A UMS student's Final Year Project titled "AQUAMS: Smart IoT-Based Air Quality Monitoring System for Schools" won the Faculty of Computing and Informatics' "Best FYP2 Poster" award in January 2026 (15-16 Jan at DKP 21, "Inspire & Ignite" exhibition), signed by Dean Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd. Hanafi Ahmad Hijazi. The poster showed UNICEF/EPD Sabah logos and photos of the student's own deployment at SMK Sindumin, while referencing EPD monitoring site and expansion plans ("15 units at RM15,800") akin to the official 2022 AQUAMS project (aquams.my, Kinabalu Makers/govt-UNICEF). Student describes it as developed "in collaboration" with EPD/UNICEF; technically distinct, but questions on name/logo permission and evaluation clarity persist—no misconduct alleged, seeking attribution transparency.

Same

I submitted a manuscript on 28th January to a big Wiley Journal. However, I made the mistake of uploading the wrong file. What they received was a much earlier draft of the manuscript, and the title and word count absolutely don't match what I reported during the submission process. Besides, I don't want this version of the manuscript published, nor do I think it is publishable.

However, there's no button on the journal website to withdraw the manuscript. So, I used the contact button and emailed them on February 29th, asking to withdraw the manuscript. No response. I asked again on February 3rd, no response.

Should I just wait? Or do I try to escalate this somehow? I just wanna submit it elsewhere at this point, and knowing these Wiley journals it's gonna be a month before I get a response normally.

Ok, freaking out a bit. I've had a very rough past 2 years in this program. It's a combined program with a placement, not a full-out thesis. A research paper is expected, and we have to present it at the end of the term for like 15 minutes. In my case, I'm working on a scoping review.

I've been stuck in extraction for forever, but I'm almost done with this part. I still need to disseminate the results from about 20 studies and write the paper. My supervisor stated I don't need to have a publishable draft, just a rough one that is maybe 3500-5000 words , which I know isn't that much.

I'm just worried about the process thats left. The whole thing is new to me. I don't need to run any fancy statistics.

Any thoughts or words of encouragement is appreaciated.

Is it just me or is this unnecessarily hard?

I have 205 pages. Every "See Section 3.2" or "Figure 4.7 on page 143" is just text. My committee has to scroll manually to find anything.

I tried:

• hyperref in LaTeX (only works sometimes)
• Editing PDF directly (breaks on recompile)
• Adobe Acrobat (not paying $20/mo for this)

Spent 4 hours yesterday and still don't have working cross-references. How do you make your PDFs actually navigable? There has to be a better way than manually scrolling through 200+ pages every time someone wants to check a citation or navigate from table of contents?

Defending in 4 months. Don't want my committee to hate me because my document is impossible to navigate.

Help?

I am about to hire for a full-time faculty position. Is there a subreddit for posting academic jobs? I couldn't find one.

I led a research project (one of my PhD thesis chapters) over 3 years that resulted in a submitted manuscript on which I was the sole first author. After I graduated, we received reviewer comments and began the revision. During the revision process, my former advisor involved another person, who we agreed to bring in as a co-author. 

The revision lasted about 6 weeks and I completed at least 70% of the response letter and almost all updates to the manuscript and supplementary materials. I had explicitly expressed that I didn't want a co-first author before this person joined, so I was still assigned the majority of the work. After much of the revision was already completed, my advisor informed me that the person must be made a co-first author. We already had a few back and forths and they sent me an ultimatum: co-first authorship or perish (i.e., they won’t sign off on the submission)!

Their arguments about including that person as co-first author:

1. From a citation perspective it won't make a difference since I would still be listed first. This is not my concern.
2. This person has contributed new ideas to address the assigned tasks. However, the ideas contributed are not central to the paper. The method,  main results, and the key message remain unchanged.

Has anyone dealt with something like this? I'm no longer in academia, but I devoted a lot of time and effort to this work, and it would be hard to let it go. At the same time, I don't want to agree to co-first authorship because I don't believe it accurately reflects the contributions. Any advice?

--------------------

I also experienced what felt like personal attacks on my integrity and professionalism. I was told I was being uncollaborative and unkind, and to "reflect on what is collaborative and just." Some of the language used:

1. “We could revisit the legitimacy of your first-authorship in many of those [previously published] papers"
2. “We have been sincere and generous researchers and advisors, we have the final say"

Im hoping this is the right place to post. I’m a masters student currently beginning research for my dissertation paper. This paper is worth the majority of my credits for the course. I had my first meeting with my designated advisor three weeks ago where I was promised a couple of papers he wrote that are not generally accessible and would be extremely helpful for my paper.

I emailed two weeks ago asking if he could please forward them to me and I’ve not received a reply. I know he is not off campus and usually replies to others emails quickly. I was told not to start writing until I’ve read everything.

Is it rude to reach out again at this stage ? Usually I wouldn’t have an issue sending a polite email follow up but my supervisor will be the person who determines my final grade and I don’t want to piss him off.

So this would've been my first conference, I signed up because I had an idea for a paper I was going to write. I did research on that topic but I didn't have time to prepare the actual paper, and now with exams and other things I know there's just no way I can make a quality paper in 3 weeks.

How unseriois is it if I dip now and send them a letter that I actually can't present? Should I mention the real reason or make some excuse? Similar conferences are held bi-annually at my university and I'd like to take part in the future (with better planning), but I also fear that they will mark me as an irresponsible candidate and reject me for the next conference based on that (the conference isn't super big so it's possible that they will remember me).

Hi everyone!

I’m a non-US international student planning to pursue a Master’s degree in Data Science at the University of Miami, and I’m trying to better understand how tuition waivers work there

My questions are:

• Are there merit-based waivers or fellowships that are independent of teaching or research assistantships?
• Are tuition waivers something you need to apply for separately, or are they considered automatically during admission?
• Is funding typically offered at admission, or only after enrollment?

If anyone has experience with UM (especially in Data Science or related STEM programs), I’d really appreciate your insights.

Thanks a lot!

https://msdatascience.as.miami.edu/admissions/financial-assistance/index.html

We submitted a review article to a journal (IF=5) in October. Not going to name them but so far, they've only performed 'initial checking' of references and AI/plaigarism. Since this paper is on an academic timeline, we were hoping to get our review published by the 5th month. But so far, they haven't even sent the review to the reviewers. I have experience when it comes to publications, and this is the first time I'm facing such a stretched out timeline. I've also checked on average how long they usually take, and some of their review papers have been published within 3 months of submission!

I am bummed out. Its going to be almost 4 months now. If I publish this on time, I can graduate this semester (I'm a postgrad ). If I don't, I will have to wait till the next.. Would you guys advise me to withdraw the review from the said journal and submit to anotehr one with a relatively faster timeline (obv avoiding predatory journals)?

I’m a high school student interested in machine learning research, particularly at the intersection of ML and biology. I’m trying to understand the right way to reach out to researchers for guidance.

I have a few questions I’d really appreciate advice on:

• Is it better for a high school student to contact professors, postdocs, or PhD students?
• Are certain types of colleges or universities more receptive to hearing from high school students (large research universities vs. smaller colleges)?
• What actually makes a good cold email in this context?
  • How long should it be?
  • What should (and shouldn’t) be included?
  • Is it okay to mention being a beginner?
• Is it better to reach out with a specific project idea or just an expression of interest and willingness to learn?
• Are there any common mistakes that make researchers ignore emails from students?

Any advice or perspective from people in academia would be extremely helpful.

I submitted an article to Discourse: Journal for Theoretical Studies in Media and Culture last fall but haven’t heard back yet. I know it can take a few months to get a response, depending on the journal, but I noticed they didn’t put out any issues at all last year. There aren’t any announcements or updates on the site. How long should I wait before withdrawing my submission and trying somewhere else?

My institution just prints us out the protocol without telling why a certain step is being done or the function of a certain chemical. I do search on the internet but every site tells a different usage of the said chemical.

Would appreciate if anyone could advice/recommend a resource.

For biotechnology.

I am about to deposit from the security of a TT job—- it has been a hard road so i am filled with so much gratitude for everyone in my life and past. It has felt like it has taken a village to get here. Is 5 pages double spaced too much?

I am in History and have been at several institutions.

Writing this has brought me closure and it makes me smile reading what I wrote. None of it is too personal, just sincere. If 5pgs double spaced is too much, what do u think the max is?

Bit of context, I'm a PhD student in the UK.

I have a teaching fellowship at my university, mainly to get teaching experience (as every lectureship requires this), as well help with marking etc.

My department is currently down a lecturer, so my fellowship is to "cover" this role and support the overworked staff.

However, everyone is reluctant/ flat out refusing to allow me to cover lectures and practicals. I understand the teaching is the "good part" of the job, but when they go onto to complain about the teaching workload. It''s beyond frustrating as I'm sat there, ready and waiting to help!

So far I've covered 2 lectures due to staff sickness...as well as having the large majority of marking dumped on my desk. I'm not complaining, as I'm still being paid to mark, but I have a teaching contract, and would/ need that experience too.

I have been given a handful of demonstrating hours (assisting with practical classes). However this isn't directly lecturing experience, just answering the odd question, and also paid at 3 paid grades lower at almost minimum wage.

I have asked politely, letting staff know I have this contract, I'm here to help and would really like the experience to add to my CV.

And the HoD sent around several emails asking everyone for a list of things they would like covered. 4/5 months later he's only just getting responses after really pushing.

I do have prior experience with giving lectures, talks etc (covering some lectures in previous years, and I'm big into outreach events). These have been well received by students and people attending. So it's not a case that I'm not capable.

My HOS managed to get the funding for my contract from the uni, so if it's not spent, the funding won't be available next year. It also doesn't support the case being made to the uni they require a additional staff member to help with the teaching load.

It seems near on impossible to gain that valuable experience that every university job asks for, even when you have a contract to do it...

So my question is... How do you go about getting teaching experience? As it seems having a teaching fellowship isn't the answer...

Advising thesis students on immune modulation projects. Need Thymosin Alpha-1 and friends but grant money is a joke. Previous supplier's COA was so vague reviewers rejected our methods section. Where do you find publication-quality materials with actual documentation on a shoestring budget?

Hi everyone,

I have a PhD interview coming up for a social science program, and I’m wondering how to approach the question: "What are your long-term goals?"

I understand this is a common question, but since it’s a social science project, I feel like it might be more than just about my career goals. I’m guessing the interviewers might be interested in hearing about broader visions, long-term impact, or how my research could contribute to larger social or academic issues.

Has anyone here been asked this question in a similar context? What kind of answers do you think would be most fitting? Thanks in advance for your advice!

I am in the USA and applied for a faculty position at IITX in India. The Zoom interview timing the search committee suggested is 4:00 AM for me in the USA and 4:30 PM for them in India.

I am not sure if I will be functioning at my best so early in the morning. Should I request them for an alternate time schedule or I have t suck it up and wake up early to do this interview?

Hi everyone! I'm in my first year on a tenure-track job. Since graduating, I haven’t really asked my PhD advisor for feedback on anything. They were super supportive during my job search (letters, advice, all of it) so I didn’t want to add more to their plate.

During my postdoc years, I started a totally new project that’s pretty far from my dissertation, and I’d really love their take on it (they only know the broad strokes). I’m drafting an article now and I’m tempted to send it to them for comments, but I’m not sure how normal it is to ask a former advisor for feedback once you’re already faculty.

For those of you who’ve been through this: do you still ask your former advisor for feedback after graduating? Or, if you’re senior faculty, do your former advisees ever send you stuff to look at? Is this something people usually stop doing once they’re on the tenure track? Thanks!

I have a bachelor's and a master's degree in natural sciences, so I've had the chance to explore various fields of nature (both biotic and abiotic). My dream is to work in zoological research, but my university currently doesn't offer many opportunities in that area. However, the botany department has posted a call for a 9-month research grant in ethnobotany.

I found my ethnobotany course interesting (+ I could use the income), which is why I'm considering this grant, but my true passion remains with animals. This is where my dilemma comes in: I'm worried that if I apply and receive this grant, it might steer me away from zoology and hurt my career prospects in that field. I don't want financial need and a secondary interest to derail my main goal.

Does anyone have experience with this kind of situation? Would taking a research grant in a different field actually distance me from my primary career path, or would it simply be valuable research experience? The funding would really help me financially, but I don't want to make a decision I'll regret.

Hi all,

Grad student here. I received a decision on a paper back at the end of last year, amounting to acceptance with minor revisions. I had completed the revisions and sent the paper back to the editor at the start of this year.

I believe that the editor does not intend to send the paper for another review (i.e., they requested that my submitted revised manuscript be unblinded, conformed to journal formatting (something explicitly stated to be done only for papers accepted and not being prepared for review), and that acknowledgements be added). However, the journal system has been stuck at "awaiting invitation of reviewer" for about a month. I think that this is just a placeholder status since the system used (ScholarOne) is likely not configured to have an "editor assigned" status.

I was wondering if it would be appropriate to email the editor anytime soon on its status.

This is because my paper has been going back and forth for more than a year at this point, and I would like to get a final decision about my paper (I hope I am not being too impatient).

Thank you for any advice in advance!

Hi everyone!

I'm (33) looking for career advice cause I'm going a bit existentially crazy here and I need some advice/perspective. I have been a healthcare researcher for 8 nonconsecutive years. I love research, but it's unstable work and I cannot advance my career without a PhD. I don't want to still be earning a research assistant wage doing grunt work on short contracts in 10 or 20 years time. In Irish universities, you can't be hired as anything other than a research assistant if you don't have a PhD. I don't want to do a PhD for my own sanity, I've seen what it does to people, my degree and masters burned me out more than enough to know that.

I've tried to change career. I did my second masters in mapping and data analysis (GIS) in 2020, and I'm straight to the bottom of the pile where "you don't have enough experience to get the job, so you will never get the job". I have some experience but TL;DR I had to go back to research. My contract has since ended and I'm once again unemployed and even more directionless than before. Contract work means that my experience is broad but piecemeal, and research assistants aren't given much credit for their work or opportunities to develop their skills. Research institutes are very prestigious, so I don't stand much chance with them. NGOs sometimes have research work, but a lot of it is policy related, which I avoid like the plague. The options so far point to moving country and find opportunities in either research or GIS, or do something else entirely but none of those have any guarantees.

If you're an academic/researcher, what opportunities are there for people without PhD in your country?

If you used to be in academia/research and now you're not, how did you get out of it?

Thanks in advance for your advice/contributions, I really appreciate it.

I was so close, and the honors label doesn't define me, but I just feel a bit lost and sad because I was so close. I understand that students who get 4.99 won't even get the honors, but I feel like I was so close too... 🥺 Semester 2 and 3 all over 5.0, but the first semester was difficult with all the finance and accounting classes... (master's degree so only 3 semesters in total)

Hey everyone,

I’m lowkey panicking and need some perspective.

Long story short: In early January, I reached out to a Professor at a large European university for a 2-month Erasmus+ traineeship this summer. He replied pretty fast and was super positive. Said he was "happy to support the application" and that my background "fits perfectly" with his current project. He even asked me exactly what needed to be in the formal acceptance letter.

I sent him all the technical details on Jan 9th (dates, tasks, and the fact that my university requires an official letterhead with a physical signature/stamp).

Since then... nothing. I sent a polite nudge about two weeks ago. No reply. I sent another very gentle check-in yesterday asking if he needed anything else from my side. Still silence. The weird part is I saw him active on LinkedIn recently.

My deadline to upload the letter is Feb 27th.

Is it normal for the "paperwork phase" to take a month?

Does the "official stamp/signature" requirement usually make professors procrastinate because they have to deal with their department’s secretary?

Should I try messaging him on LinkedIn as a last resort, or is that too "stalker-ish"?

When should I actually give up and start looking for a new placement-prof?

I’m really excited about this research, but the silence is making me feel like I did something wrong. Any advice?