SAFE Labs

MayorLab_2026:

Bench space and common space: Each lab member will have a designated lab space consisting of a bench and desk spaces. The location of the designated space may occasionally be re-assigned if the lab is re-configurated. Lab seniority may determine priority for new free space after somebody leave (based on the date a lab member joined the lab).

OttLab_2025:

We use our shared Google calendar to schedule shared equipment. Challenges with using and sharing our equipment are regularly discussed at lab meeting and re-organizing equipment is a regular item at our annual retreat. In addition, feel free to bring up any issues regarding equipment use and scheduling with your PI. Remember that you are responsible to leave equipment clean and functional after use. Immediately bring up equipment issues with the team.

ReinhardLab_2025:

It is important to us that all team members have access to the lab resources they need. Essential courses (animal licenses) and essential equipment (e.g. a powerful data processing computer) are guaranteed and paid for by the school/lab. Fair does not always mean equal since team members might have different contracts, personal resources, responsibilities and work-related needs. Lab and school resources (equipment, consumables) are accessible to everyone and will be allocated based on project needs without favoritism. Expenses, including for conferences and courses, are documented and visible to all lab members. We do not strive to guarantee the same amount of money to every member since certain events are much more costly than others, but to guarantee equal access to opportunities that are relevant to each member. Members with external funding (travel grants, bench fees from personal grants) may be able to attend more events, have more independence in their decision of which events to attend and/or might have exclusive access to equipment they bought with their grants. If a lab member feels unfairly treated, please raise the issue promptly as described in the section “Lab and inter-personal issues”. As a rule of thumb, the following applies:

• PhD candidates:

Conferences/workshops: Every PhD candidate that is hired by the school has access to ~700 Euro/year to be used for conferences, summer schools etc. In their first year, students are encouraged to focus on lectures and getting to know the lab, their project and relevant techniques. They might use this money to attend technical workshops or online data analysis courses. In their 2nd-4th year, they are encouraged to attend one conference per year. The PI will do her best to complement these resources if necessary with lab funds. PhD candidates are requested to apply for travel grants whenever possible and adequate.

Personal laptop: All heavy computing (data processing, analysis etc.) can be done on lab servers that include the necessary software licenses. For writing, smaller analysis tasks, and presentation preparation, PhD students can request 400 Euro from the school towards buying a computer/laptop. Furthermore, everyone can get access to a school-owned desktop computer. Students are encouraged to acquire a laptop through this channel since the computer then belongs to them. If this is not an option, buying a laptop from school funds can be discussed with the PI, but will belong to the school.

• Postdocs:

Conferences/workshops: Postdocs will in most cases be hired either on a lab grant (e.g. ERC) or a personal fellowship (MSCA etc.). In either case, these grants normally include a budget for conference attendances. In general, the PI will do her best to guarantee attendance of at least 1 conference or summer school per year. Postdocs are requested to apply for travel grants whenever possible and adequate.

Personal laptop: All heavy computing (data processing, analysis etc.) can be done on lab servers that include the necessary software licenses. For writing, smaller analysis tasks, and presentation preparation, everyone can get access to a school-owned desktop computer. Buying a laptop from school funds can be discussed with the PI but will belong to the school.

• Technicians:

Conferences/workshops: Technicians will generally not attend conferences, but might want to attend technical workshops. Technicians will in most cases be hired on a lab grant (e.g. ERC) where a budget is allocated for workshops. In general, the PI will do her best to guarantee attendance of relevant workshops.

Personal laptop: Same rules as for postdocs apply.

KiharaLab_2026:

ガラス器具を割ったらすぐに注文する。直せるものは直す。原則として全ての器具は共通で使う。何らかの理由で自分で占有したい器具があれば、最小限認める。

English translation:

If you break glassware, order a replacement straight away. Repair what can be repaired. As a rule, all equipment is shared. If for some reason you want to keep a piece of equipment for your own use, this is allowed to a minimal extent.

INSIGHTLab_2026:

At present, there are no lab resources other than the standard laptop employees receive.

CoenLab_2025:

In our lab “resources” comprise two main areas: financial resources (e.g. ordering the equipment you need for your project) and access resources (e.g. access to experimental rigs). If you feel that either of these are not being distributed fairly, please raise the issue in your 1-on-1 meeting with Pip, or use the button below.

Financial resources

Pip makes every effort to maximise the financial resources available to the lab, and discusses these at regular [Lab Updates link]. However, irrespective of lab finances, we strive to run the lab responsibly and spend money in accordance with the needs of each project. For more details: [Ordering Link]

Internal Rig Access

Each experimental rig has a dedicated lab outlook calendar, where you can book time on that rig by creating an event. All lab members have access to all calendars. Only book rigs if you intend to use them, and please alert the lab (via Slack) if you’re unable to use a previously booked slot.

Rig use varies with experimental need, and sometimes slots need to be booked well in advance. However, it’s important that these resources aren’t monopolized by any individual for extended periods. At the time of writing, this hasn’t been an issue, but please discuss conflicts with Pip as soon as they arise*—ideally before they arise!* When someone has invested significant time building a new rig, they’ll receive some priority in using it, but as a collaborative lab, no rig should be used exclusively by one person (if others have an interest in using it).

Shared-Rig Access

We share communal surgical and histology equipment with other labs in our immediate vicinity (at the time of writing, the O’Keefe, Barry, Linden, Wills, and Burgess Labs). These resources have their own dedicated calendar booking system. With two full surgical suites, there should be sufficient equipment to comfortably support everyone’s needs. However, if you believe a group is unfairly monopolizing equipment or facilities, please raise the issue with Pip, who will discuss it with the head of the respective group. Please also do this if someone is not treating the equipment or facilities appropriately and it is impacting your work.

AeryJonesLab_2026:

Everyone contributes equally to keeping the lab running.

• All tools, equipment, consumables, and lab spaces are shared, except for desks. Sign up for shared rooms and equipment in timely manner on the “rooms and equipment” calendar. Reset the space when you’re done or label as a work in progress.
• We collectively keep the inventory up-to-date to prevent duplicates. Order replacement inventory at least before we reach 2 week’s supply, to allow for shipping time.
• We have an annual lab clean-up in December that everyone is expected to participate in. We use this time to reorganize shared inventory, toss or rehome items no longer in use, and agree on where things should live.

CognAcLab_2026:

All research expenses should be covered by lab funds; lab members should not cover any research expenses out of their own pocket. When appropriate, keep Ivry informed of significant research expenses (e.g., high participant payments). B. Each graduate student and post-doc is entitled to one computer purchase during their time at Berkeley. C. Publication costs are covered by the lab.

EcometeorologyLab_2026:

Materials needs to conduct your research and improve your ability to do and communicate that research are first the responsibility of the lab to purchase and acquire, following UW purchasing policies. These policies require things such as preferred vendors and systems for some items and ensuring sale taxes exemption where required. Please work with me to identify those needs and we can purchase those. You will generally not be able to get reimbursed if you pay for them yourselves, except in emergency (e.g., last minute hardware store run in the field), which will require extra documentation. Depending on the item, sometimes we can acquire immediately and other times we need to wait for the right type of funds to be available. Please note, any items purchased by the lab remain property of the lab after you depart, including items like laptops, portable hard drives, field clothing, and textbooks, unless explicitly stated otherwise. If you would like to acquire something to keep after you depart, then that would be a case where it is appropriate to use your own personal funds.

KawaharaLab_2026:

a. If someone in the Kawahara Lab does not have a private office, then they are entitled to have a clean and distraction-free work area in at least one of the following shared spaces.

1. Graduate student cubicles

2. 2nd-floor mailroom

3. Molecular lab

4. Wing voucher room

5. Rearing room

6. Main floor collections (e.g., next to digitization equipment)

b. People should only store personal items in their personal work space or in a designated locker (located next to the graduate student cubicles). Be mindful of the limited spaces available in the lab for storage.

1. Personal items that could be disrespectful to others should not be brought into shared spaces

2. Be cognizant that some of these spaces are shared with people outside of the Kawahara Lab; please be respectful of other museum staff and students.

c. Everyone is expected to remove/clean their workspace before graduating/leaving the Kawahara Lab.

d. Everyone in the Kawahara Lab is entitled to have a virtual workspace in the Kawahara group on the HiPerGator cluster. They are expected to clean/organize their files before graduating/leaving the Kawahara Lab and delete any unneeded files. The Kawahara Lab has limited computing resources and all users should be mindful of not wasting those resources.

KleinerLab_2026:

Computers. All full time members of the Kleiner Lab have high-performance laptops provided for them to assist in completing their research.

High-performance computing resources. The Kleiner Lab owns two high-performance standalone computers (12 cores, 96GB memory, 15 TB hard drive space including SSD drives), which are used for proteomic data processing and analyses. The Kleiner Lab also owns two servers (512 and 768 GB of memory, 56 and 128 threads) for tasks that are memory or computationally intensive such as assembly of metagenomes. These servers are available to all team members working with large genomic, metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and (meta)proteomic datatsets.

McDermottLab_2026:

Everyone who works full-time in the lab is entitled to a desk in some sort of office. These will be rotated periodically to help ensure equitable assignment of locations. If you are not happy with the current arrangement let me know and I will try to address it. If your work setup is ergonomically suboptimal, let me know and I will try to rectify.

MolecularEcologyLab_2026:

As a general policy, assignment of desk space is based on seniority. As space opens up, I reach out to those who have been here the longest to offer them the option to move their space. Other lab spaces are shared, and I ask that you not store personal belongings (bikes, equipment, plants, etc) in the lab, unless you can place them at your desk.

SchumerLab_2026:

It is also my responsibility to fund the lab and make sure advancing your career is not a financial burden to you. In particular, you are not expected to pay for society memberships, living (food, lodging, etc) or travel costs for field work or scientific conferences (see details in the lab handbook).

SwansonGroup_2026:

Here’s laptop policy for my students:

• After I’ve been your primary graduate advisor for two years (and we expect that state of affairs to continue), you can ask for a laptop as soon as you’d like one. If you have a workable laptop of your own, it’s probably a good idea to wait (see #2).
• I’ll pay for one laptop during your grad school career.
• If you’ve received and still have the use of another university laptop in the last 3 years, you’ll need to wait until the laptop is at least 3 years old.
• Once you have a laptop, it should become your primary computer for school work. This means that unless you have a specific need for a desktop machine, your desktop machine may get repurposed (just the CPU, not the monitor and keyboard etc).