As a rule, life science issues can only be addressed in teams with differentiated responsibilities. This means that researchers are expected to have acquired project management and cooperation skills at an early stage in their career. So it is vital for the institution to provide appropriate training opportunities and create the right environment. Access to high-quality infrastructure is often imperative when it comes to implementing research projects in the life sciences. This includes laboratories, research data infrastructures and access/links to biobanks or scientific collections centres for high-throughput sequencing using standardised data analysis systems, as well as central structures for ethical laboratory animal management and long-term outdoor testing areas.

In addition, organisational support structures are frequently required to enable compliance with legal or regulatory requirements. These include advice from animal welfare officers or data protection officers, links to excellence networks for clinical trials and access to expertise on aspects relevant to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD(externer Link)). The availability of quality management structures, public relations support, legal expertise and compliance officers at institutions can have a significant impact in terms of enabling high-quality research in the life sciences.