Being a Principal Investigator (PI) Kotaro Hara | Last Modified 2021-07-08 | v1a 1

How are Researchers Evaluated? (After Becoming a PI in a University) • Publish papers at high-quality venues • Network with research communities 2 NEW! NEW! NEW! As a PhD Student As a PI • Manage your research group as a PI • Teach courses effectively • Support the operation of your institution

Key Factors for Successfully Leading a Research Group as a PI 3 People resources Effective management of research personnel A quality and uniqueness of research portfolio Adequate capital Proper timing Management You can control everything except for this one Kathy Barker (2010) At the Helm: Leading Your Laboratory

Research Operational Flow Management 4 Outcome Input/Output Capacity Budget Publication Funding Project Output Prototypes Tools Code Analysis Results … Project Input Value Creation Maintenance Repaying Tech. Debt Operational Cost … Personnel You Students Postdocs Engineers Collaborators … Boost and Friction Research Assets Training Materials Meetings … External Funding Internal Support

Research Operational Flow: Relationship with the Key Factors (Research Personnel and Their Management) Management 5 Input/Output Capacity Budget Project Output Prototypes Tools Code Analysis Results … Project Input Value Creation Maintenance Repaying Tech. Debt Operational Cost … Personnel You Students Postdocs Engineers Collaborators … Boost and Friction Research Assets Training Materials Meetings … External Funding Internal Support Outcome • Hire and keep good people • Train, motivate, and guide your people • Assign people to input tasks wisely I’d focus on these in the early stage of the career!

Research Operational Flow: Relationship with the Key Factors (Research Portfolio) Management 6 Outcome Input/Output Publication Funding Project Output Prototypes Tools Code Analysis Results … Project Input Value Creation Maintenance Repaying Tech. Debt Operational Cost … • Increase the quality and quantity of research output • Balance the project input and output • Do not expand the research portfolio too much. • You should have projects that let you publish and secure funding • You should cultivate projects that let you publish and secure funding in the future Capacity Budget

Research Operational Flow: Relationship with the Key Factors (Budget) Management 7 Outcome Input/Output Budget Publication Funding Project Output Prototypes Tools Code Analysis Results … External Funding Internal Support Capacity • Turn research output into funding • Allocate funding to capacity building and research operation