Why am I being invited to take part in a research study?
We invite you to take part in this research study because we believe you are a post-doc research at a major U.S. research institution.

Who is the team behind SLMP?
We are a team of social scientists who are particularly interested in how management, communication, and collaboration practices differ across academic laboratories and what could be done to improve them. Our team includes a number of junior and senior researchers from the following institutions: Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of California at Berkeley.

Why is this research being done?
The first objective is to document the management characteristics of the academic research workforce. The primary research questions explore XXX.

What is the structure of the SLMP study, how long will it last, and what will I need to do?
After enrolling in the study, you will participate in N interviews or surveys every M months. The first task is an interview and the goal is to establish an important baseline, and as such will be the longest, lasting approximately X minutes, for which you will receive $75 upon completing. All other interviews or surveys will take 30 minutes or less to complete and you will be compensated with $50. After approximately H months from enrollment, a subset of participants will be invited to apply to participate in the managerial training program that will take place locally. Further details on this program can be found below.

How will compensation be paid?
You will be compensated at the rate of $50/hour for participating in the interviews in the form of XXX.

If I take part in this research, how will my privacy be protected? What happens to the information you collect?
To protect your confidentiality, access to response data will be restricted to members of the research team with approved data security protocols in place, and identifiable data will only be stored as approved by our institutions. Efforts will be made to limit the use and disclosure of your personal information to people who have a need to review this information. We cannot promise complete secrecy. Organizations that may inspect and copy your information include the Institutional Review Board and other representatives of this organization. If identifiers are removed from your private information, that information could be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without your additional informed consent. We may link your responses to external publication records.All data will be de-identified and remain anonymous.

How many interviews will I have to do for SLMP?
You will do 11 interviews approximately every 2 months for the duration of the study.

When will the interviews take place?
Interviews will take place approximately every 2 months from the start of the study for about 2 years. Our interview team will work with you to find times that work in your schedule to interview you. We are flexible!

How long will I be in the study for?
Approximately 2 years.

What if I’m leaving my post-doc position before the study ends? What if I’m not planning to stay in academia?
You are still eligible to participate in the study and I2D2 workshop even if you are not a post-doc for the duration of the study and if you are not planning to stay in academia.

Are non-US citizens eligible for this program?
Yes! If you are a post-doc, you are eligible to be in our study!

What is the I2D2 Workshop?
The I2D2 workshop is a program designed to help improve your ability to manage your research. It will be an in-person, 2 day workshop where business school professors will provide science-specific management training to help you and your labs.

What should I know about research studies in general?
Whether or not you take part is up to you. Your participation is completely voluntary. You can choose not to take part. You can agree to take part and later change your mind. Your decision will not be held against you. Your refusal to participate will not result in any consequences or any loss of benefits that you are otherwise entitled to receive.

What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later?
You can leave the study at any time; it will not be held against you.

Is there any way that participating in this study could be bad for me?
A possible risk for any research is that confidentiality could be compromised – that is, that people outside the study might obtain confidential study information. We will do everything we can to minimize this risk, as described in more detail on our consent form for our study.

Will being in this study help me in any way?
We cannot promise any benefits to you or others from your taking part in this research. However, possible benefits to you or others include the fact that our results will be useful to policymakers and administrators who design science policies and the rules that govern research institutions. If you participate in the I2D2 workshop, you may also learn helpful skills and tools that can help with the development of your science and management practices.