Genius in a Lab Coat

Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 26, 2014 at 5:46am

Vania Cao: As a grad student I wrote for AWIS to hone my writing and to do something I loved; I also made scientific parodies for my fellow grad students. I wanted to share my last creative work with everyone here, especially those who are writing grants these days!

The current difficulty in securing grants seems to be yet another driver that is pushing many people, including intelligent and accomplished women trained in science, out of academia into other career tracks. Do you think the funding problem hits women harder than men due to unconscious competency biases, despite best efforts to keep names anonymous during grant reviews?
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http://www.vaniacao.com/

I think it's safe to say that getting funding is the bane of the scientist's career. One of the stressful but vital behind-the-scenes necessities of being a researcher, from the graduate student to seasoned professor level, is to write scientific proposals and grants in order to secure money for a research project or program. These grants supply the money for experiments, and the living wages that fuel scientists in their quest for data. Unfortunately, the acceptance rate of grant applications has been steadily getting smaller and smaller.

To all those applying for grants and facing rejection, may this parody help vent your frustrations and lift your spirits. Keep on keeping on and best of luck! (And share your thoughts on your latest grant application or scientific funding in the comments below!)
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This is my final science music video parody of my graduate school career, and is dedicated to all the people who helped me through those long nights in lab and made it possible for me to express my creativity through the lens of science! Never fear, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel!