COVID-19

More on campus mask guidance for the research and innovation community

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 20:29:49 +0000

More on campus mask guidance for the research and innovation community Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/20/2021 - 14:29

Research and innovation community,

After receiving questions about campus mask guidance from August 13 and August 19, I am writing to highlight a few items of particular relevance to our research community:

Masks are required in public indoor spaces on the CU Boulder campus regardless of vaccination status as of Aug. 13, 2021.
All individuals must wear a face covering at CU Boulder when engaged in classroom instruction, laboratory work, academic advising or other activities in any publicly accessible indoor space on campus.
- Note: Labs, creative work spaces and similar shared spaces—even if accessible only to authorized personnel—are considered publicly accessible and are included in the above requirement.
Exemptions: For a lab or other shared space to be exempted from the above mask requirement, an exemption request must be submitted and approved.

For questions regarding the mask requirement or additional information, please check for the latest information on the campus COVID-19 website or email buffinfo@colorado.edu.

Vaccination is the most effective way to protect you and your loved ones from COVID-19. If you have not completed the requirement, please submit your information online as soon as possible. The final deadline is Sept. 15.

Thank you for your continuing resilience and commitment to our work and our mission.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

After receiving questions about campus mask guidance from August 13 and August 19, I am writing to highlight a few items of particular relevance to our research community

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Campus research and creative work suspends “request to return” process immediately, to return to full operations May 17

Anonymous — Tue, 11 May 2021 14:20:25 +0000

Campus research and creative work suspends “request to return” process immediately, to return to full operations May 17 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/11/2021 - 08:20

Takeaways

CU Boulder is suspending the “Request to Return” to on-campus and field work process effective immediately.
CU Boulder will return to full research, scholarship and creative work operations and occupancy effective Monday, May 17; facial coverings continue to be required.
Those already approved for on-campus or field work may continue work under current approvals until the return to full operations on May 17.
Those not already approved may return to on-campus work May 17; research administrative staff should follow CU Boulder guidelines regarding summer and fall transition.
Field work no longer requires approval through this process effective immediately.
Pease refer to campus guidance and continue to monitor CU Boulder Today and the Research & Innovation Office website.

Research and creative works community,

Effective immediately, we are suspending the “Request to Return” to on-campus and field work process that has been in place since May 2020.

CU Boulder will return to full research, scholarship and creative work operations and occupancy effective Monday, May 17. Facial coverings will continue to be required in indoor spaces on campus and on Buff buses through at least June 30, 2021.

Those already approved through the “Request to Return” process can continue work under current approvals until the return to full operations on May 17.Those not already approved may return to on-campus work no sooner than May 17. Field work no longer requires approval through this process. Research administrative staff should follow CU Boulder guidelines regarding summer and fall transition.

Campus will continue to respond to national and local COVID-19 conditions by adjusting its safety protocols as appropriate. Please refer to campus guidance and continue to monitor CU Boulder Today and the Research & Innovation Office website.

I again want to commend the faculty, chairs, associate deans for research, deans, institute directors and other leaders who have helped guide us through these challenging times, and our entire research and innovation community for your resilience and commitment to our work and our mission.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

CU Boulder is suspending the “Request to Return” to on-campus and field work process effective immediately. We will return to full research, scholarship and creative work operations effective Monday, May 17.

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Additional guidance regarding meetings within small groups

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 11:51:39 +0000

Additional guidance regarding meetings within small groups Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/04/2021 - 04:51

The Research & Innovation Office has developed additional guidance—in compliance with current COVID-19 dial status and current COVID-19 public health orders—for individuals approved through the Return to On-Campus and Field Work form and process to meet within small groups under certain conditions.

Anyone approved through the Return to On-Campus and Field Work form and process is now permitted to meet in small groups under the following conditions:

All individuals must follow established campus protocols: complete the Buff Pass daily health check-in each day they will be on campus; participate in weekly monitoring tests if they are campus at least one day a week; wear a face covering; keep physically distant; and adhere to all current safety practices and COVID-19 dial restrictions.
Indoors, groups up to 3 people may meet in person for no more than an hour at a time while adhering to appropriate building and room density requirements.
Outdoors, groups of up to 8 people may meet in person.
No individual engaged in approved on-campus or field work who is uncomfortable meeting in person via this process may be required to do so.
Anyone wishing to participate in such small group meetings but not already approved through the Return to On-Campus and Field work form and process should first apply to return to on-campus or field work. For those already approved to return to campus or field work, no additional approval is needed.

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COVID-19 update for the CU Boulder research community

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:40:11 +0000

COVID-19 update for the CU Boulder research community Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/20/2020 - 11:40

Takeaways

Employees and researchers who are not already approved for on-campus or field work will continue remote work until instructed otherwise.
Boulder County’s shift to level red on the state COVID-19 dial does not directly impact approved research, scholarship and creative work activity at this time.
Anyone performing work that has been approved should follow all CU Boulder, Boulder County and Colorado guidance.

Dear research community,

As you may know, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has announced that several Colorado counties including Boulder County will move to level red on the state COVID-19 dial, effective Friday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. CU Boulder continues to monitor conditions and share updates on the campus COVID-19 Updates & Resources webpage.

The CU Boulder research enterprise continues to operate in accordance with state, local and campus guidance, which means that our operations will not change significantly because of this announcement.

We continue to ask employees and researchers who are not already approved for on-campus or field work to continue remote work until instructed otherwise. Anyone performing work that has been approved should follow all CU Boulder, Boulder County and Colorado guidance. Research leaders across campus continue to carefully monitor densities in buildings and rooms to ensure compliance with capacity requirements.

In anticipation of potential changes in the dial status, the campus Health and Safety Policy was updated to address parameters for research activity under a stay-at-home order. NOTE: The Nov. 20 change DOES NOT include a stay-at-home order for Boulder County at this time. For possible future reference, that guidance is included here.

Critical research includes research and creative work that must be done on campus in conjunction with the following criteria:

Research that must be maintained for the health and safety of human subjects.
Research for which discontinuation would generate data and sample loss that would be effectively irreplaceable.
Maintenance of critical equipment and a safe standby mode of laboratories.
Maintenance and continuity of use of critical animal populations that are hard to recreate and/or ethical conduct of research with animal subjects.
Maintenance and care of plant populations that are hard to recreate and represent long term research.
Research or creative work activities, in the field or other research/creative work spaces that:
- could not be paused without causing significant setbacks,
- could not be restarted without a significant investment of time or money,
- will put grant or contract deliverables at risk or cause significant fiscal liability/loss,
- represent time-sensitive and critical graduate student projects and career milestones required to ensure timely graduation and career progression or,
- have scheduled deliverables that can only be accomplished within campus spaces.
Research supporting national security and critical infrastructure.
COVID-19 research with a timeline relevant to the current pandemic.

As a reminder, anyone with Buff OneCard can participate in the COVID-19 surveillance monitoring program. This is a quick saliva-based test available to all CU affiliates. Information on testing sites is available online.

I continue to appreciate your flexibility, resilience and dedication during this time. Your continued commitment to excellence makes a difference for our students, colleagues and community and enables us to continue to shape a better future far beyond our campus.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

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COVID Research Solutions for Campus (Webinar Series): Recordings and Resources

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:00:00 +0000

COVID Research Solutions for Campus (Webinar Series): Recordings and Resources Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 08/17/2020 - 00:00

The COVID Research Solutions for Campus Webinar Series highlights how the most up-to-date research is shaping campus operations during the pandemic.

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Campus research and creative work to advance to “expanded work on-campus” starting July 13

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 14:28:40 +0000

Campus research and creative work to advance to “expanded work on-campus” starting July 13 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/02/2020 - 08:28

Takeaways

We are transitioning to expanded research and creative work (Phase 2) on campus and in the field starting on Monday, July 13.
If you have previously been approved to return to campus or to the field, you will receive instructions on how to apply to increase your hours.
If you are applying for the first time to perform research or creative work on campus or in the field, a Principal Investigator must fill out the Request to Return Form.
The weekly approval process will communicate decisions each Monday.
Any individual approved to resume research on campus or in the field must complete the COVID-19 Awareness and Safety Skillsoft training and a Daily Health Questionnaire and report illness if they are sick.
UPDATE: Details on the new process for our expanded return to campus and field work are now available.

On-campus research or creative work, or field work, should only be resumed by those who:

Have received formal approval through the Request to Return Form and process
Have successfully completed the COVID-19 Awareness and Safety Skillsoft training
Submit a Daily Health Questionnaire before each day of on-campus or field work
Are showing no symptoms of illness

Research and creative works community,

Starting on Monday, July 13, CU Boulder’s research enterprise will begin transitioning to “expanded work on-campus and in the field” (Phase 2) from the current limited on-campus and field work (Phase 1).

In this new phase, our plans continue to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, researchers, staff and community—and we ask for your continued support in keeping our community safe.

Developing careful safety plans for buildings, wearing masks, social distancing and cleaning/sanitizing are and will continue to be effective mitigation strategies.

NOTE: Any work that can be done remotely should continue to be done off-campus.

Other helpful resources

Campus COVID-19 Updates Campus COVID-19 Health and Safety Policy Return to On-Campus Research & Creative Work Resources

Expanded work (Phase 2) will include a gradual transition to increased research, scholarship and creative work activity on-campus and in the field. Like the previous limited phase, the expanded phase involves a multifaceted set of criteria for determining what work resumes and when it will resume.

Those returning to on-campus and field work will continue to follow practices designed to minimize risks, taking into account the types of research or creative work, the locations and environments in which this work takes place, and the individuals or groups involved. Increasingly, with fall approaching, the return to on-campus work is being coordinated with other groups planning to return to campus in varying degrees.

A phased approach

The representative research and creative work committee has developed and updated general guidance and criteria for selecting what research and creative work and field work will resume through a phased return. The specifics of the expanded work phase (Phase 2) can be found in the updated Return to Research & Creative Work Plan.

Approval process to resume work on campus

Those who have already been approved for on-campus work or field work will receive an email next week with instructions on how to increase their hours on campus or in the field. New requests to return to on-campus research and creative work or field work will be initiated by the Principal Investigator completing the Request to Return Form. Criteria to be considered for both new and increased requests include: criticality of the research; implications of further delay; the full range of risks associated with returning to the activities; and target occupancy densities at a range of levels (room, floor, building, campus, etc.) New requests will be evaluated by the unit and college before final approval. Requests for increased time will only be reviewed by the unit before communication of final approval.

General principles

As we return to campus, we are integrating guidance shown to manage the spread of the virus. These guidelines are being reinforced through the COVID-19 Awareness and Safety Skillsoft training, which is required for everyone returning to work on campus or in the field. This training highlights the following:

Maintain appropriate social distancing principles, including limiting density of people
Wear a required face mask
Clean local work area and practice hand hygiene
Complete Daily Health Questionnaire and report illness if sick

Preparation for return to campus

To support returning to campus research and creative work or field work, cleaning kits are available for PIs to use in buildings and labs. These kits include gloves for cleaning, cleaning supplies, sanitizing supplies for surfaces and hands, paper towels and CDC guidelines for prevention of virus spread and cleaning protocols.
Campus Medical Services will coordinate contact tracing based on illness reporting by the individual, supervisor or colleague. Communication and cleaning will be arranged based on their findings.
If individuals who have been on campus are sick, they should seek COVID-19 testing from their primary care provider. Additionally, they must complete an illness reporting form, which is available as part of the daily health questionnaire.

I want to again thank the amazing team of leaders across campus that has developed and evolved this plan to return, including faculty, chairs, associate deans for research, deans, institute directors and other leaders from virtually every corner of campus. I am grateful for the considerable thought and expertise this team has contributed. Over the ensuing weeks and months, we will monitor containment of COVID-19 and communicate changes as needed.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

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Phased return to on-campus research and creative work to begin May 26

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2020 17:38:54 +0000

Phased return to on-campus research and creative work to begin May 26 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/12/2020 - 11:38

Takeaways

We will gradually start to resume research and creative work on campus on Tuesday, May 26, achieving up to 25% by late June.
Anyone approved to return to on-campus research or creative work must first complete the Skillsoft training titled CU Boulder: COVID-19 Awareness and Safety. To access this training, visit mycuinfo.colorado.edu, click on Skillsoft, then CU Boulder, then search for CU: COVID-19 Safety and Awareness—CU Boulder.
To apply to perform research or creative work on campus, a Principal Investigator must fill out the Request to Return form. View Request to Return Form
- Those doing field work, even if not on campus, must also submit a Request to Return form. An addendum for fieldwork can be found in the appendices of the Return to Research & Creative Work Plan.
Requests will be evaluated by chairs/institute directors, then deans/assoc. deans, and then vice chancellor for Research and Innovation, according to the Return to Research & Creative Work plan. View the Return to Research & Creative Work Plan
The approval process will consist of weekly reviews beginning Wednesday, May 20 with decisions communicated the following Monday.
Any individual approved to resume research on campus or in the field must complete a daily health questionnaire and report illness if they are sick.

Dear Research and Creative Work Community,

I am pleased to report that CU Boulder is beginning the process of returning to research and creative work operations on campus starting with a soft launch May 26.

Our plans prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, researchers, staff and community—and we ask you to do the same. Please be patient as we gradually support more research and creative work on campus. NOTE: Any work that can be done remotely should continue to be done off-campus.

A phased approach

Our return will take place in phases. The current status of remote work has been in place since March. We are making plans to transition to Phase 1 (limited work on campus) on May 26. Phase 1 (limited work on campus) will incrementally increase on-campus research and creative work while introducing safety and monitoring processes that can evolve as we transition to less restrictive phases over the coming year.

Planning for Phase 2 (expanded work on campus) and Phase 3 (full operations) is already well underway. A committee led by Waleed Abdalati has developed general guidance and criteria for selecting what research and creative work and field work will resume through these phases. See Return to Research & Creative Work Guidance.

General principles

As we return to campus, we will integrate guidance shown to manage the spread of the virus. These guidelines will be reinforced through a Skillsoft training that will be required of everyone returning to work on campus. This training highlights the following:

Maintain appropriate social distancing principles, including limiting density of people
Wear a required face mask
Clean local work area and practice hand hygiene
Complete daily health questionnaire and report illness if sick

To access the Skillsoft training, visit mycuinfo.colorado.edu, click on Skillsoft, then CU Boulder, then search for CU: COVID-19 Safety and Awareness—CU Boulder.

Approval process to resume work on campus

Requests to return to on-campus research and creative work or fieldwork will be initiated by the Principal Investigator completing the Request to Return form. Criteria to be considered include: criticality of the research; implications of further delay; the full range of risks associated with returning to the activities; and target occupancy densities at a range of levels (room, floor, building, campus, etc). This form will be forwarded to your chair/institute director who will evaluate the request based on the above criteria.

Requests approved by the chair/institute director will be reviewed by the deans/associate deans and then by the vice chancellor for Research and Innovation. You will be notified by email with the decision. Requests will be reviewed on a weekly basis starting Wednesday, May 20 with decisions communicated by the following Monday. If the chair or institute director has questions about the request, it may result in a delay in completing the review. Please be patient as we work through this process.

Preparation for return to campus

To support returning to campus research and creative work or fieldwork, cleaning kits are being prepared for PIs to use in buildings and labs. These kits will include gloves for cleaning, cleaning supplies, sanitizing supplies for surfaces and hands, paper towels and CDC guidelines for prevention of virus spread and cleaning protocols.
Campus Medical Services will coordinate contact tracing based on illness reporting by the individual, supervisor or colleague. Communication and cleaning will be arranged based on their findings.
Campus is exploring on campus COVID-19 testing. However, at this time, if individuals who have been on campus are sick, they should seek COVID-19 testing from their primary care provider. Additionally, they must complete an illness reporting form, which will be available as part of the daily health questionnaire.

I want to thank the team that helped develop this plan to return, which includes faculty, chairs, associate deans for research, deans, institute directors and other leaders from virtually every corner of campus. I am grateful for the considerable thought and expertise this team has contributed. This provides a starting point for returning to campus. Over the ensuing weeks and months, we will monitor containment of COVID-19 and communicate changes if needed.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

We will gradually start to resume research and creative work on campus starting Tuesday, May 26. Anyone approved to return to on-campus work must apply using the Request to Return form and complete a new Skillsoft training ("COVID-19 Awareness and Safety"), as well as a daily health assessment.

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Remote operations continue as plans and protocols to return are in process

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 20:18:47 +0000

Remote operations continue as plans and protocols to return are in process Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/24/2020 - 14:18

Takeaways

Employees and researchers who are not already designated as critical will continue remote work until instructed otherwise.
A return to research task force is developing criteria for phasing in research.
We are addressing the following for research labs: purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE), developing cleaning protocols, and working with our campus experts on tracing and testing strategies and protocols.

Dear research community,

By now, you may be aware of Governor Jared Polis’ Tuesday announcement of shifting to “safer-at-home” and Wednesday’s COVID-19 update from the Provost and COO covering campus budgetary impacts and stay-at-home transition plans.

The CU Boulder research enterprise continues to operate in alignment with state, local and campus guidance, which means that our operations will not change significantly at this time. Like the rest of campus, we are continuing to ask our employees and researchers who are not already designated as critical to continue remote work until instructed otherwise. Anyone performing work that has been identified as critical should wear a non-medical mask (e.g., scarf, bandana) when leaving home for essential business, in accordance with Boulder County and Colorado guidance.

We have transitioned from mitigating the emerging risks to planning for the safe, phased return to operations on campus, as campus and state guidance evolves. A comprehensive return to research plan is in development with representatives from colleges, departments, and institutes. Additionally, tapping into our campus expertise, we are developing cleaning, safety and COVID-19 management protocols and strategies.

I continue to appreciate your determination, flexibility, inventiveness and commitment to excellence as we face this challenge together. Your research advances, innovative solutions and informed opinions in the public sphere have been both valuable and inspiring.

I anticipate sharing plans for our phased return to research with campus before the middle of May.

Stay well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

Employees and researchers who are not already designated as critical will continue remote work until instructed otherwise. A return to research task force is developing criteria for phasing in research. We are also addressing the following for research labs: purchasing PPE, developing cleaning protocols, and working with our campus experts on tracing and testing strategies and protocols.

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Integrity, Safety and Compliance: Stay at Home Order for City of Boulder

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:49:40 +0000

Integrity, Safety and Compliance: Stay at Home Order for City of Boulder Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/24/2020 - 08:49

Last night, the City of Boulder issued a Stay at Home Order to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health, safety and welfare of all city residents. The order takes effect at 5 p.m. this afternoon and continues through 5 p.m. on April 10.

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Suspension of all non-essential research activities on campus; additional guidance

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 23:12:03 +0000

Suspension of all non-essential research activities on campus; additional guidance Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/16/2020 - 17:12

Dear research community,

As concerns about COVID-19 heighten, we are intensifying measures to protect CU Boulder students, faculty and staff, as well as the Boulder community.

The Research & Innovation Office is currently working with our research institutes, colleges and schools, and laboratories to identify critical laboratory operations and staff, and suspend all non-essential research activities on campus as soon as practical.

By the end of Wednesday, all labs will be closing except where there is a critical risk of disruption, catastrophic loss, or animal care requirements. Exceptions beyond this requirement must be approved by the Dean or Institute Director and the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation. Access to research spaces will be limited to individuals who have been identified as critical to those operations.

We anticipate reevaluating this guidance by April 1, but anticipate this guidance could remain in place significantly longer.

Additional details

Critical research operations and personnel: Initial determinations about what operations and staff are critical are being made within institutes, schools and colleges, and then shared for review by the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation. If your determination is not clear, or if you wish to seek an exception, please reach out to your college or institute leadership. Non-critical operations will ramp down by the end of Wednesday.
Safety and social distancing: Safety is of the utmost importance. Reacquaint yourself with your lab’s safety protocols, ensure your space and equipment are properly cleaned and sanitized, and adjust as appropriate to account for any impacts to normal safety measures and cleaning procedures. Additionally, please follow social distancing practices during and outside of your time in the lab to keep yourself safe, including throughout your travel to and from labs.
Grant guidance: For specific impacts on your federally-funded grants, please refer to the appropriate agency guidance. The Council on Government Relations (COGR) is compiling Federal Agency Guidance, Institutional Guidance and Additional Resources.
Graduate and undergraduate student research: Faculty advisors are the best resource for graduate and undergraduate researchers who have questions or may need to adjust research-related protocols or operations.
Human research / IRB: Changes to research studies may necessary to protect participants, staff and yourself. Federal regulatory and CU Boulder policy requirements must still be met. Changes in the ways in which you interact with study participants must be reviewed and approved by the IRB before being implemented. Please direct any IRB inquiries to irbadmin@colorado.edu.
Vivarium and animal research: Basic research animal care (health checks, feeding, watering and husbandry) will continue. New animal orders, imports and transfers are suspended, and no new technical service requests will be accepted without strong justification to the Director of OAR. Requests should be directed to Dr. Sara Hashway at sara.hashway@colorado.edu or (303) 492-3411.

The situation and guidance continue to evolve rapidly. Campus guidance and resources are updated regularly at colorado.edu/coronavirus. RIO is also providing additional details specific to research operations at RIO's COVID-19 Resources page.

Be well,

Terri Fiez
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

As concerns about COVID-19 heighten, we are intensifying measures to protect CU Boulder students, faculty and staff, as well as the Boulder community.

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