untitled

what is constitutively a demanding experi-

ence thoroughly unbearable.

When in your career to join is a delicate

question. Evaluations of grants have a much

larger impact than reviews of papers. But

study section members are much more visi-

ble than anonymous journal reviewers.

Rosters of study sections are available on the

net, and the author of a proposal will

inevitably guess (rightly or wrongly) which

two or three members are the most likely

reviewers. So people on study section can

feel exposed, and many members have been

blamed or (much less often) credited—

again, rightly or wrongly—by a colleague

for the disposition of a proposal. These cir-

cumstances frankly make study section

service problematic for junior people. Add

to that the time it takes and the level of judg-

ment and experience required. That’s why

many advise waiting until tenure to join a

study section, save for exceptional cases.

That’s a shame, because the learning part is

especially beneficial to young people, but

it’s probably sound advice.

There are many other aspects of study

sections that are important: how the reviews

are turned into numerical scores; what can

go wrong in study section, and why,

and who is responsible for making things

right; the ethics of reviewing; and more.

Dedicated, thoughtful members make all

the difference. ■

202 CAREER ADVICE FOR LIFE SCIENTISTS II

People on study section can feel

exposed, and many members

have been blamed or (much

less often) credited—rightly

or wrongly—by a colleague for

the disposition of a proposal.