Setting Up and Managing a Lab at a R1 Institution

This is not something that should come up during the interview process. If asked, just say that your needs are typical (unless of course they’re not!)

During negotiations, some things to think about include:
 

Space

• Roughly one bench and one desk per person, plus common space for equipment.
• Look at the current space in your lab for inspiration.
• Ask the Chair if a space formula is used and how frequently it is calculated (i.e., possibly reduced if you have a brief gap in funding).

Equipment

• Request demos of large pieces of equipment. Ask colleagues about the effectiveness of reps from various companies.
• Ask the Chair if any other faculty member is leaving/retiring, in case you can scavenge.
• The department’s financial administrator can help you with purchases and purchase policy.

• Build a start-up list, which will be the basis of your negotiation with the Chair (Always negotiate in good faith, as you’re negotiating with a colleague).
• Your needs should be a surprise to anyone, since they heard about your research during the interview process.
• Secure the equipment that is necessary for your research, but may be too expensive to be paid from most grants.
• Propose sharing to help make the case. Also, if maintenance will be problem, propose the equipment to be part of a core facility.
• Use existing lists you can find on Future PI slack.
• Ask future colleagues in your department about reasonable start-up expectations.
• For personnel, remember to include fringe benefit costs.
• Once you get the official written offer letter, have a trusted colleague look it over, for example, your current or Ph.D. advisor.
• You can ask for a revised letter, if the original one omitted important details, including the teaching load, and any restrictions on the use of space, or contingency plans if the space under renovation is not ready.
• If you’re happy with the offer, but there’s a remaining unmet need, make a case for it.
• Remember: The Chair wants you to be successful and spent a lot of time and effort working to hire you.

Personnel

• So that incoming students see your new lab as a possibility, get yourself added to the department’s website, and build your own website; use social media to publicize your work.
• Hire short-term personnel to help with purchasing and unpacking. Get people to apply. Work with HR to help you.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Grants

• Start thinking about writing your first grant (and work on it before you start your new position).
• Start collecting a list of awards specific to junior faculty, or better yet, ask your research administration office.
• Email the program officer of the grant to which you’re considering applying.
• Contact the Sponsored Projects office at your new University and department for their help.

Building your Lab

• Start building your team. Diversity in multiple senses can help to contribute to a strong team.
• Interviews and rotations can be an opportunity to look for healthy interactions between people. Interview as many prospective graduate students as possible each spring. Seek opportunities to meet new grad students in the fall. Join your department’s graduate admission committee.
• Make your lab a welcoming place for potential lab members.
• Invest in things and events that will make people happy, notably a coffee maker, a food fridge, and lab dinners and social events.
• Solicit people’s opinions. Listen.
• Find out what motivates people in your lab and give them the opportunity to explore career options.
• Meet graduate students at conferences to recruit them into your lab as postdoc (and check with their P.I. advisors to get the scoop).
• Provide onboarding documents that clarify what you expect from them, and what they can expect from you. Include a mission statement. Get input from everyone in the lab.
• Encourage lab members to develop a network of peers and informal mentors.
• Take some time to read and/or discuss with colleagues issues that are important to the practice of science — for example, diversity issues and inclusive environments, unconscious bias, mental health issues, and ethical conduct.

• Set up a peer support group with other junior faculty (and organize informal gatherings as well as gatherings focusing on specific topics).
• Cultivate relationships with informal mentors among the senior faculty. Also consider mentors from outside your institution.
• Treat all administrative members and staff respectfully.
• Be strategic about your research goals, not spreading yourself too thin.
• Learn to say “no” in order to avoid overextending yourself (for example, reviewing papers and grants only in your field). A good option is to recommend a colleague or trainee that could use the opportunity.
• Make sure to reserve time for things that are urgent and things that are important but not urgent (can be postponed, if needed).
• Make a plan with month-to-month milestones on your calendar (timebox, which means protecting time for an activity, but no more, which increases productivity.)
• If possible, make sure to consider whether some of your commitments can double as useful topics for lab meetings, or training opportunities for postdocs.
• Keep in mind that some opportunities may increase your exposure in the community, increasing your reputation as a scientist.
• Make sure to appropriately credit your lab members for their discoveries in talks and on social media.
• Finally, keep time for family and friends, and doing other things you enjoy.