Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research Inc.

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

In September and October this year, the HR department hosted seven Professional Development seminars on topics such as Leadership Building, Culture and Morale Building, Managing and Disarming Conflict, and more. They were in-person, but they also had Zoom functionality so BTI employees could attend virtually.

BTI faculty members publish in peer-reviewed journals, lead collaboration initiatives (PlantGENE, Breedbase, CROPPS, etc.), and present at domestic and international conferences to share research and technology findings. BTI’s Education and Outreach department participates in the federally-funded Research Experience for Undergraduate program, which pairs students with faculty mentors to design and carry out research projects. The Technology Transfer department helps BTI discoveries translate into positive impacts on society. The Development and Communications departments engage donors and ambassadors to participate in advancing BTI’s mission. BTI is an active member of the Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI), which provides networking and educational resources and monitors funding and federal policy issues that affect biomedical research.

BTI switched to a hybrid work model during the pandemic. This transition involved re-allocation of office space, adding enhanced cameras and Zoom capability to our conference rooms and auditorium, and implementation of new technology to support remote and hybrid teams, including new project management and communication platforms. In the fall of 2022, we conducted an in-depth, consultant-facilitated retreat to vision the future of remote work at BTI. With a workforce composed of both fully in-person positions to fully remote positions, it was necessary to think creatively about the challenges and opportunities presented, as well as to be prepared for unforeseen future challenges by envisioning flexible and robust solutions - in other words, to learn from the Covid pandemic and improve our ability to adapt quickly. From that retreat, a committee was created to finalize and roll out a Remote Workforce Plan for BTI. BTI introduced an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) committee to provide educational and discussion opportunities for the Institute. BTI is committed to developing a more diverse workforce and is actively improving its recruitment efforts to diversify the candidate pool. BTI offers a comprehensive benefit package contributing to our ability to hire diverse talent. In 2021-22, BTI faced supply-chain challenges alongside many other industries. Common laboratory materials and equipment were difficult to acquire and impacted BTI’s operations. BTI responded with various creative solutions. A specific example is a 2022 summer intern developing an alternative to a plant growth medium that became unavailable in the quantities needed. The intern developed and tested a novel recipe that performed as well as the traditional product.