——与国内q轻PI共勉
【序Q对每一位刚刚在清华大学生命U学学院或医学院建立独立实验室的q轻PIQ?span lang="EN-US">Principal InvestigatorQ，我都?x)不止一ơ地忠告Q至要在前三年Q你们一定要把自己当tenureQ?span lang="EN-US">
普林斯顿?span lang="EN-US">offer
1997q?span lang="EN-US">3?span lang="EN-US">27日下?/st1:chsdate>Q在U约?span lang="EN-US">Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center的实验室里，我接C来自普林斯顿大学分子生物学系教授Tom Silhavy的电(sh)话，?span lang="EN-US">Yigong, I am calling to tell you a piece of good news. Our faculty voted unanimously to offer you a position, at the level of Assistant Professor.”我喜不自胜Q?span lang="EN-US">GreatQ?span lang="EN-US"> Tom接着_(d)?span lang="EN-US">We will be happy to discuss with you about what you may need to set up your independent lab. We hope you will let us know whether you accept our offer by July 1st”我想也没想地就马上回复Q?span lang="EN-US">I am very happy to accept your offer.?span lang="EN-US"> Tomg很意外听到我直截了当的当场回复，竟不知如何反应；他迟疑了片刻Q才提醒我，?span lang="EN-US">Well, Yigong, please think it over. You may use this period to negotiate with us about your start-up package.”那天下午是我一生中最高兴的时M一Q我把好消息?span lang="EN-US">Nikola PavletichQ我的博士后导师Q以?qing)实验室的同事们分n?span lang="EN-US">Nikola善意地告诫我Q?span lang="EN-US">If I were you, I would NOT tell them that I would accept their offer now. This is your time to cut a better deal!?span lang="EN-US">Nikola故意在?span lang="EN-US">NOT”上加重了语气?span lang="EN-US">
其实Q我何尝不知道拿?span lang="EN-US">offer后争取更好待遇的重要性，但普林斯大学是我梦qM的学术圣圎ͼ怎能在这U地方讨仯价呢Q！q是我的性格。更何况Q拿到这?span lang="EN-US">offer实在是惊喜，因ؓ(f)q是我第一ơ正式的工作面试Q事先是做好了失败准备的Q?span lang="EN-US">
普林斯顿大学分子生物学系1997q共有两个助理教授（Assistant ProfessorQ的位置Q但却有四百多名q轻的博士后U学家申诗经q层层筛选，定了六个面试h。我作ؓ(f)六h中的一员在2?span lang="EN-US">27?/st1:chsdate>最后一个到普林斯顿面试。去世界著名的普林斯，心情既紧张又Ȁ动，26日一晚上基本没能睡着Q脑子里一遍遍地全是精心准备的介绍我的U研q展的灯片。早?span lang="EN-US">6点v床，赶上了七点从U约Penn Station开往南方的火车，七点五十抵达普林斯顿。九(ji)Ҏ(gu)开始面试?span lang="EN-US">
27日上午分别与四位教授举行一对一的每?span lang="EN-US">45分钟面谈Q其中一人是2001q成为普林斯大学校长的Shirley Tilghman。因为我已经对他们的U研事先有所了解Q所以面谈还顺利；?span lang="EN-US">Shirley在认真讲qC她的U研q展后很意外地考了我一个相关问题，我极为紧张地思考后做了q算得体的回{，她点头称对，我才收了一w冷汗。中午与几位博士生一起午。下午一点半午餐后，又与三位教授q行面谈Q其中第一位是时QpMȝTom ShenkQ第二位是前pM仅R后曾Qz克菲勒大学校长?span lang="EN-US">Arnold Levine。下?span lang="EN-US">4Ҏ(gu)Q我在系报告?span lang="EN-US">LTL003l了50分钟的学术报告。我发挥得很好，效果Z自己的意料，回答问题时已l完全自信。原定晚由Tom Silhavy?qing)另外两名教授参加；我的学术报告?span lang="EN-US">Tom Shenk?span lang="EN-US">Arnold Levine两位重量U教授(f)时决定共q晚，而且Shenk很有暗示意味地对我说Q?span lang="EN-US">I think you will become a superstar at Princeton.?span lang="EN-US">
晚餐安排在普林斯小城著名的法国馆Lahiere?span lang="EN-US">s Restaurant?span lang="EN-US"> Levine介绍说这是爱因斯坦在普林斯顿22q中最喜欢的餐馆；Shenk则指着一张爱因斯坦挂像下面的桌子_(d)?span lang="EN-US">In a few years, if I invite you to dine at that table, then you will soon receive tenure at Princeton.”。晚聊得很开心，Ҏ(gu)不象是面试的一个环节。当天晚上我下榻Nassau InnQ由于白天面试的利q行Q我Ȁ动得几乎d隄Q直到凌?span lang="EN-US">4点多才入睡。第二天l箋?span lang="EN-US">8位教授的一对一面谈Q包括后来接Shenk做系MQ?span lang="EN-US">Lynn Enquist?span lang="EN-US">1995q的?dng)奖得?span lang="EN-US">Eric Wieschaus。由于连l两天没休息好，午餐后我已经{疲力尽Q居然在?span lang="EN-US">Wieschaus面谈时差Ҏ(gu)盹，宛_我红着脸坦白没有休息好。面试直?span lang="EN-US">28日下?span lang="EN-US">4点结束，也结束了持箋整整两天的面试。老实_(d)W二天的感觉q不如第一天，心里也有点儿忐忑不安。还好，最l拿Coffer?span lang="EN-US">
创业Q做个超U博士后
管我可以在1997q的夏天开始普林斯的独立实验室，我选择推迟六个月，?span lang="EN-US">1998q?span lang="EN-US">1月才正式报到Q其中的主要原因是完成我博士后阶D늚U研工作Q也让自己做更充分的准备。尽如此，我心里还是感觉诚惶诚恐，不知今后几年的学术生涯能否l自己博士阶D和博士后训l的辉煌?span lang="EN-US">
Shenk?span lang="EN-US">LevineҎ(gu)各说了一句让我终生难忘、至今想与每一位年?span lang="EN-US">PI分n的忠告。和每一位刚刚开始独立实验室的助理教授一P我担心自p否顺利申请到U研基金Q尤其是NIH的项目经费；q种担心对英语非母语的外国h其真实和迫切?span lang="EN-US">1998q?span lang="EN-US">1月，初到普林斯顿Q我?span lang="EN-US">Shenk表达了这U担心；Shenk回答道，?span lang="EN-US">YigongQ?span lang="EN-US">please focus on your research and apply for NIH grants only when you have significant preliminary results. If you fail to obtain any external funding but are doing fantastic research, we will support you! Please don?span lang="EN-US">t worry.?span lang="EN-US">Shenk的这句话打消了我所有的疑虑Q只要我的科研出Ԍ即拿不到外面的l费Q系里也?x)支持我Q?span lang="EN-US">
不可否认Q每一位助理教授都对能否拿?span lang="EN-US">tenure耿耿于怀Q我也一P从在普林斯顿正式报到的第一天vQ就常常惌个问题，而且常常惛_很紧张。在1991?span lang="EN-US">1997的六q中Q七位年ȝ助理教授试图在分子生物学pL?span lang="EN-US">tenureQ可惜，只有一位成功，其他六h都被q离开普林斯顿、另谋它职?span lang="EN-US">Levine看透了我的担心Q直截了当地告诉我，?span lang="EN-US">Yigong, think about it: getting tenure is not so difficult. If you can reproduce your track record as a graduate student and a postdoc in the next 5 years, you will get your tenure at Princeton or any other top-notch university in the US.”如果说Shenk的表态打消了我对甌基金的担心，Levine的忠告则让我看清了ؓ(f)拿到tenure而需要努力的目标?span lang="EN-US">Levineq一步提醒我Q?span lang="EN-US">The difference is that you were alone as a grad student or postdoc. But now you have a lab full of people to help you. That?span lang="EN-US">s why it should not be difficult to get tenure.”这句话让我信心充Q是啊，我至会(x)有三、四个h的实验室Q加上我Q如果这么一批h在一赯不能重复我一个h做博士生tenureQ?span lang="EN-US">
Levine又对我做独立PI提出了具体徏议，?span lang="EN-US">Treat yourself as a super-postdoc in the lab during the first 3 years. You must work on your own projects at the bench and supervise your students. This way, you will get your research take off immediately.”我完全接受Levine的徏议，不仅天天在实验台上做自己的课题、还全力指导博士生tenure?span lang="EN-US">party上，Levine又一ơ忠告我Q?span lang="EN-US">I know you?span lang="EN-US">ve been working hard on the bench for 3 years. Now your lab is fully established, and you need to shift your focus from bench work to supervision. Some people believe, and I agree, that spending the vast majority of your time on the bench work after being a PI for 5 years won?span lang="EN-US">t make you fantastically successful.?当时对这条徏议我从心里有点不认同Q但回望q去十几q的U研l历Q这个徏议是很有道理的?span lang="EN-US">
我对清华q轻PI的忠?/span>
Ҏ(gu)一位刚刚在清华大学生命U学学院或医学院建立独立实验室的q轻PIQ我都会(x)不止一ơ地忠告Q至要在前三年Q你们一定要立于自己是一个超U博士后Qn先士卒、尽全力在实验室做研I、做自己的课题，同时帮助训练?st1:personname w:st="on" productid="?>?/st1:personname>博士生、实验员tenureQ当?dng)我也有信心自己可以?span lang="EN-US">Shenk?span lang="EN-US">Levine一样做好对q轻人的支持工作。只要你们做的研I工作出Ԍ即在外面拿不到l费Q清华也?x)尽最大的努力支持你们Q?span lang="EN-US">
我还告诫q些优秀的年MhQ不要花旉L关系Q尽全力做研IӞ以实力取胜！其实Q一个h的尊严、学术地位、以?qing)别人发自内心的敬Q永q不可能靠拉关系获得Q只能来源于自己真正的学术修d贡献。那些天天热衷于拉关pȝ躁U学Ӟ如果没有实实在在的学术成果，即表面风光Q事实上也会(x)被同行（包括一些他拉过关系、关照过他的人）(j)从心里看不v。在学术界，q永q是真理Q在国是，在中国是Q在世界上Q何国安一P
与所有的q轻PI共勉Q?span lang="EN-US">
转自 施一公的个h博客Q?st1:chsdate w:st="on" isrocdate="False" islunardate="False" day="8" month="2" year="2011">2011-02-08Q?span lang="EN-US">
http://blog.sciencenet.cn/?46212
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