The 2^nd edition of Young Investigator Meeting-UK (YIM-UK) was held on 16 September, 2016 at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute (CRUK-CI), United Kingdom. The event, like its previous edition, aimed to reconnect early career researchers (ECRs) of Indian origin working in UK with the leaders of research institutes, universities, funding bodies and industries and providing a platform to young researchers to pursue future science careers in India. More than 85 participants, mostly final year PhDs and post-docs from across the UK and other parts of Europe, attended the one-day meeting.

Aamir Mukadam delivered the welcome note on behalf of the YIM-UK organising committee. The introductory remarks were given by Shekhar Mande, Director, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) Pune, who briefed the audience about the history of Science and Technology policy in India. He also outlined the basic framework of scientific institutes and funding structure by the Govt. of India. On behalf of IndiaBioscience, Smita Jain gave a brief summary of the agenda and larger purposes of the series of Young Investigators Meetings happening in India and abroad. She also described a whole range of other activities that IndiaBioscience is engaged in with different communities.

The meeting was divided into four sessions. The first session was aimed at giving general information regarding academic organisations of India emphasising mostly on universities. Malabika Sarkar, Principal Advisor, Ashoka University, spoke about the interplay between Science and ‘world of Humanities’ especially in the context of Science Education at Ashoka University. Sharmistha Banerjee from the University of Hyderabad briefed the audience about the scenario of teaching-research collaboration in the Indian central universities. She reminded the audience that teaching inspires fresh thoughts in researchers and leads to diversification of research topics. She also gave a summary of opportunities and research fellowships available at the universities. LS Shashidhara from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune spoke (via Skype) about the Indian economy transitioning from a service economy to a knowledge economy. He outlined the fundamental idea behind IISERs as changing the age-old exam-oriented learning into inquiry/research-based learning. He also elaborated on the recruitment process at IISERs, and how academic, infrastructure and mentorship support for new recruits help them to flourish as scientists.

The second session was dedicated to discussing scope of research in Institutes and Industry. Manindra Agarwal from IIT Kanpur gave a brief history of IITs in India and outlined current opportunities arising due to recent massive expansion in the number of IITs. This was followed by an overview of personal and professional development plans in IITs that make them attractive places for young researchers to join. Shekhar Mande from NCCS, Pune spoke about autonomous institutes aided by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with special emphasis on NCCS, its research goals and opportunities. Next, Sharmila Mande from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) gave a detailed overview of the research focus and R&D activities of companies in India, with particular focus on the structural framework of research activity in TCS and career opportunities. The talks were followed by an interactive question and answer (Q&A) session on job opportunities and recruitment processes. Young aspirants asked the session speakers various questions; questions ranged from ethics in science, biobanking, scopes of interdisciplinary research in India, lack of plant science research in IITs, basic vs applied science in IITs and many relevant issues. Manindra Agarwal suggested that it will benefit both the researchers and the organisations across the country if applications are made based on matching infrastructure and directions of research. The session was followed by an intense discussion during poster session where the postdocs and senior PhD students from different institutes in the UK presented their work.

Fellowships and funding in the Indian research landscape were the focus of the third session. Shahid Jameel, CEO of the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance, gave an engaging talk on how recent funding opportunities are transforming young scientists into future leaders. He emphasised on the necessity of both basic or fundamental research as well as applied or use-inspired research in any country; he reminded the audience that a diverse range in research is critical for the big breakthroughs and ground-breaking discoveries: “There is no peak without a range”. He elaborated on the nature of fellowships offered by Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance to scientists at various stages of their careers, and presented statistics and distribution of these fellowships across India. He discussed the recent endeavours of India Alliance on Leadership Workshops, Nature Masterclasses, Science Communication Workshops and India-Africa Health Sciences Meet. Speaking on behalf of DBT, Suman Govil talked about its mandate, and various funding schemes with special emphasis on schemes directed towards women in science, like the Women Scientists Awards and Bio-CARE. Ann-Marie Glynn from EMBO summarised the short and long term research funding opportunities now available to Indian researchers through the recent DBT-EMBO partnership. The three speakers of the session answered questions from the audience in the Q&A session.

The final session was aimed at giving the audience a flavour of career graphs of internationally renowned UK-based scientists of Indian origin and their perspective of Indian science. The session was chaired by Bhaskar Vira, University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute (UCCRI), UK. Two eminent scientists were invited to present their research, success stories and their views on Indian Science. Polly Roy from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Ramanujan Hegde from MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology spoke about how their careers were shaped by intelligent use of opportunities, constant decision making and an urge to do good science. Venki Ramakrishnan (popularly called Venki), current President of the Royal Society, joined the Q&A session with audience. An extensive discussion was led by Venki on how Indian science can flourish in near future by simple changes in the mind-set of policy-makers and young researchers. He suggested that postdocs explore new topics of research as independent researchers rather than extending their ongoing research, and strongly advocated that they take up India-specific topics like biodiversity, diseases etc. He also encouraged young scientists to engage more with the public through outreach programs, adding that this reconnection is more feasible through scientific discourse in local language.

The meeting ended with a networking dinner. The 2^nd YIM-UK served not only as a career event but also emerged as a major international platform for scientific exchange, collaboration and discussion on scientific policies.

As part of the Foldscope Tour—a series of talks and workshops organised to introduce the Foldscope to potential users in India—the team from DBT and Prakash Labs visited Guwahati and Kaziranga National Park in December. Expanding on the first leg of the trip in Delhi (read more here), the team conducted multiple workshops for diverse audiences.

Guwahati Workshop: An assemblage of students (school, college and postgraduate level) worked with the Foldscope and DBT teams for an entire day to examine botanical samples, pond water, insects and even fossils.

Brahmaputra River cruise and workshop: On Day 2 of the Northeast leg, participants continued the workshop, examined specimens from the river.

Manu Prakash gave a talk on foldscopes and how to use small inventions to kickstart one's science at the Veterinary College, Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati. The video of the entire talk can be found here.

Finally, the contigent moved on to Kaziranga National Park in Assam, where they conducted a series of Foldscope workshops for students, forest department staff and naturalists.

An unexpected visitor at the Kaziranga workshop - the oriental pied hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris.

If you attended the India workshops, post your posts and images on https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/
If you are interested in knowing more about foldscopes, visit https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/

To see the videos from the Foldscope India Launch events, visit our Resources sectionhttps://indiabioscience.org/videos/foldscope-india

Stay tuned to the IndiaBioscience website for more on the DBT-Prakash Lab Foldscope initiative and leave your comments here.

How long before you applied did you begin networking and visiting Institutes/Universities?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: It took me more than 2 years. It is good to take things slow. I only visited one Institute—IISER Thiruvananthapuram. I visited because I realised Skype interviews were not working for me. After my interactions with the faculty, I was sure I would accept if I was made an offer.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: In my case, it was about 6 months. I was only looking for jobs in and around Delhi, so I networked extensively with people from Institutes and Universities in the area. I visited 4-5 Institutes to interact personally with faculty.

How many places did you apply to? How many interviews did you give?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: I applied to around 12-15 places. I appeared for maybe four interviews.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: I applied eventually to 2 places and interviewed at both places.

What is your top tip for a good CV?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: Make sure your CV and research statement don't seem like a continuation of your postdoctoral work.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: Publications are crucial. Good publications, even early in the PhD, are a great addition to a CV. Also, having an independent grant is critical. And the Indian Government, luckily, have many grants for early career researchers.

What are the most important things that recruiters look for at the interview?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: I think I'll repeat myself here, but the point is worth reiterating—the recruiters are looking for an independent scientist, not a postdoc. They are looking for a researcher who can make significant contributions to his/her field of choice in the next 10 years or so.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: At both the interviews I attended, the main question the interviewers had was: "What's your plan? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?" They are most interested in whether you can come up with a viable research proposal.

What should candidates hope to learn from their experience at the interview?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: Even when an interview doesn't go well, you can learn from it. The questions will often push you to think about your research agenda beyond the short-term.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: You learn how effective you are at conveying your ideas. It is good to practise this early by conversing with people outside your lab and even outside your field of expertise through your PhD and postdoc years. Even if you get rejected after an interview, you would do well to remember and go over the questions that were asked and work to improve your answers.

What are the questions that candidates should ask at the interview, but often don’t?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: How much teaching is involved—it is not something we come adequately prepared for. It is also important to ask about resources and funding, especially any equipment or resources that are crucial to one's research.
Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: You should discuss your pay scale at the interview. In India, the selection committee decides your pay scale and it cannot be changed later. Many candidates are very hesitant about bringing this up.

Do you have any other advice you'd like to share?

Satish Khurana, IISER Thiruvananthapuram: I think serious candidates should look to apply for funding—there are plenty of return Fellowships available—and not hesitate to ask Directors/interviewers whether they are willing to be a Host Institute. You are viewed with a different perspective when you bring your own funding.

Gitanjali Yadav, NIPGR, New Delhi: I have interacted with many of the postdocs here at the YIM. Many of them have reservations and some fears about working in India. You can't let go of those fears, but if you decide to come back, come prepared for a challenge. There will be obstacles, but there is plenty of help to avail of.

What can Institutes/Universities do to help the job application process?

Govindaraj Periyasamy, NIMHANS, Bangalore: It would be particularly useful if the Institutes could be more specific about which field (or sub-field) they are looking to hire a candidate in. Additionally, the interview panel must include somebody from the candidate's field, or at least a closely related field.

Richa Arya, Harvard Medical School, USA: It would be immensely helpful if Institutes and Universities developed application portals. That could be a way for them to inform us about the progress of the application even when there are a large number of applicants. That kind of transparency would be very useful.

Kedar Natarajan, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK: It would be nice if they could specify what specialities they are looking for, whether it is expertise in a certain field or with a certain background. What would also be nice is to delineate strategies they would like to see. This will help us shape our research proposals better. Even if this can't be advertised, it can be shared through platforms like the YIM.

What information is commonly hard to find?

Govindaraj Periyasamy: As far as information about which places have openings, that is not hard to find. Most Universities or Institutes advertise widely. If I have a particular interest in a lab, I would simply follow their job postings keenly.

Richa Arya: More details about the requirements they are seeking in a candidate.

Kedar Natarajan: When looking for information about funding, there is a lot of information out there, but it can be overwhelming. Structuring some of that information or simply a pointer to useful resources (like the NCBS RDO grants page) would make a difference.

What do you look for when you attend an interview?

Govindaraj Periyasamy: It is heartening when the interviewers have a genuine interest in my work and seek to understand my research.

Richa Arya: The questions they ask matter a lot. Scientific questions, however tough, are welcome. Sometimes, the personal questions seem intrusive. That could be avoided. I would try to gauge if they will be supportive. A good interaction and environment are important.

Kedar Natarajan: Good infrastructure and some startup support in addition to any funding I manage to secure. But more importantly, I'd look for people with whom, even if I don't actively collaborate, I can interact with and bounce ideas off.

What kind of advice would be most useful?

Govindaraj Periyasamy: Advice from others who have recently gone through the experience and set up their labs is key. Networking meetings facilitate that. But we should think of ways to make such advice easily accessible and available on a large scale.

Richa Arya: More internal information from Directors would be useful, rather than the Institutional overviews, which are easier to access. How they get funding, how they deal with the funding, what they do to promote collaborations and support travel, we would like to learn these from the Meeting.

Kedar Natarajan: The most useful advice is what the young PIs can offer from their experiences.

Is there anything you learnt about the job search process from the YIM?

Govindaraj Periyasamy: While I am not ready to move from NIMHANS yet, since my work depends a lot on access to patients, I have made contact with others here who I may like to work with in the future.

Richa Arya: The interaction with the YIs has been very valuable. The Meeting has given me access to a cohort of people who have been through the process, are in the system and can tell me what the realities are.

Kedar Natarajan: That it is important to network. And also to understand that the system in India is different. Young PIs here have emphasised the importance of having good research proposals and application dockets, while writing to people and networking in parallel.

What is the first thing you look for in a CV?

Apurva Sarin, inStem: An interesting research program.
Rupamanjari Ghosh, Shiv Nadar University: One 'wow!'. Something outstanding. Not everything has to be exceptional, but there should be something that catches the eye.
Dhirendra Kumar, IIT Kanpur: At IIT Kanpur, we look for training, we look for pedigree, we look for publications; these are the 3 main things.

What factors most influence your impression of a candidate during an interview?

Apurva Sarin, inStem: The clarity of positioning their work, both in the field they work in, as well as contextualising their work to the Institute. At inStem this becomes particularly important.
Rupamanjari Ghosh, Shiv Nadar University: I look for originality. I also look for people who are ready for a challenge, and who do not give me standard answers. I am always looking for people who are a little different from most 'usual' candidates. Not only do new recruits have to be better than our current faculty, their CVs have to be a notch higher.
Dhirendra Kumar, IIT Kanpur: I'd say, the job talk is very important. Typically, the target audience is undergraduates, graduate students and faculty—the entire gamut. So, if he/she is effective to all of them, then they can be a good teacher. Effective communication is also important in bringing in funding and publishing. It is also important that he/she comes across as a deep, inquisitive thinker in individual meetings, and as a good colleague.

What are some things that graduate students/postdocs do to add value to their CVs/applications?
Apurva Sarin, inStem: For graduate students I'd say they should travel to meetings to get a sense of how questions are approached and how research is conducted in different places. Postdocs must write grants. I think it's very, very important. It's one thing that you really need as an investigator. Even if you don't need it to run your lab, it certainly facilitates the way you present your problems and think about them. A teaching experience is also desirable, but not always possible.
Rupamanjari Ghosh, Shiv Nadar University: Maybe because of management influences, all CVs these days have started looking the same. Pedigree matters, but it is not all-important to me. I don't go by stamps, I actually read papers. So students and postdocs simply have to do their research well. Their proposals are also important. They shouldn't propose extensions of current work. It must match the Institute's context and the equipment available.
Dhirendra Kumar, IIT Kanpur: That's a tough question. Value addition doesn't happen in a short time. All the things that the job needs—a good question to answer that can get funded and will sustain answering for many years, good communication and a good attitude towards science in general—the full package takes years. The full duration from the Masters onwards, you should work to gain all of these.