Mayor Lab Code of Conduct & Policies
This document was first drafted by Thibault and further edited by other lab members. This document is periodically updated; general lab policies will be discussed at lab retreats or dedicated meetings. Every new lab member will have to read and acknowledge this document. This document will also be shared to lab applicants (e.g., graduate students, postdocs) prior to their interview.
1. Life in the Lab
The Work Environment should encourage both productive & fun work. When working in the lab respect the personal space of other lab members and be mindful of people’s differences. When planning a social event make sure to be inclusive, but be open if not everyone wants to join. If you have any concerns about some non-respectful behaviors don’t hesitate to discuss them directly with the person involved or with Thibault. Any form of discrimination, racism and harassment is not tolerated and it is everybody responsibility to ensure it does not take place in our lab.
Music. We encourage you to keep the lab environment lively and playing music is perfectly fine. There are however some rules. The volume should be adequate and the genre/content agreeable to everybody in the room! If music played in the lab incommodes you, don’t be shy to let other know or notify Thibault.
Social Media & Smartphone. You are encouraged to use social media to share your work and communicate with other scientists (e.g., Twitter). The usage of your device during work hours is perfectly admissible (see also lab meeting etiquette). As a general rule avoid spending over 30 minutes on your device for personal reasons while working in a given day (e.g., texting, IG, news…).
Streaming and Playing Games. Unless you are engaging other lab members on a fun and sporadic social activity, watching TV-shows, movies or playing games should remain a private activity that you keep at home. However, we don’t mind if people stream major events (e.g., World cup), or if you watch your show during “after hours” (e.g., when waiting for your 11pm sample to be ready). When doing so make sure you do not disturb other people (e.g., use headphones!).
2. Lab duties
Labbook and SOP: Each lab member is expected to maintain a detailed lab book using the eLabFTW. A protocol should be established before starting a new experiment and completed during and after the experiment. See detailed description of expectations provided in a separate document. If a new protocol is established and fully validated, a new SOP should be generated and integrated in the “lab cookbook” (which are integrated in eLab). Modifications for specific experimental conditions can be appended to existing SOPs. Data storage. Each lab member should back up raw data as well as the metadata (see below) needed to reproduce all processing and analyses. Lab data should be stored in at least two locations which could include: instrument hard drive, external hard drive, sharedrive or warehouse.
Teams: All our lab communication is on Microsoft Teams. During normal work times (Mon to Fri; 9am-5pm), all lab members are expected to regularly check Teams and respond to messages in a timely manner. You may receive messages during off-work times or during vacations but there is no requirement to be available for responses during those times; simply turn off notifications. Because it is often hard to catch or second guess all nuances in online messages, sarcastic comments or jokes directed toward a specific individual or group should be avoided. Fun postings and other unrelated lab discussions can be added to “Lab activities & Random” channel.
Reagents and shared lab duties: Each lab member has a number of designated reagents that they need to prepare for the whole lab. New lab members should spend some time learning about shared lab reagents (see list) and how they are prepared. New lab members are welcome to discuss alternative protocols/SOP for shared reagents when they join the lab but should not change the SOP without discussion with the rest of the team and Thibault. If the level of a common reagent is low (e.g., only 2-3 aliquots left), immediately notify the person in charge. Before going on vacation, make sure sufficient aliquots are in place.
If a new reagent is ordered and/or acquired it should be added to the designated lab inventory and a short note should be placed in the designated Microsoft Teams channel. A new order for a reagent used by several lab members should be typically placed before the stock/bottle is empty (there should be enough left for two standard stock solution). So far, to ensure reagents are constantly replenished, we observed that each lab member place 1-2 order per 1-2 month.
Bench space and common space: Each lab member will have a designated lab space consisting of a bench and desk spaces. The location of the designated space may occasionally be re-assigned if the lab is re-configurated. Lab seniority may determine priority for new free space after somebody leave (based on the date a lab member joined the lab). Designated space needs to be maintained relatively tidy and fully cleaned in a regularly basis (no dust or chaos should be apparent). Generally speaking, items not used on a regularly basis (e.g., once every 2-3 week) should be stored on shelves/drawer or returned to designated storage location. Be mindful that more people might be using the same lab space at the same time (e.g., running SDS-PAGE, agarose gels, etc.), in that case keep the working area limited to the minimum required and keep the neighboring areas clean and free from clutter. Common lab spaces need to be cleaned after the experiment is completed and before the end of a day. If you want to use a specific equipment for an extended period of time indicate it on the instrument with a note and/or notify the rest of the lab on Teams. If there is an issue with an instrument, notify immediately the rest of the lab on Teams. It’s OK to make mistakes and you won’t be blamed for breaking equipment, but it is important to immediately notify the lab on Teams as this can affect colleagues’ plans.
Conflicts: Whenever possible, engage an open conversation if you feel somebody’s behavior is detrimental to the lab function. Interpersonal conflicts that persist and cannot be solved by engaging in an open conversation with other lab members should be reported to Thibault. Conflicts with Thibault can be directed to the BMB Graduate Program Advisor (currently Leann Howe) and Department Head (currently Leonard Foster). We expect everyone to adhere to the lab code of conduct. However, if one is found repeatedly not adhering to those, it will result to commensurate consequence(s) which could eventually lead to limitation to lab access or dismissal.
3. Work load & Vacation
Work Hours: In an academic research environment, you typically have more freedom; however, each individual is expected to adequately organize their schedule to ensure the success of their project. While your schedule is flexible, an important aspect of our work is that we interact with other lab members in a daily basis to exchange information and help each other. You are expected to work on average 40 hours per week (unless less hours are specified in your contract). 448/449 undergraduate students are expected to work 8-16 hours per week. In your first months, you are expected to work during the core hours (9-5pm) to maximize interaction with other lab members. Undergraduate students should work alongside their lab mentor, until properly trained. Your experiments may require that you work during week-end or late at night. You may also find working extra hours and putting extra effort might help you reach your goals faster or to a higher degree of success. Nevertheless, working additional time or outside the typical 9-5 schedule remains a personal choice (see below). Part of your work is to carry out experiments but also to attend seminars, prepare presentations, write papers. Participation to lab meetings is mandatory but participation to lab social events is optional.
As a general rule, most people should manage to find their own life-work balance. Working overtime for extended period of times will often translate in a decline in your productivity. Don’t hesitate to take several breaks in a day, and go out for lunch or coffee with other colleagues from the lab or UBC. Even if you do not talk about your project or science there is a plus value to these interactions. You can also spend 2-3 hours per week within your “40 hours” on outreach activities, community work or a sport activity on campus. If you do so, report it during your 1o1 meetings and share it with others (e.g. during the Weekly Progress meetings). For some people, it may be important to have true off time, in that case it is suggested to turn off Teams.
Holidays and Personal Time: People should take time off. In addition to statutory holidays in BC, 2-4 weeks of vacation is reasonable. Don’t skip your vacation because you think you are not productive enough and take a minimum of 2 weeks per year.
Vacation should be planned ahead and always be added in the holiday lab calendar so that everybody knows you are not here. Ideally, vacation time should be added in the calendar 1-2 months in advance, however last-minute vacations are also fine. In principle, Thibault will be OK with your plan unless you had agreed on a prior deadline or commitment, which should be further discussed and confirmed with Thibault. For instance, do not plan holidays the first week of May if you are about to work with a new summer student. Vacation can also be planned in conjunction with a scientific conference. You are also entitled to take personal days if required, just make sure you indicate all absences in the shared calendar. During vacations you are not required to be accessible for communications and you may simply turn off notifications and log-off from MS Teams. Only in the rare case of lab emergencies (e.g. equipment failure, etc.), you may be contacted.
Sick Leave and Absence: Don’t come to the lab if you are sick. Notify Thibault if you need to be more than half day away from the lab.
4. Lab Meetings & Participation.
Research Lab Meetings: While science can often be a solitary experience where individuals devote a significant portion of their day to execute alone their experiments, lab meeting is a unique venue where you can present your findings to colleagues. The presenter is expected to spend time to prepare a clear presentation and the other lab members are asked to carefully evaluate the work, question both the approach and the results, provide constructive criticisms and suggestions, as well as to identify interesting questions to pursue. Everybody is expected to participate with questions and comments! The first five minutes of the presentation should be devoted to the introduction of the project. The same slides should not be used more than twice to encourage people to rethink their project introduction. Following the lab meeting, lab members are expected to save a copy of their presentation on the designated folder in SharePoint. One research lab meeting per year could be dedicated as a practice talk for an important seminar presentation or a topic you would like to discuss with the lab (e.g. a formal lecture about a topic dear to you).
Lab Meeting Etiquette: Plan ahead your experiments so that you come in time and do not need to leave the room, unless there is an emergency or unexpected issue with your experiment. While it is inevitable that some friends may text or call, only answer if there is an emergency, and only do so briefly. Surfing on the web on your smart phone or laptop is not acceptable, unless it is related to the presentation. Ideally, a lab-meeting will be over after a 2hr period. If you cannot present during your designated slot arrange a swap with another lab member, potentially with a minimum of 2-3 week notice. If you are sick or have a last minute emergency, the lab meeting will be rescheduled the following week on a different day.
Journal Club: The presenter selects a paper published in the past 12 months that is related to one of the lab project or general lab research topic. An article from bioRixv can be presented if it is of good quality or can lead to an interesting discussion. Post the selected paper 5-7 days in advance in the “Meetings, Seminars and Workshop” channel on Microsoft Teams. The presenter is expected to have carefully read the article, including supplementary information and methods, as well as additional articles if required. The presentation should typically consist of about 15-20 slides to include an introduction for background information (typically 2-5 slides) and a conclusion (1-2 slides). In most cases, the presenter will have to select a subset of the results to present and should avoid too many figure panels within one slide. If desired, the presentation can have be without slides, as long as it is well organized. The presentation with discussion should not exceed 60 minutes. Everybody is expected to participate in discussion. People who find papers generally difficult to understand or have difficulty to come up with questions should read the articles beforehand. Presenter can also opt for an alternative presentation like a topical lecture/workshop.
Bi-monthly Progress Reports: Directly following our lab meeting, we have the progress report portion, where people present bi-monthly one experiment they worked on during the past two weeks. The goal is not to present all the work that was done. Presentation of negative results is perfectly adequate. If a person did not work in the lab the last two weeks, they can present a future experiment they want perform, a new idea they want to share or an interesting experiment from a paper they recently read. The presentation is not formal; best is to simply show the “labbook” entries limiting the talk to maximum 5 minutes, thereby allowing plenty of time for discussion. Each person presents every two weeks. The goal is to better know what each person is doing, allow more people to gain knowledge in various experimental approaches and exploit the collective intelligence of the group to get feedback.
1o1 meetings: Each person in the lab has monthly 1o1 meeting with Thibault to go over the work that has been done in the past month and discuss plans for the following months. New results should not be presented at 1o1 meetings, instead they should be presented during the bi-weekly progress meeting or during unscheduled meetings. Before the meeting, each trainee should summarize in a few bullet points the work they done and enter the information in the shared document on SharePoint. Trainees should also time stamp their experiments on eLab and upload the PDF in the dedicated Share Point folder before the 1o1 meeting. After the meeting Thibault will summarize key priorities that were discussed during the meeting. At least, once a year, a 1o1 should be fully dedicated to layout a plan for publication (e.g. after a research lab meeting presentation). Trainees are expected to sketch a story line for discussion to highlight which results are presented in each figure.
Open Door Policy: Thibault has an open door policy where you should feel free to come anytime to discuss a point or new results. If longer discussion is required best is to schedule a 45-60 minute meeting in that week.
IDP meetings: Once a year you will meet with Thibault for an Individual Development Plan (IDP) to discuss your career goals and training expectations. Trainees are expected to fill the form that will then be discussed and further completed by Thibault during the meeting. Information shared in these meetings remain confidential.
Undergraduate Student meetings: undergraduate students are encouraged but not required to attend labmeetings. Instead, they will have to participate to a weekly meeting where they will present their progress to other undergraduate students or bi-monthly in meetings with their lab mentors.
Other meetings: Additional meetings, seminars or events will be organized within the lab e.g., special meetings to discuss lab organization, interviews of lab candidates, or lab retreats. All lab members are expected to participate and notify Thibault if they cannot. Participation to other lab social events is optional.
5. Scholar Activities
Publication Expectation: Every graduate and postdoc in the lab is expected to publish their findings in peer-review articles. Generally, each lab member should be able to publish a first paper within 2-4 years, and a second paper within two more years. The expectation may change depending on field and impact of journals. The first draft of the manuscript should be completed by trainee(s). Although there is no strict rule, Master student are expected to publish one first author paper, while PhD student are expected to publish 2-3 main papers.
Any trainees can at any time discuss their options for publishing their work with Thibault. Ideally this should be discussed at least once a year. Thibault will also encourage trainees to publish once their work reaches maturity. Any trainee can suggest writing a review article on a specific topic. In some occasions, Thibault will also ask to write a review article to some of you if approached by a journal.
Authorship Policy: For research articles, the main person that led and executed the work will be the first author and is expected to coordinate the manuscript completion and submission. Other lab members who generated original data included in the manuscript or participated in some aspects of the work will be listed as author, including in some cases people who developed unpublished methods/reagents that led to some key results or provided mentorship for the work. Each co-author is expected to contribute to the manuscript preparation. Order of authorship should represent the time invested in the study. In some cases, co-authorship will be considered if two members worked together to develop the whole project and spend similar time on it. After a member leave the lab, first co-authorship can be granted if another lab member becomes significantly more involved to push the story out. Concerns about authorships should ideally be raised at the early stage of the manuscript writing (or before initiating additional work for a second submission).
Meeting & Conference Participation: Each lab member should participate to a symposium or conference once a year or two years (national or international), providing there is sufficient funds available. While a poster presentation is not expected the first year, submission of an abstract for poster and/or oral presentation is required afterwards. Traveling and meeting registration is supported by the lab budget and external funds. Trainees should indicate which meeting(s) they would like to participate during their yearly IDP meetings.
Teaching opportunities and TAship: BMB Graduate students are required to perform 1 TAship for a PhD degree, recommended to be done after the comprehensive exam. For students interested in a teaching career, Thibault will support additional TAship beyond the requirement, which should be first discussed as stipend will be in this case reduced. Postdoc interested in academic careers are encouraged to pursue teaching opportunities offered by the department.
6. Leaving the lab
To ensure a smooth transition, let Thibault know as soon as possible when you will be leaving. When you leave the lab, we expect you to clean out all your possessions, reagents and samples. Some reagents can be passed to other lab members. Some important samples can be stored in a communal space (e.g. freezers). If you work with tissue culture cells, be sure to reduce and compact your number of samples in the liquid nitrogen tank leaving 2 samples per important cell lines (discuss which ones with Thibault in advance) and discard the unnecessary ones – update the online database accordingly. Please make sure you organize your labbook notes, samples, and data so that others can follow your work and that all your data is properly saved & backed up. Please remember to return keys to the lab. Typically, lab member will continue to have access to lab digital resources for a 3-12 month period after their departure.
Last updated on Oct 4, 2022