By Megan Kane, PhD

Megan Kane

As reported on Research!America’s blog and in numerous media channels, scientists are facing a difficult funding environment made even worse by sequestration. I am one of the members of the “entire generation of scientists at risk” that NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and others have referenced in their warnings about the long-term harm of sequestration. Due to tightening budgets in research laboratories, I was forced to make a decision earlier this year: either delay my graduation from my doctoral program or look for immediate employment outside of a lab environment and possibly never get back to the bench.

A colleague pointed me to the advertisement for a communications internship with a non-profit: Research!America. I was in the midst of pondering alternative careers with my science background and was leaning towards science writing or communication. This communications internship seemed to be a tremendous opportunity to write about science and issues relevant to researchers and advocates in a non-technical format. And it has been an incredible experience. Continue reading →