Lab culture

We aim to think deeply, build carefully, learn broadly, and create a generous environment for sharing ideas and developing as scientists. This is a living statement: lab members are encouraged to help us revise it as the group grows.

How we treat one another

Kindness, intellectual honesty, curiosity, and mutual respect are basic expectations. We collaborate rather than compete with one another, share credit fairly, and make room for questions—including questions that reveal uncertainty or challenge a senior person’s view. A failed analysis or experiment is information, not a personal failure. Problems should be discussed early so that we can solve them together.

Academic hierarchy can make speaking candidly especially difficult in India. The PI therefore has a responsibility to invite disagreement and listen without retaliation. Feedback should be specific, constructive, and two-way. If a concern cannot be resolved directly, members may approach a co-adviser, thesis committee member, the department, or an appropriate IIT Gandhinagar support channel.

Good science benefits from people with different disciplines, regions, languages, castes, classes, religions, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, and neurotypes. Discrimination, harassment, and exclusion have no place in the lab. English fluency, accent, institutional pedigree, or familiarity with unwritten academic customs are not measures of intelligence. We will explain those customs, make materials accessible where practicable, and support people in asking for the conditions they need to do their best work.

Mentoring and scientific practice

Mentoring should respond to the person’s goals and stage of training. We use regular individual meetings and lab discussions to clarify priorities, unblock work, improve writing and presentations, and plan the next skill to learn. Expectations should be made explicit rather than left for students to infer. Lab members should also be able to give feedback on the mentoring they receive.

We value careful reasoning over polished appearances. Wherever participant consent and privacy allow, we document decisions, preserve reproducible analysis workflows, share materials, and use open-science practices. Human-participant data are handled with particular care and in accordance with ethics approvals.

Time, wellbeing, and life outside the lab

Research is demanding, but constant availability is neither healthy nor a sign of commitment. We do not routinely expect replies in the evening, on weekends, or on public and religious holidays. Lab members may need flexibility for health, family and caregiving responsibilities, festivals, commuting, or other parts of life. When workload or wellbeing becomes difficult, we encourage an early and private conversation so that priorities, deadlines, and support can be adjusted.

Social activities are optional, inclusive, and kept affordable. No one should have to participate in them to access mentoring, information, or professional opportunities.

Growth, community, and responsibility

Members should leave the lab with stronger scientific judgment as well as technical skills. Subject to available funding, we support conference participation, training, collaborations, science communication, and preparation for careers in academia, industry, education, or public service. We also aim to engage with schools and communities around us, and to communicate in Indian languages when that makes our work more accessible.

We try to use research resources responsibly: plan computation before scaling it, reuse equipment, avoid unnecessary waste, and weigh the scientific value of travel. Prospective members are welcome to speak with current lab members about their experience before deciding whether RCP Lab is a good fit.

Acknowledgements

This statement was shaped in part by the openness of the Wei Ji Ma Lab community and mentorship statement. The commitments and wording here are original and adapted for RCP Lab, IIT Gandhinagar.