News & Comment

In this career perspective article, the author describes her long pathway to a professorship in Germany.

Scientists try to answer questions, but scientific questions do not simply appear out of thin air. It is pivital for scientists to know in detail what questions they want to answer before they attempt to do so. However, formal and conceptual thinking that allow scientists to phrase and pursue meaningful questions are – to put it mildly – not at the top of curricula anymore. Every new generation must find new tricks to access resources, which usually are distributed among the parental generation. Adding formal thinking and conceptual awareness to their experimental work would give the next generation a huge advantage.

The transition from postdoc to junior faculty is exciting and uniquely challenging. On one hand, it allows for increased creative freedom and the opportunity to grow into an independent scientist. On the other hand, it comes with increasing administrative responsibilities, feelings of isolation, and high pressure to perform. The result is an environment that can leave very limited time for creative thinking and reflection. Here, we describe how participating in a program that allowed us to step out of our routine and work together helped us become more independent—and regain time to think.