Just Surviving to Thriving: Taking SMART Steps to Build a Successful Lab
Building your lab in the best possible way is essential for achieving effective and productive outcomes. Running a research lab is an exciting and time-investing operation that needs qualified researchers, space, financing, and technical supplies, regardless of whether the lab does bench work, high throughput computing work, or a combination of both. Early career scientists face the primary obstacle of establishing a good lab, efficiently managing it, and creating a productive environment. The success of the lab is generally associated with you and greatly relies on your research, vision, and lab management skills. You need to be more than simply a scientist to run a successful lab. It requires strategic planning, tools to navigate the challenges and opportunities to cash that come your way, effective management, and a collaborative environment. Ultimately, your ability to supervise, manage, encourage, and lead the team makes your lab successful and productive (Scanlan.,1998; Goldstein and Avasthi; 2021). Here are some actions that can be tapped to establish a lab that excels in research and innovation.
Establish your vision and SMART goals
The foundation of the lab begins with a clear vision, well-defined goals, and reasonable planning of resources. Craft a mission statement that reflects your lab’s purpose and values on lab websites, which will help attract like-minded researchers and collaborators. Invest your time to determine specific and feasible objectives for the lab each year; these objectives may derive from your scientific project, personal targets, or research gaps that you have recognized require progress (Todd., 2015; Redit., 2023). Regardless of where they originate, objectives must meet the SMART criteria. These criteria require that goals be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. The other effective strategy is to create a detailed plan that outlines achievable actions and attainable objectives.
Apply innovative approaches to secure funding and institute support
You must comprehend the objective and critical values of your organization from the start of your career and examine it from various angles to accommodate the administrative style. A new institution may have policies and procedures different from your old one, which may affect how you teach, research, or use central resources. The process and how it is run must be simplified for a successful lab, and you must use your best approach to improve your laboratory as an asset. Additionally, identifying potential funding sources is crucial. Look for government grants, private foundations, and industry partnerships. Writing robust and innovative grant proposals can significantly increase your chances of securing funding (Alexandrov and Bourne., 2013; Antes et al., 2019). Develop a detailed budget that covers equipment, supplies, personnel, and operational costs, and regularly review and adjust it as needed.
Assemble a talented and diverse team
Building a successful lab requires hiring staff effectively. Employing people with a variety of backgrounds and abilities who are not just technically skilled but also creative and cooperative is crucial. Invest time in continuous training and professional development to update your team on the latest techniques and technologies. To foster scientific diversity more effectively, it is essential to be fair and encourage the participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups. Everyone brings a unique perspective shaped by their experiences, personalities, inherent abilities, and learning capacity. While we value individual differences, we should leverage these variations to achieve the best possible outcomes in all our endeavors (de Ridder et al., 2013; Redit., 2023).
Foster a collaborative environment
Being a team leader requires setting a good example and fostering a healthy work environment. Be approachable and supportive, and from time to time, you need to recognize the contributions of your colleagues. Encourage open communication and regular meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and ideas. This will foster a sense of community and shared purpose. Promote interdisciplinary collaboration with other labs and departments, as such projects can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and accomplishments in your lab. Ensure that individuals are held accountable; handling things independently comes with a certain level of responsibility. The scientific mindset functions within a social framework, so every team member should be mindful of their interactions. Those who can build strong connections with their peers and fellow lab members tend to excel academically. The secret to building these relationships is to deliberately foster them in an honest, open, and purposeful manner (Auerbach et al., 2012; Alexandrov and Bourne., 2013).
Implement effective management practices
You can create lab policies that will serve as a roadmap for the successful operation of daily tasks in the lab. This includes project management, data collection, record keeping, writing reports, and ensuring that all necessary actions are taken to complete each task effectively. In the initial days of establishing a lab, it is essential that you do not forget how vital it is for a new lab to maintain its flexibility and be prepared to address any issues that may arise out of the blue. To accomplish this, you need to be easily accessible and considerate. This means standing up, responding to emails promptly, and contributing to developing ideas, initiatives, and investigations in the lab and institution. Good lab citizens have the ability to take preventative measures to fulfill requirements in a timely manner by organizing resources. That’s the reason high management skills are required (de Ridder et al., 2013; Antes et al., 2019).
Minimize technical distraction and promote sustainability
To ensure that the laboratory runs smoothly, it’s essential to choose high-quality equipment and reliable vendors. Lab managers should compile, collaborate, and manage the supplies inventory for the entire lab. However, if there is no lab manager, each team member can take on specific responsibilities. This approach fosters a sense of purpose and facilitates cooperation to meet the lab’s requirements. Utilize advanced project management tools to monitor equipment, tasks, deadlines, and milestones, ensuring that projects remain on schedule and within budget. Your team and technicians should receive support from you throughout this process. It’s crucial to minimize distractions caused by equipment repairs and downtime (Scanlan.,1998; Todd., 2015; Golden et al., 2021). Implement sustainable practices in your lab operations, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and using eco-friendly materials.
Maintain High Standards of Research Integrity
Regularly review and refine your processes to ensure continuous improvement and to be thoughtful about your lab. You can create a lab rulebook provided to every individual in your lab. This rulebook can provide information about what team members will learn, what is expected of them, and how they can maximize their time in the lab. It also needs to outline how members can adhere to ethical guidelines and ensure that all research is conducted with integrity. This includes proper data management, such as an e-notebook, reporting of failed experiments, and what they learn from the experiment. Implement rigorous quality control measures to ensure the accuracy and reliability of your research findings. Give your students authority and sometimes allow them to act critically; that will give them the courage to express their opinions and be prepared to make and report mistakes (Dagar et al., 2024; Rosenberg et al., 2020; Goldstein and Avasthi; 2021)
Stay updated with scientific community and technological advances
Occasionally, your team can learn cutting-edge tools to stay on top of your scientific study. Ensure that your team has access to the required computer tools. Stay aware of technological advancements and incorporate relevant tools and techniques into your lab. Encourage your team to experiment with new methods and technologies, as innovation is vital to staying competitive in the research field. Like in the current scenario, AI-integrated tools can now solve big data problems in ways that were not possible before these tools became available. Further, to enhance your lab’s visibility and credibility, it’s important to regularly publish your findings in reputable journals and present and at conferences. In conferences, networking can help you build relationships with other researchers, institutions, and industry partners, which can be leading to new funding opportunities and collaborations (Alexandrov and Bourne., 2013; Dagar et al., 2024)
Celebrate Successes and take lessons from setbacks
It’s crucial to strike a healthy balance between work and personal life. You and Your lab should prioritize maintaining mental health, finding a good work-life balance, staying transparent and focused in a constantly demanding scientific field, and figuring out the best ways to share scientific outcomes effectively. Celebrate the achievements of your team and acknowledge their hard work to boost morale and motivation. Learn from setbacks and use them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
References:
Todd B. Kashdan, How Do You Run a Successful Research Lab? February 10, 2015.
Goldstein B, Avasthi P. A guide to setting up and managing a lab at a research-intensive institution. InBMC proceedings 2021 Jun 22 (Vol. 15, No. Suppl 2, p. 8). London: BioMed Central.
Alexandrov T, Bourne PE. Learning how to run a lab: interviews with principal investigators. PLoS Computational Biology. 2013 Nov 7;9(11):e1003349.
de Ridder J, Abeel T, Michaut M, Satagopam VP, Gehlenborg N. Don’t wear your new shoes (yet): taking the right steps to become a successful principal investigator. PLoS Computational Biology. 2013 Jan 31;9(1):e1002834.
Scanlan TK. Thriving versus surviving. Quest. 1998 May 1;50(2):126-33.
Antes AL, Kuykendall A, DuBois JM. The lab management practices of “Research Exemplars” that foster research rigor and regulatory compliance: A qualitative study of successful principal investigators. PLoS One. 2019 Apr 24;14(4):e0214595.
Auerbach RK. Thriving in multidisciplinary research: advice for new bioinformatics students. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 2012 Sep;85(3):323.
Golden N, Devarajan K, Balantic C, Drake J, Hallworth MT, Morelli TL. Ten simple rules for productive lab meetings. PLOS Computational Biology. 2021 May 27;17(5):e1008953.
Dagar M, Amechi MO, Fortunato J, Maroo S, Teitsworth TS, Woodley CP. Thriving in the modern scientific world: perspectives from early career electrochemists. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 2024;12(19):11142-8.
Rosenberg AR, Barton K, Junkins C, Scott S, Bradford MC, Steineck A, Lau N, Comiskey L, Joyce P. Creating a resilient research program—lessons learned from a palliative care research laboratory. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2020 Oct 1;60(4):857-65.
REDIT C. Why a good lab website matters. nature. 2023 Apr;5(533):533.
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About the Authors
Maneesh Lingwan is a Postdoctoral Associate at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and a 2024 Plantae Fellow. He is a passionate plant biochemist interested in mass spectrometry technologies, isotope mapping, and strategies to decode cell-specific metabolism. Besides research, Maneesh aims to inspire and educate younger students by providing valuable insights about STEM careers and helping them to navigate opportunities. You can find him on X: @LingwanManeesh.
