Code of Conduct
Simons Collaboration on Strong Gravity and Black Holes — Workshop, Chicago, December 15-17, 2025
1. Purpose & Scope
The Simons Collaboration on Strong Gravity and Black Holes is dedicated to sustaining a collegial, respectful, and inclusive environment for scientific exchange. This Code of Conduct applies to all participants (organizers, invited speakers, attendees, students, and staff) in all settings associated with the workshop: sessions, breakouts, social events, informal conversations, and any online or hybrid components.
By participating, all attendees agree to abide by this Code.
2. Principles & Expected Behavior
We strive to uphold the following principles:
- Respect: Treat others with courtesy and consideration.
- Inclusivity: Encourage participation from diverse backgrounds, career stages, institutions, and geographies.
- Constructive discourse: Critique ideas, not individuals; listen to dissenting views with openness.
- Professional integrity: Uphold standards of honesty in presenting work, crediting collaborators, and acknowledging sources.
- Responsibility: Comply with both venue and organizer instructions (e.g. safety, logistics).
- Confidentiality: Respect requests for off-the-record discussion during talks or interactions, unless otherwise agreed.
3. Prohibited Behavior
Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:
- Harassment, bullying, intimidation, or targeted attacks (verbal, written, physical, or visual).
- Discrimination based on gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, religion (or non-religion), national origin, socioeconomic status, or political view.
- Unwelcome sexual attention, sexual harassment, or any nonconsensual advances or contact.
- Stalking, photographing or recording others without consent, or distributing images or recordings without permission.
- Sustained disruption of sessions, repeated interruption of speakers, or otherwise interfering with others’ ability to participate.
- Retaliation against any person who reports a concern in good faith.
- Misrepresentation or falsification of one’s contributions or data; plagiarism or abuse of authorship/credit norms.
- Violation of venue, safety, or logistical rules.
As a Simons collaboration event, we will also adopt and follow The Simons Foundation’s Code of Conduct which similarly forbids harassment, bullying, discrimination, and retaliation, and allows for a range of actions from dismissal to permanent barring. Simons Foundation
4. Reporting and Investigation
If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code:
- Report promptly to Stella Kum (dkum@ilinois.edu), a designated member of the Organizing Committee.
- You may also report confidentially to the workshop’s official email (simonscbhsg@physics.illinois.edu) or to Simons Foundation contacts (in accord with their policies) Research & Project Administration+1.
- Reports should include as much information as possible (who, what, when, where, evidence, witnesses).
- The organizers will respond promptly, impartially, and confidentially.
- Protection from retaliation is guaranteed for reporters acting in good faith.
- Possible outcomes may include warnings, removal from the workshop, or further action (e.g. reporting to home institutions), consistent with Simons Foundation policy. Simons Foundation+1
If the matter involves a person working on a Simons-funded grant, grantee institutions must notify the Simons Foundation of the allegation within 10 business days, and notify actions taken within 3 days (per Simons policy) Research & Project Administration.
5. Sanctions & Enforcement
Violations of this Code may result in:
- Verbal or written warning
- Removal from one or more sessions
- Expulsion from the remainder of the workshop
- Barring from future events
- Notification to the individual’s home institution
- Referral to external authorities, if warranted
Decisions will be made by the Organizing Committee in consultation with Simons Collaboration leadership, taking into account fairness, severity, and context.
6. Roles & Responsibilities
- Organizers must communicate this Code clearly (on the website, in registration materials, in the program), designate a contact person, and take reports seriously.
- Participants are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the Code and behaving accordingly.
- All parties must respect confidentiality and avoid spreading rumors or judgments in absence of fact.
7. Accessibility & Accommodations
We strive to ensure accessibility and inclusion. Upon request, we will provide assistance (e.g. sign language interpreters, dietary accommodations, mobility support). Requests should be made in advance to the organizers.
8. Acknowledgment
We appreciate the cooperation of all participants in maintaining a respectful, welcoming, and intellectually vibrant atmosphere. Together, we help ensure that the workshop fulfills its mission: to push the frontiers of strong gravity and black hole research in a community where ideas, creativity, and collegiality thrive.
