SAFE Labs

IRIBHMComputationalLabs_2026:

Mentorship and support are provided to lab members to help secure the next career step. Job and grant applications, along with preparation for subsequent interviews, require significant time and effort, up to one year before the end of the contract. Typically, after mutual agreement during one-on-one meetings, up to 25% of work time may be dedicated to this endeavor.

Recognizing that individuals may leave the lab for various reasons, it is important to discuss plans as early as possible—preferably at least six months before the intended departure. This approach helps ensure a smooth transition, with the final months focused on the handover of any necessary knowledge and data to maintain documentation, continuity, and completion of ongoing projects. As a final step before departure, an exit interview will be organized, conducted privately with a colleague (e.g., a SAFE lab network associate). This interview provides departing lab members an opportunity to discuss their reasons for leaving and offer constructive feedback based on their experiences.

CompGeoLab_2026:

What if you change your mind?

In the lab, we believe that your career comes first. Leo already has a degree and a stable job. So your needs come first. This means that if at any point you change your mind and want to pursue another project or work under someone else’s supervision, then you are free to do so within reason (for example, FAPESP scholarships are not so easily changed once started). Leo will do everything he can to help in this transition and provide honest advice.

Anonymous lab:

Leaving the lab is an important transition and a little planning goes a long way toward ensuring your work can be continued and that you leave with everything you need. The formal offboarding process is still under development. Nonetheless, before your last day, please make sure you have done the following:

• Discussed timelines with [the PI]. If you have papers, analyses, or other projects that are not yet complete at the time of your departure, make a clear plan with [the PI] for how and when these will be finished. This conversation should happen well before your last day, not on it.
• Ensure access to your files. Make sure that all of your project files, data, and code are up to date in the lab GitHub organisation before you leave. You will retain access to your personal GitHub account and any repositories you have contributed to, but confirm with [the PI] that you have copies of everything you need for ongoing work after your departure.
• Flag any barriers to project completion. If there are factors that may prevent you from completing outstanding work after you leave (e.g., loss of software access, data access restrictions, time constraints) raise these with [the PI] as early as possible so we can work around them together.
• Ensure you have collected any personal belongings from the lab, and that all equipment that you have used is cleaned, in working order, clearly labeled, and stored in the proper location.

BHKLab_2026:

Members leaving the lab will prepare a single digital parent folder containing all ongoing and completed project work. This prepared folder will be shared by the outgoing lab member with the assigned lab staff member, in addition to at least one (1) topic expert (e.g. their mentor/supervisor) involved in each project included in the prepared folder. If you have any open pull requests or working branches on any BHKLab project repositories, push the latest local commit you have. If the branch does not already have an open pull request, create a new pull request. Leave a comment on the PR describing what stage the branch is at and what next steps need to be taken. Assign the PR to the repo owner, whoever is taking over the project, or your mentor.

LRCNLab_2026:

I expect postdocs will be lead author on anything they produce in the lab. However, I will enforce a policy where they are expected to continue working on writing up and publishing research results after leaving the lab. If, six months after the end of data collection and leaving our lab, you are unable to continue working on publishing research projects, I or another lab member may step in and complete the write-up process. This might involve including new authors or changing order of authorship to reflect the contribution of people involved in completing the write-up process.

LRCNLab_2026:

I review the Slack channels each year to remove users who are no longer with the lab. Honours students and RAs will typically be converted to a guest account for one year after they leave the lab and are deactivated two years later. Any trainee who wishes to stay on as a guest for longer is more than welcome, just let me know.

MayorLab_2026:

To ensure a smooth transition, let Thibault know as soon as possible when you will be leaving. When you leave the lab, we expect you to clean out all your possessions, reagents and samples. Some reagents can be passed to other lab members. Some important samples can be stored in a communal space (e.g. freezers). If you work with tissue culture cells, be sure to reduce and compact your number of samples in the liquid nitrogen tank leaving 2 samples per important cell lines (discuss which ones with Thibault in advance) and discard the unnecessary ones – update the online database accordingly. Please make sure you organize your labbook notes, samples, and data so that others can follow your work and that all your data is properly saved & backed up. Please remember to return keys to the lab. Typically, lab member will continue to have access to lab digital resources for a 3-12 month period after their departure.

RollinsonLab_2026:

Support includes providing advice, letters of reference and connections, and lab alumni can expect this support for at least a few years, and often many years.

SFUGlaciologyGroup_2026:

As a research supervisor, I am therefore generally only interested in engaging and investing in research that is publishable in the international peer-reviewed scientific literature. An exception is research that forms a pilot- or exploratory study. Accordingly, I ask students to commit to seeing publications through to completion, whether the students intend to pursue research careers or not. This commitment usually requires time after graduation, for which I will make every effort to compensate you.

VORTEXLab_2026:

Another difficult situation commonly encountered by students is how to manage the publishing process after you have completed your degree and have moved onto new jobs or opportunities outside the academic environment. Most importantly, every opportunity will be given to lead graduate students to get first author publications resulting from their thesis work. The following guidelines are to help move this process forward and outlines contingency plans in the event this process does not become feasible:

• Prior to leaving the lab, a ’lingering publication plan’ will be discussed in the exit interview;
• If a paper draft is not adequately prepared up to 3 years after the end of data collection, a conversation will be initiated to re-assign the project to a different student lead to expedite the publication;
• If a student willingly relinquishes responsibility to finish a paper, Jason will re-assign the project to a different student lead.

VORTEXLab_2026:

After leaving regular hours in the lab, it can be very difficult to find time to put the finishing touches and making major revisions after reviewer feedback. In light of this, before students leave the lab, we will arrange a personalized paper writing plan that works best for the student. A general approach is listed under the lab ‘publishing-policy.md’ document, which is subject to personalization depending on the student and scope of the project.

Exit Interview

Prior to leaving the lab, I will ask to have a final debrief meeting with you to review your experience working with the group.

CNIDevoLab_2025:

In the normal life of a lab, people will leave, either because they have finished their project, or because they’ve found a new opportunity or for personal reasons. Lab members are encouraged to discuss their plans with the PIs as early as possible, in order to ensure a smooth process: the final months will include the hand-over of any knowledge and data needed to ensure documentation, continuity and completion of ongoing projects.

OttLab_2025:

The PI accommodates a lab member preparing for their next position towards the end of their time at the lab such as grant writing or preparing interviews after discussing timelines and remaining workload together. There can be various reasons for deciding to leave the lab, and some may need to do so before their projects are complete. Lab members should discuss their plans with the PI as early as possible—preferably at least 6 months before their intended departure. This helps to ensure a smooth leaving process: the final months will include the hand-over of any knowledge and data needed to ensure documentation, continuity and completion of ongoing projects. The PI will conduct an exit interview to discuss the reasons for leaving and provide constructive feedback based on their experience and agree on a plan to finalize projects, if applicable.

ReinhardLab_2025:

It is normal that people will leave the lab, either because they have finished their project, or because they’ve found a new opportunity or for personal reasons. Lab members are encouraged to talk to the PI as soon as they consider leaving the lab. It will not be held against anyone if they want to leave, instead, the PI is dedicated to providing support in planning the next steps or to finding solutions in case the leave is due to health/personal reasons. Once someone has decided to leave, the following steps need to be taken:

As early as possible:

• Make sure knowledge is transferred and at least one current lab member is trained in relevant techniques.
• Discuss how ongoing projects will be continued, how authorship might change etc.

In the week(s) before leaving:

• Make sure that all documentation (lab book, meta data files) is up to date.
• Make sure that all work-related documents are saved in an accessible place.
• Clean out personal reagents etc. from fridges.

In the last week:

• 1o1 meeting with the PI to go together through the update documentation, discuss and give mutual feedback on the lab member’s time in the lab, and to discuss next steps concerning ongoing projects if adequate.

INSIGHTLab_2026:

Please archive all your ongoing work as described in Section 13. We will schedule an exit interview on your last day (or before, if necessary).

UraiLab_2026:

People leave the lab for all kinds of reasons, whether after several PhD years, or after a summer project. Hopefully, they are leaving for exciting new opportunities. Regardless of the reason for leaving, please give Anne as much notice as possible so that this transition can take place as smoothly.

Offboarding checklist:

• Inform the CogPsy secretariat of formal end to your contract, and indicate if your account should be extended as a guest
• Go over personal folders for data/code: cleanup, comment, and commit. Share with Anne all remaining data/code that has not yet been published.
• Document workflows, protocols, or specific responsibilities.
• Return any physical keys to CogPsy secretariat.
• Schedule exit interview to review time in the lab, give mutual feedback, and discuss future plans.

BioKTGroup_2026:

• You have discussed with the PI, well before your last day, how each of your projects will be handed over.
• Every project, data/ included, has a final complete backup in the agreed place, and its README says where.
• Each README and lab notebook is up to date enough for someone else to continue the work without you.

Neurolinguistics-UZH_2026:

Transfer all code repositories to lab Git if they were developed privately

Lab notebooks stay with the lab - ensure you have clear documentation of your work in a notebook

Create a “final notebook entry” that documents clearly: (1) state of the project, (2) results, (3) log of all code repos and data on the project. This should allow any lab member to quickly pick up the project

Ensure data is backed up and held at the lab (we need to hold raw data for at least 10 years after publication). Please get a hard drive from the lab and ensure data is backed up on 2 sites (server/hard drive)

Provide a list of papers you plan to wrap up, and timelines (but hopefully all are done!)

Neurolinguistics-UZH_2026:

When leaving the lab with unfinished manuscripts you must be aware of the following considerations:

Authorship reflects relative contributions to the final published work. If you’re departing before publication, your continued authorship position depends on the nature of required revisions (see also point above). As a general rule, try to complete major analyses and prepare the most complete version of the manuscript possible before departing.

Minor, writing-based, revisions or small analyses easily completed by others typically allow you to retain first authorship.

However, note that major revisions requiring substantial new analyses and methodological changes, or significant pivots in the manuscript or major editing (not an exhaustive list) may shift the contribution balance and potentially affect authorship order (see above).

If you do not want to pursue the revisions or cannot commit to the full publication process, the work will need to be completed by others, which will affect authorship order.

While I will make every effort to include departing authors meaningfully, understand that authorship is ultimately determined by final contributions to the published work, and this uncertainty is an inherent risk of leaving with incomplete (aka unpublished) projects.

PEARLab_2026:

To ensure research continuity and reproducibility, the following must be completed:

• Code must be properly organized and uploaded to the designated repository
• Documentation (README) must include environment setup, execution instructions, and dataset information
• All related materials (thesis files, slides, experimental results) must be archived
• The successor must be able to reproduce results independently

---

Handover Criteria

A handover is considered complete only if:

• Code can be executed in a new environment
• Results are reproducible without additional explanation
• All materials are properly organized and archived

---

Notes

• Graduation requirements must be completed in sequence
• Students are expected to allocate sufficient time (1–2 weeks) for final organization and handover

RadzisheuskayaLab_2025:

I will be transparent with the employees about the available funding for their positions when they join the lab. At least one year before the end of the contract period, I will discuss the next steps with the researcher, which may include the option to stay longer in the lab or a plan for securing the next position.

I aim to provide lab members with mentorship and support to secure the next career step. Job and/or grant applications and preparing for subsequent interviews take time. Typically, after discussions during one-on-one meetings, I support dedicating up to 25% of research time to this endeavour.

I am best equipped to help with academic career trajectories: I offer mentorship at 1-on-1 meetings and will devote time to rehearsing interview talks. However, academia is one of many available career paths. For career paths outside academia, the ICR has extensive resources: LINK NOT PUBLIC

I understand that people decide to leave the lab for different reasons and may need to do so before their projects are complete. I ask that lab members discuss their plans with me as early as possible—preferably at least 6 months before their intended departure. This helps to ensure a smooth leaving process: the final months will include the handover of any knowledge and data needed to ensure documentation, continuity and completion of ongoing projects. As the final step before departure, I will organise an exit interview, during which the departing lab members will be able to discuss their reasons for leaving and provide constructive feedback based on their experience. If needed, another member of the ICR faculty will be invited to participate in the interview.

CoenLab_2025:

People leave the lab for all kinds of reasons—whether it is after several Postdoc years, or after a summer project. Hopefully, they are leaving for exciting new opportunities or retiring as a crypto-millionaire. Regardless of the reason for leaving, there is a checklist of items to consider (for Pip or the lab member). While opportunities may arise unexpectedly, please give Pip as much notice as possible so that this transition can take place as smoothly!

Offboarding Checklist

• Go over personal folders for data/code: cleanup, comment, and commit
  • Document workflows, protocols, or specific responsibilities
• Discuss any skills training/transfer to be completed (e.g. surgical techniques)
• Return any physical keys (e.g. to the Darwin Office)
• Remove your personal data and accounts from any lab computers
  • You will retain access to the server for data analysis etc.
• (Potentially) change administrative permissions/membership in the lab:
  • Slack
  • Github
  • Mailing list
  • Notion
  • Website

Exit Interviews

The content of exit interviews will not be shared with other lab members

In addition to completing the steps above, Pip arranges for all lab members to have an exit interview with himself, or another member of the lab. If the lab is to improve, and become a more inclusive and equitable environment, Pip need to know which aspects of the lab are working well, and which are not. Discussing these elements (particularly any that are negative) of lab experience can become easier when leaving, and that is why exit interviews are so valuable.

Of course, the Coen Lab, and my style of supervision, is not the right fit for every scientist: the purpose of rotations and probations is to (hopefully) figure that out before committing to a long-term project together. That is to be expected and is an important part of the process.

However, if someone is leaving the lab because they have been made to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, that is not to be expected and is not okay. If you experienced something like this during your time in the lab, please raise it during your exit interview so Pip can take steps to prevent it happening again. Naturally, Pip hopes lab members feel able to raise these concerns as soon as they arise so he can take immediate action: you can submit concerns at any time in regular meetings, or anonymously [here]).

AeryJonesLab_2026:

Let Emily know as far in advance as possible about your departure plans. She will help you arrange the following:

• Teaching any skills unique to you to other lab members
• Leaving your records and data organized
• Storing, transferring, or discarding your remaining samples, supplies, and desk items
• Arranging a realistic timeline for remaining papers, or transfer those projects to other lab members
• Please keep Emily updated on your life, your accomplishments, and your contact info. She loves seeing her trainees succeed in whatever their chosen career path is. Her door is always open to you as your mentor.

BahlaiLab_2026:

Authorship expectations do not expire when someone graduates, changes institutions, or otherwise leaves the lab. Contributions remain contributions, and authorship should continue to reflect the work people have done regardless of where they are currently employed. However, research projects also carry obligations. If a project remains inactive for an extended period after a student or researcher leaves, I may choose to move the project forward so that the work, data, and resources invested in it can continue to contribute to science (see open science policy above). As a general guideline, projects that have seen no substantial progress for approximately one year may be considered inactive.

In these situations, original contributors will continue to receive appropriate authorship credit for their contributions. However, if additional personnel undertake substantial work to complete, analyze, write, or publish the project, authorship order may be revisited to reflect those new contributions. In particular, taking responsibility for advancing an orphaned project to publication may warrant changes in author order, including first authorship where appropriate. My goal is not to take projects away from people, but to ensure that valuable research does not remain unpublished indefinitely- that hurts all of us! Whenever possible, these discussions will occur openly and collaboratively before any changes are made.

BIRDLab_2026:

When you graduate or move on, the goal is simple: leave your work findable, reproducible, and easy for the next person to pick up. Start about a month before you go. Everyone follows the core steps below; graduate students have a few extra around the thesis.

Archive your data

• Create a folder with your name in the BIRD Lab Box folder, under the People folder for your role, and upload everything you created or gathered for the projects you worked on.
• Organize it clearly. If you worked on more than one project, give each its own folder under your name.
• Add a README (.txt, .md, or .docx) explaining what the data is and how to use it. Letting others know what you uploaded and how to use it matters as much as the data itself.

CobeyLab_2026:

If you stop working on a manuscript, so that someone else needs to do the submission, revision, or resubmission, your position as first author might change. The first author, in other words, not only needs to lead the work but also finish it. For example, if you leave the lab before a paper is accepted, you’ll have the opportunity to continue working on it as first author when reviews are returned, but if you cannot do this promptly, others in the lab will be invited to take over. Someone else might become first author. We have an obligation to publish the work funded by grants and contracts.

ContextualDynamicsLab_2026:

Please also work through the following offboarding checklist to ensure a smooth transition:

• Notify Jeremy of your end date as early as possible.

• Ensure all code and data are properly documented and stored on GitHub.

• Back up and document all collected data:

• Use GitHub if data is under 1 GB total and under 100 MB per file.

• Use Discovery for larger files.

• Write a brief summary of work done for project continuity and future letters of recommendation:

• Include GitHub links and file paths to your work.

• Include your contact information for future questions.

• Optional: Share any feedback, comments, questions, concerns, or reflections about your time in the lab.

• Optional: Note any ideas about the future of your project(s), outstanding papers, or current status of ongoing work.

• Return all lab equipment and coordinate with Jeremy to log the returns.

• If any equipment was damaged during your time in the lab, notify Jeremy.

• Return any remaining petty cash and sign the close account form.

• Set to inactive any SONA experiments that no one else will continue.

• Coordinate with Jeremy to be removed from relevant IRB protocols.

• Coordinate with Jeremy to be added to the lab “alum” Slack channel.

• Update the lab manual with your end date by moving your name to the alumni section.

• Clean up your workspace, including shared areas you may have used.

• Return all keys to appropriate offices or personnel.

GNlab_2026:

Send a handoff proposal to PIs which enumerates which work will be closed, handed off to RA, or handed off to PI

• PI reviews and approves or suggests revisions
• Code handed off to another RA, this code must be re-run by the receiving RA
• Admin tasks handed off to another RA
• Work you are proud of
  • Record the backgrounder you are most proud of in examples
  • Record the issue ticket(s) you are most proud of by sending them to us in Slack
• Start thinking about your answers to our exit interview questions here and make sure this exit interview has been scheduled.
• Fill out this form with information on classes you took as an RP (if any), which will serve as a resource for future RPs.
• Add to staff ids a good email address to reach out at after you leave. Put this in the “past” tab.

IshiharaLab_2026:

Offboarding checklist

• Experimental samples
  • Check what you have in the 4C, -20C, -80C, and also room temperature. Organize and prune as necessary. If unsure to discard a sample, keep but label it clearly.
  • For -20C and -80C, you must create a list of items and add this file to your folder in the Ishihara lab NAS.
• Digital Data
  • All digital data must be copied to your folder in the Ishihara lab NAS. This includes the files in the Ishihara lab shared OneDrive.
  • (Interim policy) All microscopy data must be copied to the FujiData drive of the Fuji workstation.
• Lab Notebooks
  • LabArchives ELN: List Keisuke as Administrator for your notebook(s). Give access to your personal email for continued access after your Pitt account expires.
  • Other digital notebooks: Export all entries as Word or PDF documents to your folder in the Ishihara lab NAS.
  • Physical notebooks: Physical notebooks stay in the lab. Make a personal copy by scanning relevant pages.
• Move your name to the almuni section in LabMembers.md. Include the period that you were part of the group. This will be your last pull request to this repository!
• Check all of the above with Keisuke.

IvesLab_2026:

When leaving the lab, it is a good idea for both you and others in the lab to archive and leave a copy of all of your data. Nobody in the lab will use your individual data without your consent. But if you archive them, we will all know where they are.

JimenezGroup_2026:

Return your keys to Lab Assistant

___ Return your A-Card & Travel Card to Jennie (or destroy them)

___ For international folks: E-mail Rhonda Miller (Rhonda.Miller@colorado.edu) and let her know the last date of employment. She e-mails back with a detailed check list which also has a link to the form that needs to be submitted to the International Student and Scholar Services.

___ Return your group laptop to Lab Assistant. If you are keeping it longer while finishing group work, let us know when we can expect it back

___ Return any group hard drives, screens, keyboards etc. to Lab Assistant

___ Remove yourself from any email lists and shared documents that are no longer relevant, including group list and JG-Org, JG-Sched

___ Ask Lab Assistant to move you from the Group members page to the Group Alumni page with the correct info about your new job (if known)

LaskowskiLab_2026:

• The lead person on a project will work with Kate to develop a reasonable timeline for drafting and submitting manuscripts that result from the work
• While the lead person is expected to draft and submit the manuscript for their project, if progress is slow or the person has moved on (i.e. no progress in 6-12 months after leaving the lab), then Kate may choose to take over leadership of the project and/or bring in other folks to help finalize the writing. This will be done in discussion with the lead person whenever possible but it’s important that our work gets disseminated in a timely manner.

LawrenceLab_2026:

Usually, the first author has played the lead role in project execution, takes the lead in writing the manuscript, and continues these responsibilities during revision process. I expect all authors to read and provide comments. It is expected that the first author will continue to take primary responsibility even after they have left the lab. If substantial writing or other responsibility shifts to a co-author, then the order of authorship may change as the paper undergoes revision.

MaLab_2026:

For many reasons, you might consider leaving the lab. Maybe this type of research is not what you are looking for, maybe you are considering a career switch, maybe your interests have changed, or maybe you don’t like the lab culture. Don’t keep this to yourself but discuss it with me. I will not take it personally and I will do my best to help you. I might introduce you to others. I might help you reflect on the various options. If you decide to leave, we will discuss how you can potentially still get a paper out of your work in the lab.

MemoLab_2026:

Before you leave the lab, you will be required to document and archive any dataset that you have collected. I will review the dataset with you before you leave. MRI and EEG data should be archived on the cluster, and behavioral data should be archived on Box. In addition, I’ll ask you to create a File Locator doc that explains what is stored where.

NicholGroup_2026:

All lab members should write papers before leaving the lab (Barker, 2010) If a paper is submitted before a lab member leaves and it comes back requiring revisions, the first author or someone previously designated should make those changes and resubmit. If a paper is submitted before a lab member leaves but is then rejected, the person who rewrites the paper will become the first author (ideally this

18 of 24 is the original first author). If a paper is left unfinished when a lab member leaves, the person who writes the paper and submits it becomes the first author.

NicholGroup_2026:

In general, please ask me for permission to share anything from our group that has not been published. This includes things that the group has produced, like fabrication recipes or tricks, special measure code, etc. This excludes things that only you have produced, like your private code folder, presentations, etc. (i.e., you can use or share these things as you see fit).  If you are going to work at a company, I do not expect that you would make such a request. I would also be hesitant to grant such a request for students moving on to big companies.  I will disable your software accounts (box, slack, OneNote, etc.) shortly after your last day.  Please delete all nicholgroupur and urqdots chrome profiles on your personal computers, and do not log in to any of the shared google accounts after you leave.  Make sure all lab notebooks (especially fab notebooks) and fab tools are in the lab before you leave.  Turn in your keys to the keys drawer before you leave.  If possible, please provide an email address that we can use to contact you in case questions arise.

RobertsLab_2026:

When you leave the Roberts Lab — graduating, finishing a postdoc or appointment, wrapping up an undergraduate position, or moving on for any reason — the goal is simple: your work stays usable by the lab, and you leave with copies of everything that is yours to keep.

Use this page as a checklist. Start 2–4 weeks before your last day so nothing depends on access you no longer have. Work through it with Steven, and check items off as you go.

VuraWeisLab_2026:

When a group member graduates, as a PhD or as a Master, the group member’s contributions should be celebrated in a group event. The group social chair should take the initiative in organizing this event. The group event may be a shared meal, a potluck, a board games party or any other appropriate activity. Regardless of how a group member exits the group, steps should be taken with cooperation from the departing group member to ensure that any useful skills or knowledge developed by said group member will remain available to the group. ❖ Before the group member physically leaves (ideally as soon as an exit is planned), the supervisor, the departing group member and any in house collaborator (e.g. co-authors on papers) should meet and agree on what needs to be documented in writing and what needs to be passed on in training. ❖ To ensure completeness, the written documents should be read and understood by the professor and continuing group members.