Starting up a brand-new lab is a dream to many early-career researchers, but to make the most of it, they must be wise with their money.

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We’ve covered setting up your own lab before, but there’s an awful lot more for you to consider when you begin your tenureship. Here’s some more of the story.

Equipment isn’t the only thing you need to think about when you finally get your (hopefully big) bag of cash. Staff and PhD recruitment is important, as is considering whether you need a closed or an open lab. How should you arrange everything? Does anyone else in the department need to share equipment? Should you stay traditional or move everything online? What else should you consider?

Recruiting staff

“There’s no point in paying for all of the new equipment if you don’t have enough hands available to use it,” says Rafael TM De Rosales, a lecturer in imaging chemistry at King’s College London. Too much focus on the equipment – be it computers, chemicals or carefully calibrated chronometers – and not enough on the people who’ll be using it, means you could find yourself in a brand new, decked out lab with little research output. Your most important hire will be the first one – your first postdoc needs to be skilled and enthusiastic enough to both carry out the research and teach your future hires what they need to know. Continue reading →