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This is information for students, PhD students and guests joining or visiting the Neuroinformatics Group. You will find information on the organizational structure of the group, the usual work flow, and available services.

Organizational Structure

In general we follow the idea of a flat hierarchy. However, as the head of the department, Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa needs to be involved and consulted in many cases.  In order to distribute and channel requests, there are certain staff members assisting the head of the department. It is very important for the efficiency of
the entire group that you first direct your question or request to  the person responsible. This structure is outlined and explained below.

Professor and Chair of the Department Gordon Pipa

For consulting Gordon Pipa (all students matters and examinations), please make an appointment with his personal assistant, Anna Jungeilges. Consultation hours take place
once a week. Scientific consultations are scheduled on demand
during the corresponding scientific hours. In case a scientific
consultation is setup, Anna Jungeilges needs to be informed
in order to block the appointment in the calendar.

Consultation hours:
by prior arrangement

Secretary and Personal Assistant Christina Vidovic

Christina Vidovic is the secretary of the department and the  personal assistant of the head of the department. Christina can be approached for: general questions to schedule appointments with Gordon Pipa to request documents that you need to get office supplies to get on email lists, Mendeley account, and the CVS repository

Technical Assistants Marc and Thorsten

Our technical assistants administrate the computer systems and help with general technical questions.
You can approach the technical assistants for:software and hardware issues applying for computer accounts detailed information on services offeredt:

General Secretary of the IKW Beate Eibisch

Besides managing all organizational issues of central relevance to the IKW, Beate Eibisch is responsible for the financial and human resources issues of the Institute. In general you should consult her for:

• Employment contracts and related issues
• Submitting applications for official traveling*
• Submitting travel expense claims*
• Submitting grant applications to the Universitaetsgesellschaft
• Submitting applications for holidays (You must apply for holidays!)
• Keys and transponder buttons (ask Christina first)
• Rooms

Scientific Rules and Guidelines

The most important issue that every scientist should keep in mind is reproducibility. Make sure that you can reproduce your results in a couple of years. Any project that cannot be reproduced is absolutely useless! This requires that you keep track of your methods, document parameters and changes. It is recommended that you work in a project-oriented manner. Save your source code by assigning version numbers. Use your CVS repository to save your code. However, keep personal copies of the stable versions of the source code that you used. To document your work, your work flow and your ideas you should use a lab book. Please use your lab book as a diary so that you use it on a regular basis with dated entries. You should use the lab book to document both the conceptual and software-related work. Use print outs that you glue in to your book  for documenting your results. (yes that is old style but useful).

Always bring your lab book when you discuss your work with Gordon. 

Do’s and Don’ts

To keep the work efficient and enjoyable, there are a few, but very important rules that need to be respected:

• Science relies on the exchange of thoughts and discussions.It is clear a certain predictability of physical presence makes the exchange easier since meetings are then easier to schedule. Therefore you are asked to be in the office/lab during certain core hours of the day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to facilitate exchange with your colleagues.
• The group meeting is obligatory for all members of the group. You should regularly present papers and screen your journals on important work.
• Since theoretical work requires a high level of concentration, a quiet and calm environment is essential. Please refrain from hearing music without head phones.
• Nor should you use the office as a social room for chatting with others or making long telephone calls.
• Respect the privacy of your colleagues. Please ask your colleagues before you change things in the office.
• Do not smoke in any of the offices or in the building in general.
• None of the rooms, including the meeting room, of the department is a social room. That means that the room can be used only for work related issues. In case you want to use the meeting room for social activities, you can only do so with the permission of the Department Chair.
• Keep your room tidy (no dirty cups, dishes, empty bottles,etc.). Always keep the rooms locked when not being used. That means, always lock the door when you are the last one leaving the room. It is your responsibility  to ensure that the equipment cannot be stolen.
• Keep in mind that future colleagues will appreciate having nice rooms as well. Therefore, do not hang up any kind of poster, paper or other stuff on the walls.No pins nor tape or anything similar should be used on the walls.
• Clean the white boards only with the respective cleaners. Only use board markers to write on the boards. Do not use permanent markers.
• Do not lend your keys to other persons. Only you are responsible for the use of your key.
• Do not use the telephone in your room for private calls.
• Do not use the network to share files that may violate copy rights. The  usage of the network traffic maybe monitored by the IT department.
• Computers, services and disk spacefrom  the department can only be used for work-related issues. For example,do not misuse the disk space for storing your private music  collection, or videos.
• Do not switch off your computer in the offices or in the lab.
• Switch off the projector after using it.