Skills for a Scientific Life

Being, or wanting to become, a scientist requires academic training in the science subjects. To succeed as a research scientist and educator requires specific as well as general skills. Skills for a Scientific Life provides insight into how to be successful. This career book is intended for potential entrants, early career and mid-career scientists for a wide range of science disciplines.FeaturesOffers advice on specific skills for research article writing, grant writing, and refereeing as well as teaching undergraduates and supervising postgraduatesProvides helpful case studies resulting from the author's teaching and mentoring experienceContributes a specialemphasison skills for realizing wider impacts such as sustainability and gender equalityPresents several chapters on leadership skills both in academe and in government serviceConcludes with an emphasis on the authors overall underpinning of the topics from the point of view of ethics

Introduction. How do you know you are suited to be a scientist? Skills for a better researcher. How to recognize a good idea. How to make significant discoveries. How to write a successful grant proposal. How to assess research risks. How to set up, lead and care for your research team. How to publish one’s results. How to communicate your results. How to manage your time. How to avoid the travails of a research manager (or the pitfall of ending-up-not doing science). How, and when, to effect collaborations. Holding to a vision; including avoiding politics and carrying on regardless. Being a good science research citizen. How to referee grant proposals. How to referee science articles. How to write a balanced book review. Skills for a being an educator. How to teach your subject to undergraduates. How to supervise postgraduates. How to be a good Mentor. Skills for realizing wider impacts. Inventions and patents. Sustainability of Life. Gender equality. World Peace. Concluding remarks. Nature, nurture, conscientiousness and honesty.

John R. Helliwell is Emeritus Professor of Structural Chemistry, University of Manchester. He has a DPhil in molecular biophysics from the University of Oxford and a DSc in Physics from the University of York. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Biology and of the American Crystallographic Association. He was recently elected an Honorary Member of the British Biophysical Society.