As the current pandemic has made abundantly clear, building scientific temper within our society is crucial for maintaining the health of our communities as well as for fighting misinformation and superstition. Scientists play an important role in this process by encouraging narratives supported by experimentally validated facts, as well as by using their expertise to weigh in on various important issues.

However, there exists a large gap in communication between scientists and the society at large, with the results of scientific research often remaining confined to elite journals and not reaching the public, including the taxpayers who have funded the research. “The IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants (IOG) were born out of a desire to encourage and promote the practice of science outreach, especially amongst young scientists in our network,” said Shantala Hari Dass, Associate Director, IndiaBioscience.

The initiative aims to award innovative ideas on science outreach with a grant of Rs 1 lakh, which would be used by the winners to put their ideas into practice. Keeping in mind the present situation, the theme for this year's grants was “Digital outreach”. Researchers who had previously attended a national or regional Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM) were eligible to apply. The researchers were encouraged to team up with one or more professional science communicators and come up with project ideas that had the potential to extend beyond English and incorporate regional languages.

The five winners were selected from within a pool of over 30 promising proposals and cover a variety of areas and niches including citizen science initiatives, educational webinars, stakeholder awareness programs, as well as interactive videos and graphics.

The Winners

Aprotim Mazumder, Principal Investigator, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - Hyderabad

Collaborator(s): Anusheela Chatterjee, Science writer, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - Hyderabad

Title of Project: Stories from the Life Sciences: A multifaceted approach in interactive science communication

Aprotim Mazumder and Anusheela Chatterjee received the IOG award for their proposal to create multilingual outreach materials including short videos and infographics on topics related to life science research currently being pursued by scientists at TIFR Hyderabad. Through this process, the team plans to dispel the air of mystery that often surrounds research institutes in India and increase trust between the scientific community and the general public. "Sharing knowledge is a futile exercise when faced with the absence of trust between stakeholders. Building this trust is not an overnight phenomenon and needs a sustained effort," said Mazumder and Chatterjee. “The idea of generating different kinds of engaging resources conveying the spectrum of interdisciplinary research happening is very unique and useful,” said Smita Jain, Executive Director, IndiaBioscience, and a member of the selection committee.

Karishma Kaushik, Assistant Professor/Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellow, Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune

Collaborator(s): Snehal Kadam, IBB, SPPU; Sujay Paranjape, IISER Pune

Project: ‘Talk to A Scientist’ for Young Minds

Karishma Kaushik and her collaborators, Snehal Kadam and Sujay Paranjpe, received the IOG award for their proposal to expand their unique "Talk to a Scientist" outreach program which conducts webinars targeted towards school students aged 6-16. The program was initiated during the recent nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. The webinars explore a new scientific topic in detail each week, often with the help of ‘hands-on’ activities, and feature guest scientists from throughout the country. “The platform aims to instil life-long curiosity and appreciation for science among children in India, as well as inspire pride and respect for Indian science, and foster Indian scientists as role models,” said Kaushik.

“COVID-19 has thrown up a huge challenge for science outreach and education so it’s great to see that Karishma and Snehal have found an opportunity in adversity,” said Sarah Iqbal, Lead, Communications & Public Engagement, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, and a member of the committee that evaluated the proposals.

Meghna Krishnadas, Scientist and Assistant Professor, Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad

Collaborator(s): Ipsa Jain, Freelance Visual Artist

Project: Invisible lives of forest trees – tales of climate, fungus, and an uncertain future

Meghna Krishnadas and Ipsa Jain were awarded the IOG for their proposal to create interactive 'zines' that would help high school and college students understand the complex interconnected lives of forest trees. About 24% of the Indian landmass is covered by forests and trees, and these support some of the most unique flora and fauna of our country. Krishnadas is a field ecologist who studies forest tree communities, focusing on the seedling stage of their life cycle. "This grant will help me share with the public my wide-eyed fascination for the wonderful and cryptic lives of plants," said Krishnadas. “I really like the community engagement aspect of the project wherein Meghna plans to share her research with the community at her study site,” said Iqbal.

Rohit Naniwadekar, Scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, Karnataka, India

Collaborator(s): Prasenjeet Yadav, National Geographic photographer and filmmaker; Sartaj Ghuman, Artist and writer; Adarsh Raju, Photographer, filmmaker and web developer

Project: Creating conservation partners for saving island biodiversity

Rohit Naniwadekar and his collaborators were awarded the IOG for their proposal to spread awareness about the vulnerable island ecosystems of Andaman and Nicobar islands, as well as sensitize communities who live and work around these areas. While islands occupy only 3% of the earth's landmass, over 80% of all species extinctions occur there. The team plans to create a website, posters and short films to showcase the importance of island biodiversity as well as to organize direct interactions to sensitize stakeholders.

"Our team strongly believes that scientific findings cannot remain locked up in scientific publications. They have to be disseminated to the widest audience to generate interest, respect and concern for nature." said Naniwadekar and his team. “Through the proposed resources, the awardees seek to strike a chord with the local people and the administration,” said Jain.

VV Robin, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati

Collaborator(s): Raja Bandi, Citizen Science Coordinator, IISER Tirupati

Project: Young Naturalists of Andhra

VV Robin and Raja Bandi received the IOG award for their proposal to train students, teachers, and concerned citizens in and around small towns in Andhra Pradesh to use an application called iNaturalist to collect biodiversity-related data. The students can upload photographs of plants, insects, and birds they observe around their houses on the app, which can later be verified and used by the scientific community for research and analysis. “This project brings science to one’s backyard, literally into their hands...This is an aptly timed project,” said Hari Dass, who was also part of the selection committee.

The researchers aim to train the students using an online platform, encourage them to share their experiences, and use incentives and rewards to keep them engaged. “We are delighted to be selected for this award,” said Robin and Bandi, “Natural history is known to segue to ecological research, and this outreach allows us to build more naturalists.”

Promoting a culture of sharing research

In addition to enabling interesting outreach initiatives, the IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants also aim to encourage the culture of making outreach activities a part of a scientist’s usual repertoire of activities. Such activities have traditionally been viewed as ‘extra-curricular’ or even as distractors from a scientist’s primary research work. These grants hope to challenge this perception as well as cultivate a more fruitful dialogue between scientists and the general public.

“This is a first-of-its-kind grant being given to carry out outreach activities by the scientific community and I am sure that this would motivate more funding, hopefully both government and private,” said Smita Jain, Executive Director, IndiaBioscience, “We are hoping to have a cascading effect where outreach activities become an integral part of every lab.”

Iqbal agrees.“IOG awardees will hopefully inspire other scientists to take up science outreach more seriously. Together they can become strong allies of science journalists, science communicators, public engagement facilitators and others actively involved in making science more accessible.”

Looking ahead

While only five winners could be officially selected, the selection committee was impressed with the quality of the proposals received for the award. “It was exciting to see the response that this grant generated,” said Hari Dass, “These projects covered a variety of topics and outreach strategies despite the restraint of having to be digital given the current circumstances.”

“Almost all the ideas that we received were excellent and thus selection was tough,” agrees Jain. The committee encouraged the applicants who were unsuccessful to think about refining their ideas and applying again next year. “In my view (perhaps cliché) all the applicants are winners as they all demonstrated genuine interest in taking science to the public – the central idea of this grant. And I am sure even without this grant they will continue their inspiring science outreach work,” said Iqbal.

Beginning in 2009, Young Investigators’ Meetings (YIMs) have been bringing together young researchers, senior scientists, and institutional representatives on a common platform to discuss the ground realities of doing science in India. Drawing on various learnings and outcomes from the last decade, the 12th YIM allowed opportunities for mentorship, networking, and in-depth discussions on various factors that influence scientific productivity in India.

YIM 2020 was held on 14 - 18 February in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu and organised by IndiaBioscience in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. Forty Young Investigators (YIs) were selected from across the length and breadth of India to attend the meeting, along with forty Post-Doctoral Fellows (PDFs) poised to kickstart their own independent scientific careers.

This year's organisers were Athi N Naganathan (IIT Madras), Aravindhan Vivekanandhan (University of Madras), Smita Jain (IndiaBioscience), and Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore).

Inaugural Session and Keynote Lectures

The meeting began on 14 February with a welcome note by Athi N Naganathan, who outlined the overall structure of the meeting - the first three days would include keynote lectures, mentor talks, panel discussions, breakout sessions, poster sessions, and special talks, while the final two days would consist of the PDF Satellite meeting, wherein PDFs get a chance to directly pitch their science to institutional representatives.

Naganathan also urged the attendees to "say no to plastic" during the meeting. In keeping with this theme, the organisers opted for paper badges, cloth bags, and reusable water bottles in an attempt to minimise plastic usage during the conference.

The first keynote lecture of the meeting was delivered through a video message by Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, who could not be physically present at the meeting. Calling the YIM a very interesting networking opportunity, she discussed the overall ecosystem of science and technology in India and where it is placed with respect to the rest of the world. She laid particular stress on the vibrant innovation ecosystem currently coming up in India and how young investigators can be instrumental in driving this forward.

The second keynote address was delivered on 15 February by K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India. Taking a bird's eye view by discussing what the world might look like in 2050, VijayRaghavan encouraged the participants to think about their work in the larger global context. Touching upon the themes of artificial intelligence, big data, and climate change in the context of the future, he emphasized the importance of investing in high-quality non-elitist education to raise problem-solving capacities across the population.

Special Talks

LS Shashidhara, Dean of Research and Professor of Biology, Ashoka University and Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, delivered a special lecture on integrating research and teaching in higher education. Outlining some challenges that today's students may face tomorrow (including poverty and inequality), he pointed out some approaches that we can immediately implement to counter these issues. Some of these are better-equipping students to solve problems through analytical reasoning and developing inquiry-based and research-based undergraduate and graduate education programs. It is also important to pay particular attention to pedagogy and training the next generation of teachers.

Anna Akhmanova from Utrecht University, who was also one of the mentors, conducted an informal session on publishing in science, drawing from her experience as Deputy Editor of the open-access journal eLife. She discussed how the basic format of scientific publishing has remained unchanged for over a hundred years and how this needs to change to reflect 21st century needs and values. She mentioned a few innovations in the field of scientific publishing, including preprint servers, collaborative and open peer review, and review commons.

Bhavna Mehra from the Infosys Science Foundation delivered a special lecture on the Infosys Prize, which has been awarded to outstanding achievers in the fields of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences since 2009.

Smita Jain provided an overview of IndiaBioscience and its various activities, spread across its five mandates (networking, communication, skill-building, education, data/policy). She discussed some new and upcoming initiatives as well as existing resources that the participants can take advantage of.

Mentor Talks

Ten internationally acclaimed researchers were invited as mentors for YIM 2020, three from outside India and seven from various national research institutes and universities. Hailing from a plethora of scientific and socio-economic backgrounds, the mentors discussed their journey with the participants, including the lessons learned along the way.

This year’s mentors were - Anna Akhmanova, Utrecht University; Elizabeth Knust, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics; Gautam Menon, Ashoka University and Institute of Mathematical Sciences; Guhan Jayaraman, IIT Madras; Maitrayee DasGupta, University of Calcutta; Mónica Bettencourt-Dias, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; Munirajan A K, University of Madras; Shakila H, Madurai Kamaraj University; Sudipta Maiti, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai; and Usha Vijayraghavan, IISc, Bangalore.

Some key insights that emerged from these talks are mentioned below.

1. Venture out of your comfort zone

While it can be tempting for a young researcher to stick to a field or a scientific problem they are familiar with while setting up their lab – perhaps something they worked on in their PhD or postdoc – most of the mentors present cautioned against taking this ‘easy’ approach. Usha Vijayraghavan urged the participants to “have the audacity to venture into new areas”, a sentiment that was echoed by Elizabeth Knust, Guhan Jayaraman, and Monica Bettencourt-Dias.

2. Use the early years to learn and grow

The importance of keeping an open mind and using the PhD/postdoc years to learn and explore was driven home by multiple mentors. Maitreyee DasGupta and AK Munirajan stressed the critical role that having good mentors and teachers in their early years played in their scientific journeys, while Sudipta Maiti humorously commented on the fact that his most intensive period of learning came right before his PhD qualifiers. In addition, Bettencourt-Dias encouraged young researchers to take risks during this early period and expose themselves to ideas from many different sources.

3. Early failures are helpful

When Anna Akhmanova moved from Russia to the Netherlands in the early 1990s in order to begin her doctoral research, things didn’t exactly go according to plan. “Everything was a complete disaster,” says Akhmanova. However, upon looking back, she feels that this was the most useful part of her career. “Nothing is more terrible than a very, very successful early career,” says Akhmanova, pointing out that everyone has to face obstacles at some point and if one hasn’t learned how to deal with it early, things can become even more difficult. Bettencourt-Dias and Knust also agreed on this point, emphasizing how important it is to stay excited and keep going even when things don’t work.

4. Your first steps would determine the culture of the lab

Bettencourt-Dias pointed out that it is the responsibility of the PI to institute practices like regular lab meetings, journal clubs, feedback meetings, retreats etc. This will eventually percolate and become a part of the lab culture.

5. Build the right team

Vijayraghavan and DasGupta both emphasized the importance of building the right team and nurturing the next generation of scientists, given that the success of the lab depends upon them. Bettencourt-Dias recommended leadership courses and books as being helpful in learning how to manage a lab and its people in the early years. She also suggested allowing postdocs or PhDs to supervise younger people in the lab, thus training them to be better mentors, in turn.

6. Choose an environment that is right for you

It is very important to choose the right institution and location to do the kind of science one is yearning to do, as Jayaraman pointed out in his talk. For this, Bettencourt-Dias recommended talking with other PIs, students, and postdocs in the institute one is planning to join to understand the culture of the place. At the same time, it is important to remember that each institution comes with its own advantages and challenges. For example, both DasGupta and Munirajan pointed out the challenges of establishing a lab in a state university system, while praising some of the unique opportunities for growth that this provides, including a stronger focus on teaching. Bettencourt-Dias also suggested looking into the lifestyle one is likely to have after joining the institute – housing, child-care etc. as these are important determinants of long-term satisfaction and happiness.

7. Ask the right questions

“Asking the right question is much more important than finding the answer,” said DasGupta during her talk. Jayaraman also identified ‘choice of research problems’ as one of the factors that drive scientific productivity. This includes figuring out whether the project is fundable and publishable, whether adequate infrastructure is available, the depth of the problem, and sustainability over a long time.

8. Tools and training from other fields can be applied to understanding biological problems

Three of this year’s mentors ventured into biology after training in very different fields – Guhan Jayaraman (chemical engineering), Gautam Menon (theoretical physics) and Sudipta Maiti (experimental physics). For those coming in from other fields, it is important to harness one’s quantitative understanding and unique perspective while accepting the inherent complexity and noise of biological systems. Maiti also pointed out the importance of paying attention to the art of writing papers, given that life science papers tend to be written quite differently from papers in other fields.

9. Collaborate with intention

With growing interdisciplinarity and expanding scales of scientific questions, collaborations are something which almost every young researcher would have to navigate at one point or the other. Maiti suggested finding collaborators with complementary expertise to drive projects forward. Bettencourt-Dias recommended setting an initial frame of time to explore collaborations and to share human resources in addition to ideas. The importance of proactivity was also stressed by various mentors when it came to building and maintaining collaborations.

10. Stay connected

The importance of a sound and diverse professional network cannot be overstated, and several of the mentors pointed this out in their talks. Vijayraghavan spoke of the importance of expanding one’s network beyond academic circles to avoid thought traps and echo chambers. Reminiscing about the influence of late neurobiologist Veronica Rodrigue on his career, Maiti pointed out how lucky he was in getting some extraordinary individuals as his support system.

11. Don't sacrifice personal growth while chasing academic milestones

It is important to retain space for individuality while doing one’s science. For Shakila, this was achieved through several grassroots-level outreach efforts as well as paying attention to the needs of her family. Even within the confines of the lab, it is important to pay attention to one’s intellectual growth. In this regard, DasGupta quoted her postdoc mentor – “Choose whether you want to be a scientist or a scientific worker”.

12. Learn to say no

In the early years after setting up one’s lab, it is very easy to become caught up in hundreds of projects and administrative tasks which can quickly become overwhelming. Many of the mentors, including Knust and Bettencourt-Dias, pointed out the importance of figuring out one’s priorities and learning to say no to things that are unimportant.

13. Provide service to the community

“Academic freedom comes with responsibility,” said Jayaraman. While administrative tasks are often looked down upon by young scientists as distractions from their research, these tasks need to be performed for an institution to function efficiently, and in their absence, the entire machinery of research can grind to a halt. Vijayraghavan pointed out that it is the duty of a researcher to take responsibility and step up to such tasks. Knust also pointed out other routes of providing service to the community including training, supervising, and mentoring students, engaging in peer-review, serving in committees, and disseminating one’s research.

Launch of Disha: A Career Resource Book for Life Science and Biotechnology Students in India

YIM 2020 also saw the launch of Disha: A Career Resource Book for Life Science and Biotechnology Students in India. Written by Suman Govil, former senior adviser, DBT, Disha provides comprehensive guidance on navigating the landscape of life science careers in India. In addition to compiling information about multiple career options open to life science and biotechnology students in India, this book discusses strategies for professional development, job search, and higher education. It also provides an overview of the Indian biotechnology industry and features interviews with leaders in various science professions.

The book was formally launched by Satyajit Mayor, Centre Director, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, Meenakshi Munshi, Scientist G, DBT, and Shahid Jameel, CEO, Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, each of whom praised the initiative and said a few words about it. The book can be freely downloaded here.

In the second part of this report, we shall discuss the various panel discussions that took place during YIM 2020, takeaways from the two breakout sessions and a special international grant awareness session conducted by IndiaBioscience and Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance for EMBO grants and fellowships, as well as proceedings from the PDF satellite meeting that followed the YIM.

About the Contributors

The scientists and science professionals who have contributed to this article come from different backgrounds and have followed unique career trajectories. Sonia Sen, who attended YIM 2019 as a post-doctoral fellow (PDF) is currently a Senior Scientist at Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bangalore. Two-time attendee Anup Padmanabhan (YIM 2017 as a PDF; YIM 2019 as a YI) is currently an Assistant Professor in Biology at Ashoka University. Sushmita Jha, an Associate Professor at the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur, is also a two-time attendee, attending YIM 2013 as a YI and YIM 2017 as an institute representative.

Karishma Kaushik and Dhiraj Bhatia attended YIM 2019 as YIs. The former is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) while the latter is an Assistant Professor in Biological Engineering at IIT Gandhinagar. Sabarinathan Radhakrishnan attended YIM 2017 as a PDF and is currently an Assistant Professor (Reader-F) at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru. Kavitha Bharatham, who attended YIM 2013 as a PDF, is a computational chemistry team lead at Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CCBT), inStem, Bengaluru.

Poonam Thakur, who attended YIM 2019 as a PDF, is a Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Early Career Fellow at CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. And finally, Shantala Hari Dass, who attended YIM 2017 as a PDF, has recently joined the IndiaBioscience team as Associate Director.

We asked these young scientists and science professionals about their memories from their YIM experience and whether they had any advice for future attendees.

Was YIM different from other scientific conferences that you have attended? If yes, how?

Sonia: Yes, of course! Most scientific conferences bring together scientists bound by a similar academic interest. The people YIM brings together - scientists, science administrators and heads of institutes, among others – are people invested in cultivating and nurturing science in India. This makes YIM special.

Anup: Well, I experienced YIM as a good mix of science (talks and posters), advertisement (of science in India), networking (for PDFs and YIs) and reality checks (discussing issues and solving them). Surprisingly, all of them are YIM mandates. I haven’t been to another meeting such as this. Incidentally, YIM participation is also limited to a single time.

Sushmita: Yes, the informal interactions at YIM set it apart.

Karishma: YIM was less about the technicalities of the science, and more about building leadership and connectivity among young investigators in Indian science. This is a critical need for Indian science, especially for biology in India. The biological sciences in India constitute a small community, and it is imperative to foster mentorship through meetings such as YIM.

Sabarinathan: Indeed, yes! This meeting is not only focused on science but also the broader picture of the overall research programs in India, career development and a friendly atmosphere to meet with the institution heads and young investigators.

Dhiraj: Absolutely yes. This was a meeting involving less of science but more of a kind of parenting, where we learnt a lot from our "Scientific Parents" and were happy to share our bits of knowledge with the upcoming YIs.

Poonam: Yes, the YIM experience was very different from other scientific conferences I have attended in India. I really appreciate the casual and "no garland-y" approach of the conference. All the scientists/mentors/organizers were very approachable and a pleasure to talk to.

Kavitha: It was very well organized and executed. It was not a huge gathering and hence we had time for networking.

Shantala: YIM was very different from all the scientific conferences that I have attended in its design and intent. It is not a conference to showcase scientific advances but rather a networking and a mentoring meeting. It is geared towards helping and equipping postdocs and YIs navigate their early careers.

Do you have any special memories of your YIM experience?

Sonia: There were numerous! But there two things I recall on a regular basis. The first was something Ron Vale spoke of - the ‘culture’ of a lab or an institute. 8 months into setting up shop, this is something I reflect on daily. The second was Arvind Gupta’s talk – India needs so many more Arvind Guptas!

Anup: I attended two YIMs – YIM 2017 (Goa) as a PDF, YIM 2019 (Guwahati) as a YI (2018 was wasted in job hunting). I felt I gained a lot from 2017 because I was like a sponge soaking everything up. So much so that I hadn’t been to the beach even once! The sessions started early and by dinner time, the beach was closed.

Another time, I was practising my lightning talk. One of the mentors walked up to me as volunteered to help me practise. It was so wonderful of that person to walk up to me and help me out. I carried what I learnt in those 30 minutes through my entire job hunt season.

Sushmita: Yes, during my first YIM, a group of us young YIs sat together and talked about our struggles with balancing family life and work at new institutes. It was comforting to find similar experiences and share strategies.

Karishma: In spite of the stress I was dealing with at that time, YIM 2019 kindled a hope and a passion to succeed on this journey of returning to India. One of the best moments was enjoying the Brahmaputra cruise with fellow colleagues. The bonhomie and conversations were open, honest and uplifting. One of the highlights was the excellent interaction across genders, which was very heartening to experience.

Sabarinathan: Yes, a couple of them. One was scientific - the YI and PDF discussion session, where several topics related to science in India were discussed. And the other one was unanticipated - meeting a peer who not only had my name but also works in a similar research topic (but luckily in the different model system).

Kavitha: The location was advantageous as it was in a remote area and people had to mingle with each other.

Dhiraj: The poster session where I could build friendships and ongoing collaborations.

Poonam: I remember falling very sick during the conference. The way the organizing team was prepared for such cases and helped me during that time was very kind and beautiful.

Shantala: I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the meeting, not the least of which was the venue - I mean it was Goa! But what really left a lasting impression on me was the diversity of the life science community that was not only highlighted but celebrated. A candid talk by a YI from Pondicherry University where she told us about all the ingenuity it took to get her research off the ground despite having multiple grants, a talk by Gangandeep Kang on persisting through failures with a sense of humour and lack of gloom, and finally a briefing on the Indian team participating in research at the poles. I have to admit, I did spend some time that evening trying to conjure a project to get myself to the Indian research centre at the Arctic (an open invitation extended to the YIM 2017 by Dinabandhu Sahoo)!

Do you have any messages for other YIs/PDFs who are planning to attend future YIMs?

Sonia: Do take the time to attend it! Meet and talk with as many of your peers as you can – they will be your collaborators and co-conspirators in meetings and projects in your entire scientific careers! It’s a meeting worth your time.

Anup: Yes. Be a participant and not a recipient. Try not to view YIM as a job-hunt/job-fair meeting. See the realities, problems and possibilities of being an Indian academic. Meet your potential peers. Explore collaborations (even if you end up elsewhere). All these will help you in seeing where, which institute and among whom you fit in. That, I feel, is extremely important.

Sushmita: YIs should make sure they network with peers in addition to mentors.

Karishma: Make the most of it! It is (truly) a once in a lifetime opportunity. Leverage it to network and connect, find ways to get involved with the community and IndiaBioscience, consolidate new relationships and collaborations. Indian science is not free of problems, but train yourself to focus on what works and what unique opportunities it has. There is a very vibrant and dynamic group of young PIs in India, and I personally look forward to growing old (!) in Indian science with them.

Sabarinathan: Enjoy and utilize the fullest of this meeting. This is definitely different from other scientific conferences.

Dhiraj: Be Open minded – Don’t hesitate to ask any question, however stupid it might sound. Be curious and ready to embrace the possibilities (involving both success and failures) coming in your career.

Poonam: For PDFs- One should plan to attend only when they are ready to go on the job market almost immediately. YIM often results in invitations for several job talks. If you are still a year away from applying its better to also hold off attending YIM for the following year. It’s hard to maintain the contacts for that long if things do not go forward.

For YIs- Honesty in describing your experience and ways you found in tackling initial hiccups to the post-docs has a very positive impact.

Kavitha: Have an open mind, introduce yourself to as many people as possible and discuss your research interests. Email directors whom you are going to meet ahead of time. Sometimes your peers may also direct you to a potential position.

Shantala: My biggest takeaway from the YIM 2017 was a sense of relief and confidence- ‘There are a lot of positions open for young investigators’ and more importantly ‘These are attainable for a postdoc such as myself’. There is always such a sense of doom and gloom associated with the discussion of applying for PI positions. The PDF satellite meeting really helped me cut through some of the hysteria and critically assess where I stand and what are my chances. Life science in India is in a wonderful period of growth- with many institutions actively hiring PIs, and funding agencies awarding re-entry grants.

My message to the PDFs would be to interact with all the institutional representatives and mentors at the meeting- even if their institution is not at the top of your list. Have honest and open chats with them with regards to where you stand currently and where you want to move forward with your scientific journey. I found that the more I asked of the senior scientists, the more they gave, all without any sense of judgement. They genuinely wanted to help. This brings me to another message – network, find mentors and senior scientists who are interested and keen to help and DO NOT hesitate to draw upon them down the line when you are in the process of applying.

-----

In the first part of this article, we asked YIM alumni about the impact of YIMs on their scientific careers.

About the Contributors

The scientists and science professionals who have contributed to this article come from different backgrounds and have followed unique career trajectories. Sonia Sen, who attended YIM 2019 as a post-doctoral fellow (PDF) is currently a Senior Scientist at Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bangalore. Two-time attendee Anup Padmanabhan (YIM 2017 as a PDF; YIM 2019 as a YI) is currently an Assistant Professor in Biology at Ashoka University. Sushmita Jha, an Associate Professor at the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur, is also a two-time attendee, attending YIM 2013 as a YI and YIM 2017 as an institute representative.

Karishma Kaushik and Dhiraj Bhatia attended YIM 2019 as YIs. The former is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) while the latter is an Assistant Professor in Biological Engineering at IIT Gandhinagar. Sabarinathan Radhakrishnan attended YIM 2017 as a PDF and is currently an Assistant Professor (Reader-F) at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru. Kavitha Bharatham, who attended YIM 2013 as a PDF, is a computational chemistry team lead at Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CCBT), inStem, Bengaluru.

Poonam Thakur, who attended YIM 2019 as a PDF, is a Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Early Career Fellow at CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. And finally, Shantala Hari Dass, who attended YIM 2017 as a PDF, has recently joined the IndiaBioscience team as Associate Director.

Here is what they had to say about the impact of YIMs on their careers.

Did attending a YIM benefit your career? If yes, how?

Sonia: I attended the Young Investigator’s Meeting in Guwahati in 2019. The meeting was wonderful. It was very interesting to meet my peers from all over the country, in staggered stages of their careers and in diverse settings – from research institutes to public and private universities. This was an enriching experience and has allowed me to make scientific allies and friends. A year on, I’ve reached out to some of them for their expertise and have likewise been pinged by others!

Anup: Yes, definitely, in the following ways.

• It was a single platform which brought together institute directors (aka recruiters) and potential applicants (YIM PDF attendees) over 3-5 days and allowed multiple interactions to get an idea about the institute’s mandate and openings. This also gave an idea about the support, colleagues, and leadership culture at these institutes.
• It gives you an idea about your peers and potential future colleagues and/or collaborators
• Interactions with YI’s helped in understanding the research landscape. A lot of these conversations helped me in ’soft landing’ when I started my lab.

Sushmita: Yes, attending a YIM helped me network.

Karishma: I was encouraged to apply for YIM 2019 in Guwahati by LS Shashidhara, when I met him at IISER Pune. Trained in India as a medical doctor, I moved to the US for my PhD. Returning back to India as a Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellow in mid-2018, I jokingly call myself the ‘outsider’ to Indian science. My re-entry to India as an independent investigator was my first interaction with Indian science. With YIM 2019, I started my journey of connecting, networking and integrating with the Indian science community.

I was at a rough place in my professional return, with my host institute (a private biotech start-up) undergoing some unexpected and sudden changes. Walking into the hotel room in Guwahati, I was informed (over the phone) that I would need to find a new host institute due to these unforeseen events. Deciding to ‘land on my feet’ (as much as I could), I thought to myself that as tough as the situation might be, the best place to seek advice and opportunities would be YIM 2019.

Through the three days at YIM 2019, I openly shared my situation with colleagues and mentors and asked for suggestions. At the poster session, I met Rakesh Joshi from IBB, SPPU (a fellow attendee) who shared with me the possibility of an open position at IBB, SPPU. Returning to Pune, he set up a meeting with the Director of IBB and I gave a seminar at the institute. In a few weeks, my candidacy was approved and I joined IBB, SPPU as an Assistant Professor/Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellow in April 2019.

Therefore, YIM was crucial in helping me navigate a very tough time for me and opened new doors.

Dhiraj: Yes, definitely. Principally, in the following three ways:

1. Being a very new PI to India, I did not know about many government schemes that facilitate scientific research, which I came to know of only through discussions at YIM with senior experts.
2. YIM gave me a chance to network for potential collaborations on specific scientific questions. We were able to quickly set up good friendships with similar young investigators in different parts of India and abroad with diverse expertise and facilities.
3. Guidance from seniors was of utmost importance in terms of their experience in running labs, facilities, potential pitfalls, and strategies they followed to overcome challenges or burdens in their scientific careers. I feel more confident as a group leader after attending YIM 2019.

Sabarinathan: Yes, this meeting provided an opportunity to meet and discuss my research interests with different institution heads and young investigators in one place. This helped me get to know institute-specific details related to hiring, setting up and running the lab.

Kavitha: I did my PhD and postdoc abroad and hence had no network in India to guide me in applying for jobs. While I was doing my postdoc at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA, I was looking to move back to India. I did not want to start off as a PI but rather wanted to be in an interdisciplinary research team as I am a computational chemist and wanted to work closely with experimentalists to test my hypothesis.

To understand the possibilities, I applied for YIM 2013 at Jodhpur. I presented a poster where I met a faculty from inStem. He understood my research interests and connected me with an institute which was looking for someone with my experience. I joined CCBT in Feb 2014 and am very thankful to IndiaBioscience for helping me find a position that I hoped for.

Poonam: Yes attending YIM was very helpful for me professionally. I had been abroad for several years and therefore my scientific network in India was rather limited. YIM gave me a wonderful opportunity to connect with so many excellent scientists. Some of these connections have now become nice mentor-mentee relationships.

Shantala: My journey post-YIM 2017 was rather fortuitous. I attended it as someone who had been in a postdoc in Canada for 3 years and wanted to move on. I was oscillating between going back and forth between wanting to be a PI and wanting to move out of academia. I attended the YIM with an intent to educate myself on the life science landscape in India and the potential career avenues.

The meeting impacted my career journey in two major ways. Firstly it highlighted the length and breadth and current growth of the Indian Life science community. This made me want to move back to India to be a part of this vibrant and evolving community. And secondly, it enabled me to engage with and understand the activities of IndiaBioscience. This seed of interest down the line led to me applying for a position and joining IndiaBioscience. I have come a full circle with respect to the YIMs, from being a participant to now being a part of the organising team at IndiaBioscience.

Which part of your YIM experience did you find the most useful while setting up your lab or later in your scientific endeavours?

Sonia: It was certainly meeting people - those who were at a similar stage as myself in their careers, but also people who are now established. With the latter, I have found it useful to chat with and keep perspective when I hit real or perceived speed bumps. With the former, I appreciate talking about the possibilities. There are projects in my lab now that have been catapulted ahead by inputs from friends I made at YIM 2019.

Anup: For me, it’s like cooking - all the ingredients had come together to make the meeting worthwhile. I was undecided on coming back but interacting with institute representatives at YIM helped me decide. Meeting PDFs gave me a renewed enthusiasm that if these bright minds are going to be my colleagues, I pretty much want to be there. And the problems faced by YI’s (and the solutions they came up with) gave me a reality check that things are a bit different in India when you start out, but there are ways, help, and solutions if you look around. And I wouldn’t trade anything off from YIM 2017 (including the organisers - Deepa, Sumit, Praveen and Sudha, who were fantastic!)

Sushmita: I found the panel discussions on grant writing really useful.

Karishma: I would say it is the networking. Just knowing and meeting other young colleagues, and building a community of young scientists with shared goals and concerns has been a huge step in setting up my career as an independent investigator. Specifically, these connections have helped me find new funding opportunities, enabled the sharing of resources, and created a sort of support group for advice and assistance.

Sabarinathan: The mentors’ talks and the breakout session on mentoring were quite useful to me.

Dhiraj: Almost every part of YIM was equally useful but the panel discussions on future directives to run labs and the life stories of seniors were very inspiring. These sessions actually triggered a spark in me to look for problems which can haunt us for decades of running a lab and not just focus on short-term gains.

Kavitha: Setting up the lab is not applicable to me. Discussions on challenges faced by the young investigators were very informative and prepared me for the challenges ahead.

Poonam: Opportunity to talk to PIs who have recently started their labs was the best experience. It put us into a realistic perspective and prepared us mentally to know what lay ahead.

Shantala: Personally, as a postdoc, it was especially valuable to be exposed to representatives from funding agencies, institutional heads, mentors and recently minted young investigators all in one meeting. It gave me a sense of clarity on the process and requirements of becoming a YI which was otherwise relegated to anecdotal conversations.

In the second part of this article, we ask YIM alumni about their memories from their YIM experience and their advice to future attendees of YIM.

How did you decide to join the YIM2020 organising team and how has your experience been?

Athi: I received a phone call one fine morning last March, if I remember correctly, and was asked if I am willing to be part of the YIM organizing team. Honestly, I did not think much and I just said yes, having attended YIM before as a PDF. Looking back, it is good that I did not think much! The journey till now has been quite enjoyable and informative in many ways and I credit this to the IndiaBioscience team for their professional and meticulous approach.

Vaishnavi: I received an email from IndiaBioscience board members Rashna Bhandari (CDFD, Hyderabad) and Roop Mallik (TIFR, Mumbai) in early 2019. I didn’t need any convincing – having been part of YIM 2014 (Hyderabad) and benefitted greatly from that outing, I wanted to be able to facilitate similar experiences for other YIs looking to unravel the Indian academic landscape.

Aravindhan: This happened when I attended YIM 2015 which was held at Srinagar, Jammu. I have always felt Chennai, as a city, is lagging behind with respect to life science research and needs greater scientific visibility. A major event like YIM, when held at Chennai, would bring in the desired visibility to the city. Hence, I volunteered myself to be part of the organizing team in case IndiaBioscience ever decided to hold a YIM at Chennai.

Smita: YIM is a flagship-networking meeting of IndiaBioscience. The responsibility of organizing YIM was given to me when I joined the program in 2016. YIM 2020 is my 4^th YIM as an organizer and all I can say is that each YIM has made me richer in terms of my understanding of the research ecosystem in India and the issues pertinent of the young researchers. I have made some great friends over these years and grown my professional network manifold. Also, we have been successful in bringing many positive changes to the format of the meeting based on the feedback that we receive every year.

Have you attended a YIM before? How was your experience?

Athi: Yes, I attended YIM way back in 2011 as a PDF. The overall experience was very good – in fact, the very next year I joined IIT Madras. I loved the fact that there were open discussions on starting a career in India. In some cases the institute directors were very frank about what they expect, the reality that is present before them, and how to marry orthogonal requirements.

Vaishnavi: Yes, I attended YIM 2014 that was organized by Rashna Bhandari, Madika Subba Reddy, and Subba Rao Gangi Setty. I had just heard from DST that my INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship application had been successful. I had three months to look for a host institute and the YIM was instrumental in my joining IISc for the INSPIRE fellowship.

Aravindhan: Yes. I previously attended YIM 2013 and YIM 2015.

Smita: It is one of the most wonderful meetings I have ever been part of. As said earlier, YIM 2020 is my 4^th YIM as an organizer and 5^thas a participant. It has been a wonderful journey – I have made many new friends, increased my network manifold and learnt many new things with every passing year by being part of the YIM. The most rewarding is to know how a large number of participants have benefitted from YIMs and how this has served as a stepping stone for them to get into their desired career paths.

What do you think the participating Young Investigators (YIs) can hope to gain from this YIM?

Athi: For a YI anywhere across the globe and particularly in India, the first few years are critical as they attempt to establish themselves in a niche that is already populated by other scientists. The expectations that YIs have for themselves and how the department or the institute sees them need not necessarily agree. This YIM, as it has been consistently done before over the last years, will attempt to broach this through open discussions and via talks from senior scientists who will give a perspective of how they navigated through rough times while being involved in teaching, research and administrative activities.

Vaishnavi: YIs will specifically benefit from the mentor talks, breakout sessions on ‘Setting up a lab’ and the panel discussions. More generally, YIs will get to network with peers from across the country and become part of the rapidly-expanding YIM community. This community will like serve as any YI’s go-to when in search resources, information or general advice.

Aravindhan: This would be an open forum wherein we can discuss several issues impeding the progress of science in India and especially YIs. It would open up excellent networking and funding opportunities for the YIs.

Smita: The participating YIs will get to meet their peers coming from length and breadth of the country. This is a great way to grow their network, learn from each other, find collaborators, and new friends. They will get not just an opportunity to interact with some of their future colleagues but also a chance to mentor them during the meeting and afterwards. The mentor talks, carefully planned panel discussions on pertinent issues, and breakout sessions will give a chance to learn many new topics of relevance. It would also allow them to pick up some new skills/ideas/practices in order to bring a positive change in their own work atmosphere.

How will this YIM be useful for the attending post-doctoral fellows (PDFs)?

Athi: The PDFs, in my view, will be the ones who will benefit the most from this meeting. They will be exposed to the various institutes’ hiring and requirements, YIs’ experiences in their first few years, the politics and hierarchy within the Indian system which is oftentimes the ‘elephant in the room’, and finally the multiple re-entry fellowships and granting schemes available to kickstart their career.

I strongly believe that the science and research landscape in India is rich and constantly evolving in the right direction, and I hope the PDFs can follow the footsteps of many of the YIs by returning to India and giving back to the country. It is also important to recognize the fact that doing good science is challenging anywhere in the world and that the PDFs would really be well-advised to make the most of their time here by frankly discussing many of their questions and doubts.

Vaishnavi: In addition to the talks and interactive sessions, PDFs will be able to capitalize on the opportunity to meet with several heads/representatives of institutes that will be part of the meeting. The YIs attending the meeting will also provide a first-hand account on all aspects of carrying out research in India and at their respective institutes/universities.

Aravindhan: YIM 2020 would open up potential job opportunities for PDFs.

Smita: Our PDF colleagues are preparing themselves to get into the research ecosystem in India in an independent role. YIM will provide an excellent platform to explore and gain knowledge of this ecosystem and the role that lies ahead of them. It would also give them an opportunity to meet YIs, mentors, institutional representatives and people from funding agencies. These interactions would give PDFs a first-hand perspective of the ground realities – some mantras with respect to a successful career path, a broad perspective about the kinds of institutions that exist, along with the functioning and hiring process of each of them and much more. Trust me, each interaction is helpful and one should make the most of it before, during, and after the YIM.

The PDFs have already formed an informal group where the discussions on very pertinent issues have already begun. This ‘buddy group’ should continue to serve as a platform to discuss these issues in a positive manner in times to come.

Which session (s) are you looking forward to the most?

Athi: Easily the breakout sessions, panel discussions and poster sessions, in that order.

Vaishnavi: I am looking forward to the mentor talks, breakout sessions and panel discussions on ‘Breaking Barriers in Science’.

Aravindhan: All the sessions.

Smita: The whole of YIM – new people, new interactions, new ideas! That’s what excites me and that’s what I look forward to every year.

Do you have any advice for the participants for making the most of this YIM?

Athi: Interact with your peers, start building a network with the participants, make yourself known (in a good way!) and enjoy the time, ambience, science, and journeys of scientists on offer.

Vaishnavi: Do seek out individuals that will help you in your career trajectory, but also network with as many attendees as possible. Every experience is unique and you never know what you may end up discovering. Most importantly, have fun!

Aravindhan: Kindly let go of your inhibitions and participate actively in panel discussions and break-out sessions. Your inputs are most valuable for having a fruitful session.

Smita: Stay engaged throughout, discuss, ask questions, and raise concerns to make the most of this YIM. The EMBO grant awareness workshop on Day 2 is a new addition to YIM and we hope that all the participants will find the session useful. Also, make the most of the poster sessions as that’s the best platform to network, talk about science and find future collaborators (and friends). We would appreciate getting feedback from all the participants, as that would help us make necessary changes in future editions of YIMs.

I wish you all the very best and look forward to meeting you all in person.