I reread the email I had drafted to my department chair one last time. Then I read it again, and finally clicked “send.” The message itself was short: I wanted to pursue tenure 3 years ahead of the usual timeline. A changing political and funding landscape had made the future of my health equity research feel increasingly vulnerable, and I hoped tenure would help protect the work I had spent years building. I had agonized over the decision for months. What if my record wasn’t strong enough yet, and I was shooting myself in the foot by applying early? But supportive mentors and continued news of funding shake-ups convinced me to go ahead, and my chair responded quickly and positively to my email. Yet I still found myself searching for reassurance that I had made the right decision.
https://www.science.org/content/article/academic-scientist-u-s-i-m-learning-live-uncertainty
