Start Me Up(a state of mind)

**Motherhood alert: much of what I will say may be

obvious to a mildly alert 10 year old

1. Start-up packages & lab essentials

2. How to support your lab (& yourself)

3. Maximizing opportunities & setting expectations

Why is your Start Up phase important?

h-index over time

After first 5 pubs, trajectory

relatively consistent

The exception

First 5 years of independence often most productive

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Prof. Salaries

• The good news…. “Academics in Canada, where the entry level salaries averaged $5,733, and full professors were paid an average of $9,485, had more cause for celebration than in the United States, where newly hired faculty members averaged $4,950 and full professors $7,358

2

46

8

10

Monthly $1,000s, adjusted

for purchasing

power parity pre-tax

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/world/europe/02iht-educlede02.html

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Public Universities

Twitter Poll on Start Up $

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@jwoodgett

Twitter Poll on Start Up $

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Dry Lab3DSIMWet lab

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Start Up Packages• Value varies considerably - bigger not necc. better

• Sets expectation on new PI

• If too low, slows success & fosters resentment

• If too high, performance expectation also v. high

• Often small print clauses/clawback

• Little relationship to date/economy

• These are Assist. Profs. Secondary moves usually involve bigger start-ups but also grants often also moved.

Negotiation Tips

• Be reasonable - build a list of equipment and ask what is accessible/can be shared. Understand the environment you are entering, inc. policies

• Be prepared to write grants to support equipment (CFI, etc) - but secure guarantee

• Don’t over engineer what you likely won’t use & remember the small stuff & service contracts

• Lab size & layout - possibilities for expansion?

Split into infrastucture/operating/people Infrastructur

e:

• Depends on type of lab but rules of thumb:

• Wet lab: ~$15K per person/year

• If mouse lab, add $2-3K

• Dry lab: ~$5K per person/year

• Include software seats

Operating

• 3-4 people: e.g. postdoc, technician, student

• Negotiate for 2-3 years but be prepared to cede one to each grant

• Can be in form of student stipends/fellowships

• Technician is critical hire (3 months probation)

• May not be eligible to recruit PhD student initially, dependent on rules of department (may be able to “co-supervise”)

Personnel

• A start up budget is like an ancient grant budget (when salaries, equipment, consumables, were all eligible expenses)

• Consider your start up as grant zero

• Build it by thinking about what you need to do in advance of & to enable your first grant

• You get one shot. It looks bad to go back & ask for changes. Moving money between the elements is OK but ask permission

• A start up budget buys time but it’s value immediately drops (like driving a new car off a lot)

• Clawback (on awarded grant) is OK. It will be remembered & helps next recruit

• Departments want/need you to succeed. Build your budget from bottom up. Don’t start with a target number. You’ll lose credibility without justification/priorities

• Your departmental assessment at ~5 years (often with intermediate checks) depends on many factors but don’t:

• grow too fast OR try to protect start-up for a rainy day

• Share and collaborate within and without dept.

• Be a good citizen (dept duties) but realize these don’t substitute for your scientific productivity.

Supporting Your Lab

• Grants, grants, grants

• These show independence, recognition by peers, competitiveness, etc.

• Very difficult to obtain 2nd grant from agency before renewing first

• Don’t submit prematurely, have your grants read by peers, read your peers grants, get on panels/review other grants

• Plan, plan, plan (deadlines, preliminary data, awareness of opps, etc).

• Look for small, targeted grants as well as the bigger ones (RFPs, etc).

• Encourage your trainees to write for studentships and fellowships.

• Publish…….

• 5 years goes by in an instant

NO SUBSTITUTIONS

• Be aware of pending changes in grant programs

• especially CIHR (Project & Foundation)

• but all grants frequently change their eligibility & requirements (LOI, ROI, etc.)

• Keep CV up to date, build ResearcherID & ORCID files (esp. if have common surname)

Grants

Seed Funding• Most departments/institutes have some discretionary reserves. These can be accessed with good ideas but there are ground-rules:

• Don’t consider this reliable funding. It’s one-off & opportunistic

• It’s also used to bridge grants, deal with unanticipated events

• Best pitches involve careful financial plan, advancing of funds (that have likelihood of repayment) & involve other colleagues. Be visionary but realistic. Share risk (by putting own resources into it)

• Minimally, garner support of your colleagues. Deans, chairs, etc. rely on others for advice. Differentiate seed funds from bridging funds

• Don’t renege on outcomes if wish another kick at the seed can

Summary• Your recruitment is a partly mitigated risk. You are part of the equation. Your success is mutually beneficial to you & your recruiters.

• Mistakes are expensive & wasteful for you, your trainees & funding agencies.

• There is no perfect plan. You were recruited because you exhibit promise & potential. The department is partly on the hook for you to realize that potential but, ultimately, your fate is in your hands.

• Don’t compare yourself to others to set the bar. There are many elements considered & others may have other advantages.

• Build your reputation & your publications. These are your currency.

• Start-up phase thinking should last for your entire scientific career.