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Meetings New Phytologist next generation scientists The ‘New Phytologist next generation scientists’ meeting (http:// newphytologist.org/symposiums/view/26), aimed at Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the plant sciences, took place on 29–30 July 2014 at the world-class John Innes Conference Centre (JIC) in Norwich, UK (Fig. 1). In organizing and funding a conference for the next generation scientists, the New Phytologist Trust highlighted its commitment to, and investment in, ECRs. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, it is important to prioritize the development of innovative support schemes for ECRs, networking researchers across disciplinary and sectorial boundaries and fostering research independence. There are increasingly proactive initiatives to support ECRs and to encourage individuals to embark on a plant science research career. What do ECRs need? Funding, collaborations, and publications. The next generation scientists meeting focused on all of these areas and attracted 92 ECRs from around the globe. In terms of immediate funding, the meeting demonstrated the New Phytologist Trust’s commitment to investing in ECRs in plant science. By subsidizing the entire event in conjunction with the academic publishing company Wiley Blackwell (http://www.wiley.com) to include the costs of subsistence and accommodation, as well as the provision of travel grants, the Trust was able to open the event to many researchers who perhaps could not easily afford the majority of plant science conferences. In terms of collaboration, the unique aim of the conference was to provide the next generation of plant scientists a chance to share their work with their peers and outstanding international scientists in a stimulating, supportive and exciting environment. The opportunities for delegates to present and discuss their work via oral and poster presentations provided a training ground for networking and honing one’s dissemination skills – a natural part of any conference, but one that can be fraught with anxiety and self-doubt (Vaught, 2014). The ample coffee breaks and the availability of fine local icecream and JIC ales in the evening’s social event worked wonders to relieve the social awkwardness that can hold back ECRs from fully engaging in the sharing of scientific ideas. These moments, the free time built in to the conference schedule, are critical to building collaborations with peers and receiving advice and feedback from more senior academics. In this way, the next generation scientists conference provided a forum for ECRs to develop core skills essential for their career, outside the laboratory and away from the field, and as New Phytologist’s Editor-in-Chief, Alistair Hetherington (2014) noted ‘to form friendships and collaborations that will endure throughout their careers’. 736 New Phytologist (2014) 204: 736–737 www.newphytologist.com
To address publications, the workshop entitled ‘How to get your work published’, run by Chris Surridge, the editor of Nature Plants (http://www.nature.com/nplants/) and Alistair Hetherington (2014); provided an entertaining and honest appraisal of the manuscript submission and peer-review process from the insider’s perspective. Understanding this daunting yet critical makeor-break factor in the academic career path, often left to the judgement of the senior academic, can empower ECRs and give them more control over their independent development. The four Keynote speakers, Professors Charles Godfray CBE FRS (Oxford, UK), Kirsten Bomblies (Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA), Philip Benfey (Duke, Durham, NC, USA), and Sarah O’Connor (JIC, UK) provided esteemed voices of experience, breadth and depth of knowledge from diverse disciplines, and presented cutting-edge science for ECRs to aspire towards. Academic role models are an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of personal development, scientific training and career pathways, who provide a source of inspiration, information, and support for ECRs. Professor Godfray’s talk on sustainable intensification hammered home the critical need for plant science and, significantly, the importance of the next generation of plant scientists in tackling the major issue of food security in an unpredictable world of climate change and human population expansion. Professors Benfey and Bomblies underlined the importance of genetic models in their talks; exploiting their extensive molecular and bioinformatic resources to approach very different plant questions. Professor O’Connor provided a fascinating insight into natural product discovery and the beginnings of plant metabolic engineering – a field which offers mind-boggling opportunities. In addition to the plenary lectures, delegates were treated to two talks by the joint 2013 New Phytologist Tansley Medal winners JingKe Weng and Li-Qing Chen (http://www.newphytologist.org/ news/view/23). Dr Weng (Whitehead Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA) provided an entertaining and clear examination of ‘messiness’ and promiscuity in plant metabolic pathways, while Dr Chen (Carnegie Institution, Stanford, CA, USA) described her ground-breaking studies on SWEET sucrose transporters and their diverse essential roles throughout the plant. The platform given to these exceptional ECRs at the next generation scientists conference was also very inspiring and highlighted the Tansley Medal’s aim of recognizing outstanding contributions of early-stage plant scientists. The next generation scientists meeting’s emphasis on poster sessions, selected poster talks, and poster prizes further demonstrated the conference’s focus on ECRs and their development (Fig. 2). The selected poster talks provided a great atmosphere for ECRs to present their research to a large and knowledgeable crowd, giving them the experience of fielding questions, and providing great exposure. The excellent calibre and broad range of posters on display emphasized the international and cross-disciplinary nature Ó 2014 The Authors New Phytologist Ó 2014 New Phytologist Trust
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Fig. 1 Introduction – New Phytologist next generation scientists.
Fig. 2 Poster session.
of the event (Fig. 3). First prize poster winner Shanta Karki (IRRI, Philippines) provided a brilliant overview of recent advances in the C4 Rice project and its aim to alter the biophysical structure of the rice plant (http://c4rice.irri.org/). The four runners up, Hannah Kuhn (RWTH Aachen, Germany), Jack Lee (Durham, UK), Shane Rothwell (Lancaster, UK), and James Rowe (Durham, UK) presented their research on pathogen resistance, chromatin remodelling, liming in agriculture, and root osmotic stress, respectively. Poster sessions can be disheartening experiences for post-graduates and ECRs – standing alone waiting for passers-by to show some interest in their hard work – but the next generation scientists’ format, with plentiful food and drink and ample time and space for informal chats, made for a vibrant and interactive atmosphere. The success of the event is encouraging for ECRs and it will hopefully be a springboard for excellent scientific collaboration and for ongoing crucial early career support to our scientists. The grand measure of success for this event and for similar initiatives is the strengthening of UK, European Union (EU), and global plant research networks. To achieve this, we must support and find additional financial backing for future meetings for ECRs, a viewpoint voiced by Keith Lindsey, Chair of the New Phytologist Trust, as he closed the meeting. Participants were asked to propose activities that they might find useful at subsequent next generation scientists events. For example, should they extend the focus of the
Ó 2014 The Authors New Phytologist Ó 2014 New Phytologist Trust
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Fig. 3 New Phytologist next generation scientists – delegates, speakers and organizers.
publication workshop and run workshops on funding schemes targeting key stages in the early academic training pathway? These workshops could also provide crucial advice on establishing and strengthening smooth national and international collaborations and could be run in partnership with Research Councils UK (RCUK) and EU funders, for example. It would also be beneficial to encourage mentorships between ECRs and more senior academics, and encourage more communication with, and support from, academics outside of the immediate research environment. These relationships could spark new collaborations and mentoring relationships which could help ECRs’ mentors act as pre-reviewers for papers, grants and fellowship applications. The next generation scientists meeting’s smooth organization and the JIC/University of East Anglia (UEA)’s campus setting provided the ideal space for this dialogue. We hope that it will allow plant science to blossom for many years to come!
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Julia van Campen and Marjorie Lundgren for comments and suggestions about the report. Caspar Chater* and Julie Gray Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK (*Author for correspondence: tel +44 7812179461; email
[email protected])
References Hetherington AM. 2014. Editorial: New Phytologist next generation scientists. New Phytologist 204: 731–732. Vaught MV. 2014. How I learned to stop worrying and love meeting people. Science. [WWW document] URL http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/ previous_issues/articles/2014_03_12/caredit.a1400063 [accessed 6 October 2014]. Key words: conference, Early Career Researchers (ECRs), New Phytologist, plant science, next generation, symposium.
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