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 :