December 21, 2020
Dear Members of the Research Community,
With today’s announcement of a pending provincewide lockdown, I am writing to reconfirm that, in keeping with Hamilton’s lockdown measures, our new research directives became effective today at 12:01 a.m. These new directives will be in place until at least January 23, 2021.
In essence, we’ve returned to Phase 1, with specific modifications noted below.
Effective Monday, December 21, 2020, 12:01 a.m. researchers must adhere to the following research directives:
Updated from Phase 2 On-Campus Research:
- Training of Research Personnel is limited to only that which maintains physical distancing of greater than 2m (Category 1);
- Involvement of In-Person Human Participants (Categories 1 – 4) is suspended;
- Consultation with External Research Partners is no longer permitted on campus.
NOTE: Contractors involved in the repair and maintenance of research equipment are permitted on campus.
Updated from Phase 2 Fieldwork Activity:
- Training of Research Personnel is limited to only that which maintains physical distancing of greater than 2m (Category 1);
- Involvement of In-Person Human Participants is suspended;
- In-person Consultation with External Research Partners is no longer permitted.
NOTE: The provincial government has stated that travel outside one’s region should be limited to only essential purposes. Please be mindful of the local protocols and restrictions of the region in which you’re conducting your fieldwork.
Our Phased Return to Increased Research Activity has been managed through the application portal and, as a result of the new directives, if you are currently approved for research involving interaction with in-person human participants your plan will now be marked “denied.” You will receive an email to confirm this updated status. If your research with human participants meets the essential research criteria, as previously defined by the University, this email will include instructions on obtaining written approval to continue, i.e., have your plan reverted to “approved,” and there should be no interruption to your work as we switch to the lockdown environment.
Keep in mind that these measures are both temporary and necessary as we work together to help the community and province reduce the number of COVID cases. Please refer to the Government’s COVID-19 Response Framework for additional information.
For those of you continuing your research, please follow all of McMaster’s Environmental & Occupational Health Support Services guidelines and be sure to exercise proper hand hygiene, physical distancing and mask-wearing protocols, as these are essential in keeping our community safe. If your research takes place at a hospital site or McMaster Innovation Park, you must also adhere to site-specific SOPs and protocols.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact me or your Associate Dean Research.
Stay safe,
Karen Mossman
Vice-President, Research