Any research proposal I need to review and approve submission of any proposal that involves research, regardless of the funding agency or proposal length. Here are the reasons: 1. It will help you improve the proposal. In general, proposals that undergo a friendly review before submission to the granting agency have a better chance of […]
Planning
Lab policy: Two week turnaround time
Please allow me two weeks (i.e., 10 business days) to provide feedback on any writing, posters, or other material that you send to me. Letters of recommendation also require two weeks’ notice. You’ll need to plan in advance, because it essentially means that the hard deadline for any proposals, abstracts, etc is actually two weeks prior […]
What you need to be competitive for a faculty position
Faculty positions are extremely competitive in ecology (and most other fields). It is not uncommon for 200+ people to apply for one opening. Most of these applicants are qualified, so if you want a faculty position you must establish a truly exceptional record. Here are some goals to reach if you would like to be […]
Dissertation preparation
Structure of the dissertation When you are preparing your dissertation, be sure to follow the formatting requirements specified by the Graduate Division of UCI. The earlier you apply the formatting, the better. You don’t want to be revising your dissertation at the last minute just to re-format it. Also, when you submit your dissertation to […]
What do you need to be a successful researcher?
Passion for science and research —By far, this is the most important. It will help you maintain your motivation even during challenging times in your career (which will be more frequent than you’ll expect). One way to protect your passion for your research is to select research topics that are important to you. They should […]
Sample timeline for PhD students
Year 1 Read broadly and deeply in area of interest Apply for fellowships and student-oriented grants Develop plan for summer project (by April) Perform field or lab project in summer Year 2 Apply for fellowships and student-oriented grants Develop idea for dissertation research and begin writing dissertation proposal (by December) Complete formal literature review, meta-analysis, proof-of-method, […]