Dear Colleagues,

 

The current issue of Nature includes a number of articles related to lab safety culture and lab management, as well as administrative burden in labs.  We have convened a group that is creating a business case for ensuring that every lab has a professional lab manager (not just a grad student), either their own or shared with a few other labs. These articles touch on many of the topics related to that issue. The challenges noted in these articles have a universal quality to them.

 

 

Research institutions must put the health of labs first
Universities should take responsibility to ensure professional science is performed in an environment that is supportive, productive and rigorous.

 

Some hard numbers on science's leadership problems
A Nature survey of 3,200 scientists reveals the tensions bubbling in research groups around the world.
Richard Van Noorden

 

Nine pitfalls of research misconduct Academic leaders must audit departments for flaws and strengths, then tailor practices to build good behaviour, say C. K. Gunsalus and Aaron D. Robinson. C. K. Gunsalus, Aaron D. Robinson

Go beyond bias training Ambiguity in expectations and evaluations harms progress, say Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton and colleagues. Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Colette Patt, Mark Richards

Health tips for research groups Nature asked scientists to recommend one thing that institutional and laboratory leaders could do to make science more productive, rigorous and happy. David Norris, Ulrich Dirnagl, Michael J. Zigmond et al.

How lab heads can learn to lead
Lessons in leadership from outside the laboratory.
Roberta Kwok

 

 

Robin

 

 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Robin M. Izzo

Director

Environmental Health and Safety
Princeton University

609-258-6259 (office)

Visit the EHS website at ehs.princeton.edu