As part of ongoing efforts to support safe research, scholarship, and creative activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Research and Engagement is announcing the following updates to our guidelines.
As you continue your work, remember it is important to remain vigilant about preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and adhere to University guidelines, including the COVID-19 reporting protocols. The best protection is to combine vaccination with masking and distancing.
- Researchers may now proceed with projects without submitting or revising Risk Mitigation Plans through InfoReady Review. Though we no longer require you to submit a plan, we ask you to continue to use all of the risk reduction tools and best practices you have developed, as long as they remain relevant, and be vigilant.
- Our office suggests that if research, scholarship, or creative activities can be delayed or conducted virtually without compromising student progress to degrees or the integrity of a project, you should do so, especially during the current surge.
- If your research requires in-person interactions, follow the CDC recommendations for masking, with regards to fit and composition. The University recommends the use of surgical or 3-ply masks; cloth masks are not recommended.
- If you are bringing research subjects to campus, limit the size of the group and time of interaction to the minimum needed to collect data and physically distance when possible. All research subjects should wear masks when on campus. We recommend incorporating risk mitigation strategies into your IRB applications.
- We are here to assist: If you have questions about how to mitigate risk during your activities please reach out to Dr. Kim Littlefield at kplittle@uncg.edu.
- There are no restrictions on US/domestic travel. However international travel must be approved through the IPC travel process.
As we are all aware, the COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly shifting situation. If the requirement for protocol approvals is reinstated, our office will alert you and update KeepResearching.uncg.edu.
