Systems Neuroscience Research Group
This page is a collection specific information for new employees of the Systems Neuroscience (Sesyn) Group.
Content
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Useful links in the world wide web, including grants and graduate academies
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How to get started
Access to the IT services
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By following the instructions, you will be able to choose a password, whereas your username will be provided to you. These credentials can be used to access all the services from TU, as well as your account on your Windows machine. They may require up to 24 hours to be activated.
Access to Wi-Fi connection
Access to Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is the preferred e-mail client in the lab.
Please make sure to use Outlook (classic). Outlook 365 does not support mail addresses from the TU Dresden.
You can create a Microsoft Outlook mail account by using the following credentials:
This account will be then connected to your university mail address, name.surname@tu-dresden.de
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Find a template for the e-mail signature here: ???
VPN
In order to be able to use access the ZIH login outside of the TU Dresden network, you’ll need to set up a VPN on your external device.
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For access to your computer via remote desktop you need to contact Eckart Schulz and tell him the computer you want to access and your ZIH-Login.
Group drives setup
The group drives are data storage drives that can be shared among different machines, containing most of the data and the projects you will work on. Your machine will be granted access only to some folders in these drives, according to your work.
There is the P drive with project specific data: \\vs-grp02.zih.tu-dresden.de\nic_projects
SeSyN specific drive available via: \\vs-grp108.zih.tu-dresden.de\SeSyN\SeSyN
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Office routines
Vacation
We get 30 vacation days or 2.5 per month (will be rounded up if necessary). Kerstin has a vacation sheet to “apply” for vacation. Depending on your project, you might need a replacement to sign that he/she is present during your vacation. In exceptional cases, you can write an e-mail to have a written record of the vacation day(s) and write it in the vacation sheet later.
Homeoffice
We are expected to work in the office on a regular basis. If it suits your project, you may work from home from time to time. If possible, inform your supervisor the day before you plan to work from home.
Sick days
If you need to call in sick, please inform your supervisor as soon as possible.
You can call in sick for two days without a doctor's note.
From the third day you need a doctor's note. It will automatically be sent to your employer (TUD or UKD). However, you must inform your supervisor by e-mail how long you will be off sick. Please cc Kerstin!
Important people
Kerstin Schlese
Kerstin is the heart and soul of the office. If you have any questions about the routines described here, office regulations, university bureaucracy, the availability of Michael Smolka, who is responsible for xyz, you can always contact her.
Important: Please include her in cc when you are off sick or working from home, so that she knows to document it properly in case someone asks.
Eckart Schulz
Eckart Schulz is THE person to talk to about technical issues, IT and access to network drives. He can also help if you have problems connecting from home.
Katrin Binye
Mrs Binye is THE person to talk to about anything related to your thesis, either the first steps that need to be taken or could be taken, or the final steps, procedures, etc.
Most important life hack as a PhD student: Do not hesitate to ask people, who are already in the process or just finished recently.
A collection of important documents can be found here: S:\SeSyN\Publikationen\Dissertationen\_PhD shared material_
As written above, Mrs. Binye in the Promotionsamt is really nice and helpful.
If you are not by your contract part of some graduate program such as TRR / IRTG, you will benefit from registering as an associative member.
If you want to participate in workshops of the
Graduate academy, you need to become a member.
First requirement is the official registration as a graduate student at the TUD via the
Promotionsamt .
Second requirement is a
Betreuungsvereinbarung . At first glance seems like a lot of work, but you will benefit from starting the conversation with your supervisor about milestones of your dissertation process.
Working hours
SHKs need to document their working hours with help of the following document S:\Students\SHK_Stundenzettel\Arbeitszeitnachweis Mindestlohngesetz_Formular.pdf.
The “Studienleiter” needs to sign and scan it, put the scan here S:\Students\SHK_Stundenzettel and the original to Kerstin.
Vacation days
SHKs are entitled to vacation! The provisions of the Federal Vacation Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz, §1 in conjunction with §2 BUrlG) apply. At TU Dresden, this means 20 working days (Mon–Fri) of vacation per full year.
How are vacation days calculated?
According to the “one-twelfth rule”: 20 vacation days / 12 months × number of months employed
Fractions of vacation days: round up from 0.5; otherwise round down
Example: Contract from 01.04. to 31.08. (5 months) → Calculation: 20/12 × 5 = 8.33 → rounded = 8 vacation days
Company closure over the New Year also applies to assistants; vacation must be used or hours must be balanced (except on 24 and 31 December).
Important! Contracts specify weekly working hours that must normally be distributed evenly. Therefore, vacation must reflect this same distribution.
Example: Weekly working time = 10 hours/week → equals 2 hours/day → If you take a full week off, you must request 5 vacation days.
Kerstin has vaccation sheets to document vacation days also for the SHKs.
Sick days
Assistants must promptly report any sick leave and its expected duration.
Up to two days of illness do not require a doctor’s note; longer absences must be medically certified.
Doctor’s offices send certificates electronically.
Assistants must notify Studienleiter and ensure the SeSyN office is informed for HR reporting.
Sick days must be recorded as K (with certificate) or K oKS (without certificate) in the timesheet.
Some rules
SHKs are not supposed to use private devices or mail-addresses.
No privat contact to participants.
Research internships and Bachelor/Master thesis are additional working hours, not part of the SHK work time.
Useful links
Templates
Sesyn jobs
This is an overview of who is responsible for what “job”, so that you know who to contact.
Administrative tasks - Kerstin, Veronika, Michael S.
Fundraising - Michael S., Michael M.
Computer Hardware - Michael M.
Website - Michael M.
InDis Organization, Elements, group drive - Willi
Meeting Room (laptop, technique, keep order) - Marco
Kitchen Supply (coffee, tea, milk, sugar) - Hao
Kitchen Maintenance (cleaning, order) - Louis, Johannes
Administration Linux Workstations - Garvit
Neurowiki, Lab manual - Marco, Michael M.
Group events - Anja, Arvid
Clean-up old group drive (Sesyn folders at N:\ and M:\) - Willi, Michael S.
Kitchen rules
Our kitchen is only as clean as we leave it. Please try to leave it as clean and tidy as possible.
The dishwasher only works if it is turned on and emptied from time to time. ;)
If you feel like leaving some snacks on the table for everyone, feel free to do so, maybe leave a note and take care of the leftovers (although leftovers rarely survive. ;) ).
Anyone who drinks coffee (& milk) will bring coffee (& milk) from time to time.
If you leave food in the fridge, put your name and date on it. If it's to share, put a star instead of the name.
We have had a huge problem with moths in the past, so please make sure that anything you keep in the kitchen is in a closed box.
Whom and what to find where?