1 Getting Started

When you sign your acceptance letter, UCSF gives you a start date. About 24 hours prior to your start date, Human Resources will send a long email that explains how to access your UCSF email & calendar (your UCSF identity). They will not activate these until midnight. The same email has instructions for both UCSF & ZSFG badges, and building access. Follow their instructions to request your ZSFG badging letter. Pick up the letter and walk it to the ZSFG badging office.

There are several housekeeping items to take care of.

  1. Send updated bio for lab website, including a photo and your preferred pronouns to Teresa.
  2. After accessing your UCSF email, you can start online trainings. They differ depending on your role. There are trainings required by UCSF and another set required by ZSFG.
  3. Post docs, fellows & faculty: Update your UCSF profile when it becomes viable.
  4. Login to UCPath for health insurance (1st 30 days), tax withholdings, benefits, direct deposit, address.
  5. Depending on your role, you may need to submit a timesheet every two weeks or every month.
  6. Check out the UCSF perks
  7. Resources for transport: commuting costs UCSF Mobile for Shuttle schedules ZSFG map
  8. Join EPPIcenter Google calendar Any member can add you. We track vacation dates here.
  9. Install UCSF Duo on your phone and computer. You need Duo to access UCSF tools on MyAccess.
  10. On campus use the UCSF WPA wifi—instructions if you cannot connect ask IT for help
  11. Connect printer in Building 3 Rm 607 hostname: UCSF-B03RM607 on UCSF WPA wifi, ethernet, or VPN. The IP address for this printer is: 128.218.162.117
  12. Set up your computer with UCSF required suite of security software.

1.1 COVID Information 😷

  • Masking requirements change. We must adhere to both the UCSF and ZSFG guidelines
  • If you have respiratory symptoms, stay home, self test, or visit an occupational health recommended site
  • Testing resources available at UCSF: https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/testing
  • Report a COVID-19 infection to Occupational Health Services through this link or call 628-206-4100

1.2 EPPIcenter Meetings 📅

There are several standing meetings on your Outlook calendar. Meetings specific to your role will also be added. Everyone attends the Friday EPPIcenter lab meeting, the Tuesday Malaria Meeting, and the monthly EPPIcenter seminar. Project specific meetings and 1:1 meetings with PIs may be standing, or scheduled as needed depending on PI’s preference.

Friday EPPIcenter lab meeting Schedule. We prefer you attend in-person. At the moment we share lunch (provided) on the 2nd Friday of the month. After announcements (abstract deadlines, events, new papers), a rotating subset of people will provide a 1-5 minute update on their research (and life, if they’d like!). Then the person assigned to present that day will discuss a research project or a paper for 40-45 minutes. Announce papers early in the week to allow everyone to read and critically think about the paper.

Monthly EPPIcenter Seminar Series All are expected to attend. These are curated experiences that bring you in contact with leaders in their field. The typical format is an hour-long talk (open to the general public) followed by 30 minutes of Q&A (closed to our lab only). As an example—Trevor Bedford kicked off the series before COVID made him famous.

1.3 Lab Communication

Each PI may have different preferences for their primary mode of communication, please check with your supervisor. Members should add vacation/out days on the EPPIcenter Google calendar, so the group can plan.

Slack is the primary mode of communication for the larger EPPIcenter group, and the best tool for announcements and discussions. We are able to add collaborators as single-channel users, to hold discussions with a wider group.

Asana is our primary tool for project management. You may be assigned tasks in Asana if your supervisor prefers.

Slack We love EPPIcenter slack!! We use it a lot. Please review best practices. Please do not create new direct message groups unless absolutely necessary; use a channel and include everyone involved.

There is a “#where” channel on Slack, which is mostly for post-docs and PIs to let the team know when they will not be in person. If you are working from home, you do not have to tell us where you are or why you are working from home in the #where channel; we expect you to stay in contact with project leads, and we trust you to complete your work. If you would prefer to let people know, go ahead!

UCSF Box Where we keep and share files securely. Access it at My Access. Download the Box Drive application to your device. It will save you headaches later. Ask Teresa to invite you to EPPIadmin. There are other folders specific to different projects (PRISM, Serology etc..) You may need to remind your teammates that you need access.

Zoom Download the zoom app to your desktop. Login to your UCSF zoom account on My Access and set up your personal zoom room. Add your link to our zoom rooms.

1.3.1 Communicating and meeting with Bryan

One-on-one and small group meetings

One-on-one and small group meetings related to projects are a valuable time to review your progress, discuss next steps, and discuss how I can best continue to support you. To make these meetings the most productive for both of us, please follow these principles.

  • Come to each meeting prepared with an agenda. This can be in the form of slides, a text document, or another format, but should clearly communicate what your goals were since our last meeting, what you have worked on towards each of those goals, and what your plans are next. Focus your agenda on the areas I can help you, and have specific questions prepared for us to discuss. This will be a better use of your time than reviewing everything you have done since our last meeting.

  • These meetings are a great time to share results and discuss them together. For any figures (or other results) you are showing me or others, make sure you can communicate why you made the figure, what you did, and what you think it means even if you are not sure. Please have all results generated in advance and put into a slideshow or other document. Feel free to prioritize the key results and have additional ones you’ve made set aside in case we want to review. Generating figures in real time (e.g. sharing your R console as you run code) should be reserved for additional questions that come up during our discussion, if at all.

  • Document what we discuss. In particular, make sure you have a clear idea about next steps. If you are unsure about any action items at the end of our meeting or thereafter, please clarify with me.

  • One-on-one meetings are also a good time to discuss career goals and development. These discussions should happen at least a few times per year, and you are welcome to bring up these topics at our meetings more frequently. When you do, add them to your agenda and consider starting with them so they are allotted appropriate time for discussion.

General Communications

  • Slack is my preferred mode for routine, asynchronous communication. I usually check and respond to Slack messages within a few hours during work days unless I am on vacation, traveling, or have a particularly limited schedule. If I haven’t responded within 24 hours feel free to message me again.

  • If you need to reach me during times I am not checking Slack or if something is particularly timely, please text me.

  • If you send or forward me an email that I should read and I haven’t responded within 48 hours, please let me know about the email via Slack or text message (depending on whether I am traveling).

  • To schedule a meeting with me, first check my availability on Outlook calendar and then Slack me to confirm a time. Early to mid afternoon is generally my preferred time for meetings that do not involve other time zones. For group meetings, I have found when2meet to work well.

1.4 Ordering & Reimbursements (EPPIcard and MyExpense)

  • MyExpense Instructions for reimbursement. You need the speedchart (pinned in Slack #ordering)

    • Edward Wiedemann is the approver for most grants. Add him to your account settings before start.
    • To charge another PI’s grants, you need approver’s name and the full chartstring (not just speedchart)
    • Use the SAP concur app, and set up direct email forwarding of receipts to Concur.
    • Alcohol is difficult to get reimbursed; keep it on a separate receipt when possible.
    • Reimbursement in UCSF is complicated. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

  • EPPIcard when a speedchart won’t work. Get PI or Teresa’s approval. Details pinned in #ordering. Immediately record in EPPIcard Put receipt in Box EPPIcard invoices. Do NOT use for travel (flights, hotels, or conf fees)

  • Travel ✈️ Work travel includes travel for conferences and for on-site research supervision or training. There are two options for booking flights, through Connexus/UC Travel office (which charges a speedtype and automatically enrolls you in travel insurance) or on your own credit card with reimbursement after the trip ends. If the trip is being charged to a federal grant, you may be required to use a US Carrier depending on where you are flying: Fly America Act. You can use codeshare flights like Delta/KLM. If you book your flight independently, you must register for UC Travel insurance: register.

    • Request a travel cash advance, and keep records of what you spend. Photo your receipts and forward them to My expense, either by email or through the Concur App. Our approver is Edward Wiedemann. Avoid paying other people’s expenses while traveling (lodging, food). It makes the reimbursement process more difficult. Alcohol is almost never reimbursable; put it on a separate receipt, or you will have to allocate the receipts to indicate that those items are personal expenses.

    • International travel: Be sure to get UCSF travel approval, you will need it to get reimbursed. You need necessary vaccines, and get your visa ahead of time. Get malaria prophylaxis if you are traveling to an endemic country. Double check the dates on your visa once you get it to make sure you are not turned away at the airport. Make sure to register for UC Travel insurance.

Other travel resources can be found here (link to additional stuff below)

  • Rules depend on funding. A good guide. Best UCSF guide. Ed Wiedemann knows specifics for your grant
  • Book flights thru Connexus or UC Travel office. This uses a speedchart and enrolls you in the insurance.
  • If you use your credit card for flight manually register for travel insurance (UC policy).
  • Federal grants use a US carrier (Fly America Act) (Delta/KLM is OK, book through Delta not KLM)
  • Request a cash advance in MyExpense if needed. Email budget to approver and have PI email approval.
  • Make sure your immunizations are appropriate. Some take more than 1 shot, spaced apart.
  • Laptop: get a UCSF IT note saying the UCSF encryption software is legal if you are traveling to a country where customs examines computers for encryption. For travel to Uganda, you do not need this.
  • It is possible to link your Uber account to MyExpense.