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128 CAREER ADVICE FOR LIFE SCIENTISTS II

Effective Time Management

Suzanne Pfeffer

Stanford University

W

hy is it so easy to become overwhelmed

by all of the projects that face us each day?

The world of email was supposed to make

life more efficient. It has made communication and

interaction much easier, but only encourages more

communication and interaction. Below are a few

effective approaches to time management for the

busy researcher.

My Work versus Their Work

An important aspect of time management is prioritiza-

tion. As a faculty member you will be asked to review

manuscripts, serve on grant review panels, and serve

on departmental, university, and extramural commit-

tees. As a graduate student or a postdoc, you may be

asked to teach others a new technique or to guide a jun-

ior protégé. All of these activities are important, but if

you fill your days with this category of work, your own

projects will surely suffer. No one gets tenure or a

research grant for excellence in committee service, and

original research findings are prerequisite for a Ph.D.

or successful postdoc experience.

A useful approach for faculty is to reserve most work

days (Monday through Friday, 9–6) for their own

work—doing experiments or helping lab members do

them, writing research papers, submitting grants, or

preparing lectures for courses. Of course it is important

to review manuscripts—this is an excellent way to keep

up with the latest findings. It is important to serve on

grant-review panels, after you are established. These

can be rich and wonderful opportunities for scientific

No one gets tenure or a research grant

for excellence in committee service.