Post-doc Comments:

YIM 2010 was an amazing event that I'm extremely glad I had the chance to attend. Although I was certain beforehand that I wanted to return to India, the meeting definitely helped allay several of my anxieties regarding the issue. The meeting was an eye-opener to the fact that there is such a large community of bioscientists spread across India, in particular, a vibrant community that produces top-quality science, and therefore one need not be afraid of professional isolation upon returning. One of the best parts was talking to scientists at various stages in their careers and hearing about their experiences. It was especially inspiring to hear the stories of senior Indian scientists and how they triumphed against the odds they faced when they began their careers. It was very helpful to meet heads of various institutions and get a sense of each of their missions and mandates. It was also very nice to network with others in the same boat as I – wanting to return to start scientific careers in India in the near future. The energy and enthusiasm of the YIM organizers and scientists rubbed off on us all, and I think most of us are back to our labs with renewed enthusiasm!
Archana Purushottam, Stanford University, USA
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I thoroughly enjoyed YIM2010 meeting. I definitely got a sense of current opportunities in India. I got a chance to talk with many senior scientists and young investigators which gave me motivation to start my research career in India. It was good to hear that there are good funding opportunities which provoke us to come up with challenging projects.
Avvaru N. Suhasini, National Institute of Health, USA
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It was an excellent meeting. There was plenty of information really helpful to a person like me who is looking for a position in India. The best part of this meeting was the networking between young faculty and post-docs.
Manas Santra, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
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The meeting was organized well, a superb mixture of speakers and food. Without any doubt, this is a novel meeting that helped me polish my thoughts of returning and building a research career in India.
Srinivasa Subramaniam, Johns Hopkins University, USA
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YIM 2010 was an extremely useful meeting for me. I got valuable information about existing and planned life science research institutes in India, and practical information about applying for jobs, funding levels and grant opportunities. Further, we got to hear first-hand about the benefits and hurdles of doing science in India, and the difference between various institutes/universities.
Shantanu Jadhav, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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The meeting was helpful to me. I have made a lot of contacts which I think would be helpful when I soon begin to apply for positions. A lot of useful information about fellowships, grants, new Institutes and their recruitment policies was made available at the meeting. Although all this information could be put on a website, the interactive nature of the meeting allowed us to get the desired information. YIM should continue.
Ram Kumar Sambasivan, Institute Pasteur Paris, France
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Young Investigator Comments:

The meeting was a wonderful opportunity to meet a diverse group of biologists facing similar challenges in doing science. It was heartening to hear the personal accounts of the research carried out by some eminent biologists. However, the meeting was largely targeted at researchers working on problems at the sub-organismal level, and discussion on research strategies and funding related to organismal biology was limited. There are unique opportunities for carrying out exciting and novel research in the broad areas of evolutionary biology and ecological sciences in India that were not explored during the course of the meeting.

-The Ecologists at YIM 2010

Sumana Annagiri, Indian Institute for Science Education and Research, Kolkata
Hema Somanathan, Indian Institute for Science Education and Research, Trivandum
T.N.C. Vidya, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore.
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The organization of the meeting was excellent. The panels were well represented. There were enough experienced people who could share their experiences with the younger lot. However, as post-docs were looking forward to the experiences the YIs came across, it would be great to include some YIs in the discussion panels, so they can share their perspectives, which could connect better with post-docs, than older investigators could. This is more true as the scenario in Indian science has been changing pretty fast and the struggles/pleasures experienced by YIs are significantly different from those by their older counterparts.
H. H. Krishnan, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad
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The meeting was a great place to interact openly with new PIs, making new connections and forging collaborations. It was a good platform where we discussed problems that we are facing setting up our new labs. Talks were great- the non-scientific part especially.
Arnab Mukhopadyay, National Institute for Immunology, New Delhi
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I think the meeting was very useful and informative. We got to know about granting opportunities, also we got to meet other young people (PI's) in India and also the prospective pool that may join and could discuss various aspects of our problems freely. Talking to each other helps in tackling day to day setup problems we are facing. Knowing about success of intermediate level and advanced level Indian scientists, help us get a perspective of how things have changed over the years. Like hearing senior Indian researcher’s stories helps you believe that if they could survive in times which had hardships worse then ours we definitely can. It would be nice if we can hear from more Indian mid-level scientists as those are the people who came five to seven years ago and are registering current change in the system. They would serve as the best model for us.
Ruchi Anand, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
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YIM is a unique platform for scientists who are working abroad and willing to come back. They come to know where to apply and how to apply for jobs as well as they get a chance to interact with the people responsible for hiring for their institutions. Young scientists also get national exposure and a chance to choose their collaborative partner, come to know about the funding agencies and their funding systems.
Sudit Mukhopadhyay, Tezpur University, Assam
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The meeting was one of its own kind and believe it or not, I have been referring to the handbook quite often. My students were delighted to get information on the lecture series which is available on-line. The best part was discussing with peers (PIs) about daily lab management, funding etc in India. The two body problem was also very well addressed by several speakers. I would like to thank you all for the wonderful arrangement and for having invited speakers who not only discussed their science but also provided us info on how they got their labs started and what are the right moves to be make.
Mousami Mutsuddi, Benaras Hindu University, Benaras
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The meeting was good. In fact, I feel more topics related to YIs in India had to be discussed; like DBT grants that are available, criteria for selection of projects that goes to funding agencies by selection panels, etc. Also, being in a university, how to obtain grants should have been discussed. The meeting had positive outcomes like people wanting to collaborate are in touch.
Laxmipriya P. Nampoothari, Maharaja Syaji Rao University, Baroda