Research Resources & Communications: COVID-19 Pandemic

• FDA Guidance: Clinical Trials of Medical Products (May 14, 2020)

• RAR instructions for COVID-19 Animal Ordering & Care
• Research Animal Resources (RAR) Epi/Pandemic Plan (March 30, 2020: Yellow)
• Current Status of Research Using Animals (March 30, 2020)
• Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 and IACUC (May 19, 2020)

• Update from the IBC (March 25, 2020)

• Human Research: Latest IRB Guidance and FAQ (COVID-19) (May 18, 2020)
• New Procedures for Tier 1 COVID-19 Studies (May 22, 2020)
• Pre-Screening Research Participants for COVID-19 Risks/Symptoms

While University employees are expected to work from home as much as possible, faculty and staff whose research requires their physical presence to advance research goals or grant requirements can apply to return to on-site work through the Steps for Research Resumption outlined on the COVID-19 Guidance for the Research Community. 

Resources for University facilities operating during COVID-19 pandemic:

• Staged Resumption of Selected Research Operations (UMN Working Group Report, abridged): While not adopted as policy, this report provides useful advice for colleges and analogous units as the sunrise of our research operations proceeds. At present, we are effectively in Phase 3 as envisioned by the working group (even though not every detail characterizing the proposed Phase 3 necessarily holds). (April 28, 2020)
• University Health & Safety’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety Training and Resources (May 5, 2020)

Under the Sunrise Plan, labs and other facilities now reopening or expanding their work should post these signs before employees return:

• Lab Door Signage (DEHS)
• Notice of Operation Signage (download)
• Guidance for All On-Site Employees (download)

Other posters and signage are available on University Health & Safety’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety Training and Resources.

Before the Sunrise Plan, UMN labs were required to post either 1) Notice of Hibernation or 2) Notice of Operation and Guidance for Essential Employees on their doors, archived below:

• Notice of Hibernation template & info form (download)
• Notice of Lab Operation template (download) (Essential Research Tasks only)
• Guidance for Essential Employees Sign (April 21, 2020)

COGR members across the country—including UMN—are monitoring federal guidance and collecting FAQs and Resources on COVID-19 Impacts to Federal Awards.

You can view specific agency’s guidance on the COGR Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources website with these links (opens in a new tab/window):

OMB     NIH     NSF     DOD     DOE     DHHS     FDA     HRSA     SAMHSA    USAMRAA     NAVY     DOJ     CDC     NSA     NASA     DARPA     USDA     USAID     ONR     USDOT     EPA     NEH

• Charging PPE to Sponsored Projects (May 13, 2020)
• SPA Summer Salary Appointment Guidance (May 8, 2020)
• Federal Agency Covid-19 Salary Charging Rules-Inability to Work Remotely (April 2, 2020)
• Guidance for Charging Salaries and Managing Project Performance During COVID-19 (April 2, 2020)
• Federal Update & Opportunities (UMN/Lewis-Burke Associates) (May 27, 2020)
• Summary of UMN SPA Guidance COVID-19 (April 3, 2020)

Instructions for Creating COVID-Related Charges in Peoplesoft:

• Payroll-Related Expenses: COVID-19 Emergency Compensation: Funding Impacts for Payroll Related Expenses
• Non-Payroll Related Expenses/ CF2 Coding: Funding Guidelines - Cost Related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Employee Travel Costs and COVID-19

• Joint Letter to Congressional Leadership: sustain research and stimulus (April 7, 2020)
• Joint Letter to Congressional Leadership (March 19, 2020)
• Joint Letter to OMB (March 18, 2020)