How my work has changed

Every now and then, I take a look back on what my work weeks used to look like, and what they look like now. And now is a moment in my career in which I’ve been a full professor in Ecuador for nearly nine years, and associate professor in the Netherlands for a year.

Here’s what has changed in broad lines:

• Funding: I am not just looking for funding for my own research ideas, but also to fund my researchers continuously, and for opening up more researcher positions. As a result, a much larger chunk of my time goes to writing proposals.
• Collaborations: I have many more collaborations, and collaborative efforts in terms of writing and supervision, than in the past, so my work is more embedded in an international web.
• Email: I receive around 200 – 250 emails per day (of what comes through my strong filters, that is). So, replying these emails and coordinating activities takes a fair amount of my time. Too often I find myself catching up with my mailbox late at night.
• Keynotes: Over the past years, I have had the pleasure of giving various keynote lectures, and of course it has been very nice to get invited and be treated like a half celebrity.
• Service: My appointments on technical committees have changed from being involved in the committee work to coordinating as secretary or chair.
• Review: I have more editorial roles and review slightly fewer papers.

These are the main changes to my day-to-day. Have you noticed shifts in how you work and the tasks you work on over the years?