K-State framework for continuing research activity on campus during the 2020-2021 academic year
K-State is currently in Phase 3 of the reopening plan.
Choose a topic to filter the content on this page:
- Framework guiding a phased approach to continuing research activity
- Phased research operations
- Considerations for continuing research activity
- Guidance for shifting time & effort on grants to support research
Framework guiding a phased approach to continuing research activity
Goal: To keep everyone safe while increasing research activity in a phased approach as public health and personal safety become easier to maintain.
Principle #1
Follow the cognizant local, state, and national public health authority directives to stay-at-home and implement social distancing.
- Health authority directives have thus far included stay at home orders from the Governor and local county health department, identification of essential businesses and closures of others, identification of allowable activities like exercise, social distancing directives, and recommendation of face coverings or masks. We can expect that "loosening" will look similar in reverse.
- Higher risk groups — like older faculty or those with underlying health conditions — should consider working from home if possible.
- Resumption of research has been accomplished by gradually phasing in research activities. Additional guidance for the initiation of widespread resumption of research activities will come from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
- The county health departments will dictate most of the phasing steps, and K-State will follow those phasing timelines and local guidance.
- White House Plan for Opening up America Again (pdf)
Principle #2
Protect the health and safety of the research workforce, emotional as well as physical. Protect the health and safety of our human research subjects.
- No personnel will be allowed in shared workspaces if they are exhibiting any symptoms of respiratory illness that the CDC associates with COVID-19 (cough not associated with seasonal allergies and shortness of breath, with any two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.)
- No researcher should feel they are being compelled to work on campus or in the field during periods of shelter-at-home directives. No researcher should feel unsafe working on campus. Safety within laboratories must be rigorously maintained, with adequate access to PPE and other safety related supplies.
- University research was "hibernated"through a process that involved an orderly shutdown of operations as well as completion of a checklist for hibernated labs that was posted on the door, shared with the department head, and a copy sent to EH&S. A similar "awakening" processes followed suit, with a checklist to be posted on the door, shared with the department head, and a copy sent to EH&S. Labs will not be authorized for access unless adequate safety supplies are identified as being available. PIs must identify who among their workforce are considered to be essential personnel (and replacements/backups), and a process is being established whereby researchers who feel uncomfortable about their work situation can anonymously report their concerns. These reports will be investigated by the vice president for research, and other leadership as appropriate, including deans and department heads.
- Limiting of access is likely to persist for some time. Certifying that individuals are COVID-19 free before permitting a return to work would be a best practice. (It has been suggested that tests for antibodies may only identify 3-5% of the population who can return to work.) Other health assessments such as taking temperatures and tracing contacts are other potential tools for safely continuing research in labs.
- Graduate students may have only limited access to their offices.
- It may be challenging to continue projects that are distributed over multiple sites or counties, or depend on international collaborations, as different counties will have different plans and timelines.
- Lifting of travel restrictions, such as international travel and essential travel only, are necessary before some field research can recommence. This includes human subject related field research that must be conducted in person.
- A number of research projects have successfully and safely transitioned to being fully remote, requiring infrequent or no access to university spaces. While also considered important and essential, they are not considered in the priority tiers discussed below. Furthermore, even if research can be conducted at home, we recognize that this may not be as productive or efficient for some researchers, due to other obligations.
Principle #3
Protect the careers of early stage researchers.
- Careers of young researchers could be dramatically impacted. While we have gained approval for a one-year extension to the tenure clock for all probationary faculty, the delays caused by the shutdown and slow ramping up may have ramifications to research that extend beyond one year, for example, due to disruptions in supply chains and other issues. K-State is also providing a one-year extension to the time limit on spending start-up funds.
Principle #4
The use of undergraduate researchers will be limited to those who are already trained.
- Except under the most exceptional of situations, new undergraduate students will not be allowed to participate in on campus research.
Principle #5
Implement a fair and transparent process for granting access.
- The Deans Council and Faculty Senate leadership will be engaged in the process to develop and endorse the guidelines for continuing research activities.
- Enforcement: While the vast majority of people on campus will follow the rules, a small number of abuses is inevitable; the Deans and Department Heads will be engaged for helping with enforcement.
Principle #6
Ensure as much research continue as the public health conditions permit.
- General considerations for continuation of research activity. Consider developing flexible or shift work schedules, plan for supply chain issues, and prepare core and fabrication lines in advance of need.
- 1. To ensure social distancing requirements and to reduce density of research personnel in university research spaces, consider permitting 7 day/24 hour lab access, work shifts or staggered work days, extended EH&S and Facilities support to enable more round the clock operation of laboratories, research facilities, libraries, archives, collections, and so on.
- 2. Supply chain issues on restart. Under no circumstances should safety be sacrificed due to lack of adequate supplies, type, and quality of PPE.
- 3. Ensure core facilities, support services, and shops are engaged and ready to support work.
Principle #7
Participate in finding cures, tests, and prevention strategies for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.
- Critical animal and BSL-3 virus research has continued, while non-critical BSL-3 research was suspended, which affected several planned studies in the BRI that had federal or private sector-funding.
- The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory initiated protocols associated with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and moved some sample testing capabilities into the BRI to serve as an additional facility for human COVID-19 tests, taking up several laboratory spaces in the BRI.
- The BRI identified a space to be used specifically for decontamination of used PPE as a precaution for limited access to new PPE for the BRI and Lafene.
- Given the need to operate according to public health guidelines — social distancing, proper PPE — some occupational and health and safety personnel at the BRI and in the Comparative Medicine Group animal care unit have been working on limited teams and on alternating shifts, which limits their abilities to expand research operations in the current environment.
Phases and Permitted Research Activities
Phased Research Operations
Phase 0
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS PER State/County | SUMMARY & METRICS | CRITERIA |
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On-campus access allowed to maintain research capability or prevent catastrophic disruption
COVID-19 related research encouraged
Researchers must be designated as Mission Critical to be on site. List provided to EH&S, Provost.
Appropriate SOPs developed and filed with department, EH&S.
Limited animal imports or transports by CMG
On site research activity transitions to an estimated 15-35% of normal
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Research access limited to social-distanced personnel conducting mission-critical research activities:
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Preparations for next phase
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Phase 1
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS PER State/County | SUMMARY & METRICS | CRITERIA |
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Definition of "critical" relaxed to include time-sensitive research
Explore options for Humanities & Social SciencesAll research that can be done remotely should continue remotely awakening plan approved and filed with department, EH&S and posted on lab door. Careful planning and ordering of research animals by CMG. On site research activity transitions to an estimated 35-50% of normalPlans for sudden return to Phase 0 in place
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Deadline-driven research activities:
Prioritize access for graduate students and postdocs close to completing their degree/term of appointment.
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Preparations for next phase
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Phase 2
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS PER State/County | SUMMARY & METRICS | CRITERIA |
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Gradually expand # of people on campus while maintaining social distancing
On-campus research allowed, but labs/groups only allowed to operate at 50-70% total personnel capacity, with social distancing. All research that can be done remotely should continue to be, including all seminars, group meetings, etc.
On site research activity transitions to an estimated 50-70% of normal
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Phase 3
June 8-present
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS PER State/County | SUMMARY & METRICS | CRITERIA |
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Continued expansion of research on campus while maintaining social distancing
On-campus research allowed, but labs/groups only allowed to operate at 70-90% total personnel capacity, with social distancing
All research that can be done remotely should continue
On site research activity 70-85% of normal
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Phase Out
Not sooner than 14 days after Phase 3.
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS PER State/County | SUMMARY & METRICS | CRITERIA |
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All types of on-site or remote site research are allowed
On site research activity normal at 85-100%
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Considerations for continuing research activity
- Develop a checklist for laboratory-based research. Start in Phase 0/1 to develop restart/safety plans based on the above phases (SOPs need to be developed by the PI, approved by their department head and ADR/Dean's Office, and filed with EH&S) – PI/Department/College plans should be flexible enough to enable the swift ramp down of research to an earlier phase in response to changing circumstances.
- Plans must comply with physical distancing requirements and should provide for the lowest density of people reasonable to carry out research.
- Consider staggering work schedules to maintain low personnel density
- Assign # workers in each space
- Define conditions for wearing additional PPE
- Gatherings, including group meetings, and even one-to-one discussions should continue to occur virtually.
- Plans must comply with physical distancing requirements and should provide for the lowest density of people reasonable to carry out research.
- Plans for cleaning/sanitizing labs and research work spaces, along with a sustainability plan.
- Research teams utilizing shared space must coordinate their plans
- Any personnel returning from out of state or who has been exposed to COVID-19 must follow current guidance on 14-day self-quarantine prior to reporting to campus – these individuals should work from their place of quarantine to the greatest extent possible if they are asymptomatic.
- International graduate students who can't return to K-State, but are able to engage in sponsored research activities are, by definition, foreign components. Consult with OIP, SPA, and URCO (for export control review) when planning for the restart of research that necessarily involves graduate students in this situation. Foreign graduate students may not be eligible for salary support if they are not in the U. S.
- DO NOT restart research that requires PPE without first ensuring/acquiring an adequate supply of PPE. Start ordering PPE now, if necessary, to have on hand for restart if current stock on hand is insufficient.
- If cloth or other face masks are mandated as part of physical distancing when conducting research where higher-level PPE is required/expected, are they available.
- Non-critical research that generates large volumes of hazardous waste and/or necessarily involves chemical, biological, radiation or other hazardous should not restart until Phase 4 at the earliest.
- Carrying out research should be limited to K-State employees and registered graduate students – undergraduates and volunteers should not be allowed to conduct research until Phase 5 (or 6) is reached. The exception to this is undergraduates who play essential roles in mission-critical studies and their participation must be approved in advance on a case-by-case basis.
- All planning must consider the needs of employees/students with current disability accommodations or those who will require new accommodations
Guidance for shifting time and effort on grants to support research
- Faculty with research grants that support salary can, with the approval of their sponsor, increase their effort on said grant for a period of time for the purpose of accomplishing the deliverables of said research, whether to get back on schedule following the interruption of our shutdown or other reason (such as lack of student or other personnel).
- Actual time and effort expended on the sponsored grant or contract and ultimately reported (charged or cost-shared, as the case may be) must reflect the approved change.
- This change must be approved by the department head, who will ensure that the department's teaching commitments are maintained.