How a dinner meeting between a cell biologist on a sabbatical in India and three young faculty members at the NCBS sowed the seeds for what is now IndiaBioscience.

The Crafting Your Career (CYC) program started at IndiaBioscience in 2019. Its goal was to raise awareness among life science students and postdoctoral researchers about the different science careers in India, to help them identify their true calling and develop skills to navigate their career paths with confidence. Earlier this year, we did a survey to assess its impact on the participants of the program and received an overwhelming response. Here is the story of the genesis of CYC and its impact.

Earlier this year, IndiaBioscience organised the first virtual Young Investigators' Meeting (YIM), owing to the pandemic. The event’s resounding success bespoke the enterprising strides IndiaBioscience undertook to continue providing a unique opportunity for young investigators and postdoctoral fellows from across the globe. They networked with mentors and experts to explore navigating the setting up of an independent research group in India. Here is a report on the highlights of the online event.

The 13th Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM 2021) is going to be held in a virtual format from 17-19 March, 2021. We asked the organisers of YIM2020 (Imroze Khan, Ashoka University, Sonipat; Karishma Kaushik, Institute of Bioinformatics & Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University; Vasudharani Devanathan, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati; Shantala Hari Dass and Smita Jain, IndiaBioscience) a few questions about the upcoming meeting. Here is what they had to say.

In Feburary 2020, IndiaBioscience launched Disha, an eBook which provides comprehensive guidance on navigating the landscape of science careers in India. Written by Suman Govil, this book compiles information about multiple career options open to life science and biotechnology students in India and discusses strategies for professional development, job search, and higher education. The following book review by SC Lakhotia (Banaras Hindu University (BHU)), was first published in Current Science, Vol. 120, NO. 3 (10 Feb 2021).