With the rapidly evolving circumstances regarding COVID-19 and our focus on social distancing and the health and well-being of the community, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, in consultation with the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Medicine, issued revised standards related to laboratory research. Specifically, principal investigators should immediately begin preparing for all on-campus research to be reduced to essential research-related activities only by March 24.
Limited access to laboratories will be maintained so that essential research-related activities can continue. Guidance for researchers, including how to define essential research, a check list to ramp down lab operations and other lab protocols, is available at https://www.research.psu.edu/covid_labs.
The guidance for investigators also includes an important request to submit an inventory of personal protective equipment (PPE) by March 23.
This guidance applies to researchers at University Park, the Commonwealth Campuses, the College of Medicine, and Penn State Health. For members of our research community who work at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), please continue to follow ARL-specific guidelines, which ensure critical national security needs are maintained while also maximizing social distancing and adopting remote working protocols.
Researchers should continue to the COVID-19 guidance for researchers on an ongoing basis: https://www.research.psu.edu/covid.
