KBase Code of Conduct

The U.S. Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase mission is to be an open, community platform for discovery and knowledge creation that empowers more productive and collaborative research.

Overview

To carry out our mission, a KBase code of conduct has been established that embodies our commitment to creating a positive place encouraging collaboration. KBase strives to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for our team and our user community by recognizing that people bring diverse life histories and experiences, and value in everyone’s contributions. We adhere to these guidelines internally, as a team, and in our relationships with external collaborators and the user community. If you have any questions or concerns with the following document or language therein, please email KBase at engage@kbase.us

Building trust in virtual communities

KBase is dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for scientific collaboration that is free from harassment of any sort, including verbal and written language and imagery, targeting an individual or group of individuals. 

This includes, but is not limited to, harassment based on age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socioeconomic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, political or religious beliefs, or sexual identity and orientation.

Anyone receiving or witnessing harassment, or concerned about potentially harassing behavior, should feel confident to speak up and report all violations immediately. See below for contact information for reporting.

Welcoming ideas, respecting contributions

KBase and our collaborators agree to:

  • Maintain a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages diverse perspectives to be shared with the goal of supporting new ideas and novel solutions to current challenges;
  • Recognize and remind each other that discussions around current challenges are to be constructive, forward-looking, and solution oriented;
  • Be mindful and respectful of research goals – content and ideas should be shared only by the original contributors so they get credit for their contributions;
  • Embrace the open, transparent, and collaborative nature of the KBase platform by sharing data, tools, and knowledge with the KBase community.

Always supportive, positive, and professional 

KBase strives to: 

  • Build supportive teams where members feel able to explore the current boundaries in science and technology. We celebrate all wins, big or small, while also understanding that failure is how we learn. As a team, we learn, adapt, and move forward together. 
  • Create and maintain a culture of mutual respect. Communication is open, honest, transparent, and always with positive intent. We acknowledge that our actions have the potential to positively or negatively impact the productivity and motivation of our fellow team members and thus the project as a whole.
  • Demonstrate trust and accountability, both internally and to our external partners, by communicating any new opportunities, proposed changes, or issues/delays with the team so others on the team can assist in the decision, planning, and/or resolution process.
  • Enable the professional growth and career advancement of team members and collaborators by working to best align project goals with individual goals. This supports our commitment to the shared vision, whilst providing opportunity and resources for professional development and promotion. 
  • Acknowledge institutional barriers in access to resources and opportunity, and strive to promote equity among our collaborators.
  • Provide the best possible collaborative experience to our partners, our users, and ourselves. 

Reporting Code of Conduct violations

If you need to report a violation, please contact Elisha Wood-Charlson (User Engagement Lead at LBNL; elishawc@lbl.gov) or Meghan Drake (Technical Project Manager at ORNL; drakemm@ornl.gov). Working with you, Elisha and/or Meghan will follow up with appropriate HR contacts at respective institutions.

Revised December 2021