Lab Rules
Lab Rules/Expectations
My goal is to provide lab members with the training and opportunities they need to succeed in their chosen careers, whether in academia, industry, or other fields. Please read the following lab rules and expectations carefully.
Safety and Health
Your health and safety are of the utmost importance. Lab members are expected to follow all safety rules at all times.
Before beginning lab work, all lab members must complete the required training modules, including "Concepts in Biosafety," "Laboratory Safety," and "WHMIS." These courses can be accessed through the following link: https://www.ualberta.ca/environment-health-safety/training.
Volunteers must also complete a Volunteer Registration and Waiver of Liability form.
If working with animals, complete Part 1 of the animal training course.
If working with lasers, such as a confocal/two-photon microscope, complete the laser safety training.
If working alone in the lab, follow the working alone protocol: https://www.ualberta.ca/medical-genetics/media-library/pdfs/workingaloneprotocolmedgen.pdf
Maintain physical and mental health by visiting Counseling & Clinical Services or arranging for a therapist if necessary: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/counselling
Do not come to work if you are sick or have a fever. Stay home and make arrangements for your responsibilities to be handled by co-workers.
Collegiality
Lab members are expected to contribute to a positive and productive environment.
Racist, sexist, or other inappropriate comments or behavior will not be tolerated.
If you experience or witness such activity, please use the university's resources to report or discuss it.
Travels
All employees travelling on university business should register with the university’s UGo system: https://www.ualberta.ca/ugo-travel-registry/ugo-travel-registry
All students travelling on university business must register with the university’s UGo system: https://www.ualberta.ca/ugo-travel-registry/ugo-travel-registry
Work hours
Lab members, including summer students and volunteer summer students, are expected to be in the lab during most normal business hours, 9 am-5 pm, M-F.
There may be times when more work is necessary for your project on weekends or late.
Undergraduate project students and volunteers are expected to commit at least 15-20 hours/ wk, depending on the program.
Undergraduate students are not allowed to work alone after hours or on weekends.
Lab members can take three weeks (15 business days) of vacation annually (or one week per four months). Please discuss vacation plans with the PI in advance.
Rules/Expectations for ALL lab members
Treat all lab members with respect, kindness and professionalism.
Prepare for regular one-on-one meetings with the PI to discuss progress, goals and any obstacles.
Participate in general lab responsibilities such as equipment maintenance, maintaining common areas, and community outreach events.
Order chemicals/reagents when they are found to be low in supply.
No food or drinks are allowed in the lab.
Attend weekly lab meetings and present papers or updates on research progress as required. If you are presenting a paper in a lab meeting, email the group one week in advance of the presentation date. All lab members are expected to participate and actively engage in discussions. For undergraduate project students, this engagement is counted toward the lab performance score.
Notebooks Expectations
Keep a comprehensive lab notebook that includes all data and methods to allow for the reproducibility of results.
The PI has the ultimate responsibility and ownership of all data and lab notebooks, which should be kept in the lab for auditing and future reference.
Anyone leaving the lab is allowed to take a copy of their notebook for personal use, however, all data, lab notebooks, and experimental materials must be submitted to the lab.
Adhere to guidelines for maintaining a lab notebook as outlined in the following link: https://www.training.nih.gov/assets/Lab_Notebook_508_%28new%29.pdf
1-on-1 meetings
Lab members will have regular one-on-one meetings with the PI to discuss progress, challenges, and future plans.
The meetings will start by reviewing progress on action items from the previous meeting.
Trainees are expected to prepare for the meetings by making a presentation file or a written progress report and sharing results, progress, and goals for the future.
The meetings will include reviewing lab notebooks, data, analysis, writing, and slides as appropriate.
Action items for the next two weeks will be identified and discussed during the meetings.
Lab members will send a summary of the meeting to the PI including action items and any unresolved questions that arose during the meeting.
Guidance on lab meeting presentations
Remember, the goal is to clearly and effectively communicate your research in a way that engages the audience and sparks fruitful discussions.
Title: Craft a clear and concise title that encapsulates the essence of your research. It should attract audience interest and provide a quick snapshot of your study focus.
Introduction:
Existing Facts: Include pertinent background information about the disease, gene, technology etc under study. Highlight key findings from previous studies, but remain concise and focused.
Shortcomings: Identify gaps or limitations in the existing research and clarify why these gaps are significant.
Purpose or Hypothesis: Clearly state your research purpose or hypothesis, along with the rationale behind it.
Methods: Outline how you collected and analyzed your data. Specifically, provide details on the statistical methods used and explain why they were suited for your study.
Results: Present your findings as factual data, devoid of opinion or interpretation. Graphs, charts, and images are encouraged for clarity and visual appeal rather than tables. Remember the following when creating figures:
Label axes, treatments, and data sets clearly
Strive for simplicity, especially in figure titles
Understand which type of graph best represents your data
Use colours wisely to enhance understanding, not distract
Discussion: Here's where your interpretation comes into play.
Provide a clear summary of your findings and discuss their significance. Include comparisons to findings from other studies and address any discrepancies.
Future Research: Outline your future research plans, including your goals and timelines.
Explain why you think your proposed research direction is promising, and briefly discuss how you plan to achieve your research goals.
Also, consider the practical implications of your research and its potential impact on the field.
Conclusion: Summarize the primary takeaways from your research, emphasizing the novelty and significance of your findings.
Reiterate what your results mean within the broader scope of your field.
Preparing and delivering a good presentation is an art.
Remember to practice and refine your talk. Keep it engaging, focused, and within the allotted time.
Authorship
Adhere to the authorship guidelines established by the International Journal of Medical Ethics (IJME) which includes:
Making substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.
Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
Final approval of the version to be published.
Being accountable for all aspects of the work and ensuring questions related to the accuracy or integrity of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Recognize that projects evolve and scientific contributions may change over time, therefore authorship inclusion and author order will be re-evaluated accordingly.
Follow the general guidelines for authorship contributions as outlined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
General Guidelines for Authorship Contributions by NIH
Grants/Fellowships
Lab members should actively seek out and apply for grants and fellowships.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is of utmost importance in our lab. All lab members are expected to maintain the confidentiality of all proprietary information related to our work. This includes, but is not limited to, unpublished data, methodologies, research plans, and any intellectual property that has not been made public.
Any information that is obtained during your time in the lab should not be disclosed to individuals outside of the lab without prior approval from the PI.
Before discussing or presenting any data or research results externally, such as at conferences or meetings, always consult with the PI.
Please note that the obligation to maintain confidentiality continues even after you leave the lab. This is in accordance with the terms and conditions set out by the University of Alberta and other relevant research regulations.
Remember, maintaining confidentiality not only protects our lab's research but also respects the hard work and dedication of all lab members. It is integral to the success of our lab and the advancement of science.
Expectations for postdocs
Write and submit original and review manuscripts.
Apply for external funding, either individual postdoc fellowships or contributing to larger lab grant writing.
Present posters or talks on research progress at conferences.
Mentor undergraduate students.
Expectations for graduate students:
Write and submit original and review manuscripts.
Write and submit scholarship/fellowship proposals.
Contribute preliminary analysis to a full grant proposal.
Present posters or talks on research progress at conferences.
Attendance and presentations at departmental seminars.
Mentor undergraduate students.
Last updated: 24 November, 2023