Environmental Chemistry Lab, Department of Applied Chemistry,
Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
Led by Tomoaki OKUDA, Ph.D.

General rules of the laboratory

In our laboratory, all members conduct their own lab activities while sharing limited resources (time, space, equipment, reagents, and research budgets). In order for everyone to perform at one’s best, one should respect the lab rules on how to share these limited resources. Here are some examples of our general rules, but these are the minimum, and we need more effort to achieve something great. Please understand that it is not for the purpose of over-managing members. These rules are not solely determined by the lab PI, but are discussed and reviewed several times a year by all lab members and updated as necessary. As an example of rule revision, the online activity rule was established in 2020 as a response to the new type of corona, and since then the balance between on-campus and home use has been revised several times, and the current laboratory activity rules are based on on-campus activities while adopting flexible activity styles within certain limits. Currently, the rules are based on on-campus activities while adopting flexible activity styles within a certain range. (2025.4.1 Revision)

• (a) A minimum of 35 hours of laboratory activity per week, of which at least 28 hours must be on-site (in the laboratory).
• *For the month of April, Saturday is also an activity day, and the weekly laboratory activity hours shall be 42 hours or more, of which at least 28 hours shall be on-site activities. However, the time saved from activities in advance will be taken into consideration. In principle, new members will be required to be on-site.
• *Exceptions will be made when it is difficult to attend onsite due to weather, transportation disruption, or illness. The same applies below.
• (b) On-site activities should, in principle, begin at 10:00 a.m. at the latest.
• (c) Notate in Slack at the beginning and end of the research activity, regardless of whether it is on-site or teleworking. When teleworking, the morning Slack greeting should indicate that "Today's activity is a telework activity.
• (d) As a rule, attendance at the beginning of the semester and other break days should be onsite from 10:00 a.m.. Preparations will be made before 10:00 a.m., and meetings, research presentations, etc. will start at 10:00 a.m. In some cases, laboratory events may start before 10:00 (e.g. 9:00).
• (e) In principle, class time is not included in the laboratory activity time, but classes related to our laboratory (e.g., Environmental Science Discussion) are included in the laboratory activity time. Class TA time introduced or requested by the laboratory is included in laboratory activity time. In principle, employment activities are not included in the laboratory activity time.
• (f) For weekday vacations, etc., taking a day off first to make up for it later is not acceptable, and as before, savings must be made before taking a day off. If you use your savings to take a day off, you must clearly indicate the time remaining in your savings when you greet others in Slack.
• (g) 2h/day of onsite research time may be spent chatting, including lunch and break time.
• (h) “Holiday but class day” is a holiday for the laboratory. On the other hand, weekdays during Mita Festival are weekdays for the laboratory.
• (i) As a general rule, if you are mentored in Slack between 10am and 6pm on weekdays, you must respond in some way within one hour. (It is assumed that both parties are in constant contact with each other during research activities.)
• (j) Accidents and mistakes during research activities, even small ones, should be reported in the #_mistake channel on Slack.
• (k) If you have any other problems or concerns in the laboratory, please inform Okuda as soon as possible.
• ・Attendance is mandatory for all laboratory activities (lectures, research presentations, etc.)
• ・Saturday meetings may be held in January before the presentation of the thesis or dissertation.
• ・Attendance is managed under the responsibility and conscience of each individual (by filling in the attendance register) → Daily greetings on Slack and activity reports in the Weekly Report will be continued.
• ・Students submit weekly reports by 1:00 p.m. every Friday in principle using BOX and Slack, and students give each other feedback and discuss with faculty members as necessary.
• ・Students are required to present their research once a week (in principle, Monday 5th period 16:30-18:00) and once about every month and a half.
• ・The rules for absences due to job hunting, classes, personal reasons, etc. will be determined separately.
• ・Students are expected to attend national and international conferences and write papers according to the progress of their research, attend training camps, play sports, go out drinking, and do their best in both their private life and research.
• ・Smartphone operation time and video viewing time are not included in research activities → Make the laboratory environment more professional!
• ・BAD NEWS FIRST (Don't hide the bad news!)
• ・Presentations should be made online in some cases, and both real-time and recorded presentations should be used.