NJIT Pandemic Recovery Plan

Research Continuity Plan:
Phased Recovery Operations
Updated November 20, 2020

Current Recovery Phase: Phase-2

Ramp Up Phase-1, Phase-2 and Phase-3 Research Continuity and Recovery Operations Plan

For ramping up the phased research continuity and recovery operations, the following guidelines and protocols should be adopted for restoring research activities. The following protocols are subject to change based on the guidance and regulations from the federal, state, and local government agencies.

Phase-1: The institutionally approved Phase-1 research operations should continue with the required social distancing and safety protocols. As the phased research recovery plans ramp up carefully with a gradual and safe start of laboratory research activities, there will be an overlap of Phase-1 research recovery operations transitioning into the institutional Phase-2 operations. The current Phase-1 research recovery period is recommended until June 30, 2020 subject to the availability of appropriate PPE to enforce required safety protocols. The requested PPE supplies for Phase-1 operations have been ordered though the university but there may be delays in receiving the requested supplies depending on the availability in the market. Research labs are responsible for purchasing appropriate PPE supplies from their own funds in subsequent phases of research operations.

Phase-2: Each department should prepare a ramp up Phase-2 Research Continuity and Recovery (Phase-2 RCR) plan. The Phase-2 RCR plan should be approved by the college dean and then forwarded to the Office of Research for institutional approvals. As Phase-2 recovery would ramp up research activities to most funded research operations, the approvals to additional laboratory research operations would be approved by the department chair following the Phase-2 RCR plan subject to the availability of appropriate PPE to enforce required social distancing and safety protocols (consistent with federal, state and local guidelines).

Phase-3: Each department should prepare a ramp up Phase-3 Research Continuity and Recovery (Phase-3 RCR) plan. The Phase-3 RCR plan should be approved by the college dean and then forwarded to the Office of Research for institutional approvals. As Phase-3 recovery would ramp up research activities to most funded and unfunded research operations, the approvals to additional laboratory research operations would be approved by the department chair following the Phase-3 RCR plan subject to the availability of appropriate PPE to enforce required social distancing and safety protocols (consistent with federal, state and local guidelines).

Templates for recommended Phase-2 Research Operation (PRO-2) approval form, and departmental Phase-2 and Phase-3 Research Continuity and Receiver (RCR) plans are posted on the research website

NJIT Phased Research Recovery Plan

NJIT faculty, staff, and students at research facilities must follow the specific social distancing and safety protocols including the use of personnel protective equipment (PPE) as required by the institutional, state and federal guidelines in the respective phase of the research continuity plan. State and national information regarding current conditions can be found at:

New Jersey’s COVID-19 information hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/index.html
White House Plan for Opening up America Again: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Guidelines-for-Opening-Up-America-Again.pdf
CDC guidelines on “Symptoms of Coronavirus”: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
CDC guidelines on “Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19”: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

The following guidelines should be adapted with each respective phase for the recovery of research operations.

Recovery Phase-0: All non-essential research operations halted. Essential research operations follow strictest social distancing and safety protocols with only essential staff.

Safety within laboratories must be rigorously maintained with adequate access to PPE and other safety related supplies. Labs will not be authorized for access unless adequate safety supplies are identified as being available. PIs must identify by name the people that will be considered essential personnel (including replacements/backups). During this time all essential research operations (ERO) must be approved by chair, dean, and the senior vice provost for research through the emergency research continuity plan process currently in place.
Research involving human subjects that requires face-to-face interaction with human subjects is halted.
Research that can be conducted remotely should be continued to the extent possible.

Recovery Phase-1: Minimal research operations approved through chairs, deans and senior vice provost for research to pursue time-sensitive priority research such as projects related to COVID-19 response; approved Essential Research Operation (ERO) plans in Phase-0; long-term research experiments with cell-lines, animals, and human subjects that were already underway before Phase-0; grants and contracts expiring within six months; submission of proposals in response to special solicitations (Requests for Proposals); and projects involving students with graduation requirements.

Requests for projects considered time-sensitive should be directed to departmental chairs. The dean and senior vice provost for research will provide guidance as needed.
All research operations at NJIT facilities in this phase must follow the highest possible level of social distancing implemented.
Research that can be conducted remotely should be continued to the extent possible.
As on-campus operations are limited following the state and institutional safety regulations, visiting access to on-campus facilities is restricted.
New applications for visiting scholars for research are on hold until NJIT enters the “new normal” phase of recovery.

Recovery Phase-2: Most research operations, whether sponsored through external grants and contracts or internally funded, may be restarted through the approval of department chairs using significant social distancing and safety protocols with restrictions on the number of researchers and staff present in laboratories at one time.

The Phase-2 restart may require developing flexible work schedules, plan for supply chain issues, and prepare core and fabrication facilities in advance of need. To ensure social distancing requirements and to reduce density of research personnel in university research spaces, the lab directors should consider permitting flexible lab access schedules, work shifts or staggered workdays, and extended facilities support to enable more round-the-clock operation of research facilities. Under no circumstances should safety be sacrificed due to lack of adequate supplies, type, and quality of PPE.
Research that can be conducted completely remotely or in addition to the on-campus operations should continue to be conducted in that manner.
As on-campus operations are limited following the state and institutional safety regulations, visiting access to on-campus facilities is restricted.
New applications for visiting scholars for research are on hold until NJIT enters the “new normal” phase of recovery.

Recovery Phase-3: Most research operations on funded and unfunded projects along with research required for future proposal submissions are restored with minimal social distancing and personnel safety protocols.

Group meetings and research presentations with faculty, staff and students should be restricted and kept to a minimal size protecting any vulnerable participants. If possible, these meetings should continue to be held online until we reach a state of full recovery.
Other laboratory safety protocols must be strictly followed.
Research that can be conducted completely remotely or in addition to the on-campus operations should continue to be conducted in that manner.
New applications for visiting scholars for research are on hold until NJIT enters the “new normal” phase of recovery.

Full Recovery: All research operations are restored fully with no specific social distancing requirements. However, all laboratory and personnel safety protocols must be strictly followed.

This document refers to research conducted on the NJIT campus in Newark, NJ, including the physical campus and activities that have direct contact with individuals (human subjects) anywhere. Satellite locations, such as the Big Bear Solar Observatory in California, must follow a similar phased approach informed by local conditions.

NJIT Research Continuity Plan: Phase-0
Updated March 26, 2020

Due to rapidly growing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Murphy has issued stay-at-home orders effective 9.00 PM, March 21, 2020.

All non-essential research operations in NJIT research laboratories and facilities are halted temporarily until further notice for the safety of the community and to be in compliance with the state order and associated travel restrictions. Limited continuation of laboratory research is only permitted for essential research operations but must follow the strongest safety protocols including the social distancing while working in the lab.

Essential research operations that are critical to maintenance and monitoring of research facility, animal care (with approved contingency plan) or exceptional experiments for which termination will lead to the irreversible loss of data must be approved at the institutional level (https://research.njit.edu/research-continuity-plan)

Students and post-docs must not be asked or expected to travel to campus for any non-essential research activity for their safety and to be in compliance with state and institutional regulations with the stay at home order.

As requested earlier, the checklist (posted on the research website (https://research.njit.edu/research-continuity-plan) should be followed to shut-down research laboratory operations.

All research activities that can be pursued remotely should be continued.

We hope that this period of unprecedented disruption will be over shortly. Until then please take every precaution to be safe and healthy.

Research Administration and Compliance

The Office of Research will continue to provide assistance on proposal submissions, pre-award and post-award grant management, research compliance and operational protocols to the best of our abilities. It is expected that Streamlyne will remain operational for proposal submissions and the following email addresses will be monitored regularly:

Pre-Award inquiries: srard@njit.edu
Post-Award financial management: gca@njit.edu
Institutional Review Board: irb@njit.edu
Institutional Biosafety Committee: ibc@njit.edu

Updates and university-wide resources in response to COVID-19 outbreaks are posted on the NJIT website https://www.njit.edu/coronavirus

If you have any questions related to research, please contact the Office of Research.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information on Sponsored Research Grants and Contracts

(Updated May 3, 2020)

Guidance on Financial Management of Grants and Contracts

The Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum on 19 March 2020 (OMB 20-17 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-17.pdf) providing guidance on issues related to grant management during the COVID-19 disruption. This memorandum provides short term relief for administrative, financial management, and audit requirements under 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, for the management of grants and contracts from all federal and non-federal sources under the COVID-19 public health emergency without compromising federal financial assistance accountability requirements.

Funding agencies such as NSF and NIH are following the OMB guidance with respect to grant management during this disruption to university business and research. The OMB Memorandum M-20-17 with the important information on the financial management of the research grants and contracts is posted on the research website https://research.njit.edu/research-continuity-plan. Links to current notifications from federal agencies are provided below. Principal investigators should check with the websites of their specific funding agencies for more information.

COVID-19 Information for NSF applicants and award recipients FAQ is regularly updated on the website https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/covid19/covid19faqs_dcl.pdf. COVID-19 Information for NIH applicants and recipients of NIH funding is regularly updated on the website https://grants.nih.gov/policy/natural-disasters/corona-virus.htm. A multiple Funding Agencies Research Impact Guidance Matrix by the Council of Government Relationships is posted on the website COGR's Federal Agency Guidance Matrix (XLS)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information on Sponsored Research Impact

Updated May 17, 2020

The Office of Research will continue to compile links for agency-specific guidance. The updates will be included in forthcoming Office of Research Newsletters and also posted on website https://research.njit.edu/.

Council on Government Relationships Resources on COVID-19's Impact to Federal Awards