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Observations the training pipeline Owen Gatley To prepare and retain a topnotch, diverse scientific workforce, trainees should be introduced to multiple career paths, according to a June report by the NIH Biomedical Workforce Working Group. One of those options—the staff scientist—could use a boost. Co-chaired by Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman (see “The Future of Science,” HHMI Bulletin, May 2011) and Sally Rockey, NIH deputy director for extramural research, the working group notes a decline in biomedical Ph.D.s in tenure-track faculty positions, and suggests modifying training programs to include diverse experiences relevant to the careers they are likely to find. HHMI investigators on the 14-member committee included Leemor Joshua-Torr and Richard Lifton. The typical academic laboratory consists of a PI and one or a small number of permanent technical staff, with the majority of the research carried out by trainees. This creates a system in which a large number of future scientists are being produced each year, well in excess of the number of research-oriented jobs in academia, government and industry. The working group believes that even a modest change in the ratio of permanent staff to trainees could have a beneficial effect on the system without reducing the productivity of the research enterprise. Staff scientists—individuals with master’s or Ph.D. degrees—could play a more important role in biomedical research (one that may become increasingly necessary if the market for biomedical researchers strengthens outside of the United States in coming years). Today, these scientists bring stability to many labs and provide important functions as part of institutional core facilities, but have a wide variety of titles and employment conditions. As an example, staff scientists constitute an essential part of the NIH intramural research program. In the extramural program, these scientists do not apply for their own grants, but are supported by research project, Center and Program Project grants. They should be differentiated from “soft money” scientists, whose employment depends upon their successful competition for research funds, a category that has been increasing over the last few years. The working group encourages NIH study sections to be receptive to grant applications that include staff scientists and urges institutions to create position categories that reflect the value and stature of these researchers. Excerpted from Biomedical Workforce Working Group Report, A Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director, National Institutes of Health, June 14, 2012.
fall ’12 vol. 25 · no. o3 12 18 Web-Only Content Meet some of the behind-the-scenes specialists who help modern science get done. Turtles and snakes and frogs, oh my! View the critters discovered during a herpetological survey at Janelia Farm. Read a Q&A with computer scientist Hanchuan Peng on developing sophisticated ways to make sense of biological images. Watch a fruit fly embryo develop and follow a dragonfly as it captures its prey, thanks to the latest developments in visualization techniques. Learn about the technology that lets researchers watch a heart grow, one vibrant cell at a time. 24 30 GO GREEN Prefer to receive your Bulletin digitally? Go to hhmi.org/bulletin/subscribe. Features cover story THE INDISPENSABLES 12 The backbone of most labs, these quiet heroes do it all and then some. avant garde scientist 18 With an outsider’s perspective, Leslie Vosshall has changed thinking about the meaning of olfaction— for humans and insects. THE FAT YOU CAN’T SEE 24 In growing numbers of people, the liver holds a hidden, dangerous store of fat. Finding the triggers is step one. the view from here 30 Unbounded creativity—and powerful computers—make possible the latest devices designed to peer into the deepest recesses of organs and cells. Departments PRESIDENT’S LETTER 03 Stabilizing Forces CENTRIFUGE 04 Good Stewards 05 Undercover Triathlete 06 Stepping into Sustainability UPFRONT 08 Push and Pull 10 Cancer’s Dead End PERSPECTIVES AND OPINIONS 34 Connecting Cultures 36 Q&A—What part of your job would people find the most surprising? CHRONICLE Science Education 38 Teaching Genomics, Plainly Institute News 40 HHMI Awards $50 Million to Colleges 40 Fifty International Students Get Support from HHMI 41 Medical Fellows Get a Chance to Try Research 41 2012 Holiday Lectures on Science— Changing Planet: Past, Present, Future Lab Book 42 The Yin and Yang of Plant Defense 43 Like a Chinese Finger Trap 44 Wiring the Brain Ask a Scientist 45 Why do we develop distastes for certain foods? Nota Bene 46 News of recent awards and other notable achievements OBSERVATIONS The Training Pipeline VISIT THE BULLETIN ONLINE FOR ADDITIONAL CONTENT AND ADDED FEATURES: www.hhmi.org/bulletin COVER IMAGE: CHRIS KING
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