MedZilla ( www.medzilla.com), online since 1994, has established itself as a true "stayer" in the world of job databases. Boasting more than 85,000 visitors every month, MedZilla lists job openings for professionals in the fields of biotechnology, health care, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and science-related industries and has an impressive list of industry clients in these areas, mostly in the Uni...
The promise of great science, new people, different cultures, more funding opportunities, and more coins in the pocket are just some of the reasons why many Canadian postdocs are leaving their homeland each year. In the coming weeks, we will hear from several Canadians who have left our soil for greener pastures. They'll write about how they arranged their postdocs. And they'll describe how the t...
If you are one of the many researchers that have been madly writing equipment grant applications for the upcoming Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) competition, you may have received a nasty little surprise last week. It seems that NSERC is running out of money, and fast. Last week, NSERC President Tom Brzustowski posted a memo on the organization's Web site, stating that N...
Young scientists are often taken by surprise when peer review first drops into their lap. Although this time-honored process by which scientists advise editors on the importance of scientific manuscripts submitted for publication is a central component of academic research, few graduate students or postdoctoral fellows receive any formal exposure to peer review. So what do you do when an editor c...
Classified? Not really. Top Secret? No longer. Converging technologies--they're what bioengineering is all about today. From microprocessor-based medical devices and rehabilitative engineering to implantable devices and biomaterials, bioengineering is that branch of applied science that integrates physical, chemical, and mathematical sciences and engineering principles in the study of biology, me...
Postdoctoral fellows at Canada's largest university will soon find themselves facing better working conditions and--finally--official status. On 27 June, the University of Toronto's (U of T's) Governing Council endorsed a proposal whereby postdocs would be considered as "trainees," begin receiving benefits (a dental and drug plan and access to athletics facilities) "at a favourable rate," and rec...
Earlier this week, Finance Minister Paul Martin delivered his much anticipated budget, with billions slated for new security initiatives and infrastructure. But Martin's budget also reiterates the government's commitment to sticking to its Red Book promise of supporting science and technology, with the announcement of a handful of new funding initiatives and budget increases. Regarding higher edu...
"How can I get involved in technology transfer and commercialization?" I've heard many graduate students and postdocs asking this question at Next Wave events across Canada, and for good reason: technology transfer (or technology commercialization, as it is more commonly referred to these days) is becoming a buzzword in the academic environment. Why? The Canadian Government has been pushing more ...
After 4 weeks of strike action and disruption to the academic year, relieved Dalhousie University faculty members went back to their classrooms and labs on 1 April. This followed an agreement reached between the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) and the Dalhousie Board of Governors on 27 March, after five consecutive 15-hour days of mediation by the province of Nova Scotia. The agreement, which...
This week, Next Wave Canada takes a look at two Web sites that cater for undergraduate and recently graduated students. Campus WorkLink is an online campus career center operated jointly by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) and Industry Canada. And Campusaccess.com is a site developed by Canadian undergraduate students that provides a variety of information concer...
The so-called professional life of a Canadian postdoctoral fellow could be improving soon. After 3 years of debate, five of the largest Canadian universities (the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa, McGill University, Queen's University, and the University of Toronto) have each produced a set of guidelines and policies to establish official status and offer improved services...
Eye on Science: A Student Journal in Science and Technology is the latest University of Toronto Press publication to hit the shelves in recent months. The journal is designed to provide students from grades 7 to 12 with an opportunity to communicate their school-based science and technology experiences with other students across the province of Ontario and perhaps even the country, as well as an ...
When scanning the classifieds, many job seekers have occasion to loathe two words that keep showing up: "experience required." But when your degree and your professional experience were acquired in another country, particularly a developing country, having your international credentials recognised by Canadian employers is an even bigger challenge. That's clearly a situation faced by many of Canad...
Wojtek Kawczynski felt stuck. Although he was working on a part-time MBA at York University's Schulich School of Business in Toronto and he already had a B.Sc. in biology and a M.Sc. in molecular plant physiology, he wasn't sure what he could do with all that education. But when he read the chapter on venture capital (VC) in the book Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower, someth...
After 78 days of strike havoc, the picket lines have come down and classes resumed this week at York University. Graduate assistants, teaching assistants (TAs), and contract faculty won important concessions from the administration, including tuition protection, health benefits, and an increase in the number of renewable contracts. Some resentment still lingered, however, among undergraduates who...
Universities, colleges, and their students in Canada were not anticipating much in the way of increased funding for postsecondary education initiatives because much of the talk leading up to this year's federal budget focused on health care.. But the widely touted "health" budget, which was released on 18 February, contained several pleasant surprises for postgraduate students and the academic co...
Biotech and health research leaders say that Canada is ?tops? in its supply of skilled scientists. However, speaking at last month?s BIO2002 International Convention and Exhibition in Toronto, they also acknowledge that critical gaps exist in the areas of management and product development. In an overview of the current state of and anticipated future for the Canadian biotechnology industry, Pete...
These days, when glaciologist Peter Adams is not visiting scientific outposts in the Canadian High Artic, he's focused on his involvement in postsecondary education and research at the federal level. An ice expert turned politician, Adams is well respected in his caucus--the Government Caucus on Post-Secondary Education and Research--and is a leading expert in his field, as well as a life-long co...
"The only incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible." --Albert Einstein For centuries scientists have attempted to unravel the mysteries of the universe. The pace at which we unlock these secrets quickens with each passing decade, due to the dedication of scientists and insatiable human curiosity. One of the greatest feats of scientific and engineering enterprise in r...
Classified? Not really. Top Secret? No longer. Converging technologies--they're what bioengineering is all about today. From microprocessor-based medical devices and rehabilitative engineering to implantable devices and biomaterials, bioengineering is that branch of applied science that integrates physical, chemical, and mathematical sciences and engineering principles in the study of biology, me...
