Managing your Lab Personnel

1
Managing your Lab Personnel

• NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and
  Grants Administration
• Research Triangle Park, NC
• April 26, 2007

2
Background

• Purpose is to discuss best practices when
  managing a research lab
• Expanded the scope to managing a research program
• Speakers represent a variety of disciplines and
  institutions
• There is no right way, rather perspectives and
  personal experiences will be shared
• Ample time for questions and discussion

3
Our Speakers

• Dr. Pauline Lund, Professor of Cell and Molecular
  Physiology, UNC-CH
• Dr. Ricardo Richardson, Director of the Cancer
  Program at the JLC Biomedical-Biotechnology
  Research Institute, NCCU
• Dr. Mark Dewhurst, Professor of Radiation
  Oncology and Director of the Radiation Oncology
  Program of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus, Professor of Food Science and
  Microbiology, NCSU

4
Types of Academic Research Labs

• As many different types of labs as there are
  investigators!
• Individuals in labs include (but not limited to)
• Investigator
• Students (undergrad, grad)
• Post-docs
• Visitors (professors, scientists, trainees)
• Technical staff
• Size
• Single individual
• gt50
• Management issues differ with type and scope of
  work, staff (and students), size, etc.

5
Topics

• Management of large and complex research projects
• Management of diverse research topics at a single
  location
• Some parting comments
• Anecdotes

6
Large and Complex Research Projects

• Agencies are moving toward multi-disciplinary,
  multi-institutional initiatives
• Tackle large and/or complex issues
• Share the wealth
• Multidisciplinary research involves
• Several investigators representing various
  disciplines, sometimes seemingly unrelated
• Frequently separated in space and time
• May also involve other constituents
• This adds another level of complexity to research
  management!

7
Considerations for the First Phase

• Choosing the right collaborators
• Expertise and experience
• Collaborative nature and personality
• Choosing a leader
• Respected
• Organized
• Engages the entire team
• Get it funded
• Proposal writing
• Communication
• Follow-through

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Initiating the Project

• Recruiting the research team
• Usually done by contributing PIs
• All PIs likely to interact with all staff
  periodically
• Takes time!
• Getting subs awarded
• Share the load for designing and validating
  methods, regulatory approvals, etc.
• Make necessary agreements up-front
• Responsibilities for research segments and other
  tasks
• Authorship
• Cooperation and patience

9
Managing the Project

• Communication
• Annual meetings at alternating locations
• Regular and frequent conference calls
• Considerations for the lead PI
• Be approachable and responsive
• Engage all participants
• Considerations for the participating PIs
• Follow through with commitments
• Participate fully in meetings and conference
  calls
• Site visits, reports, etc. coordinated by the
  lead PI but are the responsibility of all

10
Managing Staff and Students

• Multi-disciplinary research provides unique
  training opportunities
• Exposure to multiple disciplines, PIs, methods,
  etc.
• Experience in communication between professionals
• Students and staff have designated supervisor
  with other PIs providing support and insight as
  needed
• However, staff has defined project roles
• Ownership
• Forum for subsequent evaluation
• Recognition of the need to be a good citizen

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In the end.

• Multi-disciplinary research can
• Answer complex research questions
• Generate interesting new hypotheses
• Build long-lasting collaborations
• Multi-disciplinary research is team research, and
  being part of a team takes time
• These types of projects are not for everyone!
• When it is all over
• Consider what worked and what didnt work?
• Continuation of the collaboration?

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The Diverse Research Lab

• Occurs when many small (or large!) but seemingly
  unrelated projects are managed by a single PI
• Budget cuts or non-federal funding
• Success
• Collaborative work
• Presents challenges for lab management
• Diverse staff, training and supervision needs
• Multi-tasking
• Advantages

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Managing the Diverse Lab

• A good lab manager is a gift
• If possible, layer supervision
• Build teams
• Good practice
• Training
• Promotes morale
• Regular meetings
• Periodic (monthly, quarterly) lab meetings with
  the entire team
• Frequent (weekly) individual or research group
  meetings

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Parting Comments

• Manage your research program in a manner
  consistent with your personality
• Choose your passion and follow it
• Remember that a job well done begets invitations
  for other jobs
• Delegate but dont hang out to dry
• Do NOT feel guilty about saying No
• Good relationships with students and staff last a
  lifetime