Project Core Values

The successful completion of our proposed DeepEcoResto project will require productive collaboration across disciplines and the globe. To assure the success of this interdisciplinary and international partnership, we aim to build a project environment which supports inclusivity, integrity, safety, community engagement, and mutual respect. Our aim is that the core values listed below will set the tone for our group culture and establish a healthy and inclusive work/educational environment.

 Women, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, visible minorities, and LGBTQA+ communities are underrepresented among university faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Social Sciences. This inequity arises from inherent and pervasive systemic barriers. We are committed to addressing these barriers not only within our project team, but our individual labs, institutions, and scientific disciplines. We will establish and maintain a diverse and inclusive project team and will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, culture, disability status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, class, national origin, native language, and/or veteran status. We also recognize the intersectionality of these groups and that individuals do not fall exclusively into a single category.

Collegiality 

• Feeling excluded or separate from a research team, department, university, or discipline is a major driver for the departure of URMs and women from STEM fields.  We value a supportive work environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, feels valued, and is able to work towards their aspirations.

• We value and support diversity in the workplace.

• We do not tolerate bigotry, abuse, harassment, or exclusion.

• All team members should be made aware and included in project decision making, planning, and data reporting.

• Seek out frank but constructive and kind criticism. Return the favor.

• Communicate openly with your colleagues.

• You are a member of a community; contribute to it and draw upon it when needed.

 Ethics

• Honesty is essential for correct science and healthy teams. We prefer to avoid mistakes, but mistakes do happen. Take a deep breath, acknowledge them, and fix it.

• Inclusivity is the cornerstone of productive collaboration. Assumption, biases, microaggressions, inequitable support/opportunities, and prejudices impede healthy and productive teams and erode communities. 

• Our proposed lake restoration projects are driven by the values/needs of community stakeholders and rights holders (in the case of Indigenous populations) who live near/use the lakes in question. Therefore, we will include community stakeholders and rights holders in the design and execution of this project. 

  • We will create a safe space in which community groups, particularly those who are not always visible, can participate in the development and implementation of our projects.

  • Protection of Indigenous community participants is a primary concern, therefore we will follow the OCAP® Principles to ensure adequate data protection practices, and ensure that all research agreements will align with UNDRIP. 

  • For HQP new to working in Indigenous community contexts, trainings will be provided on ethical, respectful, and responsible research practices.

  • We will regularly report project progress and outcomes to community stakeholders, sharing the results of our work with Indigenous communities via public lectures (ex: SING Canada, SING USA, etc…) and digital platforms.

 Health and Safety

• Be safe. In the lab, and in the field:

  • Complete all required trainings. Seek the training needed to avoid and respond to emergencies, including First Aid.

  • Plan carefully to avoid emergencies.

• Health and personal challenges, including mental illness, are common hurdles people in academia face, as in any other walk of life. Engaging with the problem by discussing it with your peers and supervisors can go a long way towards getting help and accommodations. We can’t help if we don’t know.

• Find a work-life balance that lets you do your job to the level you aspire to and lets you be happy.

 Authorship: 

• Authorship expectations will be established before embarking on the project. Authorship will be discussed in advance of manuscript preparation 

• You must have read, understood, and approved any paper you are co-author on and be able to defend it.

 PIs’ Obligations to Trainees:

• Our job is to help you achieve your career and life goals, to the best of our ability.

• We will provide rapid feedback on ideas, job application materials, manuscripts, grants, etc…

• Financial support for research and travel will be provided to the extent we are able.

• Regular meetings will be scheduled to discuss science and career planning/development. We encourage trainees to complete individual mentoring plans to guide your career trajectory.

• We will provide frank and constructive feedback on your science and career advancement.

• Recommendation letters will be provided;please give enough time to write a thoughtful letter.

• We will facilitate networking with other scientists.

• Conflict resolution is our job. If people aren’t getting along, or something is wrong, talk to us.

• We will never ask about personal problems, because we don’t want to intrude. But, if there are issues at home, or especially with health (mental or otherwise) that are affecting your work, you are always free to talk to us.

• We will provide equal access to training, career development, and opportunities.

• We will proactively self-evaluate our practices and change course as needed: A panel of project leaders will regularly evaluate mentorship practices and project environment/culture. The panel will identify gaps in training, detect inequitable support/opportunities, organize diversity trainings, and recommend changes in project policies/core values. This panel will also respond to reports of team issues (ex: workplace environment, inequitable support, etc… see details below).

 Trainee Obligations to the Team Leaders:

• Notify project leadership when there is a problem, in the lab/field, with data, or with other people (see details below regarding formalized complaint process).

•  Be independent to the extent you can, teaching yourself skills, solving problems. But, don’t get stuck doing this: seek help before you are in a rut. Find a happy balance between independence and frustration.

• Be creative and productive. That involves working efficiently, rather than super-long hours.

   Data Habits & Repeatable Science

• Keep accurate and detail records

• Back up your data in multiple locations!!!!!!!

• Everyone generating/analyzing data and papers should have a GitHub account or equivalent to share data, code, and text. Ensure all data sharing practices adhere to OCAP Principles and co-signed research agreements between researchers and Indigenous communities, where applicable.

• Write up and share Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) for any commonly used method so people who follow after you can replicate your methods exactly.

 Obligations of Team Members to Themselves:  Self-care

• None of the above recommendations are any good if you are too stressed, unhappy, or depressed to benefit from them. Take care of your physical and mental well-being. That includes sleep, exercise, and activities that make you content.

• If you are having difficulty with health (mental or otherwise), seek help.

• You can talk to project leadership about problems you are having so we can seek solutions together.

 Reporting Issues:

• If you are experiencing issues with team leadership, team members, workplace environment, inequitable support, etc… please report them. 

• Issues can be reported directly to XXX@xxx.edu

• You can also report issues anonymously by submitting via this survey

• These mechanisms for reporting issues will also be made available to community stake holders and rights holders.