With a TMF Starting Grant young researchers can build and lead their own team for the first time. By taking on the new role of academic group leaders, their jobs quickly become more complex. Instead of focusing only on research, they now supervise others, communicate their research, review articles, write grants, join committees, and handle other tasks. Figuring out how to use their limited time wisely becomes difficult. This gets even harder when important work is delayed by urgent grant deadlines or teaching duties. One way to deal with these challenges is to join a peer group, where members can share immediate and helpful advice with others who are facing similar issues.

The European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) understood the challenges for young group leaders already over 20 years ago and launched their EMBO lab leadership program where dedicated trainers use insights from psychology, human behaviour, social science, neuroscience, ethics, best research practices, and many other disciplines to feed into a three-day interactive course.  The contents can be applied regardless of academic discipline. The trainers teach the course in Heidelberg and all over the world and also offer online sessions tailored to different time zones.

Some of the mentors in the TMF-UiB career program had recommended the lab leadership course to their mentees, current TMF Starting Grant holders. Since the participating Starting Grant holders were very satisfied with the course, the career program steering group decided to offer the training in Bergen:

– The course has proven relevance and quality and is recommended and sought after by several of our TMF StG candidates and alumni, which gave us confidence that the content is useful and appeals to the target audience, states senior adviser Jutta Schloon from the UiB division of research and innovation, secretary of the career program steering group

-EMBO has a clear focus on leadership development in academic environments, which is crucial to our objectives.

The lab leadership course was therefore for the first time in Bergen offered in a gathering of the TMF-UIB career program, where twenty current and former TMF grantees from different faculties and departments gathered at Biologen hotel at Herdla (Askøy).

Professor Stephanie Le Hellard (Faculty of Medicine) joined the course as an experienced participant and describes her experience as helpful:

-On the first morning we were asked to say what was our motivation to join the course, mine was “To take some time off to reflect on my leader role and how to adjust it”. The course certainly achieved this, I enjoy the exercises and the discussions which not only helped to reflect on that but also gain from the experience of others. I do have a clearer objective after the course. It was also very enjoyable to get to know better the TMF fellows”

EMBO Trainers Natalie Bamford and Elan Gin delivered the three-day training. Natalie Bamford and Elan Gin belong to a group of five full-time trainers that can be supplemented by seven freelance trainers with different professional backgrounds. Since the trainers have their offices at the premises of the European Molecular Biology laboratories (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany they meet young group leaders daily and use new findings in leadership, group dynamics and psychology to inform their course content. Trainings are interactive, with no PowerPoint slides and training participants will meet unusual props like plush hedgehogs, monkey finger puppets and Playmobil figures to illustrate learning points and help group discussions along.

Sebastian Wolf, a recent  TMF grantee from the Faculty of science and technology is about to start his project and assemble his team and commented:

-The leadership course was a great experience and came at the perfect time for starting my own research group. The combination of presentations from two excellent trainers and interactive group work created a constructive and open learning environment. A particular highlight was getting to know and learn from the experiences of more senior peers and former TMF fellows.

Suzette Flantua from the same faculty attended the lab leadership course four years ago when she was in the same situation as Sebastian Wolf. Together with Salwa Suliman (Faculty of Medicine) she was the second participant who chose to rejoin the lab leadership course.

-Even after taking the course a second time, the insights were no less! The training is set up in such an excellent way, that the trainers take the participants through a range of reflections on oneself and group dynamics, that everyone learns, participates, reflects and shares. I particularly liked how they have a good balance between conceptual material, large group discussions, and small break out groups, keeping the day interesting and easy to follow along. I would highly recommend this training for anyone who has started leading a team, because it will give you essential tools and knowledge to handle the opportunities and challenges ahead.

The EMBO trainers were excited about coming to Bergen, the one time they visited Norway before was for a course in Oslo.  When asked about which similarities she observes regarding the working conditions for young group leaders Natalie Bamford mentions the current scarcity of research funding. Also finding the best ways to communicate with and motivate a new generation of students challenges a group leaders’ ability to include different personalities and different cultures. On the positive side the trainings contribute to forming bonds between participants and make asking for and receiving help from peers easier. Bamford´s top three tips for young group leaders are:

• Find local mentors and support to help you understand how the system works where you are
• Take your time to think about the onboarding process for your new team members
• Don’t say yes to everything

 

The next event for the current and former TMF Starting Grant winners will be the annual alumni event in the University Museum and gardens planned for early summer.