PI Crash Course

This two-day intensive crash course integrates the principle skills that future and new PIs did not develop during their post-doctoral training, but will be necessary to survive as a new Lab leader and manager. Whether you are a doctoral student, postdoc, new PI, or looking to start your own lab, as a lab leader you will immediately be confronted on daily basis by a variety of situations that you must be prepared to handle. This crash course will provide you the tools you need to start your lab on the right foot.

Led by a team of experienced leaders and scientists in the field of environmental sciences, epigenetics, genomics, epidemiology, immunology, neuroscience and bioinformatics, this workshop will integrate lectures with hands-on sessions to put eight key “survival skills” into practice: Negotiating, Staffing, Leading, Mentoring, Managing People, Managing time, Managing projects, and Networking. Emphasis will be given to leadership styles, leadership vision, self-awareness, successful delegation, responsibility, problem solving, adaptability, communication techniques, goal setting, and strategizing. The Crash Course will conclude with a panel discussion with successful PIs at different stages of their careers, ranging from Assistant Professors to Department Chairs.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the following topics:

• Negotiation skills for a new position/promotion/collaboration/publication
• Staffing skills for job posts/candidate screening/interviews/hiring
• Leadership and mentoring skills in the Lab
• People management: day-to-day/conflict resolution/misconduct/promotions/layoffs
• Time management: balancing research, teaching, service/when & how to say No
• Project management: planning/tracking progress/meeting deadlines/introduction to management software
• Network creation and maintenance: mentors/collaborators/supporters
• Real-life lab leader success stories and best tips from early-stage and experienced investigators

Summer 2026: The PI Crash Course will be a hybrid setup with an in-person training at the Columbia University Irving Medical Campus is NYC and simultaneously livestreamed for remote attendees on June 8-9, 2026 from 10am - ~5:30pm EDT. 

More information on travel, lodging, and getting around NYC.

Senior post-doctoral students and associate research scientists from any institution about to start their independent position search are particularly welcome to attend, and we strongly encourage new and recent PIs to participate as it is never too late to get an overview of the survival skills that you will need throughout your career.

There are no prerequisites to attend the PI Crash Course.

The SHARP Program offers two professional development programs geared towards PIs: PI Crash Course and the PI's Business of Research Boot Camp. PI Crash Course is for transitioning into a faculty position and navigating the first years of this position. PI Crash Course is about obtaining key skills to successfully start your research group whereas PI’s Business of Research is for those leading more established research groups and more focused on day-to-day operation of that group almost as a ‘business’. PI Crash Course includes negotiation skills, determining your leadership style, and how to build a colleague network to support you as a junior faculty member, whereas PI's Business of Research Boot Camp looks at the group you are leading with budgeting, setting up team meetings and a deeper dive into project management, and internal workings of the team. There is some overlapping themes between the two trainings, but PI Crash Course is core career development skills for the individual, and PI's Business of Research Boot Camp is more operational/management skills for the group you lead.

Summer 2026 instructing team is being finalized, but will be comparable to the Winter 2026 lineup below.

Course Director: Diane Re, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. ​

Joan Casey, PhD, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington.

Jeanine Genkinger, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.

Shane Liddelow, PhD, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University.

Ana Navas-Acien, MD, MPH, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.

Matthew Perzanowski, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. ​

Robert Wright, MD, MPH, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Speakers are subject to change. Panelists are separate from this list of instructors.

Training scholarships are available for the summer PI Crash Course.

"Productive and enjoyable course that gives you a peek into the (new) PIs world, and I felt more prepared for my future career and making informed decisions. Additionally, the instructors, organizer, and fellow participants were awesome, and I learned so much from the live questions." - PhD Student at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 2025

"The PI Crash Course was incredibly informative and well-structured, offering clear, practical guidance on proposal development and project leadership. The instructing team was engaging, highly knowledgeable, and responsive to participant questions, creating an accessible and collaborative learning environment." - PhD Student at Yeshiva University, 2025

"Overall, I loved how this course was structured and ran. The interactive activities were very valuable and helped put what we were learning into perspective. There were lots of opportunities to answer questions, and the presenters were beyond knowledgeable!" - Postdoc at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 2025

"I absolutely loved it! Every speaker was amazing, sharing their personal journeys with such sincerity. It's always a treat to learn from others' mistakes, and their advice was truly priceless." - Postdoc at University of Minnesota, 2024

"After the first session I knew I made the right choice. It was a huge sacrifice to attend since I am a postdoc and have a pretty meager salary, but it was well worth my investment. The class solidified some of my previous experiences, provided insights on what not to do to minimize potential pitfalls and further ensure my success as an early career professional. Thank you!" - Postdoc at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 2024

"This interactive course provides comprehensive knowledge and skills training in many areas necessary for emerging PIs. I gained many new and helpful insights, from negotiating tips to utilization of efficient project management software to team-building." - Postdoc at Indiana University School of Public Health, 2024

"Fantastic workshop on leadership perfectly preparing on all the skills necessary to be a successful PI. I think it is particularly well suited for postdocs ready to transition to the independent position (interviewing or having received the offer)." - Faculty member at Humanitas University, 2023

"An outstanding course which I wish I had taken before "winging it" as a PI for a year. Thanks to this course, I will now approach my responsibilities as a PI more deliberately. I will be recommending this to all my friends who are transitioning to the PI role!" - Faculty member at Boston University, 2023

"The PI Crash Course provided all of the practical information that is often lacking in standard training. This two-day concentrated experience was a worthwhile immersion of self-reflection, peer engagement, and motivating tips and tricks to navigate a career in academic research." - Faculty member at University of Kansas Medical Center, 2023

Registration Fee is based on your category. This is a hybrid training, meaning attendees can choose to attend the live training either 1) in-person in NYC or 2) virtually livestream via Zoom. The in-person registration fee includes course material, breakfast, and lunch on training days. Lodging and transportation are not included. The virtual registration fee includes course material, which will be made available to all participants both during and after the conclusion of the training. 

2026 Registration Category Rates: 

• Student/Postdoc/Trainee: 
  • Early-bird rate: $695 (in-person), $595 (virtual)
  • Regular rate: $895 (in-person), $795 (virtual)
• Faculty/Academic Staff/Non-Profit Organizations/Government Agencies: 
  • Early-bird rate: $895 (in-person), $795 (virtual) 
  • Regular rate: $1,095 (in-person), $995 (virtual)  
• Corporate/For-Profit Organizations: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1095 (in-person), $995 (virtual) 
  • Regular rate: $1,295 (in-person), $1,195 (virtual) 

$200 early-bird discount is automatically applied if you register before the April 15 deadline.  

• $200 Early-bird Discount: This is automatically applied if you register before the April 15 early-bird deadline.  
• 10% Columbia Discount: This is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, see below.  
• 10% Mailman Alumni Discount: This is valid for any individual who graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. To access the Mailman Alumni discount and receive a registration code, please email sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu your graduation year and degree.  
• Group discounts are available for organizations sending 5+ participants. Please contact us directly at sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu for more information.  

If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form (link to form coming soon) to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form (link to form coming soon) to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to Columbia.SPH.PI@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations less than 14 days prior to the training.

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training so we can include them on attendee communications, gather registration details, and provide materials.Should the substitute fall within a different registration category (e.g., you are a faculty member and they are a postdoc), the credit card on file will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to Columbia.SPH.PI@gmail.com. In the event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.