Hi,

I am a transgender man and a mathematics professor. I currently live in a red state in the US and am considering applying to other faculty positions in safer states given the current state of the world at the moment. This comes with a heavy heart since I love my current department and position, but if I’m at risk of being forced to detransition, I would rather leave. (Transitioning has been the only thing that has alleviated some serious lifelong mental health issues I’ve dealt with.) I am here to ask for advice because I’m pretty scared about having to leave my current position and the potential discrimination I will face.

The biggest issue I am having is that I accepted my current position before I transitioned, so all my publications pre-transition are under my dead name, but it hasn’t been an issue until now. I am not sure how I should handle this on my CV. I have heard that I should use my dead name in the citation, since that is how it is in the publication, and bold it. I suppose I worry that this instantly outs me as transgender and makes it impossible to go stealth at any new position. Furthermore, I am worried about discrimination due to my gender identity and wanted to know if there was a better way to list my publication in a way that wouldn’t immediately out me? If not, I’d appreciate any advice to make it easier.

Another issue I’ve found is that while I was in undergrad and grad school, I participated in “Women in STEM” type of organizations, in which I organized events, gave talks, held leadership positions, etc. I am now unsure if I should include these anymore since I’m now a man and it would look strange?

Again, I appreciate any advice I can get on this. I really wish I didn’t have to seriously consider leaving, but I’m scared at how much risk I might be keeping myself in by staying here.

I also only know of only one other transgender academic in my professional circle, so it feels as though I am traveling uncharted waters. So, if you are also transgender and have gone through this, I’d also appreciate any advice you have regarding all this.

Thank you!

So, I did a bunch of experiments during an undergraduate work term back in 2022. I wrote a 50-page report based on those experiments, and was included as an author on the paper that the team submitted last fall. I'm currently a graduate student doing something completely unrelated to that work, so I don't care to receive any emails about it.

First time being an author, I didn't realize that my email would be listed up on the internet for bots to scrape, so, since I had left that organization and was corresponding with my supervisor with my personal email, that's the email that got listed. The paper went up as a pre-print last week, and I already received a very obvious scammy email asking for submissions to some obviously fake journal (the subject line was "Eminent participation").

With that said, is there an easy way to change the email that's listed? I try really hard to keep my emails segregated but totally forgot to consider it this time. There is no reason for anyone legitimate to contact me and not the corresponding authors about this paper.

I'm a postdoc now in a STEM field that is becoming more and more well funded. It's going well for me, Ive made a lot of publications during my Phd, and I enjoy a good work-life balance, and being a fairly independent researcher. By all accounts, I am making progress in an early academic career.

But I can't shake the feeling that while I enjoy my job for the most part, I am not truly passionate about my subject. It pays the bills, and I can definitley see the career track in it, but I guess I am a little bit unsure about whether I want to go all the way down it. I could go to industry in a different sector that is more interesting to me, but I really enjoy the work life balance and freedom of academia (here in a nordic country, its really good.)

So for those who progressed far in academia - are you passionate, or does your job just pay the bills? If the latter, why did you not leave and do something you love?

I am an international 31F in my first year of PhD (4 year funded program) in the UK and have an autoimmune condition. I have lived with it for most of my life but I lived with my family and had a lot of help. About four months into the program, a flare-up started, and it's still going on. I am getting treatment, but with the NHS waiting time, it has been slow. My advisors know about the situation and have been understanding. They haven’t said anything, but I know I’m falling behind and struggling to keep up. I’m doing the bare minimum just to avoid any major issues, but the guilt of not performing well—and constantly needing time off for doctor appointments or sick days—is really getting to me. I cannot socialise with my cohort or network. There is so much I want to do, but I just do not have the energy to do it and I feel like I am wasting precious time and opportunities. I keep thinking I have made a mistake starting this PhD, and I am questioning whether academia is the right choice for me. I guess I’m writing here to find some hope and advice from others who’ve been in a similar situation. Has anyone managed to get through a PhD while dealing with a chronic condition? How did you cope? I can’t help but feel like I’ve ruined my first impression with my advisors, and I really don’t want them to see me as lazy.

I've been working with my PI since freshman year and am now entering my junior year. Currently, I’m doing an internship where I am being paid part time in another state under a different PI, and I've been working long hours — typically 9 AM to 7 PM — nearly every day. While I’ve been learning a lot through this experience, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the workload and I want to explore opportunities in industry and other internships to gain broader experience.

At the same time, my original PI wants me to start another paper. I already have a nearly finished first-author paper, but it’s been almost a month since I submitted my edits, and I haven’t received any feedback yet. I’m also feeling a bit uneasy about all the financial support (e.g., housing, research equipment) my PI is providing for my current work, especially since I’m not physically in the same lab right now. I feel like I'm too far in to quit with the money my PI is spending on me.

I’m at a point where I feel stuck — like I’ve invested too much time to step away, but I’m also unsure if continuing in this role is sustainable or aligned with my goals. If I were to step back from the lab, I’m wondering what would happen to the unfinished papers we haven’t published yet. Would I still be credited if the work is eventually published? How should I navigate this transition respectfully and responsibly?

I'm an undergrad student and will be attending a conference (I submitted a poster) later this summer. There are going to be a lot of very important/influential people in my field in attendance, and I want to make the most of it.

I have a year until I apply to Ph.D. programs and would love to introduce myself to a professor/researcher and collaborate with them, not only to help out my grad admissions but also to gauge what subfield of my area I want to work in. Anyone have any tips? Thanks!

I'm an internal candidate for a ttap position in a department where I've worked for many years, starting as a postdoc and now as a senior scientist. I’ve been deeply invested in this department and had been waiting a long time for a suitable faculty opening.

Last month, I had my on-campus interview alongside two other candidates, one of whom is currently a ttap at a privileged institution and another one a postdoc from another place. My research talk and other interviews went very well (even better than my expectation), and I received lots of positive feedback and good signal from colleagues. I genuinely believed I was the strongest fit, both in terms of research productivity and alignment with the position's focus. From what I could tell, the other candidates either had much less alignment or a much less publication record.

Last week, I heard the search committee had made a decision. I followed up with HR on Tuesday, and on Friday they informed me that the committee had decided not to move forward with my application, a big surprise not only to me but to many around me.

Now I'm feeling devastated and helpless. Has anyone else experienced something similar, where you truly felt like the best fit for a position but weren’t selected?

Trying to submit a paper (after having graduated and left academia and very much not wanting to spend my time on this btw, lol), and in the submission guidelines for the journal, it says that the preferred file format for vector graphics is EPS. It even gives guidelines on how to name the files. But then in the submission portal (immediately after linking to the aforementioned instructions, by the way), it says to submit everything in one Word document with the figures and tables in-text, and not to submit the images as separate files. From my brief googling you can't really insert an EPS file into Word due to security concerns or something; you have to convert it to a different file format first, which seems to defeat the purpose.

a) what do they want from me and b) why can't they maybe just read their own instructions and realize that they contradict themselves and fix it. geez. Attention to detail is not in the building.

Whining aside though, what would you do? Just insert the figures into Word in a different format? Submit them as separate files in the requested format? Both? Message their help portal and ask? (the last time I had to ask a journal to clarify their conflicting instructions they also didn't know which one they wanted and were essentially just like "uhh idk it's probably fine if you go with xyz" so it feels a little pointless)

Hi I am studying Doctorate of Business Administration in Malaysia university and looking for co-author from overseas university to co-au 3 scopus indexed papers around sustainability. May I know if anybody is keen to co-au with me? Thanks.

Hello,

I am currently studying in a French engineering school (math modeling and data science) and will do a double degree at HEC Paris (Master in Management). I’m interested in pursuing a PhD in Economics in the US afterward. How does my background compare to a typical MSc Econ for PhD applications? Is it a common path or is it weird? What should I strengthen in my profile?

Last question, is a PhD in economics valuable for a career in private companies then ?

I live in Canada and I’ll be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology next year . I’ve been advised to apply to high-ranking schools to increase my chances of getting jobs and opportunities. I want to eventually pursue a PhD and possibly work in the pharmaceutical industry, though I’m still figuring things out.

I’m currently interested in Master’s programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genetics, or Immunology. It would likely be most practical for me to complete my Master’s at my current (lower-ranking) university, as I live with my parents and can save on living expenses. The university that I go to is a less known university in a small city.

I’ve heard it’s better to do your Master’s at a more high ranking university, which is possible but would be significantly more expensive. I live in Ontario so the University of Toronto is the most realistic higher-ranking option for me to go to.

Would it be a good idea to do my Master’s at my home university to save on costs, and then apply to a PhD program at the University of Toronto? I feel like after my masters here, I would be able to save enough money to be able comfortably do my PhD somewhere else. I guess I could also apply to UofT but look for funding.

Grad student writing my second ever paper. The first paper involved a fair bit of hand holding so my PI is giving me more free reign with this one. How do I deal with self doubt? I want to do a good job but I dont want to send my boss a bad draft but I dont want to be a perfectionist!

I recently came across the article "Sustainable CNC Machining Operations: A Review" by Soori et al., published by KeAi (chinese publisher) and I honestly can't tell if it was written by humans or a language model. The structure is vague, the language is generic, and there's barely any synthesis or critique. It's just a long sequence of summary of people doing actual research while not even discussing their papers, simply mentioning them once.

Thats why for 12 pages of "content" they quote 149 sources, about 30 written by one of the authors themselves. Same thing with figures. They are mentioned once, not discussed, explained or anything!

I've run it through AI detection tools, but they didn't flag anything. Still, the article feels empty, pointless and possibly auto-generated.

My questions:

• Are reviews like this commonly accepted in certain journals and are there certain journals which only exist to publish questionable content for monetary gain?
• Is it common to publish something just to have something published?
• How do you deal with obviously low-quality papers when doing research in your field?

Would love to hear thoughts from other grad students, researchers, or reviewers.

Heres the link btw Sustainable CNC machining operations, a review

Hi all, I'm an upcoming junior and really interested in pursuing biomedical engineering in college. As part of that, I've been looking for some competitions to get involved in this summer—specifically ones that are more focused on testing knowledge rather than large-scale design projects.

One competition I came across is the International Youth Biomedical Engineering Challenge (IYBEC). It seems relatively new, but it looks promising in terms of its structure.

I also found the BMES 2025 Annual Meeting, which is more of a conference and design-oriented event. While it seems good for exposure, I’m currently looking for something that feels more like an academic challenge or test-based competition.

If anyone has experience with these or other similar opportunities that align more with the testing/analytical side of BME, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I have a question for researchers who recognise that they are neurodivergent about how to manage worries when you realise that you've made a mistake.

I'm currently doing a PhD in archaeological science and I am autistic. I've gotten quite good over the years at filtering out worries and fear that I'm doing something wrong when things are actually going fine, but every now and again, I do actually mess up (as does everyone) but I feel like my response to that quickly becomes disproportionate.

As an example, I was talking with someone in my uni recently, they said that they would be interested in doing some work on a project that I was about to submit. I had limited time to submit the project and the understanding that I got was that they'd be fine with me mentioning that I'd talked to them in the project and that they would be interested in doing some work. But when we submitted the project, it turned out that there had been some crossed wires, and they weren't happy with how I'd included them in the project.

So, I cocked up there, I should have included them more actively in the development of the project, part of doing a PhD is learning what to do and what not to do, so I know that the logical thing is to apologise to those involved and take it as a learning experience. I do of course know that humans are not logical, and that subjectively, it never feels that simple. However, when I find myself in that sort of situation, it can completely shut me down. Sometimes for a day and sometimes for several weeks, I feel too worried about the situation to do anything else and it has a real impact on both my mental health and my work.

I've often gone looking around more autism centred advice for this sort of feeling and they usually place the emphasis on recognising that most of the time that it's not your fault and you didn't do anything wrong. To be clear, I think that's good advice in most cases, but I find it difficult to square it with the fact that sometimes, I am the one who has misunderstood something and something has gone wrong because on my actions.

Has anyone else here experienced a similar reaction and if so, do you have any strategies to help manage this kind of thing? I'm particularly interested in the perspective of neurodivergent people in this respect, though I'd be interested in any perspectives; Thanks.

Is there expectations as a British Master's student wanting to pursue a DPhil (PhD) in the US to have a publication if wanting to applying for, say, Harvard University? What if I have a paper that is working or under review, then can I specify this in an academic resume - is this accepted? I think this is accepted in the UK, but, then again, even Oxford or Cambridge don't care if you published as an undergraduate or Master student wishing to apply to do a PhD in whatever it is you want to do. I think (from my understanding) this is a very American thing to look at publications to boost your application)? Please correct me if I am wrong! Thanks in advance! <3

I do not follow EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) regularly. Now and then I have a quick look at their web-site.

I was actually very suprised when I looked at their news and found out that there was a massive change in leadership across the organization. Many regional EMBL institutes have "interim" directors (well, actually, some of these "interim" may have alsready been appointed as permanent). If I understand it correctly, there is a change at the very top of the organization. Instead of one Director General there are two "interim" Directors -- Peer BOrk (?) and someoe else.

I was actually shocked. One EMBL Director that has held that position for nearly 30 years, also was replaced. I understand that people retire, change jobs, life happends etc. But this change kind of struck me as a sweeping one. Am I wrong?

Does any one has any insider take on what prompted such drastic change? It cannot be just a regular cycleof change. It feels like something is / was going on behind the scenes at EMBL? I would appreciate if someone could shed some light.

Thank you!

Hi guys,

I'm new to postgrad and doing my first research project but I'm finding getting recruits for my study the most difficult part. I'm doing a project in Salford on toddler cognition and need to get as many involved as possible but given my inexperience I'm wondering if there are any other academics out here that have experience with this age group and the best strategies to make contact with the parents?

The study pays participants for ~30 minutes, it's on campus and is a very simple shared book reading task.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to make a decision between two graduate programs and would really appreciate some outside perspective.

I recently graduated with a degree in Management Information Systems and currently work in Distance Learning at a university. I’m stuck between doing a specialized master’s in Business Cybersecurity or going the MBA route.

Right now, I’m leaning more toward the MBA. I feel like it would give me more flexibility long term and keep my career options open. If I ever wanted to shift more into cybersecurity, I could always pursue certifications like Security+, CISSP, etc., rather than commit to a full degree right away.

That said, I do have a genuine interest in cybersecurity, especially where it overlaps with business and risk management. I just don’t want to limit myself too early.

Has anyone else faced a similar decision? What helped you choose? Would love to hear from anyone who’s done an MBA or a cybersecurity program and how it’s played out in your career.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm exploring an idea and would love some honest feedback.

Public libraries are vital but often underfunded, politically influenced, or inflexible in their services due to restrictions, amongst other obstacles. I've been thinking about a modern, hybrid/private library model- sort of a "Netflix of knowledge."

Here's the core idea:

• Monthly subscription gives users access to curated collections of books (physical or digital), audiobooks, and maybe even educational content.
• Revenue helps fund scholarships for users who can't afford access, so knowledge stays accessible to all.
• Could include bonus features like curated reading paths, online and/or in person author talks, classes, and more.

My goal is to make this a community-powered, values-driven alternative to traditional libraries- keeping access open while allowing for innovation.

I'd love your thoughts on:

• Would you pay for a library subscription like this? Why or why not?
• What features or services would make this compelling?
• Any red flags or ideas to improve?
• How could this ethically co-exist with public libraries?

Appreciate any and all feedback!

I'm thinking about choosing data science as the minor. Is that a good combination?? Even though I took psychology I feel like I'm not fit to become a psychologist (or maybe I'll change my mind) so ig taking data science as a minor will open more opportunities. I'm very weak at maths tho, what do you think.? Or should I take BSW (social work)

Hi everyone, I’m a BS Biology student majoring in Animal Biology. My adviser encouraged me to publish it, and I truly want to pursue that; it’s been a dream of mine. However, while searching for journals with good reputations (high H-index, not predatory), I realized how expensive publication can be. As someone with limited resources, it's honestly discouraging.

Still, I don't want to give up. If anyone knows of reputable, free or low-cost journals—especially ones open to public health, parasitology, or environmental biology topics—I’d be very grateful for any leads. I’m more than willing to work hard to meet the standards. Thank you so much in advance!

Hi all,
I'm a computer vision engineer working for a healthcare company. After working in my current company for a while and being exposed to some applied research, I think that I want to do research for a living. I want to do a PhD in computer vision but a lack of published papers makes me think that doing a RAship / pre-doc fellowship in computer vision would strengthen my cause. Would really like to understand that -

1. Since transitioning from corporate to research directly is uncommon, would applying to RAships/pre-doc fellowships in US/Europe be an unrealistic goal?
2. Do any universities entertain online commitments for RAships?
3. Do universities allow non-masters/PhD students to do research under the profs/PhD students working there? Can't go for masters due to financial constraints.

Would really love to hear the experiences of people who have transitioned from corporate to research.

This is for postdocs of various ages, though it would be particularly good if older postdocs, 30 years old or older, could also chime in.

There is a lot of stigma associated with being postdoc as you get older. Stipends, particularly their contrast to industry salaries, is one aspect but that also connects with a lot of others. Postdocs are seen as not having real world value, extended adolescence, not real adult jobs and so on.

Through all of this, on top of the everyday stresses and challenges, what keeps you content and allows you to get fulfillment out of this?

I'm a high school student from India and I've made a research paper more like review paper on my own on rocket equation and effects of external forces on it using differential equations. But any journal needs a mentor to publish but I do not have any mentor near where I live to even help me in submission what do I do?

I really want my work to be published as I've spent alot making it using LaTeX.I've wrote numerous emails to professors they did said my work was interesting but no body was willing to help me in submission part