Fieldwork behavior
Responsible and respectful conduct is expected from all group members while in the field. You are representing Columbia University and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and you are expected to behave as such. The Lamont Code of Conduct should be read by all group members: ~/Google Drive/Commane_Group/DEES_LDEO_Admin/Lamont Code of Conduct 2019.pdf
During field deployments, all team members, regardless of their home institution, are to be treated with respect. The PI has the authority and responsibility to remove from fieldwork any member of the group if that person’s behavior creates a serious problem for the field station or any other members of the field deployment. These behaviors include:
- Physical or verbal abuse or assault,
- Bullying,
- Intimidation,
- Coercion,
- Threats,
- Gender, race-based, or sexual harassment,
- Sexual misconduct,
- Behavior that endangers the health and safety of oneself or others.
Repeated infractions of any of the field stations rules may also result in expulsion from camp if these behaviors are not corrected after being brought to the person’s attention. Formal warning(s) for “minor” infractions may be issued before removing that person from the field deployment. The PI will keep a record of who has been warned.
Any team member who experiences any of these behaviors has a responsibility to inform both the PI and the senior scientist at the field station. Steps will be taken to de-escalate the situation while in the field and the group member will be protected and will have the choice of what they would like to happen to resolve the situation. Prof. Commane is a mandatory reporter and will report any incidents of harassment or misconduct that violate Lamont/Columbia University policies.
Fieldwork Preparation
Prior to departure, Róisín will hold a pre-trip meeting to outline all expected roles and responsibilities during the trip. During this meeting roles and responsibilities will be outlined for all individuals. Tasks will be assigned or rotated in a way that avoids gendered divisions of labor. All logistics, including sleeping arrangements, bathroom arrangements, cooking and cleaning turns, and responsibilities for carrying luggage/equipment will be clearly spelled out. If a participant is uncomfortable about a sleeping arrangement or chore, they should raise the topic with the PI and other members of the group at this time.
Field site staffing and communication
Both undergraduate and graduate students are not permitted to work in remote locations on their own (and it’s not recommended for anyone else either). So unless specifically agreed otherwise, any remote area fieldwork will always have at least two (ideally three) people. Fieldwork in urban areas (e.g. around NYC) can be conducted solo on agreement with Róisín. On all fieldwork, you are expected to communicate with Róisín both before and after completion of the work and ideally during the work if phone/wifi coverage is possible. For any considerations (e.g. medical accommodations) that you would prefer to be kept private, please inform Róisín ahead of time of any accommodations that are needed. Róisín will not ask for a reason for the accommodation.
Fieldwork cost reimbursement
All expenses related to fieldwork will be reimbursed through OCP or DEES directly. Flights can be purchased ahead of time by Róisín. Hotels can sometimes be paid for ahead of time so this should be discussed with Róisín.
Per Diem is only available on federally funded grants and Róisín’s funding comes from both federal and non-federal sources. So keep all food receipts just in case. All expense claims will need transport receipts. Columbia recently moved to using the Concur reimbursement system and Roisin hasn't figured out how to use that yet (no COVID travel). So please discuss expenses before any field trips to ensure the system is setup correctly for you.
Driving safety
The most dangerous thing we do on fieldwork is drive to/from the site. All drivers should be over 25 (usually needed for rental cars) and be comfortable driving at night and on highways. If you are comfortable driving for fieldwork, let Roisin know and you will be added to the designated driver list and driving and safety discussions will be undertaken before any field deployment. Drivers are to put safety first, regardless of any field deployment pressures and not drive when tired or unfit to focus.
For mobile-based field measurements, at least two people should be involved; one driving and the other leading navigation and instrument operation. The driver should never be distracted and trying to do anything else while driving.
Car Reimbursement/Rental
The group does not own a vehicle. Personal vehicles are reimbursed at 0.58c/mile from the grant sponsoring the fieldwork. If a personal vehicle is not available, cars can be rented from Hertz. For Columbia business travel, at the time of making a reservation, be sure to provide the Columbia University account number (CDP#), 254158, so that Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and Liability are included in the rental. This covers $100K/person, $300K/accident & $25K in property; the liability supplement and additional $1MM additional coverage is not included.
Offline computing
Many fieldwork situations do not have reliable internet access. So all researchers doing remote field work (e.g. Alaska) need to have a laptop with offline analysis software. Most of the group use R and RStudio and this is recommended for new group members.