Objectives

1
Objectives

• Good management of time, people and resources is
  essential to the success of your research program
• Enablers
• Challenges
• Things that you can work on

2
What Makes Research Good?(C. Ron Kahn. NEJM 330
1530-3, 1994)

• Important question
• Potential to create new knowledge
• Finds an unoccupied niche
• Builds a story
• Questions are not inhibited by techniques
• - its the question, stupid

3
Is Your Training Consistent with a Path Toward
Establishing Program?

• Where Am I At?
• What Steps Do I Need to Take?

Where Am I At? 3 things that are helping 3
things that are hindering What Steps Do I Need to
Take? 3 steps Private vs. Public
4
Building a Research Program Stages

• Stage I
• Achieving focus and preliminary data
• Stage II
• Getting independent funding
• Stage III
• Solidifying program and maintaining funding
• Stage IV
• Innovating within a solid base of research

5
Building a Research Program Enablers

• A productive training period
• - learn your fundamental discipline
  (biology/psychology/etc.)
• - learn how to ask questions
• - learn how conduct high quality studies -
  important questions, robust results
• - PUBLISH

6
Building a Research Program Enablers

• Productivity during training
• YOU
• Time for research
• Physical resources
• Preliminary data
• Research Mentor
• Engaging environment of scientific collegial
  support

7
Challenges to Achieving Enablers

• Easy Stuff
• Space
• Start-up
• Money for Technician

8
Challenges to Achieving Enablers

• Hard Stuff
• YOU
• .
• .
• .

9
YOU

• What are personal characteristics and actions
  that will be needed to get going?

Name three characteristics and/or actions.
10
You

• Fire-in-the-belly science that really turns you
  on
• Disciplinary depth
• Creativity
• Adaptability
• Persistence
• Focus
• Ability to learn from and work with others
• Productivity
• Social context in sync with your career path
• Learning how to write

11
Challenges to Achieving Enablers

• Hard Stuff
• YOU
• Mentorship
• Conceptual, supportive environment
• Time for research
• Strong preliminary data
• Management of technician

12
Enablers

• Mentorship
• Successful, connected, unselfish, interested in
  you, trustworthy, accessible.
• Conceptual environment
• Excellent scientists, see value in constructive
  interactions, candid mutual evaluation in
  private.
• Strong preliminary data
• Build on publication record
• Must start to capture the ingredients of a
  successful research program
• High quality

13
Protected Time for Research

• How much?
• How to ensure?
• Complicating issues?

14
Protected and Dedicated Time

• You must want it.
• Reframe your commitments to education and
  research.
• Minimize all other professional commitments.just
  say NO
• Be prepared to live and die by the sword.
• Be PROUD, Be CLEAR, Dont take any CRAP!
• Your mentor and departmental leaders can be your
  allies.. But you have to walk the walk.

15
Independent Funding Time to Consolidate and
Prepare to Renew

• Build the program in a way (style) that is true
  to who you are.
• Keep your eye on the ball.
• Adapt to nature.
• Recruit trainees.
• Build people/supervisory skills.
• Manage time.
• Be strategic.

16
Building a Research Team

• Lead vs. Order (Lets Go vs. Go).
• Lab staff
• Be prepared to co-supervise initially
• Distinct HR plans for technicians and different
  levels of trainees - objectives, timelines,
  ongoing evaluation with specific plans, written
  documentation
• Learn from HR professionals
• Dont hire a particular person simply because you
  can
• Off-load early if you should

17
Time Management

• Strategy-based my life on a white board
• Meet deadlines - no piles (not just for
  Gastroenterologists).