Specifically, we ask—how do pre-doctoral, doctoral, and post-doctoral researchers experience the science spaces they inhabit?

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How do they articulate moments of wonder, excitement, and strangeness that these spaces represent?

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And what does the process of enculturation into the world of biosciences research look like?

 

While there are a plethora of stories on senior biologists' experiences of research, the stories of early career biologists are missing in the public discourse. Narrating such stories, besides being a self-affirming experience for those who tell them, could be educative for young students who are curious about biology and how research spaces work. The young student also gets a window into what a life in science looks like before they get access to a laboratory or a field site. These stories could also be of interest to the general public interested in the cultures of science. Senior members of the scientific community may also relate to these stories as these experiences may now be distant to them.

 

The autobiographical narratives, fashioned as outreach material, are presented in the blog section of the website. These materials were co-created with participants in three immersive online two-day workshops. The process of co-creation involved engaging participants in structured activities that included word association activities, readings and discussions. These activities were designed to kindle a process of reflection in the participants. Some of our editorial pieces unravel the nature of some of these activities and the considerations behind them.The workshop also had asynchronous sessions where they worked on first drafts of their outreach material. Participants were encouraged to provide peer-feedback during the sessions.

 

Once a draft of the output was created in the workshops, we worked further with the participants—on a one to one basis—to help them flesh out specific experiences that were personally significant to them, as well as helped in shedding a light on the nature and culture of biological sciences research. One thing we highlighted to our participants, as they worked on their pieces, was to bring out “the you in your research”.

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After the editorial work on the articles was completed, the graphic designer and illustrator in our team worked further on the layout and illustrations. The youthful energy that animates the design and imagery of the website is attributable to her. Read this editorial piece to better understand her process.

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A distinctive feature of this project is the uniqueness with which it employs art as a medium of storytelling and outreach. Art has a unique ability to convey emotion. The prevalent culture of science spaces tends to emphasise reason over emotion when doing science. Even when emotion is acknowledged, it largely takes on the hue of wonder, excitement or eureka moments. In practice, however, we encounter a range of emotions even in the best and most successful scientists. Whether they are positive or negative, emotions deserve a space in the stories of science, as they serve to humanise it for those who practice it, as well as those who are watching from outside. Through our workshops with early career biologists, we strive to bring the domains of reason and emotion together in their narratives of doing science.

 

We invite you into a many-hued world of bio-tales from some fascinating people in the world of biological sciences

 

This project is supported by the 5th IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant.