Challenges and solutions of research operations at ORNL

Presented toACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety

Joseph Pickel, Ph.D

March 27, 2012

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The Challenge

• Start a sustainable discussion on research operations using only a bad title as a starting point.

• Deliver at least some useful information that others can take home and translate to their own programs– Not everyone works in a national lab, foreign country or high

energy materials business

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Why talk about Research Operations?

• A Director of Research Operations and Research Operations Initiatives/Research Support Staffer got to talking…– What does Research Operations mean to you?– What is your philosophy to research operations (where do

researchers’ responsibilities end and support responsibilities start?)

• Questions from students (IH, HP, Chem, etc)– What is it that you do?– How did you come to be in this field? What is the training?

• What resources and organizations are out there that support research operations and those in this field?

What Lessons can we learn from each other?

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Resources are subject selective

Support extends beyond chemistry - (Chemistry increasingly interdiscplinary!)

CokeZero: “great taste and zero calories”™; Nissan: “Shift ______”™• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Research Operations• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Waste Management• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Human Performance• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Risk Management• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Compliance• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Emergency Preparedness• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Facility Management• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Training• Division of Chemical Health and Safety and …

Is this the right forum?

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How to Prepare those who support Research

• Staffing generally feeds from– Industrial Hygiene / Public Health – Health Physics– Research Converts

• Sustained by OJT/Development

• Significant part of job based on specific– Mission– Location– Operational Philosophy

Is there a better way?

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Approaches to Research and Operations will depend on Organization Goals/Mission

Academia

Education

Diverse

Broad

Small

Mild

Resident, Trainees

Government

Discovery

“Themed”

Broad

Small

Rigid

Perm., Visiting, Trainees, Professional

Industry

Production

Focused

Limited

Large

Very Rigid

Perm., Professional

Institution

Purpose

Breadth

Hazards (#)

(scale)

Regulatory

Personnel

What happens when these groups mix?

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory:Science and technology for the 21st centuryOak Ridge National Laboratory:Science and technology for the 21st century

· World’s most powerful open scientific computing facility

· Nation’s largest concentrationof open source materials research

· $1.1B budget· 4,200 employees· 3,000 research

guests annually· $300 million invested

in modernization

· Nation’s most diverse energy portfolio

· Bringing the $1.4B Spallation Neutron Source into operation

· Managing the billion-dollar U.S. ITER project

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Challenge to Research Operations

- Support diverse research programs that extend beyond organizational, physical and operational boundaries

- Strengths and Opportunities can easily become Threats and Weaknesses:- Collaborative research programs that can work with anyone,

anywhere, anytime- Flexible and nimble research programs that ‘turn on a dime’- Problem solving mentality thinking out of the box

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Research Operations• Delivering science is in the mission statement

• All operations directly support research

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Solutions to Research Operations Challenges

• Define the operations philosophy– Purpose, – Level of service,– Distribution of responsibilities

• Develop a team and roles based on the problem– Operational support organizations become as flexible and

collaborative as the research programs they support

• Chart a plan to address individual focus areas– Get it Done is LTA!

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Research Operations Purpose and Philosophy

• Manage and support the research infrastructure

• Science is a our business’ “Product”– Delivered as Patents, Publications, Tech Transfer and User Hours.

• Research is Expensive:– Research Operations/Support should do what is necessary to allow

researchers to be in the lab; focus on their science

In order to do a good job support science… Support personnel must make an effort to understand what they are supporting

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Defining Responsibilities*Responsibilities for safety, performance, fiscal and ethical behavior belong to individuals… Support facilitates performance

Science- Develop idea, proposal ($)

- Assemble team and tools

- Conduct research

- Communicate results

Operations- Develop safety envelope

- Monitor and maintain working conditions

- Facilitate assurance activities

- Solve problems, resolve issues

Awareness of scientific mission allows research to progress efficiently!

- Knowledge of current Requirements/Drivers

- Formal Responsibility

- Day to Day Activities

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Defining Responsibilities*Responsibilities for safety, performance, fiscal and ethical behavior belong to individuals… Support facilitates performance

Research Support

Ability to separate roles depends on resources/cost models, efficiency, other drivers

Independent of Support

Project Management

Performed with limited Support

involvement

Materials Procurement

Performed with limited research

involvement

Waste Disposition

Independent of Research

Conduct Exposure Assessments

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Develop the Team

Local Support(“Jack of all trades”)

- Serve individual facilities and groups

- Tune/ Apply Policies at lab level

- Awareness of Research Programs (looking inward)

Organization Support(Subject Matter Experts)

- Serve broad populations

- Define/Implement Org Policy

- Awareness of changing developments, regulations and best practices on subject (looks outward)

See Kim’s talk!- Provide Expertise at all levels

- Consider your depth chart!

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Get it Done- in an organized, thoughtful manner

Keep research going(Treading water)

• Procuring, accepting and controlling new inventory

• Maintaining compliance with regulatory (Fire Protection) and security (nuclear materials, drug precursors) directives

• Timely and compliant removal of waste

Improving operations(Soaring to new heights)

· Implementing RFID technology for advance controls

· Apply techniques to improve compliance while avoiding impact on research

· Development of cost efficient and uniform waste paths

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