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Understanding the Scientific Enterprise as a Field Applications Scientist in Field Science
Each scientific organization is different, and when you work with ALL the different scientific organizations as a Field Scientist it is crucial to know exactly HOW these organizations differ from one another. You need to know these differences because you have to tailor your approach to each specific institution - whether it is a small start up, an establish biopharma company, a privately funded translational research institute, or a public academic institution -- otherwise you will be ineffective. Understanding the goals, structures, values, resource allocation, etc. of each of these types of scientific institutes is key to succeeding in my job. For example, managing conflicts of interest and navigating confidentiality issues are two massive parts of my job that - if mishandled - can have devastating ramifications (lost deals, legal issues, etc). How these two issues are handled vary significantly from institution to institution, so I conduct myself differently regarding these issues when working with a public academic institution versus a non-profit research institute versus a for-profit biopharma company.
- Broad-based knowledge of science
- Can identify and manage conflict of interest
- Careful recordkeeping practices
- Experimental design
- Understanding of data ownership/sharing issues