SAFE Labs

OttLab_2025: Lab members are encouraged to report any bullying, harassment or discriminatory behavior without fear of retaliation to the PI, to confidential parties for conflict mediation and consultation, or contact the ‘Personalrat’ (employee representatives). For academic misconduct allegations, report to your PI or contact HU’s Ombudspersonen.

Steps for raising lab or inter-personal issues

1. If comfortable doing so, request a meeting to raise the issue with the PI. The PI commits to treat such meetings confidential and without personal consequences for the person raising any issue.
2. If this is not possible, please raise the issue by consulting HGS Conflict Consultation here.
3. If none of the above steps fare appropriate, raise the issue with the ‘Personalrat’ (employee representatives).

ReinhardLab_2025: It is important to raise and solve inter-personal issues within the lab early. We all spend many hours of our days working together and a safe and open environment is crucial to being able to perform well and happily. If possible, issues should be raised to the PI during 1o1 meetings or during a separately scheduled meeting. The PI will advise on possible solutions and actions, invite the other parties to voice their point of view, and organize group discussions if adequate. If you don’t feel comfortable raising the issue with the PI, contact the ombuds person or raise the issue with HR.

INSIGHTLab_2026: Horizontal disagreements between lab members may be brought to the PI for mediation. If this does not lead to resolution, HR will be requested to mediate. In disagreements involving the PI, HR will be requested to mediate.

CoenLab_2025: No lab is perfect, and individuals may have concerns about lab operations or another member’s behaviour. Issues can arise for many reasons, and addressing them promptly almost always leads to better outcomes for everyone involved. The procedure for raising these issues is:

1. If comfortable doing so, raise the issue with Pip at the earliest opportunity.
2. Alternatively, please raise the issue anonymously by using this form (anonymous comment form).    
3. If external involvement would be beneficial, contact your mentor (if a post doc) or your secondary advisor (if a PhD student).
4. If none of the above steps feel appropriate, raise the issue with UCL Report & Support.

SuperLab_2026: If you are comfortable doing so, please raise the issue with me during our 1-to-1 meetings. I encourage you to bring the problem up as early as possible to ensure we can resolve this in a timely manner. If you don’t feel like you can bring it up with me, you can informally:

• speak with one of your co-supervisors
• speak with a trusted colleague

Or contact one of the following Student Services:

Advice and Guidance

Advice Service at the Liverpool Guild of Students

Equality & Diversity Team (part of the Human Resources Department)

Student Experience Team

AeryJonesLab_2026: You are welcome to use this anonymous form (link omitted for Github example) to share anything that concerns you. This form will go to me, but I won’t know who submitted it unless you choose to identify yourself. Please share as much detail as you feel comfortable. As a professor, I am a Title IX mandatory reporter and must report any allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, or discrimination on the basis of sex to the Title IX office. You are always welcome to come to me to share your concerns, but by law I cannot keep this particular type of information confidential. If you aren’t comfortable talking to me, you can reach out to the university ombudsperson or the department chair.

MsEELab_2026: Ensuring MsEE Lab is a welcoming, constructive working environment is part of the responsibilities of the principal investigator, and a crucial one at that. Pablo has completed conflict resolution training from the Community Dispute Settlement Center in Cambridge, MA as a confidential conflict coach with the MIT BE REFS, where he gathered experience with interpersonal conflicts both between lab members and involving advisors. For these reasons, lab members are encouraged to bring issues in lab dynamics to him. However, he recognizes that power imbalances and his role as head of MsEE Lab may make this difficult. For this reason, consider these options:

1. If comfortable doing so, request a meeting to raise the issue with Pablo.
2. If not, please raise the issue anonymously by using this evergreen, anonymous feedback form.
3. If external involvement would be beneficial, consider consulting with external mentors. If you are a graduate student, options include discussion with members of your Thesis Committee or the Director of Graduate Studies for your Field. Regardless of whether or not you are a student, other options include contacting leadership within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering or other units at Cornell, if relevant. If not, contact our dedicated external advisor.
4. If none of the above steps are appropriate, other external resources include the list of confidential resources at Cornell or raising the issue with resources for workplace misconduct. Both are outlined below.