February 13, 2021
Dear Members of the Research Community,
Thank you to everyone who worked to meet our aspirational goal of reducing on-campus research activity to 50 percent of your approved research plan during the province’s State of Emergency and Stay at Home orders.
With yesterday’s provincial announcement and Hamilton’s pending move back to red “control” zone, effective February 16,, 2021 we will revert to our Phase 2 on-campus and fieldwork research directives that were in place late last year, recognizing that remote working remains the preference.
Phase 2 allows for Training of Research Personnel and the Involvement of Human Participants, and it is essential that you adhere to the University’s COVID health and safety measures and ensure all health and safety protocols are in place before you or any member of your research team returns to campus.
As a reminder, the province discourages non-essential travel and Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health urges residents to continue to stay at home, avoid social gatherings and limit close contact to their household. Those who invite people to campus to participate in research programs or who are travelling for fieldwork should carefully consider their plans to meet travel recommendations and avoid travelling between different geographic regions and zones.
Reverting to the red “control” zone does not require any updates to your current approved research plan. If, however, you are re-engaging in Human Participant research, your research plan that previously had permission withdrawn will be reapproved next week in the Dashboard. You will receive an email when this happens. If you are submitting your Research Activity Plan for the first time, please visit the Phased Return to Research Application Form Decision Tree to seek approval from your Associate/Vice Dean of Research.
While the Province has moved Hamilton into the red “control” zone, the pandemic continues to be dynamic and the government and our local Public Health will be closely monitoring any change in COVID patterns and could add additional restrictions at any time. With this in mind, it is important that you are prepared to pause your research on short notice.
Thanks again for your efforts to keep our community safe. Please continue to visit the Daily News and the University’s COVID-19 Information and Updates sites for the most current information. If your research takes place at a hospital site or McMaster Innovation Park, you must also adhere to site-specific SOPs and protocols.
Stay safe,
Karen Mossman
Vice-President, Research