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Freshwater Starter Kit

Freshwater Starter Kit

Resources for early career freshwater scientists

Starting a new research lab can be daunting, requiring us to build the laboratory facilities and create frameworks and procedures from the ground up. To reduce the need for reinventing the wheel, we are compiling useful documents for new PIs that we will share with the SFS community in a Laboratory Essentials Kit.

We are also collecting papers that experts in the field believe to be foundational to create a short collated reading list intended for individuals beginning to study freshwater science or entering the field for the first time. These documents will be collated into Foundational Papers in the Field of Freshwater Science.

We are currently seeking submissions for both of these resources, and we need your help! Please follow the links below to upload resources to the Laboratory Essentials Kit and Foundational Papers in the Field of Freshwater Science. Once completed, we will share these resources widely, including on this page.

Laboratory Essentials Kit

Starting a new research lab can be daunting, requiring us to build the laboratory facilities and create frameworks and procedures from the ground up. The SFS Early Career Committee is currently building a Laboratory Essentials Kit — a compilation of useful documents for new PIs to eliminate the need for reinventing the wheel. The Laboratory Essentials Kit will be published here when we assemble a critical mass of documents.

Please upload any useful documents you are willing to share here. We are collecting the following types of documents:

  • Lab Code of Conduct
  • Lab Safety Protocol
  • Field Safety Guide
  • Mentoring Agreement, Individual Development Plan, and Student Semester/Annual Plan
  • Authorship Guideline/Agreement
  • Checklist for Off-Boarding
  • Managing Laboratory Finances
  • Announcements for Lab Positions
  • Requests for Letters of Recommendation Forms
  • Anonymized Letters of Recommendation
  • Trainings
  • Job Application Materials
  • Other Useful Documents

Foundational Papers in the Field of Freshwater Science

The SFS Early Career Committee is collecting papers that experts in the field believe to be foundational to the study of freshwater science. Using submissions from the SFS community, we will create a short collated reading list intended for individuals beginning to study freshwater science or entering the field for the first time. All papers will be cataloged and made available here when we have collected a critical mass of submissions. 

Please submit Foundational Papers in the Field of Freshwater Science here.