Going Big

All the crucial skills scientists need to make a professional transition into large projects and collaborations that require governance and project management.

Modern science increasingly tackles ambitious projects whose size and complexity require an equally ambitious coordination of efforts, schedules, and resources. In Going Big, Harvard Professor and Dean of Science Christopher Stubbs provides the essential resource for scientists who are ramping up the scale of their scientific enterprises and working within the various hierarchies and sociologies of large scientific teams. An experienced project scientist, Stubbs focuses on technical project management for the construction of large facilities, instruments, and software development, and guides both junior and established scientists on how to work in big, structured collaborations.

Stubbs supplements scientists’ formal training in their fields with the logistical, sociological, and strategic knowledge they need to tackle modern science’s increasingly ambitious projects, from matters of risk, cost, and performance to the issues of budgeting, scheduling, and human relations. Chapters address technical documentation, risk mitigation, tracking progress and milestones; health, safety, and environmental considerations; and ways to be an effective team member and defuse interpersonal conflicts. Scaffolded with real-world advice and suggestions for success, Going Big covers the lifecycle of large projects to equip scientists worldwide, at every stage of their career.CONTENTS:

Preface vii
1 AN INTRODUCTION TO BIG PROJECTS AND LARGE TEAMS 1
2 OUR CHALLENGE: BALANCING COST, RISK, AND PERFORMANCE 7
3 THE LIFE CYCLE OF A BIG PROJECT 17
4 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT 37
5 EXTERNAL REVIEWS ONCE BIG PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY 75
6 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES FOR PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIONS 89
7 BEING AN EFFECTIVE MEMBER OF A BIG ENDEAVOR 107
8 ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR JUNIOR SCIENTISTS 115
9 CLOSING THOUGHTS 121

Appendix 1: Review Presentation Checklist 123
Appendix 2: Example Review Charge 125
Notes 129
Bibliography 131
Index 135“Want to change the world? Stubbs shows how it’s done in big science, with advice for those with courage and persistence. We all learn on the job, but this will help!”
—John Mather, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2006; former Senior Project Scientist, James Webb Space Telescope

“Research increasingly involves big collaborations developing novel facilities/instruments—pushing technology frontiers, with associated risk. Christopher Stubbs’s unique book is a must-read for any scientist planning or joining the adventure.”
—J. Anthony Tyson, Professor, University of California Davis; Founding Director, LSST/Rubin Observatory

“Going Big is sure to be the holy writ for scientists trying to plan out (and fund) huge collaborative projects. It is clear, concise, and, dare I say it, fun to read!”
—Jeff Lichtman, Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityChristopher W. Stubbs is Professor of Physics and of Astronomy at Harvard University, where he also serves as Dean of Science. His research lies at the interface between gravity, cosmology, and particle physics.