[Faculty] Fwd: Additional Guidance for Researchers in Response to COVID-19

[Garoma, Temesgen]

Dear Colleagues:

I am forwarding to you an email sent by Steve Welter on Tuesday, March 17,
2020. In the email, there is a form to be filled out by faculty regarding *Lab
Continuity Plans*.  Please fill out the form as soon as possible to
identify critical infrastructure needs in your labs.

Thank you,
Garoma

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Stephen C. Welter, Vice President of Research and Graduate Dean, and
Michele Goetz, Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the SDSU
Research Foundation <swelter at sdsu.edu>
Date: Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 3:15 PM
Subject: Additional Guidance for Researchers in Response to COVID-19
To: <tgaroma at sdsu.edu>


[image: curved top shadow]


[image: San Diego State University]





As San Diego State University is reducing personnel on campus and
encouraging social distancing to limit the potential spread of the
coronavirus (COVID-19), we are providing additional information specific to
our research community.

*Telework Guidance *

As an important first step, many of our faculty, staff, post-docs, and
students have already transitioned to telework, or are currently doing so.
However, not all work can be done remotely. Each researcher will need to
categorize their work and that of their students and staff as:

   - Critical research that requires an on-campus presence
   - Research that is high priority but can be done remotely
   - Research that can be deferred


We realize the terms critical, essential, and high priority are somewhat
subjective, but guidance from departmental norms and conversations with the
chairs and deans should help guide faculty decisions as conditions continue
to evolve. Research that is non-critical and normally conducted on campus
should be delayed or conducted remotely, if possible.

We also need to recognize that some individuals are at greater risk than
others due to their age, personal health issues, or because they are
immunocompromised. As such, research in health care facilities or involving
individuals at risk is highly discouraged and must be informed by the
evolving situation (see Guidance for Human Subjects Research Studies
<https://comm.sdsu.edu/G7M0PR000e11B0wp00006zs>).

*Readiness Recommendations*

SDSU remains open; the campus is not closed. The university receives new
information to guide updates and new decisions multiple times each day, so
please be attentive to university email and speak with your chairs and
deans regularly.

Faculty should prepare for the possibility of a pause of all research for
an undefined term, if mandated by government entities and public health
authorities.

While policies may change in response to updated information, our
recommendations at this time include the following:

*Lab Continuity Plans*

To ensure that SDSU and the SDSU Research Foundation are aware of any
essential infrastructure needs, complete the Research Critical Processes
form <https://comm.sdsu.edu/c0100s6B0pzM07wPf002R00> by Thursday, March 19.

Lab continuity plans <https://comm.sdsu.edu/ez003P00000MBR0s17gp60w> should
be developed that identify critical services or conditions that must be
maintained if research were to cease. Share the developed plan with your
chair and dean to help ensure continuity of any critical, on-campus
research.

Basic support, such as utilities and heating/cooling, will remain in place
in both SDSU and SDSU Research Foundation facilities.

*Personalized Plans *

Principal investigators and research lab directors should work with their
personnel to develop a personalized plan for each individual to work
remotely whenever possible. Examples might include writing grant proposals,
conducting literature searches, analysis of data, virtual training in
targeted research topics, project reports, or simulation modeling.

University employees should review and follow Work Arrangements for Staff
and Management Employees During the COVID-19 Crisis
<https://comm.sdsu.edu/s04R0p700Mzh0B0s1600w0P> guidelines; SDSU Research
Foundation employees should complete the Temporary Telework Application
Agreement Form <https://comm.sdsu.edu/ZMz1607iw0000s00500pPBR> and
follow Temporary
Telework Guidelines <https://comm.sdsu.edu/CM600j06p0RB0zw00s07P01>.

For research involving human subjects, see the following document: Guidance
for Human Subject Research Studies
<https://comm.sdsu.edu/G7M0PR000e11B0wp00006zs>.

Care of animals under SDSU supervision will continue as mandated by federal
guidelines.

For any research that is continued on campus, social distancing should be
maximized by limiting the number of people within a space to no more than
10, staggering work schedules, or physical separation by six feet. Time on
campus should be limited exclusively to work that cannot be done off
campus.

*Alternatives for Graduate Students *

If a trainee wishes to work remotely and their work is non-essential, every
effort should be made to accommodate this request. Please inform your
chair, director, or dean of any ongoing critical research that will still
be conducted on campus.

Faculty should consider the ramifications for research students whose
graduation may be impacted by disruption of their current research. Faculty
should consider exploring alternative ways for graduate students to
continue work on their research projects that do not require immediate time
in the laboratory or face-to-face human subjects research, such as writing
a review of the literature, writing sections for their thesis or
dissertation, or other projects. Critical undergraduate student research
under employment agreements may continue, following the guidelines that
will apply to all other campus and research foundation employees.

Campus units are working together closely to monitor and quickly respond to
coronavirus (COVID-19) developments. For more information, review:

   - Graduate and Research Affairs updates: GRA coronavirus information
   webpage <https://comm.sdsu.edu/ZMz1607kw0000s00700pPBR>
   - FAQs for researchers <https://comm.sdsu.edu/dw0p678zRs0P000M1l000B0>
   - FAQs for SDSU Research Foundation employees
   <https://comm.sdsu.edu/CM600m09p0RB0zw00s07P01>
   - SDSU’s primary coronavirus (COVID-19) website
   <https://comm.sdsu.edu/Usn601P0pM0BwR007z000a0> is the central
   repository for information and updates related to SDSU’s preparedness,
   guidance, and COVID-19-related decisions.


We recognize there are significant ramifications for the changes proposed
to our research efforts. We do not take these changes lightly, but we are
in a state of very challenging, and rapidly changing conditions.
Nevertheless, we must continue to prioritize the health of our faculty,
staff, students, and community.

*Stephen C. Welter*
Vice President for Research and Graduate Dean

*Michele Goetz*
Associate Vice President and Executive Director, SDSU Research Foundation


[image: curved bottom shadow]

San Diego State University
Digital Privacy Statement <https://comm.sdsu.edu/twP60s0RB00po00zM10007b>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://engineering.sdsu.edu/pipermail/faculty/attachments/20200320/4e838d79/attachment.html>