During the annual assembly in March 2024, the research unit members have collaboratively worked out the following Code of Conduct.

Structure

1. Scope of Application of this Code of Conduct

The aim of this Code of Conduct (CoC) is to regulate the interactions of members and collaborators of the research unit (RU). Its purpose is to foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as openness in research and to comply with the goals of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). With this CoC we aim to provide an environment which is transparent about needs and to achieve a scientifically productive working environment while allowing for a healthy work-life balance. Our goal is to eventually enhance the RU to be more than the sum of its parts. This CoC also defines words and concepts which are central to understanding DEI.

This CoC applies to all persons involved in the activities of the research unit in a professional context. Every person involved in the activities of the research unit is expected to be mindful and aware of our common goals formulated in this CoC, commit to it and respect it. All these persons have a responsibility to not only abide by the CoC personally, but also to provide support to colleagues where possible.

All guidelines described in this CoC are considered as the recommended behaviour. Behaviour opposing these principles is not tolerated and deprecated. Unacceptable violations should be reported as described in section 6.

The subject fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) hold several groups that are under-represented. Examples include women, people of different ethnicity or nationality, indigeneous people, people of colour, people with disabilities, people with non-heteronormative sexual orientations or gender identities, neuro-diverse people, people from different economic backgrounds, first-generation students or people with different religious views. This CoC aims at improving DEI aspects for all people with various identity traits which are under-represented in STEM.

2. Communication

Respect is paramount in all forms of communication. We expect each other to engage in dialogue under the assumption everybody is competent and has valuable insights/contributions. This means one should actively listen to others, be patient and take into consideration what they say. One should refrain from projecting one’s own prejudices or negative assumptions onto others. If one doubts someone‘s scientific work, one should approach this in a respectful, non-personal and non-aggressive manner.

2.1. Day-to-Day Communication

Communication channels: It should be assumed that the main communication channels are those used within the professional sphere (i.e. e-mail, team apps such as Mattermost, Slack, etc.). If one wants to communicate through private channels, one should ask whether this is acceptable for all parties involved.
Awareness of privilege: People in general, and in some cases especially supervisors and principal investigators (PIs), should be conscious of their communication privilege and use it responsibly.
Honest apologies: Sincerely apologise when mistakes are made.
Positive feedback and constructive criticism: Provide positive feedback and offer constructive criticism to support improvement and growth.
Incorporating non-verbal communication: Recognise and value non-verbal cues as part of the communication process. Be aware of your non-verbal language as part of the exchange and ensure it is respectful to foster effective and considerate communication.

2.2. Communication during Scientific Events

Chairperson’s responsibility: The chairperson should be familiar with this CoC and is responsible for upholding these rules during the session.
Interruption preferences: Actively interrupting others during their presentation is not respectful and therefore strongly discouraged. It is encouraged to respectfully signal in case anything is unclear. It is the chairpersons role to watch out for such signals and give them the opportunity to speak when the time and format allows for it.
Encouraging silent participants: Encourage balanced participation by actively listen to quieter individuals and respectfully encourage them to share their thoughts.
Facilitating discussions: Foster an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas. Especially group leaders and supervisors should aim for mediating conflicts and ensuring discussions remain respectful and constructive.

These principles promote an inclusive, productive and respectful environment, encouraging everyone to contribute positively and without fear of undue judgment.

3. Supervisor/Supervisee Rules

To foster a healthy and productive relationship between supervisors and students, both parties are encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines:

Meeting cadence: Supervisors and supervisees are expected to establish and adhere to a regular meeting schedule, ensuring consistent opportunities for communication and progress review.
Project clarity and expectations: Supervisors are responsible for clearly defining project goals, potential risks and specific expectations regarding the supervisee’s commitment and required knowledge.
Regular feedback: Implement a structured feedback system that allows both supervisors and supervisees to share constructive feedback regularly.
Communication in urgent situations: Supervisors should in general not expect immediate responses or actions outside of regular working hours. Exceptions might occur depending on the culture of the field in cases of time-sensitive work, e.g. related to proposal deadlines in observational astronomy. In such cases it is recommended that the methods for urgent communications outside of normal working hours, (e.g., WhatsApp, phone calls, personal e-mails) are clearly defined and agreed on mutually beforehand. It is expected that the extra work outside of the regular hours is accounted for and that a transparent way or compensation can be agreed on.
Flexible working hours: It is generally recommended that flexible working hours can be agreed on when justified by reasonable circumstances such as family obligations or health issues and when it is reconcilable with the work requirements.
Work-life balance: Supervisors should not expect supervisees to work overtime and must promote a healthy work-life balance.
Addressing commitment issues: Should commitment issues arise, supervisors are expected to discuss these concerns with supervisees to understand underlying reasons and work towards solutions. Similarly, supervisees should feel empowered to address feelings of neglect or inadequate supervision and escalate the issue to a designated point of contact if necessary.
Professional development: Supervisors should encourage supervisees to engage in professional development opportunities that enhance their skills and career prospects, including facilitate access to workshops, seminars and networking events pending sufficient financial resources for the activity or event.

4. Work-Life Balance

It is strongly recommended that supervisors and managers offer their supervisees / team members the opportunity to have meetings to discuss work-life balance and related topics. This should be offered at the beginning of a contract and at least once per year thereafter. The meeting should be initiated by the supervisor to prevent authority privilege from influencing its necessity. The meeting does not need to occur if the supervisee / team member does not find it necessary. These meetings provide a platform to discuss:

Core working hours: Agree on specific days and times when both parties will be present in the office to facilitate informal discussions and foster a collaborative research environment.
Urgent meetings: Establish guidelines for the required notice period when scheduling last-minute meetings for urgent projects. For example: Agree that at least 24 hours’ notice is needed if there is an urgent project.
Working style: Discuss each party’s working style and expectations, including management preferences and their impact on motivation, pressure and autonomy, to alleviate potential tensions.
Personal constraints: Allow the supervisee / team member to share personal constraints and priorities if desired, such as family or health issues, and how these might affect their working hours.
Work environment issues: Provide a safe space for discussing any problems within the work environment, ensuring they are addressed promptly and effectively.

By addressing these points, supervisors and managers can create a supportive and productive work environment, adapted to the needs of individuals.

5. Practical Points

Both online, hybrid and purely in-person events should be organised in a low-barrier environment and with giving space for different needs during the event. To achieve this, during the event organisation, organisers should provide the possibility to all persons involved to communicate their specific needs, such as e.g. food preferences and intolerances, need for hybrid access, subtitling, absence of physical barriers, sign-language interpretation or child care.

It is our dedicated goal to act in a sustainable way and to minimise our carbon footprint, in particular by preferring sustainable venues. During the event-planning process, organisers should pay attention to the guidelines of sustainable and inclusive events as e.g. suggested by the Astronomers for Planet Earth.

6. Violations: Reporting and Consequences

All members of the RU are reqested to monitor the compliance to the CoC in their immediate environment. In case of any observation of any noncompliant behaviour, it is encouraged to mention this clearly to the person who is out of compliance with the CoC. Also, the direct supervisor should be informed when possible and appropriate. It is expected that in this way many conflicts can be directly resolved. In all cases where this does not succeed or does not seem feasible, the Equality Committee should be approached.

The Equality Committee will be in charge of monitoring the CoC actively and can be supported by a task force if necessary. Violations of the CoC can be reported to the members of the Equality Committee at any time. Together we will evaluate how to react to the violation, taking into account the wishes of the reporting person. This might include contacting the PI of the relevant working group and starting an open dialogue with the involved parties. If required, the equality representatives of the involved institutions will be contacted as well.
Additional contact persons might be installed during local events to ease the reporting of violations. If no member of the Equality Committee is present at a local event, an additional contact person for CoC violation reporting must be installed.

7. Defining Terms

Equality versus Equity:
Equality and equity are two strategies used in the pursuit of fairness. Equality means providing the same level of opportunity and assistance to all parts of our research unit or in a broader context to all segments of the society, such as in the distribution of resources or opportunities. It can also mean that everybody is treated equally under the law or under a set of rules. On the other hand, equity involves understanding and giving people different levels of support based on their needs to achieve greater fairness of outcomes. While equality focuses on distributing the same resources to everyone, equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

Neuro-diverse or -divergent:
Neurodiversity refers to a concept in which neurobiological differences are regarded and respected as one human disposition among others. Atypical neurological developments are categorised as natural human differences. Since the concept includes people of all neurological statuses, in fact all people are considered neurodiverse. The term neuro-minority refers to people who, as a minority, are not neurotypical.
In a narrower sense of the concept of neurodiversity, people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, synaesthesia, bipolar disorder and giftedness are counted among the neurodivergent people. The neurodiversity movement considers these characteristics to be natural forms of human diversity that are subject to the same social dynamics as other forms of diversity. It is thus firmly opposed to the pathologisation of neurominorities.

Privilege (e.g. Communication Privilege):
Privilege refers to a set of unearned advantages, benefits or rights granted to certain individuals or groups, often based on characteristics such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or authority. These advantages can manifest in various aspects of life, including social, economic, political and cultural spheres and often go unnoticed by those who possess them.
Communication privilege refers to the inherent advantages and influence certain individuals hold in conversations due to their position, status or authority. This concept is particularly relevant in hierarchical environments, such as academic or professional settings, where supervisors, principal investigators (PIs) or senior staff have a significant impact on the flow and tone of communication.

Heteronormativity:
Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the most natural, coherent and acceptable sexual orientation. It assumes that heterosexuality is the superior sexual orientation, as opposed to e.g. homosexuality or bisexuality. It also relies on upholding the gender binary (i.e. that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that biological sex, gender identity, sexuality and gender roles are all aligned. It creates and enforces a social hierarchy which discriminates and oppresses those who do not identify as heterosexual or as belonging to the gender binary.

DFG Research Unit (Forschungsgruppe) FOR 5195 – Relativistic Jets in Active Galaxies

Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)

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