Frank Lab Mission Statement

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Updated by the Frank Lab - Summer 2021

Scientific scholarship: We are advancing humankind’s knowledge of agriculture and science through collaboration, open and transparent sharing of discoveries and tools, the inclusion of diverse and/or historically excluded research parties, curiosity-driven science, and creativity. We adhere to a data management plan that ensures integrity, accuracy, and historic traceability of our data. We acknowledge our sources and resources that make our science possible. We recognize that not only are we scientists, but we are also humans.

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Diversity and Action: We support an environment that is inclusive of people from all races, ages, religions, nationalities, neurodiversity, disability, sexual orientations, and gender identities. To do this:

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  • We acknowledge that the majority of us live and work on historically stolen land and we will explicitly advocate for the inclusion of indigenous people in our scientific activities and communities.

  • We acknowledge the history of slavery and racism in the United States, and the institutional racism currently present within academia.  We will explicitly advocate for the inclusion of people of color, especially Black scientists, in our scientific activities and communities.

  • We will advocate for lab members and community members who face systemic and/or targeted discrimination.

  • We will normalize discussions on privilege and racial inequities in our lab to empower every lab member to raise their concerns if they feel discriminated against or treated unfairly 

  • We will publicly oppose discriminatory policies negatively affecting the members of our lab and their well-being and ability to practice science

  • We welcome lab members from all backgrounds and we strive to create a work environment that is conducive to the success of all people in their academic pursuits and well-being.

  • We will help construct and follow through on the mission statements of our greater community organizations.

  • We will attend workshops and discussions held by our school and other organizations on campus to educate ourselves on our conscious and unconscious biases with the goal of creating a more equitable environment


​Mentorship: We will all participate in growth-minded mentorship (Montgomery, 2019) to help shape the scientists of the future. A growth mindset is the belief that the talents and abilities of individuals can be developed or cultivated (Montgomery, 2019; Dweck, 2016). We believe in all lab members’ potential for success and strive to provide equitable mentorship and learning opportunities for all lab members. We also support and encourage respectful mentorship interactions amongst all lab members. 


Outreach: We will create and participate in outreach activities that expand beyond the university community to engage and inspire scientific thinking in people from all backgrounds. ​


Accessible publications: We will post on BioRxiv all original research articles generated in our lab.  When financially possible, we will prioritize publishing in open-access journals to avoid the common “pay wall” and to make our research available to all. 


Community: We will create an atmosphere that is fun, respectful, safe, and open-minded.  We recognize that our physical and mental well-being is vital to our ability to achieve our individual and collective goals, and we will support each other in our pursuits of happy, healthy, and purposeful lives.