March 2025 issue

Volume 70, Issue 3

Think back over the past year and try to count the number of instances where you had to negotiate something. Negotiation is far more common than most of us realize. People often associate negotiation with high-stakes scenarios, such as securing a job offer or requesting dual-career hires, but negotiation happens constantly in more subtle ways. For instance, responding to peer reviewers’ comments on a manuscript, deciding class schedules for a graduate student, or collaborating on a budget for a grant proposal all involve negotiation. 

In this issue, we explore the nuances of negotiations in public universities and provide advice to early career scientists and engineers who are pursuing a faculty position. Our aim is to help empower readers to approach negotiations with confidence and clarity to set both institutions and candidates up for long-term success.