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The need to normalize failure

Nature Reviews Chemistry volume 7, pages 69–70 (2023)Cite this article

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Two Schmidt Science Fellows describe their academic and career failures as they pursued their PhDs. Suggestions are included for how advisors, departments, and institutions can support students to open up about failure, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

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Fig. 1: Elvis and Gladys’ shared trajectory during graduate school.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Schmidt Science Fellows Program by Schmidt Futures, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Xiangkun Elvis Cao

  2. Space Enabled Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich

Authors
  1. Xiangkun Elvis Cao
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  2. Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiangkun Elvis Cao or Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cao, X.E., Ngetich, G.C. The need to normalize failure. Nat Rev Chem 7, 69–70 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-022-00454-x

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