1. Values: We believe it is our imperative to work towards breaking down the many barriers that have prevented members from historically excluded communities to build their careers in science. We also believe that, because different people from different backgrounds bring unique viewpoints and approaches, fostering an environment that is open and welcoming to all is critical to mainstreaming conservation, generating novel approaches, and translating research from science to practice. As such, we regularly engage in the following:
  • Self-education. Each of us must confront our implicit biases and grapple with the myriad ways people have been systematically disadvantaged in science. Ample opportunities for self-education exist on campus and include, but are not limited to, (1) attending workshops and trainings inside and outside the university, (2) organizing and/or participating in reading groups, and (3) dedicating lab meeting space to relevant topics and discussions.
  • Holistic admissions. Implicit biases, flawed admissions metrics, and strong societal pressures have created barriers for many to build their careers in the sciences. We practice holistic admissions approaches when recruiting new lab members, from undergraduate interns to postdoctoral scholars. We encourage lab members to use inclusive language in our job ads, encourage people from all background to apply, and select candidates based on standardized rubrics and interview prompts.
  • Building an inclusive environment. We want our community to be inclusive and welcoming, with differences among us explicitly recognized and celebrated. We thus strive to create a community where all feel comfortable speaking and commit to receiving constructive feedback on our words and actions. Indeed, as members of this lab, we all commit to being teachable, willing to gracefully receive feedback on our words and actions. We also commit to making an effort to understand different perspectives and lived experiences so that we can create a better environment for all of us. While we hope that any disputes that arise could be settled internally, we also provide resources for addressing conflicts at the end of this document.
  1. Expectations: We strongly believe that clearly outlining and regularly revisiting our expectations for each other is critical for fostering fun, collaborative, and supportive interactions. That said, we also recognize that unforeseen circumstances will arise and that our productivity will fluctuate. Therefore, we also commit to treating each other with understanding and empathy, always searching for solutions and paths forward during the more difficult times. Indeed, we adhere to the philosophy that our work will be strongest and most fulfilling when we feel supported, both through productive and less productive times.
  • Tools for defining expectations. Work expectations, both content and quantity, should be clearly outlined to lab members so that everyone is on the same page. We use a variety of tools to define expectations, at different time scales.
    • Weekly-to-biweekly: Graduate students and post-docs provide a “5-15” document one day in advance of our regular meetings that serves as an agenda for the meeting and includes (1) achievements since our last meeting, (2) plans for activities until our next meeting, (3) potential challenges that may impede them from reaching their goals, and (4) any lessons learned since we last met. We then work together to take notes during meetings and define next steps for the following weeks.
    • Quarterly: Given their more advanced career stage, quarterly expectations for postdocs are informal, but can be developed in one-on-one meetings towards the beginning of the quarter as needed. In contrast, several documents are developed with graduate students each quarter:
      • Position descriptions: As dictated by university policy, a position description must be developed for each TAship and/or Graduate Student Researcher position that clearly states tasks and work expectations for the upcoming quarter. The instructor of record for the course, or the supervisor for the GSR position, writes this position description. In general, a 50% TAship and/or 50% GSR carries a 20 hour/week work expectation.
        • Note: fellowships are generally not considered employment; thus, position descriptions are not required (the GRFP is an exception).
      • 299 syllabi: 299 graduate research units allow dedicated time for students to pursue research activities and professional development during their time in graduate school, in addition to other graduate coursework. These research units carry expectations surrounding academic progress and are completely independent of any employed position. Academic activities are agreed upon and documented through a course plan that is collaboratively created prior to the beginning of each quarter. Students fill out a potential course plan and then bring it to the first meeting with Danny of the quarter, at which point the plan is discussed and solidified.
    • Yearly: Yearly progress and planning are tracked via two mechanisms.
      • Individual development plans (IDP): Graduate students are required to complete an IDP upon entering the lab (postdoctoral scholars are encouraged but not required). This document helps lab members articulate the key skills and goals that they wish to accomplish over the coming year. Lab members then meet with Danny at least once per year to assess progress, refine tasks, and iteratively adapt the IDP (usually in the fall).
      • Student progress assessment (SPA): As per university policy, graduate students must complete the SPA with their mentor, and an academic advisor, each Spring. The SPA serves as a mechanism for reflecting about the student’s progress over the last year as well as a forward-looking document outlining plans for the next year. Critically, all graduate students must meet with their committee each year prior to submitting the SPA each year.
    • Work-life balance. Keeping ourselves happy, motivated, and enthusiastic is a top priority, both to make sure that we continue enjoying our jobs and to maintain productivity. This means prioritizing work life-balance in the following ways.
      • Lab are members are expected to work reasonable hours (e., approximately a 40-hour work week). Indeed, Danny usually works a 40-hour week and has strived to do so throughout his career. That said, we recognize that there will be periods when we work more; for example, during field work, when a grant deadline is approaching, etc.
      • It is important to recognize that your productivity will fluctuate over time. If you are feeling like you have not made sufficient progress for an extended period, do not hesitate to come to Danny to discuss the issue and collaboratively look for solutions. Part of his job as a mentor is to try to help you figure out how you work best! Conversely, take advantage of the days when you are feeling productive and inspired.
      • We love travel for vacation, for visiting friends and family, for chasing a new bird, or for other reasons. You do not need to tell Danny if you are going to be gone for a day or two (unless you had a pre-determined meeting or deadline during that time). If you will be gone for an extended period (>2-3 days), then it is important to discuss it with Danny in advance. Longer periods require more notice. Also, make sure that you are taking vacation in accordance to the amount of leave provided by your position.
      • Be sure to report to your vacation, as well as any other types of leave, in the timesheet reporting system (www.trs.ucdavis.edu). Indeed, all employees need to report their timesheets in this system at the relevant time interval. TRS should also give you an indication of your leave balances, according to your specific position.
    • Personal wellness. We recognize that lab members may face a variety of mental and physical health issues before, during, and after their time in the lab (anxiety, imposter syndrome, disabilities, etc.). Danny is available to discuss how such challenges may affect lab members’ work and/or point lab members towards available university support/resources (which could include anything up to and including short-term leaves, if needed).
  1. Building a strong community: One of the greatest assets of UC Davis is its collaborative community. There is so much we can learn from each other as well as from the hundreds of other scientists working on similar topics across the campus. We believe participating in and/or organizing lab, department, and/or university events can enrich our experiences and make our time at UC Davis so much more fun! Lab members are thus expected to…
  • Be present in the office. The benefits of being near your colleagues are enormous. Physical presence helps create a sense of community, provide support to each other when we are struggling, foster new collaborations, and allow for an exchange of ideas. Our expectation is thus for graduate students and postdocs to be physically present in the office.
    • We recognize that people are productive at different times and thus have no official expectation for when you should be present. That said, there are major benefits derived from unplanned interactions with lab mates that occur during normal business hours (i.e., weekdays from ~9:00am to ~4:00pm).
    • Some members may find working from home or other locations to be more productive. If that is the case for you, then reach out to Danny to collaboratively identify a split between working from the office versus home that will balance your individual success with community involvement.
    • We also recognize there may be periods when working from the office is not feasible due to health issues, caregiving responsibilities, disability, or other factors. We believe that being mindful of and accommodating such requests is paramount to building a lab where we all can thrive.
    • If you are feeling unwell, stay at home! Especially in COVID times, let’s be mindful of each other and not transmit disease.
    • Finally, if there are ways that you feel the office could be improved to facilitate a more fun and productive working environment, please bring those ideas to Danny!
  • Attend lab meetings. Lab meetings will be held weekly throughout the academic year. During the summer, lab meetings rarely occur and only on an ad-hoc
    • While lab members are expected to attend in person, remote options will be made available, when possible, to facilitate attendance for people who are sick or traveling.
    • It is expected that graduate students and postdocs will facilitate lab meeting at least 3 times per year. This may include getting feedback on a paper/grant, giving a practice presentation, or facilitating a discussion about a paper or topic.
      • When you facilitate, be sure to send an email out 1 week in advance announcing the topic and providing any pre-meeting reading materials.
    • Each year, a different lab member should volunteer to organize lab meetings (e., choose the time, help pin down a schedule, etc.).
  • Attend seminars. Lab members are expected to attend, and occasionally present at, WFCB seminars. These seminars are a great way to build community within the department, learn more about what your colleagues are doing, and foster new collaborations.
    • Lab members are also expected to monitor other seminars on campus- particularly the Ecology and Evolution seminar series- and attend whenever possible. Indeed, a rich variety of seminar series regularly occur on campus, including seminar series put on by WFCB, ecology, animal behavior, population biology, entomology, and anthropology. A rough goal should be to try to attend one seminar per week, even if it is outside your area of expertise (you might just be inspired and learn something new). The Ecology and Evolution seminar series, in particular, should be a staple for our lab group, even in weeks that feel tangential to our research.
    • Hosting a seminar speaker, as well as signing up to meet with seminar speakers hosted by others, is highly encouraged to build your professional networks and generate new ideas.
  • Consider signing up to join or lead a committee, either inside or outside the university, focused on something you are passionate about. Engaging in meaningful service is a great way to better your community. Definitely consider talking about opportunities with Danny to help figure out how to balance your time between research, teaching, and service.
  • Social events. We encourage lab members to join lab social events (g., exit seminar parties, recruitment events, etc.). Our community becomes even stronger when we celebrate each other’s accomplishments and show new recruits how much fun we can have together! Outside the lab, many lab members may choose to join the ‘Eco Social’ list serve to hear about fun community events and participate in GGE/WFCB events as well.
  1. Communication: Professional, open, and respectful communication are critical to creating a productive work environment. We commit to …
  • Being mindful of our words and receiving constructive feedback from others.
    • We do not tolerate any abuse, discrimination, or otherwise unprofessional behavior in our lab. If such behavior occurs, you can either report it to Danny or through one of the resources listed at the end of this document.
  • Respecting each other’s time.
    • If you require feedback on something, then be sure to provide at least 1 week before any deadline. If it is a longer product (g., a long grant, paper, dissertation chapter, etc.), then 2 weeks is preferable.
    • If you require a letter of recommendation, provide the letter writer at least 1 week if a letter has been written before and 3 weeks if this is the first time.
    • While people may send out emails at any time, we do not expect responses from each other outside normal weekday business hours.
    • Danny loves seeing and hearing from you! His door is usually open and will always welcome you popping by to ask a question. When in meetings or away, his door will be cracked or closed.
  • Communicating our work and findings with the broader community.
    • Because much of our work takes place on private land in working landscapes, we recognize the importance of conducting community-engaged research. To that end, we strive to engage with growers, practitioners, industry officials, regulators, and others through all stages of our work. Some strategies include:
      • Distributing individually tailored research reports to study participants
      • Organizing workshops for stakeholders focused on exchanging idea about best practices and building capacity.
      • Coupling our research publications with outreach materials (g., press releases, videos, policy briefs, etc.)
  1. Professional development: Lab members have distinct ambitions. Our goal is to help prepare you for the career that you want and give you the opportunities you need to succeed. Lab members need individually tailored mentorship and experiences. Key strategies include:
  • Completing an individual development plan (IDP). As mentioned above, we use the IDP process to help identify professional development opportunity (see above).
  • Attending workshops or courses. Many career development opportunities are available through UC Davis’s “GradPathways” program. GradPathways offers >150 workshops, seminars, and panel discussions on a range of topics, from networking strategies to enhancing leadership and management skills. The ecology community at UC Davis also offers relevant classes (g., on pedagogy and on career development). Lab members should work with Danny to identify useful experiences.
  • Attending student/postdoc workgroups. A variety of student/postdoc workgroups and centers exist on campus that can support lab members in learning new skills. Some of these include the UC Davis Data Lab, #maptimeDavis (GIS support group), the GGE statistics support group, and the Davis R Users Group.
  • Attending conferences. Lab members are encouraged to attend, and present at, a scientific conference at least every other year. Our lab often attends the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and/or American Ornithology Society (AOS) meetings, but many other conferences exist that could be appropriate for lab members.
    • It is Danny and your shared responsibility to seek out funding. There will be periods when the lab has funding to support your conference travel, and periods when it will be necessary to seek out your own travel funds. Discuss the funding plan with Danny ahead of time. In general, we strive to fund all dimensions of the conference travel (e., airfare, ground transportation, accommodation, registration, and meals), but it may depend on the funding source/amount as to what is possible.
    • Take advantage of your time at conferences! Set up meetings with people ahead of time, attend interesting talks, and do your best to network.
    • If you attend with other lab members, offer to introduce them to your friends and collaborators. We can all help each other network.
  1. Funding: As with conference funds, seeking funds to support your research and your salary is often a responsibility shared by lab members and by Danny. At the same time, funding can be a major stressor. It is important to communicate openly and regularly with Danny about funding plans to minimize anxiety.
  • You should not pay for research expenses out-of-pocket. That said, it is critical to follow university procedures and policies when buying research supplies, requesting reimbursement, and/or paying for expenses while traveling. We have developed a useful guidance document to help navigate this process. You find the document here.
    • Graduate students and postdocs (who are currently university employees) can obtain travel cards to pay for expenses while traveling. It is your responsibility to submit travel reports and receipts through ‘Aggie Expense’ after your travel has concluded. Waiting longer than 2 months can incur taxes that are deducted from your reimbursement, so be sure to be prompt.
    • Supplies should be procured using the ‘prepurchasing’ system.
    • If personal vehicles are used for work-related travel, personnel may be reimbursed depending on fund availability and context; be sure to discuss with Danny ahead of time. However, in accordance with university policy, travel to and within the UC Davis campus (g., commuting to work) is not reimbursed.
  • Graduate students. Graduate student salaries are set by the university and department (through negotiated contract processes). You should expect to be funded every quarter you are at UC Davis, including summers, however, the source of funding will vary.
    • A funding plan for the following year should be made with Danny while reviewing the Individual Development Plan each year.
    • Provided sufficient funds exist, we often aim for graduate students to receive a minimum of 1 academic quarter of GSR and 1 summer GSR per year. Danny will work with you to find TAships for non-GSR or fellowship quarters.
    • If your project is not directly supported by Danny’s grants, then you should be writing grants to support your research. Danny will help you identify opportunities and work with you on proposals; however, it is also important to be proactive and seek out potential funding sources yourself. Learning how to acquire grants/fellowships is a major part of your training.
  • Postdoctoral scholars. As for graduate students, postdoc salary scales are set by the university (through negotiated contract processes). Unlike graduate students, funding sources for postdocs are usually set before entering the lab. That said, it is expected that postdocs occasionally apply to grants to supplement research expenses, especially small internal grants.
  • We recognize unpaid internships perpetuate inequity. We thus actively work to ensure undergraduates and field assistants are compensated. This may involve collaboratively writing grants together (e.g., through the Swift Endowment Fund).
  1. Safety, animal welfare, and human subjects. Maintaining a safe working environment is our top priority. When in doubt, we will always prioritize each other’s safety over all else. We will also prioritize the wellbeing of the animals and people we work with over our research, following university guidance and acquiring relevant permits where necessary. To that end, we agree to:
  • Develop field safety plans. The Karp Lab has developed field-safety plans for in state and international fieldwork. These safety plans outline site-specific risks, and guidelines for addressing these risks. In doing so, the plans recognize that fieldwork can be particularly dangerous for many people that have been historically excluded from science. In addition, people have different needs that should be addressed when planning fieldwork.
    • It is the graduate student’s and/or postdoc’s responsibility to adapt the safety plan for their project and then submit it to Danny at least 1 month before fieldwork begins. Danny will then help finalize the field safety plan at least 2 weeks before fieldwork. Field safety plans can also be updated during the field season and should be considered living documents.
    • All personnel conducting fieldwork must be trained according to the field safety plan guidelines.
    • The Ecology Graduate Student Association has a field safety committee with many useful resources (https://sites.google.com/view/ucd-egsa-fsc/home?authuser=0)
  • Keep up to date with lab safety trainings. Upon entering the lab, lab members will receive safety training and complete the ‘Annual Training Record’ and ‘Site Specific Safety Orientation’ documents. As part of completing the documents, you will be required to finish a series of online safety courses. A ‘refresher’ training will also be required each year.
  • Keep up to date with other online trainings. Lab members are often required to complete university-mandated trainings (g., on cyber security, ethics and compliance, etc.). If you receive an automated email from LMS to complete a training, then it is important to do so promptly: our department is on the hook for everyone to complete these trainings.
  • Acquire relevant permits. Lab members will identify the university, state, federal, and/or international permits, protocols, or trainings required to conduct your work. Danny can help with this. Lab members will then work with Danny to acquire relevant permits and/or complete relevant protocols/trainings. Lab members will abide by subsequent rules/regulations, including reporting requirements.
  1. Data Management. Appropriately managing and disseminating the data we collect is critical. Karp Lab data storage and access protocols are listed below.
  • All data collected on paper in the field or lab should be scanned in and/or rapidly transcribed into spreadsheets. Meta-data should then be created, and all files uploaded (ideally from the field) to a cloud-based data storage system (e., google drive).
  • Every lab member should create their own cloud-based project drive and provide (password protected) access to all study participants. Ideally, the lab member would then establish a standardized data folder hierarchy such that each project participant can readily deposit and access all data, code, project protocols, figures etc.
  • Copies of all data should ultimately be stored in 2-3 places to avoid data loss, degradation, and damage: (1) a cloud-based storage program, (2) a personal computer or external drive, and (3) filing cabinets (for field or laboratory notebooks). Danny has filing cabinets in his office and can store paper copies for all lab members, as needed.
  • We also encourage lab members to explore using Git as a version control method.
  • We believe in data sharing and open access data ideologies. Upon publication, data and relevant code will be published online for open access (g., in Dryad).
    • Special attention will be given to mask identifying characteristics and locations for sensitive data collected from private lands.
  • It is each project member’s responsibility to appropriately archive all data files when leaving the lab, providing clear instructions for data access and metadata locations.
  1. Authorship. We are a highly collegial and collaborative lab. It is thus expected that we will help each other troubleshoot analyses and/or lend a hand in the field as needed. Please do consider volunteering when your lab mate is in need! If, however, this help begins to turn into a larger collaboration, then lab members should consider having a conversation about authorship. In general, we take an inclusive view of authorship, where scientists who help fund, collect data, conceptualize, analyze data, or write up a study are invited to join projects as authors.
  • Though things may change, authorship should be preliminarily agreed upon as early in the project as possible to avoid potential confusion and conflict. This includes defining roles and responsibilities of each collaborator and discussing authorship order.
    • ‘Earning’ authorship requires collaborators to follow through on the mutually agreed upon responsibilities at the start of the project.
  • After leaving the lab, lab members will have up to 2 years to write up and submit a manuscript for their study before the project could be provided to someone else to lead. Of course, a lab member could decide to allow others to take lead on a project with the data they collected earlier.
  1. Resources
  • Ombuds: https://ombuds.ucdavis.edu/ (530-754-7233)
    • For confidential and impartial conflict resolution counseling of any nature
  • CARES (Center for Advocacy, Resources, and Education): https://care.ucdavis.edu/ (530-752-3299)
    • For confidential advocacy, support, and healing services to survivors of sexual harassment and all forms of sexual violence
  • ASAP (Academic & Staff Assistance Program): https://hr.ucdavis.edu/departments/asap (530-752-2727)
    • For confidential, cost-free assessment, intervention, consultation, and referral services concerning work-related, personal, administrative, individual, career, or relationship focused problems
  • UCD Counseling Center: https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/counseling-services (530-752-0871)
    • For mental health services, advocacy, and consultation
  • LGBTQIA: http://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/ (530-752-2452)
  • Women’s Resource and Research Center: http://wrrc.ucdavis.edu/ (530-752-3372)
  • Inclusive Excellence: https://excellence.ucdavis.edu/
  • Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP): https://hdapp.sf.ucdavis.edu/
  • Graduate Student Association https://gsa.ucdavis.edu/
  • Field Safety Office: https://safetyservices.ucdavis.edu/units/ehs/research/field
  • Critically, graduate student and postdoctoral health insurance has good coverage for physical therapy and mental health (therapy). See your health insurance information for more details.