Guidance for the Phased Resumption of Research Activities

Update as of June 5th, 2020

Over the last few weeks, we have been learning from the experience of allowing researchers back on campus to do Covid-19 research and from some pilot studies. A Return to Work Safely Protocol has been issued by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the Health Services Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

Based on all of this Trinity has developed these guidelines for coming back on campus for research activities. There are a number of key points that need to be made:

It will not be possible to come back on campus for research purposes without there being a plan in place.
That plan needs to be put in place at the School/TRI/Unit level rather than at the level of the individual PI or researcher.
The work involved in planning is detailed and will take some time. The Covid-19 situation is complex and the safety and wellbeing of our community is paramount.
We will be holding some workshops to share best practice and details of these will be posted here.
As soon as the plan for a TRI/School/Unit is ready, the prioritised access can commence.

THE PROCESS FOR SIGNING OFF A PLAN TO RESUME ACTIVITIES

The aim is to facilitate resumption of activities in as devolved a way as possible to ensure that research activities can resume in accordance with local priorities in the School/TRI/Unit, as and when needed. However, issues have and will arise as more activity resumes.

The main challenge emerging to date relates to the cumulative burden individual plans put on some central services that are themselves constrained due to Covid-19. There are also some issues around communication and coordination when multiples Schools share premises.

As a result of this the sign-off process will be centrally co-ordinated via Microsoft Teams.
All the Heads of Schools and Trinity Research Institutes, as well as the Directors of Research have been added to this team.
The purpose of this Team will be to (1) provide feedback on aspects of plans that do require some central coordination (2) support sharing of information, and (3) provide sign-off for the plan.

Any plan that has already been signed off locally and is now up and running does NOT need to be redone or signed off again. These plans should still be uploaded to Teams.

For all those still in planning or yet to be planned the following is now the process --

Plans for phased resumption of research activities on campus should be uploaded to Teams
Plans will be reviewed centrally by Estates & Facilities and Safety in relation to aspects of the plan that need coordination
Feedback will be provided on the Teams platform in your folder
Updates to plans should be made
Dean of Research signs off