Lab Matters Winter 2018 | Page 23

workforce

by Jason J. Crowe, PhD, Biological Administrator II, Division of Food Safety, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Most bench scientists have little to no exposure to laboratory budgeting and financial management. Lack of experience, lack of available training and an emphasis on technical skills are all contributing factors to this knowledge gap. Furthermore, without formal training, new supervisors often develop experience on the job by learning from mistakes, which can be costly to the public health lab.

So where does the public health scientist turn to for help when tasked with these responsibilities? After all, we read agar plates, not line items. While general finance courses cover the basics, they don’ t address the specific nuances of running a public health laboratory. Navigating the waters of a government financial setting is completely different than tackling private sector finances, where profit rules the day. Relying on supervisors and internal knowledge can be extremely helpful, but what happens when the scientist is taking over for the“ financial expert” of the lab?

Many members of APHL’ s Emerging Leader Program Cohort 9 have found themselves in this exact situation. We took over a position where the previous person had left the laboratory. We were handed new duties that involved managing a laboratory budget and / or directing laboratory financial management with no formal training. We had to learn on the fly and teach ourselves. As a result, laboratory finances quickly surfaced as an area our project should address. We discussed the pitfalls described above

and many echoed,“ If I had some financial training, or even basic background information when I took my job …”

Using the MMWR core competencies as a guide, Cohort 9 developed two e-learning modules to provide introductory training for public health scientists in two key financial areas: budgeting and resource management. The modules, which include two 30-minute interactive webinars with accompanying manuals, are designed to give users basic knowledge in these two core areas. When utilized, we envision these courses will better prepare public health scientists to manage laboratory finances, and ultimately help them advance in their careers. n

Financial Woes? APHL’ s Emerging Leader Program cohort 9 can help!

Coming soon to CDC TRAIN:

Learn the basics of budgeting

You’ re comfortable with these:

But that promotion needs you to be comfortable with these:

Define key terms and concepts

You can read this:

But your new PHL position needs you to read this: