Revised 1/23/2020 Page 2 of 2
Policy 906: Undergraduate Researcher Laboratory Safety
Definitions:
Direct Supervision is when the individual is being directly watched during experimentation by the Principal
Investigator, Supervisor, the assigned mentor, or another fully trained lab member who is at least a graduate
student, postdoctoral scholar, or staff member.
Principal Investigator is a faculty or staff member who is responsible for the research laboratory. A full
administrative definition of a UCLA Principal Investigator can be found at UCLA Policy 900: Principal
Investigator Eligibility.
Supervision is when the individual is not working alone due to the presence within the room or adjacent room
within hearing range of the Principal Investigator, Supervisor, the assigned mentor, or another fully trained lab
member who is at least a graduate student, postdoctoral scholar, or staff member.
Supervisor is an experienced researcher who provides guidance and training to the Undergraduate
Researcher. The Supervisor can be the Principal Investigator, the assigned mentor, or another fully trained lab
member who is at least a graduate student, postdoctoral scholar, or staff member. The Supervisor may not be
another Undergraduate Researcher.
Working Alone is when an individual is working unaccompanied, such that assistance is not readily available
should an injury, illness, or emergency arise. Alone is interpreted as being out of direct visual contact or
hearing range with another lab worker for more than a few minutes. It can occur during normal working hours
as well as during evening, night or weekend hours and even in the same general area as others.