Research Updates

Can I still work with my Graduate Assistant and/or Student Workers?
Yes, as long as it is not face-to-face. Certain project activities may need to be re-evaluated to work remotely and outcomes to be digital. Be strategic about how you plan and conduct your research at this time. Please work with your Graduate Assistants to establish working methodologies, online meetings, check-ins, to mention a few; and establish new objectives to continue your research (e.g. data analysis, writing journal papers, etc). Ensure you and your research team have remote access to files, data and software systems, while maintaining data control assurances.

Can I order supplies for my research? 
Yes. You can email the business office to order your supplies and include the preferred delivery address. You can also order materials for your Graduate Assistants to work on your projects, or for you to continue working on projects from home. You can also order materials and get reimbursed later via Concur. Note that it is not recommended that you have items delivered to DAAP.  Please work with the business office to establish delivery instructions.

My grant funds expire soon, or, I will need to extend my project due to the coronavirus. How do I request an extension for my project?
Contact daapresearch@uc.edu ASAP if your funding is expiring soon. Preferably, we would need two months prior to your deadline; Shannon Doyle in the DAAP business office will work with the UC Office of Research to secure an extension.

I have travel funds on my grant, can I still travel for a conference or project meeting?
Domestic Travel: University-sponsored domestic air travel will continue to be limited to business essential at least through the end of Fall 2020 Semester. Approval will be given on an as-needed basis. We strongly urge extreme caution and judgment for your personal domestic travel, with particular attention to known outbreak areas.

International Travel: We are extending our suspension of all university-related international travel at least through the end of Fall 2020 Semester. As previously indicated, this prohibition applies to all faculty, staff, postdocs and students, and includes any travel associated with scholarly activities as a UC employee, including travel funded by a government grant, foundation, company or other university. We continue to strongly discourage all personal international travel by any UC community members.

Can I submit grant proposals while University business is still being conducted 100% remotely? 
Yes! You should follow the current procedures:

• Inform/discus with your School Director the intention to submit a grant
• Submit the DAAP Research online form. At least 10 business days prior the grant deadline (check the DAAP Research faculty for Resource Book for more details). We will be scheduling meetings via Teams.
• In addition, if you are currently working or planning to work on a COVID-19 related research, we ask you to add you project to this spreadsheet.

Which studies or study procedures must be paused?

• All studies for which there is little to no prospect of direct benefit to participants, and that involves in-person contact or participant travel for research purposes must be paused- effective immediately, or as soon as can be implemented.This includes social-behavioral and biomedical studies.Please contact Dr. Linke linkemj@uc.edu or Dr. Holden holdenjn@ucmail.uc.edu with any questions on whether your studies offer direct benefit to participants.
• If part of the protocol, procedures such as telephone contact or monitoring or remote data collection may continue. If these procedures are not part of the protocol, the study may be modified per the above IRB determination to use remote data collection procedures when appropriate.
• For studies at the College of Medicine that do not involve a study product/medication or device, visits should be postponed and/or conducted by telephone where feasible. Investigators should reach out to protocol/study teams for guidance on how best to proceed when in-person visits are not feasible. If these procedures are not part of the protocol, the study may be modified to use remote data collection procedures when appropriate per the IRB determination described below when appropriate.

Why must some human participant research studies or specific activities be paused?
The real or perceived risk of viral transmission, the risk/benefit ratio for in-person contact associated with research activities must be assessed for each protocol. Ethical principles of research and federal regulations for the protection of human research participants require an acceptable risk/benefit ratio.

Which studies may continue?

• Studies for which there is direct benefit to participants may continue. Please contact IRB Dr. Linke linkemj@uc.edu or Dr. Holden holdenjn@ucmail.uc.edu with any questions on whether your studies offer direct benefit to participants.
• To the extent possible, study activities that can be done remotely by telephone or electronically should be done in this way. If these procedures are not part of the protocol, the study may be modified to use remote data collection procedures when appropriate per the IRB determination described below when appropriate.
• Studies that do not involve face-to-face interactions with participants may continue.
• Studies conducted electronically or via telephone or involving secondary data analysis may continue.

Is the IRB office operational?
The Human Research Protection Program and UC IRB are operating on our normal schedule.

What if a human research study needs to be modified in response to COVID-19?
If you have a current active IRB protocol. Per UC SOP HRP-029 Review of Study Modifications “Modifications in approved research may not be initiated without prior IRB review and approval, except where necessary to eliminate apparent immediate hazards”.  If protocols must be modified to address immediate safety concerns to participants or study staff related to the COVID-19 epidemic, the UC IRB has determined that these modifications meet this exception. Any modifications made per this exception should be subsequently submitted for IRB notification using the Reportable New Information (RNI) function in RAP as an Unreviewed change: Change to the protocol taken without prior IRB review to eliminate an apparent immediate hazard to a subject. Please contact the HRPP office at irb@uc.edu  or 513-558-5259 with any questions.

I need to stop all my research due to access to labs/resources/human subjects. I am worried about my APR/track performance, what can I do?
We ask you that you work with your School Director to identify activities that faculty can do, while working remotely. To the extent possible, you, your students, and other lab personnel should devote time to productive alternatives such as writing grant proposals, reviewing articles and papers, writing thesis chapters, conducting analyses, compiling data and/or synthesizing important research. This is a good opportunity to reflect and to work on books and research papers.

I have a funded award/project. Are there new regulations/procedures from the funding organizations?
See the current list of Congressional updates, federal guidance, research opportunities and Administration updates related to the novel coronavirus COVID-19. We will send updated lists when they become available.

What if my question about research is not on this document, who do I contact?
Please contact daapresearch@uc.edu with any other questions.
 

The latest guidance and information will always be available at the UC Coronavirus website and the Office of Research site.

Can I set up an off-campus laboratory site?
Researchers are not allowed to set up an off-campus "laboratory site". You can work on research projects off-campus. Researcher and Graduate Assistants can take some small items to their homes to work remotely and independently (e.g. circuits, sensors, take notebooks, data storage devices, and similar). No other materials, equipment, or laboratory supplies are allowed to be transported offsite. Please work with your School Director or Anton Harfmann, Director of DAAP Technology and Facilities for additional questions.

DAAP “Return to On‐Campus Research” Process:
1. Request access to do research on campus by completing this form
2. DAAP Dean and Associate Dean for Research review requests for determination to move forward.

If you have any questions about using DAAP facilities for research, please email: daapresearch@uc.edu