Has your research been disrupted by Covid-19? There are resources available to support your current research needs!
The Research Methodology Consulting Center
The Research Methodology Consulting Center is offering specialized support for researchers who have experienced disruptions in their research due to Covid-19. The team will work with you to troubleshoot potential solutions to methodological issues that have arisen due to disruptions in data collection, lab closures, etc.
Further, the RMCC is lifting its cap on free consultations for graduate students who have experienced disruptions in their research. CEHD graduate students can now receive additional consultations at no cost as it relates to Covid-19 research disruptions.
Request a consultation here: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/research/consulting/
Returning to Campus for Research Work
The University of Minnesota’s Sunrise Plan provides guidelines for UMN employees to safely and gradually return to work. First and foremost, if you can continue to work from home, please do so. Only those who cannot complete their work without accessing a campus building will be granted permission to use the building, by following a two-step process (below). An example of this is a researcher who has a dedicated lab/computer in the building that they must use to access protected data that is essential for their research, which cannot be done remotely.
If you must access a campus building to complete your research, please complete the following steps:
- Discuss your need for campus access with your supervisor and department chair or center director and secure their informal approval.
- Complete the Request for Return to On-site Work Authorization form and route it to your department chair or center director. You must receive department chair approval before it goes on to the college. Included in this request should be a description of the precautions you will take to ensure your health and safety and that of others in your workspace (methods and means for social distancing, PPE, etc. in alignment with the Sunrise Plan).
- Once approved, the chair routes the form to Associate Dean for Research Frank Symons (symon007). He will review requests on a weekly basis, consult with HR, and report back to department chairs.
- Follow the health and safety precautions outlined in your request and those listed at the end of the authorization form.
Covid-19-Related Funding Opportunities
https://ucan.umn.edu/funding
OVPR Guidance for UMN Research, including sponsored projects management
https://research.umn.edu/covid-19-guidance-research/overview
IRB Frequently Asked Questions on Human Research and COVID-19
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YeITEX78l9exIm7GGdtHyQlfL9xclAhT/view
Report on Staged Resumption of Research Activities (Abridged, submitted to OVPR April 30, 2020)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BVmdi6WC2sJUhEmADTnUzk2_zUER5u_5/view
COVID-19 Research Events
Webinar Series: COVID Controversies—Ethical Challenges in Research & Treatment
Friday, August 28, 12:00pm to 1:30pm (CDT)
Learn more and register
Join national leaders to face the ethical challenges of the COVID pandemic—from vaccine development to combining research with treatment. The Consortium on Law and Values in Health, the Environment & the Life Sciences is offering a free webinar series on COVID Controversies, co-sponsored by OVPR, OACA, and CIDRAP.
The first webinar will tackle “COVID Vaccine Research and Deployment: Reconciling Speed and Safety.” Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of CIDRAP, will moderate a conversation with: Margaret Hamburg, MD, former-commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration; Seema Shah, JD, associate professor at Northwestern University; and Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, former-assistant secretary for preparedness and response, US Department of Health and Human Services.