Recognising the importance and impact of Imaging Scientists: Global guidelines for establishing career paths within core facilities

In the dynamic landscape of scientific research, imaging core facilities are vital hubs propelling collaboration and innovation at the technology development and dissemination frontier. Here, we present a collaborative effort led by Global BioImaging (GBI), introducing international recommendations geared towards elevating the careers of Imaging Scientists in core facilities. Despite the critical role of Imaging Scientists in modern research ecosystems, challenges persist in recognising their value, aligning performance metrics and providing avenues for career progression and job security. The challenges encompass a mismatch between classic academic career paths and service-oriented roles, resulting in a lack of understanding regarding the value and impact of Imaging Scientists and core facilities and how to evaluate them properly. They further include challenges around sustainability, dedicated training opportunities and the recruitment and retention of talent. Structured across these interrelated sections, the recommendations within this publication aim to propose globally applicable solutions to navigate these challenges. These recommendations apply equally to colleagues working in other core facilities and research institutions through which access to technologies is facilitated and supported. This publication emphasises the pivotal role of Imaging Scientists in advancing research programs and presents a blueprint for fostering their career progression within institutions all around the world.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
UNC Libraries
Published
2024-11-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17615/346q-sx72
Primary Topic
Health and Medical Research Impacts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Recognising the importance and impact of Imaging Scientists: Global guidelines for establishing career paths within core facilities

S Olatunji, Elnaz Fazeli, Kerry Thompson, Johanna Bischof et al.
UNC Libraries
Health and Medical Research Impacts
article

Recognising the importance and impact of Imaging Scientists: Global guidelines for establishing career paths within core facilities

S Olatunji, Elnaz Fazeli, Kerry Thompson, Johanna Bischof, Kildare Miranda, Joanna W. Pylvänäinen, Fabrice P. Cordelières, Caron Jacobs, Federica Paina, Elisa Ferrando‐May, Jander Matos Guimarães, Antje Keppler, Philip E. Hockberger, Clara Prats, Julia Fernández-Rodrı́guez, Andrew I. Chitty, Sachintha Jayasinghe, Michelle S. Itano, Andrés H. Rossi, Lisa Yen, Jan Ellenberg, Nikki Bialy, Gregory T. Kitten, Teng‐Leong Chew, Bryan A. Millis, Adán Guerrero, Stephen Taiye Adelodun, Eunice Fabián-Morales, Michael Reiche, Mai Atef Rahmoon, Stefan Terjung, Claire M. Brown, Eleanor Kable, Graham J. Galloway, James D. Riches, Mariana De Niz, Jean Salamero, Shinya Komoto, Cora Pollak, Lize Engelbrecht, Linda Chaabane, Georgina Fletcher, Yara Reis, Peter JohnO'Toole, Caroline Thiriet, Graham Wright, Jéssica Araújo Marques, Xiaoxiao Ma, Aldenora dos Santos Vasconcelos
article en

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of scientific research, imaging core facilities are vital hubs propelling collaboration and innovation at the technology development and dissemination frontier. Here, we present a collaborative effort led by Global BioImaging (GBI), introducing international recommendations geared towards elevating the careers of Imaging Scientists in core facilities. Despite the critical role of Imaging Scientists in modern research ecosystems, challenges persist in recognising their value, aligning performance metrics and providing avenues for career progression and job security. The challenges encompass a mismatch between classic academic career paths and service-oriented roles, resulting in a lack of understanding regarding the value and impact of Imaging Scientists and core facilities and how to evaluate them properly. They further include challenges around sustainability, dedicated training opportunities and the recruitment and retention of talent. Structured across these interrelated sections, the recommendations within this publication aim to propose globally applicable solutions to navigate these challenges. These recommendations apply equally to colleagues working in other core facilities and research institutions through which access to technologies is facilitated and supported. This publication emphasises the pivotal role of Imaging Scientists in advancing research programs and presents a blueprint for fostering their career progression within institutions all around the world.

UNC Libraries
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Helsingin Yliopisto, UK Research and Innovation, National Imaging Facility, National Research Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Biocenter Finland, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Health and Medical Research Impacts
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.