Large-Scale Biomedical Science Exploring Strategies for Future Research (2003) / Chapter Skim
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5. Organization and Management of Large-Scale Biomedical Research Projects
5. Organization and Management of Large-Scale Biomedical Research Projects
Pages 130-139
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From page 130... ...
With the advent of larger-scale projects that involve more scientists and larger budgets, however, effective management, both scientific and administrative, has become more important. This is especially true when multiple principal investigators and multiple institutions join forces to pursue a common mission or goal.
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From page 131... ...
laboratories examined their structure, management, and output through surveys and case studies, and revealed a great variety of organizational designs (Crow and Bozeman, 2001~. Although a large portion of the laboratories examined were not performing biomedical research, there may be some applicable lessons to be learned from the study results.
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From page 132... ...
An extensive evaluation, including an assessment of organization and management, was conducted about 10 years after the program was initiated (National Academy of Public Administration, 1995, ABT Associates, 1996; National Research Council, 1996~. A study panel appointed by the National Academies concluded that the success of the Centers is highly dependent on both their scientific and administrative management.]
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From page 133... ...
The periodic sitereview process was deemed very helpful in several cases when management problems occurred, as it assisted program leaders in identifying the problems and developing solutions (National Research Council, 1996~. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LARGE-SCALE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS Large-scale science clearly requires good management schemes and good managers.
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From page 134... ...
Such long-range planning is extremely difficult in rapidly changing fields, and such timeframes are essentially unheard of even in the corporate world, where strategic planning is commonly undertaken (National Research Council, 1998~. When a large-scale project is carried out at multiple institutions or is funded by multiple sources, the complexities and difficulties associated with planning, coordination, monitoring, and assessment are exacerbated.
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From page 135... ...
In contrast, science projects entail discovery and thus are more likely to require cyclical or iterative planning. Effective scientist managers must have both technical and conceptual knowledge of the science involved in a project, in some cases in multiple disciplines, as well as good people skills, good judgment, and flexibility.
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From page 136... ...
The overall work and productivity of the individual principal investigator are reviewed by university or department officials infrequently, such as when decisions regarding tenure or promotion are made. There is great variation across institutions in how the work of graduate students is evaluated; in the case of postdoctoral scientists, a recent survey indicates that most academic institutions do not require written performance evaluations or progress reviews (National Resource Council, 2000~.
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From page 137... ...
Progress is measured against written goals, a practice that promotes good planning and keeps everyone informed about what is expected of them. Generally, all members of the team are formally reviewed on an annual basis using a numerical ranking system that determines pay scales and advancement and is designed to elicit improvements from staff.5 Such review may entail traditional topdown assessment of employees by their immediate supervisors.
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From page 138... ...
However, it may be quite difficult to recruit scientists with the needed skill set into managerial positions because of the unusual status of such positions within the scientific career structure, and because scientists rarely undergo formal training in management. Furthermore, there is little information available on how to structure such management and oversight, and there are few precedents to follow in biomedical research.
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From page 139... ...
BECON is currently organizing a symposium called "Catalyzing Team Science," aimed at producing a set of guidelines for NIH on how to stimulate, facilitate, and reward collaborative efforts. The workshop will also include a discussion of academic institutions' assessment and reward procedures.
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