IDEA Case Studies
IDEA Case Studies are an opportunity to highlight the work individuals, teams, departments, divisions and areas are doing to advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability at the Lab. Each case study below gives an overview of the initiative, the steps taken, the outcomes, and key lessons learned. If you are interested in starting a similar program and need additional information, please refer to the contact information at the end of each case study. Thank you for all that you do to make Berkeley Lab a great place to work!
IDEAs-in-Action
Case Study Roundtable:
Biosciences Area Fresh Faces Program
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Case Study Roundtable:
Biosciences Area Fresh Faces Program
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Join the IDEA Office and the Biosciences Area to learn about their Fresh Faces Program. We'll talk about the concept, the steps taken, the outcomes so far, and lessons learned in the process.
The Biosciences Fresh Faces program started in 2017 when the Associate Lab Director at the time, Jay Keasling, recognized that early career researchers in Biosciences were not being regularly selected for the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program (ECRP) funding. The program was designed to create a more equitable pathway for early-career researchers—who often have limited professional networks and ‘insider knowledge’ to draw upon compared to more experienced researchers— to access funding.
The intent of the program is to introduce early career researchers to the Office of Science program managers so that when funding calls are issued, they are better prepared to apply, have connections with the people behind the funding, and have a better understanding of the inner workings of funding agencies. The organizational details of the program are handled by the Interim Area Deputy for Science, a program manager, and a senior administrator who manages all the logistics around meeting attendance and travel.
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 (add it to your calendar)
Time: 12 noon - 12:45 PT
Join us on Zoom
OCFO: Psychological Safety
The LBNL Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) realized early on that Psychological Safety was an area of growth. As such, when the OCFO 3-year roadmap was developed and implemented, “Enhance Psychological Safety” was identified as the main project under the ‘Enhance OCFO IDEA Program' key initiative. The goal of this initiative is to create a psychologically safe environment which will lead to more creative and effective teams.
MOLECULAR FOUNDRY: Community Agreement on Work Life Balance
The concept of a work/life balance community agreement grew out of the early pandemic. Staff reported feeling overwhelmed and being challenged to balance work with personal demands. The goal of the agreement was to create an environment where work/life balance is a recognized element of work culture, articulate our shared values and expectations, and empower employees to talk about the topic.
BIOSCIENCES AREA:
Fresh Faces Program
Fresh Faces Program
The Biosciences Fresh Faces Program started in 2016 when the Associate Lab Director recognized that early career researchers in Biosciences were not being regularly selected for the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program funding. The intent of the program is to introduce early career researchers to the DOE Office of Science Program Managers.