This document provides career advice for keeping young women and men in water and wetland research. It discusses the challenges of pursuing an academic career, including the need for funding and publications, lack of job security during postdoctoral periods, and difficulties balancing family and career responsibilities. The document emphasizes the importance of having a supportive mentor and developing skills like leadership, communication, and confidence to succeed in academia. It also outlines specific actions universities can take to promote gender equality and increase the number of female researchers and faculty.

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How to keep young women & men
in water and wetland research
March 18th 2015
MIKE JETTEN
SOEHNGEN INSTITUTE OF ANAEROBIC MICROBIOLOGY
Table of content
Pivotal career steps/advise
- PhD and supervision
- post doc and family
- tenure and independence
- full professor and responsibilities
intertwined with examples
of joint wetland research

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Curt Rice, Tromso, Norway, 6 steps to gender equality
Petra Rudolf, RU Groningen, NL, Roosevelt Foundation
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, USA, The Confidence Gap
Jonathan Eisen UCD, USA http://www.stemwomen.net/jonathan-eisen/
Institute for Gender studies http://www.ru.nl/genderstudies/english/
http://www.genderinscience.org
Personal coaches:
4 increase of self esteem & leadership skills
My supervisors, mentors, co workers, students
My collaborators and funding agencies
Credits
ERC AG 2008 ERC AG 2013
Gravitation SIAM 2013
Spinoza2012
Academic careers seem to be unappealing to both man and woman,
Although scientific sleuthing to unravel wetland secrets is great fun
The impediments are often perceived as disproportionate
The sacrifices are deemed great.
Research career? After 1 y
PhD
After 3y
PhD
After 3y
Career in Academia
M 61% 59% 21%
F 72% 37% 12%

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Why is academia perceived as not appealing?
Continuous hunt for projects/money;
all consuming & very competitive;
String of post docs w/o prospects = Lack of security
F self confidence / esteem
F Lack of good F role models
The leaky academic pipeline
PhD/post doc post doc tenure track professor
parenthood prospectssupervision

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Level %Female %Male
VWO 70 30
BSc RU 55 45
MSc RU 66 33
PhD RU 75 25
The Demographics @2013
Research
academic
Research
industrial
Elsewhere
48 PhD students 19 8 5
Female 9 10 4 4
Male 7 9 4 1
29 post doc 21 5 3
Female 12 1 2
Male 9 4 1
Research staff 5F/5M
Science staff 3F/3M
Professor ?/1M
Lead by Example

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INTRODUCTION@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
MSc Molecular Science 1987
PhD Anaerobic Microbiology 1991
Wageningen University
Post doc 1991-1994
Industrial Microbiology
Assistant professor 1994-2000
Environmental Microbiology & Biotechnology
Professor Microbiology 2000-
ERC AG 2008 ERC AG 2013
Gravitation SIAM 2013
Spinoza2012

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INTRODUCTION@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
MSc Molecular Science 1987
PhD Anaerobic Microbiology 1991
Wageningen University
Post doc 1991-1994
Industrial Microbiology
Assistant professor 1994-2000
Environmental Microbiology & Biotechnology
Professor Microbiology 2000-
ERC AG 2008 ERC AG 2013
Gravitation SIAM 2013
Spinoza2012
INTRODUCTION@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
PhD Microbiology 1987 - 1991
Acetate Metabolism in Methanothrix soehngenii
Anaerobic food chain
Wetlands are greatest source of methane
Plant polymers converted to greenhouse gas methane
via hydrogen and acetate
Which microbes are responsible?
What are their kinetic properties?
Syntrophic interactions?
How to they make methane?
IWWR research theme 25y later: balance CH4 sources and sinks

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INTRODUCTION@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
PhD Microbiology 1987 - 1991
Acetate Metabolism in Methanothrix soehngenii
- Optimally prepared by best anaerobic training in experts lab
(Georg Fuchs, Ulm 86; secondary benefits Allgau & HFW)
- State-of-the-art anaerobic research facilities
- Coherent team and colleagues
- Combination high level sport & study is
foundation 4 ambition & perseverance
- Get your papers out asap
- Excellent supervisor
(not many but very effective meetings) Alex Zehnder
Prof Microbiology WUR
Director EAWAG CH
President ETH Zurich
“fat rod” Methanothrix soehngenii
first observed by NL Soehngen 1906

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The leaky pipeline
PhD/post doc post doc tenure track professor
parenthood prospectssupervision
Apart from giving (technical) scientific guidance, she/he should
• provide training in the art of presentation science
• teach how to write good papers in a timely fashion
• help you find funding
• teach you how to write successful proposals
• teach you the “rules of the game” and how to change them
• give you challenging assignments and opportunities
• provide constructive feedback on unsuccessful endeavours
• introduce you to important professional contacts
• give you credit, and advocate you in the academic community
Need for a very good mentor/supervisor!
If not provided by your supervisor, be assertive and ask
If still not provided, train yourself or get it else where asap.

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Educational skills to guide and transfer knowledge to students
Project and time management to be as effective as possible
Scientific communication skills to become an articulate speaker/writer
Social skills 4 Interaction with people in networking & collaborating
Personal happiness 4 balance work/private life
Build strong self esteem
Career management
Leadership skills (vision, delegating, team building, supervision)
Good mentors teach human and leadership skills!
These skills contribute up to 85% of your success!
Take initiative, be assertive and train your self!
Educational skills to guide and transfer knowledge to students
Project and time management to be as effective as possible
Scientific communication skills to become an articulate speaker/writer
Social skills 4 Interaction with people in networking & collaborating
Personal happiness 4 balance work/private life
To build strong self esteem
Career management
Leadership skills (vision, delegating, team building, supervision)
Good mentors that teach human and leadership skills!
These skills contribute up to 85% of your success!
Take initiative, be assertive and train your self!

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Ability to Listen & communicate
Giving constructive feedback, credit and praise
Being Available
Ability to quickly set priorities
Being pro active
Implementing change
Taking Responsibility and delegate
Grasp problems & Assess situations
Use Sound judgment
Transparency
Produces results and gets the job done
Supervisor skills
The leaky pipeline
post doc tenure track professor
parenthood prospects

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Chapter2@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
Post doc 1991-1994 talent fellowship
Temporary good bye to challenging anaerobes & wetlands
Hello to : biotechnology & genetic system
Chapter2@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
Post doc 1991-1994
• Bring your own money & freedom
• Hospitality & Spouse program
• Complementary and synergy in skills
• Freedom to explore
• Nose for feasibility & serendipity
• practice make perfect but 95% is more effective!
• Publish asap & amap
• Train human and leadership skills
• Be assertive, Take initiative and Move on

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Challenges in combining family life and career
• Family/career : there is never an easy equilibrium
• 2 body problem: not each location offers opportunity for both
• if your heart allows marry/partner outside your profession
• both partners 50% shared family responsibilities
• learn to live with little sleep asap
• (European) labour law = raise kids asap in PhD
• reality most academians have a family after 32
Challenges in combining family life and career
Emancipation is still a long way to go
Be real gentlemen and never take less
than 50% family responsibility!
Ladies be assertive and do not take
more than 50% share in family responsibilities
Your type of a Charming
Wetland Prince(ss)?

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In addition to starting a family there is also a
CONFIDENCE GAP
Women tend to underestimate their potential for success in Science.
F apply for TT when they meet 120% of requirements (M at 50%)
Women do gain confidence from (close by) role models!
Affirmative action and sports are motivators 4 F in competition
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/the-confidence-gap/
In addition to starting a family there is also a
CONFIDENCE GAP
Women tend to underestimate their potential for success in Science.
Women apply for TT when they meet 120% of requirements (M at 50%)
Women do gain confidence from (close by) role models!
Affirmative action and sports are motivators 4 F in competition
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/the-confidence-gap/

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Sound self esteem Yet to develop self esteem
Flexible Rigid
Creative defensive
Independent Too conformative
Admit and correct mistakes Overcompliant
Benevolent Overcontrolling
Cooperative Hostile
Seeks challenges Undemanding
Honest Evasive
Cope well/ Quick to recover Not coping nor recovering
Ambitious Less aspirations
Perseverance Give up easily
Problem solving Worrying
Takes (calculated) risks Risk avoiding
Tolerate frustrations Easily frustrated
.
Start Small
No More Comparisons and No More Comparisons
Do Something You Are Good At
Set attainable goals and get motivated
Get Clarity on major Life Areas and make sound plan
Create a Compelling Vision
Create an image of yourself as the confident and self-assured
person you aspire to become.

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Practicalities universities can do to increase F staff:
- Mentor programs with good F role models
- Special lunch meetings / support groups / self esteem building
- Excellent child care facilities
- Reimbursement for babysitting service for unusual situations
- Family friendly working conditions
- Use alumni network to help finding jobs for partners
- Consider partners as internal candidates for university vacancies
- Gender neutral advertisements / balanced selection committees
- and many many more………….
Practicalities universities can do to increase F staff:
- Mentor programs with good F role models
- Special lunch meetings / support groups / self esteem building
- Excellent child care facilities
- Reimbursement for babysitting service for unusual situations
- Family friendly working conditions
- Use alumni network to help finding jobs for partners
- Consider partners as internal candidates for university vacancies
- Gender neutral advertisements / balanced selection committees
- and many many more………….

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Joliot Curie Program 2 Female TT per y
Radboud Excellence Initiative; 4 F post docs/y
Strategy 2020: 25% female Professors
Gender neutral advertisements
Gender neutral criteria
Gender balanced selection committees
Train staff 4 awareness in gender bias EGERA
Way2independece@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY
Moving back to Europe: Assistant professor 1994-2000
• Bring your own money & personal grant KNAW
• Further develop nose for feasibility of projects
• Practice make perfect but 95% is more effective!
• Be at right place and time (serendipity)
• Publish HI papers (1st at 37y)
• Raise more money and build a team
• Keep up the 50% Family responsibilities
• Complementary and synergy in skills
• Increase Quality supervision/mentoring
• Train human and leadership skills
• Be assertive and/or move on

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ANAMMOX MILESTONES
1995 ANAEROBIC PILOT PLANT
Mulder et al FEMS Ecol
1998 SBR ENRICHMENT CULTURES
Strous et al AMB
1999 PHYLOGENETIC IDENTITY
Strous et al Nature (MJ =37y)
2002 LADDERANE LIPIDS
Damste et al Nature
2003 BLACK SEA WATER
Kuypers et al Nature
ANAMMOX MILESTONES
2006 GENOME ASSEMBLY
Strous et al Nature
2008 CELL BIOLOGY
Van Niftrik et al Mol Mic
2011 METABOLISM
Kartal et al Nature
2013 CHINESE WETLANDS
Zhu et al Nature Geoscience

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The leaky pipeline
professor
Professor Microbiology 2000-
• Bring your own money/projects
• Refine nose for feasibility and serendipity
• Practice make perfect but 95% is more effective!
New stable state or tipping point
• Raise a lot more money & build a large team
• Publish more HI papers
• Keep up the Joint Family responsibility
• Complementary and synergy in IWWR
• Improve Quality of Supervision & mentoring
• Networking / INTERNAL IWWR collaborations
• Become stronger and more assertive
• Transfer of knowledge
• Transfer of human and leadership skills
and become eligible for dean, VP, VC, etc
or move on??
Responsibilities@MIKE-ROBIOLOGY

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On difficult days it feels like
Animal & anaerobic Welte, Arshad, Kessel, PhD
microbiomes
CH4 cycle in wetland plants Kosten, Ettwig, Sobreira
Aben
Symbiosis in seagrass fields Hooiberg, vd Heide
van Alen, Op den Camp
N2 fixation in peat lands Kox, vd Elzen
Lamers, Ettwig
Rhizobiome of wetlands Vaksmaa, Lueke,
Ghashghavi, PhD
MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS 2014-2019
SIAM
IWWR
INSTITUTE

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Animal & anaerobic Welte, Arshad, van Kessel
microbiomes PhD vacancy
CH4 cycle in wetland plants Kosten, Ettwig, Sobreira
Aben
Symbiosis in seagrass fields Hooiberg, vd Heide
van Alen, Op den Camp
N2 fixation in peat lands Kox, vd Elzen
Lamers, Ettwig
Rhizobiome of wetlands Vaksmaa, Lueke,
Ghashghavi, PhD vacancy
MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS 2014-2019
SIAM

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VOLCANIC MICROBIOLOGY
Op den Camp
(AN)AEROBIC OXIDATION OF
METHANE
Ettwig & Jetten
ANAMMOX
Cell Biology & Biochemistry
Van Niftrik & Kartal
MICROBIAL
INTERACTIONS
Welte & Jetten
SIAM

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What did we in all `modesty` achieve:
• Project portfolio of 28 Meuro
• Fte up 42 and increasing
• Many Papers & PhD per year
• Central role in IWWR
• Prestigious and personal awards
• Strong ties with industry
• Priority area of the University
with research master Microbiology
43
ERC AG 2008 ERC AG 2013
Gravitation SIAM 2013
Spinoza2012
Added value of Awards
• Possibility to do research w/o restrictions
• Recognition @home university
• Many Invitations
• New collaborations
• Exclusive partnership with industry
• Job offers
• More awards and prizes (Matthew 25:29)
• Many student opportunities

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Down side of (too much) success
• Harsher peer review (from such PI we expect….)
• Difficult to obtain additional grants
• Revenge taken out on younger staff & students
• Complicated university politics
• Too big for collaboration
• Where should phd/post docs move to?
• It can be very lonely at the top
• Ne iupiter quidam placet omnibus
Added value / Down side ≥ 1
Thank you !
(Wetland) science = Fun
Leadership skills = 85% success!
Take initiative & never give up !
The future = bright for young Women & Men
in Wetland Science!