Researcher Management and Leadership Training from Coursera

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Syllabus

Researcher Management and Leadership Training

Welcome to Researcher Management and Leadership Training

Leadership

Being an effective leader--of projects and people--means to understand yourself and how you communicate with others. In practical terms, this means taking steps to align the words you say with the things you do. As a leader you set a mission and vision for your work that reflects your personal values, and then show people how to contribute to your vision of a brighter future--leadership is about getting people to follow you! We will discuss leadership behaviors generally, and specifically scientific leadership. Leaders take on additional and specific roles when you lead specific people such as employees. In that case, you may take on management or mentoring functions. These are related to, but quite different in important ways, from leadership. We will introduce you to important management and mentoring skills in other modules. This module focuses on the rights and responsibilities you have as a research leader.

Finance and Administration

New research leaders need to know about financials, reporting, and administrative obligations. If you are the research leader of a sponsored project with grant funding, then you are an academic entrepreneur. You need business skills because financial support and academic leadership come with rules, scrutiny, and new challenges. This module will prepare you to seek local answers to key questions so that you're not taken by surprise, and do not make “beginner's mistakes” with your funds. Small missteps can be extremely consequential to you as a research leader. We will help you spend research funds appropriately, on time, and as effectively as possible. You will be made aware of key practices for compliance, and prepared to adapt to the unexpected. From a regulatory or funder perspective, our goal is to keep you in compliance, out of trouble, and in good standing as a principal or lead investigator. This module focuses on the rights and responsibilities you have as a research leader and administrator.

Management - Part 1: Starting a Research Team

Management refers to getting people to perform to agreed-upon standards. We will address important practices when managing people who work for you, whether they're paid employees, or earning credit such as students. Management is one of the biggest traps for early-career researchers, from defining tasks to giving direction and correction to delivering performance reviews and professional development. Having one or more people work on your research team requires you to engage someone to work in order to advance your goals. Your goal is that they will be your extenders, and do for you what you don't or won’t do for yourself. If you manage effectively then they will be accountable and responsible for their work. This course will address key actions you will take as you start your own lab or research group: how to decide the kind of person you need; take steps to hire someone; and how to manage individuals, your team, the project, and also manage yourself. We’ll get you started on a path to effective management, improving your team’s performance and your own productivity and scientific leadership. This module begins our program on the rights and responsibilities you have as a research leader and manager of people and teams.

Management - Part 2: Growing and Maintaining a Research Team

We continue our work on management, now focusing on existing employees and groups of employees. Now you have people working to help you advance your goals. As a group, there is an ethos or culture to define and manage. Over time you will experience turnover when people leave the work group, and also hopefully retention as people find satisfying employment with your group. You must now attend to people’s own professional goals over time, and assess performance as they add new tasks and skills. As your own research enterprise grows and your team grows in number, you will delegate more tasks. With respect to managing scientific integrity, we will address processes to help. Focusing on delegation, we will address specifics of performance management and effective reviews, going beyond annual performance reviews. We’ll get you started on a path to effective management, improving your team’s performance and your own productivity and scientific leadership. This module concludes our program on the rights and responsibilities you have as a research leader and manager of people and teams.

Mentorship

Getting and giving effective mentorship are skills to build over your career. Mentoring is needed at every age and stage, and is an evidence-based way to boost your career and work satisfaction. Mentorship is a critical element for your professional development as a scientific and research leader. As a new research leader, you may be asked to begin mentoring now that you've had some success. Our goal is to help you get the most out of your mentors, and also prepare to become a highly effective mentor. We focus on the mentee, the person who seeks to benefit from the mentor's knowledge and experience, and the mentor, the person with relatively more experience and expertise to share. Each role comes with rights and responsibilities, and goals for the relationship. In this course, we describe the difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and how to get each type of support. We help you shift your thinking to be strategic about building your own mentorship team, and think of your mentorship team as your own personal board of directors. Coaching is introduced as a way to enhance your mentoring skills. We encourage you to watch this module with a mentee or mentor to build that relationship, while building skills that can be used in any mentoring relationship.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Helps research leaders develop necessary management skills to enhance career success

Appropriate for early career researchers who want to strengthen management skills

Provides practical guidance for effectively implementing funded research projects

Taught by experienced research leaders, senior scientists, and administrative leaders

Covers essential topics such as leadership, finance, management, mentorship, and research integrity

Encourages learners to think strategically about building their own mentorship team

Reviews summary

Researcher management and leadership essentials

Learners say this course is an excellent choice for early career researchers interested in developing their research leadership skills. Specifically, you will learn about managing a research team, developing a career plan, budgeting, grant management, mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship. They also emphasize that this course is well-received across a variety of disciplines, not just clinical research. With engaging speakers and a knowledgeable faculty, learners consistently describe this course as well-organized and practical. Overall, graduates leave this course with increased confidence in their ability to effectively lead and manage a research team.

Course covers a wide range of topics relevant to research leadership.

"This course has significantly increased my knowledge about scientific leadership, budget management, administrative task, mentorship, coaching and sponsorship that are key to have a successful career in science."

"I gained so much that I need another week to stop and meditate and develop an action plan."

"Extremely thorough course, it really picked apart the principles, values, processes, challenges, and strategies for research leadership and management with a fine-tooth comb."

Course provides practical tips and advice that can be applied directly to your work.

"I love this course it provides a lot of skills on leadership, project management, mentoring, personal and time management."

"This course takes you to visualize, organize and analyze an array of variables must of the time invisibilized but involved in the process of management."

"Detailed with practical learning for each module. Quite impactful and a life and career-changing resources."

Faculty members are experts in their field and share their real-world experiences.

"Excellent course and instructors who share from their experience and passion!"

"A course in which I managed to see a clear definition argued regardless of the field of Researcher Management. Congratulate."

"The best part, you can enjoy the ride as your learn to grow along your project and the people you choose to be part of it."

While the course is broadly applicable, some modules may be more relevant to those in medical research.

"This is a good course, and I have learned a set of strategies that hopefully allow me to progress more smoothly throughout my career. Although I recognize the instructors aim to make it as general as possible, I consider some modules quite specific to medical schools."

"This is an excellent course for early career researchers. It is mainly focused on medical research, but I found it very useful for my research too, which in the construction management area."

Course has a lot of material to cover, which can be overwhelming for some learners.

"Excellent and thorough talks and materials- I learned a ton. My one critique is the volume of material; it is immense and took over a year to work through with my learning partners (on top of our other jobs)."

"This course is what every research manager and every one aiming at being an independent research needs.This course will be more helpful if there are some key exercises to work through such as developing your career development plan from start to end and having it reviewed by the faculty."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Researcher Management and Leadership Training with these activities:

Volunteer at a research organization

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Volunteering at a research organization can help you gain hands-on experience in research and develop your research skills.

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Find a research organization that interests you.
Contact the research organization.
Volunteer at the research organization.

Find a research mentor

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Having a research mentor can help you develop your research skills and career. This activity will help you find a research mentor.

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Identify potential mentors.
Contact potential mentors.
Meet with potential mentors.

Meet with other researchers

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Meeting with other researchers can help you learn about their work and get feedback on your own research. This activity will help you build your research network.

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Attend a research seminar.
Join a research group.
Meet with other researchers one-on-one.

Five other activities

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Attend a research workshop

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Research workshops are a great way to learn new research skills and techniques. This activity will help you develop your research skills.

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Find a research workshop that interests you.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop.

Read 'Leading the Lean Startup' by Eric Ries

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This book will help you understand the lean startup methodology, which is essential for researchers who want to be successful in leading research projects.

View The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use... on Amazon

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Read the book.
Take notes on the key concepts.
Apply the concepts to your own research project.

Develop a research proposal

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This project will give you hands-on experience in developing a research proposal, which is an essential skill for researchers.

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Identify a research problem.
Develop a research question.
Write a research proposal.

Practice giving presentations

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Giving presentations is an essential skill for researchers, and this activity will help you practice and improve your presentation skills.

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Prepare a presentation on a research topic.
Give your presentation to a group of people.
Get feedback on your presentation.

Create a research poster

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Creating a research poster is a great way to share your research with others and get feedback. This activity will help you develop your research communication skills.

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Design your poster.
Print your poster.
Present your poster at a conference or research fair.

Career center

Learners who complete Researcher Management and Leadership Training will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Research Scientist

Research Scientists conduct research in a variety of fields, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This course may be useful to a Research Scientist as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research Scientist

Academic Researcher

Academic Researchers conduct research at colleges and universities. This course may be useful to an Academic Researcher as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Academic Researcher

Research Program Manager

Research Program Managers direct and coordinate research projects. They may also manage budgets and staff. This course may be useful to a Research Program Manager as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and financial administration are all essential for Research Program Managers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Quality Assurance Manager

Quality Assurance Managers ensure that products and services meet quality standards. They may also audit processes and develop quality management systems. This course may be useful to a Quality Assurance Manager as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and quality assurance are all essential for Quality Assurance Managers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Regulatory Affairs Specialists ensure that products and services comply with government regulations. They may also manage regulatory filings and audits. This course may be useful to a Regulatory Affairs Specialist as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and regulatory affairs are all essential for Regulatory Affairs Specialists, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Biomedical Engineer

Biomedical Engineers design and develop medical devices and equipment. They may also conduct research and publish their findings. This course may be useful to a Biomedical Engineer as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and engineering are all essential for Biomedical Engineers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Laboratory Manager

Laboratory Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of a laboratory, including budgeting, hiring, and managing staff. They may also conduct research and publish their findings. This course may be useful to a Laboratory Manager as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and financial administration are all essential for Laboratory Managers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Clinical Research Associate

Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) manage clinical trials. They may also monitor patient safety and collect data. This course may be useful to a CRA as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and healthcare are all essential for CRAs, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Medical Science Liaison

Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) provide scientific and medical information to healthcare professionals on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. They may also manage budgets and mentor junior staff. This course may be useful to an MSL as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and healthcare are all essential for MSLs, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Medical Writer

Medical Writers create and edit medical content for a variety of audiences. They may also manage projects and staff. This course may be useful to a Medical Writer as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and healthcare are all essential for Medical Writers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Science Writer

Science Writers create and edit scientific content for a variety of audiences. They may also manage projects and staff. This course may be useful to a Science Writer as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and science writing are all essential for Science Writers, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare Administrators plan, direct, and coordinate the operations of health care facilities. This course may be useful to a Healthcare Administrator as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and healthcare are all essential for Healthcare Administrators, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Health Policy Analyst

Health Policy Analysts research and analyze health政策, and develop recommendations for improving the health care system. This course may be useful to a Health Policy Analyst as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and healthcare are all essential for Health Policy Analysts, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Biostatistician

A Biostatistician gathers and analyzes complex biological data. As part of their role, they may lead teams and mentor junior members. This course may be useful to a Biostatistician as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing their career success. Skills in leadership, management, and financial administration are all essential for Biostatisticians, and this course can help provide those skills.

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Research and Development Scientist

Research and Development (R&D) Scientists conduct research to help advance breakthroughs in fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. In their role, they typically lead teams and may be tasked with securing funding. This course may be useful to an R&D Scientist as it can teach skills to effectively implement funded projects, thereby enhancing career success. Skills in leadership and management are essential for R&D Scientists, and this course can help provide those skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research and Development Scientist