This message was sent to all staff, faculty, graduate students, and other academic appointees from the vice president for research.
Essential Research Guidance: March 23, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
In an effort to protect the health and safety of the university community and of our state, and to comply fully with the Governor’s executive order issued today, all in-person research activities on IU campuses will be limited to Essential Research Activities.
Essential Research Activities may be continued, provided that they can otherwise comply with university policies, IACUC and IRB protocols, state law, and CDC guidelines.
To qualify for the Essential Research Activities exemption, the PI or his or her designee must complete a brief Essential Research Activities online form available on the research.iu.edu/coronavirus web page. (This form will be available on March 24, 2020). This will allow you to provide you with the necessary documentation to travel and enter IU buildings, should these be needed.
“Essential Research Activities” are defined for this purpose as comprising two categories:
Essential Research Activities
1. Essential Research
- Work that directly relates to preventing, containing, or treating the COVID-19 pandemic
- Clinical trials and other research that if discontinued would have a significant negative impact on human health or patient care
- Work that directly relates to national security
- Agricultural research with critical implications for human and animal health or food security
- Activity that if discontinued would pose a safety hazard
- Laboratory or field work where discontinuation would result in loss of significant data and samples
- Longitudinal or seasonal work where discontinuation would result in loss of significant data or samples
- Essential Support Activities for Research
- Work to maintain critical equipment, whether in stand-by mode or operational
- Work to maintain critical plant populations, tissue cultures, bacteria, archaea, animal populations, and other living organisms
- Research administration, compliance, and other support functions required by law
Other Research Activities
Research labs and other research facilities should begin immediately the orderly hibernation of non-essential research activities that require labs and other campus facilities. This wind-down must be completed by March 27, 2020.
Research activities that can be continued entirely remotely are not affected by this guidance and are strongly encouraged. Many research and scholarly activities can be continued remotely and supported by regular electronic and virtual contact with research groups. Alternate approaches for research personnel working remotely might include data analysis, manuscript preparation and review, presentation preparation, proposal development, grant report preparation, and online discussions with students and lab staff.
Do not remove university chemicals, equipment, or animals in an attempt to recreate your labs at off-site locations.
Veterinary and other lab animal care staff have prepared guidance concerning the orderly hibernation of research involving animals; researchers are encouraged to reach out to these colleagues directly for further guidance and help. Care of research animals will continue and researchers are reminded that they remain subject to their IACUC-approved (and, where applicable, IRB-approved) protocols.
Research administration staff have prepared guidance on grant-related issues raised by the hibernation of non-essential research activities that may be funded by federal or other grants. Researchers are also encouraged to reach out to these colleagues directly for further guidance and help.
Campuses and schools may have additional guidance that you are encouraged to consult.
Exceptions to this guidance require the written approval of the Vice President for Research. Requests for exceptions should be directed to vpr@iu.edu. The guidance documents referred to above and other information are available on the research.iu.edu website.
Researchers should comply with this guidance as soon as possible, but in no event later than Friday, March 27, 2020. This guidance will remain in effect until Friday, May 15, 2020. It will be reviewed regularly and, if possible, will be lifted or amended before then, or, if necessary, may have to be extended beyond that date.
I deeply regret that we have had to take this action, and I hope that the combination of a broad definition of “Essential Research Activities” and our ability to conduct some research remotely will allow us to be able to continue as much research as possible. IU and Purdue are among the last two universities in the Big 10 to take this step, but with the continuing spread of coronavirus and the Governor’s executive order, both universities are issuing similar guidance. It is our hope that a consistent approach within each university and across both universities at the same time will facilitate as much clarity and consistency as is possible in the current situation, as well as help to support our collaborative research activities.
Thank you for your cooperation and please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.
Fred H. Cate
Vice President for Research
Distinguished Professor and C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law
vpr@iu.edu
