Research Continuity during the COVID-19 Outbreak

To:         Penn Research Community
From:    Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research
Date:     March 23, 2020

Re:         Supporting Essential Functions with Safety

Please share this message with any person who has been approved to work on campus.

Thank you for your efforts to expeditiously ramp down our research programs at Penn. As the situation evolves, it is becoming evident that the impact of the epidemic will last longer than a couple of weeks.   It is possible it will last for months and we are planning for this eventuality.

I recognize that this situation has caused real impact on research that is of concern to faculty, staff, students and post docs. Some progress will be slowed, and setbacks will occur.  We are constantly monitoring the situation and digesting the latest advice from the CDC and other authorities.  As soon as it becomes safe to reconvene, we will all work together to find paths to minimize these impacts on your research trajectories.

As the university moved to restrict operations to essential functions only, the schools have developed processes to decide which processes and personnel are essential. As essential functions and personnel are evaluated, I want to emphasize that the overarching principle is that, the threshold for this designation should be set very high as we contemplate a period of reduced operations that could extend into months.  As a result, the number of faculty, staff, and trainees permitted on campus will be small.

Some have expressed safety concerns associated with onsite work during reduced operations.  Such concerns are understandable during this unique situation. Despite this uncertainty, we remind the community that the campus safety infrastructure remains in place, that social distancing is possible on the depopulated campus, and that normal safety protocols in research should continue to be practiced as usual.

The University supports the highest standards of safety for its personnel and for research standards. Any concerns you have related to personal or lab safety should be discussed with your advisor or supervisor, your graduate group chair or department chair. In addition, you should feel free to reach out to Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS) or Public Safety directly.  

Some offices and practices that support safe research are listed here.

• Since the campus is depopulated, social distancing is more straightforward here than in many other venues. We should all should obey the 6 ft rule and continue to wash hands frequently while on campus as we do elsewhere.
• To maximize social distancing, avoid mass transit, if possible. To support us in this regard Penn parking is now open to those without parking stickers at a reduced cost.  (See the table below)
• In some types of research, a buddy system is a mandated safety protocol under normal conditions. All safety practices relevant to research activities must be meticulously adhered to during reduced operations, while maintaining social distancing.
• Some groups are adopting extra cleaning protocols for hard surfaces in the labs.  In order to incorporate extra cleaning protocols in the lab, contact your building administrator for supplies.
• The Division of Public Safety continues to provide the same high-level safety and security services to the Penn Community.  Penn Police are patrolling and responding to calls for services; Allied Universal security officers continue to be deployed in buildings and on street patrol.
• Campus buildings are now accessible only to those with Penn ID cards.
• Fire and Emergency services continue to work with FRES, ULAR, EHRS, BSD, etc., on responding to all life safety issues, including lab incidents.
• EHRS continues to have radiation safety and emergency response teams on campus.
• Should anyone working on campus have any safety/security concerns they should call Department of Public Safety (DPS) 215-573-3333 to let the staff know their location and concern.  DPS staff will respond immediately.

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EHRS offers the following guidance to assist you with the temporary suspension of operations in your lab. Please note that EHRS continues to provide essential services and can be reached at 215-898-4453 (24-hour).

Communication

• Update your lab communication lists. BioRAFT has a “send lab message” feature that can assist in lab communications. Ensure all lab staff are listed in the members section of your BioRAFT protocol. Test your communication systems.
• Perelman School of Medicine personnel should subscribe to relevant building alerts using PSOMReady. https://www.med.upenn.edu/psomready/
• Review your mission continuity plan for your school or center. Ensure you have contact information for your building administrators.
• Access to buildings will be limited to “essential personnel”. Follow your school or center’s procedure to ensure that your lab’s “essential personnel” will have access.

Waste Materials

• Dispose of all chemical waste. Waste collection requests: https://ehrs.upenn.edu/health-safety/regulated-waste/chemical-waste
• Dispose of all infectious waste. Disposal guidance for infectious waste can be found at https://ehrs.upenn.edu/health-safety/regulated-waste/biohazardous-waste/…. Infectious Waste collection will serviced by school facilities staff or Penn’s waste vendor.
• Radioactive waste pickups are suspended until further notice. There are no specific time constraints for storing radioactive waste so this waste can remain in your lab until normal university operations resume. If a special need would arise, please submit a radioactive waste request or call 215-837-7124.

Procedure rooms

• Coordinate with other lab groups regarding support of shared carbon dioxide systems. Speak to your school facilities office concerning receipt of gas cylinders.
• Decontaminate the inside surfaces of biosafety cabinets. Close sash and power down. Do not leave UV light on.
• Empty and disinfect aspirator collection flasks.
• Check that incubator and freezer doors are fully closed.

Cryogen Use

• NMR systems will need to be periodically refilled. Ensure that you are able to obtain liquid nitrogen or helium. Refilling should not be done alone.
• Users of the Perelman School of Medicine liquid nitrogen fill stations in Smilow and Anatomy-Chemistry should confirm that these stations will remain in operation. AirGas can supply liquid nitrogen if these facilities close.
• Establish a plan to support liquid nitrogen cell storage dewars.

General Safety

• Remove all hazardous chemicals from the bench area. Store all flammables liquids in flammable-liquid storage cabinets.
• Secure all compressed gas cylinders. Ensure all gas cylinders are shut off at the cylinder valve.
  Remove regulators and cap cylinders that are not in use.
• Removal all chemicals from your fume hood. Close the sash of your hood.
• Power down and unplug all lab equipment, especially hotplates.
• Check all natural gas valves and ensure they are fully turned off.
• Glove boxes require periodic inspection to maintain proper atmosphere. Ensure glove boxes are checked weekly.
• Remove combustible materials and clutter from areas around continuously operating equipment such as vacuum pumps.

Supplies

• Do not order any new research materials. Cancel orders for non-essential supplies.

Read this on the EHRS Website

From: Elizabeth (Missy) Peloso, Office of Research  Services

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, NIH issued revised guidance regarding Flexibilities Available to Applicants and Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Affected by COVID-19.  The guidance is available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-086.html.

For cancelled travel and conference participation, NIH has clarified that the following are allowable costs to NIH awards:

• Nonrefundable travel costs including airline tickets and hotel rooms cancelled due to COVID-19
• Non-refundable conference registration fees.

Institutions affected by COVID-19 may continue to provide stipend payments to fellows and trainees who may be unable to work as a result of or related to COVID-19. Recipients should notify the assigned grants management official, and provide documentation demonstrating the effect of COVID-19, and how long the institution will be affected. Please work with ORS staff on the necessary communications to the NIH grants management officials.

NIH has further clarified that salaries for researchers unable to work as a result of the effect of COVID-19 may continue to be charged to grants so long as the recipient organization’s policy allows for such charges regardless of funding source.   Penn policy on COVID-19 is consistent with the continuation of salary charges to grants.

Penn HR guidance for Managers on the Coronavirus is that all Penn employees will be paid regardless of ability to work remotely. Please see https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/wellness-worklife/communicable-disease-health-and-safety/covid-19-guidance-for-managers for additional guidance on current Penn policy.

Specific information from NSF and other funders has not been released.  We will update the research community as additional guidance and clarifications become available.  Please see the Vice Provost for Research site https://research.upenn.edu/resources/coronavirus/ for additional information about COVID-19 and research at Penn.

 

To: Research Deans
From: Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research

Please forward this message to faculty in your school.

The purpose of the research ramp down is to depopulate the campus.  The data unambiguously support the positive impact of social distancing on public health.  Further, the sooner and more vigorously social distancing is implemented, the smaller the number of cases and the more lives are saved.  As the cities, counties, and state governments enact closures in our region, and across the nation, we cannot take this less seriously than the rest of society. In fact, we should take the lead in doing the right thing.  Our goal is to reduce population to a skeleton staffing levels for all activities including research.

The earlier communication regarding the research ramp down stated that beginning March 18, access to labs will be limited to essential personnel who perform critical procedures or processes. Faculty were asked to provide divisional/departmental business offices with an updated list of proposed essential personnel and contact information by March 17.

The schools should encourage the lists to be submitted as soon as possible. Many if not most on the lists of essential personnel are expected to be staff in facilities and researchers maintaining equipment and systems that require attention.  Each school should Identify a process for review and approval of the activities in the list.  Although a first level review may be performed by department chairs, final approval of activities beyond simple equipment or sample maintenance must be obtained from a vice dean or appropriate leader.

In any case where the activity goes beyond simple equipment or sample maintenance, the request should include a justification of the essential activity, a social distancing plan, and a contingency plan. Beginning  March 18, approval must have been obtained before any on campus activity occurs.

The obvious challenge with this process is to distinguish activities that are ‘essential’.  The justifications of essential activities listed below illustrate principles that underly the designation.  Other activities might be considered essential but would need to represent the same level of necessity to operations. 

Justifications  of  essential activities

• Activity that if discontinued would generate significant data and sample loss
• Activity that if discontinued would pose a safety hazard
• Activity that maintains critical equipment in facilities and laboratories
• Activity that maintains critical samples and animal populations
• COVID-19 related activity that has a timeline for deployment that could address the current crisis
• Clinical trial activity that if discontinued would negatively impact the patient’s care
• Activity necessary for delivery of remote instruction

Invalid justifications of essential activities

• It will take time to get the lab up and running again
• Lab results are needed for a Science paper submission or other deadline

 

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In the face of the urgent public health crisis caused by COVID-19, the University of Pennsylvania is instituting new measures to protect the health and safety of our community, as well as to maintain the capability of our health system. All researchers should immediately prepare to discontinue all non-essential on-campus research activities on or before March 17. Our research efforts to combat COVID-19 will continue, and they represent an example of the very limited essential research that should continue.

The deans of the Schools have been consulted in the development of these decisions. They understand the diversity of activities that constitute our research enterprise and are aware of the impact of these decisions on those activities. Our peer institutions are taking similar measures, as we all recognize the importance of minimizing the spread of COVID-19.

Beginning March 18, access to labs will be limited to essential personnel who perform critical procedures or processes that require regular attention to maintain the long-term viability of the laboratory, reagents, animals, and equipment. Please provide your divisional/departmental business offices with an updated list of essential personnel and contact information by March 17.

Access should be coordinated so that these functions are maintained using the fewest number of essential personnel. The most stringent social distancing should be practiced. Frequent handwashing and disinfectant cleaning protocols should be implemented in the labs. Anyone who is ill should remain at home.

Be assured that our staff in Environmental Health and Radiation Safety and University Laboratory Animal Resources, who are defined as essential personnel, have robust continuity programs to support the campus during this time. Additionally, the units of the Office of Vice Provost for Research, including the Institutional Review Board and the Office of Research Services, will be fully functional using remote protocols.

We understand how disruptive these events are for your scholarly work and training activities. We encourage you to use this time creatively to network remotely, analyze data, write research papers and reviews, and prepare grants. We also recognize the stress caused by this disruption, and we are prepared to work with the academic affairs and human resources groups in your schools to minimize the impact on professional advancement. Funding and institutional support for staff, students, and postdocs should continue as usual, even though personnel are off campus. We will update guidance on these and other issues on a regular basis: https://research.upenn.edu/resources/coronavirus/

We are grateful for your cooperation in helping to keep our community safe, as we work together to do our part to confront this global crisis.

Wendell Pritchett, Provost
Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President for the Health System
Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research

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ORS is receiving may questions related to the allowability of charges to grants.  While NIH, NSF and other federal sponsors of research have launched websites related to COVID-19, the current information does not include special guidance for grant management at this time. While we await formal guidance beyond what is provided by grants policy, the following are suggested practices for Penn at this time.

Travel:

Airline cancellation fees and non-refundable hotel deposits: Air travel fees for trips cancelled as a result of meeting cancellations or travel restrictions should remain on the source to which they are currently charged. In the event that agency guidance is issued as expected that these charges are allowable grant expenses, they may be moved to the grant if currently on an unrestricted fund. If charges are currently on grant funds, they will need to be moved off the grant if agencies determine them to be unallowable.

Please work with conference organizers to follow up on any possible refunds of hotel deposits. Many larger conferences have insurance policies that may apply, and reasonable efforts should be made to attempt to recoup the costs.

Booking future travel: While we remain optimistic, it is most likely not prudent to book new non- refundable travel for grants related travel until the current travel restrictions are no longer in effect. As a reminder, the Uniform Guidance requirement is that travel costs are not more than the basic least expensive unrestricted accommodations class offered by the airline. While the basic refundable ticket is often much more expensive than the non-refundable lowest cost ticket, it is likely a better fare choice given the current uncertainty.

Salaries:

Salaries should be charged to grants so long as doing so is in compliance with Penn’s HR policies related to coronavirus. Please see https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/wellness-worklife/communicable- disease-health-and-safety/covid-19-guidance-for-managers for specific guidance and helpful FAQs.

If you have specific questions, please reach out to your ORS contacts. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research
Missy Peloso, Associate Vice President & Associate Vice Provost Office of Research Services

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Dear Colleagues,

Amidst the COVID-19 public health crisis, we must do our parts – individually and collectively – to limit the spread of the virus and safeguard the local environment for those focused on our most critical missions.  At this time, every effort must be made to reduce transmission and protect our patients and our community.

With this in mind, we are strongly encouraging the research community to promote work from home wherever possible to depopulate our campus without impacting our primary missions in patient care and urgent research (including a number of labs working on COVID-19 and a new Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens).  As a consequence, we will also be decongesting public transportation and socially-distancing for the good of our community.

Though guidelines may change as the situation evolves, we would like to encourage the research community to:

• Work from home. It is at the discretion of the department and each lab team to determine what work is expected to be performed at home, but we urge you to implement this approach, as it will be the first step in reducing the rate of spread.
  • Telework can and should be productive and offers an opportunity to innovate in terms of writing, training and education, and for adapting to the use of video technologies for collaboration.
  • Make sure you have the proper equipment and access to files and consider the resources for access technology highlighted in yesterday’s communication.
  • Click here for instructions for PMACS supported clients to access VPN and Remote Desktop. You are urged to confirm these functionalities in advance.
  • All meetings and interactions should transition to remote format wherever possible.
• Depopulate the labs.
  • Identify only the most critical experiments that need to be carried out on campus at this time.
  • Minimize the density in the lab by having your team members work in shifts.
  • Even those who perform “hands-on” work normally may be able to perform productive grant activities at home for a period of time. Are there papers that can be read, online training that can be completed, new protocols that can be written, data to be analyzed or new approaches to be explored via teleconference?
  • No undergraduate work-study students, temporary student workers from co-op programs, and students from other Universities should come into our labs/facilities.
• Establish a robust and clear communication and operations continuity plan.
  • As I mentioned in my 3/10 email, groups should develop a communications plan in order to share information quickly and accurately.
  • In the event that we need to close a building or buildings, identify essential personnel designated to enter the facility to perform critical tasks. Since identified essential personnel could become ill, you should ensure you identify adequate redundancy.
  • Please share your updated lab personnel list with your departmental Business Administrator.
• Review helpful tips from The Division of Human Resources COVID-19 Workplace Health and Safety webpage, which provides links to workplace-related guidance including a sick time and leave chart and health coverage details. In addition, Penn Purchasing has prepared guidance on how to manage financial impact of travel and events cancelled due to COVID-19.
• Abide by social-distancing recommendations and good hygiene practices.
  • Allow for at least six feet of separation from others. On public transportation, this is nearly impossible, which underscores the importance of working from home.
  • If utilizing public transportation, consider traveling during off-peak hours.
  • Avoid large crowds and gatherings.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

I want to thank the programs and labs that have already implemented many of these recommendations and have shared with me ideas to support and sustain our research efforts during this unprecedented time.

With best regards,

Jon

Jon Epstein, MD
EVD/CSO

Yesterday the university announced major changes to the final weeks of the semester, including that Spring Break will be extended and most student instruction will move online.   In addition, students on spring break are asked not to return to campus, and students on campus are asked to depart by March 15.

Although instruction will occur remotely and many students will be off campus, this does not represent a suspension of operations on campus. Faculty, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows will have access to laboratories, offices, research group spaces and meeting spaces.  Research facilities will be operating, and the offices supporting research are functioning normally.

As always, our primary concern is the health and well-being of the community.  Good hygiene including hand washing, sufficient rest and hydration, and social distancing should be emphasized in labs as well as in offices.  Any who are ill or who have been exposed to the virus should not come to campus until they are better and/or have completed quarantine.

Some practices that support social distancing while carrying out research include the following:

• Those writing papers or dissertations or conducting other non-lab research activities can work at home, reducing the number of people commuting and in the lab.
• Research activities might be coordinated such that essential functions can be managed with fewer researchers in the lab.
• Meetings should be restricted to small groups.
• Meet remotely when appropriate; the university and Penn provide a suite of technologies to support virtual collaboration.

Our website will continue to post comprehensive and updated guidance regarding research practices as the coronavirus situation continues to evolve.

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PSOM – Resources for Access Technology

As indicated in Dr. Jon Epstein’s communication regarding research-related COVID-19 considerations sent on Tuesday, offices across the School and University are working hard to ensure research efforts proceed without disruption, operating as they do every day to support our community.  This includes the infrastructure and technology necessary to support remote working, teaching, learning, and conferencing.

This new page highlights some important resources.

ULAR’s goals in supporting animal research are to (1) protect ULAR’s workers, other Penn employees
and the community and (2) protect Penn’s research animals and research programs. The ULAR
research continuity plan contemplates a set of escalated measures to ensure animal welfare in the
case of progressing workforce reduction. While we hope the contingency plans will not be necessary,
it is best to be prepared.

The Director’s Team will implement the continuity measures if the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-
19 spreads in the Philadelphia area. We will also follow guidelines and expectations for management
of staff communicated by the University. Throughout this process we will consult faculty researchers
via the Animal Programs Advisory Committee and user group meetings. Primary components of the
ULAR continuity plan include the following.

• Husbandry staff, husbandry supervisors and managers, veterinarians, veterinary residents and
  veterinary technicians are Essential Employees and are required to work on campus if they are well.
• ULAR will make every effort to provide animal husbandry and veterinary care as usual. If husbandry staff levels fall very low, work may be reduced by measures which have the least impact on animal wellness.
• Any changes in status of ULAR services will be communicated to the affected researchers immediately via email and on the ULAR website.
• ULAR staff members who have prior training in husbandry may be re-assigned to provide husbandry care.
• Should workforce reduction become extreme, ULAR may request that scientific staff assist us by changing their rodent cages. ULAR is developing a communication network to implement this option, if necessary.
• ULAR veterinarians, residents and veterinary technicians will continue to provide veterinary care. These staff members will cover each other’s duties in the case of significant absences. If necessary, “fee for service” veterinary technician support of large animal surgeries and postoperative care of larger species may be reduced.
• ULAR Scientist Training support new scientists and scientists starting to use a new species of research animals. To the extent possible, ULAR Scientist Training will continue to be available as usual.
• ULAR leaders are contacting equipment and supply vendors to review contingency plans and, to the extent possible, extra materials are being stored on campus.
• ULAR’s services at New Bolton Center (NBC) focus on regulatory assistance and oversight and, to the extent possible, will continue as usual. The NBC employee will follow the NBC emergency policies.
• If there are severe staff shortages, new orders of research animals and importation or exportation of animals may need to be cancelled or delayed.
• Business services can maintain normal function by working remotely; there should be no disruption in services.
• Supplies of hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes will be provided in shared areas.

Additional planning and contact information will be posted on the ULAR Website (login required).

Announcement from the Perelman School of Medicine

At the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) and Penn Medicine, safety is our highest priority.  The  continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic may affect research at the PSOM, and we must do all we can now to minimize the impact and to reduce the potential for disrupting research programs in the long term. 

While the situation is still evolving, please take the following steps now to ensure research efforts proceed without disruption: (See Announcement from the Perelman School of Medicine)

Announcement from the Vice Provost for Research

The continuity of research through potential regional impact of an outbreak requires specific considerations. Download announcement.