We (the GSA group at the Broad Institute) have a problem: we have a truckload of material sitting around waiting to be published, but no time to actually write the papers. So we're looking for someone who will help us convert this computational biology goldmine into cold hard Nature Biotech/Methods papers.
This is a great opportunity for an early-career, postdoc-level scientist who has experience publishing papers, demonstrated writing ability, and is not afraid of wrangling complex technical material.
Make no mistake, we're not looking for a ghostwriter; this will involve intellectual contribution worth the authorship in high-profile publications. But the basic material is ready and waiting.
Here is the complete job description (see also http://www.broadinstitute.org/gatk/blog?id=4055); feel free to ask questions in the comments or by private message to me (Geraldine):
Scientific Technical Writer
The Genome Sequencing and Analysis group seeks a scientist with excellent writing skills and experience with scientific publication to work with scientists and engineers on transforming notes and technical documentation for existing analytical methods and tools into polished papers aimed at high-profile journals such as Nature Biotechnology and Nature Genetics. In collaboration with researchers working at the forefront of bioinformatics, including the group that develops the gold-standard Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK), the writer would be responsible for designing paper structure and identifying necessary content to (1) better explain the theory that underlies methods and tools and (2) powerfully illustrate use cases based on public datasets. The writer would focus their writing on the introduction, results, and discussion sections of the papers, expanding existing technical material, while the team will provide the methods sections.
The writer will be hired as a consultant, with a minimum of 20 hours/week of work (more hours are possible if desired).
Requirements:
- Ph.D. in a scientific discipline (not necessarily bioinformatics or computational biology, though familiarity with those fields is helpful);
- experience and skill in writing scientific papers (experience with other scientific writing activities, e.g., grant-writing, is also helpful);
- ability to craft a logically structured text from unstructured material;
- ability to synthesize information from diverse sources;
- ability to write clearly and concisely without sacrificing precision;
- ability to communicate effectively in a team setting;
- ability to work in a highly collaborative team environment; and
- desire to take direction and iterate drafts with team members.
Fascinating job proposal. No really, not kidding! very interesting.
I wish I were a postdoc/grad student... and a native speaker ... and well a British accent wouldn't hurt either.
Istvan, you don't have to be a postdoc to apply-- we think postdocs especially will find this attractive, but it's not a requirement at all. Considering your profile you could be a great fit; it's more a question of whether you can find the time, I bet! You also don't have to be a native speaker if your written English is good. I know non-native speakers whose writing in English is better than many born & bred native speakers!
Thanks for the vote of confidence. As you point it out the job requires a substantial focus and dedication. That is really that I would not be able to commit to at this time. I hope that you find the candidates you seek and I am looking forward reading these papers.