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- 2007 nsf advance workshop:
- 2007 nsf advance workshop:
- Building your lab
This is a conversion of a presentation given at the Negotiating the Ideal Faculty Position Workshop given on October 14-16, 2007.
Building your lab
- Space
- Equipment
- Personnel
Physical space
- Moving into existing space
- Lab remodels
- New building space
Existing space
- Is the space adequate for your needs?
- Proximity to colleagues
- Access to Dept/University equipment
- Proper Air/Vacuum/Water for equipment
- Hoods (chemical and tissue culture)
- Air handling and vibration
- Does it have desk space for students and postdocs?
- Is office space separate?
Build or remodel
- Start early
- Do the research
- Set a bottom line
- Be actively involved in the process
Start early
- It usually takes 6-12 months to build or remodel a lab
- Specify a desired date of completion during the negotiation
- Contact equipment vendors (for specs)
- Consider options for teaching or grant writing efforts until the space is complete
- Identify temporary space for lab work
Do the research (i)
- Visit state-of-the-art labs
- Site visit
- Meet your project manager
- Location: avoid location-specific problems that affect your research, e.g., vibration, freight elevator availability, etc.
- Infrastructure: air conditioning, ventilation, DI water system, gas lines, etc.
- Ask people who know the lab
Do the research (ii)
- Collect information on equipment
- power requirement
- heat generation
- waste generation
- Other needs for equipment: gases, water, etc.
- Leave space for future expansion
- Predict future equipment needs
Set a bottom line
- Make a list of “must” and “must not” and be firm
- Do not expect future improvement
- Take into consideration future research needs
Be actively involved
- Why
- You know your needs the best.
- Good communication avoids mistakes.
- What
- Project schedule and progress
- Specific information on equipment
- Special needs
- How
- Follow the progress
- Communicate with the contractors
Equipment and supplies
Equipment purchase
- Be aware of available discount, e.g., “New lab set up” programs at large vendors like Fisher and VWR
- Negotiate with many vendors
- Usually 1-3 months of lead time for major equipment
Populating your lab
- Technical Staff
- Graduate students vs. postdocs
- How available are students?
- How difficult is it to recruit postdocs?
- Are technicians the best use of limited resources?
- What Dept/University funding mechanism are available for students or postdocs?
Lab personnel
- Personnel management
- Establishing a “lab culture” is very important
- Be proactive in addressing potential personnel conflicts
- No one wants to work in a caustic or poisonous lab environment
- Lead by example
Source:
OpenStax, 2007 nsf advance workshop: negotiating the ideal faculty position. OpenStax CNX. Feb 01, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10637/1.1
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