Developing a Thriving Research Program

As you begin an academic career in the geosciences, you may face many new challenges, including (probably) getting your own research program up and running. This involves many components, addressed on the pages below.

Jump down to Planning Your Research Program * Funding Your Research * Collaborating With Students * Setting Up Your Lab and Obtaining Equipment * Carving Out Time * Publishing Your Work: Strategies for Moving Forward

Comprehensive resources

• For a down-to-earth guide to setting up and managing your new lab, read At The Helm: a Lab Navigator, by Kathy Barker.
• Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty is a book about managing your research program. Click on the title to see the table of contents; you can then download it, if you're interested, in whole or in part.

Planning Your Research Program

Make the transition from graduate student to faculty researcher. Build and expand on your research experience, creating your own research niche.

Funding Your Research

Learn the secrets to successful grant writing. Discover sources of funding you may not know about.

Collaborating with Students

Recruit students to work with you and create the conditions that will lead to their (and your) success.

Setting Up Your Lab and Obtaining Equipment

Get the equipment you need, set your lab up, and establish procedures to maximize your productivity and minimize your stress.

Carving out Time

While you can't put more hours in the day, you can probably use the hours you have more efficiently. Learn how successful new professors do it.

Publishing Your Work: Strategies for Moving Forward

Overcome writer's block, prepare strong manuscripts, and make the most of reviews (even rejections).