Independent study expectations agreement

• Time Investment and Scheduling: A full-time academic load is roughly 40 hours per week across four courses, or about 10 hours per week per course. Independent study fits the same model. In practice this is about 8 to 10 hours physically in the lab each week, with reading, analysis, and planning on top of that. You are responsible for setting a regular schedule that fits your project and does not push routine work onto your mentor. This may mean starting an experiment before class and returning later to collect data. Share your schedule with your mentor through Slack or a shared calendar. These hours are a baseline, not a limit.
• In Lab versus Out of Lab Work: Some work happens outside the lab, but independent study is an in-lab research experience, and project work should primarily be carried out in the lab whenever feasible. That is also the best way to get feedback and get to know the group.
• Courses Come First: You are never expected to miss class for a lab meeting or an experiment. Plan your research schedule around your courses, and tell us in advance when conflicts come up so we can plan around them together.
• Proactivity and Responsibility: Anticipate what needs to happen rather than waiting to be told. If cells or cultures need attention at a particular time, arrange your availability. If supplies are low, say so promptly. You are not on your own, the whole lab helps each other, but communicate early if you need assistance or hit a scheduling conflict.
• Scientific Curiosity: Ask questions, read the literature, and propose approaches. Move from following protocols to understanding why each step is there, and eventually to suggesting improvements.

• Registration Form: Complete the appropriate independent study registration form before the semester starts, and review it, including the abstract, with your primary mentor at least once before sending it to Dr. Chory for review and signature.
• First-Week Planning Meeting: You are responsible for setting up a meeting with your primary peer mentor during the first week of the semester to build a preliminary plan, set goals, and agree on scheduling.
• Weekly Check-Ins: You are paired with a primary peer mentor (a graduate student or postdoc) and are expected to have at least one check-in per week. The format is flexible: bench-side, coffee, lunch, or a formal meeting. The purpose is progress tracking, troubleshooting, and integration into the lab.
• Class Availability and Subgroup Attendance: Fill out the class availability form (www.chorylab.com/availability) at the start of the semester so subgroup meetings can be scheduled at a time you can consistently attend. Reliable attendance and preparation are part of your evaluation.
• Asking for Help: Questions are always welcome and never an annoyance. Asking questions demonstrates curiosity far more than nodding along signals competence. Try first, come with a possible solution to discuss, and you will build confidence in making decisions independently.
• Build Your Own Ideal Mentorship: Everyone arrives with different experience, personality, and learning style. Talk with your mentor periodically about what would make your mentorship work better for you. We want to know.

• Project Plan and Timeline: Early in the semester, ideally in the first-week meeting, define your project goals and milestones with your mentor and Dr. Chory. Set clear benchmarks for the midpoint and the end of the semester.
• Lab Notebook and Documentation: Keep a clear, dated notebook in Benchling or on paper. Record experimental plans, observations, results, and interpretations. Document failed experiments and troubleshooting. Keep notebooks and metadata in a state another lab member could follow.
• Subgroup Presentations: Coordinate with your mentor to select 1 to 2 subgroup meetings during the semester for a roughly 10-minute research update, prepared in advance. Present data in a clear and interpretable form, including negative or inconclusive results, which are strongly encouraged when they inform troubleshooting or the next experiment.
• Mid-Semester Check-In: Schedule a 1:1 with your peer mentor around the midpoint, complete the mid-semester check-in form before or during that meeting, and then meet with Dr. Chory together to review progress, feedback, and next steps. The aim is a small number of concrete action items for the rest of the semester.
• Final Deliverable: Submit a final product scaled to your credit load and experience level: a written report covering goals, background, methods, results, and lessons learned; a well-organized and documented dataset; or a presentation to the lab in a formal lab meeting. The emphasis is clarity, reflection, and scientific reasoning.

• Respect and Reliability: Treat colleagues and the lab environment with respect. Arrive on time for experiments and meetings. If something comes up, say so on Slack in advance and reschedule rather than not appearing.
• Safety and Organization: Complete all required safety training before doing any lab work, follow every safety protocol, keep shared equipment clean, and return items where they belong.
• Independence: Independence means carrying out routine experimental work without a mentor overseeing it or doing it for you, and it is expected to grow over the semester. The lab is a shared environment, and repeatedly asking others to step in for routine or logistical tasks places a burden on their time. Discuss expectations around independence and appropriate requests for help with your mentor at the start of the semester.
• Academic Integrity and Ethics: Uphold the highest standards of research integrity. All data and findings must be reported accurately. Plagiarism, fabrication, or misrepresentation of data is strictly prohibited.

• What Is Graded: Grades reflect effort, engagement, rigor, and professionalism, weighted as Time Commitment and Consistency (20%), Lab Notebook and Documentation (20%), Engagement and Communication (15%), Independence and Initiative (15%), Mid-Semester Checkpoint (15%), and Final Deliverable (15%).
• What Is Not Graded: Whether experiments succeeded, whether results were publishable, and whether hypotheses were confirmed.
• End-of-Semester Evaluation Meeting: To receive a final grade, it is your responsibility to schedule a wrap-up meeting with your mentor and Dr. Chory. You will review the rubric together, discuss strengths and areas to improve, and set goals for the next semester if you are continuing.
• Peer Mentor Feedback: Your peer mentor will be asked for brief end-of-semester feedback, and their input may be incorporated into your evaluation and into future letters of recommendation.
• Ongoing Feedback: Feedback is not limited to the end of the semester. If you run into trouble, whether technical, time management, or balancing commitments, speak up sooner rather than later.

By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Independent Study in the Chory Lab document and the expectations outlined above, and I agree to abide by them. I commit to meeting the weekly time expectations, maintaining clear and proactive communication with my mentor and the lab, documenting my work thoroughly, respecting the lab environment and its safety requirements, and upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. I understand that my performance will be evaluated against the rubric above, and that I am responsible for scheduling a planning meeting in the first week of the semester, a mid-semester check-in, and an end-of-semester evaluation meeting.