0.8 Building a (non-experimental) lab

How to build an independent research enterprise

How to be successful in Academia (= tenure)

The triangle of worries

Money

• Importance of start up package
  • Ask for what you need, not what you wish
  • Equipment (PCs, computing computer, software, etc.)
  • Teaching break
  • Summer salary
  • Postdoc and/or graduate student(s) stipend(s)
  • Money for travel, conferences, visitors
• Ask Department for a “funding mentor” who can help identify opportunities, read proposals, write recommendation letters, prepare packages, etc.
• Consider calling, meeting, visiting program directors at NSF, DOE, DOD agencies, NIH, etc.
• Apply or get nominated for awards, grants and fellowships for young faculty (like Sloan, Packard, NSF CAREER, etc.)
• Contact your Office of Sponsored Research. Become aware of deadlines!!

People

• Recruiting students:
  • Ask to be in the Graduate Admissions Committee
  • Recruit at conference poster sessions
  • Call students, follow-up, be proactive (good students won’t parachute into your lab!
  • Co-advise student with colleague
  • Teach classes geared for first-year graduate students
• Mentoring: keeping and graduating students
  • Verbalize expectations in writing (# of papers, hours to work, how often to see each other, etc.)
  • Do not assume that people have similar expectations!
• Motivation, retention, firing
  • Is a bad student better than no student, or vice versa?

Results

• Scientific independence from mentors is a MUST!
• Establish a network of supporters
  • Invite people who may write tenure letters for seminars
• Trade seminars with tenure-track peers
• Attend conferences for visibility
• Contributed talks if possible (email organizers)
• Consider publication in specific journals based on “quality”, impact factor, what your department thinks is important