URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Spring_2019_Melissa-McCarthy

the lifeblood of Successful Research Teams “The image of the lone scientist, toiling alone at his or her lab bench, is a romanticized image for cinema — but that is not really how modern science works.” - Peter J. Snyder

written by Todd McLeish

Photo credit: URI student Emma Ferrante ‘19

It is also often the case that PI’s form long-lasting professional relationships with one or two key staff, leading to enduring and productive partnerships. These key relationships, that form the basis for highly successful laboratory teams, deserve to be recognized. “The image of the lone scientist, toiling alone at his or her lab bench, is a romanticized image for cinema — but that is not really how modern science works. The most productive labs and investigators, I’ve found, are individuals who form lasting relationships with one or two key research staff members. These relationships are built on longstanding trust, shared work styles and expectations, and on a shared passion for their work together,” says Peter J. Snyder, URI vice president for research and economic development, who is also a professor leading his own research group. “These key professional relationships form the core of successful lab groups, and they serve as the glue that bind together, motivate and manage successful teams.”

Among the thousands of people involved in complex research and scholarship at the University of Rhode Island (URI) at any given time, it’s the approximately 300 faculty members designated as principal investigators on major research grants who get most of the attention. And appropriately so, for they are the scholars who are asking the innovative questions to advance their respective fields, and they are personally responsible for managing oftentimes expensive and complex laboratory-based programs. Nonetheless, most of those same faculty members readily acknowledge that they serve as the leaders for what is actually a “team sport.” Most principal investigators (PI’s) could not manage their own programs without relying on various combinations of lab managers, research assistants, technical support staff, post- doctoral fellows, graduate assistants, undergraduate students and many university support and administrative staff who play vital roles in the day-to-day operations of our major research programs.

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