Outsourcing: where you can save time and money

Sometimes the cheapest way to pay for something is with money.

If you’ve ever tried to take on a complicated household repair project yourself, you probably know that it’s always faster and often cheaper to just call in a plumber or electrician. The same principle applies to your research, too: learning how to make strategic use of outsourcing and consulting options can save you time and money in the long run, and help you reach your research milestones faster. 

00:33     Introduction

When we’re in the middle of working on something, we sometimes lose sight of alternative approaches that might be more efficient. In this episode, your hosts Damien and Nick from Experimental Designs Consulting discuss how to advance your team’s long-term goals by determining which short-term tasks you can take off their hands.

EDC website

02:01    Time is data

Time is one of the most valuable assets in research, especially for small teams with no economy of scale. If your instinct is to stretch your supplies budget by asking your technician to rack tips and your postdoc to create a brand-new mouse model, consider sitting back and thinking about how outsourcing those tasks might improve your overall efficiency.

8:46     You don’t need to master every trade

“Consultant” is almost a dirty word in science. However, if you’re facing a complicated or high-stakes task that you only need to do once during your career, it can make a lot of sense to bring in an expert who has deep, recent experience with that task. In this segment, Nick and Damien discuss the value of overcoming the consultant taboo.

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