Group Photo

The chemistry of mentorship

2026-02-04T14:44:00+00:00By

Making connections from the small scientific community of Costa Rica to a global network of peers

Mason Wakley

The summer I became a science journalist

Mason Wakley on being a science writer intern at the Royal Society of Chemistry

Abigail Mortimer

Abigail Mortimer’s career in glassblowing

Since starting as a trainee 17 years ago, her collaborative creations have underpinned teaching and research at the University of York’s chemistry department

AI assistance

AI research tools benefit individual scientists but may slow scientific progress

There may be a conflict between personal and collective gain in the sciences

To PhD or not to PhD? That is the question

Undergraduate student Umaymah Ahmad finds out what it’s like to go into academic research 

Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’

The nanogeoscientist on the importance of people to good science, the recent turnaround on diversity, equity and inclusion and why she will never be a professional artist

How to make academic service activities count

Five tips for tackling commitments effectively

Highlights

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Choosing the perfect path to an industrial R&D career

Options abound whether or not you have a PhD

Lars

Starting a chemistry PhD as a mature student

The benefits and challenges of returning to academia after a period away

Understanding science comics

Comic book chemistry

The scientists using visual storytelling to communicate their work – and how you can do it too

Team photo

The startups that grew out of the Pfizer redundancies

18 months on, three former Pfizer employees explain how they’ve seized opportunities to fill gaps in the market

NIH

Careers in science policy

The Stem professionals thriving in careers at the intersection of science and society

Meeting

How to make academic service activities count

Five tips for tackling commitments effectively

Conference registration desk

How to organise a conference

Five tips for successful event planning

Speaker

How to excel at public speaking

A five-step approach to present effectively

Poster conference

How to thrive at conferences

Five tips for making the most of meet-ups

LinkedIn

How to make an effective LinkedIn profile

Tips for making your online presence more attractive to employers

Meeting

How to have fewer, more effective meetings

Five strategies that can help individuals and institutions manage meetings better

Alexandra Navrotsky

Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’

The nanogeoscientist on the importance of people to good science, the recent turnaround on diversity, equity and inclusion and why she will never be a professional artist

Jennifer Kingston

Building the future of separation science

Jennifer Kingston was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Technical Excellence Prize, which honours the vital role of technical staff in the chemical sciences community

Lauren Hatcher

Shedding light on how photoactive crystals respond in real time

Lauren Hatcher discusses her work developing techniques for time-resolved crystallography

Woman checking wallet and finding no money

Cultural changes need to stop PhD students working for free

Top-down support is needed to stop exploitative PhD practices

Bridging the gap after submitting a PhD thesis

Finding ways to fund students as they search for jobs and complete lab work for publications

The pension cost of doing a PhD

Exploring the wider impacts of a PhD on your finances