MIT Conference on a Path to Professorship (2023)

DAY 1: 11/18/23

opening remarks

  • women are underrepresented as professors
  • 36% of all professors in US are women
  • at MIT - 24% 2020 - science - women faculty

work-life balance in academia:

  • panelists: debbie chachra; megan nunez; farmaz niroui
  • flexibility
  • at work, every minute counts
  • harder to draw boundaries these days
  • birth control + the 401k - what women have today.
  • you can’t spend your whole life waiting for life.
  • every to-do list is a negotation with mortality
  • how you spend your days is how you spend your life
  • JUST ASK
  • you’ve probably learned a lot already about how you like to manage your time
  • learn to balance two objects before someone throws you a chainsaw

what type of institution is right for you

  • making a case for canada..
  • small liberal arts schools: mentorship programs + close relationship with professors
  • teach at a community college during postdoc?
  • “how to each whtat you don’t know” - book

what type of institution is right for you

  • indeed.com
  • capd at MIT - workshops for going thru research statements
  • you’re looking to craft your own story
  • your story is something you’re going to build over a lifetime
  • it’s going to be hard to talk at length about something that doesn’t interest you
  • spending time in a postdoc is a unique opportunity to define your own research trajectory (separate from your mentor)
    • it’s in your best interest to differentiate yourself early on, because of your mentor’s PI
  • hiring committee wants to be awakened:
    • what strikes the fire in your belly
    • good, clear crisp writing (person reading it will be happier)
    • is this an enthusiastic applicant?
  • who would you collaborate with in this department?
  • faculty are looking for colleagues

applying

  • always commmunicate with the chair of the search. ask who you are meeting
  • interviews work both ways. you are interviewing the institution and the people who are part of it as much as they are interviewing you.
  • do your homework about the institution. take notes about every person you’re going to meet, and prepare 1-2 questions to ask each person you are meeting with.
  • be genuine and sincere.
  • you’re lucky if your search committee has read most of your materials. do not assume that everyone knows everything already.
  • how does the department align with your long and short term goals. prepare interviews by identifying what skills/experience you can bring to the department.
  • what kind of interview is this?
  • screening interview: 30 min chat.
  • you can reach out to search chair and ask questions about the format. sometimes you get the interview questions in advance. often you do not.
  • show interest through your questions.
  • committee wants collegiality.
  • common interview questions:
    • why do you want this position?
    • why are you interest in our dept/institution?
    • tell us about your research - where will you take it next?
    • tell us about your teaching - what would you like to teach here?
    • what type of service have you done/would be interested in doing?
    • what questions do you have for us?
    • what is your 5 and 10 year goal?
  • tips:
    • use transition “for example” - show specificty
    • connect what you are doing now in research to future work
    • i have taught x. I would like to teach y. undergrad adn grad. have an answer for an intro class.
  • 45 min presentation and 45 min Q&A from audience
  • have slides with clear research question(s), lit review, methods, findings, contribution of work
    • cite research of faculty in dept of interviews if they have published research on that topic.
    • quite possible that the audience doesn’t know your research - they might not have shared knowledge (first few slides, what’s your research about)
  • include slide on research trajectory, how current talk connects with future research, and dept of interview
  • anticipate the questions and prepare answers for questions you may receive from the audience.
  • don’t be shy in asking for help!!!
  • nobody wants to see your life, they just want to see you as a scientist – really?
  • practice: elevator pitch. elevator pitch. elevator pitch.
  • in person interview logistics and tips:
    • interview begins the moment you arrive.
    • be prepared to talk all day about you and your work.
    • show enthuasiasm for your work. if you are not excited, no one else will be.
    • be a good listener and ask questions. be enthusiastic about your potential colleagues’ work.
  • lunch meeting with grad students: don’t let your guard down.
  • cautious on personal matters.
  • yes, dress the part.
  • send thank you emails. who to?
  • teaching demonstration (if applicable) - you need to find this out from the search committee.
  • interview tips:
  • DO:
    • ask questions about mentorship to advance to tenure, infrasturture for research support
    • have ideas on what classes you may teach in the dept (look at course website)
      • don’t offer a class they’ve never taught before
    • think about thow your work intersects/aligns with others in the dept
    • be genuinely interested in the students you interact with.
  • DON’T:
    • be over enthsiastic or too effusive in your praise
    • be too shy or silent at semi-social events (e.g., meals)
    • pretend to remember every detail you hear, take notes
    • compare the institution to your current or comparable instituion explicitly
    • provide your “expert” opinion on methodology or science that contradicts your to-be colleagues
      • in response to “i already this” - respond diplomatically
      • i disagree with your x paper - respond diplomatically
  • when you’re interacting with faculty:
    • be interested in their research
    • good if you can ask an insightful question or two, point out area of overlap, potential collaboration
    • meetings with faculty, mgiht be focused on teaching or research
    • meals are less formal, but remember you are still being interviewed.
  • faculty will ask:
    • what kind of students do you want (their backgrounds)
    • will you do all this work yourself (in your lab) or will you collaborate with others, what will their contributions be?
    • what is the biggest problem/question in your field?
    • how will you demonstrate independence from your advisor?
    • what can you teach? what would you like to teach?
    • what do you think is important for students to learn?
  • interactions with the department chair/dean
    • what does it take to do your research?
    • what kinds of resources or specialized (expensive) equipment do you need?
    • do you have other interviews? (timing and competition)
    • what would it take to persuade you to take this job? (this is the time to bring up a spouse or other special issues)
    • how big do you want your lab to be (students and square footage)
    • how much start-up funding do you need? do your homework; what are typical recent start-up requests for this type of instituion. make sure you can get what you need to be successful, but a completely out-of-line request could take you out of the competition. be sure you can justify everything you request.
    • what salary do you want? do not give a specific number, say something like “i’m sure a potential offer would be a competitive salary”
  • interactions with adminostrators/HR
  • after the interview, send emails to everyone:
    • colleagues you met as well.
    • definitely the chair of the search committee
  • can use “after the interview” as a delay tactic

negotiating

  • starts before you get the offer
  • put together a spreadsheet and send it back and get feedback
  • chair of the dept wants you to get everything you want, but they have to negotiate on your behalf.
  • will i be able to get tenure with this package?
  • will i be able to live on this salary?
  • do i actually want to work at this place?
  • ask for summer pay
  • you don’t need a partner in academia to negotiate
    • the university can help your partner elsewhere
  • one-on-one advise for negotiating on handshake (capd)

building a professional network and reputation

  • networking cheatsheet
  • walk through open doors and take advantage of new opportunities
  • it’s really important to have a single tag line that people can remember and take back with them
  • ellen roche: make networking a part of your day-to-day rather than a chore
  • flip a coin and whatever your gut reaction tells you is what you really feel

DAY 2: 11/19/2023

research statements

  • simona rosu, phd - srosu@mit.edu - senior assistant director - postdoctoral career and professional development
    • good contact for reviewing research statement
  • goals:
    • convince the search committee that you have intersting, exciting, impactful research ideas
    • you have the track record and experience to carry it out
    • you have well thought-out plan/specific project ideas to get started (what would you do in the first few years)
  • know your audience:
    • tenured and TT faculty - in and outside of hiring dept.
    • members are often over-committeed and busy
    • may/may not be familiar or interested in your field
    • trying to get a quick picture of you and your research
  • make it easy for them!
    • everything should be easy to read, clear and polished (content and format)
  • content:
    • background and significance (introducting the big ideas/questions/challenges) - why is this an important topic
    • brief overview of past and current research
      • key accomplishments: approaches, results, and signifiance
      • highlight related publications, fellowships/awards
      • consider relevance to future research proposal
    • future research (3-5 years and vision) - longest chunk of statement?
      • long-term vision, major strategies and approaches, expected impact
      • specific projects/plan for the next 3-5 years
      • mention potential funding sources
      • mention interest in potential collaborations (in and outside institution)
  • two common ways to organize statement:
    • chronological:
      • intro and vision
      • past research (accomplishment 1 and 2)
      • future research (project 1 and 2)
      • conclusions/outlook
    • thematic:
      • intro and vision
      • theme 1 (past and future research)
      • theme 2 (past and future research)
      • themes shouldn’t depend on each other (ideally) - you could still do theme 2 if 1 fails
  • what you are trying to convey:
    • importance of your research
    • focus (well thought out plan)
    • independence (how does it differ from current and past mentors)
    • creativity
    • realism (acknowledgement of possible limitations and alternatives)
    • clarity
    • fundability
    • appropriate scope for type of institution (fit)
      • explicitly comment on why research is well-suited for undergraduates
  • formatting and tips:
    • length varies by field and position (3-5 pages)
    • make it easy to “skim” - use descriptive title, use section headings, use visuals (key figures/diagrams), avoid long, convoluted sentences, be clear and direct
  • writing tips:
    • use active voice (e.g., I developed..; My research group will..)
    • avoid ambiguous “we”: clarify your contributions and acknowledge collaborations (e.g., I developed method X. My collaborators applied method X to show..)
    • make it clear when you are talking about your proposal vs. general background
      • problem X is important..I could use approach A to address this problem
    • writing to communicate to a broader audience
      • explain any key terms and concepts
      • avoid jargon when possible; avoid overuse of abbreviations
    • walk your audience through it - be explicit (don’t assume it’s obvious)
      • comment on the significance, rationale, impact of your approaches
      • why are you choosing these questions/problems?
      • why are you choosing these approaches?
      • what is unique/novel about your proposal? how does it differ from others in the field?
      • what is the expected impact?
    • general advice:
      • start early
      • reflect on your vision
      • get feedback from faculty, peers, and other professionals (inside and outside your field)
      • practice communicating your science (inside your field; outside your field; research slam)
    • question / answer / approach
    • touch on grad and postdoc work
      • you can choose to spend more time on certain parts of your work (grad vs. postdoc work)
      • what pieces of your work has been published - if your postdoc work is early on, you still want to talk about accomplishments (papers etc.)
    • ask peers for feedback / ask people within/outside your network for feedback
    • writing and communications center can give you feedback
    • majority of future research section in research statement - what you plan to do, but you can also talk about potential collaborations that you’ll have with faculty in the dept.

funding

  • k99 grant - path to independence