Developing a Successful Program In Academia

Challenging times await the new academic researcher in horticulture. Changes in program funding, labor/land resources, and tenure/promotion policy are noteworthy barriers that can be discouraging if not threatening to a starting PI. At the same time, new tools and technologies present amazing opportunities to develop a firm niche in a critical research area. The development of a successful program has several facets.  First and foremost, it is necessary to construct research programs that leverage one’s talents and skill set to attack a question on the leading edge of a specific area of horticultural science. Many of the most successful programs address both basic and applied areas of inquiry, broadening opportunities for funding, while at the same time focusing basic research around real industry needs. Next, it is important to integrate the available talent of an academic setting. The development of novel undergraduate programs can offer valuable experiences while presenting a real-time testing ground to evaluate performance and reliability of young scientists.  Furthering their training and shaping their interest can eventually lead to recruitment opportunities for internships or graduate studies.  Research programs also benefit from collaboration, but not just any collaboration, selective participation in the right collaborations. One theme that runs throughout is that while it is attractive to take on every research endeavor, every student, or every proposed collaborative activity, a new PI has to work with a stringent filter. New research avenues, while exciting, cost time and resources at the expense of original intensions.  Students, while often great contributors, again use time and resources during their training, oftentimes never recouped. Collaborations can be fruitful, but again, time and resources are diverted from primary programmatic goals to efforts that may not propel a new PI into a recognized position. In short, the disciplined addition of new research directions, students and collaborators prevents the perception of a researcher as being too “surfacy” and helps the researcher develop as a nationally or internationally recognized authority in their field.  These philosophical issues will be addressed, along with some additional guidelines in management, budgeting, community participation, service, and delegation.