This course will introduce students to and allow the development of a critical understanding of fundamental aspects and key roles of the laboratory manager in the laboratory setting to ensure its smooth running, including: (i) negotiating with and influencing suppliers as part of the procurement process and to keep within budget; (ii) implementing and maintaining laboratory equipment, management information systems and new procedures (iii) staff management, selection and appraisal.

This course is comprised of online lectures and tutorials which will take place during the summer.

None

Written Assignment - Procurement scenario (ILO 1,4) (1200 words) (30%)

Oral Presentation - Implementation of a new piece of equipment/process/diagnostic test scenario (ILO 2,3,4) (70%)

Note

Students who wish to obtain academic, industrial or clinical specialisms will complete their assessments with a relevant topic pertaining to the chosen specialist environment.

1. Knowledge and understanding of the procurement process and required skills to allow them to negotiate with and influence suppliers, service contractors and to successfully facilitate collaborations.

2. Knowledge and understanding of the need for, principles and requirements of laboratory information management systems.

3. Knowledge and understanding of key considerations for the implementation, verification and validation of a new process/test/service/piece of equipment and for maintenance of existing equipment.

4. Knowledge of laboratory budgeting procedures and the potential for income generation from laboratory output.

5. Knowledge and understanding of people management, including the recruitment, selection and appraisal processes for laboratory personnel to ensure the smooth running of the laboratory.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically evaluate strategies that can be adopted to influence and negotiate with suppliers and service contractors as part of the procurement process and to facilitate successful collaborations.

■ Critically assess the role of laboratory information management systems in the laboratory environment and measures that can be put in place to ensure their robustness.

■ Critically discuss the role of the laboratory manager when implementing, verifying and validating a new process/test/service/piece of equipment in the laboratory setting; when conducting routine maintenance of existing pieces of equipment; and troubleshooting when problems occur in these pipelines.

■ Critically evaluate the role of the laboratory manager with regards to budgetary control, the potential for income generation from laboratory output and effective running of the laboratory, including the personnel within it.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.