Lab guidance (2023)
General things
§1. No lab manual – no matter how refined – can cover and predict every possible scenario. Things flow, but guidance will help.
§2. Many obvious things are stated here. But sometimes stating the obvious avoids misunderstanding, so that’s fine. Obviously, the rules apply to all members, including the PI.
§3. Be kind! This is very important: Each lab member has the duty to see the other as a human being like themselves and respect them as such, and has the right to be seen and respected by the other members as such. Tat Tvam Asi!
§4. The lab is a team. We work together for a common goal, help each other, and can expect help from each other. Fairness is important.
§5. The baseline of our work together is that we want to do great science and have a passion for scientific questions. Res severa verum gaudium.
§6. Communication is essential! What is not communicated is difficult to be noticed. Conflicts can be solved or attenuated through communication. This involves several levels: Between the individual members, within the group, to/from the PI, with others. All of this is essential, and works best in face-to-face interaction.
§7. Openness goes before secretiveness! We are on the same side and should share relevant information. Clearly, the starting point is mutual trust.
§8. Respect is a necessity! Obviously, discrimination (on gender, origin etc.), harassment and bullying are forbidden and will have consequences. This should be a working environment of mutual respect. First, communicate perceptions of discrimination if you experience and also if you observe them. Second, seek for advice to the PI or appropriate external entities (ombudspersons, co-supervisors) to find solutions.
§9. As human beings, we are not perfect, and there will be misunderstandings and mistakes. Stand by your mistakes, and be forgiving. It is known that differences in humour are a common source of misunderstandings. Take this into account, and do speak up when you feel hurt. Take into account that a sterile humour-free zone is not a happy working environment as well. We are imperfect human beings, and need to find a balance.
§10. You can and should speak up about anything that that you think can improve or that you wish for in the lab, speak about anything that concerns you or that you are uncomfortable with. That does not mean every request is instantaneously fulfilled. But you have the right to be heard!
Work and life
§11. Private life is private life. It’s as simple as that. Share what you want to share, and only that.
§12. Work schedules are subject to individual circumstances and preferences. Whether you work best 6:00-14:00 or 11:00-19:00 is not relevant. Working from home for full or partial days is fine. It is, however, necessary to spend several core working hours between 11:00 and 15:00 at least three times per week physically present at the office, since essential interaction will not be possible otherwise.
§13. Working is obviously not expected on weekends. There might be times of less work, but also more intense times, and there should be a balance for a healthy but productive life. Flexibility on both aspects is encouraged. This is not a 9-5 job, but also not a 24h job. Find the balance that suits you and that maintains your mental health.
§14. The PI should be notified about absence of more than three days. Notifying does not mean begging: It should be fine in most cases. Do take vacations!
§15. Emails from the PI should usually be considered within one work day. The PI might send mails at any time and from any time zone, but responses are obviously not expected immediately. The same applies for mails from any group member to any group member including the PI: You are free to write the necessary things at any time, but do not expect a response outside “normal” working hours.
§16. Written communication is preferred in a long-term accessible way. Platforms/apps with a paywall after a certain time window are not suitable for this. You may use them, but not with the PI. Written communication should involve the relevant people in order to be transparent.
§17. Weekly group meetings have to be attended in person, unless in the case of a pandemic or other circumstances. Be punctual. Be involved. You can and should speak about everything related to research, without fear of being judged, in an open manner. New ideas, opinions, discussions on specific topics all have a place at the meeting.
§18. Each group member has to present the work regularly in the department seminars. Attendance of other seminars inside and outside the Biologiezentrum is encouraged. We are here to learn, and each group member is self-responsible to learn.
§19. Interaction with other groups is explicitly encouraged. You learn and share what you have learned. This is particularly relevant within the department, where we are part of a greater context. This is also true for the greater environment at the University and in Vienna, and for collaboration partners’ groups outside (but see the next points).
Research
§20. You have to maintain research integrity – see Guidelines for Good Scientific Practice! This is mandatory. Bad results happen and are not personal failures. Mistakes happen and are not a problem if treated with honesty. If things don’t work, we will find solutions. Solving problems is a crucial part of the research endeavour – fraud is not! Fraud, plagiarism and the like will have immediate consequences, since they make it impossible to work in a trustful relationship.
§21. Bring up and discuss potential ethical issues that may be less obvious. These should be solved before they become a real problem.
§22. We strive for excellence in research. Ideas have to be shared and discussed openly. Our work has to be reproducible and clear. Document your work! In case of wet lab work, safety measures and best practices have to be followed, a proper lab book has to be kept up-to-date. Encourage each other to follow these standards!
§23. Data has to be published. The relevant code has to be published. You may use a GitHub account to organize this in time, or use the group account.
§24. Each student and postdoc will have at least one main individual project to work on. They will be credited for the work with main authorship and recognition. We want to publish very good work in recognized journals (not only defined by impact factor), make it visible and lasting.
§25. Projects together with other lab members are also part of the work. Contributions to other projects will be credited accordingly.
§26. Projects together with other researchers outside the lab are also part of the work. This will benefit everyone, but needs communication at all times to make things clear.
§27. Communicate plans for external collaborations, and always involve the PI before, and also while making progress. Keep in mind that you represent the lab when involved with collaborators!
§28. Authorships have to be defined early on, and clarified in discussions based on the contributions. Decisions have to be respected. Please do speak about this at any stage of the project! Give credit to the others where it is due, be generous!
§29. You should attend conferences! This means one international conference per year, and also smaller, more local meetings. PhD students should also attend relevant programming courses early on. Bring to the attention of the PI which conference you want to attend (in due time), so that abstracts can be agreed on. Ideally, different members attend different meetings. Going to a conference means presenting your work. If you give a talk, a practice talk has to be done.
§30. Beyond scientific conferences, it is great to communicate your work to the public! This is not mandatory, but good to do if you want, in blog posts and social media, other types of media etc. Again, be aware that you represent the lab! Share your plans and ideas with the PI and/or other lab members to get feedback before publication. When talking to journalists, be mindful about how you present the work.
Mentorship
§31. The lab is not a feudal state or company. Major decisions need to be discussed in the group, and everyone has the right to be heard, unconditionally.
§32. Differences are to be respected. Each individual has different needs regarding mentorship, and different needs at different times. Communication is, again, essential to figure this out.
§33. You are a scientist, and that means you are the main responsible person for your project! The PI provides a framework, ideas, feedback. You have the freedom to follow your own strategies, to bring your own ideas, to solve problems your way, to develop your own questions. You should ask for feedback where you need it. The PI does not desire micromanagement, but will help wherever he can.
§34. The goal of the lab is scientific advancement. Since we are human beings, this should fall together with an intellectually stimulating, friendly and fun environment. You should grow scientifically and personally while working in the team.
§35. When we start working together, there shall be weekly individual meetings. After some weeks, this will turn to less regular meetings. Finally, there shall be at least half-yearly individual meetings for discussions on anything. Still, you will be able to arrange a meeting when things are urgent.
§36. You should develop your career goals, and communicate this with the PI at any stage. It is an essential part of the PI’s work to support your future.
§37. Of course, experience always creates both duties and freedoms, causing slightly different rules for the PI, postdocs, PhD students and master students. The more senior you are, the more responsible you are for yourself and others.
§38. Master students are just starting. They need a project with clear goals and with a feasible timeline. They need guidance from the PI, and will have a postdoc or a PhD student assigned to turn to. They are obliged to learn and encouraged to bring ideas.
§39. PhD students are early in their career, but “grown-ups”. That means they are self-responsible regarding their time management, their work flows, their work structures. They need to learn, and during the first two years of their PhD they should thoroughly read at least two papers every week in their immediate research field. Moreover, they should skim the relevant literature and try to keep themselves up to date. A project will be outlined together with the PhD student, but a PhD project is true research into the unknown – the more the project moves on, the more they are responsible for the direction it takes. PhD students and postdocs are expected to work together, and PhD students should get advice and mentoring from the postdocs.
§40. PhD students will spend 3-4 years in the lab. The expectation is two first-author papers at least at submission stage during this time. At least one year before the end of the PhD, we should start discussing the future (which path to take, where and what to apply for, grants to write). It is the duty of the PI to provide as much help as possible.
§41. Postdocs are independent researchers. The PI brings a research environment, funding and project ideas. Postdocs are able to organize themselves, to develop their own ideas and projects within the framework of the lab – and sometimes beyond that. They are expected to know the field and explore new areas.
§42. Postdocs will spend 2-4 years in the lab. They will at the beginning spend some time finishing projects from their previous positions. They will spend a core time working on the primary projects of the lab. And they will spend significant time at the end to prepare the next step of their career. At least one first or (shared) last-author paper is expected as the result of the work.
§43. For postdocs, it is a good thing to apply for independent fellowships (like MSCA), which will also help developing grant-writing skills. At least one year before the end of the work, we should start discussing the future path. The PI will support writing fellowship applications and grant proposals as much as possible.