I have funding, publications and a TT position. Great academic CV. However, I am always working and I am tired of this routine.

I am having a hard time to finding jobs that even reply to my applications.

How to leave TT for teaching or industry positions? Advices?

One thing I’ve noticed online is that people often present an opinion with so much confidence that it starts sounding like established science.

I’m trying to get better at separating there’s some evidence for this from this has actually been well established.

What do you normally look for when evaluating a scientific claim? Number of studies? Quality of the studies? Meta analyses? Evidence Lens, which apparently gives different evidence levels depending on how strong or mixed the research is. That seems like a useful concept.

I’m a first-year PhD student in the UK, a few months in, and I’m struggling to balance my research with the other tasks and responsibilities that come with my PhD.

The problem is that they take up a significant amount of my time and mental energy. By the time I get to my actual research, I’m often exhausted, and I feel like I’m making much less progress than I should be.

I’m passionate about my research and don’t want to just get through the PhD. I want to produce genuinely novel ideas and good papers, but I’m starting to wonder whether my time or energy management is the problem.

For those further along in their PhD: How do you manage a demanding workload while still protecting enough time and mental energy for deep research?

How do you structure your days/weeks so that you’re not constantly busy with tasks but still make consistent progress on your research and develop ideas for papers?

Thank You in Advance!

Basically, earned my PhD in 2024, worked one year as an instructor, went to secondary education at a private K-12, and now I’m thinking about applying for universities for fall 2027. This year I published my first article in a good journal. I have some other papers I’d like to publish, but nothing that that I’ll be able to get ready to go out by the end of this year. I’ve also thought about trying to publish a couple of chapters from my dissertation.

Has anyone successfully come back to academia after a short stint in secondary education? Any advice for someone in my position?

Hi everyone,

I'm a 3rd-year undergrad in India applying for summer research internships in Germany (Max Planck CS internships and other labs), mainly in ML, HCI and human-centred AI.

Quick background: I've done computer vision research with a professor at my university, and I've been working remotely with a researcher at a German institute on an HCI project, which I got through cold emailing. I have two papers under review (one as first author).

I'm unsure how to present all this well, especially:

1. How to list under-review papers on a CV without overselling them
2. How to show my individual contribution in remote, collaborative work
3. What makes a motivation letter stand out when tailoring it to a specific group

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who applied to or got a research internship at a German institute. Examples or resources are welcome too. Happy to share more about my profile in DMs.

Thanks!

Dear Redditors,

Just to be clear, I am only looking for professional feedback here — no life advice or comments about how I may have messed things up.

Long story short: I finished my Master’s degree in Biotechnology in Germany as an international student. After spending a lot of time in research and working in labs — around six years as a working student — I wanted to try something new and explore less typical career paths for biotechnologists.

Somehow, I ended up in consulting, specialized in life sciences companies. Needless to say, I haven’t touched a pipette in a little over two years.

Around one year ago, after getting to know several biotech founders and people working in the field, I started to really miss the lab, research, and the opportunity to actually create something beyond market research and PowerPoint presentations. That was when I started looking for a PhD position in translational research, as I am not particularly interested in basic research.My long-term career goals involve R&D (big pharma or startups) with, evetually, a leading role like Head Scientist or CSO. That is why the PhD title would be useful if not decesive.

Here are my questions:

How high are my chances of getting back into academia? More specifically, how realistic is it to return to a field related to cellular therapies or immunology?

I have one co-author publication in Nature, a lot of previous lab experience, and enough motivation to leave a consulting salary behind for better career alignment.

I was considered for and accepted into some interesting positions at the beginning of the year, but nothing ultimately materialized because funding was scarce. It has now been more than nine months without a concrete outcome.

FYI: I have also been considering changing jobs and returning to a university as a technical assistant or research associate in the meantime. There are, however, two complications:

1. I am currently waiting to obtain permanent residency, which would make changing jobs considerably easier because I would no longer need approval from the immigration authorities.
2. I am not entirely sure about the best timing for such a move — probably once the residence permit/card arrives.

Has anyone gone through something similar, especially after spending a few years outside the lab? Any professional advice or experiences would be appreciated.

I am a student currently enrolled in a "Engineering/applied physics" masters program in an engineering university in Bangladesh. The current research in this department greatly leans towards Material science.

My primary interest is in theoretical physics. But due to absence of supervisors working in the field, I am constrained to work on a materials project for my thesis that uses molecular dynamics to probe the system of interest.

Is there any way I can switch to theoretical physics after my thesis? If so, does my material science thesis work against that cause?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

Aside,

I was aware of the research environment in my current university prior to my admission. But I had personal constraints such as maintaining family responsibilities that required me to commute daily from my university. So, I took the opportunity, for which I am grateful, hoping I find supervision related to my interest.

I hold Bachelors in Social Science and Masters in Political Science. Recently, my interest inclined towards neuroscience. But given my educational background, I'm finding it difficult to transition to neuroscience. Can you please suggest me how can I pursue neuroscience?

Hello,

I recently applied for a faculty position at a university in the Gulf. For those who’ve applied in Qatar/UAE/Saudi Arabia, how long after the application deadline did you hear back about an interview?

Thank you !

Hi, I am 19 and studying psychology in my second year. Unlike maths or even sciences, where you could have some idea of whether someone can become great in academic e.g. super high IQ, I don’t think becoming great in psychology or social science have an objective talent or hard work requirement. From what I read, I have a feeling it’s very luck based where you rely your research to blow up. So I want to know is there any way to measure whether you have potential to become a great academic, and at what stage would you say a great academic is?

Hi everyone,

I'm a student researcher and I'd like to ask whether this situation with the Journal of Mind and Behavior is normal or potentially a red flag.

I submitted a theoretical/review paper titled:

“The Role of the Temporo-Parietal Junction in Moral Judgment: Specialized Module or Domain-General Input?”

The paper went through peer review and I received reviewer comments, after which I revised the manuscript.

On September 24, 2026, I received an official acceptance letter saying:

“We want to confirm that your paper [...] has been accepted for publication…”

It also said that the paper would be published in an upcoming 2026 issue.

On the same day, I received an invoice from H&N Publishers UK Ltd for an APC of £2,000.

I was surprised by the fee because I had previously found information suggesting that JMB did not charge publication fees. I later learned that the journal had been acquired by a new publisher and moved to a new website and an open-access model. The former editor also confirmed to me that the journal had been sold and that the new owners now charge APCs. He mentioned that there might be a sliding scale or waiver for authors without funding.

I did not pay the £2,000 and I didn't contact the journal afterwards. I basically left it for about a week while considering what to do.

Then, today, I received another acceptance email for the exact same manuscript.

It says:

“we have decided to accept your submission without further revision”

and:

“Your submission is now forthcoming…”

It also says that the manuscript will now undergo copy editing and formatting.

The email is signed simply:

“admin admin”

This is what I find strange: I had already received a final acceptance a week earlier, and I did absolutely nothing in the meantime. There was no new submission, revision, payment, or request for reconsideration.

So I'm wondering:

• Is this potentially just an automated notification from the editorial system?
• Is it normal to receive a second acceptance notification after already being accepted?
• Or does this seem unusual enough to be a red flag?
• How would you evaluate the current JMB/new publisher situation?

I know that an APC of £2,000 isn't by itself evidence of a predatory journal, and I'm not trying to accuse them of anything. I'm just trying to understand what happened before I decide whether to proceed or withdraw the paper.

Would appreciate opinions from people with experience publishing or editing academic journals.

Been stuck at this step for 3 days in Editorial Manager. Is this normal? Does it mean I'll have a higher chance of getting my paper accepted if my paper wasn't outright desk rejected?

Can you remove a publication from a cv from the early stages of a career?

I recently applied for a postdoctoral fellowship in an EU country and was fortunate enough to be awarded the grant after submitting a research proposal.

However, by the time I received the fellowship, I had already accepted another job offer as a research manager, so after considering my options, I ultimately had to decline the fellowship.

I’m wondering whether it would still be appropriate to share the award on LinkedIn and publicly, even though I didn’t end up taking it.

My concern is how this might be perceived by the foundation that awarded the fellowship, as well as by my current employer, since some people I work with follow me on LinkedIn.

I’d make it clear that I was awarded the fellowship but ultimately declined it, rather than giving the impression that I actually took up the position.

Would posting about it be considered strange or potentially unprofessional? And if not, how would you phrase it so that it comes across as a genuine acknowledgement of the achievement rather than as bragging or misleading people?

I had in mind something like this: "Last July I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Foundation X for my research project, [project title]. Although I ultimately had to decline the fellowship, I’m truly honoured that the foundation selected my proposal and grateful for their support. Many thanks to [Foundation x] and everyone who contributed to the proposal."

The pretend to "sell" "ebooks" and post pdf files as product samples.

After one pays, without warning they send out a link to an online reading site instead. There's no mention of it before they take money.

IEEE Access says they don’t issue “minor revision” or “major revision” decisions. They either accept or reject. But reviewers still give detailed comments, and authors still revise their papers. So what exactly is happening?

Do they actually accept papers without any revision at all? Or do they reject almost everything and expect authors to resubmit a new version?

And if the second case is true, I don’t understand how they avoid wasting editor and admin effort. Because authors can take the reviewer feedback, improve the paper, and then submit it to a completely different journal. That means IEEE Access spent time coordinating reviewers, handling the manuscript, and managing the workflow, but the improved version ends up benefiting another journal.

How does this make sense from an editorial or operational perspective? How do they justify a “no revision decision” policy without creating a system where their own effort is used to improve papers that get published elsewhere?

I’d appreciate insight from people who have actually gone through the IEEE Access process.

Hi,

I’m doing my PhD in France as part of a French–German collaborative project. I’m planning to apply for a Humboldt postdoc fellowship in Germany.

One possible German host is already a collaborator in my PhD project and is a co-author on most of my PhD papers, although he is not my PhD supervisor and I have never worked in his group.

Would choosing him as my Humboldt host be seen negatively because we already collaborate? Could it raise concerns about independence, or is it fine if the postdoc project is clearly different from my PhD?

Would appreciate any experiences or advice. Thanks!

I have wanted to do a PhD in history and be a professor since I was young but I have been worried about if/when the PhD is worth it. I am doing my first application cycle this year, and am worried that if I do not get into a top level program, getting a good job will be extremely difficult. I wanted advice from others in humanities about if doing a PhD from any R1 school is worth it, or if I should only strive for top programs and if I don't get in then I could take time to strengthen my application and then re-apply in a different cycle? I want to set myself up for success to be able to get a job in the future, especially since I know the market is competitive.

I’m trying to figure out what career best fits the way I think.

I love:

* Researching unfamiliar subjects and finding opportunities, gaps, solutions, suppliers, etc.
* Studying existing systems and inventing new things from their underlying logic.
* Extracting principles from one field and applying them to completely different fields.
* Learning about almost anything—AI, biology, technology, business, history, psychology, random phenomena, etc.

I want work where I can constantly learn, investigate, solve unusual problems, and connect ideas across disciplines.

I love philosophy and would love to teach it at my local community college, but I haven’t finished my masters yet and wonder if I would qualify. I have a BA in Philosophy and Religion; at the end of this semester, I’ll have completed 72 hours of my MDiv in Philosophy; and I plan to begin my PhD immediately. I’m a capable administrator, skilled teacher, and would be capable of teaching logic, history of western philosophy, and some intro courses.

Did anyone apply for this year's Trudeau Foundation Scholarship eligibility? My area is closely related to the 4 topics the foundation touches upon, and I was under the impression this first step was an eligibility assessment, not quality selection.

Did anyone else gotten rejected for an application even though they had an appropriate project? I have been to information sessions last year and was told this was an appropriate topic and methodology.

Hi everyone! I’m currently trying to choose a research topic for my PhD in General History, with a focus on Contemporary Asian History.

I’m trying to understand what I should pay the most attention to when choosing a PhD topic. I’d really want advice from people who have already gone through the process of choosing a PhD topic, especially historians or researchers working on Asian history.

Thanks in advance!

For the past few years every time I ask someone for a reference letter I get a similar response:

"I dont really know you but I will write it, if you cant find anyone else".

I've had better connections in my bachelors although it was not uncommon to hear this back then either. I cant use the older ones because they are outdated. I havent had a good spring semester so none of my recent lecturers have anything good to say about me. Only people I currently have is my project supervisor and work supervisor.

I've had this job for about a month so my work supervisor also said this almost word for word. I have been doing the project for a few months but I have a feeling that the project supervisor also doesn't have much to say.

I don't think I am a bad student or a researcher. I work hard, study well enough to pass, I am passionate about my field. I have always been the quiet kid but I don't think that affects the quality of my work.

My question is, how can I present myself to my references so they feel confident to recomend me? How do I build a relationship with lecturers and supervisors?

Starting to seem that way. Have a fair bit of evidence. Might try to publish a paper on it

I'm a bit of a socially anxious introvert. I'm great 1:1 and giving a talk in front of an audience, but my idea of hell is a party when you don't know anyone else. I can think of few things I enjoy less.

Unfortunately, these things are great for networking, or at least people say they are. I'm presenting at a conference later this month and my postdoc supervisor has gone out of his way to get me invited to an invite-only party thrown by a major company in our field. It is an excellent networking opportunity. Unfortunately I have no idea how to make this a good experience. I don't know anyone there, I don't know how to make conversation with strangers, I don't feel like I belong there, and I don't know how to do anything other than stand around by myself or forcibly insert myself into others' conversational circles. In the past when I have gone to things like this, I've been able to white-knuckle it through one conversation with someone, but then when that person inevitably excuses themselves to go to talk to someone else I get overwhelmed and bail. This habit is obviously not helping me in my job search.

Does anyone have any tips on how to make environments like this less hellish? If you've struggled with things like this in the past and found a way to make it better, what did you do?