Holiday Gifts for Every Researcher
The holiday season is an exciting time filled with treats, family traditions, and of course, gift giving. The Conseris team loves picking out gifts for our friends and loved ones, but we know it is not always easy to find that perfect gift. Today we have a roundup of some of our favorite gifts for the researchers and scientists in our lives.
A DNA test kit
Researchers love to make discoveries. Help your loved one discover something about themself by giving them the gift of DNA analysis. These kits have become wildly popular over the past few years and there are several companies that offer them at different price points depending on whether you are interested in information about ancestry, insights into health data, or both. To use the kit, recipients provide a spit sample via the mail and a few weeks later are sent their results. It is really easy and fun!
A drone
Everyone needs to let off a little steam now and again and a drone is a great way to bring out the inner kid in your loved one! There are hundreds of different types of drones available at different price points and models have unique capabilities. You are sure to find one that the researcher in your life will love.
Quality coffee or tea
Working long hours in the lab or field is tiring and often requires A LOT of caffeine. However, popping to the local coffee shop for a delicious brew or strong cup of tea can get expensive. Help your loved one become their own barista by getting them really high quality coffee or tea to have on hand. You could even put together a cute gift package with related items like a mug, a french press, or local honey.
A power bank
There is nothing worse than taking field notes by hand, using a tablet, laptop, or phone makes things much easier. Help the researcher in your life stay powered up by giving them a power bank or portable battery. You can choose from many different styles available depending on your budget and what type of device it is for. This practical gift is sure to be a hit!
Conseris
A subscription to Conseris is the gift that keeps on giving. Granting the researcher in your life access to this powerful application will change the way they collect, organize, and store data. Customizable forms make it easier than ever to record the information that matters while intelligent algorithms identify and present the most important trends. Finally, collaboration features mean entire lab teams can work together in one place without worrying about keeping each other up to date.
The Academic Writing Club
If the researcher in your life is struggling from writer's block, get them a subscription to the Academic Writing Club by Academic Ladder. This program offers a structured, online, accountability-based coaching system for graduate students, post docs, and professors. Through interaction with peers, writing requirements, and other development activities the program is sure to help participants make strides in their work.
A cute science plush
We have recently seen a trend of adorable, academic-themed stuffed toys online. Find one that tailors to your researcher’s area of study and you have a thoughtful and very cute gift ready to go. Some of our recent favorites include microbes, organs, and white blood cells.
Themed apparel
A quick internet search can help you find, witty academic themed apparel for any discipline. Maybe you choose a quirky periodic table shirt or socks that feature your researcher’s favorite president, with the number of clothing options out there, the sky is basically the limit.
Books
Books are one of our favorite gifts to receive around the holidays, it is a gift that feels personalized and special. Choose something that relates to an interest of your loved one, but don’t feel tied to text heavy novels or manuals, a coffee table book also makes a great gift. Some of our recent favorites include Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, Nick Brandt: On This Earth, A Shadow Falls, and The Book of Symbols.
Coasters
Recently, during a late night online shopping expedition, I came across several sets of neat science related coasters. This set provides a stack of funny rules for working in the lab. These look like microscope slides featuring a human brain. And this final set shows some famous scientific thinkers along with related puns.
Dekko comics
These playful comic books teach educational concepts geared to middle schoolers, but the researcher in your life will get a kick out of reading issues geared toward their area of study. The beautiful illustration of these comics also make them a fantastic keepsake. Finally, when you make a purchase here you are supporting a company that creates educational resources for students with forms of Dyslexia, Autism and ASN. What could be better?
A Pi plate
Everyone loves pie and many of our self-proclaimed nerdy friends also love pi. Combine the two for the perfect gift, a hilarious pi pie plate. To make this gift extra special bake your friends favorite pie into the plate for a delicious bonus gift.
We hope these suggestions help you to pick out the perfect gift for that coworker or friend who just has you stumped. Now it’s time to get back to all the celebrating and gift wrapping. Are you a scientist or researcher who has received an amazing gift? Let us know what it was on Twitter, @Conserisapp.