Guidance for Research During COVID-19

Guidance for Research During COVID-19

Phased Research Reopening
Grants Management and Administration COVID-Related Funding Opportunities
Guidance for Data Collection and Research Operations Travel-Related Guidance and Restrictions
HRRP and Compliance Guidance for Events and Large Gatherings

 

Phased Research Reopening (Updated 9/29/2020) 

John Jay College has an approved plan to gradually resume research activities on-site in a phased approach. This plan addresses CUNY requirements and New York State's detailed public health and safety criteria and research considerations. 

All aspects of research that can be conducted remotely should continue to be conducted remotely until further notice. A phased return to research will prioritize key activities that cannot operate effectively off-campus and will allow for reopening to be paused or even revert to earlier phases should a resurgence of COVID-19 in the New York metropolitan area necessitate. 

 
Questions specific to the request and approval process and documents can be directed to OAR@jjay.cuny.edu.

Questions specific to the Safety Plan requirements and implementation can be directed to COVID@jjay.cuny.edu.

Requesting Approval to Resume On-Campus Research Activities:

1.     John Jay faculty and staff may submit an online Request to Resume Activities form (requires CUNYFirst login*) to request to resume research activities.   The following information and documents are required as part of the submission:

a.  Date of completion of COVID-19 training, available via Blackboard.

b.  Return to Campus Safety and Recovery Plan

c.  Personnel Contact Form

d.  Sciences Research Lab Schedule (for faculty and staff in Sciences)

2.  Requests will be routed to the Department Chair, Program Director, or other appropriate entity for initial evaluation.

3.  Requests will then be forwarded for review and approval by a Campus Access Committee.

4.  If approved, requests will be forwarded to Public Safety.

5. If approved on-campus research activities involve human subjects:

a.  Researchers will be required to provide the names of these participants.

b.  Research participants that need to access campus will be considered “essential visitors” and will be required to wear face coverings or other proper PPE and to follow social distancing guidelines, and will be screened upon entry as per Public Safety procedures.  

6. Prior to every trip to campus, all individuals approved to access campus will need to complete a prescreening health symptom checker via the Everbridge App. The Everbridge App is available from the iTunes store or Google Play store. 

  (* This form is accessible via CUNYFirst login only.  At the Microsoft login screen, enter your CUNYFirst username, and then enter CUNYFirst password at the CUNYFirst screen.  Visit the CUNYFirst webpage if you do not know your credentials.)

Accessing Campus:

7.     John Jay affiliates approved to access campus to resume research activities and essential visitors (i.e., research participants) should report to the 59th Street Entrance and must be wearing a mask or face covering to gain entry. 

8.     All individuals will be screened prior to accessing campus as described in the section on Screening below.

9.     John Jay affiliates must show a John Jay ID and swipe the ID to enter and exit campus.

10.     Essential visitors will be required to show identification to enter and exit campus. 

11.     Researchers conducting research with human subjects will be required to meet each research participant upon entry, to escort the participant to the research location, and to escort the participant to the exit.

12.     All individuals must leave through the 59th Street Entrance. 

13.     Access procedures can be altered to accommodate those with a documented disability on a case by case basis.

Screening:
Prior to every trip to campus, individuals approved to access campus will need to complete the Everbridge prescreening health symptom checker. The Everbridge App is available from the iTunes store or Google Play store. When the screening questions are completed, individuals should be prepared to show the green check symbol to John Jay Public Safety upon arrival to campus. If the Everbridge screen is "Red," the individual should not come to campus and will be referred for COVID-19 testing. 

Upon arrival to campus, screening will also be performed by Public Safety Officers. The only entrance to be used to gain access to the campus is through the 59th Street entrance. Anyone working in other campus buildings (e.g., Westport, BMW), must report to the 59th Street entrance first to be screened. 

Human Subjects:
Most in-person human subjects research activities remain paused. Researchers are encouraged to modify projects to include remote procedures when feasible; guidance is available here or by contacting Lynda Mules. Some in-person human subjects research activities may receive approval to resume on a case-by-case basis, consistent with priorities of the current access phase. 

If approved on-campus research activities involve human subjects, researchers will be required to:

1.     Conduct an initial pre-screening of each participant to evaluate risks related to COVID-19

2.     Inform each participant of the requirement to wear a face covering and to follow social distancing guidelines, and of the requirement to show identification, answer screening questions, and have temperature taken prior to gaining entry to campus

3.     Ensure that participants are not coerced, required, or unduly influenced to participate in person or to travel to campus

4.     Provide the names of each participant who will come to campus

5.     Meet each participant at the 59th Street entrance, escort each participant at all times while on campus, and escort each participant to the 59th Street exit

6.     Submit an Amendment to the IRB if any changes to procedures are required.  (The implementation of screening, social distancing, PPE or other requirements to reduce COVID-19-related risks will not generally be considered changes requiring review by the IRB, unless such changes affect the design or conduct of the approved research.)

7.     Advise each participant to report to the PI and via to email COVID@jjay.cuny.edu if, within 14 days of accessing campus, the individual tests positive for COVID-19, develops symptoms of COVID-19, or becomes aware of having been in close proximity to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

 

While On Campus:
Individuals accessing campus will be expected to adhere to public health recommendations, including the following: 

  • Face coverings: Face coverings must be worn at all times while on campus (with the exception of a private office space when only one person is occupying that space), unless prevented due to disability or medical condition. 
  • Physical distancing: Proper six-feet social distancing must be maintained at all times, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance. 
  • Sharing objects: Wear gloves or perform hand hygiene before and after using or touching shared objects and surfaces such as touchscreens, equipment, machinery, materials, etc. 
  • Hand hygiene and cleaning protocols: Practice hand hygiene using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Appropriate cleaning and disinfection supplies will be provided for shared and frequently touched surfaces. 

 

Reporting Changes to Screening Questions:
Individuals who access campus are required to email COVID@jjay.cuny.edu to report if  and when a response to any of the screening questions changes, such as if the individual develops symptoms of COVID-19, or if the individual tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of accessing campus.  Individuals who have accessed campus and are alerted that they have come into close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19 are required to self-report to COVID@jjay.cuny.edu.

Public Safety will coordinate internal data collection with Human Resources (for faculty and staff) and Student Affairs, including the Wellness Center (for students). 

Off-Campus Research:
Researchers requesting to conduct in-person off-campus research activities will be required to submit an Off-Campus Research Safety and Recovery Plan. Such requests will be evaluated and approved by the Office for the Advancement of Research on a case by case basis, consistent with priorities for the relevant stage; if a request requires changes to an IRB-approved protocol or suggests new or increased risks to participants such that the request cannot be approved by the college, the researcher will be advised to submit an Amendment for review by the IRB

Reporting Complaints:
The John Jay Safety Plan can be viewed in its entirely here and is also available on campus at the 59th Street entrance.

Concerns about unsafe working conditions, insufficient cleaning or hygiene supplies, or compliance with the John Jay Safety Plan can be reported here, and may be reported anonymously: COVID-19 Workplace Safety Complaint Form

Questions about the Safety Plan can be submitted to COVID@jjay.cuny.edu.

 

Grants Management and Administration

 

COVID-Related Funding Opportunities

 

Guidance for Data Collection and Research Operations

  • CUNY Office of Research – COVID-19 Research Continuity
  • Statistical and analysis software that is licensed for on campus use only can be accessed from your home workstation via the CUNY virtual desktop
  • Tools for research and office operations are available free of charge to John Jay faculty, staff, and students: 
    Zoom: All John Jay students, faculty, and staff now have access to the voice and video conferencing system Zoom. Zoom provides a unique space via a web link to create ad-hoc and scheduled meetings; to interact with content such as Power Point presentations; and to have discussions that might normally take place in person. Students can also study together using Zoom. All faculty, staff, and students are entitled to an account. To claim your account, register using your John Jay email and password at https://jjay-cuny.zoom.us. 
    Dropbox & Microsoft OneDrive: Both of these cloud-based storage options can be used to share non-confidential documents and materials. To claim your free Dropbox account visit http://dropbox.cuny.edu. To access OneDrive, log into Office 365 at http://office.com with your CUNYfirst username and password. 
    ** Now that these resources are provided to you by the College/CUNY, do not renew any individual subscriptions for these services using funds housed at the Research Foundation of CUNY or the College. Expenses for these and similar video-conferencing and cloud storage services will not be reimbursed moving forward. If you require additional capacity or enhancements, please reach out to your RF Project Administrator or the Business Office for approval prior to making any purchases. You will also need to complete the Information Security Review Questionnaire. 
  • The Information Security Review Questionnaire is required whenever a software, cloud-based application or service capable of storing institutional data is procured. PIs should send a completed questionnaire for review to John Jay's IT Security Manager, O'Neil Hinds, before the software is purchased. 

 

Travel-Related Guidance and Restrictions

 

Faculty and Staff Travel
All non-essential university-related international and domestic travel is suspended until further notice.  ​This  includes all CUNY-sponsored student international and domestic travel, and non-credit travel under the auspices of CUNY or any CUNY college or student organization. International travel  in non-CUNY credit-bearing programs  is discouraged. Please know that pursuing these types of programs will be deemed a private undertaking  and is not eligible for CUNY’s international travel insurance.  Additional information is provided in the  ITG Travel Guidelines.

Details regarding the limited circumstances under which faculty and staff may travel, and under which incoming faculty and staff (e.g., visiting professors) can be authorized are also described in the waivers and exceptions policy below. Although waivers should remain exceptional, information about the petition process is available here. Waivers are required for any travel associated with employment or study, or if any funding from CUNY or disbursed through CUNY (including colleges and related entities) is involved. Personal travel is not subject to the petition requirement, but all personal travel disqualifies the traveler for paid sick leave pursuant to Chapter 25 of the NYS Laws of 2020, per Executive Order 202.45.

Any travel outside of New York State under CUNY/campus auspices is subject to this policy. 

Information on how to apply for a waiver is available on CUNY’s page on travel during the pandemic.

Quarantine on Return from Domestic and International Travel
Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Orders 205.1 and 205.2, New York State requires a 14-day quarantine for all individuals arriving from abroad from countries designated as level 2 or level 3 by the CDC’s COVID-19 risk assessment system, and for individuals arriving from any state except Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.  If individuals arriving from non-contiguous U.S. states obtain a diagnostic COVID-19 test three days before and three days after arriving in New York State, they may end their quarantine after receiving negative results for their second diagnostic test.  Quarantines should follow the standards of the NYS Department of Health. These requirements do not apply to any individual passing through a non-contiguous state for a limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel.

Note: This also applies to new hires and visiting scholars coming from outside New York. However, short-term visits from restricted domestic and international locations should be postponed until further notice, unless they can comply with the above quarantine requirements.

Planning for and Returning from Domestic and International Personal Travel:
Pursuant to Chapter 25 of the NYS Laws of 2020, CUNY employees shall not receive paid sick leave benefits or any other paid benefits provided by Chapter 25 if the employee is subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine after travel for personal business (i.e., not taken as part of the employee’s employment or at the direction of the employee’s employer) to a domestic or international location restricted according to the travel advisory.

Waivers and Exceptions
Requests for exceptions to this policy will be submitted by campus Presidents or Provosts to the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost for due consideration and consultation with relevant CUNY central offices, including the Office of Global Education and Initiatives (or the Office of International Students and Scholars in the case of incoming visitors), the Office of Environment, Health, Risk, and Safety, and the Office of General Counsel, prior to rendering a recommendation to the Chancellor. Note that no petition will be considered without prior approval by the President or Provost. Among other relevant parameters, this review will consider: 1) national and local travel restrictions; 2) guidance established by local health authorities and the CDC for New York; and 3) the travel destination to limit the risk of exposure and geographic spread of COVID-19. In traveling abroad, faculty, staff and students need to attest they understand any and all limitations of their travel insurance and that CUNY assumes no responsibility for liabilities resulting from high-risk travel. Details on the petition process are available here.

Any funded physical travel, regardless of funding source (i.e. grant funded, departmental travel funds, OAR awards, personal recoveries/9th ledger, etc.) must be submitted to OAR for pre-approval through Provost Li and CUNY Chancellor Matos. Please submit the CUNY Petition for Out-of-State or International Travel under COVID-19 Form, along with all other paperwork as appropriate, to Dean of Research Anthony Carpi (acarpi@jjay.cuny.edu) and Research Director Daniel Stageman (dstageman@jjay.cuny.edu) at least 30 days prior to the planned date of travel. Only travel justified by exceptional circumstances will be considered.

For assistance with any research-related travel expenses, including cancellation or change fees for research travel previously approved by a Travel Authorization Form submitted to the Office for the Advancement of Research, please contact Angela Reyes (anreyes@jjay.cuny.edu). 

FAQS

What kinds of travel are not covered by CUNY policy?
CUNY policy does not encompass travel on a purely personal basis with no connection to employment or studies at CUNY; however, anyone who will return to New York State must follow the requirements of the New York State Travel Advisory and should adhere to CDC recommendations for travelers arriving from abroad.  All travel from non-contiguous states and from most countries is subject to a 14-day quarantine requirement.  However, those arriving from contiguous states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) may “test out” of quarantine early, provided they obtain two diagnostic COVID tests, one no more than 72 hours before departure, and on the fourth day after arrival in New York. If both tests are negative, the quarantine may be ended when the second test results are received.  All travelers arriving from countries designated as level 2 or 3 by the CDC’s Traveler Health Notice (THN) system for COVID-19 risk assessment are required to do a full 14-day quarantine.

This waiver petition process does not cover study abroad programs, which are currently suspended.  Please check back for updates.

CUNY’s travel policy only pertains to actual travel (physical mobility).  Participation in virtual conferences and events is encouraged and does not require a waiver petition.

What about travel within the 5 boroughs?  Elsewhere in New York State?  To a state not currently listed on the New York State Travel Advisory?

Only travel outside of New York State requires a University waiver.  However, activities within New York City and New York State may be subject to other requirements, including:

– Internship activity with any on-site components (see Internships: Guidance for Placement in On-Site Work)
– Student teaching or fieldwork for education programs (see Clinical Placements: Guidance for Education Programs)
– Clinical hours for students in health professions programs (see Clinical Placements: Health Professions)

What about study abroad on non-CUNY programs?
Travel is suspended for all activities related to CUNY study or employment.  This includes activities that are intended to eventually transfer back to CUNY for credit, or that would fulfill any degree requirements.  Enrollment in non-CUNY study abroad programs is highly discouraged at this time and cannot be authorized in advance.  Any credits earned on such programs cannot be transferred back.

This policy will be updated as conditions allow, but all cases will be assessed based on the policy in place on the date of program start.

 

HRRP and Compliance

Up to date information about conducting research with human subjects at John Jay as we respond to and anticipate changes related to COVID-19 is available on the John Jay HRPP webpage:

Also, access updated information on research continuity from CUNY Office of Research

Guidance for Events and Large Gatherings