Priming your research

摘要

I Look forward to the challenge of helping guide the national journal, the Australian Journal of Chemistry, into the future, with John Wade; and hopefully we will be able to aspire to the exceptional example of our predecessor, Curt Wentrup. Many years ago when I joined the staff in Chemistry at the University of Western Australia, a senior colleague took me aside and gave me some great advice. Chief amongst this was the exhortation to not become bogged down in the same scientific rut but to branch out into new areas of research. This, he suggested, would keep the job fun and lead to an enriching career in science; he, after all, changed direction on average every ten years! Engaging in a new area of endeavour is not without its pitfalls, chiefly the perception of grant reviewers that you lack sufficient expertise to prosecute the proposed new research.