“Welcome to my team” Template

"This letter can transmit important information about;

  • Goal of the research group or PI vision
  • Fulfilling the mission and proving training
  • Role of the PI or Team Leader(s) - what can be expected
  • Expectations of laboratory or team members

"Specific topic areas could include:

"Laboratory/Team interactions and procedures

  • Team meetings, Journal Clubs, Sharing space and reagents.  Using specialized equipment
  • Time and attendance, vacations, sick leave
  • Networking, attending outside meetings, professional etiquette
  • PI or Team Leader(s) work habits, expected work habits

"Conduct of research

  • Scholarly integrity/research ethic, notebooks, record keeping, sharing data
  • Data presentations, submission of abstracts, presentations
  • Responsibility for data storage and retrieval

"Communication

  • Seminars and tasks, abstracts and manuscripts
  • Logistics and agendas for routine meetings.  Expectations for participation and/or contribution
  • Process to follow if there is a disagreement

"Authorship & Collaboration/Sharing Credit

  • Criteria/process for deciding, Ongoing projects
  • Process for regular review and revision, Acknowledgments

"Career Development

  • Training in research, communication skills (oral, written)
  • Personal interactions - professionalism
  • Career planning, Promoting the careers of more junior members
  • Opportunities to take on new leadership roles

"Evaluation

  • Form and frequency
  • Reference letters

"Scholarly Administration & Leadership

  • Manuscript review
  • Grantsmanship

"Mentoring

  • Finding a mentor (or mentors)
  • Mentorship, sponsoring, coaching others

"Institutional and local resources

  • Employee assistance program/counseling, Housing, Local information”

Quoted from pages 133-134 in Bennett, L. M., Gadlin, H., Marchand, C. (2018). Collaboration and Team Science Field Guide. 2nd edn., National Institutes of Health Publication No. 18-7660, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, United States of America.

This material was written in the context of team science.  Our emphasis is broader.  Therefore we substituted "scholarship" or "research" for "science" in the text.  We left the title of the manuscript quoted as Team Science so it can be found.