Performance appraisal timeline for fall 2025 - mark your calendars!
Performance review season is fast approaching for all postdoctoral research associates, professional & scientific employees, and those who are involved in their supervision and evaluation!
The performance appraisal process is a crucial opportunity for formal feedback and planning.
Below is the timeline for this year’s process. (Please note that this timeline does not apply to Merit employees, as their meritorious increases coincide with their merit review date, per Board of Regents Merit System Rules.)
Performance Appraisal Timeline for Fall 2025:
Aug. 25 - Sep. 5 Employee writes self-appraisal
By Sep. 19 Supervisor writes employee appraisals
By Oct. 3 Supervisor meets with employee, both sign off
Starting Aug. 25, you will receive email notifications from Workday when steps in the process are assigned to you for completion.
The appraisal from content will be consistent with the previous cycle, focusing on the following competencies and values:
- Accountability for Work Completion, Organization and Supervision: Includes but is not limited to meeting expectations for work quality, quantity and timeliness; attending work regularly; embracing change and performance improvement; coaching and developing team members.
- Collaboration and Community: Includes but is not limited to sharing expertise, fostering relationships, addressing challenges as part of a team and working effectively and respectfully with others; treating people with different skills, experiences and world views with respect and inclusivity; communicating professionally and clearly and fostering an environment of openness, growth, and trust.
- Initiative and Creativity: Includes but is not limited to anticipating needs, taking appropriate action, accepting new responsibility, generating and acting on novel ideas, pursuing improved processes and initiating new projects.
- Safety and Security: Includes but is not limited to identifying and mitigating hazards, following safety practices and reporting concerns and injuries, demonstrating responsibility with cyber security issues.
In the coming weeks we will be sharing more information on the process including ‘toolkit’ resources, offering SMART goals training, and launching a Service Now page with everything centrally located. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to hrappraisal@ameslab.gov.
Help us keep the blood supply strong – donate Aug. 4!
Summer is a critical time for blood donations—and you can make a lifesaving difference! Join us for the Ames Lab Blood Drive on Monday, Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Spedding 301.
Donors will receive a $15 e-gift card and free A1C testing to help monitor blood sugar levels (no fasting required).
Schedule your appointment online at Red Cross Blood Drive, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or stop by G11 TASF.
Make sure to bring a photo ID, university ID, or donor card to your appointment.
Want to help out in another way?
We are also looking for volunteers to help make the drive a success. Sign up to assist with check-in or refreshments here: Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet
Thank you for supporting our community and helping save lives!
Research security training
The Department of Energy (DOE) is the first federal agency to require Research Security Training for “Covered Individuals” (defined below) starting May 1, 2025. All DOE and NNSA Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) will include a requirement for Covered Individuals to complete Research Security Training (RST) prior to proposal submission. Requirements for training are a part of the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) from 2021 and the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act of 2022.
The Laboratory will follow ISU OSPA’s guidance on the definition of a covered individual: “For proposal submissions and awards, OSPA will treat the following individuals as ISU Covered Individuals: PI, Co-PI(s), Key Person(s), named Post Doc(s), and named Graduate Research Assistant(s).” All of these individuals are required to take the training prior to proposal submission. Any covered individuals who have not completed the training at the time of submission, will be removed from the proposal. Note also that this requirement flows down to subrecipients.
Ames National Laboratory requires all covered individuals that are a part of a proposal to take the ISU Research Security Training Condensed version. When you have completed the training, please add your certificate to the Research Security Training CyBox for record keeping. We have found some primes on proposals are asking for a copy of the certificate of completion. ISU offers the training on Workday in a long (4 hour) and condensed (1 hour) version. This training will have a requirement to retrain on a yearly basis.
Each DOE Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is currently or will be requiring covered individuals to certify they have taken the training and sign a certification at the end of the Current and Pending document. If the requirement is not the current NOFO, we expect a future amendment with the requirement and for the requirement to be in future NOFOs. IPP and the Division Admins will be reviewing the training records for each proposal submitted to determine if the training has been completed. If it is not completed, the individual will be removed from the proposal.
If you have any questions, please contact us at proposals@ameslab.gov.
Benefits highlight: Perkspot
Discover an employee discount program through our Voluntary Benefits plan that offers deals on thousands of big-name and local brands - all personalized just for you.
First, indicate what categories of goods and services interest you. Then choose where you would like to spend your money (locally or nationally). Perkspot will generate a customized list based on your preferences. Plus, you will have the opportunity to earn loyalty points for gift cards from the same brands! Click here to learn more about your savings opportunities with Perkspot.
No need to wait for Open Enrollment or a Qualifying Life Event! Enroll in Voluntary Benefits any time by creating a login through Everyday Marketplace.
More information is available here.
Dataset requirements
Beginning FY2026, all data underlying a publication must be submitted to a data repository at the time of publication and be made publicly available (published data).
The lab STI program must report the DOI for the dataset to OSTI. Fields have been added to the STI Product Intake Form that allow you to report the DOI and associated metadata including: data title, repository used, data description, dataset type(s), data license, dataset DOI, and dataset publication.
The CRO and IPP have reviewed the commonly used repositories and are providing a list of recommended repositories. For more information on the Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories Guidance, you may read the linked article or view the Data Management and Sharing Plans Powerpoint on CyBox.
IPP recommends the following repositories:
ISU DataShare (FigShare): Iowa State University’s DataShare is an open access repository for sharing, publishing, and archiving research data created by Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory scholars and researchers. The repository is administered by the University Library in partnership with the Office of the Vice President of Research and Information Technology. Anyone can access the free and open data found on DataShare, but only ISU employees and students may submit data to it. More information on DataShare can be found HERE. Also available are DataShare FAQs.
If ISU Datashare is used, many of the requirements are met. The library resources are working to ensure that all requirements will be met. IPP/STI will be notified of the submission of the dataset for review.Figshare: Used by ACS and AIP journals for supplemental information. Upload files up to 20GB. Make publicly available and assign DOI.
Zenodo: Euro-centric – commissioned by the European Commission
Harvard Dataverse: Up to 1 TB of storage. Easy to brand and share by project or group. Copyright: CC0 license.
Note: Cloud storage such as DropBox, Cybox and One Drive do not meet DOE Data repository guidelines. They can be used for active data mgmt., but not for publishing data.
For more information, please visit the Dataset Requirements and FAQs ServiceNow Article or contact IPP at ipp@ameslab.gov.
Professional Development
Effective Teamwork
Have you ever been part of a team where the dynamics were more challenging than the problems you were trying to solve? Join us for an interactive session with Laura Smythe, University Ombuds, as she guides us through real-world scenarios and unveils practical strategies for navigating team challenges and fostering stronger collaboration.
RSVP to join this in-person session and learn how to turn your team challenges into opportunities!
Date: Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025
Time: 9 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: 205 TASF
Registration: RSVP Here
Upcoming Book Club: Reset by Dan Heath
Join the Ames Laboratory Book Club as we read Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working. This New York Times bestseller offers a compelling framework for driving meaningful change in systems, organizations, and teams. Through engaging case studies and actionable insights, Reset challenges us to rethink how we work, uncover inefficiencies, and build momentum for lasting impact.
The club will meet monthly from October 2025 through April 2026 to discuss 25-35 pages of reading. L&D will provide each participant with a copy of the book. This is a great opportunity for professional development and to network with colleagues across the Laboratory.
If you are interested, please complete this form by Friday, Sep. 5 to receive additional information. Contact Nancy Turner at nturner@ameslab.gov with questions.