Expectations and Responsibilities

To Everyone

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Being a scientist is one of the most rewarding activities as human beings. It quenches our thirst for curiosity, challenges our skills and it offers constant avenues for creativity. However, being a scientist is also tough. It requires hard work, persistence, perseverance, and resilience. We believe the balance is always positive inasmuch we all do a few things:

• Care about your work, and be proud of your work. Your work is your treasure.

• Be passionate, but also rigorous. Double-check your work with a little obsession.

• Support others. Science is not competitive but collaborative.

• Science requires however a great individual effort. Be independent and look up for support when needed.

• Share your knowledge. Mentorship can take many forms.

• Respect each other’s strengths, weaknesses, differences, and beliefs.

• Science is a marathon, not a sprint. Take personal time/ vacation when you need it and cultivate a life outside of the lab.

• Communicate openly and respectfully with other members of the lab.

  Academia may feel different from other types of jobs, but it is still a job. You should treat coming into lab with the same respect that you would treat any other position.

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There are a few day-to-day things to keep in mind to keep the lab running smoothly.

• If you’re sick, stay home and take care of yourself. Because you need it, and also because others don’t need to get sick. If you’re sick, reschedule your participants for another day as soon as you can.

• Show up to your participants.

• Be actively involved in SCN-Lab project presentations and meetings. Show up to them, and provide rich and helpful discussions. Take the chance to present your work there at least once a year.

• Make sure the door to the lab is locked if no one is inside. Turn off the lights if you’re the last one leaving for the day.

• Keep the lab tidy. Eating in lab is fine, but clean up food waste, crumbs, and spills. Put lab equipment back where you found it. Keep common areas uncluttered.

• Be on time - in fact, show up 15-20 minutes early to set everything up.