Laboratory Leadership and Management
Laboratory leadership and management training and resources are available to assist Scripps Research faculty members with their own professional development. The skillset includes coaching for performance, communication, respect in the workplace, recruitment, implicit bias awareness, time management, budgeting, conflict resolution, and more. Effective laboratory leadership can improve research productivity, efficiency, and educational outcomes via better people and project management within labs, and it develops a pipeline of junior faculty who possess the competencies needed for long-term success in academia.
Welcome to the Lab Letters
Principal Investigators can develop a “welcome to the lab” letter or website to help them communicate performance and conduct expectations, work norms, research practices and policies, and training and mentoring philosophies to members of their lab. CPDO has collated examples and resources (Intranet access only) for creating these letters.
Formal Training Programs – Internal
- Academic Lab Management and Leadership Symposium – Co-organized by Scripps Research’s CPDO, this 2-day program in La Jolla is designed to equip postdocs and junior faculty in the biomedical, physical and life sciences with the professional competencies to lead innovative and productive research programs. Typically offered every 18-24 months.
- Research and Academic Affairs Training Page (Intranet access only) – Includes links to a wide variety of institutional resources and trainings.
- Respect in the Workplace and Title IX Trainings – Offered by Human Resources regularly.
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training – Organized by the CPDO.
Formal Training Programs – External
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) – Offers a variety of workshops, including a 12-week faculty success program and 14-day writing challenges.
- EMBO Lab Leadership Courses – Includes options in “Laboratory Leadership for Group Leaders,” “Project Management for Scientists,” and “Communicating Research.”
- The Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute – 5-day in-person leadership program for motivated professionals from underrepresented populations in STEM of exclusion.
- ASBMB Lab Management Course – ASBMB often offers a multi-session laboratory management course as part of its annual conference.
- NIH’s Office of Intramural Training and Education’s “Preparing to Teach and Advise Biomedical Grad Students and Postdocs Around Career and Professional Development: A Train-The-Trainers Event.” – Free/low-cost multi-day event attended by both faculty and career education professionals.
- American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) faculty development programs – Variety of helpful training programs tailored for faculty in academic medicine, including programs and toolkits specific for women and minority faculty members.
Books and Online Resources
- BWF and HHMI’s “Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, Second Edition” – Online materials are free to use and download. Contact CPDO for a free copy. The Kresge Library and CPDO Resource Library also have this title for checkout.
- A Guide to Setting Up and Managing a Lab at a Research-Intensive Institution by Goldstein and Avasthi (2021) – Article that shares tips for new faculty on a variety of tasks involved in starting up and sustaining a lab as a new faculty member.
- Lab Manager Magazine – Contains articles and resources about laboratory management in academia and other settings.
- Lab Dynamics, 3 rd by Carl M Cohen, Ph.D. and Suzanne L Cohen, Ed.D. – The Kresge Library and CPDO Resource Library have this title for checkout
- BWF Career Tools – Contains articles and guides on staffing the lab, intellectual property, obtaining tenure, and more.
- On Being a Scientist – Guide to Responsible Conduct of Research from the National Academies. The Kresge Library and CPDO Resource Library have this title for checkout.
- At the Helm: Leading Your Laboratory by Kathy Barker, PhD – The Kresge Library and CPDO Resource Library have this title for checkout.
