We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands as well as the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. This land acknowledgement is a first step in our continuous efforts to actively support individuals and their cultures in the scientific community. We seek to build meaningful relationships between our lab group, the research we do, the land we occupy, and the broader community.
This values statement is a living document, which lab members pledge to return to and update on a regular basis (annually near when new members join). Our group was inspired to begin work on this in 2021 as part of a broader evolving conversation about how to engage with First Nations in our university and study regions. We focus on concrete actions we can take to promote these values.
Welcoming and respect - We work to create a warm, welcoming environment in our meetings and other lab interactions. Respect for a lab member's statements means: engaging with their viewpoint / not brushing it off, sensitively inquiring further to deepen the conversation, giving space to each person to speak (not interrupting and noticing when we dominate the conversation or when someone isn't feeling comfortable to contribute), actively listening when someone is speaking (giving them your total concentration and not preformulating a response while they are speaking), and understanding that some speech can convey connotations that are not intended. We particularly make space for each lab member presenting their work to be the first to outline conclusions from that work.
Identity - We value diversity within our lab and seek to provide equitable opportunities in the application and onboarding process. We work to support and engage individuals regardless of their sex, gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, native language, nationality, family responsibilities, socio-economic status, LGBTQ+ identity, or disability. This support applies within our lab group and to our professional interactions with the larger community around us. Each member of the lab will take an anti-discrimination training workshop at UVic (at least every four years for PIs). We support each other to engage in further opportunities to continue our education.
Self-care - We recognize that impactful scientific research does not happen without a strong personal foundation. Our lab actively promotes and supports its members engaging in self-care activities: mental, physical, familial, or other types. We need to take care of ourselves before we can be a good support for our peers (see next item). We actively reach out to lab members to check-in and support balanced, healthy lives. We advocate for opportunities at multiple levels to engage with mental health training / resources.
Peer support - Each lab member's success rests on the success of the lab as a whole. Time engaged in peer support is valued. Peer support could range from supportive communication to making suggestions on presentations and publications to concrete collaboration on projects to attending and engaging at lab member's presentations. It is each lab member's responsibility to ask for help when they need it, to notice when other lab members are struggling, and to provide support within their means. Mentorship is part of the role of each lab member and includes supporting others to understand university and department culture, particularly surrounding milestones like committee meetings, exams, defences.
Scientific integrity - We are loyal to the pursuit of understanding the natural world, to the presentation of data and interpretations in the most honest way possible without preconceptions, and to thinking critically. Our research is publicly funded. We take the trust accorded to us by our colleagues, tax payers, and the wider community very seriously and seek to uphold it in the strongest terms.
Interdisciplinarity - Projects and research vary widely in this lab, and group members are often from different disciplines. We specifically make an effort to expand each others' horizons, break down complex information into palatable portions, use accessible language (avoiding abbreviations and acronyms where reasonable), and provide good background summaries when discussing possibly unfamiliar science in group talks with the goal of increasing everyone's comfort level and base knowledge. We discuss papers in our journal club that cover broad research topics related to chemical oceanography. Our goals when taking part in discussions are to cooperate to build everyone up, to provide space for everyone to speak and ask questions. We recognize the bravery it takes to ask questions sometimes and seek to create an open environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions.
Environmental impact - We honour the social and physical environment around us in multiple ways. We treat the people we work with respect, within the lab group, the community, and particularly those we work with at sea or other field sites. We create a pleasant working environment by keeping common areas and our work areas clean. We recognize the impact that research has on the natural environment. We seek to limit that impact wherever possible, for example by proper disposal of chemicals and equipment, and to educate ourselves on the full impact of our work so that we can make informed decisions.
Finally, we recognize that we are human beings that make mistakes. We each lapse occasionally in our ability to be our best selves. We treat these as occasions to return to our values and try again.