Information for Research during COVID19
Updated: June 18 , 2021 Heading link
Illinois and Chicago are in Phase 5 of Restore Illinois/Protecting Chicago. Current advisory recommendations made by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health to reduce COVID19 transmission are in effect. Current guidelines and information will be updated as needed.
Human subjects research Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 3/31/2021) https://research.uic.edu/covid-19ovcr/covid-19-oprsfaq/
Research and COVID19
Research protocols that can be conducted without face-to-face contact are encouraged to continue to use IRB-approved alternate procedures. Protocols that are open and involve face-to-face contact are reminded to use masks, maintain six foot distance whenever possible, and use handwashing/sanitizer. All protocols that include face-to-face contact with subjects requires Human Subjects COVID19 Review. Applications to open or re-open IRB approved protocols should be submitted to OVCR through: https://uic.infoready4.com/#manageCompetitionsDetail/1817478 (UIC login is required). Please contact research@uic.edu if you have any questions about these requirements.
COVID19 Vaccines are available for all people >age 12 who work or live in Illinois (effective May 13, 2021)
All UIC faculty, staff and students are encouraged to be vaccinated. Researchers with human subjects or COVID19 patient materials contact are a priority group for COVID19 vaccines. Please visit https://hospital.uillinois.edu/primary-and-specialty-care/infectious-diseases/covid-19-coronavirus/vaccine or https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-plan-overview for more information about scheduling vaccines.
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Ongoing COVID19 Precautions for All Researchers
All previous protocols remain in force: do not come to work if sick/symptomatic, wash your hands/use sanitizer, maintain social distancing of 6 feet, wear a mask, and avoid touching your face. If you have any symptoms or have been exposed to COVID – DO NOT COME TO WORK.
Visit this CDC website to learn more about COVID19 symptoms and how to prevent spreading the virus. Many symptoms of COVID19 mimic those of other, less serious illnesses. If you think you might have any symptoms of COVID19 do not come to work – call your healthcare provider or UI Health at 866-600-CARE to consult with a health care professional about whether you need testing and what you should do if you are having symptoms that include fever, cough or shortness of breath.
If you have had close contact (at a distance of less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID19, you need to quarantine for 14 days. See UIC isolation and quarantine guidance. Call your healthcare provider or call UI Health at 866-600-CARE to determine if you need testing and to schedule COVID19 testing.
1. Animal Research and Care
The Biologic Resources Laboratory (BRL) veterinarians and staff will continue to keep our animal research facilities open and provide care for all research animals. Staff have been added to withstand limitations to our workforce from illness and quarantine. In the event COVID19 cases continue to increase, BRL will suspend training wet labs, facility orientations for building access and lab visits. In addition, BRL will limit animal orders and ask investigators not to initiate new non-critical/non-COVID19-related research projects. These guidelines may change as circumstances change.
2. Research Resource Center
RRC core facilities will continue to maintain all research services within the limitations provided by city and state guidelines. RRC cores have moved many interpersonal interactions to online platforms where possible. These are now being used for meetings, project development, training and troubleshooting. All shared equipment rooms are limited to one user at a time per instrument; recommended social distancing and PPE use, along with limits to room occupancy, should be observed. Shifts are being scheduled to decrease personnel interactions and lower exposure risks for our staff and core users.
3. Human Subjects and Clinical Research
Please note: UI Health now requires FACE SHIELDS in addition to masks for all face-to-face contact with individuals that occurs at a distance of less than 6 feet, regardless of subject’s COVID19 status. This change is based on emerging evidence for aerosol spread of COVID19 and recent CDC recommendations.
Effective immediately, if a research protocol includes ANY contact that is less than 6 feet away from a subject, both a face shield AND a mask should be used. Face shields are able to be cleaned and reused and are readily available from UIC central supply and other PPE vendors in the iBuy system. Please check with your college’s administrative environmental/facilities lead or procurement group to obtain face shields for your research staff.
Should COVID19 infection prevalence continue to rise, and/or the State or City require new restrictions on activity, IRB-approved studies may again be required to defer face-to-face non-therapeutic activities. The OVCR COVID Research Advisory Committee, led by AVCR Jon Klein, will continue to make these assessments, with close collaboration from faculty and healthcare system leadership.
In addition:
- Therapeutic studies and COVID19 studies will continue without change.
- Studies that are able to be conducted without face-to-face contact with subjects will continue without changes.
- The IRB will continue to expedite review of modifications needed to allow studies to be conducted without face-to-face contact.
- COVID19 therapeutic studies in UI Health settings will continue to require coordination with the CMO and CNO Offices at UI Health through the COVID Research Advisory Committee.
Please email research@uic.edu with any questions. Also, please let us know if you are experiencing any issues or problems with your research protocols’ restart.
4. OVCR Administrative and Compliance Functions
There are no planned changes to any OVCR administrative or compliance services. The OSP website landing pages will be updated with any changes in sponsor-specific guidelines or program updates relevant to research.
Message to the Campus Heading link
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EHSO Research Restart Requirements
Lab Safety Plan and BioRAFT Training Guide
EHSO has established a set of requirements that must be completed to ensure the health and safety of the research community on campus. All steps shown below must be completed before resuming research or starting new research projects.
- All Principal Investigators (PIs) must register with BioRAFT, a research management tool that tracks all labs, lab members, research hazards and safety training requirements.
- Identify your building, labs and work spaces, and contact information
- Indicate your group’s emergency operational status
- Add all research group members and identify research activities
- Complete the COVID19 Lab Reopening Checklist within BioRAFT.
- Access the COVID19 checklist via self-inspections
- Read the checklist and answer the questions
- Save the self-inspection document
- EHSO will review and approve the COVID19 Checklist.
- Dean and Department Head Approval for Research Operations after COVID19 Checklist Completed.
- EHSO will follow-up with the laboratory or other research work site check to ensure campus guidance on COVID19 is being followed.
Starting Human Subjects Research
- Starting Human Subjects Research – Updated: March 31, 2021
Biologic Resources Laboratory COVID19 Restart Process
- COVID19 Restart Process – Effective June 8, 2020
- All Principal Investigators (PIs) must register with BioRAFT, a research management tool that tracks all labs, lab members, research hazards and safety training requirements.
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Messages to the Campus
March 31, 2021 OVCR Operational Updates January 29, 2021 OVCR Operational Updates January 14, 2021 OVCR Operational Updates November 16, 2020 OVCR Operational Updates August 13, 2020 OVCR Operational Updates June 29, 2020 Phase 4: Revitalization Campus Announcement June 22, 2020 Human Subjects Research Restart May 26, 2020 Eight working groups of faculty representing each College are currently meeting to define the questions and needs for research in different areas including clinical studies, public health and social sciences, community engagement, translational research (including expanded use of animal models, drug discovery and the entrepreneurial pipeline), STEM disciplines, data science, projects in the arts and humanities, and research considerations for junior faculty and trainees. These groups are being facilitated by OVCR and will continue to meet during the next few weeks to consider any topic related to the next steps for all parts of our research portfolio. All groups include junior faculty in order to consider the unique needs of this cohort. Safety protocols will continue to be overseen by EHSO, although EHSO personnel will be reviewing the questions and considerations of each working group in restarting and reactivating research. May 21, 2020 Restore Illinois Phase 3 UIC Campus Operations April 30, 2020 COVID19 Requirements for Safely Conducting Research on Campus April 27, 2020 OVCR and OVCAS Research Update and Future Considerations