IAN TAYLOR - Laboratory design & construction
Salary range
AUD$70,000 - 120,000 p.a.
What I studied
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Biochemistry 1971
Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) variational biology 1977
Master of Business Administration (MBA) 1996
Career path
Research experience
Research Assistant - Department of Academic Radiotherapy, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London 1972 - 1975
Research Officer - Medical Research Council, Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapeutics Unit, Cambridge, England 1975 - 1978
Research Fellow - Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Sydney 1978 - 1982
Senior Research Fellow - Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Sydney
Lecturer - Department of Cancer Medicine, University of Sydney 1982 - 1984
Management experience
Scientific Manager - The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), Brisbane 1984 - 1998
Deputy Director - The Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland 1998 - present
Laboratory Design and Construction experience
Numerous small laboratory design/refurbishing projects in the UK and Australia, projects ranging from $200,000 - $1million 1975 - 1989
New Building QIMR $38 million 1989 - 1991
New Building complex - IMB and CSIRO $110 million 1998 - present
Design Consultant - New laboratory facilities, the Biopolis for Singapore Government US$300 million
“I started out as a research assistant in a cancer research laboratory but quickly transferred onto a PhD program. I worked on my PhD in both London and Cambridge and when complete I moved to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Sydney, where I spent the next six years. Towards the end of that period I had a mid-life crisis. Instead of being a research scientist and working at the bench, I decided that I wanted to go more into the management of research. I applied for a position at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) and became their first Scientific Manager. The rest, as they say, is history.”
Ian has been in science management now for 18 years. When he started at QIMR in 1984 it was a relatively small institute with about 100 staff. However, by the time he left in 1998, it had grown to become a major internationally recognised medical research laboratory with over 400 research staff. It was here that Ian became involved in laboratory design to cater for the growth of QIMR. He came to the University of Queensland in 1998 specifically to work on the design of the new building and assist in setting up the new Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
“As Deputy Director of the Institute I have a broad-ranging job. Not only have I been involved in the design of the Institute’s new facilities (I drew up the initial design brief) but I’m responsible for the general administration and operations of the Institute. This includes finance, personnel, IT services and laboratory support services and facilities. All of these areas are required to support our research.”
Ian is a specialist in his field in the Southern Hemisphere; “there are not too many people that have worked as a research scientist and managed two of Australia’s largest research facilities.”
“One of the aspects of my work which I enjoy most is building design. It’s really nice to work on a project that has a specific beginning and end, which results in something so tangible as a large building. It’s also exciting being involved from the ground up and being part of an organisation that’s growing and expanding.
“I’ve worked as a scientist, which means that I have particular sympathy for how they operate. I’ve always seen myself as a sort of bridge between scientists and the administration in that sense. It’s my job to ensure that the Institute runs smoothly and that the scientists can get on with their research.”
My advice for students
“I believe that a career in research management requires a good grounding in the practical aspects of both science and management. Although a PhD is perhaps not essential, the training it provides shows you how to take a significant problem and work through it from start to finish in a logical way and then communicate the outcomes to others.
“Similarly, management training should combine both practical experience and the theoretical aspects provided by courses such as the MBA. The most important thing of all, however, is to find a job that you enjoy.”