What is a Laboratory Startup Package?

Between purchasing equipment, stocking up on supplies and paying staff salaries, setting up a laboratory is an expensive endeavour. Laboratory startup packages are a clever way for scientists and researchers to get facilities up and running without absorbing the enormous costs.

In the Starting a Laboratory guide published by the Stanford School of Medicine, the author states that “most scientists enter their first (and second) faculty position with almost no understanding of the financial and management aspect of running a research group.”

No surprises here - the high costs of setting up a laboratory can be a shock for many scientists. This is where laboratory startup packages step up. They equip laboratory managers with the cash needed to purchase equipment and supplies, as well as secure staff. For many new laboratories, startup funds represent a major source of capital for the first two to three years of operation.

Cash is used to cover the following expenses:

• Purchasing basic and specialist equipment
• Stocking up on chemicals, reagents and other supplies
• Paying full-time staff salaries
• Paying student and postdoc salaries
• User fees for instruments
• Maintenance contracts for instruments
• Paying for renovations

Finding balance in the lab

In general, laboratory expenses can be categorised into two main areas – people and equipment. Achieving a good balance between the two is the key to setting up a successful laboratory. In the Stanford School of Medicine, the author stresses it’s important not to overspend.

“Better to have a lab full of people and sparse in equipment,” reads the document.

Tips for reducing lab setup costs

Establishing relationships with critical vendors is one of the most efficient ways to reduce lab setup costs and stretch startup packages as far as possible. For example, solid relationships with equipment suppliers can help secure discounts, fast-track delivery dates and negotiate deals on service contracts.

Taking advantage of startup programs offered by scientific instrumentation suppliers is another great way to save. For example, Fisher Scientific offers a fantastic program designed to help new laboratories get up and running. Members receive 12 months of access to exclusive offers designed to slash thousands of dollars off the cost of setting up a new lab.

Lab managers should also search for grants offered by the government. For example, every year the US National Institutes of Health distributes tens of milions of dollars in funding, while Horizon Europe has a budget of €95.5 billion.

Want to know more about the ins and outs of setting up a new laboratory? From securing additional government funding to investing in smart data management solutions, don’t miss out complete guide, ‘How to Start a Research Lab - All Bases Covered’.