PhD Reflect & Connect: 'Failing forward: the untold stories of science'

Failing forward: the untold stories of science

As part of the PhD Reflect & Connect, the Doctoral Schools are hosting an inspiration session by SciMingo on June 19, 2025:

We love to celebrate scientific breakthroughs — but what about the experiments that fell flat? The fieldwork that went sideways? The projects that ended in dead ends? Science is full of stumbles, missteps, and surprises. It’s messy. It’s human. And that’s exactly what this session is about.

Join us for a refreshing and honest conversation about the role of failure in research. Expect real stories from fellow scientists — from the hilariously absurd to the heartbreakingly frustrating. We’ll explore how sharing these experiences can foster resilience, openness and a more realistic view of what doing science actually looks like.

Whether you have a story to tell or just want to listen, this is your invitation to celebrate the bumps in the road. Because missing the mark isn’t just normal — it’s necessary. 

Dare to share. Misses welcome.

• Would you like to anonymously share a personal failure story -big or small- that we can present during the session to spark reflection and recognition?
• Would you be interested in briefly presenting your own 'failing forward' story during the session? (If yes, we will contact you to arrange a short online coaching session to help you prepare.)
• Are there initiatives within your lab or research group to create more openness about failure in science? If so, share them here (anonymously or not) so we can inspire others with them. (For example: At Ghent University, a research group has created an internal database where researchers — including professors — share both successful ánd rejected grant proposals).
  

Some real-life fails of scientists in Flanders – can you relate?

• Imagine: you finally get the chance as a philologist to look into an ancient Greek manuscript, a tremendously important text for your doctorate, ... only to find that just those crucial pages have been torn out of the text by some barbarian.
• After months of anticipation, the lab where you're completing your PhD finally invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in a state-of-the-art microscope—fantastic news, especially since it would significantly advance your research. Unfortunately, a water leak in the building ruins the device just one day after it's installed.
• The Mammoth DNA sample you're analyzing is heavily contaminated with human DNA. Since bleach is quite effective at removing human DNA, you decide to soak the piece of Mammoth tooth in it. The result: the human DNA is successfully eliminated, but most of the Mammoth DNA is also degraded in the process. You're left with a very pure, but extremely limited amount of Mammoth DNA.
• The results from your EEG (brain) tests look groundbreaking — the kind of data that could lead straight to a Nature publication. But after weeks of analysis, you start noticing something strange: the results seem almost too good to be true and they only appear in tests conducted after a certain date. The culprit? A sneaky software update on the computer that altered the measurements.
  

For whom?

• UHasselt PhD students 

When and where?

• June 19, 2025 
  • Inspiration session: 15:30-17:00 - campus Diepenbeek, building D, room H4
  • Reception: 17:00-18:00 - campus Diepenbeek, building D, J30 left

Registration?

• You can register here until June 1, 2025.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).