The CRC1601 conducts astrophysics research projects and aims to achieve international competitiveness in its field1. It promotes collaboration with other institutions, supports early career researchers, and fosters international cooperation and equal opportunities. To achieve these goals, the CRC 1601 maintains an open, interdisciplinary, and inclusive environment that encourages exchange of new ideas among all participating scientists. The code of conduct is therefore not only a set of basic standards of behavior that reflect our shared values. It is also an essential part of the CRC 1601 that enables us to be successful and reach our goals. The code of conduct applies to all CRC 1601 personnel and members. It does not replace or supersede any local institutional codes of conduct, anti-discrimination policies, or anti-harassment policies.
We behave professionally and respectfully.
We maintain a professional environment that encourages the free expression and exchange of scientific ideas and is characterized by an atmosphere of tolerance, equity, and mutual respect, regardless of group-specific characteristics and individual differentiation characteristics, including but not limited to: (alphabetically) academic position, age, disability, ethnicity, family background, family status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, maternity, nationality, physical appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Behaviors and language acceptable to one person may not be to another. We make every effort to ensure that words and actions communicate respect for others.
We foster a welcoming and inclusive work environment.
We respect and value differences. We do not offend or exclude others, and are aware that statements or actions not intended to be offensive may be perceived as such. We encourage to ask for clarifications and respectful communications to clear up misunderstanding and resolve conflicts. We actively discourage discrimination2 and unpleasant or disparaging remarks or actions, on the basis of personal attributes and characteristics as mentioned above.
We conduct research with professional integrity, honesty, and following ethical standards.
We follow the DFG Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice. We actively foster an environment where new scientific ideas can be shared freely without fear of being taken advantage of. We credit others’ contributions and declare conflicts of interest. For publications we acknowledge work of others, and offer co-authorship to all who have contributed significantly to the inception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research, regardless of any personal conflicts or preference.
We do not tolerate harassment.
We are committed to providing a safe, harassment-free and discrimination-free environment for everyone. Harassment includes derogatory or offensive statements, denigrating jokes, sexualised representations, deliberate intimidation, stalking, persecution, unwanted photography, filming or recording, repeated disturbance of presentations and other events, unwanted bodily contact and unwanted sexual attention.
We do not tolerate bullying.
Bullying3 is a conflict-laden communication or act in which the person concerned is inferior and is repeatedly and systematically excluded or directly or indirectly attacked by one or more persons, often over a longer period of time. This behavior includes: systematic spreading of discrediting rumors, systematic denial of information relevant to studies or work, and insults, offensive and humiliating treatment.
We encourage everybody to report violations of this policy to the appropriate principal investigator, CRC 1601 diversity board4, scientific coordinator or the CRC 1601 Spokesperson. If all internal contact points present a conflict of interest, reports may also be directed to the contacts of relevant institutions5. We will not tolerate any form of retaliation for reporting, speaking up, or intervening in response to code of conduct violations.
The CRC 1601 sanctions for participants found in violation of this code of conduct may range from warnings, over exclusion from CRC 1601 events, to expulsion from the CRC 1601 or escalating to sanctions at the institutional level. Warning may be issued by the CRC 1601 diversity board, executive board, spokesperson, or chair of an event. One time exclusion will be issued by the chair of the event. Stronger sanctions such as membership exclusion will be initiated by the executive board.
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1CRC1601 Bylaws
2Discrimination entails degradation, contempt, disregard, exclusion or violence against persons on the basis of factual or attributed group-specific characteristics or on the basis of further individual differentiation characteristics
2,3 Antidiscrimination Directive of the University of Cologne
4 Including anonymous drop box https://sfb1601.astro.uni-koeln.de/equality/dropbox/
5 https://physik.uni-koeln.de/en/fachgruppe-institute-ordner/department-institutes/antidiscrimination
https://zentrale-vertrauensstelle.uni-koeln.de/en
https://physik.uni-koeln.de/fachgruppe-institute-ordner/fachgruppe-institute/antidiskriminierung
https://astro.uni-bonn.de/en/institute/DEI
https://www.mpg.de/about-us/organisation/ombudspersons/ombudspersons-cpt
https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/bfc/about-us/contacts
References
This Code of Conduct was created based on
- CRC 1245 Code of Conduct
with changes inspired by
- Antidiscrimination Directive of the University of Cologne
- German Astronomical Society Code of Conduct
https://astronomische-gesellschaft.de/en/member/code-of-conduct/codepdf
- “Matter and Light for Quantum Computing” (ML4Q) Cluster of Excellence Code of Conduct