This page will be updated regularly as new guidance and information is shared by state and federal entities. Please use the UO webform to submit questions you have and check back to this site frequently.

NOTE: The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) also has a helpful FAQ.

Research Facilities and Lab Safety

Section last updated March 25, 2020, at 4:20 p.m.

How do I know if the University considers activities related to my research as a critical activity?

I need to come to campus in order to perform critical tasks related to research. What do I do?  

What are the basic standards that all labs should employ for cleaning protocols and social distancing?

PIs and laboratory personnel should follow all standard cleaning and operation protocol for working with infectious agents.  In additional, all labs should follow the following protocol:

1. Wearing PPE designated for your lab's operations, and removing it safely
2. Routinely decontaminating surfaces that were used for lab work or were frequently touched (benchtops, equipment buttons/handles/lids, drawer pulls, workstations, doorknobs, faucets, etc.).  Decontaminate surfaces using cleaners that the EPA has approved for other environmental surfaces, such as an EPA-registered disinfectant (refer to list N here) or 70% ethanol solution.
3. Prohibiting activities including food, drink, and the use of cell phones or ear buds.
4. Washing hands on entering and before exiting the lab.

If your team is using 70% ethanol, please ensure you are following EHS guidelines for safe use and storage, given that it is a class IB flammable liquid. Please follow Environmental Health and Safety’s guidance for physical hazards. Please call central EHS contact line (541-346-3192) with questions.

In addition to cleaning protocols, ensure that your staff are all following social distancing guidelines.  This may require you to stagger shifts of team members.

NEW: Someone in my lab believes they have been exposed to COVID019. Where can I find guidance on how to report this concern and how to ensure safety for other members of the team who need to come to the lab to maintain critical functions?

Please see the following guidance developed by Human Resources: Supervisor Guidance for Employee Exposure Concerns.

My lab and/or department has supplies, like personal protective equipment (PPE) and/or medical supplies, that can be useful to COVID-19 response. How can I get these to health care center and medical providers?

Thank you for your willingness to help contribute to response.  The IMT is coordinating efforts to assess current available inventory and is developing a strategy to collect and transport PPE and other supplies to the University Health Center and other local healthcare providers. 

If you would like to donate PPE and/or medical supplies, please have one member of your group complete this form.  We will be in touch with the point-of-contact listed in the form to coordinate pick up from your lab.   

Research Grants, Contracts and Competitive Awards 

Section last updated March 25, 2020, at 4:30 p.m.

UPDATED: Federal Guidance and Resources

• Department of Defense (DoD):
  • Frequently Asked Questions for DOD Research Proposers and Awardees Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Department of Energy (DoE):
  • Accommodating Interruptions from Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
  • Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
  • Assistant Administrator for Procurement Message on Coronavirus
• National Institutes of Health (NIH):
  • Aggregated NIH COVID19 Information
• National Science Foundation (NSF):
  • FAQs About the Coronavirus Disease for NSF Proposers and Awardees: Note: NSF is asking principal investigators and/or sponsored projects officers to contact their cognizant program office to discuss late submissions. Requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
  • NSF Coronavirus Information 
  • NSF Implementation of OMB Memorandum M-20-17
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
  • Memorandum to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies RE: Managing Federal Contract Performance Issues Associated with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture:
  • NIFA Deadline Extensions due to COVID-19

What about my upcoming grant proposal? Will it still be submitted?

UO’s Sponsored Projects Services (SPS) will continue to provide comprehensive services pertaining to grants, contracts, and competitive awards. The unit will work remotely as necessary and will submit proposals without interruption. Please create an EPCS record for any anticipated grant submissions to help SPS manage workloads.

Sponsors are providing guidance regarding extended deadlines and late submissions due to COVID-19. This guidance is rapidly evolving and at present questions are being handled on a case-by-case basis. Please see the list of federal guidance above that we are working to update as often as possible. 

At this time, we are asking that everyone who can work remotely do so. This may require a shift in project priorities to accommodate activities that can be conducted remotely. Any aspect of a project that can be conducted while working remotely can be charged as work time to a sponsored project account. In the event that employees cannot conduct grant-related work, their time cannot be charged to a grant.  Please contact vpri@uoregon.edu if you believe that you will need to reduce hours or lay off personnel prior to taking any action. We are not currently restricting access to research facilities, although faculty members and staff must practice social distancing and increased research lab cleaning and hand washing.

I have upcoming project-related travel and/or fieldwork? Will I still be able to go?

The UO has suspended all non-essential university travel, domestic and international. Project-related travel must be postponed or canceled unless a travel waiver has been granted. For information on UO travel or to seek a travel waiver, visit the COVID-19 travel page. Many workshops and conferences have been postponed, cancelled, or will be held remotely. For more information, please check with the event organizer.

What if my travel is cancelled and I have nonrefundable costs? Can I charge them to my award?

When an emergency or natural disaster prevents travel and nonrefundable costs cannot be applied to future travel, sponsors allow these costs to be charged to sponsored awards. Cancellation and change fees can also generally be charged to sponsored awards but require confirmation from the sponsor. Refundable travel costs remain encumbered but are not charged to an award account until ready to reuse.

The federal government and the state of Oregon have not yet issued guidance for travel cancellations on sponsored awards. We will provide updates as soon as possible.

Now that the UO has moved to a remote instruction model for the spring term, what happens to my award funds? Will the funds still be available to complete the project after campus reopens?

Yes, the funds will still be available. If changes caused by the UO remote education model or other disruptions leave insufficient time remaining for your period of performance, please request a no-cost extension (NCE) from the sponsor to ensure there is time to complete the project. There is a high likelihood of getting an extension. Sponsor-specific guidance is listed below and more will be disseminated as soon as possible.

• NIH: The agency will continue to publish opportunities for funded extensions and/or one-time administrative supplements to current awards targeted at institutions in particularly impacted areas. Link
• NSF: Each NSF award allows for a one-year grantee-approved (SPS) no-cost extension. Further extensions must be approved by NSF. If anticipated, this should be discussed with the NSF program officer. Link

I am currently on an NIH training grant and am unable to work due to laboratory disruptions. Will I still receive my stipend payments?

Yes. The NIH issued guidance (NOT-OD-20-086) that institutions may continue to provide stipend payments to fellows and trainees who may be unable to work as a result of or related to COVID-19.  Sponsored Projects Services (SPS) will be reaching out to the PIs and DGAs of all active NIH training grants (T32 and F grants) to confirm that payment of stipends should continue as usual. SPS will manage notification of grant management officials for each active training grant.

Can I still charge participant support costs to my award for conference or training events that have been cancelled?

This depends on the type of participant support.  Please see the following scenarios:

1. Participant travel allowances: These costs should be handled the same as other travel costs. When an emergency or natural disaster prevents travel and nonrefundable costs cannot be applied to future travel, sponsors allow these costs to be charged to sponsored awards. Cancellation and change fees can also generally be charged to sponsored awards but require confirmation from the sponsor. Costs that can be applied to future travel should be moved to a non-sponsored fund until they are utilized for travel.
2. Participant registration fees: Participant registration fees are usually refundable for cancelled events.  If not, please contact SPS (sponsoredprojects@uoregon.edu) to have them confirm allow-ability to charge the project for any non-refundable portion or cancellation fee with the sponsor.
3. Participant stipends: This will depend on the nature of the event.
   1. If a short-term educational or research activity, conference, workshop, etc., has started, but is now postponed or cancelled, payments can be made to the participants for the completed portion. 
   2. In the case of a long-term educational experience, stipend payments are typically made along milestones or on a schedule.  Payments can be made to participants for completed portions.  For incomplete portions, or future involvement, please contact SPS to have them confirm allow-ability with the sponsor.
   3. In a case where travel plans were made but cancelled prior to the participants engaging in the activity or program, follow the guidance for travel cancellations.  In these instances, stipends are likely not allowable.  Please reach out to SPS for additional review and determinations.

 

Research Involving Human Subjects 

Section last updated March 25, 2020, at 4:40 p.m.

UPDATED: Do I need to stop all human subjects research?

Research with human subjects that does not include face-to-face activities may continue, but researchers need to implement precautions within the research team in alignment with UO announcements and restrictions.

• If your study involves face-to-face interaction, convert to remote data collection modalities or pause your face-to-face research activities. Face-to-face research activities are restricted effective March 23, 2020 (see below for waiver request process).

 Strategies for continuing human subjects research without face-to-face interaction include:

• Engage in remote data collection research activities, via modalities such as telephone, mail, secure web platforms, or secure video platforms, like Zoom. See UO Information Services.
• Ensure plans are in place to address illness among your study team and implement remote work practices.
• Prepare for a potentially more restrictive campus environment, including very limited access to labs and campus research facilities.
• Choose at most two research team members to be designated as critical staff. The designated critical staff can be rotated if necessary. Inform your institute/center/department head about your critical staff plan.
• Communicate with your team about UOs current research restrictions.
• Continue to monitor university communications, and employ best prevention practices in UO research facilities, using CDC and OHA recommendations.
• Continue to monitor the COVID-19 Announcements for Researchers section on this website.

Note: If you think face-to-face research activities are necessary, see the next question.

Can I continue to conduct face-to-face human subjects research?

• Face-to-face research activities must be discontinued effective March 23, 2020, unless stopping such research activities would:
  • cause harm to participants that outweigh the benefits of stopping face-to-face contact; or
  • lead to major and unrecoverable research disruption and/or loss of data that would have substantial negative consequences for future participants or society.
• To continue conducting face-to-face research under either of the previous two exceptions, you must request a waiver using this form.
• If you have not obtained a waiver, you must stop face-to-face research activities.
• Waivers will only be considered for continuing face-to-face research with previously enrolled subjects, not for new studies.
• No new enrollment is allowed in face-to-face research activities, without exception, until further notice.
• If it is possible to convert face-to-face human subjects research interactions to remote alternatives, you may do so. IS has a helpful webpage with tips for remote work.
• For those who are changing your human subject data collection methods temporarily, you should consider this a deviation and report it to the IRB via the Event Report Form.
• You will only need to submit a protocol amendment if you want to continue the revised plan after normal operations resume.

I received an approved waiver to continue to conduct face-to-face human subjects research. What steps do I need to take?

• You must modify your research activities to provide significant provisions to prevent disease spread. Procedures must ensure social distancing, screening for illness, and enhanced cleaning.
• Communications must align with routine prevention measures for study participants and research team members in accordance with this posting from the Oregon Health Authority and in accordance with other state requirements.
• Provisions must include the following: 

• • Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations related to COVID-19 to reduce the spread of respiratory disease
  • Follow State of Oregon requirements; see UO social distancing recommendations
  • Using a restricted research team of essential staff, ensure research team is trained inappropriate screening, social distancing measures, and disinfecting procedures.
  • Screen participants for illness and/or travel prior to arrival and encourage participants to practice illness prevention.

• Screen for:
  • Fever, cough, and flu-like symptoms
  • Foreign travel in the last 30 days or domestic travel in the last 14 days
  • Participation in large group events in the last 14 days

• Provide prevention and mitigation information to participants prior to research visits (if possible) and in reception and other common areas to raise awareness among visiting study participants. Use this flyer from the CDC.
• Provide contact information so participants can notify the research team prior to arrival if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness so they can be rescheduled.
• Check for illness again upon arrival.
• Maintain social distance (6 feet) to the extent possible, and incorporate the following social distancing procedures where possible:
  • reduce interactions between people
  • stagger activities
  • use alternative methods to interact
  • follow state mandates

• Clean all surfaces and materials before and after research activities occur in the space.
• Ensure properly stocked hand-washing stations, hand sanitizer, tissues, and trash baskets are available to research team members and study participants.
• Increase frequency of hand washing by essential research staffand human participants.
• Implement internal research procedures to increase routine cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces (e.g., door handles, equipment, materials, toys and supplies used during research studies, etc.).
• Be mindful of your essential research team’s own health. If they develop cold or flu-like symptoms they must not have contact with human subjects.

Researchers need to consider both their own research teams and their participant population — including infants, children and elderly people — when developing and implementing prevention measures. The CDC has resources to address prevention and precautions, which must be adopted in your research setting if face-to-face interactions are permitted via UO approved waiver. 

UPDATED: Do I need to amend my human subjects protocol and/or seek IRB approval when preparing for COVID-19?

IRB review and amendments to previously approved research are not required when:

• Implementing or enhancing cleaning and disinfecting protocols and/or amending communication methods with research team members and human subjects to prevent the spread of illness.

Note: Face-to-face interactions with human subjects are not permitted without an approved waiver beginning March 23, 2020.

Temporary changes related to COVID-19 response that would be considered a protocol deviation:

• Adding or changing research procedures temporarily (e.g., from in-person to telephone)
• Conducting a research visit outside of an established time frame in the approved protocol

Note that temporary changes must be made to eliminate immediate hazards to subjects.

Please make changes and then inform the IRB using the Event Report Form as soon as possible. 

IRB review and approval of an amendment is required prior to making changes beyond a deviation, such as:

• Making long-term changes to research methods that are designed to continue after COVID-19 is resolved
• Adding a sub-study and/or revised methods to study COVID-19 in ongoing research
• Adopting changes for future use, such as using online surveys for the remainder of study when they were not previously approved or the research previously included in-person interviews only

In all cases, clear documentation of deviations, amendments, and other adjustments due to COVID-19 should be made in your research records. Contact Research Compliance Services (researchcompliance@uoregon.edu or 541-346-2510) if you have questions specific to your research.

NEW: How is RCS prioritizing work given increased volume and limited reviewer availability during the COVID-19 outbreak?

RCS will continue to process all incoming submissions for human subject research review with prioritization given to the following areas:

• New research protocols related to/studying COVID-19
• Protocol amendments associated with changes due to COVID-19
• Continuing reviews
• New or amended protocols from students that are associated with degree-related priorities
• Reviews associated with grant or sponsor requirements and award administration
• Other rush requests, with justification

Investigators should clearly communicate their request for a prioritized review, with explanation and desired timeline when submitting to RCS. While RCS cannot guarantee a specific review timeline, this information will assist RCS in identifying and supporting these requests.  

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) continues to meet (remotely) twice per month and continues conducting reviews using expedited procedures per regulatory requirements. RCS continues to advise and facilitate determinations and IRB review for all submissions in the most timely manner possible.

Researchers are reminded that no face-to-face interactions may occur with human subjects without an approved waiver. New study approval may be communicated to researchers but those with face-to-face interactions cannot enroll until UO restrictions are lifted; researchers must review communications from RCS very closely. Please also continue to monitor UO communications.

When submitting priority transactions to RCS, investigators are asked to clearly communicate their request for a prioritized review that includes an explanation for the request and desired timeline. This will assist RCS in their efforts to best support these requests.

UPDATED: How has Research Compliance Services’ and the UO’s Institutional Review Board's day-to-day work been affected?

Research Compliance Services (RCS) and the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS), which serves as the UO’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), are currently continuing operations  and are working remotely to sustain operations. However:

• Office hours and in-person consultations are suspended; all trainings and workshops are cancelled until further notice.
• Based on the scale of the community outbreak, there may be a delay in service to our research community.
• Other directives by federal and public authorities may require the modification of research activities in the future.

Please continue to communicate with RCS via phone and email (researchcompliance@uoregon.edu or 541-346-2510), and our team will respond as soon as possible.

UPDATED: Can I still pay human subjects payments to research study participants in the event that research is interrupted and they cannot complete the study?

Participants should be compensated for their participation and, whenever possible, compensation should be made in the case of cancellation or rescheduling needs resulting from illness or disruption due to COVID-19. Compensation, including payment and incentives for ongoing research may continue using remote procedures. Research teams may need to create revised internal systems for compensation and gift card distribution and should consult with BAO as needed. In all cases, clear documentation of altered processes due to COVID-19 should be made in the research records.

Prorated compensation, including payments, are typically communicated with during the informed consent process. Studies should adhere to that schedule and payment should be made consistent with the amount of participation and the proration schedule. However, if proration was not described and/or studies are longitudinal in nature, please contact RCS (researchcompliance@uoregon.edu) to discuss how to manage adjustments to compensation for human subjects. 

Researchers should employ sanitation efforts and appropriate PPE to reduce risk of exposure and disease spread to both research teams and study populations when working with hard materials; please consider if alternative methods can be used (e.g., electronic gift cards). See the above FAQ regarding amendments vs. deviations if you need to adjust your method of compensation or contact RCS with questions.

Can you recommend preferred disinfectants to use in a human subject research setting?

Diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions, with at least 70 percent alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. See the CDC website for a complete list of CDC recommendations on effective disinfectants and procedures.

Are there special considerations or mitigation plans for the collection of biological samples from human subjects that must be followed?

The precautions we use for handling biological samples under all circumstances are sufficient for preventing the spread of COVID-19. These include:

• Wear gloves when obtaining and handling samples
• Practice sanitary handling, processing, and destruction of samples
• Wash hands before and after working with samples
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth when obtaining or working with samples
• Continue to monitor information from the UO, OHA and CDC websites for updated information about prevention and precautions

Animals in Research 

Section last updated March 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.

I have animal subjects. What will happen to them in the event of a disruption to a project?

Care for animal subjects will be administered in accordance with established continuity plans and in compliance with all regulations. In the event of a complete campus closure, authorized personnel will ensure the continuation of animal care.

Please take steps to ramp down any current animal research activity beyond husbandry and veterinary care.

 

If you have general questions relevant for the entire research community, use the UO COVID-19 web form.

 

Coronavirus Information for Researchers

Campuswide Coronavirus FAQ

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