College of Sciences faculty, staff and postdocs take part in groundbreaking research on campus everyday. But before a researcher can step foot in a facility to do their work — or even be hired — many regulations must be met. 

The College of Sciences Human Resources (Sciences HR) team and department HR Partners are one of the key pieces behind the hiring, compensation and classification processes that makes the college’s world-class teaching and research possible. Sciences HR also works closely with University Human Resources (UHR) to maintain compliance and high operational standards. 

Representatives from Sciences HR and the UHR Classification and Compensation unit came together on May 28 to bridge the knowledge gap between their respective units, with the goal of better supporting the campus community in their teaching and research endeavors. UHR interprets the regulations and legislation set by the university and the state. The Sciences HR team is tasked with abiding by those high-level classification and compensation rules while considering the complex needs of faculty and staff. 

“It’s good to have these conversations and collaborations because we come from different perspectives,” said Nikki Price, assistant dean for culture, talent and human resources for the College of Sciences. “At the college level, we may not understand the depth of the regulatory environment UHR deals with. Conversely, they may not fully understand what we’re trying to accomplish for our faculty and staff.”

Making Research Happen

The group began their meeting with a tour of the Biological Resources Facility (BRF), which offers a glimpse into the College of Sciences from both a research and human resources standpoint. 

“We felt BRF was a good representation of the College of Sciences,” said Allison Hubbard, senior human resources consultant at the college. “Their seven-person team covers an impressive breadth of work, not just for Sciences but for other colleges, too.” 

Open to anyone on campus who conducts animal research, as well as federal agencies and private companies, BRF is designed to be a one-stop shop for researchers’ needs. The facility houses more than 8,000 rodents, along with aquatic animals and insects, and is equipped with the tools and machinery researchers need to perform MRI’s, surgeries and necroscopies, collect tissue, and more. The BRF staff is cross-trained to help researchers perform these procedures. 

“In the system, we might only see ‘research operations’ as the job description,” said LaShanda Morgan, a human resources consultant at the College of Sciences. “But going into these facilities and seeing that the staff are performing surgical tasks and other specialized labor helps us understand the scope of their work, and ensure that they’re being compensated fairly.”

Because faculty researchers and staff in BRF work with animals, the compliance requirements are extensive. 

“By closing any knowledge gaps and strengthening our partnership with UHR, we can work toward our common goals and better serve the NC State community.”

“There’s a lot of red tape that goes with this building,” said Tornby Hall, BRF’s research operation manager. “There’s a lot of tasks we have to check off before researchers can start their work.” 

Classification, compensation adjustments, and hiring and promotions all require the involvement of Sciences HR, with assistance from UHR to ensure that state, federal and university regulations are met. These behind-the-scenes HR practices foster a smooth, compliant environment that enables researchers to focus on making a real-world impact.

“Medications for yourself and your pets start here at BRF,” said Hall. “It takes 10-15 years for a medication to make its way into your hands, and the process starts here, with animal research.”

The Sciences HR and UHR groups wrapped up their collaborative meeting with a discussion about their respective roles and goals and how they could better support each other’s work. They discussed common questions and scenarios they run into with compensation and promotion requests.  

“When researchers need to expand their teams or advance their staff’s pay, we have to navigate complex state regulations together, especially around how job classification dictates compensation,” Price said. “By closing any knowledge gaps and strengthening our partnership with UHR, we can work toward our common goals and better serve the NC State community.”