD. If you think you're a fit, apply! 7) Yes, I was surprised to get an interview at one school with pretty competitive admissions for students my first year applying when I was a PhD student. I had been an instructor of record, but only had published two papers. Only got the first interview, but if they were willing to interview me, then I must have met their minimum criteria. 8) we did not invite any phd candidates to first round interview for current search. | |
344 | 11/6/23 10:13 | Mentioning LGBTQ+ identities in DEI statements/interviews? | 1/21/24 3:03 | OP) Do folks bring these identities up in discussions of diversity? I think it can contribute well to DEI statements but I worry about automatic exclusion or making people uncomfortable and distracting from the interview. And yes, I know that if an institution isn't welcoming to queer folks we shouldn't apply but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot in advance. 2) It can be tricky as its hard to bring up protected identity things. I always think these are important touches becuase they can make a DEI statement actionable which is what I view as the most important part of these statements. 3) I mention that I'm an "LGBTQ+" scientist briefly in my paragraph on DEI activities, but I don't dwell on it and speak more towards actions that I have taken that promote DEI, rather than my personal identity. x2 4) I usually don't mention it. I did during one interview because it came up in response to a question that I hadn't expected to be asked and was kind of scrambling on. It didn't hurt my application, but I did feel a bit awkward during later discussions when faculty members brought it up again (in ways that were meant to be helpful, like how to find gender-neutral bathrooms on campus). If you work on lgbt issues as part of your academic work and want to talk about that, I do think that's a good idea. And if you want to talk about being able to mentor lgbt students and say that you are a good mentor for those students because you're also queer, then I think that's fine too. Things like that are probably good. (5) At most places being LGBTQ+ is an advantage (if it matters at all) so you should definitely mention it. 6) Only mention identities if they connect your lived experiences with your teaching/research practices. If being LGBTQ has helped you develop an inclusive philosphy definitely mention it 7) IMO a big problem with DEI statements is that they create a need to disclose protected identities and personal info. Very skeptical of their value for DEI 6) @7 that's a part of why I say only disclose identities if you have a reason to, so to speak. Just saying "I identify as X Y or Z" has very little value (8) Our university [top 10 US school] has a private rubric that gives 'points' based on identity, if you are LGBTQ+ it counts as much as being hispanic, so put it, you would be harming your chances of being hired if you don't. 9) @8 Isn't that challenging though since you don't know whether or not each applicant is gay (or hispanic, for that matter)? Does the school decide people's race/ethnicity/level of gayness by looking at them? Or by their name? Or only if it's mentioned? Also, is it legal in the US to formally make hiring decisions based on race/gayness/etc? I kind of thought that it wasn't? 10) I guess that's why they say it is a 'private rubric'. I don't think it is legal. 11) @8 🤢 12) @8 guessing that won't be permitted even privately much longer, given the climate surrounding everything DEI https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/10/31/university-takes-action-after-faculty-hiring-process-inappropriately-used-race-as-a-factor/ 13) I've done a lot of LGBTQ+ activism work both within and outside academia, so it is very clear from my DEI statement and CV. I figure that if it's an issue, I'd rather be filtered based on it than find it out at the interview stage or in the job itself. (8 again) yes of course it's illegal but we have 'plausible deniability'. Also, it's a private school so can't get our emails ;) 14) every training I've gone to about DEI statements are very clear that it is cringey and misses the point to make them about yourself/identity and not what you *do* or plan to do. no disclosure is necessary! geez x2 (15) You need to do both, given that you have an OK CV, you are at a massive disadvtange if you're not part of some minority group so if you are you better make sure the SC knows it. Sorry, it's just the way it goes. 16) The idea that you are at a "massive disadvantage" if you're not a minority is just so clearly false and misses the point of mountains of research on DEI, bias, and inequities in STEM 17) uhh for those saying it isn't an advantage check out that UW link posted above, and actually read the report. I'll eat a shoe if this is "uncommon" or a "one-time thing". That said, I would 1000% make sure hiring committees are aware of underrepresented status in the least cringey way possible (obv. except places that are clearly anti-LGBTQ+). 18) equality feels like oppression for those used to privilege. you're not at a "massive disadvantage" compared to those of us that had significant barriers to career progression. some of us had to fight to get to where we are. OP) Hey yeah, I'm a white woman so my career has come with lots of privilege regardless of the fact that I'm queer. I often don't disclose in conversations about DEI because my identity shouldn't take resources and focus away from the folks who have actually experienced oppression and underrepresentation. 19) some revealing stuff on here, wow. (private rubrics, "points" for identity, etc.) 20) @19 definitely take all that in with a grain of salt. There's a lot of bitter entitled folks on this board who will twist them themselves up trying to justify feeling "disadvantaged" x2 | |
345 | 11/5/23 17:53 | Teaching evals + DEI statement? Do they know? | 11/6/23 13:39 | OP) Recently submitted an application that asked for both a DEI statement and teaching evaluations, and it didn’t occur to me until later that this seems kind of hypocritical. Considering the known issues with bias in student-generated teaching evaluations (bias against women, people of color, and people teaching more quantitative courses). Do the search committees know about this? Do they have a process for, like, accounting for that? 1) Yes, people at universities are aware of biases associated with teaching evaluations. But the fact that certain aspects of these evaluations may be biased does not mean there is not useful information in evaluations. Student evaluations of teaching will be a critical component promotion and tenure decisions in any job where teaching is important. 2) I also submitted an application that asked for evidence of teaching effectiveness (one option was evals) and I submitted other materials instead. I feel that evaluations without other context (about the classes, school, whether students are required to submit evaluations, etc) shouldn't really be used to evaluate someone. +1 | |
346 | 11/4/23 19:49 | Institutions that don't (or can't) ask for DEI statements | 11/7/23 20:14 | OP) Curious about how others are handling applications to institutions that don't require/request DEI statements. Especially institutions whose ads say things like "candidates may describe how they would promote diversity and inclusion" w/ upload portals that offer space for additional documents. Are people just weaving DEI into other statements? Or uploading a DEI statement anyways? Something in between? 1) where i have room, I have a DEI section in my teaching statement, and mention DEI briefly in my cover letter 2) If no formal DEI statement I usually take out parts that I like best from my DEI statement and work them into the teaching statement plus some connection in other documents. 3) I do what @2 does - take relevent sections from my DEI statement and incporate into my research/teaching statements. It seems like this is what most places want this year. Even postitions in blue states with very explicit DEI components aren't requesting DEI statements. 4) Yeah, Carleton College didn't, and in my experience, Minnesota institutions usually do. (5) I just make sure to mention my race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc. in my research and teaching statements. OP) Thanks! Super helpful to hear others' takes. | |
347 | 11/4/23 15:54 | Going to academic interviews as a non-academic? | 11/5/23 10:19 | If you have a non-academic job, how can you hide if you're invited to an academic interview? Some of these interviews can be multiple day endeavors! 1) Gotta use up some sick or personal or vacation days, if you have them. | |
348 | 11/2/23 17:31 | Normalize public candidate lists | 11/23/23 18:51 | OP) Firmly believe all departments should publicly post their short lists. Delay the posting by 1 year if you really need to protect APs wanting to make lateral moves. For the continuing health of the field x4 2) This is basically done in some European countries and those also require that committees list some brief justification for the rankings. 3) This is a great idea if your goal is to reduce the number of qualified applicants that want to keep their job search from their current employer! 4) What does publicly posting candidate short lists achieve? 5) @ 4 Important for actual EDI data plus addressing the questions of lateral moves. Also, we all know beyond any shadow of doubt that TT hires are rarely meritorious; this would let everyone see just how the sausage is made. 6) @4 it moves towards open science. There is a lot of public mistrust in science/academicinstitutions in general -- institutions which are supposed to be unbiased in their generation of knowledge. There is also a growing mistrust of working scientists for our own institution (just see this job sheet, for example), which is only harmed by the "behind closed doors" methodology of creating and filling scientific jobs. What is there to hide? As @2 said, it is already done in many European countries and science still appears to be happening in Europe. It would also help people who want to get jobs understand what was valued for particular posts so that they can learn and adjust their future applications accordingly. x3 7) while I understand why someone might want this, it creates a can of worms when considering lateral moves. Just because you get the on campus doesn't mean you get the job. Even a year latter you might still be at the same institution and not want that employer to know about interviews (esp if you're still looking). Also most HR offices have strict rules about candidate confidentiality.) 8) There were some schools that posted widely enough it could be effectively public. Some of those offered me the chance to opt out when I was a postdoc. I'm a prof now, but no one would be surprised that I'm looking. I still got less support from my chair on a few issues on the grounds that "you are going to leave so it doesn't matter". Two years later I haven't been able to leave and it's harder to get work done when the department underminse you. 9) I would definitely like more transparency in the process, stuff like number of applicants/zoom invites/on-campus invites and some basic demographic breakdowns (current position, gender, maybe race). Publishing any kind of scoring rubrics used by the search committee would also be good for helping future job-seekers. I don’t think publishing the names of finalists accomplishes that goal, because you wouldn’t know why each candidate was selected and people would just fill in the reasons with their own preconceptions. x3 10) @ 7 falling back on HR rules is BS, those rules can be changed with a few keystrokes. 11) @10 haha ... your inexperience is showing x2 12) 10 is clueless. HR rules are often backed up by state and federal laws, tenure won't protect anyone in those cases. That's why whatever HR says, one has to follow. x2 13) No sane university would do this willingly. In-house counsel would immediately shut it down as a potential source of lawsuits.x2 14) "states" shows just how narrow many experiences are on here. Developed countries (not the US) typically have faculty unions - and it tends to be faculty collective agreements more than HR that set these rules. As for 10, they're absolutely right - just like Florida can pass "don't say gay" laws, it literally takes keystrokes to change laws. x3 15) Agree with #9's ideas. Doesn't seem feasible to publish candidate names BUT universities could say who GOT the job. That info is near impossible to find unless you see their social media announcement. 16) Naive here, but... I feel like it's pretty common in the US to put the job talks on the seminar schedule? Both my PhD and postdoc departments do this. 17) #15, why should universities publish who got the job? Priviate companies don't, government positions don't, almost every other job opening don't end with the employer publishing who gets the job, so why should faculty positions be the only exception? x2 18) Agree with 9 wholeheartedly. 19) @ 17 in Canada at least government hires ARE published and anyone can oppose the hire for a brief period. Universities ultimately DO pubish (i.e. their faculty list) but seem to go to great lengths to keep it secret. It would be hugely helpful if they were transparent; Dymanic Ecology gets criticized for trying to track gender hires - data clearly show hires are female-skewed for the last several years but people make up reasons to doubt. Publishing hires would erase that doubt. x2 20) So many people announce their new positions on social media, which is fair game for adding to this or last year's job sheet. 21) Hunger Games-esque idea 22) In the USA, you could probably get the candidate pool for every search with targeted FOIA requests to all the search chairs 23) I get it, I'm vaguely curious about this also. It is interesting to see who got interviewed, but let's not pretend it'll do anything other than satisfy that curiousity x5. 9) Hey now, it would also provide handy lists of people to bitterly subtweet. 23) @ 23: what it would do, is identify hires that deviate from the "we hired a great candidate" line. E.g. a shortlist of 5 where the hire is an SC member's postdoc, like keeps happening at Carleton. 24) Very against this idea as someone who prefers to have a more private online presence--I don't need all the jobs I apply to to be public knowledge. An anonymous breakdown of key stats after a search could be useful for some DEI knowledge, but that still hides a lot of the nuance that goes into every search. TBH I agree with 23 and 9. All this would really do is allow us to judge ourselves against everyone else. 25) That's not all it would do though @24...did you read the thread at all? This info is key for understanding hiring trends in our field 23) If the best example is a case in which you can show the search committee chose one of their own postdocs, that information is already available, and a candidate list wouldn't change anything. Universities don't hide who they hire. The job application process involves much more than looking at someone's CV - if they happen to have that posted online - or google scholar page, which is all you could evaluate with a list. Some candidates come from high-profile, productive labs but aren't ready to be leading their own lab, coming up with their own research agenda, etc. The job application process in our field is grueling and unfair in some ways, but candidate lists won't make a dent in that. 26) agree with 25, and specifically 9. I think a list of candidates is unproductive, but more transparency in demographics and specifically rubrics used to evaluate candidates would be most helpful. 27) Yes, I'm not reading anything here that's convincing me this is a good idea. I think the benefits of privacy for applicants definitely outweigh any of the benefits that are listed here so far x3 28) I would say that I'm in favor of releasing demographic data for transparancy, but making candidate names public is a huge privacy no no and completely unnecessary, 28) Everyone on here knows that, in economics in the US and Canada, it's universal for academic job seekers to label themselves as such on their personal and dept websites, right? And for prominent economists on blogs and social media to highlight and evaluate the "job market papers" of those job seekers? For instance (just one haphazardly chosen example of many): https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2023/11/urban-sentences-to-ponder.html. So in economics, everybody knows (or can pretty easily find out) who all the job seekers are. Academic job applications also are standardized and centralized, through the American Economics Association, and job applicants get administrative support from their home departments to help with application prep and submission. No customizing applications for individual institutions; it's quick and easy to apply to any and all positions you might want. Now: do you think all that transparency about who the applicants are, and all that convienence for the applicants themselves, means that economics faculty job seekers are, as a group, less stressed/anxious/depressed/jealous/angry than ecology faculty job applicants, and more confident in the basic fairness of the process? Ha ha, no, come on: http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-i-survived-economics-job-market.html (and if you want to write off that last link as just one person's anecdotal experience, go peruse the legendarily toxic Econ Job Market Rumors site). So if you think that the faculty job seeking process in ecology would be less stressful and fairer (or at least, seen as fairer) if only it were more transparent and convenient, well, think again. 29) public lists would be more equitable, not necessarily less stressful - I don't think anyone was trying to argue that 30) Yes, I have heard that the field of econ sometimes has a particularly competitive and hierarchical culture 31) why does anyone care? Such info would not help you as a candidate. If it's data you want, leave that to the people with jobs who collect that sort of data (universities employ many of these people). 32) but @31 such data are hard to access and not available across universities. the only way to know if there's true equity is to have a full and complete understanding of hiring and interviewing decisions in the field, and that necessarily requires openness about who is being interviewed and hired. | |
349 | 11/2/23 6:37 | Do PUIs ask for a startup list during negotiations? | 11/5/23 18:03 | OP) I'm mostly asking for regional PUIs and non research intensive SLACs. 1) Depends on the school. A lot of expensive liberal arts colleges certainly do, but more open access institutions probably not. 2) My PUI and open access university asks and typically grants very good start ups, mainly if you can make a case for student mentored research. 3) They may. They also often ask during Zoom or in-person interviews what critical infrastructure and equipment you would need. It's a bit of a trap in some cases if you need something unique or really expensive. 4) Also curious about this. I've been asked to bring a start-up list to an in-person PUI interview a few times and never really know the strategy -- ask for everything you could possibly want, or try to stay modest? 5) I'd recommend staying pretty modest. My PUI really wants people who have thought about the limitations of doing research here and can convince us that they can actually accomplish meaningful research. Maybe have a secondary 'wish list' of things that you might want in a perfect world, I think it's okay to mention stuff like that. But be clear about the most basic things you need to get your research off the ground. 6) How dare you assume we have/don't have | |
350 | 11/1/23 16:29 | Other routes to teaching experience? | 11/5/23 16:03 | I contacted every single lecturer at my institute before the start of this past semester trying to find work as a teaching assistant to get some teaching experience (including pestering my supervisory panel) but had no luck (other than being asked to help out with a field trip, which I did). Within my institute it seems like these positions are distributed amongst Asst Profs and occasionally postdocs, and the same groups of people will work together on courses every year. I will keep trying, but are there any other ways to get teaching experience (both for my CV and to see if this is something I want to pursue in my career) that would be considered equivalent to teaching assistant roles in any application? I already tutor through my university, should I look into volunteering at outreach/science comm organisations? I have a few years left in my PhD but I'm leaning towards teaching/research roles rather than pure research so it's really important to me that I acquire the skills/experience during my PhD to be able to apply to such roles. Any advice? N.B. I am not in the US but considering a postdoc/VAP/etc there. 2) One idea would be to see if your adviser or another faculty member that you have a good relationship with would let you do a guest lecture. You can add a list of guest lectures to the teaching section of your cv. Also, mentoring undergraduate students is not the same as teaching, but is perhaps somewhat related (for a while I had teaching and mentoring in the same section on my cv). You could seek out opportunities to mentor undergrads. That could be field or lab techs, for example, or some universities have formal research mentoring programs that grad students can participate in. If you do have a field or lab tech, consider asking them if they'd like to take on some kind of independent analysis and present a poster at an undergraduate research symposium. Besides being fun and rewarding (and time consuming haha- you didn't need to write that thesis, right?), this is a concrete way to demonstrate that you are interested in providing meaningful learning opportunities for undergraduate students. OP) Ooh, some great ideas, thanks! There are very few undergrads on my campus, and no lab techs for me to adopt, but my institute does do Summer/Winter scholarships for undergrads to do small research projects and my main supervisor usually hosts some, so I might be able to weasel my way into that and offer mentorship/guidance on the data analysis side of things. Would it be way too extra to (very gradually) develop like an example course syllabus on my own time? I sit in the intersection of comp sci/bioinfo and ecology, and I have Thoughts about seducing more comp sci students to the dark (or green) side instead of forcing ecologists into comp sci. 3) If you're in compsci you could try to get involved with Data Carpentry or something similar and teach a short course maybe? Guest lectures and mentoring are fine, but unfortunately I don't think they count for much of anything if you want to apply to teaching jobs that are comparing you to some people who have designed/taught their own course. I'm more familiar with the US, but here another option might be to pick up one or two courses as an adjunct a local community college even while at writing stage of PhD if you are really going toward teaching. Not sure what the equivalent would be where you are. I do think that if you want to apply to more teaching jobs it is pretty critical to have at least some instructor experience on your record to be competitive. 4) Outreach often is teaching or teaching adjacent. Look for oppotunities outside your dept. 5) I second the idea of adjuncting at another local institution, if that is possible where you are. If applying at SLACs/PUIs, any experience as instructor of record is a big advantage. 6) Someone tell the SLACs/PUIs I'm applying to... x3 7) @6, necessary but not sufficient. | |
351 | 10/31/23 11:08 | Normalize prioritizing life over academia | 11/15/23 22:38 | Stopping the search for an academic position after (even) 2–3 years of post-docing isn't "quitting", being "impatient", or "giving up". Many of us will be in our mid 30s by this point, it makes sense to do something else instead of trying to get a permanent position. x2 2) No, no, tough it out, all you need is one more postdoc/grant/paper/course and Lucy will TOTALLY let you kick the football! (OP) Love it @ 2 :) 3) Falling behind: postdocs in their thirties tire of putting life on hold https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03296-9 4) I wish I was still in my 30's ... 5) very much agree. I have a horse-sense that the academic (pyramid) scheme as we grew up with it is at a bit of a tipping point. Professors -- care to chime in? 6) tenured prof here. @5 I see what you see but my feeling is that as long as there are grinders out there who are pumping out loads of papers, the system won't change. Still far too many PhDs for too few (academic) jobs. The pattern I see is that the postdoc and early assistant prof years are the worst but as people figure out the faculty job expectations - which depend on institution - work/life balance gets restored a bit. The workload does not decrease but the stress associated with each component goes down quite a bit approaching and post-tenure. I think this trajectory is not too different from other professional careers. Whereas waiting to start a PhD until after 25 y.o. is probably a good thing for most people, it does delay entry into the permanent position and this means many major life events happen simultaneously (in my case, buying a house, moving across the country, having a kid and starting a faculty job within a 3-month window). The good news is that there are lots of people in the same boat and/or who went through the same thing within the last 10 years so there is much better understanding of the stressors among your colleagues than 20 or 30 years ago. 6) at #4 I'm right there with you. (OP) @6, the tenured prof, the main difference is that those other professions are so much easier to begin. if you're a lawyer at the top of your class, or a physician, you're getting a good job almost right away. 7) Another tenured Professor here. About work-life balance and work climate - avoid being a "big fish" in a small pond. It sucks. I love my research program but the teaching load and institutional support that I have at my current institution is not good. Sure, I could coast now that I'm tenured, but instead, I spend a lot of time writing job applications, on top of grants and papers, oh and that high teaching load. Being successful in a place like this means that your workload will always be high. I'm considering leaving academia as a post-tenured female - and it really fits with this recent article, sadly. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi2205 8) Currently working in industry and the work/life balance here is far worse that it ever was for me in academia. Everyone here is constantly under pressure to put in 60-80+ hour weeks. Government jobs are where it's at if you truly want respect for time off and well-being 9) Gov job here after postdoc. I'm vastly overqualified and if the pay were equal I'd rather pump gas or bag groceries. 10) not all govt agencies are the same @9 that sounds bad for you, my govt job is better than my postdoc and 100% research focused. but i'm also a term so I still have to hope that my contract keeps getting renewed 11) pretenure AP here, it has been very stressful, and yes major life events have to happen together - career moves, kids, establishing a home, older family dying off... also, I got my PhD at 35 and after working other jobs in my 20s I decided this career path was for me. But, I had to do it as a 9 to 5er, there was really no choice. It helped me etablish a routine of expectations of what I wanted and what was actually possible in all sides of my life. To this day I rarely work late or on weekends now, save the occasional (maybe 2x a year) rush to meet a deadline - but that's usually because collaborators aren't as good with their time as I have trained myself. So yeah I had to do two postdocs in the same city to earn the papers and prestige some fellowship-earning rockstars probably earn their first postdoc year, and I picked a TT offer that meant we didn't have to move so far AGAIN when I was 40. Is the grass always greener? Yes, that's why I'm here. But after another five years in your first TT job you kind of feel atrophied and wonder how you might do in an interview - so I'm doing this this year, without expectations or a lot of need to change. It's actually kind of... nice? | |
352 | 10/31/23 9:00 | Unable to attend in-person interview due to advanced pregnancy | 11/1/23 12:30 | How can I bring this up to the chair of the committee? And should I expect them to accomodate me for a Zoom interview? Also, will this put me at a disadvantage? :( 2) Bring it up immediately, but you do not need to apologize. They should absolutely accomodate you and any place that doesn't should be actively shamed!! Congrats on the interview and the pregnancy!! <3 x9 3) Agree with 2! I have seen this issue come up before and the candidates were accommodated with Zoom interviews. 4) I am on a SC and our HR informed us that if any candidate requests a virtual interview for any reason, we will have to accommodate them. This is partly because covid is still a concern, but also to ensure we don't miss out on good candidates because of travel. And we are in a conservative state. So this is just to say if you request a virtual interview, there is a chance they will be able to do that. Other candidates will likely interview in person, so the virtual format may not be ideal, but not interviewing at all puts you at a greater disadvantage. 5) I don't think it is obviously clear that a virtual interview is a disadvantage. I have done both and I really liked some things about the virtual format (real breaks where no one can see you, your own space/bed, less time where you need to 'perform' during sort of candid but still sort of interview scenarios). 6) I has a full interview while breastfeeding a 2 month old. I let the search committee head know that I would need a room to pump, and they were very accomodating and kept the reason I needed more breaks in my schedule private. I would bring this up to the head of the search committee asap. If they dont accomodate you with a zoom interview, then its not the type of place that is going to be friendly to you as a young mom! I know its hard, but try and view it as a vetting process - if they aren't accomodating with this, you don't want to be there. (7) Couldn't agree more with these comments; they should accomodate you to the Nth degree here. | |
353 | 10/30/23 9:32 | Applying to two positions in the same cluster hire? | 11/2/23 8:54 | I know applying to two positions in the same university is generally ok, but I've applied to a position that is part of a bigger cluster hire. There's another position at the same university that is also part of the same cluster hire. I'm guessing it would be ok as well, but maybe that means that the HR person handling everything is the same and may frown upon seeing the same applicant twice? 1) If they are two different ads (like, 2 diff requisition numbers), then I'd apply to both. x3 2) seconding #1. HR has basically no say in academic hires, they are merely shuttling/organizing documents in most cases. I have on more than one occasion applied to simultaneous searches at the same department, and once received separate interview invites from both searches. It happens! 3) Apply to both. I've also applied to two positions at the same place and time and been interviewed separately for both (and got neither), there are likely completely different search committees 4) def apply to both! I applied to three positions in a cluster hire, interviewed for two, and got an offer! 5) Do it! My first TT job was a cluster hire. I only applied for one, but then they asked me to apply for the other so they could interview me (and hired me). | |
354 | 10/28/23 12:20 | Indiana Cluster Hire | 12/13/23 15:08 | I just came across this today: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/21014?job_application_id=286376. I couldn't find this posted on this database. The due date was Oct 15, so I don't think it's worth posting now. What are y'alls thoughts on applying after the due date? Worth trying? Any idea where they might be in the process? 1) not worth the time. They're likely shortlisting candidates for zoom interviews. 2) Send it in. So long as HR lets them view the app they will probably consider it. It usually takes time to get all the profs in the room for discussion and time to score apps. Send an email to the SC or Dept Chair to let them know you sent it. Apologize for missing the annoucement but express enthusiasm. Worst case they ignore it. x3 3) Just e-mail the search chairs and ask. If the posting is still live they might still be reviewing. | |
355 | 10/28/23 9:08 | Asking for salary estimate | 10/30/23 14:46 | Since many job ads don't include the salary, when during the interview process can you ask about the salary? Or do you have to wait to receive an offer? It feels very opaque. 2) It is a bit annoying that they don't usually share that information, but I usually just wait for the offer. So far there's never been a real reason that I've needed the information faster than that- I can just accept or turn down the offer once I have it. While it might not hurt much to ask when it comes to the way that the committee is evaluating you, it certainly can't help. 3) https://www.aaup.org/our-work/research/FCS 4) I swear in the last 2-4 years I used to have a site where you could look up the individual reporting by school; it seems that has either gone away or been paywalled. 5) You can look it up by school. Go here and then click on 'drilldown' and you can search by school: https://data.aaup.org/ipeds-faculty-salaries/ Chronicle of Higher Ed also used to have a whole salary listing and that one does seem to have gone away from public access. 4) Excellent, thanks! I think CHE's was what I used but this is great in different ways | |
356 | 10/28/23 3:17 | Attire for in-person interview in US? | 12/15/23 4:57 | I've been abroad for a bit. What do women typically wear at their in-person interviews? 1) For seminar day: formal slacks, button down shirt w/ a blazer (that I never wore because it was too stuffy for the Western US institution I interviewed at and I didn't feel like myself in it), low-heeled professional booties. For more relaxed second day: same shoes, less formal cropped slacks, nice sweater. I wore my down jacket, partly to fit in with the Western vibe, and also because it was 20F during my interview. Some institutions (e.g. Ivies, East Coast universities) might be more conservative and friends have recommended wool peacoats as more suitable outerwear. Here's one person's take on interview dress in pictures: https://phdinclothes.com/2022/01/07/what-i-would-wear-on-the-academic-job-market-now/ 2) I've worn professional but comfortable clothes. A blazer goes a long way to making an outfit look professional. Dress pants or nice black jeans, neutral t-shirt, blazer. Nice pants, blouse and sweater. Pencil skirt, opaque tights, blouse or nice T and blazer. Flat or low heel boots, loafers, even dressier sneakers if in good condition. Nothing too tight or revealing. I personally would not wear pants as tight as shown in the link above, but I also have bigger thighs than that lady lol. 3) Wear layers!!! Wildly fluctuating temps between spaces and nerves made me so happy to have a cardigan. That thing was on and off all day. x2 4) Recommend against either extreme, not jeans or sneakers or fleecy pull-over, not full NYC lawyer women's business suit. The advice I like is to dress slightly better than you expect the dressiest person in the room (so I might dress a little more down for an ecology position or something out west, a little more up for something in New York). Most important: Wear something you're comfortable with that makes you feel confident and self-assured, whatever that is. OP again) Thanks, guys (ladies!). I haven't felt comfortable or self-assured in my own skin since my second baby. I'm an AP at the moment, but I got my current job with just a virtual interview. I just had to make my upper half look decent - so much easier than wearing dress pants and nice shoes! I hate dress pants with the fire of 1000 suns, so I might wear a skirt with opaque tights on day - thanks for the suggestion. 5) I *hate* dress pants and blazers even more so. I opt for dresses (or skirts and sweaters) with cardigans. It makes me feel professional but also like me, which is most important. If I don't get an offer because I did not wear whatever they expect me to wear, I don't want the job. 6) I was told once to match the colors of the school with whatever you choose to wear. | |
357 | 10/27/23 11:19 | Length of job search | 11/17/23 8:35 | This is my first year applying but have been told me it may take a few years. Mostly applying for academic jobs but overwhelmed that it could take a few years to find an actual job. 1) Apply early, as soon as you finished your PhD. If you are lucky, you get a good offer in your first year. Most folks take more than one cycle to land a position. 2) More like most folks never land a TT job if we're being realistic. x3 3) unless you're a rockstar with 20+ papers or your whole dissertation in Nature, don't bother straight out of school. Wait until you've got a couple years of post-docing under your belt and a well-formed idea of what you want your research niche to be. 4) I once was in a department that offered a job to someone straight from a PhD with 1 (!) publication. That paper was in Science, and that person was at an ivy, so take that for what you will. On other searches that I actually served on (at R1) few people that were interviewed had 20+ pubs. So, my advice is to not wait and apply early. you might get some valuable experience interviewing even if you do nnot get a job in the first 1-2 years. 2) Eek, totally disagree with 3. It's a crapshoot. I know lots of people hired with objectively weak publication records. You have a limited number of years that you can take the punishment of applying, so don't waste any. You might be more selective in some years than others depending on your funding situation, but I would not skip applying in any postdoc years if you really want to land a job. 5) I think @3 is being pessimistic – sure, more pubs is always better, but you don't need a Nature paper to get a job, and there is no direct correlation between number of pubs and job success. Get materials together as soon as you're tempted by an ad – there is never a "too early" and you might just land your dream gig sooner than you think. 6) I landed a good offer early in my postdoc with 8 pubs and two fellowships (one grad, one postdoc). No major journal pubs and still had three on campus interviews that cycle. Apply early, you never know what might happen. 3) y'all are missing my point. It's not that you *need* a huge impressive CV, it's that you need a clear research vision and that generally takes some postdoc experience to develop. Young hotshots with impressive CVs can get away without a good vision. Some people might have a good vision right away, but I think most don't and that's why they don't get interviews despite multiple cycles of applications. You shouldn't apply until you feel like you're ready to run a lab imo. 2) Longer postdocs don't make you more ready to run a lab they just keep you underpaid and precarious for longer. x2 3) @2 neither of those things end if you land a faculty job, but no one is stopping you from leaving academia for a higher paid industry job 2) Huh? Faculty jobs are just about the least precarious jobs around. And sure they may be underpaid relative to industry, but at many (not all) universities they are still an objectively pretty good salary. 3) Maybe, once you get tenure. At most places with high research expectations tenure isn't guaranteed (my current institution has ~30% success rate). The only profs I know making "objectively good" salaries are late career big wigs. Pre-tenure profs and teaching faculty often barely make more than post-docs. I know some folks in the UK who took a paycut moving from post-doc to faculty. 2) I'll admit UK salaries are abysmal, I'm thinking primarily of the US landscape. Even the fanciest Ivies in the US have tenure rates >> 30%. What counts as a good salary is obviously somewhat subjective, but even many assistant profs in the US are making well over the median income and much more than postdocs. Not saying faculty couldn't or shouldn't have better jobs in some ways, but this started as a discussion of the difficulties of the job search stage and a TT faculty job, whatever it's difficulties, is just very clearly a better position to be in. x2 3) that's a bit of a goalpost shift from "the least precarious jobs around" which was the statement I disagreed with, but sure 2) lol, at least in the US they really are the least precarious jobs around. What job can you imagine that has more guarantee of long term employment? 3) Government agencies. Most are literally jobs for life w/o the uncertainty of tenure review, grant applications, student recruitment, etc. 4) Sure but those are even harder to get than TT jobs! 3) @4 that's absolutely not true, unless you're only looking at high level "directorship" positions. The cool thing about non-academic careers is that permanent jobs exist at more levels than just top-tier leadership gigs 5) gonna chime in and say please don't listen to anyone who tells you not to apply your first year. Put it this way: if in Year 2 of postdoccing the job that fits you to a T comes around...suddenly you need to make an application from scratch and you will have one shot with little feedback. As soon as you see a job that reasonably fits you your first year, make some materials and shoot your shot. The worst (and likely) outcome is you get no nibbles, but you can use your materials to rethink/rework/start from for when you are actually ready and more experienced. The best outcome is you get real interview exp. x2 | |
358 | 10/26/23 16:27 | Average time to hear back after an interview | 11/4/23 15:24 | I have had some zoom/first round interviews recently and was wondering how long it takes to hear back after that if you were selected or rejected? 2) Selected = usually 1-1.5 weeks after the day of the last interview. Rejected = pretty good chance that you will never hear back at all or that they will only send you the generic rejection months later when the search is completed. If they do let you know it happens around the same timeline as for the selections. 3) I heard back 2 days after a Zoom interview last year. 3) But sometimes it might take up to 3-4 weeks even if you do get a second interview 4) Yeah, I once went like a month between the zoom interview and in-person invite for a place. 5) Vast majority of searches will not inform you right away when you aren't selected from the zoom pool. 6) I think I've gotten a 'no' answer back from about half of the Zoom interviews I've had where I didn't get a second interview. Maybe a bit more than half 7) I still haven't heard from my two Zooms last year. 8) So you're saying there's a chance! | |
359 | 10/26/23 9:09 | Expected salary | 10/26/23 14:10 | I know it doesn't really matter, but I was just wondering what people put down when that is asked. A number that you believe is fair but also realistic. I've been putting down $100k 2) I've never encountered this question, but I haven't been applying for jobs lately either. How common is it? 3) not very common 4) I've encountered this for a few applications. Seems like a weird question, especially when the job posting lists the salary they are offering. I've been putting down 80K 5) Yeah, depends on COL, but would put anything from 80 to 100K 6) The US is wack, starting in Canada should be $125K min. 6) https://x.com/evolscientist/status/1717640315882869002?s=20 7) IME these are usually holdover fields when HR uses general HR software - i usually put down $1 or $1million. It has made no difference in my interview rate. | |
360 | 10/25/23 13:30 | labs accepting PhD students for Fall 2024? | 10/29/23 13:47 | I keep hearing about a spreadsheet kicking around that has a list of labs seeking PhD applications in ecoevo for fall 2024. Anyone know of a link? 2) I don't know of a general one for all ecoevo, but SSAR has one for people interested in herps: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/129dPeUY8jxOu7BBwHAxUVCpIAJogiCOfHWt7LpXeZV8/edit#gid=742547696 3) Maybe this one? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/115HUZYjfaHXuy_miEVLRX55IsN5hAru-sWVVt6z-8Cg/edit?usp=sharing | |
361 | 10/25/23 9:12 | Don't knock the "Data Science" jobs | 10/27/23 10:23 | There has been some chatter about data science-related jobs not being EEB. This is totally wrong. You should apply to these jobs, for a few reasons. One, you stand a good chance of working with colleagues who are far better at programming, stats, and machine learning than you are, so it is great for collaboration and grants. Second, these departments have to compete with industry and you are far more likely to be offered a starting salary that is 30% or so higher than what is being offered in a "ye olde" biology department. 2) agreed. On the interview trail last cycle, I met lots of quantitative ecologists who had tenure track positions in data analysis/data science departments. 3) Go for it, good at coding people! Wish I could spin myself that way and wish y'all the best! | |
362 | 10/24/23 12:20 | Existing profs in department with similar research interests | 10/26/23 18:43 | There are some faculty jobs that look like a great fit, but I've noticed that sometimes the departments already have a professor who teaches the types of courses I would be interested in/has similar research interests. Does that mean the dept would be less likely to hire me? Not saying I won't apply anyway just in case but I'm curious if I should suggest those courses in my teaching statement, for example. 2) Depends a lot on the type of school and size of department. In a very small school I do think that being perceived as too similar to any one person in the department can be a hard thing to overcome. 3) From the perspective of R1 (all I can speak to) I wouldn't worry about teaching - just because someone is teaching a course now does not mean they will continue teaching it. People rotate teaching the same course, or departments continually develop their course rosters, and "old" faculty might be transitioned to teach something else, etc. For research, I think it can go either way - in the job search I served on, some folks argued against hiring a person too similar but others saw it as a plus because of potential to collaborate. In general, from the 4 or so searches I have observed, we actually always went with someone simialr to existing faculty! 4) Re: your teaching statements, I'd recommend suggesting some new courses and then also saying "I'd also be happy to rotate into existing courses X and Y as needed." This has worked well for me in the past, as it both highlights how you could relieve some pressures (if these are popular courses, they may be constantly overenrolled or the current faculty may be sick of teaching them) but shows clearly how you could expand into new curricular areas if those courses are decidedly someone else's purview. 4) I've had this question too. At #3 thank you so much for this perspective! b | |
363 | 10/23/23 16:50 | How often does it happen that searches are designed to "poach" specific faculty? | 10/29/23 17:18 | I don't expect anyone to actually have an answer to this; just wondering out loud. 2) Probably not common. And for the love of all that is holy, can we please not add "there's an internal candidate" to the list of grievances we append to every job ad? x4 3) From my understanding if a department is poaching someone specific (usually someone senior) they generally get permission to do so from admin first and also approach the candidate direclty to see if they are interested. They then make a direct offer to that candidate without an open search. OP) This was also my understanding (and something I observed at my previous institution), but comments on the Michigan search suggest that poaching also happens when the search is advertised, though in their situation it was a college-wide program, which probably complicates things. Anyway, was just wondering. 4) very rare. maybe for a very specific endowed position 5) I don't think its that rare at big R1s. Have seen quite a few of these in my time at a few different institutions. I do think that just about all of them were behind the scenes things without an open search ever being run. 6) I think poaching is particularily common right now with the situation in FL (and TX to some degree), but as others have metnioned, it's more direct hires than open searches in these cases. 7) At my institution, poaching has happened and all searches must be open - we are not allowed to create a position and offer it to one person without a national search. 4) @5 and 6, I guess it depends on what rare means. there are 450 positions on this forum. how many are targeted to poach a specific individual? I'd argue only a few even at R1s. I'm done 5 searches at 2 R1s and there's never even been a hint this is a possilibity. It does happen but it is rare. So many things can go wrong anyway - people can botch the interview or decline the offer. It certainly happens but is not the norm. What is much more common is that a search doesn't quite know what it is looking for, and a candidate emerges during the process that seems to really stand out. Every search I've been on but one had only a vague notion of the type of individual they were looking for... 8) This kind of thing could happen as a direct offer without a search. But once there is a search open that anyone can apply to, it is unlikely that the search committee, department members, chair, etc who get to weigh in will unanimously agree on someone without at least considering other applicants. If you have been in faculty meetings...well, let's just say consensus is rare. 9) I agree that it's rare....at universities in the US. It's more common at the "fancy" institutes in the UK/EU where they hire people who're already famous. I know that at my current institution any position with a contract lasting longer than 6mo has to be advertised publicly, even if it isn't an open search. 10) I'm ready to be poached! (Just saying/wishing) x3 11) Academia: "One poaching, coming right up!" *throws you into a pan of simmering water* 12) @11 - laughing/sobbing! | |
364 | 10/21/23 15:13 | Time limit for accepting offer - what's normal? Does it include negotiations? | 10/23/23 8:45 | Some job offers seem to come with a deadline for acceptance, what's a normal timeline for this? Does that time limit include negotiations, or is it more likely to be a starting point ("I accept, contingent on...")? 1) varies from as little as a week (!) to months. There are no contingencies regarding the contract, so work everything out and do all of your negotiating before you sign. 2) A week sounds... challenging. How do people make that work if there's anything at all to negotiate? 3) It is crazy and some places might really push for this. But, I do think that in the majority of cases even when they say you have 1 or 2 weeks or whatever to make a decision that is just to let them know if you plan to accept. Negotiations will most likely continue after that point and it could still be a while after that before you see an official contract to sign. Of course if you change your mind before that contract is signed (or even after) they will be annoyed, but it's still possible. | |
365 | 10/21/23 13:44 | job interview ?. How many ?'s when asked: "do you have any questions for us?" | 10/23/23 19:05 | No more than 2-3 questions 1) 2-3 for zoom interview, you'll want a lot more for campus visit. 2) What sorts of questions are good to ask? 3) A question I always aks is how collaborative the department is. 4) I usually ask "what does a new faculty member's first semester look like?" And then any questions about stuff that wasn't clear in the ad. 5) I ask about funding for grad students and internal grants for initial projects (to generate preliminary data). Tailor the questions to the institution. | |
366 | 10/20/23 7:03 | Writing to the SC to inquire about the status of your application | 11/1/23 15:14 | Has anyone ever contacted the chair of the SC to follow-up on a position they are really interested in? Just curious if this is acceptable/common? 1) I would only do this after an interview personally. Otherwise, you can tell you didn't get one because others have, or enough time has passed. 2) Agree with 1, there is nothing to be gained unless you have some specific question. 3) Yes, this is acceptable. x2 Thanks! everyone! I emailed the chair and got back a quick reply about my rejection 4) That is, sadly, what usually happens. 5) OP, I am curious to know how long you waited after the review date before emailing them. Hi! Deadline for this was Sep 15.6) So what if one of the positions you applied for is moving much faster than others that you are equally as interested in? Like what if you are at the on-campus interview stage of one search but another has barely gotten to the zoom interview scheduling stage? Do you say anything? 7) I tend to think there is no reason to contact unless you have an offer, but if you have an in person interview that's probably OK too, as once that happens the process can move quickly. A Sept 15 deadline yet emailing already seems like too fast unless you have a good reason like another job. But I suppose it shows your interest. TBH, interest beyond what is stated in a cover letter generally doesn't matter too much (with exceptions for small/specialty schools, esp in rural areas). | |
367 | 10/19/23 14:11 | "Review Date" for job applications | 10/30/23 9:30 | I have now heard from one hiring committee that the review date is the deadline to submit (i.e., they may begin screen the next day) and from another committee that they review ON the review date (i.e., the actual deadline was the day before). I know the solution is to just submit the day before if in doubt, but what is the correct practice here? 2) I always assume the review date is the date apps will be reviewed. X2 3) Some HR systems show late apps. Some do hard cutoffs. Don't plan to submit late, but if you mess up a deadline, send it in. Really the "review date" is probably just the search chair sending the committee emails telling them to go look at the apps to start scoring. 4) Absolutely, most deadlines are very soft. I've had interviews already this year for positions I've applied to 2-3 days up to nearly a week after the deadline | |
368 | 10/19/23 11:53 | Where else are you looking for jobs? | 10/21/23 14:06 | a thought from a comment on a job post: where else are you searching for job announcements? are you finding many that aren't listed here? 2) Have literally never come across an eco/evo job that did not get posted here. 3) I applied to a biology lecturer job on HigherEdJobs that I don't think ever got posted here, but yeah, that was literally just one. I also sometimes check Indeed for community college positions, which generally don't get posted here. 4) have looked at ESA jobs board, which seems largely redundant w this one. Also chronicle jobs, where I have found eco jobs not posted here. there's also the TAMU wildlife board. It takes time to sift through different sites. 5) jobs get posted here because people are looking on other sites and adding here. SC members post too but I think it's mostly the former. 6) @5, yes of course but it's true that nearly all eco/evo jobs get posted here in recent years. You aren't missing much if you don't check other places unless you are maybe looking for community college or international jobs. I still monitor some of these other lists but I rarely find one that someone hasn't already added here even when they were just posted. 7) I think coverage here is more sporadic for positions outside of the US (and maybe Canada?) 8) I've almost never seen jobs (relevant to my evolutionary ecology interests) that haven't been posted here. Major props to this community effort! | |
369 | 10/19/23 11:31 | High #s of Recommendations | 10/23/23 4:53 | I really wish recommendations were not letters, but rather phone calls for the final few choices. First, no letters, yay! Second, maybe they will get real information. Also, it's very telling if a recommending prof can't find time for a 20 min call/zoom rec. It's pretty easy for big time profs to have extremely good letter draft that really are just the right things to say. But if they can't prioritize a call within a week.. well, that tells you how much they care whether their mentee becomes a future colleague in academia. 2) or how crappy a mentor... 3) In some ways I agree with OP, but as someone who has a writer who sometimes struggles with letters because of field work in remote areas, the idea of being able to schedule a call/zoom at short notice would concern me 4)True, but if your adviser doesn't care whether you become a future colleague in academia, that could mean something about them and not you. My adviser told me I wouldn't get a job and that he was surprised I had even gotten any interviews. I have a job now and I'm good at it. I don't want to be his colleague either. 5) I could barely get hold of my MSc supervisor even when I was his student, and it was nearly impossible once I had graduated, and that was just for letters of rec. It really doesn't seem fair to penalise people further for drawing a short straw in terms of attentive supervisors, and very unfair to assume that a supervisor being busy or inattentive means they think their mentee is useless. Plus, the more "prestigious" a reference you have (in terms of career and status), the less available they'll likely be. x2 6) Agree with the responses. I'm all for getting rid of recommendation letters, but this wouldn't be an improvement! x2 7) OP's points are reasonable, but the switch from letters to calls is unlikely because they do not leave a paper trail. I have had this discussion with colleagues and came to the conclusion that it is impossible for an entire committee/department/unit to evaluate a phone call. 8) Agree that letters (especially those places that require like 5 of them) just feel fairly extraneous. What happens if you have a crappy postdoc or phd supervisor? Committees treat a "missing" letter as a red flag sometimes, even when its just that you worked at a toxic place and no longer want to be associated with them. 9) You can always note in your cover letter who your letter writers are and why one may be missing (not enough time to know you well, remote supervisor, personality conflict, etc.). This way nobody has to guess. | |
370 | 10/19/23 5:47 | Admins deleting jobs because of discrimination problems at the school? | 10/30/23 14:59 | Posted a random job yesterday and someone commented it had been previously deleted becuase of LGBTQ discrimination? I didn't see further discussion but now it's been deleted I guess. Why? This is not a good policy. There are lots of schools with problems. Keep them posted along with the info so people will know what the problem is and can decide if they still want to apply. How else will people find out about discrimination at a school if not here on this sheet? Further, who gets to decide what is problematic enough to delete? Are there guidelines for what gets deleted? At this point whole state systems have serious issues with gender and LGBTQ+ discrimination. Are all those posts going to be deleted? This just doens't seem like a good policy. What do others think? 2) It's a bad system and precedent in my opinion. Leaving them up with comments seems much more helpful. Otherwise, people might not even know the issues. There has already been some discussion on this point, with people pointing out that large campuses with problems tend not to get removed, only small, lesser known institutions. Also, where does it stop? Didn't like a university president's statement about Israel-Palestine issue? Take them off the board! 3) I'm sure it takes quite a bit of anonymous work for AP to manage this site, and if AP decides against using this platform to advertise for a small number of universities that actively discriminate against LGBTQ+ people or any other group for that matter, we should support that. The discussion of those universities can go in other tabs if needed. Long live AP. x4 OP) at #3 that is not a reasonable argument. obviously we all appreciate AP, that is not the point. when the job is deleted, the info is NOT available elsewhere and there is no way for people to know that job is problematic or why. this sheet is not about "advertising" for any school, it's just about making info available to everyone who might need it. It's also making more work for AP if they keep having to delete things that keep getting reposted becuase they were myseteriously deleted with no explanation. 4) So, there is a discussion below (currently line 22) clearly describing the criteria being used. And a large university was removed based on that criteria. So if there's debate that's fine, but this appears to be a longstanding policy, and let's not pretend we're on some kind of massive slippery slope here. OP) how would we be aware of this policy if it's not stated anywhere except a discussion line somewhere that most people are not going to read? How would we know which schools have been deleted to know not to repost? 4) I promise you that policy does not hurt or bother discriminatory schools in the slightest. The only ppl it hurts is members of the ecoevo community who may be excellent allies but that could take such a job x4 OP) Exactly, and what about the LGBTQ+ students at those schools who need someone to support and fight for them? 4a) Reasonable points all. But I do also think it's true that listing a position on a job board meaningfully supports that university by potentially attracting more and higher quality candidates. This is why many universities pay job sites to list positions. If I was operating a sheet such as this, I might not want to feel like I was providing a resource that benefited institutions that I believe are harmful. X3 OP) yeah 4a I can see why someone might feel that way, but I don't think it reflects reality of the outcomes. I think if they are listed WITH a note about discrimination, then people can choose not to apply there. Otherwise, most people won't even know when they come across an ad elsewhere. 5) @AP would it be a good idea to put the 'worstlist' for LGBTQ+ discrimination link into the "Add Job" Google Form so people can be advised to check there before posting? 6) If AP wants to spend their time removing LGBTQ+-offensive institutions--and AP has had a soft hand here--then more power to them. This board is not the only way to search for jobs. OP) ok more power to them, why? what is it accomplishing to remove these rather than mark them problematic? Is it somehow making the schools more gay friendly or does it just make us feel like we're doing something? 7) So start your own job board and moderate it the way you want? Just like purchasing Twitter, but you can start your own google sheets fiefdom for free. Doesn't seem at all controversial that someone maintaining a public resource would not want to host ads for places that violate some standards of employment (just like there is moderation over certain types of comments). You might disagree with where that line is drawn and I guess some of the ones that have been removed are borderline, but I can certainly think of some places I don't think jobs should be listed for on here and once you decide to have any moderation a line has to be drawn somewhere. The list that AP is using seems like a reasonably objective way to enforce it. x4 OP) Interesting discussion. If AP doesn't agree with leaving posts up with a note (to me the best solution), maybe the best way forward as #5 suggested is to include a link in the posting form to worst list and any other schools that will be deleted and sate criteria clearly so people know. AP) @5 that's a great idea -- I finally got around to implementing it. | |
371 | 10/17/23 8:54 | How to write "5 year research plan" and similar asks for research statements | 10/20/23 5:48 | Do they expect you to outline specific experiments you'll do each year or what is this? I don't know what research I can do unless I know what grants I will get, which is unknowable. OR is it more like "over the next five years I'll focus on building these projects" and then you go on to normal research directions paragraphs? 2) From what I've heard in two recent webinars by universities asking for these types of statements, forward-looking-type statements should focus on your big picture vision and plans (i.e., which "big" questions will you address, and why are they important?) I've gleaned that committees are less concerned with nitty-gritty specifics and more with your vision and goals writ large. Having a sense for how you'd fund the research is always good, but I wouldn't be overly concerned with budgets – paint your vision as if you were unconstrained by funding. OP) Thanks #2 that's helpful! 2) I really hate these as a field biologist because so much of it is contingent on the location and resources of the particular job. OP) @ #2 yeah and I always feel like I shoud make ideas match local ecosystems and it's too much! 3) What, you mean you don't schedule a 3-week backpacking trip through the local environment as part of tailoring your application? OP) #3 LOL I know right that's what they want I swear 2) Sometimes. So far the one interview I've gotten has been for a job where I did less tailoring and actually had to tweak my research statement in a way that I thought weakened it in hindsight. Meanwhile the ones where I reseach the institution and spend hours tailoring or write a whole new research statement for, nothing. X2 4) I understand this to be asking for examples of specific objectives that you could potentially accomplish pretenure towards a clear long term vision. You can keep them a bit general by saying you could accomplish it in "x or y system or x or y species for example". If it's a Canadian institution, its asking what your first discovery grant might look like. | |
372 | 10/17/23 4:14 | Changes in applicant pool makeup | 10/30/23 9:31 | There’s the common perception that a lot of ecology jobs are filled by lateral moves of people who are already TT faculty, and although past data hasn’t backed that up (https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2018/10/04/how-were-newly-hired-n-american-tt-asst-professors-of-ecology-employed-when-they-were-hired-heres-the-data/), I think it is worth asking folks that are on search committees now: have there been more currently-TT applicants than in past years, particularly applicants from red states? 1) Short answer - no. No difference from previous years in terms of numbers of proportion of more senior applicants. 2) Agree with #1. Applicants to our searches this year and last have been in line with historical norms (and last year we hired a postdoc). 3) I guess it would have to be a very big shift to really be noticeable on a search committee becaues the number of grad student and postdoc applicants is always >> TT faculty applicants. As another way of thinking about this, I have friends at a couple different red state universities (e.g., Florida) who tell me that >half of their tenure track faculty have left for outside jobs in the last few years. 4) I guess the real question should be, are shortlists more TT-heavy than in the past? x2 5) For the ecology search I served on last year, 35% of applications were assistant professors at other institutions. We went straight to campus interviews, and we invited only postdocs. But other searches in my dept at the same time ended up inviting almost exclusively people that are already assistant profs elswhere (though I don't know what proportion of their pool they constituted) - so this can vary from search to search, obviously. Also, this is the first search I served on, so I cannot speak to whether this percentage has increased over time, but I did find 35% to be a rather high number. 6) No difference from historical norms in any of several searches in our R1 biology dept last year, which included 3 ecology searches and 3 non-ecology searches. Also, Dynamic Ecology checked this just last year, and there was no difference from the pre-pandemic past: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2023/01/09/the-2021-22-n-american-tt-ecology-faculty-job-market-was-a-lot-like-the-pre-pandemic-market-here-are-the-data/ It seems like lots of folks on here aren't aware of that post? OP) I am aware - the reason I asked for the fresher perspective wasn't because of the pandemic, it was because of the red states currently making college illegal. 7) Another point is that the D.E.-published data is recording who gets jobs while the OP asks about numbers/proportions of applicants. These are different things and info on applicants would not be public and is where anecdata from committee members can give the best possible insight, save like data from Interfolio. You might think that who gets the jobs (i.e. D.E.'s update) is what is ultimately most important, but this Google Sheet is filled with people wondering about invites and callbacks too. OP) Yeah, this season's data should be quite telling. I've heard anecdotally from a professor in my department who's on some search committees - he says this is 100% a real phenomenon, but the question is still how many of the jobs end up being moves of established profs from red states. Barring some strange circumstance where, like, shortlists become mostly established profs and the absolute pinnacle of ECR rockstars, but then the rockstars get the actual offers. 8) I will add that I am a tenure-track prof back on the market this year. I am applying to similar jobs as I did when I signed initially, and my materials are very similar, with an updated CV. I'm seeing an incredible jump in interview rate with several years in a TT position under my belt. I get that this is very n=1 and not directly what is being asked, but it does suggest that its something that committees are noticing & valuing. 9) Go ahead and add North Carolina to the list. This new gerrymander is gonna plunge the state into Gilead even with a Democratic governor. 10) I'd be curious to see if there's a split between R1s and PUIs as far as the actual impact on hiring. R1s seem more willing to take on a young hotshot with potential, but I wouldn't be suprised if SLACs and other PUIs would be more attracted to applicants who've already proven they can teach lots of classes and mentor lots of undergrads. 8) @10 this is a very fair point; I am at a SLAC and have been applying to SLACs/PUIs almost exclusively. | |
373 | 10/16/23 18:34 | Mystery job | 11/17/23 5:28 | Did anyone see this job posted 4 days ago on ecolog at Umass Lowell? There is a full description and link to the department website, but no link to actually apply and there doesn't seem to be any job in the university HR listings. Maybe it was just posted early, but the due date says November 1st so it seems like it should be up. Here is some text from the ad: "The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Ecology, Organismal, or Environmental Biology at the Assistant Professor level starting September 2024. We seek a colleague who takes a functional and/or comparative approach to study ecological and/or environmental questions." 2) I saw it, and same. Could email the person sho sent it to ecolog to ask? 3) https://explorejobs.uml.edu/en-us/job/521066/assistant-professor-biological-sciences OP) Hey, thanks! I guess it was just posted early on ecolog. Seems strange to only have a 2 week turnaround to apply. 4) My first thought is someone screwed up the job post and HR yanked it for a re-do. 5)SC member here. I did post it early on Ecolog because the turn-around time is so short. None of us are sure why it didn't get posted faster but the job ad is unchanged. 6) That was thoughtful of you, @SC, thank you! | |
374 | 10/15/23 23:43 | DEI statement not required. Is this a bad sign of how university handle DEI? | 10/23/23 20:38 | Not necessarily. Plenty of places that require DEI statements are terrible at DEI. 2) Please write a statement describing how you will contribute to our department's vaguely written DEI platitudes that, by complete coincidence, our white internal candidate knows very well. 3) I think if you're interested, apply, and then find out more about DEI during interview/ next visit- how much depts care/do for DEI can be different to say from the outside. 4) @1@2 thanks @3 makes sense 5) Some departments cannot require DEI statements bc of politics (university- or state-level). And yeah, it likely means nothing at all about what the peole in the department actually think (6) TBH I don't put much stock in DEI statement requirements and don't think they say much about a department. Honestly, I don't think requiring them does anything to promote DEI and if anything it puts people in excluded groups in the position of having to disclose personal info in order to write an honest statement, opening themselves up to discrimination. If anything the committee should have to write a DEI statement for applicants+4 vote. 7) Agree with 6. If you care about DEI, it will likely be apparent and woven in to multiple aspects of your application, from teaching and mentoring, to service and research. 8) Last year I had an in-person interview for a job at a SLAC with an explicit DEI mission, and that required a DEI statement. Not a single person asked me anything about DEI during the 1.5 day interview. 6 again) conversely, I interviewed at a SLAC and every person from undergraduate committee to provost was quoting info about my background from my DEI statement and asking me about it. Expecting applicants to disclose and discuss their background feels weird. As stated, I'm skeptical of the value of DEI statements. x2 2) Oh gosh. That's dismal. 9) I am an applicant of color and unfortunately no interview has ever wanted to hear my DEI ideas or perspectives. I AM the DEI they're looking for :( | |
375 | 10/14/23 18:11 | Villanova Mechanistic Biology position | 10/16/23 18:35 | Did anyone here get short-listed for this position? Curious what they are looking for for 'mechanistic biology'. 2) Posts like this should go with the job, not general discussion. You may have better luck getting an answer there. 1) It is not listed on the job sheet as it is not eco/evo job. 3) Well, apologies to OP, but perhaps discussing individual non eco/evo jobs deemed unfit for the job sheet is not a great use of this discussion tab either? 1) Apologies if this post is inappropriate. AP) @OP no worries! Probably not too likely to get info here, but what the heck. 1) I feel that's life right now: no info/clue about anything! :P | |
376 | 10/13/23 12:56 | Departments ghosting candidates | 10/17/23 15:39 | Has anyone been ghosted after a phone interview? How long should I wait before emailing them back? What is 'standard' turn around time? 2) Oh yes, many times. I think standard is anywhere from 1 week to 3+ weeks. 3) When I haven't made it past the zoom interview round, I've only ever gotten "thanks but not thanks" emails from ~30% of the search committees. 4) Still waiting on my official rejections from 2 Zoom interviews last year x2 5) Still waiting for my rejection from an on-campus interview too... 5) OP, I've emailed chairs of search committees ~ 3-4 weeks after they interview the last candidate. I've been able to get an "unofficial" corteous reply confirming that I have not made it to the next round or that they are negotiating with another candidate. 6) @5 Departments and search committees are not always so straightforward – I did that and was told "no decisions had been made" (which was the sign that a decision had been made and that I was not the pick). But I do wish that universities would courtesly email official rejections once the chosen one is Tweeting about it. 1) Thank you everyone for your opinion! Makes me feel so much better that this is just not happening to me! Love this space! 7) I applied for a TT position in the department I've been postdocing, RAing, and teaching in back in 2017 and still haven't even received an acknowledgment of my application. 8) I applied to a TT position in the department I was a long term postdoc in 3 different times (repeat of failed search and a second one that also fit). Never got any communication back officially and never even got any kind of informal acknowledgment of applying from the faculty in the department who I walked past in the halls every day. 9) @8 that is very very lame. I applied for a position in my department and got a short, professional, kind email from the search chair when they didn't advance my application. It is the least coworkers can do. And, HR excuses are BS. The email can be bland---just acknowledge that I am a human being that works with you! I suspect professors don't view themselves as "coworkers" *side-eye* | |
377 | 10/12/23 15:10 | Research-Teaching-Service loads | 10/16/23 8:59 | I was communicating with a SC in the Permanent Jobs tab and realized - teaching loads for faculty and how they are "counted" by the departments that are evaluating faculty performance vary widely! It's important to ask these questions. For instance, where I am (I am pretenure), you get 10% for teaching a typical 3-credit course. The SC for a job at Colorado State U said that in their school, the 45% teaching load (which is reported on the application) would be equivalent to teaching 1.5 courses a year. Where I am, that is a 15% teaching load. So be wary! Because when I see 45%, I think that's more than 2-2. I'm not saying which method of counting is "right", but just want to mention that these things vary and their interpretation could mean a whole lot when it comes to what the job expectations are. 2) Yeah, and places like Cal States are by weighted teaching units, where 12 (out of 15) is usually the teaching load, but that can change with # students, extra service, etc. And 12 WTU's can be anything from one class (with labs) to 4 classes because it is based on hours (1 WTU per lecture hour, 2 WTU's per 3 hour lab). 3) OP here, yeah and we also have additional workload that can go towards teaching for research students (~1.67% per student registered for research credit or paid off a grant for instance), and office hours (2.5% a semester), and things like lab sections depending on how much work the TA does (maybe like 3%). It seems crazy to be talking about these minutae, but trust me, if you haven't had a TT job, once you get one this is all you talk about with colleagues. So try to understand how each department that's interviewing you plans on dividing up your time once you start working there. Also, the CSU phylogenetics job seems like a sweet gig when looked at in this light. If 45% of your job for the year is teaching 1.5 classes, then the rest of your time goes towards research, which sounds pretty sweet to me (i'm research-intensive). 4) I'm at a school on the quarter system and I'm 55% teaching, but that's only 3 3-credit classes a year. Granted we advise 3 times a year and are required to have 10 office hours per week, which does add up. 4) Having takled to lots of people at lots of types of institutions, there is no "right" or consistent way that teaching is counted. If interviewing, you should ask how it is counted, but you should also ask what that translates to in terms if number of courses per year. Also, be sure to ask how labs are counted toward teaching load. At my institution, labs count differently toward teaching load, depending on how long the lab is. Also, if 45% of your job is teaching, you'll quickly realize that 20-30% of the rest of your time will be service and advising... 5) oh, it NEVER adds up to 100%, always more. Always more. But teaching/advising should be banked effort, meaning you teach, you earn workload and it's at least expected. For research effort you're always putting in more to receive less, cuz funding etc... in my experience, that's where you really go over 100% - submitting 6 big proposals a year in order to be awarded 1, for instance. Also, I have had teaching dumped on me bc budget cuts, contingent faculty layoffs, and the 'needs' of the department (pandemic disruptions). Workload is a constant source of consternation. And pre-tenure service expectations should be low - decent amount of professional (ms reviews, NSF panels, conference organizing) and limited institutional - meaning you shouldn't be chairing any school or univ-level committees until after tenure. 6) It absolutely differs by institution to an increadible degree, and is typically interpreted by the admin/board in whatever way is most favorable to them. My admin is trying to convince all of us that even though 200 years of job ads said "9-month" position, we are all actually 12-month employees because we can't file for unemployment over the summer. My advice is get everything in crystal clear written terms - I know when you start you are so excited to just get the offer (or at least I was) that you're not thinking long-term, but get as much of the workload stuff (not just for year 1, but for your position in general) in writing as possible, and save every email. Legislatures in red states and Boards of Trustees in all states are typically convinced that faculty do very little work (if you're teaching 9 hours a week, you're spending 31 being a lazy waste of money that could support a raise for the president), so teaching loads should increase if possible, especially if you can convince people to do it without taking away any other responsibilities. 7) ultimately, it comes down to the quality and experience of the middle management running your department (chairs and associate chairs). If they are over their heads and consistently playing catch-up, then they WILL squeeze pretenure faculty for more unannounced teaching assignments, and you will have very little leverage and they will say "well, it will help your overall tenure case". Get a feel for how pretenure faculty are protected. | |
378 | 10/10/23 19:25 | Job materials for TT jobs as a non-TT faculty | 10/14/23 19:34 | I am currently a non-TT faculty at a R1 university and applying for TT jobs. Is it okay to write my letter on my university's letterhead? I read conflicting views about this online and wasn't sure if this practice is frowned upon. 1) I do the same, can't think why it would be frowned upon. If I were a grad student or postdoc I'd also be entitled to use letterhead, no? 2) does letterhead make a difference? I never use it 3) I don't know if it matters, but I always use univeristy letterhead. x2 4) I doubt it matters much but I think it is pretty standard to use. I can imagine it having a small effect on some committee members if you have a prestigious university letterhead, if only by reminding them where you are coming from. 5) You work there! I say you can use their letterhead! I think the way that universities undervalue their teaching faculty is ridiculous. You work there!! (Agree with the person who said it might not really matter much though) 6) You shouldnt be using university letterhead for your personal job apps, regardless of career stage 7) Why do you think that 6? Nearly everyone I know uses university letterhead for personal job apps. 8) As a matter of professionalism, you should use university letterhead for your personal job apps. E.g., https://theprofessorisin.com/2016/08/26/why-your-job-cover-letter-sucks/ 9) Anyone spending time/mental energy trying to police university letterhead use has way too much time on their hands or really weird priorities... 10) My father was in HR for years and definitely questioned my use of my current employers letterhead. But I think this is a case where academia really differs from the corporate world. Probably a much bigger deal in corporate world than academia. 11) I stopped using letterhead to save on space! I've got too much to say and my current university letterhead is ugly anyway OP) thanks everybody. Your responses have been very helpful. Few of you pointed out the reasons why it may be frowned upon. But, the majority of you have convinced me that it's okay to use my letterhead. And the reference to prof is in is helpful, thank you #8. Thanks again everyone! 12) FYI in some non-American academic job markets using your current employer's letterhead is a big no-no, although I suspect very international institutions that hire a lot of Americans or others from abroad will overlook it or understand that it is the norm elsewhere. Just to say it's worth checking on the norms in the specific market you're applying to. 13) @12, which job markets are those? I was told to use the employer's letterhead in the UK. 12) Germany, in my experience 13) Govt and private industry would never let you use letterhead like this - your ass would be grass 14) @13, but for most job applicants (at least grad students and postdocs) universities and departments -want- their employees to get a job because it is their whole goal of training. Very different dynamic from private industry, so the comparison is not very useful. 15) Letterhead is meant to be used for official business, and your job apps are not official business 16) How are they not official business? R1 universities literally have entire units and workshop series that they pay staff for that are focused around successful job searches for their trainees. Grants are often required to have specific sections and funding for training plans that emphasize how the money provided will be used to help trainees secure jobs. 17) I've never known anyone to use university letterhead for job apps or personal business. It's weird. 18) I have always used university letterhead, and all of my mentors have urged me to do it. Same with academic job prep courses at a UC 19) Wow, this conversation is something - I would have put the over/under for number of comments about letterhead at about 3. As an SC chair I cannot imagine caring about anything less than the presence of absence of letterhead. Do whatever you want. Make the application good. 20) I use the university letterhead. I figure they're using my reputation to burnish theirs, so I might as well return the favor. 21) You could make up your own letterhead for all that most search committees care - I've read several hundred applications over several searches, and I have no idea how many used official letterhead - never paid attention to it. If you end up in a job where the department was really weighing whether or not you used the appropriate letterhead, prepare to be subjected to years of mindless complaints and arguments over nothing. "oh , miss featherbottom, the biscuits should be to the left of the teacup, what will people think? Can you believe this applicant used a BLUE electronic signature, oh what is the world coming to! Oh, and is that first line under the signature indented? Daisy, hide the pearls, the world is falling apart!" | |
379 | 10/10/23 16:51 | I created a sheet for non eco-evo jobs | 5/9/24 7:57 | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AZywYW4g9ZwvcGvtyCRmiXMSNpLWhk2I_H1cNNabd5k/edit#gid=1631492642 1) A new hero arises from our midst. 2) There's already an environmetnal science one that's been going for a few years: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nr7u-UrnQ8zVTz9AKq-8E6UGAhhJ9NrdjIBJFcEE6l8/edit?resourcekey#gid=1469675242 OP) Did not know that! Deleted the sheet! 3) It's set as "View Only" - do you want people to request access? 4) If you're really going to do it why not get the scripts to set up the sheet like this one? AP is always offering to share them. I changed access and everyone should be able to edit it. Please confirm. | |
380 | 10/10/23 14:05 | Follow-up email after interviews | 10/12/23 13:41 | Do y'all send follow-up thank you emails to the search committee after interviews (either on-campus or zoom)? Is this standard practice or just outdated advice from another field..? (1) I always did follow-ups after in person interviews thanking them for their time, wishing them luck on a project, and/or providing further information on soemthing we discussed. 2) Yeah, maybe email the chair after a Zoom interview, and then emails in person to people you meet in-person. OP) Thanks for the advice! 3) ALWAYS thank. I would thank everyone after a Zoom interview, and *definitely* send individual thank-yous within hours of leaving campus – you'll be discussed immediately during and after the visit and you want to make a good impression. 4) What do you say? "Thanks for considering me?" "Thanks for the great discussions?" 5) @3 "within hours" is pretty wild, I usually do it next business day because most of mine, I had to fly out the same evening, and I prefer to not send a typo riddled email from my phone in the airport. 6) I always pre-write my thank you notes and schedule them so they arrive 5 minutes after I leave each meeting. Other job seekers can't compete with my thank yous. 7) I schedule mine to arrive 5 minutes before a meeting - get rekt noobs 8) Switching this year from thank you emails to you're welcome emails. 9) I used to pooh-pooh thank you emails because they're awkward and forced, but watching a search in my department last year changed my mind. Two of our four interviewees sent thank-you notes, and our (very old) department head tried using this as evidence for why one of them (his favorite) was genuinely interested in taking the job (spoiler, he wasn't! They offered the job to him and he turned us down!) A bunch of us at the faculty meeting pushed back at this for being a bs heuristic (for one thing, our most recent interviewee was probably still travelling). But be aware that there are evidently still some dinosaurs out there who think it matters so it might help you earn a few more points. | |
381 | 10/10/23 10:59 | Past applications not viewed | 10/11/23 10:12 | Hi guys. Wanted to hear some opinions on something I'm confused/annoyed about. So, yesterday I applied for a position at a state school. I looked at my past application to the same school, just for a different city. It said "submitted" and didn't change into "under review" or any other status. I thought whenever the schools review/open applications, the status changes to "under review" or something along those lines and when I'm not chosen, the application was in 2021, it would say "no longer considered" or something. It makes me feel like these jobs are mostly internal hires and they don't even look at applications anymore. What do you guys think? 2) I have never used an application system that updated during the hiring process, only after the search concluded. OP) I'm guessing the search is completed since it was in 2021, but the status hasn't changed at all. It still says "submitted". So that's why I'm wondering if they even looked at the application? 3) Probably just laziness / oversight on the HR side of things. Typically HR takes in the applications and then shares them with the department, probably forgot to update anything. In my experience, HR involvement in searches is largely trying to tell the department what they need to do/say or include in the job ad, but is pretty incompetent in terms of doing their job (posting the job ad correctly, providing links that work, keeping the mandatory hiring system updated...). 4) Agreed. From what I've seen/heard, search committees look at every application. They likely have key criteria that are used to quickly screen the entire pile, and then narrow in on key features for coming up with the long-list. But every application is looked at. | |
382 | 10/9/23 17:37 | Long cells of text not scrolling | 10/12/23 15:49 | Anyone else having problems with cells with a lot of text not scrolling within the cell. The only way I can see the text is to mimimize my screen to <50% or expand the formula bar 2) I double click the box and use the arrow key to scroll down, just make sure not to mess with the text by accident x4 3) I copy and paste into word or text editor to read 4) yes me too 5) 1 again - thanks 2, that works as long as a remember to hit escape and not return 6) You can also click a cell then make the viewer at the top bigger (drag it down to maximum size). In that viewer you can scroll with your mouse wheel. 7) (1) @6 I was also doing that, but it is often wider than my screen/hidden by my search box and hard to read (and also sometimes messes up the text in the box if I hit the wrong button) 8) If I just want to scroll through updates and jobs, I use the htmlview of the document and goes smoothly. @8 how do I do that/where do I go to change the view? | |
383 | 10/9/23 16:18 | Late apps? | 10/29/23 22:18 | I wrote the deadline down in my spreadsheet wrong for an app, missed it by a day. The interface to submit won't let you do late applications. Worth reaching out to the search committee chair? Their email is in the job ad, so I know who it is. 1) Worst they can say is no. IMO "no" is more likely from a portal that has hard closed, but I've had *offers*, not just interviews, off jobs that I technically applied to late. x2 3) Email it. THere's a decent chance they will add it to the pile. x3 | |
384 | 10/9/23 11:12 | Postdoc to Tenure Track positions | 10/11/23 8:51 | [moved from UMN position -AP] 2) Another scam to get you there and put you on an 8 year tenure track or just fill a slot with bait and switch. There is no reason for a PD to be advertised as "will be considered" for an asst prof after 2 yrs unless they are simply not serious about hiring a faculty member or want to bait in a sucker. A legit PD always knows there is a remote chance they will get on as faculty if the stars align. An assistant professor always knows they have 6 yrs for tenure. There is ZERO reason for this kind of advertisement unless it is underhanded. This should be posted in the PD section, not in the permanent job section. The idea of "Being considered" is NOT a permanent job NOR should it be considered one by the applicant. 3) So this is different from the U Michigan LSA fellowship? 4) The verbiage in the ads is definitely different. Not sure how different they are in practice. 5) IDK, these kinds of gigs seem to be more common as a way to bring people in to TT roles who maybe don't have quite enough papers/etc from grad school to be competetive yet for full faculty jobs (another one is below from Macalester). It gives folks time to be creative on work on their own projects (rather than on someones grant) and, at least on paper, likely convert to a TT role. You can always negotiate for service credit if/when you get the TT role and shorten the clock. 6) You just can't win with some folks. Last year there was so much discussion of how PD should be able to convert to TT and not just keep moving around. Now jobs like that post and people are like "oh no, not like that!" 7) @6, I mean...both of those are bad? I get the goal with these, but it's hard not to see that they are a good way to pay people less for a few years without a full commitment. @7) That's fair. 8) No good school uses these positions as a way to recruit faculty into unsupportive positions. They use them to recruit top postdocs likely to be good future faculty and nurture their career growth in a way that keeps that talent in house. You know that thing people complain about where we have to move every 2 years? This avoids that. Suggesting that postdoc to faculty pipelines are a way to underpay faculty is way off the mark. And if you think postdocs always know they have a job you haven't been watching the same job market I have. I wish there were more mechanisms like these to avoid the personal cost of moving for faculty jobs. 9) I agree with 8...as a postdoc with chronic and specialized health issues, I am quite possibly stuck in the city of my current postdoc position (with or more likely without a permanent university job)...universities can't promote postdocs to TT jobs without external searches, so this seems like a good way to be able to promote them if they excel 10) I'd be curious to see the breakdown of what happens to these PD-TT folks. How many get that TT offer, how many move somewhere else, how many are let go? 11) at the school I work at the more pressing issue is the PD fellows decide they want to go somewhere else 1-2 yrs in then the dept needs to search and hire again and that line isn't always reauthorized. Also, the MN job this moved from pays $65k which is in line with the NSF Postdoc fellow amount and higher than a non trivial number of the assistant prof pays reported in the negotiations tab. 12) Hello! I'm the Dept Member/SC member on the Macalester search. Happy to answer questions, and our department is very aware of a lot of the concerns mentioned here. I'll say that in our case, the PD-to-TT mechanism is funding related. Macalester received support to start an institution-wide center for incorporating Native and Indigenous ways of knowing into scholarship, and that funding was explicitly tied to creating a postdoc cohort/cluster hire. Macalester has a strong mechanism to fill tenure lines with internal trainees, so this is a way to create a smooth pathway between the MNI (our new center) and its postdoc cohort and our long-term institutional goals on the TT faculty side. But perhaps one key difference is that at a SLAC like Macalester, a PD is often a "faculty member in training" and not your usual "postdoc on a project under a supervisor." Our PDs are instructors of record, are eligible for the internal money to support student research mentees, are involved in faculty governance, etc. They also make within 10% of what first-year faculty do (or at least they did when I was a first-year faculty, not entirely sure what the numbers are this year), while teaching fewer classes than TT faculty to have the space to do research. Again, happy to answer Qs, here or in the other tab. 12) having been following these specific kinds of positions that largely, only recently became commonly advertised, I have discovered that they are almost always chosen by institutions facing potentially severe enrollment declines despite current support needs. This person is not required to teach, but almost certainly will as it is being given as an option and the pay is mediocre for a big 10 university. Whatever arguments you choose to believe, that is your choice. I do think these are good opportunities as a post doc. You just need to go in with your eyes wide open. I mean, U of MN is facing severe enrollment declines and an impending cliff... https://mndaily.com/278294/campus-administration/campus/umn-facing-5-8-enrollment-decline-since-2019/#:~:text=The%20University%20of%20Minnesota%20is,cliff%20over%20the%20next%20decade. 13) feels worth pointing out that enrollment declines are happening everywhere, and also that in that article you linked it actually says the twin cities campus has had relatively little decline: only 2.6% which is much less than the national average at four year schools of 5.9%. Not saying it isn't a problem, but nothing in that ad implies the PD would need to teach or would be materially affected by the enrollment of undergrads (in fact teaching seems discouraged) and 65k for postdoc is in line with the big national fellowships like NSF. It's valid to be skeptical of these types of positions, but no need to make things up to make them seem worse 14) The list of colleges and universities not facing enrollment declines is a lot shorter than the list of colleges and universities who have no concern about this. Colleges have plenty of ways to get cheap labor, but this hardly strikes me as one of them. I see no conspiracy here. 15) I don't think it is some big conspiracy, but it does seem like a step backwards. There has been so much discussion (and sometimes a bit of improvement) in valuing and properly compensating labor in academia over the last 15 years. See all the unionization efforts for grads and NTT faculty and increase in PhD stipends. There is also a lot of discussion about how prolonged the career path is to reach stability and the way that this pushes certain groups of people out of academic careers. I realize that the goal of many of these programs is to try to increase diversity by recruiting earlier and transitioning to TT paths. But it's impossible for me not to see this strategy as growing in popularity right as diversity is emphasized as important so that the end result is hiring more diverse candidates into worse paying and less guaranteed positions. Putting on my cynical hat, of course admimistrations are happy to green light these programs because they save money and increase staffing flexibility. A better solution would be to argue directly for why diversity matters in the job positions, write that into the ads, and then hire and compensate fairly for that benefit that universities and departments seem to want from these positions. That would require actually putting the money in to fund these priorities. All that being said, I don't think these are necessarily a bad deal for an individual candidate looking for a job. Maybe you end up in a great department and it turns into a wonderful permanent position. I just think they are bad policy at a system wide level. 16) Honestly, I wish there were more positions like these | |
385 | 10/7/23 18:35 | I don't do genomics, nor am I a developer of new computational methods. | 10/13/23 5:57 | I'm never getting a job, right? (1) If you mean in academia, then, no, the odds are not in your favor. But they aren't in anyone's favor at the moment. If you mean in general, then, yes, you will. Decide what is most important to you and let that guide your decision making. Despair and hopelessness are traps that blind us to the options available to us. And remember, your value, your worth is not in any job. If you find meaning in whatever job you are able to do, Great! that one is a keeper. But, you are more than a job. Take care of yourself. Be kind to yourself. 2) I've seen plant phys folks hired for comp bio positions and crispr experts hired on Big Data. ignore the job ads and apply anyway. 3) Yeah, I've seen actual quantitative ecologists complain that such jobs go to people who aren't actually all that quantitative beyond "can run a GLM in R". 4) Yeah, sometimes depts are serious about having quantitative chops... sometimes they simply want someone who can teach an undergrad course in quantitative biology, which many, many of us can do. 5) assistant prof here - plenty of us don't do that stuff and still got/ are getting jobs, just work out what your selling point is and how to advertise it well. | |
386 | 10/5/23 8:14 | Should I list my pronouns on my cover letter and CV? | 10/23/23 20:39 | Some faculty are very supportive. Others are not. Many universities protect trans individuals but not all do. I'd make your own personal choice in light of the state of academia. Hopefully someone on each committee will fight for you. I can say even at a school where policies offer protection, I've heard faculty in closed door meetings make anti-trans comments or ridicule pronouns. The best case that faculty member didn't know that two of us were bi and another was a lesbian. We shut it down hard (and the three of us found out about each others' LGBT orientation that day beacuse of it). 2) As a cis woman with a name that more commonly associated with men, I have included my pronouns in the cover letter of some apps. 3) the first comment above assumes the question to be coming from a trans person. The question to list or not list pronouns is unfortunately politicized no matter how you identify. For the sake of transparency I identify as a heterosexual cis genedered white male, but ofcourse given that I can just not identify. While I acknowledge all the benefits of this identity affords me, "in light of the state of academia" I actually percieve that listing this identity and, for example, crafting a diversity statement actually dissadvantages me, especially in the blue states and liberal communitties I would like to be a part of . . . Yes, I know I am well represented in the job market, but it doesn't change the fact that on a personal level I worry that my career is doomed and my family will starve ;-) (being dramatic). 4) No. x4 5) Agree- I would not. If it is very, very important to you that the search committee uses the correct pronouns, then perhaps you could include it in an email or say it verbally to someone. But I can imagine a lot more ways that this would hurt your application than help you (not saying that's how it should be, just how it is). Oh, if it's in your email signature then that would be standard and might be a way to clue in the search committee. 1) I did not assume that they were trans. There are faculty supportive of listing pronouns. And faculty who are not. 7) might be easier to just have it indicated on your personal website, or see if your recommendation letter writers use the correct pronouns in their letters. That gets the message across without being pointed about it 8) I have it in the header of my CV after my name, but nowhere else. I thought that was standard these days - surprised so many people saying no. <cis, white, female> Then again, I also list my maternity leaves on my cv. I figure any place with a problem with my values or my family isn't a place I would be happy working anyway. 9) @8 are you in the US? I know that in some places it's standard to list your age and even how many children you have, but I've never heard of anyone providing that kind of personal info in the US. I think because it could be used for discrimination, which is illegal? (I mean, they could just look up your photo and have some pretty good guesses at a lot of that, but still) 8 again) @9, I'm American, but living abroad and applying for jobs at home. Pronouns are not a thing here at all but every email I get from American colleagues has their pronouns so I thought I should put mine too. I put my maternity leaves on my CV because they help explain gaps in productivity, and probably more importantly, demonstrate a rebound afterwards. 9) Yes, the maternity leaves definitely make sense! Very smart. I just don't think the demographic info at the top is standard in the US. Pronouns in emails also definitely becoming standard in the US. That can obviously be helpful if you're queer because then people know your pronouns. I also appreciate people who aren't queer doing it because it makes it a norm which then helps out those of us who are queer so that we don't look like we're pulling something out of left field if we decide to share pronouns- it's just an accepted thing to do. On a cv, I just worry that it might a) look out of place regardless of your gender and b) lead to discirmination if you're trans/queer 10) This is a fad, it will be over soon. Might as well play it up if it can give you an advantage, though. x2 9) Not a fad. Queer people are here to stay, and we will be noticed and respected. (Still wouldn't include this info on a cv though) 8 again) this is a really interesting discussion. For me, putting my pronouns has very little cost, but shows my values. I feel naive for thinking that in the vast majority of places, it wouldn't actually matter what those pronouns were, but I see 9's point about discrimination and why if I had a different identity I might think twice. I had my PhD advisor (now full prof in his late 40s) look at my CV and he balked at a few things, but not my pronouns - another reason I assumed it was now the norm. 11) Cis female here, just popping in to say I also put my pronouns in my CV header (and my maternity leave is also included in the relevant section). I have a gender-neutral first name so I am eager to avoid situations where I need to correct people who assume I'm male (which happens a lot over email). Also have heard from queer friends that it is helpful to normalize it (as #9 says). I also see very little cost as I am probably not going to be interested in a work environment that makes a big (negative) deal over people listing their pronouns. 12) unpopular opinion but as a genderqueer person I do not want to list my pronouns. I fully support and encourage others who want to, just not for me. 10) @ 9 - of course queer people are here to stay. "Cis" and pronoun use by the majority are the fad and they won't last long. 11) Agree with 'it depends on the job' - when I was on a job committee with a positioned aimed at increasing diversity of our dept, genderqueer people were given an advantage. | |
387 | 10/4/23 11:14 | Applying to same department again | 10/6/23 9:32 | Applying to a dept. where I did a campus interview last year but didn't get the offer. Should I mention the previous application / interview in the cover letter? 1) No. They remember. x2. And if you made it to the interview stage, you have advocates in that department - best of luck this time around! 3) Really unlikely but not unheard of to interview again on campus. VERY likely after a zoom interview the previous year if your CV has improved. 4) I'm in the same boat and was explicitly advised to mention it to show that there are no hard feelings. 5) Because applying again didn't express that you weren't so resentful you wouldn't accept the job?? Really? 6) It feels extra good when you do an on-site one year, re-apply the next and don't even make the phone interview list the second time.x4 7) I just submitted one of these, and can't say whether the strategy will work, but I did mention VERY POLITELY in cover in order to address a specific element they mentioned was missing last time. We shall see. 8) @5 It's very possible to re-apply with hard feelings. In my opinion, why leave a committee wondering...when you could just clear the past with a few words. Just a thought. 9) 6: thats nothing against you, its more likely that because you interviewed and were rejected, they decided to go with other potential candidates for an interview. obviously you still have a strong CV that got you the first interview, it just wasnt the best fit for what they wanted | |
388 | 10/4/23 10:49 | What to do when application forms ask for your whole CV entered manually? | 10/4/23 23:19 | I was just applying for the ecology position at Le Moyne College, and the form asked for each of my publications to be entered manually, for my skills to be listed manually into separate fields on their forms, and for a description of each of my current and future projects. They also asked me to enter my current and all my past employment positions, and my educational history including where I went to high school. Do folks fill in all this information on forms? I usually just leave it blank and figure they can find it on my CV. Do search committees read the data entered into forms, or do they focus on the CV and essays? 1) I also applied for that job and just left all that stuff blank. Assuming its not relevant. 2) Also applied - left it blank. I figure it's probably just an artifact of them using the same form for faculty hiring as they would for hiring, say, an IT person. I've never heard anyone say that not filling that stuff in when you're already attaching your CV is at all detrimental. 3) ooooo I had a similar question! I never fill in any parts of online forms that aren't required. I assume that hiring committee is only going to see my documents but my related question is-do you think this ever stops applications at HR? Or if the required fields are completed it moves onto the hiring committee? 4) Agree with 2-- I started to fill in some of those but then saw how many there were (high school?!) and just wrote "See CV" for most of them or left blank. I've been on some hiring committees from the other side and we never even saw the HR forms like that, just the CV, essays, letters. | |
389 | 10/4/23 10:34 | Anti-LGBTQ universities | 10/6/23 13:34 | AP) A reminder: we will not support universities that actively discriminate against LGBTQ students or employees. I just had to remove one listing from Westmont College. https://www.campuspride.org/worstlist/ is a good guide. 1) Thanks for sharing the list! 2) I noticed that Baylor is on this list, which currently has three jobs posted to this board. 3) thanks for posting this, its helpful! 4) I've brought up Baylor before in these discussions. For some reason, its immune from getting blacklisted over its discrimination. 5) Fits the trend in academia, you can be descriminatory all you want if you rank high enough 6) Mod flag because of the Baylor listings AP) Thanks for the note on Baylor. @5 it's not a big conspiracy, we just don't have time to sort out every case along this spectrum of awfulness. Based on y'all's input, I've removed these and maybe will just use this list to make it easy to decide. 7) To be consistent, we should also bar any listings in countries that actively discriminate against LGBTQ students or employees (like China, Saudi Arabia, etc.). x2 AP) @7 if you see something potentially inappropriate, flag it and include evidence of the discrimination, because we're not experts on the topic | |
390 | 10/3/23 20:08 | Physiology jobs | 10/5/23 19:27 | When a posting specifies "animal physiology", will the committee consider other types of physiology like plant or fungal? 2) I guess it depends on the committee and what's actually required for the job. You can always reach out to the search committee to clarify, or just apply. If the posting says they want the hire to teach a course in animal physiology, or something specific like that, I would address your ability to do so in your cover letter/materials. 3) I don't think fungus and plants count as animals 4) nearly all "physiology" postings are animal (vertebrate!) specific. Plant physiology jobs are generally described in more cellular/molecular terms 5) In my experience on a SC for 2 animal physiology positions, we would not consider plant physiology for that position and have advertised separately for plant phys. The teaching needs (if stated) may also be a good indication since many of these positions are looking for someone to teach animal physiology. 6) I (an invertebrate biologist) have had on-campus interviews for two "animal physiology" jobs, both of which went to vertebrate biologists. N=2, so massive grain of salt. 7) Ask the opposite question, if a job said plant physiologist would a mouse biologist be considered? Many times it specifically says animal or plant because they need a faculty to teach that organism physiology. And most animal physiologist can't teach a plant physiology course and vice versa. I could be totally wrong as well YMMV | |
391 | 10/3/23 4:41 | How long do you wait for an answer before you declare it "non successful?" | 10/4/23 23:51 | Waiting since 2 months for a rejection/invitation. is it normal? should I email and ask? 2) two months since what? clicking submit on the application? Very common and shouldn't write it off, but definitely not good if someone else has heard back. Two months since an in person interview? It's not looking good 3) 2 months since application deadline, and thanks, I am really new to this and I am trying to prepare myself for a long battle xD 4) 2 months is nothing. Monitor this spreadsheet, as people will often post if they were rejected, received interview invitations, etc. Honestly, emailing if you haven't heard is not going to get you anywhere. 5) Response times are super variable I have no idea. Some places, I would say give up hope 30 days after the deadline, but at others I'd give it 3+ months. IME timelines seem to be slower on the continents (USA and EU) and relatively quick in the UK. 6) This was an outlier, but I once got an interview request 6 months after the application deadline. This was not them going back to the applicant pool, they literally just took that long to get moving. 7) We had a bad actor on a search who had to be removed from the committee. It reset the timeline to zero and likely cost us good candidates. Universities are run badly so the timelines are erratic. 8) I'd like to say "immediately after clicking submit" but honestly I do take a few days before I come to accept the odds, maybe a bit longer for some positions 9) @8, only after clicking submit? I consider most of mine non successful before I've even started gathering the material! 10) lol @ 9 samesies | |
392 | 10/2/23 11:44 | Do you get penalized if your letter writers are a few days late? | 10/4/23 2:28 | I noticed that some ads specifically mention the due date for letters, or the system might tell me my application is incomplete when I have everything except all the letters. 2) Usually if you make the first cut they will contact your letter writers. It's not under candidates' control 3) My writers often seem to miss deadlines and I still get a decent rate of interviews. I've had places ask me to lean on writers if they're thinking of inviting me for visit, so I don't think it matters too much before that point. It's possible that I'm missing out on some calls but honestly given my record I don't think that's the case. 4) I've never been on a SC, but I'm given the strong impression that (possibly outside of super elite jobs), unless the letters say you're an insufferable prick, they don't make much difference in the process. 5) The letters can make a huge difference. A glowing rec shines while bland recs make the committee wonder why the PI isn't pushing for the trainee. And an awkward rec that makes discriminatory comments can cause huge issues. It's pretty unfair. Especially given how some specific PIs worry about competing with their own trainees in research. 6) Sometimes the application submission is through an automated portal that won't let you submit without letters, and sometimes there is an HR check of applications before they are forwarded to the search committee. In these cases not having the letters in exactly on time might cause you to be filtered out. Otherwise, I agree with others who have said a few days late doesn't matter. | |
393 | 10/2/23 10:03 | Non-ecoevo jobs | 10/12/23 13:46 | AP) Hey folks. I know the perennial topic of "non-ecoevo jobs" is always contentious, but we will need to start enforcing this more rigorously. This site uses a couple google scripts to keep things in order when jobs or comments are added. Unfortunately, as the sheets get longer, those scripts are more likely to fail, resulting in weird things like comments getting turned into dates or jobs copied in the wrong row, etc. My phone pings at least 5 times a day with such errors, and it's definitely increasing. In short, we're pushng Google Sheets to its limits here ;) So, to keep things relatively tractable, we will restrict postings to jobs that explicitly mention ecology, evolution, behavior, or anatomy & physiology. If someone who is also looking for molecular/cellular jobs wants to set up another site dedicated to them, we're happy to help you set one up! 1) Thanks for all the hard work, AP. Do you have a github with these scripts (or other public repository)? AP) @1 no github, but if you're interested in them email justananonymouspotato@gmail.com and I can send them. 2) ah man, this is gonna remove so many plant jobs. Would the greener folks want a plant biology board? I could probably set one up if there was interest. 3) Anyone know of a similar job board for Cell/Molecular/Human Health focused TT positions? We're hiring a position in this area and I don't want to post to this board because it's not evoevo. Thanks! (3 again: I did read the above, I just wondered if anyone out there knows of an existing site. 4) @3, I think the future PI slack job board (in the links tab) covers those jobs. 5) I can help if anyone wants to start a sheet with molecular/cellular jobs and also keep a tab for interviews as and when they come in. 6) What about environmental sustainability / environmental studies type jobs? I know they end up here and are a bit of a weird area. 5 again: yes we can incliude that too. what would be also helpful is a interview tracker along with the job like the shhet chemjobber has to see which ones already short-listed and called for interview. can anyone set this up and I can help! 6) @5 would it make sense to have two sheets, one for cell/molecular and one for sustainability/studies? I could help manage the latter. 5) @ 6 agree! 5) I created a sheet:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AZywYW4g9ZwvcGvtyCRmiXMSNpLWhk2I_H1cNNabd5k/edit#gid=1631492642 Please let me know if it is working and people can fill it. It is a humble start and I hope everyone will contribute. Feel free to add more tabs for different topics. @ 5 & 6, there's already a environmental science one that's been in use for a few years! AP helped me set it up back in 2019 :) | |
394 | 10/2/23 7:30 | Is there a way to find out who the search chair is when not listed in an ad? | 10/10/23 11:41 | Sometimes you can email the Dept Chair with questions but ask them to fwd to the search chair. 2) I did what (1) recommended recently, and they were pretty nice and forwarded it to the search chair. 3) Why is that important info to have at the application stage? 4) @3 It's good to tailor your cover letter to the specific search chair (Dear. Dr. XXX and Search Committee). I've also been contacting search chairs prior to applying to get more details about facilities, the department, etc. so that I can better tailor my app materials. OP) @ 3 sometimes I want to ask the SC a question about the position, fit, application. If nobody is listed I htink it's fine to address cover letters to "dear search committee," I wouldn't bother finding out for that. | |
395 | 9/30/23 17:39 | US Science Funding Budget | 10/2/23 5:59 | If you are a US voter you may want to contact your senators and congressional reps about NSF and NIH funding. They avoided a shutdown, but there are discussions of massive cuts to NIH institutes. Jobs at universities are correlated with federal funding-- more funding means more biology jobs and better chances of tenure. This is a good time to advocate for federal agencies if you are a voter in the US. If you aren't a voter but live in the US, you might consider spreading the words to friends who are voters. If you live in another country with excellent science funding, well, I'm jealous so keep posting job ads. 1) It's especially insane considering they're going hard after NIAID specifically. We've only been battling a global pandemic for the last 4 years - great time to cut funding for infectious diseases. <rolls eyes>. 2) lol I wish my country had the level of funding the US has. x2 OP) That crossed my mind as I was writing, but didn't know how to phrase it the right way in the current context. I wish there were a way to advocate for better funding outside the US too. I know less about what to try. | |
396 | 9/29/23 7:46 | Are second campus visits common in PUI/SLAC jobs and what do they include? | 10/9/23 18:17 | Not common in my experience. I've only really seen second visits paid by the department for R1s. 1) Never seen this actually, unless it is after an offer has been made and the selected candidate wants to visit again to look at housing, schools, research space, etc. 2) sponsored visit happened once at my SLAC after the offer to help the prospective can evaluate space and equipment, but certainly not the norm. Lots of people come back one their own for the reasons @1 indicated but I have only seen one formal second visit involving meetings with administrators 3) @1, even for R1s the second visit, if it happens, is usually after an offer has been made. I think the difference is that some R1s with plenty of money will pay for the second visit and sometimes even pay for spouse etc to come along as recruitment. I'm sure it's not that uncommon for people to make a similar trip to PUIs, but it would normally be on your own dime, so much less official. | |
397 | 9/28/23 7:33 | On campus interview in the UK | 10/2/23 6:03 | OP) Just had an on-campus interview in the UK and all candidates were present at the same time. We had different schedules and didn't have to sit trhough each other's research presentations (although I was told this is sometimes the case), but we did have the opportunity to interact. I didn't really like the experience, I felt one candidate was "humbling bragging" about how much they work and that they were trying really hard to have a healthy work-life balance, but it honestly felt like a soft intimidation. There were also comments on interview stages I hadn't been through and it gave me a panic attack because I thought the other candidate had a way better presentation than the one I had prepared (in the end I heard a lot of praise for mine, but we don't control these feelings). Anyways, I think outsiders applying to the UK should be aware. 1) Yes, this has happened to me in UK and Germany. One was weird because they had us there at the same time but were trying to keep us apart, and the person was one of my best friends (the department didn't even know that we knew each other). Both of those interviews had the experience of going for drinks with the other candidates and no committee (afterwards). 2) Yup. I also had an experience like this in the UK recently. Luckily the other candidates were friendly people and I actually enjoyed meeting them. It was kind of nice getting drinks with folks and talking about our interview experiences, but I could totally see it being a drag if there's a competitive a-hole in the mix. 3) Had this and I hated it. We didn't see each other's talks but did have to interact at other events/times. One person was totally rude to everyone and far worse when no one from the school was there. Committees should consider avoiding this because it can be such a hostile environment that is not even for all candidates. I've also seen a group of men gang up on a woman telling her she couldn't do research when her pub record was better than any of them. Congrats to her she ended up getting the job, so I guess she got the last laugh. 4) This actually sounds kind of neat. After all, other applicants aren't your friends, they're your competition. Like in the other post where it was suggested that postdocs should get to challenge facultyh for their positions, these hiring events could be like Royal Rumble or some sorty of Bloodsport-style elimination round robin. Or if that's too physical, last person to cry gets the job. 5) I wish it was just about drinking whiskey and smoking cigars, like back in the good ole days. Then I'd be set for life. 6) There are pro's and con's to UK-style interviews. I enjoyed the ones I did because it was also a good networking opportunity and I'm still in touch with many people I met at them. It was also relatively low-effort, compared to the three-day-slogs of interviews in the USA. You also find out the results very quickly. Often the same day, which allows for mutual comiseration with other candidates at the pub. Cons, of course, were the fact that you only have 15-30 minutes to give a job talk, and you don't really get to meet anyone besides SC members unless you organise meetings yourself. 7) @6, your last two cons sound like pros to me! I guess with an offer I'd want to meet more people to decide if I wanted to accept, but I don't need the strings of 50 separate one on one meetings over 3 days that all bleed together. 6) Yeah, it depends on perspective. At those interviews I didn't feel that I had the time to really make a good case for my research program. The interview questions were also very clearly focused on what I could contribute to the REF (which you need to know about if you ever interview in the UK) - what will be your first few papers on and what journals will they be published in. 8) @6 interesting, because my UK interview did have a bunch of one on one meetings, and a student lunch, similar to the US. It was all in one day though. The other candidates were there simultaneously but we were all staggered and didn't see each other until the pub, haha. OP) @4: if it were a one-on-one bloodsport cmopetition, I think I'd have done actually pretty well LOL. I have been to selection processes with other candidates, but at least I knew some of the others, what made things more light to me, but this time it was just frightning in part because I didn't know the others and in part because the conversation topics were not light-harted... if they were talking about music or whatever, it might have been easier for me to enjoy but there was a competition atmosphere to it. | |
398 | 9/27/23 8:57 | SC members: Politely let interviewees know when they are no longer considered | 9/29/23 7:31 | When a search chair sends a polite communication letting interviewed candidates know they are no longer being considered for the position, this reflects well on the individual and department. It shows a basic sense of decency and ettiquette. It literally take 5 minutes to send a simple email with a brief statement. When candidates spend time preparing for an interview and are not afforded the basic courtesy of letting us know we were not selected, this reflects very poorly on the search chair, and your department. It shows a lack of basic courtesy and respect. I will literally never forget the people who have done this and hold a low opinion of their character and the way their department is run. Trust me, other candidates feel the same. Don't let this be you. 2) Eh, it doesn't necessarily need to be a personal note from the SC, but I agree that they should notify unsuccessful candidates (or runners-up for whom there's still some sliver of hope) asap. An automated HR email is fine and infinitely better than radio silence. OP) @ 2 Yeah an HR email is better than nothing but for candidates who you have met and interviewed, an email from an SC member should be considered the standard of courtesy. You may well cross paths with these people again someday. 3) I've been in similar situations and it sucks. But universities follow procedures and most of those are set outside of a department. Holding a lifelong grudge against someone because their hands may have been tied by university policy doesn't sound too decent either. It's a crummy feature of the job market but it's not exclusive to academic jobs. It's possible the chair of that search wanted to send you exactly the email you wanted but couldn't for various reasons beyond their control. Some departments are controlled by absolute jerks and some people just don't have any courtesy. But you might be better off assuming that thoughtful email was what the chair really wanted to send rather than shunning them. x2 4) I kind of disagree with #3 even though I also understand. I think it is about time permanent faculty push for changes in this sense... It is very comfortable to say "oh these are the rules" but rules can change. And, in this case, should. x2 5) SC's (or automated HR emails) should also be able to tell rejected candidates who made it to the on-campus interview stage at the same time an offer is made- even if its just "an offer has been made, we will reach back out if we are able to consider others" instead of finding out through social media or the grape vine/whisper network that another candidate was selected. HR policies surrounding this are absolute garbage and lead to negative views on universities. x2 OP) @ 3 Nope, this is not an excuse to never contact interviewees. First, I doubt people's "hands are tied" very often. Second, at the very least, you can email them once a contract is signed by someone else. No laws prevent this, I feel quite certain. To do otherwise is simply discourteous and inconsiderate. My point is that people remember how you treat them so let's be kind. 6) @OP I empathize with you, rejections suck, but SCs are absolutely bound by institutional HR regulations. If you must be angry at someone for not sending personalized rejection letters, point it towards HR managers and not SC members. OP) @ 6 I'm not angry, but I am curious. Do you know of universities that restrict profs from contacting interviewees in a personal communication after a contract has been signed? I would be surprised if this is common. 6) it is pretty standard (in industry and academia) for hiring outcomes to only be communicated by HR, yeah. OP) @ 6 That's surprising if true, because I have on multiple occasions received personal emails from SC members after I was no longer considered. I suppose in cases where HR prevents this, the courteous thing would be to let candidates know that during the interview, and for the SC members to ensure HR has made the communication in a timely manner. 3) @ OP, yes, actually, this is how things work. I'm sure laws vary from state to state and from university to university but it's not unusual to sign a document stating you will follow the procedure. In some cases, that doesn't have an expiration date and it's a permanent agreement to follow the rules about contacting applicants. I'm sure you can imagine all the ways in which SC members contacting an applicant in writing could lead to negative consequences for a university and why university lawyers are keen to make sure the entire process of communicating with applicants adheres to certain conditions. As to why faculty members don't feel like arguing with HR about these details, it's probably because they have far more important things to do. I get how angry you are right now, but professors are generally overworked and when they do have some capital to spend fighting a policy they often choose ones that make the most difference. Universities have huge problems right now and this isn't one of them. 7) @3, if faculty can't fix something this easy with near universal agreement, how do you think they are going to fix the big problems universities have? There certainly aren't any laws against contact. At most there are HR rules. In reality, a lot of this is down to search chairs. I know of committees members who were very surprised to hear that campus interviewees were never contacted by the search chair when they all thought that chair had done it. 3) It's not necessarily easy, and there are much, much bigger fish to fry. If I had the choice, I'd certainly inform applicants. The lack of perspective here and the lack of knowledge regarding how universities operate is telling. 8) Not sure what you think it is telling about. There are a lot of faculty who post on here who seem to be pretty sure that the way things are done in their department/university are universal law. | |
399 | 9/25/23 17:02 | Research productivity on CV when applying for SLAC jobs | 9/29/23 14:50 | I'm applying for SLAC positions this year, in addition to others, for better job security for my family. For SLAC applications, I am tailoring and largely re-writing most of my materials to emphasize my teaching background. I've been a postdoc for a while doing mostly research but also teaching at least part of 1-2 courses per year. The problem is that while I truly do enjoy teaching and I think I'm good at it, I don't want to be perceived as a researcher who is going into a primarily teaching job as a backup. Early in my career I subscribed to the "papers and citations will get you a job" philosophy (ha! turns out nobody cares about pubs). I have more papers (35+) and citations (almost 2000) than many of the full professors at the SLACs where I'm applying; do I downplay or own them? How does this situation look to a SLAC search committee, anyone here with SLAC SC experience? 2) I have a similar profile to yours and in my experience at least some SLACs are very hard to convince that you are actually interested in a teaching position or are put off by having more research output than the full professors in the department. Definitely play up teaching as much as possible, not just your experience but that you realized you wanted to turn to teaching and made x and y changes in your approach. 3) I would second 2. I have a friend in a similar boat; you need to be able to convince them that teaching is your priority. One other thing that might help you is really drilling down in your research statement into how you'll leverage this research experience/what I assume must be a large network of collaborators to benefit your mentees. 4) Agree with last point from 3 - don't just rely on your teaching statement. Reorient your research statement around undergraduate research. Also be aware that SLACs that consider themselves elite love to hire "their own". Very elitist places in my experience interviewing at them (once got told by a SLAC Dean that they usually hire people with Ivy League PhDs LOL). I don't know if there is some way to game that if you didn't attend one of these places. 5) I am quite interested in this - but waht exactly is a SLAC? (non-US person here). I am not as productive as OP, but sometimes I think I'm not enough for Ivy League or R1 and I try lotsa R2/State Unis and sometimes I feel I look like too much for them.. I really don't mind much teaching, although I'd like to have at leas 30-40% of research. Is that too much for SLACs? 3) The LAC stands for Liberal Arts College. The S stands for Small or Selective, depending on who you ask. 6) I'm at a SLAC and didn't attend one (went to regional state school). I also bought into the high productivity-to R1 ideal (I later realized I didn't want to contribute to the PhD factory in academia). I had high productivity when on the market (more than OP), but got my current job. Keep in mind that every SLAC is different in terms of teaching and research expectations. What I would recommend after having served on numerous searches at my uni is to make it clear that you enjoy mentoring undergrads in classes and in research. Give examples of how you can still do good research but in the constraints impsed by a SLAC job (i.e., smaller, more-discrete, cumulative projects). Most SLACs do NOT want to hear that you'll just have a bunch of collaborators elsewhere, leaving less opportunities for your students at the SLAC. In your research statement, in each section make sure to highlight some projects that students could complete in a summer (that's about all you'll get). I'm now a full prof and have been able to keep up high productivity, but not all faculty do for a variety of reasons. 7) I got a faculty position at a SLAC despite having not gone to one myself. There are some in my department who prefer candidates who did their undgergrad work at similar schools, but there is increasing recognitition that this is yet another concious or unconcious bias that we should address in searching/hiring. Likewise, there is worry among some of my colleagues that too much research output is a signal that the candidate is not primarilty interested in teaching, in part because they think the person might leave for a more research-focused job down the road. If you can give evidence of your commitment to innovative teaching, that will help a lot. It will also help to acknowedlge that you will (probably) not be able to maintain your prior level of productivity, and that you are ready to shift your priorities away from research. I second the notion that you should not play up a lot of collaboration because the search committee will want to know that you want to lead your own research program and that you will do so by involving local students. 8) I am at a SLAC and have a similar profile to yours. It was seen as an asset. However, I am at a SLAC that prioritizes research so that was something I specifically looked for and considered 9) Agree with all the comments above. How much all these things matter definitely varies a lot across SLACs even within the same level of 'prestige'. Some places really do have a culture of recruiting from similar backgrounds and seem to almost always go for people 1-2 years out of PhD at most who haven't built up an R1 looking CV. The crazy thing is that those people often also don't really have any more teaching experience at that point, but there is a self reinforcing culture at some places where that is the same path that many of the current faculty took into their jobs and they are the ones serving on search committees. 10) Related question - how can an outsider determine whether the SLAC is research oriented or prestigious? They all seem to say similar things in job ads, but clearly the real picture can be quite variable. 11) Look up department faculty on google scholar. Have they actually published recently? 12) @10 - Also US News and Princeton rankings - for better or worse, these drive many administrative decisions 13) And look at total endowment / students. You can find that on wikipedia. 14) Let's be honest, though: even faculty at the top private SLACs do very little research compared to most R1 faculty. This mismatch between expectation and reality is very frustrating for those of us who truly prioritize teaching over research but are passed over for candidates whose research seems to require a big lab full of grad students and postdocs. 15) @14, that might be true on average, but faculty who are research active at the top private SLACs often do a lot of research. At least comparable to R1 faculty. The difference is that R1 faculty get their names on lots of projects led by grads and postdocs whereas SLAC faculty are leading every project. They certainly spend a lot more of their time doing research (rather than research administration) than most R1 faculty I've seen at top R1s who have big labs to manage and haven't done an analysis or bench work in years. 16) on this last point, be careful to figure out if a SLAC wants R1-level research with a SLAC teachiing load. There are a few notorious places that lose faculty all the time because of this dynamic 17) I went to a research-heavy SLAC for undergrad and some labs were quite large. It's not uncommon for a prof with a big grant to have 10ish undergrads doing summer research projects or for credit durign the semester. I would say the PIs take charge of writing most papers, but they don't do all the work themselves. The pace of research is definitely slower and the most productive faculty were publishing around 2 papers a year. If you enjoy writing I think it would be great, but if you want grad students writing your papers for you it's probably not ideal. 18) @17, I mostly agree, but having worked in big undergrad labs and big R1 labs, it really isn't the same thing even if the number of students is similar. A PI at a SLAC with 10 research students is constantly doing a lot of training and hands on research because by the time students get to the stage where they can generate good data independently they are ready to graduate. 19) @14, your comment is not correct for all SLACs, and many faculty at research-oriented SLACs have full NSFs and publication records of similar caliber and are also qualified and thoughtful teachers who leverage their research programs to provide important pedagogical benefits. x3 | |
400 | 9/25/23 11:43 | How many papers are required for a recent PhD to be competitive for TT position? | 10/9/23 18:20 | OP) Just trying to get an idea of what's expected of a PhD student in EEB nowadays, especially if fieldwork is involved. Assume no previous publications before starting a PhD program. 1) Define "recent PhD"? Are you asking what would make one competitive for a TT position right out of grad school? OP) @1 Yes, with the assumption that the recent grad is now in a postdoc and is exhibiting a similar level of productivity. 2) There was a good post on this on Dynamic Ecology. Apprently the average is ~4.5 papers in "leading" journals (defined as IF > 3). But this post is a bit old (2018) and I suspect the market has gotten more competitive? https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/how-many-first-authored-papers-in-leading-journals-does-an-ecologist-need-to-be-hired-as-a-tenure-track-asst-prof-at-an-r1-university-not-nearly-as-many-as-most-ecologists-think/#:~:text=The%20range%20is%20zero%20%28yes%2C%20zero%29,to%2014%20first-authored%20papers%20in%20leading%20journals 3) It totally depends and there is no rule, but I was once told that it's ideal to aim for ~10 pubs leaving your PhD / when applying to TT jobs. All my friends and colleagues that have successfully landed TT jobs have had 8+ pubs. There's definitely no rule about the # first-author pubs, but I think 30-50% first-author is very strong. 4) You don't need nearly as many papers if you worked with a famous PI from what I have observed over the last several years. The job market is not objective and hiring decisions are fueled by all sorts of biases. 4) I think that 10 papers leaving your PhD is a lot. That would be 2/year starting your first year. If you have three chapters and three papers come out of it, that's probably quite good already! I'm not sure exactly how many you need, but I'm sure it depends on what types of positions you're applying for. I've had a few interviews for TT positions at PUIs and regional state schools with just two papers as a PhD student and then 3 as a first-year postdoc (no job offer though). Now I have a couple more and I'll try again. An R1 I'm sure would want more, but I'm not sure how many. You can go into previous years of this sheet and look at how many people had who got job offers if you want. I'd like to say that some schools will recognize fewer papers of high quality as also being worthwhile. If you're in a fewer papers position, I would say emphasize your strengths and do your best to show competence in the areas that you feel you are weaker. I've always thought that my research was mediocre at best, but I have colleagues this year who have been telling me that maybe it's pretty good. After thinking that through- 'oh, maybe I actually am a researcher'- I rewrote my research statement and I think it's better with that increased confidence and a little bit more ambition in it. I know this is a long post, but what I'm saying is, try not to panic yet if you don't think you have enough publications. Of course, keep working on them. But try to approach the job search with the idea that you would be good at the jobs you are applying for regardless of how many papers you have. And maybe I'm an optimist (no job for me yet haha), but maybe that will help you come across as confident. 5) I know plenty of people who have had interviews and offers even at R1s with 5-10 papers. It helps a lot if the papers all fit together in a way that defines a clearly coherent theme and of course if most are in good journals. 6) The short and obvious answer is that there is no magic number, for all of the reasons indicated above (and more). I have seen people with dozens of papers fail to make a long list and people with very few (in my opinion) get interviews and offers. Above some bare minimum threshold, which varies by subdiscipline and traget institution, the game is getting committee members excited about what you bring to a department. This may be promise of millions of dollars in overhead, it may be an exciting and engaging study system, it may be connection to a field site or station, or dynamism in teaching/mentoring/outreach. In the eyes of some SC members, pedigree is meaningful, and this surely pays off in lots of other ways (positive MS reviews, tag-along grant funding, etc.), but it has not been a big factor in any of the searches I have participated in (>10 at this point). 7) writing as someone hired at an R1 with only 3 first-authored publications. echoing all the previous sentiments above, and a lot of survival bias, but I think being able to clearly articulate a research vision as well as showing strengths in the other critical aspects of the job (e.g. mentoring, teaching, securing funding) can go a long way! research is just one category, so even if you're not an A+ there you can still be a strong candidate! 8) You probably won't get many R1 interviews without at least 4 or 5 first-authored papers that aren't reviews or opinion pieces, though other stuff like the department's teaching needs or DEI goals can boost candidates with fewer. Teaching-focused schools care a lot less and you can realistically be hired with zero papers if you can teach well. 9) It really depends on the papers. I think quality can make up for quantity. My R1 interviewed someone with 1 first-author paper last year, but it was a *REALLY* cool paper. Well-written, cool results, and literally the most well-annotated and reproducible code I've ever seen. They didn't get the job though...10) Re: the idea that the ecology job market gets appreciably more competitive every year, in the sense of "you now need appreciably more publications to get hired than was the case even a couple of years ago": that's not true. In fact, the distribution of publication counts for recent TT hires in ecology is almost identical to what it was several years ago. See these comparisons of data from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 job seasons with pre-pandemic seasons: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2023/01/09/the-2021-22-n-american-tt-ecology-faculty-job-market-was-a-lot-like-the-pre-pandemic-market-here-are-the-data/ and https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/was-the-2020-21-n-american-ecology-faculty-job-market-different-from-the-pre-pandemic-job-market-yes-and-no/. Note as well that people who went on to become (or are currently on track to become) leading researchers in ecology only have barely more publications at the time of hiring than they did back in the early 1980s: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/when-and-why-the-ecology-faculty-job-market-first-got-so-competitive/. Yes, really. Bottom line: there are plenty of things to be legitimately anxious about if you're on the ecology faculty job market, but "individual publication rates in ecology go up by a meaningful amount every year, or every few years" is not among them. 11) I was recently told by a faculty at an R1 that having papers is important, but the number of papers not as important as what they tell the committee about what you're capable of doing. | |
401 | 9/25/23 0:50 | multiplier for "number applied" ? | 10/4/23 10:07 | OP) any numbers on how many more people apply in reality compared to the amount on the "number applied" column in the Permanent Jobs tab? Just curious about sample and population sizes. 2) my guess would be 10-20x, but I have no data to back that up 3) our multiple searches last year got 7-14x of the number applied. 4) https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ 10x is the average, but with very high variability 5) From reports on last year's board, it seemed to hover around 8x. AP) If it is a strictly eco-evo job, could be 6-7X. If it's more general biology, then maybe 10X. 6) I've done some calculations and its from 4-15x, depending on specificity and prestige. These numbers have also trended down over the past 10 years. Yes I've been here that long. 7) seems like applied numbers are low this year, people not updating or deadlines still coming? 8) The ones with deadlines that have passed seemed as high as ever. 9) From the perspective of a search committee member: 10x is right on for the searches I have been involved in. And this year's applicant numbers look shockingly low, so far at least. 10) 9, out of curiosity, are you in a red state? 9again) HA, and YES. | |
402 | 9/24/23 9:44 | How to tell if there's a Zoom interview stage? | 9/25/23 1:25 | Is there any way to tell whether a job will have Zoom interviews or go straight to in-person (I'm guessing not). How common are Zoom interviews this year, are they sticking around? 1) I think it's very rare at this point for the process to go straight from reviewing applications to in-person interviews. Even pre-COVID, if there is an easy and cheap way to get a little more info about candidates before the in-person stage, I think most departments do that. It lets some people weed themselves out if they are obviously not fit for the position. 2) Agree with 2 that nearly all still have zoom interviews. But the biggest reason it can't be dropped is often because the long list for zoom interviews is what is used to demonstrate a sufficiently diverse candidate pool even if the 3 finalists end up not being representative of the applicant pool. 3) in the UK Zoom interviews are rare. They just invite the whole short-list out in person | |
403 | 9/23/23 5:58 | Narrative CVs for UK jobs | 9/26/23 6:56 | 1) Does anyone know of any examples to look towards of (good) narrative CVs for the UK? I'm from the US, living in the EU, and these are very different than the NSF biosketch or others that I'm more used to. The UKRI format almost seems to be especially difficult for ERC's because they want evidence of how your work has shaped your field and society (really hard to do if things take a while to impact your field). So any advice from others who have done these would be appreciated! 2) I don't know of any good examples, but I usually just play up how cool my research is and go beyond citations for evidence of impacts (preprint downloads, other altmetrics, etc.). I also talk about my DEI and outreach work when talking about "shaping the field." 3) The only examples I know of are what immediately comes up on Google (e.g., Imperial's examples, the Glasgow seminar). I hate narrative CVs so much. Maybe ask around and see if anyone's willing to send you their examples? Sorry! 4) As a non-US citizien and also a non-UK citzen, I find it a bit curious that someone from the US would find it difficult, since my feeling is that cover letters and all the statements have to be written with superlatives there. Having said that, the best way to approach the UK style would be to imagine the CV as a long US-style cover letter, in which you actually "spell out" your achievements, interests etc, instead of simply showing a more objective document with a list. Start with a short summary of who you are professinally, then describe in 2-3 paragraphs your research, another 1-2 paragraphs for teaching, and 1 paragraph for DEI. Also add one paragraph for admnistrative and other services, as in societies or journals and voilá. I have aplied for a couple of positions in the UK and I was long listed for some and short listed (with on campus interview) for one. | |
404 | 9/23/23 2:24 | Authorship on many (hundreds) author papers? | 9/26/23 12:59 | 1) I'm thinking about the perceived value of being a contributing author on, e.g., a large review paper, horizon-scanning paper, or similar kind of manuscript, where there is a core group of main authors and then many (think many dozens up to even hundreds) individuals who contributed in a smaller way and are given an option to opt in to be included as middle author. Pros/cons to accepting vs. turning down authorship? I'm guessing that being included on such a long author list is of minimal benefit, but does anyone think it would be actively detrimental? Assume reputable journal, solid research, etc. 2) In my mind it can show you work on big collaborative science, which might suggest you have a network for future proposal collaborators and have a good grasp on the bigger scope of your first-author 'smaller' work. I can't see any cons here if the workload ends up being relatively light for you. 3) As a SC member, I think it's ideal for candidates to have a mix of first-author empirical work that they led, as well as some collaborative publications. There is no downside if you are not neglecting publications from your dissertation or postdoc research. 4) No real downside, but also very limited upside. You would want these to be in the tiny minority of papers you've written - one mege-lab in particular puts out at least a dozen of those papers every year so some PhD students end up with literally 30 pubs - of which maybe 5-6 are actually useful. Don't skew your ratio. 5) Yes, there's no downside as long as these minor contributions to massively coauthored papers don't obscure your real pubs on your CV. 6) definitely include any/all papers, but be sure to bold your name in author lists to help readers easily determine your first and middle author pubs 7) I think there's a difference between a dozen (appropriate size in a number of different scenarios), to a few dozen (ok but not really telling me anything about your contributions), and more than one hundred (this is not really scholarly work, more like evidence of networking). | |
405 | 9/21/23 23:05 | How long are your cover letters for evolution/compbio-type jobs? | 10/10/23 13:06 | 1) 1.5 pages. In that, I briefly cover research (past and future), teaching (past and future), and a tiny bit of DEI (coming from Europe, so not as much to say as most US candidates I think). OP) Mine is just 1, I figured that I cover enough info across the Research Statement, the teaching statement, the DEI statement, and my CV that the cover letter should be succinct. However, a friend's letter was a full 2 pages. 2) Mine is 2 full pages, and i also have a separate paragraph on funding in addition to what 1 said. 3) Almost always a full 2 (length depends on the institution/job I'm tailoring for). 3) At the suggestion of a few people I've kept mine short (slightly over 1 page) with only the most relevant information. 4) Depends on the job too. Some positions ask for specific things to be addressed in the cover letter, which usually adds a paragraph. 5) My best result last year came from my shortest cover letter lol. This year I'm keeping it to 1 page--always tailored--unless there is something very particular I want to express about my fit. 6) Two pages (I'm mid-career and feel like I have a lot to say to give an overview of everything). 7) One page. I get right to the point, cover who I am, what I do, how many papers and where, how much money I've gotten, and why I'm applying. Not necessarily in that order. Four paragraphs and a saluation. I've had interviews and I'm at the end of my early career (pretenure). | |
406 | 9/21/23 16:14 | Authorship and not adding papers to your CV. | 9/22/23 7:09 | 1) Is it really weird to not put papers you've authored on your CV? Backstory: I was meant to be a co-author on a paper which had some challenges getting through review. The original first author has since left academia and does not have the time to finish up. It was a fine paper, but not a great paper but now I have the choice to take on first authorship (which seems awkward in itself) or let the paper dissapear into the night. Its also not really directly related to my current research or really anything I am still excited about. So even if it were published without hiccups it looks out of place on my CV. Lets discuss! 2) If you are so ashamed of the paper that you don't want it on your CV, then don't be an author. If not, put it on your CV. Almost everyone has papers on their CV that aren't within their main research focus, and almost everyone has papers that they are like "ehhhh" about. 1)@2 certainly feeling meh, but not ashamed. I just worry that if I first author this paper, that I will not be able to defend some of the analysis the way a true first author should, hence why I am hesitant to include it. It seems like no other coauthors are at all willing to pitch in to finish this thing off, which is also annoying. Maybe this should be in venting.. 2) I suspect you are putting more thought into it than you need to. Unless it is a controversial area, you probably won't ever have to "defend" it. And when people ask about it, you should be able to explain all parts of the paper but it's ok to say that other coauthors designed data collection/analyses within their expertise. That's just collaboration. Do you have a lot of papers yet? I got really good advice from my advisor when I was stressing a bunch over my second paper, which was a little messy---over time, the body of work is the output, and each individual paper matters less (obviously exceptions for big breakthroughs, but those don't happen to like 95% of scientists). Not every paper is going to be some masterpiece ("ughh should have done x y or z but can't now"; "ugh method was messy and now have to explain that"), and you shouldn't hold back valid results just because they are uninteresting or for some other benign/nonharmful reason. Most of us on this board would benefit from more "fine" papers. Pursue finishing it so long as it doesn't sink you from more important work. x2 3) Well put @2. Where's the PI in all this? They should pitch in as well. 4) from my perspective, if it is close to publishable, do what you need to to get it there. This doesn't need to make you first author though. It's not unusal to say, take a former (now non-acacedemic) MS student whose thesis didn't get published and help push it forward. The student would stay first author unless the paper/research changes substantially. | |
407 | 9/21/23 1:31 | Do you include poster presentations in your cv if you were not the first author? | 9/22/23 10:18 | OP) For example, if you are the middle author among 20 people. I used to track those but it is getting harder these days and I am not sure it says much about me. 1) I do not. It seems like filler. 2) depends on career stage. I include if I was senior author or mentor of presenter. x2 3) I started sometimes condensing for conferences I go to regularly. Like 'x talks, x posters, split by first/co-author over x-x years'. 4) As a search committee member, I would give very little weight to a poster that you did not present yourself. If you were first author but presented it at the conference, I'd indicate that with an asterisk or something. 5) I did as a grad student, but no longer do as a postoc; agree that it seems like filler. 6) If I'm applying to teaching positions/PUIs, and I have posters where an undergrad was lead author, I include those with a footnote explaining that they were my student. But otherwise? Nah x2 7) Having been around the block a bit *cries*, I know of so many cases where coauthors were added to posters without even knowing it that middle author means nothing to me. It's just not informative. I don't even list my own first author presentations, oral or poster, just the years I presented as contributor. Invited presentations are in a different section. Agree with 6 - I have a separate section where I am middle/last author but first author is a student I mentored. 8) I include them. Big collaborative projects are what happens these days. Work you were part of was presented. In my mind, it counts. 9) only if it was a student presentation | |
408 | 9/20/23 17:29 | Does order of references matter? | 9/21/23 5:40 | Not at all - if committees even see "Ref 1" "Ref 2", it is usually just the order in which they are received (not the order the candidate listed them). 1) Maybe if the committee calls your references instead of getting letters though? Then they might start at the top of the list? I'm still not sure that it would matter who they called first though. | |
409 | 9/20/23 17:29 | Statements: aligned left or justified? And is it weird to justify only one? | 9/22/23 10:48 | I'd be consistent throughout with all formatting. 2) Maybe it's my non-US background, but why do people write left-aligned statements (or any text in general)? 3) If applying to a European job, I recommend justified. They love it over here. 4) Really 3? I can't stand justified for full page text. ha. 5) Yeah, I did a postdoc in Africa and everyone was justifying everything that they wrote all the time! I guess it must just be what you're used to. I'm not sure if it's because I'm from the US or if it's just me, but I think the justifying just looks silly! 4) I always thought there was an evidence based readability argument for left justifying. With wide blocks of text it is harder to track lines with full justification. Journals can get away with it by having two or three columns. 5) If anyone bashes your science over fonts, justificaiton, or spacing they need to go get help. I cannot imagine caring and if anyone brought it up half the committee would tell them to shut up. 6) Reading the subject of this post, I thought it was another left-aligned DEI-statement rant. Thank god it's only about paragraph formatting! 7) Yeah, for little formatting stuff like this, if any search committee member counts it against your application, they already hate you and would latch onto anything to sink your application.x2 8) yeah, I hate full page justification but no way would I let it sink an app. I might share my opinions at dept happy hour after you accept the job though :) | |
410 | 9/20/23 13:02 | Are there a lot of jobs so far this year? | 9/24/23 9:53 | At least for me it seems like it has been a pretty good year. I have more jobs on my list than in any recent years. 2) I think last year was better for evo genetics. This year seems better for ecology. Without any quantitative data to back my memory. 3) My perception is that this year also seems quite good for a number of fields. Feels like 1-2 ads per day, which is an uptick from recent years. 4) agree with 2 - so far this year does not feel good for evo genetics, but lots of cool eco jobs. only data is I had more evo genetics jobs to apply to last year at this point than this year. 5) I feel like there have been fewer jobs than last year 6) I'm starting to get a little bit worried because I'm not seeing many PUI apps yet for the part of the country that I'm interested in. But do those come out a bit later than the R1s? Maybe its still early for PUIs? 7) I've heard conflicting things on PUI job post timing, some say that they are (or are starting to be) posted earlier than R1 jobs, to avoid the type of applicant who's only applying to PUIs after their R1 applications don't pan out. But I think some still tend to advertise later. 8) I know my R1 will have jobs that aren't out yet x2. | |
411 | 9/20/23 5:14 | Current assistant profs applying for positions | 9/20/23 20:34 | Do you justify in your cover letter why you want to leave your current instituton? 1) Not a bad idea depending on the situation. I have seen this done and it can be compelling if there are serious problems (eg imminent budget catastrophe) but usually the cover letter focuses more on the draw to the institution to which you are applying. There is always the question in a committee member's mind about whether the current prof is realy interested in a new job or if they are negotiating for a raise so whatever you can do to reduce this concern is useful.2) YES, but in a politically-savvy way. i.e. not "becuase I hate all my colleagues", but "for personal reasons I wish to move to NY etc" 3) I didn't mention it last time, and I got a question about it in one of my Zoom interviews. This time, I'm being clear I love the job, but need to move for family reasons. Hopefully it works this time! 4) personally I'm dancing around it as there are complicated reasons. I mostly talk about how being at university X will allow for increased growth of my research program (my best way of summarizing the growing pains I'm facing). But I'm coming from a state people are expecting profs to start fleeing, so I feel less need to justify. OP) For me reasons are also complicated and not as "simple" as fleeing a red state or personal reasons to move to x, y, z. But I don't want to dig up dirt on my institution in the cover letter either. I'm thinkng to just not mention it and hopefully it'll be clear that I'm targeting places that are just better ranking-wise. 4) @OP.. I think if you emphasize something along the lines of expanding your research/utilizing new resources at the universities you're targetting that would be sufficient. From all the advice I've heard, you don't want to be negative about your current place. Which is why I just use a lot of language about opportunities to grow my research at universities I'm targetting, rather than directly saying I'm experiencing growing pains, etc. OP) Thanks everyone. 5) I went on the market as an Assistant Professor and received ~5 offers. In my cover letter, I openly mentioned the general reason I was leaving in a couple of sentences. Gave enough information to be transparent and, importantly, gave the new institution an opportunity to ask an informed follow-up question if they wanted to discuss further to assess fit. | |
412 | 9/19/23 11:58 | Positions offered to second or third ranked candidate? | 9/21/23 5:24 | 1) It's my first cycle applying so I'm curious: how often do searches offer a position to their second or third ranked candidate, after the first choice declines? I've seen the venting post about failed searches so I'm trying to get a sense of how the offers work. 2) Highly dependent on how quickly the first offer falls through as well as on how agreed the committee/department is about the ordering of the rest of the list. IME, it is surprisingly common for a search to fall apart if the first person doesn't accept. IMO, this is almost always due to internal dysfunction (can't agree, especially after more time passes, for whatever reason) than candidate quality, even if search committees will claim differently (have known some that claimed this). Also, I suspect many search committees simply get tired after someone--or two, or three--refuses to commit, so they just quit and wait for the following year. 3) I disagree with 2. In my dept, the meeting always starts with voting whether each candidate is acceptable or not for the position. Then we rank the ones that were found acceptable. The offer then automatically goes to the first ranked, and if that person declines it automatically goes to the second ranked, and so on. So the ranking is agreed upon before any offers are actually made, thus preventing any subsequent "internal dysfunction". If the candidate is found unacceptable though, they will not get an offer even if all acceptable candidates decline. So it is likely (and I've seen it) that search fails because the 1-2 top people declined and the rest were just found not acceptable for the position. 4) We have offered a position to as many as 3 people that turned us down for other offers. Unfortunately the university sets rules about how long searches can go on so sometimes they fail in this way, i.e. we couldn't invite more people to campus after those rejections (which also took a long time to come in). 5) Most interviews have at least one maybe two candidates who turn out to be a clear no-go. Usually this is someone they thought would fit, but they talk about a wholly different research program. Or a candidate who misbehaves in serious ways (has not practiced talk, insults students or admins, makes sexist comments, can not discuss their own research with a single person in the department). Most positions want a candidate to sign unless the department has major politics. Expect to move down to all acceptable if there is time. Also know that occasionally department chairs override the committee's choice, which is a really terrible move. 2 again) What 3 says is how it is supposed to work -- in my department the "rankings" can be swept aside as a future problem if there is large disagreement beyond the first choice, sometimes leading to a lack of a second offer. I'll also just note that it is a little crazy that searches that get 100s of applicants can fail b/c 2-3 people said no. I can't think of a better way to do it, but it blows my mind that there weren't say, 5 people in the pool who would have been great. 6) R2 faculty member here (first time poster). We often do not get our top pick & routinely make offers to our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th ranked candidates. Occasionally a candidate is interviewed & then excluded as "unacceptable." In one instance we interviewed 5 & offered to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (who all rejected the position), finally getting our 5th ranked candidate - who has turned out to be amazing, FWIW. For anyone wondering why this happens, IMO we compete for candidates with R1 universities & don't offer enough start-up $$.m 7) do you ever notify candidates that they weren't the top choice and they're on the "waitlist"? I'm waiting on the results of an interview and can't decide if "no news is good news" still :/ | |
413 | 9/19/23 8:46 | "Representative publications" | 9/25/23 7:07 | Is it ever appropriate to include something you're not first author on? I've got a couple of very relevant things I'm pleased to be a co-author on, but not sure including them would fit what's actually being asked by these requests. 1) Personally, I think either the first or senior author are ones that should be included. They want to see what research program you will build, not how you will support someone else's research programs. Others might disagree. 2) I agree with 1. Some edge cases I could see: if they ask for like 3+ samples then I think it's fine to include one where you weren't 1A but you might want to describe the substantial contributions you made, or if there is an issue of odd timing, i.e. you are almost but not quite done prepping a manuscript on a very new topic, but your advisor's paper on topic where you're author X and made serious contributions to (i.e. did most of work!) was just accepted and ok to share now. 3) I was 2nd author on a paper that won an award — the initial idea was mine and we brought in collaborators who made it much better and by the time we were submitting, I was pregnant (literally in the hospital giving birth the day after we hit submit on our second journal). Anyway, long story to say yes, sometimes it makes sense to submit things that are not your first-author pubs BUT the backstory has to make sense (eg: I am a person whith great ideas who can build a team to make it happen and I support my colleagues and nominate us for awards.) 4) I just asked this question to a previous supervisor who reiterated advice I've gotten before: For early career people, best thing to do is include your first author pubs. But...if you don't have enough first author pubs to meet the app requirement, use middle author pubs. Other considerations should be weighed too (e.g., maybe middle authorship on a fancy-name journal holds heavier weight than first author pub in a smaller, field-specific journal; maybe not). 5) I would include a co-author publication if it fits the advertised position better than other first- or senior author publications. 6) I think it can work if you have a clearly defined piece of the work that's yours. For example, maybe it's a paper that combined experiments with theory or a new analytical method, and you were in charge of theory/analysis while the first author was in charge of the experiments. | |
414 | 9/19/23 8:03 | Second degree for career change | 9/20/23 5:42 | Is it worth it to get a free second BS while working in academia in an unrelated field such as business management in preparation for a transition to government or industry? I already have 'management' experience as a supervisor and managing projects, but that's not the same as formal business management training that may be helpful in upper levels of another career trajectory. Degrees take time and effort though, so there's no point in doing it just to do it. Thoughts? 2) How do you have time for a full-time academic job + get an undergrad degree? Are you on the tenure track or a postdoc? 3) BS or BA seems unlikely to pay off and often requires and whereas you may have a number of the required courses already, it occurs to me that an MBA or other advanced degree - particularly one that can be done at night/on weekends or on an accelerated pace would be the better bet. I have toyed with this myself and have seen others get an MPH on the side. x2 4) agree with 3... a second BS is probably not worth it, but a thoughtful choice of masters could be really useful 5) I think a lot about taking free language classes (wouldn't it be fun to learn sign language? Wolof?? Irish???) But I don't do it because I know that it is a terrible idea even though I really want to. If the degree is actually useful for you, then it might make more sense! 6) @5 American Sign Language would be worth it. Really any language would be worth it. @3, what is an MPH? 3) again @7 - master of public health. Can be a good complement to physiology, disease ecology, cell bio expertise, depending on research questions 6) Thanks! | |
415 | 9/19/23 5:53 | census | 12/14/23 5:25 | Interested about the age/ gender breakdown of who is on here.... Add a count for: Under 25, M..... F..... other..... 26-30, M..x3. F.....x4 other......, 31-35, M...x4...F...X8...other.....X1, 36-40, M.......x4F..x3..... other....... 41-45, M.......F.......other........ 46-50, M........F....... other.......51+ M.......F.......other...... (feel free to add in more categories). 2) Need to specify if your ranges are right or left inclusive! 20% of people will fall into two age brackets. 3) Why would you want to know the age and gender of applicants? Leaving aside that this is not a real survey, what would even be the point of having that information? 4) Go work on your job apps and publications (and teaching if you have a class now). This board is anonymous and any data you obtain will be completely unreliable +1. 5) Demographic data on position holders is collected by NCES. I'd like to know how many/what % users of this board actually end up with a TT job. 6) OP- @2, good point! I was just interested who was on here, that's all! 6) @5: There's self-reported data on this from past years. See https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bes2.1624. | |
416 | 9/18/23 14:08 | University attributes (e.g. R1/R2/SLAC) for all job postings | 9/19/23 7:59 | For those (like me) who want to more-easily filter jobs by various university attributes (e.g. R1/R2/SLAC, size, urban-ness, etc), I built a github repo that keeps an updated mirror of the jobs sheets with that info merged in from the Carnegie report. You can find it here: https://github.com/mikeblazanin/ecoevojobsR (mods, let me know if this isn't allowed) AP) This is great, thanks! I wonder if there's anyway to automatically include this on the main site with a google script. 1 again) I haven't thought of a way, but maybe? The matching of university names is somewhat non-trivial because of differences between what ecoevojobs posters write and the Carnegie name, so that might have to just stay as an R script, but maybe there's a way to copy it back into gsheets | |
417 | 9/18/23 11:27 | Where can I find example application materials in E&E? | 9/19/23 6:39 | Ideally, I would ask colleagues but I am at an institute where people are all in a different field. Is there someplace online I can look? I feel like I don't really know what a "good" /successful research statement looks like, for example. 1) Look at the "Links" tab of ecoevojobs. There's a link to a GitHub repository that has examples of successful job materials. OP) Thank you #1!! I didn't konw about that. Very helpful. | |
418 | 9/17/23 14:50 | How do UC salaries work? | 9/19/23 7:54 | There's a "scale," there's an "off scale increment," none of these words make sense. Can someone with knowledge of the UC system explain how to figure out what salaries to expect? Also what's open for negotiation.1) My understanding is that the regular scale is the union-set salary range, but the off-scale allows certain departments to offer a higher salary range for whatever reason 2) The legislature or university system office set up a "fair" pay scale a long time ago. That pay scale didn't really update for CoL and other factors. So no school can hire at-scale in any realistic setting and now it's way outdated. When I was first on the market the official scale paid less than my postdoc did. Every university then allocates a real amount that is baseline for starting pay with no counter offers. It's liveable at every institution, but note that UCLA and Berkeley get higher pay b/c of rent being outrageous and no legit faculty housing. So the scale is fake, and the real pay follows a set of rules that is pretty uniform but not formally on file for the public. Look up the last jr prof hires at UCs. The are pretty equal across institutions. That will give you the real ballpark. Six years ago my postdoc paid $55k and starting salary was $75-80k. The official UC scale said my starting salary should be $50k. Bogus. So your increment is ~$25-30k to make up the difference. You won't have to worry about increments vs base unless you work in some central accounting office. 3) Related: what is "regular pay" vs. "other pay" on Transparent California? 2 again) Regular is often 9 mo and other pay is summer salary. Or similar scheme for bonuses or extra work. (e.g. special working group in the dean's office for DEI might pay a stipend) 3 again) thanks #2! 4) @ 3 I think it might also account for lecturers who teach different amounts each semester -- my pay has "other pay" and I didn't teach in the summer or get "special" pay. It could also be the pay increases we got, but I haven't sat down with the numbers to figure it out. 2) For practical purposes "Regular Pay" is likely to be the number in the offer letter, even if extra commitments bump you up to higher pay. | |
419 | 9/15/23 12:10 | Include mention of non first authored pubs/projects in research statement? | 9/19/23 10:18 | 1) If you made a significant contribution that fits into your broader research program, sure! Could be a good place to describe what role you played in them. 2) If they fit into the research theme, work them in. If they are a total distraction side project don't feel like you need to wedge them in. 3) I weave a few of mine in as additional references when I'm describing my contributions to the broader field, but they don't get their own sentence. Wondering if others do something like this? X2 OP) THanks all! good suggestions. | |
420 | 9/14/23 11:23 | How bad would it look to turn down a TT position after signing the contract? | 9/18/23 9:07 | I am got offered a great job in industry and am contemplating turning down the TT position after signing the contract. Would it be an automatic black listing from academic positions in the future? 2) I would only be concerned about what is best for you, just communicate with them and be gracious. 3) Do what is best for you but it is burning a bridge. Going into industry is likely also a one-way street with little chance of return to a TT position (although not unheard of). 4) my understanding is the same as @3's that leaving the TT at any point is a one-way street. The department would probably be pissed, but I wouldn't expect that to matter if you're happy with the move to industry 5) Follow up here a year from now please to let others know how it worked out if you choose industry over academia - I left academia for government and am low-key mad at myself for not leaving earlier. Much happier, lower stress, decent pay. I've never met somebody that regretted leaving academia. This community needs a better support group for recovering academics. 6) well, nobody would be happy but it's best to be direct and up front about it and not delay telling the folks you aren't coming at the last minute. 7) Way cheaper for that school than if you move, spend all the startup, and then move to industry after 1-2yrs. 8) I believe what 5 says above but wonder why they're still coming by here... As for OP, if you publish a lot and bring in money when you're in industry, to the point where you are doing more than most academic workers, then you can get an academic job later on. But there will be more/different demands on your time and release of some psychological shackles so you probably won't. 9) school will be big mad, but who cares? Trust me, once they have you there they'll never do another thing for you. They aren't your friend and you should have no false sense of duty to do anything that isn't your favorite. 10) Speaking from experience, I left my non-TT job for industry. I was in a supportive department and left in good terms. Now I have more or less the same obligations as in academia (research, publishing) but in a less stressfull environment and with much more funding. I still get offers to come back to academia, so I wouldn't say it's a one-way street unless you keep publishing and your academic collaborations going. 11) It probably would burn the bridge at that university, but probably wouldn't spread much farther. And remember, universities rescind offers at this point and seem to not even bat an eye. It's important to make sure its the right decision for you, the university will be able to move on, maybe they'll have to run the search again, but it won't destroy them, you need to focus on what is best for your career in the short term and long term. 12) Look out for #1! They certainly are looking out for themsevles. Just be polite and professional if/when you turn them down. Hiring teams sometimes are uppity and think academic hiring is somehow "special" and "different", and sure it's a weird process, but in the end it's just a job. What will be more damaging to future academic positions is any time you spend outside of basic research and publishing. | |
421 | 9/14/23 4:49 | ADVICE | 9/19/23 5:52 | Advice from a seasoned job-app reader- get multiple, experienced eyes giving you feedback on your apps... it will go a long way! And preferably not just from the old guys, they're often out of touch with what is needed in today's world. Try to ask people who were on the job market and were successful in the past 5 years (especially from those who appear savvy and aren't just people with a ton of nature papers - they can afford to have sloppy apps). 1) Can you elaborate a little more? What as a seasoned job-app reader do you want/not want to see in apps? 2) Please give more details in what you are seeing that you think is lacking/bad and good/strong. Now everyone has mentors they trust to be helpful with this stage and even random advice on this page is more than many get. 3) even "inexperienced" eyes can be a huge help! remember, readability is a huge deal since many of the folks reading your apps won't be directly in your field. asking friends/family if your materials are easy to understand can be a huge positive. 4) OP: There are so many tips and tricks (and norms!) to writing a good job app- can't write them all here, but there must be someone in your life who can give iti a read even if you have poor mentorship- seek out other mentors in your field, even if not at your institution. I think one key to success is identifying good 'unofficial' mentors, even when you've been saddled with a bad one. | |
422 | 9/13/23 5:54 | Filter view for Discussion tab? | 9/13/23 23:52 | Would it be possible to get a filter view for this tab to see the rows with the latest updates, similar to what exists for the Permanent job tab? AP) Good idea! I also added it for Venting. 2) How do you access the filter view? OP) Data > Filter Views. Thanks AP! | |
423 | 9/11/23 14:00 | Internal hires | 9/18/23 6:02 | 1) So I was asked by a professor to apply for a position that I didn't even know existed. He sent me the link to apply. He asked me if I was interested and I applied, thinking since he saw my CV and other documents, he was interested in hiring me. But then I find out that the professor created that job for his own student and hired him. I don't understand, why ask me to apply and then turn around to reject me? What was the point in doing that? He could've easily just post the ad, pretend he searched for a candidate and hire whoever. But why ask me to apply if he's not interested? 2) That is an a$$hole thing to do.x3 Opening up a job for an internal candidate is often required fbfw, but to *personally* ask others to apply is lame-o. I would take that as a sign of disrespect--he doesn't respect your time enough to not waste it for his own convenience. Sometimes it happens that a prof really does conduct an honest search, though, and it's just a small field so the person they already know well is obviously the best candidate. But that seems to not have been the case. OP) Because he contacted me personally and asked to apply, I thought he was very interested in me and didn't apply to another job that I looked at. The deadline has passed on the second job, and now I have none. I understand I should've applied regardless, but it still bothers me on why would he do such a thing. If he wasn't interested in hiring me, then why bother asking me to apply. Sorry, I'm bothered now. 3) Probably to meet HR requirements of an open / diverse search. Sorry OP, this sucks. x4 4) ooooooof I'm sorry that happened to you OP. I had a similar (but less shitty) experience last year. I now avoid oddly specific job postings and just assume that they're internal or pre-selected hires. 5) This sounds pretty crappy. But I'm trying to envision a case where it might make sense. Maybe he was genuinely under them impression the student may be leaving and wanted to be prepared to have someone else in that event? I'm not sure if it makes sense to follow up with him, but if it continues to bother you it probably wouldn't hurt. OP) Thanks everyone. I have emailed him asking for a feedback on my application, no response yet. But I'm not holding my breath to receive the response, as I think he knows he did a shitty thing and can't probably even put a decent response anyway. I will just move on and don't bother with specific applications from now on. 3) @OP what kind of position was it? faculty, postdoc, ?? 4)To give him the benefit of the doubt, he could have also been genuinely considering both of you/ multiple people. I don't think he would have asked you to apply if he really had zero intention of considering you at all. 5) I've seen this with mutliple postdoc apps and its incredibly discouraging to apply and then see the professors previous student or previous postdoc shift into the newly advertised position. | |
424 | 9/11/23 9:55 | tenure requirements for R2 schools/PUIs+Master's | 2/11/24 13:01 | Am considering applying to some state schools which are considered R2 or considered to be primarily undergraduate-serving, yet also have small master's programs. In ads for both types of schools, these schools require "potential for externally funded research program". i hear that sometimes this sets up faculty for failure because teaching requirements are also really stiff. can anyone who is faculty at one of these types of schools comment on tenure requirements, esp re: publications? (e.g. schools like UNC greensboro, cal states, fordham..) 2) My R2 expects strong research, but not necessarily as many papers as a big R1. We have a more serious admin burden, less infrastructure, a smaller (weaker) grad program, and more emphasis on teaching. The papers we do produce need to be good. You also absolutely will not get tenure with poor teaching evaluations. A 2.2/5.0 will be sent back. They do value pedagogy (course material development and teaching methods innovation) almost on the same level as research. If you want to be majority research aim for R1. If you want to be a teacher-scholar who helps open doors for others, our R2 would be a good fit. 1) here--thanks for this answer! that is really helpful and makes me feel like i could be happy at an R2. 3) Speaking to the PUI+Master's type institution, I am at such a place and we are basically expected to try. Care about your teaching, do research involving students, publish something somewhere (2 pubs for tenure) and make a legitimate effort to seek funding, and you have nothing to worry about. Can't speak to how representative that is. x2 3) The tenure requirements at my R2 include 3 publications prior to tenure (either first author or corresponding author, no restrictions on "journal prestige"), external funding acquired (no amount specifications), solid teaching evaluations, evidence of successful graduate student mentoring. 4) Re: Fordham - it is a R2 but the teaching load is 2.5 courses / year (i.e. 1.5/1 load) and they have a small PhD and Masters program. Most of the faculty there have had federal grants at one point or another, and research is more important than teaching or service for tenure (but can't be bad at anything). There is A LOT of diversity among R2s in teaching load and resources for research. It will take some digging to figure out. The worst may be places with like a 3/2 or 3/3 teaching load that are aspiring to be more research-oriented. The current profs expect you to get more grants and pubs than they ever had, but don't provide the necessary resources. x2 5) My teaching-heavy CSU is pretty reasonable - the minumum required per year is one publication + 2 items from a list that includes grants received OR submitted, presentations/seminars, or other types of published material. The criteria is posted online, so it might be available for other CSU's as well. 6) At my PUI with a small MS program, it seems like if you are making a good effort to get funding, are a good collaborative partner, create opportunities for undergrad research, and demonstrate your commitment to teaching, your are in good shape for tenure. 7) At my R2, which is actively chasing R1 status, we have a 1-1 teaching load which consists primarily of upper level or grad classes; tenure emphasis is solidly on research; 5 pubs in national or international journals since year of hire (senior/corresponding not necessary), efforts to get funding, ability to sustain research, and participation in the PhD program are bare minimum. 8) I'm at an R2 and I'm super envious of people at R2 institutions who have 1-1 or 1-2 teaching loads and more of a research focus (R2 is "research intensive"). At my R2-status university (it's been an R2 since 2018) our teaching load is 6 classes per year (labs count as 0.5 credit) and no changes have been meaningfully discussed. It's hard to maintain a research program with that much teaching. There are very few PhD programs at the university and none in my field of research. My advice is to ask lots of questions to the places you're considering applying, there is a huge range of what the teaching and tenure expectations are. | |
425 | 9/11/23 8:24 | Share teaching evals if not asked for them? | 9/20/23 20:40 | Should I include my teaching evals (maybe as "supplementary documents") if a job doesn't specifically ask for them? I have good ones and would want search committees to know about them, but also don't want to be obnoxious or overload them with things they didn't request. 1) I wouldn't just b/c committees have enough to read, but if you have great evals, you could incorporate that info into teaching/DEI/cover letter, as well as get a letter writer to write about them. 2) Quantitative on the cover letter and/or CV. "Rated 9.5/10 or better since 2006." 3) I've served on ~10 search committees. I wouldn't read extra teaching evaluations if they weren't asked for because of equity reasons. Maybe others ahve equally good material but didn't submit. I won't know. So I wouldn't let extra material affect my decision. On the other hand though, read any request for supplementary material carefully. If a search opens the door to entertaining extra support for teaching, then by all means submit. | |
426 | 9/11/23 5:58 | New boss as letter writer? | 9/11/23 14:18 | I finished my PhD in Spring 2022, so about a year ago. Then I did a one year postdoc. I have now just started a VAP job about three weeks ago. Should I use my current department head as a letter writer? Is it a red flag if I don't? I think she's awesome, but I she just doesn't know me very well yet. Also, would it be okay at this point to drop my PhD adviser and add my postdoc adviser instead? I've been using my PhD adviser and it hasn't prevented me from getting some interest the past two years, but we don't have a great relationship and I would rather use someone else if that's not going to raise alarms. 2) your VAP chair is fine, beyond the three weeks there's a reason why they hired you so they already evaluated you once and can build on that. Get some early semester feedback from students (e.g. Google form) and share it whith them so they can see how things are going and use that too. | |
427 | 9/8/23 15:40 | When being asked for teaching evaluations, what evaluations to present? | 9/10/23 17:41 | I got evaluations with mostly positive comments but some negative comments. I also got teaching evaluations with good numbers but non-informative comments. What's more useful for hiring committees? 2) If R1 just give numbers in aggregate, e.g. always 4.2/5.0 or greater. At a PUI I heard they want comments and how you responded in the next year. I don't think you have an obligation to show off the comments that are way off base: "He gave me a zero on 3 assignments otherwise I could have gotten an A." (Yeah dude, because you didn't do them.) OP) So do you need to submit all evaluations? My first time as a TA has terrible comments (although the score is decent), and during COVID I got lots of "I didn't know there was a TA" comments, which make sense especially as I didn't teach too much during those TA assignments (3) I have gotten mixed advice. One of my postdoc advisors told me to edit out negative comments, but her sister said not to. Her sister used to be college professor and served on search committees. She said that the search committee knows that everyone gets negative comments, and they will know if you edit them out. I like waht 2 said about including how you used the comments to improve your teaching. 4) I'm honestly astonished that places still use teaching evaluations for hiring decisions, considering the known biases and other issues with them as a metric. I would hope they're aware of that and have some other means of extracting useful information from them. x2 OP) I'm totally with you @4. This is the first job that asks me for teaching evaluations, and I had to relive many comments on my accent (I'm international) and possibly many of those scores showing a low mastery of the subject are because of my accent or race. The job still works for me, so hopefully they can see beyond that. 5) maybe try to get a letter writer to say something about your accent in the context of your evals? The sounds like the sort of thing that a letter could help with. | |
428 | 9/8/23 10:27 | "Other" salary/compensation? | 9/11/23 5:19 | I've heard listed salaries (like in public transparency databases) are not always full amounts. What are other sources of payment profs may receive? Someone below listed random honoraria and grant payments. I'm interested in learning more about full compensation professors have access to, especially TT vs. non-TT. Also non-standard benefits, like forgivable housing loans. 2) Help with housing costs, dependent tuition, healthcare, retirement contributions, amount of salary during sabbaticals (if you have them), do they make you pay for parking. None of those show up in the single salary number but can make a really big difference in total support and are hugely variable across institutions. 3) Small bits of extra cash can come from teaching overload (I tend to get this from mentoring many undergrads in research courses) or other random bits of compensated university service 4) If subsidized child care exists it can be worth thousands for people with small kids. You might want to know whether postdocs are eligible for subsidized housing or childcare. It can be a big recruitment tool. 5) @3, you get credit/$ for mentoring undergrads doing research credits in your lab? Can you explain more, and what type of institution (R1, SLAC, etc) are you at? (At my R1, we get no teaching credit or $ for mentoring undergrads who are doing theses/research credit in our labs - curious if this is common or not) 6) @5, it is pretty common at SLACs that have a lot of money and want students doing research to get some teaching credit for each x number of thesis/honors projects advised and to get a certain amount of money for each student (although more likely as a research budget, not extra salary). Extra salary not uncommon for research with students over the summer through internal grant programs. I think those arrangements are much less common at R1s where all the incentives are different. 3) @5 I am at a regional PUI that doesn't particularly care about undergraduates doing research. It's just that those research courses are, well, courses, and when we get enough students in them administration is forced to consider that part of our teaching load. It's by no means a ton of money, but it's nice to be recognized - even though I enjoy mentoring it's of course a lot of work. Maybe this is uncommon? Now I am curious... | |
429 | 9/7/23 17:08 | 9 vs. 12 mo. salary | 9/8/23 11:23 | Is a 9 mo. salary typically disbursed over 9 or 12 months? I.e., if a salary is listed as $80k for a 9 mo. position, does one not receive any income for the remaining 3 months of the year unless summer teaching or through grants? Or is that 80k disbursed over 12 months? 2) At my university you could choose - not sure if that's still the case or not. Better to get it ahead of time and stick it in the bank IMHO. 3) At my state school, you could choose either. 4) Some places make you take it over 12 months. I think you at usually at least have that option. 5) My state school mandates 9 mos distributed over 12 mos, which I think gets around some limit on health ins and other benefits so they hold year round. My summer salary shows up as if its a bonus. Most schools have the option for that but some are mandatory. You might consider a second bank account with automatic transfers every month if your school doesn't do that. You may also run into odd tax witholding miscalculations. I always make sure I can pay my mortgage on my 9 mo salary. It is very common to have funding gaps or partial summer salary. On the flip side as a professor it seems like money just shows up as random honoraria or grant review payments. That would have helped so much more when I was a postdoc on a tight budget. 6) I'm at a private institution, and we are paid out over 12 months. I'd rather be paid only during my contract period. Part of that is to be able to put it in the bank like (2) said. Also, it would likely dissuade administrators from asking us to do work in the summer when we're not on contract - people would more obviously say no. | |
430 | 9/5/23 15:59 | When you know someone in the dept. what questions help you to prepare your app? | 9/8/23 8:46 | Is there anything beyond whether your research program/teaching will be a good fit that you feel helps you tailor your application appropriately? 2) I've found that having a phone call with that person often reveals some details about the department that help me prepare a suitable application, but I can't think of any particular silver-bullet questions. 3) Ask for the secret handshake. | |
431 | 9/4/23 7:38 | Thoughts on not putting your current supervisor as recommender? | 9/4/23 11:55 | I am a postdoc right now, and I had two advisors during my PhD who have seen my growth as a doctoral researcher. I have a good relationship with my current supervisor, though sometimes I feel they are skeptical of my work. I have another colleague who I wrote a NSF grant with that can probably better advocate for me as a recommender. Would that burn a bridge with my current supervisor? 2) If you think the letter is negative, then find someone else. In all other cases, don't drop them-- it will look strange. If you aren't sure, try shuffling rec letters on a few of the apps to see if it changes things. A lot of jobs allow 4th or 5th lettes. Use your grant author colleague there. OP) Thanks @2! I don't think my supervisor letter would be negative, though it'd probably be the weakest of the 4 options I have. 2) In that case, use your advisor among the 3, and add your other colleague whenever there's an option for more writers. List the 4th in the rec letter writers at the end of the CV for every app. The committee will sometimes go to all 4 if you make the long list even if not in the HR system. OP) Sounds like a great plan thank you! | |
432 | 9/3/23 10:21 | Applications that don't require research or teaching statements | 9/16/23 12:49 | Some applications only require a CV and cover letter (e.g., Marist College: http://careers.marist.edu/cw/en-us/job/493480/assistant-or-associate-professor-of-environmental-science), but allow "additional supporting documents". Should I include my teaching statement, research plan, and DEI statement as additional supporting documents? 2) Very odd, and seems most likely that it's a mistake in listing the position. Unless they already know who they want. Email the search chair if you can find one. The department chair if you can't figure out who that is. If no other info, I'd attach the normal research + teaching documents for them. 3) Maybe they are using CV and cover letter as a first screen and then will ask for more documents from their short list. You can ask the search chair for clarification. 4) This is common in the UK. Sometimes they ask for short (~500word) statements about research and/or contributions to the scientific community, but its basically just a prompted cover letter. They don't ask for all the documents that US jobs want. 5) The Marist one is a reposting of a 2019 search that was cancelled bc of COVID - it intentionally doesn't request anything besides a cover letter. I think its rarely a mistake when they don't request things. My institution sometimes doesn't request research statements, for instance, since we have really low research expectations. | |
433 | 9/2/23 19:19 | list the congregation or community in which you practice your religion? | 9/7/23 9:57 | simply put Church down there? 2) It's illegal to consider religion as a factor in hiring except at private religious schools. Only list it if your religion matches the school. (e.g. BYU might get really excited if you are LDS and temple recommend) 3) thanks @ 2. 4) @OP where are you wondering about listing? In your application materials? | |
434 | 9/1/23 7:43 | Abbreviations used in the discussion | 9/13/23 23:53 | Am I the only one who is struggling reading through this section? I don't know the meaning of most abbreviations like PUI, ROA, etc. I am a recent PhD from a non english speaking country and don't know where to start getting this knowledge xD. 2) PUI=primarily undergrad institution (means may not have any or many master's or PhD students) and sometimes funding agencies have different programs for these places. SLAC=small, liberal arts college (a type of PUI). R1, R2, etc. are also different classifications for types of universities (R1=big research institutions)... someone can probably put a link to better descriptions. ROA is a grant program at National Science Foundation (NSF) for researchers at small schools to collaborate with researchers at big schools (I think it's Research Opportunity Award). DEI = diversity, equity, inclusion. HR=human resources (whatever department at the college handles applications and employment matters). COL=cost-of-living. What else? 3) SLAC I believe = Selective Liberal Arts College, not small. This differentiates them from relatively non-selective regional state schools or small non-selective private colleges. 4) @3 It was my understanding that the S could be either small or selective. @1 this might be a helpful resource: https://smallpondscience.com/2023/06/21/when-to-use-the-terms-pui-slac-msi-hsi-rpu-etc/. OP) thanks everyone! AP) Maybe someone wants to set up an "Abbreviations" tab that we could keep these handy for the future? 5) or this link and list of abbreviations could be in the top cell bulleted list? AP) @5 someone said they thought the header was too big already... 6) What is a VAP? 7) Visiting Assistant Professor. Usually a 1-2 year position, often filling in for permanent faculty that are on leave or sabbatical. | |
435 | 8/31/23 11:08 | Separate DEI statements | 9/10/23 11:38 | OP) I've noticed on this cycle more job postings that don't require separate DEI statements, but rather mention that committment to diversity, equitable teaching approaches, etc., should be discussed in other job documents (cover letter, research & teaching statements). Weaving this content into these statements feels more natural than having a standalone DEI statement, and presumably it helps cut down on the amount of materials to be reviewed. Has anyone else noticed a move away from separate DEI statements, and what are your thoughts? 1) I've definitely noticed it - of the 7 jobs I have on my "to apply" list so far, only 1 asks for a separate DEI statement. And I much prefer being able to weave it into my research/teaching statements. 2) This might be in response to some states prohibiting DEI initatives now, so departments are now forbiden from asking for a separate DEI statment. 3) @2 - hadn't considered that - dang! 1) I'm sure that's a factor, though I've seen plenty of jobs in blue states not asking for DEI statements too. 4) On others HR system just isn't set up for a separate document but they want to have it. So they bundle it with teaching. 5) I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing a move back to statements/CV that focus on "core" research/teaching, but with search committees looking for people who broaden participation and success among student and other populations within those normal job requirements. I think DEI missions are great, but it always kinda irked me that right when we start to see more diverse successful candidates, the expectations/job requirements also grew. 6) we can safely conclude #5 is a white male. i'll be honest, too: i think it is great to make people think about these issues... if committees don't require such statements, i doubt any candidate will spend one single ATP on the matter. and the best way to train a search committee member to look for these features among candidates is to make them think about it when they were candidates themselves. granted, many members did not have to do it, but i see it as a positive change for the future - a seed we plant. now, that these statements are in the end useless or, at most, bear very little in the final decision of these committees is another issue. i don't mind whether the statement is separate or merged to research/teaching statements, but i think it is pretty obvious that things were worse without them... 7) Both NIH and NSF have made DEI scorable, whatever name they give it. It would be foolish for jobs not to consider that in hiring, if the goal is to hire people who can acquire funding. 8) I'm here for the DEI debates x2 9) Pipe down @6. We don't need your actually racist comments on this board. You know nothing about @5 and it's wrong of you to make assumptions about their race and sex based on their comments. Grow up x3 10) @8 It's like when there's a car crash on the side of the road and you know you shouldn't slow down to look but you do anyways 11) @9 the only racist I see here is you. 1) Yeahh... i'd have to agree @9. Why assume people's race/sex on an annonymous post...i thought this whole eras was about checking out biases? 13) assuming that someone who is for the removal of DEI statments is white isn't racist. y'all need to get some perspetive and critical thinking skills. stop being so fragile while you're at it. -2 12) Really feel like people are missing the part in @5's statement that expectations for DEI grew as we start seeing more diverse people in academia. DEI initiatives (which is unpaid, emotionally taxing labor) often become the responsibility of POC or non-cis-men in a department, which places even more of a burden on those folks. Also, this isn't even the point of the post? It seems like most folks would prefer to weave their DEI perspective into their teaching and research statements, as this makes the most sense for the careers we're all aiming for... 13) @6, well all I can do is wish you peace and good luck in your job prospects - signed a woman of color who thinks DEI initiatives have gotten way out of hand. Only stating this to emphasize the need for nuance and decency when in the face of disagreements. Indeed @13, back to the point, I much prefer the new model of weaving in my persepctive in an organic fashion into research & teaching statements. 14) Whichever they do (together or separate) I wish they would all be the same so I didn't have to constantly merge and separate the material depending on the job. 15) @14, if you don't already do this, I suggest saving every position's materials as separate files. That way, you'll have a diverse set of versions you can pull and adapt for each new application. 14) @15, yes I do that. The annoying thing is that sometimes a position that is the best 'match' in terms of what I want to emphasize or location for field projects or whatever is then not a good match for document format. | |
436 | 8/31/23 9:27 | Cover letter | 9/7/23 7:55 | Should the cover letter be addressed to the search chair or ‘the faculty search committee’? I’ve noticed some ads specifically state to address the letter to the chair, but for others it seems more appropriate to address the letter to the search cmte since they all (presumably) review the letter? 2) To the Search Committee. If you only suck up to the search chair another faculty member will probably get jealous. (3) I just say 'Dear Search Committee,' and leave the same for all, unless they specifically say to address to a specific person. (4) Yeah I say Dear XXX Search Committee. 5) I say "Dear Dr. [Search Committee Chair] and members of the search committee". Beyond the Professoriate also gave that advice. 6) If the job ad specifically says to address to one person (maybe that was Bates? something like that), then address to that person to show you read the ad carefully. Otherwise, do "dear search committee". | |
437 | 8/31/23 7:12 | Are applications due on the review start date? | 9/1/23 9:49 | Or the day before the review start date? 2) Usually by 5pm on the listed date, but maybe don't risk it? If you find a job ad late, still submit. 3) depends on the wording, but I'd submit before the "review begins on..." date or you risk not being considered. You may still be in contention if you submit after that date, but I don't want to take that risk. 4) I would not risk if you can avoid it, but it is worth submitting late. Where I am now, the committee doesn't see anything for at least a couple of days after deadline, and in the last search I was involved in, late applications were added up to that time. 5) My intuition is that they want the broadest pool of applicants possible, so they'll include everything they get before whoever's organizing things pulls things off the system to distribute to the search committee, whether or not it's "on time." That said, at least some European systems remove the ability to apply at midnight (or other clearly stated time) on the due date. | |
438 | 8/30/23 16:59 | Applying to faculty positions as a PhD | 9/4/23 6:28 | So what's the dish on applying to non-postdoc (academic) positions from a PhD? Is it still doable to go from PhD to Assistant Prof and the like, or has the postdoc purgatory become mandatory? Does it depend on your field? Number of publications? 2) I only know one person to do that at R1s but their offer was contingent on them completing a postdoc. And that was well before the 2008 market crash. I do not think it is a realistic idea. Perhaps a lecturer position would happen, but only if you were the instructor for a class, not a TA. 3) Totally disagree with 2. Of course it is hard, but I can think of 4 or 5 people that I know personally just in the last year or two. Definitely more likely at a PUI than R1 especially if you have a fair amount of teaching experience. I do know of a few R1 offers though and in some cases people delayed the start of the TT job to so some postdoc time that they had already secured. In any case, it's at least worth applying to a few good fits if only to have your job materials ready for the next cycle. 4) Totally disagree with 3. Thus, that means it totally depends on the applicant, the school, and the field. I applied to a lot of jobs the last year of my PhD, didn't get a sniff. One year in my postdoc, I applied for the same types of jobs, had all my interviews and was offered two positions. Almost nothing changed in that one year on my CV (my pubs hadn't come out yet, were in review, and I already had several pubs by then), except I added a job line on it, "postdoc" so it really really depends, and I don't think any blanket answer will suffice. I also do not know anyone that has gone right from PhD to TT, all my friends/colleagues went to postdoc, or sate/fed jobs. Point being, it depends but certainly cannot hurt to apply, but I wouldn't have any expectations. 5.) The only people I know in EEB that have done this are teaching at very small, nonselective PUIs that you probably haven't heard of. Postdoc experience is almost mandatory at R1/R2 institutions and most say it in the ad. Selective PUIs will also likely be hiring people that were postdocs, VAPs or other titles, especially if that meant they were gaining more independent teaching experience. Of course there may be exceptions, but we're talking about trends. 3) I don't agree that our disagreement just means it 'totally depends'. Some people getting jobs straight out means that it is possible, even if you don't know anyone personally (like I said, I can think of quite a few including a couple at R1s). Getting job offers in any given year is a rare event, so individual anecdotes like not getting them in as a grad student and having better luck the next year as a postdoc doesn't mean much. You may be thinking about trends, but every individual job offer anyone receives is an exception! If we all followed the trends it would never be worth applying for any jobs. Of course your individual chances depend on the applicant and school, etc since these determine how competitive you are and how many others are applying. You can judge some of that for yourself, but if you are at all competitive as a late grad student you should definitely apply. 4) Very rare to be hired into a TT ecology job in the US or Canada straight out of a PhD, but definitely not unheard of. See links to fairly comprehensive data here, which includes data from 2021-22 and 2020-21 as well as further back: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/ecology-faculty-job-market-data/. Anyway, as others have said, if you want the job it can't hurt to apply for it. 6) Yes, I think you should try! It's good experience anyways and you can reuse your materials next time if you don't get something this year. I know people who have done it, but it was at PUIs. 7) It can hurt a little to apply if you do so at the expense of securing a postdoc position or getting projects to publication. Preparing an application package for the first time is a lot of work. 8) @7: Come on, no PhD student is going to put so much effort into applying for TT faculty positions that they fail to secure a postdoc or materially reduce their publication rate. Putting together your first application packet--something you're going to need to do at some point anyway--is work, yes. But it's work measured in hours or tens of hours, not, like, months. You're worrying about a downside risk that's so remote as to be non-existent. OP) And if I'm not necessarily interested in an R1 or tenure track (at this point in my career, anyway)? Is there a huge disadvantage in going for VAP or something? 9) If you want a PUI job a good VAP (multiple years, teaching support) can be better than most postdocs, especially if you can still publish at least a little during the VAP. Plus a full time VAP at many schools will pay quite a bit more than most postdocs. OP) @9 and is PhD -> VAP feasible or is it still a bit of a longshot without an intermediary postdoc position? 9) It's definitely possible. Probably depends more on your demonstration of teaching interest/experience than research at most places. @8) See the Venting tab for "Time invested in job documents". There is also little upside if you aren't going to be successful applying for faculty jobs straight out of PhD. It is a zero sum game in that we all have a finite amount of time (as do your letter writers). Someone trying to finish and defend a PhD has a lot on their plate and need to be strategic with their time. 10) If you you want a job and could be a strong candidate, absolutely give it a shot. I know 3 recent PhD grads (all within one semester of finishing) that got TT faculty jobs before defending – one was at a top-tier R1 and the other two at PUIs. I applied to one faculty position in the final year of my PhD and made the candidate long list. You never know what will happen and some universities *do* seem to want to invest in promising young candates. Go for it! 11) If you're more interested in a teaching-focused school, you may be better served by a VAP than a postdoc. At most of the colleges (in the US, anyway), the type of research opportunities you could provide for students are fairly limited by your time and the institution's resources, so establishing some high-flying research program via a postdoc doesn't accomplish much from the perspective of your potential employer. Again, that's not true at more research-intensive institutions, but for most of the teaching-focused colleges, you can certainly move from your PhD to a TT assistant professor position. 12) I did two VAPs, one right out of my PhD, and then got a TT job at a good (if not super fancy) SLC. The teaching experience definitely helped. | |
439 | 8/30/23 14:36 | Applying to a school with a religious mission | 8/31/23 5:41 | You see a job call and the school looks great. Right size, right research teaching balance for you, good location. Then you find out it is religious. Hmmm. Should you apply? That depends. There are folks in our ecology and evolution community who are anti-religion, many of them for very good reason. If you can’t stand religious folks and any talk of God breaks you out into hives, then don’t apply to a religious school. You will not be happy. There are other folks who may not have religion as a huge part of their lives, but would still be happy at such a school. You might choose to apply for a couple of reasons. 1. Generally good fit - Is it the type of town you are looking for in a region of the country you desire? Are the expectations for research / teaching balance appropriate for your goals? 2. Less competition - Here is the thing no one wants to tell you: religiously affiliated schools simply get fewer applicants than secular schools. While there is huge amount of luck in getting any offer (as disheartening as it is to admit that, you know its true) it is easier with less competition. 3. Educating the whole student - many religiously affiliated schools have expressed missions that could allow you to teach beyond your technical curriculum. That means you can have an assignment that asks students (who may or may not be religious, depending on the school) to reflect on their personal upbringing or how this class fits into future goals or another “subjective” part of life that many secular schools frown upon. If you want to apply, consider the following 1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK - contact people in the department not on the committee; contact people in the division. Figure out what the ethos is and if you think this will work for you. Not all religious schools are the same. Some support LGBTQ folks and evolution, others will not. Know what you are applying to before going to the effort to submit an application. 2. Don’t assume - Just because the school is religious doesn’t mean all the faculty are equally religious or even on board with this. You might be talking both to people who orient every moment of their life around a religious worldview AND other folks who are post-religious of have been grandfathered in to the college. 3. Read the room - use your information gathering to put the most positive and open spin on what you are bringing to the table. You’ll need to come up with a more productive take on things than “I simply don’t care at all about religion” or “religion is not a part of my life and never will be”. If you can’t frame things gentler than that, it is best to devote your time to a more promising application at a secular school. But if you can come across as open to a spiritual side of life or capitalize on the positive experiences you have had, even if minimal, then the search committee is much more likely to be able to push you forward past the next hurdle. 4) There are some universities with religious charters/origins that do not place any restrictions on faculty or students. They are mostly similar in operation to public universities (e.g. Emory is Methodist). There are other that require students to attend chapel, state that they only hire from certain religious groups, and/or are publicly opposed to LGBTQ faculty. I would apply to the former, but would advise everyone to stay away from the latter. There is a grey zone in between where perhaps faculty can't be publicly atheist. I'm not sure that would work well for me but it may work better for friends. Especially given trade offs with lifestyle. I currently have a colleague who is unsure whether she can tell colleagues she is bisexual without getting fired-- and she has tenure. It puts some strain on her personal life, even though the position is ideal for her situation with her (cis male) partner and kids. 5.) Agree with #4. I'm at a Jesuit R2 but the Jesuit stuff has essentially no bearing on my working conditions. We get a lot of undergrads from Catholic high schools and we have a big theology department (and some priests kicking around campus). But doesn't affect me at all. I guess there are programs I could participate in, but haven't even really looked into it. | |
440 | 8/30/23 14:35 | Including union leadership positions on CV | 8/31/23 4:27 | I’m a postdoc starting to prepare applications for faculty jobs. I’ve been involved in union organizing as a graduate student and as a postdoc. Is there a general consensus of how these positions are perceived by university SCs, or whether or not to list union leadership positions on your CV? I have considered just leaving them out, but I also feel that I’ve developed numerous transferable leadership skills via these experiences that might be beneficial to highlight 1) oof. tough one. Honestly, I'd leave it out. My university has many unions, but the admin super hates unions, and many adversarial interactions between the unions and the admins have made me paranoid. 2) Is there any other title for this role? Like grad student rep? If so list that and be careful how much you say on interviews. There will be faculty that are sympathetic, but there will almost certainly be some that will respond badly. x2 | |
441 | 8/29/23 10:23 | Small grants and research at PUIs | 9/6/23 15:03 | I'm most interested in being at teaching focused colleges and PUIs, but one things my training at R1s has not really prepared me for is how to find small grants, especially for locally-based, student-led research. I've been successful at larger federal grants and fellowships, but I'm struggling to even know how to FIND the types of things that can fund students to do a semester's worth of work, with little promise of publications resulting. Or, the publications that do result taking longer to finish. Any resources or advice for this specific type of research? 2) Both NSF and NIH have grant mechanisms for non-R1 schools see NIH R15 and NSF RUI. 3) I apologize that this isn't really helpful for the exact question you asked, but if you are weighing different job options, access to regular small amounts of internal funding can make a big difference. For the type of work I do, it was always unlikely I'd be seeking large NSF grants (and if I were awarded one, it would be difficult to execute it because I do not get relieved from teaching if I get a grant). But, my department has some endowed funds that will pay a couple summer interns and can cover a couple thousand in research expenses each year. It's not a lot for people who work with expensive reagents, travel to distant field sites, etc., but it keeps the lab running for simple projects. That said, I know I'm incredibly fortunate my institution has some good endowed funds and wish others could have this freedom as well. 4) I'm in a similar boat, and one thing I'm trying is to identify "realistic" sources of external funding - if I'm at a SLAC, for example, I probably won't be writing huge NSF grants, but smaller professional societies may offer grants, including those explicitly aimed at undergrad projects. Maybe start by perusing societies on the taxon (e.g., mammalogy or entomology) that you might be researching. Or local/regional opportunities - e.g., state agencies, etc. 5) as someone at a SLAC, I would say that getting large NSF grants is also very reasonable and should not be discounted OP) Yeah, I have 2 federally-funded grants that can support students, but they are for field work in remote locations. I'm thinking more, of trying to identify small pots of money that can be used for local projects - I did similar things as a student, for exploratory projects of $1k-$5k, but (3) is right that those were mostly from internal funding, that I don't think will be available at every institution! I guess looking for state funding and getting in contact with local NGOs to ask about $ they have or know about will probably be the most likely route. 6) for small funds in the 1-2k range, there might be departmental "slush" that can go to good ideas. Very institution and chair dependent (and of course prone to corruption) but if you build a good track record of working with students and have an idea that benefits students, it can be worth going to the chair to ask. 7) Also consider collaborating on bigger grants - carving out $10-20k per year from a big grant is pretty easy if there is something unique (sampling, sample processeing, lab analyses, quant analysis, etc.) you and your students can add to a larger project. I have seen lots of people make this work at SLACs. 8) I second 5's comment and caution against making the mistake thinking NSF/NIH grants aren't also expected/encouraged at many SLACs. Also putting in a plug for BRC-Bio program at NSF, and ROA grants there too, as well as regional foundations aimed at supporting undergraduate research (Murdock in PacNW is an example) 9) I'm at a PUI (~ 8k students, maybe about 100 in my dept, not even an R2) and I have 7 figure NSF grants that do STEM education research. At the moment I have 3 NSF grants and don't feel that I'm constrained to small grants. I'd be happy to talk to OP about this but don't want to put my email out, so not sure how to connect. 10) Not sure if this is exactly what you mean, but as a grad student I applied for literally dozens of small grants to help fund my field research. The academic societies in your field often have student research grants. Interest groups in your area (ex. bird clubs, gardening clubs, etc.) often do too, and are usually thrilled to support local student projects (especially if you / your students are willing to give a presentation to the group!) They generally require the student rather than the PI to apply, so if you're looking for funds that you can acquire and then use for hiring / supporting a student, that might not work (though it's obviously good experience for the student regardless.) But you could always reach out to some of those interest groups to see if they might consider other funding options. 11) I too am at a SLAC and currently have three NSF grants, one 7 figure grant including funding for lab managers, a postdoc, and lots of students. There is NO REASON why you can't do high level science at a SLAC, but it really depends on the teaching load and what counts as a course. For example, I didn't take an open rank job at a R1 (Flagship state university in the Northeast) becaues they had a much higher effectiive teaching load (stated as 1-2) because you did not get credit for teaching labs although you needed to run them (not a TA for grad classes), there was no credit for mentoring students, or no additional credit for large coureses with several hundred students. At my SLAC, courses with enrollments over 40 count as 1.5, and if you have a class over 80 people, it counts as 2. Given the math, even with a 3-2 load, I have less contact hours and teach less. | |
442 | 8/28/23 11:05 | What detail to put in research statement on "plans for funding support" | 8/29/23 13:58 | Currently working on an aplication that asks for this... what are they looking for? Obviously I can list what agencies I would apply to for grants, but what kind of "plan" am I supposed to have? Are they expecting a year by year outline of each grant I plan to submit? If so, I just wo'nt apply because I have no idea. 2) I think they just want to know that you have identified multiple potential funding mechanisms that you plan to submit to. I state what my first proposal will be (in like, a sentence) and quickly how my research fits into a few other mechanisms. 3) Will you submit to NIH? If so give the argument for health related funding. Or NASA, USDA, NSF? If so identify a section that is on that topic. OP) Thanks @ 2 & 3! Is it reasonable to just add a sentence to a "future reserach" project description saying where I would seek to fund that project (and why, if it's not obvious)? 3) I did that in a specific type of app, but otherwise list in the cover letter. I sometimes put a funding pitch of how my work is NIH fundable (b/c genetic diseases) as a closing paragraph. Usually just needs to be said explicitly somewhere. If you were funded in the past as a postdoc point it out. 2again) I have a very short paragraph at the very end of my research statement with something like "potential funding mechanisms" I think either works. and yeah, I have NSF (as obvious first proprosal) but also the NIH institute my work fits under and also how some aspects are applicable to Nat Geo or various Dept Defense. 4) I always put a line or two stating specific entities that I would seek funding from for each project I discuss. For me that was obvious things like NSF DEB and NOAA as well as more specific things like the NERR Science Collaborative and state-specific agencies. It is more important that you have a specific plan when you get into interviews. Make sure you know your stuff. I have had questions like "outline your NSF Career proposal" on campus interviews. | |
443 | 8/28/23 10:41 | Public R2s - emphasize research or teaching? | 8/29/23 7:12 | For R1s I emphasize research in my applications, and for SLACs I emphasize teaching. But I'm not sure what way to go for R2s. I am passionate and (IMO) good at both. 2) Good question. I'm curious about this too. My sense is it's a bit in between the other two. 3) It depends...many say they value teaching but will make hiring, tenure and promotion decisions based mostly on research output and grants. It's difficult to know without more information on each institution. If they ask for both research and teaching statements then I would treat it more like an R1 than a SLAC without additional evidence to do otherwise. x2 3) My gut instinct is that most R2s want to be like R1s and push for more research. Even if the dept really values teaching, admin probably weights T&P decisions more heavily on research productivity x2 4) I interviewed at both R1 and R2s. Emphasis on research didn't seem too different between the two, and I used the same basic stucture of my statements for both types of places. During my interviews, I did notice R2s asked a bit more about training Masters level graduates students, but that felt like the only difference. 5) I am at an R2 that definitely emphasizes teachiing. Recent searches have tended to interview people with at least some teaching experience -- but I think the emphasis on teaching was more evident in the interviews (teaching demos were very important) than the written materials. 6) I'm at a research focused R2. The teaching statement will be read in detail, and they want to see that you've thought through courses. You will not see the research professors who never teach a class at our department. If teaching evaluations are very poor (like 2/5) they will not tenure the faculty member. But otherwise we work like an R1. There is some room at our school to get tenure/promotion based on limited research but strong effort toward pedagogy or with educational grants. That is different from most R1 schools who almost never make the tenure decision on pedagogy. 5) SLACs are hiring/tenuring you for your research too, but they want to know you are enthusiastic about doing it in the context of an undergrad institution and that you take teaching seriously. | |
444 | 8/28/23 10:29 | Housing subsidies from PUIs? | 8/29/23 17:09 | Has anyone gotten any housing help from private, well-endowed PUIs located in expensive areas? If so, what form might that take, and how hard did you have to negotiate for it? What with postdoc salaries, childcare expenses, student loans, and now interest rates, it seems nigh impossible that a fresh AP could afford accomodations in some of these high COL areas. I'm feeling discouraged from even applying 2) I negotiated faculty housing when I got an offer from a SLAC (guaranteed spot in a college-owned house, reasonable rent). 3) Some of them have subsidized faculty housing that is often available to new faculty. Barnard and Wesleyan are two I can think of off the top of my head, maybe Bard also. 4) Lots of small PUIs with big endowments in high COL living areas (and even in other areas) have some kind of program. Some own houses you can rent for a few years way below market or have faculty apartments. Many have loan programs to get a mortgage at below market interest rates. Some even have programs to help pay a down payment that may be fully or partially forgiven if you stay at the school a certain number of years. It is highly variable though and as soon as you drop down below the 'very well funded' tier you are probably unlikely to find anything. | |
445 | 8/26/23 18:31 | Discussing neurodivergence | 9/4/23 3:24 | I was recently diagnosed ADHD and first of all, wow has it opened up a new world of understanding for me after struggling for years! With neurodivergence increasingly being acknowledged as part of DEI and modern teaching practices, and the push for more DEI considerations during hiring, I wonder if I should disclose any of this in a DEI statement and/or during interview. Or if this has similar perceived risks to hiring as say disclosing your family/marital status. I have also mentored a number of neurodivergent students where we have worked together to develop research goals suitable to them. I think I am just not sure what attitudes SCs (and universities in general, let's be honest) have about mental health and neurodivergence these days. 2) I'm dyslexic and didn't find out until I was in my 40s. How in the heck I didn't realize it? 3) Some SC members will be very supportive. Others will trash you for disclosing it. It's super unfortunate. If you are on an interview and feel safe mentioning it to one committee member that you trust, that is the farthest I'd go. Even then, be careful Well meaning people can share info with unsupportive people. Phrase your DEI/teaching statement very generally without self identifying --- e.g. These practices are especially helpful for people with alternative learning styles or for students with ADHD. 4) In general I think it's OK to disclose any aspect of "diversity" that you personally embody, but make it quick. It's really hard to make a DEI statement that's all about you come across well to readers.The bit about helping neurodivergent students is much more salient. 5) Agree with #4 to focus more on how you will teach diverse students. Personally I hope that DEI statements do not become a place where candidates feel compelled to disclose anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, addiction or other psychiatric disorders to support their applications (speaking as someone who deals with a few of these). 6) ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disability, not a psychatric disorder, so I feel it falls into a different category, along with dyslexia, dyscalculia etc which may be more relevant to DEI statements in terms of teaching styles/student support x2 7) I feel I need to clarify/correct @6. A psychiatric disorder is often considered a disability. https://www.ada.gov/topics/intro-to-ada/ I mean, losing a limb or having cancer are not developmental, but are certainly disablities that would be relevant to inclusion and accessibility. Any condition that falls under the broad "impacts major life activities" criterion of the ADA will be at least considered for accommodation by any public disability services office. This is very important to understand for working effectively and inclusively with students with disabilities. Yes, different types of disabilities require different types of support, but I don't see how one type falls under DEI while others don't. 6) Totally! I wasn't arguing that those aren't disabilities - more that ADHD is specifically a *learning* disability, in the context of modern teaching practices being discussed +1 7) I am a South American woman and I usually state that in my DEI to provide readers of my application material where my points of view come from - but I do not leave it like that, I usually elaborate further with 2-3 sentences where appropriate how this helps or improves my teaching and mentoring. I haven't heard anything bad about this startegy. If you are officially diagnosed, I think it is fair game to mention - but then again, only if it adds positively to your skills. If you're not sure, or if you're not yet down the road long enough to overcome these challanges and turn it at your advantage, then I'd refrain from disclosing it for now. 8) I agree with #4 that if your DEI statement will be all about you it's weird; I think it's ok to disclose aspects of your identity, but you want to make sure that you translate those aspects to how you will make things more inclusive in your research program and your teaching 9) Many people have touched on this, but I'll just repeat- In my understanding, your DEI statement should be much more about how you will teach and support diverse students in the classroom and lab than it is about your personal experience with your identities. The points should all be about what you can do to make a difference in the department, in the field, or in the local community. If your personal identity might help you accomplish those goals in some way then it might be worth mentioning. And then of course you get into the challenges related to bias, which are too bad and I guess the reason we need to hire people who can support DEI. I'm gay and gender queer, but I don't say so in my statement. In one interview, I mentioned a project that I had worked on where everyone in the group was lgbt, and I believe that that actually did help me get a second interview. At my on-campus interview people were explicitly interested in my lgbt identity and mentioned it a few times (how I would be a good mentor for lgbt students, they talked about the bathroom situation a lot when I didn't bring it up). I'm not sure- it was a bit of an odd experience and I'm not sure whether I would repeat it. Didn't get the job. I guess everyone probably knows I'm gay when they see me at an in-person interview but I think I prefer it to stay in the background. 10) @9 I have been on many search committees. When I evaluate people, its on their background. I don't care what gender you are, what history you havve. At the very last stage, if there is a difference like this and all else is practically equal, and it adds some diversity element, I'll rank you higher. I DO think most people are laike this, but it only takes one to railroad you. NEVER bring it up unless its clearly worth bringing up. 9) I mean, they asked me a question in my interview that surprised me and I went for the best answer I could think of on the spot and that answer happened to reveal the fact that I'm gay. It wasn't my intention to bring it up, but talking about that particular project made it clear. I didn't say you care about my gender or who my partner is, but these people did seem to. They listed advantages out loud while I was present. It wasn't necessarily good or bad, just a bit odd. Bias in the other direction still happens too, I think, although it's never been said aloud to me. I meant my recommendation to be the same as yours: Focus on your actions and what you can do to support students, the department, etc rather than your identities. (Because search committees should be more interested in your actions, and also it can get a little weird and possibly there could be bias when they start thinking about your identities). 11) Definitely mention it in your application if you want to get accomodations in the hiring process (e.g. interview Q's in advance), but unless you've built an actionable research/teaching program around neurodiversity I would leave it out of your statements. | |
446 | 8/24/23 18:27 | General timeline for non academic positions? | 8/25/23 21:52 | Does anyone know what the general timeline waiting for non academic positions is (like NGOs)? I expected them to work like corporations, but they seem to be a bit slower than that. (2) IME it'll be different for each institution/company, and different depending on how you applied; e.g., through friend, met a rep in person, applied online. This does not apply to gov jobs which have formalized processes. 3) welp, somebody on Glassdoor mentioned their hiring process took 4 months, so guess I'll just have to wait | |
447 | 8/24/23 6:36 | Viewing spreadsheet issue | 8/26/23 14:31 | I'm having trouble viewing some of the sheets here. For this one I can only see the first 44 rows and then it ends. Is anyone else having this issue or knows the solution? 2) That is just because there are only 44 rows in this tab. 3) If you need more than 44 rows over on the venting tab we may be in trouble. | |
448 | 8/23/23 7:34 | When will most jobs be posted for fall deadlines? | 8/23/23 9:55 | Will many jobs continue to be posted through the fall, or should I assume what's there by now is most of the jobs? It seems like there are not many jobs posted with later deadlines like Oct-Dec, so I wonder if many more will come? 2) yes many more will come throughout the fall.. check out past years sheets 3) Espcially R1 jobs are usually not posted until sept/oct. 4) I've heard that some PUIs have started putting out their ads before the R1s do, so as to avoid people who're just applying for them because they didn't get an R1 offer. 4) I think this is just the beginning. There will be new postings even through January/February. R1s probably mostly in the fall though I guess, like 3 said. | |
449 | 8/22/23 18:17 | References in job app materials? | 9/13/23 7:29 | Is there a norm around how many references to include in your job app materials (particularly the research statement)? I'm curious - do folks use them sparingly, only for citing their own work, or as you would a typical research proposal? (2) I only use them for citing my own work--vast majority of citations--or for citing a seminal piece of work--one or two--that my work aligns with. x2 3) I have some people who tell me no refs at all (waste space), others tell me to do a full lit reivew, and others tell me just to cite every paper I have. I think for a lot of these one committee may love what another committee hates. 4) A friend of mine's (successful) research statement had superscript-style in-text citations that referred to the numbering of her publications on her CV. Seems like that approach saves space, and it worked for her. (2 again) I don't actually have a reference list at the end, just in-line refs with shortened journal names next to my own. 5) I am also curious about this. In previous years I've only cited my own papers, but there have been a couple of recent reviews/perspective pieces that aren't mine, but I think make the case that my proposed research is very timely. So in this case it's not some seminal paper that people in the field will recognize just by (Famous Name, 1982), but I also want to be very clear at a glance about what contributions are mine and what aren't. I'm thinking about having the reference list at the end and highlighting entries (and in-text numerical citations) that are mine in a different color. Am I overthinking this? 6) @5 That is what I do (cite mine + others, but highlight mine), as I feel some of the papers I cite help show why my ideas are important...andit just seems wrong to make statements that should be supported with citations and not cite them...but I have also wondered if this is incorrect/a bad idea! | |
450 | 8/21/23 12:27 | Non-quantitative teaching evals | 8/21/23 18:25 | My current institution uses non-quantitative student evals (and, honestly, the questions are very poorly written to actually be useful). I'm struggling with how to summarize them for teaching portfolios/evidence of teaching requests in job apps. Any suggestions? 2) Do you have to summarise them or just include them as additional materials? 3) I went through and categorized them by the content of each comment (e.g. likes field trips, likes active learning, wishes I answered emails faster). Then I counted how many comments fit into each category and when I wrote my teaching statement, I said something like, 'many students in the class appreciated the opportunities for hands on learning. For example, one student said- quote student.' | |
451 | 8/21/23 9:10 | For USA faculty interview does the university have to provide a letter? | 8/23/23 10:16 | I'm not sure that I understand the question. Does which university have to provide a letter? Saying what? 2) Probably for entry from a VISA country. 3) I have absolutely no idea if they have to, but I'm sure it can't hurt. If you feel comfortable in doing so, I would ask for one (with letterhead) and also ask the chair to explicit state that you are not yet being paid/employed by the university. 4) On the one hand, as an international applicant coming for an interview, you SHOULD have a letter of invite from the university UNLESS you plan on lying about why you're applying for entry (e.g. saying you're there for a meeting). On the other hand, any CBP agent CAN refuse you entry even if you have a letter if you say you're coming with plans to work/interview. Make any sense? No, but that's the cost of freedumb in 'Murica. 5) that's technically true about CBP agents, but it's very rare if all your docs are in order (though not unheard of). Don't scare the international applicants more than necessary! | |
452 | 8/21/23 9:08 | What kind of visa one need to travel to the US for faculty position interview? | 8/24/23 11:03 | I think it's B1/B2. The inviting school should have some insight. Depending on your country, you may qualify for the visa waiver. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html 2) Yes B1/B2. The university should help you with that. If they dont--red flag! 3) For nationals of countries that can get an ESTA, is a visa still required? 4) There is a lot of information on the cbp esta website about ESTA, VWP, B1/B2, especially in the FAQ. See "Do I need to apply for ESTA if I am a citizen of a VWP country and..?" Also, the inviting school should be able to advise. | |
453 | 8/18/23 10:40 | Previously failed searches | 8/21/23 12:24 | Is it at all helpful in applying to a job to know if the search had failed previously? Or is it just curiosity? For me it's just curiosity, but I didn't know if anybody else was reading more into failed searches. 1) Probably not - seems like there are so many random factors that result in a search failing. It just stings a little bit, like, "We'd rather have no one than you" when the search for a job you applied for failed. 2) I interviewed for a position that had been a failed search. I asked someone on the search committee about it. I felt better knowing why. 3) Some failed searches mean they targeted senior folks and didn't get them. That might mean something but you should still apply and see what shakes out. 4) Yeah there's a million reasons for a failed search - in my experience it's pretty rare that it's "our top choices said no and the rest of the applicants are terrible" - I've had them happen b/c top choices said no and it was so late in the cycle that just needed to hire 1yr person to cover the classes (rather than interview in July to start in august). Also had them happen b/c admin pulled the budget, because the search committee couldn't agree on the field to hire, because the dean wanted a different candidate from what the search committee picked. Not sure there is a "usual" reason. 5) Yeah I'd guess most failed searches reflect more on the disorganization of the hiring team/department than on candidate quality - based on failed searches I've known about. x2 6) to my knowledge failed searches are usually due to administrative bs and have nothing to do with the hiring department, but are more related to the university itself 7) Recent failed searches where I have direct knowledge of what happened failed due to everyone that was offered the job (usually 3 people) turning it down and there not being enough time to interview more candidates (due to internal hiring rules), and in one case the administration canceling the search because the applicant pool was too small and insufficiently diverse. 7) @ 6, hah, I know about a very similar story, I wonder if we're thinking about the same place. | |
454 | 8/18/23 10:25 | LOR when applying as an assistant professor | 8/28/23 10:36 | Is it best to include LOR from mostly former advisors? I hava masters, PhD, and postdoc advisor that I can ask to write LOR for me but was wondering if I should ask a colleague instead of my masters advisor. I feel like that would provide a more recent perspective of who I am as a researcher. Thoughts? 1) PhD and postdoc advisors are almost expected, although you can get away with not having one of those if you have another prof you've worked with closely. Regarding "colleague", depends on who they are. A TT prof you worked closely with, sure. A postdoc is (probably) bad, a super early career prof that was a grad student or postdoc with you is probably not the best option, either. 2) Yeah, I've wanted to have one letter from someone in my current department, to allay fears that I'm applying because I am unlikely to get tenure. If possible, a more senior member of the department is ideal, but I realize not everyone has someone they trust to keep it quiet (if that is the goal). 3) In addition to my phd and postdoc advisors, I use a member of my PhD committee who I still collborate with. My masters was so long ago now, it feels less relevant than current collaborations. | |
455 | 8/17/23 18:26 | Livability under climate change | 8/28/23 6:38 | I'm kind of freaking out about it a little and wondering if I'm overreacting. For example, I serioulsy think the Gulf Coast will become literally unlivable within 2-3 decades due to the humid heat. And maybe parts of California due to fire. So I would be pretty reluctant to take a job that might mean settling in one of these places for life 2) I'm with you! I'm in a fairly boring midwestern state, which is not prone to many natural disasters and it takes some anxiety off of me for sure. In fact, we use it as a selling point when interviewing candidates. 4) gulf states are already unlivable due to right to work, bible bashers, and Republicans. x3 5) Europe is looking pretty good these days in comparison. If only they would believe me when I say I'll move there. 6) @5 Europe is great in alot of ways, but as someone focusing their job search there for personal reasons, I can tell you it SUCKS. The job market (academic and industry) is far more competitive than America imo. I'm also someone who really takes the DEI aspect of their work very seriously and they really could care less in most places. All they want is "research excellence" and "vision" x2 7) could *not* care less. And yes, I am in a part of the country that will be relatively better off as temps increase, and it is part of the reason I am being very picky with academic jobs and also looking into local industry. I am not young, but I'm hoping to have at least another 40+ years, and it is goign to get HOT. 8) Language evolves over time and there is no single correct way to speak/write English. 9) omg @8 making the correction in this particular forum was super pedantic and unnecessary but yeah, it is better to be literal rather than idiomatic when the idiom directly contradicts the intended meaning. it's not an example of language evolution. Plenty of faculty search committees will hold someone to a higher standard, as they should. 8) Well I don't know if I want to argue this point because I'm not a linguist, but on this ecology board I'm guessing that you're not either? I think it probably is language evolving, right? People probably started out by saying, 'I could not care less,' and then started dropping the not as the expression became more common and started to mean something on its own. No? Yes, definitely don't use idiomatic language in a job application, but I don't think enforcing standard english here is going to help people learn how to better write their job applications. 10) Back on topic, where do you think WILL be livable? Yellowknife in northern Canada is on fire currently. Half of Vermont and well above sea level parts of upstate New York flooded severely this summer. I used to think New Zealand, but they've had severe flooding in the last year. And plenty of Europe was over 40C (or close) this summer and most has no air conditioning. 11) Temperate islands - NZ, UK, Ireland, Iceland are the safest imo. High altitude tropical/equatorial regions may also be good bets. Temperate continents are going to be hit hardest I think. Everywhere will feel some impact though. 12) 2-3 decades?? Thats optimistic! 13) Pacific NW? Highland New England or Appalachia? 14) I live in PNW, it's been smoky the past few summers from forest fires :( 15) Vermont flooding 16) England's not the mythical land of Madam George and roses... 16) The New York Times had an article with recommendations about this this morning. They said Northeast, and Midwest with a specific mention of Minnesota. | |
456 | 8/16/23 7:32 | Industry jobs? | 10/17/23 12:49 | Has anyone looked into industry jobs? I didn't get any offers in the last two years and kinda giving up on my teaching career. I will apply this year again and see if I can get anything, however, has anyone looked at industry jobs with PhD in Eco evo? I don't even know where to look or what to do at this point. Slowly sinking in my debt and getting depressed with each rejection letter. 2) I started applying for data science jobs after the last cycle. Had a couple interviews and ultimately decided to try for another round of academic jobs...I totally feel you, though, this job market is so damn disheartening. 3) I have not, pesonally, but I did attend a webinar last year that I found really interesting. This guy had made a career coaching PhDs for industry positions. Definitely worth checking out: https://cheekyscientist.com/ 4) make a LinkedIn and fill it out as much as possible. Recruiters will come to you. I've turned down a couple industry jobs to continue my futile search for an academic job. 5) I leverage all my PhD EcoEvo skills in my industry job. I do more direct and applied work that I find more rewarding than my academic work. Plus I have clear hours, a ton more money, great benefits, plenty of growth, and can move to different jobs if I get bored. It's well worth exploring the industry path even if you don't take it. (OP) @5, what is your title? Where did you begin your search? 6) Companies like EnvironScience hire ecologists. Indeed.com often has industry positons, though in my area they're mainly applied microbiology. 7) @OP #5 here. I'm a principle data scientist, but I've held most data scientist titles and have managed. I did a free bootcamp (Insight) a while back which was helpful in teaching the things academics don't have but need while also showing you how your skills apply to industry, build a resume, etc. You can learn the same things on your own though. The job market is tougher right now depending on what you're looking for, but still nothing like the academic job market. 8) Yeah, I hear the non-academic job market is also full of fake ads and internal candidates. 9) I wouldn't say that. It's a thing but the whole fake job ad thing I've never personally seen. There's still lots of demand and growth. Big tech has cut back after the covid booms, and you're seeing some startups not pan out so layoffs there, but there's still lots of open positions. Even the big tech companies are hiring, but they shifted priorities. And lots of struggles you're seeing people have getting jobs are coming from those big FAANG salaries and think they'll find that again. My position at Google would probably pay $400+k in total comp. Those days are probably gone and you'll see data salaries normalize back to the $100-200k range. But it's hard to cut back to that if you were living in the bay off $300-400k/year. Point being, there's still lots of work, and still tons of growth in all things data. 10)) Climate base is a tool I have started to use to inquire (https://climatebase.org/jobs?l=&q=&p=0&remote=false) 11) $100-200k!? SHIT! Here I am making $40k in my (non-data science) industry job. Just going to go weep in the corner now. 12) Not industry but am moving on to an agency job after 3.5 years postdoc - another avenue to consider! 11) Anyone have additional perspectives about the industry root as a behavioral ecologist? Sometimes I feel like my skillset in behavioral experimentation is underappreciated or hard to extrapolate. Obviously statistical skills, large datasets, etc. makes sense, but how do we make ourselves marketable? Hi, I watched fish swim around for 5 years and got a degree, you should hire me! (being cheeky ;)) | |
457 | 8/15/23 22:59 | Master's advice | 8/17/23 20:37 | OP) I am starting a Master's program this month and wanted to ask any advice you all had to give. It does include a thesis. I'm not looking to go into academia, so I do not plan on pursuing a Ph.D 1) Do you know what sort of career you're looking for after your Master's, or whether you plan to go on to seek a Ph.D.? 2) If you want to continue after your masters -- One piece of advice I got was "do a phd if you want to devote 5+ years of your life to doing research". This is ultimately why I entered a phd program, and it's why I don't regret it even though I doubt I'll successfully get a tenure-track job that I actually might want. I may not even get to do research for much longer, but I'm glad I spent part of my life being a scientist. To me, the question for higher education in the sciences is whether that's worth it to you (b/c many jobs phds get don't actually require the phd; most leave academia). 3) Yeah, don't get a phd if your career path doesn't require it. And, if your career path is academia, pick another because it's a saturated area at the moment. 4) People here are a little bit jaded and grumpy. Here is one advice for a masters maybe: Pay attention to how you are treated in your lab, and if your adviser shouts at you, calls you stupid, or is otherwise very unkind, consider changing labs. If you can't change labs or you really don't want to, focus on finding other mentors who are not your advisers, maybe other people on your committee and also peers who can be good supportive colleagues. Actually, that's good advice even if you do have a good adviser. Try to build a network of mentors and peers to collaborate with. Advice Number Two: If you focus on learning to be good at the things you like and taking on projects in areas that interest you, then when you go to get a job, you will be more qualified in the things that are fun for you. I took on a couple of papers that I didn't enjoy writing in grad school because I thought that they would be good for my cv, and they make people interested in hiring me, but in the area of the paper, not in the areas that I actually enjoy. And projects that I've taken on that I enjoy, similarly seem to have opened more opportunities in areas that I enjoy later. There's a balance- sometimes its good to do things for your cv, but I think its worth thinking about building a cv that has things on it that are fun for you. | |
458 | 8/15/23 10:33 | Mention personal reasons you'd like to move to that place? | 9/12/23 10:46 | E.g., "I've always fantasized about living in a small college town in New England". Or better leave to the interview stage? 1) I would say leave to the interview stage, but maybe that's just because I can't imagine where it would easily fit in your application packet. Maybe there's a spot in terms of how it fits in your dei vision or teaching statement about working at that kind of institution?.... but yeah I sorta think interview 2) I would put this in the cover letter - after going over all the reasons you're a good fit for the position, you can close by detailing that the location would be ideal for you for personal reasons (you can share what those reasons are, or not depending on the situation), making the position the perfect fit both professionally and personally (i.e. it's not the only reason you want the job, but it's a good indicator you might come and thrive) 3) having just applied to several small colleges, I think its to your advantage to make it very clear you want to be there and intend on sticking around. 4) Depends on the university. No one will care that "all my life I've dreamed of living in Princeton New Jersey" but if it's a less-prestigious school in a less-desireable location that you have a personal connection to, it definitely won't hurt to spell out your personal reasons for applying. FWIW, most poeple fantasize about living in small college town in New England so that probably won't fly. 5) Agree with 4, my dream place is a very popular type/location and I used to say stuff like "because of all the connections and personal history" which went nowhere. Changed to "your institution is desireable because of its excellence in blahblah" and got interviews from the same type of place/location. 6) I've worked at a small college in a small town and now am at a big uni in a big city. If you're applying to a well-loved place that everyone to goes to on vacation, I would leave it out unless you have some very specific reason for going. But for a lot of places off the beaten path (south, southwest) it is really helpful to know that a candidate might actually come. 7) Climate base is a tool I have started to use to inquire (https://climatebase.org/jobs?l=&q=&p=0&remote=false) 8) don't put it in the application materials themselves because they likely will have little to no impact on moving on to the interview stages, and could if anything come off as too personal or something. However, during the interview stages it is a good idea to give the strong impression that you WILL indeed want to live in [place]. I say this because many schools currently give offers to competitive candidates who end up taking a job elsewhere, then the department gets hosed because they have a failed search. If those giving the offer have a really good sense you want to actually live in [place] they may feel more comfrotable or enthusiastic to choose you for an offer 8) I'd say yes, personal reasons could help. One thing I've noticed is that some seach committee folks place an inordinate amount of value in being able to understand why a person wants the job. (I personally find this dumb becuase who cares - people need jobs. they applied to this one so they want it at least a little. What else do we need to know?) But some fellow search committee members didn't even want to more some candidates forward becuase they didn't understand the applicants motivation to apply for the job. So anything you can to make it seem like your whole life has been leading to THIS job could be beneficial (9) I think it's important to include if you're leaving a position and it helps explain your application is genuine (e.g. if you're full professor and you are applying to a job near your family, it can let them know you're really interested in moving, not just looking for a negotiation tool). | |
459 | 8/15/23 10:17 | Coaching letter writers? | 8/18/23 9:14 | OP) I know all letter writers are different, but how do people feel about coaching letter writers to write about specific things? Do you strategize so all 3-5 emphasize different topics, or do you let them run free and see what they come up with? (1) there are cases where I will ask a letter writer to emphasize something specific (2) There's certainly nothing wrong with asking them to emphasize certain things (they can always choose not to). I don't get into too much detail, but they may not be familiar with the specifics of every position, so I'll tell them something like "This is a teaching-focused institution, so if you could speak to my teaching experience and interest, that would be helpful". Hearing from a letter-writer that a candidate wants to be at a teaching-focused institution can be very helpful (3) in my experience, little emphasis is placed the letters of reference. Basically, they are read to look for any red flags. Maybe a big-shot says "this is the best post-doc I've every had," then it might come up in discussion at the faculty meeting, but otherwise letters are largely disregarded | |
460 | 8/14/23 13:52 | Applying to two positions at the same university | 8/17/23 19:32 | OP) Is there any reason not to apply for two jobs at the same university, but in different departments? For example, if my research fits reasonably equally into both departments? Would this be a red flag to search committees, or is it normal? Thanks in advance for any thoughts! 2) A friend of mine applied for tenure-track jobs in a Biology and a Natural Resources department at the same university; she ended up getting offers from both and took her favorite. Not sure what advice I have here, but it *is* interesting to see that many departments are insular and don't talk amongst themselves. I'm not sure it's a bad thing to apply to multiple departments (the job market is the job market, right? Apply if the job fits), but it does seem tricky to navigate. 3) I once applied to a Biology Instructor job at a community college, and soon after sending in my application got an email saying "Our Dean noticed your qualifications also fit this open position in our Agriculture Department, would you like to be considered for that position as well?". I said yes. Never heard back about either one though. Very strange and vexing experience.4) last year I applied to two positions at a big R1 in different departments. I felt I was a perfect fit for one and not a good fit for the other. I got a campus interview for the one I felt I was a worse fit for, whereas I never heard from the one I felt I was a great fit for. Coincidentally, I was sitting next to someone on the hiring committee for the one I felt I was a great fit for....and they seemed very interested in me while we were talking...and then multiple people at the one I interviewed for mentioned how the university had an open position in the other department I would have been a great fit for...the whole thing was very interesting. I did not mention to anyone while I interviewed about the one I got ghosted on that everyone thought I should have applied to. I guess I'd say based on my experience to apply to multiple ones, esp. at a big school with different colleges 4)I would be very surprised if different departments communicated at all about searches. As #2 says, it may be awkward if you're a top candidate in two different departments at the same time, but that sounds like one of those good problems. I had zoom interviews for two different positions with the same department about a week apart last year, with completely different committees. The 2nd didn't act as if they had any information from the 1st, though I didn't progress in either search. | |
461 | 8/14/23 11:25 | Do awards matter for the job market? | 8/15/23 8:42 | 1) Depends - can help establish your credentials in a particular field. Depends what type of award I guess. If you are a bat ecologist and have a "best poster at bat ecology conference 2021" award, it probably isn't moving the needle much (compared to publications, grants). It can help if it supports something you are trying to argue in your cover letter - like if you are coming from a PhD/postdoc with limited teaching experience and applying for a job that has an emphasis on teaching, it could be really helpful if you had gotten some sort of university-level teaching award (would help show you DO actually care about teaching). Something to note is that it could be a good idea to have your letter-writers point out the award - it gives more weight to their subjective opinions if they can back up something they say with "as evidenced by their award in XX". Just listing an award on the CV probably isn't going to have the same effect, and it can be awkward trying to work it into your cover letter, so the letters of rec are ideal for that. Never hurts to include on the CV though. 2) Yeah, I'd say list awards on the CV and have letter-writers point out any special signifiance of them. A lot of awards have university-specific names, so an SC might not know the difference between a department-level graduate TA award and a university-wide teaching commendation. 3) I suspect having a teaching award from my TA appointment at an R1 gave me some credibility at the SLAC I applied to and where I got a job. | |
462 | 8/13/23 0:43 | Should we include "contributed talks" and "conference posters" on our CVs? | 9/6/23 11:26 | OP) It seems like CV padding and a little silly to add this info to job searches since most (sorry for assuming) TT applicants likely have invited talks. For example I have talks going back to when I was an undergraduate that are no longer relevant. I think my publication record is a better reflection of what I've been up to. What do you all think? 2) Yes, definitely include them. One poster doesn't matter, but they expect to see evidence of your presence in the field. For postdocs where the CV only has so many papers these help establish the scope of unpublished work and relevance to the community. I would be worried if a faculty candidate didn't have any conference presentations. The public facing lab presence is an important aspect of our jobs. DO NOT put them in the same section as papers unless there are published proceedings. People will think you are trying to CV pad then. (OP) I don't think anyone would put their contributed conference talks and posters in with the peer reviewed papers. Thanks for your opinion! 3) Of course you should include them. They are an important part of your career portfolio at any stage. 4) I just include the conferences I've presented at and years (so it's a single line per conference), but I've seen other folks include titles too. I don't have strong thoughts on that, not sure if others do. 5) definitely include conference talks and their titles on your CV. As others have said it gives readers the chance to assess your presence in the field and scope of unpublished work 6) late to this but also wanted to hihglight that it helps people get a sense of what communities you are part of by what conferences you have a long history at! | |
463 | 8/8/23 16:54 | SLAC teaching demos | 8/19/23 14:53 | OP) Does anyone have insight into teaching demos at SLACs, in particular, whether they tend to let you pick a topic (within the realm of the courses you’d be teaching) or assign you a topic? 2) It depends, I've been asked to take over a class (so I teach a pre-selected topic on the syllabus) and I've been asked to teach whatever, both are equally common in my limited (~ 6-ish) experience. 3) I had both happen. One interview I was given a broad topic choice (genomics or bioinformatics or can't remember) and I chose one and gave a lecture on a topic within the broader topic. The other interview I was given a very specific prompt, and had to give a lecture on that prompt. So, it will likely vary job by job. 4) Did you get any inkling of that in advance? Were the jobs that asked for a specific prompt ones that also indicated you would be teaching a specific course, for example? 5) I interviewed at two SLACs last year. One did not have me do a teaching a demo (and then did not hire me because of my teaching experience (relative lack thereof). I was really baffled by this, not giving me chance to demonstrate my teaching ability when that was the main responsibility of the position. The other had me teach a topic of my choosing in what would be my subject matter course that was open to students. They REALLY cared about the teaching demo. Every faculty member was there (including someone who had previously taught the course) and about 30 students. Standing room only. 6) i have also had to give a research talk but incorporate teaching techniques in the talk (what i did for that was give an intro, then give them small group discussion questions about the topic that dovetail with my specific research) 7) Have given a few that ranged from extremely specific topic to general topic to 'anything in ecology or evolution' and as far as I could tell there was no indication ahead of time that I could discern. 8) I really appreciate it when they let you pick the topic. Being able to adapt materials you already have or prepare something you’ll 100% be able to use in your current position is a huge weight off your shoulders. | |
464 | 8/7/23 12:21 | When is the best time to apply for postdocs for a 7/1/24 start date? | 8/12/23 16:51 | Now. You can aply for fellowships over the next year and help a PI coordinate funding for you. 2) Any time a position you're interested in is advertised...Obviously deadlines will guide/restrict you somewhat, but there's no harm in reaching out to PIs early. 3) If you're inetersted in a specific lab (rather than an advertised position), I would reach out even a year in advance. 4) I think a year is a bit far out for most PDs. 6 months is probably about the earliest I would email a PI. For some, they want people to start immediately like an industry job. I've been turned down becuase I couldn't start two weeks after getting an offer 5) Disagree with 4 if you are thinking of searching for funding together (e.g., writing a postdoc fellowship with a particular PI as sponsor). In that case I think about a year ahead of time is the right approach. If you are responding to a post saying the PI has postdoc funding or an advertised position then the timeline will be much shorter. 6) Depends on where it is. Some EU funders demand the money be spent by a certain time. NA often has more flexibility. | |
465 | 8/6/23 15:49 | applying to the same department 2 years in a row? | 8/16/23 12:24 | Anyone ever applied to different positions/postings in the same department two years in a row, particularly after making it to the on-campus interview stage in year one (but not getting the job)? If so, how did it go, and what (if anything) did you do to change your interview approach the second time around? And bonus: did you get the job the second time you applied to the dept? 2) I would never apply after an in person interview without an invitation. It may be viewed as gauche and stop them from ever considering you again. 3 yrs later I'd apply again, especially if there's a decent change in the CV. If you got a video interview or long list, definitely still apply again. If more than one person told you to apply again, then do without reservation. Esp if you were right behind the candidate who signed. 3) I think it's fine to apply again, especially if it's a different job. You never know why you didn't get a position, sometimes it comes down things that are pretty idiosyncratic or beyond your control (e.g. who seems better suited to meet department teaching needs). If it's a failed search that's been readvertised that's a different situation, but two different positions seems totally fine to me! (From a prof who's been on multiple search committees) 4) Totally agree with 3...not sure I understand the logic of not applying to make sure a department will still consider you in future? If you don't apply, they definitely won't hire you. If you came across poorly in your previous interview, they just won't invite you to interview a second time. If you came across well, they will, and you have a shot. I know someone who was interviewed for two positions in the same College and came second in both...they represented themselves very well and some people ranked them as their first choice. Just didn't work out. (5) I strongly disagree with 2), having been on search committees, it's often split/ somewhat random who gets chosen at the end- I wouldn't take a job rejection to necessarily mean that the faculty didn't like you or wouldn't consider you for the future. Definitely not gauche! 6) agree w 5. apply again. it would be a new committee, could be a new position. things change. 7) agree with 5 as well, you may have been a top choice for some on the committee (8) I know of two people who got a job at a great place, both on their second interview. (9) You need a job, they need to hire. Why wouldn't you apply again? 10) I did this! I didn't even get an interview the first time, but got the job the second time. 11) I interviewed in-person at the same place 10 years apart LOL. Didn't get the job either time. The 2nd time was an open rank search but they hired a junior person in the end. In my opinion, just apply for everything. 12) Apply. Gauche is a great word and perhaps applicable to certain select and sophisticated social situations, but the academic job market is a feeding frenzy in a mud pit in a hurricane on fire. It might be worth reaching out to someone you met previously and getting their thoughts. | |
466 | 8/5/23 14:13 | Essentially all searches have "hidden" preferred themese, right? | 8/12/23 11:27 | E.g., "Evolution", but they're really looking for a genomicist, or "animals" but they're really looking for vertebrates. 2) I mean, maybe. The more general a search, I would wager that there's a higher chance of some candidates overlapping too much with existing department members and thus being less desirable because of that. I don't see a reason why a search committee would be intentionally vague/misleading about what they're looking for, though. Seems like it would just waste their time and maybe even scare off the types of people they "really" want. 3) Try Big Data but they hire someone who does cell bio with single gene k/os, or comp bio but they hire a plant physiologist with no quant sills. They say one thing to justify the faculty line, then recruit how they want. Often b/c of politics or search chair preference. (4) Really, its mostly a matter of different opinions and preferrences within a department. 5) No, all searches do not have "hidden" themes. Some do. (6) Not sure you can generalize - every search I've been on the job description was intended to be as accurate as possible, for everyone's sake. There are of course department member opinions, like whether they would rather not have someone near their own area (or DO want a collaborator in their area). One thing to keep in mind is that departments have to apply for funding within the institution far before a job ad is put together (e.g., winter/early spring for a search the next fall) and this paperwork is typically just put together by 1-2 people (dept chair). So, by the time a search committee is assembled and starts to write the job ad, they need to stick to the job title (that was approved by the administration) whether it reflects their goals or not. However, the majority of the time, the administration doesn't care about the detailed job description, so most job ads have a description that is as accurate as possible, even if the job title is broad. This is why you see some job ads for a "Zoologist" and then the job description will say something like "ideal candidates will work with vertebrates, preferably zebrafish because we have the facilities for that", or "this is a new position, so we welcome all fields of zoology research, broadly interpreted". Or, someone else retires or leaves after the original line is approved, so they keep the same overall title but change the job description somewhat. Bottom line, I doubt there are many ads where the actual detailed job discription is misleading, because who does that benefit? But, the titles definitely don't always align well. In case anyone doesn't know, the title of the job ad is not your title when you get hired - if you're in the bio dept, you're an assistant professor of biology, not an assistant professor of big data. So, the title of the job ad doesn't really matter beyond catching people's initial interest. 7) I agree with most of what you say 6, but I do think it is pretty common for ads that are written with fairly general language to actually have a 'hidden' agenda at least by the time it comes to choosing candidates. The advantages from the search committee perspective are i) less work or thinking upfront to write a general ad, ii) more candidates, potentially important for schools that need to meet needs for number of applications or diversity of pool, and iii) even if they have a strong preference for focus, it leaves open possibility of shifting if their are especially good candidates in another area and they are super excited about any candidates in the exact target area. Those benefits make sense from a search committee perspective, but they certainly don't help candidates. 6 again) Those are fair points @7, I agree with that - departments also may have disagreements over the focus and so just go with the broader language initially. OP) Welp, then depts ought to get their shit together and agree on a narrow focus of what they want. Because searches adversitised broadly but that always end up hiring a certain type of person are a waste of everyone's time | |
467 | 8/1/23 17:20 | Applying to more jobs after a verbal offer (but no written offer)? | 8/15/23 11:06 | OP) I got a verbal offer for a faculty job 5 months ago, and no written offer yet (but the chair has been in communication with me to apologize for delays, etc). I'm starting to feel less and less excited about this opportunity, even though 4 months ago I expressed my strong interest. Should I start applying for some of the awesome-looking jobs that are beginning to be advertised? Or is that dishonest / a waste of time, given that I am quite sure a written offer will eventually come into my inbox? Some of the new jobs are a better fit for me and my family. (1) *YES*, apply. Your materials are obviously good enough to get a job, and offers fall through (recent WUSTL case). x3 2) Fully agree with #1, and want to add that having other options on the table can help when it comes time to negotiate the written offer. Even if you don't have another written offer in hand yet, feeling like you have other options can give you the freedom to examine the offer with a more critical eye. 3) Absolutely apply. If the offer comes through and you sign it's easy to cancel the interviews and let the other school move down list. Until then, your offer isn't real so move ahead with the new job apps. 5 months is pretty excessive, unless it's been a difficult negotiation on those months. They should cough up an offer letter to sign or tell you it's pulled. You might email a faculty member who was supportive to ask for info. There could be shenanigans going on at that school. I had a dean never give me an actual offer and the dept did a vote of no confidence in him. OP) Thanks so much, all, for the great advice and support!! | |
468 | 7/31/23 13:11 | Applying to Federal Government jobs as a basic scientist | 9/21/23 11:57 | Looking for advice on how those who conducted more "basic" science in thier graduate and postdoc training transitioned to federal government (EPA, USDA, Forestry Service, etc.), and how you highlighted your expertise as transferrable to those sectors. 1) Feds do lots and lots of basic science, and even the policy folks are looking for people that have done bench science. 2) I did fairly basic research in grad school and am a post-doc at a federal agency. In my applications, I discussed my research but also emphasized relevant skills (writing code and data analysis) and professional training (e.g., participation in workshops). I also wrote about my interest in/motivation for applying to federal jobs. I think some agencies emphasize KSAs - Knowledge Skill Abilities - in at least some of the hiring. Here's a link from the USDA: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/ksa.pdf 3) Folks, what you are referring to is "FUNDAMENTAL" research. Please stop using "basic". 4) @3, tomato tomahto 5) Anonymous Potato, Anonymous Potahto 5) Basic science microbiologist here that received a government agency offer (GS13 if that matters). Important point to make is that the first screen for usajobs.gov listings is often done by HR and not scientists. Be sure to use the terminology that can be easily recognized showing connections between your work and what they are looking for. I went so far as to highlight specific lines on my CV. 5) Also, I've seen that grads/postdocs can sometimes underemphasize their abilities in the questions/KSA and rate themselves as "mid" not "expert" simply because they know other academics with more experience; i.e., they are comparing themselves to super-experts, when really they are also experts themselves. Obviously don't take it too far in the other direction when answering. | |
469 | 7/30/23 17:45 | How many years have you been a postdoc? what makes you keep searching?t | 8/8/23 12:55 | Way too many. Because I still need a job? x10 1) I am going to attempt a extended metaphor. I keep searching for a job because without such a position, my research program simply wouldn't exist in the world, and I happen to believe in it strongly. Similarly, I had a child in grad school and have grappled with whether our world needs more children, etc etc. But in both cases, the idea is larger than myself, and I don't know who I am either as a non-resesarcher or as a non-parent. Yes, I have other family, friends, and hobbies. But on good days,I truly believe this is what I'm here to do, and it's this sense that pulls me through the tough days. 2) A little bit of "this is really, really what I want to do", some "I'm pretty useless for anything else", and some sunk cost fallacy. I've got a family, and I'm getting a bit old to be able to completely start over and make enough to support them properly. 3) I am finishing up my fifth year (USDA and NSF fellowships and some PI funding) and I am starting to lose hope-I am thinking this is my last year applying but I am not sure that I will have the guts to pull the plug (so basically fear will make me stay). Also #2 you are me and I am you. 4) @3, pshaw! 5 years is barely getting started these days. At least that's what I keep telling myself as my cohort gets promoted to full profs while I search endlessly for a permanent job. 5) I think there should be a certian amount of time you set for yourself to "try" for academia before you switch to a new type of job. For me, it's five years starting from when I started my postdoc. If I'm not happy with my job once the five years elapses, I'm going to start applying to other opportunities and networking elsewhere. This is based on my personal desires to be moving forward in life. Not relevant to everyone of course! 6) @5, I think this is a good idea in principle and it's easy to say, but there are lots of reasons why it isn't always as easy as just setting a limit. Projects that you poured a lot of yourself into, geographic limitations away from urban areas that have obviously alternative careers (e.g. if you're stuck in a small college town where the college is the main employer), etc. 7) I moved to private sector ~2 months ago after 2 years giving the faculty job search a good go. I actually think I'd be able to bring more unique perspective/skills to a uni now relative to when I left my postdoc so I'm still looking at a few jobs on here. Making an assoc. prof's salary with great benefits while working 40 hours or less/week removed the feelings of desperation for a job and made it a lot easier for me to be picky so that part's nice. TBD whether I get any looks coming from outside academia. | |
470 | 7/30/23 17:09 | years of postdoc before landing a faculty position? | 7/31/23 7:38 | As few as necessary? If you think you'll have a big paper that will make you super competitive, maaayybe wait on applications, but better advice is to get it done asap so that if the perfect opportunity arrives, you're ready. 1) I find many postdocs wait too long to start applying...you should be applying in your first year, because you never know when that match will come along. Even though your record is more slim early on, you will often get assessed relative to the stage you're at and your future "potential". Some of the hires I've seen have been of really new postdocs, to the point that they barely even do a postdoc before starting a faculty job. Have seen the opposite too of course, but you just never know. 2) Is the question before landing a faculty position or before starting to apply? Definitely apply right away. You should even be applying to at least a few jobs when you are ABD at the same time you are applying to postdocs. Totally agree with 1 that lots of people even now get job offers right away or even while late stage grad students (I can think of a handful that I know personally from just the last year or two). It is hard to predict what will come out of your postdoc and it often doesn't get much easier to land a job after x years of postdocing, so you really want to put applications in as many rounds as you can and that means starting early. 3). I had a two-year post doc and waited until the second year to apply. In the interim, I got papers done, applied for some grants, got to teach, and networked in my new state. All of those made me more competitive than when I was wrapping up my PhD, but if I had some of those things before I would have started looking strait out of my PhD. | |
471 | 7/29/23 19:24 | Atypical place to find jobs for theoretical ecologists / applied math? | 8/24/23 15:14 | Sorry if this is already well-known and/or discussed. I'm from an applied math background (e.g., pop bio / theoretical ecology). I've been looking at the list and it seems that the positions are more geared toward field ecologists and experimentalists -- but maybe I'm just terrible at looking and need to look closer?. 2) Pop bio/theory jobs are definitely posted here. Just dig a bit into previous years. SMB sometimes lists jobs too 3) If you consider that most ecoevo departments have 0-2 theoreticians, then it makes sense that there are few such openings. The good news is that there are also few people competitive for them, so you still have a good chance. Jobs in math departments usually don't make it here, so you should find a separate source for them, especially if you like teaching all the time :) So far you've got UM Complex Systems to apply for, but there should be more coming. 4) As a -particular kind- of field biologist, I also think that looking through this job board every year really generates the perception that there are more jobs posted in every other sub field than your own. 1) @2,3,4: Thanks so much for sharing! I'll keep an eye out, and yes, math folk typically use mathjobs, but I'm sort of in a weird niche (but I guess everyone is sorta in a weird niche haha) and was told to look here as well. 5) Have you checked MathJobs.org? I've found it to be a great one-stop-shop for all of the mathy positions, including many outside of traditional math departments. The SIAM job board is also good. 5) again...sorry OP, just saw your comment above. But I still stand by my SIAM tip :) | |
472 | 7/29/23 7:48 | Tips for search committees to maximize applicant numbers | 8/3/23 7:12 | Do not ask candidates to specifically highlight why your department will be good fit. We are often applying to 50+ jobs, and frankly you are not special. Also ask for research statements of up to 3 pgs, teaching and DEI up to 2 as well. 1) noted. we'll get right on that. x2 2) https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/how-much-do-tt-ecology-faculty-job-seekers-customize-each-application-and-how-much-customization-do-search-committee-members-want-to-see-here-are-the-data/ 3) I disagree completely. You are applying for a job that might be for life. I think it is definitely reasonable to ask for customization (within reason). If you can't highlight why the department is a good fit, I wouldn't want to hire you 4) Customize the cover letter. Don't rewrite your job app. It's a few sentences and not really the biggest burden on the job market. But if SCs are here, standardized app materials really help. Standard 2-4 pg research, 2pg teaching + 2pg DEI (or 4 pg total) is the norm. Any bespoke documents/videos waste our time. Save that for the long list. And for heavens sake make letters due after the first cut. It's ridiculous to waste time that way. (OP) @4, I couldn't disagree more. You should be able to determine whether I'd be a good fit from my generic materials. Don't waste my time, especially when you have 'hidden' criteria (e.g., looking for someone who works on Vertebrates for a generic 'evolution' job). 5) I agree that unusual asks (e.g., asking for teaching or research statements that address job-specific criteria) is way over the top, and letters of rec should always be requested after the initial cut. Maybe people on here aren't on the same page about what "customizing a cover letter" means - expecting candidates to have a great rationale for that particular institution or department is ridiculous given the job market (I had never heard of my current institution before I applied), but you absolutely need to explain your fit (and desire) for that TYPE of institution. Even if this means you have a stock cover letter for SLAC, Regional Public, and R1 type jobs, that would be helpful. If a "generic" cover letter talks about all about publications and grants and recruiting PhD students, that might be fine for all R1 type schools, but no SLAC or regional public will want to hire you 2x. 6) Yes, you should very much have different letters/statements for different types of institution, assuming you’re applying broadly. And I’m fine with small amounts of tailoring. Like, yeah, I’ll tell you what courses I’d want to develop that you don’t already have or check out your campus-specific DEI initiative and write a few sentences on how I envision contributing to it. What really bugs me is when I’m asked to write a standard document in a non-standard way. Like I’ve seen job ads where they ask for the teaching statement as “three examples of your use of innovative teaching methods”, which basically requires a complete reformat just to fit their idiosyncratic frame. 7) Yep -- editing ~a paragraph's worth of stuff on each statement to things that are specific to the institution is fine. Weirdo formats really are annoying. That said, I do have different statements (research, teaching, dei, cover letter) for different "types" of institutions. The differences b/t PUI/SLAC and R1 are just too big. | |
473 | 7/28/23 12:13 | Applying for national and international grants for sample research project? | 7/28/23 16:38 | I am a new PI and will be starting my lab in the EU soon. I got funding for one of my research projects from my own country, but it's not a lot of money. Can I still apply for ERC funding on the same research project even if I have already received funding? 2) It depends on the second funding source, and whether its the *exact* same project or not. If you can make the case that the small grant is for proof-of-concept or collecting pilot data then it should be fine, especially if the bigger second grant builds on it in some way. | |
474 | 7/26/23 21:29 | Link to 2022-23 sheet? | 7/27/23 9:52 | I noticed the 2022-23 sheet isn't in the links tab- can it be added by someone who knows the link? Thank you AP) Done! | |
475 | 7/25/23 12:09 | Personal filter view for 'jobs we're (or we're not) interested in'? | 8/28/23 10:45 | Question for AP: would it be possible to get a filter view for something like 'job postings we've reviewed and are not interested in following'? This way the main sheet could just include those jobs we are wanting to apply for or follow the discussion about? Thanks for all you do!!!! AP) That'd be great, huh? Unfortunately I don't know how we could implement such functionality while maintaining everyone's anonymity and keeping the sheet relatively protected against vandalism. If there's a huge Google Sheet nerd out there who knows how, let us know! All I can suggest is that you could make your own sheet that imports from here using IMPORTRANGE, then filter on that. 2) I just look at the sheet every day or so and copy the whole row for any interesting jobs to my own google sheet. I do'nt change any columns, so I can just copy-paste. Takes 2 seconds. Then you can sort or whatever you want in your own sheets. | |
476 | 7/25/23 6:10 | Applying to assistant professor positions when an associate professor? | 7/31/23 11:44 | When the job ad says it is looking for assistant professors, should those looking for associate professorships apply? 2) This will be highly dependent on the job. Sometimes the job track is officially---and stringently---limited to offering the "assistant" title, as in you'll need to apply for tenure again. Other jobs will have internal flexibility, but you won't really know about it. The search committee may not tell you if you ask. Frankly, IMO your best bet is to just "waste" the time applying. If you blow them away with your application and address the issue in your cover letter, you may get a look. I would definitely bring it up in the cover letter though. At least then the committee will know that you are aware of the discrepancy and won't fault you for taking a shot. Otherwise they might think you are clueless and wasting their time. 3) Agree with @2. This issue has come up in a SC discussion that I was a part of...in that case, the two Associate applicants clearly acknowledged that they would be going back to a non-tenured role, which was apparently good since our Dean wouldn't have considered them otherwise. Neither got the job, but that was not really about their professional rank (although some questioned if they'd actually be happy taking a step backwards). However, saying that sort of thing up front takes away from your negotiating power if there were a scenario to come in at Associate, because you've already said you're OK not accepting that. I think you apply to jobs you like and accept that in some cases you won't be competitive, which is true for everyone anyway. 4) Definitely apply if you want the job. But, addressing it in your cover letter may not be smart for negotiating reasons, in my opinion. | |
477 | 7/24/23 9:10 | Contacting search committee? | 8/1/23 17:29 | Depends on why? 2) Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know. Can you repeat the question? 3) You're not the boss of me! 2) Life is unfair. (4) You can absolutely contact the SC if you have a question about the position. These should always be clarifying questions or noting errors—never attempt to earn favour. 2) In all seriousness now, yes, 4 is absolutely right. If you're asking what they mean by a set of directions in the application or want to know if Topic X should be addressed in the cover letter, then that's always okay. 5) OP here, I was stuck on HTML mode and couldn't add a comment here once I'd made the post. >.< Thanks for the input so far. So here's my question in more detail: I've received the advice to contact SC chair prior to applying, but so far I've usually felt at a loss of what to say/ask - the advice I've received is along the lines of "contact them to try to get a better idea of what they're looking for". Can anyone provide examples of what they've asked previously in such a context? Just clarifying details about requested materials, or are more pointed questions about the department/position appropriate? E.g., for writing re: a SLAC position, "For planning my research statement, would research ideas requring ~20k in startup be in line with what the department provides for new hires?" 6) A related question: Do search committees really look favorably on recieving emails from applicants (maybe it shows a high level of interest?), or might it feel more like a waste of their time (unless the question is a really good one)? 7) Based on my one search committee experience, I wouldn't send empty words to a search committee at the initial application stage, no matter how complimentary. Real questions are totally fine though--the chair would like to know if there is an error in the ad(!) or will be happy to answer questions about eligibility, position duties (if not standard), etc. 8) I contacted search committees with lgeit updates (awards) or questions (e.g, "I got an offer elsewhere- what is your timeline?" They were happy to reply but generally shared no useful information, lol. | |
478 | 7/21/23 13:07 | switching between TT jobs? | 8/7/23 8:54 | I started a TT assistant prof job this past january but my fiancée is not stoked at all about living in the location (it was my only offer so i didn't have other options). when is it acceptable to start applying for other positions? will search committees give me the side-eye if i apply after just a year at my current position? 1) address it in your cover letter. But, might hesitate to let colleagues at your current institution find out. I don't think search committees will care. If they want you, they'll be happy you are applying 2) I really don't understand why people apply to jobs they ultimately don't want long-term (in this case b/c of location). Seems incredibly inefficient x2 3) @2 because you may never get the job you want, so you take the job you get x4 4) There's very little about getting a PhD and then looking for a postdoc so you can apply for your real job that could be called "efficient." 4) @2 I've worked as a janitor in between post docs so I could keeping affording rent and groceries. Sometimes there are things more important than "efficient". 5) there's plenty of jobs for PhDs outside academia y'all. Make a friggin' linked in instead of suffering. x2 6) @2 I come from a country where there are very few academic jobs (or jobs in general). I did my PhD and current postdoc in two other countries, but I still haven't found a place that I am madly in love with. Thus, applying to work somewhere else makes me hope that this new place will be it. Leaving academia and taking a job where I currently am would not make me that much happier, unfortunately. 7) OP--yes totally, you can and should apply as far and wide as you wish. I was in the same boat and was able to make a lateral move. As a general rule, I said something in the cover letter about why I would want to move to that specific place, rather than why I wanted to leave. I didn't want to complain about my department but instead focus on why the new place was such an amazing fit that I couldn't resist applying. It worked OK for me (10 applications, 2 offers). Good luck! (8) sometimes you don't know you'll dislike a location until after you've been living their. That could also be the case for OP. (9) @OP I think it's fine to start applying whenever you want - the process can often take a LONG time, and anyone reasonable will understand if you have personal reasons for moving. There will always be unreasonable folk too who hold it against you, but they're not worth worrying about! | |
479 | 7/19/23 19:11 | Integrative biology postings | 8/5/23 14:11 | My work is probably best described as integrative biology. Is there any more central place to find those sorts of jobs, aside from sciencecareers or twitter? I've had zoom interviews in cell biology, microbiology, marine biology and ecology departments, and I want to make sure I don't miss anything appropriate. 2) Future PI Slack Jobs? (see links tab) 3) evoldir or ECOLOG listervs 4) what is "integrative biology"? (non-sarcastic question) | |
480 | 7/19/23 12:56 | Where is the best place to find jobs in Europe? Here? Or are there other sources | 7/29/23 4:15 | 1) Twitter is a good place to search AP) I love that we have good worldwide coverage here. As always, if you see a job elsewhere that isn't listed here, please add it! 3) Euraxess website 4) wow I did not know Euraxess and has all EU jobs I've encountered on twitter recently! (plus more) | |
481 | 7/18/23 9:52 | Split location column into country and local region (state) | 7/18/23 11:08 | Could the location column be split in two please? Country and then local region so that it's easier to filter out the jobs. AP) Sorry, but that's not possible with the form used to add jobs. Really, only the US has enough jobs to warrant dividing into local regions. Also, we want as few columns as possible to avoid horizontal scrolling (depends on your window size, etc., but as a general principle). I tried adding a "US Only" filter view if that helps you. | |
482 | 7/17/23 14:32 | Postdoc Jobs tab | 7/19/23 8:16 | AP) I don't have time or energy to clean up the Postdoc Jobs tab - specifically, trimming down lengthy entries. What do you all think? Should people continue to post entire ads there or should we try to keep it cleaner like the Permanent Jobs tab? 2) Is it possible to fix the cells at a certain height rather than expand to fit text? That way you could still click to read long posts but they wouldn't fill the screen. 3) No opinion (does that mean leave is?). I'm past considering another postdoc 3) I definitely think that you shouldn't do it if you have time. It would be nice if posters could try to keep it clean when they post. Actually, it would probably be great if we could all try to help keep all of the tabs as clean as possible to try to limit the amount of time that you have to put into this. 4) Related, can we make the ADD JOB/NEW POST info a bit smaller, essp on the Faculty job page? It takes up a bit too much space for easy scrolling. Just a pet peeve for me - TY to everyone involved in making this resource work! AP) @2 that's an interesting idea. I changed it to clip instead of wrap. What do y'all think about that? @4 I guess it's not the "Add Job" part that takes up room in the header but rather the instructions in cell B1. I wonder if we need all those (past experience says YES, but who knows). Maybe a separate tab for instructions? 2) @AP, I like having it clipped! You can still click and read any longer posts that you are actually interested in, but it makes it easier to scroll through. | |
483 | 7/17/23 11:44 | Start-up package Denmark | 7/20/23 13:15 | Is there anyone here who has experience in start-up packages and negotiations (other than your own salary, I know that is more or less fixed in Denmark) for an ass.prof (Adjunkt) position in Denmark. Any advice is much appreciated. 2) If Denmark is anything like other nordic countries (eg, Sweden and Norway, for which I have experience) then dont expect much for startup. best case you would get funding to hire a phd student and maybe a couple hundred K kroner. It is not like North America, where assistnat profs get a giant startup. But maybe DK is different than NO and SE. (3) Do not expect any start-up and be pleasantly surprised if they offer you a PhD student stipend. | |
484 | 7/17/23 6:32 | Tenure Terminology | 7/19/23 15:42 | Is "tenure stream" different than "tenure track" 2) no 3) "tenure stream" or "tenure track" are different names that we call the "tenure system", where tenure is awarded after a fixed probationary period (usually 5-6 years) or hired with tenure in the case of a senior person. This distinguishes it from "fixed-term", where the contract is for a fixed amount of time AP) I changed the terminology from "tenure track" this year because people would often comment about tenured positions "it's actually tenured, not tenure-track". At least at my university, "tenure stream" = everyone who is tenured or on the track to be tenured. OP) Thanks AP! | |
485 | 7/17/23 1:55 | Invited chapter in a prestigious book: can I list it as one of my X key pubs? | 7/27/23 16:09 | Your key pubs are whatever you think best represents you and you can use to best sell yourself, so if that's one, why not? 1) People generally consider book chapters to be substantially less prestigious than a paper, mostly because these are not always peer-reviewed in the same way. You would have to sell it. 2) A major review (e.g. Nature Reviews Genetics) would also be viewed as less unless cited 50+ times. 1) Maybe some people will view a review as less substantial than a data-based paper (makes sense), but: peer-reviewed review paper >>>> book chapter. 3) I think opinions will vary. I've put equal, if not more, effort into book chapters and review articles I've written compared to research papers. But maybe that's because I'm a theoretician and don't have to gather real data, haha. 4) Interesting, I have a recent (2021) peer reviewed review that hasn't been cited that much yet, but it has some important ideas - I included it in my top 3 and got multiple R1 interviews last year. All that is to say, I agree with OP. 5) @3 "impact" != "effort". I think you should go for whatever best represents your past impact and future potential, that can sometimes be a book chapter (especially a well cited one) but it's the product that matters not how much time you spent on it. | |
486 | 7/16/23 19:33 | When start applying for new position during tenure track | 7/24/23 12:41 | 1) Im in my thrid year of my tenure track and although I really like my department and colleagues, I am very unhappy with the area I live in. When would the right timepoint be to start applying for other positions? I already got 7 papers and 1 bigger grant. When am I competitive enough and after what time do I not look like a runaway anymore? What kind of position would make most sense to apply for? Re-start TT somewhere else or start applying for Assoc Prof even though I didnt get tenured yet? 2) I would start applying now, I just ifnished my 5th year and i regret not applying earlier. Assistant Prof positions are probably your best bet at the moment, though it doesn't hurt to throw your name in the hat for Associate or Open Rank positions. 3) I agree with 2. Start applying for jobs now. | |
487 | 7/16/23 5:30 | What DEI activities do search committees care most about? | 8/18/23 11:40 | Outreach in public schools? Service on DEI committees? Political activism in the local communty? 1) I don't think there's a single right answer here. In my experience they care most that you demonstrate awareness of issues in this area and have a track record of activities that are aimed at addressing those issues, ideally with compelling evidence that you've been successful in implementing positive change. All of the examples you provide could check those boxes. 2) It's more important that you have *something* than the specific thing that it is. They want a thoughtful response to why diversity matters and what actions you have taken in the past. They also want to know what you will do in the future. It should not be on jr faculty to invent new undergrad research programs if they don't already exist at the school. But try to figure out if there are programs in the dept where you can do similar things to your past work. I've only seen a few failing DEI statements ("I found students get upset if I engage in discrimination" or "diversity does not matter because"). You may want to look up NSF definitions which include rural high schools and socioeconomic issues. 3) To those of you looking for another postdoc before applying for jobs, make sure it's a place with support, opportunities and available time for postdocs to do DEI work. Some places don't, and it will leave a hole in your job applications package. 4) Kinda seems like most postdocs leave some kind of hole in your applications package. x2 5) One of the key things they look for is that you aren't just trying to check a box, but that you actually understand the basis of certain DEI problems can how your work helps fix them. Just listing off outreach stuff you've done doesn't make a quality DEI statement 2) Agree with 5 but on the flip side all fancy words and no actions is going to be a weak statement as well. 6) Most of them don't really care. Its more about showing that you've done something vs nothing. 5) @2 understanding a problem and proposing workable solutions that blend into your research/teaching vision is alot more than "fancy words." According to UCB's DEI rubric (https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity/rubric-assessing-candidate-contributions-diversity-equity), knowledge, experience, and future plans are all equally important. Showing that you "understand the assignment" can go a long way towards balancing a lackluster track record. 6) DEI, research and teaching statements are largely just statements to demonstrate your institution coached you. None EVER translate to a good statement = good researcher/teacher, good statement = a non bigot. In fact, they do nothing but waste your time. But, you still have to write good ones. :( x2 7) I don't want to reboot the perpetual argument here but sometimes EDI initiatives/statements ARE what they are looking for, and in other searches, they aren't looking for EDI advocates but rather diverse hires. Problem is, it's next to impossible to know which goal any search has in mind. A hire at a major school last cycle was outright cancelled and the position lost because the Provost/Dean didn't think the shortlist was colourful enough even though the SC made EDI initiatives and statements a major component. 8) @7 did this position get to interviews/offer? I interviewed for a position that this might describe, and am curious. 7) @8 virtual interviews happened, the shortlist for in-person interviews was what got the hiring line cancelled. 8 again) Thanks @7 mine was in person but all the candidates (including me) were white and the position was canceled too. Maybe it was for other reasons, I only found out about the cancelation from this board | |
488 | 7/16/23 0:05 | Welcome to the 2023-24 site | 8/22/23 9:40 | AP) The big change for this year is breaking off fixed-term faculty positions into its own tab. (I tried combining with Postdoc Jobs, but it didn't make sense). If something doesn't work properly, be sure to let me know. 2) Thanks for the new sheet, AP! x10 3) I'd send a bottle of scotch, or perhaps the best of all potato vodkas if I knew who you were. x2 4) Thank you so much <3 | |
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1 | • Use the New Post link to start a new topic. Add replies under Comments. • Sort by last update under Data > Filter Views. • DO: Vent your frustrations about the job search, academia, or life in general. • DON'T: Vent at any particular person or institution by name; post racist, sexist, ableist, ageist, homophobic, etc. statements; be a jerk. • Flag offensive posts with the Mod Flag column. | ||||
2 | Timestamp | Subject | Last Update | Comments | Mod Flag |
3 | 7/30/24 6:46 | Jobs pulled | 8/2/24 14:11 | Talking to people at summer confefrences I've been shocked at the number of failed negotiations, pulled offers, and tenure denials across the field. If three candidates match the area and have funding to bring, it seems phenomenal that an institution would fail a search. Candidates with 20 strong papers and great grant records shouldn't be denied tenure. I don't understand what is happening. Are universities in budget crises that aren't announced yet? I'm not hearing dealbreakers that could explain it (e.g. greenhouse space, BSL4). I can believe one search landed wrong. It's difficult to believe ten of them were the fault of the candidate(s). Does anyone have an idea of what is happening? 1) Idk That I can explain all the trends you are seeing and I didn't chat about this subject at conferences so don't know how others feel about searches they conducted or tenure appointments they considered. But what I can say is that my institution does have a reputation (not always good) that they are in denial about. They conduct searches and are always disappointed with the outcomes because they think of themselves as the rockstars of science and research. So one possible issue is people with inflated expectations that they drop on other young people's shoulders. 2) @ 1 I've seen this quite a bit - many Canadian schools in small markets for example that don't have PhD programs but can co-superivse with bigger institutions will try to get "rock stars" who either reject the offer or leave the first chance they get, while the aging faculty in place have a collective total of 6 papers from this century. Even bigger schools (MUN) have had finalized candidates rejected by admin because they didn't mean unadvertized diversity criteria. *meet 3) Re: tenure denials, I haven't heard of many (it's quite infrequent outside of Ivies) but those that I have heard of outside these schools were frankly shocking (most were not at R1s but rather SLACs and such). 4) "Even bigger schools (MUN) have had finalized candidates rejected by admin because they didn't mean unadvertized diversity criteria " -> although this is the first time I've heard about it from MUN, this is not the first time I've heard of that happening at Canadian universities. It would be very frustrating to have that happen, if those criteria are in place it is absolutely on the onus of the institution to advertise that ahead of time. (+1) It's such a huge drain of labour (for the search committee and the candidates) and extremely damaging to the morale of the candidate to have this happen. So much invested time, effort, and hope of a realized dream wasted..... OP) I've heard searches failing early because they had a lack of diversity, but always before interviews. Failing after negotiation because upper admin pulled a position is usually a different phenomenon, but I don't know the details in every case. 5) I do think that there is a general post-pandemic reluctance (not just in academia) to give career first decisions less priority. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that has meant first choice candidates have turned down offers at somewhat higher rates than they might have previously. Especially schools with low pay, high teaching, undesirable locations, etc. The academic search model is not built very well to handle one or two candidates turning a job down without resulting in a failed search. 2) @ 4, OP - absolutely, it's a giant waste of time and effort for both the applicants AND the committee, especially when the committee has a clear set of research priorities that their candidates can address. The instance I referred to actually led to the school cancelling a planned Tier 2 CRC - so they mised a lot of money AND are still lacking a new faculty member. The funny part is, this happened while the university president who presided over the whole thing was being fired for being a Pretendian. 6) A thread on failed positions has been turned into an anti-DEI push, but the "Pr*tend*an" word is often used as a slur. Can you delete/replace it for us AP? 2) @ 6 - a swing and a miss, champ. It's not a push for anything but clear and transparent criteria when job ads are written so as to not waste anyone's time and efforts. Hidden DEI criteria themselves damage DEI efforts more than any anonymous board ever could. And yes, "Pretendian" IS a slur specifically and exclusively against people who have falsely represented their ancestry to exploit DEI initiatives - "cheater" or "liar" would be equally accurate. 6) It's also targeted at people who are actually Native based on skin color. I really find it offensive, and I am certain there are other ways to direct your anger toward people who make false statements. 7) Sorry for staying on this derailed topic but I think it's worth noting that 'Pretendian' has been used by Native activists and scholars with some frequency... Joy Harjo is quoted using it on the Wikipedia page for Pretendian, for example. I can understand why it would seem extremely offensive if you've primarily seen it deployed against Native people for being too white-looking, but it isn't a universally reviled word when used to describe people falsely claiming a Native identity. 8) fucking hell the yts are at it again. pretendian isn't a slur and trying to ban use of that word is denying natives the ability to communicate about a very nasty phenomenon that pre-dates modern DEI intitiatives (settlers have been pretending to be native to fight against our interests for ages) 9) https://www.indiantime.net/story/2023/03/23/news/university-president-another-pretendian/41922.html 1) @2 If it informs much I'm not in Canada and I would not qualify my institution as small either. They just think their research parallels the best-est ever and they expect this of candidates. In terms of job being pulled after negotiations, again idk everyone's reasons. But not having a clear vision can extend beyond departments all the way to higher ups IMHO. Sometimes its because of turnover at higher level. One person has one vision and is replaced by someone else who has another vision. YEars of these types of changes leads to no single goal being accomplished, but rather everyone striving to accomplish one persons vision finally to only have that turn around. Its rare to have bosses with very far reaching goals, clear thought process, ability to communicate that thought process to everyone in the institution so the goal is not lost and for that person to stick around to see those goals through. FOr the crowd discussing DEI issues, I would say that not having strong vision almost frequently negatively affects retention of other minority junior faculty and staff. Just my two cents. | |
4 | 7/15/24 6:46 | Feeling bad about leaving my postdoc early | 7/23/24 8:00 | OP) I’m just feeling guilty because I started a 2 year postdoc last summer (about a year ago), but I just got a job offer at an NGO that I’m absolutely thrilled about and I think I’m going to take it and leave my postdoc about a year early. I really like my PI, but I haven’t found the research particularly inspiring and the pay is of course not great. This new position sounds like it would be really fulfilling for me and it would be a 70% pay increase, plus it would jumpstart my post-academia career (I don’t want to stay in academia for about a hundred reasons that I won’t bother going into here). It just makes me feel really bad because I don’t want to make my PI’s life harder by leaving early but I really really want to move on. I’m craving the financial and geographic stability to feel comfortable thinking about putting down roots and getting a dog and having kids and all that. (I know people do care for pets & kids during the postdoc life but it’s not something I feel like I personally could manage well.) I just feel really frustrated by the whole system of short-term, not-well-paid postdocs, where you get hired to do work but it’s not a stable long-term job and you’ll probably have to move again when it’s over and the pay sucks given that you’ve probably just spent 5 years making a just-enough-for-one-young-healthy-person stipend, but also you’re expected to be super productive for the sake of your PI’s lab and to be the one who actually does the work for a grant that your PI can’t do because they’re too swamped writing more grants… Ugh!!! I really, really like my PI as a person and I hate inconveniencing him but I just don’t want to tread water career- and life-wise for another whole year. 1) As long as your PI is a decent person, they will be excited for you and understand leaving. Postdocs are inherently temporary positions that basically exist to get us into permanent positions - getting this job now versus a year from now just means you've been successful! x4 OP) Thanks so much, that's the perspective I needed. I lost sight of the fact that these are expected to be springboard positions but the reminder calmed me down lol. 2) I took a 1-yr postdoc that only existed because someone else left after a year (it had 2 years' funding to analyze an existing dataset). The situation was definitely not ideal because neither of us really had the time to address the underlying research question given that we were both told to come up with a side project as well. The side projects sort-of got done...I felt bad for a long time about not finishing the main project (the PI published it themselves after a while) but if I failed, so did the other postdoc. And life went on for everyone involved. 3) Just want to reiterate that this is a normal thing, it's understandable to feel some amount of guilt and for the PI to have some concerns over getting the work done, but postdocs are inherently transitory and many PIs will be supportive of their postdocs leaving for permanent positions. 4) Just my thoughts... whether you are in academia or a NGO, you have to put yourself first and what you want will evolve over time. This means that even after getting the permanent job, some shit can still change / evolve, you will have to put yourself first. This is the advice I gave a postdoc who like OP left PI's lab early. Its not your job to take care of the PI. Its your job to take care of you. Its best if you can get as honest as possible about what you want and then pivot as needed. 5) Could not agree more with 4). I am also leaving my postdoc position after a year for a faculty job. I also like my PI dearly and the research is amazing but I like the prospect of a permanent job more and my PI is nothing but very happy for me. That's how they should all feel - they have been postdocs themselves and know the stuggles of that life. 6) This has basically already been said, but any PI who is upset that you're leaving a temporary position due to a 'promotion' to a full-time, permanent job is not worth thinking twice about. The PI should be thrilled for you and for themselves- trainees who are moving forward in their careers are nothing but beneficial to the lab group. Congratulations, OP, and don't think twice about making the move. 7) I had a postdoc who suddenly got a job and moved quickly. It sucked not to get more papers together, but was the absolute right choice. If he'd stayed in my lab, we would have run into the pandemic for his job search and he would have been in deep trouble looking for a position. When it happened I didn't hesitate to send him on to his perfect position. I'm still glad he placed well and happy for him. 8) The only reasons postdocs exist is because the job market sucks. It part of the package! OP just do what you can with whatever time you've got left there to help them transition to the next person and don't look back! 9) I agree that any good PI would be happy for you. I'll also add that finding a good job exactly when one position ends is really hard. It seems safe to take an option on the table (esp. that you like!) rather than trying to coordinate one temporary job's hard end date with a permanent job. I was supposed to start a new postdoc and then got a faculty job, and my propsective supervisors were really happy for me to have gotten a permanent job instead. 10) Congrats on the new job offer, OP! Any postdoc position is inherently temporary. I know lots of postdocs who have left their contracts early to take permanent jobs. Sure it sucks to not see things through to the end, but that's the nature of the position! Any decent PI understands this and will be happy for your next step. OP) Thanks so much everyone! Yeah I was feeling bad about not completing what felt like a commitment I made, but you're helping me understand that this is just how it works. The drama in my original post was a bit excessive; I think it contained a lot of my frustration about feeling like I wanted to do the work I felt like I agreed to do, but that the nature of the position didn't really support me. In particular, thanks @7 for the PI perspective. If I were a PI, I like to think I would be delighted for my trainees if they moved forward in their careers, so it's helpful to be reminded that a lot of you think like that too! | |
5 | 7/12/24 8:10 | Bearing the Costs of Interview Travel | 7/18/24 18:57 | OP) Is it normal to have to bear the cost of interview travel? I just got back from a campus interview and thought all of the arrangements had been made up front. But on my layover home, I realized that the University hadn't actually paid for the hotel they booked for me. It was late and I really needed to rest so I just ended up putting the bill on my personal card rather than argue with the receiptionist that it was supposed to already be paid for.... And then I am now looking at my credit card receipts and realizing the rental car company also charged my card instead of the card on file for booking.... I sent an email to the administrrator asking how they wanted to proceed (either reimbursement or trying to get the charges transferred through the company) but they are now not responding. Its got me wondering if the origianl expectation was actually for me to pay for all this? Its a little bit frustrating and feels a bit awkward to navigate. 1) Short answer is no, this is not typical. It is somewhat common to pay out-of-pocket and then get reimbursed for some/all expenses but I have only ever heard of a handful of cases where interview travel was not paid by the university. 2) P-card admin gets really awkward sometimes, and if they don't pull up the right documents it looks unpaid. So they ask you to pay and then there's an admin clusterf trying to untangle it. Email the department chair and the search chair. "I thought these costs were covered by the department. It seems that there was a mistake with billing....I'm sure the department would want to help straighten this out." It's 90% chance that the admin got messed up between the dept and the hotel. 10% or less they were trying to make you pay. x3 3) depends where the university is located. US interviews typically pay for everything, but UK interviews have shafted me and only provided partial reimbursements or withheld them altogether when an offer was declined. 4) To echo previous comments, it would be virtually unheard of for a reputable US or Canadian university to expect you to cover any of your own expenses -- but reimbursement is not too unusual. In other countries -- well, it's kind of all over the place! (FWIW, the one time I interviewed in the UK all my expenses were covered -- but they did make me ask about getting reimbursed for the flight!) 5) @ 4 I have had schools do things like buy flight tickets for me BUT University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign had me pay for my own costs up-front and then took about 9 months to reimburse after I declined the postdoc employment offer they made. They're a pretty reputable school, despite being in the US. | |
6 | 7/5/24 8:28 | Title IX complaint process will outlive my contract | 7/8/24 6:31 | I filed a formal complaint almost a year ago now. The investigation seems to have been completed - or at least, for many months I am no longer being asked for my invovlment. Yet there is still no determination and no timeline for when a determination will be made; no information provided in response to my inquiries. Is it paranoia to think the reason for the delay is to somehow protect the respondant? 2) If the respondant didn't get a lawyer then they are an outrageous fool. Legal discussions take lots of time with back and forth between the university and the person accused. Their lawyer would normally argue against evidence claiming it was false, biased, or inadmissable because it violates some procedure (not saying any of those are true but it's legal strategy). Once evidence is clear, they would argue to reinterpret, reframe, or argue no harm was done even if it was. Then when you get to potential guilt and punishment they would argue over the language in the final report and the penatlies. One jerk at our school actuallly argued that the faculty handbook only says that they could punish someone for harassing an undergrad, not that they will. So it's unreasonable for him to imagine his career might be damaged over these actions. Ludicrous, time wasting, and really the hope is often that the university just drops it all part way through claiming nothing is proven. I do think the office will have to make a final report if you went on record. The delay may actually indicate they are still pursuing it seriously rather than the opposite. I hope it goes well for you. If they haven't offered you appropriate accommodation in the meantime, you might consider trying to find a lawyer of your own. If you are in some kind of union, talk to your rep and ask if they can provide representation. This really is what they are supposed to do on your behalf. 3) Definitely not paranoid. I've heard similar stories. The technical term for this is "institutional betrayal" 4) I consulted with a lawyer about Title IX at my previous institution - she gave great advice that Title IX functions to assign blame and protect the institution. One thing universities will do is slow it down so administrators can informally warn the accused and give them time to move. If they move pre-finding the problem 'goes away'; can't comment on ongoing personnel issues and can't investigate a former employee. It absolutely sucks but all we can do is educate others. I'm really sorry you're going through this. OP) Thanks everyone - just to clarify - the formal complaint I filed has already been officially filed and the procedure is underway. The admin here offered me a way to escape the respondant (although the offer was not billed as such) and I subsequently got a better job at a different institution. At the rate the investigation process is going, it seems likely I'll have separated from my current institution before a determination has been reached. Respondant doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but then again I wouldn't necessarily have insight into their hypothetical move before it would become public knowledg | |
7 | 6/14/24 10:41 | microaggressions | 7/16/24 9:36 | I am in a new position. The microaggressions in this department are a lot. Noone wants to work on collaborative projects. There is no social scene either. Support staff ignore my emails. If I raise issues with the supervisor, they frequently start by blaming me and gaslighting. Then they might try to look into it. Its not consistent though. In my formal review, I raised some of my struggles and nothing was done to address them. Anyone have thoughts on how to deal with this? 1) I can't say if these are microaggressions or just a general poor attitude but departments range from at least pretending to try to enact best practices to full-on dysfunctional workplaces with employees unwilling to accomodate change. If it's the latter, the easiest way to improve things is through attrition. If they are identity microaggressions, one always risks making things worse by filing complaints, unfortunately. It gets tiring but persistence and leading by positive example might help. 2) Just be careful you're not the one attrited 3). TBH if you can't see it changing it might be best to look elsewhere, overtime in an exhausting and unsupported position you just get cynical etc 4) Everything that doesn't go your way isnt a "microaggression" or "gaslighting" x6 5) Leave the collaboration and social issues alone in formal discussions. They suck, but they aren't officially the responsibility of the department. Most of my collabs are outside my uni. Instead of you (jr faculty) going to the staff supervisor, you probably need to go to your own dept chair. The supervisor is acting to protect their staff whether rightly or wrongly. There is little you can say to change their position if they dig in. Your chair on the other hand can and is supposed to find solutions with offices across campus. They can use their clout to work with the supervisor to find a system for future requests and perhaps an MOU about what responsibilities they have and how quickly they need to respond. That may in fact already exist, and if the chair can pull up the info the solution may be fast. Whatever you do, document EVERYTHING in a log book. Be prepared to pull up emails when they try to blame you. Stay strong and I hope it gets better. 6) A point of consideration is whether you are in a state that has one party consent for recording conversations or a state that has two party consent. My transcripts of (legally) recorded conversations form some of the strongest basis of a Title IX complaint. I hope you do not need to go down this path, but I advise careful documentation in the spirit of @5, as I now wish I had taken the effort to document more, earlier in order to protect myself in the event things went truly sideways 5 again) Check the university policy as well as the laws. Some employers make one sided recording a fireable offense even if it's technically legal. 6) A minor addition I learned after changing institutions a few times: some people are in fact competent and willing to help but just don't do email well. I found more success (results, and even better email responsiveness) after I started dropping by in person to see them, or started using the telephone, which is still awkward for me. 7) It's the case that in *most* departments, people don't collaborate well, there is no social scene, and staff don't always respond to emails. None of this is surprising or out of the ordinary. 1) @ 7 precisely - there's not enough context to justify using "microagressions" unless a microagression is anything that anyone doesn't like. (8) Doesn't seem helpful to police people's posts on the venting tab. They're asking for advice, not a jury trial. 9) @ 8 and that advice ranges from full-on formal complaint to "suck it up and learn how to deal with people" depending on what's actually happening. OP) Here is the outcome: Higherups found my complaints to be justified as I was asking for someone to solve very minimal/ menial tasks that are relatively quickly executed. I have been assigned folks who will assist from here on out. Higher level personnel were appalled at responses I documented when I asked for help. In terms of no collaborations, it isn't a crime yes, but the higher-level folks found this also unacceptable because of the unique description of some of the jobs assigned to us. In short, people were hired to work on specific goals - all of which were not happening due to lack of cooperation. I am hopefully now connected to people who are a lot more nice :) (of course only time will tell). Thanks to those with constructive specific feedback. | |
8 | 6/4/24 12:24 | Giving feedback to candidates not hired | 7/10/24 5:58 | I used to give feedback to candidates that got on campus interviews but we did not hire them. After this round chairing a search I am ending this policy. Ive found most the candidates have been extremly rude, yes its tough you got rejected but we didnt hire you and the committee wont change their mind if you push back against the feedback. Learn and apply again if a position opens up. 1) I get where this frustration is coming from, and I think a lot of this behavior is egged on by things like this spreadsheet, where people tend to come to the least charitable conclusions about how the process works or what's happening behind the scenes based on often baseless speculation. However - I strongly urge you to reconsider your stance. You are in a position of power over hundreds of people who feel like they're helplessly struggling against invisible forces and constantly getting rejected. It wears on the candidates too. The point of doing things like this should not be to make you feel better, but to show candidates a glimmer of grace and understanding admist this. Rude replies or not, they still don't have a job (plus they now burned a bridge) and you have yours. x9 2) @OP What was the form of the feedback, and did it align with the reasonable expectations of the applicants? Did the eventual hire match the advertised description? That said, any feedback is better than most. 3) Can you give us a fictitious example? Does their response look more like a rebuttal to reviews? Or does it insult the faculty at the institution? Regardless, if you are on the receiving end of rejection emails, the best response is a bland "Thanks for letting me know." There is one school where I wish I could have given feedback about how rude a search committee member was to me in our 1 on 1 meeting, but in the end I was sure it wouldn't get me the job. 4) Sorry OP, I dont have much sympathy for you... they shouldnt be rude and it sucks that they are ofc, but put on your grown up pants and suck it up. These people lost out on a job, probably by a very narrow margin and for an arbitary reason as with most academic jobs, after investing dozens of hours into prep and interview. The least you can do is tolerate 15 mins of discomfort to throw them a tiny bone of feedback. x3 5) I actually find the OP's experience surprising, which makes me question how the "feedback" was delivered. Feedback that is not solicited may feel like being kicked while you're down if it is also in the same message that says you didn't make the cut. In our recent searches we have sent kind emails simply telling the applicants that they were not selected and thanking them for taking the time to share their work, etc. Every applicant responded politely and gracefully, and not a single one of them requested feedback. So many departments ghost applicants after interviews, which can be discouraging and could even be considered "rude". The least we can do is make sure they know where they are in the process, and if you are able to provide feedback let them know that they can ask for it. 6) Echoing others' curiosity here as to the nature of the feedback and what constituted rudeness in the response. I wonder if applicants are hearing in the feedback aspects of their interview or prior career productivity that they maybe reasonably perceive as outside their control; this might lead them to push back against those aspects being used in their evalution, or advocate for opportunities to describe challenges they've faced as part of the formal interview process. Or perhaps if the feedback was about a different candidate better meeting expectations in the job post, then questions about how clearly those expectations were articulated in the job post could come up. 7) Procedurally, the feedback should reflect the full consensus of the committee and be signed off by everyone. That usually would prevent rudeness or personal comments in the decision. Maybe OP can consider how so-called feedback is drafted and submitted? OP) When I send the email that we hired someone else (I try to get that out before the automated one and as soon as the candidate signs), I usually tell the candidates I would be happy to give feedback if they want to have a phone call. This year I told one candidate that they had a a weaker teaching demo and suggested they do more active learning (as our prompt asked), this solicited a list of reasons why active learning is bad pedagogy from the candidate. The other candidate we didnt hire accused me of having an "agenda" after I suggested they go into more depth on how they would recruit under-represented groups into their lab. I think the comment was "Well isnt that a fun agenda you push"). All this was based on the committee discussions. Deffinitly in the past Ive had better experiences with this but these two candidates this year really are making me re-consider this particualrly as our HR doesnt like us doing this. I do this as a professional curtesy because I also want to not burn bridges with folks who I know are feeling dissapointed. We have a lot of discussion on this board about how awful search committees and the process can be (and they are) but I think we also need to be our best as applicants and keep our own cool when we apply to things. 8) Agree with others who have said the nature of the feedback matters. In one case, I received an email from the search chair that they would call me tomorrow (no other information). I assumed that it was an offer, as that's sometimes how offers come. Instead I was rejected live on the phone. I didn't react as well as one would hope, but it's hard to do that when you are totally shocked and it's happening live. So I agree, please don't force live feedback on anyone because they may need a little time to get over it before responding. Asynchronous, however, is a more mixed bag. I haven't actually found any of those to be useful in an actionable way, but some people might. 7again) Sounds like you didn't miss out on those candidates, OP!! Sounds like legit feedback to me. x2 9) I would have appreciated this sort of offer for feedback. I did ask last year for feedback from my single in-person invite (did not get the offer, obviously), and I found the feedback very useful and thanked the committee member for taking the time. I didn't feel like I had the same opportunity to ask this year, but I also got an offer so not worth pursuing at this point. Sorry you had that experience, OP. I suspect lots of people - like me - would find that constructive and appreicate you taking the time. Also, hard agree that you don't need to be rejected over the phone! 10) PLEASE reconsider this. If you read in this very venting tab, maybe 20% of overall posts and comments are postdocs who are depressed they get ghosted and never hear any construtive feedback for YEARS. Its a black hole of career death. I recently got my first actual feedback following a zoom interview and I almost cried I was so happy to hear something. THATS how tough it is out here. If someone responds to feedback as a jerk, pat yourself on the back you didn't hire them. Most of us will be very gracious I promise. Also agree with others that an email giving the bad news and offering critical feedback if wanted would be the best way to receive this--even the best of us might react poorly if told on the phone we were out when we thought it could be an offer. 11) Agree with 10. I'll go further and say this whole "not by phone" is also nonsense on par with the current "I need uber eats because my social anxiety means I can't leave the house" or "I need self-checkout because my social anxiety means I can't face a cashier" discourse on SM. Grow up. 2again) Thanks OP, that feedback seems reasonable, sorry some people reacted poorly. I've submitted 80+ apps and had about a dozen zoom interviews with no in-person interviews or feedback of any kind, so I'd love the opportunity for some feedback and also suggest you keep it up. @8 If I was told to expect a phone call and it was a rejection I don't think I'd respond well either! I guess the chair's being collegial, which is to be applauded, but it sets up the wrong expectation given the habits of most SCs. 12) I agree with 10) Most of us would have died for feedback like this. It is hard when you do not get the job, and even harder when you do not know why and the feeling that you are not good enough just keeps coming and coming. Without feedback, the only thing I can think of is how bad I am compared to my peers, which is not good. OP) You are making a difference by providing feedback and ideas on how to improve next time. 13) Feedback is largely useless unless A) you are doing something really stupid or B) you are likely to apply to same school again. A huge part of an interview is pure luck that you didn't accidentally do something that raised a flag. I knew one search committee member who was concerned because the candidate had chewed his nails really short (not during the interview, but the nails were noticeable). Another person had a microsoft update in middle of speech back when microsoft just launched them without warning. Another had allergies and came off as sickly, another had flight re-roughted due to storms and showed up with no luggage in street clothes without sleep for 48 hrs. ANything can happen, most of it you won't be aware of, and most of it has nothing to do with you. If you are one of the two or three finalists, its just who made the fewest mistakes or had the better luck. 14) If you are on an SC and hear stupid arguments about nail biting, lost luggage, or allergies, for heavens sake fight back. It's a stupid reason to bail on a hire. If there are real reasons the faculty should be able to articulate them. (said without judgement at 13 who simply describes how the dysfunction is). x3 15). I got the offer of feedback after just missing the position (final two and got more info when they were advertising for another position and wanted me to apply for that), politely declined feedback as I was busy with things and was saddened to miss it-regretted it later when applying for another position in the same department, I think offering feedback can be very helpful and well intentioned, but may come across as patronising etc, so I think if I were advertising I would only offer it if they requested it rather than a blanket offer 16) @13 I finally know why I can't get a position: I am biting my nails!!! makes so much more sense now :) 17) it sucks to think that something as minor/petty as nail biting can be a deciding factor, but honestly it might be the only thing SCs can differentiate finalists by. The final 2-3 candidates are usually all excellent fits in terms of the things that actually matter. 17) I honestly think I didn't get one job because I am a cat person rather than a dog person. I got this question at a dinner, said I liked cats and three faculty went on for half an hour about dogs - needless to say has nothing to do with my ability to do science. 18) @17 oh god my worst nightmare of a convo. but I also bite my nails so, doubly cursed to be on this board forever! 19) From the perspective of someone who has been through >10 TT searches I can say that petty things like cats vs dogs or biting nails have never been a part of any discussion, formal or otherwise. Lots of things may rub individuals the wrong way and candidates sink themselves in lots of ways, but these are not among them. 20) but if they don't like my cats, then they will find a reason not to like my science when we all know it was laways about my cats! x2 21) I'm wondering of 13 has ever asked for feedback on their applications from colleagues/mentors, surely feedback can be useful outside of this reductive perspective. 22) 13 has absolutely no idea how interviews work lol. Feedback has pretty much always been useful for me even when I didn't make "mistakes". There is alot at play and any/all awareness of the myriad factors (postive or negative) helps with future interviews. | |
9 | 6/4/24 2:28 | Faculty not priority in university daycare | 7/25/24 5:30 | I have two little kids (one preschool age and one still too young for proper preschool) and the university daycare doesn't prioritize faculty. Students get priority even though I put my kids on the waitlist the week I accepted the offer. My offer came too late to get my kid into the public preK4 system. I've tried multiple preschools at this point and nothing. It's so frustrating. I'm a woman, and I get that it's important for students to have access, but it feels like if I'm new faculty with two little kids asking in April for something in August that I should be prioritized. Something will probably work out in the end, but moving into a new TT job with 2 little kids, I'm super frustrated that my university daycare can't help and this is just one more thing on a very long list that I need to navigate. x2 2) This seems really unusual. I agree student stipends make subsidized child care a priority, but almost every school that has this works it out for faculty. I'd start looking around for other faculty who moved in the past 5 years. There may be someone in admin who can move you up the list, you just haven't found them yet. It's ridiculous to expect someone to handle the new position without some kind of solution for childcare. And you cannot be the first faculty at their institution in this situation, even if you may be first in your department. 3) As new faculty (not with kids), theres lot of stuff that we surprisingly don't have access to and theres a lot of hoops to jump through even to get simple things like account numbers. I hope things will work out soon and painlessly for you, but atleast what I'm finding so far is that there is a constant undercurrent of not being priortized by admin (or others) leading me to always be putting out fires. 4) Ha, we're not even priorities for getting a parking pass where I am, not to mention daycare. The students come first, for sure. 5) unfortunately, not unusual at all. The waitlists at schools are ridiculous, particularly universty daycares, no matter where you work. I have a 5 year old and we were two years on the waitlist for our pre-k, by the time we were offered a spot we had moved on to kindergarten.6) why would faculty be prioritized over other employees of the university? especially given that faculty are already among the highest paid employee designations? I agree it sucks that they dont have enough room, but I dont see why faculty should jump above your tyipical admin, research scientist, instructor, counselor, etc, not to mention students of course. x29) 100% agree with 6. If you want to complain about it, complain that the university doesn't provide enough infrastucture to match the size of it's entire student + employee population's needs. If spaces are limited at the university daycare, they absolutely should go to students and staff who get paid less than faculty anyway. Or at the very least, faculty shouldn't be prioritized and allowed to get ahead in line. 8) The only argument for priority is that unlike most admin/professional staff who are hired locally, faculty relocate from across the country (or internationally!) and have to find new childcare on short notice (short notice on the timescale of family planning, anyway; we had ours on the daycare list in the first trimester). OP) I mostly agree with some of the latter points, as 8 points out - I am moving across an ocean in a 4 month time frame and I already have 2 little kids who need care. There is no better "planning" that I could have done to avoid this. I'm also a woman who had 2 kids so I've already been hit with career pauses and delays to my research that have cost me opportunities. This is obviously not on that scale, but it is frustrating to spend hours researching centers, contacting people, and waiting for responses, all the while knowing that there is a place on campus that is among the best options in the city. Though yes, obviously, I wish they had the infrastructure in place to support all students, staff, and faculty! (And please no one tell me that it was my choice to have kids and I'm not allowed to discuss my frustrations on the literal venting tab...) (6) totally get that you are frustrated. but researching childcare, etc, is also stuff other employees have to do if they dont have a spot, and 4 month lead time is a long time compared to what "local", non-widely recruited jobs get. And, they dont have the schedule flexibility and lack of strict oversight TT faculty almost always have. I'm just trying to push back a bit on the notion that an already very highly-privileged job category should get even more, or should always get more. It really irks me, so I'm venting, too. 9) Have you tried talking with other faculty, etc. about what options they used? In my experience relocating for a postdoc and now my current faculty job, word of mouth was helpful for identifying good care options (which often don't have great web presence for smaller operations). We did end up getting our younger child in the university child care center. It's good for convenience but there's no real financial benefit (here at least). 10). going to push back on those questioning priority- if you are immigrating you lose access to family to help out and step in, and don't have the same local network as locals-who also have a much longer timeframe to plan moving there and what to do with kids. I would say just say that places should be part of your package, and potentially delay moving until they can secure a space-normally universities can expedite these things if they are made to prioritise it, and for people who have not moved internationally for work-it is very challenging, and one reasons the pipeline is so leaky for women is that moving with a family is so tough 11) @ 10 you're right, and it's also true that women in STEM don't deserve those spots any more than do students as you're essentially asking for more leaks in the early part of the pipeline that you already survived. 12)@10 that's a lot of asumptions about the "locals", or should I say "the poors"? as they are, comparatively, in this example. I guess I need more indoctrination about how singular and *special* each TT faculty member is, how *deserving* they are of all of the privileges, how *hard* their lives are. We students and postdocs and other university employees just couldnt possibly understand, right? *vomit* x4 13) I have so many mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, my general feeling is that employers should always support employees with parental responsibilities. On the other hand, students are usually poor and need more help than profs which makes universities more complex than typical employers. In any case, I sympathize with you, OP, and hope something works out for you. 14) Full disclosure I'm a female student with a child but I feel like the priority is not really the issue, the problem is more just that we don't have sufficient childcare in our society generally. This is a huge huge huge issue and tends to impact women more but I don't really think it makes any sense to argue over who is more deserving of priority. All the daycares are full anyways and with that demand, they don't have a very good incentive to keep an ordered waitlist. Persistence is key. 15) @14 well said! I was in a similar situation as OP when I accepted my faculty job (that and my university's daycare doesn't take kids until they are 3 and I had a 2.5 yr old)... I ended up having to drive an extra 1.5h out of the way because in my relatively large city, that was the only daycare with spots that wasn't like "Granny Jo's Baby Barn". I accepted my contract less than one month from when I had to start work and was notified that I would get an offer about 6 weeks before the cross-country move. My coming late/leaving early was brought up in my annual faculty review, despite my having published the most papers of anyone in the dept that year. Women academics with or without children will never be taken seriously until we take childcare seriously as a society. | |
10 | 5/28/24 9:49 | PI applying for same positions | 6/27/24 1:09 | My PI is applying for jobs to negotiate for a better offer at his current institution, unfortunately some of the same ones I have applied for (in my second postdoc), he is getting interviews and I am not. I can’t compete with someone who has had a lab for many years and essentially feel that assistant/associate positions don’t allow new people to get in the door AND that this negotiation tactic wastes everyone’s time. Bums me out. 1) been there. sorry you're in that position. it's so messed up that people have to go get another offer to get a retention offer -- sets up these really uncomfortable dynamics. i hope your PI has been honest and supportive despite the circumstance :( (3) Happened to me, too, and he dragged on negotiations forever with one place where I was second, then took a job at another. By the time the first place finished negotating with him they couldn't offer to me. 4) As always on this board and in life, individuals have to and generally will only do what is best for them - but in this particular context it's also 100% inarguably a douchebag move. x4 5) I don't know why the dept chair wouldn't pull the offer before the position closed. 6) I think you need to get a new PI. 7) @6 so you want the OP to do a third postdoc instead of getting a faculty position? 8) A story that may provide some hope. I know someone who was a postdoc and their PI was applying for some of the same jobs, and in this case it was the postdoc who got the offer, and NOT their PI. 9) This happened to me. I made a document of all the positions I was applying to and my advisor seems to have used it to identify positions that he could apply to. He also refused to write letters of recommendation for me for the positions he also applied to. I spoke with another committee member who I trused and he took on the role of "main advisor" for letter writing purposes and addressed this situation in his letter. I was able to obtain a TT job in a good location so it worked out but it was SO stressful while it was happening and I'm sorry to hear this is also happening to others. 10) If I knew a PI refused a letter for a postdoc on an open rank search with a clear COI, I'd argue to make them unhirable. There is no reason for that trash. x2 11) @10 refusing to write the letter seems harsh, but is the only ethical way to navigate that situation imo. Could you imagine if they wrote the letter but made it shitty to sabotage their trainee? 12)@11, writing shitty letters to sabatoge the trainee has happened to three people I know - they didn't know about it for two cycles until someone on one of the search committees told them about it - the PI wanted them to stay in their lab and slave away for more years. 11) @12, oh I'm aware! Luckily nothing like that has happened to me, but I also know people with horror stories... | |
11 | 5/24/24 12:03 | Starting to get really nervous now | 6/9/24 14:06 | I defended my PhD back in July of 2023 and have been applying for positions since February of 2023. I had like one month of nothing, but was lucky enough to get a 1/2 time postdoc in October, which became full time when another professor agreed to cover the other half of my pay since I was working for and learning from him. However, all this funding runs out in August, and after over a year of applying I have not had any offers. The position I'm in was for 2-3 months at a time that kept getting extended. I know I'm good in my field, but I keep ending up as the second choice. Everybody wants more modeling experience which I can't gain without getting to work it on more in a position. I know for postdocs luckily May - Mid July things get announced often, but I'm terrified of being jobless in 2+ Months. All of these rejections and "you're research is great, and you will excel in this field" without an offer are just making the impostor syndrome even worse. 1) I can feel you! I almost emperienced an unemployed period too. Availability of positions is just so random and unpredictable. Fortunately I found postdoc PIs who are willing to have people from somewhat similar backgrounds w/ different skills, and I'm sorry that you have been encountering people who aren't. 2) I have also experienced periods close to unemployment. Have you looked at ECOLOG-L, Texas A and M job board, iddjobs.org, EvolDir and all possible fellowships on https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/? There is also the OWLINDEX: https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=399634992850006&id=100084105254662&paipv=0&eav=AfZv-YhT5mxF7bDsZ3fn4Cri5mSX_8TMj4Dwvwspi_9DHRIEED0WRr80W1KRjgRQNu4&_rdr. Another possibility is lifesciences.net (https://www.lifescience.net/jobs/postdoc-jobs/), Nature career both USA and UK too (https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/jobs/postdoctoral/united-states/) (https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/jobs/postdoctoral/united-states/), other site for UK postdocs (https://www.jobs.ac.uk/categories/postdoc-jobs/1), Higher education jobs both USA and UK (https://careers.insidehighered.com/jobs/postdoc/) and (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listings/united-kingdom/postdocs/). Here is chronicles of higher ED (https://jobs.chronicle.com/jobs/north-america/post-doc/). And a new one I'm still exploring is: https://jobrxiv.org/job-category/postdoc/. I am a modeller myself and if I can afford a postdoc, I will post an ad in the postdoc jobs tab. Good luck! I am rooting for you. OP) I have been searching the first few you suggested, but I was not aware of many of these resources, thank you! I've got several applications sent out or in progress so I am still hopeful and not giving up yet. Thank you to both you and 1 for the kind words. | |
12 | 5/23/24 18:16 | Someone with EVEN MORE skills | 7/4/24 11:46 | I just got the worse rejection email from a place I wasn't serious about and that I interviewed for many months back over zoom. "Though you have many of the skills we believe are important to be successful in this position, we found the other candidate to have even more of the skills and experience we need at this time." Sounds like emails from early mentees before I check with them on how to send emails. I got an offer for a dream job so I just laughed but if this was my first year applying, I would be crushed so sharing here for reference 1) I've mostly gotten rejections like that from HR, not from faculty. 2) TBH I would welcome a rejection written by Chat GPT because it's better than ghosting x2 (3) I advise you to never read a rejection letter from a Swedish institution after interviewing for a dream job. "Candidate X was judged to be much more qualified than Y, who was in turn much more qualified than Z, who was in turn highly qualified compared to you." 4) Every European job I applied for claimed they would send this style rejection from HR, but not one of them ever did. I don't get it. 5) you guys are getting rejection emails? I am 0/5 after zoom interviews of ever hearing back--including in my own department. 6) I can't believe how badly written some rejection emails are, just take two minutes to be considerate. Don't take it too personally. 7) The best/worst rejection so far came from the following email "discard@XXX" (I am not putting the entire email, but it was a job in Europe, and I got it after the in-person interview). 8) I particularly enjoyed the (very late) boilerplate form rejection email from a search run by my former advisor. 9) It's all so painful. Some of these posts made me laugh because it's relatable and unfortunate. Last year I got a rejection email from a department chair that had "Hi XXXX" then down two lines, "Dear [my name]". From posting on this board, I saw that anonymous person "XXXX" had gotten the same exact email with their and my names together. I guess at least the department chair decided to email us at all? I think some universities won't let committees email out until a search is closed. Nevertheless, the whole market and application process is a huge and traumatizing time suck. | |
13 | 5/23/24 11:07 | Interview Attire | 6/15/24 5:37 | Doe anyone have suggestions for appropriate interview attire for a campus visit? As a female presenting person, I struggle to walk the line between too formal and too casual. Any recommendations for outfits, brands etc would be great! 2) I found the blog phdinclothes.com to be really helpful with this! For my two day interview, I ended up wearing a dressy, black silk short-sleeved blouse from Everlane, vintage dark green wool slacks, and a camel blazer from Quince on the first day when I gave my research seminar, and a vintage long-sleeved silk blouse, black blazer from Banana Republic via Poshmark, and plaid, tan wool pants from Everlane on the second day. Both days I wore black loafers (pack bandaids for blisters, RIP my ankles), and I carried my laptop etc. in a black leather bag from Madewell that I got cheap on Poshmark. I hope that's helpful!!! 3) Also female-presenting, I wore a very nice used fitted tweed blazer with a tucked in neutral gray t-shirt, dark slacks, and oxford shoes. I felt like the t-shirt dressed it down a little bit in a way that made me more comfortable (I would have felt awkward in a full suit), but the overall look still was put-together in a way that seemed respectful of the occasion. This was in the winter - might be trickier in warm weather. 4) I went a bit more casual than others on this forum. I wore a sleeveless blouse with a light sweater over it (no blazer, as I'm already tall and broad and this makes me feel self-conscious), fitted black pants, nice but casual boots. 5) It really depends on the place/weather. At an ultra fancy place in Europe, wore a matching pinstripe blazer/pencil skirt (vintage, from my mom) with black 3 inch ankle boots. In the northeast I wore different sheath dresses, usually from ModCloth/Anthro (with statement jewelry on main talk day), solid black tights, and the same ankle boots. In SoCal I wore black jeggings (they look like real pants, I'm curvy so pants are a problem), a chambray sleeveless blouse, and non matching black blazer (both from J Crew). 6) I aim for professional, but simple - I generally wear a blazer, but don't have a full suit and opt for sleeveless blouses becuse I have broader shoulders. I'm a big fan of Loft for interview clothes and an even bigger fan of finding stuff at consignment shops. If there's a fancy neighborhood in your town that has a thirft/consignment store, start there. Hopefully there will be a range of brands & options so you can figure out what you like. 7) Some of the interview clothes stores like Banana Republic offer student (and teacher) discounts if you ask. Make sure you are comfortable with your entire outfit, including clothes, because discomfort can affect your stress levels and how you come across. OP: Thanks all! This is super helpful! 8). I try for smart casual, on the grounds that I want them to accept me for me, and if I am uncomfortable I will perform less well. I feel very self-concious if I try to dress up, so I would rather be a little less smart, and know I will be confident in what I present-and if that's not what they want, it's not the right place for me anyway. Remember in ecology- we're practical people, it's better to feel comfortable and confident when you're already stressed, and if they judge you for that-it's on them | |
14 | 5/8/24 11:22 | Ghosted after in-person | 6/16/24 5:21 | It's been three months since I shook hands with all of them, I haven't heard a word, I guess the top candidates they offered to are giving them hell 2) Not necessarily. I have been ghosted by several this cycle where I know for a fact that the top candidate has already signed and everything is wrapped up. Still no contact. OP) I guess I meant to say I *hope* they are giving them hell... 3) Last year, after an on-campus interview I didn't hear anything for about 5 months. Then the search committee chair emailed me (responding to my "thank you" email) and basically said, "I suppose by now that you've figured it out that we made an offer to another candidate...". No "it was nice to meet you, best of luck". And I'm not even a jerk or anything. OP) yeah if it is not literally in their job description or committee charter, they won't do it. 4) similar experiences here. Its wild to me and I don't understand the consistency of this interaction. By and large, most academics I meet at conferences or in my department tend to be warm, friendly, and polite. WHY then is the ghosting/complete lack of empathy or effort so pervasive in the hiring process?? I have no answers. 5) I kinda see this as similar to "making things better/more equitable" in general - lots of talk about being better, more humane, etc., but no real effort. 6) @4+5 there was someone on a SC who commented in one of the long below threads about how its a lot of work and just kinda falls off their plate. I called that person out that thats absolutely inhumane and ridiculous, and they never replied. I'm shocked people who are on SCs can have enough time to show up and comment on this board but not actually send like 5 f**king emails to candidates. x3 5) @ 6 100%. It's all weak excuse BS from people who will talk about "networking" but then behave like that. 7) Yeah, this SUCKS. Happened to me after an on-campus interview last year and I've still never received a rejection, formal or informal. It's a horrible practice. 8) I want to know where (4) has been where academics are warm, friendly and polite! I feel warm, friendly, and polite is an exception. Even if they seem nice at first, they are just waiting to show their claws and cool disregard 5). It does depend where, in Germany or Italy the wait can be years, I withdrew from 1 search I knew I was final 2 in after 8 months post interview, even then it was several more before the other candidate got an offer as it had to get State approval too | |
15 | 5/1/24 23:28 | Don't ever tell an applicant they're the first choice | 7/2/24 9:01 | This happened to me at an on-campus interview. It was the strongest interview I've had. My talk was great, the interpersonal interactions were great, I loved the city, and then, crickets. Luckily I got another offer that was a better professional fit, but I'm still grumpy about it. I appreciate the advice the faculty member was trying to give me but I am still befuddled as to what went wrong. Did someone else just sweep them off their feet? Was I too straightforward about being concerned about their resources to continue my research? I just don't know. I realize it doesn't matter at this stage, but the experience has left me feeling a bit sour. 2) that sucks. I'm sorry. I would assume that they were being honest and you were indeed that person's favorite. Unfortunately, sometimes the top candidate doesn't always get the job due to disagreements between SC members or weird internal policts. This whole process is random and it blows. At least you got an offer somewhere though 3) Haha @OP: I was told during my interview that I was first choice even though they wanted someone with a slightly different research profile that could make the department an authority in one area. 4) story of my life this cycle.. 2/3 rejections were along the lines of "you were really awesome, but we really needed someone to teach X (which I clearly could not teach) so we hired someone else".. thanks for wasting my time. 5) I feel you! It's exactly how I've been feeling, though noboday said explicitly I was the first (or whichever) choice. Turns out that even if they did it wouldn't be reliable anyway...6) I've gotten "you were the second choice" and really getting tired of "you have a great skillset" "you have a bright future" "everyone loved your interview". . . "but we needed someone with more skills in [insert either a skill you can pick up in a month or is so highly specialized to only their research" 7) Can also be that some faculty think that all of the other faculty think like them (and/or they overestimate their power). They loved you, but that doesn't mean everyone did. 8) Last year the department chair said that my talk had been the best evolution talk he had ever seen. The department then ghosted me. This year a faculty member said "I hope you take this trip more as a recruitment than an interview". I instantly thought, oh not again. But I did get the job.. so I guess it sometimes is ok to say something like that. But I agree that receiving too much information as a candidate is generally not helpful. 9) One of my best rejections was "you did the best in everything, but other factors influenced the decision" 10) I had one rejection almost exactly like that 9. So frustrating. (OP) Thanks for the commiserating, everyone. I think what bothers me so much is that I know there is so much stochasticity in who gets jobs, but being told "you are the number 1 choice. They (the committee) really want you" and then no offer, it makes me feel like I must have done something horribly wrong. I know that's not necessarily the case, but it forces me to internalize the entire experience as a personal failure. Also, I'm lucky I got another offer, because otherwise I would be beating myself up about this constantly, as opposed to just a passing annoyance/frustration that I vent about here. 11) OP, I totally feel you. My first on-campus interview went SUPER well and I got a lot of positive feedback and "I'll vote for yous" and "how can we get you here?"s. Positive feedback is fine (and good!), but empty promises about voting for a candidate are NOT. They're dangerous, lead to false hope...anyways, I was new to interviewing at the time and it really messed with my headspace. Offer went to someone else, which was heartbreaking at the time...in the end, I landed a way better gig and am glad I'm not at that place. 12) This has happened to me, and I twittled my thumbs waiting for my offer, and kept waiting... sucks. 13) LOL this has now happened to me. Other times I thought it went WELL but this one, I went last and the dept chair was like "your talk was by far the best we've seen in any search in years, tell us whatever it would take to get you". Now I'm ghosted for months, the chair could have just...not said those things. No other offer either. - LOL same person updating a few weeks later...received a non answer email from search chair (just them acknowledging my travel schedule email that I sent 4 weeks ago) | |
16 | 5/1/24 18:59 | New role and dealing with "colleagues" | 5/3/24 21:53 | I'm struggling with a new work situation. I was a postdoc in this dept for a long time and now I'm an independent, soft-money PI. While I have more grant money (and papers/citations) than many/most here, I can't pay my entire salary from my grant so I'm stuck assisting with courses in subordinate roles. It's mostly admin and tasks that aren't even useful for the CV. This means that while trying to get my new research program off the ground I have to frequently deal with first-year undergrad dramas, petty admin, sorting out makeup tests for other people's classes, doctor's notes, etc. Sometimes colleagues treat me like a glorified TA or like I'm still my old boss's postdoc, but if I snap back I might lose these semester-by-semester contracts and take a big pay cut. Anyone have any ideas how to better delineate my new role? 1) Sory to hear about the struggles. Are there others in your department or campus in relatively similar roles? Do you have union representatives to speak with (and I know unions vary widely in terms of helpfulness)? What about suggesting ways to move toward offering the courses independently, if that's something you are interested in? Do you have any allies that might help you navigate some of the internal politics? (2) I've learned that the best negotiation strategy is just to explain what you need to get by and make ends meet. Convey that you aren't making ends meet as things are- even just your description above is very compelling. 3) Are you asking how to delinate your role in assisting with courses, or how to get enough funding to pay yourself without neededing to assist with courses? If the former, I'd agree with @1 along the lines of looking at union protections, contract language, and soft conversations with the instructor of record about your role. Then again, if a course assistant has no protections against dealing with the sorts of things you're describing, your efforts might be best focused on finding alternate sources of funding so you can focus on your research. Sorry for your situation - it sounds tough. OP) Context:My university fired 10% of faculty and staff last year and everyone's under tight budget rules. The dept chair is trying to be supportive, but doesn't have control of the budget. This teaching job is their way of "helping" me (and the last guy killed himself right before the term started so they needed someone immediately). I'm done with the union, my problems don't register with them in the context of mass layoffs, and the last time I spoke to our rep she told me that I should "leave the sector" because there wasn't a future in it. Beyond money problems, I'm just trying to get some respect within my own dept without fighting for every little thing or being seen as an errand boy. 4) Sorry to hear OP - my sympathies. The only way I've seen people get out of this type of situation is by getting an offer somewhere else, trying to negotiate a better counter situation at home university and/or leaving with the new offer. Not ideal at all and not a short-term solution. Survive for now but apply to leave. x2 | |
17 | 4/30/24 21:11 | The waiting is the hardest part... | 5/22/24 6:54 | Waiting to be on a long list, a short list, the post-interview list. Waiting, waiting, waiting. So much waiting and anxiety. With the outcome largely in the hands of other people. 1) Amor fati. 2) UGH I AGREE. So much waiting and anxiety!!!!!! 3) the worst part is when you just....keep waiting and slowly accept that you are probably ghosted. Now do it 10 times a year and try not to break down 4) I just hate the limbo phase so much. My brain oscillates between "well it's been X amount of time since the interview, obviously you didn't get the job" and "well X amount of time isn't actually all that long, the process so far has moved pretty slowly also, maybe they're still finishing up interviews or the committee is slammed with end of the semester work or somebody's kid is home sick and they haven't gotten to this search or or or" and it's so incredibly unproductive but I can't stop doing it. I interviewed recently for a job I really want and I'm just obsessing over what the passage of time means... like I'll definitely know in a month one way or another but this in-between middle period is agonizing and I can't focus on anything even though I know it makes no sense to think about it constantly... Glad we have a tab for venting! 5) 4 - I could have written everything that you wrote. Exactly word for word! 6) Hear, hear! The searching online for an interpretaion of x days/x weeks from interview; searching for what time of day offers typically come in; loathing a long weekend with no news. | |
18 | 4/19/24 8:13 | Ugh | 8/4/24 21:06 | x1036 1) Man inflation is getting out of control over here. 2) definitely read that as manflation at first and had no idea what to think x2 3) Is that the 15 pounds you gain the first year as faculty?? 4) most of my weight gain as faculty has been in year 4-5. x2 5) yeah I think the first year you're still riding off fit-postdoc life - my 15 pounds set in around year 3. x2 6) My weight gain happened when I was a postdoc. 7) Lol at the 'fit-postdoc life'. | |
19 | 4/18/24 11:41 | Trolling people on their vents | 4/19/24 11:34 | OP) Something that really grinds my gears about users of this site and academic social media in general is how quick and eager so many are to dog-pile someone over their vents. "I don't like this/we should change this" followed by tedious trolling about why they're wrong and one end of the opinion spectrum is better than the other. Just let people vent. 1) Sometimes I feel like they might as well write "nah-nah-nee-boo-boo" in response. Immature. 2) OP you are totally wrong! The best part about this site is the petty bitterness and squabbling in the comments. What a foolish opinion. /s 3) Anonymity seems to breed rudeness sadly, though to be fair, it seems to mostly happen surrounding contentious topics where passions/opinions are heated, don't seem to notice it as much when people are venting about more neutral or just generally frustrating aspects of the job search 4) Not what I observe. Every thread about DEI tends to stay really short, something along the lines of "I wish it was easier to master the complexity of this issue...I agree wholeheartedly; the nuance is overwhelming...fin". OP) @ 4 yes that's a great example of a common, tedious de-railing. 4) They do such a good job of recplicating the dont rock the boat I got mine attitude of current faculty.... they'll fit right in :) How DARE us lowly postdocs/non permenant employees want anything more than the scraps they throw away? x2 | |
20 | 4/17/24 19:29 | How to keep going after years and years of postdoc still without a job? | 4/28/24 15:13 | 1) how many years is years? Around year 2 I started building my own collaborations and unapologetically worked on those projects for a few hours a week. @ 1) more than 5 yrs still without landing a faculty. 2) After more than 5 but less than 20 years postdocing, it's become increasingly clear that i) if it happens at a decent school, it'll be <5 years, and ii) it is fairly easy to get a job at a school you don't want to be at. For point i, the deciding factor is generally beyond any given candidate's control and revolves around different flavours of luck, not quality or output. 3) shouldn't all postdocs spend some time building their own collaborations? as a postdoc, I didn't even think to ask about whether or not I could do that 4) some advisers are not supportive of people they are paying using paid time to do anything other than the work they're paid to do - astonishing, yes but it happens. And then unpaid postdoc time can be taken up by other things - wrapping PhD work, applying to jobs, having a life outside of work... 5) @4 my new boss is that way and it sucks so much. Then again it's not like they watch over my shoulder constantly so they don't know what I'm working on at any given moment. As long as my "paid" projects keep moving forward, they don't have to know that I work on leftover projects on the clock. 4 again) @5 good point. Sometimes expectations around progress are dictated by the funding agency. A lot of federal funding agencies aren't too particular about progress; corporate funders, on the other hand, often have unrealistic expectations about how much can get done, then this can put a lot of pressure on ECR to produce on their timeline 6) I don't think there are 'too' many years as long as you continue to be productive. I did 4 postdocs, 7 years total, and then landed a great job at a R1. It took me a couple of years of postdoc to really get into things and be productive, and so it wouldn't have made sense for me to leave after 3. I only applied to a few jobs (maybe 3?). I think there are many ways to do it, and you have to be opportunistic to what makes sense for you/ your field. | |
21 | 4/17/24 5:25 | Why is salary often hidden? | 4/28/24 15:14 | OP) I just don't understand why they'll post everything in job postings but not salary. Sorry but after working so hard during many postdocs and other positions, I just want to apply for jobs that fit my salary expectations without wasting time going through the application process or interviewing only to find that the salary is not competitive enough. 1) It is annoying, but so many aspects of these jobs are subject to negotiation and are unknowns. Obviously public institution salaries can typically be looked up but not so for privates (Negotiations tab is super helpful for this). Salary was not negotiable for my current job but it was still not indicated in the ad - found out when I interviewed with the dean. 2) https://www.aaup.org/our-work/research/FCS 3) Take those AAUP data with a grain of salt. They are anywhere from 15-40% inflated for my particular institution. Possibly affected by faculty in other colleges (med, law, business) but these are not representative of liberal arts and sciences faculty salaries. 4) Pretty accurate for the few institutions I'm aware of salaries at. I guess it would be easy to check if it is systematically off for eco/evo at public institutions where salary is available. I can see how a big med/law/business school could skew the reporting though. 2) I'm very familiar with salaries from 5 different SLACs and the AAUP survey is right on the money(!) for NatSci in all of them. 3) It's about 10% inflated for my college (CAS) in my uni in the northeast. 4) Becuase the US system is BS and even when they say salary is fixed, everything is actually negotiable. They don't want to give a range becuase then everyone would ask for the top end of the range. If you have multiple job offers, you will get a higher salary - and it shouldn't be this way. | |
22 | 4/16/24 16:50 | Fail for nothing? | 4/25/24 8:25 | I guess similar topics have been discussed many times but can't help... My interview apparently went well and nothing seemed wrong, but I didn't get an offer. Did I make some mistake I never realized? Was everyone too good at hiding their feeling? Or just too competitive? Or should I stop thinking about these retrospectively? I grew up being told that I should always learn from my failures--i.e., I could do something different or make a different choice next time. Is it time to drop this internalized belief for good and prepare to fail for nothing many more times? 2) Were there other candidates? Maybe their interviews also went well. It's always very idiosyncractic, so don't let it get to you. 3) Literally going through this right now with 2 jobs.. one I was explicitly told my interview went just about perfect, but I'm the second candidate simply because of teaching needs; the other, I am in the ghosted phase despite having an amazing interview, great vibes and being the last candidate on campus (which usually gives you a true sense of where you stand). Really frustrated with the latter as it was an ideal situation and I just don't know what went wrong. A lot more bummed than I thought I would be. @1 With a decade of teaching experience, three years of postdoc experience, and over 70 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, I've also secured funding for more than 15 projects. In pursuit of a better future for my family, I've applied for over 100 positions worldwide. If you're willing to help, I can share my resume and samples of my cover letter, research, and teaching statements to see where is the problem Contact me at environment_science@yahoo.com. Thanks. 4) @OP I think the answer is just that it's really competitive. Multiple candidates might do really well on their interviews and it just comes down to the SC deciding whose work they think would be the best fit for the department. It just sucks that it's so random but I would keep in mind that not getting the job definitely does not mean you made a mistake or could have done anything better, it really might just be that the SC ultimately decided that someone else's research focus would fill the dept's needs better. I really hate this aspect because, like you, when I fail to achieve something I always try to figure out what I need to do better next time and the lack of feedback plus the mystery of the ultimate decision makes that really hard. 5) OP, i can only share the pain with you. Hanging in there. 6) sometimes committees will offer jobs to lower-ranked candidates as a compromise when they can't agree on who's best. The whole process is random and I feel your pain (7) I so feel this. But I tried to remember two things can be true at once 1. I can always improve and 2. it's sometimes (often!) not about you. I was rejected after an on campus interview last year and when the committee member reached out to me (like 5 months later) to let me know, I asked what I could have improved upon. She gave me feedback that I never would have thought about on my own, but also stressed that I was deemed as "qualified" and the first choice was just a better fit. So this round, I really focused on those issues. I still wasn't first choice at any of my on-campus interviews, but this time luck swung my way and I got an offer. (8) Just think of it statistically- they interview 3-5 people, so you need 3-5 interviews before you expect an offer. 9) Yup @8, a good reminder to think of the numbers. If you're every in a thought loop about an in-person interview, how you've gotten this far, surely they'll give you the job...well, there are probably 2-4 other people thinking the exact same thing. 10) As someone on the hiring side, generally anyone who makes it to the interview stage is highly qualified for the position and any of the interviewees would be a good fit. Sometimes it just comes down to preferences for a particular topic, or whether we think that candidate will be able to get grants on their proposed research | |
23 | 4/15/24 7:20 | Candidate Problems | 4/28/24 19:26 | I think my institution is interviewing someone with known history of sexual harassment and discrimination. But I don't have records so I'm not sure if anything can be done about it. I'm not sure what to do. 1) Happens all the time. My favorite was when a guy had active university-level investigations for sexual harassment (he had slept with students over multiple years during a field course, and one year he propositioned the wrong student: Source: I know one of the girls he slept with; they sort-of-dated for a while), he was promoted to Associate Prof DURING the investigation. 2) funny how HR cares a lot about them sending candidates rejections, but they never seem to care about things like this. x3 3) You can bring it up in private to the search chair and they can at least look into it a little bit more (easier if this is in your department vs. the larger university though...) (4) @1 that's remarkable that this person got tenure despite this. [personal discussion removed. Don't make me tap the sign -AP] [*taps sign* This anonymous forum isn't the place to fight interpersonal battles. -AP]. 5) If you know this 'through a friend' I'd follow your sources and see what you can find out- and then if you have a credible witness tell the search committee. I found out about something similar during a job search, I told the committee and they then phoned the head of the department (one of them was friends with them) to find out more. Turns out it was true, and the dept had covered it up. | |
24 | 4/14/24 10:36 | Applying to Postdoc positions without publications | 4/28/24 15:15 | Due to the implications of my research and how it'll impact a certain aggreesive tenured prof, my boss advised me not to publish any of my data until after I earn my PhD. Now I'm wrapping up my dissertation and am applying for postdoc positions. I've applied to over 20 positions and have not heard back from any of them for you and for them. I thought there was a shortage of postdocs. Is the lack of publications blemish on my CV the main reason I'm not getting any interviews? If so, is there any way around this? 2) Your boss has chosen a very foolish move. You are always better off with the papers published than not. If you can, preprint the papers as fast as possible. If they are under review you will have better luck than if they are not submitted. Almost no one will get a postdoc fellowship grant without any pubs. Attach at least one paper draft with your postdoc application. Also, make sure you email the PI and don't just apply at some HR site. They may miss your app completely. If you can comment in your cover letter the same sentence here (- the word "aggressive") it might make the advisors worry less about you. Postdocs need to get papers, and if they think you are the issue they won't even contact your recs. But please let your advisor know that a senior faculty member told you that holding back papers is unwise and has undermined your career. Whatever else you do ask a faculty member who is not your advisor to read over your postdoc app and email letter. If they are in a position to chat with your advisor in a friendly way that could help, but only if their relationship is good. Also, is your advisor young and pre-tenure? Or post-tenure and well established? OP) My boss had to retire unexpectedly, leaving me with my advisor who was almost 100% not involved throughout most of my research. My advisor is not familiar with my area of research, while they are tenured and well established in their field of work, the aggressive prof is the director of my advisors research facility. Therefore, my advisor doesn't want to upset that professor and doesn't want to help me publish. I'm afraid to ask another faculty memeber to help me publish because my advisor is not well liked in my department and I fear there could be retaliation in doing so. 3) Wow OP, this is some serious stuff. I'd sign on to everything @2 is saying; interfering with your ability to publish is directly interfering with your career propsects. What kind of liberty do you have to publish without the support of anyone at your institution? Are there any written contracts saying who needs to be on the paper(s)? If you don't have support of your boss, would you be writing these papers up all by yourself? Depending on your comfort level, that could be feasible, but it can help the process to have a thought partner. Could you recruit someone in elsewhere in your field and solicit their constructive input and co-authorship, perhaps? I'm not in as awful a situation as yours, but my postdoc adivser did kstar in our field and now have an awesome collaborator and co-author to write up this paper. The same could happen for you, maybe? Bottom line, though - the politics will be internal, but your publication record is public and is what will help secure your career. Do what you need to do to protecttake herself off what would have been our last paper together, for reasons that were pretty clearly motivated by her wish to withdraw support from me personally. I cold-emailed a roc it and advance it. OP) Thank you both for your helpful feedback. I will reach out to the Rockstar in my field and publish without the support of my institution. <3 2) Talk to the ombuds. It's confidential and will give you info to help navigate. I'm really sorry to hear about your situation. You may want to ask about COI rules since you seem to be caught in multiple layers of COIs. 4) Yes, I agree- this sounds like a good question for the ombuds person. I'm sorry that this is happening! I also had a difficult time with my PhD adviser, although fortunately he did want me to publish. Of course, everyone is right that you will have much more success applying to jobs if you have papers submitted and/or published. Another thing to keep in mind, unfortunately, is that it also looks bad to not have a letter of recommendation from your adviser. So, if you can also avoid burning bridges, that may also help you. It just sounds like a very difficult situation to navigate! Again, maybe the ombuds can help. Do you have any faculty member that you do feel very comfortable with who might be able to give advice? Also, do you have one paper that is less controversial than the others? Any chance that you might be able to approach your adviser with this dilemma and say, "I am concerned that I need to publish to get a job. I was thinking that this paper might not upset anyone. Would you be willing to support me in getting that one out before I graduate?" Last question: When are you planning to graduate? Because if it's in May, you're very close! At this point, you might just work on getting the papers ready and then send them in asap after you graduate. I submitted two of my dissertation chapters within a month of getting my PhD. When I was applying for my first postdoc, I only had two papers, and none from my dissertation. I was able to get something, if that means anything. 5). You can't get a postdoc without pubs-too much of a gamble for the PI, you either need to get publications or try for RA positions, where I am even PhD applicants generally have publications now, PIs can't afford to hire someone they are not confident will publish. Go to the head of dept and get support to submit PhD chapters for publication, otherwise the best you can likely hope for is RA x2 6) in the US, it is relatively easy to get PDs without in-print pubs, so long as you have valuable skills and can say that something is in the pipeline. I know a handful of people who were able to get something with non of their dissertation published. In the UK/EU you are screwed without a "track record" though. 5) Seriously not cool. I had two friends in grad school who got fast-tracked into a PhD program but their supervisor went mat leave-sabbatical-mat leave and was living abroad with her new partner during that time. Both of the (female) students were great but one had an entirely incohesive thesis because she pasted it together on her own, the other was only able to publish after her defence. Again, both of them were just as good as anyone else who goes the postdoc route, but neither of them ended up getting anything. At all. You don't need dozens of papers, but you do need a few and I laid out the story above because both situations are the result of bad supervisors. 2 again) Situations like this make me so mad. I am trying as best I can to get trainees to put together anything that I can turn into a paper. People who won't let their trainees publish are beyond my comprehension but I see it repeatedly. You will have the best chances to land a postdoc if you apply to people within your subfield who know these individuals engage in problematic behavior and may be willing to rescue you. You may also need to look at less prestigious institutions where they are more likely to take a chance on you. I wish stories like this did not happen, but they do over and over again. There is something wrong with the system if single advisors can cause problems this big with other people's careers. 6) This is another role for committees - issues like this should arise during quals if the committee is doing its job. On the committees I am on we alsways talk about plans for chapters and publication schedules and those of us on the other side need to make sure we are putting in the effort required to keep things like this from cropping up. I knew people in grad school who had no papers prior to graduation because they had advsors who were all but checked out. It is surprising that students don't know lack of publication is going to cause problems, but there are mentors beyond the advisor who should see these warning signs and step in to help to the extent they can. 7) By the way if you have good papaers, we can publish in April issue, Scopus indexed journal with IF, the Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, I am the editor and you can mention you are from ecoevo group. 8) Mod flagging this because of the spammy call for papers in a predatory journal 9) @OP I agree with others on publishing. I got a similar comment from my PhD advisor to not publish something because another senior person wanted to claim credit for having thought of the idea. Problem was that I was collecting and writing faster than that person was writing /publishing their material. I never stopped writing and pushing my own work for publication. But I also made friends in my program, they wrote papers where I could contribute data and/or other expertise to and I joined as a coauthor. If you move into a postdoc, make sure papers are a priority. I have seen some postdoctoral advisors also put a halt on papers for strange reasons like they wanted a huge Nature/Science worthy paper. Don't allow those people either to slow you down. 10) that situation sucks, but I would take it as a sign that you shouldn't do a postdoc. just go get a nice job with your degree. industry doesn't care if you have papers, they just need skilled workers. postdocing sucks and isn't worth it imo (queue the angry hordes who disagree lol) 11) Sort of agree with 10 and doubly true when you are starting a postdoc already with no papers out it is only going to be even harder (much much harder) to get a faculty job. At the very least if you are set on postdocs be actively building up plans for jobs outside academia. OP) Thank you all for your thoughtful advise and sharing your wisdom; it gave me great comfort and confidence in facing my problem. I ended up emailing the PI's directly for my top 3 choices. I explained the situation within 1 sentence, I offered to share my chapters with them if they had concerns about my work/writing, and asked if they'd be interested in publishing my chapters with me. I heard back from 2 out of 3 in just 2 days and now have interviews all setup. On top of this, I discretely reached out to a trusted prof in my department and they have reviewed my chapters and made suggestions for publications. That prof explained that they will not be a co-author as my research is not in their area but they will continue to help me as needed until I'm published. I plan to graduate in May and send out my papers for publications the day after defending. If all goes well, the PI of my postdoc position will be the co-author and I will no longer have this blemish on my CV. Academia can be tough, but I know I have what it takes and I will not quit, roll-over, or give up on my passion. 3 again) Way to go OP!! Total respect for your drive and strategy here. And absolutely keep doing what you're doing in not letting people who know so little of your life or your goals (looking at you 10) get you down. I had to switch PhD programs halfway through and had people tell me to just leave and get a job outside of academia. I'm so glad I made a different choice based on my own knowledge of my goals and the challenges I'd faced - I just accepted a faculy job and wish you lots of success on whatever path you choose. 12) OP, I'm in the same position as you. No publications yet. I've been getting interviews, but when it comes down to it, someone else is always chosen over me and I think it's most likely due to my lack of publications. I'm still applying to things but my hopes aren't high until I can get stuff out, which I'm trying to do ASAP. I'll take your lead and try that strategy too...good luck with your interviews, sending my best wishes!! | |
25 | 4/13/24 16:36 | Offer pulled? | 5/15/24 1:23 | I finally had an offer that I loved and the dean is pressuring the chair to pull it without negotiating at all. Even though I have an active grant. I am going to lose my mind. 1) Jeez, that's a nightmare! Do you have any idea why? What's wrong with this Dean? 2) Can they pull an offer once they make an official one? 3) Of course they can pull it before anything is signed and it does happen, if rarely. This seems like a weird situation though. Why would the dean be trying to pull it after presumably signing off on the offer? Usually the stories you hear about this are either related to suddenly changed financial situation at the college or some kind of negotiation ask that makes the college/dean change their mind about the fit of the candidate. OP) It's prior to negotation, so more likely to be the former. Unless the dean is a creationist or something. 1) Did you meet the dean during your interview? OP) No, just an Assoc dean who was ultra positive. The dean is not a biologist. This is also why you always keep new interviews until the offer is signed. 4) Seems like a very weird situation. How do you even know this? The chair is telling you that the dean is pressuring them? How long was it between the offer and them letting you know that it could be pulled. It doesn't seem likely that financial situation would have changed that drastically before you could even start negotiations. Maybe it is a move to try to force you to accept without negotiating as soon as possible? 5) This happened once in my department. We made an offer and the dean didn't think the candidate contributed enough to diversity. OP) The deans office had vetted candidates at earlier stages, but then after the offer prior to negotiating startup he takes it back? It's odd. 6) this is why you keep interviewing no matter what the chair/dean of the offerred place told you! One professor told me that when they were looking for jobs, one of their offers was pulled by the chair during negotiation! Looking for jobs is hard enough, I cannot believe that offers are not for sure offers?!! 7) In my department only the Dean can make an offer and it seems very unlikely for a Dean to make and then retract an offer. I have never heard of this at my institution - I suppose if something unsavory came up very late in the process the Dean could pull the offer back, but this woudl have to be pretty serious. What I can much more readily imagine is someone from my department letting slip to a candidate that an offer is coming before the Dean had made the final decision. 8) My dept has the same as 7, but the chair is the one who makes the offer that is presumed to be approved by the dean. 9) I got an offer and was negotiating, but the department decided to pull the offer without discussing with me! Horrible things like this happen!! 10) Happened to me many years ago. Still bitter, but ultimately it worked out. 11) @ 9 what a nightmare! I'm so sorry that happened! 12)@11, 9 here, thank you! I cannot figure out what I did wrong! But I have another offer! Yay! OP) We traced this finally to senior upper admin who refused to sign off. They have conflicts with the college but they also get to keep the $$ from not hiring. Unclear if it's a resource grab or just a power clash, but either way I got screwed out of a job. | |
26 | 4/13/24 13:08 | Spousal Accommodation a Bust | 4/19/24 15:55 | OP) I am married to a fellow scientist. He has been and is still totally flexible in terms of academic positions wherever I land a job. He just wants to do research, whether it be NTT or otherwise, especially on a topic he hasn't been able to do at the places I've taken my postdocs. Problem is that the 1 offer I have, literally doesn't care, and won't do any more than that I literally have to pay for him out of my start-up. It is clear the dept is trying but the university stopped with spousal accomdation practices last year. I have no other offers to leverage anything, and now I feel much less excited about going to this instutution. 2) In a similar situation OP but now have gone through that with 6 different offers for one or the other of us with not a single one being able to accommodate the other in any way. It's miserable. 3) #2's situation is more surprising-- usually faculty that would be hired elsewhere are seen as very attractive spousal hires. Are you in two very different fields that are hard to match at the same school? 2) Yes, pretty different fields so maybe that has made it harder. 3) The more divisions you cross, the harder it is to get cooperation. If Dean 1 controls it all, they can push certain solutions more easily than if another college has to get onboard. You apply for everything you think will be possible, but know that negotiation will be easiest when there are more upper admins shared. I've also seen odd solutions, like hiring chemists or even economists in a biology department. The justification write ups can get creative. 4) I am going through very similar problem! I do have another offer, but the institution 1 does not care and does not even want to know where my second offer is. They first said they did have spousal support, then told me that there was not such a thing as spousal hire. I am super confused. 3 again) You should try to figure out if you can whether the instituttion has official spousal programs. They usually require buy in from the Chancellor/President/provost/system to cover 1/3-1/2, the dept hiring you pays like 1/3 and the receiving dept for the spouse pays 1/3. The bar is usually whether or not the spouse would be short listed for an interview. If that system does not exist then the deans or chairs are paying everything. Then it's harder to do. The hardest is places like UW where spousals trigger nepotism laws. Virtually impossible. 5) Having spent a lot of time looking, very few places have official policies about this. Much more common to be done on an ad hoc basis or simply not done at all. 6) UW as in washington? i dont know about the rules/laws, but UW is full of TT spouses. Like, every other hire in Bio it seems has a spouse there or somewhere else at the university. so if you tried this at UW and they said they couldnt do it for some reason, you were getting the runaround bc they do it all the time. | |
27 | 4/9/24 16:11 | Weird dinner during onsite interview | 4/28/24 15:18 | OP) none of the faculty members asked me questions or seemed to be interested in talking to me. They talked to themselves most of the time, and one of the main topics among them was how faculty members in this other competing program were bad and behaving weirdly. I did not realize this was a problem and thought I was not good at stimulating conversations until I got other onsite interviews and everyone else was NORMAL. Then the first place hired someone internal. What is the point of making this hire public? 1) it's pretty common for there to be legal requirements to make hires public, even when the candidate has been pre-selected. Don't take it personally and just be glad they bought you dinner lol 2) Sounds like you dodged a bullet, OP x3 3) On a few interviews someone fully opposed to hiring me would talk about anything except me, mostly discussing politics. On one, another faculty member called them out. If the whole group does that they are not doing interviews right. Even if we favor other candidates we are supposed to try to appear unbiased. Try to adjust for social awkwardness if you can-- sometimes the worst faculty member isn't representative of what we want to do. A close colleague now was sent to dinner with the dept weirdo and we found out too late to fix it. She thought we all must hate her after that dinner. 4) Yeah my entire interview was strange. No substantive questions from anyone at all throughout the whole thing and most of the search committee didn't attend my seminar talk. I didn't meet some of the search committee because they were too busy. Things may not improve much after you to get the job either just FYI... good to prepare yourself to have a low bar for social skills! 5) I consider myself a socially awkward person, especially with people I'm just meeting, and I'm uneasy at what seems to me a conflation in this thread of social awkwardness with everything else undesiredable in a colleague, from low effort to maybe...ill intent? (I'm not entirely sure of what @3 is suggesting). A socially awkward colleague might not know the exact thing to say to put you at ease on the ride from the airport, but could still be someone who would promote your work, give constructive feedback when serving on your students' committees, not shit-talk you behind your back to others in the department and not be a complete blowhard in faculty meetings. Conversely, I've seen people who are really highly skilled at coming off as 'nice' and not-awkward in a social situation like dinner fail on the positive things in that list and excel at the negative ones. Let's remember character and other qualities that reveal themselves over time. 6) A good argument for giving up the need to share dinners during interviews. Let candidates eat on their own and get a real break instead of enduring these awkward at best interactions. (4) @5 I agree with you that it takes time for character and qualities to reveal themselves. However, I think there is also a distinction between awkwardness (not knowing the right thing to say) vs lack of interest too (doesn't show up or ask questions). Candidates nowadays put a lot of effort into preparing and although the department may not feel the same pressure as the candidate, they are displaying their inner problems to candidates by not engaging. There is a saying in my world ... the way things start, is usually how it goes and usually how it ends. If someone is weird or not engaged in the interview when they should put their best foot forward, then you know what you are signing yourself up for with them. 7) Agree w/ 4, someone can be "awkward" socially but can still be polite and interested (meaning, asking questions or engaging the candidate in some way). The original poster seemed to describe faculty just ignoring the candidate and talking to each other instead over the meal, which feels more just outright rude. But some of the followup comments seemed to be speaking more generally against "awkwardness" so the clarification from 5 is a helpful comment 5 again) exactly @7, I'm not trying to justify low effort, just advocating for a careful distinction between the qualities we are talking about as red flags. Lack of any engagement or rudeness, certainly those could be red flags. Social awkwardness I don't think should be a red flag, especially as it correlates with a lot of invisible disabilities. OP) I came back to find so many discussion! Thanks for all who care about this subject! I have to say that I am definitely not socially awkward at all ;) and all the other interview dinners I went to were lovely. @6, for dinners like this, I agree they should just give it up and let the candidates relax, but for all the other good dinners, they should be kept! 8) I would vote for keeping both dinners. If you end up getting an offer from nice dinner department and mean dinner department, that experience can make your decision easier. (4) Thanks for clarification @7 and @5. I'm socially awkward myself. After many interview experiences, I did actually get better at my own social awkwardness and selling my skillsets. I'm curious... Would you expect a senior experienced faculty member to be able to recognize the line between rude and awkward? More often than not, I find my interactions wiith people to be more like OPs.. where the other people may don't care enough to put in a effort? Whereas inspite of my social deficiences, I frequently work hard to try and reach out to others/find collaborations/ or interact with people. OP) @8, good point keeping both dinners. Definitely not choose the one with weird dinners! | |
28 | 4/6/24 16:28 | plagiarism | 4/11/24 1:50 | I stumbled on a PhD from a few years ago at an R1 university that is pretty bad. What is the ethical thing to do 1) Depends on what the person is doing or trying to do IMO. If they're contuing in academia or otherwise riding the credential, then whistleblowing is risky but noble but will suck up a ton of your time and risk your own career. If they're doing something else entirely, it's probably not worth the trouble to do anything. If it really bothers you, post it on PubPeer and perhaps one of the dedicated whistleblowers will look into it. 2) ethical thing to do is blow the whistle 3) If published you can contact the journal. If never published it may matter less, even if it's pretty gross. 1)@2: no one likes a tattle-tale. No harm, no foul - "harm" being them riding the credential. 4) ok Rufo... 5) What is your definition of "pretty bad"? I don't think anyone is enjoying the current spate of call-outs based on a few unfortunate or badly cited paragraphs in a long dissertation. But if you are talking about something much more widespread, then that could be a different story. 6) Awaiting the next spidergate style expose in the glam journals news section. 7) agree with @5 and @3 "it depends" both on impact of the thing you are whistling as well as degree of plaigerism. Is it truly a thesis? Is it unpublished, <5 citations? If yes, I would let it go and take a mental note to be wary of [author]. Is it a published paper in a big journal or impactful enough to have significant citation/attention? Blow the damn whistle. as for @1...you really are playing the "don't tattle" card? Sheesh I expect much better from colleagues but maybe I shouldn't. Bad scientists give us all a bad rap. 1) @ 5 I guess you didn't read my original comment, which is almost identical to 3 and 5. The "don't tattle" was in response to an "it should always be reported" comment, as opposed to, as I said first at the top of the thread (before 3 and 5), "Depends". 6) I would reach out to retractionwatch and let them deal with it? Or people who actually specialise in spotting plagerism? Don't put yourself at risk. Was anything from the thesis published and plagerised? Then you could reach out the editors | |
29 | 4/3/24 9:45 | ESA spam | 4/7/24 17:39 | OP) Could ESA like chill a little bit with the emails? I'm not going to the conference or interested in taking these trainings 2) LOL, I was thinking the same about getting "certified in ecology". Makes me wish there was a professional organization that focused on academic ecology, not policy, etc. Maybe ASN? (3) Hahaha yeah I thought the "get certified in ecology" emails were odd. Like, is my PhD in ecology not enough certification...? Caveat that I didn't actually click on it so maybe whatever it's advertising is great (4) The certified in ecology is probably geared toward people who work for EnviroScience or the DRG division of Davey Tree. I.e., people who work in ecological settings but may not have a Masters or PhD. 5) Just wait until you hear about The Wildlife Society! (OP) ha, at least the TWS emails I get all seem to be about different things but ESA just keeps on emailing about the conference over and over that seems annoying and desperate. I haven't gone to ESA since like 2017 since it seems unneccesarily pretentious and clique-y compared to other conferences. X3 6) Yikes I'm going to ESA for the first time this year (assuming abstract is accepted) so these are not good omens 3) @6 I wouldn't worry, yes they send a lot of emails but in my experience it's a pretty typical conference. 4) Seconding 3: I've been going to ESA and other conferences for a long time. It's a normal large conference (so yeah, if large conferences aren't your jam, you'll probably dislike the ESA meeting). Different strokes for different folks, obviously. If you find the ESA meeting pretentious or whatever, you're entitled to feel that way. But other people definitely should not assume that they'll get the same vibes from the ESA meeting that you did. You can find somebody out there who dislikes every conference there is. I know people who dislike the CSEE meeting, the ASN standalone meeting, the Evolution meeting...There's nothing distinctive about the ESA meeting or its attendees that makes it a uniquely bad conference. (OP) oh I didn't mean it's a bad conference, I just personally find it underwhelming all 4 times I've gone. People hang out with who they know already and there's not a vibe at events where people seem interested in mingling/networking with anyone they don't already know. I know some people love it. 7) I went to the ESA conference last year and had a similar experience with OP. It was really hard to network with new people and I did make an effort. 8) I've always found that to be the case at large conferences (rather than being anything about ESA). They naturally split up and they are usually held in bigger cities so there aren't just a few places to catch up with people between sessions or in the evenings since everyond disperses into the city and into different hotels. Networking is always best at smaller conferences and at venues where everyone is sort of stuck together, in my experience. OP) @8, I used to think that it was just because it was big but after going to other big meetings I think ESA just doesn't care to even try. They put out like one table of food at the poster session and it's gone immediately, people hovering to see if more food will even come out. lol. 9) I understand why it changed, but all the events like poster sessions and receptions at conferences were better when drink tinkets were included in the cost of registration because it got people to stay and hang out and it also subsidized more/better food. | |
30 | 4/2/24 13:16 | More and more! | 4/22/24 9:27 | OP) I want a lot more tenure track jobs to apply to!! I also want them to pay a lot more!! 1) And I want a pony! 2) And more free time! x2 3) And research grants! x2 4) and piña colada! x2 4b) And getting caught in the rain.x2 5) There won't be, at least not until next fall. Make sure you are applying to grants to get your own funding in the meantime. That is critical to getting to interview phases. (6) Honestly, nothing is 'critical' for getting interviews. Just do what you can to be good at your job, enjoy life, and hope you get lucky. x4 5 again) "Nothing is critical to getting to interviews" doesn't seem like an honest appraisal . I was offering tractable advice to those waiting for the next job season. On the contrary, it seems self-evident that one should try to be good at their job, enjoy life, and get lucky. Grants are indeed very important and they help you secure your own future while not inherently depending on PIs. 7) Hot take. We should get rid of the tenure track system and all faculty positions should be permanent/tenured from the start. Each faculty member would get an R01 level funding for the rest of their career. This will allow more scientific creativity rather than chasing trendy topics. 8) And a pony to go with the R01! 9) I work overseas at a place with no tenure, no startup either, you have to chase grants immediately. You do get $2000 per year for each PhD student you take, so you better be able to do cheap research. Of course, we had a financial rough patch last year and 10% of the faculty got fired. 10) When I was a little girl in Poland, I had a pony and an R01 11) Manya? 12) Noob question here for #5 but I'm fresh on the market -- how do you secure a grant if you're in the middle of trying to get a job? For example, if my postdoc contract is coming to an end, how would I apply for a grant if the agency sees I'm not going to be affiliated with a research group/lab any longer? 13) @12, not sure why they would have to see anything saying you weren't going to be affiliated with the lab/insitution. As a postdoc, you can apply (often as co-PI) for a grant that includes postdoc salary in the budget 14) @13, many institutions do not allow that or they require you to at least jump through some hoops in order to get a waiver to act as PI. Even in that case you would typically need a TT faculty member's support and they likely need to be the official PI. SO I think 12's concern is valid. Realistically, you would need to apply for a grant like this with a supportive PI while you still have a fair amount of time left on current postdoc funding since it will be a long lead time before funding from the new grant kicks in (assuming you are lucky enough to get one). 12) @14, So I hope I understand this. I should be obtaining or applying for grants for my own research with a PI, but the PI should be comfotable realizing that I could be taking this grant money and research somewhere else? Or is the expectation that I would collaborate with them (which I would of course) but I can't imagine PI's supporting a postdoc for a grant if they are going to leave the lab and potentially change the research to something else? Often times projects can change course a bit but if I were a PI I'd want to ensure anyone getting. grants with me does exactly what *I* want. I could be so wrong though! 14) Any of those are possible and it all just depends on your relationship with the PI and what makes sense for research. I know some people who have written entirely independent grants with a supportive PI who is really just there for the name on paper and has little to no real ownership over the research and would be perfectly happy for the postdoc to take the grant and research with them. It's more common to do what you suggest where the grant is more of a direct collaboration perhaps in the PIs system but with the postdoc as a co-PI. That can work to fund the postdoc and looks good for your applications, but in that case you're right that the expectation would probably be for the grant direction to stay in the PIs lab after you get a job perhaps with continued collaboration. Obviously it is a good idea to be clear up front about who will make decisions about the direction of the research and lead papers etc. | |
31 | 4/2/24 12:17 | DEI | 7/22/24 9:24 | OP) feels like I can't apply to anything in my field (i.e., biology/genomics) because all the positions I want are only asking for Indigenous or black hires. Is this the new norm? Shouldn't there be roles for everyone to avoid discrimination? I'm a bit confused by this or maybe I am just very new to this and naive but it just seems like these positions should be simply merit based? x8 I could be wrong though. 1) spend a good 30-60 minutes scrolling through replies to various vents below. Lots of discussion on this topic alread. TLDR: should be merit with equity in mind, but many places fall very short of this on one end or another. A large factor is university administrations dictating hiring things based on optics more than departmental choices. Apologies if you are a bit naive to this pattern, its been ongoing for several years at least and is a source of major pain for those of us in career limbo x6 2) I did a quick control-find on the Permanent Jobs tab and only saw 5 positions restricted to Black and/or Indigenous applicants... 3) OP you missed women and the gays /s 8) gr8 b8 m8 i r8 8 out of 8 (4) I applied for 20+ jobs that don't ask any race/ethnicity specifically, so at least to me the situation isn't that severe. That said, I'm still frustrated by positions that have such prerequisites. There're groups that they regularly target (I'm not one of them) whereas other POC/minority groups are routinely ignored. It makes me feel extra alienated. I sometimes suspect that it's racist administrations that are trying to have different POC/minority groups hate each other by creating such job ads (just joking!). Anyway, being "exogenous" and neither black nor white, I suck. (5) Like 2 mentioned its a tiny fraction of the jobs that are restricted. What are the odds that OP's scope has a complete overlap with that fraction. Gotta feed the DEI boogeyman I guess. x2 (6) Yes, @OP that situation sucks, but let's try and keep in mind that initiatives like this are trying to combat the historical reality that *all* jobs were *implicitly* for white men only. Hence why some jobs are now explicitly for people who aren't white men. Also, why the assumption that diverse candidates aren't equally or more meritous than non-diverse candidates? x2 7) Yes, its the new normal OP, either explicitly in the job posting or revealed during interviews and hiring (note: its also getting harder and harder to see who gets interviewed/hired, hmm). That's on top of the well documented 2:1 hiring advantage for women also. Don't let anyone here gaslight you: its brutal right now and its completely unfair to the young people who had nothing to do w/ historical hiring decisions x9 (8) Has anyone seriously suggested that white men profs over age of, say, 55, put their money where their mouth is and retire immediately? (9) this has to be a troll, right? I am in the same subfield and applied to >40 jobs, none of which specific black or indigenous. God I'm exhausted by the anti-DEI trolls. x4 10) @ 8 I have. There are a few white guys like that on Twitter who brag about only having had BIPOC and female grad students. Creepy but of course they don't volunteer their positions. For 9 and the other gaslighters, you might take a look at a place like York - they've had two or three "5-10 cluster hires" for Black or Indigenous (any topic/faculty) EDI hires, and one open EEB job in the last 5 years. 10). https://www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/biology/ York has at least three white EEB Asst Profs, and several white Asst Profs in other fields. If this is one of the places driving reverse racism they aren't doing such a great job... 11) I'm a white male and I have never had much trouble finding jobs to apply to. I also have had pretty decent success at getting jobs. I can be a good fit for certain things but I certainly don't consider myself to be a particularly exceptional candidate. I understand feeling threatened, but you can benefit from some perspective. 10b) I am also a very mediocre white guy with two R1 offers this cycle. With me and 11 that's N=2. 12) Nothing says "nuanced thinking" quite like making wild generalizations about the entire job market based on a handful of speciifc cluster hires that made you mad.. x4 13) I'm Indigenous but never apply for those diversity hires. I want to be hired based on my own merit and not my ethnicity (they're also all in Canada and I don't want to move there lol) 14) here we go again with the DEI trolls. surely every comment is honest about their story and who they are and totally not motivated to just stir shit up. are we going to hear an update about those lawsuits by the nazi America First Legal? I remember when that was shared here as "evidence". 15) @ 10 those are current employees, not job ads for upcoming hires. 16) @ 12: a lack of "nuanced thinking" is quite prevalent on both the pro- and agnostic DEI sides of the spectrum. x2 17) @16 classic false equivalence. Take a scroll through some of the DEI threads on this spreadsheet - the pro-DEI folks usually have incredibly nuanced and variable positions while the anti-DEI cavemen have nothing of substance to back their positions up with, just empty political rhetoric 18) @17 there are a lot of pro DEI statements on this spreadsheet that have nothing of substance to back their positions up with, just empty political rhetoric. I agree not as many or as gross as some of the anti-DEI posts, but I don't think your framing is helpful or accurate. x7 17) @18 pointing out bullshit false equivalences and bad-faith rhetoric is always helpful, even if the oversimplified framework I put forth isn't perfect. 12) @ other recent commenters: also worth mentioning that I seldom see any "pro-DEI" commenters starting fights by making overgeneralized statements, whereas every few months an anti-DEI person will pop up, say something antagonistic, and barely engage with the replies (including thoughtful replies that someone usually does take some time to try to write) 19) @ 17: Are you sure about that? There are regularly pro-DEI posters/trolls on here saying it's only about race and that teaching inclusivity efforts, neurodiversity, etc. don't count as DEI. 20) I mean, it's hard to have any nuanced discussion on such a complicated topic on this forum, which only supports short replies by anonymous posters. There is a huge amount of research and writing on DEI out there by people who literally study these issues, yet on here sooo many people say things with zero numbers/statistics and zero citations that are based only on a random anecdote. Like, what percentage of academic job postings in eco/evo fields actually only target black or indigenous people? What percentage of incoming eco/evo profs are white? How do race and other demographic categories influence the way interviewees are perceived and evaluated? Why are some racial minorities so drastically underrepresented in our fields? What barriers do they face after entering the pipeline? What are the impacts of affirmative action in academic hiring? etc etc etc. These are all questions with factual (though often extremely complex) answers and yet the discussion on here is just like "well I saw a diversity cluster hire one time at some random school and therefore the job market is rigged against white people" x3 21) One of several areas where we, even as scientists supposedly trained to be careful about assertions without research or data to back them up, will gladly just go on tirades completely based on emotion or anecdotes x3 22) @ 21 or appeals to "authority"... 23) @21 that only really applies to the anti-DEI crowd. There's plenty of literature and evidence to support DEI 24) @ 24, just because there is lots of evidence doesn't mean that pro comments are engaging with it or reporting it at all accurately. There are plenty of tirades based on emotions and anecdotes on both sides on this board and I think the attitude that 'pro-DEI statements can never be wrong' really only fans the flames for the worst anti-DEI statements. x4 25) people get emotional defending science from antivaxxers sometimes but doesn't mean it makes sense to play a "both sides are being unreasonable" in conversations like that. A lot of DEI worked is either backed by scholarship or subject to ongoing scholarship to see if it's accomplishing the desired goals. I don't think people are obligated to enage patiently with repeated bad-faith efforts to discredit this work based on anecdotes or misleading statements 26) @ 24 it never ceases to amaze that people like 25 can't recognize that glaring blind spot in both logic and approach. 25) @26 commenter #20 already provided all the logic needed to completely shut down OP’s unsubstantiated, anecdotal and emotionally charged claims. Rather than making any attempt to defend OP’s indefensible arguments, the best people can do is say, “yeah, well in unrelated other conversations, sometimes pro-DEI people are intellectually flawed in their reasoning.” Okay, but irrelevant to OP’s original point, and I find it very telling that literally nobody on the anti-DEI side has even attempted to engage with #20’s very well spelled out statement of the facts on what DEI work actually looks like as an academic field rather than a culture war buzzword. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an anti-DEI comment as carefully spelled out as #20’s here, and I find it telling that #20’s comment has been entirely ignored by the anti-DEI people in the comments. 27) @20, i presume you're actively pushing departments to release their interview and hiring lists? Because if anything the field has gotten much much worse about sharing these data points so we can actualy verify what's happening at the ground. And have you read the DEI literature lately? There's a LOT of motivated reasoning in the papers i've seen.. .didn't find any barriers? there must be OTHER barriers we didn't think about 28) maybe when @20 engages with facts like the multiple 2:1 hiring advantage studies we'll get somewhere 29) The only disingenuity here is pretending that asking for unbiased hiring practices is "anti-DEI". It's also really something to see STEM specialists falling over themselves to defend sociological research and studies (very possibly motivated as 27 pointed out) from outside their field that cannot be based on the reality 27-28 noted. 25) There are STEM specialists in this forum who are also trained experts in DEI, implementing inclusive teaching practices (and seeing their positive results), and are well familiar with literature related to inclusivity, structural racism, etc., and that's part of where the irritation comes when being told that our work doesn't have value or should be discarded entirely based on anecdotes, cluster hires in countries that allow them, etc. somebody raising a specific question or concern about how a specific university implements its idea of DEI is fundamentally different from the sort of wildly broad generalizations sometimes made in this thread about what things are allegedly like at "all" universities now, despite the objective fact that no two departments are going to approach DEI work in the exact same way. Comments leaping directly to the worst nightmare boogeyman scenarios about DEI work are directly insulting to the evidence-based DEI work being done by your peers. Hence the callouts for lack of nuance, lack of apparent real engagement with the already existing wide variety of DEI efforts in reality, etc. 29) @25 as you well know if you do in fact follow the research, the evidence couldn't be clearer: young white men have experienced a massive (>2:1) hiring disadvantage in this and other fields for more than a decade and it's only getting worse. if you want, you can argue that such practice is a "good thing", but go ahead and stop pretending we're just making up boogeyman scenarios and ignoring research in the field (which shows what exactly? be specific). yes, of course there is nuance around some DEI initiatives -- no one has argued otherwise -- but not to this x8 30) Don't worry everybody, @25's highly nuaunced and inclusive teaching strategies (don't forget engaging!) are both highly relevant to the issue of biased hiring and will totally totally change everyone's views of DEI-centered hiring for the better 25) Be snarky all you want but if by "DEI-based hiring" you mean "a handful of cluster hires" like in the original post, there's not much to your argument, especially when many other schools hire based on "DEI" just by looking for people who teach and mentor with inclusivity in mind (heaven forbid). As for 29's comments, I think it's valid for universities to take a step back as they implement various practices, see what outcomes are, and see if those outcomes are truly meeting the goals of DEI work, including the "equity" part. But if a huge number of historically (or currently) all-white (or all male, or both) departments are, all at once, looking to improve diversity of their faculties, while there's simultaneously an influx of highly qualified people of all backgrounds, I'm not sure it's covering the full picture to just point to new hires while ignoring what kind of culture those new hires might be entering in to. If a department just hired its first underrepresented scientist in 2024, to me that's not a screaming example of the system suddenly being unfair to white people if every other faculty member there is white. There's a certain lack of yes, nuance, in the broad sweeping way people here talk about it without taking historical context into account, or the broader climate issues in science that would improve life for all of us. But again, there's room for departments to talk about these sorts of questions, but I think it has to begin from a place of respect and nuance, and many of the discussions here tend to start from bitterness and antagonistic tones instead (since this is a bunch of people stressed about the job search I sort of get it, but it's not the way we should be approaching these topics irl) 31) crazy to me that most of this thread is people saying this forum and other places lack nuance, but there was actually plenty of nuance just said. We should maybe stop making blanket statements and attacking literal anons. It accomplishes little, while nuanced discussion actually goes somewhere. FWIW I think a lot of good stuff was said here. A bit of a TLDR is that its currently quite challenging for young, white men to get hired (based on real published evidence). This can be a good thing for diversity overall in the field, while simultaneously being really troublesome for a large demographic just trying to make ends meet in their career. Those can both be true at once. We can also levy some criticism at above-department politics as literally 1) said and was never even mentioned afterwards. For my part I welcome discussion on this, and reacting aggressively to trolls doesn't help discussion. x3 32) Here's some more nuance for @20: It doesn't matter what the incoming proportions are unless we know what the proportions are amongst applicants and the population at large. x2 33) and here's a fact to go with your nuance: the vast, vast majority of applicants are young white men, meaning the hiring bias is even more extreme than was being argued before x2 34) Exactly. We're only now starting to see fewer applications from young men, as they've come to realize how strong the hiring bias is. That drop -- which is happening at the PD level to -- is why PIs are suddenly having so a hard time filling PD positions x3 35) @34 that's just not true lol. PD hiring is down (only in the US) across all demographics due to the changing labor market. There's more well-paid non-academic jobs than ever before. 36) ya, that's the twitter/bluesky party line, but in actual fact people that are passionate about research don't care very much about having high salaries @35, and besides industry has paid much better than academia for decades. ask any PI about shifts in the **demographics** of their applicant pools and you'll hear its mainly male applicants that are down significantly. are they the only ones who suddenly care about money? 37) @36 glossing over the cost of living issues means glossing over inflation. Postdoc salaries haven't gone up nearly enough to keep up with cost of living. Covid made a lot of people reevaluate their career priorities simultaneously with skyrocketing cost of living and stagnating postdoc pay. If you've got actual data beyond "ask any PI" feel free to cite it, but my understanding from (for example) the NIH survey of postdocs a year or two ago is that the most frequently cited comments about why people don't want to continue in academia have to do with cost of living and quality of life (lack of clarity of expectations, poor boundaries from PIs, etc). PS from 37, there's also just the general lack of academic jobs after postdocs, something that grad students are well aware of. 38) Admittedly anecdotal, but I talk to so many grad students these days who basically start their first year already saying that they don't want to do an academic job after PhD (so postdoc has very little appeal). It is a very big shift from my cohort and students I knew in grad school 15-20 years ago. A lot of those students ended up in a place after a few years where they were questioning an academic career or actively looking for alternatives, but nearly everyone started the program at least saying that they were aiming for an academic career (even if they maybe had doubts privately). 39) can someone give me a citation to substantiate @33s claim that the "vast vast majority" of TT applicants are young white males? This just doesn't seem true at all for our field at least, and I have never seen those data. 40) exactly 39, I'm pretty sure they aren't actually in our field at all. 41) @39, 33 is full of shit. There's no good data I'm aware of on the applicant pool specifically, but if you assume its the same as the postdoc pool, it is just shy of gender parity (~46% women) according to https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bes2.1624 34/36 is also full of shit. Women are more likely than men to leave academia after their PhD or postdoc according to https://elifesciences.org/articles/78706 42) "vast vast majority" is definitely exagerated and not helpful, but @42 the first paper you link to shows a statistically significant hiring preference for women, controlling for qualifications (also based on data ending in 2018) and the second paper you link to is only from EMBL, and I don't think DEI initiatives are being pursued in Europe like they are in the US and there are several other factors at play in the European academic system. Obviously it is not "impossible" to currently get hired in academia as a white male, and many such individuals do. However, echoing @31, it is also completely disingenuous to act like there is not a current, significant bias against white men applying for academic jobs. You can argue all you want whether this is good or bad, or the correct approach to change decades old hiring practices, but let's acknowledge reality 32) Trying to use the PD population to make inferences about who is applying for TT is idiotic. As I said, the only way to figure out what's happening is to see the actual applicant pool statistics - and I, a white male, always check "prefer not to answer" when asked on a submission form, so no one actually knows about hiring vs applicants apart from SCs sworn to secrecy. Anyone remember the two papers a few years ago where the authors used AI to go through author lists on papers, and when they found that diversity (with ethnicity inferred from family names) increases IF, everyone loved it, but when the second paper found a link between female lead authors and lower IF, everyone got their feelings hurt and cried about how the AI may have misgendered authors? Two papers, identical dataset, identical methodology, different research question, 180 degrees of difference in response from the DEI zealots. The confimation bias-affirming paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07634-8. The no-good, bad, mean, non-masturbatory results paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19723-8 . Both by a non-white female lead author, now hounded to retract a perfectly valid paper (at least as perfectly valid as the first paper) by the DEI-twitterati. 40) my comment was deleted: 40) @42, "significant bias against white men" citations still needed. also, doesn't Fox's paper suggest that at the current hiring rate it would still take at least 2 decades to reach gender parity which hardly suggests that the situation for "young white males" is that extreme. And this paper about the US not europe, https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.adi2205 "women leave academia overall at higher rates than men at every career age" 31) @40 the idea that 2 decades are needed to reach parity doesn't say what you think it says about the current market. It just is saying that the current TT demographic is overwhelmingly white male. That doesn't say that CURRENT white male *applicants* are doing well or poorly really. As stated a ton, that data still doesn't really exist. Doesn't help when people like @32 apparently prefer not to answer? 32, why do you prefer not to? I for one would like to really know hiring and application stats--seems to be what this thread circles back to every few comments x2 41) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmhLtsK2ZQ 43) More anecdata: I don't see any reason to think that the vast majority of applicants are white men; in my subfield at least 70-80% of grad students are female, nearly all of them white, based on presenter data at large conferences. When I recruit Ph.D. students applicants are at least 2/3 female, and the female students tend to be the strongest. That's a problem, I think, but a different one. In a vacuum, absent the benefits of connections/advocates (which some have but many don't), I think white male applicants are disadvantaged to some degree, though I prefer faculty searches be explicit about who they want. 40) it's hard to have a conversation when the whiny anti-DEI trolls here don't even work in our field to know the data does not support their feelings. pffffft "vast vast majority" white men in this field haha nope. although there is a drop in %women from the grad school to post doc transition. other anecdata: several women I know had careers derailed from academia during their postdocs because 1) it turned out the PI had ongoing sexual harassment /title 9 investigations 2) the PI was a toxic bully to women postdocs but not men. 44) @ 40 that's unfortunate but that's also a "use your head, not your feelings" issue. 31) There is a lot of weird equating going on that serves nobody I think. There is a topic "white male applicants are disadvantaged right now" which is something that is worth discussing, and then somehow multiple times we come back to "women are leaving academia more than men at all stages". That is ALSO an issue worth discussing, but the two things are not really correlated? The data on women leaving--and for horrific reasons--is real, but that doesn't mean there aren't still more female applicants or that they are not favored for coveted TT hires. It just feels really odd when that idea is used as a reply to the other issue. 44) "nuance" means cherrypicking convenient problems, ignoring other ones, and insisting everyone agrees with some subjective virtuosity, reality be damned. 37) "Nuance" also means considering issues within their larger historical and social context, which anti-DEI comments sometimes fail to do. 44) @ 37: not really, unless you have a time machine. Otherwise this is just "let's do systematic discrimination now to make up for systematic discrimination in the past". 31) I also don't think anyone here has claimed that there hasn't been a past history of discrimination and general white-male favoritism. The issues at hand are how to go about changing those and how does it affect current applicants of every demographic. Also @32 still hasn't said why they prefer to hide that they are white in demo surveys. 37) @44 "systemic discrimination" is a hefty accusation to be throwing around based on flimsy data at best. Some departments with historically zero diversity are looking to increase theirs, but there's more than one way to make that happen. Contrary to some of the more sensationalist claims made here, a lot of DEI statements just ask for thoughtful perspective on how someone will teach/mentor people thoughtfully with diversity in mind. I'm more stressed by how tiny the total number of jobs is than I am by criteria for hiring. And at least some of the commenters in this thread are so actively hostile to DEI that they're going to be holding themselves back on the job market because of that attitude rather than anything to do with their demographics (at least if they're applying to places that care about DEI) 32) I check "prefer not to answer" because it's true, that's why, @31. Of course applicants are google-able but I'm of the position that shortlists should be based on the CV and nothing else. Secondarily, that demographic info is exactly what schools are burying, so why feed into it? If they'd release the stats for every process, there would be an incentive to self-identify. In the meantime, saying "prefer not to answer" and ID'ing as queer or whatever may be a way not to get discarded before an honest look. 45) @32 search committees typically don't have access to those demographic responses. They are purely for internal HR purposes usually. x3 32) @ 45 and since HR is both the problem here and refuses to share that important data, why help them? 31) @32 I think you are being obstinate and actively unhelpful. as @45 said, the hiring committees actively do not see those data, so doing this as a way to hide from them is really silly. Second, half this lengthy thread is about lack of data we desperately need, and the only real way to get those data (mostly) is from these application-based HR surveys. So why are you withholding it as a white male? Personally I would like to have more accurate data on these things so that we don't have people making decisions based on anecdotal data. But go off about how proud you are to be withholding these data. 32) Great, that's your opinion. I'll participate when the data are made available. Until then, "Prefer not to answer" is the most accurate and truthful way for me to answer. 46) I typically click that I'm white, non-hispanic, and don't have a disability, but I often choose prefer not to answer on the gender one when they only offer male and female. Same- I guess I would rather just not answer, and so I don't! 47) @31, it doesn't make any sense to argue those data are helpful or desperately needed when all they do is go into an HR black hole that no one can ever see. It would be great to have real data on applicant pool characteristics for each job along with interview pool and offered candidates, but these reporting tools really don't help with that regardless of whether people answer them or not. x2 48) Fun fact: Universities aren't only concerned with diversity in shortlist and hires, they want a diverse applicant pool. If they don't get a diverse applicant pool, then they will write their ads differently, including targetted or cluster hires. Checking "no answer" when you're white and male is doing everyone a favour by not giving universities grounds to make their searches more restrictive. 49) @48 that's just not true. Some schools DO want diverse shortlists and admins will fail searches based on how SCs make their early cuts. Put whatever the hell you want on the HR forms, idgaf, but let's not pretend that saying "no comment" is making a difference for hiring decisions more broadly. That's a wild assumption to make imo. 48) It's "just not true" following immediately by saying it's sometimes true. I would suggest that you don't have the experience to have an informed opinion on the subject; that is exactly why those questionnaires exist. 49) there is a large difference between acknowledging that some admins take demographics into account AFTER a shortlist is put together and thinking that witholding demographic information is going to force systemic changes. I would suggest that you don't have the critical thinking skills to contribute to this conversation. 48) @ 49 "it's better to say nothing and risk being seen as ignorant, than to make an anonymous post and remove all doubt". https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/08/18/20-ways-a-company-can-increase-the-diversity-of-its-job-applicants/?sh=126de18b52a9 The HR surverys are specifically to capture applicant demographics PRE short-listing. It's ok to stop playing the fool, despite whatever dopamine hit you are getting from it. 50) For those who have been unduly priviledged their whole careers, even a tiny movement towards more equality feels like oppression. 51) wake up @50, hiring based on skin color is not equality. and for the millionth time the people being discriminated against now had nothing to do with the discrimination of the past x6 52) @50 hopping in here as the 50th commenter, throwing out all nuance discussed and confidently posts that. I beg you to read like even 3 other comments. x2 40) world’s tiniest violin for the fragile white males, so desperate for validation of their victim complex 53) @ 40: funny thing about you is, you're a whiny pro-DEI troll complaining and calling others with valid complaints trolls. x4 54) "pro-DEI troll" what is this, reddit? OP) I guess I hit a nerve. 40) *tiniest violin* 53) @ 54 see above for 40 and others calling people with different opinions & better data "anti-DEI trolls". 40) "better data" lol *tiniest violin* 52) If anyone is looking for "how to show you argue in bad faith" see @40. 40) lol so far we have seen - a lawsuit about DEI from the white supremacist "america first" that got thrown out of court, cherry picked "data", fake "data", opinion pieces, and unsubstatiated rumors. it doesn't even seem like the anti-DEI trolls are even familiar with actual trends in our field. *tiny violin* continue 55) @54 there's alot of confused people on this board who think it's a subreddit lol 56) DEI shouldn't include white women on the priority list. All white people should be excluded from hiring. 57) Listen everyone, I'm sure it must be frustrating for white people to not receive preferential hiring anymore, but we all need to have some empathy for the generations of POC that were and are still suffering from massive inequality due to structural racism and understand that fixing injustice can feel really uncomfortable and scary, even when it's the right thing to do 58) I would only agree with @56 with the caveat that it be applied to EEB specifically. Women are underrepresented and discriminated against in literally every other scientific field | |
32 | 3/30/24 12:45 | Isolating | 4/17/24 5:39 | One of the most frustrating things in academia is just how isolating it becomes. A lot of the people who I met in conferences early in my PhD and postdocs have been progressively sieved out. However, it still really hurts when a (close) friend decides to move on, while wanting to stay in academia. It is really frustrating and defeating. x4 1) Yep. Plus moving, only being in some location for 1-2 years, aging out of the grad student/postdoc events... x2 2) I had several friends turn on me when I became faculty. Suddenly all their issues with advisors suddenly got heaped onto me, and they reinterpreted our interactions through that lens. It was really frustrating and hurtful. The us-vs-them mentality was difficult to overcome. I'm not the advisor who held back their papers or lashed out at them over their work. Yet somehow it damaged our friendship. (3) @OP you gotta change your perspective. you are better than all of the people who didn't get jobs because the process is completely deterministic and merit-based. <-LOL 4) @2, That's too bad. I'd say it's likely you did nothing wrong. You can see on these pages there is a lot of raw envy and other emotions that are difficult for us to process. Just try to be supportive/empathetic and that's probably the best you can do. x2 (5) All of the competition and pressure makes people go into self-preservation mode. My collaborator got a job at a fancy top-tier R1 and started complaining about affirmative action, and how the university shouldn't be required to help "some" students who don't belong there. Very disappointing, but a sign of insecurity about whether they belong there as faculty. This process isn't designed to make anyone feel like they belong. x2 6) The *worst* feeling (and I'm curious if others have gotten this too) is when you feel hesitant to update your friends/colleagues about your job search (e.g. "got a zoom interview coming up at XYZ") because you worry that they secretly dislike you and would try to sabotage you, email the department chair and say horrible things about you or something. It sucks and I hate it. 7) @6 that but, you are afraid to update certain people because they will tell your toxic ex who you KNOW will try to sabotage you. Sucks sucks sucks. 8) Wow @ 6 and 7, I've had this exact feeling too and thought I was the only one. 9) Dang, me too! Glad to see I'm not alone. I always try to tell myself it's irrational because there's no one I know (among people who are applying for jobs) who *I* dislike to the point where I'd try to sabotage them, so I have a hard time imagining someone else doing it to me. But it's not a great argument against that fear - certainly 7's example of the toxic ex would make it far more rational. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. 10) wtaf 6-9. why would you keep people like that in your life? all my friends/colleagues are supportive and stoked for me when I have even a little bit success. 11) Yeah exactly, the reason why I don't want to tell anyone about interviews is because of dreading the embarassment of having to tell people later that I didn't get the jobs or their slow realization when they never hear any positive news back. 8) @ 10 for me it's not my actual academic friends and labmates, it's like certain toxic 1 degree of separation acquinatances who would hear something from someone else ... plus paranoia. (12) @8 you're not totally paranoid.. this actually did happen to me. Science is a small world, and if a slightly psychotic person knows someone at the place where you're interviewing, they might reach out to them and justify it to themselves as just emailing their friend. 10) @8/12 yeah, I knew somone like that in grad school. I completely cut them out of my life (blocked on social media, etc.) when I realized how batshit they were. It was bad enough that I even went as far as cutting ties with a couple mutual friends. It kinda sucked for a bit, but it was 100% worth it for the peace of mind. I have no patience for paranoia or toxic people. | |
33 | 3/29/24 10:11 | This process is worse than rush | 4/10/24 5:22 | I don't know how many of us there are who were in fraternitites/sororities in undergrad, but I swear to god that how this on-campus interview phase feels to me. It feels just as arbitrary once you get to that point - who likes you, who doesn't, did you say the wrong thing, etc, but like way more brutal, because it actually matters for the trajectory of your life. 1) I have not met too mayn academics who ever went through rush tbh. Haven't thought about it since my roommate in college. (2) Wow. As someone who has no connection to that world, it's surprising to hear that it's so similar (3) It does not improve after you the job FYI... The drama and gossiping is still pervasive. | |
34 | 3/25/24 14:29 | Please stop telling me "Another department will be lucky to have you"! | 4/5/24 9:34 | (OP) This seems to be in every rejection email/note I get. It's really frustrating because people don't seem to acknowledge that sometimes rejection means you don't get to keep looking for other academic jobs! x3 2) OMG are you reading my thoughts? It's even worse when people at conferences ask why I'm not moving. Did your department make me an offer??? No??? Neither did anyone else. So shut up and keep the comments to yourself. x4 (3) I had someone reply to my thank-you email 2 weeks later and say "I'm sure we'll see each other at conferences." As if they wanted to give me a pre-rejection email? 4) Wow, that is rude. And like OP said, sometimes if you don't get a job this cycle you won't be going to conferences in the future. 5) It would be great if we could reply with: Well, that means you were unlucky. 6) @ 5: why can't you? 7) This and "with your skills, you are going to do amazing work in this field", Umm no I'm not because I keep getting passed up for jobs 6) This is definitely true, because those other departments would be so unlucky to have you. 6) I will say sometimes this means the person really liked your work but politics favor some other candidate. Not that it helps get you the job.... 7) In so many other activities I love hearing "You're doing great - you'll get it next time!" But when said by academics, I hear willful denial and self-exoneration of how many talented, dedicated, highly invested people the system trains and then throws away. Instead of this cliche lie, the true statement - which I did once hear from a search committee member - is "you ARE great, but your chances are still poor." x3 8) If you think through the numbers and odds, it is grim, at least for the type of academic jobs many people are focused on. Since faculty positions are not growing overall (or if so, pretty slowly), you'd expect the average R1 professor to now be training only about PhD student during their career who will go on to an R1 position too. 9) Adding to (8), "Just 20.4% of U.S. institutions account for 80% of tenured and tenure-track faculty at Ph.D.-granting universities, giving prestigious colleges disproportionate influence over the spread of ideas, academic norms and culture." (Spitelnaik Higher Ed Dive website). 10) Although I do think that the trend identified by 9 is less severe in the field of ecology, isn't it? 5) @6: I totally do reply with snark. This being said: on occasion, I do chose my battles. As a WOC, there isn't much support to begin with and if I reply with snark, I find it angers others and might alienate me even more. Atleast thats my impression of how people respond to me - not saying I'm always right or that I always am perfect. 11) I avoid saying "you'll be fine" or whatever like it to others, since I truly can't know if they'd be fine. I instead say a lot of cynical things that lead to the conclusion "we both suck, but it's mostly not our fault"... (12) I think people do this in part so they don't feel guilty. As in: "I know we denied you this opportunity, but I am certain that my decision won't have any meaningful consequences for you." x6 x1000 13) I get "You'll find something". And I COULD find something but I don't apply for jobs I don't want in markets I don't want to live in. Oh, well. 13) @12 YES! Its the same energy as "oh I cant send a you are rejected note HR will be mad uwu" and "oh I cant pay students more, the department minimum is X" So tired to people privledged by secure positions not using it to do anything useful. x2 14) Totally agree with this thread. I have often considered some kind of 'polite' reply that might force people to acknowledge some of the reality of their role in this system. Something along the lines of 'Thanks for your message, but I just thought I'd let you know that this was my last chance at an academic job and I will now need enter a period of unemployment while I try to pivot my career to support my family. Unfortunately, this means we won't be crossing paths at conferences in the future.' x3 13) @ 15 love it! 16) @14, that might be how you really feel, but I don't think sending that would have any of the effect you intended. Even as someone sympathetic to this, if I got that message I'd be weirded out and think we dodged a bullet. x2 14) Lol, thanks for the advice 16. I guess if I ever got to the point of actually sending a message like that I wouldn't care much if you were weirded out by it. x2 17) So what should a rejection email say? 18) @17, 'Thanks for all the time you put into interviewing. We are sorry to let you know we've picked another candidate. We enjoyed meeting you and wish you luck in your job search.' No need for anything long or complicated. Simple, straightforward, and honest is best. No need for false platitudes or putting a positive spin on what is obviously bad news. 19) I might be in the minority, but'd actually prefer no update rather than a personal email or call to tell me I didn't get a job. For me seeing the message would probably just get my hopes up. This of course would be different if I had actually sent a message to inquire and then never received a response. Maybe that's what many folks here are talking about with "ghosting", but that is not the same as just not getting any update without requesting one. (20) @19 huh, I haven't heard that opinion before. I guess for me, I want to know as soon as they decide not to hire me so I can just erase that possibility mentally, get over the disappointment, and move on. Yes, given enough time it becomes obvious, but there's a long period in which you can't quite be sure that they've made a decision since the timing of a response can be so unpredictable. When I get an email with an ambiguous title ("Update on your candidacy for position X") or whatever, I don't assume it's a positive response and withhold judgement until I read it. 19) Maybe I'm just conditioned this way from experience. The only updates I've gotten regarding faculty jobs (other than the 1-2 year later search closed emails) have been positive. Interview requests or offers. Everything else I never hear anything. And this has pretty much been my experience for 20+ years of applying for all sorts of jobs in the "real world" too. I've been contacted for interview requests and sometimes later for job offers. Almost never for an update just to say someone else got a job.21) Just got another today "I've got amazing skill and a bright future" but again all that is worthless when I'm not even given a chance 22) @19, I agree with you completely. I don't understand all these people whining about being "ghosted" after submitting their app. I just assume that no word after a month or two means I wasn't successful and don't take it personally. That said, I also agree with @OP and hate the overly "pleasant" rejection emails. Just tell me I didn't make the cut and leave out the fluff (unless it's meaningful feedback regarding my application specifically, which has actually happened a couple times) 23) @ 22: The real problem is not with not hearing back after applying, it's not hearing back after you're interviewed or contacted for more docs/references. The first is normal, the second is bad behaviour. (20) @22, fair enough lol. I think the ghosting complaint is so common here because a lot of us just really despise the period of uncertainty after submitting apps and wish we could get updated (even with rejections) asap. I once had an interview invitation come 3 months after I submitted the app, after I had already been like "oh well I'm not getting an interview there"... so it's just nice to know for sure that you've been rejected and there's no chance the committee is just being slow for whatever reason. At the end of the day, the outcome is the same but I really appreciate it when I hear a rejection! Just a personal preference though I guess. | |
35 | 3/19/24 17:18 | Make it make sense! | 3/29/24 15:26 | OP) I had two really good zoom interviews. No call for campus. The zoom interview that did not go so well resulted in campus invite. I am not expecting an offer because campus interview could have gone better but got told that I will hear something in two weeks. It has been more than that and now I am waiting for rejection while at the same time fearing being ghosted. I know I did not get the job but not having that confirmation is really awful. Search committee members, please do not ghost people you were so nice to on their faces. And please keep them informed about their number in line of acceptance. 1) I empathize OP. It never makes sense sadly. I had similar situations too where I was pretty much told to my face that I'm not what they were looking for, but still got invited to campus. I get the distinct impression at the end of many years that noone is actually completely thinking through what they want in a candidate. 2) I'm sorry – I emphathize. The not knowing is awful. 3) Agreed - both the "not knowing" your status and also, if you are rejected, not knowing why. Was it something you said, was it something you didn't say, was another candidate a better fit, did another candidate have you beat on every metric - how are you supposed to improve your odds if you don't know what's actually counting against you and whether it's something you have any control over? x3 3) Dear OP, being a member of multiple search committess before here, I am sorry that you felt that you were being ghosted. Usually when we make an offer to the first ranked candidate, we would not communicate it to the second or third ranked until the first candidate has signed and accepted the offer, and this can take up to a few weeks depending on negotations, and second visit. You are not rejected yet at this point. In some instances, when the first ranked candidate did not accept the offer, we will make the next acceptable candidate an offer. If we "reject" the second ranked candidate before the first candidate signs, we are not allowed to make an offer to the second ranked candidate in the event that the first candidate did not sign. As a candidate I would wait 3 weeks after the last interview for the search chair to contact me. If they did not contact me, I assume I am not the top ranked candidate. However, there is still a chance that the top ranked candidate may not signed and the offer will be made to the next candidate. If you get a rejection within 2-3 weeks after the last candidate interviews, then the it is likely that the faculty voted "unacceptable" and will not make you an offer even if there are no other candidates have signed and this will be a failed search. So if you are still waiting after three weeks after the final candiate interview, this suggest that you are likely "acceptable" and will have to wait for more news whether you are the first ranked or second ranked candidate. We are not allowed to tell a candidate whether they are first or second ranked/choice. Every candidate who receives an offer will have to assume they are first ranked/choice. OP) thank you @3. For some reason my earlier reply did not register. Your explanation helps and I see why rejections are not sent out earlier. I still think that nobody gets harmed if SC lets know candidates their position in line, especially if they fall under "acceptable" category. At this point, it should be obvious that candidates don't care about being second choice. We all just want to have a job. 3 again) I think in this case, you can email the search committee chair to ask them to give you an update on your application. They may say something vague, but that may give you some information. It could also be that things are moving slowly at HR and they have no control over it. In any case, you are not "rejected" yet, so fingers crossed and hopefully you will be ranked first and get an offer. Personally, I got a call from the dept chair and was offered my current job 2 months after the last candidate interviewed. Till today I don't know if I am first or second or third choice, but I am glad that I eventually got the call. OP) wow @3 that must have been some amazing feeling though I bet those instances are rare. Happy for you and definitely knowing your perspective helped a ton! 4) Thank you @3 for sharing the information! What you said made it clearer to me what to expect and I'm (hopefully) a bit less paranoid than before. 5) I have never heard a convincing argument for not telling all candidates their status as soon as it is known - give the offer to the top choice, tell 2nd and 3rd (or however many) candidates that they are not the top choice but on the "wait list" and let the "unacceptable" people know they will not be getting an offer. I completely agree with OP that being second choice is not going to affect candidates' decisions about whether to accept an eventual offer. 6) @5 I'm sympathetic to search committees not wanting to give false hope or prematurely turn someone away. Email language can be tricky. If there is not an automated system in the applicant portal (which would be best), as a search chair, I would actually write something that looks like it is automated and relatively impersonal. Something like "Dear ----, As a candidate for X position we would like to provide you this update on the search. Search status: Ongoing, offer made to top-ranked applicant; Candidate status: Active, ranked as qualified". You could subsititute words as appropriate for status. 7) @6 this seems like really precise and professional language - would get the job done - wish more SCs would adopt this. 3 again) I think @6 makes a very good suggestion. In an ideal world, every committee should adopt this. However, in most places we are not allowed to to say "qualifed" or not. If you have been on campus interview, then you would be deemed as "qualified" in the system to be invited on campus. And we cannot send an email to a candiate to say they are voted. "acceptable" or "unacceptable". The wait between going to an campus interview and waiting for the news is excruciating, especially when one is first candidate being interviewed. The best way to get some information is to contact the search chair 2-3 weeks after the last candidate interviewed and ask if they can schedule a quick zoom/phone call to provide you with an update. A lot of search chairs are reluctant to putting anything in writing when the search is "active" (meaning no one offically signed yet), but seemed to be more willing to give some kind of status update in a phone call (at least from my experience). 8) I said it in several other threads here but what @6 suggested should be the standard, and IMO anything less is rude to the point of cruel on the committee. Sure @3 maybe they can't say "qualified" or something, but a simple email to candidates at regular points saying they are still being considered and interviews or negotiations are ongoing NEEDS to happen. The fact that SC committees are reluctant to do these emails is immensely unprofessional, or at worst, lazy and unprofessional. I honestly do not care if it makes them uncomfortable--how do the candidates feel? Furthermore--if anyone reading these is ON a search committee and you DON'T do these things, its time to be the change we need. Its a very easy way for professors to use their influence to make academia better. x6 9) I just ran a search myself for a couple of PhD students where I'm the PI on a grant. 60 applicants, ~10 zoom interviews, a couple second-round chats, a few zoom chats with referees, letters, read the MS theses of a few top candidates, and I was still able to send decision emails to everyone who applied. That's not the same as a faculty search, but it's a lot of work and I managed it solo. It can be done. x2 8) It can and it SHOULD. If you interact with anyone on an SC, online or in person, tell them as much. This culture of ghosting needs to change. (9?) I recently turned down an interview at WFU and told them it was in part because of how they ghosted me after the zoom and I thought that it was rude and disrespectful. 10) Good for you, @ 9. I hope your other prospects pan out. | |
36 | 3/19/24 7:16 | Ghosted me last year, rejected themselves this year | 3/26/24 3:47 | OP) Slightly less of a vent and more of a petty gripe: A university where I interviewed on campus last year and was completely ghosted (after an extremely positive interview experience and many "I'll vote for yous" from faculty) has now been rejected by their top 3 candidates in this year's search. I can't help but admit that I feel happy about that – they deserve it. 2) I feel this. x6 3) I love that OP! 4) I saw multiple institutions fail searches the first year I was on the market, frequently chasing one post-tenure well funded prof. All the postdocs they interviewed later got jobs and got mulitple grants. We would have been worth more in overhead than the salary offered by far. It was a foolish move on the part of those departments. Watching some of them fail to hire the next year was some pretty nice schadenfreude. x2 OP) Thanks, all – I am loving this solidarity here. And yes, I totally agree that postdocs are well worth the investment. 3) question for OP- how did you find out the outcome of this year's search? OP) A friend of mine did his PhD where I interviewed and had lots of connections there still, so he got me inside info through the grapevine well before I saw the Twitter announcement. (And I learned some kinda creepy stuff about a semi-problematic faculty member who insisted on going out for a nightcap (with another fac member too, mind you) after final interview dinner, where he insisted on giving me negotiation tips – all told, that dept has some big red flags, but at the time I really wanted the job). | |
37 | 3/15/24 21:01 | Getting roped into wierdness | 3/31/24 19:32 | Not entirely sure this is a rant, but this happens pretty frequently. I was asked to help out with some research by someone I worked for in academia, turned out later the person I was helping was their child on projects that I wouldnt get any kind of official credit on. While I might not mind sharing my skillsets, should they have told me? Another instance was when I wanted to get feedback on an application I was putting together. Faculty said yes we will give you feedback no problem. Please send us a complete application with all your best data. I ultimately noted that the feedback were from folks who were not faculty (sometimes related to the faculty), who would not have had much experience putting together an application themselves. Should I have been told? They could have just said we don't time to read your application. 1) the second thingis really weird, but the first--or some variation thereof--is unfortunately fairly common, but maybe with fancier wrappings. for instance, my postdoc advisor set me up to mentor projects from a visiting undergrad and a high school studen.. lo and behold, they are kids of family friends. sure, i could have said no (i think?) and in theory it was work on my own projects, but i would have much rather worked with students from our actual university. it semed like a conflict of interest and certainly unequitable, students were great, nit their fault, but as someone who didnt have those opportunities simply because my non-college-educated parents werent friends with university professors, it made me a bit bitter to perpetuate the privilege. 2) Yeah, I remember a seminar in grad school where during the speaker's introduction, the host mentioned they'd gotten their first publication in high school, and I was like "wow, that's awesome" and then later learned that their uncle ran a field research site or something 3) My kids know more about how grad school and research work than I did half way through grad school. Plus I'm pretty sure I interacted with no more than two or three adults with PhDs until college and for my kids (in college town) more than half of their friends have one or both parents with a PhD. It's crazy how many of the profs in departments I've spent time in have parents/uncles/siblings who are also professors in some discipline. 4) this is exactly why first-gen students are considered under-represented and included in many DEI initiatives! 3) Yup, totally. Although I'm not first gen, both parents went to college, but it is still a totally different world from these people who grew up with PhD scientists as a regular part of their life. 5) @3, you and 75% of other faculty. OP) I wonder if asking your employee still to teach your child is strange @1-5 especially if the employee won't be on the publication. Although to be clear, I sometimes get asked to 'help' on projects where I won't get credit even when there isn't a faculty member's child involved. Not being upfront about whether someone will offer credit is one part and then not disclosing its your child to your own employee is another part. Is there nothing wierd about the latter given there is an employee-employer dynamic that is not exactly friendship? 6) I agree with you OP it's weird and imo not right for someone to ask you to advise their child but "omit" that it's their child before you agree. I would not work with that person again b/c to me that's dishonest. fwiw the 2nd scenario doesn't seem that weird to me. OP) Thanks @6! Curious why the 2nd scenario isn't that wierd - does it happen often that people share your application with folks who haven't tried to apply for those positions before and not tell you ahead of time? 7) If you sent it to one person and they shared it with others (regardless of experience) without asking that does seem very weird to me. I can't quite tell from your description if that was the case, or if you sent it out with the idea that you would get a range of feedback from different people and that the group just wasn't all composed of faculty. OP) @7 It was the faculty's idea that I send my application to them and they would create a review panel. The instructions to me were to send my best data and put my best foot forward in this application. I did that and sent it to them. Because this application was for a higher level award only open to senior scientists, I thought it would be reviewed by other applicants. This was not the case. The reviews were all from one group of personnel who were junior researchers (including one undergrad technician). Should I have been told? To be even more clear, this faculty was occupying a commitee position where the job was to mentor other applicants. So that part is also weird to me. 8) @OP what kind of application are you talking about? OP) @8 its a professional society award for particular kind of work. 6) @OP it could very well be that 2nd scenario is weird too, I don't have all the details obviously. But if I personally am requesting feedback, I'm not picky about whether it's grad students or faculty or whoever. Students can give great feedback too, often better than many senior faculty in my experience. My philosophy is be grateful someone cared enough to look at your stuff, and if the feedback sucks don't use it. Effectively communicating about the type(s) of feedback you're looking for is also a grossly undervalued skill in academia imo. 7) OK, so with your additional information and from what I can tell, it just doesn't seem that weird to me. You sent it knowing that other people would review it picked by the faculty member and that is what happened. Agree with 6 that there is little correlation between quality of feedback and rank. | |
38 | 3/14/24 8:51 | How long after the campus interview did you get the offer? | 3/26/24 7:15 | OP- one week? two weeks? longer? (1) Infinite 2) I had an offer within a few days, but I was also the last interviewee and it was getting late in the spring. From what I've seen elsewhere and offer to a top choice will probably come within 2-3 weeks after their interview, unless there are a lot of spaced out interviews to extend the timeline. 2) 1.5 weeks for one, 4 for the other (and it would have been longer if I hadn't first gotten the other offer and told them so) 3) depends greatly on university as well as your "place in line". Some universities need to clear offers with the dean and it takes forever. 4) to echo others, you'd need to do a bit of math and accept poor precision. If you know when last candidate interviewed, you could add a week as a reasonable minimum (although offers come in sooner than that). I got an offer 3 weeks after last candidate interviewed. This is assuming you are first pick; if not, the SC may have weeks to know outcome of their offer to first pick. 5) Got an offer 6 days after the last candidate interviewed. Negotiations went really smoothly (~2 weeks). From a couple other anectodal timelines, seems like this is pretty much as quickly as things move in academia. One week to make an offer, and then intervals of a couple weeks to make/work through an offer. 6) In our department we typically contact the top candidate with a verbal offer within 5-7 days after the last interview. This depends on timing of the last visit and when we can schedule a faculty meeting and vote. After the vote, the chair then sends the ranked list to the dean and informs them which candidates the faculty would like to hire (usually the top 1-3 people). If the dean approves, then the chair calls the first candidate after HR approval. You can see how this can take some time. Luckily our chair is great at getting everything organized so that once the vote closes things go pretty smoothly after that. After the initial phone call, there are negotiations, sometimes visits. If the first candidate declines, we already have approval to proceed to our second candidate. 7) got the offer 3 days after my interview. think it helped that the dean was on the search committee 8) note that this can be affected by semester schedules. If the last interview is right before a break, you're probably going to be waiting longer as it'll take longer to get faculty/departmental/higher ups to decide and approve. 9) @7 Dean was on the search committee? That's pretty rare. 7) yep, the dean was a full participant in the SC as far as I could tell -- attended my talk, participated in the interview panel with the rest of the SC, etc 10). depends on the country, I withdrew 7 months post campus interview in Germany as they still did not have a decision or know when they would (they send out top 3 candidates details for review post interview, then discuss, then it had to also be decided by the State, I and I know they still had not decided at that point). Conversely in UK I got the offer literally at the end of the interview. 11) Relatedly, I just sat through a faculty meeting in which we voted on candidates who completed on-site interviews. Final interview was held last week. The first interview was in mid-February. The winning candidate was one of the early ones, and would have waited ~4 weeks post-interview (assuming SC notifies them this week). 12) got my offer after waiting almost 6 weeks @11) that sounds like the timeline for the job I interviewed for and I wasn't one of the early ones so maybe I lost... (I know this sounds absolutely bs cra but the wait has been excruciating and this is the extent of my spiralling) | |
39 | 3/13/24 12:59 | Lack of communication from search chair | 3/29/24 12:03 | OP) Had to reach out because it'd been so long since my campus interview. Was quickly told I didn't get the job but if things change, they'll reach out. No "we enjoyed meeting you" or the other candidate met the job needs better. It's so frustrating because I waited and didn't hear and had to ask- like were they just going to ghost me? Feels like a waste of my time to have gone on interviews if that's how they treat the people they don't hire. 1) I feel you, big-time. I think one of the things that makes this process so soul-sucking is the way mysterious timelines and lack of communication make the uncertainty drag on and on for no reason, and then it makes it even more soul-sucking when it feels like the search committee is totally indifferent to the impact that has on the candidates as people. So yeah that sounds beyond frustrating, and it does seem like if you went to all the trouble of applying, traveling to interview, interviewing, giving a job talk, etc etc then they could at least send a courteous email... x3million OP again) That's exactly what it is- like I rearranged my life on somewhat short notice and spent how much time traveling and prepping and then...you can't even respect me enough to wish me luck in my search? It's just soul crushing and I wonder why I think it will ever improve. (2) But remember to send a thank you note to everyone you meet with! 🙄 3) hahaha. Good one #2! My on-campus interview was almost two months ago, but I still haven't heard back. It is agony. I sent a polite email to the Chair last week and nothing... I can only think that they offered a position to someone who hasn't replied yet. Meanwhile, my life is stuck because it is hard to focus on something else. 3) Agree with all sentiment here but will also say that the SC chair told me the timeline before I parted ways after campus interview, even told me not to panic if I don't hear right awat and all hopes are gone now because I don't have the job. I almost feel like the "don't panic" response gave me so much false hope and almost wish it wasn't said though I think now that it was the alochol at dinner talking and I interpreted it too much in the direction I wanted. So take it from this what you will. 1 again) @3b yeah that sounds awful too lol. All I really want is clear communication about the timeline, and then transparent updates about where the process is. Like I get that it's easiest from the SC's POV to just keep radio silence rather than saying things that those of us on the other end might over-interpret or that might prompt a 2nd-choice candidate to take a different job rather than wait for the first candidate to make a decision, but it seems easy enough to put a little thought into crafting an email that says "hey thanks so much for interviewing, we have sent out an offer to a different candidate, if they don't accept then [you will be considered for the second offer/you were not high in our rankings and are unlikely to be considered/you are the third choice candidate so it is possible but unlikely that you will get an offer/whatever], and we will let you know when the search is completed." Like obviously the waiting is going to suck hardcore regardless but knowing where the search is makes it easier to make decisions about your life - if you're not really in the running for a job anymore, it's SO helpful to know that. Obviously this would add work for the SC... but this being the venting page, I'm feeling free to complain without worrying about them too much ;) 4) every search committee i have interacted with has hid behind "HR wont let us say anything until the search is 100% closed" and TBH I just think they are cowards. What is HR gonna do to your tenured ass? 5) I actually think the HR reason is valid. They are not allowed to say anything and HR sets the rule because they cannot risk a candidate making public their correspondence and other cadidates accusing the faculty or university of discrimination on one of the many grounds. It sucks ofcourse and that is why we have venting page but I don't think the search committee is wrong in following the protocol. Once the search closes, which usually takes a few weeks to months it is hilarious to get a rejection because at that point it is like "duh, I already knew!". 6) the best thing would be for application systems to have tracking that allows candidates to see what statege they are at along with some brief description. Some places have something like this. It is and HR responsibility. I understand the frustration, but I also get that search chairs are hesitant to communicate because they don't alsways know what to tell you... don't want to give you false hope, but also realistically they might go through a few other people ahead of you and an offer/later interview is a possibility. Some people are better at communicating around this fine line than others 1 again) Okay this is all fair actually. I've only done a couple interviews and haven't heard the "HR won't let us" thing - which is still stupid, but it's not the fault of the search chair... And yeah it does make perfect sense why from an HR perspective this is a good policy, but I just wish these things were allowed to be more human and less bureaucratic. Definitely not something unique to academia either. I think personally I'm feeling frustrated because I have received really good communication from a couple of non-academic job searches (quick email updates from the hiring manager like "Hey it's taking longer than we planned, but we're still reviewing resumes and we'll be in touch by X date" or "you'll find out if you got a 2nd interview within 2 weeks"), so I wish all searches had that level of communication (though some of the non-academic ones definitely just ghost totally). The radio silence is just so annoying, especially when the timelines can vary so widely - I've written off apps then gotten a zoom waaaay later once I had assumed it was definitely not happening. But yeah anyway I really appreciate the perspective and I think ultimately you all are right - waiting just sucks so bad that it's easy to get annoyed. OP again) What's funny is that I had heard someone they recently hired waited about how long I had so I wasn't sure. When I asked at my interview, I was told, "well, it's all up to however long the dean takes", which is not exactly a great timeline. Just frustrating to be kept in limbo with no idea what is going on. I get the HR argument, but I also think there is a middle ground of "we're still in the decision making process" or some such lie.7) Another consideration we have on the hiring side is to let the process with an initial offer and negotiation play out and then possibly ask the second place candidate. Sometimes we dont want to say anything to candidates until the ink dries as we dont want someone that joins the faculty to come in under having been "second place" x2 8) @7 candidates interviewing for these positions are adults and can process being 'second-place' in a competitive search process filled with idiosyncrasies and politics. IMO I'd rather know that the offer had gone out to someone else and then see myself as not-first-in-line if I did get the position eventually than wait around for weeks without hearing anything. x2 9) Not to mention it is pretty obvious you were second place if you get an offer two months later. x2 10) @7-9 and to add: candidates 3 through 7 often also hear radio silence during this process, and I for one would love to be told "we have 2 candidates ahead of you but haven't ruled anyone out yet". That is something I can process as an adult and plan for, whereas *insert no emails for 3 months* I can't. If I am candidate #5-6 and have no real shot, and I ask for a status update, ghosting me is rude to the point of cruelty. 11) I'm an asst prof who applied to a few jobs this year and had a few interviews. I expect no correspondence whatsoever unless I'm getting an offer, so I move on (even if I am FRIENDS with people on the search committee). These things have to run their course. I know as a postdoc looking for a permanent position it is infuriating. But no communication is the baseline. Anything else is icing on the cake. Unlike grants, where after a rejection you can call a PO and they can give you their persepctive, SCs are not professional managers and usually are just following protocol, based on what other people have said here there are plenty of HR rules they can hide behind and honestly they probably should, otherwise face retribution or doxxing of some kind. And with grants there's going to be a resubmission so lemons can be made into lemonade. You won't get that with the job search. You. Are. Out. It's an informationless wind-swept hellscape of isolation and hanging chads (that's a 2000 presidential election reference). (12) @11 being friends with someone on the search committee seems like a huge conflict of interest that should fail the search. They really didn't step down from the committee? 13) @11 you're describing the situation as you perceive it, not as it needs to or ought to be. Also, since you have a TT job already the stakes are so much lower for you than many others, who might be running out of funding on their current soft-money contracts and needing to make decisions about what to do next. 14) if you are working in a field for 10-plus years, it's highly likely you will be interviewed by a search committee where you know people outside of just reading their papers. You've probably been going to conferences and going out drinking with them a bunch of times, or have collaborated on something, or spent time together atthe same university for a time. So not necessarily like childhood friends or college buddies, but like professional friends. 15) @11 just because that is the norm doesn't make it any kind of OK. And if we continue to couch it like "this is just how it is" then we don't hold anyone responsible. I don't care if its industry standard, ghosting candidates who spent weeks or more effort on trying to get the job shouldn't be ghosted. Everyone in academia knows its brutal, continuing the status quo is bullshit 16) @15 i totally agree, but you just kind of realize that no one has time to change the status quo, which makes it all the more depressing. I think we all get joy from the other parts of our job (students, research) and the reality is that doing SC stuff is a service so around 10% of your job expectations. It's a miracle anything gets done. We are all drowning and this is one of those things where we throw our hands up and say "glad I got through that" and just try to have sympathy for those currently going through it. It's bullshit but what can you do to change it? I just kind of formed a hardened shell about it. 15) I would say that if you end up on a search committee its your responsibility to try and change something. Send a small email to candidates you've ruled out. Or just send an email to all candidates still in the running about where you are at in the process with bccs. It really can be a single email sent after every major decision meeting. Its like 5 emails tops from one person to fix most of these issues for a given job. I will push back that its not doable. x2 17) absolutely here for calling out anyone on a search committee to please do better. | |
40 | 3/13/24 10:32 | Well that's a rap for me... | 3/28/24 8:20 | OP) Well, no job for me- three zooms, zero on campus. I'm not sure how much I can do in the next 6 months to make myself more competitive. So much time on apps for nothing. It feels hopeless. 1)I am wrapping up my second cycle and...it sucks. I can't stay in my post-doc anymore for a number of reasons so it just feels hopeless. I guess I just go the adjunct/VAP route forever now. So I feel you. 2) Second cycle!! Some of us have been on here for around a decade! I know it sucks, but it my experience it only continues to get worse somehow. After two cycles I was still reasonably optimistic X 3 3) 1 again- A decade?! I am too old to be living the post-doc life as it is. I waited until I was sure I was competitive to go on the market so I feel like I don't have many more cycles in me. I just don't get it. Like, how are there just always better candidates?! X 3 (4) Wow, feels like I wrote this and now am experience acute amnesia! I hear you OP, and there are great places to land outside of academia, OP) thanks all for commiserating. THanks #4, did you end up getting out of academia or did you just stop feeling this way... ? 5) @OP I'm in the same boat and trying to stay optimistic, but I'm just so damn tired. People keep telling me that "getting three interviews in one cycle is fantastic" and I want to feel it, but I can't. Interviews don't pay the bills :( x2 6) I hear you all! The app cycle makes me feels hopeless, and adds tons of emotional burden. I can't imagine how it'd be like if such burdens from more cycles add up... 7) Especially since every cycle takes time/energy away from your research and teaching - makes you worse at the things you're supposed to doing x2 8) I calculate that between applications, zoom interviews, and extended in person interviews I have literally spent about 1 year of full time work just on applying yet I am still not in a permanent job x2 7) Yup! And then they wonder why your CV isn't more impressive 🙄 | |
41 | 3/12/24 15:54 | It's so hard to be patient! | 3/14/24 9:58 | It's getting late in the season, I have 1 Zoom interview scheduled, and 4 more recent applications out there. It's so hard to not check this website obsessively! I just can't help it, I want to know what's going on and it's hard to just wait. 1) I hear you OP. I keep checking this website hundreds of times per day even knowing nothing would have changed. 2) I think all of my chances for this year are finally done :( I need to start weaning myself off of checking to at least get a little break until new jobs start popping up in July. 3) Me too y'all, me too. I have one more app out there but realistically I'm done for the year. Have decided my mental health will be better next season if I limit my checking, maybe 2x/week...or at least once a day. It's just not healthy for me to be on here 27x/day when I'm not even getting a job. 4) Ugh the waiting is stupidly agonizing and it's hard for me to focus on the actual job I have because I'm so distracted wondering about the apps I have out!! Like I know I need to just focus on my actual work right now but I can't stop fixating on the outstanding apps and it's driving me up the wall. I'm in a different (and probably less stressful) boat than a lot of y'all because I'm mainly doing non-TT apps but still! OP) I feel seen!! I hear you @4 - I could spend time doing actual work that could result in things to improve my qualifications/CV and competitiveness, but nope, I'm here instead. 5) Ok, came here looking for this exactly. I've been going absolutely insane obsessively thinking about when I'd hear back and getting really depressed to the point that I'm not productive for anything else...I guess I feel somewhat better seeing that this is sort of how everyone reacts to this process. 4 again) Haha yes this is weirdly affirming... I've been so frustrated with myself for being so unproductive lately, so it is nice to see that it's a common experience. OP) The more people who reply and are doing the same thing, the better. All of us are maintaining the same productivity, or lack thereof. haha. :) x2 6) Count me in, my friends! This sucks!!! 7) in solidarity <3 | |
42 | 3/8/24 10:45 | Rejected from a position for qualification I do have | 3/9/24 7:25 | feeling frustrated that I just got a rejection email for a job because they want someone with R coding experience. I wrote about my coding experience in my cover letter so I'm annoyed to say the least. I guess it's nice that they told me instead of ghosting me. 1) that would be annoying for sure. It's also possible they made a mistake in the reasons as they were drafting emails, or they were looking for someone with significantly more R experience 2) If this is a gov't job they have CV sections that need to have specific key words. Look for blogs and other help sites to get the key word filters to work for you. If this is industry ask people to endorse you on LinkedIn. Stupid as it sounds recruiters look for that. OP) @2 thank you, that's so helpful to know! 2again) A friend missed out on a job at NASA because they didn't list PCR on their CV. Come. On. List every skill in those key words fields. And I mean every skill. | |
43 | 3/8/24 3:40 | Weird academic practice | 4/19/24 16:02 | 1) which one? lots to choose from! 2) I will bite- spousal hire is the absolute weirdest academic thing especially when they reject internal candidates in favor of the spouse. Yes I know this is an unpopular opinion but as you can imagine I have been that internal candidate and so yes I am bitter from my experience. x2 3) Weird because most often the spouse is the internal candidate fighting for an interview before being rejected. People here love to hate on spousal hires but it's really very rare that they work out. I'm bitter from my own experience of spouse and I having gotten a combined total of 8 job offers but not yet being able to have any of those at the same place because none of them would do any kind of spousal accomodation. I do agree that good people already working somewhere should be hired/promoted internally a lot more though. Sorry you were passed over.4) IME spousal hires are common, not uncommon. my department is like 10% trailing spouses (big R1 department, too, so its not like just one person).It is very, very frustrating. 5) Far more common at big R1s that have size and resources to accomodate but that is where a small minority of academics work. I think people greatly overestimate how common spousal hires are relative to how many people are in academic couples and need a spousal hire in order to have any chance of both people keeping their career going. I know many couples who have had quite a few offers like 3 describes but have not been able to get a spousal hire with any of them. Plus trailing spouses are often more qualified than the original hire despite what commenters on this board seem to think. 6) Almost everywhere including most big R1s will laugh in your face if you ask for a spousal hire at the TT level. I know this from experience. 7) Sorry @6 if getting laughed at was the response but to be honest, only in academia does one feel entitled or atleast hopeful to expect spousal hire. That we hope for it or worse, expect it is itself weird. x 2 8) @7, totally untrue. It just isn't talked about in the same way other careers, but it certainly happens. Plus for a whole variety of reasons that are pretty obvious, academia often requires spousal hires if a couple are to have any chance of being able to live and work in the same place. 9) @ 5 - I agree with this, spousal hires get the bad rap (and indeed it is not remotely fair to anyone else) but may of those I've seen tend to be the better-on-paper-at-time-of-hiring partner, with the original hire falling into the "dubious but good for representation on the website" category. 10) spousal hires are completely bizarre in most fields. think about asking for a spousal hire for other jobs...it happens in some fields, yes, but is unthinkable for most professions. 11) Most professions don't require you to move around to random places 3+ times into your mid to late 30s while creating conditions that guarantee your spouse will likely be doing the same only to then give each of you no choice over which random small town you end up landing in. x3 12) While that moving around itself is a weird thing, it definitely supports the hypothesis that spousal hire is really weird thing that academia does. 13) Academia may be unusual in sometimes making a new position specifically for a spouse, but it isn't at all uncommon in other sectors for spouses to be accomodated in various ways or with preferential hiring into open positions, especially when thinking about bigger companies with lots of employees. It just isn't visible in the same way as in academia. x2 14 @13 there are no data to support this because if it was that common or atleast as common as in academia, it guaranteed will be talked about unofficially atleast. 15) Just because you haven't heard about them doesn't mean they don't exist. A quick google search for corporations that have spousal hiring programs yields a bunch of results and those are just official policies. More than you can say for most of academia. 16) An actual weird academic practice is training people to do a very specific thing for 10-15 years and then just when they actually get good at doing it making most of them lose their job and go have to find some new job. Plus even if they do get a job, they generally can't be hired to keep working at the institution that just invested years and resources in training them. 17) @15 data supporting the opposite trend also turns up and even more so. 18) This disappeared the first time I posted it but Canada's top university hired a female PI and gave her spouse a "courtesy hire" in facilities management/maintenance. I have zero issue with any spousal hire that doesn't suck up a TT position. 18) I have received unitiated offers multiple times during initial interviews with private companies wherein they would provide jobs for my (non-married) partner. It is extremely common as 13 says x2 19) the idea that spousal hires are "extremely common" exemplifies the niche world we tend to live in. yes, of course it happens, mostly in big business. but for the vast, vast majority of professions this is not a common thing. because the vast majority of people do not have jobs like the ones we desire. This is not to say it is a bad thing - it is just a quirk/feature of academic careers in the modern world (in the west) 20) But they are very common in business careers outside of academia as people point out multiple times above! The niche world we live in makes people think that everything about academia is unique. If you mean they aren't common in the majority of careers that include the local jobs that people have at small businesses, then sure. But people aren't moving around the country for those jobs. For big corporate jobs or others that require relocation academia isn't particularly unusual in spousal hires and within academia they aren't nearly as common as people seem to think. 21) honestly anyone who says big businesses don't do spousal accommodations live in a bubble. And its not like big corp jobs are a rarity...they are really common. You may not hear about it as much because often times couples moving to a big city have many options for jobs, which simply isn't the case in academia of course. Also...the number of spousal hires that are actual TT positions for the spouse is a hilariously tiny edge case. Most spouses get hired as research associates, lecturers, or worse--and yes, mostly at R1s who have the resources to simply pay that salary and work around the personnel change. x2 22) And even when people appear to be in normal TT positions as a spousal hire they are often not really in fully supported positions. It's very common for them to have higher teaching loads or to have to fund a portion of their salary with soft money, etc. 21) yep. The number of spousal hires that we can call "Peter and Rosemary Grant" type situations with equal TT spousal situations is just a vanishingly small amount of positions that are appointed. So, stop poo-pooing academics who have academic spouses and are just trying to get somewhere permanent and stable. 23) Actually a really telling example 21 because even Rosemary Grant didn't have a regular TT appointment at Princeton for a very long time!! 24) @22 just because they may be small in number (though definitely higher than non-academic jobs) does not make them "normal" and non-weird. It is still still weird to expect them and reeks of entitlement. 25) Yes 24, it's so entitled to want to live in the same state that my kids grow up in. How dare I even ask for that. x3 26) Ha. Think what you may of spousal hires, but of everything that "reeks of entitlement" in academia, they are not that high on the list. x3 27) unpopular opinion, but unpaid student labor is a weird academic practice to me 28) I don't know of actual data here, but interviews I've been to recently at R1s have had many true TT spousal hires. I've been out to dinners with 6 TT folks who turned out to be couples in the same dpts, and this has happened across ~6 unis I've interviewed at. I don't think it's actually that unusual when it comes down to an R1 with a hire they really want to make. I have a non academic spouse but have been asked multiple times if I want a position for them. Not trying to humble brag, but I don't see it as unusual. 29) That's been my experience too: when they want you, they will do everything they can to make it happen. It seems easier, in some ways, to get a partner hire at a private school with deep pockets but it gets harder to convince them to consider the partner for a TT line rather than an untenured research associate position. 30) I don't think unpaid student labor is an unpopular opinion, but it's hard most places to get the financial support to fairly pay students. Plus there is often a real balance between whether students are getting training or really helping move a project with meaningful work (which makes it easy to slip into exploitation). I'm not sure academia is so unique here though. Lots of jobs have various kinds of internships or volunteer positions that are either unpaid or dramatically underpaid. 31) I know volunteer work in research exists, but is it really that common anyway? Most students I know get credits if not money. 32) Pretty common for field positions in my experience. I've even seen field research experiences (not training/classes) that require the volunteer to pay some of their own costs. 32) Plus 'research credit' is often just a way to avoid paying students. It doesn't fulfill requirements and it rarely results in actually having to take fewer classes so there isn't much/any benefit to the credit for the student (with some variation between institutions). 33) @32 there is the benefit of getting research experience which is essentially a prerequisite to many other opportunities. 34) I don't see spousal hires as that weird--I recently met a whole bar table of new hires at a big consultancy and there were multiple couples. In my bio dept of 37 faculty there are 3 couples, and several other faculty have spouses who work in non-academic roles elsewhere in the university 32) @33, I meant they don't get any real benefit from having the research credit vs. just volunteering to work in the lab and getting research experience. They get the experience either way with or without credit. 35) Unpaid student labour isn't really unique to academia - any company with unpaid internships does the same thing. Worse, conservation-related NGOs are often pay-to-play, where people, usually with an undergrad degree, might pay an org ~4-6K US/semester for the privilege of working for them. CEI and the Bimini Shark Lab in The Bahamas are two examples, and there are others in Costa Rica that advertize regularly on ECOLOG. 36) I want to pay students and right now I am. However, I'm imagining future situations where the student wants experience and I want them in my lab but don't have any money to pay them. Then what to do? Do I just tell them no, or do they work for free? I worked for free my first two summers of undergrad and I know I was lucky to be able to, but also it was definitely better for my career than if I had not done it. What I've done in the past in this situation (in the summer) is had multiple students each working a couple of days a week rather than one student working all week. That way they could also have a job. And I made sure to give them the option of doing their own side project and making a poster that they could present so that they would be getting as much from it professionally as possible. Of course this is also an equity issue. I know that the best solution is for universities to fund students to work. But, as an individual, what should we do if we are in a situation where we don't have the money? (Say I'm at a PUI not a research-intensive place) 37) I think it is a really tough call 36. There is a real equity issue in who can participate. Well funded schools (like Ivies) have moved more toward more or less requiring that students are paid to try to help with equity of access to research opportunities, but of course they have tons of resources to make that happen. If resource strapped PUIs set the same policy realistically it just means a lot fewer of those students participate in research opportunities and the gap to students at rich universities only gets bigger. I guess I would probably lean toward letting students volunteer if they really want to and it is good for their career goals but making sure that they have realistic information about what they want to get out of it and then also being sure that their experience is set up with the expectations appropriate to a volunteer position in terms of demands, schedule, total hours, etc. 38) folks. just google "spousal hire" and see the results. this is clearly an academic quirk. yes, it happens in big business sometimes. but definitely a quirk of academia. 39) That language is academia specific but it is absolutely not something that happens at a hugely higher rate in academia than in some other industries.40) what really weirds me out about spousal hires is how prevalent they are at public institutions. Other than military spouses, IME in govt this this really frowned upon, and if it happens theres some serious side eye if not actual repercussions.(not count8n* couples who met at work--known a ton of those, but even then there are strict requiements about their work relationships). and plenty of relocation happens for govt jobs, just like academia. edit: guess it can happen at national labs, too. i dint mind the recruiting practice as a whole, but if they are both going into top jobs like 2 TT tracks, then it's hard to feel goid about it. 41) Government jobs may do less spousal hiring but they sure love their nepotism and obscure point scales rather than evaluating qualifications so I'm not sure it's a good contrast to make. Also 'public institutions' these days are mostly funded by private tuition so it isn't at all the same as a full government job. 42) do you mean mostly funded by federal student loans and grants (tuition, programmatic, and research)? yes loans are paid back, almost every university--public or private--would collapse without public funding. its not just about state appropriations. | |
44 | 3/7/24 6:44 | Giving up research for teaching only? | 3/20/24 5:31 | I decided to pursue mainly lecturer positions (for a number of reasons), but I'm already having FOMO about missing research. I really love field work and collecting data, I just HATE applying for grants, analyzing the data, fighting for attention. Please tell me I'm not making a mistake by walking away... 1) If you enjoy teaching more than you hate applying for grants and analyzing data, then you're probably not making a mistake. x4 2) You could look for positions where pedagogy research is part of the job expectations - you see this in some of the teaching track jobs with tenure (or "tenure equivalent"). I get that it's not the same thing as bench research or field work, but at least it's still doing some kind of research! Might be some creative ways to build field work into your teaching too, like designing one of those courses that take students into the field as part of the course. 3) Many PUIs have extremely modest expectations for getting grants and publications but still expect research with undergraduates. If your field work can be done cheaply with students, why not consider that route? OP) @3, I am applying for PUIs too! I haven't done a postdoc, which some of them seem to expect, which could explain why I haven't been successful yet. Trying to get some VAPs or other teaching positions to see if that helps. 4) Some teaching positions also allow you to advise undergraduate research projects -- I am doing that now, which works when the research is inexpensive and there are a lot of communal resources. The hardest part for me is lack of lab space. I also agree with #2 that you can work research into your courses. 5) Sometimes you can do that, but depending on what the institution is, what courses you're put in charge of, and what your research is, it's not always gonna be possible. 6) This seems to be framed weirdly because if you only like collecting data and field work but not analyzing data, writing results up, etc then how would you ever like a research position? Field work and collecting data can be done pretty easily as a hobby connected to various citizen science groups and perhaps incorporated into your classes. I love field work and collecting data too, but the reality is that is only a pretty small part of a research position (actually most PIs at research intensive places do almost none of that). | |
45 | 3/6/24 12:45 | Received rejection from a place where the interview went really well | 4/6/24 7:58 | OP- this was a zoom interview. I don't know why I did not get a campus invite. And after going through so many of these, I am not even sure there is much for me to improove upon about how I interview. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. 2) I just think there is no way to tell with zoom interviews. If they are zooming 15 people for 3 campus invites, you could do the greatest interview you could possibly give and stil not get an invitation. My invitations list from zoom interviews has very little correspondance with how well I thought I did in the zoom interview itself. Sorry, it sucks. 3) Yeah, in my experience you can tell if you bombed a zoom interview, but beyond that, I've gotten campus interviews from ones that I thought went really well and ones that I thought only went okay. 4) I've thought I bombed Zooms and then received campus invites, and I thought I aced a couple where I didn't. It's so hard to know! If you want to really drive yourself crazy, check in a year to see who they hired (JK don't do this!). 5) I wish I could just get a response, even if it is a rejection. The agony of waiting is too much. 6) Sorry to hear this - it is painful and perplexing. What may have happened is that the bulk of the committee favored other things in a candidate and in this case it doesn't matter how well the interview goes because enough people on the committee are more interested in X. 7) Zoom interviews really make no sense. I've never gone from zoom to campus, but got 8 straight to campus invites. 8) Wow 7, what is your sub field? I've had many zoom interviews and many campus invites but never once had a straight to campus invitation. I agree that the zoom interviews are a waste of everyone's time though. 8) I always feel like my zoom interviews are just condensed versions of things already in my statements. I do find the part where I get to ask questions useful though. 9) Really 8? I find that question asking part pretty useless. 8) @9 I guess it depends on the job, but I feel like I can get more info on the position, views of the department, resources that might not be listed/easy to find on the website, etc. 10) @9, maybe you aren't asking the right questions. I agree that it can be informative, and if nothing else, it gives you the opportunity to show interest and maybe stand out a little 9) I have pretty good questions that I think get good responses, but I honestly ask them mainly to show interest in the position. I guess I've been applying long enough that I really just can't bring myself to care much about these kind of details of what they are going to tell you at a zoom interview stage. If you make it to a campus I guess it could be a little helpful if there was clear info about some class they really need or whatever, but that is pretty rare in my experience. 10) We have eliminated Zoom interviews because we found them to not be very helpul 11) I agree they tend not to be super helpful and take up a lot of time if there are many of them. I think it could still be worth doing asa screening for likely campus invitees. I've seen some interviewees who very likely would not have been invited if there had been a zoom session ahead of time. 12) I would be happy if zoom interviews go away! They do not save time at all though they do save resources bringing 3 instead of 10 people to campus. 13) Well no one was ever going to bring 10 candidate to campus. If committees want to use zoom to weed out truly unfit candidates they could just run 3 zooms and invite those three or move on to more if required. Or maybe zoom 5 people to save time. My biggest issue is with committees that zoom 10-15+ people. Totally uncessary waste of everyones time. 14) Agree with @ 13's proposal here. 3) Yeah, committees shouldn't zoom more than 2x the number of people they plan to invite to campus. 15) In defense of long Zoom lists: if several candidates are close, why not collect more info? Committee's time and candidate's time are negligible compared to value of getting the hire right. Zooms made a big difference in our recent search, the #2 tanked the interview (unprepared, expressed priorities that didn't match job ad) and a person who would have been #8 (?) going in crushed it. 16) The fact that you think these are negligible on candidates time is ridiculous. Maybe from the committee perspective zooming 6 vs. 15 isn't a huge difference, but you are eating up lots of time for all those candidates (who aren't being paid to interview). If you really have your top 5 or 6 bomb you could always go down the list. | |
46 | 3/4/24 11:21 | Foot in mouth | 3/19/24 11:54 | Got back from an interview and was looking up folks after for thank-yous. Apparently my favorite meeting was me woman-splaining some guy's research to him. I wish I had seen that paper before the interview, not after. 1) At least you weren't describing how much you disagreed with the research? 2) If you did that to me, I wouldn't judge you too much OP. At least you are interested/know something about the topic! (3) Cue debate about thank-yous! 4) I'm just waiting for the first job ad that asks for the thank-you emails at the time of application. (5) Haha! Not in an interview, but I have had similar experiences. Sent colleagues a really cool paper for them to read only to find out later they are an author on it. Hopefully the other person will be as gracious about it as my colleagues were....Also, could always offer them a cat as an apology ;) OP) Thanks #5, you made me feel better at not being the absolute worst. 6) @5, just because they are an author on it does not mean they've read it! 7) @6 your comment wins (5) x2 @6 LOL so true! 8) Ehh OP I wouldn't worry too much! It's easy when you're stressed to assume the most negative version ("he's thinking I'm arrogant and cringeworthy!") but a positive version is equally possible (he's really happy to see someone who's enthusiastic about the research he does, and he was impressed by your knowledge of the topic! You're his favorite candidate who interviewed). If someone started enthusiastically telling you about a topic you've worked on, would you be offended that they didn't have an encyclopedic knowledge of your publication list, or would you be excited that they were excited about the research? I think he could easily not be perceiving it as negatively as you are! 9) I gave the absolute worse response one could give in my recent Zoom interview. I tried to dig myself out and it just got worse, and worse, and worse. Needless to say, despite my apologies and assurances that I'm not a total jerk, I did not move onto on-campus. Luckily, I got an offer elsewhere but oooooof my 10th Zoom interview this year and by far the absolute worst. I also literally choked on and off for about 15 minutes during my research seminar in an on-campus interview. Didn't get that offer either! 10) Please tell us @9 what did you say??? Or at least what was it about. Please I need this lol. (11) I did not get the Qs ahead of time so I was not prepared for this question, but they asked me "what I could offer uni X" and instead of saying something like I filled a niche in their department, I said bluntly "well, I'd be your only XXX." Which while this was not fully incorrect, my tone was more happy hour than job interview. And the rescue was even worse, because I saw one of the committee members faces just get really irritated looking and I thought "oh nooooo" and I kept trying to distinguish my research from hers but I sounded even more arrogant. I also think my personality does very poorly in this region of the country, because I am 0/4 for Zoom interviews in this state moving onto campus, and 4/6 in the rest of the country. Bummer because it'd be a super place to live and a nice position, but I got an offer from a great department where I suspect my personality will fit in much better. Moral of the story - don't accidentally insult the people interviewing you. 12) One of my favorite Onion articles is "Man watches helplessly as self ruins date." This sounds like an interview equivalent. 11 again) @12 exactly I was watching myself alienate the committee was powerless to stop it! I couldn't help but replay it in my mind throughout the rest of the questions. Oh well. It's wild how one stupid moment in a Zoom interview can undermine all the good science I have done, my strong letters, my teaching experience, etc. But we all have that and even just the slightest lapse can make so much of a difference! | |
47 | 2/26/24 4:29 | Job please?? | 3/12/24 7:30 | Job for me??? x11 1) In this economy? 2) If I could I would! 3) you must offer your first born as tribute 4) @3 What if I made life choices such that I don't have kids? You can't have one of my cats. 5) I'd be happy to give up any number of cats for a TT job. 6) oh wow. thanks for the perspective, however unwittingly you provided it. i just imagining giving up my baby (canine) girl for a job. heck no. no basic tt job is that special 7) @6, yes no one should give up their dog, but cats are a dime a dozen. 8) I'd gladly give up my partner and kid for a good job, but it's a hard no on my cat. 9) BRB omw to adopt several cats for the purpose of trading for TT position 10) @9 suggest to poll search committee first for their cat preferences 5) new vent: "SC members expecting rare cat breeds in exchange for TT position" hilarious how we manage to get things off the rails so quickly lol 11) After 6-8 I thought this was going to turn into a cats v. dogs argument that was going to make the DEI debates here look like child's play 12) cat people are too smart to take the bait on that one. x2 13) We should all come to our senses and have both cats and dogs (I have two of each, perfectly balanced) 14) All dogs are good boys/girls 15) @11, I guess you haven't been around long enough to remember the 2018-19 "Dog owner as an identity" venting hall of fame thread 🤪 11) @15 just looked for it in the archive but couldn't find it there ... oh well 12) It's in the first row of the 'venting hall of fame' tab on the 18-19 sheet. I was here but I had to go back to refresh my memory. OP) I actually got one!!!! Three years and approximately 60 applications later! 13) Woohoo, congrats! 14) Congrats! Three years and 60 apps is almost nothing! OP) I provided one Maine Coon and one Hairless Sphinx to the search committee. (Not my kitties though- I just facilitated the adoptions). And thank you!! 4) Congrats OP!! and good job getting those cats adopted! ;) x2 | |
48 | 2/22/24 19:11 | salary/inflation | 3/11/24 11:28 | Somewhere in the comments on recent post for teaching at UW for ~$70K, someone mentioned K-12 pay in Seattle be better. This sent me down a rabbit hole. My parents are horrible at grasping the concept of inflation, but now I am realizing I am too. Imagine what you thought was reasonable pay the earliest year you started thinking about a career and plug those numbers into: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com. Its crazy. Those K-12 teachers aren't getting a great pay, they are just barely getting what they desrve and we have lost earning years if our academia path is at all stalled. So many lost income earning years. The change from 2019 to 2024 is just crazy. Expect more, negotiate for more, and if you are in a position to pay your students and postdocs more please, please do! I may be moving on from academia. I love field but we are left holding all the risk. Its crazy. 1) As much as anyone, I would love to earn more money and certainly would have in my early career days (first grad stipend was $10k per year) but I didn't expect a luxury lifestyle just because I went to grad school. And whereas I catch myself stressing about money regularly, the objective reality is that I have a much more comfortable lifestyle than what I experienced growing up. Not trolling here, just offering my perspective. The other part of this discussion that doesn't compute for me is where this extra money for salaries, etc. is supposed to come from. 2) The point is that wages have not kept up with inflation and academics are badly paid relative to our education and what we give to society. At #1 I don't get what point you're trying to make. I also grew up poor and as a postdoc make much more than we lived on when I was a kid (even accounting for inflation). So what? Nobody is asking for a luxury lifestyle. Wages should keep pace with inflation so that quality of life doesn't go down over successive generations. Where should the money come from? Well, Unis could prioritize academic salaries over other expenses. States could prioritize funding Unis better, as they did in the past. But yeah, it's not an easy fix. I wish we would talk more about finances with students intersted in academia. Nobody explained to me how much money I would lose in terms of opporunity cost, ending up with little financial security by middle age. Yes, it sucks, so let's be honest about it. x4 3) @1 the money for this can come from the massive endowments of universities that are non-profits but run themselves like businesses. Administrative bloat has increased tremendously. We can argue if that is for good reasons or not, but go look up the salaries of any Dean or Provost at your Uni and then look at the average prof (or worse--lecturer) wage. Professors are the money makers at universities: they bring in 50% of grant money as overhead and they teach the students paying our their butt for degrees. Academics deserve to get paid more and it needs to start at the professor level so that more reasonable pay can be shunted to trainees and postdocs. There are lots of movements to increase PD salaries, but they are nonstarters at places where faculty are making like 10% more than postdocs at most. My university has 2+ BILLION in endowment. 4) HAH they could re-allocate money from frivolous entertainement endeavors (silly little footballs and basketballs, gregarious facilities, overpaid coaches, etc) .. that'll be the day!!! 5) Faculty pay could increase at the same rate that student tuition increases. That would mean that our pay would keep up with inflation and the universities have a source of the money. 6) 1, I'm curious around what year you were getting paid $10k per year as a grad stipend and if it was a phd or masters program? 7) @6, might not be long ago $10k is toward the upper end of what my institution even allows for MS students today. Although it can be a little higher if they work of over the summer. 6) @7, yeah I know some masters stipends are terrible or even programs that don't have a stipend. I'd be surprised if that was a PhD stipend from anytime recent though. 8) This is all well and good and while we're at it we should all be riding flying unicorns to work instead of driving but in the real world the only place more money would come from is tuition, and since enrollment is dropping, that ain't gonna happen. What we're going to see is the loss of more tenure positions, union busting like at Laurentian, and more contract/adjuncts - NOT higher salaries. 9) I don't think that is true everywhere 8. Tuition dependence and enrollment declines are very uneven by geography and type of school. Momentum for faculty unions in a lot of places has really grown substantially. And it certainly isn't true that the 'only place money would come from is tuition'. There are lots of other components of the budget at most places: administrator salaries and numbers, sports and buildings, endowment draws, level of public funding, etc. Not saying that any of those are easy to access, but unions do help. Places like Laurentian wouldn't care so much about union busting if they didn't know it had the potential to have an impact on faculty salaries, benefits, and protections. 8) @9: Your comments about Laurentian strongly suggest that you don't know what happened there, what unions are, or some of the differences between labour realities in the US and other countries. Also, you missed the "in the real world" part of my comment - those other cash sources you mentioned are all fantastical. 10) Here and elsewhere I see what I'd say is a really romanticized view of unions. I generally support them in theory, but I have no confidence my large public university faculty union makes any difference with our salary and benefits. Where they do have an effect is fighting back proposed policies that would make us do extra work. They are also very focused on making sure faculty are treated the same...regardless of accomplishments, effort, etc. It's good in some ways, and frustrating in others. 11) Unions HAVE won big wins for faculty salaries--especially NTT ones--all over the US. Cannot speak to other countries but the union naysayers here are being weird tbh. Unions have gotten victories for academics and are one of the few tools faculty and staff have for getting their fair share of the slice at Universities in the modern age. Comments about tuition dropping are real, but at many universities endowments have *grown* in the last 10 years. Reminder that endowments are basically the University equivalent of where they store their profits. If pushed by their workforce they can and will tap it. Thats not fantastical as 8 is trying to claim--it literally has gotten wins at dozens of universities in the US in the last 3 years. x2 12) I'm in a major city in the US, and NTT faculty at some univeristies in the area have formed unions. There are carry-over effects to T/TT faculty at the same university, and even at universities where the NTT haven't unionized (yet) they are benefiting with slightly better deals, because the administration knows that they could unionize. 13) TT prof in Canada here -- our union got us a 7% across-the-board raise this year, so +1 for unions! 14) don't let anti-union sentiment leak into this forum I beg you. Unionize academics! x3 15) Grad student unions have also made some important progress! When grad students at my (US) institution unionized it allowed major steps forward in both salary and healthcare. X3 16) That's kinda funny @15 - when I was in grad school the union was initially without a collective agreement, and when they got one in place in my third year, humanities got a raise from virtually nothing and Biology got a cut as a result as the department had been doing there own thing on funding but later had to comply with the CA. We also didn't have to pay dues until that agreement was signed, so we got a regular paycheque deduction on top of a paycheque reduction. 16) my grad school union was great, I can't imagine how much worse it would have been without them. | |
49 | 2/22/24 12:07 | Grant/award recognition | 3/12/24 7:46 | Does your department/university have any sort of recognition of mid-size to large external grants? After a 7-figure project grant I got a 1-line email from an associate dean, a few congrats from faculty in the hallway, and that was it. I'm not expecting a parade, but the university is profiting half a million dollars and I didn't even get a sandwich. Hell I'm still at a hot seat desk in the open plan office. 1) revenue, not "profit". But yes, some places do a better job than others at congratulating and publicizing this stuff. 2) As OP is what sounds like a postdoc, I am impressed you received anything from an ass dean! I received a 7-fig grant as a postdoc and my institution did not say anything. But we did receive a letter from the member of congress representing the area where the uni is (blue state). 3) I got an email from a Red State congressional rep. They really do care when federal dollars come back to their district. 4) Even as a PI, sometimes I’ve had to nudge our press folks to highlight grants—sometimes it just doesn’t filter down to their level. So it couldn’t hurt for you to help put it on their radar with a friendly note! 5) A colleague dropped by to tell me I should never have been funded. Another emailed me to ask if I'd add their summer salary to my already funded grant. Maybe be glad no one noticed?? OP) @5 lol. I guess my colleagues are more polite than I thought (though redirecting grant funds to new salary would never be allowed anyway) 6) I've gotten no recognition for my grants (more than $2 million) other than a pat on the back from the chair and a cynical remark about how it helps my tenure case - I had to instigate the university press releases myself. I actually have a relatively small amount of active funding compared to the rest of my department (and I do more teaching than the average tenured faculty here). They probably want me to do more - but that's why I'm on this site, they can be reminded of my worth when I show them my offers from other places. Departments need to celebrate the accomplishments of their faculty regardless of the relative size of the account. It builds animosity and a sense of "I succeeded **despite**" across the department. 7) My college/university will include my grants in lists of awards for internal things, but there's nothing meaningful that comes from it. Like 6, I have to initiate press releases. My college/university gives me nothing back (no indirect costs, no teaching releases - and our base teaching load is very high). People with grants here don't feel valued (most people in my department don't have any federal grants), so I'm on this site looking to make a move. 8) I get being annoyed about support issues like returns from indirects or teaching releases, but it's never even crossed my mind to put out a press release about a grant I've gotten or to be annoyed at my institution for not doing that. I guess I've never seen the point in caring about internal 'attaboys' but maybe I should have for political reasons. | |
50 | 2/22/24 11:33 | losing my mind waiting after on-campus interviews | 3/20/24 4:15 | I've had 4 this year. First ended without an offer, which was fine because it wasn't a great fit. The last three were within the last month and would all work for me personally and professionally. But I'm losing my mind. This is so incredibly stressful. I'm not sure I can subject myself to this process for another year (this is my second year on the market). 1) hang in there. the fact you've gotten 4 on campus interviews means you're doing great! Waiting is painful. I hope you can do some thing to give yourself extra support, whatever that looks like for you. <3 2) Just a note to say I’m feeling the same way—finding it hard to focus on anything else! I’ve had 3 interviews so far. Got the first one but I turned it down because it wasn’t a great fit and now *patiently* waiting on the last 2… 3) another candidate here in the same boat. 4 interviews and one upcoming - no clear answers. the level of uncertainty is just wild to deal with. 4) Just finished campus interview 2 of 4 myself... been rejected by #1 already. Doesn't help that the last one is my ideal position. 4) "Insert the meme here: you guys are getting campus interviews?" 5) @4 this is my 3rd year on the job market - first year one interview, second year none (lackluster effort in applications), third year 5 interviews 6) The person interviewing me asked me last week whether it was my first on-campus interview. It was my 8th over three years. I don't think this is actually reflecting well on me at this point! Apparently, I am good in writing, but not so good in person! (I'm not mean or anything, just awkward I think) 7) GIVE AWKWARD PEOPLE JOBS they deserve them too and can be great colleagues over time x6 AP) @7 can we use this for ecoevojobs swag? 7) go for it! 8) No matter how dark things get, the promise of ecoevojobs swag will keep me going (9) I've done a few so far and it's so hard to tell what kind of impression I'm making. I'm also trying to get an impression of them, so I'm not really thinking about it during the interview. I think the best approach is to be authentic, but who knows? Also, I'm surprised people have already gotten rejections. I haven't heard from anyone and assume it's maybe bad news.10) @9 I agree it's a good approach to be authentic. I think maybe some folks are saying that sometimes they authentically don't know just what to say, and this comes across as awkward. 11) I don't know about that 10, a lot of people are just awkward in forced semi conversational interactions whether they know what to say or not. I actually don't think the 'be authentic' advice is very good for people who are 'authentically' awkward in these kinds of interactions. Unfortunately I do think some hyping up and performance is necessary whereas for some people it is much more natural to field the kinds of conversations that happen in job interviews (and that the difference here has very little to do with quality of science or how good two candidates would be as professors). 10 again) @11 sounds like we need a fully operationlized definition of awkward, which is maybe beyond the scope of this post... 6) Yes, @7!! Please!! OP again - just here to say how much I appreciate how we update each other on zooms, letters, etc. I just wish there was a good way to communicate that an offer has gone out as well. I get there are reasons not to do this but I kinda hate it. 12) adding to the group - waiting is so painful. I am in a position where the job search committee chair is really upfront but has shared with me that they've essentially offered the position to two other people before me but that I'm next in line. This is giving me very mixed feelings (obv appreciate being considered and getting to this point, but feeling like a runner-up) 13) hey #12 if you get an offer and want to take it, don't despair about being runner-up, there really is no such thing. I've seen "runner-ups" who were so accomplished and deserving it boggles the mind. Just being in the game at this point puts you in the 1%. SCs make all kinds of decisions for all kinds of reasons, and if you want the job, you should definitely take it and they'll be glad to have you and will never even think of the first-in-lines again. OP again) @12, I agree with 13. Lots of "runner ups" go on to do great things as long as where they land (even as "runner up") is a good environment. I'd be thrilled to get one of the three jobs I'm waiitng on - I don't care if I'm the last person on their list if they do eventually offer me the job! I also agree that who the hell knows why SCs do what they do. I'm a bit flabbergasted seeing who landed a couple of jobs where I was passed over. 14) No shame in not being first choice. There are so many possible reasons final rankings area what they are, and many of them are totally unrelated to you. By the way, I got a job that I applied to twice (first year failed search). And neither year what I a first choice. Everything is fine. If my colleagues think less of me, they are good at hiding it. 15) Just to add @12, being runner up isn't inherently bad, but it is a little odd they told you? They could have said "you're still under consideration" or something. But if it's a good fit, you could accept and just prove them wrong! OP) I did eventually get an offer and I know I wasn't the first choice. I actually know who the first choice was and it was one of those "well, yeah XX is pretty fantastic." I am not daunted! It's a great job in a great department, and I'm so incredibly relieved that this process is (almost) over. Just waited for all the paperwork to go through... | |
51 | 2/21/24 10:44 | Luck | 2/29/24 16:46 | I was just thinking how much it comes down to luck, getting grants and jobs, decent publications and it's kind of scary to think how things could have turned out. 1) it's important to acknowledge the role of good luck when we are sucessful. Annoys me when people don't, especially those who have been quite blessed. everyone works hard, and many/most of us have bad or difficult luck. What I can say is bad situations have made me resourceful and incredibly tenacious. 2) Most of us have gotten pretty far with the help of luck/privilege. It's complex, and to some exten we do create our own luck. It's also easy to focus on time when a little better luck could have helped a lot. But I don' think it is helpful or healthy to go down that path. 3) My current "world view" is that academic job market is like genetic bottleneck. Strong bottleneck means selection can barely work (unless there's HUGE fitness difference) and whether you make it depends heavily on luck... 4) From everything I've seen people have an easier time getting grants than getting faculty jobs. I know that might change if they double the number of faculty hires, but it does imply that there are more people out there who would be successful at launching labs if they were only given the proper chance X 2 but I agree to this 1000X. 5) this is where europe has an advantage- in most countries it is possible (even the norm in terms of career path) to first get a major grant(s) before getting a job. The grant creates the job for you. While there are lots of downsides to this system, it is also true that such a system gives opportunity to those who can really walk the walk but might not play into the random politics of tenure track facutly searches. Still lots of luck in getting funding, of course, and writing great grants doesnt make one a great scientist. But still, seems more of a meritocracy 6) We are all alive, which is also a luck 7) @6, easy for you to say that with your survivor bias :) 8) @5 I'm not in the US and recently started a big grant, which means I have a job again. The dept has implicitly and explicitly made it clear that I only have a job as long as the money lasts, and then I'm out the door (not the first time). And from my n=1 getting big grants doesn't help you get jobs in the US either. 8) Everyone gets lucky in every walk of life, not just academia. In academia luck is probably a bigger force because you're competing with a bunch of highly educated and motivated people, so you have to work hard to be in the conversation and then hope you get lucky. That's how i feel after every academic achievement anyway (grant, job, etc) 9) I have a family member who is faculty and has seen many searches. He said that of the 4 people they bring in for interviews, usually only 1-3 remain desirable at the end (usually 2). Of those, it comes purely down to "fit" in a myriad of ways. And for this reason, yes, he said there is a lot of randomless and luck in terms of how you reflect that "fit". But it also means that simple probability predicts that you will be the right "fit" after enough interviews. 10) Need to check your 'simple probability' though 9. You might be right if we could all do lots of interviews, but the ods of doing a string and just by chance not being the right 'fit' is still pretty high (and we all know how hard to is to get invited to even one campus visit). 11) #9 has a point though - it's like grant writing. In the beginning, you're not getting grants because your grantsmanship sucks (no one is born a good grant writer). Then, once you get good, it's a numbers game and the 10% funding success rate applies (or whatever horrible statistic from your favored funding agency). Same with jobs. So if you've got over ten papers and two postdocs, you are ready for a faculty position, after a certain point your best bet is to apply to 50 jobs in order to get 5 interviews. 10) Sure, 11, but what I'm saying is that even if you get 5 interviews, with 4 candidates each and assuming you all have equal chance at that stage, you still have ~25% chance of not getting an offer (maybe a bit lower if you count on an occasional top choice turning down a job). Certainly agree that it is a numbers game to improve your chances though. | |
52 | 2/20/24 21:46 | 4x my stipend to do the same thing | 3/18/24 9:59 | just saw a job listing for a postdoc position at a nearby university for doing basically exactly what i'm doing for my phd but for literally 4 times my current phd stipend......... please do not try and explain to me why this is reasonable, i just gotta s c r e a m 1) some schools are raising postdoc salaries by a lot, as a response both to postdoc shortages and to cost of living increasing. Good news is it might lead to higher pay for grad students and others in the academic world eventually as well 2) What are the rates?? I find it hard to believe that the postdoc salary is 4X your PhD salary. e.g., if you make 20k, the postdoc salary is 80k. If thats the case, it seems that the PhD salary is on the low end of the average and Postdoc on the high end of the average. 3) Maybe this is in a country with very different stipend/salary norms, but if this is the U.S. either the postdoc is getting way too much or you are getting way too little. or both. x3 4) I recently found many postdoc salaries are higher than my current AP salary, sigh... x2 (5) I moved countries for my postdoc but using numbers that were in the same currency, I made about 4X as much during my postdoc. 6) @3, a postdoc getting way too MUCH?? x2 7) Grad students should definitely be making more money. Living wage for everyone, huh? 8) @6, us old time postdocs can be a little resentful of the newbies. It's a lot cushier of a job now in many places than it used to be. 6) A rising tide lifts all boats. That kind of resentment only serves to hurt positive change 8) @6 I agree, and I was (mostly) kidding. But I expect the trend to result in fewer overall postdoc jobs (absent some unexpected large uptick in research funding). But that's probably a good thing, since many of here have understandably convinced ourselves the whole system is a giant pyramid scheme. OP) I'm in Australia. My stipend is (tax-free) A$30k a year, this postdoc position is listed as "A$119K - A$140K" (this is a fairly normal range for postdocs here from what i've seen). Oh and I'm absolutely not arguing that postdocs should be paid less, more that PhDs are not paid enough and it was especially painful to see as I'm doing p much the same research (although maybe if this amount of money is available, perhaps we could share it a little more equitably? maybe postdocs could earn 3 times what we do instead of 4.....) 9) I've always been told that the difference in Australia is that the big pay bump is from grad->postdoc but that there is relatively little increase from postdoc->faculty. After converting I still earn a lot less than that as a postdoc in the US with (too) many years of employment. 10) Meanwhile, students at my institution (mostly undergrads, but maybe a few of our MS students too) are dumbfounded to hear that grad students sometimes get paid at all... 11) @9 I'm in NZ, and postdocs make the same as (new) faculty, with yearly raises. Therefore there are very few postdocs. 12) in my phd program, we made 9K a semester, so a total of 18K a year post quals (no pay over the summer or december and no health insurance) and the postdocs were making 60K with benefits and healthcare and a paycheck over the summer (both students and postdocs were still expected to work during the summer tho as usual), so the math isnt TOO far off for my phd/postdoc experience. Everyone deserves a livable wage, and one that keeps up with inflation. Tranees are people. 13) The salary seems high, but after taxes and super, the takehome is probably closer to A$80K, and a new lecturer B (U.S. asst prof equivalent) only makes slightly more (10K prob.) than a postdoc 14) everyone deserves a living wage but postdocs do have more experience and responsibility. While on paper the job/role might sound the same, a phd student is not doing the same job as a postdoc. 15) I don't think anyone is arguing that postdocs don't deserve a higher salary than grad students, it's the magnitude of the difference in these examples that's an issue. 16) @ 15 perhaps not here but one will see "thoughts" along those lines in other venues. Reminds me of my pre-academic employment, when someone was starting out and realized someone else with the same position but several years in was making more. "Equal pay for equal work" doesn't take seniority/experience OR acquired skill into consideration. 17) grad students should be paid more 100%, but a postdoc doing the same type of research as a grad student is not "doing the same thing," as the grad student. It's a totally different position, they have additional credentials and experience that the grad student does not have. Finish up that degree and try to get your own postdoc in that lab! 18) Not to mention they aren't taking any classes or TA-ing. 17) yeah it's just not the same at all. I do think students need to be paid more tho! | |
53 | 2/20/24 13:27 | One fewer postdoc on the job market | 2/23/24 8:57 | (OP) Got my final rejection today after three years on the market, and my deal with my spouse was that after 3 years I'd be done. Unfortunately for me, my time is up. 2) Happy trails friend, sending high salary and work life balance vibes! x3 3) I quit this year too! Not making huge bucks but making better than postdoc and most non-big city R1*shrug* no free summers but alllllll evenings and weekends :) don't regret it yet. good luck to you! 4) Good luck OP. I'm sure there are mixed emotions, but congrats- you are FREEEEE of this hell. All the best to you in your next phase. 4) right there with you friend.. gracefully 'bowing out' after 2 cycle attempts. On to bigger and brighter things! | |
54 | 2/14/24 9:54 | Interviewees with fewer quals | 3/26/24 12:59 | Not fun seeing the interviewee lineup for my current position, with candidates who got their phds 3 years after me and have many fewer publications (like 2 total). Guess I missed my hot shot years. I know it's sour grapes, but it still hurts. 2) "for my current position" could you elaborate? OP) oops! Meant to say current institution/department. It's not quite as perverse as that typo makes it sound, but still demoralizing. 3) "No one is a prophet in their own land." (4) Academia is no longer about # papers etc and sooner you folks get that the better 5) @4, I don't think it ever was 6) I have seen candidates that I would deem wholly unqualified rise to the top of the list. Often times there is politics in play where a senior professor views them as a permadoc for their work. In other cases they fit some niche topic where there is pressure to hire, but even then one wonders if there weren't more qualified colleagues. I've even seen a case where a search committee member suggested we hire a completely incompetent postdoc so that their famous PI would collaborate with them and send grant money our way (dream on). It's blatantly unfair and difficult to stomach while you try to find the right position. Stay strong and keep publishing good work. Hopefully the right fit will happen for you soon. Also, try to be good to your friends when they succeed. Even if the system isn't fair we can wish them congrats when they get good things. 7) people like @5 saying it was always like this are wholly wrong OP) I know its not all about pubs, especially #, but there is a difference between having a solid research record and having practically none, and I feel like I've spent all this time trying to prove myself by building a record of research/teaching/service when I should have been advertising myself instead.and thanks @6.. I wish all of the candidates well, I just need to vent bc I played the game wrong :/ 8) Despite all evidence to the contrary, SC members will regularly come on here and post about how the solution is to stop griping and publish more papers/get more grants to be more competitive. They ONLY hire the applicants with the best CVs, you see, even as the ABD with 0-2 papers or the nepo postdoc is busy signing their new employment contract. 5) @7, I only meant that hiring was never just about, or primarily about, # of papers. I don't think that's wrong, certainly not "wholly". There have always been a lot of variables. 9) I too enjoy being interviewed by SC chairs or squabbling for teaching work from my Dept Chair, all of whom have fewer papers/citations than myself. 10) I mean, we don't *want* it to be all about # of papers and grants, right? Isn't this a good thing? We want to be good scientists and do good science in a good environment that we fit well with. We don't want to be checklists. I get way more frustrated seeing someone with 50+ papers but terrible people skills & competitive/abusive tendencies become a PI. 11) @ 10 some way to rank candidates is probably better than the alternatives being alluded to here, e.g. hires with no discernible experience or objective justifications. Plenty of the recent PI hires who fall into the "good with people/talk a big EDI game" category have turned out be absolute duds at supervising and doing research independently. x6 12) Oh we're doign this again? x3 13) i'm doing so much facepalming while reading this 14) I saw the 0-pub ABDs getting hired in the closet and they recruited grad students and the grad students looked at me. 14) The grad students looked at you? Sarah, get me the Provost! OP) wow I feel teased. I know a lot of you are thinking "well yeah you didn't get hired/interviewed because there must be something wrong with you" but I swear, I've been just your normal working-hard researcher/teacher. I just feel like I should have chosen project ideas based on popularity/politics (not that mine are way out of mainstream or anything) and spent more time advertising myself than at the bench/in the field. It's an honest vent, and if I were to give advice to grad students now, it would be to NOT focus totally on research (including publishing/presentations and establishing collaborations)/teaching/mentoring but rather strategizing, so long as you have a minimum level of accomplishments. 15) Yeah, I'm going to have to have some talks with my students about online presence and popular science writing if they want to have a chance at a position. 16) There is definitely something to be said for the perniciousness of "brand-building" as a (seemingly necessary?) activity. Part of me thinks it's at least partly to blame for some of the annoying tendencies encountered on social media. 17) Yeah I feel you OP.... What is killing me is when I hear the SC members in my department (at a big R1) congratulating themselves about how EXCELLENT the pool of candidates was this year... No, when the new hire has 11 publications with their highest impact factor journal being a Frontier, this definitely does NOT meet my definition of excellence. x3 18) @ 17: I know of a bunch of these - # of papers aside, most of them aren't research papers and are instead iterative "we need to do this" opinion pieces with 12 co-authors. In eco-cons, their websites inevitably talk about "inspiring/leading the next generation" when they have just a few years post-PhD and have yet to do shit for eco-cons themselves. x3 19) What is eco-cons? 20) Ecology and conservation was my assumption x2 21) I am interviewing at an institution where the last two hires were internal and one of them had all of 2 publications. And no, they were not CNS publications. I have seen the CVs of postdocs on the market and some from professors already. There is no excuse for that kind of neopotistic hire going to lightweights in this hiring climate. So many people could have taken that job and done great work with their own labs. They shouldn't be used to patch up the careers of trainees who would struggle to even get a second postdoc. x3 22) Curious if anyone else has noticed what seems (to me) to happen with these hires: they can triple their paper total in a year or two (one PI in particular stood out recently, starting with 3 papers and now sitting at ~30 about two years later), but of those exploding papers, they're always somewhere in the middle of the author list. Collaboration is key yada yada yada but the optics are "'let's put them on everything so they can hopefully get their own grants". But they weren't, apparently, contributing enough or enough of value to get invites BEFORE they had a position. 23) Good departments don't hire permadocs, 22. (With full acknowledgement that some people do 1st-author equivalent consortium work.) 22) @ 23 Not going to name schools but there are some major Canadian universities that have, in fact, hired permadocs over the last few years. "Good" is subjective. addendum: One dept even went to far as to hire the (male) spouse of their new (female) permadoc - and the spousal hire falls into that category, too. 24) I can't even tell what you all mean by permadoc. Do you mean people hired to work on projects of other tenured faculty already in the department? Or are you talking about the profile of people at the hiring stage? Trying to understand whether I agree with the vent or not! 22) @ 24 - the first of your options. "permadoc" generally refers to a PI pushing an SC to hire their postdoc for a TT position so they will have a reliable departmental minion. Currently, it also functionally includes dud hires who can't get their own research going so they get put to work as postdocs/RAs by other department members to finish up projects/papers from various stages of incompletion. | |
55 | 2/14/24 8:56 | Postdoc advisor not supporting my job search | 4/15/24 17:50 | 1) that sucks I'm sorry. I've experienced some maybe similar issues. sadly, many of us have to branch out to find mentoring elsewhere. 2) My postdoc advisor was also not at all supportive of me going on the academic job market (he actually laughed at me when I said I was planning to apply to a handful of positions this round…). He didn’t even offer to write a rec letter, didn’t attend (or even acknowledge…) the practice job talk I gave to the lab, etc. Just want to say that (a) this destroyed my confidence AND (b) that I recently got my first offer from one of the top depts in my field. To any PI’s on here: don’t be a postdoc advisor who does this — support your mentees in THIER career goals and timelines (& if you don't intend to do this don't hire postdocs). Temporary employment sucks for a lot of us and while you might have a rosy view of your postdoc years, please remember that it’s likely because you now have stable employment. It ended fine for me thanks to amazing phd advisors and a fabulous network of informal mentors but it was rough and didn’t need to be that way. 3) @2, congrats on pulling through that difficulty. I got lucky with very supportive grad school and postdoc advisors. It makes a big difference. I know it is to some extent, but I wish we could really get the advice out there on how to avoid unsupportive or otherwise problematic advisors. 4) @3 could not agree more! 5) @2 Agree - Applying for other jobs is part of the job. 6) My current postdoc advisor is supportive but there is a clear conflic of interests — she wants me to be a postdoc for years to come to work on this very high-profile project with no rush to get things published, I want to get papers out the door so that I can possibly get a job that pays me with dignity. 7) Sucks, I'm sorry. My current postdoc advisor supported me applying for a position and offered to be a reference, then two days before the app was due told me they were also applying... | |
56 | 2/12/24 9:02 | Form HR rejection letter after on-campus interview | 2/26/24 8:44 | Hey, at least they told you. I'm still waiting to her back on a few from 2021. 2) Every search chair needs to take the time to write an email to everyone who came on campus. It' simply rude not to and this nebulous idea people have that "they aren't allowed" is steaming B.S. If nothing else you could do it after it's a done deal from HR and thank people for their time and efforts. x3 3) Honestly at this point i'd consider a mass emailed form letter a win. So RIDICULOUS people cant even be bothered to do that. 4) Don't even bother personalizing! "Dear Applicant (or just Hey You), thanks but no thanks." 5) the entitlement from @2's comment is blowing my mind lol. SC's don't owe you anything. HR form rejections are fine and should be standard practice imo. x2 (2 again) hey #5 it's not entitlemet to expect basic courtesy and common decency, such as a basic expression of appreciation for the labor that goes into interviewing. Everyone owes each other courtesy and kindness. If you can't take 5 minutes to express a kind and appreciative sentiment to someone who is going through the ordeal of the academic job market, that's very sad to me. This is a matter of basic ettiquette and treating people like human beings deserving basic courtesy and respect. 6) agree with #2 and also would like to point out that SCs and committee members are often colleagues who we will meet again throughout our careers. It seems like a minor but impactful act of courtesy and collegiality to write an email to each of 2-5 people who put in the time and effort to come interview at your institution but were not chosen to be hired. 5 again) Yes, you are entitled to basic courtesy. A form rejection is exactly that. Requiring a personalized letter from someone who you interacted with briefly is super weird to me. They don't owe you anything except the results of the interview. 7) Agree that chairs could at least send a simple 2-line email saying "thanks for coming, we enjoyed meeting you, sorry it didn't work out". Whether they do or not may be how courteous they are, but in my experience a kind and courteous chair is also more likely to be a rule-follower, and most institutions would prefer that HR does all the communication of rejections (they don't trust faculty and are terrified of being sued). So, it's a bit of a catch-22; the chairs who don't care about the rules or what admin thinks of them are less-inclined personality-wise to send a personalized note to all the applicants. The chairs who think it is the kind and courteous thing to do are also more likely to follow institutional rules about communication. And you thought you were on an ECO-EVO board, not a pseudo-pysch board! OP) For some reason deleted my first comment, but to add context, the email didn't make any mention of interviewing and read just like the kind of email you would get after not making it past first round (fwiw I think they hadn't sent anything out to everyone who applied even once campus visits were happening). Wasn't expecting a personalized rejection but just thought it was sort of bizarre 4) @ 5 just to make this absolutely clear for you #5, you are 100% wrong here and if this were reddit, you would 100% be the asshole in this scenario. ISC if candidates are not notified. 8) Yf HR isn't sending out form emails (which is very common), it is entirely the personal, professional, moral failure of theeah, I don't think SC's need to be sending long, personalized rejection emails, but definitely some bit of polite closure on the matter should be the standard. 9) @4, are you serious? Why does everything have to escalate to a virtual shouting match? Just politely disagree and be done with it. (2 again) agree with others nothing elaborate is needed. literally a 5 min thanks for coming etc. If needed verify if/when HR will send something and send after that. I can't fathom grandstanding that LESS kindness and courtesy is something to strive for. If you treat others with respect and kindness it will be returned to you, and you will be improving your community. It's not rocket science, literally logic that can be grasped by the average kindergartener. 10) Realistically, the timing is often difficult. Search chairs aren't going to want to send out an email saying, hey you weren't our first choice but stay tuned. Things can drag on for weeks. By then you already know you aren't likely to get an offer. Sure, a search chair could send a note then. Some do; that's great. Some have forgotten. Some think it would be awkward. If you really want update and earlier closure, no problem reaching out on your own, even if you think it is their job. (2 again) #10 that's a good point that applicants could always reach out and agreed it's not out of malice but more forgetfulness etc. I wish more SC would realize it's important to many applicants. 5) @4 going through life thinking that everyone who doesn't do exactly what you want them to is some kind of failure is really not healthy. you should relax and stop taking everything so personally. 2) to #5 it's true #4 was not being polite, but it sounds like you are the one taking it personally. and perhaps you should, but I hope you will also take the time to consider why being less kind and couteous is the hill you want to die on. Have others treated you badly? Have you been inconsiderate to interviewees and need to justify it? I hope you can take some time to consider why other feel strongly about this and take some responsibility for improving the academic community, rather than making excuses for our collective shortcomings. If it makes one stressed out applicant feel respected, isn't it worth 5 min of your time? I hope you'll consider that. take care. x3 | |
57 | 2/10/24 13:14 | Single New Assistant Prof - Feel like Outsider | 2/26/24 8:35 | I am an relatively new Assistant Prof and am single. I feel like an outsider in the department because all the "external" events include peoples' spouses. Any tips from other single profs? 1) Would also like to know. I'm a postdoc instead of a prof, but yeah, single and I feel like I'm the only one. 2) These things shouldn't matter but lots of people act like they do. Try to find the folks who aren't obsessed with white picket fences. Some couples will enjoy having single friends to chat with. In the meantime try to find events your friends with kids can do. Brewery with a playground? Ideal for both. 3) I am feeling this SO hard. Postdoc right now. Currently the only single person in my lab (being the 13th wheel is always fun). As if landing a faculty position isn't hard enough, imaging having to do it alone kind of sucks. Not to mention having to move/find housing without a second income. Departments should start letting people negotiate a "I'm not asking for a spousal hire" bonus (I jest, of course. I also can't imagine having to navigate the job market with a partner or family's best interests in mind as well). 4) Afford the cost of housing as a single person has been a major hurdle almost everywhere for me. So many places where I'll almost never be able to afford to own a home without a second income 5) I do think to some extent everyone feels like an outsider in a new department. Our uni has a bunch of 'young faculty' groups/events and that is where most of the social things happen for new people, but with a spouse and young kids it is almost impossible for me to fit those things in my schedule. Sounds like your culture is pretty different since we don't have many events at people's houses (or at least not that I've been invited to). The social/support network cost of moving to a new place in your 30s/40s is just really really high. 6) It's a mixed bag, I have a partner and kids, and I would be nothing without them (unconditional love from kids, love and support, stability and a 2nd income from partner), at least in my department, those who have families are pretty separate. There's not a lot of social stuff going on. The faculty who have working spouses (like me) are peacing out at 5pm (or earlier) to drive their kids to and from various places bc of course there is no extended family in town. Those with non-working spouses are running home to relieve those spouses from the domestic duties. So no happy hours for me. Demands of a family have made me alter my research agenda - less or no field work, fewer conferences - I often imagine being single in this line of work is simpler for single people in theory, but in practice I bet it's lonely. 7) I know it's a 'venting tab post', but the single-partnered sympathy and solidarity is comforting. Academia is hard, but it's nice knowing people can be understanding and supportive. 8) @5@6 - definitely uprooting your life in your 30s/40s is tough. It's one of the major downsides of academia. It's much easier with a partner. As a single person, it's definitely hard. 9) Some parts are easier. It's not easy to tell your kids they need to leave all their friends behind. It's easier financially with a partner and you at least bring some people you know, but it doesn't make it any easier to make new friends in the new place. 10) I'm in a similar boat as 1 & 2 having just moved as a single person for a position. It sucks. It can be extremely isolating, moreso where I am since it is very rural. This won't be my final position, so there is some hope I can move to a metro area eventually, though that just means another move down the road. I don't have any advice, but it is nice see the support here. 11) Agreed that this thread is comforting to read. I'm a single postdoc applying to faculty positions and have had even complete strangers tell me that I am lucky becasue I can just move wherever I want without considering a partner/family. Sure, but then I also have to start completely over by myself every time I move. 6 again) yeah it's not easy to make friends in new places when you're in your 30s and 40s. I have hobbies that connect me with the local arts community so all my friends in the college town we moved to are from that - certainly not my department. (my work colleageues and I leave it at the office) So it's nice to have things like that which put you in a community and you can see what a place has to offer and can meet people - but believe me it doesn't make it easier for trailing spouses, who you end up leaving home for evening or weekend gigs, so that gets old fast too. The reliance on the nuclear family and the need to move around the country for economic opportunity has hollowed out the lives of a large portion of Americans. No matter what you feel like a cog in the great capitalist wheel. 12) No advise, but solidarity with OP, its tough when most of the department is at a different life stage. And the single income compared to dual-income is a huge struggle! 13) I would love to see academics with and without spouses/families creating community together that's often lacking and needed. I hope to make everyone feel included if I'm ever in a position to do so. Academia is hard on everyone. 14) Another single postdoc here...I often feel I'd stay like this forever as it seems everyone around me is married/engaged and I'm like a "leftover"...lol x5 14) YUP. Being in a temporary position makes it really hard to date too... x2 15) @14 been telling myself that for years, but then started noticing there are people who find their spouses while in temporary positions. My motto is now that I might find someone if I try dating, but I'm less likely to find someone if I don't even try (but I get that that's not everyone's position). 16) There's a weird and anachronistic puritanical streak in many academics. One way it manifests is this casual disdain for the childless or single. It also got really nasty during the pandemic, when there were tons of PIs on twitter ranting unhingedly and hurling accusations that those who had made better reproductive decisions could be more productive by comparison and that that wasn't "fair", like a bunch of overgrown children themselves. 17) "anachronistic puritanical streak" "casual disdain for the childless or single" "ranting unhingedly" "better reproductive decisions" x2 18) Can't wait to hangout with people that deem my family a bad reproductive decision 19) yeah what's the deal with that. Plus I read plenty of interviews of successful young PIs who 'capitalized on the downtime of the pandemic to focus on grantwriting', and colleagues in my dept who didn't have kids adimitted to that as well, so that they had a good portfolio of submissions by the time we started coming out of lockdown. No hate from me though. Meanwhile people with kids were lucky to be able to put in one hour of interrupted work a day for a whole year with remote learning. 20) I feel like I post this in a lot of threads here, but you don't have to be friends with your work colleagues. If they live different lives than you, go find where your people are and ingratiate yourself into their company. 16) @ 18 where did I say "bad"? Choices, consequences. We don't have crystal balls. 21) @16, gimme a break, you said your choice was "better." Nice unhinged rant. x6 22) Wild that this thread became about kids, when it started about a VERY under-discussed issue, the challenge of not having a partner. Not everyone who has a partner has kids, not everyone who has kids has a partner. Everyone has it hard, but going through academia without another adult locally is also hard and rarely acknowledged. x6 23) I really appreciate this post because as I go on in my career I'll think about how to include single people and make sure they are doing ok. 24) Am glad to see this post and know I'm not the only one in this boat - recently got dumped and so I'm navigating the dual stresses of the academic job market and being single in my 30's. Definitely feels like I'm the only one sometimes; solidarity with everyone else who has written here! 16) @21: I'm surprised I need to explain this to an adult, presumably with an advanre positive/supportive. 23 again) dear #16 I say this in all sincerity and with kindness in my heart - I hope that you are able to try some therapy and real work on yourself to improve your own life and for those around you, so that you can fced degree, but "better" does not imply that the alternative in a dichotomy is "bad". Let's hope you're able to impart better reading skills to your kids. 17) @16, you sure sound like someone I'd love to hire. Props to those trying to keep this thread a little moeel compassion for others who are stuggling - like many parents have during the pandemic, as well as those nagivating job search without the support of a partner. 25) BTW the pandemic was also hard on single people. I started my postdoc in Jan 2020 and didn't know anyone. I could not find anyone to be in a bubble, and spent over a year being at least 6 feet away from any other human being. My family were abroad and leaving might have voided my US visa. *Most* single people do have empathy for parents, but some of us were not even acknowledged as human beings at that time. sure, some people might have written 6 papers or whatever, but I'm sure I am not the only person who was destroyed by anxiety and took a long time to recover. x4 23 again) to #24 I'm sorry for what you went through, that is also hard and thanks for sharing it. My hope is for us all to be compassionate and supportive of each other - to listen and understand each other's challenges and help as we can. let's hold space for everyone's hardships and support each other. 26) @25 I totally agree with your point--the pandemic made life harder for many single people as well. The pandemic played a role in destroying my relationship, and the remaining pandemic time wasn't even enough to digest the loss (I haven't fully digested this even now); being productive was a dream, if not more surreal than a dream. On top of that, I'm from a cultural background where single people in their 30s are often assumed to be terrible (or they wouldn't be single); even though I know it's toxic, it's so internalized. I feel afraid of going back home. 25 again) @26 I am so sorry, hugs (not 6 feet apart). You are not terrible, you are strong. 27) @25 Thanks for saying that. I have colleagues who quote unquote enjoyed lockdown becuase they got to stay home with their family or SO. Meanwhile I was stuck alone in my apaprtment with my cat. I love my cat, but she doesn't talk back. Man 2020 was a long year. I'm in a better place now, and I know this is a bit of 'the grass is always greener' sydrome, but its rough being single in your 30s surrounded by people who can't relate to your issues. It's nice to see there are other singletons. 25 again) @27 yes, the going literally days in 2020 without talking aloud. I think a lot of people truly have no idea. x3 (28) I've heard so many people talk publicly about their difficulties parenting during the pandemic, but not so much about being single/childless. This is clearly a taboo subject or it wouldn't blow up on an anonymous message board. We all (including couples and parents) internalize the norms of our time and place. The choice to marry/have kids/who to date and be friends with is a political decision and it's not your responsibility to fulfill this version of normal. Work on accepting yourself and finding what you want in life and you'll thank yourself later, regardless of family status. The most interesting and sociable people in their 40s who I know are single. | |
58 | 2/8/24 12:46 | Giving up such hobbies? | 2/16/24 11:14 | I've been having a collecting hobby for years. I'm probably moving for a new job (most likely another postdoc) in near future (i.e., this or next year), and have no idea how many more times later I'd move. I know how painful it is to move all my stuff as I've done this once. Now I'm thinking if I'm having a "wrong" hobby that is fundamentally incompatible with my career path and other aspects of my life style. But I'd need some other sources of emotional support as I'm probably going to experience overwhelming anxiety/frustration episodically as long as I'm living a postdoc life... 1) ...how big is your "collection"? The short answer is that unfortunately collecting anything that takes up a lot of space isn't great for a career that moves around a lot and/or might be in a city with more limited space. 2) I think it depends on what you collect. Monitor lizards? Beanie babies? Vintage dumbbells? Some people I know just put their collections into storage or leave with a friend if they know the next job is only a couple years. There is a tragic irony in being an academic and also a hoarder aka collector. We simultaneously need to deal with the frustration of constantly moving and storing our crap while also being given opportunities to travel to new places and indulge in our darkest collecting impulses. My advice is to never give up a hobby for your job, though. That just means that 'they' won. x2 3) I'm not a collector but I do have lots of stuff that are difficult to carry around and I have moved A LOT in the past 15 years (masters, phd, postdocs etc) so whatever is dear to my, I bring back to mym mom's when I have the chance. I put in my old bedroom and I hope to be able to go back and get my stuff at some point. However, she herself moved flats a few years ago and had to dispose of some stuff and I was also busy moving, so that I'm not entirely sure what's left but well, that's an option. 4) I'm struggling to think of a hobby or collection I would give up for a job. If you collect 2 story tall sculptures you probably can't afford the space in the bay area. Star Wars figurines, LEGO, and Barbies, I think one could shelve across the house even if you had to add shelving to every room. Keep 'em. 5) I'm with #2 If your collection is really large, keep some indispensable pieces with you and put the rest in a storage unit until you don't plan to move anymore? 6) I left a few thousand dollars' worth of saltwater aquarium gear in my mom's garage when I left for a postdoc. That was ten years ago, and I still don't have another aquarium :/ 7) OP: I do collect things that I put on shelves; I don't know if my collection is "big" as it could in principle be either bigger or smaller. I guess part of my problem is that I'm from another country (so my parents' house isn't an option) and I don't have a close local friend. Guess I need to sell some and prepare a moving funding lol. 8) Find a way to insure them during the move. The default rate of whatever cents per pound won't work for collectibles. Call your renters insurance to ask if they cover moving damage. If not, get special insurance. It will be worth it. 9) Try as hard as you can to hold on to your hobbies and interests during this period of your career. They are what makes you you. You will still be interested in them 30 years from now when your career is over. 10) LOL just all of this. 11) this all reminds me of what I think is an underappreciated aspect about our academic career paths. Moving for grad school, postdocs, faculty jobs, forces us to not keep too much crap. Not saying your collections are crap at all, but moving forces us into the hard choices about what we want to keep. So by the time we retire or die, there should be a lot less crap to deal with, because we get a later start on accumulating it! 12) I am married and I still feel like an outsider as a new Asst. Prof. It feels like all the other Profs know eachother and have their friendships already, and there's really no social events for me to get to know colleagues outside of department meetings. I didn't realize how much I valued the "built-in" friendships of other postdocs and grad students until I became faculty. I miss being part of a lab, which you really can't be when you're running a lab. | |
59 | 2/7/24 18:38 | OK Boomers | 2/22/24 19:03 | Retire already and make room for younger generations.x10001 YQY 1) undertandable feeling. But at my institution (and probably many others) a retiring faculty ember is no indication an opening will occur in that the department. Admin sets how many hires there can be and departments compete for the chance to get one. 2) OK, but would admin not be more willing to take on new hires if there are several labs of open space and teaching holes? 3) @ 2 that's where it gets dicey. Seems like admins want smaller faculties and more contract instructors/adjuncts to do the forward-facing undergrad work. 4) As a Gen-X prof, I'm also waiting for these boomers to step down from their leadership positions. 5) I don't mind productive faculty who bring in grants continuing their work. I do mind the dead wood, like the person who hasn't submitted a grant or published a paper in years. Why do they get to pull that salary for one class while lecturers teaching 3-4 classes earn less? At least increase their teaching load if they aren't putting foot on campus. x3 1) @2, not always for sure. Admin is often going to be very numbers focused (which program have classes filling, which have potential for enrollment growth...). They may have no problem with gaps in teaching because that is going to force other faculty in the department to rethink what they teach and what their programs need to look like. Lately, it's a less than 50/50 chance vacated lines get refilled at my college. 6) In my department, in the last 4 years or so, we've lost 5 faculty members, and only got one new hire who started this year (our one and only Assistant Prof). 7) Is it possible that its difficult to retire on the salaries that people get? Like maybe they're having some of the same problems as us, but just 30 years later? 8) You can look up public salaries at state schools for profs retiring now. In a lot of cases they are more than enough that they should have no trouble retiring. A lot of people just like hanging around, going to seminars, etc. That's fine, but it absolutely does slow down new hires. How much lines are being replaced varies a lot across institutions, but you can almost guarantee they won't add a new line while someone is pushing retirement in the same sub field. x3 9) Obviously financial situations can vary for lots of reasons, but I don't think low salary is preventing older faculty from retiring. Mostly they are doing OK, have good retirement plans, and got a considerably better real estate deal x years ago. We focus on the dead wood sometimes, but there are plenty who honestly love what they do and may want to help out their department as long as they can.8) I just want the boomers to retire so we can run the departments like a modern work place and stop having pissing contests that started in 1992, its time for the millenials to start their own pissing contests. 10) 9, I was with you until you got to 'help out their department'. 4) @8 more gen-X erasure! When do we get to have our pissing contests?! 9) @10, yeah I know it can be hard to believe, but my department does have an probably soon to retire indiviual who is willing to stand up for us and do battle with administration so we (hopefully) don't have to. 11) Calculate the overhead a professor brings in. If it's more than their salary your department could end up less likely to have new hires instead of more likely to have new hires after they retire. Be careful what you wish for. Aim the slings and arrows in the correct direction. 12) There are very few profs in ecology and evolution consistently bringing in more overhead than their salary. Maybe in molec bio/genetics with multiple NIH grants. Plus more overhead doesn't support hiring new TT lines. 13) We're getting into the specifics here, but I will just share a much broader opinion, which is that people should be able to retire or not at whatever age they like. Sure, I guess it impacts us, but I think that's really very secondary to the decisions people are making about their own lives. Also, this is only tangentially related, but I'm going to say it anyways because I feel like people (e.g., many of my students) are missing something and its been bugging me! Boomers are getting picked on for being behind the times, and for being the reason that we have the problems in the world that we have today. But I think people who want societal change right now would do really well to talk with them. These are the people who brought us the Civil Rights Movement. Plus the environmental movement of the 70s. The first Earth Day, which was about demanding change and saving lives, not planting trees. They have succeeded at making change more than we have, and so far as I can tell more than anyone else who is alive right now, although Gen Z is working really hard on it and also having some success. Climate change is really bad and its true that they caused a lot of that. But also, these are people who know how to demand change and fix problems. 14) I actually love meeting the old timers in the departments where I interview and take pride in impressing them, not neccesarily with science but with basic social skills. Sure, they are mostly 70 year old white men. But a joke here, an understanding there... They have sway on many departmental decisions, especially hiring. 15) We live in a gerontocracy that sacrifices the young for the comforts of the very old. It's a house of cards that will fall with the birth rate and immigration restrictions. | |
60 | 2/7/24 9:13 | Are my experiences commonplace? | 2/15/24 10:18 | Here's a list of things that have happened to me in my 15 years as a soft money researcher: (1) wrote two successful proposals under my advisor/supervisor's name - because I did not have PI status at the time - only to be cut out of the budget (also happened to a friend of mine), (2) found my work in a high-profile publication with collaborators who did not include me, (3) was reorganized out of first-authorship on a paper I largely authored (also happened to a friend of mine), (4) was told I did not need funding because my partner could support me, (5) had a co-PI take our work and re-submit it as a new proposal without my knowledge (thankfully, I was included as a co-PI), (6) left a position (the one associated with bullet 4) but continued to work on and collect data for the project for free and was not given access to the full dataset for 5 years (when a new PI advocated for me), and (7) wrote a successful fellowship proposal but then my co-PI refused to share the data necessary to complete the work. I am not giving specifics on these insults because I want to protect my anonymity and reputation. It would seem that most of these occurrences are fairly unprofessional (borderline egregious) and they all happened to me at a rate of one per year for the first six years of my post-PhD career (only one of the things on the list happened recently). Thus, maybe these things are commonplace? Do others have similar lists of experienced or observed poor behaviour? 2) my experiences are closely related albiet different 'flavors', but I put 5 fingers down on this one! 3) Yep, 4 of these happened in 10 years soft money. Had others involving extreme ad hominem attack games from competitors in journals and more disturbingly, with SC. So tired. 4) Common enough but that is a lot. It sounds like someone (some people?) view you as weak enough they can take advantage of you. Start talking to the ombuds when these happen because a lot of them are ethics violations. But if these things happen at more than one institution and multiple cliques of people at the institution you may want to ask for feedback and explanation. Did someone think your work didn't hold water? Did you get part way through papers but never submit them? No matter what happened in the past, start setting up formal MOUs for the future. You can specify authorship guidelines, data sharing rules pre and post pub, and generally protect your effort from misappropriation. All the more important in a soft money position. Those guidelines come into play if push comes to shove, and in your case it seems like it often does. 5) @4 Why do you assume the OP didn't do these things? Why do the assume that s/he leaves papers half finished or that his/her work doesn't "hold water"? With a 15-year track record of soft funding, I would assume that the OP is productive. Further, the majority of the insults (6/7) happened in the first 6 years of postdoctoral experience, suggesting that the OP *was* in a weak position early on, as are most soft money researchers. Thus, the takehome for me is that the system makes it easy to take advantage of an ample supply of highly productive people in temporary positions. This can lead to unethical behavior with alarming frequency (see the second and third posts). 6) @5, I would assume that if OP had done the work suggested by 4 to protect themself, they would mention this and the inefficacy of their efforts would be a major part of this vent. That said, the system is 100% built to take advantage of cheap ambitious postdoc labor. It sucks. These experiences shouldn't be so common and require an intimate knowledge of university administrative processes to prevent :/ 7) OP here. I did some of what @4 suggests. (@4, I appreciate the advice but might caution the tone, it suggested to me that you were blaming me for what happened.) While I would initially push back directly to the offending individual, I typically ended my pursuit of remediation there. I never talked to an ombuds because my friends and family walked through how that would be damaging to me. Early on, to get out of bad situations, I typically needed a letter of recommendation from the troublesome individual. I completed all publications corresponding to a project (when data were made available), I pursued avenues for extending projects (through grants or additional publications), had verbal assessments from supervisors that were positive (rec letters I saw were also high quality and helped attain later positions), and have no evidence that people saw my work as low quality or progressing too slowly. For the future, I will consider formal data-sharing and authorship agreements before starting a project but my previous ones were laughably unsuccessful. (What is the mechanism of enforcement?) Since I can't recall signing such an agreement written by someone else, it would *not* seem to be an "industry standard" and thus might initially sour a young collaborative relationship. To go beyond @5, it is not just the ample supply of high-quality labor, it is also our assumptions about "mentorship". There is an explicit power dynamic between permanent/temporary employees where soft money employees are somehow "lesser" and "mentors" are somehow high-quality. In a conflict, I would expect mentors to be given benefit of the doubt since an institution has invested more in them. On a side note, who knew venting would be so time consuming? (8) This is all very disturing, definitely egregious, and I hope not commonplace. I have experienced some bad behavior from PIs as postdoc and honestly only got through it because the PI who was my supervisor has taken steps to protect me. There need to be some mechanisms of ethics enforcement from funding agencies, but the problem is that early career people are totally vulnearble and either need letters or at least not to be retalliated against. 9) agree with #8.. its all distrubing and 100% egregious but unfortunately is becoming too commonplace.. What should we do to enact change? | |
61 | 2/7/24 5:58 | Contacted about my research system but I don't have a lab! | 2/8/24 16:42 | OP) In the last year I have been contacted by 3 people interested on working on my study system but guess what? I haven't been able to land a position or funding to be able to take on students. Grrr 1) Very frustrating. If it's by email though beware of the overseas applicants - they'll spam anyone to get into a NA grad school. 2) I get several of these every year as a lecturer who can't accept students too (and not only international ones) =/ 3) I've gotten these since I was a grad student. Lately they are overwhelmingly from 3 or 4 specific countries. 3) I do behavioural research but I once got an email from an int'l saying they wanted to do "genetics" research and "win a Nobel prize" in my (non-existent) lab. 4) International students can do exceptional work though. I've mentored an international student who is currently looking for a PhD position, and this page is anonymous, but somebody would be really smart to take him because if you want him to he will arrnage and supervise all of your fieldwork for you (his 6 fluent languages help a lot), do all of his statistics without help, and only really need help with writing and some cultural guidance. 2) @4 oh, nothing against international students, I think they sometimes aren't aware which faculty do and don't take students 3) @ 4 I think you missed the point here. 5) @2 and @3 what is the point you are making actually, because as an international student I resent being lumped with people who may be spamming you and mocked. Some students (including me) are genuinely ignorant of the intricacies of grad admission until you see the process first hand. To be honest you guys need to step out of your bubble that is academia and see how the rest of the world works. 3) (I'm the original #3, someone highjacked it) So @5, not sure if that was directed at me or not, but I have no problem with international students. I just think it is interesting thye seem to come froma fairly narrow set of countries. Is someone selling email lists in those places? Do a few specific universities provide contact lists. I haven't figured out the mechanism. And yes, a lot of it comes across as spam looking for a way into the U.S. If you already have a M.S. degree, and then want to do another one with me, but don't explain at all why this new field of research interests you...3) @ 5 the topic is cold emails to people who don't have a lab/are not PIs/might not work in the field cold emailers are talking about, and not international students per se. That said, wildly mismatched emails tend not to come from domestic students, and if you're not emailing e.g. bird watchers telling them you want to do molecular work with yeast, then there's no reason to feel included in this particular group. 2) @5 I think my comment got misinterpreted (I agree that many students don't know the intricities of grad admissions). Most of the requests I get aren't spam -- and I am mostly disappointed that students are interested in what I do and I don't have a lab to support them. | |
62 | 2/5/24 14:12 | Internal candidate | 2/7/24 15:01 | Being an internal candidate is a truly tortuous experience. 2) I can empathize - I'm not an internal candidate but a good friend of mine recently was. He got the position but the search took a long time and his colleagues were (as they should be) very tight-lipped about the process. He was constantly on edge wondering whether he'd been passed over for so much as the zoom interview. 3) If you have the chance to take a position at a different school, I'd move if possible. Being internal means that the politics will follow you for years, your advisor who writes letters has control over your local environment, and other faculty may resent you as 'not real' for decades. I hope you find a good job, but if you can change institutions or at least departments, do it. 4) being a failed internal candidate was truely humiliating. x5 5) Internal candidate here. Got great vibes and signals from department head and committee ahead of my application. Learned in January I had not even been put on the long list for zoom interviews. None of them will look me in the eye or say a word to me right now. I'm upset I wasn't even given a chance, and my CV is easily comparable. Work sucks now 6) Back in '17 or so the dept I was postdocing in had a position that looked tailor-made for me. The SC basically decided to only consider external and ended up hiring someone who did/does none of the things in the ad. Whatever, there were long-standing internal plans to hiajck the lab space of the retiring prof and the ad was probably written for their benefit. Anyways, since then, the department has hired 3 ridiculous assistant profs all of whom were postdocing with one fairly recently-hired PI and none of whom seem to have ever done any research or published on their own. Just goes to show, sometimes being an internal candidate hurts you, and sometimes it's a path to a nice, non-competitive, cushy job where they act like junior postdocs but get TT salaries and perks. 5 again) @6 i hate that with all my being. academia is competitive and frustrating enough 6) @ 5 the best part is, I'm still around peripherally so I get to hear their students complain about them as supervisors and watch them ask around for guidance that they're not getting. 7) How about the rejected internal candidate, trailing spouse, with a stronger research record and more grant money than any full professor in the department trifecta! Makes for a super fun environment. 6) @ 7 that sucks. Quite apart from the rest of the gripes about hiring, having dinosaurs you've eclipsed professionally make these decisions about people who - as you say - are better at an earlier stage AND probably have better teaching evaluations, too, is infuriating. Last paper was from 1990? Take a seat and shut your mouth. 8) Yep, I was failed because they decided after the campus interviews that my research wasn't what they actually wanted, and they are re-launching the search, even though I have more grant money than any of them and am an excellent teacher. But I don't do one specific thing, and they couldn't tell me months earlier that's what they wanted and instead were encouraging all fall, up until the day of the interview when they blew me off in meetings and couldn't muster a single question that they had thought of ahead of time. It was awful and I can't look at them without wanting to yell or cry. 9) It would be great if all candidates, internal or otherwise, could be treated humanely. I was rejected as an internal candidate for two NTT positions, but both times the search chairs met with me over zoom to let me ask questions, etc. So, while I don't feel great about it, I'm not bitter either. It has solidified for me that I never want to be an internal candidate again and will have to uproot my family and move elsewhere if I stand a chance of being wanted by a department. 10) I'd love to be an internal candidate, but my dept hasn't had an open search in four years. Instead I have fun haggling over my soft-money salary and teaching every six months (despite >$1million in grant funding) with a dept chair who a) was the PhD student of a former prof in this same department and b) has their PhD student- then-postdoc as our newest faculty member. 3 generations and counting! | |
63 | 2/3/24 16:03 | Guilty about students | 2/7/24 20:41 | I was a postdoc for a very long time and after a year of marginal employment I'm beginning a $1m 3-year grant as PI. I'm on soft money (my pay is 60/40 grant funding/teaching, and the teaching part is uncertain), but my career's probably over when this grant ends unless we can get some big splashy papers. Even with big papers I have my doubts. The grant has 2 PhD scholarships included, and I'm making offers to students now. I've co-advised a dozen PhD and MS students, but these are my first where I am the primary advisor. When I interviewed them we discussed their career plans and I gave gentle warnings about academia. I'm worried that I'm screwing up their lives; I'm 40 and still have not found a permanent job. I need labor on the project, so I'm taking students, but I feel bad about it. 1) don't feel guilty. Nothing wrong with wanting to pursue a PhD. just advise that it's always good to keep non-academic options on the table. 2) Yes, I agree. If you want to get a PhD, you mostly can. So, if you didn't hire those two students, somebody else would have. If you are a respectful and honest advisor who looks out for their best interest, then they are going to be in a better situation than they would have been if they'd picked a different advisor. 3) Sometimes it's easier to discuss and face our own guilt about hypothetical effects on students careers rather than the cruelty of the systems and situations that face us as academics. Your students are responsible for their own choices, assuming they are fully informed and giving consent. But I'd really encourage you to talk to your therapist about both sides of this-- advisor and job seeker. We all benefit from a more objective person's opinion from outside the system. 4) You sound like you're in a better spot to be honest and offer a realistic perspective. Your own awareness might give them the opportunity to find paths beyond the standard. x3 5) Definitely, it's worse to be a PI who's just like "everything's fine, you'll just slide into a nice R1 job like I did" x2 6) I interpreted this as saying some of your guilt is due to not knowing if you'll be able to fund PhD students for more than 3 years (apologies if I misinterpreted this). As someone who had to scramble when an advisor unexpectedly left mid-way through my program, I'd just say to be honest with prospective students about this possibility and be able to discuss backup plans for them. Try to think through the alternatives if you do indeed have to leave after three years, assuming they'll be unfinished at that point (ex. will you be able to keep mentoring them from your new position, can they transfer into another lab, can they be co-advised, etc.) OP) Yeah, it's mostly generalised angst about bringing more people into a pyramid scheme. That said, they're adults who can make their own decisions, and I'll do my best to help them out. This is not in the US, it's a 3-year PhD (though an extra 6-9 months is pretty normal, there is some partial support for that period). If I somehow get a job elsewhere I'll have to figure out how to bring them with me or support them from my new position. 7) While I am saddened by your struggle, OP, I am truly heartened that you are thinking conscientiously about students. I really hope that thoughtfulness is rewarded with an excellent position. And congrats on the $1m grant! Crossing my fingers for another. | |
64 | 2/3/24 14:48 | Transition between PhD and postdoc | 2/6/24 9:18 | I recently obtained my PhD and I was supposed to start a postdoc soon, but as time went by, I heard less and less from the PI regarding what was going on with the hiring process. I recently found out that it will take several months before I can get my offer letter (without including the time required to apply for a visa and waiting for the visa) and I just feel very frustrated with the entire process. I understand that there are things that might be out of someone's control, but I assumed (and I was led to believe) that the time between receiving my degree and going into my new position would be quite short, and because of this, I did not apply for any temporary positions in between. I am currently unemployed and I will have to start the application process again, not fully knowing when my next pay cheque will come and having to rely on my savings. I apologize if this might be too much, but I feel really sad as to how things went. 2) Its fairly well-established that PIs are more likely to come from highly educated families (and thus likely more money) than the average person. it is unfortunately not uncommon to find one oblivious to the pressures faced by someone without extensive savings or a family to ask for money to "hold them over" before someone bothers to finish the job paperwork. 3) I know you probably don't need to be told this and fully acknowledge that it's a total crapshoot whether it works out -- but just want to encourage you to explicitly mention the employment gap and ask if your new PI and (if relevant) your PhD PI and/or other PhD collaborators have any solutions. I was in a similar situation and was surprised to find a prof I had worked with could come up with a few months' funding to cover me to work on some ongoing work in the transition time. You can't know unless you ask (and for all I know, maye you already did). But overall just -- solidarity, it is a rough situation to be in. | |
65 | 2/2/24 6:15 | Reimbursements- state unis and federal per diem? | 2/2/24 13:25 | Building off the vent below, I had long travel for an interview and had to cover food for extra time (totally fine, they said I would be reimbursed) and since it was in airports, food was expensive, this uni did not reimburse at the normal federal rates by state but have a "in-state" vs "out-of-state" reimbursmeent that is lower than any state I have ever traveled to. Anyone know if this is allowed? I assumed public unis had to follow the federal per diem per state. This isn't a huge vent, but makes me wonder what other weird reimbursment processes this university might have hidden in their system. Again, if offered the posistion, this isn't the biggest problem, just something that could play into job choice if I am lucky enough to have a choice! 1) do you mean they pay less for meals when it is "in state"? A lot of places have rules that require you to be a certain distance away in order to claim food purchases. But that should't be a problem for someone traveling to the institution who is based somewhere else (unless maybe a secretary made a mistake and misinterpreted?). Do you have the option of receipts instead? OP) yes, less in state, and that amount was selected for my time in another state in an airport, they actually require receipts too but still only go with the per diem amount, I'm not sure if they would refund less if the receipt said less (the amounts are so low it would be tough to be under). Mostly I am just confused, I have traveled a lot as a grad student and postdoc and every university followed the federal per diem rates and it was really straightforward. I guess it could be a sate rule, but I still assumed it would follow federal guidelines since its public- mostly I am jist confuse and wonder if anyone has encountered something similar and whether that indicated other weird processes. 2) I work for a southern land grant and yeah our in-state per diems were stupid low. I'm not sure where that came from, governance-wise, or how long they were in place, but am happy to report that the limits just got raised last fall to where they make more sense. 3) What you describe is consistent with our (ultra crappy) regulations on state funds. On federal funds or discretionary we can reimburse up to the receipt amount. State funds have caps. They also cap hotel reimbursement at $90, which is untenable for pricey locations, so be aware when booking travel as profs. I hate it. OP) thanks! This sucks, but I guess its helpful to know its not just this university, not that it should be normalized! 4) I've seen a few odd rules, but how much lower are we talking? I typically have found that federal per diem was quite a bit higher than needed and a postdoc and now prof, claimed 50-60% of the alloted amount, depending on the travel. I can see airport lunches hitting the full amount though. | |
66 | 2/1/24 8:27 | Reimbursement months after interview | 3/1/24 16:23 | Finally got a reimbursement for hotel and flights from an interview I did in October! These schools talk about equity and inclusion but expect you to keep that debt for months! I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it but this is ridicilous. x6 2) at least you got it! I had a school shaft me after the interview once! I literally got an email saying "sorry we are only allowed to do a parital reimbursement" the next day. No indication that would be the case in the invite packet. Honestly glad I didn't get that job. 3) I'm 9 months post-promised car rental reimbursement. Have bugged a few times. Gave up. Sigh. 4) Don't be afraid to email a department chair. It's likely that people think it's all handled but it got dropped between the search chair and the admin assistant. 5) If you really want to be mad, be aware that people for admin searches get all their expenses covered upfront. such horseshit | |
67 | 1/31/24 15:43 | Tailoring snafu!!! | 2/5/24 14:09 | Blah I just opened up a cover letter for one of my recent apps and noticed that I forgot to change the name from Institution X to Institution Y. Fortunately, it's on the second page at the end of a paragraph so it isn't super obvious, and hopefully the SC will only be skimming the letter anyway. But I still feel like a chump haha x3 2) Don't beat yourself up too much about it. I had a campus interview at a place where I'd accidentally done that 3) in some submission systems, you can keep updating your materials even after the review date. of course, they might have already downloaded them, but it doesn't hurt to check 4) Once saw an application package from the successful candidate where one of the letter writers had left in the name of a different institution. Maybe it hits a bit different from a letter writer, but I'd like to think that something like that doesn't outweight the entire remainder of someone's application package. 5) Yeah, from a letter writer it's a lot more forgivable. 6) As a SC member, we see these often enough. It elicits a sympathetic chuckle, then is ignored (maybe kept in the pocket for future ribbing in case that person is hired). x3 (7) I got a job offer when I had a terrible typo on my cover letter (have dyslexia). people are cool! OP) thanks y'all this (mostly) helps me feel better (8) A search committee would be silly to pass up an excellent application based on "oh, the candidate is also applying elsewhere". Everyone knows that you are, and everyone knows that it's a stressful time, where mistakes like this get made easily. Speaking from having been on several search committees, I don't think this matters at all. 9) I think you'll be OK. You can send a quick note to the search chair apolgizing if you'd like. Based on the title, I thought maybe your pants split during the interview or something ;) 10) I did this for a job I was really excited about, because I'd been in the field for weeks before the due date, came back and immediately caught covid. I was still in a fevered haze when I submitted the app. I wish I'd emailed the chair explaining | |
68 | 1/31/24 12:36 | Have to set aside a whole hour to feel like garbage after a zoom interview | 2/5/24 6:52 | Ugh.... even if it maybe went well I still feel like an idiot afterwards kicking myself about everything I should have said 2) Everyone feels that way, and ever after practice they still feel awkward at best. Some questions are predictable though, so write down questions and answers later when you feel better. You don't need them memorized for the next one, but you don't want to sound surprised to talk about your research program. And keep candy/booze/bubble bath on hand for aftercare. (3) Totally, don't worry about being the only one who feels this way. I usually end up taking the whole day off because I feel so crummy x2 OP) thanks all! Glad I'm not alone. It didn't go badly, but even when I prepare I always end up thinking of something I should have said. They asked me what I would teach in an upper level ecology course and I said some topics, including comunity and ecosystem levels but I did not at any point say the word "population" like they are out there thinking I do not know population ecology belongs in a general ecology course... I am dying of embarassment lol. 4) I need to set aside several hours to feel like garbage before it starts but then I feel great to be done. I'm not sure if that's better. 5) I usually just go home after writing down the questions, after the adrenaline dump, I just can't focus. 6) commit to doing some sort of physical activity after! I had one this week and went to the gym in the hour after and it was so good for calming my nerves, spending a lot of pent up energy and frustration and allowing me to think clearly again. OP) great suggestion #6! I took a walk outside and that helped. Related - once a therapist told me that doing physical activity helps with feelings of anxiety in the moment - something along the lines of movement helps the brain chemicals match what your body is actually doing and reduces panic feeling. Anyway, I think it's similar with that post stress rush. 6 again) excercise literally pulls blood from your brain to use elsewhere and helps you focus instead of just think forever. You also release a lot of endorphines following excercise which will have a calming effect. The more activity and the more exertion you can committ to the better OP) you are making me want to exercize, and I think that's a good thing! 7) be forgiving of mistakes made with good intentions, esp. for yourself! OP) thanks #7 the kindness on here helps keep me afloat <3 | |
69 | 1/30/24 10:12 | Never make even the long list on the west coast. why? | 2/5/24 13:01 | I've made the short and long lists at every type of school (R1, R2, PUI, SLAC), in the midwest, northeast, Texas, southeast, but I never ever make it to even the long lists at west coast schools. I get that lots of people want to live out there and most people in the US still live east of the Mississippi River, but even schools that are in like the central valley of CA that are fairly nonprestigous or low-paying don't seem to have even the slightest interest. This isn't a vent really, I'm just wondering if it's stochastic or if there really is a west-coast bias where they prefer people educated in their own universities? Has anyone else had this experience? 2) According to dynamic ecology's analysis, the PNW is the most competitive region for ecoevo jobs. Not sure about California though. 3) I was told by my PhD advisor who studied at a fancy east coast school but did a postdoc on the west coast that there was a palpable, if subtle, bias against people from elite east coast schools. This is purely anecdotal but maybe there is something to it? This was also a decade ago and attitudes may have shifted if this was true in the past 4) A lot of SCs assume you don't want to move away from where you are. As if a 3 hr move is so much better? Especially after moving across the country 5 other times in my adult life for PhD and postdoc. (5) Are you a cis-WM op? (OP) nope - cis WW. Mom. Not from elite east coast school. Have bounced around the country/world a bit so fear of me not moving seems unlikely too. I'm guessing I'm just unlucky and/or not as strong as I perceive myself to be, but have just enough doubt in that explanation to be curious if others have experienced this too. 6) I have also had generally much worse luck on west coast despite having done my PhD there. Grew up on east coast and am on east coast now so I guess there could be some perception about moving. I have had a couple interviews on west coast, but definitely lower hit rate. 7) When I was applying for jobs I did seem to have better luck closer to where I was, but that is pretty anecdotal. By the way, @OP, I sort of doubted your comment about more people east of Mississippi. So I read up on the 17) difference between center of population and median center of population. Turns out you are right! 8) the post referred to by #2: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ 9) Many California schools seem to require DEI activism. It appears they review applications by numerically scoring the diversity statement and screening out those below a certain threshold. The fact that this is a first evaluation criterion is a symptom of some of the deep-rooted problems plaguing universities today. 10) @9 you're the problem, DEI statements aren't lol x3; 11) it did not take long for this to become a vent about DEI. 11) Gotta love how #9 goes from "it appears" to "The fact" with only 124 characters in between x4. (12) As someone at a west coast school who has seen how hiring decisions get made, we don't do any favors by ignoring that DEI activism is the most important factor for getting a job here. ideally paired with having the right identity. 13) @12: there are just not enough people with direct experience or knowledge correcting the activists on this topic. Thank you. x7 14) yep, best opportunities for researchers are in the SE right now x4 15) LOL y'all are completely detached from reality 16) How so? Comments like yours with no context being negative about other commentors is, unsurprisingly, really unhlepful for discussion. x2 15) @16 the idea that you have to have a marginalized identity to get a job outside The South - or that the research opprotunities are better in states where marginalized folks are legally oppressed - is so far detached from reality that it's not worth discussing anything with those people. Y'all need to get a life and stop watching Fox News lol -1 17) @ 15 can you try to make a point that goes beyond lazy insults? Or nah, bro? (18) Someone would need to go through the top 10 schools in CA (https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/ca) and tally the number of asst profs who are straight white men and compare that to genpop, in EEB. Davis is 0/5 in pop bio; berkely is maybe 1/7 in IB... etc 19) ya, same at UBC for last 5-6 years. only exception was last year when a big wig got his postdoc hired. 20) It's sad and ironic that @15 thinks we're the ones detached from reality. Everyone else: save yourself the trouble of having to bow to the whims of the DEI crowd and go do actual research in the SE or Europe. OP) Really didn't mean for this to turn into a DEI thing, though I should know better by now. :/ 22) @20 we get it: you don't want to work with women or LGBT folks. That is probably a bigger barrier to your job prospects than your identity, just sayin'. 23) nice straw man argument @22. and you've reversed things: the evidence shows its you that doesn't want to work with men since we're the ones being excluding. and it has nothing to do with whether we're good colleagues and allies -- most of us are | |
70 | 1/24/24 12:49 | Discrimination for dietary preferences | 3/26/24 14:48 | I am a vegan who happens to be gay as well, and put the latter but not former on my DEI statements. I do disclose dietary preference when scheduling an interview, and am not flexible about vegan. I've found that faculty on interviews comment very positively on LGBT+ support in different places ('this is a very accepting community') but are so hostile and dismissive about veganism. I actually find veganism to be a more important part of my identity because it is a choice, whereas my sexuality isn't. This is just a vent to say, please be JUST AS respectful about personal unorthodox political/lifestyle choices as you are about other aspects of identity. The hostility is comments like 'why would you ever do that!', or 'more meat for us!' and it's really rude and hurtful. 1) I am currently a postdoc in Israel and because it is impossible to satisfy the dietary restrictions of everyone here (Kosher, Halal, etc.), the food offered in seminars and gatherings is vegan by default with alway a lot of gluten free option! I am not vegan but these "inclusive diets" should be the norm everywhere. 2) Agree, it's so much easier to do a base vegan meal that satisfies everyone's nutritional requirements. Sure I miss cheese, but one meal without won't kill me. 3) Dietary preference isn't a legally protected class in the US like sex or race, but just because it's legal to be a jerk doesn't mean people should be! x4 4) wowza 5) to echo #3 being a dick isn't great, but this is entirely a "you issue" and it's just silly to try to make it an accommodation. Be a big boy/girl and eat around the meat. x4 6) I have to agree with #5. There are real life-threatening food allergies & autoimmune conditions that require special diets and often aren't accommodated.ePople make just the same amount of comments on my gluten-free diet for celiac disease, which is not a choice. It's technically classified as a disability, but people don't take it seriously enough because there are so many other folks getting up in arms because of silly comments about their veganism. I bring my own food everywhere, maybe you should too.x2 7) Agree with #1, been trying to push that for years at my current department. There are plenty of options that are crowd pleasers and easily made vegan and gulten and nut free, e.g., pad thai, sushi. Also cuts down on food waste if we all eat the same thing. 8) I sorta partially agree with everyone here. dietary restrictions should be accomodated, but don't get all up in arms about "discrimination" when people sass you about a personal choice you made - it makes you sound entitled and out of touch imo. as #6 pointed out, some people don't have the luxury of choosing their diets x6 9) Please do not use the word discrimination for cases like this. It dilutes the importance of the word for issues that really matter. I think consideration is the word you are looking for. x9 10) @ 7 the "food is cultural appropriation" crowd won't like the idea of pad thai without nuts! When I worked in restaurants we'd always have customers who were "allergic" to tomatoes or whatever - maybe the server forgot to enter it, maybe the kitchen made a mistake. But when we'd offer to make a new burger etc., it was always "sigh...I'll just pick it off". Meaning they're not allergic at all, but they do trivialize real food allergies. 11) I think people making jokes about how others prefer to eat, dress, talk is offensive. I am not vegan but I have seen others make derogatory comments to vegan people and it made me feel uncomfortable. If someone feels disrespected that should be enough to count as offensive and unaccetable. 12) Would like to point out that going vegan can be a response to disease such as polycystic kidney disease. Would also like to point out that allergies can vary in sensitivity and severity; picking a tomato off doesn't automatically mean they are not allergic to it. It just means the allergy is not as severe/sensitive as others that might require an epipen to be carried. So, yes, people need to be a lot more accomodating and sensitive about dietary needs and preferences, and this should be done without speculating about the legitamancy for the dietary need/preference (just as we shouldn't speculate about legitmancy for any other kind of accomodation). 13) did not have "debate about vegans" on my ecoevojobs bingo card! 14) @13 always expect the unexpected around here lol x2 15) @12 yeah, totally, but OP explicitly said that their veganism is a choice and not due to a medical condition. x3 (OP) The comments here are a good reflection of the hostility I've experienced and I think many of you have to do a lot of self-reflection about your views on inclusivity. Telling me to be a 'big boy/girl', which was then 'x3' is really rude and hurtful, confirming my earlier experiences. 16) I'm fairly carnivorous but I think several of these replies are unnecessarily hostile. I don't know why my comments earlier got deleted. @OP, if your hosts are just lost on what to do you could send them suggestions. e.g. Thai is usually compatible, as is some Italian. This other restaurant I found is close to campus and has several vegan dishes. It should not be on you to provide your own accommodation, but it might help you navigate the interview more easily given their reactions. 17) @7 If the department has very few vegans wouldn't it make more sense for vegans to bring their own food to events than to modify all of the food? I think a majority of non-vegans would prefer non-vegan sushi/pad thai. Shouldn't their preferences carry equal weight? As stated above this doesn't seem like a case of protected class/discrimination. 18) Job candidates are guests of the department, it's not exactly welcoming to disregard their dietary preferences. Geez. At the same time, "more meat for us" seems like a nano-aggression at most. 19) Where in the interview is this coming up? If you're being criticized for meal selection during meals, they're out of line and these don't sound like peers you want. If you're introducing it during discussions of DEI, you're missing the mark and opening yourself to criticism. But, with true sincerity, I hope you find a kind and supportive dept where you can affect maximum positive change. (OP) Usually it comes up in casual remarks and converspics during interviews. Show the pic with me and X politician - I still won't discuss my political ideals. They can learn all that about me once I'm hired because, during an interview I have very limited power to make the world a better place. But once I'm/you're hired, I/you have a university's wealth of resources to do good with. And yes, DEI is good - regardless of the opinions of a certain commenter that occasionally visits this page. (12) part of the current DEI efforts when it's not due to a medical@15 and those who agreed with them, my point is that when dietary accomodations are asked for, they should be respected. Their legitamancy (or the reason for them) should not be questioned just as we shation. I don't view this as a major DEI barrier, but just wanted to share that based on this really central part of my identity I've felt that the culture is not inclusive (including this job board evidently). But I also know that any major political stances that are unusual always encounter resistance at first 20) @17 Because everyone can eat vegan food but not everyone can eat dairy, meat, pork, raw fish, etc., etc., etc.!!! why is it so hard to understand? 21) @20, typical vegan food is FULL of common allergens (nuts, gluten, legumes, etc). Most people with *extremely common* food allergies would be left out if things went this way, instead of actually just accommodating with dietary restrictions with respect on a case-by-case basis. 22) I avoid most polarizing toould not question accomodations for other things--especially not in an interview setting. 23) OK, 12, my dietary consideration is that lobster is served and I'm allergic to vegan food. You'll make that happen, right? And I can only speak to members of the same sex as me, so please only bio women during the interview. See how short-sighted your well-meaning but ultimately naive position is? 24) I am actually baffled that OP kinda put veganism together with DEI - and I think all dietary restrictions should be accommodated. I honestly think any comment on aspects of a candidate's diversity is creepy and people should just refrain from that. 25) This is insane. Dietary restrictions should be respected and accomodated but to consider this DEI w/o health or cultural reason? Nah. @20 so just because OP decided at one point in their life to go vegan and make it part of their identity now everyone around them should adapt? Ok, so today I choose that I'm only eating meat for the rest of my life and make it part of my identity. Now i'm excluded from your "everyone can eat vegan" argument and feel "discriminated" myself. 11) I see OP's DEI point in that they experienced microagressions for expressing their identity. I don't think DEI efforts need to include a ranking of what is more important of someones identity because each person experiences this differently. I think respecting others is what is importnat. Making derrogatory jokes over and over again can make someone feel unwelcomed and with a lack of sense of belonging, something that I wouldn't like happening in my workplace. x2 25) If you think your personal choice to be a vegan is a DEI issue, you're gonna have a tough life. x4 11) @25 The issue that I see here is not veganism, the issue that I see is that people think they can make derogatory jokes about people’s choices. That is a DEI issue. (12) @23, great, a slippery slope/Reductio ad absurdum argument. Way to stick it to me. My position is not naive simply because you can think of ways to exploit it or build a strawman (the whole sex/gender example). 26) In all honesty, I practically eat next to no vegetables because I don't like their taste. I tried many times from when I was a kid up to now. Nothing worked. I have often received "eat your vegetables" jokes from many people, including my supervisor, but always chuckled at those and never complained. Perhaps I should start? x2 27) It's never cool to comment on someone elses food choices, but to act like these small comments about a self selected vegan diet--which probably come from a poor attempt at being conversational--are equal to discrimination based on race, sex, gender expression, sexuality is so incredibly online. How often does your veganism come up in conversations that aren't centered around deciding what to eat? Based on just this thread, I'm suspecting that your bringing up your dietary preferences more than you realize and people can't help but make awkward comments. x3 28) This sure got some feathers ruffled. Maybe because most of us are hoping desperately for a Zoom interview and OP is on here complaining about the free snacks at their on-campus interviews. Read the room, maybe. x4 29) @27: It's like the old "joke but not a joke": Q: How do you know if someone's vegan? A: Don't worry, they'll be sure to tell you. 11)@27 Identities are very complex, and this is why it is important to be mindful and refrain from derogatory jokes about people’s choices. Some jokes may unknowingly reflect biases, including those related to appearance, race, and sexual identity, even when they revolve around topics like veganism. Workplaces need to be welcoming, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Thank you, OP, for sparking this important discussion. x2 30) what about alcohol? in dinner interviews, congresses, social events, etc. There is always non alcoholic beverages served along with alcohol, because some people don't drink alcohol ( for medical/religious reasons or simply by choice). Yet, you will never hear comments like" be a big girl/boy and drink your glass of wine" or " 99% of us drink wine so bring your own beverage". Why so much hate with veganism? x3 31) friends and relatives say this kind of thing constantly. I just chalk it up to bad dad jokes. Keep in mind you don't have to be friends with annoying colleagues - just serve with them on committees. lol 30 on the choice for your example! Alcohol is probably litterally the thing people are most likely to feel pressured and get comments about joining in! x2 31) Can we not with the nasty comments and jokes? Please? 32) Remember, an important component of in-person interviews is the department wants to see if you'd be a good colleague and get along with other faculty. Sounds like you might come off a bit entitled! 33) @ 11: making jokes about CHOICES is not a DEI issue, just give your head a good shake. And probably stay far away from comedy clubs and everyone with a sense of humour. I am sorry that you've apparently had friends, though. 34) @33 sounds like you don't have a very inclusive definition of inclusivity. I thought it was making everyone feel accepted. 35) as a vegetarian queer person, OP, please. i have heard comments like “more meat for us” more times than I can count in my life and it’s never been anything more than an eyeroll at how predictably lame the response it is, and is not an attack on my identity. your dietary choice is not even remotely the same and I can't believe this needs to be said. x2 11) @33 thank you for your unsolicited advice on my social and personal life. Although, I thought this was a professional forum. 35) enlighten us OP, and who is the Matthew Shepard of being vegan? tell us about bills being introduced to deny you healthcare for being vegan? or defining marriage between meat eaters only? tell us about countries you can’t safely travel to because it is illegal with a death penalty to be vegan. 33) @ 11 - as it is a professional board, why are you here on a thread about personal lifestyle choices? 34) i tease colleagues who refuse to eat vegetables yes you heard me righ, they really do. am i being discriminatory? *eyeroll*. im with # 35 here. discrimination sucks. dont water it down with this nonsense. 36) I'm vegan sXe and even my close 37) Have we reached the limit on this cell yet? 38) @37 never! 39) Limit is 50,000 characters/cell, we're at ~14,000. Lots of room to keep sniping at each other. 37) @39 thanks, now I'm worried about what happened to @36. x3 38) 36's comment was longer before someone deleted the end of it. Must not want us to hear what they have to say!! AP) @38, I dug up the rest of @36's comment from the depths of the edit log: "36) I'm vegan sXe and even my close friends and relatives say this kind of thing constantly. I just chalk it up to bad dad jokes. Keep in mind you don't have to be friends with annoying colleagues - just serve with them on committees" Not to stifle the discussion here, but maybe we should let them have the last word on the subject? x1 39) I am from India, currently based in N.America, and in parts of India, you could be outright discriminated, (renting properties, certain jobs, social circles) if you *do not* follow a vegetarian diet, I have experienced this myself, my car tires were slashed by a guy who told me he did not like me cooking meat in the apartment. I know this forum primarily caters to N. American academics, where talking about discrimination based on diet would invoke mostly eye rolls and dismissive comments (maybe relatively it's a non-issue), but at least lets not be so negative towards the OP's concerns. 40) imma going to go out on a limb here and say OP is sus. no vegan I know would describe it as “personal unorthodox political/lifestyle choices”. 41) Damn, you people will really find any excuse to spend days talking about irrelevant stuff (whether some unknown individual's veganism is legitimate enough to warrant recognition)...maybe this is your cue get back to work?n @39- Thanks for sharing your experience. x2 (OP) Thanks 40 for challenging my identity. Unorthodox = uncommon, and WTF about veganism is not political/lifestyle??? I think this has been a mostly good conversation, but I agree with others, time for it to stop. x2 40) Being vegan isn't the issue. I think you should respond to 35's questions. AP) Jesus @40, can we just leave this conversation? OP doesn't owe anybody any further explanation. x4 | |
71 | 1/24/24 11:25 | second in line | 7/19/24 20:18 | 1) second in line (I think) for a faculty job at a great university. No communication from the SC and no sense of whether the top candidate has accepted, or will accept...loosing my marbles 2) out of curiousity how do you know you're second in line? 3) OP here, - I don't know with certainty, but I suspect based on informal communications. 4) not OP, but in the same position, I feel you 5) Has happened to me multiple times and in each case the first person took the job. Always feel so unlucky when I hear of people who were second or third choice and the position fell to them. 6) I was convinced I was second in line because the SC was past the timeline they had communicated, but turns out I was first and they were just slow. there's hope! 7) Just coming to say there's hope! I went from second in line to getting the offer, you can too! (but also in the meantime try not to stress!) 8) OP again - thanks everyone! It helps to hear your stories! @6 I definitely know the offer was extended to someone else, although that wasn't super clear in my first post...but fingers crossed for @4 and everyone waiting to hear back! 9) A friend was on a search committee where the first choice accepted and then backed out. Then another faculty in the department announced retirement. #2 and #3 from the list ended up getting offers, *after* they had received rejections. You never know! | |
72 | 1/22/24 7:19 | Trying to leave a state with horrible politics | 2/1/24 10:29 | 1) I suppose but I'm not alone here, but who else is trying to change institutions and then running into the problem where SCs and others can't understand why you'd leave and think there is something wrong with you for wanting to leave your current institution. It's like people don't read the news or anything. x2 2) "I think she wants to stay in the South." --people who have no friggin idea what I could ever possibly want. 3) I'm trying to leave a country with horrible politics (unfortunately to go to another with horrible politics!) 4) I hear that school shootings are rarer in your country. But all my advisors told me not to put that in my cover letter. 5) I am on a search committee and keep having to remind my colleagues to stop speculating about candidates' motivations (or lack of motivations) for taking the job if offered. It seems even more problematic to hypothesize about this before even meeting someone in person. And ultimately, whoever gets offered the job should get to decide if they accept it or not. Whenever someone says they don't think someone would want to take the job, I often offer fictional reasons why they might be excited to move here. For example, "What if their grandmother went to our university and it was her dying wish that their grandchild become a professor here?" I'll also give real reasons, like "this is a good department and maybe they want to make a change, let's let them decide if we make them an offer." Anyway, it is frustrating that people speculate like this. It is true that some offers get declined for all sorts of reasons, but it doesn't make sense to think someone doesn't want a job that they consciously submitted an application for. 6) I'm reading this and appreciating the heck out of 5! Thanks for being you.x5 7) @5: Faculty job applicants do sometimes submit applications even if they're not sure they want to take the job. Or even if they're pretty sure they wouldn't take it. Some are candidates who already have faculty jobs they mostly like, who are hoping to either get blown away by an amazing offer, or are just looking for negotiating leverage so they can get a counter offer from their current employer. Others are from candidates who are hoping to learn more about the position, the department, the city, etc. at the interview stage, so that they can figure out if they want the job or not. Others are from candidates who are torn between bad options: taking a TT faculty job they don't really want (e.g., because it has the wrong mix of teaching and research for them), or taking a short-term position. Which make it reasonable for search committee members to wonder if a given candidate really wants the job. Especially if said candidate already has a TT faculty position. So yes, in the cover letter of your job application, it does help to be as forthcoming as you feel able about the reasons why you want the job. Especially if, on paper, there's some reason to think you wouldn't take the job if offered. Already having a TT faculty position absolutely one such reason. x2 8) Search committees are pretty terrible at guessing who actually wants to move where. And frequently racist/sexist about it. 8) Well, I do that, but it's apparently not believable or really that easy to do, judging from comments in interviews and people approaching me at meetings. They just can't believe that state politics impacts ones job. It might be I need to give them newspaper articles and show them 'this is what is happening. See the legislation? See the impacts on campuses? See what they are doing?' 9) Doesn't even matter why people want to leave. Search committees should just really not be in the business of trying to guess whether applicants are serious about wanting a job that they took the time to apply for. Wanting to see a real justification on fit for the job/school is fine, but often the reasons that people need to leave another job or move to a particular place are not criteria that can legally be used for selecting candidates. We shouldn't have to disclose those things just to get the search committee to believe the application is serious. x2 10) I literally know someone who made a big spiel about his grandma lived in the town and was so excited to have him interview at a school. I was thinking wow my grandma lived in the middle of nowhere in the mountains and was food insecure with no hope of college. I should have known better when choosing my grandparents and picked someone who could help me get this job. 11) Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to be in a particular location and comfort levels for describing those reasons. Family can be a major factor in whether or not someone will move to and stay in a location that's otherwise not particularly desireable. 12) Exactly 11. And that is why search committees should not try to guess at them. 13) @OP so you're leaving the U.S. apparently since all of our states have horrible politics? x2 14) @13, if you think all other states are the equivalent of the truly dangerous legislation that has passed TX, FL and is underway in a few other key states you must live a priveleged life. Don't pretend NY and CA are the same for trans folk or people with uteruses. x3 15) @14 I mean, they kinda are. It just doesn't fit the broader media narrative to talk about it: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/03/california-stillborn-prosecution-roe-v-wade 16) Bullshit. False equivalence like this is what gets everyone to except insanity. Abortion is illegal in Texas and there is no exception for rape, incest or the life of the mother. That's not the case in CA or NY is it? Texas is pretty damn big, the nearest abortion clinics are in New Mexico, Colorado or Illinois. x3!!! or Kansas 17) plus the link that 15 is a single unhinged prosecutor in one county and the case was eventually thrown out, that's not the whole state. not the same as bills being passed or introduced in TX, FL, Indiana... x2 | |
73 | 1/21/24 19:36 | ready to close this tab | 2/6/24 14:14 | I am halfway through my on-campus interviews with very few applications outstanding. I'm so ready to close this tab for the next 8 months (or preferably forever if I actually manage to get an offer). Anyone else at the end of their rope? x20000391203914 AP) Sorry OP, but this site is like the Hotel California. You can close the venting tab any time you like, but you can never leave! 2) yep, I've already stopped checking all the time. A couple more apps, but I'm slowly detaching. so I don't get a job, oh flippin well. I'm very excited to not have this huge time suck in my life! 3) Right??? Applying for jobs has made me so much worse at my current job... OP) @3 YES I'm so bad at my current job and at life in general right now. | |
74 | 1/19/24 2:16 | co-corresponding author?? | 3/5/24 1:13 | I am a postdoc, startiing my final year, writing up two manuscripts. My advisor didn't study my topic at all before I joined (I conceived and wrote the grant that she submitted to hire me ~2 years ago). I asked her if I could be corresponding author on the manuscripts, since this is really MY project, and she said we can be co-corresponding authors. First of all, I have never heard of co-corresponding authors, this just souonds confusing... are both of our e-mails on the final paper? And just today, she said "yeah, let's co-correspond, but you will be in charge of the material, so if someone needs something they can e-mail you" SO basically what she is saying is she wants credit for something she didn't do, and she wants me to do all the work for only half of the credit. UGH. Disclaimer: I know that she gave me the opportunity by agreeing to submit the grant, but basically I came in with these manuscripts already planned out, she just gave me a location to do the work, so I am thankful, but it still seems unfair. Does anyone else have this experience? 2) I am in a similar situation, but in my case, I came up with the idea for a fellowship and applied for it myself (with comments from my advisor). We are now both corresponding authors on a manuscript, using methods and data that my advisor had no idea about before I joined the lab. If it was up to me, I would be the only corresponding author, but I took what I could get, given that other postdocs in the same lab almost never get to be corresponding authors on their papers. Having said all that, I have seen papers with three or more corresponding authors. 3) Seems really strange in EEB for an advisor to care this much about corresponding author. x3 It sounds like you should be first and corresponding author and she should be senior/last author (which for internal tenure & promotion is usually the important thing). I think first author is a lot more important than corresponding from a search committee perspective, so if you'll be first either way I guess I might not push too hard, but I do think the advisor is wrong here. 4) I don't particularly care who is corresponding author, personally. I'm in a similar situation where I was/am the only one with experience in my subfield and I sometimes put my supervisor (or last author) as corresponding author since their email addresses are more permanent. Even if someone emailed them with questions, they would direct them to me. I don't interpret corresponding author to mean much about who did the work or came up with the ideas x3 5) doesn't matter who's corresponding author. 6) not to be contrarian, but at my uni it does matter who is corresponding author. PIs are expected to be CA as an indication that the work is 'theirs', or done in their lab group. A non-CA paper counts far less in promotion reviews because regardless of authorship position, these are viewed as collaborative projects that were ultimately guided by someone else. This may be why OP's PI is so invested in being included and I can see that perspective - having co-CAs does not seem unreasonable in this context. x2 7) Everyone I've worked with in NA and Europe seems to value first or last position but my Chinese national colleagues don't seem to care about that and prefer to be corresponding author. As a postdoc I've been both second and corresponding author on a grad student's paper. /shrug 8) wierd @6 I have never heard of a uni counting papers for promotion based on corresponding author. Not once in 5 states/institutions. My general thoughts/experience on this topic is that corresponding author really only matters for "who fields the emails about this paper". And that's it. Author order dictates "seniority" and "responsibility". x2 9) Totally normal and elegant solution to satisfy the competing parties' overlords. 10) I couldn't care less who the corresponding author is. If your department really cares about this and uses it for promotion decisions, then I'm sorry to say it sounds like a terrible place to work. 11) Yeah, I've never heard of corresponding author status carrying any kind of prestige or extra weight. It just means you were the one who got the 3AM revise and resubmit email 12) the only other rationalization I can think of (prof is in the wrong here imho) is that the PI wants to finesse to get interviews/media attention? Corresponding author(s) should be the ones that journalists contact first (not that they always do), and PI would be able to jump in to scoop attention over their trainee. 13) Maybe this is a boomer opinion but the corresponding author is just the person who submits the paper and is the point of contact with the journal. They are also the person who agrees to field any questions or reprint requests from their adoring fans. Having more than one of these on a paper is pointless. x2 14) In my experience, some institutions / departments / PIs really care who is the corresponding author but most don't (as I also read from the comments above). As you don't know who will be judging your job applications, yes, ask for all the credit you deserve - yet so few people seem to care about who's the corresponding author, don't burn bridges over it! 15) I see *tons* of papers these days with multiple corresponding authors. It's pretty common with big multi-lab collaborations. It can be important for professors since it is related to eligibility for grants sometimes, but it's not really a big deal for postdocs applying to TT positions. First authorship is really what you need. In my opinion @OP, if you're first author on the paper I wouldn't really bother with corresponsing authorship - let your prof handle it - but also it's not a bad idea to get familiar with the submission process if you really want your email on the paper. 16) All institutions care about who is driving the work, as do external reviewers for promotion decisions. At some institutions, this is determined/inferred based on authorship position, and at others, corresponding authorship is ths signal. The OP asked why a supervisor might care about this and their institution's culture as it relates to credit for a product is a reasonable explanation for this behavior. Whether the supervisor deserves such credit is a different question, but how papers count at an institution could certainly be contingent on corresponding author status. Agree that for job-seking, this is probably not so important. 17) In case it helps anyone- I was co-corresponding author on a paper with my postdoc supervisor (and this was definitely the fair choice given the balance of contributions and who knew what about replicating the work). It was acutually very useful because the paper was in the publication process at a fancier journal while I was 9 months pregnant and it was a relief to know that someone else was getting all journal correspondance and could deal with it if I went into labor. 18) If my PI wants to be co-corresponding author on a paper I lead and write, they better be dealing with all the final formatting and fighting with the manuscript system to get all the files uploaded and data archived, etc. 19) @18 Sure, some PIs do exactly what you said. But I know of a horror story where the PI arranged for a preprint to come out at the same time but did not bother to ensure that the names are in the right order. This led to the PI appearing as first author on the preprint's website and you would have to download the PDF to see the true first author. Bonus part: there has been at least one citation of that preprint with the wrong author order. 20) I'll just leave this here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.01393 21) @20, lol I knew what that link was going to be immediately 22) LOL 23). PI here, we use co-corresponding all the time, the institutions often only recognise papers if you have a lead author position, I like my students to be first on their papers, but if I got the funds, finessed ideas, sort all the lab logistics, likely funded techs to help collate data, sort methods etc-then yeah corresponding is deserved-and if we have a partner bringing in their expertise that may also warrent corresponding. We also do this alot in longstanding collaborations where we all play a major role in elements of the paper-and our institutes would ignore the paper outright if that input is not recognised. You're 1st and corresponding, so you're still fine, and as your PI works hard to maintain a lab they may want the institute to realise that | |
75 | 1/18/24 15:19 | Pet peeves | 2/10/24 16:43 | Let's push the discussion below off the first page by sharing our pointless pet peeves. I'll start: when the line after a display equation in a paper is indented. Double demerits if it is part of a sentence that started before the equation. Your turn! 2) When people put journal impact factors and altmetric numbers next to the papers on their CV. x3 3) My pet peeve is censorship x4 4) My pet peeve is [REDACTED] 5) My pet peeve is being told what my pet peeve should be. 6) My pet peeve is liberals and conservatives. x 2 (lol!) 7) Backseat driving! 8) Papers with fancy stats but figures created with no customization... youre going to put all the work into the results but can't spend an extra 30 min making the graphs look a little nicer? 9) When professors call their research group the [LastName] Lab x3 10) Oof, why is this? There are only so many "mySystem" or "myQuestion" lab names available 11) it's ironic because naming your lab something like "The Population Lab" is MORE vain than simply using your name. x8 12) My pet peeve is search committees not even putting the 10 s of effort to email unsuccesful candidates.Show us the tiniest shiver of basic respect and decency. 13) My pet peeve is when I read the abstract of a paper and go "wow, this is a cool result that'll be perfect for me to talk about in my class" and then the figures are all horrible/incomprehensible. Data visualization, people! x5 14) Naming a lab after yourself is fine but if you're the PI, please stop referring to your lab in the third person. 15) 13, SAME. Especially when the key result of the paper isn't conveyed in a figure. Older papers are kinda notorious for this, but I still see it with way more recent stuff. 16) Author-defined acronyms in papers! x3 17) Papers that start "X is a central question in ecology." 18) Hearing people use "nobody's really looked at this before" as the main justification for their study. I mostly see this in new grad students and try to push them a bit further. Hearing it from some PI makes my head ring, though. 19) Having to dig through the supplemental material of a Nature/Science paper to answer a very basic question about their methods x3 20) Similar to @17 "Since the time of Darwin..." (Common in term papers, but I've seen more times than I care to count in published work.) 21) overuse of "utilize" when "use" is more appropriate...maybe this is just 'old man yelling at cloud'. 22) "wearing different hats", "rockstar". they're just overused 23) titles that start with the phrase "ON THE understanding of xyx". we get one of those and darwin used it already! tehe. 24) PI's that say "I work for them" referring to their students and postdocs- almost always turns out to be a toxic PI 25) Kinda similar to 24, academics with their parental status in their twitter bios (e.g. "Dad/mom of 2") TEND to be self-righteous jackasses who treat ECRs without kids as second-class. x2 26) to add to that, if you DONT have kids, you "have time" to do everything and anything for your job afterhours and on weekends becauase kid time > perosnal intererst/hobby time (/s). x4 27) You have non-kid family members you like to spend time with, what?! 28) OK, but if we're doing parent pet peeves we can also add people without kids constantly trying to schedule obligatory 'happy-hour' meetings for work. 29) @28 YES!! With or without kids, one of my pet peeves is "forced" socialization, especially involving alcohol! x3 30) @ 28 - that's a good one BUT I've found it's exactly the breeding type that like to do this so they can get some away-time. The childless don't necessarily have to corral others into happy hour. 31) Using the term "badass" to describe a woman scientist. It's a lazy cliche at this point. x3 32) "Academia" doesn't rhyme with "macadamia". 33) It's "macadEmia" (my pet peeve is pedants) 34) "the Academy" when talking about higher education broadly x2 35) Worse yet... "academe" *vomit* x2 36) Its leviOSA not levohsah 37) more like levio-suh dude 38) Harry Potter nerds. x2 39) Yeah, read another book 40)I'm convinced the main reason I pronounce "data" the way I do is from watching star trek's Data. dahh-taa sounds weird to me. | |
76 | 1/11/24 9:04 | Twitter nonsense about UCLA | 1/20/24 18:47 | [It's time to remove this discussion, which has gone off the rails as expected. Summary: UCLA suspended an EEB faculty member last year without making much info public. Many people are shocked, some say it's more complicated. Those who know the details can't talk, while those who don't know can't stop talking. Given the incompleteness of info and the potential for continued harm to individuals (both the PI as well as people in the department), please continue this discussion in another forum. --AP] 1) THANK YOU x11 | |
77 | 1/10/24 14:56 | Zoom interviews are the worst | 1/24/24 10:53 | I guess I don't totally understand the point of Zoom interviews. Just about everything that gets asked is addressed in the job materials I submit, and it's always such a weird rushed experience because so many questions are crammed into too short of a time. x4 1) Almost everything they asked me was in my written materials. 2) I had one this year that was 11 questions in 30 minutes, basically one question for every little random line in the job ad that the ideal candidate would do. Not sure how anyone's supposed to stay on top of things with all of that. Mostly, though, I just hate how cryptic they are. You'll know if you bombed a zoom interview, but I've never been able to tell whether one went well. 3) I had two within a week before Christmas.. one the questions were weird and I left feeling as though I hadn't had any opportunity to hit my "talking points" (they didn't even ask why I wanted to come to that place); the other was crazy informal.. like I had questions about HR rules at their instituion informal, but it was SO refreshing at the same time. The only Zoom interview I've truly enjoyed. 4) I actually can't handle the pressure of the zoom interview, it is so formal and scrippted and seems kind of hostile, but maybe that is the point? I guess I should have had my anxiety issues checked out before now :). 5) Yeah these suck. I've never had a Zoom interview translate to campus, but I have been invited to campus 8 times straight from application materials. Then again no offer, so maybe I am just really bad at all interviews. 6) agree that these are terrible and from the institution side, I'm not sure what role they serve beyond the rare detection of someone who cannot communicate clearly about their ideas and plans (far in excess of typical nervousness, that is). These are definitely not meant to be hostile and the scripted aspect of a Zoom interview is established to provide equal opprtunity among all interviewees, at least to the extent this is possible. 7) Silliest is when they Zoom interview like 20 people. You're not moving from the 17th ranked candidate to top 3. Huge waste of time. x3 8) Zoom interviews are to weed out weirdos before wasting money bringing them to campus. Also: can't make Zoom work for a quick call? You probably won't be able to use the equipment in a classroom or run an online course. Next. 9) I don't think anyone's arguing that the tech requirements are too onerous. 10) Teams, on the other hand, can go die in a fire. Anyone who has tech issues because of Teams gets a pass from me. x2 (11) x1000000 this sentiment. I have done a few and really cant be myself during them. it's totally artificial. can we stop 12) ... I like the zooms, from both the perspective of a SC member and an interviewer this cycle. We have definitely had candidates move between the top 4 and bottom 4 based on the zooms. On the applicant side, I like having the chance to ask a few questions of the SC which then help me prep for an in person if that happens. 13) Good point, @ 12, as an applicant you can learn a lot from a zoom interview that can be useful for an in-person interview. Am I weird that I actually kind of enjoy them? (I like the in-person ones more though.) 12 again) @13 no not weird, I like them too. Maybe my life is boring :/ 14) It's helpful if they let you turn it into a conversation, but I have found sometimes they just cut you off because of time and you're like "oh ok cool later." In my experience, the stricter they are about questions and time, the less confident I have felt afterwards. 15) As an applicant, I do like getting to see what the vibe of the search committee is, and to some extent the vibe of the department. I agree though that if an applicant is at the bottom of the longlist, most likely no zoom interview is going to move them into the top. So if I don't get a campus interview after a zoom I wonder... did I do that badly? Or was I never in the top candidates anyway? 16) Agree with 15 about assessing the "vibe" of the search committee during Zoom interviews - can get a decent sense of the "personality" of the department even with standardized questions. But I find it very painful to never get any feedback about how I did during the interview. 17) Yeah, it's like "is there something I say or don't say that obvious to everyone except me and keeps me from getting campus invites?" 18) The truly obvious "bombs" make sense to me. I will also say that nearly all of my Zooms did not result in a campus interview this season. This is not to say that I am some sort of ace interviewer, just that I do put a lot of effort to research the department, school, student body, outline local projects and teaching courses. So, I suspect the SC already had a good idea of who they wanted. This makes sense, as I can't imagine that most top candidates bomb their Zooms. I will also say that fit does seem important and no matter of researching and articulation can change that. I agree with others that they are good practice for artculating oneself and preparing for a campus invite. 18) I had 3 zooms last year and 8 this year. It took me until about the 4th this year (so 7 overall) to finally stop hating them and feel somewhat confident. Then I panicked thinking "am I going to do 7 on-campus interviews before I finally figure it out?" Because I'm 0/2 so far and I do not have that kind of time left. 19) I enjoy Zoom interviews (and interviews in general tbh), but it is super frustrating when they don't turn into a campus visit. I can't help but get my hopes up if the Zoom makes it feel like I'd be a good fit. 20) Especially when you get ghosted after an enjoyable Zoom interview. x3 21) Yeah, I had one where the whole search committee was nodding along to everything I said and laughing at my jokes, and then... nothing x2 22) I think a lot of search committee members make an effort to emote positively/show enthusiasm to ease the interviewee's stress, which is definitely nice, but unfortunate when it's unclear what you can read into it 23) God bless the vigorous nodders x4 24) I am actually surprised that Zoom interviews are legal because during that brief time, the committee can see what is not on paper, gender, race, accent, clothing, quirks of your personality, etc. All of the things we are not supposed to discriminate against, will be plainly visibile in those 20-30 minutes, whereas during a campus interview, not only will those things be visible, but also their science will be on display and they're going to meet a large number of people. The chances of anything corrupt or remotely illegal will happen during those early stages. I guarantee it. Anyone who has dealt with a large group of people vs a small committee will know this. Often the last thing people in departments want to do if they have a vested interest in something is bring it up for a group level discussion or vote because one might lose control. 25) I had a Zoom interview where they asked me to keep the camera off. Presumably to avoid introducing bias. More places should do that imo 26) Yeah, I've also had that, where they keep everyone's camera off to mimic a phone interview. 27) At that point why not just do a phone interview? 28) @ 27 Hey now everyone just figured out how to use Zoom, can't expect 'em to navigate dialing in to a conference line. 29) @27 one place did ask to do a phone interview, and they requested for it to be done using a LANDLINE. Rather use zoom at my house than spend time configuring my department's weird landlines. | |
78 | 1/10/24 9:34 | Conflicted letter of rec writing | 1/11/24 7:55 | Second year TT prof and I've been writing letters of rec for a few MS students that I worked with and served on their committees. It's really eye opening that I am writing letters for these students that are applying for jobs that pay more than what I make in academia right now. I love that for the students, heck yes, I want nothing more than them getting their dreams and being successful along with a good salary. But golly if it isn't super deflating for me to see salaries ~$10-15k more than what I make. x2 2) different but similar flavor experience - I am a 4th year postdoc and, full transparency - at a non profit that pays PDs well - but fighting tooth and nail for TT faculty jobs that would be a pay cut sure does sting badly. Knowing the benefits (insurance, 401K etc) are good helps some, but still. (3) I used to work for a research NGO. I had much less intellectual freedom and constantly was reporting to "supervisors". I'll take a modest pay cut any day to enjoy the freedom of academia (given my personal situation). 4) If you want that salary you could go apply for those jobs. Or better jobs that exist in industry. If you aren't doing that it probably means you have something of value where you are. X 2 OP) @3 the freedom is nice, for my research, not sure if this is the norm at other school admin also breathe down my back with my classes, which is NOT fun either and @4, much like a lot of jobs, people with PhDs wouldn't be considered because, ya know, "overqualified" 5) "Overqualified" For the two industry positions that I have had, I had extra interviews and a (paid) shadow period that I strongly suspect only happened because I have a PhD. | |
79 | 1/8/24 11:25 | PhD advisor sure did a number on my confidence | 1/26/24 11:23 | I've been at a job for awhile now, and it's just not the right fit. I didn't originally apply for any jobs at R1 schools because I didn't have the confidence, stemming from the constant putting down I experienced from my PhD advisor about my ideas and abilities. I've been back on the job market for awhile looking for a more research-focused position (because...who knew...I'm actually really good at research!), but I'm tenured so it's harder to find other jobs, and I'm at a school not known for its research which probably doesn't help me landing another job. It just stinks that you can finish and move on past your PhD, and if your advisor was a jerk and you haven't been in contact for years that their negative impact still follows you. 2) OP, with all due respect, how is a tenured professor still affected by a PhD advisor? I would give anything right now to even have a TT job. x3 3) OP just told you. They didn't apply for research focused jobs out of grad school because their advisor said they weren't good at research. Now they are still impacted by the bat decision they made and are in a less research focused job than would like to be they 4) I know that sucks, OP. But if your PhD advisor was saying those things to your face they probably would have sabotaged attempts to get an R1 job. I'm glad you were able to hang on with the job you have. Try to pub as much as possible and keep sending out apps. I'm in a similar position, but perhaps not quite as dire. Hoping we both make it through. OP) Thanks 4. Good luck to you too. I agree that they would have sabotaged me. I saw a reference letter they wrote for me once, and I never used them again. 2 - I think 3 summed it up. Add on the sabotage part (which I think they would have done too), and here I am. As for how a PhD advisor can still affect someone years later, there are lots of stories out there. I'm not the only one who had a terrible "mentor". 5) Posting as a young(ish) PI with an honest question. When people talk about sabotage do you mean writing letters that are dishonestly negative? I struggle with how to write letters for folks who have not shown the level of independence I feel is needed for R1 TT positions. My inclination is always to be as positive as possible without being dishonest but perhaps that would still be viewed as sabotage? 6) @5 While remaining honest, I avoid any negative statements in my letters because given the norms of recommendation letters in the US, any hint of negativity can sabotage someone. Sometimes it's a real struggle. As an evaluator, letters aren't completely worthless, but I only use them to get more behind-the-scenes insights into a person's contributions to projects, etc. and ignore any statements of praise. 7) @5 - I mean sabotage as being dishonestly negative. There are assholes out there, and some people do this to their former students, for whatever their biased reason is for it.8) @5, this is a great point to bring up. My institution is moving away from letters for all but the top candidates (these are requested later in the process) and the information you is exactly the kind of information that is useful to a search committee, presuming, of course, that it is honest and provided without negative intentions. Knowing that a future colleague has or has not shown signs of independence is just as important as knowing that they do or do not 'play well' with others. No candidate - particularly those coming out of postdocs - comes in perfectly polished and all candidates will require varying amounts of effort and mentoring in several aspects of the job given that much of what a faculty member does is not anything a candidate has trained for. IME, when a SC member brings up a criticism of a given applicant it is often because they have a favorite applicant picked out and are looking for reasons not to support a different applicant. This happens whether or not a letter is 100% positive. I truly appreciate letters that are more realistic assessments of an applicant. We all know every applicant is not the best the recommender has ever advised/collaborated with/taught/mentored. 8) 5 again here. This was an interesting read. PIs sabotaging trainees is insane - why?! I find I'm inclined to be perhaps overly generous - I want my trainnees to reach their goals. But in cases where they have been productive but I have serious doubts about their ability (or even desire) to run a research group it is difficult to completely avoid this fact. 6) @5/8 if you want your trainees to get the jobs they apply for, do whatever it takes to avoid raising any doubts in your letters, because reference-letter inflation is real. I wish this wasn't the way it is, but it is. Let the folks doing the hiring figure out for themselves whether they will fit the job, which they know better than you anyhow. 9) @5 - Some academics are happy to see their students do well and maybe even surpass them in taking research in new directions, and others are threatened by it and/or are misogynists. Sad but true. | |
80 | 1/7/24 19:44 | Paid less than McDonalds | 2/1/24 5:05 | It's starting to get hard to maintain my enthusiasm for my PhD and a potential career in academia when I'm being paid barely 2/3 of minimum wage. Like forget about an equivalent job in industry, I could literally walk out the door and get a job at a fast food joint and be paid more. Any average retail job would pay twice my stipend. So far the financial stress has been worse than anything related to my actual PhD work, and I'm starting to feel really devalued even by my great supervisors because of how little academia seems to value my work and existence. 2) OP, I know this is a venting tab but darn- your job and what you do every day is supposed to give you more than just money. Sure money is extremely important but these comparisons are not valid other than at surface level and more importantly, they do not help one decide. If you want to go work at McDonalds, do it, there is no shame in it. I suspect it is very hard to work in McD too. Hang in there! 3) If OP is referring to a grad stipend, these have always paid poorly. I took more than a 50% pay cut to do my MS and left a well-paying teaching job to do my PhD at about 40% of what I had been making before. These are training positions and (usually) come tuition-free so it should not be expected that they pay well. 4) I guess I have a different opinion than the previous two people, but I believe that a grad stipend should be a livable wage, you are going to get a much happier student and as a result better work. Chronic stress really messes up productivitity. x6 5) I'm on the prof side and recently tried to pay an experienced undergrad Starbucks wages. HR kicked it back and lowered her pay by $3/hr. The funders would support the pay scale in this case and they won't let me do it because it will make university funded hires look bad? Are they writing code to crunch genomic data? I don't get it. 6) @5 This kind of thing really grinds my gears. It's so exclusionary. 7) It IS exclusionary but some can make it work nonetheless. Competitive grad stipends (and free tuition) mean fewer spots. Most of the grad students in NA (inlcuding myself with my PhD, postdoc and teaching, and 50+ papers) would never be admitted to grad school in the Nordic countries. 8) here in the UK we get the worst of both worlds. Wildly competitive applications for a small number of PhD postitions and miniscule stipends. Yay! 9) @8 yes agreed, having applied/interviewed in NA, UK, Europe, and Oz...the UK is the very worst in this regard.OP)@2 .... I feel like asking for minimum wage so I'm not desperately struggling to make ends meet is hardly caring about "just money". Obviously I care about more than "just money" or I wouldn't be doing a PhD, but does it really need to be this hard? 10) I feel all of this. I took a huge pay cut when I started grad school. I've made things work financially but it's been a lot of hustling. Sometimes I think about how much more research/publishing I could've done if I wasn't doing random gig work and it makes me sad. @OP 2 again- my point is that you made a choice to do this not because it was easy but because you like something more about it than just money. If you did not choose this for money then you are not helping yourself by comparing it with McD. I get that living wage is necessary; however, it is also not stopping you from going to McD, so try to look at this as a choice rather than feeling trapped and unhappy. 11) Other jobs require fixed schedules and little autonomy. More money would be nice but we generally get to make our own schedules, sit around and think/write, get paid travel for field work and conferences...the easy answer to the salary issue is to get a different job, and/or recognize that grad school is not, in fact, a job, despite what many people have been duped into believing by SM rhetoric. 12) I assume TA and RA stipends are still for half-time effort because the other half of the candidate/student's time is devoted to classes and research. This was the case during each of my (many) years of grad school a decade ago. And was why I was super excited to get a postdoc position that paid an actual full-time wage. 13) @ 12 in Canada at least TAs are for ~130hours, which is 10hrs/week during a semester and pay ~$3500. Nothing wrong with the actual hourly rate and very few TAs actually hit the time ceiling. If someone were to do it full-time the money would be ok but then they also wouldn't be doing their actual thesis work. 14) I dunno, I think PhD students should make a living wage! It makes sense to me that we treat PhDs as a job. People already paid a lot for undergrad, and we want people to be able to do PhDs even if they are in a position where they need to support themselves. It's a long degree and we're often in our 30s before we finish it. Hard to keep going that long as a student without a salary. And why not have students that can live without feeling stressed about their rent and groceries? If we can give people enough for food and housing security, then shouldn't we? x3 15) Can't forget that some programs disallow working outside jobs, so no additional gigs to supplement that 20hrs/week you're getting compensated for. (As if there's time.) 16) @15, my PhD program didn't allow outside jobs, but I knew quite a few people who worked part-time to supplement their stipends. It's one of those standard contract things that is never enforced in practice. @14 in other countries PhDs are considered a full time job! This whole "only pay people for TA time" is bs that makes research unpaid labor. 17) @ 16: the difference between NA and the rest of the world is that PhD positions are virtually unlimited here and almost everyone who can spell their name correctly on an application can get in. Countries where a PhD is a full-time job are much, much more selective about who gets in, and there are far fewer PhDs produced. 18) I'm just always so confused why PI's in Canada are so out of touch about the cost of living. NSERC has hardly increased, but instead they punch down and act like it's grad students who are hurting them or motivated by the wrong reasons. and that was happening before all this 'greedflation'. OP)@14 & 15: I'm not in NA, and am technically staff at my institution (including set working hours, limitations on outside jobs, paid leave, etc) which makes it all the more absurd I find. Also, given all the palaver about there being too many PhDs being produced - surely fewer PhDs being paid more would be a better thing. Frankly I think I'd rather have been rejected from a few PhD programs and paid a decent wage than accepted to the first and paid a pittance. Also, if money is so tight - then why are postdocs being paid literally over 3 times the PhD stipend? 19) @OP, where are you that you're making triple a grad student stipend? I make just shy of double what I made in grad school (and less than half of what I could be making in industry *cries*) 17) @ OP I made the comment about PhD #s because it will have ramifications for representation, diversity, etc. - students with marginal GPAs from undergrad can do great but won't be getting spots, similar to how things go with med or vet or law school. I like the idea of fewer with more money but don't see how that would ultimately help with other goals, whether those are EDI or just democratizing science. 18) I'm not sure it's helping EDI goals to admit more diverse students into bad paying positions with limited career prospects either. I certainly don't think it's clear that fewer better paid positions would be worse for those goals. Of course advantaged people will have a leg up in getting into those programs, but they also are more able to take on the risk of a sustained low paying period in the current system (or they can just get into the few elite programs that are paying real living wages). x3 20) wow, all the 'if you don't like it, get outta here' responses make me so sad for the OP, and for academia in general. x4 | |
81 | 1/4/24 10:30 | 2 page research statement | 1/5/24 16:45 | Tailoring applications across job ads can already be challenging, but when specific elements are given a length limit it can cause increased challenges to totally warp your words into shorter statements. I have specifically run into about 1/5 applications that have a 2-page limit for research statements at R1 universities. Its driving me crazy, anyone else? Proposing a cogent, succint plan for how you will build an entire career at an R1 while including important background information in 2 pages is maddeningly difficult. The biggest issue is that for several of these I need to give a fair amount of background to the importance of the work, as much of the committee is likely not going to be in my sub-field (these are pretty general job calls). Am I alone in thinking this? The closest comparison I have had is my NSF postdoc summary which was 2 pages, and was for a very specific solicitation. 1) I'm trying to write a compelling 1 page "vision" and cursing the committee for not at least giving me 2 pages like the last app. 2) It's tough! But I found that, after shortening my research statement to 2 pages, it was probably a lot better than my longer versions. Include only the most important bits, and then you can elaborate in your interview. 3) You should have 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-page versions of your research statement. The last big ($1m) grant I got was only a 1-page proposal in the first round. It's hard to do, but they will be better for the effort. 4) agree with earlier comments that it's tough to get things short, but it is necessary even for your longer applications. A mentor once told me that if you need to convince the committee that you have a cool vision in a single abstract-sized paragraph. The rest of the statement is extra fluff and less important. 5) this is when it's really nice to have a friend (or even someone from a campus grants office) that isn't too close to your research take a look and remove sections they don't think are necessary. You might not realize how little background information you can get away with. Just make sure you're explicit about how your work connects to the job ad. | |
82 | 12/31/23 8:17 | End of the Year and feeling kinda defeated | 1/2/24 5:00 | I successfully defended my PhD in July of this year after having battled (and beaten) cancer at the end of the end of my Master's in 2019 and then Starting my PhD at the beginning of the pandemic. I am about 6 months out of my phd now and still have no postdoc. I have had several really good interviews and in several I was the first runner up but keep being beaten by other people. I honestly don't know what my applications are lacking. I will admit my published articles are low (1 published, 1 in review, 2 in final drafts), but given my past I feel like that could be understandable. When it's asked about my lack of papers is it even worth it to mention the setbacks both at the end of my master's and start of the PhD? I'm worried because with any upcoming applications not only am I competing with my own cohort of PhDs, but also any abot to defend. Sorry for the length, numerous questions, and negativity. Just needed a way to voice this all I guess 1) Hang in there! it took me two years to find my first post doc... I can't tell you that everything is going to be ok, since I am now desperately struglling for a PI position, but if you want to do a post doc, you will do a post doc, just give it some time! 2) I had more publications than you and it took me a year and a half to get my first postdoc. I also came second a bunch of times. Hang in there! As a consolation, after a year and a half of struggling, I managed to get a prestigious fellowship so being "out of the game" for a while in a sense does not necessarily mean it's all over. 3) Honestly, your pub status isn't that bad even without considering the hardships. While not outstanding, it's in the normal range for productive grad students. Keep reaching out and use your academic network--lots of postdocs are never advertised positions. Also, apply for fellowships. And congrats on beating cancer :) 4) It took me about 18 months post-PhD to get an actual Postdoc started - a handshake deal fell through, someone else retired unexpectedly, but then I ended up with 2 offers plus my choice of personal funding from two different gov sources. It can take time, but the postdoc will happen if you keep trying. Of course that isn't the case with TT jobs ;) | |
83 | 12/26/23 19:00 | The endless waiting | 12/27/23 16:19 | just painful 2) very painful, hang in there, I can only offer hugs, to help navigate this madness. 3) I'm raising a glass for you OP. | |
84 | 12/20/23 19:14 | Feeling so discouraged | 1/22/24 5:07 | This is my second year on the academic job market. Last year I applied for four positions and received 3 Zoom interviews and one on campus. The on campus interview was for a dream job and I felt that the interview couldn't have gone any better, but I was not offered the position. This year I've applied for 14 positions, spent a thousand hours creating tailored application materials for each one, and I haven't even received a single Zoom interview. It seems like the postings are starting to slow down this cycle and I am really starting to feel how sobering this job market is. (1) I feel this 2) And you only on the market for 2 years, I know some on the market for years. 3) "spent a thousand hours creating tailored application materials for each one" well there's part of your problem, time to switch to writing one that you can "personalize" in 20 mins and switch to the shotgun approach. 4) 4 applications, you are lucky you got any interviews. 5) @ 4 - no kidding. I see ppl post that they fired off a hundred apps - why??? They can't possibly want to have the majority of those jobs and aiming for an R1 but ending up teaching remedial seems like a recipe for bitterness while taking that job off the table for someone who actually wants it. 6) @5, might not want them but you still need a job. 7) There's a lot of open territory (and viable strategy) between 4 apps and 100+. But the number of apps definitely needs to go up. When even less competitive jobs get close to 100 apps, you really can't bank on getting a position after just a handful. Even if you are great, it takes greater effort to overcome the randomness at the top. 8) I also think it is really rare that people are actually submitting 100+ in a single year. Something more like 25-40 is much more common for people applying broadly. Over the course of a few years of trying that can add up to hundreds. 9) I personally think it's worth spending a bit of time tailoring apps on jobs you REALLY want, but I do minimal tailoring on most apps. I think clearly spending time researching the school can help you get an interview, but at the same time, the market is really weird/random, and I've gotten interviews for apps I spent basically no time on. 10) Agreed, I've seen little apparent relationship between time spent on an application vs interview likelihood. x3 11) Ageed about how random the job market is. I am entering my third year of searching a place who could make me stay in academia. I know I havent even reached 50 applications, and shouldnt be discouraged. But I can't help this feeling. Among these numbers, I got only one zoom interview. I started from being strict with my criteria in my first year, but then loosen my criteria, wishing to have more chances, but NONE! Then I started having stupid thoughts, like is it because I am not from here? or because I didnt graduate from certain university? or (most of the time) feeling not good enough :( | |
85 | 12/20/23 11:29 | Offer went to another candidate for an illegal reason | 1/3/24 14:31 | OP—Someone privy to discussions told me that although I ranked most highly, the ofer went to another candidate for reasons that are illegal. Frustrating. 2) That is so frustrating, I'm sorry! Can you share what the illegal reasons were? 3) Some schools the committee makes recs that the chair is allowed to chose from. Others they go with committee rank. No matter what, it usually results in political blowback on the chair, not that this is much consolation for not getting the offer. If you really want to push it you could ask the Chair why you didn't get the offer. But that can have political blowback on you. 4) Sorry to hear. I've been in the room when younger female candidates were rejected because of the likelihood of mat leave, and when single males were rejected for equally illegal reasons. And though I happen to have seen the worst-case outcomes in both hiring scenarios, they ARE discriminatory. 5) What illegal reason is there to reject a single male? 6) @4, did you push back or contact HR? I hope you at least tried to stand up against discrimination. 7) @ 5 rejecting them because of their marital status, obviously. 4) @ 6 lol - you're silly! As a grad student rep or a postdoc on the job market sitting in on in camera discussions, that's the type of thing that disqualifies you when you aren't anonymously fighting discrimination online. (OP) I shouldn't share anything more specific than what I already said 5) I don't know who OP is but this happened recently at a highly-ranked R1 but in a non-ecoevo field. OP, if the university has admitted the illegal reason (as was the case at this R1), or you have other hard evidence, I would talk to an employment attorney and see their thoughts on suing for first 3 years--at least--of pay and benefits. Almost no TT is ever fired before the first three years, or even 6 before tenure application. (OP) I appreciate the comment, but I think if my identity was revealed for trying to sue about this, the optics would be such that I'd have a much lesser chance of being hired 6) @ OP absolutely you would, that's where it becomes a numbers game: say you're 40, 25 years to retirement, $150K/year salary, settlement for 4.5M. That would make not being hirable again well worth it! Just a few years' salary though? Not worth it unless you can do something with it to get a nice rate of return. 7) I've seen an internal job ad circulated among staff that specified the desired identity group to be hired, and then the external job ad that didn't have that language. The person hired was a match. I (looking for a permanent job) was not a match, and neither applied nor mentioned the obviously illegal job ad. 8) @7: Seen that too! One example: a prof who was an indirect mentor of mine was retiring, the job ad was pretty much to do the same sort of research they did. They told me about an email the SC chair sent to the department before the app deadline saying "No matter what, we're only making offers to female candidates". They hired a female who worked on an entirely different system than the job ad. 9) *If* that email were leaked to candidates, that is straight up a lawsuit. Hands down if I were faculty in that department I'd report to uni HR that and perhaps leak it anonymously to any male finalists. That's highly illegal and the department deserves any consequences. 8) @ 10 Totally agree. Problem is, intra-dept emails have the "confidential contents" text at the bottom - a faculty member whistleblowing would be violating their own collective agreement. All I can add to this is, it's the very same Canadian university that has been mentioned multiple times on here for nepo and highly questionable hires (though this particular incident wasn't a nepo hire and was a few years before that nonsense started). As someone who has been on the short end of this type of BS >1 time, I'd love to get a few-to-several years' salary from a class action suit. 9) @6, maybe you've never seen succession and the wisdom of tom wambsgans? "$5mil is the poorest rich person, too poor to retire early, too rich to get a job." (this is a joke) | |
86 | 12/20/23 7:14 | Another missed offer | 12/22/23 14:44 | OP- I am frustrated. I did everything right and still lost out. This is two on-campus interviews in a row that I've been runner-up but not gotten the offer. I know it's stochastic and mostly about fit but it's just so frustrating that I'm working so hard and getting very positive feedback but it's essentially meaningless because I'm still stuck in a postdoc making 50k and struggling to afford daycare. I also wish search committees were more careful about what they say in person because I'm sick of getting my hopes up. I was literally told I had the best job talk they'd seen and they wanted me to be their colleague but after the politics shook out-- no offer. 2) I know it's frustrating and that this is the venting tab, but remember that hiring decisions aren't made by a single person. They're made by some compromise between the search committee, the departmental faculty, the chair, and the dean. Assume that preson was telling the truth that they liked your talk and want you as their colleague, which isn't a bad thing. 3) totally agree with @2. Try to count it as a W. You're on the right track and definitely shouldn't give up the fight. 4) Sorry! I hate it when that happens! I had one like that last year where I really kind of thought I would get it and some people made very positive comments. I appreciated those comments and I suspect they were genuine, but I guess someone else did better, or somebody else on the committee didn't agree. In that particular case, I connected really well with some faculty members who seemed really excited about me, but I think maybe didn't make as good of a connection with the search chair. Who knows. I think you'll get one eventually if you're having this level of success now! They're just hard to get and it is so difficult to be in this in-between place for so long. 5) In the same place, unfortunately I don't think it is a guarantee that close misses mean you will get another one eventually. I have too many friends who finished second at literally their dream job and then never managed to find an offer and left academia. I've had two searches like the ones described here where I know I finished second and people voted for me, two where I thought they went really well but an internal candidate was hired, and one where I got an offer but couldn't accept it for a variety of family/personal reasons. The reality is that those close calls could be all I get because I can't keep trying much longer. It sucks to know how much work went into those and how just a little luck like the top choice turning down an offer for another could have changed my whole career. 4) I believe you that some people don't get hired eventually after close misses, but I will add that a lot of people do! I'm not going to go looking for data and I don't know what it says (because I shouldn't be on this page at all right now haha, I should be grading finals), but I have friends who did eventually get a job after a few years with interviews but no job offers. It could certainly happen to you! (although I guess you're right that it might not). 5) @4 for sure people have closes misses and then end up in a great job. I don't think anyone knows real percentages, but both outcomes are reasonably common. I just know for me that everyone trying to be helpful by saying you'll end up in a TT job if you are getting interviews does not feel helpful because I know that it isn't necessarily true. OP@5) Exactly! I know people are trying to be helpful by spinning a missed offer in a positive light but the real reality is that even if you're at the top of your game, you could never get an offer and be perpetually the runner-up and have to leave academia eventually. It almost feels like toxic positivity to not recognize the real consequences of missing out on a close offer. x2 6) @OP this can definitely happen, but usually when it does it's because the candidate has geographical restrictions or doesn't apply to a wide range of jobs. If you're competitive in a tier X institution, you'll be even more competitive in tier X+1 and tier X+2 institutions. 7) Wow 6, way to miss the point entirely!! I do think there are various ways that candidates end up sort of trapped just missing top R1 jobs, but have a hard time getting traction at R2 or teaching focused jobs because those committees think they will be too research focused and not happy. x3 6) @7 there are multiple tiers within R1, so if you "just miss" "top R1 jobs", don't rule out "lower R1 jobs"aaa 7) LOL, thanks 6. I'm aware that there are multiple tiers within R1s but the same dynamics apply. It is just not at all uncommon for people to be highly competitive for jobs they really want but end up not getting one in time to stay in this career and it is disingenuous or naive to suggest that isn't the case. 6) @7 and my point is, you don't always get the job you "really want" and might need to lower your standards a little 7) Yes, my point is that I know plenty of people who applied to a reasonable range of schools that they were good fits for, including lowering standards a little, yet were not able to get lucky enough to find a TT job in time to continue in academia despite having super competitive records and having had a one or a few near misses at some of the most prestigious EEB programs. It happens, even if PIs don't want to focus on it or want to explain away particular cases x2 OP) yeah my issue is not the range of schools I've been applying to LOL I've applied to R3-R1, biology depts, EEB depts, state schools, ivies. I don't think it's helpful to say "lower your standards" since most applicants are not in the position to turn away any position that might feasibly be a good fit. | |
87 | 12/14/23 7:11 | Solution to not sound desparate | 2/1/24 14:34 | OP- I had a zoom interview yesterday at a perfect place for a perfect position. To say that I was excited will be an understatement but I also have been doing this for the last 10 years and I am desparate. In my adjunct position, I am doing many things that TT faculty does. Obviously TT faculty do more but I know I do enough and I know I have what it takes to be a TT faculty but like yesterday, my desparation shows. How do I stop from oversharing? 1) I did a vodka shot before an interview to calm down. Not 5 shots, but 1 to take the edge off a little. But that's knowing how I act before and after one shot. Your doctor might more officially recommend a beta blocker. If you go that route ask for the short term kind not extended release. Also writing out text for replies may help. You don't want to memorize replies like a robot but have notes to turn to that will keep you on track. OP again- thank you @1 I am not sure vodka will help me since I have not done a controlled study on how I respond before and after but maybe next time (if there is one) I should just remember to look at my written notes and stick with them. I ran out of of time yesterday because I blabbered on. 2) I also have a tendency to blabber on, and I have been practicing mindfulness and taking pauses and deep breaths in between questions to slow myself down. In my case, it's general anxiety that's heightened by the situation. So perhaps practice taking pauses when responding just to keep yourself focused. OP) thanks for your support, kind internet strangers. I left work early and baked a really fantastic apple galette. I made the mistake of allowing myself to hope too much. <-- sorry accidentally posted on the wrong vent, I'm not this OP. Sorry! (3) I definitely tanked an interview once because I was too anxiety ridden and deparate and I just lost my focus. Now I just try to be aware of it a little more and get into a more calm and positive emotional state. Deep breaths and whatnot. 4) I'm on a SC and now I'll be wondering how many shots every candidate had before their zoom interviews, lol. Seriously though, we have all been in the same situation and know it's even tougher out there today. No one should hold nerves against you. If you've made it to the short or medium list, we already think you'd be great colleagues and only regret that we can't make more offers. 5) I do agree with #4 that nerves are better than looking like you don't care. I saw 2 people blow video interviews by suggesting they didn't especially want to be at that school (why??). 6) Agree with 4 and 5. What's wrong with being desperate? SCs want people who want to be there and stay there. Desperation shows that. 7) @6 desperation takes it too far and shows a lack of confidence. You want to act like you want the job, but also show that you think you're worthy of the job and that it isn't a "last resort" and you have no other options. OP) Agree with @7. Desparation is overdoing it, which is something I did. I had a lot to share because I no doubt have been doing a lot but in that 25 minute interview, we ran out of time because I wanted them to know everything in elaborate ways and so instead of asking me their 8th questions they used an extra minute to let me ask if i had any questions. Excitement is great. Desparation and oversharing and unprofessionalism that comes from that is brutal. 8) They should definitely not be asking 8 questions!! About 4-5 is the right number for a 30 minute zoom interview. 6) Maybe the SCs I've been on are all okay with desperation in candidates because, we, as a university, are even more desperate... OP) @8 not only did they have 8 questions, there were 8 people on search committee. I don't even remember half the people that were there. My other interview only had 3 people- that is what I have experienced more normally. But honestly 8 questions is also something I have experienced more than 4-5 questions. 8) Weird I have done quite a few zoom interviews and have only had a couple that tried to ask 8+ questions and it is always way too many. Also seems to coincide with the ones where they take forever introducing themselves. 5 questions seems to be the typical number. @8- I didn't do so well at all in this interview with 8 questions so I hope there was atleast some aspect of not having enough time though I know I blabbered on! 9) I had a zoom interview earlier this week where they asked ELEVEN questions in 30 mins... let's just say I hope they didn't expect great answers for all of them, because hoo boy | |
88 | 12/13/23 16:55 | I never know how to answer DEI related questions. | 1/2/24 19:12 | 1) In fact I am pretty sure it is unfair to ask about how you would support minority students. I am a minority myself in more than one ways but seriously nobody has training in this. This is a such a huge topic that a single person can only do a little. Nothing seems enough and just representation or supporting a bunch of minority students seems such cliche answer. But what else is there. Honestly those on search committee never had to face this question- mostly anyway. 2) DEI statements are a litmus test. As long as you say that diversity enhances science, and as long as you say that you want to promote historically underrepresented groups, you will probably pass. 3) You can do a little digging at the institution you're applying to and see what programs already exist that you could leverage (e.g., if they have scholarships for first gen students doing research, if they have special groups you could advertise openings to, etc.). You should also be able to state your past experience doing any sort of scientific outreach, like judging a science fair or participating in local events for K-12 students. You could even discuss how you plan on teaching subjects like evolution in a way that acknowledges how the science has been used for racist purposes. Yes, people hired 10+ years ago didn't need to explicitly state these things, but how else are we going to change the field without attempting this one asshole filter? No one is asking you to solve systemic racism, or self-identify for "pity points"--they just want to know you think about inclusion and do the bare minimum. x3 4) I once finished my DEI answer by asking them what outreach and DEI work they each did. And got crickets.... 5) I've worked in an HBCU for half a decade and another before that. My DEI was deemed unacceptable by one institution. blew me away. 6) True, one person can only do a little - when you're asked to talk about it, talk about how you do that little, important thing. (DEI training does exist, though it's scattered in location and goal. If that's something you're passionate about, maybe it's something you could propose contributing at your future institution?) 7) I usually just talk about outreach stuff, seems to go over well. It's not explicitly DEI-related, but no one ever seems to mind. 8) I gree with @3. If you are a minority, think about actions that have helped you or your colleagues to enter or saty in HE or in research and that you could do your classes and working group. List any experiences you had and check what the university is doing or trying to do (sometimes, finding this info is a PAIN). Check specific grants for minorities that could fit your purposes. And, if you haven't already, try to get involved with affirmative projects within or around your institution, so you can gather some experience, learn more, and collect some ideas for your future teaching and research plans. For instance, try checking with Skype a Scientist if they have specific needs for under-represented groups :) 9) I've gone through my own mini job search last year as a senior person, and am on a search committee this year, so have some recent experience. I think it is enough to have one or two concrete activities that you have participated in that you can talk about. There are a lot of things that count. Most NSF "Broader Impacts" activities can be spun as DEI in one way or another. For the future, identify programs that are already happening on campus and think about how you can contribute. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Also, incorporating something in your teaching is a good thing to talk about. I teach one class about the history of eugenics and how evolutionary biology was used as justification.10) I focus alot of my DEI statement on how I make my courses inclusive and equitable and my focus on working to diversify the content I teach. 11) @ 10 I'm not sure that's effective - I take a very similar approach and have used various software like NVivo to make transcripts that I then fully edit to post lectures for accessibility (started during pandemic/online, since then I've been getting feedback and award nominations from audio/visual impaired students) but guess what? No one on a faculty wants to hire a colleague like that because they themselves will look bad in comparison and don't want to put in the extra work themselves. 12) @11, that sounds awesome and I'm sure there's universities that value those sorts of conrete actions. Just gotta get lucky and apply to them :/ 11) @ 12: I'm proud of it but it really doesn't 'count' as DEI - more and more that's about candidate identity, not actions. x6 12 again) I don't really think that's true, despite how often it gets said around here. The couple of searches I've been around cared about actions, they were just impressed by actions that I thought were bunk (e.g. posting links to "resources" on twitter) or just basic human decency (e.g. not doing parachute-style fieldwork). 3 again) Depending on if an insitution is public or private, or state laws, it is my understanding that the only instance where you can consider a candidate identity is when you are considering two candidates that are otherwise getting identical scores on all other parts of the rubric. @11, those actions sounds like excellent DEI work, and like more than most people do. Have you considered reaching out to search committee chairs after rejection to ask for feedback? It may not be your DEI work thats affecting your success. Or solicit feedback from people recently on hiring committees? They tend to know what current pools of applications look like and how someone can stand out. 13) And also, they may like your DEI work and also everything else that you're doing, but you just have a lot of competition and so haven't gotten something yet. So many people apply for these dang jobs! 14) most of the DEI "work" being talked about in the thread would get super low scores on the Berkeley DEI rubric and rightly so, putting up slides with transcripts is doing nothing for POCs x7 15) @14, there's more to DEI than POCs. Disabled folks count as marginalized/underrepresented and transcripts are meaningful for certain disabled groups (the hard-of-hearing and certain neurodivergents) 16) @ 15: The true DEI beleivers think it's only about fewer white people and redefining standards for POC - see those making ridiculous claims like "citations are white supremacist" to defend the Harvard pres. @ 14: It's hilarious that you put quotations around "work" as though spending hours on transcripts isn't work, but trying to recruit more POC grad students somehow is. One thing you aren't entirely wrong about though is the Berkeley rubric - shit like that has to go, yesterday. If someone could post a link to it it would be very helpful to illustrate the silliness and clear up any "DEI [as presently implemented] is useful" misconceptions. 17) @16 that's not at all what the "true believers" think, but it is absolutely what the trolls want you to think. They're doing a damn good job painting DEI as "reverse racism" and you seem to have drank their kool-aid 18) True DEI believer here. I would absolutely consider work to make classroom content more accessible for students with disabilities to be work towards equity and inclusion. I think we need to focus on race too, but not everyone is going to be doing everything. I'm just an applicant though, not on any search committees. 19) Agree w/18. There are many (intersectional) axes of diversity and they can relate to equity in different ways. Which brings us right back around to #1's comment: "This is such a huge topic that a single person can only do a little." Find your niche and contribute as best you can, whether that's to help differently abled students, students from minoritized backgrounds, first generation students, neurodivergent students, queer students... we all belong, you can be *someone's* champion on the inside, you don't have to be everyone's. 20) Niche complementarity is a great way to think about it! The set of actions that advance DEI goals in academia is enormous and it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to be a leader on everything (especially at the early career stage). It’d be like expecting a single species to perform every ecosystem service. 21) Making transcripts of your talk now counts as DEI? That's straight up bullsh*t and hopefully isn't gonna work on SCs with any DEI training whatsoever. The comments here make me feel like I' taking crazy pills x3 18) @21 Okay but why not? I think I have some training. I've been on DEI committees, led trainings on intersectionality, written and taught lessons on environmental justice, etc. And I think that making classes accessible to people with disabilities is an important part of work towards equity? The more classes are set up with principles of universal design, the more students are going to be able to succeed. I'm not saying that working on your own class will transform institutions, but a lot of people are at the level of working towards equity and inclusion in just their own classes, and I think that's okay. We're hiring teachers and researchers, so we need people who are willing to do their part in their own classes and research programs. We want everyone who is hired to do work on DEI, right? So we want to set the expectations in a way that everyone can meet them, keeping in mind that we've been trained as ecologists and so that is our primary area of expertise. I'm thinking stuff like diversifying the readings on your syllabi, using universal design in your courses, interacting respectfully with stakeholders in your research all counts. Maybe that stuff sounds easy, but honestly, we're not hitting those basics yet, so anyone who can help us get there I think is on the right track. 22) 21 be like "the only valid DEI work is the unspecified type of DEI work that *I* do" 23) 18 self-identifies as an inclusive teacher x4 11) @ 21: Use your grown-up words. 23) @11, why are you focused on words and not the harm caused by shifting DEI work from racial justice to closed captioning (which all newly hire profs I know do anyway)? 24) what a coup that would be for white people -- holy F x2 25) @ 23: racial issues are only one facet of DEI, but you trolling and focusing on that exclusively while dismissing actual, real, documentable inclusivity and equity actions just feeds the anti-DEI narrative. Pity you're not able to see or understand that you're just as bad as the "DEI is reverse racism" crowd - maybe even worse, because your position is probably more repellant to the middle-ground folks.. 18) And to clarify- I don't see myself as middle ground in any way. And I think that working towards racial equity is a number one priority right now. I just don't think it's the only thing that matters. I do understand the difference between actions and identity. I can't identify as an inclusive teacher. I can only do my best to make sure I'm contributing. Sometimes my actions help people and I'm an ally, sometimes my actions hurt people because I have bias like the rest of us. I understand. I'm not trying to identify as an ally. It's just that 21 said only clueless people would think working on captioning counts as DEI and I wanted to say with some evidence that I don't think I'm completely clueless before saying that I disagree. Like, I have a different opinion and it's not because I'm clueless; I think my ideas are reasonable. Again, this is work that we all need to do. People think it's about discrimination against white people and against men. I disagree, and I want to tell people that it's about their actions. Not only that, its about actions that we are all capable of. You don't have to be an expert on DEI. You don't have to be BIPOC. You just have to do your best and your best can be enough if you try (but you have to be actually willing to really try). | |
89 | 12/13/23 7:55 | If I don't find out soon whether I'm getting an on campus, I may perish... | 12/18/23 9:02 | ... from checking this spreadsheet too much and pining over the dream of a better life. Le sigh...... x3 1) Hang in there, OP. x2 OP) Update: I did not get the interview. Feel like an idiot. Wish I had some other marketable skills outside academia. 2) YOU DO! Just think about what they are... writing, data analysis, etc 3) There are a couple of threads here or in General Discussion about how to use LinkedIn to get on recruiters' rader. Other skills academics (ie. probably you, OP) have: project management, running/working with a team, communicating project updates/results, grant writing and reporting, the list goes on. 4) Not getting an interview in an already super competitive job market hardly makes you an idiot. Rejection is hard so give yourself the space to find strength to overcome it. Take care (this for me, means drinking wine today and self reflect tomorrow) OP) thanks for your support, kind internet strangers. I left work early and baked a really fantastic apple galette. I made the mistake of allowing myself to hope too much. It happens. I'm going to focus back on my "postdoc again next year" planning and not dream too hard about the apps I put in. 5) I was really hoping we'd hear news about some of the open positions before the break, but it seems likely committees won't meet until Jan if we haven't. I've only got 1 zoom and I'm worried about my propsects if I haven't heard, even though several jobs have no news on this board. | |
90 | 12/12/23 19:27 | Florida banning hire of Chinese students and postdocs | 2/22/24 12:46 | https://www.science.org/content/article/new-florida-law-blocks-chinese-students-from-academic-labs 1. Not just Chinese students. This law includes bans to people from Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and Syria as well. Also bans americans who lives in those countries as well. 2) It is virtually impossible for me to get someone from Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Cuba through the visa system already. So those are virtually no impact. I'm not sure about Russia since the war began. Banning China affects lots of hires and student visas. Even setting aside the xenophobia, the new poilcy will hurt the state tremendously, especially if they don't approve foreign masters students which are huge tuition revenue. 3) This is horrific. A state should not set national policy like this. And I am not blind to the institutionalized misuse/exploitation of the US educational system by the Chinese research industry. This is still terrible and highly racist. Potentially unconstitutional (national origin). [link fixed, you just have to double space ;) -AP] 4) WTF this is nuts. so sorry for those affected. The fascists are really bent on ruining a beautiful state. 5) UK immigration laws are basically making it impossible to hire international postdocs, or even assistant profs in some cases. Not as discriminatory as the Florida law, which is terrible beyond words. But generally speaking, anti-immigrant sentiment is out of control and detrimental to progress everywhere. 5) As a Chinese ecologist working in the US, I am scared 6) What made them not include indians? [racist comment DELETED .. seriously?!? -AP] 7) racist? more like sarcastic comment directed towards florida 8) damn I missed some drama :( 9) @ 8, not really. Someone left a nasty comment, it was unclear if it was sarcastic or genuine. Hard to judge tone in text, maybe we need to adopt the reddit /s tag. 10) This is terrible policy, but worth clarifying that not all are banned - if already in the system (ie if already in US or Canada) then can be hired. | |
91 | 12/11/23 8:27 | Academic couples | 3/1/24 16:28 | I want this to land somewhere between a rant and advice. In any case, here goes: if you are in a partnership with another academic, you both need to be applying for jobs all the time, even if one of you already landed a job. If you are not doing that, then you are not supporting your partner. If you are in an academic partnership and you have kids, you need to both think you are doing the lionshare of the domestic work. Again, this is part of being supportive. If you are in an academic partnership with someone from an underrepresented group and you truly care about diversity, you should explicitly try to help your partner succeed. If you are not doing these things, I might suggest you talk to someone about it. If you are an academic couple and both of you have landed jobs, you need to try to support other academic couples asking for dual offers. While there are obvious exceptions to these rules, I still think they are generally worth stating, again. I'd love to have a day when everybody already knows them. 2) I had one case where we discussed getting jobs together (but the relationship failed spectacularly sooner). I was very clear that if my partner didn't apply for jobs with me at the same time it was a no-go. All in or all out. It's difficult to make it work otherwise. Even if both of you are rockstars 3) the two body problem is one hell of a problem. 3) Seems like this is a vent you should take up with your spouse! x2 4) If you're in academia and still double spacing after periods, you need to see someone... 5) Yeah, it's rough, especially for women, let's be honest. @ #4 don't be a d**k. x4 Some people still consider it standard. Nobody died and appointed you king of writing standards. 6) I would just love it if my biggest worry were how many spaces after a period. You must lead a charmed life, #4. I mean it. x4 7) #6, I love you. Also, OP- I have a wildly different experience. My partner and I met when we were both in graduate school. He finished before I did and we have been long distance for almost all of our relationship because we're both academics. I'm applying to be in the same geographic area but we haven't both constantly been applying thinking that it would do anything to improve our relationship. I don't not feel supported because he didn't try to leave his TT job to follow me in my post-doc. That would have been absurd. I don't mean to say "don't try to be with your partner" but open and honest communication is really what matters- there is no one size fits all solution to the two body problem. 8) #7 thanks for your experience. I couldn't agree more that open and honest communication is the key to being a supportive partner in this situation. If you have open communication with your partner, you may find that there are creative solutions (beyond what #1 describes) that help both people lead fulfilling lives and careers. In our case, I have the more stable "career" position at a good institution, but it's in a geography that prioritized my partner's needs. The stability of my position (income/ benefits etc.) is giving my partner the chance to develop a soft money/ remote scientific position that aligns with their dreams instead of just taking whatever is local to earn a paycheck. We live simply in case they have a salary gap, but we both feel like we're building the lives we want. 9) I'm back! Can you tell by the double spacing? I also love you, #6. I appreciate the advice to talk to my partner, but that's sort of my point. Given cultural norms, I am expected to fix things on my own. I wish we were all collectively establishing "guardrails" for good behavior instead of me having to set my personal "boundaries." | |
92 | 12/10/23 11:10 | PUI Payscales | 12/20/23 11:36 | This isn't a vent per-se, but I just don't really know what to do at this point. I love teaching and doing research with undergrads, am good at it, and am getting some really interesting interviews in my very location-restricted search for jobs that I would love doing. BUT, I've been out of academia for about a year now and I'm making ~2x what these (TT but at smaller school) jobs would pay. Seems horrible to complain about this since I'm lucky to have a job and to be getting some interviews, but like it's very hard to essentially take less than what people are advocating for as a fair postdoc salary (if that) as a faculty salary at a small, *private* institution. I do not have any family or partner wealth to lean on, and I just don't think the salaries at a lot of these places can lead to a future with any degree of financial security... (to be clear - I'm not even talking about homeownership here, I'm talking about being able to like pay for emergency medical bills if something comes up) 1) I have similar thoughts (although I'm still in a postdoc). I just don't see how I can commit myself to a long-term career with so little income potential. I don't need a lot, but I was hoping to be able to help my parents out as I grow in my career. While I'd love some of these jobs, it's hard to justify even apply 3) Canadian. In recent years most of the ppl I know who have gotten jobs, have done so at PUIs and smaller state/regional unis or SLACs in the US - I don't even apply to US jobs because in general the salary is ~2/3 of what it is in Canada, and/or it's for that 9-month bullshit. This year I'm making about $165K with various contracts and while stability and benefits would be nice, those don't seem to be part of US compensation packages - at least not to the extent that they are anywhere else in the world. 4) I am at my dream job at a SLAC in the US and earning only $60k after nearly 10 years of full-time, TT teaching experience after a PhD. The salaries at some SLACS seriously plateau, with limited opportunities for raises. My only significant raises came when I switched jobs, but I can only change jobs so often and am exhausted. This low pay may push me out of this profession because it's just not sustainable. 3) @ 4- that's rough! You could be making more in the service industry. Doing it as a VAP or something could make sense but that pay rate for TT is an insult. 5) @3 I'm shocked to hear someone say canadians are paid a more liveable wage. I think CAD academics get paid less relative to cost of living at every level, especially graduate students and postdocs. For example, the UOttawa job up now lists a starting salary of ~$65USD for 12 months at a large research intensive university in a MCOL city. That'd be low for TT role at major research instituition in the US - as a 9 month salary. I've found benefits to be comparable between US and CAD instituitions. 6) I'm back on the market in full force (currently in a TT on a sinking ship) and I have already this season turned down a TT offer and 2 site visits because the salaries were so low. I'm explicit about telling them, too. Gotta make noise to see change. 3) @ 5 that's because you're ignorant about what taxes get you in democratic countries, plus the UO salary was low and open to negotiations. Sticker prices in the US are now the same as Canada for the most part, which means you Yanks have less buying power, more expenses, and far fewer benefits. 5) @3 I lived in canada for a decade. There are some fantastic things about it, especially some social services. However, academic compensation given cost of living, particularly housing, is a major issue in canada. x2 6) I turned down a competitive postdoc fellowship at UToronto because it was going to pay 50,000 CAD to live in downtown Toronto. They don't pay *great* in the US but thats a horror salary right there. | |
93 | 12/8/23 15:57 | frustrated | 12/9/23 12:17 | My hours just got reduced to the point where I would make more money on unemployment 2) Crappy. But lots of states allow benefits if you work part time. Might be worth looking into if it helps. 1) it is just enought to keep my benefits - the only reason I am staying to teach so few hours 2 again) I meant the unemployment compensation funds. It's small for part-time reduction, but might help. 1) @2 ah, yeah, I have tried that before, and even at 40% time I'll make up to what I would get from unemployment so they won't pay more. I already get unemployment in the summer too, so my current claim is almost out. 2) Major bummer. Sorry to hear | |
94 | 12/7/23 9:46 | This one hurt.... | 12/11/23 5:47 | I didn't get a zoom interview. For some reason this one hit me hard. I know a lot of people applied, but... I have to wonder am I just wasting my time applying for jobs and I'm not really competitive? It's hard to keep applying, if I didn't make the cut on thisone, what makes me think I will on another? x3 2) You never know what makes you make the cut for one job and not make it for another. I've applied to a lot of very similar positions this cycle and gotten interviews from some and silence from others. 3) I seem to be quite good at getting interviews at schools that I don't really want to move to and don't think I'm a particularly good fit for anyway, but quite bad at getting any interest from positions that seem to be written for me in places I want to live. Very hard to understand how any of it makes sense. x2 4) This won't be comforting really, but even those of us on search committees are surprised / dismayed at the quality of people that don't make it onto shortlists. It's very competitive, and every search is idiosyncratic (i.e. there is no set rubric that you can use to predict who is going to get an interview in any specific case). 5) Keep going – it is idiosyncratic and lots of competitive people don't make the cut. If you're getting interview requests, you materials are high quality. x2 Once you past the quality threshold, it really is just a numbers game. | |
95 | 12/7/23 8:42 | Is academia the partner you think you can change but it never will? | 12/12/23 11:40 | I've been feeling like I have idealized work at a university for a long time. Maybe I want it to be something that it just won't ever be. 2) I've never thought for a moment academia will change. I just accept that their crappy behavior is the cost of doing basic science. And I try to deal with the fallout. 3) This analogy works really well because the academic job market is really just dating. It's extremely idosyncratic, no two potential partners are alike, and beyond a certain bare minimum, matches are made far more on fit and vibes than any quantitative metrics. 4) I would gladly scrap the entire current application process for an app where candidates and committees can just load profiles and swipe left and right to indicate interest. 5) Trust in capital S Science is at an all time low. Reading this job board makes it clear that this distrust isn't just external to the scientific institution, but is also growing organically from the inside-out. Rapidly. It's painful to be a part of the problem. It reminds me a bit of talking to ex-Mormons (no offense to any LDS members) -- when you are in so deep, it takes a life-changing event to make you question the system. For many of us on this job board, that life changing event is realizing there is no job waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. I do think working as an academic scientist is extremely cushy (thus why the demand for the job is so high) and therefore there is essentially no impetus to change from within. The world would, in my opinion, be better if trained scientists were able to work and not forced out of their expertise. This probably will only come from the creation of alternative institutions outside of academia. #2cents 6) I think part of the low trust in science also comes from the fact that we have not earned trust, and broken trust when we have been given it. Tuskegee, not reporting back to the community members that we've been working with, not taking people's priorities or recommendations or expertise seriously. 7) The problem starts with equating a potential job with a romatic partner.... 8) I mean search committees and advisors are the ones who talk endlessly about 'fit'. @7 could certainly be part of the problem, very much doubt it's the start. Not all partners are romantic. | |
96 | 12/7/23 8:39 | Just bombed my virtual interview :( | 3/11/24 11:27 | I am a postdoc in Switzerland and I just had a virtual interview for a position at a PUI back in the US (I'm American). I was totally unprepared for the questions, which ranged from "what experiences have prepared you to teach introductory biology" to "what career experiences have prepared you to teach online courses". I haven't had much experience teaching (they don't let postdocs teach here) but I have some ok publications. I am really homesick and this school was really close to my home city, which maybe made me extra nervous. Also in the middle of the interview a PhD student entered the room and was working (I didn't think it would bother me bc she was quiet and respectful, but I felt like I couldn't speak freely) and my headphones started vibrating halfway through the interview which significantly increased my exasperation. I feel like I have been going for these PUI positions and will miss out on R1 schools (which I am actually more qualified for maybe). Idk thanks for reading. 2) I'm hoping for you that this one isn't sunk, but tbh it could be. What you can control from here is how prepared you will be on the next zoom interview. Asking how you are prepared to teach or train undergrads is really standard for PUIs. Even if you aren't instructor of record, I'm sure you have examples from TAing, leading section, or helping and training people in the lab. If you have undergrad projects you could lead that will be helpful. Write out some answers using that experience and try to hit the mark as best you can. Follow the improv rule of "Yes, and..." Make the answer positive even if you haven't taught your own course. You might also look at how to get short term lecturer experience if at all possible. Fingers crossed something works out for you. 3) that sucks, I'm sorry. Like #2 said, you have a chance to do better on the next one and correct the things that went wrong. apply for R1/R2 jobs if you think they're a better fit! 4) I totally super bombed my first virtual interview, I had no reference of what type of questions would be asked. Now I know better, so hopefully the next one goes bettter for you. You are not alone! | |
97 | 12/7/23 6:38 | Position Cancelled...again | 12/11/23 6:18 | For the 2nd time, I've gotten to the lecture interview phase and was told they'd let me know if they were going to hire me only to find out the position was cancelled. Infuriating. At least this time I was told to re-apply if it becomes available again. 2) That is horrible, and odd. This is not the time of year when positions usually get pulled because of budget. It sounds like something bad is happening with the financials or that there's complex politics behind the scenes. I hope it's not actually shenanigans. 3) Was it a cal state? The hiring freeze is super weird and, I believe, unprecendented. System-wide decisions like that are quite rare. (OP) Not cal state. To be clear, the first time was pre-pandemic, and the position was cancelled bc of the pandemic. 4) Interviewed for a nice position in Canada that was entirely cancelled because the shortlist was insufficiently visibly diverse. Complete waste not of applicants' and referees' time, but I actually felt bad for the SC too - it had been going on for about a year just for them to be told research, fit, teaching, etc. mattered less than making the profile website more colourful. 5) That is a really stupid HR rule, you can't control who applies for a position. As long as something is advertised widely enough, it should be considered an okay pool. | |
98 | 12/7/23 4:31 | Take care of yourselves | 12/10/23 2:01 | We had a faculty suicide in the department recently. The university didn't take any action for a memorial, whether due to budget restrictions or simple neglect, and so the department member who worked most closely with the deceased organized it personally. She's understandably upset. Meanwhile the university offered me some of the deceased's lectures to teach, but only at an hourly rate. Take care of yourselves, folks, because the university won't. 2) Sending anonymous support, OP <3 x9 3) So sorry this happened, and I hope you're ok. It's an important point that academia is just a job and to the Universities we are employees. Do'nt give them everything. Sending hugs to you and your colleagues. | |
99 | 12/6/23 14:12 | I am just so, so tired | 12/7/23 13:37 | I know I'm good at what I do, and I just want to have stability. x10 2) I wish there were more intermediate positions or long term research jobs. x2 The entire system would be so much better for science if there were stable jobs with benefits and the ability to support oneself long term. I wish the conversations about pay would include career progression and need for retirement savings as well as the salary numbers. x2. 3) Being good at something has never been a guarantee of employment in any career path. I don't say that in a mean way, but it's something we all need to (and probably already do) realize. Sometimes I think of older generations who went through the Great Depression and wars that killed millions--nothing in life is guaranteed. Take care of yourself and protect yourself--don't count on the lottery of academic hiring. I just want to reiterate this comes from a place of love and I don't want to be condescending. 4) I get that, but taking care of oneself is easier for some backgrounds than others. For example, people who come from countries with high unemployment, corruption etc. (there are at least a few countries like that in Europe) and who don't qualify as URMs (because they are white) don't really have as many options. 5) I disagree a bit with @3 because being good was never a guarantee of a good job, but very rarely was that a guarantee of no job at all. I feel that in other areas you have options that are not ideal, but there are options. Research is one of the few instances where it's basically either a job or no job whatsoever because intermediate options are virtually non-existent. and as @4 mentioned, things are a bit more delicate for immigrants, especially because we have no support network. For many of us, if we go unemployed, we can't stay in the country, our visas are revoked and we have to leave... or even if we can stay, and even if there is government support, we'd be many times way below the poverty line because there's no family or enough money saved to help us. It's dire out there.... 6) Also one of the few instances where you can be objectively better at doing the actual job that grants are meant to fund than many currently employed workers (collecting/analyzing/writing data), but you are forced out at some point in favor of spending money on brand new trainees, etc, that will need 5+ years to be able to do the job you are currently good at (yes I get that this is how the pyramid scheme works). 7) @ 6: There's another comment here somewhere about being able to challenge a PI for their job - arm-wrestling, grant writing, whatever, and it really smacks. Natural selection and all that. | |
100 | 12/6/23 5:35 | Field station director positions studying animals that don't exist | 12/6/23 12:58 | A field station owned by a university whose slogan is, douchily, "the only university", is hiring a "Director" who studies "Avian Ecology". Only problem is: birds aren't real! #BirdsAren'tReal. And even if they were - which they are not - and the fictitious phylogenies were actually true, they would just be a clade of fish with useless scales. This is deliberate malarkey to compensate for the plain fact that anything aquatic is far more interesting and hence generates many more papers out of this field station than "birds".1) hey OP! I will take whatever you are smoking :P 2) Pretty sure OP is my buddy in Santa Cruz who has a giant bag of the good stuff in his cabinets. 3) https://www.theonion.com/audubon-society-reveal-they-ve-only-seen-like-3-birds-1819578672 4) @3, what the crap was my dad doing when he pretended to be out birdwatching? Do we need to call for psych? Or was he just out drinking without us? 3) Maybe he really was looking, but just never found any?? OP) @ 3 - he was in on it, probably out changing batteries: https://birdsarentreal.com/pages/about | |
101 | 12/4/23 12:56 | Seeing jobs at places you know suck and not being able to say anything specific | 12/7/23 8:27 | It is painful not being able to tell everyone about the horrible things particular departments and PIs do when you see ads for them on here...but I also suppose that every single one of them has some dirt 2) echo this after knowing some of the folks in the southeast national lab 3) I waknt to know the dirt. please tell me. I wish we could have a tab for school info where people could share. I guess that would cause problems.... sigh. 4) I feel this soooo much, especially when it's at a good school in a nice place (so seemingly could be a great position) but the department leadership has major issues. 5) All I have to say is, if you hear that recent alumni from that department who sound like they'd be a perfect fit aren't applying ... potential red flag <---- THIS x3 6) Why can't you say a bit as a vague warning? AP) We don't want unsupported negative feedback on people / departments posted to jobs here. Every such case brings out anonymous supporters to contradict the anonymous detractor. The problem is all of this is unverifiable and can be weaponized for personal reasons. Notice, I'm not saying these comments are necessarily false, just that you can't know whether it's a real issue or someone's grudge. If you've got an external source (link to a news article or another site), feel free to include this in the comments. This is just a consequence of the anonymous nature of this site. In any case, you shouldn't let anonymous comments on a Google sheet deter you from applying to an otherwise good job. If you get an interview / offer, then do your due dilligence to see if the department / university has issues. 6) Thanks AP! x2 | |
102 | 12/4/23 5:49 | Tired of being a grump for 4 months in the fall | 12/15/23 8:06 | This is my second year really looking for a job. I find that the stress of it makes me perpetually grumpy. Last year it only ended after I saw on Twitter that someone was hired for the place I really wanted to go and interviewed on-campus for. I feel guilty because despite generally having my expectations in check and understanding this isn't a reflection on me, the worry about where I will end up and what kind of life my kids will have makes me a bit of a grump. Anyone else feel this way? 2) yes. x3 3) Very much so 4) Yes. Especially when you look at the person who was hired and felt that you should have gotten the job instead based on qualifications 5) totally. second and LAST year on the job market for me.. as nice as it sounds to say "just keep moving forward" or "just keep trying" .. where is the limit because as a family we've put 'living' on hold for me to get THE job...rent keeps going up, we cant stay in our current house becasue we dont make enough money and we don't have enough laying around to 'just move' and rent a new house (fees, uhaul, deposit etc), how long do you keep trying before plan B? 6) But like what is plan B? 7) Honestly, this whole system kills me in every way... not only my mood but also my creativity and productivity. A few years ago I had a position that I thought would turn to a permanent job, and I promise I never felt so creative and proactive in my academic life. I felt I could plan long-term collaborations with faculty and develop grandiose research projects, integrating several students etc. But things changed at the institution and they never made the temporary position permanent, and that has just become a tender memory ever since. I want to feel that again. 8) I feel that so much @7. I've never had that luxury, but I know for a fact that the pressure is negatively impacting my ideas and work. I find myself trying to rush through projects and force half-baked ideas into proposals instead of taking my time to fully develop things. I hate it so much :( 9) Saaammmee. I'm in a temporary teaching position and I want to be able to do more to overhaul some of my courses (to demonstrate evidence of innovative teaching), but that's a ridiculous amount of work for a course I'll only get to teach one more time. 10) @7 are you me? Dunno if this is what happened to you, but what I was promised was specifically taken back because of the pandemic (as was a verbal offer for TT elsewhere). Have had a few interviews since, but no other bites, and am increasingly just...sad. 11) I also thought I was going to be able to move to a permanent position after a very long postdoc and it fell through because of pandemic budgets. It sucks.12)RE: Plan B for me is to go back to being a Barista. Before gradshool WHILE being a full time undergrad, some kind folks thought I was good enought to manage my own store just slinging coffee but, then I quit to go to gradschool ... 10 years ago, without a PhD, I was working 38 hours a week making 55K a year + benefits running a coffee shop. I make 60K now as a postdoc working 60+ hours a week without benefits, and often take work home while applying for grants and jobs that statistically I am unlikely to be awarded, sigh. I wonder how much I can make in coffee now, 10 years later! 13) I think my Plan B is K-12 teacher. I know that they work very hard too, but the kids are cuter and summers off? And in some states they'll pay for you to get your teaching license after already hiring you since they are short on teachers. 14) I LOVE it... maybe we can get a new tab called Plan B lol x4 15) Please discourage undergrads from pursuing graduate degrees where applicable. The pyramid scheme needs to crumble from the bottom up. 9) Yeah, I'm very honest with undergrads about the academic job market 10) @9, good luck with that message. In a few EEB programs I'm familiar with grad applications are currently at all time highs.11) This thread is so relevant! I pushed out three terrible first author papers this year, they are crap, and I hate myself for it but what choice do I have but to try and produce so I can get a job. Also pleassseee let's have a plan b tab! (7) I am sorry for all o you who could relate to my story... and I had to hear from an evaluation commitee member on my research programme a couple of years ago that 3-year positions are too stable, and that the programme should try to enforce shorter, 1-2 year contracts so that the postdocs would feel more pressure to publish. I was shocked to hear that... reminded me that during WWI the parachute technology was already available but folks didn't want to implement that in airplanes fearing that pilots would turn more coward if they knew their lives could be saved if a mission failed... sounds insane for paracutes, sounds insane for postdocs. Oh well. My plan B is also school-level education, in my home country. 12) @7 that's crazy. 3 years is very normal, and in molecular-type positions---mine is kind of inbetween mcb/ecoevo---3+ years is widely recognized as the norm before getting a job. Inflation of # postdoc years is a problem, but 1-2 yr postdocs will simply be inadequate for many types of research projects. That said, where I am contracts are always one-year, but its often well-understood that they will be renewed given reasonable progress. I think that's fine. 13) the rate of inflation and housing market have made it nearly impossible for 1-2 year contracts, the cost of relocating for such a short time doesnt have the same liklihood of eventual payoff anymore and folks can't afford to stay in the market for 2, 3, 4 years for a job when funding only lasts 1-2 years typically. Totally honest question: are people just going into extreme debt in order to land a job these days? 14) I wouldn't say extreme debt, but I did almost max out my credit card, and there have been a couple of months of running out of money at week 2 or 3 and then just not buying anything for the rest of the month. I've been able to make my rent and electricity, but honestly the grocery shopping and food situation has been rough. This is partially because my partner is also out of work due to our move and because I've been helping to support financially some non-immediate family members. But yes! It's definitely an added stress to a job that is already stressful! Hard in some parts of the country where rent is very expensive. Don't understand how grad students are able to live out here. Or people who work regular jobs, like at the post office or the grocery store. 15) I live in one of the lowest cost of living states in the US (missouri) and while my partner and I are DINKs we still cannot afford gas/ groceries /phone after paying for housing, car insurance (note paid off) and health insurance it goes on a credit card. we make 80K combined a year. Its just not doable. I havent had a hair cut in over a year, havent visited family, gone for a physical, none of the bare minimum stuff its like we're in survival mode just waiting for me to land a job. How long do we live like this? 16) I literally had to take a week to go visit some friends and just avoid work after the job cycle last year. I needed to put myself back together because the stress and anxiety were so bad. I hate that I am doing it to myself again. But I have no choice- a post-doc salary is not enough to pay the bills (and my UG private loans). 17) me too @16! | |
103 | 12/1/23 10:52 | Waiting is brutal | 1/12/24 6:57 | Had a campus interview for a job I really want...and waiting to hear back is brutal... 2) Same! solidarity fellow job seeker x5 3) Especially hard if you were the first they interviewed 4) Oh yeah, just steer very clear of Germany, I withdrew after 5 months of not hearing-no communication either, and when they responded to emails it would always be "hopefully we'll know by X", then X would come and go, and I'd check and it would be "hopefully we'll know by Y-in 2 months time"-5 months of that is exhausting, especially when they (someone where I interviewed) tweeted about it and I'd have people asking multiple times a week if I'd heard. 6) Waiting IS brutal. I recently had a zoom interview that I felt I was nailind until I felt I wasn't (last question, lost momentum, couldn't find the right words, lots flow, just bad) and ever since I keep wondering if my performance prior to that could compensate. I will know at some point but in the mntime and as hard as I try, I keep going back to that moment and dream about fixing it. It sucks 7) From the other side, an awkward or less-than-smooth answer will not sink anyone. An outright bad answer might (for example, someone who cannot articulate their research plans) but we all recognize that people are under pressure and cannot be perfect. I gave a very awkard answer to a faculty question during a research talk and still got the offer form one place and I'm sure everyone who has a job would be able to recall something similar about their interviews. 8) @7 you made my day. It is so great how community, even a virtual one can help support well-being. This definitely helps try to relax while waiting to hear back 9) Once during a teaching demo, I thought I made a mistake, completely stopped talking, and after a long pause said something along the lines of , "I'm sorry, I don't know what to do. I'm not really an evolutionary biologist." There was not a mistake, it turns out, and shockingly to me, I got a job offer. I did manage to recover afterwards and finish the talk, but I couldn't believe that I could get an offer after just completely panicking in the middle of the lesson. 10) My M.S. advisor told me a story about how when he was being interviewed, one of the senior faculty asked him some deep-cutting question about his research and he gave a really stammery response, but got the job anyway. 11) @6 here again. I dodged the bullet and got invited to an in-person visit. Leaving this for the record for those who like me, may be nervous about not feeling like their interview went as perfect as they were hoping it to be (@7-10 were right). 12) Congrats, and good luck with the in-person! | |
104 | 11/30/23 8:58 | I just don't get what some search committees want! | 12/18/23 9:55 | This application cycle just feels so random. I have somehow been pretty successful in at least getting zoom interviews so far (~ 50% of jobs I've applied to) and some on campus invites. But there have been some schools (with similar research status and job postings) that I don't even get a zoom invite for. I check all the boxes and some. I know I am lucky to have had as much invites as I have so far but there were two schools in particular that I was really really excited about and was just passed up on. Was my application really not good enough? I just wish that sometimes commitees would be more open about what they are actually looking for. 2) I had a friend who worked on a similar topic with a similar CV. We compared notes on letter requests, interviews, and even had interviewed at some of the same schools. We found no rhyme or reason about which preferred one or the other. I didn't even get a letter request at a school where she got interviewed and vice versa. We both had hit certain pub/fellowship goals on our CVs. The truth is some of those other schools say they want one thing, then the search chair changes course and only interviews postdocs that fit some unspecified criteria. 3) the unfortunate answer here is "fit" which is nebulous, subjective, and almost always hidden prior to applying. Its not really fair to the candidates but is usually required to be at least somewhat broad or vague in the ad for HR reasons. University admin can be very stubborn, intransigent, or beureucratic that obfuscate the process. 4) Read Jeremy Fox: lots of stochasticity https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bes2.1624 5) it is common for people on the SC to disagree with each other about what/who is best. so some of the hidden randomness is the persuasiveness and opinions of individual members of SCs. i.e., same job ad, 3-4 opinions about who meets the criteria the best | |
105 | 11/29/23 8:21 | Search committees taking forever | 12/7/23 10:20 | I know SC members have other jobs to do but I gotta vent. Why are they taking so long??? I applied for PUI jobs a month ago that still have not done zoom interviews. Do they even want to hire someone?? With big R1 jobs that get 300 applicants I get it, but for these jobs.... what are they even doing?? And other similar schools had this done in a week. Get it together! SOme of us need to know where we will be living a year from now lol. 2) Co-sign. I interviewed for a position with a July 1 start date. It's Nov 29 and there is no indication they hired anyone at all. HR blah blah blah - just some BS. 3) Do PUI jobs necessarily get fewer applicants than equivalently broad searches at R1/R2s? 4) Once we showed up to rank candidates so we could zoom before holidays. 2 of 5 faculty had not scored a single app. One of those 2 had to be replaced b/c they were uncooperative and violating HR rules. It put off invitations until Feb. We were furious. 5) @3, I don't think so -- I think pools are often similar at R1s and PUIs, especially because PUIs tend to hire for broader areas (leading to a larger pool), though of course there is a lot of variability for both 6) Yeah agree with 5 and location desirability matters at least as much as institution type. 7) FWIW, the job I currently have didn't follow up about an interview until at least 6 weeks after the review date. 8) @3: 5 and 6 are correct. Number of applicants per position varies widely, although on average R1s get more applicants than non-R1s (likely for various reasons). Geography is another factor the explains a bit of the variation in number of applicants; positions near the coasts (especially the Pacific Northwest) tend to draw more applicants. And fisheries/wildlife/nat res faculty jobs tend to draw fewer applicants than jobs in other areas of ecology. Data here: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ No idea whether variation in number of applicants explains much variation in the speed with which the search proceeds. I doubt it does, just because search speed depends on so many factors, but I don't know. 9). In my experience it often takes a couple of months til the first decision, with the one I withdrew from last week (which they never even acknowledged) the application deadline was April, we heard early June-for in person interviews in the 1st days of July, after that they forwarded 3 CVs for external review -and 5 months later that is ongoing, how you can take 5 months to effectively compare 2 CVs is beyond me OP) the dynamic ecol post is interesting (thanks #8) but does not address PUI only R1 vs not R1 which is totally different. I suspect PUI schools do get way fewer applicants than R1 and R2. Certainly way lower on this sheet although who knows how that scales to real applicants. Anyway, regardless SCs - please hurry up y'all! TIA ; -) 10) Since this is the venting tab - do you really want the search committees to just skim your application? Its a lot of work even if you have 30 applicants for a position! Plus the reason to have a search committee is so they can waste time and argue with each other! OP) lol good points #10 I bet they spend most of their time arguing and that's actually why it takes so long. 11) I am been on several search committees. A lot of the delays are due to HR delays. At every step of the search, HR approval is needed. Inviting candidates for zoom, inviting candidates for on campus interviews, sending rejection letters to candidates.... some of these takes weeks... sometimes it is because the HR person does things slowly or forgot about the task, or sometimes it could be an HR person going on vacation for two weeks, and we have to wait two weeks for the person to come back before certain steps are approved and can move forward. All these, when accumulated, usually lead to the delay. On the search committee side, we wanted to get our new faculty in as soon as possible, to teach classes and to collaborate on research. No SC would actually want to delay the search. There is just nothing in it for us to do that. After zoom interviews, possible delays in scheduling on campus interviews usually involved scheduling the deans, or other higher admin people. It is tough to "book" these people together for a single two day period (per interviewee) where different administrators are available. 12) almost always HR | |
106 | 11/29/23 6:39 | Out-of-touch advisers | 12/4/23 7:44 | My PhD and postdoc advisers are both great, but I really feel like they're out of touch with the current state of the job market...they keep saying "you'll be fine, you'll get a job", but I've had limited success with two years on the job market so far. I appreciate that they're encouraging and positive, but...it just feels overly optimistic. x5 2) I feel this in my bones. Especially true of older profs who landed jobs before I was born, but also younger hotshots who never struggled. My newest advisor is somewhere in between and more critical. They've been way more helpful. 3) I just don't think most faculty get it even when they are younger and could know better. The reality is that, by definition, there is extreme selection bias where any TT faculty in a position to give advice got a job and usually they got it fairly quickly because not that many people stick through 5+ years of postdoc/temporary positions and then end up landing a stable job. Even if they know the statistics, they don't know what it feels like to be perpetually waiting for stability and I think it makes it really hard to give realistic advice that doesn't just sound naively positive. 4) One friend got held up by his advisors, claims he did it all on his own no problems, landed a faculty job after 2 yrs pdoc, and now says everyone who can't do that just isn't good enough. He has never for a moment stopped to consider how much his advisors did to land that job and how little he does for his own trainees. Denial can be so strong. 5) @4 I know sooooo many of those in my field - also happened to be rich kids who grew up in privilege but have just enough "diversity" to check the boxes, dozens of papers but can't write for shit or do their own statistics. And the PIs who enabled them are like "The job market is great, just look at ____, they got a position". 6) Sometimes I think back to this tweet I saw way back in like 2017 that said simply "the star grad student to abusive faculty pipeline", which just seems to get truer and truer 7) I'm applying to like regional school in random state and getting just a few Zooms here and there, and my postdoc advisor emailed me the job ad for Harvard like "you're totally competitive for this!" Things have changed dramatically in the last 10 years, when my first friends from grad schools started applying for jobs and got them with somewhat light CVs compared to what I have now. It's super frustrating. 8) I feel that, @7. So many jobs where I see zoom invites go out to other people and am like "well if I can't get interviewed there, what hope is there?" 9) Definitely feel that, but I've also had sometimes where I can't even get a zoom interview for a regional school where I'm a perfect fit for the description but then will get a campus interview for some highly ranked schools that I almost didn't apply for because it seemed like a big stretch. It really makes no sense. 10) I am a faculty member in one of the departments that has an open position on this job board- we received ~130 applications for the position. The number of people reporting that they applied to the position on this job board is <1/5 of that number. It has been a huge undertaking for our committee to narrow down the candidate pool. Also, for some recent searches, our department found that it was a mistake to invite candidates to interview with us if they did not prioritize teaching and were clearly aiming for (and better-suited for) a position at an R1. 11) Yikes 10, how do you go about deciding that candidates are 'clearly aiming for' and 'better-suited for' an R1 when they have made the choice to apply to your school? If they don't have a strong teaching statement that's one thing, but I wish committees would believe applicants when they say they want a particular job rather than trying to read the tea leaves of their CV. 12) @11 Instructor of record experience is basically required to get a job at a teaching-focused institution these days (see: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bes2.1624). It is fairly obvious when someone has prioritized research over teaching experience. 13) Even when teaching opportunities are not available, there are things potential applicants can do to demonstrate their genuine interest in teaching, such as attending workshops, participating in development and training, and seeking out pedagogical literature. I echo 10 and 12 - it is typically quite clear when an applicant has not thought much about teaching and applies to our teaching-oriented institution. 14) Given that many/most people on here do actually want to be in a research-first position, I don't know why people get offended if a search committee doesn't believe them if they say that teaching is their top priority. As long as some (not all) applicants are misrepresenting their interest in teaching, it seems like fair play for the search committee to read the tea leaves. It sucks for applicants who have little teaching experience but actually do want to be at a teaching-first institution, but that is why those people need to spend most of the cover letter talking about teaching and why they want to do it, and how their research supports educational opps for undergrads. If you have little background in teaching and most of your cover letter talks about research, you shouldn't be surprised if search committees think you don't really care about teaching (even if you do). Its like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4fRzMkP-xE 15) My problem is with the 'better suited for' comment. Sure if you don't talk about teaching clearly and don't have any teaching experience that's one thing (although note that lots of very selective teaching colleges routinely hire people shortly after their PhD with very little teaching experience). I think 10's comment hints at what actually happens in many of these cases where committess interpret too many publications/grants as 'not interested in teaching' regardless of actual teaching experience, evaluations, or stated interest because they decide that the applicant 'looks like' an R1 phenotype. Of course committees should evaluate the strength and emphasis on teaching in the materials, but it is absolutely the case that this match to expectations plays a big role at a lof of places. | |
107 | 11/28/23 7:44 | Hate | 1/1/24 16:58 | Someone on this board keeps posting hateful messages, often aimed at Native or Indigenous colleagues. I don't know who you are but take that trash somewhere else. This board is the single best resource we have to navigate complex issues on the faculty market. Everyone deserves a place to come for information without reading insidious, prejudiced comments. I don't know what your DEI statements look like, but I hope your colleagues figure out how cruel you can be to others before they hire you. That behavior does not belong in this community. x6 AP) FWIW, it's not clear that the statements I recently removed were actually anti-indigenous (vs raising related issues about nationalism or "pretendians"), but that's how some folks interpretted them. In any case, the job ads aren't the place for excessive off-topic conversation. 2) Pointing out that a posting that is only open to a certain group of people from a certain country may be discriminatory is not hateful. You may agree or disagree with the value of targeted diversity hires, but dismissing any other perspective as hateful/racist does not facilitate a reasonable dialogue or benefit anyone. And it does a diservice to people who are fighting real racism and actual hate speach. x5 3) @2 claiming that anything that doesn't cater to white americans is discriminatory *is* racist 4) that's not what @2 claimed and it's really strange that @3 is saying they did x5 5) @4 That's the context of this discussion though x2 6) I am alarmed at how some messages re: DEI topics are agressive. Being a minority myself it almost makes me scared... but then I think that's exactly what they want. It feels pointless to engage in a healthy, even if somewhat childish, discussion on affirmative actions if the argumentation on the other side is basically "reverse racism". I expected more from scientists, honestly. Not every white male, but always a white male. 7) Indigenous scientist who's sparked some dumpster fire DEI discussions here: I do really appreciate the recent vocal support. It has restored a bit of my faith in the field that the racists sucked away. 8) @ 4- that's the playbook. Lacking decent arguments, go for the ol' "everyone who doesn't agree is racist". x5 9) @ 6: that's the thing about scientists - we like data. Affirmative action along the US model has been a dismal failure. What you may be interested in is one of the "alternative ways of knowing". 10) @9 do you get all your "data" from Fox News? You sound just like my racist uncle parroting crap he heard on the news lol AP) @7 your initial comments were fine, but the ensuing discussion (which didn't seem to read your comments carefully) threatened to take over the front page. If you want to raise those issues in General Discussion, go for it. As for the way the rest of this thread is going, I'd personally like to jettison it into the sun, but I guess it's better to let people vent past each other somewhere. 7) @AP no worries at all. That one in particular got outta hand way too fast. I appreciate your effort trying to keep things civil around here <3 11) Fairly new to this job board and after what I've seen in the "notes" column, I'd be fine if commenters could no longer do so anonymously. I'm quickly learning to ignore everthing but the job postings themselves. A bit annoyed at myself for even browsing these other tabs, let alone commenting. | |
108 | 11/24/23 17:24 | neverending timeline on decisions | 11/28/23 16:56 | So applied to a position with a closing date in April, shortlisted, interview 1st days of July (5 of us selected for interview), told 3 of us will then be reviewed externally (and I have an idea on which three) and we should hear in September. September comes so I check in-should hear by November....find out that external reviews are back (mid-Oct) but only indirectly, no info from search chair etc. I have people waiting to hear from things on my current job, so telling people repeatedly "sorry hopefully I can let you know soon" and having student places expiring soon (which will expire if not used), and having people asking afew times a week "have you heard yet" for MONTHS (someone tweeted I was interviewing in a hiring seminar-and did not tweet any other candidate-so many 10s of my contacts know and have asked) drives you insane. Finally I withdrew yesterday, I can't keep stringing people along with my current job (committing to teaching things, filling places for students) when it's 7.5 months since applying and 5 post interview, and frankly if you can't decide in that time then you should not be advertising in the 1st place. Good chance the search will fail as the position is in Germany and the other likely top candidate has a great position already but is W2 so likely to just use it to get to W3, then hopefully they have expended enough on this failed search that they give up and don't waste more peoples time (as waiting for so long and not being able to move things forwards, plus being peppered with queries because someone there tweeted it is pretty stressful and depressing). Decided just to stay where I am (which is toxic) because having a lowball offer (actually heard from the external the committee were apparently undermining my outputs as they wanted to hire a less experienced guy who some of them had collaborated with) and having a neverending wait on this is exhausting-and months of uncertainty with no end in sight has a tolerance limit (2) I'm sorry. That sounds incredibly frustrating 3).Thanks, yeah it is-you just end up in limbo-you can't start projects or anything, and you don't know when anything will actually move. In a functional department (which my current one certainly is not) people would be asking questions-but here no one cares, people are either apathetic or leaving (I'm writing references for various TT people). Just glad for the 1st work day in three months (as initially we were told we should hear in September) no part of my brain will be wondering if I hear anything today. 4) It's really hard to function under those conditions. As someone who has been in a long string of postdoc/research positions, this forever uncertainty (even when not tied to a specific position like yours) is by far the worst part and it slowly infiltrates every aspect of day to day life. I think most professors who had 2-3 years postdocs and look back fondly on the period never realized the full sense of that uncertainty. 4). Thanks, I have a tenured position where I am-but the place is toxic and utterly dysfunctional. We had a woman in science meeting (which I organised) for the dept this week-and several people cried from exhaustion, and total lack of support-so hard to get anything done in a totally dehumanising place.... | |
109 | 11/24/23 5:54 | Quite frustrated this round | 12/1/23 14:33 | OP) I had a good start in the job season with an on-campus interview that didn't end with an offer, but I was proud of myself. After that I sent a few applications more, and it's been a month and I thought it was just the normal time.. but I just learned that one of the institutions I applied to had the zoom pre-interviews earlier this week and now I feel terribly frustrated. 2) Keep your head up and throwing applications out there! You'll find the right fit (3) 2's optimism is typical but also perhaps naive. it might not work out for you and there's a right time to certainly stop trying. do what's best for you, and jump ship when you feel it's right. x4 4) agree with 3 - 2 is either hopelessly naive or toxically positive. "The right fit" here is jsut any job that will pay. 5) As someone who hopes it will all work out in the end, come on, people. Are we not allowed to dream any more? I don't know where you all find the motivation to go and do your research every day without hoping that something good will come out of it. 6) @5, most of the people I know in real life who finished their PhD a few years ahead of me did end up getting a job in academia. Granted, some of them were more interested in teaching at PUI's and maybe that's a little bit easier. But many of them ended up with a job they were quite happy with. Certainly, many people succeed. And we might too. I don't think it's bad advice to think that if you just keep working at it, it will likely work out. And there's research that says that if you believe you can do something you're more likely to succeed at doing it. Self-efficacy and all that. So it's probably good for your job search to believe you can do it. OP) Hi all thanks for the all the messages. I am trying to keep positive since I only started really looking for jobs 2-3 years go. I had done some applications before, but not that many, for several reasons, including some dead-end routes and trying to build a better CV for myself. On the other hand I am indeed getting too old as I'm approaching my 8th year post defense... I had the feeling I was peaking, but then realising I failed in 4 out of 6 trials is a reality shock (1 place still with no answers but it was the place I least had hopes anyways). I still have funding for a couple of years but as we're approaching mid-season, it felt a bit disappointing.... oh well... 7) Wow, only applying for a few jobs and getting an in-person interview is a really good result I would say! I'm also in my 8th postdoc year and I've applied to over a hundred jobs over the past few years and only ever got a few letter requests and one zoom interview total. I had high hopes for this year, but I have gotten absolutely zero traction out of the 23 jobs I applied to, which is really a low number but this year was sparce for me. All of my colleagues/mentors have said that my app docs, CV, pubs, etc. are all great, yet, I get absolute crickets year after year. Talk about frustrating! So, I'd say you're actually doing a lot better on the job market than you realize OP. 8) Damn, I'm in a similar boat @OP. I dipped my toes in the water last year and half-assed a couple applications. Ended up getting an in person interview at an R1 out of it, so I felt pretty optimistic giving this cycle a proper go. So far this year I'm getting crickets though. I'm only halfway through my list of apps, so I suppose there's still hope, but it's really demotivating :( 9) @ 8 when someone has been training for boxing or MMA and they're showing promise, coaches and promoters will find them a proverbial punching bag for their first "real" fight. The punching bag thinks they might have a chance, but their real role is to build the confidence of the other fighter. Just so, as a grad student I saw an ABD "candidate" come in to interview & give a seminar in a pool with people who ended up getting faculty jobs right afterwards at big Canadian schools and the search committe afterwards was just like "Well it's clear who we won't consider". There were 3 candidates. 10) @9 that is absolutely not how hiring people (in any field) works. Why would a department ever waste the amount of time and money it requires to interview someone that they aren't considering for the position, or to use them as a foil for another candidate? Clearly, they thought that candidate was good enough the bring them in, and after the in-person interview realized they weren't a good fit. No need to read any deeper in to it. | |
110 | 11/20/23 13:58 | Slim pickings this year | 11/27/23 5:46 | Not a lot of action, pretty disappointed in the evolutionary biologist positions this year. Very few spots. It's rough out there! 2) Really? I mean it's slim pickings every year, but this year actually seemed substantially better than the last 2-3 years for general evolution positions. 3) I'm evo and I have applied to less than half of the # I sent in last year. It's troubling. 4) I am an evolutionary ecologist (although I do research on molecular stuff too) and this is my first year on the market. I applied pretty much everywhere that seemed like a fit (except for a few very conservative places) and that was only 11 positions so far. From what I read here, this is very little. 5) I don't know I'm also an evolutionary ecologist who does some molecular stuff and my applications this year were slightly higher than the last few years though I was casting a pretty broad net. I guess when there are only an average of 10-20 positions a year that are a reasonable fit it's pretty easy to get large fluctuations from year to year that aren't connected to overall hiring trends. 6) I'm guessing y'all don't do the genomics thing? I am overwhelmed with evo-gen applications. 12 down, 17 to go... 7) OP - last time i was on the market (before COVID times) I applied to 50 evolutionary biology/evo-gen/genomics jobs, all were posted here. Those are the numbers you want to see if you assume 10% chance of an interview for a job that's a good fit. I've only seen maybe 15 of those jobs this year? But I'm not applying indiscriminately. Anyway 17 is not a lot of applications I'm sorry to say... (8) The reality is almost all of us are going to fail at this career and we just need to quit and accept it. Sorry to say! 9) I'm talking to a few colleagues who say hires were unusually late at their schools this year. I'm not sure how much is post-covid hiring finally being confirmed or how much is just searches not getting it together on time. I'm hoping to see a few state schools come out before xmas. It seems highly skewed to Ivy-like jobs that are difficult to land. 10) Maybe all those Ivy jobs will scoop up the super CNS publishing hot shots and leave the normal jobs for the rest of us? | |
111 | 11/17/23 14:13 | Unemployment frustration | 12/11/23 19:38 | I'm unemployed after a long postdoc, and a few weeks ago I received a million dollar grant (yay!). The grant will support me and a couple of PhD students for 3 years, and net about half a million to the university, which is cash-strapped, closing departments, and has laid off dozens of faculty this year. You'd think they'd love some free money! However, the dean has just resigned, and so apparently everyone's brains have fallen out of their ears and no one can make any decisions. The dept head (who supported my application) won't respond to my emails about negotiating an employment contract for the 3-year grant, so I'm still just sitting in my living room, unemployed, with kids in daycare and Christmas coming up. Incredibly frustrating. 2) OMG, so sorry! 3) oh wow. I would go in person to their office until they talk to you, and if not try to take the grant elsewhere, if you have some freedom of movement. It is true that often research overhead doesn't cover all of the true costs of maintaining faculty and students--like space--so while it seems like you are able to support yourself and your research program, it might not actually be true depending on how much administration you'll need---hiring, purchasing, etc. OP) @3 In theory it's portable but with great difficulty and disrupting family/partner's job etc. The grant is fully costed, as overheads are 121%(!), so of about $1 million total I get $200k in salary over 3 years, the uni gets 121% of my salary and 121% of some RA salary. That's in addition to 2 full PhD student program tuition (+stipends), $30k instrument depreciation contribution, and about $100k of other money from various means. Other faculty were very congratulatory personally but I can't get admin to give me a meeting. I know all I'll get is a couple of benches in the shared lab and a desk in the open plan office anyway. I was feeling very good about it after being unemployed most of the year, revving to go, but everyone else is checking out til next year. I can't even buy a job! 4) So sorry OP. This sounds tough. I'm in a similar situation. I write grants to pay for my salary, because I refuse to move my entire family yet again for another temporary position. I hope we both land a permanent job soon. 5) i've never heard of overhead that high - how is that possible? ivy league schools are 60-70%, most R1 state schools are in the 50% range, as are a lot of non-academic R & D. is this non-US? OP) Yes, non-US OPUpdate) It's been a month, no response from the dept. head despite repeated emails. They are currently away at a conference, but I'm pretty sure the conference is in the year 2023 where they have email. I'm reaching out to other universities who might be more appreciative of half a million in free money. OP Update) Not good. I got a meeting by talking my way into one with the exec. assistant. I'm funded at 0.6FTE on my grant, but the dept chair will not top it up at all and will only offer a few weeks of teaching at an hourly rate, like a TA but at my pro-rated hourly wage. The total works out to about 2/3 of a salary for the year. I've reached out to other universities but they are all under similar financial pressures and can't do any better. This is the highest grant possible in this country, but it doesn't feel like success. A million bucks and I can't even get a full-time salary! Not even an office, just a seat in the open plan office. As the PhD students' stipend isn't taxed, I won't be making much more than my students. I'm happy for them, obviously, but I've got a family to support. | |
112 | 11/17/23 6:08 | Heartwarming vent/reflection from an academic in a different field | 11/22/23 9:49 | OP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SWEyBoWeWY 1) Honestly, I didn't love this. Kind of performatively smug and seems to imply that the people with the right traits are excluded from academia, while the people with the wrong traits succeed. There's reasonable stuff in there too, but that's the opening perspective. Also, I think most people on Earth would know there are few relevant jobs for someone with expertise in Old Norse. | |
113 | 11/13/23 7:48 | Stop asking for updates only a week after the deadline! | 12/13/23 14:33 | 1) ha! I was just gonna say that same thing in the comments next to the Penn job. x3 2) I'm confused generally about the purpose of asking for updates. Does anyone get an interview invite and then sit around looking at the sheet waiting for someone to ask for updates? Don't they just post it? 3) it's kind of risky to post invites & status on here - if the SC is doing it manually and not using some automated site it might be pretty easy to figure out who's sharing info on here. 4) Why would the SC care, especially if it's the "invitation, yay" kind of update? 5) @2, once in a blue moon a search committee member might respond with # of applications received or an updated timeline...but I agree a week is way too early to be asking for updates. 5) especially considering the comments right before that were speculating the committee might have gotten 300 apps.. use some common sense folks, no one is processing that many apps in a week. 6) What do you mean, I thought they just look at the CVs and throw out the applications if they don't see 10 Nature papers 7) I think people just do it because they're thinking a lot about the application and want to talk about it. And it generates some slight reassurance that other people are waiting too and haven't heard. Not logically necessary, but kind of feels good to get that confirmation and connect for a second with other people anyways? 7) Many people don't know how long the process takes, maybe looking for updates like refs requested which can happen sooner, or just want to feel less alone in this soul crushing process? Just let us live FFS, what do you care? x3 2) @7s sure, fair enough. But some of us make our way through this soul-crushing process by complaining about meaningless garbage, which makes us feel better. Thus the venting tab! If you want connection, mosey on over to Positive Affirmation, where I hear people are quilting! 7) LOL #2. I enjoy complaining about the people complaining so what is the difference really. 8) No kink shaming! 7) #8 I just snorted laughing, you made my day. 9) re:" what do you care" Every time a job I'm interested in goes to the top of the recent updates filter, my fight or flight instincts go into overdrive. Is this it? Is this the moment of disappointment? Do I carve out 5 minutes of my afternoon to have a quick cry? Oh, no, just an update request. Job application blue balls. (Is this a me problem? Yes. Is this the venting tab? Also yes.) 10) everyone on this tab could do with a nice cozy quilt. ~signed, the quilter from the PA tab 9 again) @10, I absolutely need a cozy quilt to get throughthis process, you're right. 11) These jobs often have hundreds of applications. I just saw one where the search closed a week ago and people are already asking for updates. It can easily take a couple of weeks to read through hundreds of applications (and it's not like teaching, research, service, and work-life balance stop during a search), and then they have to meet to discuss candidates to come up with an interview pool. Sometimes background checks or other steps have to happen before Zoom interviews go out, and it's not necessarily easy to schedule blocks of time when everyone is so busy. I worry that these comments are contributing to unrealistic expectations. This seems to be a new thing this year. 12) I think there is an expectation that the search committee is *only* search committee-ing and that they only have 10 applcations to work through. Some schools don't do first round screening interviews, so they might be more selective and take longer. I think it can be a bit unhealthy to obsess so much over jobs (I saw as I chronically search certain schools for updates...). Also, @9- I'm impressed you just carve out 5 minutes. I worry that I will have to leave for the rest of the day to have a good cry about things. But that's what the wine bottle at home is for! 13) It is definitely not a new thing this year. I think there have just been more and more people on this page every year (I have been watching it for way too long) and so the volume of every type of comment has increased. I certainly don't think it's a very useful comment, but I'm not sure there is any harm being caused by some unrealistic expectation. I certainly don't think search committees are reading those requests and feeling stressed out that they are behind schedule on their searches! 14) I might have (okay, it was me) responded to one of these questions about updates by pointing out that only TWO BUSINESS DAYS had passed since the application deadline closed. 15) Two business days is definitely ridiculous, but for all the complaining about this comment on this board, it isn't all that unusual for it to elicit an update. I've seen plenty of posts where people asked this and a SC member responded with where they are in the search or someone says invitations have been sent out etc. It certainly doesn't get anything most of the time, but it isn't like it never works. 16) The flip side to @2's comment is that you don't know if people are just not thinking "oh I need to update the spreadsheet" and so therefore there could be interviews happening but you just don't know. | |
114 | 11/13/23 0:30 | schools aren't following thru with estimated time to inform for in-persons | 12/6/23 14:09 | OP) why is no one following through with their estimated time to inform candidates if they've made second rounds?? I've interviewed at several universities so far, and the time has come and gone from when they said they'd let us know one way or another...further, on this sheet, it seems like no one has gotten word of if they've been invited to in-persons...a little common courtesy would go a long wayyyyyyy !!!!!! (also, i'm interviewing from outside the US (at least 15h travel to get back), and i'm trying to keep my schedule open for potential interviews, but this is getting really stressfulllllll.) thanks for letting me rant :D 2) Oh you think committees follow their own rules? You poor naive thing. No, they will diss your application for choosing different fonts or margins, refuse to send rejection emails, try manipulative questions in the candidate dinner, and far less insidiously, just miss every deadline. That's right, you have to get it all right but they can mess around all they want. Because they have tenure and you're still looking for jobs with a CV twice as good as theirs was in 1990. 3) Sweet summer child - "estimated" times? LOL. Don't you remember what it was like trying to schedule your PhD committee for a simple meeting? x2 4) all of this... my advice: take a deep breath and remind yourself: no news is good news OP here) ahahahahah i cracked up reading these comments. thanks for the laugh yall. and yes it's my first season so i'm a little naive baby (@ #3 sweet summer child i love this and i'm peeing myself) 5) @2 love this - I've been rejected my schools where their current APs have CVs significantly weaker than mine, let alone full profs who got their jobs in 2000. It's so frustrating to know you can do a job and do it well, but there are also 100 other people who can too who currently do not have jobs, and you have to be damn near perfect throughout all your interviews to get an offer (assuming you are not rock-star status, which I am not). I am also frustrated - 3 Zooms and an in-person so far and 2 of the Zooms have not contacted me to let me know what is going on. 6) Did a zoom interview that went quite well, wasn't perfect, but I think I do check a couple of boxes for them and SC seemed enhusiastic enough anyway. After a couple rounds of failure I know not to be too emotionally invested and manage my expectations but can't help but be excited about this job as it is exactly what I wanted and maybe, just maybe this will finally be my year. And now, we're a week past the timeline they said they are going to inform people if they move on to the next round and I know that is not an unusal delay but I just can't help but think that I'm just being ghosted... the not knowing is just crushing and I cannot focus on anything else despite very imminent deadlines. I feel so silly now that I allowed myself to have hope... ugh. anyway thanks for this space to vent. | |
115 | 11/9/23 12:02 | How is it that I'm addicted to checking a google sheet website so much!? | 12/10/23 7:30 | OP) This is my life now. (And I fully appreciate that this google sheet exists - thanks AP!) x5 (1) Glad I'm not alone. I want to try and limit myself. Maybe only 10 refreshes per day. This is fine and normal. Nothing to see here. OP) @1 - I dream of the day when I'm down to only 10 refreshes a day. :) x2 2) I literally had a DREAM about this board last night. I dreamed that it added an "R Help" tab. 3) This was me last year -- once I lost all interest in academia, I've started only coming to the jobs section a couple times a week and this section maybe once every few. x2 4) #2 an R help tab on here is a beautiful beautiful dream. 5) I can't imagine any place where I would less want to read about R advice than this board. I guess it would be fascinating to see how quickly generic R questions could devolve into the usual ending points of posts here. 6) Tidyverse? More like DEI-dyverse! /s 7) lol 7) I installed a Chrome extension to limit by daily time spent on EvoEvo jobs – legit mental health protection becuase it's both too fun and too doom-scrolly sometimes. | |
116 | 11/9/23 6:29 | Advice for professors at hiring schools: have an online presence | 12/1/23 8:02 | OP) I went to look at the faculty list in a hiring department and every faculty "profile" on the website was just blank and no links to reserach interests or websites. How am I supposed to say how my reserach fits with the department? This is mostly an issue for PUI schools but come on x5 2) If only the search committees had checked whether those current faculty had an online presence before hiring them! x4 3) omg, that's some comedic gold. x3 4) It's strategic - doesn't look good to have folks with only a few papers and the most recent from 1988, plus horrible teaching reviews, deciding on who the next crop of researchers should be. 5) dingdingdingwehaveawinner @4 6) For what it's worth, OP, most of the faculty in my current deparment don't even have a Google Scholar page. We're an R2. 7) to be fair, it seems to me a lot of older faculty at some of these schools that don't have pages aren't really involved in research anymore 8) @ 7 indeed - hopefully they do a lot of teaching/service but that just kinda highlights the need for some separation between teaching and research hires as the field evolves. To illustrate, Bret Weinstein likes to call himself an "exiled professor" but he never published anything while he was a prof. 9) 100000% agree that academia should shift toward a "research professor and teaching professor" model, as it becomes harder and harder to do both of those tasks to ever-higher standards. But that's not gonna happen anytime soon, at least not with both of those positions being stable, permanent jobs. 10) Hard disagree with @9! Research and teaching both inform each other and, when done well together, can be a fantastic model for scholarship 11) I would be sad if I couldn't do both! x3 12) Also even if you aren't super excited about doing both, it's hard to see how the economics would work to have research only positions in anything other than industry-adjacent/biomed fields outside of a few very wealthy institutions. It would be a massive downsizing of research capacity and diversity of people doing research in ecology and evolution. I think teaching positions are totally fine, but they should replace short term adjuncts and 'visiting' positions, not tenure track research/teaching jobs. 13) this may be a shitpost, but once you are working a TT job, your ability to update your website drops precipitously, depends on what student workers you can get to do it for you, and honestly a pretenure professor who is continually updating their website probably needs better work-life balance because it becomes # 637,873 on a to-do list that is 1million items long. Updating once a year is reasonable.14) Ugh once more, poor form to vent about a TT job to people who would happily take it off of your very busy hands. We all get that TT jobs are hard. Guess what, some of us are already doing almost all, or all, of those duties for much less pay and zero job security. 15) is this the venting tab, or is this the venting tab? We're all here for the same reasons - we're interested in a better situation than the one we're currently in, regardless of the level of job security. | |
117 | 11/7/23 13:35 | Come on, more job postings in my field please! | 11/9/23 7:43 | Yes. +2 2) No. This just means more work for me while still getting no interviews. I would like fewer openings. 3) Definitely feeling ready to be done with applications this cycle. Really does seem like we are well past the majority of postings. There are always a few more in the spring along with VAPS, but I rarely get more than a couple that I am actually interested in after now. 4) My institution was supposed to post a job ad, albeit for a super senior position. We had discussions about how we needed to get the ad out early. The person who was most adament about being fast was the search chair. We are now 3+ mos later waiting for the committee to get the rubric and job ad. They can't post until that is written and reviewed. There will be more jobs, the only question is how many. 5) As a new full prof/mid-career person looking to make a move, I look forward to seeing what @4's institution posts. Not many jobs out here in my field at this career stage. 4) Stay tuned, 5. We'll probably get you the job ad sometime around late Feb. 6) Unfortunately after too many years of watching this job board, I already know the answer to 4's last question: very few. 6) I'm curious about others approaches vs #2. Are most people doing large degrees of custom tailoring for each job ad? I have a set of standard documents; the most I do is swap my proposed study species to something local, but for the most part I'm only updating the name of the school/position and the list of courses to match the ad. Most applications take 15 mins or so. Seems to work well for the Masters/PUI/SLAC circuit. 7) I do most of my tailoring in the cover letters. Each one is written fresh with specific things I'm interested in doing at the school. I'll do some tailoring in my research statement for sets of apps since I'm applying to a pretty broad range of calls (entomology, botany, ecology, etc.), but only a couple favorites are getting substantial tailoring x2 (8) I feel like I'm doing a lot of tailoring because apps ask for specific things, and I'm applying at different types of schools, and emphasizing different aspects of research focus. Interested in #7's approach because I do'nt change cover letter that much except to emphasize reserach vs teaching. Maybe I'm doing it all wrong! 7) @8 lol I wish we could compare outcomes to figure out who's approach is better. I feel like I'm doing it wrong too! | |
118 | 11/6/23 14:11 | advice for applicants - make sure you have an online presence! | 12/4/23 11:35 | OP) As the chair of a search committee on an active 2023/24 search at an RI university, it is extremely frustrating/infuriating when applicants do not have a google scholar profile or personal webpage - please be sure to set these up before applying to any job! I google every applicant and if I can’t find you online, I am much less likely to pass our application to the next level. Also, please please make sure your email address is correct! We just sent out emails telling shortlisted applicants to request rec letters and a bunch of our emails were undeliverable because the applicants provided incorrect or inactive addresses. 1) How is this fair? Shouldn't all applicants only be evaluated by the requested materials IN the application? x7 2) I agree wholeheartedly with #1. The publications are listed in the CV, and H-indices and numbers of citations can be strongly biased - what else is there in Google Scholar that a search committee chair is looking for. ...and then somehow despite this "online presence" filter, the OP's committee still picked candidates that can't even get their email correct. Hmm... 3) At many schools, including mine, googling the candidates is a HR violation and may even violate state law and could certainly lead to the school failing the search - doesn't mean it never happens, but searching someone on google makes it pretty likely you're going to find personal information that you aren't supposed to include in the search criteria. Pictures of family, gender of the partner, political opinions. Is OP just trying to troll people here? Not shocked they google people, but pretty surprised they admit it here and try to shame people for it. "how dare you make it difficult for me to root around in your personal life online!" Not sure if its lazy or creepy or both, but the rest of the search committee is probably rolling their eyes at OP when he complains about this repeatedly. x3 4) Not OP, but surely you all want search committees to actually look at some papers at least for the finalists. How else would you suggest they access them? Searching on google scholar doesn't turn up any information other than publications. Anyway, regardless of the HR rules basically every interview I've ever gotten I had website hits from the location just before the invite, so you can expect search committees to look. 5) How else are we suppose to root out satanic crypto-white supremacists? 6) Just want to add that some of us don't have an online presence for safety reasons. I don't have one (or at least one easy to find) so that an abusive partner can never find me. Not getting a job because of that...sucks. x5 7) I just hate social media. I do have a Google Scholar (and GitHub), but beyond that no online presence because it's good for my mental health to live that way. We shouldn't be judged negatively for that. 8) Agree candidates should have a google scholar to make finding papers easy. Professional info on the web is fair game I guess, but seems like candidates should be primarily evaluated by what's in the packet tho right? 9) If you want examples of papers/writing then ask for it in the application. I've had several applications where they ask for one or two papers relevant to the position. 10) Just repeating #6's point that apparently at least 5 people (including me) don't have personal websites in order to protect ourselves from abusive exes. Personally I do have a google scholar and a research gate, but nothing else, for that reason. If they want the papers they can find them there (or as #9 mentioned, many applications ask you to provide pdfs of some papers). 11) I'm currently chair of a search committee of another job on here - just chiming in that we are not looking for web pages or online presence of our candidates. In fact, we have been advised by the administration not to do this for DEI reasons, and I agree with that logic. There is nothing you can gain that you don't already get from the CV, teaching, research, and DEI statements, and cover letter, except maybe a picture of what the applicant looks like. 12) Interesting some folks mention the need to stay safe from abusers, which I think would disproportionately affect women and gender minorities. Seems like considering folks internet presence could be prejudicial/discriminatory. 13) This is an issue beyond the hiring context - the same people who don't have a public profile, for whatever reason, are also hard to find for review requests, which is entirely not cool if they're publishing their own work. For the abusive/stalker angle, one must ask the question of what they think will happen if they get hired and their name, email, and office number is on a university website. 14) I have had more than one job either offer a line to include google scholar or require it in the app, per the official HR recs. It's not that difficult to add to your job ad if you think it's so important. 15) I think OP has the minority opinion (with the exception of keeping an updated email address) but I'm not sure if looking for a professional website or google scholar page is an HR violation. Though it certainly risks entering a gray area. If a CV has DOI links to each paper, that's just as easy to find relevant articles to read. However, when it comes to on campus interviews, not everyone (i.e., grad students or post docs) will have access to your application materials and an easy to access google scholar page, online CV, or research gate profile could help them form a more complete opinion on you. 16) It might be an HR violation in the sense that HR asks committee members not to do it, but it certainly isn't illegal. The problem would be if, for example, personal information was used to inform the hiring decision. Of course it's hard to prove or disprove that, so HR would often rather have hiring committees just not see the informaiton at all (the same applies to 'illegal' questions in interviews). It does seem pretty clear that whatever the rules are, people will look at google scholar/personal websites/github during searches. If not the committee, then certainly people at final interview stage that have some say in hiring feedback. As some people say above, it also seems like a pretty crucial part of the job to have information about your lab/research available at least at a research university. People use that information to find reviewers, collaborators, check open science data/code, and potential students/postdocs use it to look at labs they might be interested in applying to (definitely less important if you are at a PUI where recruitment to the lab is all internal and you can see that lab websites are much less common in those departments). I totally get the concerns about abusive exes describe above and getting off all social media makes sense. I'm not sure what the solution is, since a lab website does seem like a pretty important part of running a modern R1 type research lab. 17) I think it is pretty standard that search committees are not supposed to be doing web searches of candidates. but you typically can look at webpages if the candidate lists it in their submitted materials. Maybe that's what OP was referring to? ;) I personally hate trying to keep up with online presence and would not want to be evaluated on that. Luckily this hasn't been an issue. 18) How is it a bad thing for a search committee to want to look at your google scholar profile? This doesn’t reveal any personal information about you and when the OP asks for a personal webpage I think they mean a personal professional page (never said anything about social media). Do you really think that search committees don't check to see how many citations your articles have? or see how your citations change through time? or look at your h-score? Really, I think that search committees need to do their due diligence and verify (and augment) the information from our CVs and statements. 19) A SC chair coming here to tell people this might be a top 3 EcoEvo moment ever. There is no hope. 20) Hard yikes at basically everything in OP's post. Googling every applicant (a daunting task in itself) and screening based on some unwritten requirement of having a web presence? You know, most applicants with websites have to pay non-trivial hosting fees to Squarespace or whoever. But sure, let's only consider those willing to pay for this service. Can't find citation data without a google scholar profile? Here's a tip: you can see citations by literally copying and pasting paper titles or DOIs into google scholar. Since you're already doing that with the names of every candidate, it shouldn't be much more of a time commitment. 21) question for OP: how do you feel about people including their online presence in their CV? I've heard mixed opinions about it. 22) Price is not a limitation to maintaining a professional webpage - a google scholar profile is free and there are many many free website hosting services (e.g., google sites) and if you are based at an academic institution, it is almost certain that they will host your web page for free. And looking up individual papers does not give any sort of overview of the person's career trajectory, overall citation metrics, or self described research goals and interests. In our letters and statement's we all sell ourselves to fit the job ad so I agree with the OP that it is useful for a search committee to look at how a person describes their research outside of the application. And think of the flipside - did any of us agree to work with an advisor without googling them first and just rely on what the potential advisor told you about themselves in their CV or even an e.g. phone meeting? I hope not! Would any of us take a job at a university without looking at the other faculty members in the department's professional webpages? I hope not! These are long-term relationships on both sides, and it is worth everyone learning as much about everyone else involved. 23) Bet 22 is on that SC too. x2 24) We can google things, but have to submit to legal if we find anything where identity could be ambiguous-- if there's an arrest record that could be a similar name. University posted CV would be fair and Google Scholar has verified emails at uni.edu. I DO recommend generally that people have them. They help with review requests, seminar invites, etc. That being said, this SC sounds obtuse. If you plan to require it, why didn't you tell applicants it was required?? You are selecting for something that has nothing to do with job performance. And most likely? You are trying to assess impact with less effort on your own part. If you are on the SC part of your job is to judge potential from the application in front of you. To do otherwise is pretty unimpressive. 25) Here's a blurb from the website of a newly-hired PI who may be the new benchmark for hires that make you scratch your head: [easily googled blurb deleted -AP] If an SC sees that drivel and thinks "oh wow, great web presence, let's hire them!" they should all be fired for cause immediately. 26) I believe that comment 25 insults an individual person in a way that is easily connected to their name. I could google that text and find out who that is. Insulting individuals, especially early-career folks who are out there doing their best, is rude and unnecessary. It's bullying, really. [agreed & deleted! -AP] 27) That's "web presence". Google Scholar or Research Gate profiles are important but stuff someone chooses to make publicly available are fair game. 28) Fair game to connect you with your own words on a job search. Not fair game to single out another person under the guidelines for the job board here. x3 26) I thought we weren't supposed to refer to specific people on this board though? Do I misunderstand? Also, how would you feel if someone talked that way about you? 28) Someone on here has a serious grudge against that particular institution and hiring choices. More comments about their hiring than any other place and I suspect it is all related to this one decision they didn't like. 29) It seems like an odd school to harp on. It's not like they are the #1 FancyPantsUniversity in the world. I mean, they are great and all, but it doesn't quite make sense that they'd be the main focus of this international job board. It's weird and mean. 28) @29, exactly. That's what makes me think it is a very personal/individual grudge. 30) @20- Thanks for pointing out how easy it is to get papers...why would someone google and expect my google scholar page to have more information/access than my CV, which has doi numbers? It's like they don't know how to use PubMed. 31) Who uses PubMed? Sort of joking, but I do find google scholar much faster/easier to get to people's papers than anything else. Of course I could look them up in other ways too. 32) From a non-ac standpoint, it's just fucking weird if no one has any web presence today. No FB? No Insta? No LinkedIn? That person must know that anyone looking them up will think they're a serial killer. 33) @32 yikes hopefully SC don't look at fb and insta? Seems they would become privy to inappropriate info such as who your partner is. 34) uhhh wtf @32, loads of people who aren't serial killers don't use social media. I literally don't know anyone who would make an assumption like that. Looking through Insta and FB would definitely be an HR violation at most places too. 35) When I was in high school and undergrad people always told me to be careful what I put on Facebook because potential employers would look at it. Not sure about the legality though. Probably is allowed? 36) oh geesh, what a freak show! I mean, if SC wants a way to access a candidate's portfolio just, ahmm... ask for it? Ask for ORCID, Publons, Google Scholar/Researcch Gate/Academia profiles, Giuthub, DOI numbers of publications etc. instead of stalking people. Many institutions in developing countries do not allow temporary staff like students and postdocs to have a spot on their website... have you thought about that? In my current workplace, I cannot edit my own profile anymore since they moved everything around, which means it hasn't been updated since 2021. On the meantime, most institutional websites are just so crap and complicated and outdated and it's really a hassle to look up all the information necessary to tailor your application to that institution.. 32) Replies here are showing just how out of touch or how far removed from population norms academics can be. "What? They won't hire me if I'm a weirdo? How dare they try to know if I post manga on my FB?". Lol. x2 36) @32 if that is what you extracted from this thread, you are the one that is out of touch 32) @ 36: I guess you've never heard of "fit" as a criterion. One Skype (pre-Zoom) preliminary round of interviews I was privvy to was, in the words of one of the SC, "to make sure we don't invite a total weirdo". 37) I am amazed when people here complain that if the search committee wants the candidates to have a google scholar profile etc. they should ask for it - the job ads all basically give zero indication at all about anything the committees are looking for. They ask for a CV and statements, but there is no guidelines at all for what needs to be included in a CV or statements. So if someone advised you to provide a list of your publications on your CV, would you respond that you will only provide one if explicitly asked by the search committee? Of course not because we are constantly recrafting our materials to make ourselves the most attractive candidates and to preemptively provide any information that the search committee may want - whether they explicitly ask for it or not. It can only help you to have a _professional_ online presence. x2 | |
119 | 11/6/23 13:16 | "red flags" | 11/7/23 9:55 | OP) the hiring process is far from perfect and any perceived "red flags" at any stage are no indication that a department is toxic or not worth working at. Every department has bullshit. 1) Yeah, but some department bullshit is worse than others. Interviewees should be aware that hiring is a two way street and red flags might be meaningful and minimally worth digging into some more. 2) I'd agree that most things at the application phase and zoom interview phase may not correlate with a department being toxic, and people should read less into the job ads or particular questions at that stage. I think some red flags at the in-person interview phase are legit though. 3) totally agree with @2. University-wide HR policies that control the application process shouldn't be taken seriously, but in-person interviews will introduce you to your potential future co-workers and their behavior should be considered 4) Red flags do exist. A prospective supervisor asked me what my specific plans were for childcare during long field days if hired because I disclosed having a child when asked reason for resume gap. They are called red flag cause they're obvious. Ambiguous flags are more like pink or something 5) I think this is directed at people who call upfront letters a red flag, etc. 4 again) yeah upfront letters are total B.S. but say little about a department as a whole. people just take everything too far on here. | |
120 | 11/4/23 11:04 | Ghosted after confirmed moving on to next round. Position starts in Jan. | 11/22/23 5:58 | OP) SC confirmed my availability for next round of in-person interviews with teaching demo. I followed up after not hearing from them after two weeks after me writing to confirm. No response, now it's been a month since that correspondence. Should I assume I've been ghosted and not actually made it to the next round? Position starts Jan 01. I am thinking this is just a red flag and move on. 1) Ugh, I'm sorry OP. That must not feel good. Either someone messed up (which they should admit) or something else happened and the person who should have responded hasn't been able to. I'd consider writing again to follow up, and after that if no response, enquire with the Department Chair in a non-judgemental way. You have nothing to lose, and if it were me I'd like some closure if it was a mess up. 2) Another vote for an email to the Dept Chair likely with the Search Chair cc'd. Possibly just a logistical delay. Possibly weird unethical politics. Either way, email the Dept Chair. 3) You should absolutely follow up again. I had this experience twice! The first time, they confirmed that the wording should have been "IF you are selected can you confirm which dates...". The second was just a delay of nearly two months and I never found out why, but I did get invited in person. 4) please follow up and then return here to let us know how it went. Honestly sounds like someone majorly messed up, either by telling you you had an interview when they shouldnt have, or dropping the ball on scheduling afterward. Dept Chair with search chair CCd. This is some toxic BS OP) Followed up and no one got back to me. :( 5) Outrageous. | |
121 | 11/3/23 5:04 | Job board has entered a new phase of baseless gripes and ill-considered ideas. | 11/14/23 5:42 | OP) Absolutely bananas stuff on here lately - publically post applicant lists, all new hires are unqualified, only Asst. Profs get hired, internal candidates boxing out, just nuts. I know we're getting to the later stages of the job season, But chill maybe? x2 2) Not to mention all the bad faith oversimplifications of otherwise reasonable conversations! oops. x6 3) Not all new hires are unqualified - many are, but not all. That's the point: beyond a certain set of minimum criteria, hiring is pretty much random and it sucks. 3) yeah way too much hating. SCs are not hiring unqualified candidates - they just didn't hire you x4 4) Even people who may seem very green when hired can become productive and collegial faculty in the right environment and with the right resources. So the complaints about hires being "unqualified" just seems like knee-jerk bitterness. Also, what's with the hate for "lateral moves"? Everyone complains that academia sucks because you can't pick where you live or there isn't enough mobility. Yet when someone is hired as an assistant prof to another position, they get hate. Why should we expect someone to stay in the same job for the rest of their lives? Things change, let people change, too.x2 5) @ 4 as someone else pointed out, it's quiestionable to hire a greener candidate who will need more hand-holding for years vs someone who can perform right away, particularly as the job description changes against a backdrop of funding cuts, institutional restructuring, and an erosion in public trust in both science and education itself. Time will tell whether or not any of this was a good idea, but by then, there may be a cohort of decidedly less capable people in mid- and senior positions who can't bring in funding on their own. Either way, expect to see some big shifts in grad student enrollment and outcomes. 6) It seems like @5 is advocating for hiring assistant profs instead of postdocs. LOL ;) Either way, if a department isn't providing mentoring for incoming faculty no matter what career stage they were in their last job, then that is a problem. Any hire is a risk, so our institutions should be investing in the success of new hires, especially the pretenure hires. And most departments have one or two faculty who are tenured and not brining in tons of grants. In these cases, they should contribute to the department in other ways. I am glad I'm not in a department where our value is only in the grant dollars we bring in and that mentoring promising new faculty is seen as "hand holding". . 5) I was referring to the senior postdoc vs new PhD issue but have decided to no longer focus my own applications not on R1-equivalents in good locations but instead on lesser schools in shitty locations like the US JUST to spend the start-up and leverage into a lateral. 5) Missed the double-negative: have decided to no longer focus ...on R1-equivalents... 7) OP, have you considered the possibility that your ideas are the ones that are ill-considered? For example, did you even engage with the reasoning behind public candidate lists? Other disciplines and orgs do this... just because you disagree doesn't make it "bananas". What weird style of thinking 8) Totally agree with 3 here, there’s a lot more randomness in the process than anyone wants to admit. If you take note of every archetype of job seeker people on here invoke/blame for taking all the jerbs, it’s assistant professors making lateral moves, “DEI candidates”, hyper-rockstars with 20 Nature papers, and smooth-talking ABDs who’ve never written a manuscript cover letter before, which, like, can’t all be true at once. 9) People get bitter because they believe their h-index and grant funding should be rewarded with a job. You can have "better" numbers than the "unqualified" candidates getting hired and still be an egotistical asshat. Sometimes is easy for SC to spot them so they avoid having to deal decades working with people like that. 10) I can name multiple "egotistical asshats" who got jobs precisely because they were like that, and, at the same time, multiple humble postdocs who got thrown out of academia because they were a postdoc for too long. I wish the only people that couldn't get a faculty job were the "egotistical asshats". x6 11) What is becoming entirely clear - although anonymity precludes certainty - is that the negativity on this board comes mainly from the survivor-biased PIs who don't recognize the role luck has played for them and misinterpret that for superiority. When confronted with reality and the need for transparency and change, the response is always "we tried nothing, and we're all out of ideas!". x4 12) @ 9: how much of a colossal douchebag do you have to be to interpret an anonymous vent as being an "egotistical asshat"? You're sorely lacking in self-awareness. x4 13) Ya'll are wild x4 14) @13 you new here? This is mild compared to the usual DEI arguments lol x3 15) Believe me #11 I am a survivor-biased PI and I don't have any illusions that I actually earned the job I have at a mediocre institution in a mediocre town in a horrible state x3 16) Genuine question for @15 and others in their shoes: is it worth it? I have a sinking feeling that *if* I get a job it will be at a lame school in a lame place, and I'm not sure if academia is worth it. I'd be interested in knowing how it is on the other side. 17) @16, currently at a lame school in a lame place and not even TT but stuck here for various personal reasons and definitely question all the time whether any of it is worth it or whether I should have just bailed much earlier and figured out a way to live in a place where I actually would like to live. 18) The academic job market is totally bananas. I think we are all just trying to make sense of this hell in one way or another. Let's try to be kind while we do it. x2 19) Such good content here. @16: No. it isn't worth it. @OP: Yes. Crazy questions and comments on here these days. Some of the things that folks are asking do actually make me wonder why I don't have a better position though. 20) @16 Don't do it. It's not worth it. @16: totally worth it lol, being a prof fucking rules even if in lame place/state. | |
122 | 11/2/23 15:02 | Not getting an interview when you think you have a chance | 11/11/23 5:44 | I'm sad. :( 2) Yeah, one position on here I thought I was a shoe-in for at least an interview (had a friend on the faculty of another department there help me tailor my materials and said I looked really competitive), but then apparently there were a bunch of assistant and even associate profs in the applicant pool, so... 3) Me too, OP, big me too. x5 4) Same... perfect position that appeared to be designed with my CV in mind, talked to SC chair who was VERY encouraging... and nothing. 5) I have to wonder if your CV simply didn't get past the bots HR uses to screen applications. On a lark, I submitted mine to a company that critiques resumes. The results indicated that the way I formatted it was not machine readable (my language, not theirs) and that most automated systems used by HR would place it in the circular filing cabinet. The search committee would never even see it if that's what's happening. 6) What kind of screening do academic CVs get before being passed to the SC? Should we be using the industry job tricks of shoe-horning buzzwords in to appease the HR bots? 7) Most TT job searches do not get that type of HR screening and all the applications get read. That definitely does happen for government and some private jobs though. x2 6 again) Thanks @7, that's reassuring 5) @7, that is re-assuring. I was applying for a non-TT faculty position and the school's website offered to pass my CV along to the critique company (apparently they partner?). So, I got worried. 8) I feel this so much. I feel like my app is the best its been, applied for jobs right up my alley, got a bunch of hits on my website from 2 of the areas I applied to then... didn't even get a zoom invite. I have a lot of first authored pubs, teaching experience, I think (?) a good application based on feedback from others, I just don't know where I'm going wrong and its so disheartening. 9) Captain Jean-Luc Picard : "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." 10) nerd alert 11) The only thing harder than landing a TT job is getting into Starfleed Academy. 13) I hear ya buddy. Right there with you. I just try to keep perspective as best I can. Academia/career is not everything. 14) what's worse is when a guaranteed interview scheme (e.g. the disability thing in the UK) should apply to you, but they reject you anyway | |
123 | 11/1/23 7:12 | Hear me out - automatic notifications when your application goes in the bin | 11/2/23 13:35 | When the SC puts your application in the garbage pile you get a message like [robot voice] "this is an automatic message. your application for Assistant Professor of Ecology has been placed in the cirular file. cease checking the spreadsheet for updates. do not reply to this message." hahahahhaaha I'm fine why do you ask 2) Hang in there, OP. 3) I got a few "no longer considered" emails and TBH really appreciated the schools sending them. 4) Awesome idea! OP) thanks all! Don't worry I'm OK. 5) yeah, I'm starting to feel crazy for checking this spreadsheet almost daily, I should probably just not do that 6) @5 I'm trying to restrict myself to only checking the main sheet when I need info for a specific application or when I'm checking for new listings, and not doomscroll/doomrefresh for updates. The updates are only ever disappointing when someone else has gotten an invite. Key word though, "trying" 7) I agree they're only ever disappointing, but I do feel a small sense of resigned relief at least checking of the uncertainty of imagining jobs I'm waiting for each time one moves on to interviews without me. | |
124 | 10/31/23 10:08 | Salty about missing out | 11/6/23 8:26 | Colleague who got a TT after only a couple years of postdocing just published a paper in my subject area while after 7 years of postdoc I whittle away the hours on job apps. They have funding and a lab and students. And I've got rejection letters. 2) I feel you... This is a lottery. Nothing makes sense. x10 3) if it makes you feel better, I don't know anyone who got a really nice R1-type job with only a couple years postdocing. Everyone I know who got on the TT quick are at small schools in *very* undesirable places imo. I am happy where I'm at for now lol | |
125 | 10/30/23 22:25 | Nightmare | 11/1/23 8:11 | I bolted upright in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, and screamed, "I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN!" My wife, unphased after two years of this, grumbles and rolls over. The dog sighs and returns to sleep. In the morning, I relive the nightmare as I begin again on application #495 and once again select the box. 2) This made me laugh, after feeling blue given a lack of zoom interviews this year. Thanks :) 3) @ 1 and 2, I feel heard. 4) lol I'm loving the humor on here x2 | |
126 | 10/30/23 16:11 | Broad job search posted, then all candidates considered study similar things. | 11/1/23 16:10 | It's a waste of time for candidates to put materials together when this happens. Bah. x5 2) Need to hit the demographic numbers in the initial pool to justify the hire in the area they really want! 3) Or a department that wanted the best colleague and a search chair/committee that imposed a narrow view after the job ad was written. Sometimes with selfish or political aims. 4) or bias on who reports their area of study when asked on this board… 5) If it's stated as a broad search, and the only people who report they got Zoom interviews and their reserach areas do essentially the same narrow thing, you gotta wonder. 4 again) some of us intentionally do not reply to comments asking what we do. Also not everyone who got zoom interviews is using this board. 6) Some places still put the candidates on their public seminar schedule though, so anyone could find out.5) way way to true for (3 6) This is also true for "open rank" searches that only interview people at the Asst. Prof level. Sure, they're trying to catch a big fish, but it still wastes people's time to apply above the Asst. Prof rank when that's ultimately not what they're invested in hiring at. They should just try to poach people directly instead. | |
127 | 10/28/23 20:20 | Password Reset | 10/30/23 17:27 | Someone else not me is trying to reset my job app password at BigStateSchool.edu at 11pm on a Saturday night? Really? Is that the job app hack we have to worry about right now along with my Netflix and wine? 2) My partner's been getting emails that someone's trying to reset her Nature manuscript portal password. WTF, who's trying to steal her pubs?!? | |
128 | 10/27/23 13:46 | Squeezed out after a very successful postdoc decade | 11/6/23 19:57 | Not going to give too many details but I've spent the past ~decade traveling the world, living abroad, doing science I love, teaching and getting awesome teaching reviews, acquiring $millions in funding. I've heard "you'll get something" or "I thought you got hired [at X]" by dozens of senior researchers. I have an active network of collaborators who regularly invite me to join their papers, but just no TT position while I watch highly questionable candidates get hired and hand-held and make ridiculous social media posts like "I'm a new PI - need advice on how to write a cover letter for a paper submission!", followed by years of them producing nothing on their own. I've been basically head-hunted for a job that will pay me more than almost any TT position, but I'm just dreading it - a desk, an office, great benefits - but no more travel and excitement. I think it's harder knowing what I'll be missing and I really wish the importance of sheer luck + the changing hiring criteria relative to demonstrated success had been drilled home earlier. As this is a vent, kindly fuck off in advance with any "should have" comments. 1) Total sympathy OP. I am in a similar boat, for example a student I mentored got a job that I applied for. I've also been offered a kind of exciting outside opportunity (but the money is also unstable - possibly more lucrative than TT but possibly not). It's true that no one is entitled to TT positions, but it sure does feel like we have more than earned a spot. 2) You just described my life OP. Hugs and sympathies, I hate this particular moment in time, despite having loved the past decade 3) Likewise OP. That's just the way it is now unfortunatly. I think we're all just gonna have to wait until departments start going under because all their mid-career people have no research grants 4) In the same situation with a similar timeline, but no tempting outside offer so I don't have much choice but to keep going. I've had students that I mentored, wrote letters for, and still do most of the tricky analyses for get TT jobs. I'm happy for them but it's really demoralizing. Unfortunately I think committees have are really biased against long postdocs even though there are lots of ways they can happen just from bad luck and the ability to actually keep yourself funded for a long postdoc should be seen as a strength in itself. 5) OP, are you me?? I postdoc for 10 years until I got an offer in industry. Because of my (long) academic background, they let me do the same things: research, supervision, teach (if I want to), and write papers. For me the only big difference are expectations, they are much higher in industry, and you have to work within strict deadlines. In the beginning it was difficult to accept "I didn't make it in academia". But benefits, stability and knowing my research will make a difference beyond a publication made the difference for me. I don't regret one bit. 6) I feel this in my bones. 7) I feel this too. I've been a postdoc for 6 years now, and even with the carrot of R00 funds I would bring with me, it's like I can't even pay them to be interested. 8) I definetly sympathize with this, and echo the sentiment above that many departments are going to be paying a price i think in terms of a generation of mid-career duds. I recently did a little google-scholar tally for one of the major North American R1s that prides itself on recruiting "rising stars", that has hired a slew of junior eeb faculty in the last few years with very little postdoc experience. Four of them on average published less than one paper per year in the two years or so after getting hired (and thats not counting a fifth one who was a spousal hire), and none with "high profile" papers in that period. I realize its not all a paper-count, but this is certainly not a very impressive output (I published more papers myself, in similar journals, than all of them combined during the same period). It is frustrating to see this stuff while people like the OP are left out to dry, after having demonstrated they can run an independent research program x2 9) @8 You might be right, but it might be too early to tell - it's easier to keep producing as a postdoc than to start a new lab and teaching as an asst prof. Check in a few years - it's one of the bitter pleasures of academia to keep tabs on those who got the job instead of you. 10) My current uni does not believe in the academic expiration, which is nice. I was a cluster hire of 4, and after a 7-year postdoc I was the 2nd most junior of us. But now I'm trying to move home to the US and I am not optimistic. 11) I've also been overseas for a decade, millions in funding ($1 million last week!), lots of teaching, advised 10 PhD students, more papers than most of the people on the other side of the zoom interview screen, and I can't get a single in-person US interview. I don't understand it, meanwhile I see newPI twitter posts from people with 150 cites. I want to come home. 12) Are those of you with "millions in funding" the PI on those grants or are they co-written with current faculty? Genuinely curious. 13) Probably a mix, but I'm co-PI and did most writing and all prelim data collection on most of my funding. Have also been funded on grants that I am not an official PI (because I wasn't allowed to be), but where I did basically all the writing on my own system. It creates a very weird dynamic because you can't really get proper credit for that funding or the papers that come out of it in the eyes of search committees. 12) Thanks for the response @13. That sounds super lame and exploitative :( 14) Comiserations OP! I keep asking myself what is it that they dont see? High IF paper (plus lots of excellent 1st author papers), check. $500k grant, on which I am Lead PI, check. National PDF award, 1 per year in my country, check. Several uni courses teaching experience, check. Big presence in a hot non-academic field (including workshops, peer reviewed papers, and professional work) that is valuable for teaching and mentoring because of years of experience in a side gig "hobby" ), check. WTF else do they want? 15) A dose of humility maybe, just saying x5 11) @12 PI on $1mil+, and some of #13's situation as well (named on the grant but not PI, $2mil+), @15 No place for humility in job applications 16) @15, my impression has always been that lacking humility helps get a job right away. Have seen lots of hires from people who have big egos with a few papers that they had a lot of help on but are able to present a super confident 'vision' that sells well in our stupid interview format. Many people I know in long postdoc/research associate type positions are essentially running whole labs behind the scenes, advising phds and even other postdocs, and making the analysis and lab work function, but end up as middle authors because the projects are 'led' by grad students and the lab PI is the 'senior' author. It's a losing position to be in because of the way credit is percieved and having more humility definitely will not help most of us. 17) I think it's a bit of a tightrope walk. You have to boast about your achievements enough to impress people without coming off as arrogant. 18) It's definitely a tightrope walk. I have seen amazing superstars at my R1 sink their chances of getting the offer because they were a bit arrogant. No faculty want to give an offer to someone who signals they're better than others and potenitally not willing to pull their weight when it comes to service. Bein a faculty is different than being a postdoc - traits other than just productivity really matter x2. 19) This 'humility' line is nonsense. Look at the current/recent crop of PhD candidates - they're all "amazing", "brilliant", "inspiring", "instilling change in the next generation", etc. In reality, they're largely being hand-held by postdocs and supported by non-supervising profs who have to step up to cover their dud hire colleagues to delay the reckoning #8 mentioned. x3 20) Plus search committees love to hire arrogant people with *just* enough social awareness to suck up to the right people. The whole search process we go through is basically designed to select them. Humility is not generally rewarded. 21) It is certainly not a paper count - google scholar can count citations but it is very hard to keep papers coming out your first few years of starting a lab - one or less than one paper per year is around the median I would say, and what Google Scholar does NOT count is succesful grant awards, which P&T committees value more than papers. So measuring your 'competition' who got TT jobs by the number of papers they publish in the first five years is a flawed metric and will only cause you more misery. I toyed with this model - focus on getting papers out so you can better impress grant review panels - and it was a bad move, even though I average a little more than two papers per pretenure year. I should have stopped writing papers almost all together and focused on grantsmanship, because that was a waaaay steeper hill to climb. As a result I earned grant success later than I should have, which was an extra year or more of not being confident in my upcoming tenure case. Mad stressful! 22) Might I gently suggest that hiring postdocs with grant experience is a solution to this? even if they have "been around too long" to be competitive? I know plenty of postdocs who have plenty of grantsmanship experience yet are overlooked in favor of their greener but less-accomplished colleagues. 23) just here to say that it's a pretty big bummer how quickly this devolved into tearing other people down... X3 24) but @23, the proven researchers not being hired are the ones being factually torn down from the discipline, so... 25) @24, wut? OP) @ 22, 24 - exactly. Whether or not we can do the job "better", we can do it right now and don't have to waste time like 21 as we've acquired the skills during our PAID TRAINING POSTDOC and not when it's actually full-salary showtime and there are other commitments to manage. 25) postdoc != PI, maybe thinking it does is the problem? 26) For sure PIs have more responsibilibities than postdocs, but I think it is fair for "on-paper" successful, longterm postdocs to vent that they can already do many of the things--simultaneously--that new PIs struggle with. It is very demoralizing to be an advanced postdoc and watch a new, inexperienced PI in the department with much less experience get, well, babied, while that new PI tries to catch up. It's not really personal, but it hurts b/c that new PI who needs so much help gets paid so much more and has a much better shot at job security x2. OP) Yes 25 that's the whole point - the biggest difference is PIs lucked out. 25) Sample bias and confounded inference. It could be that you'd be better. But you don't know. Suggesting that others struggling with the job is evidence that they don't deserve to be hired, but you predict you would be good at the job because you're good at the parts that overlap with postdodc is also possible, but also unsubstantiated. It's a pretty big leap to go from "it sucks that I am good at grants and papers and can't get a job" to "the people that did get the job didn't deserve it and are bad at it because they are unqualified". Especially when, the reasoning you use cannot logically parse the two hypotheses. sounds like sour grapes to me... 26) @25, the comments above literally describe PIs having trouble getting papers out and grants funded pre-tenure. The postdoc stories in this thread are mainly from people who are doing those two things at higher rates than many current tenured profs in these same departments. Sure, there are other parts of the job, but those weren't the topic above. A lot of people in these positions would come in to PI positions with a large store of in progress projects and preliminary data for grants that people 1-2 years out of PhDs just don't have so I think it is 100% reasonable to suggest they would not struggle in the same way with that pre-tenure productivity. As 26 says, that isn't a personal knock on people who were lucky to get hired right away. It's just the truth. x2 25) It's delusion. That you don't think the "other parts" interact with the papers and grants is clarifying though. 27) OK 25, please fill us in on the intangible 'other parts' that people hired right after grad school clearly have that are lacking in people who have been effectively running research programs for 5-10 years? If there is any delusion, it is the collective delusion among a lot of faculty that got jobs early in their search that the committees really made the right choice in selecting them because they identified some special merit that they possess rather than that they just got lucky. x2 25) No, ask your advisor. "Everyone is wrong but me". Lolol 27) Got it. The other part was the secret handshake. Thanks for clarifying 25. x2 28) starting to see what 'intangibles' might lead to someone with a great CV not getting hired - like assuming you deserve ANY of this. Some people, man... | |
129 | 10/27/23 10:18 | Applications are the absolute worst uuuggghhhhh | 11/1/23 15:08 | I hate writing them! It takes forever even when it seems like it shouldn't (just a few tweaks I tell myself)! It feels pointless like crying into the ocean and shall perhaps result in nothing. BLEH it sucks please agree with me someone! Please let's get a job just to not have to do this again ahaHABLAHhahha 2) I agree with you! OP) Thanks, that's all I needed! x2 2) and even if you are so very lucky that you DO get a job, you have no control over where in the world it will be. You just have to move your life there. OP) uuugggghhhhh I know right. Although I woudl almost rather live some absolute shite place forever than keep moving every 3 years. haha my life decisions have all been great lalala. Best to laugh about it! 3) New Bespoke document no one ever asked for before!! Amazing! I would love to draft that for my 1/300 chance of getting the job! Gonna go buy me some lottery tickets next. 4) Yes, job, thank you, I would love to reformat all my documents to be 1 page just for you so that you can take one glance at my CV and toss my application because you're actually looking for something specific that wasn't said in the ad! 5) Can I not simply write "Your school is uniquely special because you are hiring in my field" and be done? *crying emojii* OP) YES beautiful venting everyone! 6) @5, and the same thing to every committee that starts their zoom interviews by asking 'so, what made you want to apply to xyz university'. Seriously, what can they be thinking asking that? 4) Guy who got tenure before I was born: "Well, why was this institution one of the two or three you applied to this year? How are we special?" 7) why don't eco/evo folks embrace something like mathjobs.org? The reference writers have to submit a letter once! (but can still tailor if its a special job) and you can just reuse material (and it seems like thats the expectation) except maybe the cover letter. Like seriously trying to figure out why things here are not more standardized??!? 8) I think the difference with math, econ, english, history is that there is a much more coherent discipline based around one or two major societies/conferences and PhD programs that align directly with departments at most colleges. Biology PhD programs are all over the place and big R1s might have 20+ different biology-ish PhD programs in different colleges and have very different cultures about what societies people generally belong to that then feed into a single biology department at smaller schools. Hard to have any kind of standardization. | |
130 | 10/27/23 10:09 | Self-Identification of Disability | 11/9/23 7:42 | I keep seeing this phrase on the Voluntary Disclosure of Disabiltiy: "Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)". How does that make sense? Drug addiction is a disability, but only if you don't use drugs? Way to completely lack empathy and understanding. 1) Messed up. Asking to disclose disability seems like B.S. so I just decline even though I do'nt have a disability. 2) There are very good reasons the US govt wants disability employment data collected, but there are also good reasons to select "I do not wish to answer" or whatever. The drug line is probably there so someone can answer without certifying that they have committed a crime. 3) I always say yes, but mostly for consistency since I provide details in my teaching/diversity statements. Jury is still out if my strat is a winner though... 4) I don't think search committees can ever see any of the info provided in those forms (or at least they shouldn't be able to). 5) I now decline to answer because COVID infection can give you a disability at any time. Could happen between application and interview. Could happen AT the interivew. 6) Yup, I think this information is just for statistics afterwards, not available to the people evaluating you 7) All the terms are federally defined, from what I understand. If you hate them, blame a senator maybe? 8) I also find it iffy to check that box because of my IBS even though it is often listed as a disability... like, I don't really feel like I'm on par with someone with missing limbs. Should I write in my DEI statment how hard I've had it because I have to take a lot of bathroom breaks?? 9) Haha same here to #8 - I was diagnosed with IBS as a kid, but that still seems like a qualifying disability? I mean, I also have been diagnosed with anxiety/depression so I'm starting to think more than one box ticked should maybe make me a 'yes..' but don't we all have anxious bowels?? j/k - don't want to minimize either malady, but I certainly don't feel like I experience disability as severly as many do. I guess it's just so a university can say they followed the law. 10) @8 I maybe wouldn't phrase it that way, but I think you could make a legitimate case for "understanding the importance of providing personalized accomodations" as a result of taking all those bathroom breaks lol 11) I am autistic and would NEVER disclose that information by checking the "yes" box .. its way too ambiguous - Will die on that hill. 12) 11, saaaame. I've definitely come across some pretty crappy positions on autistic people even from supposedly pro-DEI folks 13) not autistic, but I have ADHD and always check yes to weed out places with shitty opinions. If my weird brain is a deal-breaker for them, then I wouldn't want to work there anyway | |
131 | 10/21/23 20:11 | The UG football players make more than me :’( | 10/29/23 19:46 | https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/us/college-athletes-donor-collectives.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare average starter at big time program makes $103,000 from boosters ugh ugh ugh 2) They have marketable skills....most of us do not 3) We do have marketable skills, we just don't know how to market them well. 4) More like a patron system than marketable skills. Just need a science fan who wants to pay me to do science for their chosen university. 5) We do have marketable skills, just for a different market 6) Wait until you find out that Sanders kid at Colorado is making more than many NFL players. 7) Just wait until they open the transfer portal and allow NIL deals for postdocs and profs! 8) we do NOT have more marketable skills! probably each football starter earns the university more money than the average scientist...huge money in sports, one of the biggest markets in the world! 9) People will buy tickets, merchandise, and watch live TV with tons of commercials to see these players. I'm glad they are getting paid. Honeslty, big-time college football and basketball should be spun off as minor leagues and just license the university names and mascots. 10) @8, look up how many universities actually make any money at all on their sports. There is a market with public/tv, but it isn't from the university perspective. It's usually a net loss. 11) i. Nothing wrong with people w/o a college degree (undergrads) making more than people with PhDs. Lets not be elitist about it. ii. What you make is what people are willing to pay you beyond some regulations. I hate to break it but there is no "natural" or "fair" order to compensation. iii. Those players are among the best people in the world at their job, and a lot people are willing to pay them for it. At a bunch of schools 100K people are willing to pay upwards of $50-100 to watch them play live (and another ton pay to watch on TV, and some donors shell out millions to compensate them). I don't think I've had 50 people show up to my seminar, and most people who take my classes do so because they want to claim their piece of cardboard at the end. iv. Those "lowly" undergrads are probably busting their asses right now practicing to be better at their job while we whine about the unfairness of the pay diference and try to find some sort of "fair" logical explanation for it. v. Lets go do some science, write some papers, and teach some classes instead. I think thats how people get jobs that pay $100K in our profession.12) Good for the UGs! 13) They also move a lot of the tourism industry in some towns. Lot's of businesses depend on those football games OP) To be clear, I'm actually totally cool with the players getting paid... I just fail to see how someone with a PhD doing work that presumably i. has been funded externally; i.e., others think is important and ii. has never been done before should be paid less than 100k. I think postdoc rates are not a market but rather systemically artificially low. it's changing in some places to be more market-like. 11) Well, those external funders tend to set the rates (e.g. NIH scale), so thats how important they think it is (i.e. how much theyre willing to pay). Those rates stay low precisely because enough of us are still willing to take these jobs despite the crappy pay...Same goes for faculty positions. In any case, I'll jump off here. 12) @11 and there aren't a million people willing to be professional athletes for crappy pay? I agree with a few of the points in this thread and have no problem with students getting paid, but a lot of these posts really uncritically accept that what you get paid == what you are worth because the market decided. Try reading some Thomas Piketty for a start. 11)@12 There are millions of athetes who work for crappy pay. The ones in the article are the small number who actually get well paid. As for the rest maybe reread my posts. Never said the market "decides", talked about what someone is "worth", or commented on whether this makes sense societally (RE Piketty). Just said what you somene gets paid doesn't follow some sort of order based on "fairness", so complaining about people who do some other job getting paid more, doesn't really make sense. 14) @11 Yo, this is LITERALLYYYY the VENTING TAB. Let people complain!!!! It's what this tab is for! We should all be paid more!!!! God this place is such a hellscape sometimes... can everyone pleeease have more humor and just chill tf out?!?! 15) Wait til OP learns how much business school profs make. 16) @14 what if I want to vent about the venting? OP) OP knows about b. prof salary and cries about it. 17) The idea that we shouldn't complain about other people/professions making more than us because 'life isn't fair' is such a funny response to a vent. Like, what is the point of venting if you can't complain about things that aren't fair?? 18) You're as entitled to vent and complain as we are to express our opinion about your venting. If you're going to vent publicly then be prepared for people do disagree with you... | |
132 | 10/19/23 14:49 | Jury duty. Why, cruel fate, why? | 10/29/23 14:46 | in the many years I've been eligible, I am first being called for jury duty now, of all times. I just rescheduled my report time to the week after an in-person interview, here's hoping things will work out from there. 2) Gah, that's a bummer. But hey, you have an interview! 3) Have fun with it! Jury duty can be a great experience. Gets you talking with others whom you might never talk to, within new institutional structures. Or they just let you go after a couple hours. OP) Yes, the interview invitation is exciting! @3 I like this attitude! And if nothing else, I want to do my part to contribute to my community, I just wish I didn't have to worry about it conflicting with things. 4) In my experience they are very unlikely to select scientists to the jury anyway so most likely it's just half a day of waiting around the courthouse to be eventually dismissed. 5) Yeah, if they learn you have a Ph.D. alarm bells go off. 6) That's disappointing, we need educated people on juries. 7) I'm not a lawyer, like the rest of us I chose something much less employable, but my understanding is that lawyers (particularly prosecutors) absolutely do not want highly educated people on juries. Just put the PhD after your name and you'll be off the hook. 8) I just got called for jury duty AGAIN (2nd time in 2.5 years of living her). But this time there was a demographic questionnaire to fill out… hoping it means they'll see that PhD and I won't even have to report day of. 9) Unfortunately 8, when I've been thrown out it is at the stage where they are questioning each potential juror and the prosecutor and defense attorney both have the option to veto candidates with or without much reason. I think the demographics and filling of the slate all happen at the level of the the court administration not the trial lawyers. I've also been annoyed to find that when you get dismissed without serving you are placed back on the rolls to call again sooner (at least that was the case in the state I used to live in). 9) Just tell them you believe in things like 1) evidence and 2) innocence until proven guilty and they'll run away from you as fast as possible while everyone else on the jury just stares into empty space. 10) I served on a federal trial as an alternate juror. The defense attorney seemed to try really hard to get me and the lady next to me on the actual jury. Not sure why since his client was obviously guilty after hearing all the facts of the case. 11) maybe he thought so too and wanted the defendant off the streets 12) Honestly, I wouldn't mind jury duty right now. I might feel like I'm doing something useful/making a contribution to society :'( | |
133 | 10/12/23 15:46 | Job diversity | 10/21/23 18:17 | I've now interviewed with R1s, R2s, and SLACs for jobs labelled as microbiology, ecology, marine biology, physiology, cell biology, and integrative biology. Is there some sort of merit badge for kaleidoscopic failure? 2) 🏆 OP) lol I'll treasure it 3) I have a very similar record though a slightly different list of subfields. I do sometimes wonder if the fact that I can plausibly get interviewed for any of these different fields and institution types is exactly the thing that makes me keep falling just short of actually getting offers. Usually seems easier for people who really fit exactly into the mold of one of these areas (though I realize that means fewer jobs that you can try for). x2 4) I was 100% in OP's shoes but eventually found a job at a place that specifically was looking to hire interdisciplinary researchers. Those kinds of calls are unfortunately rare, though. 5) I'm crazy impressed! I agree with 4 that hopefully you can find something that rewards your super interdisclinary work! 6) Search committees don't want to hire interdisciplinary biologists. 7) If you are getting this many interviews at this many places for this variety of job types, it sounds like the academic/professional side isn't the problem. 8) There is a posting for an interdisciplinary researcher that describes my work perfectly, except that I'm a year too early to be competitive for it, ugh ;( 9) @8, apply anyway. Sometimes a good applicant with a great fit comes out ahead of off-topic applicants. 10) honestly OP you sound awesome. It's a tough market out there, but I'm super impressed! x3 11) @10 right? OP sounds like the kind of scientist with whom it would be really fun to have a long chat about random cool science stuff | |
134 | 10/11/23 10:28 | No time to do my job, too busy trying to get another | 11/7/23 0:14 | Or no time to apply to jobs, too busy trying to do my current one. I'm honestly not sure. Either way, my family isn't seeing much of me these days. 😭 2) This but +kids +academic partner in the same situation....ahhhh (OP) kids here too. 3-year old "momma when are you going to play with us?" my heart broke. I feel for you trying to navigate the two-body problem on top of this process! 3) People told me that this job search would be a 3-5 months of a full time job equivalent, but I didn't believe them. They were right. 4) solidarity! It's not a good feeling to think that you're "failing" at all the things at once (job apps/current job/parenting/family life. makes the rejections hit even harder because you know that time spent on app was precious! 5) I feel that so hard-failing at every aspect of life atm. x3 6) Sometimes I feel like my current job is purposefully trying to suck the life out of me so that I give up the will to apply for other jobs. 7) I accidentally discovered the solution to this problem, it's called unemployment. So much more free time for applications, daddy time, and day-drinking. x2 8) Aside from the pay unimployment does sound pretty good right now! (9) Solidarity! I am on a hiatus from research while I apply for jobs full time. sorry to my funder and PI... (10) I would rather be writing manuscripts to make my applications stronger, but instead I'm writing applications. I hate this. x10 11) Be sad now, 'maybe' get job later, vs. be happy now, 'maybe' not get job later. Such a struggle. D\efintely with everyone on this thread. 12) Pleeeeeaaasssse someone just give me a job so I can get back to my job! x3 13) The upside of not getting any interviews is that you don't have to prep research talks or teaching demos 14) Oh my god teaching demos are the worst. Why would anyone ever think they are useful for anything? 13) I've definitely given some that feel like a completely useless exercise. 14) It feels like I don't even do science anymore. Just applying for faculty positions. The rejections have started to trickle out, and I'm feeling as unmotivated as ever. 15) They shouldn't be allowed to send out any decisions until all the fall deadlines have passed. Would at least be nice to finish putting in applications before I start receiving rejections and having to prep for zoom interviews. | |
135 | 10/6/23 16:27 | Want this job! | 11/26/23 14:56 | I don't know if this is really a vent or not, but I just applied for a job that I really, really, really want and I wish that I could just have it!! 2) Best of luck! Rooting for you :) 3) Applying for jobs should be like Tinder, where you get a limited number of "super likes". Though I guess that's just called "spend 5 hours tailoring" OP) Yes, super likes would be good! And thanks! 4) This is why we should have a match system like residencies! 5) as someone who experienced the medical match system via their partner, I can't necessarily say that would be much better. Certainly a diffferent set of concerns than the current free for all. 6) Woah, superlikes? Tinder has changed from back in my day 7) This #6 must be one of the Associate Profs on the market. ;) Kids these days have it so much better. We 8) Good luck OP!!! OP) Got a Zoom interview, but didn't get the job. Oh well. | |
136 | 10/4/23 12:17 | Ashamed of even considering a job in a red state | 11/7/23 0:16 | The discourse ("Sweep Florida under the ocean", bringing up abortion etc every single time a red state is even mentioned) is almost making me feel ashamed for just considering taking a job in a red state. even though for me personally, as a cis, white-passing man, I don't have a lot of concerns for myself. Please tell me I'm not a bad person if I go to work in a red state. 1) non-white, non-male life-long resident of red states here. Two points of practicality: a) Red states are not all the same. The ones that are more libertarian or have stronger history of racial animus tend to have the least generous safety nets, which matter for any students you mentor. This may or may not have anything to do with how 'purple' the state is perceived to be. You can do some research on the thresholds to qualify for Medicaid, food stamps, etc. b) It will likely be much harder to recruit any graduate students to your lab, much less women and POC. You may have to grow your own grad students from the undergraduate pool. Nevertheless, no guilt on your part required! Red states also need science/conservation/restoration, and red states also have home grown pre-scientists whom you can help train and mentor. 2) Considering taking a job in a red state takes you out of the running for blue state jobs that more marginalized people "need more", I don't think it's anything to feel guilty about. 3) I grew up in a red state and did my phd in one too. My hot take is that the students and residents of those states need science and education too. I will absolutely be applying to red states. OP) I mean, I did my Phd in a red state and live in one now. So i know what it would be like on the ground for me. But I feel the guilt-inducing discourse has exploded lately 4) Don't worry about it - the grandstanding statements online are just that - performative nonsense that slacktivists would never act on in real life. 5) as someone with a job in a red state I wouldn't tell people not to take one, but to carefully consider the laws and how they will relate to not only you, but also your students (both undergrad and the people you will bring into your lab). For example, some things to consider are having a 'no questions asked' rule to allow people time off to leave the state for medical care if necessary. I wouldn't advise people NOT to apply to jobs in red states, but you (often) have to work extra hard to keep your students safe and happy. x3 5) I can't take a job in TX or FL, but if you do, then maybe I get one in a different state? 6) Yes, I don't think there's any reason for you not to! And I'm definitely one of those people who are pretty vocal about improving DEI on campuses. I would think twice before putting myself in that situation, but we need scientists and teachers in those places and you need a job! So I say go for it! Also, everyone in your new department will also have taken a job in a red state, so you're not going to have pushback about it from your new colleagues, if that helps. 7) Even in the most far-right places, there are 30-40% of people that don't agree with what is going on politically (much higher in college towns). You would be doing a service to them (and everyone else...some people change their minds in college!) by taking a job in one of these areas. 8) I also think there is a very good argument to be made that whatever you can do personally in your lab, classes, and local environment may be more impactful in a red state precisely because of the environment there. As people say above, there are still all kinds of people in those places and you can support them in lots of different ways. 9) And on top of the hidden liberals, the republican students also should get to learn ecology and may have things to contribute to the field over their lives. 10) You should feel bad and don't take the job in a red state...becuase I want it and this reduces my competition. I did my PhD in TX, now live in a different Southern state for my postdoc and love it. The politics are not great, and my representatives suck., but I have never had issues with my coworkers or fellow grad students expressing abhorent views. Schools (outside of the Bob Jones' and Liberties of the world) are blue, and this is where the biodiveristy is for my field. IMHO, the attitude that red states are inherently anti-diversity, and entirely composed of Trumplicans is pretty insulting to the vibrant minority and LGBT communities here. The leadership of red states should be rightly shamed, but the people, for the most part, are regular people. The fact that I can fish 12 months out of the year here is also a plus, but your mileage may vary. 2) Hey, you can fish all year in plenty of northern states too. Even though ice fishing is the most boring god-forsaken activity in all of existence. 11) you are not a bad person if you take a job in a red state! 12) I ate at shake shack today should I feel ashamed because of the starving children in red states? 13) @12: yes ;) 14) This is a fairly positive thread - last year the vibe was that if anyone takes a job in a red state they are supporting draconian state policies, therefore bad people and deserve everything bad that will happen tot them. 15) I'm in a red state where DEI is basically banned but that's in name only. The university will still be collecting data and do all the things that the DEI office did, but it's called something else now. Another benefit of being in a red state is that it's diverse. It's hard not to do DEI here when non-first gen whites are a tiny minority. Unless you go out of your way, it's almost guaranteed that what you do will have impact and the students in your lab will be from underserved groups. 16) Agree with 15. In all honesty whatever outreach and DEI you do in a red state will probably have much more impact than it would at a deep blue liberal northeastern university. You might prefer living in the latter (I would), but your efforts are less needed there x3 17) when I look at the detailed attempts of faculty at east/west coast schools developing complex DEI-oriented broader impacts I almost laugh because I really don't have to work very hard at my R1 in a DEI banned southern state to get non-white students in my lab; when I read these parts of a proposal I really wonder what sort of places they must really be so that it's hard to find non-white students, then hard to recruit them in the lab and then hard to train them and then try to find them jobs afterward. Banning DEI didn't suddenly make me suddenly hire only white people. It simply tells me that despite the political narrative, lots of places in the US are still pretty racist and these are not the southern states. 18) @17 I was with you until the end. Lots of places are pretty racist for sure and that includes the southern states. | |
137 | 10/3/23 8:22 | Where are the evolution jobs? | 11/1/23 8:29 | I'm starting to think only Ivies (Ivys?) are hiring people who do what I do! Getting super frustrated. 2) Same! don't let yourself get discouraged. Maybe an Ivy will want you. That's what I'm telling myself anyway... 3) There are likely still state schools to release positions, but I'm getting nervous about the lack of normal level jobs as well. 4) On the plus side, seems like every single Ivy has a position I could apply for this year. Good opportunity to get rejected from the entire Ivy league all at once. 5) I don't know what the OP is talking about, this 23/24 year alone I have applied for 6 positions, all the way from SLAC to Ivy.... perhaps not what you do but certainly evolution. 6) 6 isn't very many jobs though? x5 7) After sending out a few applications over the last couple years, I was planning on this being my 'big' year, and am really dissapointed so far in how many evo positions there have been (that I'd be competitive for). x3 8) I have also wondered about the difference in the number of positions in evolution vs ecology and if it's demographic and/or something else. I am in an EEB department that had their last search for an evolutionary biologist in 2014 or so. And most of the senior evolutionary biologists have been in the department their entire careers as faculty (and some were here even for postdocs or PhDs). Whereas in ecology, there has been a lot more turnover (i.e. more retirements and more ecologists moving to new positions). Ecology is a broader field and maybe ecologists feel the need to move around more to end up in departments that better align with their interests. Or perhaps a lot of universities have started hiring initiatives in global change biology or sustainability or climate science, so maybe that's why jobs aren't advertised as evolutionary genomics, population genetics, or macroevolution these days so that departments can get faculty hires approved by upper administration. Anyway, good luck to all the evolution folks on here! 9) I don't know 8, I think that 'ecogists' are often qualified or good fits for a much smaller percentage of the 'ecology' jobs posted because of it being a broader field. So I'm not sure that it really equals more chance for applications. | |
138 | 10/2/23 5:53 | Considering benefits when accepting positions | 10/21/23 16:19 | We vent a lot about salary here, but if you are negotiating or considering accepting a position, please ask about benefits and costs. I have worked at 3 different universities as an employee of different types and mostly had good benefits that were clear, however my new university has the worst benefits I have seen. We are considered state employees so I assume that is why it is so bad, but it is seemingly made to make people avoid healthcare for risk of going bankrupt even with insurance and the required retirement takes a huge portion of your salary. I wish I had thought to really dig into the benefits and understand just how awful they really were before accepting this position. The increased pay from my last position is more than negated by the increased costs for benefits and taxes in my new state. 2) A friend took for granted the IVF benefits at their 3 previous universities. Ours does not cover that kind of care. It's costing him tens of thousands per year. But we cover unlimited therapist visits which others find very important. If there is a key benefit take a look. Globally all faculty positions are *supposed* to offer decent health insurance. The plans are usually posted online. Be sure to note the out of pocket maximum, which most insurance has as a provision to avoid bankruptcy for catastrophic illness. If your institution's plan does not have that, something is super wrong with the institution. Financial planners recommend saving 15% of your salary each year, which usually is some combination of employee and employer match that vests after 5ish years. Given how late in life we earn income, you may actually want to save more so look into extra contribution rules, 457, 403b, 401k or IRA options. If you are required to put in more than 15% I'd wonder why. Saving less than that will put you at risk in retirement years. If your employer doesn't match retirement that is not a normal faculty situation. I'm assuming from the details you are in the US. 3) Understanding certain benefits can be difficult and this can affect how we value them. My public uni has a paltry 403b match but I contribute to a solid pension fund that will likely pay out about $1k more per month in retirement than would a different uni with a generous match, assuming I also invest the would-be pension contributions in tax advantaged accounts (I know this because I spent the 30 minutes in Excel to compare while weighing a job offer). I never had a pension so had discounted the value of it before. 2again) Pensions most often pay off if you stay in the same position for decades. If you think you might move, you could be better off in the 401k style plan. And better still if you are a savvy risk-on investor. Choose according to your lifestyle. What is good for you may not be best for your colleagues. And thumbs up on the excel sheet. We'd probably have a fun time talking finances together. 4) Health insurance at my previous uni was >$1000/month for my family, in my new position it's $30 with better coverage. State income tax, property tax for homeowners, all these determine your actual take home. The calculations are complex. 5) @2 Thanks for the comprehensive list of things to thinking about! | |
139 | 10/1/23 16:08 | Career advice for young people | 10/9/23 13:02 | Would anyone else strongly discourage their children from any sort of academic or academic-related career? Maybe I'm just traumatized but I don't want my kids anywhere near this stuff. Supervise yours closely while they're on youtube or they might sneak David Attenborough specials, those things can send them down the wrong path. I hope my kids something more employable and stable, like gymnast or brand ambassador. 1) You had me going for the first half, not gonna lie! hah OP) I'm mostly serious. My kids were watching Sesame Street and there was a bit about paleontologists and cool dinosaurs. I thought "Nooooo don't put that dangerous stuff in their heads." 2) Professor to industry person here. PhDs wind up training you in some of the hardest and most in demand skills there are. If they were dead set on being a professor I’d be a bit worried. But also not as with fairly minimal cross training they could jump into a bunch of different careers that are equally or more satisfying and pay better. 3) right now I am discouraging myself from maintaing the trajectory 4) Before I had a child, I was abslutely on the side of "take this science thing away from their view" but now that they're here, I cannot avoid showing them the awesome animals in the world, buying cool animal-themed clothes etc. I honestly feel torn LOL 5) "gymnast or brand ambassador" lol 6) I suggest spending some time in industry or government before deciding. There is just as much nonsense there as academia. Might be different, but still there and may be even worse depending on what you value (i.e. flexibility vs salary). Right now, unemployment rates are very low and getting a well-paid job outside academia is fairly easy but things can change quickly (see: 2008, 2020). If you're a tenured professor watching your industry friends get laid off in their early 50's, then you might feel differently. 7) If you're getting laid off in your 50s, it probably comes with a severance package though. 6-12months pay softens the unemployment. IMO tenure is a bad reason to pursue academia. 8) I'll take my interesting industry job with 200+k year salary + bonus + stock + big 401k match + 5% yearly raise on average + 10-20% bump each time I switch jobs over a tenure job making $100k if I'm lucky and little growth. Sure, I might get laid off once or twice in my career, but the massive salary difference more than offsets it. @8) Then WTF are you doing here!? Honest question 9) As some actively applying for industry jobs as well the few academic ones that still appeal to me, I appreciate the lurking by industry-ers. (industrialists? :) ) It reminds me that my path is normal and not shameful. 12) #8 here... Lots of reasons. I like to chime in sometimes when people don’t think their skills transfer to point out how they do. Most of you all are great but academia trains you to think otherwise. I think it’s useful to also talk about how industry isn’t what you think it is as it’s a viewpoint that I never got during my phd. I was also on this board for years and it can be pretty entertaining to look at when I'm bored during a meeting. 13) I'm just gonna throw this out there for people: if you are interested in industry jobs, make a linkedIn and maintain it like your CV! Headhunters will come looking for you if you have skillz. I have turned down 3 industry jobs without having ever applied for them (and I'm starting to feel like an idiot for not taking any of them tbh) 14) Academia is a bubble. Be happy there are non-academic lurkers here talking about post-academic options, if you're lucky your bubble might pop. 15)..."200+k year salary + bonus + stock + big 401k match + 5% yearly raise on average"...where did I go wrong? My industry position is $40k (USD) + crappy insurance + few vacation days + <1% yearly raise. 16) Probably in your academic pursuits... 17) It’s really about rebranding your academic skills. Most everyone out of an EEB PhD has project management skills, can communicate well to different audiences, can deal with real world and messy data, can design experiments, can validate results, do stats, manage data, write, summarize complex topics, operate independently, hone in on core questions, etc etc. Lots of jobs that pay well and need those skills… analytics, data science, product/project management, ui/ux, operations. 18) OK, but be serious. Most people stepping out of academia even with some of those skills aren't landing 200k a year industry jobs! 19) totally agree - the 'industry is better' myth and the rise of 'quit lit' (grifters selling 'job hunting skills to people who think academia has ruined them' - is a croc. Industry is no better than academia - they are jobs. If you value teaching and mentoring, then stay in academia. Every job has bullshit attached to it. Startups and companies in industry go broke, get bought out, get restructured all the time. $200k plus bonuses and a rise towards CEO/CTO is not the norm. 20) #8 here – oh yea totally agree with everyone. IMO an average industry job that uses some of the more technical skills of a PhD has better growth and some other perks over an average academic job. Even an average analyst salary is going to be 60-100k starting with better benefits than most average faculty jobs. But I do know a whole lot of PhDs doing stuff in industry and average base salary is still 150-250 + benefits depending on years of experience. And I have access to databases that show the same. So yea, still just a job, but a job where even an average position (including the occasional layoff) is probably a good bit better than an average academic job. All IMO, but my point is that it’s a great path with lots of perks and flexibility. And that the skills you get from a PhD set you up pretty well if you know how to spin it. | |
140 | 9/27/23 13:28 | People who police every single ad for up-front letters | 10/22/23 19:11 | It's very annoying and is not helping anyone. Do you have nothing better to do? 2) can we add the "this is a failed search" people to this vent? I swear every job posting has someone claiming its a failed search from last year and I dgaf. x3 3) I only care about failed if I was supposed to be next in line on that specific job. But that doesn't belong on this job board. 4) The letter thing is tiresome. The failed search is important information if you can get some idea why the searches failed x3. 5) Most of the "failed" searches I've seen flagged didn't even fail though, it is just the same university looking for something similar....x2 6) don't forget the "not an eco-evo job" comment! 7) I do wish there was a column for whether letters are required up front. 8) I find it helpful when people add whether letters are required upfront! Then I know how much lead time would be needed to apply. Everyone please keep doing this. :-P ...x5 9) I almost didn't notice that a position to which I was planning to apply required letters up front, so I am happy when I see this mentioned in the sheet. 10) I'd like to also add the "this is an internal hire" to the list of things I'm tired of seeing. This almost always appears to be wild speculation, it's very unhelpful. x2 11) Or at least raise the threshold for internalcandidateposting. A slighlty more specific job ad than is typical does not mean an internal hire. 12) "internal hires" are a threat to everyone, unless it is your department and you are the internal hire 13) I would LOVE to be an internal hire. I'll take any path I can to a job at this point. X3 14) 4 of the last 5 hires in my dept have been internal, fingers crossed! 15) 3 of the last 4 campus interviews that I went on ultimately went to internal hires. Nice for them but I wish I hadn't wasted so much time on them! 16) @15 if they invited you to campus you had a genuine shot! The faux searches I'm aware of only invite the pre-selected candidate to interview in person. Everyone else gets a phone/Zoom interview for show. 17) @16 Wow, that sounds like very poor HR oversight. My dept did a hire during the covid border closures and some candidates couldn't travel, so everyone did their interview by zoom, even the local candidate. Sucked for everyone but it was fair. 16) That sounds like a normal search though. I'm talking about super sketch pre-selected "poaching" searches. HR-rules usually make places interview more than one cadidate, but if they know who they want (and only want that person) they'll cut corners. I know of one search last year that only interviewed the pre-selected person and literally no one else. When he turned down the offer they just didn't hire anyone. I'm pretty sure that was illegal, but what can you do? 18) I agree the internal hire claims on here are a bit much, but I also think depts are doinf some sketch stuff these days because of broader pressures. I did an in person interview and was the pick of the search committee/dept (I know a faculty member in the dept. who gave me the scoop afterward) but the dept. chair unilaterally made the offer to the husband of another faculty member. I'm all for spousal hires (I'm a trailing spouse myself) but they should be done explicitly. Doing a fake search is just a waste of everyone's time, but I think this was the only way the chair could do the spousal hire to retain the other faculty member, so in the end I think it's really an issue higher up in the food chain with deans etc. (19) I often post that letters are due up front when I notice this just so people don't get caught unaware. I agree with 7, AP we should have a letters up front policy column. 20) Yeah, that would be good. It could be a checkbox with "Due up front" "Requested later" and "Unclear" 20) 3) The rec letter police are now getting really disingenuous, in addition to just plain annoying. Oberlin post: ""**By providing three letters of reference, you agree that we may contact your letter writers." Do we need completed letters to apply, or just provide references?" like, a little reading comprehesion please?? Obviously that means just provide refs. FFS. 21) Wow, read that again before you complain about other people's reading comprehension. Your obviously conclusion is the opposite of what it says. The sentence is terribly written and deserves the complaint it got. | |
141 | 9/21/23 4:45 | SC behavior during interview | 10/3/23 15:00 | Had such a positive on-campus find around interview. First day was normal, but the second day was peppered with extremely positive comments and ended the day receiving a literal "double thumbs up" from one of the SC members. Only to then not hear anything for weeks and then finally a form rejection email. Wish the SC had more professional behavior – so as to not be misleading. 2) One time at the end of an interview, the department chair winked at me and said be talking to you soon... They failed the search x2. 3) Same but with multiple wink-wink post-visit emails prior to the vote that then turned into silence after the vote happened. 4) These sound mostly like someone who really was a fan of you but in committee it got into a more complicated discussion where the other side won. I promise you that the committee being overly nice is not the worst it can get on an interview. 5) I was told by a mentor that it can be a good thing for the department to be a little bit uninterested in your research and a red (or at least orange) flag for them to be too excited. It means you probably bring more to the table so-to-speak than someone who already vibes super well with the department. 6) Hard thing about interviews is that the committee and department can really love multiple candidates, but can only pick one. Feels terrible to leave the interview feeling like you really knocked it out of the park only to not get the job. Truth is, you probably did knock it out of the park. And so did others... 7) I mean, the thing that is frustrating is not the enthusiasm followed by not being "picked", its the complete lack of follow-up. A short note saying, "we wish you well, ultimately another candidate was a better fit, but we appreciated meeting you" is not hard and means a lot, rather than leaving someone hanging for weeks or months with no info. x8 OP) Yes, feeling this last comment hard. The form rejection email even had different font from where the SC chair copied and pasted the form text and then a different font for where they said I could contact them for additional feedback. Have responded for additional feedback and no response. I understand that people are busy, but why even offer if you're not going to share more information x2 8) @OP we call it an English offer. They weren't serious, just being polite. 9) @8, if they were being polite they wouldn't go radio silent once you aren't considered anymore. x2 8) @9 I suppose I should have said "trying to be polite." I completely agree and personally find offering something to do something with no intention of doing it incredibly rude 10) for what its worth, I've had one interview where all the committee members were cold to me and I had a strong feeling that they were trying not to be positive at all so as not to skew how I felt I was doing. Who knows, maybe I was doing poorly, but I would have welcomed some warmth during those stressful two days. 11) @10 that sounds rough. Sorry you went through that. Out of curiosity, what were non-SC folks in the department like? I ask because at my last interview the SC was friendly and warm, but literally everyone else in the department was cold and clearly didn't care about my research. That made it pretty obvious that I wasn't going to get the job. 12) There are often HR rules that prevent us from communicating about the job with people who did not get the job. 13) we get that #12, it still sucks 11) thanks, yes you are right that it was mostly the search committee, but also the big wigs in the department who gave a general air of disinterest. The graduate lunch was delightful, and my casual conversations too, but unfortunately my meetings were mostly taken up by the former groups. | |
142 | 9/20/23 7:31 | Project poaching | 10/1/23 17:39 | I interviewed for a job last year and one faculty member was extremely antagonistic during the interview and one-on-one sessions. They dismissed my research goals from the first sentence, undermined my expertise, misrepresented my pub record, and were unenthusiastic about a particular project. Recently I found out they are doing that exact project with a brand new collaborator but they initiated the work after my interview not before. Ok, it's not the most creative in my research portfolio, but it isn't something most people care about. It was nowhere on her radar before my interview. It felt pretty nasty, and even more so with them pursuing competing research goals afterward. We have to disclose research goals for job interviews. Associated with confidentiality should be the basic decency not to target junior researchers' projects. 2) That is a gross violation of your confidentiality and a breach of professional ethics. You should report it to the search committee. The search committee will be in a strong position to help you or to sanction the faculty member because they will have clear records indicating when you proposed the project idea. 3) I have a similar-ish thing happen to me, except that folks were enthusiastic about my talk, telling me its got great ideas and how they would like to have that kind of stuff in their department, one SC member even joked about wanting to steal those ideas... and then I got rejected because I apparently didn't have enough experience and subject matter expertise *shrug emoji* *upside-down face emoji*. Not sure if they actually end up taking my ideas tho, I'm too scared to check. 4) @2 love the passion, but unfortunately that's not how the world works. It's not really a punishable violation. It's just super shitty. OP) I agree with 4. There is almost nothing that will happen if I "report" her. Everyone knows I gave a talk on a niche organism and that now she's doing competitive work. And no one stopped it when they knew, so nothing will happen to her now. It's really difficult to prove she never had the idea before, unless she lifted text from my proposal to submit in a grant. 4) This does sound like one of those situations where it is reasonable to "gossip" through the grapevine...carefully, so you don't just come across as bitter and angry. I agree that nothing will happen formally, but it is OK to warn others, including PIs in the field you feel comfortable with. It's how people build up reputations, which is a natural and often helpful thing. 5) Its only fair for you to nuke their papers and grant proposals, should they ever land in front of you. F em they get what they deserve. While you're at it, let people know what happened - they deserve the reputation they earn. 6) respectfully to @4 I think this is a situation that warrants anger and bitterness. Twitter/X is sorta dying nowadays but I would 100% put that person on blast. This is soooo shitty. I agree I'm not sure reporting will do anything official, but it will DEFINITELY do something unofficial. If I knew a member of my department did this they would immediately end up on my shit list, and there are definitely people who have influence in departments that can give consequences for this type of thing. 7) Something similar happened on Twitter 1-2 years ago where a new prof (one of Pruitt's former postdocs) blasted another new prof (who they shared an office with at one point) for starting to work on the same model organism. Neither of them looked good in the exchange, as one can't very well say "Only I may work on this question!". OP) This is the exact project on the same organism that I proposed. It seems like the world of sciencie is big enough that SCs should be able to find their own science without targeting my specific ideas. 7) @OP "should be", sure, but ever notice how when Hollywood makes one movie, other studios make a bunch of the same movies? E.g. Dantes Peak/Inferno, Deep Impact/Armageddon, Observe & Report/Paul Blart? Same thing here - one good idea begets copycats and incrementalists, some of whom will eclipse the initiator. OP) You're on the job market and you still have time to watch movies??? 8) this happened to me OP. I was offered a position but I had to reject it because their offer was dismal (tiny startup to support my work, no lab, low salary), and one of the faculty members stole some of my ideas and began doing research in the same topic (just different model organism). I'm relieved not to have to deal with that person as a colleague. 8) @7: I think you mean VOLCANO, not INFERNO (the Tom Hanks thriller). | |
143 | 9/19/23 14:39 | Should it be more difficult to get tenure? | 10/4/23 17:27 | Or keep tenure? At most schools, just about all hires get tenure. On one hand, this makes sense if you assume the "cream-of-the-crop" rise to get the positions, but given stochasticity I've seen in searches, I'm not entirely sure this is true. I don't want to be against tenure--I totally see why it is important--but I'll admit sometimes I wonder. Maybe this isn't exactly a vent, but it is coming from a vent-y place in my heart as I deal with some faculty hijinks, so I put it here. 2) Tenure exists so that acadmics can pursue research that they want to without political repercussions. That is a good thing. But when we watch a tight job market coupled with so many faculty retiredin place, it's difficult to stomach. Profs in my department were told they either have to do research or the chair will double/triple the teaching load to instructor levels. That got a lot of folks back to the lab. Seems to be a decent way to handle it. No one gets to teach one class per term at outrageous pay and do nothing else. I wish the folks who do not want the job would just get out. Then we could have a decent department. x2 3) It sure seems like the tenure process is more for show than anything else - in recent years many questionable hires at Canadian schools have underperformed, outright failed to launch, and even had formal (highly credible/true) sexual harassment investigations brought forward by undergrads and still been promoted to Associate. 4) A lot of the problems with tenure would go away if universities were allowed to have mandatory retirement (it used to be common in US but was ruled as age discrimination by the courts). 5) Keep tenure, but if you postdoc in a department for 5 years you have the option to challenge one TT prof for their spot. X3 6) Trial by combat X2 7) Don't make it a drinking contest or the senior profs will win. 8) Thanks for the LOLs everyone. These are the vents we need! x2 9) @ 5 omg yes hahahAHahAha sigh... OP) Yes thanks for the giggles! Perhaps a "bench off" between postdocs and tenured profs?? :D 10) My two cents: have department undergrads vote on who to keep and who to send home. 10) For all those with tenure beefs - come on down to FL, seems like just the place for you. You too can enjoy low pay, extreme admin bloat, and living with a constant undercurrent of concern about your job security while you watch what you say on a a daily basis. There are lots of openings now, seems like the perfect landing spot for all of the "if they would just retire" crowd! OP) Aw come on. Most of us are not totally against tenure. In my case, I just get annoyed when I'm working my butt off with research, getting grants, advising students, and even doing service (not allowed to teach) at ~$60-70k/yr while a full prof who does nothing even remotely controversial---mostly because they do next to nothing unless they are throwing wrenches in gears at the 1 faculty meeting they show up each year---gets $170k/yr. A salary is not a reward for past work. Like, that's annoying. So I'm venting. Most profs are fine. x2 11) In the last few years I applied to a few small-ish Canadian schools hiring ecologists. The departments were almost entirely dinosaurs who hadn't published since their PhDs in the 80s but were looking to hire "rockstars" who also had to have little-to-no teaching experience, because the faculty were rated so lowly on teaching evals and RateMyProf. 12) I think the issue is that it wasn't so hard to get tenure 30+ years ago and the boomers won't retire. Frankly sick of entitled old white men taking up space. Go away and let us make academia better. x2 13) Hey now, old white women are just as bad. 14) A really common dynamic after tenure is that faculty get more and more demands for departmental and university service and other non-research activities. Most tenured profs I know work as hard or harder than the assistant profs, but their time might not be spent as much on traditional "research productivity" - just another perspective. 15) A friend of mine didn't get tenure, after a few years of bad luck (pandemic) and not publishing much/ not getting a grant. 16) @15 - sucks for your friend but we need more of that! | |
144 | 9/18/23 10:48 | Ads should include a salary range and the teaching load! | 9/28/23 9:00 | This should not be hard people. We should not have to ask what the teaching load is, that is a huge piece of information that needs to be in EVERY job ad! How can we assess the potential job if we do'nt know whether x regional university has a 1 course teaching load or 3? We don't know! We have no way of knowing! Tell us!!! And obviously the salary! How can I decide if I should move to your city if I don't know what you would be paying me?? Is it even worth my time to apply?? Help us out here! (Thanks for letting me vent. sigh...) 2) All of this! 3) I think that this job board at least should have a column on the main page for salary range and whether letters are requested up front. If nothing else it would highlight the committees that are writing good, transparent job ads. Teaching load would also be great, though I fear there are almost no ads that really report that in an easily interpretable way. 4) Yeah, contact hours might as well be heiroglpyhs. 5) Not disclosing salary range is a negotiating tactic! FYI, NYC and now NY State require listing of salary range in all job ads. Other states should follow suit. 6) If a state school look up the salaries in the public databases. And don't be afraid to discuss the general range with friends. You don't need to know the exact numbers but they should be able to give you a rough range. 7) AAUP survey 8) Rhode Island, Colorado, and several other states require posting the salary range as well. 9) Current faculty member here- totally agree about salary ranges! RE teaching loads, they are flexible/ negotiable in many places I have worked (all R1s), so they can be more variable than one might think. Some departments have stated target loads, but there can be high variance in practice due to differeing negotation priorities, retention offers, teaching buy-outs, etc. Asking lots of questions of future colleagues at the revisit and negotiating phase is a good idea to make sure you have a good picture of the teaching landscape and end up in a situation that is fair relative to your new colleagues. OP) @ 9 thanks, this is interesting and helpful! I think for R1 schools it's expected to be a lower load. For the R2-3 / regional comprehensive / PUI / masters granting type schools it can vary so much, like do you want me to have a full "externally funded" program and teach 4 classes a semester or 2 or 1? Such a mystery! | |
145 | 9/18/23 9:34 | So close and yet so far... | 9/18/23 10:47 | I've seen almost half a dozen ads so far this cycle that are back in my home state (which I'd love to return to) and at good institutions, with areas of specialty that are just far enough outside my wheelhouse that it's really hard to imagine being competitive for them. And the one broader position is one that has to have hundreds of applicants... 1) Apply anyway! I know this process is disheartening etc but just apply if it could even remotely work, because you never know. It's a hellscape out there for sure, but just try. It's easy to talk ourselves out of applying. | |
146 | 9/16/23 12:02 | Failed searches | 11/24/23 17:17 | 1) Two of the three searches I applied for last year were failed and reposted this year. The amount of wasted effort.. for the hundreds of applicants...for the search committee and department... for the admin staff is egregious. If you are going to search, either know what you want or be prepared to hire someone who does something you didn't expect. Stop wasting everyone's time 2) it would help if SCs werent all chasing the same very small pool of candidates 3) I interviewed for the same position twice over two rounds, and both searches failed. The job has just been reposted a third time and the ad still doesn't specify the thing they claimed all the candidates lacked. 3) A candidate did a late no-show on a job and I was next down the list. It's past the budget year and HR had closed the search because the candidate had supposedly signed. I wish so badly they could make it work for me, but I'm fairly sure it won't. So pointless, and no repercussions for the school or the candidate. Just for me. 4) I know this would never happen. but what if we all banded together and committed to not applying to schools with more than one failed search in the last 5 years. That would change the equation. Imagine an R1 that got zero applications because they were known as a chronic search failer. 5) @2, that doesn't seem to be the case. If you look at the AnonQuals from previous years, nobody with more than a few applications is getting interviewed for even 50% of what they apply to (most are nowhere close to 50%), regardless of their "stats". So there's not some small pack of people who are being pursued by everyone. 6) @5, there actually is though. Ask around. Many searches failed last year bc of overlapping interview pools. Same as the year before, and the year before that. Those people don't generally post on the voluntary anon quals section 7) Anon quals is such a bad and biased source of data. I get why it's here, but it's worse than nothing for making conclusions.x2 8) @6 based on people I know irl who scored jobs recently, they get two offers (out of 10ish applications) and turn one down. I don't think there's a magic club of people who get all the jobs they apply for. [unncessarily rude comment & reponses deleted. "DON'T: be a jerk" -AP] 12) flagged: hey, AP, is there anything we can do about the folks just going around insulting people and not actually contributing to any sort of productive conversation? They seem to pop up all over the board this year and it's really not a good vibe AP) @12 I don't have time or inclination to micromanage all the comments, but I agree, that was pointlessly rude, so thanks for the flag. Maybe we can try to be nicer to each other? 12) thanks AP! 13) sometimes a search fails because all the finalists went somewhere else. What do you do then? Thats what happened in my institute. 14). I declined a really bad offer, good uni, obviously riding off prestige-why are UK unis not upfront about startup (or the lack thereof), heard they had also just had another failed search-so obviously think they can provide lowball offers and just ride off prestige | |
147 | 9/10/23 9:56 | new year, same vent. why different length requirements for statements uggghhh | 9/18/23 18:07 | 1) I've seen research statement lengths from 2 pages to 5 pages so far. Really wish they could standardize. 2) Also cryptic requests for "concise" statements, no page specifications! 1) I take that to mean 2 pages, but yeah. At least specify. 3) does it really hurt to submit a shorter statement to an app asking for a longer one? 4) A 5 page statement usually means 2 pages past, 3 pages future. Some schools evalutate those separately. 5) Who determines the standard? 6) @5, every individual department and search committee. 7) The EU said Apple can't invent new adapter shapes. Can they do similar for job statements? 8) @7 I know that was sarcasm, but Europe tends to have pretty consistent job applications aleady ime! 5-6 page research statements + cover letter & CV. No DEI statements ever and rarely anything about teaching. 7 again) In reality, I wonder if a scientific society made a recommendation whether it would help at all. Even if some schools have to bundle two into a single upload it might help to have specs that were endorsed by a field. 8) A colleague mentioned that a Sociology society already implemented something like that. Maybe ESA can start by not allowing postings on their website if they require letter upfront. 9) Other fields like math do this much better than biology. There's one website that handles most applications with the expectation that a lot of materials will be reused. They have the advantage that there's a lot more uniformity (hiring is almost all in Math depts, more consistency across different kinds of hires). 10) Once you apply for enough jobs, you already have something in all varieties of lengths for all different application pieces that you can adapt them <insert weeping emoji here>. 11) @10 😭 | |
148 | 9/8/23 9:50 | Surprising statistics on DEI statements | 11/23/23 3:41 | From https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/us/ucla-dei-statement.html "At Berkeley, a faculty committee rejected 75 percent of applicants in life sciences and environmental sciences and management purely on diversity statements" "Latino candidates constituted 13 percent of applicants and 59 percent of finalists. Asian and Asian American applicants constituted 26 percent of applicants and 19 percent of finalists. Fifty-four percent of applicants were white and 14 percent made it to the final stage. Black candidates made up 3 percent of applicants and 9 percent of finalists." 2) This is exactly the breakdown we need - in addition to the identity of the actual hires. That boondoggle at Cornell about encouraging "minorities" to apply to pad the pools suggests that the over-representation of certain groups in the finalists category may just be for show and they are having their time wasted in the process. 3) Wow. I predict lawsuits like the affirmative action ones, with scotus as the end goal. I say that not based on my personal opinon---just that these numbers look like the kind that will fuel lawsuits. Of course, who actually gets the jobs matters a lot (like 2 alludes to). 4) As this article makes clear, DEI statements were originally designed to cover up illegal protected-class discrimination, and now they are used to prepetrate both that and illegal viewpoint discrimination. This is not a big secret, if you've ever been on a search committee. Lawsuits are deinitely coming, and departments should reflect on how they got so far down this road. Extremely unethical and this practice will soon be in the dustbin of history where it belongs. 5) You're assuming all statements were of equal quality. It's almost like being able to talk compellingly about your appreciation and experience with diverse life experiences is an important part of the application process... 6) 54 percent applying versus 14 percent making it through is ridiculous @5, don't be silly and try to invent excuses 7) damn the dumbasses are out in force this year. Have y'all tried applying for jobs in a white-ethnostate? There's alot of them in the world and you might fit in better 8) I thought the article was interesting and fair. Given multiple states are banning DEI statements, and at least one person had a job pulled because of comments they made questioning their utility, it is something that should be explored and reported on. There is middle ground between being all in on DEI statements (which I'm not against but worry that they are just performative or legal cover for universities), and wanting to work in a "white ethnostate". 9) I've reviewed applications before on an SC and DEI statements on grants. I am shocked at the idea of 75% being nonviable on diversity statements. There are problematic or vague statements, but if more than half the applicant pool cannot meet the mark, there is something off about the instructions to applicants or evaluation metrics. Even not-so-woke people write about their outreach and URM mentoring as if they are important when funding or jobs are on the line (not an endorsement, just saying they can put something decent sounding on paper). x3 10) Maybe there is something off about most of the statements because there is something off about the way that universities (and society generally) are treating their students and faculty of color. Applicants work for universities and live in society and so the way that society is addressing these issues informs the way that individual applicants are, and if you wanted to hire only people who are actively working to improve the situation for poc in academia, then maybe there aren't that many people? 11) @10, if this is the number #1 factor in hiring decisions, then this should be communicated much more loudly at earlier stages (grad level and before), and less emphasis should be placed on having that Science/Nature/Cell/PNAS paper. The way it is now, people work long hours and weekends to have a chance at these papers, sacrificing their mental health and relationships with family and friends, only to find out that 75% of them won't even have their research statement read. Ridiculous. 12) In light of this article plus other recent happenings at UCLA, that place seems to have it out for anyone who takes a stance on anything whatsoever. 13) oh please @12, don't bring that UCLA slander into this. They've been behaving much better than Berkeley 13) 75% not making it to the research statement stage is so patently stupid, it's hard to comprehend. Many of us suspected this, but to actually see these numbers..wow, just wow 14) I've also been on SCs and read all kinds of letters, statements, etc. I can't comment on the article or the specifics of this search, but the concept of excluding applicants on the basis of a DEI statement doesn't make sense. I haven't ever seen any such high proportion of red flag-worthy statements, and I would venture the applicants to Berkeley lean more liberal than your average PhD, making it even less likely so many statements contained anything that should eliminate a candidate from consideration. 15) I seem to recall hearing that 75% statistic in reference to a specific search, a UC Berkeley cluster hire back in I think 2019 that was set up specifically to find candidates well-poised to advance DEI, and so it would make sense there. The "new academic paper" referenced in the NYT piece isn't linked and searching the authors' names yields nothing, so I can't tell if the stat is based on anything beyond that one old case. 16) I would argue that it is still remarkably high, even in that case @15. i mean, to reject 75% of assistant professor applicants regardless of--without even reading-- teaching and research statements? what is the job of a professor anyway? Even a professor hired with DEI in mind. Is it really DEI philosophy and initiatives first and above all else? is that what students and those supporting them want? i mean that as a real question--i dont know the answer but I am skeptical. Note I think DEI is important and DEI statements are often good, but to not even look at research and teaching credentials because of some hyper-conservative (low c) DEI rubric or whatever is crazy. 17) So many people apply for academic jobs and many of them are very qualified. So, I bet that filtering first based on DEI didn't even lower the quality of the research and teaching of the applicants selected for interviews. 18) Come on people, we're supposed to be scientists! I know this issue just gets everyone into the same old positions again, but read the article. A newspaper writer who focuses on campus free speech cited a paper (that isn't linked) by an author who works at an advocacy group opposed to diversity statements. And, the super-scientific conclusion of that paper is that one time, at Berkeley, one committee cut 75% of applicants based on DEI statements (for a job ad that emphasized the importance of DEI). Fine, debate the merits of that happening once, even if its true, but let's chill on the over-generalizations and "I guess I shouldn't have written 4 Nature papers" responses. Or, go spend thousands on wellness devices made by noted doctor Gwenyth Paltrow if we're just believing anything we read on the internet. I bet she sells something on there that claims to help DEI initiatives too... 19) @18 thank you for injecting some sense into this absolutely wild conversation. I swear some of these guys have drank the Fox News kool-aid. DEI statements aren't about ideology or philosophy, they're about leadership actions. Being a TT professor isn't just a "research and teaching" job. They're leadership positions and DEI statements are where you show that you are ready to lead a team of scientists in America's complicated culturally diverse society. If you just want to do research and/or teach, there are plenty of other jobs available. x5 15) I hear the New College is hiring... 20) @18 I think you can also make the case as scientists that there is little evidence that DEI statements create substantive change in academia. There are lots of ways to display leadership on DEI and other issues, and many are not fully convinced that these statements will do much in the end. In most cases, we are talking about senior white professors assessing DEI statements written by white postdocs. One view is that DEI statements (and many similar initiatives) are just another form of intra-elite competition among whites for a scarce resource (professorships), and the success of non-whites barely even figures into it. After George Floyd, my campus scrambled to get on the DEI train and hired a high-level DEI administrator with support staff (at a time when we had a hiring freeze). Nothing substantive has changed on campus. What we know works to improve relations in an institution like a university is exposure to diverse people. Academia is an elite, exclusionary space by design (unless we are talking about open enrollment community colleges or similar), and I'm not sure DEI statements do much to change that. I hope we can come up with better ideas than a statement assessed by a rubric one time in one's career, while also acknowledging that the primary function of a professor is to create knowledge (i.e. research) and disseminate that knowledge (i.e. teaching, seminars, writing, etc). x2 21) Yes, New College is hiring, a direct result of making universities a political football. For at least four years, several major campuses used DEI statements as the primary weed-out. It's not a one-off. If you even question whether a DEI statement makes any difference, you're excluded. This is exactly the type of stuff that drives further backlashes against higher ed without doing anything to show it's made a bit of difference for the students who have been most marginalized. Many people support making higher ed more representative without supporting the approach described in that article. 22) I think having DEI statements in as part of the process should absolutely not be the main way that schools work towards making themselves more inclusive because, as has been mentioned, DEI statements alone won't fix inequities. That will require actual action within colleges, departments, classrooms, and labs. But, it seems like a good first step because in order for more concrete actions to occur, you need people who are willing to put work into those changes. DEI statements probably help you at being able to hire those people (even if some people are good at seeming like they'll work on those issues even if they won't). Hiring somebody whose whole job is dedicated to this at the college level is I think a great step too. Easier to make progress on an issue if you have people who are paid to work on it than if you don't. I hear you though that even when those things happen colleges stay elite. True I guess, but I wouldn't say it's a reason to stop trying. 23) I would guess it's not an academic paper, but this essay that is referred to the in nyt article: https://newdiscourses.com/2021/03/university-california-drifts-toward-conformism-representation-academic-freedom/ 24) While a professorship IS a leadership or management position, in STEM the focus should be the subject matter. We'll see what happens down the road, but it's hard based on the last 10 years to envision high-quality scientists coming out of some of these labs. I don't know everyone but the more EDI-focused hires I'm aware of in recent years seem to really be struggling to actually lead their own research programs and seem to be mostly co-supervising their own grad students - and co-supervision isn't a bad thing, but for a savvy student it might seem more advantageous to avoid them. 25) agree @24, I've seen the same thing across multiple departments 26) funny, that's the exact oppostie of my experience. Compassionate PIs who care about DEI tend to be the best leaders and those who "only care about the science" tend to be atrocious managers or abusive bullies x3 15) Nice to see the Paper of Record citing an essay on a website advertising "The Marxification of Education" by bile-spewing racist, transphobe, and anti-semite James Lindsay. This is almost as bad as their gender-affirming care coverage. 24) @ 26 - you seem to have trouble conceptualizing beyond dichotomies. EDI-focused PIs aren't magically more compassionate than science-focused PIs. But that wasn't my point - that's a strawman you inserted to make yourself feel righteous. My point was, we'll see down the road which lab produces more competitive trainees. 26) @24 Not sure why you felt the need to pull out ad hominem attacks there. Clearly you aren't capable of rational discussion, so have a nice day. x2 24) @ 26: simple observation and description is not an ad hominem, but as you seem to be following the "I learned how to argue on twitter" script, at least you tried to use it in the right context. x2 27) This discussion has gone off the rails. 28) It's funny how mad SJW types get at the NY Times. They publish hundreds of stories and dozens of op-eds a week. You're not going to agree with all of them, and journalism is not writing down talking points from activist groups. The real enemies are authoritarian state governments and the like that are banning DEI statements and inventing new ways to interfere politically with universities. x2 15) Considering the authoritarian state governments cite the New York Times in their arguments for their draconian policies, being mad them is 100% warranted. 28) The great thing about the NYT and other respected outlets is that they are capable of presenting both sides of a timely issue and correcting the record if they're wrong about something. I highly doubt they just published those numbers and that prof's account of being cancelled without a thorough fact-checking. x2 16) Also, even if I despise 80% or more of something someone says--or an outlet posts--it doesn't mean that 100% of it is worthless. I tend to evaluate statements based on the content of the particular statement in question. And, the NYT shouldn't censor themselves simply because other use information in misguided and nefarious ways. Based on reactions, this was clearly a useful and relevant story to print. It is information the public is clearly interested in knowing. 29) @15 Take a look at the comments section of the NYT article to see how out of touch academia has become on these issues. 30) I'd like to know the proportion of those not moving forward that wrote diversity statements condemning the practice or just leaving them blank becasue they disagree and thus submitted incomplete applications. There is a ton of information missing form those stats- how many incomplete apps, how many from totally unrelated fields, anything else that would make someone unqualified for the position. If they want to throw numbers into an article, they need to throw all the numbers in. Also, for those crying foul about diversity statements creating trouble for white males, look at the historical numbers. White applicants have been over-represented for all time, its about time we had to work harder to get positions. 31) @30 do you honestly think white applicants were leaving diversity statements blank or full of anti-EDI rants? No way. That proportion is probably 0 or close to it. Its pretty clear you just think "its about time" and don't care that the people being discrimnated against NOW had nothing to do with the discrimination of the past x7 32)@31- You are right, the people applying now didn't cause the systemic issues, but many benefited from them and that has added to the uneven playing field. We all want the job and feeling like anything is against us is hard to deal with, but recognizing that some groups have a boost while others are working against historical (and continued) barriers is still important when looking at current trends. 33) @ 32 - yes, very sad. You should do something about it by not applying for jobs instead of supporting new discrimination trends. X2 34) stay mad yts. being angry douchebags is sure to get you a job 35) @ 34. You sound exactly like the compassionate DEI-focused PI we all needed. Very neutral, not racist at all. Good luck ever finding employment with that vitriol. x3 34) that's the spirit! 36) what point are you trying to make @34? 37) Needs to be be pointed out that either extreme here is unhirable - no one wants the liability of an anti-EDI candidate, and no one wants to deal with anyone who used "yt" or pronouns or generally advertizes that they will be insufferable victims all the time. x4 38) the (invariably white) people using "yt" and talking about how it's about time us white people have a hard time getting hired are the "pick-me girls" of academia 39) @38 no one's told them that they won't get rewarded for their self-defeating cheerleading. See: #30 above. 40) This new ad from Algoma (a small, out-of-the way, underfunded school in a highly undesirable town that also does not have a PhD program) is just way over the top - they've decided to go all-in as a performative arts school: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?job_id=63090 41) Some of yall need to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLMgbV3uaz8&ab_channel=NetflixIsAJoke x2 | |
149 | 8/29/23 15:13 | Time invested in job documents | 10/9/23 13:26 | OP) I'm on my second cycle of applying for jobs, and this time, I'm putting in massive effort into my job documents - getting feedback from lots/varied people, writing and rewriting, etc. For the last two weeks, it feels like my job has been...just...job documents. They're improving, but it is kind of frustrating the amount of time going into these, and to think that they'll probably be skimmed or ignored. Kind of depressing. Anyway. That's the vent. 1) I feel you. I did the same last year. Yielded lots of feedback from a variety of people which I addressed, and I'm not sure any of it made a damn bit of difference in the end. 2) I have gotten lots of feedback at times and no feedback others and there has been no correlation with how far my applications got. Probably a bit different in the first year or two, but after that I've often found people suggest exactly opposite things to me when reading the same version. 3) Yeah echoing 2 after a couple cycles you have gotten enough advice and seen all the angles and the per-app investment gets better. But it's still a numbers game and at that point the time saved through efficiency is well spent on increasing the number you put in. On the bright side, all this deliberate thinking about how to present yourself can possibly help refine your own goals about who you want to be (professionally): at some point you need to cut through all the conflicting advice and in the absence of evidence for comparative effectiveness you should settle with the way that rings true to you. 4) I am on my 3rd cycle and just requested additional feedback on my updated CV. I feel like this never ends. 5) You can only polish a turd so much. x2 6) @5, not true! I just keep polishing. 7) Wait until you see all the time we spend on senseless forms and unfunded grants. 8) Hey, at least hard-money TT profs get paid to waste time on senseless forms and unfunded grants! 9) paid with the sword held over your head (get lucky or don't get tenure) 8 again) but paid!!! Also, you speak as if postdocs don't have their own hanging sword. | |
150 | 8/25/23 15:05 | Interfolio and letters of rec | 9/14/23 10:17 | OP) Just frustrating to see how letters of rec are now expected up-front via Interfolio applications.. Feels like a lot of (probably unneccessary) work for my writers. x2 1) On the jobs tab someone was saying "no big deal" about this odious requirement. No big deal except for every 100 applicants that's 200-300 letters and probably only 4-12 of will ever actually be read. x2 2) It is excessively stupid. As a SC member the jr professors fought hard to make letters due after the first cut. Half the applicants are clearly the wrong fit or not ready yet (e.g. no pubs). No rec letter could move them up list. It's a terrible waste of time to ask for them before the long list is made. 3) @OP, I agree with you that it's a waste of time, but I actually think it has gotten much better. 5-10 years ago nearly all jobs seemed to require letters up front. For the ones I've put on my list this year, there are hardly any that do. Even the interfolio jobs mostly request contact info but not letters to start with. 4) Not that vent again.. 5) in 2015 I sent out 180+ applications. Almost every single application required three letters. Never turned down a single request from me. But, now I'm really not anxious to ask them to write one after that! Regardless, during that time I recall stating on ECOLOG-L that letters up front were a complete waste of time. I got slammed big time by a lot of people. Well, I had been on many search committees and never found letters the least bit useful until the final step before on-campus interviews. A nice pile of professors didn't like me saying that I felt it waas just a way to reduce the pool. Its nice to see people have largely realized my statement, intended to help young scientists and search committees alike, worked. NOBODY was discussing this matter until I blurted it out loudly. :P 6) @5: "I was into 'no letters upfront' before it was cool" :) 7) Well, Ecolog is not anonymous, so it took some guts. Kudos @5 for saying that out loud. 5) unfortunately, I'm not afraid to speak up or be wrong. 🤣. @#7! I've earned my detractors by not putting up with status quo, baloney explanations, and nonsense arguments especially self serving ones. 8) on the committee side, Interfolio is surprisingly clunky and separately requesting letters at a later stage takes some savvy. Pretty frustrating, and I can see why places default to letters up front... 9) @8 that entirely selfish and lazy myopia is at the core of the problem: instead of a bit of extra effort from an SC at one school because one particular software portal they CHOOSE to use instead of just emailing directly is "clunky", make hundreds of people waste their time writing letters that will go unread. Brilliant. 10) Its more that changing things is a lot of work due to HR garbage and tradition. However, if you can demonstrate how this will ultimately reduce work, its more likely to go through. Almost all schools now bypass letters until later. So far as I can tell, some never request them as at least two incidences of letter writing by me for others have resulted in job offers to that person without any correspondense EVER being sent my way. 11) after serving on some SCs and appreciating who sits on these and the amount of discussion that goes into what materials do you need up front, I've learned that i) it's hard to change university or interfolio requirements when it comes to job ads and ii) it is more effecient FOR THE COMMITTEE to have all the documents up front rather than to hunt down letters aftera certain few steps. That way the committee can meet as few times as possible in order to make decisions. Serving on committees is likely 10% of your job in TT positions, and you serve on multiple. So the inertia goes towards, what is less work for the individual committee members. Not an endorsement - letters are a burden on applicants and their letter writers so it's a PITA, but also letter writers generally don't mind. 12) So, 5 committee members need to have an extra meeting vs. 100 applicants * 3 letters = 300 letter writers have to send a letter? I understand from personal experience that it is difficult to change job ad requirements, but fresh job ads need to be written for each position... if the faculty priortized getting these revisions in early (!) there is a better chance the back-and-forth on changes to the boilerplate language with central HR will go through smoothly. Also, by "hunt" down letters do you mean send automated email to applicants and letter writers that letters are requested? Isn't it the applicant's responsibility to get them in? | |
151 | 8/24/23 22:14 | 1 week til first applications due, feeling overwhelmed | 9/8/23 10:38 | 1) applying for my first season of faculty jobs. I'm visiting family at the moment and trying to make the most of time with them, but with one week til 4 Sept. 1st application deadlines, I'm panicking a bit about getting my statements into good enough shape and catering them to each institution. My postdoc mentor has said she's too busy with the start of semester to help from this point onward, so I need to figure this out on my own. Hoping I can get them into good enough shape that those first few apps aren't a complete waste of time 😣 2) As someone who has applied for too many years, the first few of each season are always the worst. It gets harder every year to summon the mental fortitude to re-open and edit those documents. x2 3) For most it's a numbers game and there isn't going to be much benefit gained by extensive tailoring and overthinking, certainly not worth the extra time at this point in your search where you lack experience. Don't panic. Enjoy the visit with your family. 4) In a similar boat as well (first season applying in earnest for faculty positions), but one piece of advice I got was to remember that the initial application materials are only supposed to get you the interview; they aren't meant to get you the job. If you get an interview, you can do more in-depth research into the institution so you can "tailor" what you talk about in the interview, but for the initial materials, you don't have to go beyond what they request in the application instructions. 5) Unfortunately, even to just get the interview a fair bit of tailoring often helps a lot. 6) definitely tailor your applications. Just the tiniest amount of work researching the university and mentioning something specific will help you stand out from the crowds of "spray and pray" applications. | |
152 | 8/24/23 11:36 | Failed searches! | 11/24/23 17:24 | I applied for single-digit number of jobs last year. (I like where I am but want TT.) So far I've found out MULTIPLE of those searches failed and are now up again. I mean, seriously. I really am just shooting applications into the ether. Not saying I am a good candidate--sounds like I'm not! But like, academia get your crap together. We're not all bad. x2 2) I'm in the same boat. I had two on-campus interviews last year and both searches failed. Senior colleagues keep telling me not to read into it too much but it's still a really tough pill to swallow. 3) Same as @2. Struggling to find the energy to put myself through "not good enough, we'd rather have no one than you" again. 4) same here, I'm so tempted to apply to those again :P 5) We had a TT position search fail last year for several reasons... a) we are a SLAC and had 12 applicants, so a relatively small pool. b) the teaching demos were not engaging by our finalists and many student reviews were also lackluster (i.e., you can't suck as a teacher here). c) The research talks typically lacked a solid connection with how candidates would involve undergraduates, also a big deal here. OP) Yeah, I'm really venting about searches with many 10s or even 100+ applicants where the search committee or department decided "OK if this one person doesn't commit then we're done here". I really despise that there is no way to give a second thought to applications--even, or espeically, uninterviewed applicants--when there are often somewhat arbitrary decisions about who ends up on what list. I say this having partaken in or know extensive details of several searches. 6) Sometimes the failed search has everything to do with the institution itself. Annecdotally, I was offered a position last year but the salary they offered me was not enough for my family to live in that region of the country, plus the school was not able to provide a startup package I needed to successfully carry out my research, so I had to turn them down and their search failed. x2 7) My department has had searches fail because the person we hired decided not to come a month before their start date, or our Dean decided to close the search and start again the following fiscal year due to how long unsuccesful negotiations took. OP) Good for that person for looking out for themselves. It's still on the dept/institution/Dean for not putting out better offers in the negotiation or looking down the list of candidates they already had. That is, it is still a sign of internal dysfunction. I declined an offer because it was very lowball and with taxes would be like 1/3rd of my current wage-plus non existant startup (which I found crazy), heard they failed some other searches too as all the candidates declined | |
153 | 8/23/23 17:28 | Keeping vents in the venting tab | 11/20/23 10:42 | The "notes" section for job posts is getting cluttered with repetitions of the same complaints over and over and are pretty unhelpful to wade through when looking at specific jobs. Does every job that requires upfront letters need its own discussion about the pros and cons? Or if a job doesn't seem "ecoevo" enough do we need to debate that? Its blocking peoples ability to ask and answer specific questions about a job. x9 2) Give me a break, just scroll past it. The reactionary comments when someone posts that upfront letters are required or whatever are the ones that end up taking all the space anyway. OP) I'm referring to the reactionary comments... Its useful to mention if letters are required upfront or not, or if a search failed for specific reasons related to the departmental culture, but not useful to use that space to complain about general hiring practices 2) What I mean is that the responses complaining about someone posting 'letters required up front' or defending departments are usually the ones that take up most of the space. Plus, it's easy enough to just scroll past if you don't want to read it. OP) @2 fair enough--maybe you should've scrolled past my vent...x2 2) haha, touche and a fair point! I will admit that all the complaining about people who post about letters or salary or whatever annoys me much more than the posts in the first place. 3) is there any way we can have a tab with just the jobs and no comments? this is such an incredible resource to us all, but it's honestly gotten to a point that engaging with it is adding a fair amount of stress to an already stressful process x3 4) copy-paste-delete_column x2 5) I agree. I feel like I can not ask an honest question without someone thinking I'm complaining now. | |
154 | 8/23/23 6:18 | No vents about particular people | 9/15/23 7:57 | AP) Venting about someone well-known by initials is the same as venting about them by name. Please don't. 2) Thanks AP!! x2 3) Then delete the initials next time. Pointing out the one-sidedness of the public shaming of UCLA is highly relevant for job seekers who might otherwise be scared off of really great opportunities x4 AP) @3 if there was a job at UCLA posted here and someone was suggesting that people shouldn't apply, that would be a good argument. Feel free to chime in if that happens. In this case, there is no such job. If you want to reply to a Twitter thread, do it there. I think it is important that we respect people's right to privacy here, particularly given the anonymous nature of the site. x4 4) Whether we agree with it or not, anonymity is a requirement of using this site, so we need to do it. x2 | |
155 | 8/17/23 20:17 | Ghosted after an on-campus interview | 9/8/23 19:34 | It's been months since having an on-campus interview. Sure, maybe they made an offer to someone else, but to ghost people who interviewed on campus seems not cool. Closure would be nice too. x2 2) Stupid, common, and seemingly perpetual. Just tell us whether or not to sign at the other school. 3) I just got the official rejection email last week (August) after an April on-campus interview. They apologized for taking so long but did not want to notifiy people of rejection until everything was signed. Apparently it was the Regents that held the process up. Being ghosted for months on end is in poor taste in my mind. I understand not wanting to let people know in case something happens, but most people assume it was offered to someone else and more on. 4) I got ghosted at one place even after letting them know I had to make a decision about another offer. Still haven't heard from them! 5) @3 - Ugh. I completely agree that it's poor taste. Sure they want to wait until everything is signed, but at the same time if they have to go down the list to someone else who they've ghosted for months would feel icky as a candidate, as opposed to someone reaching out with an update. We all know that it's not over until it's over and someone else has the job..or you get ghosted completely. @4 - that's terrible.6) I was ghosted by a place I interviewed and never ever heard back. I only found out that I didn't get the position because of this wiki. I think it's unfortunate they do this, it's really cruel IMO 7) I went trhough something similar, where I didn't hear anything back for 3 months until the rejection email finally arrived (on my b-day! 2/10 would not recommend). Personally, I find it a bit stupid how the processes run in the US and elsewhere (UK, Europe etc). Where I come from, a preference list is published and you get to know your chances of getting the position if something fails with other candiates. Don't want to disclose all the names? Fine, just send an email to the candidates like "you at this moment are not given priority but you ranked #2 in our preference list". I think it would be fair to the candidates - and maybe there would have fewer failed searches. 8) I was once ghosted after an on campus interview, but I heard that the non-finalist candidates received a form email letting them know that they were not hired. I reached out the search chair months later, after I had another offer, and received a form email from the automated system. Never heard anything from an actual person in that dept. I did however receive NSF funding from an RFP that their awesome grants folks had recommended during my interview. 9) Yay @8 at least you got something out of it. At a place that ghosted me after on campus, one of the SC became an NSF PO and was very helpful to me later as well. 10) I did a campus interview at an R1 in Febuary and got an automated HR rejection in May. Never actually heard back from a human. It feels pretty insulting to fly across the country and spend so much of my time on an in person interview then never hear back from a human. Especially when I felt like I got along with with everyone. Is it really that hard to just email the 3-5 people you spent thousands of dollars on flying them to campus and days of everyone's time? 11) SO FEEL THIS. I had an on-campus last November and was never notified of the search results...until I saw the person who got the job Tweeting about it. I've still never been notified. Lacks tact. Definitely makes ya wonder, huh. | |
156 | 8/2/23 9:50 | Ivy league student DEI contributions | 11/6/23 10:00 | It's really great that PhD students from Ivy League institutions did so much DEI work during their phd. I had to Teach for 20 hours/week during my phd at a state public school. yet another area where I can't compete. 2. @OP, this is the way! I felt the same when I would get measly funds from my State university for research work, and watch other PhD students in fancy pants school flushed with cash and do the same work :) 3) unfortunately SCs seem fundamentally unable or unwilling to grasp that people at Ivies or with fellowships have a much much more time to write papers and "do DEI work". instead, these fellowships are always treated as adding more weight to an application, it's totally backwards 4) I've been at Ivies and at state schools. Everyone has TA duties and it's not dependent on the school so much as PI funding. Most PIs don't buy out students as RAs, and well funded labs at state schools also have lots of funding for experiments. If you cannot get your work done with your advisor's funding you might want to hunt for collaborators with resources who need extra hands. I don't mean to say there aren't effects, but some of this jealousy is misplaced. My DEI was mostly on my own time, not supported by my school. x2 5) while I understand the vent, if you are teaching at a state university, you likely have diverse students, so I would emphasize what DEI initiatives you incorporate into your teaching (or what you wish you could do, if you don't have a lot of flexibility for the course). As someone who also attended state universities, I mainly felt the imbalance with research productivity vs. teaching. 6) @4, I'm sure there are lots of differences, but having spent a fair amount of time at both a couple of state schools and a couple of Ivies or similar, there is just no comparison in the amount of resources and reduced teaching on average between the two. Of course a super well funded lab at a state school might have a lot of teaching buyout, etc, but on average the support is so different. At least some Ivies have done a very good job of setting up their programs so that their finishing students tick every box to be competitive. (7) @6, this!!!!!!!! there is an incredible mean difference in investment per student. 8) Also, students at Ivies are often very very unaware of how much better they have it in terms of support. There are still lots of things about grad school that are very hard to deal with, so it takes some effort to realize that a lot of those same things are even harder at most other schools (and probably the same is true from big state schools to small masters programs, etc). 9) Teaching experience can be subject to very similar inequities. Whether someone gets experience actually implementing active learning/inclusive pedagogy practices depends so much on factors beyond their control. At my Ph.D. institution, our department was small and none of its courses had TA’s, so the only course grad students could TA for was this, honestly, very crummy non-majors lab course that was stuck in the 1970’s in terms of pedagogy. Meanwhile students in other departments got to say they ran flipped classrooms and taught undergrads how to use R. 4) My undergrad state school had a massive undergrad research program, funded outreach, honors college activities aimed at the public, and special URM mentor programs. Profs moved to flipped classrooms very early in the game. My Ivy PhD program had none of that. They would not let students lead their own course so people had trouble landing lectureships whereas my state school had let postdocs serve as instructor of record. The state school did far better at checking the boxes. State schools with well designed training programs can do more to set up trainee success than a purely research focused Froo-Froo School for People Already Geniuses Who Only Spend Time In the Lab. Try to find good programs and good advisors no matter what the name brand. And try to find opportunities even if your school does not plan them for you. x2 11) @10, Preach ! 12) k @10, let's go ahead and forget about arguing Ivies vs State schools. It is still true that those given external grants/fellowships - GRFPs, PGS-Ds, and Miller Fellowships to name some - have signifi more time, support, and freedom than those without. And yet SCs don't seem to take that into consideration at all. They see the grant, go "oooooh" and +1 the application in their minds, instead of doing what they should be doing: expecting more 4) Good search committtees account for opportunities. Bad ones do not. There are regretably lots of bad committees. If it helps, I've frequently seen pdocs in large well funded labs faulted for never having to even apply for their own funding. 13) I actually thinking the teaching opportunities is often a bigger thing that search committees don't account for well since it isn't as obvious as accounting for a fellowship/funding. Some places (whether Ivies or not) have really effective programs that allow grad students to act as instructor of record in a few classes with relatively little prepping effort. Others, like the state school I was at, made it basically impossible for grad students to ever be instructor of record so people were stuck repeatedly TA-ing lab sections of the same huge intro classes that don't count for much once you've done it once or twice. 14) SCs at research-intensive universities generally do not care about teaching (they'll claim they do though), so teaching opportunities don't matter that much. obviously if you're applying to SLACs or directionals, it matters more 15) @14, I think that view is somewhat outdated. It does still matter even at R1s (maybe not at the highest ranked ones that really think of themselves as fully research focused). Of course it matters even more at SLACs. 16) I'm entering this conversation late but from my understanding DEI experiences do not have to be separate from teaching and research experiences, I have been told repeatedly that the teaching and DEI statements should overlap in content but from different perspectives. So I think I don't understand the conversation about not being able to do DEI work bc of teaching load. One of CIRTL's pillars of modern pedagogy is inclusive teaching so it seems like there are plenty of opportunities in the classroom to incorporate DEI. x3 17) @16 CIRTL - this is what you're referring to, right? 18) @16, sure, it doesn't have to be separate and of course you can do meaningful DEI work in classes. There are definitely some programs though that make it easy to step into specially focused DEI initiatives and those definitely take time outside of teaching and I do think that search committees that are weighing diversity statements heavily look at those differently than whatever you did in your own class. 17) Didn't have the patience to read everything but I just wanted to suggest to OP that there's no better way to get a sense in your bones of the disparities in STEM and the need to remedy them than being a TA for a large intro bio class at a state school. You better bet you have a MUCH better grasp of it than Ivy graduates! Lean on that for your DEI statement! x3 18) @17, agree with you about a much better grasp, but unfortunately I don't think that is the way many search committees see it when evaluating diversity statements. 19) agree 18, I think @17 is living in fantasyland if they think a search committee would even consider that or buy into any DEI statement centered on seeing "disparities in STEM" as a TA in a large bio class 20) agree w/ 18&19 if statement only addresses "witnessing disparities." If you can spin witnessing those disparities into a meaningful teaching/mentorship philosophy that addresses and works to dismantle them, I think you could have a good statement x2 21) Yes, you witnessed the disparities. Then, what did you do to try to address them? Or, what do you plan to do to address them in the future? Could be a good statement. x2 22) a prof where i did my phd (R1) said he would rather hire someone who taught for all 5 years of grad school over someone who got a fancy fellowship because with the teaching person he can see that they can get work done, manage their time, etc, and will be able to easily juggle everything as a new faculty member. as someone who taught every semester of grad school, i really appreciated that. 23) And then, there are people like me who did their PhD in a university in the UK where you were only allowed to TA. -_- 24) @23, that is also true at many universities in the US though. At least it was where I got my PhD. 25) Teaching as instructor of record in the US is also very difficult if you are on a work visa. But no one in the US is interested in immigration as an axis of DEI, in my experience. 26) @25 there's plenty of immigration-focused DEI inititatives. They work with people from underpriviledged/low-GDP nations though. The ones that are actually under-represented in STEM. 27) As someone from a state institution who is often jealous of inequity in education, I just want to point out that a lot of these privileged ivy leaguers who get hired happen to be exceptional even given their privilege. Like, if their opportunity allows them to do twice as much, they've done three times as much (based on some successful applications I've seen). There is often a reason they got accepted in the first place. So, YES lets make sure opportunity is accounted for in judging applications, and YES school-name-based hiring inequity abounds, but there really are a lot of great people coming out of some ivy league programs. No sense being salty about all of them. 28) Remember, the point of DEI statements is legal cover for hiring on race and gender. Don't parse it too finely. X2 29) @27 - fair enough, and I don't wish to be salty to any of them. But the reason they got accepted in the first place is often because they're a legacy, a recruited athlete, or the child of parents who gave the school oodles of money. 30) @29 that's a hilarious conflation of undergrad and PhD admissions. x2 29) Haha, yeah, I did conflate those. My mistake. 31) @30, not all that much of a conflation if you look at how much undergrad institution influences PhD acceptance at Ivies (and later faculty offers). Of course like 27 says there are great people doing great things at Ivies, but I really think that understates the impact and I do think it is more than fair to be a bit salty about it. Especially when Ivies tend to think of themselves as champions of DEI when in fact their biggest effect is locking in prestige. As some commenters above note, big state schools and community colleges do more for DEI than any Ivy, but they don't have the funding for the same high profile programs. 30) All of my degrees are from state schools and now I'm in a (temporary) position at a small competitive liberal arts college. I wanted to be here because I like teaching and I wanted to be somewhere that values teaching and has the resources to do it well, but I'm finding that I'm judging my students a little bit before I even know them. Not so much because I'm personally jealous but because I taught at a big state school during my PhD, and these kids at this little (expensive) college seem to have a lot more opportunities available to them. It doesn't seem fair. I don't want to teach at a big state school though, because I want those teaching resources and I don't want to become a lecturer and give up research entirely either. 31) Jealousy is tough. As first-gen, I have definitely felt this about my friends and colleagues. If it's really getting you down, it is something a few sessions with the right therapist might help with. It can be helpful to be able to talk and be guided towards a more helpful frame of mind. 32) ngl I have no idea where this mentality comes from? My homies who went to Ivy Leagues for grad school/post-doc basically did no outreach or DEI work becuase the research expectations were so high. State schools seem to have far more opportunities to work with local marginalized communities. In hindsight, I am quite glad I got rejected from my Ivy-of-choice. 33) @30 - I'm in a similar situation after 3 degrees from 3 state schools. Those opportunities you describe are what the students (their families) are paying for at a small, high-touch institution. I get the jealousy, but you can also take pride in the fact that you made it where you are without all the hand-holding. 34) This conversation about Ivies is so interesting. I think it's important to know that not all programs are the same, and in many ways prestige enables neglect. I went to a top Ivy where the cultural norm was to abandon your students professionally and financially. And the pressure was to not do DEI work because it wouldn't make me competitve. Not to say there aren't more resources at wealthier institutions in general - absolutely. But the cultural practices (and the assumption that the name of the school should be enough for your CV) can actually lead to less support from mentors. I got way more support as an undergrad at a state school, and am currently getting way more support as a postdoc from mentors at non-Ivy institutions. And my Ivy experience was not worth the critical blow to my mental health that makes me doubt daily if I should stay in academia. I know the grass is always greener, but I hope people who think Ivies convey huge advantages can see that they also can carry real costs, and aren't all their cracked up to be. | |
157 | 7/31/23 19:18 | Hug a coral reef scientist | 8/8/23 17:36 | I'm an unemployed coral reef biologist whose last postdoc has ended, and I'm looking at photos of one of my former field sites dying in today's NYTimes. My plan, years ago, was to help them and have a great, fun career doing it, but it turns out I can't do either. Feels terrible and helpless. 2) This made me really sad for you OP and in general :(. Personal, professional, and societal loss all compounded. I really hope that you find new fulfilling and meaningful work. Goodluck and hugs. 3) I feel you, OP. Really wish you all the best. x2 4) I'm sorry!! Do you think assisted migration might be any help at all? OP) Thanks. @4 No, I don't think so, at least not in the Caribbean and up the Atlantic coast. There are other oceanographic factors (substrate, depth, nutrients) that also constrain coral growth/recruitment, and thermal variability (either seasonally or between years) will likely be too great anywhere.5) @OP hugs! 6) @OP hugs from me too! I really hope coral reef biology will still find you again someday and your expertise is welcomed back ~ it really is much needed and extremely important! | |
158 | 7/31/23 4:55 | Death of Social Media | 9/6/23 19:53 | I know some of the discussions on Science Twitter were ridiculous, but a lot of them were useful. Especially to find job posts I would search online all the time. Now that Tw is a ghost town, I'm not sure where to get the the same bandwidth of jobs (except here-- thanks AP!!). I know some people are rebuilding networks on other platforms, but it really isn't the same. Anyone know good solutions to search outside the formal job ads in glam magazines? 2) I was on ecoevo.social (Mastodon server) for a while. I think it's still going, but I left cause I find the overarching vibe on Mastodon off-putting. There's a ton of Twitter refugees there and I found a couple jobs before they hit this board. They all make it here eventually it though. 3) I honestly have no idea why people left Twitter, it obviously was self-defeating because M*** isn't going anywhere. Mastodon is basically anti-Twitter reactionaries. I learn more about him on Mastodon than Twitter and had bigger problems with lunatics showing up in my feed exposing themselves, among other forms of harrassment on Mastodon, compared to never on Twitter. 4) it's almost like the decentralized model completely lacking content moderation is a bad idea. 5) I'm not seeing anything about twitter at all on ecoevo.social, seems normal to me? 6) I switched over to Bluesky (+1), but still maintaining twitter a bit. Struggling to figure out where to make connections now. Tried mastodon, but feel like it fizzled for me 7) @6 Email, no joke. I've had the best luck making professional connections by contacting people directly. Most folks are stoked to collaborate or even just chat about science if you reach out. 8) Maybe we should make an ecoevo subreddit? 9) I would actually be more likely to read reddit than mastodon. 10) this page feels like a subreddit sometimes lol 11) it totally does feel like a subreddit lol. if anyone started a new subreddit, I would definitely be part of that. | |
159 | 7/27/23 7:23 | Job postings slow? | 8/1/23 10:26 | OP) Is it just me or are the postings coming in pretty slowly compared to last year? I haven't really seen any postings from the heavy-hitters in biology the US yet. For example last year Stanford had advertised a few positions already by this point, right? 2) Cannot speak to any other institution but my own (big R1), but we were told that we won't be able to hire anyone in the entire college this year unless the position was a failed search from last year. Last year we had big hiring push and ~100 faculty positions open in our College. I guess they're taking a break in hiring this year to "replenish" resources. Dont know if other institutions are in a simialr boat. 3) Most schools haven't had their first faculty meeting for the new year. Expect a lot more in Sept. (OP) Oof #2 that is rough but thank you for the perspective. To #3 thx. 4) I think it is still very early for R1 postings. Hopefully not many other schools like #2! 5) Yes, I think it's still early, it's still July! x4 | |
160 | 7/20/23 9:27 | Here's to another year of most positions being offered to current faculty! | 11/16/23 12:45 | I'm tenured but will apply to everything just to see if I can muck up the interview process and get a few offers that I will turn down after it's too late to make an offer to someone else. 2) <-- @1 The toxicity is starting early this year! x2 3) Does OP really think tenured faculty are competitive for asst prof jobs? Spoiler: they're not (see cell immediately below). (OP) No, but pre-tenure faculty are exceptonally competitive for asst prof jobs. 4) In my experience (ha!) jobs go to recent PhDs from high-flying labs, and postdocs age like milk on the job market. 4) I don't blame people for looking, but I have seen a high powered prof tie up 10+ faculty offers and not turn any down before the close of the season. Don't be that guy. You can negotiate the top 2-3 but let's face it, you aren't going to school #5 in a remote location with nothing for your spouse. Let that one go instead of stringing them along. Give the others on the list the chance to get TT jobs. @4) That is on the universities offering the job to this person and then letting them drag it out for so long 5) nice to see folks in academic leadership positions posting inflammatory comments anonymously on an early career support forum. x2 6) This is like being on the Titanic and seeing passengers snipe at heavier passengers for making the boat sink faster. 7) Ha I'm pre-tenure faculty. Everyone who got the jobs I interviewed for last year went to recent PhDs. I definitely feel like I'm aging like milk. (It doesn't help that I'm a mom of two little babies, one of whom literally calls me "milk" instead of mama). 8) @7 - just do a postdoc at Carleton! (OP) This post is mostly a critique of SCs who do not properly calibrate their interview lists/rankings. Please stop going for low risk choices, because it screws those of us looking for positions. X2 9) @ 7 and 8: Hands off. Carleton's mine. 10) lol @8. but of course everyone knows the true path to TT in Canada is to do a phd with S.O. or postdoc with her husband x5 11) A 10 I can point to >1 of the first situation but dying to know who the postdoc is referring to! 12) who is S.O. (asking for a friend) (13) I suspect a researcher at UBC. You can figure it out from there. And by the way—those positions are extremely well earned IMO because those two labs train some of the best people in our field globally! x2 14) some of the best in the field? lol @13, you're either very funny or a former student of their's x4 15) I once applied to a tenure track position that was advertised very widely and broadly and the person hired was the postdoc of the search committee chair. 16) The last hire in my dept (which was posted here a year or two ago) was the PhD student AND postdoc of the incoming dept head with a, to be generous, thin CV. 17) Totally agree with 13. You can look at the lab alumni list and see a ton of great scientists, some based in Canada, some elsewhere. From outside Canada, I can say that the perspective is that the secret to getting a TT job in Canada is to be Canadian. 18) As a Canadian who's not working in Canada, I can say that 17 is not correct about that secret to a TT Canadian job (I wish it was the secret though - I wanna go back!!). x3 (17 again) @18: Yes, sorry, I should have been clearer. I was trying to say that that's the perception, not that it really is the secret. 19) @17 that perception is quite untrue (as a different Canadian than 18, who has been turned down from MANY positions in Canada that ultimately hired foreign candidates. They were all good of course, but it illustrates that the citizenship requirement is easy to circumvent). 20) agree with @19, the requirement is totally meaningless for any serious search. when you see smaller departments with mostly canadians its usually because the school isnt well known and so attracts less non-canadians 21) if only this were true and my $1.5 million research portfolio really were the ticket out of my shithole x2 (18 again) On second thought, darn, maybe us Canadians here should perpetuate the rumour that people need to be Canadian to get Canadian jobs (just kidding!...partly). 21) @15, I know exactly which search you are referring to, which is at the institution that I am a postdoc at. The search chair was also posting on twitter virtue signalling about how they are being so equitable with their search and looking at potential rather than just pubs + a list of what they are considering. If it's not this one, sad that this is a common occurence. 22) Yeah, not going to apolgize for trying to move for a less toxic department, to find a job for my spouse, to be near family I suddenly have to take care of, to get a raise, or any other reason. | |
161 | 7/16/23 9:44 | Moving post-tenure | 9/13/23 18:52 | I'm a mid-career academic, and there are a lot fewer jobs at this career stage. Totally regretting not applying for jobs while an Assistant Professor and getting out of my current institution. The university support for faculty has immensely deteriorated and I'm feeling very stuck. I wish there were more jobs for mid-career people like me. 2) Absolutely the same. I was planning to hit the market hard in 2020 preture. Now it's so much harder to move and hard to be productive in an outrageously unprofessional department. 3) Don't give up hope. I felt the same way but went on the market this year. There were only 5 senior-level jobs in my area (w/i 2 hours of where I live) but managed to get a few interviews and an offer. There are jobs advertising for assoc/full profs. 4) There aren't many jobs for mid-career folks, and half the open-rank positions I applied for last year only had Postdocs for on-campus interviews. Here's hoping for more mid-career focused job ads this year. I gotta get out of here! (5) Work your networks and get poached by friends/colleagues in a targeted hire? Seems like better odds than shooting into the mass of applications and should be possible if you've been productive 6) OP here - responding to (5) - I've definitely been letting people know that I'm on the market. And I've been productive, it's like I'm on a hamster wheel and I just can't get off, at the risk of being stuck where I currently am. I just don't know how much longer I can sustain all of this (being productive plus a high workload at my current job) for both my physical and mental health. Here's hoping this is the year something else comes through. 7) Good luck. I had an offer and actually decided to stay because I found my current situation to be better than the new one for several reasons. There are opportunities out there and here's to hoping the timing is right for you! 8) The R1 where I'm at just hired 2 mid career folk, and 1 late career person, and people were excited for that stage. It's definitiely not impossible, if you can convince them you're not just applying for a raise at your current institution! | |
162 | 7/16/23 0:08 | Welcome to the venting tab | 11/16/23 12:45 | Thanks, I hate it! X3 2) @1, How dare you!! 3) @1 stole my line 4) Wait, this is the best tab of this page 5) #4 is correct, I have a faculty job and I still come back just for this page. 6) I showed my therapist this page to try to explain academia.7) I've had a couple of different therapists amid the postdoc moves. The ones who had some sense of academia and how it differs from the "real" world were easier to talk to for sure! | |
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1 | • Use the New Post link to start a new topic, then add your post in the Comments column. • Add replies under Comments. • Sort by last update under Data > Filter Views. • Positive vibes ONLY! Flag offensive posts with the Mod Flag column. | ||||
2 | Timestamp | Subject | Last Update | Comments | Mod Flag |
3 | 6/24/24 13:05 | Just became an Asst Prof where I was rejected for PhD admission. Don't give up! | 7/10/24 7:12 | Just got hired at a place that rejected my PhD appliation 12 years ago. Just printed out the rejection letter as my first office decoration ;) 2) amazing, congrats!! x4 3) Omg I love the move to print out the rejection letter. Print it BIG and get the fanciest frame for it! Love it!!!! It would also be so uplifting to students to see that a rejection doesn't mean the end. x3 4) Power move, I love it. Congrats! | |
5 | 4/15/24 11:07 | Interviewed to teach in a program I dropped out of | 5/2/24 7:42 | Had an interview for a teaching stream position in a program that I dropped out of after a year. I was 18, alone in a new city and there were other factors so I don't really blame myself but it's really nice to see how far I've come and that I might actually be a good fit to teach there. 2) Congrats on both the interview and how far you've come!! x6 3) Yes! Good for you!! | |
6 | 4/3/24 14:25 | Finally! | 5/21/24 8:39 | I've been searchign for 3 years trying to get out of a dysfunctional department. I finally got an offer in a place that is better for my work and my personal life. I'm so overwhelmed and happy. 2) Congrats! 3) Yay for you, OP! I'm also trying to do the same and am so happy for people when they get out and it's a glimmer of hope for people like me. :) x2 3 again) I GOT A JOB OFFER!! I'm getting out of my dysfunctional department too, after 3 years of serious applying. :) 4) Congrats @3!!! | |
7 | 3/22/24 18:12 | Getting perks even from the places that rejected me! | 3/23/24 8:36 | Every so often when I go to a journal article, it says "You have full access to this article via [University That Rejected You Weeks Ago]" because I used their wi-fi. I like that they're still helping me out. (1) This has been happening to me too! The last place that I interviewed has better journal access than my current institution. I do get a small bit of joy. :) | |
8 | 3/20/24 7:08 | Framing my research program and my own future is becoming more clear | 4/2/24 12:02 | Even with only sporadic interviews and rejections over the past few years, one positive thing I'm noticing is that I'm starting to develop more strongly what I really want to do for my future (for myself), as opposed to trying to fit some mold - since the latter isn't working anyway. :) 1) I love this. I also feel that writing applications has helped me to figure out what my research is about and consider future directions x2 2) Likewise! And I finally got a faculty job offer (it was my first and only campus interview as well after 7 years of postdocing). I felt way more confident applying for jobs this year and I think it was well reflected in my significantly revised statements. Good luck to you all! OP) Congratulations 2! I'm glad that it worked out for you! 3) Oh, I totally feel this. Writing and rewriting forces clearer thinking and ideas, and distillation of the research that makes us happy, I think. As grueling as the job market has been, I've grown a lot. | |
9 | 3/13/24 14:28 | Happy story | 3/19/24 7:45 | My university recently appointed a new Dean of Science from my department. She began as a lab tech(!) over 30 years ago and worked her way into an academic job, to full professor, and now Dean. Probably impossible these days, but it's a happy story. 1) That is an excellent story. Sounds like she's been kicking ass! 2) Wow, that's rad! | |
10 | 3/2/24 9:51 | Dream job | 5/9/24 13:08 | Recently got "the call" - getting an offer for my DREAM JOB. Been on the market since 2020, and was starting to feel the burnout. Can't share the news widely until the ink is dry, but can't hold it in. OVERJOYED. Big thanks to this page and all the helpful advice from people! 2) Congratssssss x14 3) CONGRATS!!! I also got a recent call for my dream job and I am sooooooooooo happy about it, so I'm vibing with you big time. 4) Congrats to all!! There is hope! x4 | |
11 | 2/29/24 10:36 | I am so sorry this is not a positive affirmation but I have a question | 2/29/24 10:51 | With a decade of teaching experience, three years of postdoc experience, and over 70 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, I've also secured funding for more than 15 projects. In pursuit of a better future for my family, I've applied for over 100 positions worldwide. If you're willing to help, I can share my resume and samples of my cover letter, research, and teaching statements to see where is the problem Contact me at environment_science@yahoo.com. Thanks. | |
12 | 2/23/24 7:35 | Finally an offer | 5/28/24 10:44 | After applying and interviewing since 2021 and getting short listed sooooooo many times, I finally got an offer! yay! 1) Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!! X2 2) yes! 3) wonderful! so happy for you! 4) Congratulations!!!! 5) Woooo-hoooooooooo!!!! 6) Amazing! Congrats, OP! 7) Big congrats! | |
13 | 1/31/24 13:53 | Applying gets faster, at least | 2/8/24 11:00 | After spending hours on some applications this season, I just applied from starting docs to submitting in less than an hour. I've written so many versions, It's really just change a few details, submit and move on at this point. That's nice at least! 2) It definitely does get easier - I'm applying for teaching jobs and now have a teaching statement for upper-level electives, a teaching statement for intro bio, non-majors bio, etc. 3) Absolutely - except for those positions with weird requirements, like the one people were torching last year that wanted applicants to submit an application VIDEO like they were trying out for The Bachelor or whatnot. OP) omg #3 yeah that was so messed up. honestly I just don't apply for ones with weird requirements. sometimes I think I will and then when it gets close to the deadline I feel like I just don't have time unless it's a perfect job (never is). | |
14 | 1/26/24 10:05 | Surprising reaction from my partner | 2/23/24 7:35 | So, I've been with my now-husband since I was in graduate school. He is not an academic (works in private sector), we have two kids, etc. He saw a schedule for my on-campus interview and was like "wait what?!" - absolutely shocked by the grueling schedule of back to back meetings, the hour long seminar in front of 50+ people, the chalk talk, etc. He is completely outside of academia and he is supportive of my ambitions but doesn't ask a ton of detail about what I'm doing. It was really nice for him to just be like "wow. this is impressive" and thanked me for putting myself through this so we could build a better life for our family. 2) What a sweet partner! My non-academic family has had similar reactions. It's kind of funny to watch it sink in when I show them the schedule, and it finally clicks for them just why I'm so stressed out! 3) My spouse made a comment about how my interview would be a nice vacation from our kids, and I really wish they had a better appreciation for how stressful and gruling these visits are. 4) the traveling without kids is great though, I can actually sleep or do work or just do whatever I want - so relaxing ;-D 5) Yeah, interview days arebrutal but at least I have absolutely no responsibilites after getting back to the hotel. There was a post in General Discussion about the SC offering local childcare to candidates - definitely a no from me. I get that some circumstances may require it, but I don't want to normalize bringing kids to job interviews! That would make it 10x harder! 6) Work trips, including interviews, are a nice vacation from the kids! Although sometimes I feel a bit guilty getting out of helping with childcare, but luckily my spouse is gone nearly an equal amount 7) oh that is lovely! your cheerleader! Hide chocolates in your bag to keep you going! | |
15 | 1/24/24 6:47 | Nice job writing all those apps! | 2/5/24 17:24 | Whether you get a job this year or not, good work getting those applications out. It took work you we did it! x7 | |
16 | 1/8/24 11:31 | Happy New Year!! | 1/11/24 20:18 | Here's to a great 2024 and having a good life outside of the job hunt! I'm thankful for all the folks here and AP. 2) I am thankful for all of the "congrats!" and "good luck!" messages in the job discussions. Even on jobs I didn't apply for, it gives me a little boost to see people happy for each other. | |
17 | 1/4/24 7:26 | Academia does not determine your value as a person | 1/4/24 7:28 | You are important to people, you have worth for all the things you do, and just for being yourself. Feel and succumb to the Mr Rogers vibes. He was right all along. Don't let academia make you feel otherwise. | |
18 | 12/14/23 10:01 | The Venting tab is so supportive right now, <3 you people. | 12/14/23 10:08 | To everyone who has left a kind, supportive, or uplifting message on any of the venting posts: Thank you for being a good member of this little community that AP has put together. 1) Yes, this! It's so heartwarming. | |
19 | 11/23/23 22:26 | I <3 our indigenous colleagues | 1/11/24 9:06 | Seems like there's been some unpleasantness recently (possibly just one sad person) so I for one want to say I fully support any initiative that supports indigenous scholars. As all good ecologists know, diversity = heterogeneity = good, let alone the amazing wealth of knowledge that has been accumulated over the millenia by indigenous peoples. Diversity is the way forward, and we're going to leave any racists in the dust! x13 [this was veering away from Positivity, so let's just leave it at that -AP] (Thanks AP!) | |
20 | 11/15/23 12:02 | It's kind of fun to imagine life at different jobs | 5/29/24 14:42 | OP) I enjoy havng a little daydream about each job, what it would be like for my kid to grow up in the snow or by the beach or whatever. I can't resist looking at pictures of the city and thinking what it would be like to live there. It's a little fun to imagine different futures, even though I know none are likely to come true. 2) I do this all the time too. Hopefully one day this will manifest the jobs for us! OP) I'm rooting for you #2! 3) "I'm not going to get my hopes up!" --- me, searching housing on Zillow. X11 😂😂 4) I came here to make a comment about daydreaming and checking houses on Zillow, @3 beat me to it. Haha. 5) Yes, I also spend a lot of time on Zillow! OP) Same but it can get a lil scary when every house is half a million lol. I hope the pay is high! 6) Half a million! Lol I read that and was like, if that were only the case here! Anyway, I also do this. It can lead to heartbreak, but in aggregate it can be helpful because I realize how easy it is to imagine life in different places, which makes me confident in my own flexibility and ability to adapt. 7) first thing I do when I see an ad that I think I'll apply is go look at houses on Zillow and cozy coffee shops on google. Before looking at the current faculty in the dept | |
21 | 11/9/23 20:42 | I choose calm over worry and faith over fear. | 12/13/23 8:34 | Yes! A while back I decided I refuse to stress myself out over things I can't control or change. 1) How do you do this. Asking for a friend hehe 2) I'm not an expert but for me it's been having things in my life that are way more important to me than any job could ever be. It also helps to know people not in academia and realize you can meet most people several times before they will mention their job. It's just one piece fo who you are, and life will go on. You are not your career. [comment deleted, see header -AP] 3) My mentor always told me to come up with a backup career in my mind that I could always imagine when things got tough. x2 (2 again) I really want to know what comment got deleted!! Was somebody talking some smack?? very curious. I must have missed it. 4) @2 my comment stressing about looming unemployment was deleted. no smack, just not positive enough for this tab lol (2 again) It is so tough out here #4 I am sending you all the good vibes and imaginary hugs and strength. It's going to be OK one way or another, even if it's not what we planned/hoped for. 4) thanks @2 good vibes much appreciated <3. I suppose they worked, cause I was able to score a post-doc position. Not my dream job, but at least I won't be unemployed. 2) yay #4 that's awesome! I'm in a similar situation and employment >> unemployment, so that is a win. | |
22 | 11/9/23 20:40 | Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one. | 11/14/23 5:36 | Hell, I'm getting through this by actually writing a book. NaNoWriMo! Complete poop of a book, but it's great to think about something else for at least a few minutes each day. 2) That's such a good idea. I love writing too, but just don't have time. :( 3) I started quilting earlier this year and have found it does wonders for my stress levels. Nice to do something that's not looking at a screen, even if only for a short time a few days per week, and that I can see tangible progress on over time. | |
23 | 11/9/23 13:12 | Good work getting that application in! | 11/21/23 14:20 | It took work and you did it. That counts! 2) <3 1) love this. needed it. | |
24 | 11/1/23 7:19 | This job cycle does not define you! | 11/6/23 10:01 | Whoever needs to hear this, if you don't get a job this year, you are still worthy, valuable, have done amazing things, will continue to contribute to society. Getting an academic job this year (or ever) does not define your worth, or your life. You have value. You are good. You are worthy. 1) Thanks OP <3 x4 2) Y'all are Kenough | |
25 | 10/17/23 15:39 | Non-Ac job interview really boosted my morale | 11/15/23 15:33 | OP) Applying for both Ac and non-Ac jobs... having a positive non-Ac interview experience really helped me feel better about my future. I know this is an "Ac" job board, but if you are at all waffling with non-Ac applications while treading the depths of depression, it might help to just try something new. Once you do a couple iterations of cover letter and resume tweaks, it becomes very easy to apply for positions. 1) What industry was it in? I've been wanting to stretch out my applications, but I'm in an awkward position as someone who's mainly been interested in and preparing for teaching jobs in academia. Turns out SLACs still really want you to have a strong research program and teaching-only "Lecturer" positions are so rare as to be nonexistent. I'm not sure what fields teaching-related skills really translate to. x2 2) It's actually still "academia-ish"-- a research scientist doing data/stats for a health-related org affiliated with a uni (but kind of separate -- different pay scales, more professional). I'm hoping it goes well, bc it sounds kind of great. It doesn't pay as much as true industry--well, well, over postdoc though!, but I think it'll allow me to transition well (if I want to) as I can focus on developing my data/stats skills while still being involved in designing experiments, models, writing papers, etc. Note I'm no data/stats whiz, but I know enough to muddle and I have a decent track record of publishing/finishing projects, which I think is helping me get in. 3) This is highly tempting. Had a rough experience in grad school and feel super ambivalent about a faculty position, but still obligated to apply...it would be nice to get some positive affirmation! 4) Hey, great for you! I actually got the opposite scenario. I had a bad experience in a non academic job (related to my field actually) and I realized many of the reasons why I want to go to academia. I'm still applying to non academic jobs, but I'm definitely putting my effort in the non academic market. Best of lucks! | |
26 | 10/5/23 12:24 | WOCs can get jobs | 10/6/23 14:23 | OP) I am a WOC who struggled with academic climate in many instiutions, being told I didn't belong and not getting proper job contracts compared to others/otherwise being shouted out and told to leave academia or advised to get married, I made it after many years of struggle. Hang in there to others! 2) Congrats on the job!!! OP) Thanks @ 2! | |
27 | 10/1/23 19:30 | You're smart and have a lot to offer. | 10/26/23 13:05 | OP) The job market is tough and there are a lot of talented people out there. It's not you! Keep your chin up. x3 (2) thanks for this one! I needed it today-- just saw the crushing update that my dream job sent out interview requests and I did not receive one :( | |
28 | 8/8/23 17:07 | Water your grass! | 8/9/23 11:14 | OP) NPR had a lovely piece on FOMO the other day and how to combat it. It really made me think of all the times I feel bad when I hear about someone else landing their dream job. They ended it with this, which I found to be great advice: "when you find yourself thinking the grass is greener on the other side, remind yourself why you're watering yours." (https://www.npr.org/2023/08/07/1192557939/nprs-life-kit-how-to-fight-fomo) 1) And remember that "messy" natural vegetation is better than grass, anyway :), even if it takes years to grow. | |
29 | 7/23/23 16:38 | Favorite tube labelling marker? | 10/24/23 13:37 | Let's start the year off with something light (but useful!). What's your favorite brand of marker for labelling tubes? My vote is for Zebra. (2) I always use sharpie so the ink doesnt smudge in the freezer~ x2 (3) pencil for the marine biology field work, sharpie for the lab worth, both covered in clear take when possible. (4) VWR markers (5) I don't label tubes in the same sense as you probably, but I use Pigma pens with archival ink for a lot of labeling because they are not removed by water or alcohol 6) I use a dymo labelmaker with lab eppendorf labels. But for normal work it's an ultrafine point sharpie. 7) edding 141 F permanent marker 8) VWR ftw | |
30 | 7/16/23 0:12 | Welcome to the positive affirmation tab | 7/27/23 15:57 | You're all going far. I don't know where, but far. (2) I am going to take a six-hour train ride in a few weeks... how did you know?? (3) If you're in the USA, you could be going between two cities that are a 1hr drive apart. If in Europe, enjoy your long-distance high-speed trip! 4) what if I already went? I moved abroad a few months ago. I'm not super keen on going too far for a while | |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | ||
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1 | Area of Specialization | Current Position | PhD Year | Years in Postdoc | Gender | Other Identity | Types of Jobs Applying For | 1st Author Pubs | Senior Author Pubs | Other Pubs | Fellowships | Major Grants | Total funding | Instructor of Record | Course Contributor | Applications | 1st / Phone Interviews | 2nd / Campus Interviews | Rejections | Offers | Comments | ||
2 | Timestamp | Area of Specialization | Current Position | PhD Year | Years in Postdoc | Gender | Other Identity | Types of Jobs Applying For | 1st Author Pubs | Senior Author Pubs | Other Pubs | Fellowships | Major Grants | Total funding | Instructor of Record | Course Contributor | Applications | 1st / Phone Interviews | 2nd / Campus Interviews | Rejections | Offers | ||
3 | 3/2/2025 8:00:07 | Evolutionary Biology | Postdoc | 2022 | 1.5 | Male | White | R1 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | $600,000 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
4 | 6/21/2024 12:12:00 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2021 | 3 | Female | White | R1, R2, SLAC, PUI | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 2 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 4 | OP) First year on the job market. A couple went straight to on-site visits. Withdrew from on-site stage when I already had a better offer. | OP) First year on the job market. A couple went straight to on-site visits. Withdrew from on-site stage when I already had a better offer. | ||
5 | 6/20/2024 14:54:00 | Marine Science | Postdoc | 2022 | 3 | Male | White | R1, R2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $200,000 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
6 | 6/7/2024 11:36:33 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2019 | 4.5 | Female | Low income/first gen and disabilities (disabilities were undisclosed) | R1, government | 16 | 0 | 17 | 3 | $500,000-$1M | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | OP) I haven't applied to many jobs total over the years because I am geographically constrained Total grant amount 370000 | OP) I haven't applied to many jobs total over the years because I am geographically constrained Total grant amount 370000 | |||
7 | 6/7/2024 11:08:07 | Evolutionary Biology | Asst Prof | 2016 | 5 | Male | White | R1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | $2M+ | 16 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | |||
8 | 6/6/2024 11:07:29 | Microbial Ecology | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Female | Asian, International | R1, R2 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 3 | 72 | 10 | 6 | many | 3 | ||
9 | 5/28/2024 8:52:56 | Ecology | Asst Prof | 2021 | 2 | Female | R1 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 1 | $500,000-$1M | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
10 | 5/28/2024 0:35:47 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Male | R1, R2, SLAC, N.Am & Europe | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | $50,000-100,000 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | OP) Both campus interviews were at universities I considered to be long-shots. | ||
11 | 5/23/2024 14:28:00 | Ecology | Non TT Faculty | 2020 | 4 | Male | R1, R2, SLAC, PUI | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | $35,000 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | OP) These numbers represent the last year of apps (2023-2024), since the provided credentials were different in other years. | ||
12 | 5/23/2024 10:23:26 | Evolutionary biology | Grad Student | 2024 | 0 | Female | White | R1, museum | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
13 | 5/23/2024 10:18:08 | Plant Ecology | Asst Prof | 2016 | 4 | Female | White, first gen | Masters | 12 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | $1-2M | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
14 | 5/14/2024 9:47:22 | Insect ecology | Postdoc | 2023 | 1 | Male | R1, government, museums | 7 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 | $50,000-100,000 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |||
15 | 5/13/2024 21:04:48 | Evolutionary genetics | Postdoc | 2023 | 1 | Male | Asian, Immigrant, non-citizen | R1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | OP) Getting on the job market this year | |
16 | 5/13/2024 12:34:24 | Microbial symbiosis | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Female | R1 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | OP) 2 phone interviews did not move me forward, 2 applications went straight to in person with no phone interview | ||
17 | 5/7/2024 13:52:03 | Marine ecology | Asst Prof | 2013 | 5 | Male | R1, R2, Gov, non-academic | 7 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 7+ | $3M+ | 7 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 2 | OP) In progress...; OP) Ended up getting an offer in an exciting place... Still negotiating. | ||||
18 | 5/2/2024 16:00:15 | Phylogenetics | Postdoc | 2021 | 2 | Male | White, Hispanic, Immigrant | R1, R2 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 2 | 14 | 37 | 8 | 3 | 2 | |||
19 | 4/30/2024 18:38:19 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2016 | 8 | Female | Latina, first generation | R1, R2 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | $100,000-250,000 | 3 | Many more | 16 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 1 | OP) Didn't go on one of the campus interviews because I had already signed an offer. Applied only to institutions where I was genuinely interested/excited, because two years prior I had an offer from a PUI that I turned down because I wasn't ready to move towards a teaching-focused position. Since then, I published a high profile research paper (not CNS but up there) that helped me get a lot more campus interviews this year. 1) Congrats! | |
20 | 4/29/2024 19:39:10 | Aquatic Ecology | Asst Prof | 2015 | 5 | Male | R1 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | $2M+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1, 1 possible | 2 | 2 | |||
21 | 4/28/2024 14:37:14 | Mathematical modeling | Postdoc | 2021 | 3 | Female | Latina, first generation, Immigrant | R1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||
22 | 4/21/2024 10:44:37 | Genetics | 2020 | 4 | Male | Immigrant, First generation | R1, R2, PUI | 13 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 2 | $100,000-250,000 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 5 | 1 | Many | 1 | |||
23 | 4/18/2024 20:28:02 | Microbial Ecology | Postdoc | 2019 | 4.5 | Male | White | R1, R2, PUI, SLAC | 13 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 2 | $500,000-$1M | 10 | 2 | 57 | 16 | 8 | 1 | OP) These numbers are from the 2019/20 school year until today. Don't know how many "official" rejections because some schools never got back to me, even as a finalist. Also withdrew from a couple of the campus interview stages, but don't have a place to put it. Happily took the offer for a dream job! 1) Congrats! x2 OP) Thanks! I'm so happy. | ||
24 | 4/18/2024 18:45:07 | Evolutionary biology | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Male | Asian, international | R1, R2, PUI | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | OP) My only fellowship was a grad school fellowship, not postdoc. Not sure if that counts. OP) again: when I updated my rejection number, offer number would get replaced by rejection number lol So I'm keeping both zero since I don't have any offer. | |
25 | 4/18/2024 10:35:36 | Evolutionary Genomics | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Male | R1, R2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 1 | 2 | 2 | OP) First year on the market, some applications were definitely longshots in hindsight. Ended up with two offers (pending negotation) from fantastic institutions. Couldn't have worked out better. | |||
26 | 4/16/2024 6:35:27 | Evolutionary Ecology | Asst Prof | 2018 | 2 | Female | R1 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | $2M+ | 6 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | OP) No offers. Every interview went great but each SC had hidden agendas that didn't swing my way. Will have to hit the market again next year as current position at non-R1 is untenable | ||
27 | 4/10/2024 9:05:46 | Evolutionary Genomics | Asst Prof | 2014 | 6 | Female | R1,R2,SLAC,PUI | 9 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 2 | 7 | 41 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |||
28 | 4/9/2024 13:41:56 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Female | R1, R2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||
29 | 4/9/2024 13:25:10 | Forest ecology | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Male | Asian | R1, non-academic | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 8 | 3 | many | 1 | OP) Second year applying. Offer (pending negotiation) at a non-US R1 equivalent, a strong department in a good location. Kind of strange after so much rejection! 1) Woohoo congrats!!! | |
30 | 4/9/2024 12:44:26 | Ecology and evolution | Postdoc | 2017 | 7 | Male | R1, R2, SLAC | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 1 | |||
31 | 4/6/2024 21:22:29 | Oceanography, Estuarine Ecology | Adjunct Asst Prof/Research Faculty | 2016 | 2 | Female | R1, R2, PUI | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | $2M+ | 4 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | OP) I've all but given up after a "successful" soft money research career for the last 5 years. My uni is not supportive, keeps claiming they are going to post a TT position in my area of expertise (then postponing it, for at least 3y), plus all sorts of administrative sluggishness slowing down all the research-related things making it darn near impossible to actually succeed. I also applied federally (not included in the tally here) and got a good offer, so it's likely peace out from academia from here. | ||
32 | 4/6/2024 5:50:45 | Development, symbiosis | Postdoc | 2020 | 3.5 | Male | R1, R2 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | $250,000-500,000 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||
33 | 4/2/2024 20:04:52 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2023 | <1 | PUI | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | First try *salute emoji* 1) Hey, you got a campus interview, that's pretty good! OP) Thank you, it was kind of a shock to the imposter-syndrome system | |||
34 | 4/2/2024 7:24:54 | Forestry | Researcher *post postdoc | 2019 | 4 | Male | Research University (Europe) | 9 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2 | $250,000-500,000 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
35 | 4/2/2024 7:05:28 | Functional Morphology | Asst Prof | 2021 | 1 | Female | R2, PUI, Regional, Government | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | $50,000-100,000 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 | |||
36 | 4/2/2024 6:45:40 | Entomology/Soil Ecology | Teaching Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Male | White | PUI/SLAC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | OP) Lecturer job at R1, but in a dream department and teaching a great range of courses! 1) congratulations! OP) Thanks! ^_^ | |
37 | 3/30/2024 16:12:29 | Microbial ecology | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Male | R1 | 15 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 1 | $250,000-500,000 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||
38 | 3/28/2024 22:23:13 | Ecology | Grad Student | 2024 | Female | PUI, SLAC | 2 | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
39 | 3/28/2024 15:21:29 | Evolutionary Genomics | Postdoc | 2018 | 5.5 | Male | R1 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | OP) applied very selectively. Offer is from my top choice going into this and a dream position; couldn't be happier with the outcome. | ||
40 | 3/28/2024 9:14:15 | freshwater ecology/biology education | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Female | PUI | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 3 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | OP) got my job offer from my first in person interview, dream job, was so happy! | ||
41 | 3/26/2024 10:35:40 | Limnology, Ecology, Climate | Postdoc | 2022 | 2 | Male | ASD | R1,R2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | $50,000-100,000 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
42 | 3/26/2024 7:45:49 | environmental science/ecology | Asst Prof | 2021 | 2 | Female | R1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | $250,000-500,000 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
43 | 3/22/2024 7:18:04 | Evolutionary Genetics | Postdoc | 2021 | 3 | Male | White | R1 | 13 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 | $500,000-$1M | 0 | 5 | 45 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 0 | 0 | |
44 | 3/20/2024 9:32:51 | Environmental Science | Grad Student | 2024 | 0 | Female | First-gen, white | R1 & PUI | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Wow, congrats! Out of curiosity, were the offers all from one institution type or the other? OP) Two were R1 and the other was a PUI. 2) Wow, that's really unusual to be able to pull that off. | ||
45 | 3/18/2024 8:33:45 | Behavioral ecology | Postdoc | 2022 | 1.5 | Female | R1, R2 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 0 | |||
46 | 3/16/2024 17:55:07 | Evolution and Animal Behavior | Postdoc | 2023 | 1 | Female | SLAC | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
47 | 3/15/2024 9:41:26 | Environmental science/ecology | Postdoc | 2019 | 4 | Male | SLAC, PUI, R1, R2 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | $100,000-250,000 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | One interview that went all the way to one offer! Good for you! You must be good in-person! Congratulations! OP) thanks! I think i was just a matter of it being the one job that was a very close match for me. THe rest were either stretches or very general. | ||
48 | 3/15/2024 5:46:10 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2020 | 3.5 | Male | Gay | R1, R2 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 2 | $500,000-$1M | 0 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Congrats on getting offers after all your interviews. 1) Clearly you are amazing at interviews! All zoom led to in person and all in person led to offers. Congrats! OP) Thanks! I think it's mostly because the 4 that worked out were all really good fits for my research. | |
49 | 3/14/2024 17:24:51 | Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology | Asst Prof | 2015 | 4 | Male | R1 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | $2M+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
50 | 3/13/2024 9:02:14 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2019 | 4.5 | Female | R1, R2, a couple PUI | 14 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | (not sure why it keeps changing rejections to 1. Based on timeline, my other 16 apps are presumed rejections by now, but very happy with my offer). Updated w/ surprise second offer. | ||
51 | 3/12/2024 13:20:06 | Environmental science | Postdoc | 2021 | 2.5 | Female | White, first-gen | R1, R2, gov | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Applied to very few positions this year while putting more time toward publishing some big papers and applying for funding. Will be hitting the job market hard next cycle. | |
52 | 3/11/2024 10:45:08 | Ecology | Postdoc | 2022 | 1.5 | Female | SLAC, PUI | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | $250,000-500,000 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||
53 | 3/11/2024 9:06:40 | Plant/Environmental science | Postdoc | 2019 | 2.5 | Female | Asian | R1, R2, SLAC | 5.5 | 0 | 14.5 | 0 | 1 | $100,000-250,000 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | One application, one offer. Now that's the dream. | |
54 | 3/11/2024 7:18:50 | Evolutionary Genomics | Asst Prof | 2017 | 4 | Male | White | R1,R2 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | $500,000-$1M | 12 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
55 | 3/11/2024 7:06:16 | Animal Ecology | Postdoc | 2021 | 2.5 | Male | White | R1, R2 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | $250,000-500,000 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
56 | 3/10/2024 12:05:09 | Ecology/Geography | Postdoc | 2023 | <1 | Female | PUI | 3 | 6 | $0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1) honestly, wth is this? Job at a PUI 1 year out of grad school with $0 in funding and NO IoR experience? infuriating. (2) Congrats, OP! 3) Yeah, well done!!!! OP) Thank you for the kind comments! To 1, I hear your frustration...I don't understand it either. For some context, I have teaching experience outside of a university setting | ||||||
57 | 3/10/2024 10:52:25 | Evolutionary Gebomics | Postdoc | 2017 | 6 | Female | First-generation | R1, R2 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | $1-2M | 0 | 2 | 57 | 20 | 15 | 15 campus interviews!! That is insane. Congrats! (1) Thanks! I hope I get an offer somewhere because so far it's been just news that multiple places have offered the positions to someone else who accepted it (it keeps changing my values! I have 1 offer)...Just the 1 offer out of all those in person interviews. The offer is very good, but its honestly a *bummer* that I only had 1 out of all of that. No "choice" to be had. 2) One good offer that you are happy with still sounds like a win to me! | |||
58 | 3/7/2024 9:41:48 | Ecology | Non-TT Faculty | 2016 | 2.5 | Female | R2, SLAC, PUI, government, other | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | $50,000-100,000 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Not included - I also applied to ~15 government jobs and received one zoom interview from those that I declined. Rejections should be 6 but it keeps changing the number. Declined the in person for several reasons. | ||
59 | 3/7/2024 8:42:07 | Evolutionary Genomics | Postdoc | 2020 | 3 | Female | R1 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | $100,000-250,000 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | First year applying. One offer (accepted), one rejected, two applications withdrawn 1) Wow congrats! Only a few apps sent but you got the gold! 2) this is like the unicorn search wth. OP) thank you! It still doesn't feel real. I was gearing up for years of applications but I got extremely lucky that my first app was a great fit | ||
60 | 3/5/2024 23:24:51 | Ecology and evolution | Postdoc | 2022 | 1.5 | Female | R1 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | $500,000-$1M | 6 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Applied selectively to only locations/universities I was interested in and it ended up working out wonderfully. | ||
61 | 3/5/2024 10:25:05 | Evolutionary Genomics | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Male | White | R2, SLAC, PUI | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | $250,000-500,000 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
62 | 3/4/2024 8:53:09 | Evolutionary Biology | Non TT prof | 2021 | 2 | Male | Immigrant | R1, R2, SLAC, PUI | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | $1-50,000 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
63 | 3/4/2024 4:11:45 | Evolutionary Biology | Postdoc | 2014 | 9 | Male | White | PUI/SLAC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 offfers. 2 of the campus invites came after offer accepted from top choice (among campus invites), so I didn't go. 2) Curious if you have an idea of what changed for you to have so much success this year after a long postdoc? Or have you had similar success in other years but didn't take the offers? 3. This was my first year on the market. I was planning to go to industry but love teaching. It took me a while to find teaching experience and then covid happened so I waited to get some in person teaching experience before I applied. 4) Wow, 2014->2023 is a long time to wait before starting to apply! Congrats. | |
64 | 3/3/2024 0:00:00 | Ecology/Environmental Science | VAP | 2022 | 1 | Female | PUI/SLAC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | $10,000 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |||
65 | 3/2/2024 12:54:47 | Evolutionary ecology | Postdoc | 2020 | 4 | Male | Queer | R1, R2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | $500,000-$1M | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 31 total applications; 6 zoom interviews; 2 on campus interviews; 1 offer 1) Seems like the numbers in your columns don't match the numbers you listed here. OP) 31 total applications across job seasons |
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | f | Institution Type | Field | Question | Notes / Comments |
2 | In-Person | Research University | What is your back up plan if your funding plans are not successful? | At a closed door interview talk (chalk talk). I was taken by surprise by this question and did not handle it super gracefully. I had just presented an extensive plan for all the different funding I would pursue for various projects, with multiple funding opportunities for each project. What is a good answer for this besides the obvious (keep applying and do low cost research to keep publishing in the mean time)? Leave science and knit sweaters for penguins? 2) If you have a computational/theoretical or low-cost line of research, maybe that? | |
3 | Zoom | Research heavy university | Evolutionary biology | A lot of people work on sexual selection. How are you going to revolutionize the field? | |
4 | In-Person | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | Can you comment on how you developed these strategies you mention in your teaching statement? | From associate dean for DEI |
5 | In-Person | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | Your research doesn't include any -omics, yet some people today think you have to do -omics to be a legit evol biologist. Can you comment on that? | (Paraphrasing) At chalk talk. Not in an aggressive or negative way, but earnestly wanting to hear my perspective. I loved the chance to talk about why not everything has to be -omics. 1) I'd love to hear some of your answers! 2) New technologies can allow us to refine hypotheses or acheive greater levels of detail but we need to be careful about technology-dependent hypotheses. Robust descriptions of eco-evo processes should not deviate between methods, and if they do, we need to be as skeptical of new technologies as of new hypotheses. Ideally, conclusions from new-school or old-school approaches should be quite similar. |
6 | In-Person | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | Of the many possible research ideas, how do you decide which ones to actually pursue? | From VP of research |
7 | In-Person | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | how can we infer extinction rates from phylogenetic trees of extant species only? | At the end of my research seminar after I showed results purporting to do that |
8 | In-Person | Public R1 | Ecology | Do you think conservation biology is a valid scientific discipline? If so, how can you ensure scientific integrity when there are so many competing interests? | Woah. |
9 | Zoom | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | How do you see your lab 5 years after joining us? | |
10 | Zoom | Private R2 | Evolutionary biology | What’s your one research accomplishment you’re the most proud of? | |
11 | Zoom + In-Person | R1/PUI | Biology | Besides think-pair-share/in-class discussions, how else do you promote active learning in the classroom? | Been asked this one in multiple types of interviews (once for a lecturer position at an R1 and a campus interview for a PUI). 1) tip - show as well as tell, if you are giving a teaching demo try to promote discussion 2) I think what the question implies is that just doing "turn to your neighbor" stuff isn't considered "good enough" anymore 3) you have to start flipping classes 4) Flipping classes is so 10 years ago. 5) @2 really!? So, what is considered good enough in 2024? 6) @5 using a variety of evidence-based strategies, which you can learn from the pedagogical research literature that exists. Any teaching workshops or certificate programs should point you toward a bunch of helpful literature, or you can start looking into it by yourself. There are SO many cool techniques and strategies that are being shown to be super effective! |
12 | Zoom -First Round | Private- Comprehensive LA | Marine Science | What are three things you think undergraduates need to know when they graduate from our marine science program? | |
13 | Campus interview | PUI | What are your plans for the next 5 years? (teaching + research) | ||
14 | Campus interview | PUI | What are things that you need to improve on in your teaching and research? | ||
15 | Campus Interview | R1 | biology | How do you plan to become a leader in your field in the next five years | I answered this awkwardly saying I believed I already was and tried stating why, but it reminded me of the need to be able to talk about your credentials and soft skills without twisting into knots. |
16 | Campus interview | R1 | Ecology | "Tell me about something you're working on outside what will be covered in your seminar" | |
17 | Campus interview | R1 | Ecology | How do you envision the composition of your lab? Many or few grad students? Postdocs? | this can be a tricky question because although you might want to say something like "no more than 2 grad students, 1 postdoc", lowballing this number can give people false notions of your productivity and ambition to attract funding. Especially at top R1s. 2) answering too large also might be taken as unrealistic too... or thatyou may grow too fast 3) I answered this more in terms of structure and trajectory: starting with one student at each level so that they can be both mentor and mentee to those behind and more advanced than them, then gradually expanding each level as appropriate. It seemed to go over well (got an offer) x2. 3) consider the university and whether they rely on PhD students for e.g., TA or funding (this can vary greatly, even among R1s). In that scenario, answering too few PhDs and too many techs or postdocs can be a red flag for them |
18 | Campus interview | R1 | Ecology | At your age, many in our department have already earned tenure. Please explain why it has taken you so long (seriously.) | so sorry you got this question, gross. x8 2) Thanks. It was at a university in the EU (I had a 6yr US PhD + 4 yr postdoc) and an engineering department at that, so probably an atypical question. 3) wow. I can't imagine getting this question and not shooting back something really snarky. 4) Oh I almost definitely would have clapped back by asking if they were concerned that I am too old to fit in. I'm so sensitive to age discrimination b/c I worked a few years after UG before going back to school, and apparently that experience is worth nothing. If they can't handle hiring an old lady who's been around the block (me!) then this old lady won't bother with them :P 5) the EU is like that, people at a university are expected to have a PhD by the time they are 24 and a few high impact papers. I was once told that I was too old and should have had 3x as many papers in higher journals. So, I went back to the US and have had NSF funding ever since, wanting to waive the bird at whoever the idiot was who said that. 6) You should have seriously started answering this question by "....oh where do I begin!!!" and then given them a long list of little things matter when you are trying to find that needle in haystack academic job. I hope they ask me this question- let's see, first job application cycle, got one zoom interview out of two positions I applied and they told me they want to invite me for on campus but that the HR has notified them I would need visa and no, that is not ok. The second job application cycle, I got another on campus interview in small town in red state, with as asthma-ridden kid, I am sure glad I forfieted it. Then two more R1s interviewed me but they were in states I never wanted to go to so one can imagine how a half-hearted zoom interview goes and several such stories. |
19 | Campus interview | R1 | Plant-Microbe | Describe an interpersonal conflict you encountered and how you resolved it | "I guess we'll see, won't we?" 2) I have gotten this question in every single interview I've ever had (TT, industry, postdoc). It is important 3) I've also gotten this Q and it feels a little inappropriate, TBH. At this career stage any conflict has been with people who hold/held power over me, so I can't really talk about it, and/or didn't have options to resolve it. Also if I've had conflict w/ someone I'm not going to go talking about it - feels wrong toward the other party and it may be obvious who it was. Also risk of inadvertantly making yourself look bad. Hate this Q. I take the strategy of claiming little conflit to report and giving a generic answer of how I deal with such situations. 4) I got this question as the opener of one of my zoom interviews and I feel like it really set the tone for the whole interview. I answered honestly about a mentorship style conflict I had with an undergraduate researcher I supervised (omitting any possible ID information or pronouns) and how that affected my perspective towards mentorship going forward. I think it helped that this conflict touched on a lot of topics that would pop up in later questions (mentorship plan across student levels) relevant to the position. |
20 | Finalist interview | R1 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | ||
21 | First roudn screening | R1 | Biology (Broad) | Do you have any other applications out there or interviews? | This is a ridiculous question 2) "Tell us a beautiful lie" 3) "No, I told all the top schools to buzz off because I was only interested in your sh***y school. If I don't get this job I'll never work again because I'd rather leave science than work anywhere other than your department. Is that the right answer?" 4) I got this question or variants on it (is this your first campus interview?) a lot last year. I have no idea if you should make yourself sound really in demand or act like they're your only interest |
22 | First Round | R1 | Ecology | How will you teach to classrooms composed of students from diverse backgrounds? | Basically guaranteed to get a question like this at most schools 1) What do they mean by "diverse backgrounds"? I kinda cringe when question lumps categories of students into a single mass of "they" because it depends if they mean "diverse socioeconomic background" or "neurodiversity" or disability etc. 2) as an interviewer seeing how a candidate addresses those range of human experience is important to me. I would preface yoru answer by saying different groups may need different approaches, then explain one or two thoughts. |
23 | First round (screener) | R1 | Microbiology | Are you sure you would actually want to leave your current position? | lol; The answer is always 'yes definitely for your department' if you want any hope of that job offer. 1) I'm amazing how many places apparently don't have scripts. We are legally required to ask every first-round candidate the same questions, basically to avoid bs like this |
24 | First round (screener) | R1 | Microbiology | How would you convince a student to work with you? | convince? Ideally we are approached by engaged and enthusiastic students. 2) uhm, what? attracting good students is not easy as they likely have many options. When they talk to you, they're interviewing you as much as you're intervewing them. 3) $ and drugs is how I answer 4) as a young assistant prof, attracting good students has proven more difficult than I had ever expected. |
25 | First round (screener) | R1 | Microbiology | Can you describe some of your teaching innovations? | Must have been for a teaching-track position. Otherwise, "oh, does your R1 care about teaching? Is that why all the TT and highly paid scientists here only teach 1 class a year and everything else is taught by TAs and adjuncts?". 2) would love to respond with "can you describe the last time you hired someone for being an innovative teacher at your research university? I love pretending to care about teaching, so I'll fit right in!" 3) I got this for a faculty position at an R1 too. Threw me for a loop and I think my answer was a little too innovative. |
26 | First round (virtual interview) | R1 | Biology (Broad) | What is the most important finding of your research so far? | The interview was going great until this question. In the stress of the moment my brain inexplicably decided that self-deprecating humor was the obvious choice and THAT WAS THE WRONG CHOICE. 2) I had this question from the chair, and answered with what I thought was my most interesting finding but was published in a minor journal and is rarely cited. I think that answer cost me... 3) I did the same thing as 2 and had the same result. I wasn't prepared for it and apparently was underwhelming. |
27 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | How are you going to fund your first project? | Ideally you want to have a project name and where to submit, including details (like review branch/study section for NIH RO1 grants. 2) I was asked where I would acquire funding 3) I often look up whether for that specific funding, similar projects have been funded which is a good indicator whether the respective agency is interested in such kind of projects |
28 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Why did you apply for this position? | "Because I like being able to pay my rent, thanks for asking" |
29 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Which equipment will you need for your research? | x |
30 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | What kind of projects can you offer for students? | x |
31 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | How does your research fit into this department? | |
32 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | x | |
33 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Which courses could/would you teach? | x |
34 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | How would you contribute to DEI? | |
35 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Will you work mainly in the field or in the lab? | |
36 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Ideally we are approached by engaged and enthusiastic students. | |
37 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Do you have any questions for us? | Probably one of the most important questions especially during on campus interviews. make sure you prepare A LOT of questions 2) during the exit interview with the search committee, after asking my questions, I flipped it around to them and asked if there was anything else they would like to ask me, or things I could elaborate on that they were hoping to hear about. the committee really liked that 3) I can see how they would like that answer - in the first round they usually have a script, so are required to ask everyone the same questions. So, there are probably questions they had about you in particular but couldn't ask, but 'now that you mention it...' 4) I tried this and felt that the committe didn't really like it (possibly b/c they were required to stay to script) x2 5) "what question have I not asked that I should ask?" is good because it opens a door to advice they might not volunteer but "since you asked..." |
38 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Plant Science | Outline your first grant proposal. | |
39 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Plant Science | Why did you apply for this position? | Going to get this at almost every job interview in the initial round. Not having an answer is basically disqualifying. Not that it has to be your dream job at all, it just needs to sound like you've at least thought about why you'd want to be there |
40 | First Round (virtual screening interview) | R1 | Plant Science | What questions do you have for us? | |
41 | First round screening | R1 | Microbiology | This should have been a huge red flag for the subsequent on-site... 2) yikes I hate this x3 3) Had basically this question during two different interviews in the UK. +1 also in the UK 4) EW 5) "You mean what was the title of my first Nature paper?" would be a great response (does not apply to me...) 6) Did get this question (also in UK) but I DO have a first author Nature (E&E) paper and named it. They did not like that either 7) @6 LOLcry 8) I got something like this at an R2 from a person whose last publication was in a low impact Frontiers journal. Like, what? Why are those the standards for me and not you, tenured professor? | |
42 | Second round (on campus interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | How do you facilitate student success after they graduated from your lab? | |
43 | Second round (on campus interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | How does your teaching philosophy fit to this department? | haha, at a R1. "The TAs do all my teaching, so I'll fit right in here!" |
44 | Second round (on campus interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Describe a course that you would teach during the first year. | |
45 | Second round (on campus interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | Who could you imagine to collaborate with and which project would you have in mind | This is actually an awful question because you have no idea of departmental politics, who would be open to collaboration versus would be threatened by someone stepping on their toes. Maybe could answer generally more about the fields, and then ask them who in the department thinks their work could benefit from collaborating with me, and "I'd be happy to talk with you about specifics" |
46 | Second round (on campus interview) | R1 | Microbiology | Who are the competitors in your field? Who else is doing this kind of research | Also got this elsewhere in a first round 2) Got this in a chalk talk 3) Whats the idea behind that question? Whether you know the field? Whether you see everybody as a threat or as a potential collaborator? Any ideas? 2 again) I think it was to check how well tuned in I was with the field but I answered saying that my field was lovely and collaborative and I didn't view others as 'competition', and that if that wasn't true I wouldn't be in the field. We'll see in a few weeks if that was the wrong answer :) Update: did not get the job but I don't think the answer to this question was the reason! 4) I view this as a question asking what sets my research apart from everyone else. For instance I study plant adaptive evolution, and EVERYBODY studies plant adaptive evolution right? So I literally say that but I then say what makes MY research different is X, Y, Z. I take an approach that combines this interdiscinplinary field with that other field hence I can distinguish myself from the many other groups that also study this research theme. This way I don't really reveal who my competitors are but I make it clear what my competition is but also how I can seperate myself from those "competitors". |
47 | Second Round (on site) | R1 | Microbiology | What kind of mentor are you (variations on this regarding mentorship style, asked by undergraduates, grad students and faculty) | |
48 | Second Round (on site) | R1 | Microbiology | How do you deal with difficult students (asked separately about undergrads and grad students)/how do you resolve conflicts in the lab | "Try to pawn them off on new hires just like you all will next fall" |
49 | Second round (virtual campus interview) | R1 | Evolutionary Biology | evolutionary ecology isn't exactly my sub-field so I was a bit unprepared for that one ... apparently I gave off evolutionary ecology vibes though. 2) Obviously forest fires, right? | |
50 | Second round (virtual campus interview) | R1 | Ecology | Would you be willing to change your research appointment to teaching appointment in the future as needed by the department? | lol 2) apparently "lol, no" was not the correct response 3) Oh but it was the correct response... x5 4) "Oh absolutely, I'd be happy to do that when you do it. When did you say you were taking that option?" 5) "Oh, is the department in such dire straits that something like that is likely?" |
51 | Second round (virtual campus interview) | R1 | Ecology | How do you forsee yourself spending your startup money? | |
52 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | These are from the hour-long exit interview with the SC. We sent them to candidates beforehand. 1) Thank you, these are great! | |
53 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 1) What do you see as the most important intellectual challenges and opportunities in the coming years in ecology? How will your research program address these challenges and opportunities? | |
54 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 3) What do you feel constitutes successful (and unsuccessful) mentoring strategies? How do you approach mentoring students who have different identities and lived experiences? | |
55 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 4) How might you work to foster equity, inclusion, and diversity among trainees in the department? We would like to hear about your past contributions to advancing DEI and how they will inform your future contributions at our university. | |
56 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 5) What are your experiences applying for research funding and/or participating in preparation of grant proposals? How have these experiences informed your research directions and strategies for seeking funding? | |
57 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 6) Tell us about a professional challenge you have faced and how you handled it. | x |
58 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 7) Is there anything else you’d like us to know that you didn’t have a chance to say earlier? Do you have questions for us? | x |
59 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 1) What do you imagine your research direction will be for the next 5-10 years | x |
60 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 2) How would you strengthen our department's commitment to diversity and inclusion? | x |
61 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 3) Describe your proudest professional accomplishment. | |
62 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | 4) Describe your teaching experience, and what you'd like to bring. | |
63 | Virtual campus interview | R1 | Ecology | What experiences have you had that make you well-suited for this position? | |
64 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | What attracts you to ### ###? | |
65 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | What are the most exciting questions in [field of job description] are and where you would seek funding for your research and with whom would you collaborate? | |
66 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | What has your most impactful work been, and what is your vision to continue it here? | x |
67 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | How do you define graduate student success? | x |
68 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | What have you done to further your knowledge/understanding of diversity and inclusion? How will you incorporate these concepts to contribute to an inclusive community here? | |
69 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | College of marine science | What questions would you like to ask of us? | |
70 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Biology (Broad) | are you legally authorized to work in the united states? | In case it's not obvious, this question is legal and often required. 2) If 'no' a department can make the offer contingent on legal status. Pretty easy to get visas for most professors in STEM. 3) It is really helpful to find this out upfront. I might even just clarfiy withthe search chair before the interview. If there is no way the institution will offer visa sponsorship, then that's pretty much end-of-conversation. Most (vast majority of?) places will for TT, but maybe not full-time scientist or teaching-track. |
71 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Tell us about your research as you would explain it to a non-scientist | |
72 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | What is your approach to mentoring undergraduate students? Graduate students? | |
73 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Biology | What's your first grant and how would you fund it? | |
74 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Biology | Where do you see your research going in short term and long term? | |
75 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Biology | What are the advantages and disadvantages of accepting position here? | The disadvantage part was hard to answer! |
76 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Paleobiology | What are the titles of the first three grants you will write in this position? | This struck me as a particularly specific question for a pre-interview. Additionally, in combo with other comments made during the zoom call, suggested to me that start-up will be unacceptably low. Will see if that holds up. |
77 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Paleobiology | How would you select students? What is it important to you? | Now it seems like an obvious question to expect, but I was caught off guard and I'm still not sure what I should have replied. (2) I got a very similar (same?) question for what I assume is the same search. |
78 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Applied Ecology | How does your research influence your teaching? | |
79 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Microbial ecology | How does you teaching philosophy align with the teaching philosophy of the department | had no clue what the teaching philosophy of the department was and this caused all knowledge to leave my brain, including my own teaching philosophy. |
80 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Microbial ecology | What is your most important research contribution? | |
81 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Microbial ecology | How do you envision running your lab? How will you ensure students are successful? What will make you happy as a researcher at this school? | |
82 | Zoom pre-interview | R1 | Microbial ecology | ||
83 | Campus interview | R2 | Ecology | Do you have kids? | seriously. be prepared. i was not. 2) definitly a fucked up question! And also not legal fwiw. Sorry you got this. 3) I've got this and "are you married?" and "where else have you applied?" all from the same person at dinner (with others there!). "That's a great question, but what I'm curious about is how much your HR and marketing department will pay me to not tell everyone you asked that!" 4) "Who even knows these days" is an answer that will befuddle them. "I have the same number as you!" is also a winner if they haven't said whether or not they have kids (assuming you no longer care about that job). 4) A good reply might be, "is there are certain number required for this position? [smile/laugh]" it could be that some members of the search committee would be horrified their colleague asked that, sometimes there is just an old fart in the deparment who can't be controlled |
84 | Campus interview | R2 | Biology (Broad) | How would you incorporate teaching R into our undergraduate curriculum? | I am a pirate, I incorporate Arr into everything 2) incredible. I hope I get asked this! |
85 | Campus interview | R2 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Environmental Science | |
86 | First round screening | R2 | Biology (Broad) | What kind of excellence in teaching are you bringing to the Department | |
87 | Zoom (first round) | R2 | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | What's your biggest weakness as a teacher? | I'll admit I wasn't prepared for this one. |
88 | Zoom (first round) | R3 | Microbiology | What is your greatest weakness as a 1) Instructor, 2) Researcher and 3) Colleague? | x Any advice on how to handle the "greatest weakness" questions? 1) Wow, asking it in 3 ways! Be honest, to a point. The first one can be spun pretty easily as a pedagogy question, something that you are working on. While a little lame, saying "I'm not a captivating lecturer and I know student attention spans are short anyway, so I do xx activities in class" is fine. Should always follow the weakness answer with how you are working on it. For the research one, could mention a part of the grant-writing process for a R3, but wouldn't say that at a R1. The colleague one is rough! Probably most answers are OK if you are thoughtful and reflective, I think they are looking for that more than any particular answer |
89 | Campus Interview | Research Museum | Eco/Evo | From Zoom audience member, in the Q&A of the job talk: How would you restructure your talk if you were to give it to a non-scientific audience? | This really threw me off, as it's not like "explain what you do" but, instead, specific to the talk that I just finished. I couldn't help but think of my 60 slides and where/how I would change each one, which clearly meant a slow response! 1) Just throwing this out there - a 45 min talk at an advanced level should only have !15 slides. 60 slides in 45 mins or even 60 mins is just way too dense - plus it can easily be interpreted as "you're not good at summarizing". 2) 60 slides is fine.x7 3) I agree with 2 - there is no one way for people to communicate science and the comment from 1 is not what the question was about. 4) @ 3 perhaps it's exactly what the question was about. @ 2, surely you don't tell students that 60 slides in 45 mins is "fine", why would you say it's "fine" for a job talk? 5) My job talk was a little over 60 slides, didn't hold me back. I prefer to have slides that are less dense.6) @1 I get super bored/stop paying attention when presenters go on for 3-4 minutes on one slide, If someone did this for an entire talk, pretty sure I'd lose interest in the first 10 minutes. For a non-sientific audience, I'd spend less time going through the nuances of my data/statistics to show case my strengths for the department and focus on just the big picture take aways and adding in relatable images that bridge the gap between lehman and scientist. x2 |
90 | Campus interview | SLAC | Plant Biology | Circle which publications were done with undergraduate coauthors (slides CV over across the table) | 1) This is why I indicate on CV the undergrad co-authors. 2) Woah, that is a power move. Such a silly way to ask a reasonable question. 3) Also irrelevant because whom you are publishing with is a reflection of your PIs recruitment and networks |
91 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | ||
92 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | Many candidates for this position understandably have a research program that involves a summer field season. While we presume students will be involved in your summer research efforts, how will you engage students in research during the academic year? | |
93 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | [Institution] is a small liberal arts college that serves 1900 undergraduates. Faculty are expected to be teacher-scholars with an emphasis on teaching. How do you see these institutional goals aligning with your career goals? | |
94 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | ||
95 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | In upper division courses we have quite a bit of autonomy in the design and implementation of our courses. But in our core classes like BIO ### [Intro BIO] we are usually teaching multiple sections a semester in a team effort. This team approach is to help ensure a consistent curriculum at these foundational levels. How do you see yourself contributing to a team approach during the development and practice of these introductory courses? Are there particular experiences you can share that would guide you as an active member of a BIO ### team? | |
96 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | ||
97 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | Can you provide more details or specific plans of how you will integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into your teaching, research, and service at [Institution]? | |
98 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | Which of the upper-level courses in the job description (Ecology, Botany) will be more challenging for you to teach at [Intitution] for the first time? How do you plan to prepare for this course? | |
99 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | We emphasize student-centered pedagogies and encourage faculty to continually grow and develop as effective teachers. What are some strategies you found effective in educating undergraduates and in what ways do you see yourself further developing as a teacher through the tenure process? | |
100 | Zoom | SLAC | Ecology | What will be the title of your first Nature paper | this is a great question |
101 | Zoom (first round) | SLAC | Biology | Describe a new course you would design for the department | x Any advice on how to handle the "greatest weakness" questions? 1) Wow, asking it in 3 ways! Be honest, to a point. The first one can be spun pretty easily as a pedagogy question, something that you are working on. While a little lame, saying "I'm not a captivating lecturer and I know student attention spans are short anyway, so I do xx activities in class" is fine. Should always follow the weakness answer with how you are working on it. For the research one, could mention a part of the grant-writing process for a R3, but wouldn't say that at a R1. The colleague one is rough! Probably most answers are OK if you are thoughtful and reflective, I think they are looking for that more than any particular answer |
102 | Zoom (first round) | SLAC | Biology | How would you teach course X? | Just a note that this was not a course like Biology, it had a unique name and was a test of whether you went through the department's course catalog and description. (2) for a Zoom?! yikes. |
103 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology | Could you describe for us how you became interested in [subfield]? | |
104 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology | Could you give us one example of a critical emerging need or research gap in the [subfield] area, and describe how your research has or will address it | |
105 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology | What do you see as one of the most challenging aspects of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academic community, and provide an example of how you could contribute to addressing this challenge at [Institution] | |
106 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology | What skills do you think our undergraduate and graduate students will need to practice in the field of [subfield]? How would you emphasize these in your teaching and mentoring? | |
107 | Zoom (first round) | R1 | Ecology | Could you describe one example of how you envision collaborating with internal or external (community, government, nonprofit, private, tribal, etc.) partners |
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1 | Timestamp | Institution Type | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Timestamp | Institution Type | Public or Private? | Region | Field | Appointment | Gender Identity | Prior Position | Competing Offers | Salary Initially Offered | Salary Requested | Salary Granted | Cost of Living | Startup Initially Offered | Startup Requested | Startup Granted | Teaching Load | Other Info | Last Update | Discussion | Mod Flag |
3 | 8/1/2024 9:55:15 | R1 | Public | South | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 105K | 108K | 106K | moderate/high | 800K | 1.14M | 1.07M | 1.5 | two pre-tenure teaching releases. Start-up includes postdoc, technician, and grad student salary support | |||
4 | 7/22/2024 6:48:16 | R1 | Public | South | Conservation Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 95,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | Low | 450000 | 480,000 | 450,000 | 1:1 | 15k relocation package. Leadership is actively working on a spousal TT hire. Department was upfront during interview that there was no room for salary or startup negotiation and they stuck to that. Startup includes $$ for postdoc and PhD stipend. Accepted. | |||
5 | 7/3/2024 2:20:09 | Other | Public | Outside North America | Biological Sciences | Twelve month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 100,000 | 113,000 | 110,000 | moderate | 500000 | 500,000 | 650,000 | low | 2 postdocs, 1 technician (part time), 1 secretary (part time) | 7/10/24 5:55 | Congrats! Is it Europe, Asia, or others? OP) Northern Europe but this is exceptionally high in terms of start up | |
6 | 6/27/2024 9:01:17 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Marine Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 107,000 | 107,000 | 107,000 | High | 340000 | 340,000 | 340,000 | 1:1 | Tenure-track partner hire offered as well | |||
7 | 6/26/2024 5:57:24 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | NA | 102,000 | 102,000 | Low/Moderate | Asked for list | 700,000 | 700,000 | 1:1 | First year teaching release, One year deferred start date; three months summer salary; 25k moving costs; partner support (non-academic); off-site (field site) office space; startup doesn't expire. Happily accepted! | 6/27/24 23:50 | Congrats! (2) What kind of support did they give your non-academic partner? They have seemed clueless about this in my experience (OP) Thanks! - For my partner they have a dual career network person who has met with her and said they will help her search for jobs in the area / alums at relevant companies and have put us in contact with other prof partners in the same industry | |
8 | 6/15/2024 20:20:40 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Evolutionary Genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 150,000 | 155,000 | 155,000 | Very High | 2.1 million | 2.3 million | 2.3 million | 1:0.5 | startup doesn't expire; 1 year teaching release; summer salary included in startup; moving costs; partner support; graduate students covered by dept; lab renovations covered by dept. signed. | 6/24/24 18:31 | Princeton, huh. or Harvard? | |
9 | 6/14/2024 12:56:10 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 90,000 | Moderate | 100000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 2:2 | 6.5k moving expenses, 1 semester teaching release, department is supplying some big lab equipment. Happily accepted! | 6/26/24 7:32 | Congrats! | ||
10 | 6/13/2024 22:01:15 | R1 | Public | West | environmental science/data science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 110,000 | 113,000 | 110,000 | mid | NA | 750,000 | 515,000 | 1:1:1 | dual career support (TT), 2 course releases, 5k moving costs | |||
11 | 6/13/2024 21:57:20 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | environmental science & policy | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 176,000 (USD) | 189,000 (USD) | 189,000 (USD) | Very High | NA | 1,000,000 | 820,000 (USD) | 1:1 (ish) | + 279,000 per year (USD) for lab operating costs (!), 25k moving costs, 12k for language learning, pension buy in, & (non tt) dual career/partner support | 6/23/24 7:03 | Congrats! This is a great offer. Can you share what country this is? --OP Switzerland :) 1) I had a feeling! 2) heck yeah, love to see this salary and departmental support!!!!!! | |
12 | 6/12/2024 11:05:45 | R1 | Public | Canada | Biology & Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | $127,000 CAD | $130,000 CAD | $128,500 CAD | Very High | $150,000 CAD (unrestricted) + $250,000 CAD (CFI/equipment-only) | $430,000 CAD for equipment | $200,000 CAD (unrestricted) + $375,000 CAD (CFI/equipment-only) + one fully funded PhD student | 2 classes/year, no teaching for the first year, and start with one class | successfully negotiated a joint appointment between Botany and Forestry, which helped increase dollar amounts. Initial verbal offer was a salary of $125,000 CAD, formal offer was $127,000 CAD, and then I asked If it'd be possible to increase it - they essentially said "no", but then bumped it up to $128,500 CAD - it felt awkward for me to ask, but now I'll scream it from the rooftop: JUST ASK FOR MORE MONEY! | 6/13/24 14:38 | That's the 12-month salary? --OP: yes, in case you're confused about currency (as I often am these days) $128,500 CAD is about $93,500 USD | |
13 | 6/9/2024 5:55:07 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Ecology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | 75,000 | 81,000 | 80,100 | Moderate | NA | 450,000 | 325,000 | 1:1 | One semester teaching release, spousal hired as Visiting Professor. Great Department. Happily accepted! | 6/10/24 11:34 | Great! | |
14 | 6/8/2024 9:55:51 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | NA | 102,000 | 98,000 | medium | NA | 710,000 | 610,000 | 0:1 | Includes one year deferral on start date and teaching release in first year. My partner also got a TT faculty offer at the same institution. Very happily accepted! | 6/10/24 11:35 | Nice! | |
15 | 6/7/2024 11:44:47 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 98,000 | 98,000 | Moderate | 400000 | 850,000 | 450,000 | 1:1 | One year teaching release given, and the second year has a partially reduced load. I asked for a partner accommodation and got 2/3 of a 3-year postdoc salary approved by the university (it's unclear at acceptance if my partner will find a postdoc supervisor to pay the other 1/3). | 6/7/24 11:46 | OP: The offer seems alright to me (not spectuacular but alright). The department chair was basically going out of their way to throw some red flags out, though. We'll see how this goes! Accepted with reservations. | ||
16 | 6/4/2024 6:01:23 | R1 | Private | Northeast | environmental science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 132,000 | 138,000 | 135,000 | Very high | 900,000 | 800,000 | 1:1 | 14.5k in moving expenses, 1 year deferred start date, 1 semester teaching release, 4 months summer salary, lab renovations covered by department, 4 PhD student years. Accepted! | 6/6/24 10:18 | Wow, sounds like a good situation! (2) Congratulations! Is that the 9-month salary? | ||
17 | 5/31/2024 8:31:45 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Evolutionary Genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 103,000 | 103,000 | 103,000 | Moderate | 800000 | 860,000 | 860,000 | 1:0.5 | 10k moving expenses, 1 year deferred start date, 1 year teaching release, 3 months summer salary, lab renovations covered by department. Happily accepted. | 5/31/24 15:57 | Congrats OP! Sounds like an amazing offer | |
18 | 5/30/2024 10:45:37 | R3 | Public | Midwest | Environmental | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 62,000 | 68,000 | 62,000 | Low | 50000 | 150,000 | 75,000 | 3:3 | I declined the offer due to low salary. | |||
19 | 5/23/2024 11:04:23 | Master's | Public | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 70,000 | Non-negotiable | 70,000 | Moderate | NA | 30,000 | 30,000 | 24 contact hours / year | Also received 8,000 for moving, a large piece of equipment (~$56k), and a course release in the first year. Teaching load ends up being very manageable the way workload is calculated. Great department, lots of resources - happily accepted! | 5/24/24 7:11 | Congrats!! I'm curious what sorts of things are counted toward the contact hours other than courses. OP: Thanks! Mentoring undergrads and masters students, teaching courses above a certain number of students, being the lab "organizer" associated with a lecture, new preps, not teaching a prep for a certain amount of time, certain committees. | |
20 | 5/22/2024 14:30:47 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Coastal Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 65,750 | 70,000 | 65,750 | Moderate | 150000 | 249,903 | 249,903 | 2:2 | Also received an optional 1-year tenure clock pause, guaranteed TAships for 2 students in year 2 and 3, and 4.5 months of fully paid parental leave | |||
21 | 5/13/2024 12:59:30 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Microbiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 94,000 | 96,000 | high | 1 million | 1.2 million | 1.05 million | 1:1 | Includes 2 years course release, 7.5k moving expenses, deferral of start until next year, department covers renovation for lab (only needed one minor change). Accepted offer | ||||
22 | 5/4/2024 13:48:03 | R1 | Public | Canada | Forest ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 100500 CAD | 109000 CAD | 101500 CAD | Moderate | 25000 CAD | 77000 CAD | 75000 CAD | 1:1 | Relocation covered and one year teaching release. CFI can't be guaranteed contractually, but new faculty have generally had no problem obtaining it. Startup is quite low, but the funding environment is relatively good in the field. Good department, good location, accepted. | 5/8/24 7:37 | Congrats! | |
23 | 5/2/2024 16:13:28 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Twelve month | Genderqueer | Postdoc | No | 95,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | 42576 | 693,000 | 696,000 | 1/0 | |||||
24 | 5/2/2024 15:52:15 | R1 | Public | West | Evolution | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 95,000 | 89,000 | High | N/A | 925,000 | 730,000 | 1.5 courses + grad seminar per year | Also included in the offer is one semester of teaching release, 10k of relocation costs, 6.5k of visa fees, and 2 TA lines. Negotiated a 2 year deferral and an excellent spousal hire (non-faculty) in a different department. Everyone was extremely supportive and I was very happy to accept! | 5/3/24 6:02 | Super awesome, congrats! | |
25 | 5/2/2024 7:34:03 | Other | Public | West | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 114,970 | 114,970 | High | 0 | Federal position. Have access to non-competitive funds and start up support. | 5/3/24 6:02 | Nice! | |||||
26 | 4/30/2024 18:33:04 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 86,000 | 92,000 | 90,000 | Low | 260000 | 325,000 | 300,000 | 1:1 | Plus $5K in lab renovations, $3K in moving expenses (the upper limit), up to $25K for equipment purchased for dual teaching and research. No teaching release possible but not a problem for me, personally. Had another campus interview lined up but received this offer and decided not to go to the other interview. Happily accepted :) | 5/4/24 1:03 | Congrats!! | |
27 | 4/29/2024 14:13:08 | R1 | Public | West | environmental science | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 90,000 | 92,000 | 92,000 | high | 350000 | 390,000 | 375,000 | 2:1 | also got TA lines for a grad student who is coming with me, a course release, + up to $25k in relocation expenses. great negotiation experience, really exciting job in a dream location, really happy about this move! | 4/30/24 8:05 | Congrats on your move!!x2 | |
28 | 4/23/2024 13:24:04 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 55,000 | 70,000 | NA | moderate | 5000 | 10,000 | NA | 3 courses per semester | Politely declined the offer due to salary offer being non-competitive with other local universities and well below my current salary. I did not receive a counter offer when requested a salary range to either match or exceed my current salary. Search committee and Dean were heavily relying on the "conducive work environment" to entice me to accept. | 4/26/24 13:38 | "conducive work environment" doesn't pay the mortgage or the daycare. 1) Yeah, 55k for a 3:3 load is not very good | |
29 | 4/23/2024 11:08:23 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 89,500 | 94,000 | 89,500 | Low | 500000 | N/A | 515,000 | 1:1 | No room for movement on salary but 15k added to startup to pay summer salary. Overall, I was happy with the offer already. | 4/23/24 12:49 | congratulations! great salary and startup | |
30 | 4/22/2024 11:44:36 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Animal Behavior | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 58,000 | 65,000 | 60,000 | Medium | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3:3 | 2 year VAP, provided $2K of moving expenses, happily accepted! | 4/22/24 13:50 | congratulations! | |
31 | 4/16/2024 6:50:52 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 84,000 | It's a set salary - no wiggle room | 84,000 | Low | 1 million | It's set - no wiggle room | 1 million | 1:1 | Neither salary nor renovations comes out of my startup. I have access to my startup for 5 years. 5k moving expenses provided. Only offer, so will sign. | 4/16/24 9:34 | Wow. 1 million start up + summer salart + rennovations + moving expenses. Dream offer! Congrats! | |
32 | 4/15/2024 6:25:40 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 90,000 | 86,000 | Low | 500000 | 500,000 | 500,000 | 1:0.5 | 10k moving expenses. Deferred start and teaching release first semester. Was not able to negotiate much off of the initial offer, but was pretty happy with it! | 4/19/24 7:39 | Congrats! | |
33 | 4/11/2024 15:41:50 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Ten Month | Female | Other | No | 95,000 | 110,000 | 108,000 | Very High | 350000 | 400,000 | 410,000 | 1:0.5 | Hard to really write down negotiation in this format (it was more of a "what do you want... we can't do that" during the on-site interview while refusing to give a baseline, and then they gave me all the stuff I asked for in the initial offer - these are estimates of my initial asks and offers). Coming back to academia from the "outside" world, so this was a pretty big pay cut for me which may have offered some leverage even though I didn't have a competing offer. Robust computational resources available that I don't have to buy into as well. Relocation expenses, pension (it's a union position), etc. Also providing some lab renovations (I don't need much). Very gladly accepted. | 8/5/24 20:45 | Congratulations!!! Great offer and great teaching load. Would you be able to share with us why you took a pay cut to come back to academia? | |
34 | 4/10/2024 9:07:44 | R1 | Public | South | Evolution | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 87,000 | 93,000 | 90,000 | low | 270000 | 375,000 | 290,000 | 1:1 | happily accepted! major step up from current Asst Prof job. Excited to move. | 4/11/24 15:19 | Happy for you! 2) Congratulations!! Moving as an Asst Prof gives me hope! | |
35 | 4/2/2024 12:18:36 | R1 | Public | Canada | Theoretical Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90k CAD | 103k CAD | 95k CAD | Low | 65k CAD | 85k CAD | 85k CAD | 2:2 | 10k moving expense. Deferred start date. Teaching release in the first year. | 4/3/24 8:27 | Congrats!! | |
36 | 3/29/2024 14:20:26 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Environmental Science | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 96,000 | 108,000 | 100,000 | Moderate | N/A | 695,000 | 566,000 | 1:1 | Awesome department. Great fit with department and position. $10k to cover moving expenses. One course release in first semester. Currently employed as assistant prof at an R2. Happily accepted the offer as this is more aligned with my long term career goals. | 4/1/24 7:55 | Congrats! It's interesting to see how much variation there is offers for moving costs. 2) Congratulations! Sounds like an excellent move. | |
37 | 3/29/2024 11:36:29 | R1 | Public | West | Evolutionary Genetics | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 90,000 | N/A | 90,000 | Mid | N/A | 100,000 | 100,000 | 2:2 (no labs) | 10k stipend for moving costs. Release of 1 class in year 1, and one semester of full teaching release another time pre-tenure. Position has relatively high teaching for an R1 because it's a satellite campus. Very happy to accept. | 4/1/24 6:25 | Congrats! | |
38 | 3/27/2024 8:51:11 | Other | Private | Northeast | Marine ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 84,000 | 105-110,000 | 100,000 | Mid | 40k + 1year of technician support | 40k+ 1.5 year for a postdoc | 40k + 1year for a postoc | none | They also offered 10k for relocation expenses (reimbursed after showing receipts). I don't own much, so we changed this into 5k for relocation expense + 5k signing bonus | 3/29/24 6:50 | Congrats! 1) Wow. great negotiation. Can OP share how they are able to get a big salary increase from the initial salary offer? Like what kind of justification or negotiation? 2) Yes, my understanding it's hard to negotiate much because how salaries are locked in for others. Congrats!!3) OP: Thanks! The salary offered was lower than the salary range initially advertised, and then I backed up my request with some data by doing a quick background check on jobs at NOAA/public universities and on glassdoor within the specific area. 1) Thanks OP! That is very helpful. Hope this advice can also help those that got an offer this cycle! | |
39 | 3/26/2024 4:42:32 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Marine Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 87,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | Mid | NA | 520,000 | 500,000 | 1:1 | $1,500 for moving expenses. First semester teaching release. Seems like a fantastic department with supportive faculty dept. head. Happily accepted. | 3/27/24 10:15 | Great news...congrats!! | |
40 | 3/18/2024 15:29:37 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 106,000 | Didn't negotiate (based on current salaries) | 106,000 | Mid-High | 406000 | 426,000 | 416,000 | 1:1 | University moving from R2 to R1. Offer also includes $5k moving expenses, lab renovations, and one semester teaching release. Literally my dream position in my dream department - very happily accepted!! | 3/20/24 15:06 | that's great, congrats! 1) congratulations! your dream came true. | |
41 | 3/13/2024 17:09:49 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | High | 170000 | 210,000 | 191,000 | 2 courses per semester | offered 4800 for moving from midwest | 3/19/24 6:37 | congrats! | |
42 | 3/12/2024 16:02:36 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Environmental Science/Studies | Nine month | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 88,000 | 88,000 | 88,000 | High | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 3/2 | Didn't negotiate salary because I know they already started with an offer that was quite high for someone starting in the department. | 3/17/24 15:51 | Oh also, teaching release for one class in first year and $2,000 moving budget Congrats! OP)Thank you!! | ||
43 | 3/12/2024 15:59:11 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Conservation Biology | Nine month | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 59,000 | Shared a second offer | 61,000 | Low | Asked for a budget | 30,000 | Said they could meet most of it but didn't specify amount | 4/4 | Started to negotiate but then decided to take another offer and stopped | 3/12/24 16:04 | Teaching release for one class in first year and $2,000 moving budget. | ||
44 | 3/11/2024 6:05:05 | R1 | Public | Canada | Genomics | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 100,000 | 104,000 | 104,000 | low | $150,000 startup + $150,000 total CFI | $480,000 startup + $300,000 total CFI | $250,000 startup + $450,000 total CFI | 1:1 plus occasional grad classes | Lab space is being renovated and furnished. Renovated space will be shared with another genomics lab and we have agreed to share equipment. House hunting trip included, moving expenses covered based on weight of belongings. No teaching year 1, 50% teaching load year 2. Amazing department with lots of offers to share equipment while I apply for CFI. The financial situation in Canadian universities reduced my startup and bargaining power compared to other recent hires but they made up for it with increased CFI and support writing an RTI grant. Dream job and dream department - happily accepted! | 3/12/24 14:56 | 1) Are these numbers in CAD or converted to USD? OP) CDN 2) Congratulations!! | |
45 | 3/5/2024 6:15:43 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 71,000 | 80,000 | 73,000 | Low | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4:4 | $5k in relocation expenses, with common research materials (kits, consumables, etc) being covered in lieu of startup. Accepted! | 3/5/24 7:13 | 1) Congrats, and good luck! | |
46 | 3/5/2024 5:51:52 | SLAC | Private | South | Microbiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 64,000 | 64,000 | Low | 30000 | 30,000 | 3:3 | Labs count as 0.5 so it is more of a 4:4. I didn't negotiate because I had accepted another offer already. | |||||
47 | 3/4/2024 14:28:49 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Environmental Science | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 67,500 | 70,000 | 68,000 | Low | 57,000 | 35,000 | 3:3, labs count as 0.5 | Course release first year, small summer stipend for two years and 5k in moving reimbursed. | ||||
48 | 3/4/2024 6:58:36 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 71,000 | 73,000 | 71,000 | Low | 20000 | 30,000 | 30,000 | 4:4 | 5k moving reimbursement. 3:3 course load in the first year. Labs count as 1. Happily accepted | 3/4/24 8:42 | 1) Great to hear. Congrats! | |
49 | 2/23/2024 6:13:02 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 89,250 | 86,000 | Low | 200000 | 260,000 | 230,000 | 1:1 | 4k moving expenses, 1 semester teaching release | 2/23/24 7:44 | OP: happily accepted, great department! | |
50 | 2/16/2024 0:40:53 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 70,000 | 78,000 | 72,000 | Low | 50000 | 82,000 | 62,000 | 3:3 | 2:3 teaching load first 2 years | 2/26/24 7:17 | 1) Congrats!! | |
51 | 2/16/2024 0:37:25 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 70,000 | 78,000 | 72,000 | Low | 50000 | 82,000 | 62,000 | 3:3 | 2:3 teaching load first 2 years | ||||
52 | 2/14/2024 17:28:48 | SLAC | Private | West | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 74,000 | 72,000 | Mid-High | None (teaching position) | None (teaching position) | None (teaching position) | 3:2 | Permanent teaching position with opportunity for summer research with students (with summer salary) and plans to develop new CURE course. Very excited--precisely the type of position I wanted: mostly teaching, a touch of research. | 2/15/24 8:44 | Nice job! | |
53 | 2/12/2024 14:54:46 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | West | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 83,000 | 88,000 | 87,150 | High | 100000 | 150,000 | 115,000 | 4:4 (lab sections count) | $12,000 in moving expenses, reduced teaching load for first two years, many ways to lower teaching load (e.g. students signing up for research credit). Great department, Loved meeting the undergraduate students during on-campus visit. Enthusiastically accepted! | 2/13/24 14:10 | Congratulations! | |
54 | 2/2/2024 2:58:21 | R2 | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 90,000 | 100,000 | 93,000 | Very high | 100000 | 150,000 | 130,000 | 2:2 | 1) 10k of moving expenses 2) furniture + computer included 3) 1 month of summer salary in the first year 4) release of 2 courses in the first year | 2/22/24 12:00 | That's great, congrats! But question for anyone seeing this, are there really positions where they don't include a computer and at least a desk and chair?? 1) My lab reno included furniture for my office, but my computer had to come out of my startup 2) I'm the offer right below and I got one laptop and a lab computer included outside of my startup. 3) i'm the offer at the west slac right below and i got personal computer and will be given several "recycled"/"old" <3y computers/laptops that are being retired from different classrooms to be used in lab workstations for my students (all this outside of startup) 4) I have seen included equipment and use of startup for upgrades - e.g. colleague with back problems below the level of disability upgrading to an Aeron 5) I had to buy office chair, table, computer and literally everything from my startup, and had to pay money out of my startup to fix the lab, including money for plumbing as the sinks are not working. | |
55 | 2/1/2024 12:13:53 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | Yes | 70,000 | 75,000 | 72,500 | Medium-High | 28000 | 28,000 | 2:3 | one course release each semester in during my first year; 2k moving expenses reimbursed; plenty of univ. funds available for hiring students, publications, and travel; all major equipment is already owned by the department; 12% retirement contribution from univ. regardless of personal contributions. Happily accepted. | 2/2/24 6:14 | Nice job! | ||
56 | 2/1/2024 5:57:31 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,500 | - | 72,500 | medium-low | 40000 | - | 40,000 | 3-3 | 2K reimbursement for moving, didn't feel the need to negotiate startup knowing this would get me any equipment I needed to get my lab started that the school didn't already have. The startup funds are also from the provost office, the department has other money for materials. Everyone I met at the school was so welcoming and friendly, I happily accepted my #dreamjob! | 2/2/24 6:14 | Congrats! | |
57 | 1/28/2024 21:51:22 | SLAC | Private | West | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 74,000 | 84,000 | 75,000 | Medium high | 100000 | 190,000 | 110,000 | 2:2 first year, 2:3 after that. Labs count as 1! | Salary not high with not much room for negotiation. However, higher salary than rival school in the area I interviewed at. Start up doesn't look like it budged much; however, it became clear to me that I was going to receive lots of funding and equipment and other things (like personal computer, computers for students, use of cluster, data storage, and office furniture) from outside of my start up. As a result, my start up will cover all my research needs for my pre-tenure years. 9% of salary contributed to your pension by the school regardless of you contributing. Small school, no room for spousal hire; however, they have sent my partner's CV and info to other schools in the area (there are several) and apparently this works out well for many other faculty...so fingers crossed. Negotiated second visit with allowance $4000 and relocation allowance $7500. Negotiations were a positive experience for me, as was every other interaction with members from this university, and I enthusiastically accepted the offer. #dreamjob | 3/27/24 5:33 | Congratulations! x2 OP) thank you!!!!! 1) First of all congrants! I'm curious about the 12 months appointment at a SLAC. Are you teaching in the summer? Haven't heard of a 12 month appointment at a small school OP) yes i hadn't heard of it either. i'm not sure why they do this, but there is also "summer salary" baked into the start up grant that I will be guaranteed the first two years pre-tenure, bumping me up to 80,000/year. sorry i can't tell you why! | |
58 | 1/28/2024 8:35:43 | SLAC | Public | Southeast | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | Medium | List | 306,000 | 306,000 | 2:2 with labs | 4,000 in moving costs also covered, and first semester teaching release; offer happily accepted! | 1/29/24 17:12 | Great! | |
59 | 1/26/2024 8:09:45 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Plant Ecology and Biodiversity | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 50602 USD (converted to USD from SEK) | 54084 USD (converted to USD from SEK) | 52932 USD (converted to USD from SEK) | med | 33500 USD (converted to USD from SEK) | No negotiable | 33500 USD (converted to USD from SEK) | 1 grad course, support (tutoring, assessments, and some lectures) 3 others per year | European public university | 1/26/24 8:15 | I forgot to mention they covered up to $4,800 in relocation expenses for PI and dependents | |
60 | 1/16/2024 11:39:52 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 66,500 | - | 66,500 | Low | - | 215,000 | 138,000 | 3:3 | During negotiations with this same SLAC, my husband (also biologist) got a 1-year deferral, but no spousal arrangement for me. Months later, I was informed about the advertised position, encouraged to apply, went through the full interview process, and then accepted after receiving an offer. We will both work in the same department and are happy with our negotiated terms. We both got a 4k summer stipend, summer funding for 3 students, and one course release in our first year and ~10k in moving costs for both. | 1/18/24 15:52 | Glad this worked out for you and your spouse. Congrats on the job(s)! | |
61 | 1/11/2024 9:45:20 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | 63,000 | 68,000 | 65,000 | Low | List | 40,000 | 30,000 + renovation | 2:2 with labs | Course release first year spring; offered 3k moving, requested 3.5k, offered 4k. Pretty great overall offer, regretfully declined for non-academic reasons | |||
62 | 1/8/2024 13:21:34 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 83,000 | 88,000 | 85,000 | Low | list | 160,000 | 160,000 | 2:3 | Labs count as 0.5. $6,000 moving costs. Happily accepted. Could not negotiate anything for spouse. | 1/10/24 12:32 | Congrats! | |
63 | 1/6/2024 22:06:01 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 65,000 | 70,000 | 65,000 | Low/Medium | 28000 | 50,000 | 45,000 | 2:2 with labs | $4,000 for moving expenses; $2,500 for computer; 1 course release in first year; happily accepted! | |||
64 | 1/3/2024 14:13:24 | R1 | Public | Canada | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 97k | - | 101k | Med-Low | ~400k | - | ~400k | 1 undergrad, 1 grad per year | 2 year teaching release; salary based on years of experience since undergrad at the time of starting and the collective agreement. Supportive department. Career support for spouse. Accepted! | 1/5/24 11:42 | That's great, congratulations! | |
65 | 12/26/2023 12:41:12 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Organismal Biology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 65,000 | 75,000 | 72,000 | Low | 70000 | 90,000 | 80,000 | 2:3 (includes labs) | 3rd year on the job market, coming from VAP position, this was my first TT offer. Also includes $4K in relocation funds. In general, the negotiation was very reasonable and I happily accepted. | 1/5/24 11:42 | Congratulations! | |
66 | 12/21/2023 9:05:51 | Regional PUI | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 90,375 | 90,000 | Very high | list | 140,000 | 40,000 | nine contact hours per semester | negotiated laptop and lab computer from another source of funds. They offered six incubators and a greenhouse that were a large portion of the cost of the startup list. | 1/5/24 11:43 | Nice...huge jump over initial salary offer | |
67 | 12/20/2023 15:54:31 | SLAC | Private | West | Biology | Nine month | Nonbinary | Postdoc | No | 77,000 | N/a | 77000 + $17k research stipend for 1st summer | Med | 120K | 150k | 120k | 2/2 | ||||
68 | 12/20/2023 14:17:44 | SLAC | Private | West | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 105,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | High | Requested list | 200,000 | 135,000 | 2:3 | Also provided 2 years of 1 month summer salary, 1 student summer salary + housing, a professional development budget, lab renovations, office + computer budget, and common reagents from the Biology stockroom. Offer happily accepted. | 12/21/23 8:00 | Awesome...congrats! | |
69 | 12/15/2023 6:47:56 | R2 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 79,000 | 85,000 | 82,000 | Mid-High | 90000 | 130,000 | 100,000 | 3:2 (includes labs) | + Cost of office and lab renovations (up to $9K), $4K in relocation costs, 1 month summer salary & 1 course teaching release in Yr 1, inheriting lab space so first access to all equipment currently in lab, house hunting visit for myself and spouse. Department covers $1500 in travel a year, publication costs, and general lab supplies and reagents. Happily accepted. | |||
70 | 12/12/2023 15:51:38 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 68,000 | 68,000 | High | 10000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 3/3 | Job was posted late in the cycle on the 2022-2023 board. Feeling statistically unlikely & downright lucky to snag the tenure-track job of my dreams! I was well-suited to the ad (core class in ecology and evolution, biostatistics, able to offer cross-curricular capstone research experiences and upper-level to both environmental science and biology majors, etc). I know (anecdotally) that this university has become more stingy with start-up funding, so I am pleased that they accommodated my request for double the start-up and more salary. This is a great department that really cares about teaching, but still requires significantly active scholarship for tenure. For transparency's sake: my spouse works in industry, which certainly subsidizes my academic dreams. It would be a falsehood to ignore the impact that has had on my career. | 6/27/24 21:58 | OP here: I was offered the job a little over 2 weeks before the start of the school year. It was a very tight turnaround between postdoc and my first day as a TT faculty member. 1) congrats! 2) Thanks for the context regarding your spouse. I know you are not in a position to speak up, but this salary seems low for a HCOL area. So, if you serve on the SC for future hires. If you would not have been able to accept this position if you were single because of the salary, I would encourage you to share this with your colleagues. I am about to enter the job market, but the number of positions with insultingly low salaries is crazy. | |
71 | 11/30/2023 18:36:26 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 65,000 | 67,000 | 65,000 | Low/Medium-low | n/a | 173,000 | 140,000 | 12 contact hours/week | 12/2/23 18:21 | Solid startup for the profile of the school! Congrats! | ||
72 | 11/28/2023 14:16:19 | Regional PUI | Private | South | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | 59,000 | Did not negotiate | Did not negotiate | Moderate | Asked for list - told to expect 30-40k | Did not negotiate | Did not negotiate | 2:2 with labs | Also offered 1 year off tenure clock. Moderately higher COL but lower salary than current institution, and have several ongoing interviews that have gone well. Feared salary expectations and offer were too far apart for productive negotiations. Gambling for a better fit. | 3/2/24 16:25 | good to hear you didn't bite. sounds like it didn't work for you. | |
73 | 11/28/2023 10:23:56 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | biology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 54,000 | n/a | n/a | low | 0 | n/a | n/a | 4:4 | have interviews at better-fit institutions coming up, declined offer | 12/12/23 12:09 | 54k for a 4:4 load is insulting, hope you get a better offer! x3 | |
74 | 11/11/2023 9:58:47 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Microbial ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 42000 GBP | 50000 GBP | 47000 GBP | Moderate | 30000 GBP | 50000 GBP | 45000 GBP | Low (30hrs equivalent per year) | Assistant professor / lecturer position at a Russel Group University in the UK. Start up was ~50,000 GBP for 3 years and a fully funded PhD student. Start up included the purchase of expensive equipment (~100k USD) and access to shared equipment facilities which is more common in the UK system relative to the US system | 3/12/24 1:29 | Asst Prof/Lecturer here at Non-Russell Group. Very jealous of your startup and salary! 2) Maybe the wrong place for this discussion but I really cannot wrap my head around UK salaries in comparison to US. With a family, I just don't see how I could survive with most lecturer salaries (even with spouse working). But then again, it always feels like the US is expensive in ways that Europeans don't fully appreciate, so maybe the math is just different. 3) post this for discussion in general. would be interested to see the answers | |
75 | 11/10/2023 10:14:03 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Biochemistry/microbiomes | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 62,500 | 72,000 | 65,000 | low | 60000 | 83,000 | 83,000 | 12 contact hours/semester | 1/9th summer salary in 2024 and 2025, $2k moving expenses reimbursed, $2k return visit travel reimbursed, 1mo early start to receive the summer salary | |||
76 | 11/9/2023 22:53:19 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Organismal Biology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 62,000 | more | 64,000 | moderate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3:3 | VAP; labs count as 1; $4400 moving expenses, $2000/year for travel, access to shared space, continuing annual research funds and additional funds for work with students. | |||
77 | 10/21/2023 10:38:56 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | NA | 64,000 | Low | List requested | 190,000 | 190,000 | 1.5:1.5 | 3 months summer salary. I was a spousal hire. | 11/7/23 12:54 | Congrats. Nice job getting the spousal hire. | |
78 | 10/18/2023 8:05:21 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Conservation Biology | Nine month | Non Binary | Grad Student | Yes | 57,000 | 57,000 | low | List requested (I have none?), $1500/yr PD | 3:3 | 2k moving expenses | ||||||
79 | 9/12/2023 18:48:18 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 86k | N/A | 86k | Moderately High | 1:1:2 | 1 year VAP Position, did not negotiate. | 9/21/23 12:06 | Congrats! Fantastic VAP salary! 2) Thank you, I was very excited about the offer and happily accepted! | ||||
80 | 9/5/2023 13:03:05 | Master's | Public | West | Biology/Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64,783 | 85,000 | 78,000 | Medium | 3000 | 30,000 | 13,000 | 3:3 | 1:2 teaching load first year. 8K relocation offered, asked for 12K, granted 10K (taxed, in first paycheck). 3K start up is for office (can be transferred to lab account). 10K is for genomics laboratory needs. Was pointed to SEED grants and extramural funding for new faculty that seem promising. Very good fit for my research focus and a friendly department. Happily accepted. | |||
81 | 8/29/2023 6:12:03 | Regional PUI | Private | Southeast | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 56,000 | 58,000 | 58,000 | Moderate-Low | List requested | 3:3 | 1k for moving costs, wonderful department and exactly what I was looking for! Happily accepted! | |||||
82 | 8/11/2023 15:56:01 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 76,000 | NA | 76,000 | Moderate | Requested List | 420,000 | 360,000 | 1:1 | 3.5k moving expenses, 1 semester course release. Accepted! | |||
83 | 8/7/2023 12:31:18 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Eight Month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | Low-Moderate | 1425000 | 1,425,000 | 1,425,000 | 1+1 (semester system) | Competing offer with other in hand, matched private school. Rejected due to department fit but was a close call. Also would have provided buy-in for computational resources, 10K moving costs, and 3 years postdoctoral support for my partner | |||
84 | 8/7/2023 12:20:20 | R1 | Private | Midwest | Ecology & Evolution | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 135,000 | 145,000 | 142,000 | Moderate | 1450000 | 1,450,000 | 1,450,000 | 1 + 1 (quarter system) | Competing offer came too late to mean much (although the competing offer was very strong), and was already quite happy with negotiated support at my top choice. My academic partner received 3 years research associate support that will be drawn from my start-up, making my functional start-up closer to 1.2 million | 8/7/23 12:27 | Should add that I Accepted this offer! Also came with 1.5 years of teaching release, 12k for relocation, and endowed funds. Tried to negotiate housing support but they were only able to offer a 25K bonus at reappoitnment (year 3) | |
85 | 8/6/2023 8:32:52 | R3 | Public | South | physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | moderate | 50000 | 150,000 | 75,000 | 9 contact hours per semester | Waived teaching for the first two semesters plus was given one year of summer salary. Received > $75,000 more in items for my lab on top of start up (-80 and -20 freezers, fridge, desktop computers, consumables, and other large pieces of equipment from my list of needs) to free up funds on my start up. | 8/29/23 5:22 | I should say that I accepted this offer and that I also got $5k relocation costs | |
86 | 8/4/2023 3:48:30 | Master's | Public | West | Marine Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 80,000 | 77,000 | High | 3000 | 15,000 | 5,000 | 2/2 | Small University focused on student-research. Accepted! | |||
87 | 7/28/2023 7:28:31 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Aquatic Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 58,000 | 65,000 | 62,000 | Low | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 3/3 | Transition window before teaching was VERY short (less than a month). Also negotiated for moving expenses ($2,000) and free university apartment housing for a family for 3 months. | 7/28/23 10:22 | Congratulations! The university housing negotiation is very nice! | |
88 | 7/27/2023 4:53:43 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 62,000 | N/A | Low | 13000 | N/A | Equivalent of 1 course per year plus supervision of undergraduate research projects | This is a UK university, prices reported in USD - was told there is no room for negotiation. There is a system of internal competitive bidding for equipment and consumables, and some programs to externally fund PhD students, but they could not guarantee a student or postdoc position. Teaching load is light relative compared to North American schools, but there is no sabbatical system or teaching buy-outs with grant money brought in. Can get some relocation expenses covered. Visa costs for PI covered but not for dependents. | 3/21/24 11:52 | Delinced 2) curious why you declined. Salary? The info about teaching confuses me--you wanted to teach fewer than 1 course per year on average? Thats crazy. | |||
89 | 7/15/2023 14:31:01 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 105,000 | 110,000 | 105,000 | Medium | 700000 | 775,000 | 700,000 | NA | +2 months summer salary for two years. This position has 30% applied research responsibilities in lieu of 30% teaching expectations. Moving expenses paid for up front. Offer happily accepted. | |||
90 | 7/15/2023 14:02:56 | R1 | Public | West | Human Physiology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 63,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | High | N/A ($5k office; 2.5k moving) | N/A | N/A ($5k office; 2.5k moving) | 2/2/1 (teach 5 courses/year; lecture 3 courses & coordinate teaching team for labs) | "permanent" Instructor position; no research | 7/16/23 10:45 | Teaching faculty position -- non-tenure track, but with increasing contract lengths and pay bumps with promotion. 5k office/2.5k moving. Collaborative, friendly department so I happily accepted! 1) Congrats! permanent position! | |
91 | 7/14/2023 13:34:02 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Other | No | 63,000 | 70,000 | 68,000 | Med (rising quickly) | 50,000 (after list) | 60,000 | 60,000 | 3/3 | $1,000 reimbursement for moving expenses, departmental and university-wide resources for conference travel support for myself and students, shared lab space. Accepted! | |||
92 | 7/5/2023 12:20:12 | Regional PUI | Private | South | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Other | No | 62,000 | 70,000 | 65,000 | Moderate | 2500 | 5,000 | 2,500 | 3/3 | Reimburse $500 for in-state move; start up to be used within first academic year of start date; additional funding available through department. Accepted! | |||
93 | 6/30/2023 21:04:30 | Master's | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 70,000 | 73,500 | 70,000 | Low-Med | 0 | 50,000 | 10,000 | 3:3 | Negotiated funds for a high-end research computer and office furniture on top of startup. No room for negotiating salary or additional startup (teaching focused university). However, additional research funds available pending budget. Also, option to teach in the summer for additional pay. Great department and opportunity, I happily accepted! | 7/6/23 10:05 | Congratulations! (OP) Thank you!! | |
94 | 6/21/2023 10:51:58 | R1 | Public | Canada | Microbiology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 100k | 110k | 102k | Moderate | 200k | 300k | 250k | Equivalent of 1 class per year | Offered ~CAD$250k CFI JELF that I will apply for next year. | |||
95 | 6/15/2023 11:42:09 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 62,700 | non-negotiable | N/A | Low | 110000 | N/A | N/A | 2/2, 1/1 first year | Was verbally offered startup above but did not negotiate - no written offer was extended because the start date couldn't be extended to match my family's needs. | |||
96 | 6/8/2023 14:13:28 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Postdoc | No | 130,000 | 129,000 | High | 345,000 | 268,000 | 4 courses/yr | Startup includes 170k for research; the rest is summer salary (2 yrs), teaching release (2 courses in first yr), and 50k housing loan. Partial relocation reimbursement. Priority for 2 grad students, who get fellowship stipends and summer salary in first year. Offer accepted - dept is a great fit and this is probably the highest they'll go with startup. Awesome salary is on par with other faculty in this dept (as proportional to rank). | ||||||
97 | 6/7/2023 8:01:21 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 122,200 | 122,200 | High | 950000 | 1,300,000 | 1,100,000 | 1:1:1 | 2 year postdoc for partner and transition into teaching afterwards; 3 quarters of teaching release; 125K forgive-able loan for down payment on house; 10K to support personal DEI initiatives | 6/12/23 7:46 | Congrats!!! That looks like an amazing offer! If you're willing to share, how did you go about negotiating start-up? Better competing start-up #s? You were able to get a pretty big bump from 950 to 1.1mil! (OP) Thank you!! My competing offer was higher (private university), and I think that helped in the negotiations 2) forgiveable housing loan?! man, congrats (and I mean it - good for you), but honestly this makes me feel a lot of solidarity with underpaid research staff 3) I'm really hoping the private offer declined was from UChicago :D | ||
98 | 5/26/2023 18:01:07 | Master's | Public | Southeast | Environmental Sciences | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 72,000 | 66,000 | Low | 7k | An improvement | 7k. However, all the requested equipments will be funded by the department and University pays for computers and office supplies | 3/3 first year; 3/4 second year | ||||
99 | 5/25/2023 9:35:53 | R2 | Private | Southeast | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 60,000 | 65,000 | 62,000 | Medium | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3:3 | Teaching faculty position -- non-tenure track, but with increasing contract lengths and pay bumps with promotion. Collaborative, friendly department at a high-ranking institution. I happily accepted! | |||
100 | 5/15/2023 9:03:54 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Geography | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 72,500 | 82,500 | 77,500 | Low | 55000 | 100,000 | 65,000 | 2:2 | Declined. Great department but some bumps in negotiation process. | |||
101 | 5/14/2023 15:56:04 | R1 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Community & Ecosystem Ecology | Nine month | Non Binary | Postdoc | Yes | 83,500 | 85,000 | 85,000 & 2 years of summer salary | Average - Above Average | 450,000 | 450,000 | Year 1- 0:1:0; Year 2- 1:1:0; Year 3- 1:1:1 (Quarters) | Inheriting fully-functional lab left by faculty with similar research program. | 5/14/23 16:01 | offer also included 5k in moving cost and 3k in travel to look for housing and start prepping lab space. Also includes a TA line on top of 2 years RA + tuition and 1.5 years of tech salary. | ||
102 | 5/12/2023 14:33:56 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | organismal biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | low, but rising housing costs | 5K | 3/3 | course release first year; opportunities to collaborate with partnering agencies | |||||||
103 | 5/12/2023 14:29:15 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 52,000 | 53,000 | low | 5000 | 6 courses per year | |||||||
104 | 5/12/2023 9:01:14 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Environmental Studies | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 100k | 125k | 120k | Very High | NA | 1,000,000 | 1,150,000 | 3 courses per year | 5k relocation, 2 course reduction in first year, 1 month of summer salary for first 3 years | 5/14/23 17:17 | Congrats! 2) I think we may be going to the same department!! | |
105 | 5/11/2023 11:17:43 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 94,000 | 94,000 | 94,000 | Very High | NA | 192,000 | 150,000 | 2:2 | 10k for moving expenses, 2 summer interns for 3 years, 1 month summer salary, 1 course teaching release in first year | 5/17/23 6:04 | offer also included a trip to visit again to look for apartments | |
106 | 5/11/2023 7:17:27 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Ecology/Evolution | Nine month | Male | Assoc Prof | No | 62,900 | 80,000 | 62,900 | low | 200000 | 200,000 | 2:2 | Turned down. Salary was neither negotiable or competitive for this region or institution type | 5/11/23 19:58 | Place had subtle issues. People were friendly but many versions about recent history, sudden retirements and losses in student body from over 12,000 to just under 8,000 in last 5 years. Really weird vibes. | ||
107 | 5/10/2023 19:48:45 | R1 | Public | West | Population Genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | High | 300000 | 339,000 | 300,000 | 1:1.25 | Was told both salary and startup were non-negotiable, got lots of advice that I should try to negotiate anyway, awkwardly struck out. Fair offer, great department, happily accepted. | 5/10/23 19:51 | also included teaching release, 6.5K moving costs, 1.4K computer fund, extra TA allotments | |
108 | 5/10/2023 18:45:58 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 98,000 | 92,000 | Low | List requested | 850,000 | 750,000 | 1:1 | 5K moving costs; 1 semester teaching release; total 3 months summer salary in startup. Accepted! | |||
109 | 5/9/2023 11:31:06 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Plant Science - Agriculture | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | Med-High | They asked for Equipment List | 400,000 | 400,000 | 1F:1S (first year) - 1F:2S (second to fifth year) | They also included, separate from startup, 6 years funding for a Graduate Student, and $140000 for operational support. This money will be distributed in 5 payments, one per year. Happily accepted! | 3/4/24 6:02 | also included 5k in moving costs.Forgot, they included one month of summer salary for 4 years and a paid visit for me and my partner for looking for housing. | |
110 | 5/8/2023 21:41:41 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | NA | 85,000 | High | 400000 | List | 400,000 | 1:1 | Included relocations funds ($7500) and substantial existing equipment/minor renovations in addition to start-up. Was told there was no room for negotiation, but happily accepted the offer. | 5/10/23 9:26 | Congrats!!! | |
111 | 5/6/2023 18:11:45 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Environmental Studies and Evolution | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | Yes | 125,000 | 140,000 | 130,000 | very high | 930000 | 1,300,000 | 1,300,000 | 1:1 | acceeeppttted | 5/8/23 11:40 | Wow! You hit the jackpot! 2) Congrats! | |
112 | 5/5/2023 1:15:03 | R2 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Environmental Science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 95,000 | 92,000 | High | 100000 | 150,000 | 130,000 | 1:1 | 2 semester teaching release in first year, shared lab facilities, month of summer salary, additional department support for new equipment maintenance. Accepted | 5/7/23 20:30 | Also included 11K moving costs, 2) amazing! Congratulations! | |
113 | 5/4/2023 14:23:36 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Computational Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 82,500 | 82,000 | 84,000 | Low | 365,000 | 320,000 | 1:1 | |||||
114 | 5/3/2023 12:48:42 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 103K | 103K | Mid-High | Asked for list | 730K | 580K | 1:1 | 7500 for moving costs, 2 semester teaching release in the first year, excellent lab space and supportive department. Accepted! | 5/4/23 21:18 | Congratulations! | ||
115 | 5/3/2023 12:44:52 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 85K | 95K | 85K | Mid | 350K | 630K | 400K | 1:1 | 10K moving costs, 2 semester teaching release, lots of shared equipment, access to two field vehicles, declined due to better fit of second offer | |||
116 | 5/1/2023 8:22:21 | R1 | Public | South | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75k | 75k | Moderate | 380000 | 380,000 | 2:1 | I attempted to negotiate a partner hire for an ex-spouse co-parent ( so I did not ask for more salary or start-up) and failed, had already turned down other non-academic, better paying federal offers hoping we would both would get positions here. Accepted for lack of other options. | 5/4/23 21:23 | Hope this works out! Sorry sounds like a challenging situation to navigate | |||
117 | 4/27/2023 8:10:24 | R1 | Public | South | Wildlife Management | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 100,000 | 92,500 | Medium-High | 300000 | 350,000 | 300,000 | 2:1 | Was already a post-doc in the department. Wonderful, supportive department and colleagues. | 5/4/23 21:19 | Great job! Super exciting! | |
118 | 4/24/2023 18:08:04 | SLAC | Public | Canada | ecology | Twelve month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 80000 CAD | 86000 CAD | 84000 CAD | medium | 25000 CAD | 35000 CAD | 25000 CAD | 5 courses, 1 course release for 2 years | ||||
119 | 4/23/2023 15:07:56 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | 10 Month | Female | Postdoc | No | 73,000 | 83,000 | 75,000 | Low | 150000 | 350,000 | 200,000 | 2:2 | ||||
120 | 4/22/2023 10:36:48 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Computational biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 92,000 | 92,000 | 92,000 | Low-Medium | 940000 | 940,000 | 940,000 | 0.3 | Includes moving expenses (15k) and a sign up bonus (25k). | 5/4/23 21:19 | Sign up bonus! Who knew! That sounds awesome! Way to go! | |
121 | 4/20/2023 13:32:30 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Marine Ecology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 82,000 | 82,000 | 84,250 | Moderate-High | Asked for list | 480k | 480k | 2:1 | Also granted multiple lab spaces, moving expenses, and teaching release in my first year. Happily accepted! | 5/4/23 21:20 | Amazing! Congratulations! | |
122 | 4/20/2023 9:41:40 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 100,000 | NA | 100,000 | low | Asked for list | provided list with costs ($830,000) | $534,000(general funds); $1,286,666(Total offer) | 1/1 | Apart from general startup funds the offer also included: 4 guaranteed TA lines @23K with 5 years of support, 30 months of student summer support @7.6K, shared grad student office space w/ chair, 7K in relocation incentive paid ahead of start date, 9K for use of core facilities, Full lab space (1000sf.), shared accessory lab (500 sf.) for major instrumentation, 150K towards the purchase of major equipment, fully functional walk in growth room (1000sf.), and 50K in renovations for lab spaces, shared greenhouses, high tunnels etc. Happily accepted! | 5/4/23 21:20 | What an amazing offer! Way to go! | |
123 | 4/20/2023 9:38:42 | R1 | Public | West | Plant Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 80K | 86K | 86K | Medium-High | 400K | 750K | 550K | 1:1 | Included 7500 in moving expenses, vouchers for greenhouse space for 3 years, 2 TA lines for first semester of recruiting, higher indirect returns on first grant, and one semester of teaching release. Great fit, happily accepted! | 5/4/23 21:21 | So cool to hear about so many successful negotiations! Congratulations! | |
124 | 4/20/2023 9:36:16 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Plant Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 78K | 81K | 81K | Low | 500K | 600K | 600K | 1:1 | Included 5500 in moving expenses, department setting up fenced experiment area, and a semester of teaching relief. Declined the offer - good department with nice people but not the best research fit. | |||
125 | 4/14/2023 11:58:03 | Master's | Private | West | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 72,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | Very High | 45000 | NA | 45,000 | 3:3 | 3:3 is more like a 4:4 due to how long the classes are. Start up is spread over 3 years. Department is well-resourced to carry out the research I do, but the COL was too high for me to manage as a single person on the salary (especially after taxes). Declined the offer. | |||
126 | 4/13/2023 13:03:35 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Microbiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 78,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | Low | 790000 | 815,000 | 815,000 | 1 (upper division):1 (journal club) | Had competing offers from similar institutions but did not use them to bargain. One semester of teaching release. Startup includes: some moving expenses (7k), summer salary for 3 years, 12 semesters of graduate student funding, and two years of postdoc funding. Also, some lab and facilities renovation that was not included in the startup. Fortunately, I am coming into a lab that is already fully stocked with the equipment I will need, so it increases flexibility in startup funds. Another thing that was important to me was that they created a spousal accommodation through a research assistant professorship which gives her individual lab space and teaching responsibilities. Great department, accepted. | 4/14/23 8:17 | Happy to see so many successful spousal accomodations on this page! gives me hope | |
127 | 4/11/2023 15:17:16 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | NA | 85,000 | medium | 400000 | NA | 400,000 | 1:1 | Also includes 10K in moving expenses, two semesters of teaching release + negotiated a TT position for my spouse who received a similar startup package and salary; Loved the department so happily accepted! | 4/12/23 12:49 | Wow! Great job! | |
128 | 4/11/2023 14:28:35 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Ecology and Evo Bio | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 70,000 | 78,000 | 73,000 | Moderate | 50000 | 65,000 | 50,000 | 3:3 moving to 3:2 | 4k in moving expenses, four months of summer funding, faculty grants available for large equipment needs, lab consumables provided by department. Happily accepted! | 4/12/23 12:49 | Congrats! | |
129 | 4/6/2023 11:25:33 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Environmental Science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | NA - they asked me to state a number | 115k | 113k | High | requested a list. | 870k | 583k | 1:1 | Startup includes $12k for moving expense, 1 month of summer salary for each of the first three years, and two course releases. Seperate funds of roughly $500k allocated to renovation of lab space and office. I had competing fellowship offers but this was the only faculty position I applied for. Offer happily accepted! | 4/10/23 13:43 | Congratulations! Such a great offer! | |
130 | 4/6/2023 10:59:06 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | EEB | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 80,000 | NA | NA | Low | 10K | NA | NA | 3/2 | Didn't accept this great offer for family reasons | |||
131 | 4/6/2023 7:07:17 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Fisheries Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 95,000 | 97,000 | 97,000 | Low-Medium | 350000 | Provided a list up to 400,000 | 425,000 | 1:1 (1 course + 1 seminar per year) | Negotiated for an earlier start date and 1st spring semester teaching release. Start up includes 10k moving expenses, 3 years RA funding, and summer salary for 3 years. Happily accepted! | 4/6/23 12:59 | Outstanding offer! | |
132 | 4/4/2023 11:56:33 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Environmental Science | Ten month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | 72,000 | Moderate | 185410 | 2/2 | I declined this offer to accept a retention offer. | 4/4/23 15:00 | What was retention offer? I'm going through that myself now and foudn info to be scarce | |||||
133 | 4/3/2023 11:00:19 | R1 | Public | Canada | Ecology/Conservation | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | CAD 130,000 | CAD 136,800 | CAD 136,800 | High | CAD 40,000 | CAD 125,000 | CAD 125,000 | 1:1 | Also negotiated for support in applying for additional start-up funds from CFI, funding for my first PhD student, and a deferred start date. Offer also includes relocation cost, immigration assistance, and funds for computers. I really liked the department and the dean when I visited and felt very supported in the negotiation process, so I happily accepted! | 5/4/23 21:25 | Yeah! Wonderful! | |
134 | 4/3/2023 8:47:21 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Postdoc | Yes | 58,000 | 58,000 | 58,000 | Low | 9000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 3/3 | Didn't negotiate. | 4/3/23 8:48 | VAP | ||
135 | 4/3/2023 8:43:18 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Environmental Science | Nine month | Postdoc | No | 55,000 | An improvement | 55,000 | Medium/high | 0 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 4/4 | VAP | ||||
136 | 3/31/2023 16:45:04 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 83,000 | 96,000 | 90,000 | low | 330000 | 570,000 | 450,000 | 1/1 | University is R1 & PUI and I had several competing offers, offering 2-3x more startup funds compared to the initial startup offered for context; 50K matching equipment funds, 5K renovations, 6K moving expenses, multiple lab & non-lab spaces, major equipment inheritance (~500k), reduced teaching load Y1 & Y3, no service class teaching requirement, and free field & greenhouse space pre-tenure. From department to senior leadership everyone was incredibly amazing! | 5/4/23 21:26 | What an amazing offer! Way to go! | |
137 | 3/31/2023 16:29:04 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 84,000 | did not ask | 84,000 | low | Asked for list (700000) | 830,000 | NA | 1/1 | I did not negotiate for this offer I had a few more competitive offers already on the table | |||
138 | 3/31/2023 13:34:15 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology/Conservation | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | N/A | 85,000 | low | N/A | 511,000 | 477,000 | 1:1 | Also includes moving expenses and guaranteed grad student TA lines plus grad student summer salary. Accepted before hearing back from other campus interviews. | 3/31/23 15:48 | Nice job :) | |
139 | 3/30/2023 7:20:49 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 58,000 | N/A | 58,000 | low | List request | 50,000 | 50,000 | 2:2 | This is a 2-year VAP & spousal hire position | |||
140 | 3/29/2023 6:11:27 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 60,000 | 63,000 | 62,000 | low | 70000 | 90,000 | 75,000 | 2:3 (lab sections count) | $4,000 for moving expenses. Negotiated a spring semester start date. The dept. chair was very helpful guiding me throughout the whole process, institutionally well-funded and supportive department. I happily accepted!! | 3/29/23 10:59 | Congratulations! 2) Awesome! | |
141 | 3/26/2023 20:17:54 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 78,000 | 78,000 | low-medium | 350000 | 500,000 | 350,000 | 1:1 or 1:0 (75:25 research:teaching position) | Offer also included $3,000 in relocation expenses. Regrettably declined due to inflexibility on partner accommodations. Now waiting to hear about another position. | |||
142 | 3/23/2023 7:49:03 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 60,000 | N/A | 60,000 | moderate | 0 | N/A | 0 | 3/4 | $0 moving allowance. 1 yr VAP, did not negotiate (did not understand I should/could). Accepted offer out of necessity but would not recommend 1 yr VAP unless desperate and already local. | |||
143 | 3/22/2023 6:47:49 | R2 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Wildlife ecology/Marine science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 77,000 | 75,000 | Moderate | 130000 | 180,000 | 150,000 | 3/3 | + 5k for course development, 1k/yr for me to attend conferences, 1k/yr to take undergrads to conferences, light teaching load first semester(and teaching the class I wanted to teach), lots of internal funding opportunities. Teaching load is 3/3 but mentoring student researchers contributes to meeting those requirements. Wonderful department with faculty that seem truly happy and thriving - happily and enthusiastically accepted! | 3/22/23 7:15 | Fantastic! Congrats! | |
144 | 3/21/2023 14:32:25 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 63,000 | 67,000 | 65,000 | moderate | NA | NA | NA | 2:2 | 2-year VAP, $1k for moving expenses, access to internal funds for travel + research, lab space. I'm very excited to join this excellent department full of kind and supportive people! | 3/23/23 7:40 | Congrats! 2) Congrats! I never considered negotiating with a VAP position! | |
145 | 3/18/2023 16:36:36 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary biology/Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 80,000 | Not negotiable | 80,000 | Low | List request | 1,005,000 | 1,000,000 | one course/semester | +moving expenses (5k) + lab furniture (5k) + renovations. Salary was not negotiable. | 3/23/23 0:32 | Wow. Nice Startup. Congratulaions! (2) wow that startup! congrats! (I have it narrowed down to 2 positions in my mind, and both are fantastic!) | |
146 | 3/18/2023 12:03:11 | SLAC | Private | South | Ecology/Conservation | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 60,000 | N/A | N/A | Medium | 70000 | N/A | N/A | 3:2 | I was informed there was room for negotiation but I ended up declining the position before getting to this stage | |||
147 | 3/17/2023 6:59:16 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 59,000 | 64,000 | 60,000 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 2:2 | This is a 3-year VAP position with fantastic opportunities for undergrad teaching and research. Received $2500 toward moving costs and $1500/year for conference travel. No startup, but there is access to internal endowed research funds. Wonderful department and college community. I happily accepted! | |||
148 | 3/14/2023 14:17:10 | Regional Comprehensive | Private | Southeast | Biology - Human Evolution | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 72,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | moderate | 15k + required items | 15k + 31k required + 15k useful items | 15k + 31k | 3:3 | Included 7.2k for moving expenses and guaranteed lab space in a vibrant department. Had competing offer for a VAP position from a midwest SLAC offering 65k salary and 5k startup, so enthusiastically accepted this one instead! | 3/14/23 16:02 | Congrats! Sounds like a sweet gig! | |
149 | 3/11/2023 8:22:10 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Male | Other | No | 63,000 | 75,000 | 68,000 | Moderate | 40000 | 60,000 | 40,000 | 3:3 | Declined the offer. Seemed like a good department with really nice people, it just wasn’t the best fit for me location-wise and from a balance of teaching/research perspective. | 3/24/23 7:42 | Sounds like you skirted a terrible job. Congrats. 2) They didn't suggest it would be a terrible job, just not a good fit. 1) 68k for 3:3 teaching load in moderate COL area seems like a terrible gig. | |
150 | 3/11/2023 7:03:55 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Environmental Science | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | Yes | asked for info on competing offer | 101,500 | Moderate | 200000 | 400,000 | 240,000 | 2:2 | Had competing offer in hand that required a response ASAP. Let this institution know I needed their best offer upfront if they were going to make one and that I valued salary over startup. Offer also includes 3 courses teaching release, $11k moving expenses, 3yr service credit, and private lab space. Absolutely loved the dept and area during my interview, enthusiastically accepted! | 4/11/23 12:40 | Congrats! | ||
151 | 3/11/2023 6:04:56 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Wildlife Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 69,000 | 69,000 | 69,000 | Low | 110000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | 1 class per semester | I negotiated a spousal accommodation- enthusiastically accepted! | 3/14/23 21:12 | Congrats on swinging a spousal hire - that's huge! | |
152 | 3/2/2023 5:35:12 | R2 | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 89,000 | 95,000 | 92,000 | High | NA | 170,000 | 100,000 | 2/3 | Month of summer salary | 3/2/23 10:57 | Accepted 2) Wow! Thats a great offer for a NTT position! Congratulations! 3) I think it probably is a TT...she just came from a nonTT. But yes, congrats! | |
153 | 3/1/2023 5:26:36 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 50,000 | 55,000 | 50,000 | Low | undetermined | 5,000 | 5,000 | 3:2:1 - there is a may-mester where I will be required to teach | Was offered a moving allowance, course release, and a summer stipend for the first year to supplement the income until I can get summer salary on my own. | 3/8/23 6:50 | Accepted 2) Congrats! | |
154 | 2/24/2023 9:11:19 | R1 | Public | West | Wildlife Ecology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | Moderate | Asked for list | 350 | Package that equaled $259 | 1:1 with one term release | Lovely department, good people. Turned it down. Have two competing offers in departments that are a better fit. Going to negotiate with those. | |||
155 | 2/21/2023 12:22:57 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 80,000 | 87,000 | 80,000 | low | 710,000 | 468,000 | 1-1 | Generous spousal accommodation made for partner | 3/16/23 8:18 | Congrats on getting the spousal hire! | ||
156 | 2/21/2023 6:46:37 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Biology/Microbiology | 10 month | Female | Postdoc | No | 88K | 95K | 92K | low-moderate | 100K | 137K | 145K | 2:3 & 3:3 on alternating years | Also, 7.5K moving expenses, ~4K/yr for attending conferences/workshops, 6.5K for summer salary & research (to be split as desired), reduced teaching load in first year (tried to get it for second year as well, but was a hard 'no'), lots of internal funding available for DEI and pedagogy trainings/workshops and for salaries for 2 undergrad student researchers each summer. Asked about a position for my spouse and it was also a hard 'no' on making a position, but a lot of resources already coming our way to find him something in the area. Outside of startup: lab and office renovations, new refrigerator and freezer, office and lab computer, a piece of vital equipment for my lab that is ~30K, cleared/cleaned extra room for aquariums. Dept chair and Dean have been amazing to work with and have made it very clear that they want me to be taken care of! No nickel and diming on my startup requests, and offers to look into and try to purchase a few other items that I would like but didn't push via negotiations! Great department! Happily accepted! | 3/16/23 8:18 | Sounds like an awesome fit and a great department and university to be joining! Congrats! | |
157 | 2/18/2023 9:12:24 | R2 | Public | Canada | EEB | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 95k CAD | 98k CAD | 104k CAD | low | List requested | 235k + renovations + 2x4 yr grad stipends | 396k (incl. 284k in CFI + 2 yrs grad stipends) | 2-3 courses/yr | 1 year deferral; 50% teaching release in first year in semester of choice; remote work in first year when not teaching; labs count as courses; salary bump came from increased experience credit + new collective agreement + deferral; Not included in startup: 15k moving allowance, 3k/yr professional development fund, plus 2 animal rooms and inheritance of a new fully equipped basic genetics lab with access to advanced facilities next door. Competing offer was a 4 yr research fellowship (non-TT). Flexibility and support from department is amazing. Happily accepted! | 2/19/23 20:49 | Conrgratulations! That sounds excellent! | |
158 | 2/14/2023 9:05:58 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Genomics/Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 60,000 | 68,000 | 64,000 | Low | 30000 | 50,000 + 5,000 for undergraduate summer stipend | 42,000 + 8,000 for undergraduate summer stipend | 4:3 | Also included in the offer 5,000 for summer salary for the first two summers, 3,000 relocation reimbursement, and 2,000 extra relocation stipend if I could join by August for orientations. Able to revisit/renegotiate startup after my first year. Outside of the actual offer, there are many ways to enrich the salary (mentoring undergrad theses, teaching in the Masters program, and, obviously, grants), the facilities that the institution had (especially for sequencing and genomics work - two nanopore and three Illumina platforms) were unmatched (especially for a PUI), and they are very willing to work/schedule around what will be about a 1.5 hour commute (due to spouse needing to be close to their job). Happily accepted! | 2/15/23 11:37 | Congrats! 2) Great! by the way, scheduled renegotiating startup is not something I've heard of OP) @2 Yes, I was really (pleasantly) surprised! I think it came from the fact that I had provided a startup list that was well over the original offer amount, the amount I countered with/reaquested, and the startup granted (roughly 70-75k). The department has an operational budget that we can also buy equipment out of, but that obviosuly only goes so far. So, the upper admin, knowing how expensive genomics work can be, was very willing to revisit if things are still missing/needed after the first year to keep things running. The whole process of negotiating has been really nice (was not expecting it to be) because they have been really willing to work with me on a lot of it. OP) Also forgot to mention that they gave me an animal room (nothing extravagant) and they have a field station for teaching and research that I can use space at (my study species also happen to be there). | |
159 | 2/14/2023 8:26:40 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 61,000 | 67,000 | 65,000 | average to low | 3000 | 3,000 | 3/3 (teaching track) | 2/15/23 6:20 | Congrats! | |||
160 | 2/12/2023 10:47:02 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Environmental Studies | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 86,000 | 105,000 | 88,000 | low | 140000 | 140,000 | 140,000 | 2:3; labs count as 0.5 | Great offer, great school, amazing Dean. Declined because I had doubts about institutional fit, expectations were unclear. Accepted a competing offer. Negotiated a 10k signing bonus, 5k relocation allowance, on campus dining package ($ on OneCard) for year 1. | 2/17/23 7:36 | Can you talk about how you negotiated a signing bonus? I've not heard of this in academia! 2) This person negotiates! Signing bonus AND a year of food? You win EcoEvoJobs 2023 for sure. | |
161 | 2/12/2023 10:36:19 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Biological Sciences/Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 83,500 | 105,000 | 96,111 | high | 100000 | 219,000 | 219,000 | 2:2 | Negotiated for summer salary, reduced overhead on 1st grant. Not granted: 10k signing bonus (they don't do signing bonuses) | 2/13/23 11:30 | Not included in startup but worth mentioning: wetlab rennovations, spot at on-campus daycare, college-owned housing, assistance with purchasing home within 25mi of campus (accepted). 1) Nice, congrats! 2) Interesting that you negotiated a sign on bonus above, bu tnot here (assuming same person!). I've actually asked for this several times, never had a school where they did it! :) | |
162 | 2/9/2023 12:17:29 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Fisheries | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 87,500 | 87,500 | 200000 | 200,000 | Three 3 credit courses/year | Negotiated for a spousal accommodation so didn't try to adjust salary or start up. Spouse was offered a Research professor position with initial salary as they get their program started. I also negotiated a delayed start date. Start up package also includes 2 years of grad student support and 2 months summer salary for 2 years. Accepted! | 2/9/23 13:36 | Amazing to get all of that with a spousal hire position! The dream :) Congratulations! | ||||
163 | 2/9/2023 8:47:45 | SLAC | Private | West | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 72,000 | NA | 73,500 | High | 110000 | NA | 135,000 | 3:2 | Negotiated for a spousal accommodation (spouse is currently TT faculty at R1) they came through with a TT offers for both of us, which was a big deal. But in the end transitioning to a SLAC was not the right fit for my partner. Also salary was surprisingly low for a relatively expensive city in the Pacific Northwest | 2/14/23 9:26 | ugh. What a tough decision! Sorry it didn't work out. Was salary non-negotiable then? Congrats anyway 2) I have a feeling I know what school this was, they told me I was their second choice and I am hopeful that the offer will trickle to me, so thank you! | |
164 | 2/1/2023 14:12:04 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Organismal Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 64,000 | 64,000 | Low | 185,000 | 100,000 | 3:3 | Teaching load includes 3 lab or lecture sections of Intro Ecology and Evolution during one semester each year. Labs and lectures are already planned and content developed, labs are set up and taken down by lab manager, and a large group of TAs grades everything for lab and lecture, massively cutting down on the workload for faculty. Also negotiated for a year deferral. Another big plus is that a vet and team of undergrads run animal care facilities and there are no animal care fees for faculty. Happily accepted! | 2/14/23 9:26 | Congrats on the position! That's great about the lab support for planning, setup, and grading. 2) I have a feeling I know what school this was, they told me I was their second choice and I am hopeful that the offer will trickle to me, so thank you! @ 2 again, sorry this logged to the wrong post. | ||
165 | 1/31/2023 12:26:29 | SLAC | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Organismal Biology | Ten month | Female | Postdoc | No | 71,500 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Moderate | Supply List | 31,400 | 31,400 | 3:3 | 3/21/23 21:11 | Also negotiated for some expensive equipment to be purchased on top of my startup. | ||
166 | 1/23/2023 13:13:54 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Enviromental science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | 67,000 | 60,000 | low | 5000 | 25,500 | 25,000 | 3:3 | ||||
167 | 1/21/2023 19:33:59 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Environmental studies/ecology | 10 month | Female | Asst Prof | Yes | NA | NA | 87,000 | LOW | NA | 260,000 | 216,000 | 2/2 | Lab, summer salary for 3 years, spousal position not offered | |||
168 | 1/20/2023 13:00:23 | Regional PUI | Private | Southeast | Marine Biology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 63,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | mid-high | 2500 | 2,500 | 3:3 | |||||
169 | 1/17/2023 11:38:49 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Wildlife Biology/Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | Low | 175000 | 205,000 | 205,000 | 1/0 | $150,000 for PhD student stipend, $50,000 for startup equipment and travel, $5,000 for moving expenses. | |||
170 | 9/27/2022 13:36:25 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 68,000 | 74,000 | 70,000 | Low | 225000 | 235,000 | 225,000 | 1:1 | Not included in startup: 5.75K of moving, 2 years of grad student support, wet lab renovations, and 2 months summer salary. Accepted. | 9/28/22 13:52 | Congrats, and good luck! | |
171 | 9/15/2022 13:20:09 | Regional PUI | Private | Southeast | Marine Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 62,000 | 100000+ | 70,000 | Below national average | None | None | None | 4:4 | They basically didn't care about research. Declined their offer. | 9/19/22 9:19 | Did you really ask for more than a 60% higher salary than offered? I'm surprised if they didn't just pull the offer. | |
172 | 9/12/2022 8:37:47 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Marine Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 99,000 | 99,000 | Moderate | N/A, asked for list | 713,000 | 610,000 | 1:1 | $5,000 in moving expenses, granted a delayed start date+1 semester of remote work, 4 months of summer salary over the first 3 years, 2-semester release from teaching over the first 3 years. Great department, happily accepted! | 9/19/22 9:20 | Congrats!! | ||
173 | 8/23/2022 1:43:59 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 53,700 | 63,400 | 63,400 | Very high | 20000 | N/A | 20,000 | 1/yr | This is the classic UK system, where there's no real ability to negotiate start ups or salary as in the US, since it's clearly specified what is allowed and is consistent across universities. I was able to negotiate to the upper level of the payscale for my pay grade, essentially an associate professor, but they couldn't go any higher. I was also able to have a soft agreement to partially fund a postdoc when I start, but this is still somewhat contingent on available funds when I start. | 1/13/23 14:41 | Great job negotiating salary. I've read that negotiating a better salary is one of the best financial moves an individual can make. | |
174 | 8/16/2022 16:32:08 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 105,000 | 98,000 | high | 415000 | 710,000 | 530,000 | 2.5 courses a year | 9/9/22 12:22 | Congratulations! In my opinion that's a really nice balance of research and teaching. | ||
175 | 8/12/2022 9:44:28 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Disease ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | NA | 120,000 | 120,000 | Medium | Asked for a list | 1,200,000 | 825,000 | 2:0 | International candidate. Granted in addition to the start-up: lab and office renovations, $15,000 relocation expenses (from overseas), $3,500/year for professional development support (e.g., conferences, workshops, etc... for mentees and me). No time limit for start-up use. 1.5-year as remote visiting scientist while I am on a postdoc fellowship overseas - the visiting scientist status allows me to apply for grant, start buying stuff, etc... before the official start of the assistant professor position. 2 postgrad classes/year, stacked over 1 semester so I can go in the field the other semester. Lab (478 sqft) and office (339 sqft) space adjacent to a collaborator who is a new associate professor there (our demand - to save on costs by limiting duplication of equipment and facilitate collaborations). Partner already based in the same institution (as a postdoc in a different department) but this information has not been disclosed to anyone. Could not ask for better - accepted. | 8/17/22 11:18 | Wow, amazing offer. This is what we all dream about. 2) Thanks! Feeling very lucky indeed! | |
176 | 8/12/2022 7:46:22 | R2 | Public | West | Mathematical modeling | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 76,000 | 76,000 | 76,000 | Low | Asked for a list | 800,000 | 400,000 | 2:0 | International candidate. Part of a cluster hire. Granted in addition to the start-up: $50,000/year for the first few years (opportunities for renewal) coming from a collaborating governmental organization, relocation expenses (from overseas). Shared lab space. 1-year as remote visiting scientist while I am on a postdoc fellowship overseas. Classes stacked over 1 semester so I can go in the field the other semester. Great offer, amazing department, but declined for a better offer (the disease ecology one below). | 8/17/22 11:18 | Wow! Sounds like a great offer and excellent that you had an even better option! 2) Thanks! | |
177 | 8/12/2022 7:42:11 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Quantitative ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | Medium | Asked for a list | 800,000 | 800,000 | 2:0 | International candidate. Granted in addition to the start-up: new lab and office space, relocation expenses (from overseas). 1-year as remote visiting scientist while I am on a postdoc fellowship overseas. Classes stacked over 1 semester so I can go in the field the other semester. Great offer, amazing department, but declined for a better offer (the disease ecology one just below). | 8/17/22 11:18 | Congratulations!!! 2) Thanks! | |
178 | 8/3/2022 11:03:27 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Environmental science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | $92k | $105k | $94k | $1M | $1M | 1:1 | 8/11/22 14:41 | Congrats! | |||||
179 | 8/1/2022 12:26:46 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology/Evolution | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 93,000 | 93,000 | Medium | List Requested | 1,200,000 | 1,300,000 | 1:1 | No room to negotiate salary. Offer includes 3 semesters of teaching release and 9,000 for moving expenses. Also provided 2 years of salary and a soft money position for academic spouse. Enthusiastically accepted! | 8/11/22 14:41 | That startup!!! Nice! | ||
180 | 8/1/2022 10:11:26 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology/Evolution | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 101,000 | 105,000 | 102,000 | Low - Medium | List requested | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1:1 | Included 15K for relocation and 60K for renovations, 1 year teaching release pre-tenure. Startup expires after 5 years (originally they said 3 years). Besides startup end date very little negotiating happened. They were firm on salary but didn't bat an eye at my startup request. Happily accepted; honestly never imagined I'd get an offer as good as this. | 8/1/22 12:19 | Congratulations! | |
181 | 7/13/2022 17:56:23 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 76,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | low | 400000 | 450,000 | 400,000 | 1:1 | Could have received more startup funds but that required making a startup budget list and I had no energy to do that. The university hired my partner into a TT line in another department, so we happily accepted this position. #TwoBodyProblem solved somehow. My partner has a TT position already lined up so maybe that made the department's job easier when negotiating a partner hire. | 7/16/22 13:54 | Congratulations! Great offer that includes sposual hire! 2) Glad to hear a happy ending on this job board!! | |
182 | 7/8/2022 16:53:27 | Master's | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 82,000 | 82,000 | 82,000 | Very High | 100000 | 165,000 | 100,000 + ~35,000 in new equipment | Complicated but currently one course per semester (half load for first two years) | Ecstatically accepted. Faculty are unionized! My interview prep playlist for folx future use: Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels; Can't stop the feeling; TKO; Boys wanna be her; I'm A Lady; Gimme More; Bembeleza; Marryuna; Get Right; Hapo Sawa; The future's so bright; starboy; party up; all I do is win; good as hell; loaded; motorsport; WAP; 9 to 5; Skateaway; Juice. | 8/29/22 14:46 | Providing your interview prep playlist is a public service. A+ x5 | |
183 | 7/5/2022 22:51:37 | Regional PUI | Public | South | Ecological Physiology | 10 month | Female | Grad Student | No | 64,000 | 69,000 | 69,000 | low | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3:3 | I didn't request start-up funds because no one at the university is offered traditional start-up funds. But the department and college are supportive, there have been opportunities to purchase supplies (~6000) prior to start date, and working on writing an internal grant for more equipment (~25,000). Gladly accepted offer because of supportive environment, good work/life balance, and close to family. | 7/6/22 6:38 | Congrats! | |
184 | 7/4/2022 7:25:58 | R1 | Private | Southeast | Ecology/Marine Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 92,000 | 105,000 | 105,000 | Very high | N/A | 450,000 | 500,000 | 1:1 | $5k for moving expenses, 5 months of summer salary over 3 years, Funding to support one phd student for five years | 7/4/22 12:39 | Really nice offer with PhD student included. I really worry about how to support people, and a lot of my stress would be reduced if I had support built in. Congrats! | |
185 | 6/30/2022 18:24:36 | Other | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Fisheries/Aquatic Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 107,000 | 107,000 | Moderate-High | Federal position. Not research-focused but I'll be able to work on a few things that are relevant to the mission and keep publishing. Coming to it from a postdoc so no real room for negotiations. Was able to arrange a relatively flexible telework situation given that my spouse will not be able to relocate with me for ~ 9 months. | 7/4/22 12:40 | Wow, in addition to a solid salary you'll get federal benefits--I hear they're THE BEST! Congratulations. | ||||||
186 | 6/23/2022 19:18:58 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Ecology - Conservation | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 70,000 | 65,000 | High | 10000 | 15,000 | 12,000 | 2:2 | Declined the offer because of lack of immediate lab space for research and teaching. | 7/13/22 12:15 | Congratulations on the offer just the same. Nice to have a vote of confidence. 2) Yeah, I was so bummed about the lack of space to do research. | |
187 | 6/23/2022 16:16:23 | R1 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Evolution/Morphology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 135,000 | 135,000 | High | 1.7 million | 1.7 million | 1:1 | All moving expenses covered, 1-semester teaching release the first year, career transition support for spouse (non-academic career). 1:1 teaching load. Startup doesn't expire, and all building renovations and furniture (lab benches, chairs, etc.) funded out of a different pot, not startup. The first year of grad students is funded by university. University has mortgage program for high cost-of-living area. Did not receive any other offers. Accepted! | 6/24/22 23:41 | Congratulations on an amazing offer! 2). damn, who needs 2 offers with one like that! wowza! | |||
188 | 6/14/2022 17:18:47 | R1 | Public | South | Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 80,000 | 89,000 | 84,000 | Low | List Requested | 840,000 | 600,000 | 1:1 | Included 5k for moving expenses and a 1-semester teaching release, negotiated a 3-year renewable position for spouse (2:2 teaching load, buyouts through grants possible). Declined due to more competitive offer for spouse at another institution. | 6/15/22 16:59 | Congrats on this, but especially the other offer! OP: Thank you!!!!! My partner and I are very relieved and excited! | |
189 | 6/10/2022 22:55:21 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | NA | 87,000 | Moderate? | List requested | 900,000 | 880,000 | 1.5/yr | Negotiated for spousal accommodation (spouse is Assistant Prof at R1) and renovations to animal facilities. It took 6+ weeks to make the former happen. Startup good for 3 yrs. Use of additional shared equipment also included, + $10K moving expenses, $5K grant writing support, and 2 semesters teaching release pre-tenure. Did not compete other offers received against this one: very happily accepted! | 6/14/22 16:46 | Wow, incredible startup and salary! Seems like a lot of generous "fashionably late" offers this year. Congratulations! (2) Congratulations to you and your spouse!!!! | |
190 | 6/10/2022 18:24:09 | R1 | Public | West | Plant ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 100k | NA | 100k | Medium | 700k | List requested | 700k | 2:1 | Negotiations were done gradually, so when final offer letter came through it was already set on what I wanted and what the School could offer. One year teaching deferral; later start date to finish postdoc; large and renovated lad space; generous moving expenses. Happily accepted! Other R1 offer was less competitive. | 6/13/22 17:59 | Wow, really nice offer with great salary and startup. Congratulations! / OP: Thank you! This is my dream job! Pinching myself that it all worked out :) | |
191 | 6/10/2022 12:32:20 | R1 | Public | Canada | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | $110K | $115K | Moderate-High | $115K | $120K + min $250K CFI + renovation costs | First semester relief | Student stipends largely covered by dept.; renovated lab space; plus moving and computer costs (did not have to negotiate for these, standard part of offers) | 6/13/22 1:24 | Wow, fantastic salary! | |||
192 | 6/10/2022 10:55:43 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 82,000 | NA | 82,000 | low | List requested | 800,000 | 800,000 | 1:1 | 5K moving allowance, teaching release of one course in the first year, 1 year deferral, 3 year startup, full lab renovations, and a spousal accommodation for a renewable term lecturer position. Very happily accepted. | 6/20/22 5:54 | Wow that startup! Great offer, congratulations on landing such a great job. 2) Prrety good from multiple angles. Congrats! | |
193 | 6/8/2022 9:14:09 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology/Marine Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 65,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | Low | 10000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 1-0 | Non TT, 2 year scientist-in-residence position at field station. Housing provided. Teach ~ 1 intensive field course a year. 10k per year for materials/travel/etc and a new lab! Did not negotiate, happily accepted!!! | 6/13/22 1:22 | 65k salary with housing included? That's fantastic. Nice offer! | |
194 | 6/7/2022 18:42:41 | R1 | Public | South | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 78,000 | 78,000 | 78,000 | Low | 250000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 1:1 | I was a spousal hire | 6/8/22 12:17 | Congrats to both of you! | |
195 | 6/3/2022 15:23:52 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Organismal Biology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 72,000 | 75,000 | 74,000 | Medium | 45000 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 4/4 | 6/13/22 1:22 | Congrats on the offer! | ||
196 | 6/1/2022 16:14:35 | R1 | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 95,000 | 93,000 | Average | n/a | 1,200,000 | 850,000 | 1:1 | I was a spousal hire and we very happily accepted both positions. | 6/2/22 10:25 | Dang you actually got a spousal hire?! Amazing--congrats to you both! 2) this is amazing, good luck! | |
197 | 6/1/2022 15:14:02 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 80,000 | 74,000 | Medium | 140000 | 180,000 | 140,000 | 1:2 | Offer also included teaching release for first semester and the department would purchase major equipment within the first year (and it wouldn't come out of my startup). I negotiated for $5k in moving expenses and a reduced teaching load (from 40% to 30%; 2 courses + 1 lab for the year). Startup can be used for summer salary, equipment, students, etc. Enthusiastically accepted! | 6/9/22 12:14 | Woo hoo! Congrats! 🥳 Congrats!! | |
198 | 5/26/2022 13:48:28 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 92,500 | NA | 92,500 | Medium | 550000 | 621,000 | 626,000 | 1:1 | Startup includes funding for 2.5 years of postdoc and grad student; brand new lab space; teaching release for 1 year; additional reimbursable $5k in moving expenses. Accepted over R1 offers partly due to location and offer was competitive with those | 5/27/22 9:44 | Wow, congrats! | |
199 | 5/25/2022 10:53:54 | R2 | Public | South | Evo Eco | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 90,000 | 92,500 | Mid | list requested | 640,000 | 560,000 | 1:1 | Included teaching release in first year, access to shared equipment. My biggest ask was an accommodation for my academic spouse, they were unable to provide anything and I declined the offer. | |||
200 | 5/22/2022 1:42:16 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 71,000 | 75,000 | 76,000 | Low/Med | 200000 | 400,000 | 350,000 | 2 courses/yr | $4K in moving expenses; renovations separate from startup; 3mo summer salary to be used in first two years; delayed start and teaching release first term followed by another every 4 terms. Additional $30k to support animal husbandry separate from startup. Also negotiated an interview for my partner. Accepted! | 5/25/22 10:55 | Wonderful, congratulations! 2) Congratulations! | |
201 | 5/19/2022 16:03:31 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 90,000 | 82,000 | Medium/high | 320000 | 450,000 | 450,000 | 2:2 | Happily accepted; 5K for moving; renovations, computer separate from startup; requested teaching release but was not a moveable item for the institution. | 5/20/22 9:12 | Congrats! | |
202 | 5/19/2022 14:52:52 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Assoc Prof | No | 113,000 | 135,000 | 113,000 | High | 650000 | 965,000 | 650,000 | 1.5 | Declined offer. Generous start up offer and ability to use money in any category (summer salary, postdocs, students, equipment) + moving expenses. No teaching first semester. Unfortunately, there was no room to negotiate on salary. Offer declined given higher cost of living over current position, and could not afford to make less money. | 5/23/22 11:39 | Sorry to hear this, but glad you made a choice that works for you. 2) it took me a while to realize you were already assoc prof. I was like wow thats amazing salary for an asst prof job. | |
203 | 5/19/2022 13:09:12 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 85,000 | 75,500 | VHCOL | 75000 | 85,000 | 85,000 | 3:3 (labs count as course) | Accepted. Moving expenses and extra campus visit covered (up to $6500), occasional course release possible. The cost of living : salary ratio is worrying, but we'll see how it goes! | 5/20/22 9:11 | Congrats! Wishing you luck with this new chapter... | |
204 | 5/19/2022 2:20:22 | Other | Private | South | Organismal Biology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 62,000 | 74,000 | 68,000 | Medium | 20-50K | 30K | 30K | 12 credit hours per/semester | lower teaching load and summer salary for a couple of years. reduction of tenure clock for VAP positions at other institutions by 1-2 years, depends on 3 year evaluation and at employee discretion. | 5/20/22 13:46 | Seems like a solid salary for cost of living! Congrats! | |
205 | 5/18/2022 16:44:44 | R1 | Public | West | ecology & evolution | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 70,000 | 77,500 | 72,000 | mid/high | 350000 | non-negotiable | 350,000 | 2:2 (labs count as full course) | $4K moving expenses, 5 teaching releases over first 3 years. Really liked the department when I interviewed, and great geographic location for my partner, who is also an ecologist. Happily accepted. | 5/20/22 13:45 | Wonderful, congratulations! | |
206 | 5/18/2022 16:37:11 | R2 | Private | Midwest | ecology & evolution | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 64,000 | told it was non-negotiable | 64,000 | very low | asked for list | 159,000 | 150,000 | 2:2 (labs count as full course) | $5K moving expenses, 3 mo summer salary, department supports grad students, 1 professional trip paid by department, lab renovations separate from start-up. Negotiated a lecturer position for my partner, and they were ready to hire her after a full interview, but then received an email from the Associate Provost saying they could not hire her for more than the upcoming year unless we got legally married. Had another offer so I declined. | |||
207 | 5/18/2022 16:34:29 | R2 | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 90,000 | $85,000 +3 months of summer funding to be used within first three years | Average | N/A | 500,000 | $420,000+ first PhD student funded for 4 years | 3 classes/year | $5,000 computer funds, $7,000 moving expenses, facilities renovation costs, plus deferred start date for a year. Very happily accepted! | 5/20/22 13:45 | Wow, wonderful offer! Best wishes with your move! | |
208 | 5/18/2022 2:55:58 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 86k | N/A | 86k | Low | 0.9-1M | 1.2M | 1M | 1.5/year | Salary was non-negotiable. Summer salary offered for the first two years. 10k for relocation. One-year teaching release. Full lab renovations. Department head was very helpful. Enthusiastically accepted. | 5/18/22 10:44 | Congratulations...sounds like a great offer! | |
209 | 5/17/2022 16:17:44 | Other | Public | West | environmental data science | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 88k | 102k | 92k | High | general list requested | ~200K | 100K | None | Soft money position with approx 1 yr salary guaranteed. Turned down for a raise and title change for PI status at current institution. Tough decision. | 5/20/22 13:48 | Nice job on making a choice that worked best for you. | |
210 | 5/16/2022 11:06:02 | R1 | Public | Midwest | plant biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 95k | 105k | 98k | medium | ask for a list | 1.3M | 1.3M | 50h/year, first-year relieve | Startup is surprisingly generous, and it's for five years with possible extension. Negotiated a piece of expensive equipment, they set aside a small grant for it. 10k for relocation. University has guidance to support the spouse's salary. Everything is great. Enthusiastically accepted. | 5/16/22 12:57 | Wow, congrats! | |
211 | 5/14/2022 4:50:34 | R1 | Public | West | Conservation Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 87,000 | 87,000 | 87,000 | Moderate | 300000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | 2 courses per year | $5,000 moving allowance, first semester teaching release, tenure-track spousal accommodation that spouse is very happy with. Happily accepted! | 5/15/22 9:41 | Congrats!! 2) Happy spouse = awesome! | |
212 | 5/10/2022 17:37:43 | R1 | Public | West | Biology education research | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 90,000 | 92,000 | high | 20000 | 85,000 | 65,000 | ~2 courses/ quarter | Also granted $50k for housing allowance. | 5/13/22 14:50 | Fantastic offer! 2) Very cool! I'm curious if the housing allowance has any restrictions on it? | ||
213 | 5/9/2022 20:36:18 | R1 | Public | Canada | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 115,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | high | 75000 | 100,000 + 300,000 in CFI | 100,000 + 200,000 in CFI | 1:1 | CFI funding must be applied for but has very high success rate. Deferred for a year; 1 semester teaching relief. Happily accepted! | 5/14/22 23:04 | Was this position advertised publicly this year? 2) Congratulations!! | |
214 | 5/6/2022 9:07:16 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | Midwest | Plant Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 70,500 | (salary not really negotiable due to union, salary agreeable to me!) | low | list of items, consumables, and teaching releases | all granted | 2/1 | teaching release in first year, teaching release in future years requested for facility management is agreeable to deans and dept. super supportive place, offer accepted! | 5/6/22 13:56 | Congrats! | |||
215 | 5/5/2022 12:39:12 | Regional PUI | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Environmental Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 73,000 | NA | 73,000 | Mid | List requested | 160,000 | 160,000 | 3-3 | Granted $5k moving reimbursement, student research funding for first summer, 1 month summer salary, and teaching release in first year. | 5/5/22 12:39 | Did not negotiate salary given decision to accept competing offer for family reasons. | |
216 | 5/5/2022 12:35:37 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Environmental Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 77,000 | 83,000 | 80,000 | Mid/High | 50000 | NA | 50,000 | 4-3 | No room to negotiate startup. Priority for capital expense requests. Teaching and advising release in first year. Comprehensive cross-country moving reimbursement. Teaching load is lower in practice than it initially appeared to me due to caps on class sizes and how labs count. | |||
217 | 5/5/2022 9:32:21 | R1 | Public | West | Neurobiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 82,000 | 84,000 | 82,000 | Mid/High | 525000 | 625,000 | 525,000 | 1:1 | Tried to negotiate, had a competing offer letter which I sent to the dean, but was shut down. I was already very happy with the department and offer so I happily accepted anyway. | 5/9/22 15:39 | Congrats! Interesting the competing offer didn't factor. Was it obviously better in any sense? Still looks like a good offer and being happy witht he department is probably the most important anyway. 2) your numbers and situation sound very similar to mine. its just a factor of certain universities I guess 3) @1 Thank you! I the competing offer was structured differently than the offer I took, but I'd say in the key categories the offer I ended up taking was on par or better before I inquired. From what the chair told me, it would've been a big hassle to move my numbers much, so the dean effectively called my bluff. @2 yeah I got the feeling that the salary at least was pretty much industry standard for this type/tier of institution. | |
218 | 5/3/2022 13:49:42 | R1 | Public | Southeast | EEB | Nine month | Female | No | 80,000 | (not negotiable) | 80,000 | low | n/a | 840,000 | 840,000 | 1:1 | will be bringing existing funding; 10k relocation budget; teaching release; Salary was nonnegotiable; they were extremely supportive and accommodating I feel so fortunate | 5/4/22 12:16 | Congratulations!!! | ||
219 | 5/1/2022 14:12:02 | R1 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | Yes | 105,000 | 120,000 | 118,000 | High | 500000 | 600,000 | 600,000 | 1:2 | 10k in moving expenses, courses release for grants. Very kind and helpful people, friendly department. Enthusiastically accepted. | 5/13/22 15:55 | Woohoo! Nice offer. Congrats. | |
220 | 4/28/2022 11:20:16 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Other | No | 73,000 | N/A | 73,000 | Mid | 300000 | 425,000 | 380,000 | 2.5 courses/year | 5K moving allowance. 1 semester teaching release. Flexible on start date. Some things were non-negotiable, but found middle ground on everything else. Happily accepted. | 4/28/22 12:46 | Congrats! | |
221 | 4/27/2022 13:27:03 | R1 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 92,500 | 92,500 | Low/Mid | List requested | 910,000 | 800,000 | 1.5/year | Salary was generous for area and comparable to other recent hires. 10k relocation, mortgage loan program, teaching release for 1st year, lab renovations do not come out of start-up, and start-up has no restrictions or expiration date. Shared departmental equipment to help bridge the gap in requested vs. granted start-up. | 4/28/22 12:46 | Sounds great! | ||
222 | 4/24/2022 18:05:25 | R1 | Public | Canada | EEB | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 122,000 | N/A, was told there is a standard formula | 122,000 | Very high | I made initial request, a bit higher than what I knew others got. | 206,000 | 210,000 | 2 courses/year, some initial relief | In addition to start-up, 800k allocation of infrastructure/equipment grant that I will apply for (CFI JELF, very high funding rate). A large portion of student support comes from the uni, dept, and guaranteed TA positions. This is standard and not something I negotiated for, but relevant to the amount of startup I requested (would have made a larger ask if I needed to cover full grad costs). | 5/10/22 23:05 | Congrats! A rare and much-coveted Canadian position! 2) Was this a targeted search or from an earlier year? The two places this could be weren't hiring in EEB this year | |
223 | 4/22/2022 14:48:11 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 82,000 | 90,000 | 89,000 | Mid/High | List req. | 120,000 | 105,000 | 2:3, Labs = 1 | $5k relocation, additional $5k for research expenses the first 3 years, 2 years towards tenure | 5/1/22 14:07 | Great startup offer from a SLAC! | |
224 | 4/22/2022 13:45:09 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Integrative Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 60,000 | 70,000 | 65,000 | Mid | 10000 | 10,000 | 3:3 | No service first year, additional 1500/y for conference travel, additional funding for undergrad research. Not much room for negotiations, but I am happy to accept! | ||||
225 | 4/21/2022 9:23:24 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | EvoDevo Genomics | Twelve month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 90,000 | not negotiable | 90,000 | very high | 100000 | 100000 + PhD student | 100000 + PhD student | ~30 contact hours per year | 4/21/22 9:27 | It's a UK University (displayed numbers are in US dollars). Not one of the top-2, but the tier right below those two. Pretty much nothing was negotiable, but at least I was able to get them to accept the transfer of my current PhD student from the current US university to the UK one. Relocation costs will be taken off the start-up which was disappointing. | ||
226 | 4/21/2022 0:55:29 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 97,500 | 105,000 | 100,000 | Middle | 715000 | 750,000 | 715,000 | 1.5/year (first year off) | Moving allowance 10k. Main negotiation surrounding particular lab space (got an okay temp lab, will move into real lab in a year after retiring prof moves out). summer salary 2 years 2 months. Start date pushed back half a year. Incredibly friendly department, excitedly accepted the offer! | 5/5/22 21:15 | Congratulations! Great offer! | |
227 | 4/19/2022 18:54:24 | Master's | Public | West | Computational Biology | Nine month | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 95,000 | 85,000 | High | 100000 | 250,000 | 135,000 | 3:3 | |||||
228 | 4/18/2022 19:13:46 | R2 | Private | West | Computational Biology | Nine month | Postdoc | Yes | 90,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | High | 250000 | 415,000 | 390,000 | 2:2 | 5 pre-tenure course releases | ||||
229 | 4/18/2022 15:35:00 | R1 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 105,000 | 120,000 | 115,000 | mid/high | 1400000 | 1,500,000 | 1,400,000 | 2 quarters/year | Moving reimbursement up to 5k; startup doesn't expire. Was super happy with this offer, but ended up accepting another offer (directly below this one). | 4/19/22 15:14 | Wow. Excellent offer! OP) Thank you! I'll note this is not from a Biology dept; I ended up accepting the offer directly below for fit reasons (I wanted to be in an EEB dept), but was able to use this v kind offer to negotiate there a bit. | |
230 | 4/18/2022 15:34:25 | R1 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 130,000 | 140,000 | 145,000 | mid/high | 1500000 | 1,500,000 | 1 quarter/year after second year | Teaching relief for first two years. Up to 20k reimbursement for moving, 25k 'signing bonus' to help with housing, startup never expires. Accepted :) | 4/20/22 15:20 | Wow congratulations! This is the best I've seen! Any tips on how to negotiate a package like this!? OP) I was really lucky to have gotten the offer in the line above (from a rich biology-adjacent dept), which I just relayed and they were able to close-to-match! I was surprised but super happy to accept :) 2) Amazing--congrats! 3) Absolutely incredible congrats! | ||
231 | 4/15/2022 16:03:49 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 95,000 | - | 100,000 | mid | 850000 | - | 850,000 | 1.5 courses/year | Main point of negotiation was centered around finding a TT position for my partner; the school was really helpful along these lines! Didn't push too hard negotiating more because other places ended up being a better fit. | |||
232 | 4/15/2022 13:26:45 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Bioinformatics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 79,200 | 72,000 | high | 30000 | NA | 30,000 | 3/3 | Offer also included a $5,000 research grant for the first summer, $4,000 in moving expenses (reimbursed), a computer separate from start-up funds, and two pre-tenure course releases. The school didn't have any flexibility on negotiations. Accepted anyway and I am SO excited to join this lovely department. | 4/16/22 19:37 | Congratulations!x2 | |
233 | 4/15/2022 11:57:16 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Microbiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 60,000 | 66,000 | 63,000 | Low | None | 20,000 | 15,000 | 4:4 | Took a lower salary than competing offer to join a better department with more realistic research expectations. | 4/15/22 13:26 | Congratulations! | |
234 | 4/12/2022 17:12:10 | R1 | Public | South | Evolution/behavior | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 90,000 | Low | ~450,000 | 691,000 | 691,000 | 1:1 | Additional funds for renovation ~250,000, not included in startup granted | 4/13/22 18:00 | Great offer, congrats! | ||
235 | 4/12/2022 8:43:40 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Plant Genetics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | N/A | 85,000 | High | 250000 | $265,000* | $257,000* | 2:1 | * Salary was already quite competitive for area so I didn't request more. Initially requested 50K over offered start-up for one needed piece of equipment. Department couldn't meet that, but did negotiate access at a nearby facility and is helping me file a request from a university infrastructure fund to get my own. I'm willing to work with that, and the area has good job prospects for my non-academic spouse. Accepted! | 4/12/22 10:39 | Congrats! | |
236 | 4/7/2022 15:00:42 | SLAC | Public | Southeast | Developmental Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 65,000 | 75,000 | 70,000 | Very high | list requested | 130k | 100k | 4:4 | Startup to be used for both research and new course development. Definitely worried about the cost of living. | 4/10/22 19:13 | That a good startup for a SLAC | |
237 | 4/7/2022 13:13:11 | R2 | Public | Southeast | molecular ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | $55k | My big ask was for a TT hire for my spouse, and I made it clear this was the most important thing to me. No startup number offered, no request for a startup list. Almost a week after the initial offer/request for my partner I was emailed that there was no TT position for my spouse and they were rescinding the offer. My interpretation is that they felt I would not come without something for my spouse and that they didn't want to waste time negotiating with me. Bit deflating, frankly. | 11/13/22 3:17 | Yikes. That's so disheartening to hear that they would rescind the offer instead of saying "no, we can't make it work for a TT position for spouse" 2) Yeah, why wouldn't they at least ask if you'd come anyway and give you a day or two to respond? Weird that departments just assume these things. 3) I had the same thing happen at a PUI in the Midwest | ||||||||
238 | 4/6/2022 17:01:36 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 55,000 | Higher | 64,000 | Mid | 0 | 4-4 | No startup, no course reduction 1st year, no lab space (but expect some level of research), not willing to negotiate and pulled offer without notice | 4/7/22 11:55 | That sucks that they did that. Good riddance! | |||
239 | 4/3/2022 16:44:59 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Microbial ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 60,000 | 72,000 | 62,000 | Low | None | 40k | 10k | 3:2 (labs count) | Declined-offer not competitive and they were unwilling to negotiate | 4/5/22 17:30 | Good call 2) Depends. Presumably she has other options? | |
240 | 4/1/2022 12:19:29 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Neuroscience | 10 Month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 84,000 | N/A | N/A | High | 600000 | N/A | N/A | 2:1 for two years, 2:2 thereafter | 335K discretionary, plus funds for 2yrs of one grad student and a lab manager/postdoc, +4000 moving expenses. Less than the amounts discussed with chair in most categories. Only being given a week total to decide. Loved the department but disappointed by the offer, so waiting to see what other offers look like before negotiating. | 4/8/22 14:35 | This seems pretty competitive for a R2 place? 2) Agree with first comment... unless you have competing offers I guess. | |
241 | 3/30/2022 16:43:40 | Master's | Public | West | Evolution & Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 93,000 | 99,000 | 95,000 | Very High | 40000 | 77,500 | 75,000 | 1:1 first year | Also 5K in relocation expenses. Research space still uncertain because of new building construction. Teaching releases in future based on number of student research. Happily accepted! | |||
242 | 3/29/2022 13:18:45 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Biology & Environmental Studies | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 52,000 | 59,500 | 56,000 | Low | 10000 | NA | 10,000 | 2/2 first year, 3/2 thereafter | Also negotiated a $4000 stipend for course prep in summer '22 prior to starting. | |||
243 | 3/23/2022 9:29:08 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary genomics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 85,000 | 80,000 | mid to low | list asked | 825,000 | 825,000 | 1 a semester | 4/22/22 22:22 | What school pays 80k/year but gives more than 10x that for a startup? OP) I think for a public midwest university 80K is on par with many places. The 825K is I think competitive for a public university but its still lower then what folks are getting on the east or west coast private (and maybe public) universities. Check the stats for other R1 universities below. For me this is an incredibly great offer. x2 2) I checked the R1s below and most have much lower startups OP) yes but I know from my close contacts that east or west coast EEB dept can dish out >1mil for startup 3) startups vary a lot by subject area too, so this tab's small sample size is hard to tell much from 4) the East/West coast places that can dish out 1mil also pay more than 80k | ||
244 | 3/21/2022 16:30:35 | SLAC | Private | West | Environmental Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 82,500 | NA | NA | Stupid High | 90000 | NA | NA | 3:2 (labs = 1/2) | Startup and salary non-negotiable. Offered $5k reimbursable relocation expenses and $1.8k/yr for discretionary travel. Hard no on initial summer salary to support UG research (expected). Teaching release in first semester. Faculty housing cost and space was not workable for a single-income family also needing childcare in this area. Declined. | 4/10/22 7:28 | :/ I feel this. A lot of non-R1 salaries (or even public R1) can't keep up with high cost of living. When the av. house costs 1mil... yeah. 2) yup, when you know that no matter what you aren't buying a house anywhere near campus even 10 years down the road…frustrating | |
245 | 3/21/2022 5:42:27 | R2 | Private | Northeast | Microbiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 88,000 | 100,000 | 90,000 | high | List requested | 320,000 | 260,000 | 2:2 (labs count) | 8k in moving expenses, teaching release for the first semester and future releases depending on grants. Band-new labs, computers and furniture outside of start-up package, 2 TA slots per year, 4k annually. Happily accepted! | 3/28/22 11:32 | What is the 4k annually? Is this related to conferences or other professional development? 2) general research purposes. e.g. consumables, conferences | |
246 | 3/18/2022 17:32:31 | R2 | Public | West | Genetics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 80,000 | 76,000 | Moderate to high | 320000 | 500,000 | 400,000 | 1:1 | Happily took this offer. Salary, start-up, and teaching load were negotiable. In addition to this, I was able to negotiate an MSc student, one year of PhD student support, lab & office space, and a deferred teaching load for the first year. No moving expenses needed. | |||
247 | 3/18/2022 13:50:55 | R2 | Public | West | Plant Science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 77k | NA | NA | Moderate | None | NA | NA | Research only | Research only NTT position with up to five years of renewal. Position required a start date within 2 months of offer, no guarantee on start-up, and no site visit (interview was on zoom). Declined and did not negotiate. | |||
248 | 3/18/2022 11:52:31 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | 83K | 88.4K | 88.4K | High | 70K | 80K | 80K | 3:3 | Summer pay for the first three years, generous moving package, and early start date for small bonus. Excited to accept the offer! | |||
249 | 3/17/2022 20:24:28 | Master's | Public | West | Entomology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 94,000 | NA | NA | Very high | 40000 | NA | NA | 3 per semester | Declined, didn't negotiate. | |||
250 | 3/14/2022 9:30:16 | R1 | Public | South | Comp Bio | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | Yes | 105,000 | 150,000 | low | 350000 | 500,000 | 450,000 | 1/yr | I do not understand why they made an offer at such a high salary. | 6/1/22 21:23 | Because if you do comp bio you can go into industry starting at 150-200 and be making 300+ in a few years depending on what path you take. 2) wooooooh boy you're getting paid like an engineering professor. Congrats on the great offer! 3) because that is their rate at that school. if it was comp bio, then env scientists would be ett100k everywhere too, they aren't except in private sector. 4) whoa, this is...just wow 5) why did they grant a salary of 150k if you only requested 105k? 5) Aside from outside competition, maybe they're working to level up the rest of the department? My old department did this and brought people in at a higher level to then make it easier to bump the rest. Also, 150k isn't crazy money. It's good, but really where most faculty should sit given the level of education. It only seems amazing as salaries have been so stagnant in academia… we’ve gotten used to accepting that 70-80k/year is good after 5 years of making 20k doing a PhD and a few making 45k doing a postdoc. *) most asst prof jobs start well below $70k OP) Based on my current understanding the salary is higher than any full professor in the department. It was part of a hiring push from the President's office, not just the usual department hire. 6) Apparently I am grossly underpaid in my NE Comp Bio position 7) stellar offer, just wow 8) typo? OP) No. Not a typo. A phone call doesn't have typos. My current is 105. They offered 150/160. 9) hi OP is the 150 for 9month and not 12month? Its a great offer regardless. OP) 9 mo OP) Declined. Accepted retention offer at 125k. 10) @OP, may I ask why you accepted the retention offer rather than the new (and higher) offer? May I ask what are the other factors that you have considered leading to this decision? OP) There were red flags on the new job. A mismatch in what the admins were saying vs the department, and it was a stretch from my current field. Can't really get into more detail here, but I was worried it would not improve productivity like I was looking for. And I was serious about moving. 10 again) Thanks for sharing | ||
251 | 3/13/2022 15:42:48 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 107,000 | 107,000 | Medium-High | 1,100,000 | 1,100,000 | Additional 100k housing allowance that does not come out of startup. Startup includes funds to cover 9 months of summer salary for the first three years and a moving allowance. | 5/6/22 11:57 | Incredible offer! Congratulations! X2 | ||||
252 | 3/10/2022 13:20:39 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Molecular ecology/evolution | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 95,000 | 10,000 | 98,000 | High | 380000 | 440,000 | 440,000 | 1-1 | ||||
253 | 3/5/2022 16:57:43 | R1 | Public | Canada | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 103K CAD | 125K CAD | 112K CAD | Moderate | 445K CAD | 500K CAD | 455K CAD (includes 210K of CFI) | 1/1 | Plus moving expenses, one year teaching release, and one funded undergraduate researcher per summer for five years. Accepted. | 3/10/22 9:17 | Insanely good offer | |
254 | 3/1/2022 16:12:37 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | NA | 90K | 90K | Moderate | 300K | 245K | 1/1 | Spousal accommodation was also negotiated, spouse had already interviewed at the same University in unrelated field and was highly ranked. | 3/2/22 4:11 | that's awesome! | ||
255 | 2/28/2022 22:06:05 | R1 | Public | West | Environmental Science | Twelve month (NTT) | Male | Postdoc | No | $72k | $78k | $78k | High | 0 | $40k plus annual conferences and travel | $40k plus annual conferences and travel | 2:3 | This is a primarily undergraduate-centered NTT appointment (3 yr renewable contracts) at an R1. Title was changed from "Instructor" to "Assistant Professor" during negotiations. Supplemental pay remains negotiable for summer teaching beyond 2:3 load. | |||
256 | 2/28/2022 20:22:25 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 101,000 | 130,000 | 101,000 | Moderate | 300000 | A lot | 450,000 | 2 courses per year: 1 undergrad & 1 under/grad | Includes rotating graduate student fellowship (~every other year), $12k moving allowance. I made some pretty wild asks (because why not?!), and they went up a lot on startup but wouldn't budge at all on salary. They supposedly won't go higher than the most recent hire (almost a year ago)—I tried to get them to adjust for inflation during negotiations, but no dice (even though home prices in the area have gone up 25% in one year). Even so, very happily accepted. | 3/1/22 4:33 | holy shit | |
257 | 2/26/2022 9:56:29 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 60k | 60k | 60k | low | n/a | 18k | 20k | 18 contact hours | Very happily accepted - this is my dream job. | 2/26/22 9:57 | OP: offer includes moving expenses, PD funds, new computer every 4 years. | |
258 | 2/14/2022 16:30:27 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 52,000 | 62,000 | 56,000 | Very Low | 10000 | 18,500 | 14,000 | 12 contact hours/semester | Also negotiated a delayed start date, $2,000 in moving expenses, and a course release for first two semesters. Salary seemed low at first but goes a long way in this area. Accepted. | 2/15/22 9:52 | Congrats! | |
259 | 1/30/2022 23:55:21 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Organismal and field biology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | $66k | $78k | $72k | Low-moderate | $30k | $30k | $30k | 18 contact hrs/year | $2400 annual stipend to direct field station; $5k moving expenses | |||
260 | 1/29/2022 11:02:25 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 69K | 69K | 69K | Mid/High | N/A | N/A | N/A | Heavy | Did not take offer. No room for negotiating salary. Position wanted student involvement in research but no guaranteed funds for that. Tough decision but hopefully the right one in the long run | |||
261 | 1/26/2022 18:20:00 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 70K | 72K | 71K | Not horrible | List | 600K | 350K | 1-1 | 5000 moving expenses, and use of a department truck for fieldwork | |||
262 | 1/26/2022 10:46:34 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 62,000 | 67,000 | 64,000 | Low | 160,000 | 138,000 | 1 class (lecture+lab) + 1 undergrad seminar per semester | |||||
263 | 1/25/2022 14:31:18 | R3 | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 61,000 | 65,000 | 62,500 | Moderate | 140000 | 170,000 | 150000 (plus extra equip from dept funds) | 3:3 (labs count in full) | Undergraduate department. $6000 in moving expenses. | |||
264 | 1/21/2022 15:20:37 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 90,000 | 90,000 | Moderate | 150000 | 150,000 | 2 courses (1 per semester) | Tenure track. Offer package was non-negotiable. Could not provide spousal hire which was frustrating but we're working on some other options for my partner. Tons of high quality preexisting resources that will be mine (vehicles, lab space, computers, etc) plus access to outdoor research plots. $3,000 moving expenses and technician that does not pull from start up funds. Too good to pass up! Accepted. | 3/27/22 9:27 | Welcome to UF! | |||
265 | 1/17/2022 18:21:51 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Plant Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 85,000 | 90,000 | 86,000 | Moderate | 150000 | 169,000 | 175,000 | 1 class/year | 5-6 years of graduate student funding, renovated lab shared with one other new faculty member, $4k in moving expenses, accelerated tenure track - go up for T&P in 3 years. $8K in yearly research money available outside of start-up. Happily accepted | 1/18/22 10:32 | Congratulations! Great package! | |
266 | 1/14/2022 14:25:05 | Master's | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | Moderate to High | $85K-$100K range | $100K | up to $100K | 3:2 (labs count as course) | Department will also cover (outside of start-up funds): $5k moving expenses, office + lab computers, publication page charges, travel for conferences and field work, and stipends/tuition to cover grad students when faculty don't have grant support (!!!). Also requested and was granted a 1-semester deferment (start Jan 2023), and future teaching releases depending on research activity. Salary was non-negotiable, and they could not provide any summer salary. Accepted the position. | 1/15/22 9:05 | Congratulations, sounds like a quite successful negotiation! | |
267 | 1/13/2022 12:25:10 | R1 | Public | Canada | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 98,000 | 101,000 | 104,000 | low | 50000 | 110, 000 | 50,000 and departmental contribution to a CFI, extra year of grad student funding | 2 courses/year, 2 years of 50% teaching relief | 1/27/22 12:23 | 1) What province? | ||
268 | 1/11/2022 7:38:52 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Vertebrate Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 81,800 | 81,800 | Low | 183,000 | 183,000 | 2/3 (labs count as course) | Offer accepted! Salary is generous for the area, but is non-negotiable to ensure that all new assistant profs have the same starting salary. Offer includes 5k moving expenses, and a potential position for my spouse which we are working on now. Teaching load also includes 4-6 senior thesis students each year in addition to any other students who are doing research in my lab. I had a competing offer which was much lower (58k initial offer, with lower startup funds), which didn't do much for my negotiations. But, it was nice to have a backup plan. | |||||
269 | 1/10/2022 19:20:49 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology/Behavior | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85 | 85 | Moderate | $6k + Equipment (Additional $10k available if I bring in my own summer salary) | None - Visiting Position | $6k + Equipment (Additional $10k available if I bring in my own summer salary) | 1 class/year | This is a 3-year VAP with TA funding available for grad students. Great department. Hope to transition over to TT at the end of term. | ||||
270 | 1/7/2022 18:30:19 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 70,000 | 84,000 | 80,000 | Moderate | List requested | $430K | $400K | 2:2 | Offer included 1 semester teaching release, $5K moving expenses, and additional support for personnel (postdoc and technician). I prioritized negotiating higher base salary, so did not ask for summer salary. Happily accepted! | |||
271 | 1/7/2022 12:23:34 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 61,000 | 63,000 | 61,000 | Moderate to High | 0 | 8,000 | 5,000 | 3-3-3 | Salary and startup were fixed by a collective bargaining agreement, negotiated for a 1-course teaching release | |||
272 | 1/4/2022 21:23:22 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 73,000 | 73,000 | Moderate | 410,000 | 390,000 | 2:2 | Included moving expenses and 1 semester off from teaching. Accepted! | ||||
273 | 1/4/2022 15:28:34 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | $82k | $91k | $89k | low | NA | 460,000 | 410,000 | 1-1 | enthusiastically accepted | |||
274 | 1/4/2022 13:03:00 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 72,400 | 84,000 | 72,400 | Moderate | NA | 90,000 | 71,000 | 3-3 | All start-up requests for equipment that the school did not already own were granted. No flexibility on salary, but accelerated tenure clock (to account for time spent teaching as a VAP) and favorable teaching assignments were offered. 5K moving expenses. Split Biology/ENVS appointment | |||
275 | 11/30/2021 21:41:52 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Grad Student | No | 61,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | High | 5000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 2:2:2 | Start up was non-negotiable, but I did negotiate one month of summer salary for my first year. Happily accepted! | |||
276 | 11/15/2021 11:53:40 | Other | Public | West | evolutionary biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 86,500 | 86,500 | very high | NA | NA | NA | NA | Federal research position. Position not authorized for relocation expenses | ||||
277 | 11/14/2021 16:06:31 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Bioinformatics | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | €4305/mo plus benefits | NA | NA | Medium | 0 | No startup | 0 | No teaching | It's a permant research position | |||
278 | 11/12/2021 10:29:56 | R2 | Public | Canada | Environmental Science/Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 100 k CAD (80 K USD) | 105 k CAD (84 K USD) | 105 K CAD (84 K USD) | Moderate | 110 K CAD | 300 K CAD | 110 K with support to obtain full 300 K via CFI | 3 courses per 12 months | Accepted position as it was a strong fit with my research and teaching goals as well as personal life given the location. Also allowed my pick of multiple research and office spaces. | 1/27/22 12:24 | 1) What province? | |
279 | 11/2/2021 15:01:06 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Physiology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | High | 20000 | 60,000 | 30,000 | Low | ||||
280 | 10/27/2021 20:08:20 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Biology education research | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 80,340 | 80,340 | Very high | 20K | 60K | 60K | 3/3 | |||||
281 | 10/21/2021 10:44:27 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Applied Population Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Grad Student | No | 90,000 | N/A | 90,000 | Extremely high | Low | 5-year contract with salary guaranteed. Mostly research to be developed as I choose with light teaching duties. The unit has lots of resources, but the expectation is to pursue external research funding. Extremely flexible. | 10/25/21 7:52 | From grad student to faculty member.. nice. | ||||
282 | 9/15/2021 10:56:33 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Evolution | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 98k | 108k | 105k | Moderate to high | ~$450,000 | ~$550,000 | ~$550,000 | 1:1 | Offered Associate with tenure before my tenure and promotion case was decided at my institution so when I move it will be Associate -> Associate. I didn't try to seek a retention offer at my institution. Start-up needs were negotiated through itemized lists. I feel incredibly lucky to be making a mid-career/tenured move! | 9/16/21 14:38 | Congratulations on a wonderful offer. | |
283 | 8/26/2021 16:53:45 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 70,000 | N/A | 70,000 | 4 classes a semester | Term professor (1 year) at a really great school. I am coming from a governmental post-doc fellowship and this is a great intro for me back into teaching/academics. I am able to create my own course for the spring semester. | |||||||
284 | 8/20/2021 19:18:08 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | Yes | $94k | Moderate | $800k | 1 course per semester | Lateral move from an Assistant Professor position at an R1 in the Midwest. Competing offer was retention offer from prior institution | |||||||
285 | 8/9/2021 9:28:41 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Biology (Ecology) | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 85,000 | 80,000 | Medium | 30000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 3:2 | 1 course per semester release if 3+ students doing research for credit, startup must be divided over two years | |||
286 | 8/7/2021 12:11:03 | Other | Public | Outside North America | Biology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 105k USD + housing subsidy (~1,500 USD per month) | not much wiggle room | 105k USD + housing subsidy (~1,500 USD per month) | High | n/a | Equipment list sent | 500k USD + (2 PhD and 1 Postdoc) x 2 years | 1+1 | English-medium University in Asia. | 8/27/21 10:28 | Can you tell us the country? 2) Singapore or Hong Kong | |
287 | 8/4/2021 14:20:32 | Regional PUI | Private | Northeast | Marine Science | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 65k | 80k | 65k | Medium/High | 15 credits a semester plus teaching during the summer | They wanted me to start Aug 15th and offered me almost no additional information on the lab space or equipment list. I asked if there was any room to discuss salary increase with HR and was told no. I declined the offer. | 8/19/21 18:37 | Great job at sticking to your needs! Don't look back and regret you didn't take the job x4 | ||||
288 | 7/29/2021 15:08:22 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 87,000 | 96,000 | 90,000 | Low | N/A | 800,000 | 650,000 | 1:1 | ||||
289 | 7/29/2021 11:22:15 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Wildlife | 9 month Lecturer | Male | Postdoc | No | 60,552 | N/A | 60,552 | High | N/A | N/A | N/A | 14 units/semester | ||||
290 | 7/20/2021 11:52:53 | R2 | Private | Northeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 81,000 | 78,000 | Low | 230000 | 370,000 | 270000 plus equipment | 2:3 | ||||
291 | 7/14/2021 16:09:50 | Master's | Public | Outside North America | Genetics | Twelve month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 60,000 | 65,000 | 63,000 | Low to average | 0 | 10,000 | 12-12 | Got 24 credits release time to use pre-tenure, plus 2k for moving expenses | ||||
292 | 7/13/2021 12:12:52 | R3 | Public | South | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 67,000 | 73,000 | 69,000 | Low | 300000 | Sent a list | 350,000 | 9 contact hours per semester | Start up was increased due to matching funds from the university system. Also negotiated a couple weeks pay for August as the contract did not start until September. Very happy to accept the offer. | |||
293 | 7/12/2021 15:41:12 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Evolutionary genomics | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 57,000 | 70,000 | 57,000 | Medium | €150k | €200k | €150k | 1-0 | Research institute, many shared resources, lab supplies, computing resources are covered. Shared use of multiple lab techs. Largely non-negotiable for startup, salary, etc. | |||
294 | 7/7/2021 8:08:54 | R2 | Public | Outside North America | Genomics | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 40,000 | na | 40,000 | high | none | na | none | 50% time | Mid-sized UK university. In place of startup, they offer competitive bidding for everyone in the department (which sounded far from ideal). Salary offered is highest possible in the pay grade, but still much lower than what I make in mainland Europe as a postdoc. Declined in favor of another offer. | |||
295 | 7/6/2021 17:53:10 | R1 | Private | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 102 | 102 | High | List requested | 892,000 | 1M | Low: 1 Undergrad course, 1 seminar | Negotiated TT position for partner, 8k for relocation, 50k for housing down payment, 4 months of summer salary (not coming from start up), 1 course teaching release. (All of these also for partner) | 3/8/22 16:56 | 1) USC? Doesn't seem like too many other places in the West could offer this much for an EEB job 2) Could also be UCLA or UCSB, really 3) I would keep your guessing to yourselves. that's not the point and it'll probably make others less likely to participate 2x. who cares. it's obviously in a place that is absurdly expensive to live! x2 4) The UCs definitely do offer 1M+ startups for EEB folks. (x2) | ||
296 | 7/6/2021 16:20:14 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Biology | VAP - 9 month | Female | Other | No | 50,000 | 55,000 | 50,000 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 4 courses (2 per semester) | Accepted. Position is 100% teaching and there was no wiggle room on salary, but I was already an adjunct and live in the area, so already know I will love the department. | |||
297 | 6/29/2021 11:11:55 | R1 | Public | West | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 104,700 | Not much wiggle room | 104,700 | High | 1000000 | $1,000,000 plus up to $100K for specialized equipment | 1.5 courses per year | Enthusiastically accepted. Offer included salary supplementation for an additional two months per year (2/9 supplementation) for the first two years ($128K total salary), after which I can supplement with my own grants; teaching release in the first year and mentored partial teaching in the second; one year of postdoc funding and career support for my partner; moving expenses; and help with home buying (special university mortgage program, and (taxable) $60K housing allowance to help with a down payment in an expensive region). Other exciting programs include a graduate student insurance program which will pay for my first graduate student during their whole PhD, if my own grants don't come through at first -- I appreciate the peace of mind this provides. Super grateful to have received a generous offer right off the bat. I feel like the department and school are really committed to setting me up for success. The department seems to be a wonderful community and an exciting place to do science -- I can't wait to get started! | 3/8/22 16:58 | 1) Nice job! 2) Insane offer, especially from a public university. Are you in an EEB field? 3) Doubtful that any EEB R1 could afford this much on a regular search 4) Some public R1 EEB departments on the West Coast do indeed offer 1M+ startups, but often for more molecular E&E folks. 5) very much non-molecular E&E folk here, also got 1M from R1 public university on West coast | ||
298 | 6/25/2021 11:05:05 | R1 | Public | West | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 82,000 | 82,000 | 700000 | 900,000 | 714,000 | 12/31/1899 | #ERROR! | ||||
299 | 6/25/2021 9:27:11 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Marine Biology | Ten month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 62,000 (non-negotiable) | Low | 3/3/2021 | Happily accepted. | ||||||||
300 | 6/23/2021 15:47:07 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Environment, Agriculture, interdisciplinary | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 80,000 | 88,000 | 80,000 | low | 15000 | 40,000 | 30,000 | 2:2 | They also offered an academic position to my partner and I think this is a very competitive offer in my field, so I happily accepted! | 7/8/21 8:57 | 1) Congrats!! 3) That's great! Just curious, what kind of academic position for your partner? OP) Thanks! A teaching position, not adjunct with possibility to apply for research funds | |
301 | 6/9/2021 15:19:42 | Other | Public | West | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 77,400 (GS-12) | na | 77,400 (GS-12) | medium-high | NA | NA | NA | NA | Federal research position. Enthusiastically accepted. I had no prior professional connections with this federal agency but have some prior work experience collaborating with scientists outside of academia. Position not authorized for relocation expenses. | |||
302 | 6/8/2021 11:44:24 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Genomics/Evolution | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 75K | Non-negotiable | 75K | Very low | 300K | 500K | 420K | low | Public university with non-negotiable salary, could check the existing profs salaries online to confirm. Low compared to other R1 offers, but my salary is hard money forever and not included in the number are "six years" of grad student support for 9 months/year, meaning I can have three for two years each. Used paying their summer salary to get the last 20K. Also cost of a good 4 bedroom in the area is 150K, so salary is good for the area and can be supplemented by grants to increase. Very happy with the offer and will be accepting. Also should note the school only recently got R1 status, also not included in the number is about 50K worth of upgrades to the computing cluster that won't be exclusive to me, but will help both me and the department. Planning to still buy a few private nodes on the cluster though. | 6/9/21 11:32 | 1) Congratulations! | |
303 | 6/3/2021 19:26:36 | Master's | Public | West | Biology / Zoology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 70,500 | 75,500 | 71,500 | moderate | 38k (to spend over 3 years) + 8k moving expenses | Requested job offer for spouse. Additional funding for moving expenses. | 38k + 8k moving expenses + 3k visa fees (international hire) + reduced teaching for first two years + Lecturer position for spouse | 2/2/2021 | 6/11/21 12:46 | 1) You got a spousal hire!!! This is incredible. CONGRATS to both of you.x4 | ||
304 | 6/2/2021 14:09:51 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Biology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 58,000 | 65,000 | 58,000 | mid | n/a VAP position | n/a | n/a | 2/3/2021 | 6/2/21 14:12 | Offer included up to $5k in moving costs, and funds for one conference a year. This is a VAP position, so hard to negotiate salary. | ||
305 | 6/1/2021 9:13:24 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 118,000 | High | 500k | 700k | 800k | 6/1/21 9:16 | They ended up expanding my startup beyond my request. 10k relocation cost expanded from 5k. 4 months of summer salary included with my startup. | |||||
306 | 5/21/2021 9:10:03 | R1 | Public | West | Geography | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 98,000 | 88,500 | High | 250000 | ~600,000 | 446,824 + splitting costs for two instruments + support for 2 students | 2:1 | The negotiations on this one were super tough. I had to fight really hard to get the bare minimum of what I needed for startup. In the end, the startup is certainly less than what I put in my initial needs, but with all instrumentation help, it was closer to 550,000 in value. The community here is fantastic and it’s a really good hub for my partner. While my other offers were objectively better (one of them A LOT better), this is a place where I can see both my partner and I doing well. Accepted. | 5/26/21 19:45 | Wow, that's really high startup for a Canadian university. Congratz! 2) was this comment meant for a different post, or was this a Canadian position? That is a great startup for Canada!; 3) I believe that comment is for the post a few down 4) Pretty sure this row is for the UBC Geography position and the "9 month" entry is wrong. OP) I'm not sure where the confusion arose, but this is in the US and is a 9 month appointment. 5) I think they were just trying to be smart guessing which position it is...and just got it wrong. Congrats, though! OP) Haha gotcha. Thanks! | |
307 | 5/21/2021 9:00:41 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Environmental | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 106,000 | 114,000 | 114,000 | Moderate | N/A | 700,000 | 700,000 + 3/9 summer salary | 3 courses/yr | I absolutely loved this school and the department. They made an incredible offer and were willing to match basically all my requests. The faculty are great and there was a lot of potential for my research to flourish. The only reason I turned it down was because it would be a tough career move for my partner. If we were a little later in life, this would have been the decision hands down. Academics tend to have a “trailing” spouse, and many of the spouses at this institution were trailing or didn’t reach their full potential. With a starting salary that high, it was tempting for my spouse to just take a lower level job anyway. But regardless of his pay or degree level, his career will always be just as important as mine. It was so tough, but I Declined. | 5/27/21 20:28 | Wow, that most have been indeed a tough decision, but good for you and your partner! OP) Thanks! It was really hard turning this offer down, but it was for the best. My partner never explicitly expressed his concerns while I was deciding, however, after I made the choice for a different school, he said he was really thankful I was considerate of his career. Plus, the other school was awesome too and has such a strong community in my field. Best of luck to other folks applying and making decisions! 2) OP, just for comparison between multiple offers you received, did you also post the other offer you got here? 3) My guess is the position listed above this was the one she accepted, but please correct me if I'm wrong. OP) Correct - the one above and the one below 2) great, thought so, but after the last set of assumptions around the post above, I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. XD | |
308 | 5/21/2021 8:51:22 | R1 | Public | South | Geoscience | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 80,500 | N/A | 80,500 | Low | ~250,000 | ~700,000 | 600,000 | 2:1 | Great school, competitive offer. Any renovations would have needed to come from startup. Didn’t get a chance to negotiate since they wanted a decision really quickly. Still like the department a lot, but Declined since they wanted a decision before I heard back on offer details from other places. | |||
309 | 5/15/2021 13:25:19 | R1 | Public | Canada | Genomics | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | $95k | $110k | $105k | Medium | $200k | $500k | $420k ($220k cash, $200k equipment CFI JELF allocation) | Low | All dollar amounts in Canadian. Have existing grant funding I am bringing with me. CFI JELFs are described elsewhere in this sheet, but are extremely high rate of success grants for equipment purchases for new faculty. Universities have limited allocations available. | 8/1/23 4:48 | ||
310 | 5/14/2021 19:28:49 | Master's | Public | West | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64K | Dean said this was the highest they could go | High | 10K | Did not negotiate | 2:2 | Ultimately declined. Financial model to fund position raised questions about long term program and position stability. Additional concerns about alignment of research expectations/ institutional support to do kind of research requested in position description. Hard choice during covid, but still right choice. Had funding to get through one more job cycle. | |||||
311 | 5/14/2021 10:32:28 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Disease Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 68,000 | Didn't negotiate | Medium-High | 120000 | Didn't negotiate | 9 contact hours / year | Difficult decision because offer terms were good. Also included some money for relocation. Ultimately declined because of location/spouse career options as well as some hangups about the position. Department was really great, but had concerns about leadership instability (wonderful interim chair on the way out, lots of turnover at higher admin levels) and uncertainty about if resources are keeping pace with productivity expectations. Still have a couple years of funding at current position so decided to hold out. Did not negotiate. | |||||
312 | 5/11/2021 21:49:07 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Genomics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | High | 350000 | 350,000 + specific equipment | 400,000 | 2/2 | Also received 3k moving expenses and requested animal space | |||
313 | 5/10/2021 21:21:57 | Other | Private | Midwest | Animal Physiology | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 62,834 | Dean said this was highest they could go | low | 0 | 30,000 | 5,000 | 12:12 | declined offer | ||||
314 | 4/26/2021 14:00:31 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Earth Science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | - | 100,000 | 90,000 | Medium/low | ~550,000 | 530,000 | 2:1 | |||||
315 | 4/16/2021 7:08:47 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 72,500 | 77,500 | 74,500 | Low/Moderate | 350000 | 550,000 | 420,000 | 1:1 | I have a transferrable NSF grant which I think helped during negotiations. Was able to negotiate summer salary for 2 years and 2 years of funding for a postdoc. Offer accepted. | 4/26/21 1:26 | What is a summer salary? 2) Profs in USA are often on 9-month contracts (usually pay is spread over 12 months), leaving 3 months in the summer that can be funded by grants or in this case start up | |
316 | 3/30/2021 9:29:10 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 59,000 | 59,000 | Low | asked for list | 40,000 | 16,000 | 2:2 with labs | They were upfront about salary situations and lower startup offers; however, they also laid out their plans for improving base salary and there are lots of (optional) extra pay opportunities and plentiful internal funding. Lots of shared/inherited equipment knocked down costs. Good benefits, interesting teaching opportunities, great facilities. Accepted. | ||||
317 | 3/29/2021 17:31:05 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 59,000 | 59,000 | Low | asked for list | 40,000 | 16,000 | 2:2 w/ labs | Up front about lower initial funding situations; countered by opportunities for additional pay and plentiful internal research funding, lots of shared and inherited equipment, good facilities. Accepted. | ||||
318 | 3/29/2021 17:20:30 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Physiology | Twelve month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 55,000 | 55,000 | High | 3000 | 3,000 | 2:2 + labs, graduate | Were up front early in process about inability to negotiate, but initial offer still ended up a bit lower than implied. Declined. | |||||
319 | 3/26/2021 23:15:12 | Master's | Public | Southeast | Evolutionary Genomics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 60,000 | NA | 60,000 | Low | 5000 | 10,000 | 6,000 | 2:2 w/labs | Offer includes 1500 for moving, a computer, and 1100/year for travel. Was very happy to accept! | |||
320 | 2/26/2021 16:46:24 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Plant Bio | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 80,500 | 92,750 | 80,500 | Med/Low | 160000 | ~200,000 | 190,000 | 2:2 | Got a year long deferral, too. Excitedly accepted! | |||
321 | 2/22/2021 17:09:49 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Geography | Nine month | Female | Other | No | 88,000 | 100,000 | 94,000 | Moderate | 100000 | 160,000 | 160,000 | 2:2 | They initially offered 5K for moving expenses - I asked for 10K and they said yes. Was offered one course release in first year - I asked for two additional and they said no. Salary was competitive with data available on the Chronicle website for this institution. They also included a house hunting trip for me to visit the area. They initially offered to fly me out and see the campus before accepting (with rapid covid testing on campus), since my entire interview was on Zoom and I have never been to this city. I did not need a spousal hire. I am 5 years post-PhD and happily accepted the offer! | |||
322 | 2/22/2021 17:09:02 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Molecular and Cellular Biology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 54,000 | 58,000 | 55,500 | Average to below- average | 25000 | 25,000 | 12 credits (3 classes)/semester | Guaranteed summer research funding for me, students, and supplies (in addition to start-up funds) for first 3 years. Happily accepted. | ||||
323 | 2/16/2021 10:59:10 | Master's | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Animal Phys | 10 Month | Genderqueer Female | Postdoc | No | 64k | 68k | 66k | Very Low | 30k | 60k | 30k * | 12 contact hour | * negotiated additional 30k in shared equipment costs in addition to 30k for startup. Also, 5k in reimbursable moving expenses. | |||
324 | 2/13/2021 1:16:58 | Master's | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Physiology | 10 month | Male | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 67,000 | 66,000 | $5,000 (for moving) - cost of living is very low there | 30000 | $57,000 plus boat | $60,000 plus departmental boat | 12 credits | 2/17/21 0:46 | A boat... I've been doing my negotiations wrong x2 | ||
325 | 2/12/2021 0:28:40 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Physiology | VAP - 10 months | Male | Postdoc | No | 42,000 | n/a | 42,000 | low | n/a | n/a | n/a | TBD | This was 2019-20 cycle, adding for data posterity. Negotiated at start of pandemic. Eligibility to apply for research funds from faculty pot. Declined, did not negotiate. | |||
326 | 2/12/2021 0:23:29 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Organismal Biology | VAP | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 55,000 | 55,000 | low | 0 | 2,500 | 2,000 | 3:3 | This was 2019-20 cycle, adding for data posterity. Negotiated at start of pandemic. Access to same faculty funds as TT - for faculty development/conferences (ha)/research assistants. Accepted. | 2/12/21 0:24 | |||
327 | 2/9/2021 0:51:57 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Biology (Anatomy & Physiology) | Nine month | Male | Grad Student | No | 50,000 | Higher | 50,000 | Low | 3000 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 3:3 | I gave them an itemized budget for equipment and software and they approved all of it. They also offered me two computers (1 for lab, 1 for office), a lab space with existing equipment, and moving allowance up to $1,500. Gladly accepted. | |||
328 | 2/4/2021 11:25:43 | R1 | Public | Northeast | ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 81,000 | 81,000 | moderate | 370,000 | 200,000 | 2-3 courses per year | Offer accepted. Not much room for negotiation because of COVID. Could not negotiate a spousal hire. | |||||
329 | 2/2/2021 10:59:47 | Other | Private | Southeast | Non-Academic | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 87,560 | 100,000 | 95,560 | Low to Medium | NA | NA | NA | NA | Strict work-life balance enforced; no work or email after hours or on weekends; seven weeks paid vacation to start; opportunities to advance in as little as 6 months; annual research budget of 38,000 dollars for my team of 3; continuing education tuition fund; guaranteed minimum two days working from home after the pandemic; health and dental; 401 and Roth k fund matching of 8% salary; guaranteed 10% allotted time on your own research plan | 3/15/21 20:36 | I want this job! what kind of job was this? It says non academic 2) what is a non academic postdoc? | |
330 | 1/29/2021 10:50:48 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Genetics/Genomics | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 60k | 68k | 66k | Moderate | 20k | 20k | 3/3 (negotiated from 4/4, labs count equal to lecture) | Came to negotiations with transferable grant. University provided renovated space and most necessary equipment in addition to extra teaching release and all years toward tenure. Big salary bump from previous institution, happily accepted. | ||||
331 | 1/25/2021 22:00:14 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 63,500 | higher | lower than average | list requested | 83,000 | 3/3 labs count as classes | institution rejected request for additional course release and later start date, therefore tried to negotiate salary (we'll see if it is successful). Teaching load would be higher than indicated if not actively mentoring students. Moving allowance of $4,000, summer salary for first year $4,000 | |||||
332 | 1/20/2021 10:51:53 | Regional Comprehensive | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 70,000 | High | 10000 | 2:2 | Ended up taking another offer | |||||||
333 | 1/18/2021 21:19:02 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 60,000 | 65,000 | 62,250 | Low | 35000 | 35,000 | 4/3/2021 | They also offered $2,000 in moving costs and a new computer. I asked them for a 1-year delay because I had a family matter that came up but they did not grant the delay because they were worried that I would accept other offers in the interim. I declined. | ||||
334 | 1/15/2021 14:28:38 | Other | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 70,000 | 64,000 | low | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Federal government job | |||
335 | 1/6/2021 17:39:48 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Fisheries | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 68,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | moderate | $75,000 over 3 years, 3 years of GTA (9 month), 3 years of GRA (9 month) | Offer + Spousal hire, GRA and GTA to 12 month, extra $10,000, Purchase of equipment costing ~$5,000 | $80,000 over 3 years, 3 years of GRA (12 month), 3 years of GTA (12 month), 3 computers, office space and lecturer position for spouse | 50% (3 courses per year) | ||||
336 | 12/27/2020 19:04:53 | R2 | Public | Canada | Environmental Science | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 95k CAD (74k USD) | n/a | 95k CAD (74k USD) | high | 110k CAD (86k USD) | 400k CAD | 110k CAD (86k USD) | 4 courses per year | Declined offer as they would not increase the startup budget even after I indicated it was a deal-breaker for me. In Canada, the main source of startup funding can be a CFI JELF award (a grant from the federal government, rather than the institution). New faculty can negotiate their CFI envelope - this determines how much money you can request from CFI, you have to write a proposal to get the funds, but the success rate is around 90%. The dean said that at their institution they only allow Canada Research Chairs to apply for JELF awards. Each institution has a cap on how much funding they can apply for so the success rates stay high, the most research-intensive institutions have higher caps and offer JELF awards to more faculty. I hope these details help clarify the process for others negotiating an offer in Canada! | 2/17/21 9:43 | Thanks for the detailed info. Good luck with ur other applications. (2) Postdoc positions have a startup fund? That's amazing. 3) @2 I think this is a faculty position | |
337 | 12/24/2020 0:50:19 | R1 | Public | Southeast | physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 63,000 | 71,000 | 65,000 | very low | na | 275,000 | 219,000 | 2:1 | Offer accepted. Included $2700 relocation expenses. First semester teaching release. Reduced teaching load following semester. Salary competitive relative to past hires (publicly available data). | |||
338 | 12/18/2020 7:50:40 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Ecology | Tenure track | Female | Postdoc | No | 74,000 | 74,000 | 74,000 | Medium | List of equipment requested | List of equipment | List of equipment given | 0.4 | Research university in the Netherlands - Dollar value start up not common. Moving package covers the cost of the move + 5000 Euro, they are also paying for a realtor. Lots of other fringe benefits, vacation time, etc. | |||
339 | 11/19/2020 1:10:31 | Other | Public | Midwest | Forestry/Forest Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 82,000 (GS-12) | 82,000 (GS-12) | Moderate | 0 | Moving expenses | 0 | 0 | Federal research position with US Forest Service | ||||
340 | 10/21/2020 8:53:46 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | Yes | 65,500 | 70,000 | 65500 + 1 month pay in summer | Moderate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2:2 | Full time lecturer position with summer research possibilities. | |||
341 | 10/19/2020 13:38:34 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Environmental Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 50-52K | 52,000 | 52,000 | below US average | Estimated amount requested | 6-8K | 6-8K | 4:4 | Given choice between 2 lab spaces, lab computer, moving expenses (reimbursement to $2,500), negotiated for later start date than original posting | |||
342 | 10/16/2020 18:30:48 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | Mid 80s | 85K | Below U.S. avg | 200K | 400K | 150K (cut due to COVID-19) +5K for moving expenses | 2 courses/year | Contract was on pause for >6 months due to COVID hiring freeze. But university/dept came through | ||||
343 | 9/13/2020 18:29:02 | Other | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 58,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | Med-High | N/A - Teaching Only | N/A | N/A | 12 credits | Search initially suspended due to pandemic; resumed late spring with official salary offer lower than initial discussions due to COVID-related financial difficulty, negotiated back up somewhat. 2500 moving expenses. | |||
344 | 9/1/2020 18:34:19 | Master's | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Ten month | Female | Postdoc | No | 68K | Moderate | list requested with 50K limit | 70K | 70K | 3:3 | Salary was non-negotiable. Plus 2K in annual travel funds, laptop, starting 1 month summer stipend, 2 summers research support for 2 undergrads, 2 summers of support for one grad student, animal care support, and first semester teaching load reduction. I was really happy to accept this offer. | |||||
345 | 8/25/2020 10:30:25 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Behavioral Neurobiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 82,250 | 78,000 | Low | 400,000 | 405,000 | 1:1 | Land grant univ, $3k in moving expenses, 1 teaching release over first 3 semesters, $50k in lab renovations, 1 month summer salary included over first 3 years. Squeezed in negotiations just prior to hiring freezes during spring 2020, feel lucky and fortunate to have made it all happen in time. Accepted without hesitation after quick and painless discussion about startup and associated negotiations. | ||||
346 | 8/9/2020 21:51:50 | R1 | Public | West | Terrestrial Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 73,500 | NA | 73,500 | High | 275000 | NA | 275,000 | 1:1 | 3 years of support for graduate research assistant, Graduate teaching assistantship for pre-tenure years, $7500 in moving costs, flexible use of startup funds. Due to Covid, not much room for negotiation, accepted offer enthusiastically! | |||
347 | 7/23/2020 14:25:39 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | South | Marine Science | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 64,000 | 68,000 | 68,000 | Low | requested list | ~350K | ~230K | 3/3/2021 | Information from recent hires that they were awarded ~125-200K with student/personal support included; requested 250K startup with ~100K in student/personal support (2 masters students for 2 years with scholarship, one GRA only, and 1 mo summer salary in each of first 2 years); also requested 1-2 release for first two years; awarded release of 2-2 (year 1), 1-2 (year 2), 1-1 (years 3-5) but no summer salary; awarded 150K startup with ~80K in student support (1 GRA for two years with tuition, 1 GRA/GTA for two years plus tuition); startup and student support distributed over 3 years; student support includes scholarship but one does not include summer salary for student and requires student teaching obligation for 1 year; No competing offers; other interviews cancelled because of Covid; offer accepted | 12/30/20 6:16 | Congratulations! 2) That's a pretty solid offer from a regional! | |
348 | 7/10/2020 16:29:55 | R1 | Public | South | Plant Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 83,000 | 80,000 | Low | 565000 | 628,000 | 602,000 | 1+1 | This negotiation was during the spring 2020 after the pandemic hit but before the summer. The chair and I were both eager to reach a consensus quickly. (I didn't want to drag it out given the hiring freezes and search cancellations happening left and right!). Start-up includes two summers of salary, equipment, and fringe on personnel (two years postdoc, two GRAs, four student summer salaries). Moving costs and minor renovations were part of the offer, but not included in the start-up numbers. Also inheriting about 30k of used lab equipment (based on replacement cost). Offer accepted! I feel for everyone on the job market and negotiating during the pandemic. I was lucky that we were able to finish negotiations. | |||
349 | 7/2/2020 10:17:10 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Wildlife Biology | Twelve month | Male | Grad Student | No | 70,000 | 74,000 | 70,000 | Average | 96000 | 96,000 | 96,000 | 30%, 1 or 2/semester | 70% extension; startup includes $7000 for moving expenses and two years' support ($38000) for a Master's student; negotiated a Spring 2021 start date; enthusiastically accepted | |||
350 | 6/16/2020 10:46:14 | SLAC | Private | South | Biology/Ecology | Nine month | Male | Grad Student | No | 44,100 | N/A | 44,100 | Below Average | N/A | N/A | N/A | 12-15 credit hrs/semester | Very small religiously affiliated SLAC, teaching position w/ no real research expectation. TT position happily accepting prior to finishing degree in the midst of pandemic! Salary increases to 45,600 w/ graduation. | |||
351 | 6/11/2020 0:48:04 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 62,000 | 72,000 | 64,000 | Low | 160000 | 220,000 | 160,000 | 2:2 (labs count) | Plus lab renovations, a 2 year visiting position for partner, 3 months summer salary over two years, 2 guaranteed TA slots per year for graduate students, $8100 in moving costs. Accepted. | |||
352 | 5/31/2020 19:16:47 | Regional PUI | Public | South | Geo/Enviro Sci | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 57,000 | N/A | 57,000 | Low | $30,000 over 3 years | N/A | 30,000 | 12 credits/semester | Computer and office furniture included, plus $3k in moving expenses. Was told there was not any money to negotiate with, and given the fact that friends were actively getting offers from other unis revoked due to COVID, I just wanted paperwork signed. | |||
353 | 5/28/2020 13:50:14 | R2 | Public | West | Animal Biology/Conservation | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | Low | Asked for list | 70,000 | 70,000 | 12/30/1899 | Offer accepted! | |||
354 | 5/20/2020 8:45:20 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 87,000 | NA | 87,000 | very high | 300000 | list | 300,000 | 2:1 | $3K moving expenses, computer, lab and office furniture included, postdoc for 1 year included. Pretty glad to have this offer, didn't push too hard on negotiations, I just wanted to have the paperwork done. | |||
355 | 5/14/2020 11:30:58 | R3 | Public | West | Phlogy | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 53,000 | 57,000 | 55,700 | Very low | 20000 | more than that | 20,000 | 2:2 | ||||
356 | 5/11/2020 15:29:33 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Evolutionary genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 97,600 | NA | 97,600 | Average for USA | Equipment list | 1 million for research and 700k for lab renovations | Low (1 intro course/year, 1 specialty course every other year, 1 seminar every four years) | Before putting an offer forward they flew out myself, my wife, our daughter, and my sister in law (to help with child care during the visit). The offer was great - covered moving expenses, spelled out which rooms are dedicated for my lab and animal space, start up was in a single category and doesn't expire. They're also letting me push back the start date a year which lets me wrap up post doc projects and design/complete the lab renovations. The biggest stumbling block was that I requested spousal accommodation - which slowed the process down. They flew my wife out a second time for her 'academic visit' where she went through mini-interview. It seemed to go really well, they offered her a small start up and a research scientist position. They insist this is their path to TT after a couple of years. My wife had an offer on the table from another university for a TT position that she turned down so we could accept- so fingers crossed. | 10/17/20 12:38 | Wow, that sounds like a very good offer - and they treated you and your family well. Private schools have resources to do that. | ||
357 | 5/9/2020 23:39:47 | R2 | Public | South | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 67,000 | 67,000 | Low | 100000 | 120,000 | 150,000 | 2:1 lectures (no labs) | $5k moving expenses additional big-ticket items being provided in addition to startup | 5/14/20 1:21 | OP accepted | ||
358 | 5/9/2020 3:17:48 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 80,000 | 88,000 | 83,500 | Low | 300000 | 600,000 | 450,000 | Low | Spousal TT position granted | |||
359 | 5/2/2020 0:53:35 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Interdisciplinary Studies crosslisted with Env Stds | Nine month | Female | Grad Student | No | 50k | 54k | 50k | Low to Med | N/A - Teaching Possition | 3/3 (1 prep) | 2500 in moving; 1000 for conference travel, 3500 for course development for July. Accepted! Not ideal job but very grateful to have something directly out of Grad School during COVID for a year or two! | |||||
360 | 4/28/2020 22:20:30 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Assoc Prof | No | 90,000 | 105,000 | 90,000 | Very high | 300000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | 2:1 | Tried to negotiate a tenured associate position (my current position); Department was not allowed to offer that; Sadly, I had to decline the offer | |||
361 | 4/28/2020 12:10:58 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Ecology + Evolution | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 51 k | More than that | 53 k | Low | 25 k | More than that | 30 k | 2 lectures X 2 labs | Great place with a strong emphasis on student-centered research, plus they have a field station and a May term in need of international courses! Happily accepted. Corn and soybeans here I come! | |||
362 | 4/25/2020 11:08:19 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 88,000 | 94,000 | 90,000 | Moderate | 150000 | 160,000 | 150,000 | Negotiated moving expenses: $7500 Remote start for six months due to Covid19 Unable to accommodate spousal position due to Covid19 Offer Accepted! | ||||
363 | 4/24/2020 16:38:47 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 87,500 | 96,250 | 90,000 | Moderate | List requested | 676-896k | 570k | low (~1 class/semester?) | Worked with chair to reduce startup from initial requests by finding shared equipment and resources, etc. Enthusiastically accepted! | |||
364 | 4/23/2020 17:22:28 | Master's | Private | Midwest | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 60,000 | 63,000 | 62,000 | Low-to-mid | List requested | List supplied | All equipment on list | 3:3 | Computer and moving expenses provided | |||
365 | 4/6/2020 18:01:36 | R2 | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 76,000 | 80,000 | 77,000 | Moderate | List Requested | 700,000 | 500,000 | 1:1 | Lab Renovations $75,000, Moving Expenses $4,000 | |||
366 | 4/6/2020 12:39:15 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 80,000 | 95,000 | 84,000 | High | 0 | 589,000 | 484,000 | 1:1 | Declined offer. University unable to accomodate spousal hire. | |||
367 | 3/30/2020 16:24:41 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | South | Wildlife Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | Moderate | 150,000 | 104,000 | 3:3 with 2:3 first year | Office, Computer, lab space provided. Start-up is double what the previous hire got as this is a small and growing department | ||||
368 | 3/30/2020 12:44:42 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Environmental Science | 10 month | Female | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | 55,000 | 54,000 | Low | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 labs courses/semester | $2,000 relocation costs, two conferences, priority on departmental discretionary funds for teaching startup. COVID-19 pandemic/looming economic recession forced the offer to be conservative. Happily accepted my dream job. | |||
369 | 3/27/2020 9:42:20 | R1 | Private | West | Anatomy | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 100,000 | 115,000 | 110,000 | High | List requested | List accepted | Medium | |||||
370 | 3/24/2020 8:05:12 | Other | Public | Southeast | Microbial Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 65,000 | 68,000 | 68,000 | Low to Medium | 300000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | none | Includes 5K moving expenses, office/lab renovations, 3K annually, delayed start date, 1 summer salary, extended deadline for use of start-up | 4/5/20 21:51 | How did you choose this position over your competing offer? | |
371 | 3/23/2020 7:41:43 | Master's | Public | Southeast | Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 52,000 | Low | 30000 | 2:2 | Declined offer, did not negotiate | |||||||
372 | 3/22/2020 15:47:51 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 60,000 | 63,000 | 61,000 | High | List | High (12 credits per semester) | Accepted! | |||||
373 | 3/19/2020 21:15:13 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Computational Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 97,500 | 92,000 | high | Asked for list | 650,000 | 655,000 | 1:1 | 3 months summer salary, 12,000 signing bonus and 8,000 moving expenses | 4/8/20 8:52 | Would you be willing to explain how you chose this position over your competing offer? 2) This offer and the one below (evolutionary genetics) were both mine. I also had a third offer that is not listed here. It was an inredibly hard decision, I went with the comp bio position on this line. I felt that the quality of colleagues was very high in all of the departments that I considered. I have more complementary/overlapping interests with a couple people in the department I decided on than in the others. A huge factor became location for me. The one we settled on was in a larger urban area (good for wife's career) and also close to my family, so the decision was made largely on the basis of factors independent of work. Public school quality was also a factor. Ultimately it was all a shot in the dark though because I didn't get to do a second visits at two of the places because of covid, who knows how that could have changed things. One thing I compromised on substantially was salary, I never even tried to increase my salary at the offer below, and their initial offer was higher than I ever got with the one I accepted. 3) Thanks for sharing this info! | |
374 | 3/19/2020 21:13:14 | R1 | Private | South | Evolutionary genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 100,000 | Moderate | Asked for list | 630,000 | 614,000 | 1:1 | Also offered moving expenses (10000) | 4/5/20 21:50 | Would you be willing to explain how you chose this position over your competing offer? | |||
375 | 3/17/2020 23:06:53 | Regional PUI | Public | South | Environmental Science | Eight month | Male | Postdoc | No | 48,000 | 62,000 | 50,000 | Low | 0 | Atleast something | Heavy, full 8 months | |||||
376 | 3/17/2020 12:56:59 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Microbiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 68,000 | 68,000 | moderate/low | 125-175K | 200K | 193K | 2:3 | startup granted included 2 months summer salary for 3 years, office computer, and support for a master's student. | 4/5/20 21:49 | Would you be willing to explain how you chose this position over your competing offer? | ||
377 | 3/17/2020 11:32:08 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Genetics | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 82,000 | 76,500 | national average | list | 220,000 | 220,000 | 3:2 (labs count as a 1 full course) | enthusiastically accepted! | 3/17/20 16:36 | Also included 3.5K signing bonus, 6K summer salary guaranteed for first summer, and construction of a new lab space | |
378 | 3/9/2020 12:13:12 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 63,000 | 68,000 | 68,000 | Low to Medium | 30000 | 53,000 | 50,000 | 3:3 | Position on regional campus of larger University system. Great department, wonderful folks; gladly accepted! | 3/9/20 17:13 | Also included 5k moving expenses | |
379 | 3/9/2020 9:16:06 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Microbiology | ten month | Female | Postdoc | No | 66,000 | 80,000 | 66,000 | medium-high | 60000 | 66,000 | 2:3 | |||||
380 | 3/8/2020 20:41:20 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 63,000 | 71,000 | 65,000 | Very Low | List Requested | 275,000 | 219,000 | 2:1 | Offer accepted. $2500 offered relocation expenses. First semester teaching release. Reduced teaching load following semester. Salary competitive relative to past hires (publicly available data). | |||
381 | 3/6/2020 13:21:01 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Microbial ecology | Ten month | Female | Postdoc | No | 87,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | Moderate/high | list requested | 500,000 | 424,000 | 1:1 | I worked with the chair to reduce my start-up to a point that would be acceptable to the dean, so the start-up negotiations were informal. Salary negotiations were also informal. In the end I asked for more than I thought they would agree to, and they ended up accepting it. | |||
382 | 3/5/2020 14:56:32 | R2 | Public | South | Ecological Immunology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 76,000 | 72,000 | Low | List Requested ($350,000 stated as benchmark) | 520,000 | 500,000 | 1:1 | Offer also includes ~$25,000 worth of brand new equipment in a brand new lab space; $7,000 relocation expenses; first semester teaching release; funds from department for travel/office computers. Salary is competitive compared to past hires (publicly available data). Offer enthusiastically accepted. | |||
383 | 3/5/2020 13:01:29 | R1 | Public | West | Evolutionary Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 90,500 | 85,000 | moderate | Requested list | 650,000 | 550,000 + 40k existing equipment | 1:1 | Offered a long term teaching+research position for spouse. 7.5K moving expenses, additional funds for computer, yearly travel, mentorship, and extra space. We're excited! | 3/6/20 15:56 | Congratulations!!!! | |
384 | 3/4/2020 22:20:12 | R1 | Public | West | Evo Ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | 91,000 | 85,000 | Moderate | Requested List | 650,000 | 575,000 | 1:1 | Included a hard money research+teaching position for my partner. Also included 2 semesters of teaching buyout and 2 months summer salary. We're super excited! | 3/10/20 20:58 | Congratulations!!!! | |
385 | 3/2/2020 14:49:39 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | VAP | Female | Postdoc | No | 71,000 | 75,000 | 71,000 | low | $2,000 moving expenses, funding for student researchers | 2:3 | One year visiting assistant professor | |||||
386 | 2/26/2020 13:46:42 | R2 | Private | Southeast | Marine Biology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 78,000 | 85,000 | 78,000 | 85000 | 115,000 | 115,000 | 4 courses | Offer declined, two-body problem | ||||
387 | 2/25/2020 18:37:34 | Other | Private | Northeast | ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 103,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | mid | 725,000 | 425,000 | No teaching | 5,000 moving expenses, cluster computing provided. Private research institute | 4/14/20 14:40 | How did you choose this position over your competing offer? Atmosphere and community aligned more closely with what I was looking for. No teaching meant opportunities to really focus on research, without the soft money stress that normally accompanies research-only positions. The position is also in a region where I have cultivated a lot of collaborative relationships. | ||
388 | 2/25/2020 3:13:14 | R2 | Public | South | Environmental Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 60K | 70K | 60K | Low | 90K | N/A | N/A | ~2:2 | 5K relocation funds, one month summer funding for first two years, beautiful lab space and access to animal care. Position declined for competing offer. | |||
389 | 2/24/2020 13:41:28 | R1 | Public | South | Evolutionary ecology | Twelve month | Female | Postdoc | No | 75,000 | 75,000 | moderate | requested list | 350,000 | 250,000 | 2:1 | salary and startup were non-negotiable | ||||
390 | 2/24/2020 10:23:21 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Asst Prof | No | 81,000 | 87,000 | 87,000 | moderately hight | 315000 | 450,000 | 315,000 | 1 class per semester | No teaching first semester, one month summer salary first year, 5K moving costs. | |||
391 | 2/24/2020 3:22:45 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Environmental Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 73K | NA | NA | High | 90K | NA | NA | 4:4 | 5K relocation funds. Very short timeline to consider offer in Dec 2019. Amazing department and students but offer declined as we 'risked it' with other interviews later in spring. | |||
392 | 2/24/2020 3:17:01 | R1 | Public | South | Environmental Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 70K | 75K | 73K | Low | 250K | 350K | 250K | 1:1 | 6K relocation + 3 yrs animal care in non-startup funds also negotiated; offer enthusiastically accepted! | |||
393 | 2/19/2020 18:25:36 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 65,000 | 65,000 | 67,000 | low | List requested | 124,868 | 110,572 | 3:3 | Attempted TT spousal hire, failed | |||
394 | 2/19/2020 17:16:43 | R1 | Public | West | Spatial ecology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | 85,000 | 85,000 | 85,000 | moderate | 500000 | 785,000 | 500,000 | 2:1 | Offer declined for another one | |||
395 | 2/16/2020 20:00:19 | Regional PUI | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Ecology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 63,000 | 69,000 | 65,000 | Medium | 20k | 45k | 45k | 3:3 | 3k moving costs, 2k annually for travel either to conferences or for research, opportunities for intramural grants, great benefits package compared to my current position (retirement, parental leave policy, etc.), happily accepted | |||
396 | 2/15/2020 10:41:17 | R2 | Public | West | Microbial Ecology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 69k | 70k | 69,700 | low | list | 450k | 350k | 0.45 | offer accepted :D | |||
397 | 2/14/2020 14:53:53 | Regional PUI | Private | Southeast | Environmental Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | 67,000 | Low | 0 | 80,000 | 2/24/20 19:38 | Offer declined. No negotiation. The only thing that changed from the initial offer was 500 more salary dollars. | |||||
398 | 2/13/2020 16:23:28 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Evolution/Genomics/Molecular Bio | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 85,000 | n/a | 85,000 | medium | 450000 | 700,000 | $450,000 + grad line + equipment, see notes | 0.4 | Land grant, legislation that allowed for this hire had some weird rules RE startup funds. So hands were tied on increasing startup, but I negotiated a really nice lab space that will come pre-equiped with ~$200,000 of equipment I need, plus a separate line that will cover a grad student for 3 years (rather than having to pay them off start up). All together I come pretty close to to the total cost of things I had in my list, I just ended up with a smaller pool of money that I actually have discretion over. | 2/13/20 22:22 | Accepted with deferral to wrap up PD projects. University helped S/O make contact with companies hiring in area, they got non-academic position, which is what they wanted. | |
399 | 2/10/2020 10:28:17 | Master's | Public | South | Biology/Genetics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 55,000 | To Negotiate | 57,000 | low/med | 50-60K | 112K | 100K | 9 contact hours per semester, ~2:2 | Accepted | 2/11/20 0:30 | Grats | |
400 | 2/6/2020 18:41:04 | Regional PUI | Private | South | Biology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | $61.5k | 72k | 64.5k | High | 26k | 37k | 31k | 2:2 (assuming relief for adequate research) | I did not accept this offer, as the salary would not have been enough to live in the area. The Dean I was negotiating with resigned a couple days later over allegations of intentionally sinking faculty candidate negotiations. No idea if that impacted my negotiations. | |||
401 | 2/6/2020 12:10:12 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Plant Biology | Ten month (3 year, non-TT) | Female | Postdoc | No | 55,000 | 60,000 | 58,000 | Low | 5000 | 5000, plus single equipment purchase | 5000, equipment purchase to be discussed | 4:4 | Benefits package makes up for low-ish salary. School's mission/values align well with my own. Location was a huge deciding factor since partner still has 2-3 years to complete degree and cannot move locations. Enthusiastically accepted and excited to start! | |||
402 | 2/5/2020 22:35:44 | R1 | Private | Outside North America | Ecology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | Yes | $110k | $110k | Medium | List requested | List given (~$1M incl. a shared big-ticket item) | List accepted | 1 course per year | Moving costs, 2 postdoc + 2 tech lines | 2/7/20 17:12 | Accepted w/ year deferral to finish my postdoc | ||
403 | 2/5/2020 21:36:50 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | evo | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 100k | NN | 100k | medium | list | 800k | 750k | very low | #ERROR! | 2/6/20 16:30 | Congratulations!!!! | |
404 | 2/5/2020 14:16:33 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Genomics | Tenure Track | Male | Non-TT Faculty | No | 93,000 | N/A | 93,000 | Low | 4000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 12 credits per term | ||||
405 | 2/4/2020 15:34:46 | Other | Public | Canada | Fisheries Science | Permanent | Male | Postdoc | No | 74,000 | 94,000 | 94,000 | Low | 250000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | Low | ||||
406 | 1/27/2020 11:14:39 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | N/A | N/A | Low | 0 | N/A | N/A | 4/4/2021 | ~10K unofficial startup based on list of desired equipment, 1.5K moving expenses. Declined. | 1/27/20 20:16 | 53k for a 4/4. Insane. | |
407 | 1/27/2020 10:44:38 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Genetics/Genomics | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 78k | 83k | 80k | High | 120k | 250k | 200k | 2/3/2021 | Up to 5k reimbursement for moving. Another $300k is offered to construct a major research facility. Offer accepted enthusiastically! | 1/27/20 20:29 | Think I interviewed for this job--great place; congrats and good luck! | |
408 | 1/23/2020 22:14:37 | R3 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Geography | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 64 | 71 | 66 | high | 0 | 15 | 6 | 3/4/2021 | 3k Moving. Would have had likely but not guaranteed access to ~9k additional research funding. Course reduction in first year, small class sizes, and they were willing to limit new course preps. Very good health benefits and conference travel funding. Declined. | |||
409 | 1/22/2020 10:23:51 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Marine Science | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 53,000 | 75,000 | 55,000 | medium | No dollar amount (asked for list) | Listed items totaled $150,000 + consumables | Verbal agreement to cover listed items, consumables, and travel (~$3500 per year) | 1 6 week module per year | Declined. Salary similar to current postdoc salary, no help for spouse. | 1/22/20 18:43 | To be expected in the UK. Actually, the fact that they were willing to give over 150k in startup is unusually generous. | |
410 | 1/16/2020 22:52:25 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Organismal Biology | Twelve month | Male | Postdoc | No | 70,000 | 76,000 | 72,000 | US Average | 10000 | 40,000 | 28,000 | 2:3 | 4,000 moving $$, 2:2 teaching load first year, 1/3 advising load first two years, on campus housing for up to 3 years, Accepted | 1/17/20 17:47 | Congratulations! | |
411 | 1/14/2020 6:24:19 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Physiology | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 76K | N/A | N/A | High | 90K | N/A | N/A | N/A | Great department and position although they wouldn't allow time for other interviews and played hardball with accepting offer in short time frame. I ended up declining only because of timing and unforeseeable family emergencies. | 1/14/20 12:25 | Teaching load was 4:4 | |
412 | 1/13/2020 12:40:25 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Invertebrate Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 62 | 65 | Low/mid | 5k | 5k | 5k | 3:3 (labs count) | unionized | 1/13/20 18:41 | |||
413 | 1/13/2020 11:06:20 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Organismal/Physiology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | $65K | $80K | $69K | medium | $150K | $200K | $150K | 2:2 (but labs count) | $5K moving allowance; 1 course teaching release during 1st year. Was offered the position on Sunday (!) 12/22 and had a firm decision deadline of 1/2 -- it was a bit distracting over the holidays! Accepted the offer. | |||
414 | 1/9/2020 15:55:19 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Physiology | Nine month | Female | Asst Prof | No | 87K | N/A | 87K | moderate-high | asked for list | 212K | 212K | 2:2 | Dream job- accepted! | 1/10/20 3:58 | Glad it worked out for you! | |
415 | 1/7/2020 21:53:21 | R1 | Public | West | Data Science | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 80,000 | 87,000 | 87,000 | low | 5000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 3 classes per semester | Career-track, startup is for teaching materials, no research requirement. Accepted. | |||
416 | 1/3/2020 2:30:06 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Environmental Studies | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | Yes | 75,000 | 86,000 | 75,000 | average | 8000 | 30,000 | pending | 3/3/2021 | have not accepted offer yet. They did not grant a spousal hire = potential deal breaker if no salary increase | |||
417 | 1/2/2020 14:23:27 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Environmental Studies | Nine month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 83,000 | 83,000 | 83,000 | low | budget requested | 130,000 | 130,000 | 2:3 | Enthusiastically accepted offer. | 6/23/21 15:36 | Congrats! Great position :) 2) Great offer for our field! | |
418 | 1/2/2020 14:21:29 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Environmental Science | ten month | Female | Non-TT Faculty | No | 69,000 | 75,000 | 72,000 | low | 75000 | 180,000 | 100,000 | 3:3 | Declined offer | |||
419 | 1/2/2020 10:06:26 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 82,000 | 89,000 | 85,000 | low | 50000 | 130,000 | 100,000 | 3/2/2021 | 3k signing bonus (instead of more salary increase). Moving expenses covered (3k). Negotiated spending startup over 5 years instead of 3. | |||
420 | 12/24/2019 6:52:42 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Plant Biology | Nine month | Female | Other | No | 54,000 | 68,000 | 60,000 | low-ish | 35000 | 50,000 | high | Nice university, awesome department. In addition to the startup money, they offer buying two growth chambers and small lab equipment, what matched up the money offer. I didn't take the offer in the end, they were rushing me to commit when I had other interviews in line (once I received the updated offer they wanted me to respond in 1 day). Current position: junior group leader, South American country. | ||||
421 | 12/23/2019 21:57:50 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Evolutionary Biology | Nine month | Female | Postdoc | No | 100,000 | N/A | 100,000 [9 months] + [26k for summer] | Medium | 800000 | 900,000 | 845,000 | 1 main course + 1 seminar course/ year | ivy league; 5k relocation; summer salary 26k for first two years | 1/19/20 7:53 | Amazing offer! | |
422 | 12/19/2019 9:52:26 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Fish and Wildlife | Nine month | Male | Postdoc | No | 72,000 | 75,000 | 73,080 | low-moderate | 0 | 99,900 | 60,000 | 1 class per semester | This is a 3-year renewable position. Negotiated startup is 20k per year. I can have graduate students although I was not able to negotiate any assistantships for them. I was a spousal hire. | |||
423 | 11/1/2019 16:58:41 | R1 | Public | South | Genomics | Female | Postdoc | 90,000 | 90,000 | Low | list requested | 1.03 million | 900k | ||||||||
424 | 9/6/2019 9:53:15 | R1 | Public | Canada | Environmental Biology | Female | Postdoc | 100K | 105K | 103K | Medium | 120K | 250K | 250K | Start up money was cash with no limit to spend it, no CFI envelope offered. First two Msc ( or 1 PhD ) student stipend covered by the Dept. Renovations/ electrical etc. covered by the Dept. as part of infrastructure. Start date 2 weeks before annual date for cost of living increase, so 2 weeks in salary will be 108K. | ||||||
425 | 6/19/2019 12:50:48 | R1 | Public | West | Genomics | Female | Postdoc | 85,000 | 90,000 | 87,000 | Very high | Asked for list | 380,000 | 380,000 | Startup was higher initially but I cut things out that I could share/split costs before submitting list to the dean. Startup includes summer support for graduate students and a post doc for 2 years. Was also given $8k in moving expenses and negotiated spousal position (full time but limited term contract) as instructor. | ||||||
426 | 6/19/2019 9:57:55 | R1 | Public | Canada | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | $C 100,000 | $C 105,000 | $C 105,000 | Medium | $C 425,000 | $C 480,000 | $C 450,000 | 12 month salaries in CA | ||||||
427 | 6/18/2019 15:33:48 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Biology | Female | Postdoc | 50,300 | NA | NA | low | 0 | NA | NA | Did not proceed with negotiations because received another offer with more competitive salary and start-up. | ||||||
428 | 6/18/2019 10:45:00 | Other | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Evolutionary Biology/Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 89,900 | na | 89,900 | high | 60K | na | 60K | federal position, no negotiations, 5K signing bonus | ||||||
429 | 6/10/2019 9:50:27 | R1 | Private | Northeast | Developmental/Evol. Genomics | Male | Postdoc | 110,000 | 115,000 | 110,000 | Medium | list requested | List (1.2 million) | 1.15 million | Not Boston nor NYC, so salary very reasonable for cost of living. They offered a 10K signing bonus instead of increasing salary. Green card included. It's a Med School Department, salary is for 12 months. Possibly after year 3, and most definitely by year 5, they expect me to cover ~40% of my salary with grants. Offer accepted. | 4/10/23 13:47 | Congrats! | ||||
430 | 6/9/2019 12:42:26 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Physiology | Male | Asst Prof | 71 | 78 | 73 | Low | 130K | 450K | 195K | |||||||
431 | 6/3/2019 14:47:01 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Environmental Science | Female | Postdoc | 58,000 | High | None (NTT) | 9 month lecturer position in large city in the midwest. Offered 4K moving expenses. | ||||||||||
432 | 5/29/2019 12:06:36 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Disease Ecology | Female | Grad Student | 95,000 | 95,000 | Moderate | 215000 | 325,000 | 235,000 | Plus $10k in relocation expenses, 3 semesters of graduate assistantship for teaching or research, release of teaching for first year, option to use $15k of startup as summer salary, and choice of start date. Nine month appointment. | |||||||
433 | 5/28/2019 16:17:09 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 70,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Moderate | 250000 | 390,000 | 310,000 | Plus 7.5K for moving expenses, some (expensive) equipment that was already there, high potential for additional summer salary, a newly remodeled lab space, a delayed start date, and a 1:1 teaching load. Enthusiastically accepted! | ||||||
434 | 5/24/2019 8:52:51 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Evolutionary Ecology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 86,000 | 86,000 | 86,000 | Moderate | asked for lists | 645,000 | Requested 'must have' and 'best case scenario' startup lists. They came in right in-between. Startup includes 2 years of 2mo summer salary. Provided $5k allotment for moving expenses. One semester teaching release first year. | |||||||
435 | 5/22/2019 19:17:46 | SLAC | Private | West | Biology | Male | Postdoc | 68,000 | 80,000 | 73,000 | High | 75000 | 100,000 | 80,000 | I already live in the area. $5,000 moving expenses put in professional development account/added to startup. | ||||||
436 | 5/20/2019 13:40:49 | Master's | Public | West | Environmental Science | Female | Grad Student | 80,000 | 82,000 | 81,500 | Moderate | Asked to propose something, school has limited research funds | 18,000 | 17,600 | Also 2k moving expenses and conference travel for first two years | ||||||
437 | 5/19/2019 15:45:38 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Ecology and Environmental Studies | Male | Postdoc | 57,500 | 60,000 | 57,500 | Moderate | One Year Visiting Assistant Professor | |||||||||
438 | 5/10/2019 21:22:11 | R1 | Public | West | Environmental Science | Female | Postdoc | 78,000 | 80,000 | Moderate | 350000 | 360,000 | 360,000 | Negotiated a tenure-track offer for my partner and extra lab space. The offer came with a first-year teaching release, 3 years of TA support, and $4k in moving expenses. Offer enthusiastically accepted! | |||||||
439 | 5/8/2019 16:08:16 | R1 | Public | Canada | Environmental Science | Female | Postdoc | 110 CAD | 110 CAD | High | 480 CAD | 486 CAD | 486 CAD | 12 month salary. Plus moving costs and 1 semester teaching release | |||||||
440 | 5/7/2019 22:41:11 | Master's | Public | Midwest | Botany | Male | Asst Prof | 54000 + 1/9 summer salary | 61000 +1/9 summer salary | 57000 + 1/9 summer salary | low | 5000 | 35,000 | 10,000 | Asked if they could meet my current salary (+1/9) and startup funds remaining. Offer declined. | ||||||
441 | 5/5/2019 11:44:01 | R2 | Private | West | Computational Biology | Female | Asst Prof | $85k | 91 | 89 | Very high | Asked for list | $210k | 190 | |||||||
442 | 5/3/2019 15:35:44 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Wildlife Biology | Female | Postdoc | 70,000 | 75,000 | 70,500 | Moderate | 100000 | 115,000 | 100,000 | In addition, the institution offered 3 years of Ph.D. student funding, 3 months of summer salary, 10% indirect cost recovery for 5 years, a mid-semester start, a 1 semester teaching release, and $5K in moving expenses. Offer enthusiastically accepted. | ||||||
443 | 5/3/2019 11:51:41 | Master's | Public | Midwest | Wildlife Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 57,500 | 57,500 | Low | 0 | 50,000 | 50,000 | Also includes 1 month summer salary and $3500 for moving costs. Offer accepted. | |||||||
444 | 5/2/2019 8:46:13 | R1 | Public | South | evolution/genetics | Female | Postdoc | 71,000 | 77,000 | 74,000 | low-moderate | 350000 | 450,000 | 405,000 | also provided help with finding job for spouse | ||||||
445 | 5/1/2019 14:47:01 | R2 | Public | West | Ecological genetics | Female | Postdoc | 66,000 | 67,000 | 67,000 | low | 200000 | 200,000 | 9-month salary. In addition to start-up amount: moving expenses ($6700) + 2 years summer salary (totalling $20K) + guaranteed 3 years RA funding and 3 years TA funding for 2 students + many other resources (such as sequencing costs, travel) originating from large standing NSF grant, worth maybe an additional $100K. Negotiated for mid-semester start date, half semester teaching release, and graduated teaching load up to 8 credits/year (such as 2 lecture courses and 2 seminar courses). Accepted! Woo! | |||||||
446 | 4/26/2019 14:52:49 | SLAC | Private | West | Environmental Sciences | Female | Grad Student | 46,000 | 51,000 | 51,000 | medium | none | none | none | 9 month salary distributed over 12 months, with option to top off salary using grants (institution has extremely low overhead). 3/3 teaching load, with course release for first year. School w/out tenure system, so this is one year, renewable contract. Great location for partner accommodation/work-life balance. Offer enthusiastically accepted! | ||||||
447 | 4/22/2019 9:33:40 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Female | Non-TT Faculty | 75,000 | 75,000 | moderate | NA | NA | NA | This is a one-year visiting assistant professor | |||||||
448 | 4/21/2019 16:00:01 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Microbiology | Male | Postdoc | 68,000 | 68,000 | Intermediate | 5,000 | 5,000 | This is a 9-month salary. Optional summer teaching increases the salary by ~$10,000. | ||||||||
449 | 4/19/2019 17:52:34 | R1 | Public | South | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 87,000 | 90,000 | Moderate | 400000 | 465,000 | 400,000 | Grad student assistantship included in the startup figure. Plus 5K moving. | |||||||
450 | 4/18/2019 22:34:45 | Master's | Public | South | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | $55k | $60k | $55k | Low | $50k | $85K | $60k | Accepted | ||||||
451 | 4/17/2019 0:14:03 | R2 | Public | South | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 65,000 | 65,000 | Low | 350,000 | 298,000 | Included funding for PhD student (2 years), 9.5k moving allowance, spousal position (temporary with possibility for permanent), teaching relief 1 semester, new building and facilities, great department! Accepted! :) | ||||||||
452 | 4/15/2019 15:38:00 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Developmental/Evol. Genomics | Male | Postdoc | 115,000 | 120,000 | 117,000 | Moderate | List | 1 million | 950,000 | Also offered moving expenses and they are willing to hire my spouse (non-TT). I am waiting for another written offer from another Institution (I have a verbal) before making final decision. | ||||||
453 | 4/10/2019 12:43:25 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Ecology/limnology | Female | Postdoc | 70,000 | 76,000 | 76,000 | low-to-medium | Asked for list | 340,000 | 306,000 | |||||||
454 | 4/9/2019 17:12:07 | SLAC | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Evolution | Female | Postdoc | 65,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | moderate | 65000 | 130,000 | 100,000 | |||||||
455 | 4/9/2019 15:15:56 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Eco physiology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 60,000 | moderate | 70000 | didn't negotiate. Teaching load 3/3 with research expectations and lower than expected initial startup offer. decided to pass | ||||||||||
456 | 4/9/2019 11:48:10 | Regional PUI | Private | South | Anatomy and physiology | Male | Postdoc | 62,000 | Moderate | 0 | No startup. Some equipment and reagents might be initially purchased at the chair's discretion (approx. $5,000) and some ongoing support for reagents in subsequent years (perhaps around $2,000/yr). Requested some full time employment for academic spouse, which they declined. No dedicated research lab space, though a bench in a shared lab would be provided. Offer declined. | ||||||||||
457 | 4/7/2019 20:46:07 | R3 | Public | West | Evolutionary Biology | Male | Asst Prof | 80 | 90 | 85 | High | 150 | 200 | 180 | 5K relocation, 1 month summer salary (first 2 years), 2 years of tenure-track credit | ||||||
458 | 4/4/2019 14:46:29 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 65K | 75K | 75K | Moderate | asked for list | 460K | 300K | Declined in favor of exploring other options. | ||||||
459 | 4/3/2019 23:28:55 | Regional PUI | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 58,500 | Low | 5000 | Turned down this offer. Negotiations stalled at negotiating more than 1 working day to make a decision on the offer. | ||||||||||
460 | 4/1/2019 18:14:03 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 70 | 75 | High | 250000 | 300,000 | Also included 7.5K moving expenses. Declined | ||||||||
461 | 4/1/2019 17:51:49 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 90 | 90 | Moderate | requested list | 800,000 | 700,000 | Also included 5K moving expenses. Accepted! | |||||||
462 | 3/31/2019 7:46:48 | Master's | Public | Southeast | Ecology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 46,000 | 50,000 | 47,000 | Very low | 0 | 0 | 0 | I was told during the interview that startup was not available initially but there are plans for expanding resources in the immediate future. The position pay is low but it is in the area that I want to live and perfect area to continue my research. There are also internal grant opportunities for summary salary to fund research. Overall, I'm super excited for the position and looking forward to getting started! | ||||||
463 | 3/29/2019 13:52:11 | R2 | Public | West | Ecology, remote sensing, coupled human-natural systems | Female | Non-TT Faculty | 70,000 | 78,000 | 75,000 | Moderate | 105000 | 152,000 | 160,000 | |||||||
464 | 3/27/2019 22:28:04 | R3 | Public | Southeast | Evolutionary Biology | Female | Postdoc | 63,500 | 63,500 | Low | list requested | 165,000 | 130,000 | Salary offered was high compared to those in the department and seemed fair. Reduction in startup was mostly because of resources available through the department. Also 3K in moving expenses and 4.5K in immigration expenses. Grad students supported through TAships. Great new building and facilities. Department very motivated about research. | |||||||
465 | 3/27/2019 0:52:23 | R1 | Private | Southeast | Microbial Evolution | Female | Postdoc | 100,000 | 105,000 | Medium-High | 800000 | 920,000 | Offer included moving expenses and one time housing allowance, Was able to negotiate a spousal hire. | ||||||||
466 | 3/26/2019 5:52:18 | R1 | Public | West | Behavioral ecology | Female | Postdoc | 101 | 101 | 101 | Moderate-High | 750 | 950 | 875 | Didn't push on salary since there didn't seem to be any wiggle room and wanted to focus on start-up and space requirements. They totally came through and with all the other typical extras included (moving costs, summer salary, housing allowance etc) and I am so freaking happy to accept the offer! | ||||||
467 | 3/22/2019 0:17:59 | R2 | Public | Southeast | Genetics | Male | Postdoc | 55,000 | 63,000 | 59,000 | Meidum-Low | List requested | 78,000 | 50,000 | Offer declined | ||||||
468 | 3/21/2019 16:01:41 | R1 | Public | Southeast | Conservation biology | Female | Non-TT Faculty | 78,000 | 78,000 | low | 450000 | 550,000 | 520,000 | I also negotiated a position for my spouse and he also got a great offer. After a combined 10 years on the market, we enthusiastically accepted. | |||||||
469 | 3/21/2019 13:57:56 | Master's | Public | South | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 57,000 | 62,000 | 58,000 | Low | 4000 | 9,000 | 6,000 | Additional 2.5k in moving expense and teaching release for first year | ||||||
470 | 3/20/2019 23:24:23 | R1 | Public | South | Systematics, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology | Male | Postdoc | 89,000 | 83,000 | Low | 550,000 | 400,000 | |||||||||
471 | 3/20/2019 21:42:05 | Master's | Public | Midwest | Biology | Male | Postdoc | 57,000 | 67,000 | 60,000 | Low | 55000 | 100,000 | 90,000 | Accepted! | ||||||
472 | 3/19/2019 22:32:28 | R2 | Public | West | Physiological Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 70,000 | 77,000 | 72,000 | Moderate | 120000 | 137,000 | 120,000 | Got my dream job! It can happen! Negotiations proceeded quickly. They were rather up front with everything. I think they started with an offer close to what they were willing to give. Also got 5k for moving expenses. | ||||||
473 | 3/19/2019 22:30:43 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Physiology | Male | Postdoc | 60,350 | Low | 10000 | Did not proceed with negotiation. Accepted other offer. | ||||||||||
474 | 3/18/2019 11:28:03 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 74,000 | 74,000 | High | List requested | 235,000 | 140,000 | Only supplies approved for startup, also given a computer, annual travel support, $6K moving costs, and a renovated lab. Offer accepted. | |||||||
475 | 3/14/2019 14:22:15 | R2 | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Environmental Science | Female | Postdoc | 86,000 | 86,000 | 86,000 | High | list requested | 200,000 | 105,000 | |||||||
476 | 3/13/2019 19:35:45 | Regional PUI | Private | West | Anatomy/Physiology/Evolution | Female | Postdoc | 61,500 | 70,000 | 65,000 | high | 78000 | 85,000 | 85,000 | The school is in the process of increasing salaries to be competitive, so my salary may jump higher than what's listed. Also includes: a computer, 2 pre-tenure course releases, 2.5 summers of salary support for faculty ($18k total) and for 2 students, $2k/year for professional development, and $2k in moving expenses. Offer accepted! | ||||||
477 | 3/10/2019 20:15:46 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Biology | Female | Asst Prof | 78,000 | 78,000 | 78,000 | Low | NA (NTT) | NA (NTT) | NA (NTT) | Initial offer was made and accepted based on competition with another offer I had, which they beat. Also includes 2500 for computer, 3000 for house hunting, and 7000 for moving. Accepted!!! | ||||||
478 | 3/5/2019 11:08:07 | Regional PUI | Public | Northeast | Zoology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 67,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 | Moderate | Asked or list | n/a | n/a | No moving, no course release, no summer salary. Did not accept | ||||||
479 | 3/1/2019 11:55:56 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 88,515 | 88,515 | 88,515 | High | asked for list | 396,036 | 375,000 | Offer includes moving expenses, 2 mo summer salary, lab renovations all in addition to startup amount. 4 years to spend. Chair strongly implied attempts to negotiate salary would be fruitless, and amount seemed fair based on public salary data. | ||||||
480 | 2/28/2019 10:43:41 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Conservation biology | Female | Asst Prof | 54,000 | More | 57,000 | Moderate to high | Budget requested of candidate | 20,000 | 9,000 | Offer enthusiastically accepted | ||||||
481 | 2/22/2019 15:20:14 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | South | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 59,000 | 59,000 | 59,000 | Low | 30000 | 40,000 | 30,000 | $2K in moving expenses covered. Teaching reduction for 2 semesters, also received an offer for supplementary equipment purchases (outside start-up) from department/college for about $20K. | ||||||
482 | 2/21/2019 9:55:50 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Environmental Science | Female | Postdoc | 59,000 | low to moderate | ||||||||||||
483 | 2/19/2019 0:12:35 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Zoology | Male | Postdoc | 57,000 | Low | 0 | 15,000 | 10,000 | Did not accept the offer - received a preferable offer at a better-fit institution. | ||||||||
484 | 2/18/2019 9:54:24 | Regional PUI | Public | West | Biology Education | Male | Grad Student | 72,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 | 3000 | 0 | 350,000 | 50,000 | Tried to negotiate a second visit so spouse could see the city, was not granted that opportunity | ||||||
485 | 2/14/2019 17:27:20 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Microbiology | Female | Postdoc | 54,000 | 61,000 | 60,000 | Moderate | They asked for me to tell them what I needed. | 21,000 | 15,000 | Negotiation process went fairly quickly. I also got 2000 for moving expenses. | ||||||
486 | 2/13/2019 17:36:41 | SLAC | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Biology/Anatomy | Male | Grad Student | 58,500 | 58,000 | 59,000 | A little lower than some of the Mid-Atlantic | 15000 | 20,000 | Negotiating | We just started talking about the startup. We shall see! | 2/23/23 13:59 | You asked for a lower salary than they initially offered you? | ||||
487 | 2/13/2019 14:16:35 | Regional PUI | Private | West | Ecology | Female | Asst Prof | 66,000 | 75,000 | 70,000 | high | NA (NTT) | NA (NTT) | NA (NTT) | also offered 4k moving expenses and 3.2k to pay COBRA insurance until position starts | ||||||
488 | 2/12/2019 20:48:10 | R2 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 69,000 | 71,000 | Moderate | List requested | 400,000 | 400,000 | 2 months 2 years summer salary provided | |||||||
489 | 2/11/2019 18:30:24 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Anatomy and Physiology | Female | Postdoc | 65,000 | n/a | n/a | very high | submit a request | n/a | n/a | Faculty responsibilities involved helping develop a new program, but with no institutional funding (just plans to get it). Start-up was not offered but they would consider requests. My guess is that start-up would range in the $20-40k range. Ultimately, it did not feel like the right fit and the negotiations did not continue. | ||||||
490 | 2/11/2019 10:15:55 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 59,000 | x | x | Low to moderate | 0 | x | x | Was not enamored of the teaching assignments & setup, ambiguous starting package was the nail in the coffin. | ||||||
491 | 2/8/2019 11:13:41 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Female | Postdoc | 62,000 | 67,000 | 63,500 | Moderate | Provide List | 151,000 | 121,000 | Accepted enthusiastically! | ||||||
492 | 2/5/2019 22:34:56 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Female | Postdoc | 52,000 | 52,000 | 52,000 | Low | 25000 | 25,000-35,000 | ||||||||
493 | 2/5/2019 13:58:18 | Other | Public | Southeast | Anatomy and Physiology | Female | Postdoc | 83,000 | 83,000 | 83,000 | low | 35000 | 43,000 | 43,000 | Stand alone medical school, I was willing to accept low startup and did not negotiate on salary because a job is in the works for my husband as well. Other benefits: All moving expenses covered, included packing and unpacking, and $2500 for travel professional development annually. | ||||||
494 | 1/31/2019 9:58:12 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Physiology | Female | Non-TT Faculty | 52,000 | 60,000 | 55,000 | Low | 15000 | 35,000 | 25,000 | |||||||
495 | 1/14/2019 9:02:34 | SLAC | Private | West | Genetics/Genomics | Female | Asst Prof | 85,000 | 93,500 | 90,000 | Very high | 100000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | Also negotiated summer salary for the first 2 summers. | ||||||
496 | 1/11/2019 15:16:10 | Regional PUI | Private | West | Ecology | Female | Asst Prof | 66,000 | not negotiated yet | High | N/A (NTT) | N/A (NTT) | N/A (NTT) | ||||||||
497 | 1/11/2019 12:58:08 | R1 | Public | West | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 65,000 | 74,000 | 69,000 | Low | Asked for list | 360,000 | 340,000 | |||||||
498 | 1/10/2019 12:43:49 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | ecology | Female | Postdoc | 86,000 | 87,500 | moderate | list requested | 160,000 | 4k moving expenses, access/use of existing equipment built into start up package. Request for summer support denied. Accepted offer. | ||||||||
499 | 1/9/2019 17:04:38 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Biology | Female | Postdoc | 62,000 | 70,000 | 65,000 | low | ~100,000 | 132,000 | 124,000 | $5,000 in moving expenses, additional $ over summer associated with undergrad students. Offer accepted. | ||||||
500 | 1/9/2019 10:54:34 | Regional PUI | Private | Mid-Atlantic | Biology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 56,000 | 62,000 | 56,000 | Low | 40000 | 65,000 | 40,000 | Inflexible on negotiations. Did not up their initial offer. Did offer to remove the pre-tenure expiry on startup package. Decent school and I might consider in another situation, but I have interest from other schools. | ||||||
501 | 1/7/2019 20:56:53 | SLAC | Private | West | Physiology | Female | Postdoc | 72,000 | 77,000 | 75,000 | Moderate | ~100k | ~170 | 150k | |||||||
502 | 1/7/2019 11:45:53 | Regional PUI | Public | Midwest | Biology (Anat & Physiol) | Female | Postdoc | 58,000 | 63,000 | 58,000 | Low to medium | 60000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | I declined the offer because of lack of accommodations for a spousal hire. I was told they have a history of offering something for spousal hires but then the dean and provost came back with zero, they would offer my spouse nothing, no lecturer, no adjunct. It was very disappointing because it was otherwise a good offer for me : (. | ||||||
503 | 1/3/2019 15:57:45 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 77,279 | 79,175 | 77,279 | High | Asked for list | 161,250 | 161,250 | Signing bonus of three months summer salary to be used over first two years, $4000 in moving expenses. Teaching load: 4 courses per year. Was denied reduced teaching load in first year. Offer accepted. | ||||||
504 | 12/29/2018 11:20:47 | SLAC | Private | West | Ecology | Female | Asst Prof | 70,000 | 78,000 | 74,000 | Very high | None (Non-TT position, no research expectation) | None (Non-TT position, no research expectation) | None (Non-TT position, no research expectation) | Great offer, great school, great colleagues, but offer declined in hopes of landing "dream job" for which the search is still ongoing. | ||||||
505 | 12/19/2018 23:27:54 | Master's | Private | Northeast | Zoology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 49,000 | 52,400 | 51,000 | Low | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 | $1,900 relocation allowance | ||||||
506 | 12/19/2018 22:06:52 | R2 | Public | Northeast | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 87,000 | 90,000 | Medium | Asked for List | 340,000 | Includes two years summer salary and student support. Lab renovations, low teaching load and delayed start date also granted. Offer accepted. | ||||||||
507 | 12/19/2018 9:43:11 | R1 | Public | Mid-Atlantic | Urban Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 79,000 | 79,000 | 79,000 | High | 50000 + 2 year FT GRA | 75,000 | 75000 + 2 year FT GRA | Requested reduced teaching load first semester and a research vehicle and did not receive those. I also did not negotiate salary as all asst prof salaries are posted online and it was a fair offer. | ||||||
508 | 12/17/2018 19:13:23 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Evol/Develop. Genomics | Male | Postdoc | 55,000 | 60,000 | 57,500 | Relatively high | 40,000 + Funded PHD STUDENT + SHARED EQUIPMENT | Not negotiable | 40,000 + Funded PHD STUDENT + SHARED EQUIPMENT | UK. There is not much room for negotiation beside the salary. Decision will be mostly of opportunities for my spouse. Start-up includes salary of a PhD student | ||||||
509 | 12/14/2018 16:48:09 | SLAC | Private | Northeast | Environmental Policy | Female | Non-TT Faculty | 82,000 | Low | 30000 | Initial offer, haven't started negotiations yet. | ||||||||||
510 | 12/12/2018 16:37:01 | SLAC | Private | Southeast | Ecology | Male | Postdoc | 58,000 | Low | 15,000-18,000 | 50,000 | In negotiations, but university has indicated little room to meet a counter-offer | |||||||||
511 | 12/5/2018 2:23:29 | SLAC | Private | Midwest | Zoology (Anatomy/Physiology) | Male | Postdoc | 61,000 | 62,500 | 62,500 | Middle-Low | n/a | 101,000 | 101,000 | |||||||
512 | 12/3/2018 12:23:56 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 80,000 | 85,000 | 82,000 | Low to Medium | 550000 | 600,000 | 570,000 | This is a result of a spousal hire request! A tenure-track position, with great start-up was created. | ||||||
513 | 11/29/2018 12:20:08 | R1 | Public | Outside North America | Behavioral Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 55,000 | Moderate | 10000 | Did not progress. UK-like system, lots of great shared equipment, 2 courses a semester. Limited internal support for students. | ||||||||||
514 | 11/29/2018 12:09:52 | Master's | Public | South | Zoology | Female | Postdoc | 55,000-60,000 | Low | 16000 | Did not progress. Three courses a semester, access to shared equipment, lots of grants for students, very nice place. | ||||||||||
515 | 11/28/2018 10:16:34 | Regional PUI | Private | Midwest | Biology | Male | Non-TT Faculty | 50k-52k | Moderate | Have not progressed, but negotiation info seems to be lacking. School offered salary info during phone interview, so here's one data point. | 2/23/23 13:26 | This sounds like a suggested range that you might be offered if you are offered the position, but I am not sure it belongs in this negotiations tab? | |||||||||
516 | 8/1/2018 12:26:00 | R1 | Public | South | Marine Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 65,000 | 76,000 | 70,000 | low | 319000 | 417,000 | 417,000 | Difficult negotiation; long-standing issues with department salaries relative to other departments couldn't be fixed in this negotiation. | ||||||
517 | 7/22/2018 3:07:40 | R1 | Public | West | Evolutionary Ecology | Female | Postdoc | 97,000 | 100,000 | 101,500 | Medium-High | 1000000 | 850,000 | 1,000,000 | |||||||
518 | 7/5/2018 15:05:23 | R1 | Public | Northeast | Biology | Female | Asst Prof | 105,000 | 125,000 | 115,000 | high | 300000 | 500,000 | 450,000 | |||||||
519 | 6/16/2018 19:28:50 | Regional Comprehensive | Public | Midwest | Biology | Male | Postdoc | 47,000 | Non-negotiable | 47,000 | Inexpensive | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 | |||||||
520 | 5/27/2018 22:27:38 | R1 | Public | Midwest | Aquatic Ecology | Female | Other | ||||||||||||||
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| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Question | Answer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | META: how should we handle this sheet? Should we all just weigh in with our own answers, or try to workshop single, consensus-driven answers? | 1) good question. My sense is that there will be a range of useful answers to some questions, so maybe treat this like the other tabs in that sense? 2) Sounds good to me. 3) Agree. Great idea to whoever posed this in general discussion and started it here – thanks! x2 2) As the tab-starter (you're welcome ^_^), if I was gonna propose a rule, I would say: don't ask questions within the "Answer" column, only post answers. If you have a question, make a new row for it. Feel free to insert the row in a position that puts it near related questions. 4) I think this is a wise rule. And thank you! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | How should I organize my job hunt (application materials, the postings I'm gonna apply to, etc.)? | 1) What I do is make a spreadsheet to keep track of each job I'm planning to apply to, so that I can keep all the necessary information about each job in one place and don't have to constantly reread each listing. I put in the link to the ad, indicate what documents are required and if they have any special instructions for the documents (e.g. if they want DEI discussed in the teaching statement). And then for the materials, I have a separate subfolder on my computer for each job and put all the materials for each one in there. The key thing here is, if you aren't already doing so, save every set of documents separately. That way you'll have an ever-expanding bank of past material to draw from for every new application, and applications will get easier as time goes on. x4 2) I agree with everything #1 said. I'll add: I have a column for "status" in my job app spreadsheet where I input key dates and color codes based on where I stand – this allows me to quickly scroll through and see where I need to focus vs. where I'm no longer being considered. x2 3) Another reason to save each individual job's materials - if you get an interview, you can go back and remind yourself how you promoted yourself in that particular application. This may not matter for people who don't tailor much or who are very targeted in what they apply for, but can be useful for those of us who play up different aspects of our work for different types of positions. Save the job description itself too! x2 4) 100% echoing saving the job description (save the page as a PDF or something). There's a decent chance it will be gone by the time you get to any interview stage and you might want to remind yourself what they were originally looking for. 5) I do nearly everything everyone else has contributed, or some variation of the same themes, but I also add color coding and cell conditional formatting rules, too | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | How do I know the "true" number of people that apply to a job? | 1) The best way is to drop a question to the search commitee in the comment section and hope that they report (some universities end up disclosing this in rejection emails or via other avenues). Otherwise, the general rule of thumb is that the number of self-reported applicants on EcoEvo Jobs Board is ~5-10x *less than* the true number of applicants (aka, get a ballpark estimate by multiplying the EcoEvo Number Applied column by 5-10). https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/heres-some-data-on-how-many-people-apply-for-n-american-tt-faculty-positions-in-ecology-and-allied-fields/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 0 | Think about how long it takes to get 5 profs into a room at the same time. Then allow time for all of them to score 100-300apps. Sometimes they schedule the meeting and a last minute conflict comes up. If someone on the committee runs into a COI then they have to wait for the new committee member to be chosen and score all the apps. And sometimes arguments get controversial so it takes 2-3 meetings to reach consensus. It's probably going to be some time before they get in touch. Sit tight. 2) It can vary really widely. Just on this board I've seen A-Z intervals (application deadline to zoom invites) as short as 3 days or as long as 2.5 months. But if at any stage of the process you're cut from consideration, you unfortunately might never hear back with a formal rejection. x2 3) Simply put, never. Depts rarely notify rejected applicants, and if they do it's usually after many months, usually when someone has been hired | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Should I contact the search chair to ask for feedback? | 1) If you are not offered the job, you will rarely get candid feedback, generally for legal reasons. One way to try to get it is to use an academic friend who knows others in the department and then get feedback via the gossip-chain. If you are considering contacting the search chair for updates, the only real reason is if you have an offer from another place, or *multiple* interviews, such that scheduling might be difficult if they were to offer you one, too. Don't ask for search updates just because you are antsy. That said, if you have a major addition to your qualifications (really good paper, received major grant that would transfer), by all means update them. 2) The one circumstance in which you might be more likely to get feedback is once you've accepted another position. As an ABD interested in teaching, I applied for a bunch of permanent teaching jobs, got a few zoom interviews and one on-campus, but didn't get any of them and eventually took a teaching postdoc. Once I'd accepted that, I reached back out to some of the search chairs to ask "what should I do in this position to be more competitive for ones like yours in the future?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | How can I get an idea of a job's salary range if it isn't posted? (The norm is for salary NOT to be posted.) | 1) If it's a public university, you can usually, with a little snooping, find public records of staff members' salaries (including assistant professors). 2) Sometimes colleagues at conferences will discuss the general ballpark for starting salary. Usually the baseline without a counter offer at R1 and R2 is completely liveable. Many good PUIs support faculty with salary. Others will require teaching summers or other additional semester work to get by and make ends meet. 3) AAUP faculty compensation survey https://www.aaup.org/our-work/research/FCS 4) I have found this to be very accurate https://www.chronicle.com/article/explore-faculty-salaries-at-3-500-colleges-2012-20?sra=true 5) In line with what @ 1 said, I think all public universities are required to post salaries publicly. Most states have searchable, open state-wide salary portals, and some universities have "sunshine" (i.e., transparency) portals. Try googling keywords and usually something comes up, though know that many universities hide current year and previous year salaries, so your info may be 2-3 years older than the current year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | What do all these acronyms (R1, R2, PUI, SLAC, etc.) mean? | These are US-American abbreviations: R1: The very largest, most research-intensive universities. Think like Cornell, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, etc. R2: Less research-intensive universities, though research is still often a significant focus/expectation. Think like University of Vermont or Illinois State University, etc. PUI: Primarily Undergraduate Institution. A position here will come with a much greater emphasis on teaching, though having some research program (specifically involving undergrads and maybe M.S. students) is still important. SLAC: Selective/"Small" Liberal Arts College. A subset of usually private PUIs. Think like Carleton College or Oberlin College. Happy to delete if other people have better definitions. 2) To add to this, R1 and R2 are technically "Carnegie Classifications," these are revised every few years and the classification methodology is publically available. 3) FYI, Carnegie will be simplifying classifications in 2025, so way more universities will achieve R1 easily (and there will subsequently be a billion assigned categories within R1), see this good article about it: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/institutions/2023/11/01/major-overhaul-coming-key-framework-organizing-higher-ed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | How do the posted contact hours of a position's teaching load translate into courses per semester? | Depends on the school and how they do their math. Sometimes 12-15hrs means 4 courses. Sometimes they really count things like advising students as equivalent to contact hours. Ask on the in person interview what normal course loads are. Most professors will share willingly. As a lecturer or PUI expect 3-4 per term. At an R1 expect 1 per semester for 2 total. Large classes like intro bio will often count double or be team taught. 2) Yeah, it varies by school, especially with respect to how labs are counted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | What are my odds of getting a job? | Any job? The general consensus is it depends on your number of applications more than anything else. Even though I'm an academic pessimist, I *still* think that very qualified candidates tend to get TT jobs, but I also think that's dependent on how wide your search is, because your chance of getting any *one* job is low. However, don't underestimate how desperate schools in generally unattractive places might be to get quality candidates. Some schools do struggle. 2) The odds for any one person to get the job of their dreams are exceedingly low. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Is it better to tailor applications or apply widely? | 1) yes. x2 2) But.... if you don't have time to tailor them all, choose your top 5-10 and tailor those. Especially if you apply to a job others might love less (that small town near to your Dear Auntie Gertrude). 3) Definitely seconding that if you have a specific personal reason to want to be in a certain location, make that clear, especially if it's not one of the "popular" locations like New England or the Pacific Northwest. I'll also add that regardless of how much or how little tailoring you do at the application stage, if you get a zoom invite, that's the time to do some deeper digging into the department and institution x2. 3) Both. Even when I'm applying widely I have teensy pieces of each statement that get tailored, and I think it makes a difference. 2) Oh, another important point is that if you are applying to multiple types of institution, like if you're applying to some R1/R2 jobs and some SLAC jobs, then absolutely have different "tailored" versions of your materials for each institution type. 3) From a PNW institution here-- I have heard from numerous faculty that personal reasons dealing with the outdoors just fall flat or even hurts their view of the app. They don't care; everyone loves the PNW outdoors. Unless it has to do with your research or you are like a world-class mountain athlete/fly fisher/whatever, then just don't say it. 4) Someone put a vague sentence that they had "personal ties to the area". It made the committee less concerned that he would ghost us. When he arrived we learned his ex was probably moving for a job in the area, so our institution would help him solve a custody agreement. Another had a partner who had passed the bar in the state which made it a viable option for them. Don't put any of those details in writing. 5) I've been given the advice to never insert the 'personal interest in the area' line in a cover letter *unless* it's a place that you know probably has trouble recruiting new faculty (i.e., rural area, small town, odd location), and in those cases the interest/connection angle helps. Because yes, everyone loves the PNW and popular cities – expressing interest in those places seems silly because many people want to live there. 6) survey data on how faculty job applicants in EEB tailor their applications, and how search committee members at various types of institution want them to tailor their applications: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/how-much-do-you-and-should-you-tailor-your-ecology-faculty-job-application-to-the-hiring-institution-poll-results-and-commentary/. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | What are the best topics to research when tailoring an application and/or prepping for an interview? | 1) In no particular order, first things that come to mind are: size of school, demographics, faculty and what they work on, common points of connection with your research, DEI initiatives on campus, funding for students, campus organizations to help with recruitment of students (particularly from underrepresented groups), resources or facilities you might use, how you'll work in a local research program, buzz words from job ad, ask any friends or connections you know about people place (esp. if you really want the job), classes offered (and classes not offered; suss out department's needs), etc. 2) On the courses thing, I'll add that you should make sure to check other departments' course offerings at the institution. A gap in their biology course offerings might be found in their Environmental Science or Sustainability Studies curriculum. 3) The described position – for example, the same person can fit into ‘microbial ecology’, ‘microbiome’, ‘evolution’ etc. Today many of us are to some extent interdisciplinary, I try to tailor both past, and future research according to the ‘box’ the position describe. About past research, I emphasize and use the relevant perspective. For the future, I tailor both the perspective and some of the actual research plans. Another important part for ecologists is where is the campus, what is their local environment and easily accessible field opportunities, do they have immediate issues with wildfires, floods anything that can be related to your research. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Rec leters are due up front. Should I even bother applying? | If you want the job, I wouldn't let an extra rec letter stop you. It's a normal part of advisor effort to support trainees. Really they have a letter written that they modify and upload, similar to your job apps. One more really won't hurt them, even if we wish committees would do letters at the long list. 2) Yeah, your recommenders know they'll have to write a letter for you eventually, and once they've written it, it's not a huge burden for them to upload it to the portal, unless it's for a very different job type and they have to rework it. 3) https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/its-no-big-deal-for-your-supervisor-to-write-you-a-bunch-of-reference-letters/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Why are professors paid a 9 month salary? Shouldn't the university be paying all 12 months? | Most faculty jobs in the USA are listed as 9 months as faculty don't teach in the summer. Really though, that salary is just what the university is willing to pay faculty. If you get a grant you can pay yourself what effectively amounts to a bonus up to 1/3 of your salary. If you taught a full summer school load you could also make up the other 3 months, but most of us don't want to do that. Others do consulting equivalent to summer salary, and many schools allow faculty to pull the equivalent of 13 months total by pretending they work overtime for it. It gives faculty the flexibility to focus on research/teaching/consulting/whatever for the summer months as they choose. Almost every school still covers 12 mo of benefits. The exceptions are medical schools where it is typical for faculty to need 6-11.5mos on external funding. Read those contracts carefully if you are looking at those schools. Manage risks accordingly. I make sure I can cover my mortgage solely on my 9 month salary every single year so that I don't end up in dire straits if there's a funding gap. 2) For NSF grants, the maximum allowable summer salary is 2 months. However, at least at my University this is calcuated by dividing the annual salary by 9 to get the monthly salary rate to equal more than 11 month salary. 3) Some universities have faculty on a 10 month contract, and only 2 more months of salary from grants is allowed (vs. 3 month with a 9 month contract period). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | What unhealthy job hunt behaviors should I avoid? | 1) Don't check ecoevojobs too often! x2 2) Take care of yourself, try not to take rejections to hard (the job market is awful for everyone and lots of super-talented people don't even make the zoom interview cut), and try to avoid jealousy/obsessive comparing of yourself to others, e.g. whether your office-mate is getting more interviews than you. x3 3) When friends get interviews, make sure your first words are "congratulations!" to echo #2. There's more than one job and grant. We can both get jobs and funding without the other being ruined. x2 4) Wholeheartedly second all of these. I installed a timer app that limits my time spent on EcoEvo (so I'm at least forced to extend my time knowingly; kind of like a social media limit on a phone). 5) A more specific behavior, but I would also add: if you see that a public shortlist has been made available for a job you applied to, don’t look at it and definitely don’t look up the CVs of the people who got invited instead of you. Or at least make sure you’re in a good headspace if you do, otherwise it’s a surefire way to ruin your day. 6) Don't send needy or clingy messages to search chairs. It can really change their enthusiasm. It's ok to send a followup post interview if you got another offer. But make certain it's professionally written and ideally edited by a friend. 6) don't feel like you need to apply to a million jobs! you'll hear that people are applying to dozens (or hundreds!) of jobs, but the reality is that they're just aren't that many that are a good fit for your expertise. don't exhaust yourself applying to ones that aren't a good fit and especially not ones you don't want! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Is it common for SLACs to pay for house-hunting visits? | Varies by school depending on resources. Second visits for faculty usually can come from standard search budgets. Travel costs for spouses and kids often come from discretionary. If they decline, you may need to cover the cost, especially for family members. Some schools have an easier time paying some costs than others (e.g. hotel is easy but airfare isn't). Keep that in mind as you negotiate. OP) update: i got $4000 for house hunting allowance/lab visit second visit! so it is possible! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Do assistant professors have an advantage over postdocs when applying for TT jobs? | No. They're judged according to higher standards. They're more expensive to hire. And they're less likely to accept any offer they might receive. 2) Commonly passed over if committees guess they might not actually move, whether or not they genuinely want to move. But if interviewed well funded PIs almost always come out on top. A proven track record is perceived as less risk than a new PI. It becomes more of a problem when senior PIs block junior hires by holding positions so long the searches fail (though equal blame goes to chairs for dragging it out for that long). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | How likely is it to land a TT position directly out of grad school? | Very, very unlikely but not totally unheard of. Every year one or two people in the US and Canada are hired into TT ecology faculty positions straight out of grad school. 2) I was, but I don't know anyone else that has been (so I agree with #1) 3) Yeah, I have a friend who was basically the exception that proves the rule. The ad she applied to called for a fairly eclectic mix of expertises, the synthesis of which happened to be her dissertation. 3) Challenging unless you already have a strong body of published work, but not unheard of. I know three recent people hired before defending their PhDs, one at a top R1, the other two at SLACs. I interviewed on campus for an R1 less than 6 months after defending. If there's a job that interests you, APPLY! You never know what might happen. 4) Yes, I know several people who have been, both at R1s and PUIs. I had interverviews my first year when I was a PhD student. I say go for it- apply! You never know and if you don't get one, then your materials are ready for next time you try. You would probably want to apply for postdocs as well. 5) Unlikely, but apply! It definitely happens, and worst case you'll have a finished job application ready to be edited/reworked as you gain more from your postdoc, which is quite nice. No reasonable search committee will look down on it, unless you have like 0 accomplishments. It's also good to get your name out there if you are already building up a good CV. 6) And if you land an in-person interview but not an offer, the "invited seminar" will boost your CV a touch for the next round. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Are there any "don't bother applying if you don't have X" criteria for different types of academic jobs or different types of institutions? | 1) this will depend on institution, for most "normal" TT positions. I've heard search comm members say "I don't know why postdoc A even applied!" Yet give an offer to postdoc B missing the same req. so ymmv. For specialty positions, like museum curator, it could be very challenging to get the job if you haven't collected/used museum specimens before. But then, I don't know why you'd want it. If you are full prof and the job is offered at asst assoc only, you should ask the search chair if they're allowed to hire at full prof, and if not, say in your app you're ok with the demotion. 2) Following some talk in General Discussion, instructor of record experience (having been in charge of a course) is widely considered a must-have for any kind of permanent, teaching-focused job (assistant prof at a SLAC or other PUI, permanent lecturer, etc.), or at least some kind of teaching experience that goes well beyond TA'ing, and that's backed up by Dynamic Ecology data: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2019/07/10/a-crude-statistical-summary-of-the-teaching-experience-of-recently-hired-n-american-tt-ecology-faculty/ 3) Although, occasionally that rule is broken (instructor of record experience for job at a PUI). I know a couple of people who managed it. 4) I know plenty of people who got PUI jobs and even teaching professor/permanent lecturer jobs without official IOR, but with considerable other teaching experience; i.e., could prove they designed course content and materials. I would say to not even assume some 'unwritten rule', especially if it is actually unwritten in the job app. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Are there ways to predict if a posted job has an internal candidate? | 1) Only if someone in the hiring dept tells you "This job is for Internal Candidate." Unless you know the personal situation of the suspected internal, for all you know it could be a search for their replacement. Also, spreading rumors about these things can make you look petty (even if you are miffed about internal hiring). 2) Usually you won't know until they are hired and website official. So apply even if you think it may be internal. SCs should always recuse if they have COIs but frequently don't. Hiring the search chair's postdoc always results in dept drama. 3) Yeah, and a lot of the things people point to as “evidence” that there’s an internal candidate for a job are pretty flimsy, like a highly specific research focus (the position’s funding might be contingent on it serving a particular sector, especially at land-grant institutions), an odd mix of courses listed for teaching duties (more likely just means the department is trying to fill a range of teaching needs with one position), the school having one or more VAPs (lots of schools have VAPs; you don’t know which ones want to stay on at that institution), or a person existing somewhere who is an ideal fit (come on, really?). 4) VAP-> lecturer internal hire is way more common than other kinds of internal hires. That's really just moving a person from a temp position to permanent position. It's a shame HR doesn't let schools do it without a full search. 5) if there is, the people on this job board don't know it. Claims on this job board that search X might be intended for internal candidate Y have spectacularly high rates of both false positives and false negatives: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/hardly-any-ecology-faculty-positions-are-filled-by-internal-candidates-and-you-cant-reliably-identify-the-ones-that-will-be/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Someone asked an illegal question on a job interview. What should I do? | Report it to the institution's HR. 1) Going to HR is the safest b/c they are trained to protect your identity from the search committee as best they can. Helps them avoid lawsuits. Assuming it wasn't the department chair, they *should* be receptive as well--and highly interested--because they also do not want the search to fail, subject dept to lawsuits, and may protect other candidates from this particular 'someone'. The head dept administrator (i.e., person in charge of all non-academic functions, including departmental HR) would be another good choice, and perhaps more effective than the university HR--I'd just email both tbh. 2) To me, reporting to HR during a job interview sounds a little drastic. Maybe this should be the norm, but many people ask questions that they shouldn't so I think this should be expected. How you respond in the moment is up to you. One friend told me, in response to being asked if she was married, "I don't think you're supposed to ask me that", and she then proceeded to give her reply. That kind of tactic is fairly brave and could come across negatively. The Professor is In recommends keeping responses short and deflecting back to the reviewer to take the emphasis off the illegal question. 3) I said "I thought we weren't supposed to ask questions like that" once. We sat in total silence until the end of dinner. No one took it back or apologized. Well meaning people generally will catch themselves and self correct. 4) I feel like if you can land it in a light breezy way, a cheerful but mildly surprised "oh, why do you ask?" and turn it to something relevant they might have wanted to share, "are there a lot of families in the department?" Another strategy I might try is (again cheerfully) just smiling a bit quizzically and waiting to see if they realize their mistake. If you just say nothing but remain pleasant, people will often blather on. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | What are some examples of illegal job interview questions? | 1) Any questions about marital status, family, partner/spouse's job or line of employment or kids are the first things that come to mind, as well as questions about where else you're applying (i.e., I was once caught off guard during an on-campus interview when someone said, "I know I'm not supposed to ask this, but how can we get you here...are you just applying everywhere?!" The setting (brewery happy hour), friendly tone, and veiled compliment surprised me – my answer was ok, but thinking back, I wish I'd been a bit more clever with my reply.) My advice: Always practice responses to questions like this because one or two are bound to come up. Oh and also: I didn't get the offer from that job, so never read too far into interview compliments. 2) Medical status/disability (for most positions that don't have physical requirements), national origin/citizenship (whether you are authorized to work in US is OK), religion (no, not OK to ask even for evolution positions!!!!), age, marital status, pregnancy, gender, kids/child care. Some of these may vary by state with regard to legality. I think they can ask you where else you are applying/interviewing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | In what situation would the search committee go straight to campus interviews, no Zoom or phone interview? | 1) It depends on the search, but it seems skipping zoom saves about a month of time, so it might help them get their favorite candidate if they do in-persons earlier than competing searches. There are also limitations to what you can learn from zoom, so some searches go straight to in-person (I noticed a lot of jobs I had my eye on skipped zoom this year). 2) If they don't have a ton of applications and can already narrow to 6 or fewer candidates, then maybe they can. I think our department requires zoom now though by internal policy. 3) Sometimes zooms help weed out unethusiastic candidates or someone who really has been totally held up by an advisor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | What happens to postdocs who don't get tenure track jobs? | 1) No need to worry, they all get taken to a farm. 2) It has wide open lab spaces they can play in all day. And break rooms full of espresso machines. 3) They're drawn into the moonlit moors by strange lights and never seen again... 4) Aww the vast majority of us will be fine, even if not in our dream jobs. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/unemployment-earnings-education.htm Really important to remember as you are searching. 5) They get fed to the grizzly bears. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | What is considered good ecoevojobs ettiquette? | 1) Don't post "zoom interview invite!" on jobs you didn't apply for. :P 2) Stay constructive with comments and questions. Post information that might help others – we all learn from each other and this is ultimately meant to be a positive community resource. Don't publicly grouch or air grievances (unless it's in the 'Venting' tab, which is explicitly for this purpose). I prefer to avoid idle chit-chat for job postings so as not to bloat people's information-gathering missions with random anonymous side chatter that isn't directly relevant to search, timeline, or information about either. 3) I know we all wish letters would be requested at the long list. But don't snipe on every single school that does letters up front. The SC doesn't always have full control on that decision, and it's a fairly ridic reason to bail on what could be a good job. 4) Wait to ask for updates on a posting until at least a few weeks after the deadline, otherwise it just clutters things up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | How can I tell if an advertised NTT position (e.g. Lecturer, Instructor, etc.) is permanent or truly fixed-term? | Ask the search chair if the position is renewable (pending performance, of course). This is the norm in the working world. 2) Ask whether the dean plans to give future lines for permanent lecturer in the next 3 yrs. Most VAP type positions can't continue longer than the faculty review period which is often 3 yrs. If not permanent ask how many years they expect to be able to renew (1, 2, more). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | How do I find and take maximum advantage of a VAP or teaching postdoc? | 1) Following a question-within-a-question above, I figured I'd share a bit of how I got a teaching postdoc. From what I've seen, a fair number of departments have teaching postdoc programs you can apply to. I'm in one at an R1 and have seen some advertised at other R1s. Not sure how widely they're advertised or what the best way to look for them is; I found mine on Indeed. Again based on what I've seen, you apply to the program and identify a couple potential faculty mentors. You'll be in their lab for research purposes, but you'll be primarily teaching (mine is a 2:2 load, I think some teaching postdocs are 1:1 with a bigger research focus. and then VAPs can be anywhere from 2:2 to 4:4). This coming spring will be my fourth semester, and hopefully last, though I've been told I could stay on another year if I don't take another position. Which I wouldn't mind, as I'd be teaching the same courses again and would have far less prep work than I've been consistently saddled with for well over a year now. 2) My uni has a special program for postdocs to get teaching training and then be IOR for a class. So, while it wouldn't be a 'teaching postdoc' any regular postdoc with a supportive PI could gain the requisite teaching experience through this program. 3) Great way to develop teaching materials, gain experience, learn from colleagues, build network, etc. but also possible to lose research momentum (developing new classes takes a lot of time!) so try also to have some continuing projects and collaborative networks where you are still able to do some writing and publishing to stay competitive for jobs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | When exactly is the deadline for a job? | TLDR get apps in on time. For an application? The stated one in the ad. That's ostensibly when HR will close the app portal. The search committee generally has no say over this once the day is set. Sometimes the app portal is actually open a bit longer before HR gets its act together, which is why it can be worth applying. In rare cases shooting a late app to the search chair may work, but many unis will not abide this for fair hiring practices or whatever. For letters? If letter writers are late have them send to search chair. Late letters are often forgiven so long as they are received in time for application review. For start date? Generally something negotiable. A job with hard teaching requirements will be less negotiable than for a research position at an R1. I know people at R1s who have started 1- even 2 years after hire to finish a postdoc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | How long can you expect TT search committees to give you to make your decision after they make you an offer? | 1. I can only speak from my experience with PUIs. All the offers I got gave me 1 week to decide. 2) I've seen 1 week (R2) and I've seen over a month (R1s) 3) I saw someone with multiple offers drag it out 9 months. That was really bordering on bad faith and the dept should have pulled the offer sooner. 3) At R1s if you can give a chair a finite date they are more likely to play ball. The concern is if someone drags out negotiation so long that the search fails. At PUIs I wouldn't hesitate to ask for 2 weeks for a life changing decision that affects your whole family, good grief. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Any advice on social media accounts, locking or making private, when on the market or at interview stage? Maybe just not post at all during this time? What have others done? | OP, can you elaborate a bit? What specifically are you concerned about? Presumably, if you have a public social media presence, you're ok with anyone seeing it. Otherwise, why do you have it in the first place? So why would you make it temporarily private while you're on the job market? 2) OP: I just wonder if maybe social media posts can weigh someone's opinion about an applicant before meeting in person and could sway a vote. I suppose someone could offend someone without knowing it in a social media post or be miconstrued, etc. Maybe I'm just paranoid. 3) This might be better as a thread in General Discussion? 4) Social media accounts certainly can sway opinions. If you are using your social media accounts within your professional network, then I don't see a problem with this at all. I would certainly like to know if someone I'm cnsidering hiring was a bully on science twitter or whatever. If you're ashamed of anything you've written online that can be connected to you professionally, you may want to hide it / clean it up and think more carefully before posting next time. But OP, please don't become paranoid about it. Someone who is a jerk on social media wouldn't be worried about accidentally offending someone--they wouldn't care if they had. 5) I try to keep all social media professional and positive and assume everyone is watching (particularly on Twitter/X, where I know the academic crowds are). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | You got a job, yay! When is it appropriate to post your new position on social media? | 1) Definitely don't do it until everything's signed in blood. Beyond that, I'm unsure if there's any specific confidentiality rules or etiquette around it. 2) Generallly one should wait for the Dept Chair to tell the faculty in the new dept. It isn't a crime to post earlier but can leave people miffed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | I don't really understand the concept of summer salary. My job offer specifies salary for 12months, with the option of summer salary coming from external grants. What is this money used for? Is it supplementing my salary or used to support students or what? | If it's a standard offer you are paid for 9 months equivalent effort but salary checks are paid over 12 months so you don't have 3 months of nothing coming in. The 3 summer months if paid on a grant come in as if they are a bonus payment on top of normal salary. Your grant should have other funds to support students. Most schools account for PI effort based on how many months of salary they pull from the grant proportional to the normal 9 mo salary. So 3 mo of effort in summer salary means you spend 25% of your year on that project. The alternative is to make PIs log hours which is just untenable. So embrace the system and take the extra summer cash. The exception is that if you are paid a 12 mo appointment more common in stats positions or support faculty (bioinormatics tech faculty) then you cannot take summer salary as bonus cash. Sometimes the grant buys out your time and the school can keep the 3 mo they would usually pay you. Hopefully they give you a cut to support your research. See more on 9mo salary above. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
33 | Should I upload my manuscripts that are in review onto a preprint service like bioRxiv? Do not-yet-published papers "count" for more if they are available as preprints while they are in review? | YES (with approval from senior author). 1) Depends what you mean by "count". Listing your preprints is one way (far from the only one) for the search committee to learn what you're working on right now and might continue working on if hired. They want to know about your future direction, not just your past achievements. But yes, they do also want to know about your past achievements, and an ms that hasn't yet been accepted for publication doesn't count as an "achievement" in their minds. Not even a smidgen. No, not even if you post it to a preprint server. And no, not even if you list a planned "target" journal on your cv, or list the journal to which the ms has been submitted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | In a typical job search, how many candidates are invited for Zoom interviews? What proportion of Zoom interviewees will be invited for an on-campus interview? | Varies. 8ish might be a typical-ish number of Zoom interviews. Typically 3-5 candidates get campus interviews. 1) Had one where about 20 of us had zoom interviews. 2) Both SLAC cluster hires - one had 10 zoom 3 campus, and the other had 6 zoom 2 campus. It varies, widely. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | When does the clock for being on the job market start? Does a soft launch count, like when you submit one application, or does it start when you are fully committed submitted to the process and submit xx apps? | It starts whenever you want it to start. There's no official process for declaring yourself "on the job market". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | I'm applying for a job that starts in August, but would realistically want to defer for up to a year. I have heard of this happening, and remember faculty hires in my department often starting up to a year after they interviewed. Anyone with success in deferring, for 6+ months, have advice on how they navigated this conversation, when they brought it up, etc? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Will there be a separate site for 24-25 jobs and how can I find that? | Yes, AP will make a new sheet sometime soon, and it will be announced/have the link displayed prominently on this one. |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | |
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2 | Country | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Full Professor | Lecturer / VAP | Notes | Resources | Sabbatical Leaves | Graduate Students | Postdocs |
3 | US | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Full Professor | Lecturer or Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) | Lecturer or Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) | New faculty at colleges or universities with a research expectation receive a startup package to equip their labs and enable them to collect preliminary data for their first grants. Most faculty don't receive an annual budget. Salaries are often "nine month" salaries, with "summer salary" possible from grants or extra teaching. 2) Just a note that some undergraduate focused institutions are increasing their reserach expectations and noting that in ads, but there is not always a start-up offered. | Faculty are usually eligible for a sabbatical leave every seven years. Often a university will pay 100% of salary for one semester leave or 50% for a two semester leave. A few schools offer a pre-tenure semester sabbatical, as well. | Grad students are supported from some combination of faculty startup funds, grants, university fellowships, or teaching. Masters degrees are sometimes optional depending on specific department or institution policies, with many students going straight from undergraduate to Ph.D. program. Ph.D. usually takes a minimum of five years and includes classes in the first years. Candidacy requirements vary by school and department as do requirements and timelines for various periodic examinations, with usually some combination of a proposal defense, written comprehensive exams, oral comprehensive exams, and satisfactory coursework required to advance to candidacy in the sciences. | |
4 | UK | Lecturer. Assistant Professor positions can still exist, but may be less common due to funding, many faculty enter as research fellows. | Senior Lecturer or Reader (reader can sometimes be a better approximation to US full professor). Associate Professor positions can still exist, but may be less common due to funding, many faculty enter as readers, or senior fellows. | Professor (not the same as full prof! - similar to chaired professor in the US) | Teaching fellow | Similarly in Australia, NZ, Ireland, S. Africa, India, SE Asia. Terminology can vary widly among schools. Some UK & Singapore schools have adopted the US nomenclature, some have a combination of the two, and some still use a tenure-like system, while most do not. It is also possible to be hired directly as a senior lecturer, given ample experience as a postdoc or researcher. But again, these are generally not tenured positions (though termination is quite rare). (2) In Ireland you may also have two levels of Lecturer: Lecturer below the bar and Lecturer above the bar. 3) Professor isn't really the same as full prof, more like named chair. Full prof is high end of Reader. 4) UK contracts do become permanent so similar to tenured in US 5) what does it mean "can still exist but may be less comon due to funding?? There are plenty of Lecturer/SL positions to be found if you check jobs.ac.uk 5) always check if you have the seniority to be eligbile for uk prof jobs. I have heard that some places cannot look at postdoc applications for professor sjobs (you have to be a lecturer or reader) | Startup packages are typically smaller than similar schools in the US. Usually less than USD $50k. Russell Group (research-intensive) unis offer modest startup funds for travel, PhD assistantships, and some neccessary equipment. However, UK research councils offer special competitive startup grants for ECRs. (2) Even "less than USD $50k" is on the generous side for the UK and Ireland. In some cases, even in PhD-granting institutions, there is no startup funds at all, other than the standard table/chair/computer package. (3) I was able to bargain a 60KAUD startup at an Australia regional Uni, then got ~60K in ECR grants within the first two years. This is not typical outside the top research Uni's, but it is possible. (4) Could you start a separate row for AUS, so it doesn't get lost in the UK row? 5) Lecturer salaries in the UK are generally 2/3 to 1/2 of typical asst. prof salaries at US research unis. Generally between £45k-60k 6) That's actually on the higher end. 7) I've read that the Lecturer position is more like something between a postdoc and a US Assistant Professor. If this is true, do they typically require postdoc experience to land? 8) Who told you that? Are you sure they weren't talking about Teaching Fellows? You increasingly need a history of obtaining significant research funding to meet the selection criteria for a Lecturer position. No one is going to have that without postdoc experience, and the average time spent in postdocs is around 7 years. 9) Edited to add: I just saw a UK ad that suggested lecturer is similar to Associate Professor. I don't think that's quite right, but they may have written it because the ad suggests their next highest rank is Reader. 10) Senior Lecturer is approximately equivalent to Associate Prof (11) startup/salary in UK: just accepted a lecturer position at PhD-granting university in UK (not Russell Group, so probably equivalent to R2 in US), 2k in startup, 40k salary (highest they could offer). 12) With UK salaries being low compared to the US, how's standard of living, especially in more expensive UK cities? 13) My opinion as someone who moved from an expensive UK city to a cheap US one - cost of living in UK is lower than in US - primarily due to healthcare reasons. Opinions may differ on this. UK institutions have less money than US ones in general, something to keep in mind. | Varies. Some unis offer paid semester sabbaticals every 3 years, others offer nothing. Where it does exist, it can only be taken after a 'probationary period' of 5-6 years. You typically have to apply for a sababtical fellowship (e.g., Leverhuilme trust) to buy out your time - success rates are reasonably high for these. | Ph.D. usually takes 3-4 years and there are no classes. Normally the project is quite designed, so the student starts that project right away. 2) My supervisor let people do whatever after the first project (I had four different ones over three years). Teaching is optional and pays extra money. 3) note that UK undergrads typically specialize on the subject of their PhD degrees, or a closely-related subject, to a much greater extent than US or Canadian undergrads. So the PhDs are shorter in the UK than in the US or even Canada, but UK PhD students often will be well prepared to hit the ground running. 4) our Uni has a graduate program of 60 credits | |
5 | Sweden | Biträdande universitetslektor (Associate Senior Lecturer) | Universitetslektor (Senior Lecturer) | Professor | Some Swedish universities have a tenure-track like system with three stages, but it is new and the rights and responsibility's of the positions can be very different from U.S. positions with similar nomenclature. For example, an Assistant Professor may be tenured in the sense that their position cannot be eliminated, but they may not be allowed to solo-advise doctoral students until they qualify as docent - a qualification that is separate from promotion to Senior Lecturer but would happen around the same time and based on a similar "tenure package." Assistant Professors can often supervise doctoral students if a more senior faculty member serves as co-supervisor. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is different from the States. These differences relate in part to Swedish labor laws and the Swedish higher education laws, which provide much tighter regulations of university's and graduate education than exists in the states. There are both major benefits and limitations of this compared to the U.S. system, but overall it is difficult to compare directly. Many researchers are in non-TT positions. Non-TT Research Assistant Professorships are typically 4 years and are called Forskarassistent. Non-TT Research Associate Professorships are called Forskare. These are basically soft-money positions. 2) Some postdocs formally have the title forskare. 3) Many assistant professor positons or equivalent are restricted to people within 5 years post-PhD, though the law is such that the best qualified person is offered the "assistant professor positions" even if they are >>5yrs post PhD and the job ad says the post is only open for people within 5 yrs of PhD. | |||||
6 | New Zealand | Lecturer | Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor (associate professor can sometimes be a better approximation to US full professor) | Professor | Teaching Fellow | There's no such thing as tenure. Unless a posting specifically states that it's for a fixed term (e.g., a teaching fellowship), consider it a permanent position. Most similar to the Australia system. 2) The ranks are also like the Australian ones. Lecturer (NZ) = Assistant (US), Senior Lecturer (NZ) = Associate (US), Associate (NZ) = Full (US), Full (NZ) = Named Chair (US). | My experience in a STEM field: PhD scholarships are typically funded for 3 years, with a proposal committee meeting at 1 year, after which a 'student' becomes a 'candidate.' PhD students are not required to, but can if necessary/recommended, take courses. PhD students with good advisors (i.e., a good match for the student) should expect to finish their degree within 4 years, regardless of how designed the project, and there's been some discussion of extending PhD scholarships to cover that amount of time. Scholarships are competitive and include tuition/fees and a decent stipend. RA and TA employment, as well as supplemental scholarship funding (i.e., a bribe for handing in your thesis within 4 years), is often available. Masters degrees are optional and can be done by coursework or thesis, depending on field. A 'regular' Bachelors degree is 3 years, and an Honours degree is 4 years. International students are required to carry health insurance and are not covered by the public system. 2) PhD stipends are quite low (~$25kNZD, with very high cost of living). | Relatively few opportunities for doing postdocs. Fellowships tend to be restricted to citizens/permanent residents. 2) Postdocs are on the same pay scale as Lecturers (=Asst Profs in US, starting at $80k NZD, up to $95k after several years). | ||
7 | Canada | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor | Similar to the US system. 2) There is a govt. mandate that Canadian unis preferentially hire their own citizens. (3) Am Canadian, the 'mandate' should not be taken seriously at all. Nearly all jobs at many schools (e.g., UBC) go to non-Canadians. x2 | The main difference from the US is that in Canada all full-time faculty positions are 12-month positions. So "summer salary" is not a thing in Canada (you don't need to budget for it in your grants, and aren't allowed to either). The other big difference is that NSERC Discovery Grants (the main federal operating grants for labs doing basic research in non-biomedical scientific fields) are easy to get but fairly small compared to operating grants in the US (typical size is ~$35,000/year at the moment; note that there's no summer salary or overhead in that, bc summer salary doesn't exist in Canada and overhead is handled differently in Canada than in the US). Two other things to know are that almost all Canadian universities are public, and that Canada pretty much lacks liberal arts colleges--every institution has at least some master's programs. 2) The typical NSERC size for a first time applicant is a little lower than 35K in ecology. Also, start-up itself is generally substantially less than in the US but at many universities you will be able to apply for Canadian Foundation for Innovation funding (CFI) which is basically equipment/renovation funding to help you set up your lab. | Similar to the US system, though the precise schedule on which you're eligible to apply for sabbatical, and the salary you're paid on sabbatical, varies among institutions. 2) Parental leave - around 60 weeks, plus top up of Federal gov't benefits to 95% salary for ~ 30 weeks and health benefits stay active (at least at my institution) 3) In Quebec, 95% salary for 20 week,s 60% for 11 more and then onto pronocial only (duration depends on how much you share with partner) | Graduate programs are a bit shorter than in the US but longer than in parts of Europe. 18-24 months is the typical guaranteed funding period for MSc students, 4 years for PhD students (though average degree durations are often longer). However, most (if not all?) PhD programs will require an MSc to be completed first, unlike the US system of a direct start into a PhD without an MSc requirement. (EDIT: This is not the case everywhere, my R1 program has many who go straight to PhD). Both MScs and PhDs are thesis-based, but involve some coursework. MSc projects often but not always are designed by the supervisor, perhaps with the student fleshing out the details. PhD students typically are expected to show more independence in developing their own projects. Most grad students are funded primarily as TAs during the fall and winter terms, with summer salary covered from their supervisors' grants. Some students also receive some scholarship/fellowship support from departmental, university, or provincial sources. Fellowships large enough to cover a grad student's entire salary for a year or more are available from the Federal government, but they're extremely competitive. Most grad students have to pay some tuition out of their salaries. | Most have external or internal competitive fellowships, as grants to PIs typically are not large enough to cover PD salaries. For this reason, a big research uni department in Canada typically will have fewer postdocs around than would a similar sized department at an otherwise-similar US institution. | |
8 | Japan | Assistant Professor (this can be more like a postdoc) | Associate Professor (this is often the "start point" for establishing a lab) | Professor | Tenure status varies between universities. It typically does not exist, but job security is high even without it. Certain schools are now employing a US-style tenure decisions after 6 years. Labs are traditionally very heirarchical, with a prof overseeing a number of asst. profs. Some universities are also reluctant to promote non-Japanese citizens (see: http://www.debito.org/blacklist.html). The bigger universities generally do not have this this issue. 2) Also, there are entry-level lecturer-type positions that are not really a postdoc, but not assistant professor (ie UK-style lecturer), either. And associate professors (and sometimes full professors) may be under the direction of a senior full professor. | Grants from JSPS and JST include "Kakenhi" grants for basic research. Relatively high success rate for early career grants (~30%). Must get smaller, early career grants to qualify for larger pots of money. Some universities now offer large, US-style startups in an effort to recruit international faculty. 2) Faculty salaries typically same or higher than US equivalents. 3) @2 - depends on the institution - private universities and second-tier universities may be substantially lower than US unis. I can't say for sure about places like To-dai, which surely pays very well, but I wouldn't expect a big payday in Japan, especially after taxes and high cost-of-living. 3) While advertised salaries are often lower than N. American equivalents, unwritten annual bonuses & subsidies can be quite large, at least at the top-ranked schools. 4) 2 again - yes, I forgot about those those bonuses and they are substantial, though variable year-to-year. | Most universities have 2 year master's programs followed by a 3-4 year PhD. Funding is highly contingent on the school and fellowships. Most common is no stipend, but grad students often apply for competitive fellowships that offer between $14-25k (usd), with around 20% success rates. A couple schools like OIST or SOKENDAI give stipends to all students of ~$22k and ~$10k USD per year, respectively. | Covered by grants or a variety of fellowships (e.g, JSPS). 2) Just a note that I'm a US scientist currently a JSPS postdoc and it's an awesome program- highly recommend! And seems to give host faculty a lot of support 3) Seconding JSPS program!. 4) Salaries are similar to US ($40-50k), manageable in most cities. | ||
9 | Australia | Lecturer | Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor (associate professor can sometimes be a better approximation to US full professor) | Professor (more similar to chaired professor in the US) | Similar to UK system | |||||
10 | Italy | Researcher (ricercatore) | Associate Professor (Professore di II Fascia; Professore Associato) | Professor (Professore di I Fascia; Professore) | The "Researcher" positions are non-tenured. There are two types of "Researcher" - A and B - the first one being substantially a glorified postdoc. For the type B the university typically has to budget for the progression to Associate Professor. In this sense, the type B Researcher is the closest to a tenure-track somewhere else. In any case, getting a position in Italy is usually extremely difficult for those who are not in the system (or those who were in the system and then have pursued a career abroad), as almost always the internal candidate will get the position regardless of other candidates' CVs. 2) For the progression from RTD-B to Associate professor you also need to obtain the national scientific qualification (abilitazione scientifica), and the contract is not renewed after 3 years. Usually, only people that already have the qualification, or have very good perspective to obtain one in short time, are selected for the researcher positions. | Typically, no startup funds | PhD students are typically supported by fellowships assigned locally but paid through funds from the Ministry of Education/University. Normally, PhD positions are assigned through a competitive examination which requires the candidates to show up in person. It is not uncommon that more positions are advertised, compared to the ones there is funding for, then the (locally) top-ranking candidates will get the funded ones, the other ones will get no funding (or in some cases will have to pay) | They can be either funded through grants to the PI (in this case they are some form of working contract, sometimes very short), or through university internal funding. The latter are called "Assegni di ricerca" (in many, but not all, cases these tend to be assigned to internal candidates) | ||
11 | Germany | Junior Professor (W1; often but not always tenure-track), 100% Research group leader positions (at institutes like Max-Planck, EMBL), or Junior group leader positions (Emmy Noether Program / Volkswagen foundation / ERC Starting Grant) | ~Professor (W2) | ~Professor (W3) | "Lehrprofessur" (quite rare) or "Lehrkraft fuer besondere Aufgaben" | Junior professor is usually tenure-track (after positive review you become W2 Professor). I feel like W2 Professor is a bit "more" than "associate professor". 2) I was recently told that "group leader" corresponds to assistant professor in the US. Do others agree about this? 3) Yeah, "research group leader" with the aim to complete a "Habilitation" (another thesis that qualifies to apply to tenured W2 and W3 positions) is like an non-tenure-track assistant professor, which is still far (!) more common than a W1 professorship. 4) "Group leader" at Max Planck/EMBL is sort of like Assistant Prof, except explicitly you won't get Habilitation/W2 at the same place. It's more like being TT at Ivies with the assumption that you won't get tenure but can go anywhere after the 9 years. 5) @4 I partially agree. Group Leader positions at these institutes usually have 0% teaching obligation, but otherwise you might consider it to be similar. I specified and also added Junior Group leader positions funded by external grants (as they are rel. common). 6) I'm an English Max Planck group leader, relatively new to the German system. But my understanding was that Junior professors were usually NOT tenure-track, and would also be expected to move after 5 years. Not really any form of tenure-track in the German system, you take on a 5+yr "group leader fellowship" of some kind, during which time you also complete your Habilitation, and then apply for permanent professorships. Means that moving is often necessary at both ECR and mid-career stages. However if you are ok with the lack of stability/security :/ , the German junior group leader fellowships are awesome - great reseach budget for 5 years, 0% teaching, complete research freedom. 7) some more details here: http://academiclifehistories.weebly.com/blog/a-primer-to-the-german-academic-system 8) Agree with 6 regarding Junior Professors. I'm a new JP and the expectation is usually that you move universities after your 6 year contract. A benefit of Junior Professor is that you don't need a habilitation after, you can directly become W2. Junior group leaders aren't professors. 9) Max Planck Research Group Leaders are W2; but not permanent. Not sure how that fits with all the other comments here about Junior GL vs W2, etc. | Basically all German universities are public universties, there are no liberal-arts colleges. All universities have bachelor, master and PhD programs. Only such called "Fachhochschulen" (i.e. Universities of applied Sciences) usually don't have PhD programs and a higher teaching load ... but they usually lack an ecology/evolution program anyway. Anyone negotiating in Germany should join the DHV who will help explain the complex exceptions to the standard salary that can be negotiated and increase your salary by >10% (https://www.hochschulverband.de/). | |||
12 | Finland | Assistant Professor (Apulaisprofessori) | Associate Professor (Apulaisprofessori) | Professor (Professori) | There are some differences between universities, but generally 3-5 years at Assistant Professor level, then 3-5 years at Associate Professor, THEN tenure with promotion to Professor. Usually, new hires are hired at Assistant Professor level if within ~5 years of PhD, and at Associate Professor if >5 years. Years of parental leave don't count towards the yearly count (for this or towards the tenure year count). The tenure track system is a quite new thing in Finland, so things may change and the terms used are a bit murky. Note that "apulaisprofessori" can be used for both assistant and associate professor, so most universities just use the English terms. You may also run into the term "yliopistolehtori" which translates to something similar to "senior lecturer" and usually means a permanent position similar to associate professor, but might have more teaching. Some universities are converting these positions into associate professorships. There is also the term "dosentti" that means that someone can supervise PhD students and teach courses - note that this doesn't imply a permanent position, there are post-docs with the "dosentti" title (and some professors without, as some universities don't require it for teaching/supervising). | Startups are offered, usually with enough money to do research for 1-2 years and hire a post-doc or PhD student for 1-3 years. You are expected to get significant external funding from either Academy of Finland (the main national funding agency) or EU agencies (ERC, Horizon 2020, etc.). | Sabbaticals aren't super common (at least in my field), and those that I have seen usually come from external funding. | The M.Sc thesis (called "pro-gradu") is like an extension of the B.Sc - everyone is expected to complete it. PhDs are expected to be completed within 4 years (can take a bit longer, especially for field-based studies) and years taken off for parental leave don't count towards those years (quite common). Funding is usually either through private foundations (in the form of a tax-free grant) or within larger projects (in the form of taxable salary). There are slight differences in status if you are funded through a grant or or get a salary (salaried students are considered full employees, grant students something slightly less). It's also common that half of the PhD is funded by a grant and half on a salary. There are no tuition fees and salaries/grants are generally enough for a quite good standard of living. Students have to take 40-60 ECTS credits (depends on the university) which can be acquired through a book exam, courses, conferences, etc. You might see the words "jatko-opiskelija", "tohtorikoulutettava", "projektitutkija" to refer to PhD students. | ||
13 | China | Assistant lecturer/lecturer/Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor | NOTE: this info applies only to mainland China and NOT Hong Kong. In research-focused fields, titles can also be "assistant investigator" or "principal investigator" instead of Assistant/Associate Prof. Additional "research-track" positions are usually nested inside of TT professors' labs, and "teaching track" positions are as they sound. Startups are generally low to nonexistant at most schools, but top unis (Peking, Tsinghua, etc.) have been known to offer massive startups and salaries to foreigners and Chinese nationals working abroad to get them over there. Tenure systems are decentralized and depend on school, but are generally very inflexible. Top schools have strict limits on the no. of ppl at each level, making the process highly competitive, though promotion denial does not neccessarily result in job termination as it does elsewhere (though it still can, depending on the situation). Promotion process consists of written dossier, presentation followed by question/answer session. Promotion is available every 5 years but if you dont pass, you gotta wait at least another 2-3 years to re-apply. Publication record is by far the no. 1 factor in promition decisions and has very specific requirements at each stage. Also note, in many parts of China being a female academic (especially if with a family) may be a handicap, many institutes have very few female group leaders or Professors meaning academic committees are often entirely male, and the environment for women may range from non-supportive to in some cases discriminatory, if considering such a position as a woman look at the faculty make-up to identify if it will provide a conducive environment | Unlike a lot of states and/or countries, China has been making huge concerted efforts to expanding its higher education system and bringing it on par with other developed nations. To that end, start-up funds are generally offered (for the jobs being posted internationally). Salaries range from around $20k (USD) per year to >$100k depending on the school. Housing subsidies and performance bonuses are very common. Note, tax rates are high, so take-home salary may be a small portion of this | Sabbaticals are often not available for foreign staff | Systems are different between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Universities. Within CAS Associate Professors may be allowed MSc students, and Professors may be allowed PhD students, but the qualifications vary per institute, quotas on Chinese students are typically 1 per year, though if scholarships can be won foreign graduate students have no quota. The system for universities are different, though some Chinese universities will allow foreign faculty to only have foreign students. | Typically funded through research grants. Typical salaries are between $10k-$30k USD with some as high as $40k (rare). Despite these figures, it is a livable salary in most Chinese cities. Postdocs also often have a lower tax rate than faculty, so may actually lose salary if they are promoted to a faculty position | |
14 | Taiwan | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor | Lecturer/VAP | Similar to US system. Four-seven years before applying for tenure promotion to Associate Professor. Salary is set for national/public universities. Start-up money varies depending on the university or department. Students pay their own tuition, RA and TA-ships are most of the time available with varying stipends. The living cost is affordable, and houses are reasonable except in Taipei. International faculties are hired in some universities as international/ English courses are current trends. There are non-tenure track positions as well as in US. | ||||
15 | France | Maître de Conférence | Maître de Conférence | Professeur des universités | Chargé d'enseignement (temporary) or Professeur agrégé/certifié (permanent) | Faculty members are called "enseignants-chercheurs" (literally, teachers-researchers), which is often what job posting will read. After some years in the maître de conférences position, one may apply for a "habilitation à diriger des recherches" (habilitation to direct research, HDR) which allows them to supervise doctoral theses. The habilitation is a prerequisite for applying for a position of professeur des universités. | ||||