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How (managing) a research group is akin to a rock band
Creating a research group is difficult especially for a new principle investigator (PI). Managing it is even harder. Worse, you cannot work alone due to insufficient fund, incomplete instruments, lack of expertise and many more. One must team up with other experts and set up a collaboration. After discussion with several people on social media, I have realized that a research group is akin to a rock band. Herein, I illustrate my points.
A PI acts like a frontman, directing and navigating his group to achieve his visions. For example, I am working on superatomic clusters, my visions would be to achieve programmable synthesis of superatomic clusters with tailored properties and the applications in photocatalysis, catalysis and sensing. The set the visions and milestones of his research followed by strategic plans to achieve the visions. I aspire to study the chirality transfer from superatomic clusters to surfaces; it starts with synthesis of chiral superatoms, controlled deposition of these superatoms on surfaces followed by state-of-the-art surface characterizations. The last part is the most difficult of all; it may take a decade to get there.
When Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) wrote the song Runaway, he already got all the attention he wanted but he didn't have a band. So he started to assemble highly talented drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist like Tico "The Hitman" Torres, Richie Stephen Sambora, David Bryan, and Alec John Such. Similarly, a PI must recognize his limitations/weaknesses and seek out other researchers with expertise he lacks of. I am a synthetic and catalytic chemist, and I lack many things. Fortunately, I have been collaborating with computational chemist, surface scientist and spectroscopist. Their expertise complements mine. Nowaday, we call it multi-/inter-disciplinary research but rock bands have long practiced it. Being inter-/multi-disciplinary is a quintessential attribute in research.
Having established a multidisciplinary collaboration, it would then make sense to start produce great work and publish them. Just like a rock band writes songs and publish an album. A great song or album might one day win Grammy Award, who knows. Likewise, a scientific breakthrough might one day win a Nobel Prize.
A PI acts like a frontman, directing and navigating his group to achieve his visions. For example, I am working on superatomic clusters, my visions would be to achieve programmable synthesis of superatomic clusters with tailored properties and the applications in photocatalysis, catalysis and sensing. The set the visions and milestones of his research followed by strategic plans to achieve the visions. I aspire to study the chirality transfer from superatomic clusters to surfaces; it starts with synthesis of chiral superatoms, controlled deposition of these superatoms on surfaces followed by state-of-the-art surface characterizations. The last part is the most difficult of all; it may take a decade to get there.
When Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) wrote the song Runaway, he already got all the attention he wanted but he didn't have a band. So he started to assemble highly talented drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist like Tico "The Hitman" Torres, Richie Stephen Sambora, David Bryan, and Alec John Such. Similarly, a PI must recognize his limitations/weaknesses and seek out other researchers with expertise he lacks of. I am a synthetic and catalytic chemist, and I lack many things. Fortunately, I have been collaborating with computational chemist, surface scientist and spectroscopist. Their expertise complements mine. Nowaday, we call it multi-/inter-disciplinary research but rock bands have long practiced it. Being inter-/multi-disciplinary is a quintessential attribute in research.
Having established a multidisciplinary collaboration, it would then make sense to start produce great work and publish them. Just like a rock band writes songs and publish an album. A great song or album might one day win Grammy Award, who knows. Likewise, a scientific breakthrough might one day win a Nobel Prize.
