Leading a research group in the life sciences requires management skills: independent group leaders are expected to hire, manage and teach staff, co-ordinate and devise the theme(s) of the lab, acquire and manage the appropriate funding and possibly perform teaching duties. They are often not adequately prepared for these challenges during their training as scientists. Their success and continuation of their careers depend not only on scientific talent but also on the skills needed to manage a research team.
EMBO has taken steps to address this issue by offering Laboratory Management Courses developed together with a management consultant team. These courses address basic issues in the areas of staff selection, leadership and team development and deal with conflict, effective problem solving and communication. Practical exercises in the form of role play and discussion groups provide hands-on experience.
These courses have been highly rated by more than 400 participants since they began in Germany in 2004. Since 2008, EMBO also organizes Laboratory Management Courses in the UK in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, WT Sanger, MRC, ICR and EMBL-EBI.
Advanced Leadership Training Courses are also available (subject to demand and held in Heidelberg, DE). Please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details if interested.
See location and dates of EMBO Laboratory Management Courses 2010.
Fee waivers
Independent Group Leader Courses:
-free of charge for EMBO Young Investigators *
-free of charge for EMBO Installation Grantees *
Postdoc Courses:
-free of charge for EMBO Long-Term Fellows, both previous and current, who began their fellowship after 1st January 2006*
for support.** Please note that only the course fee (and accommodation) is covered and is dependent on places being available in the chosen course.