Research Activities

March 17, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

It has come to our attention today that there is some level of confusion about the ability of faculty and graduate students to continue their research activities in our laboratories. This communication is intended to clarify the situation.

Research is an essential operation at The University of Akron, however, as with all other essential activities, the University relies upon the informed, local discretion of supervisors--in this case the faculty member in charge of each research project. Good judgment, cognizant of the global health crisis, is imperative. For example, some projects could be placed in “stand-by” mode; students undertaking literature reviews and writing projects, such as articles and dissertations, do not need to be in the labs; group meetings should be held electronically. Regarding lab work itself, student access to labs should be organized to minimize human contact. Departments will need to maintain lab schedules and assign oversight responsibility to specific individuals to make sure those schedules are followed.

Our shared purpose is to avoid the spread of the coronavirus that could not only affect the health of our students and faculty, but others with whom they may come into contact. If someone in a research group becomes ill, the research activity of the entire group may be adversely affected for weeks or months, and the lab may need to be shut down. Restricting on-site operations to what is essential for the foreseeable future will be much less disruptive in the long run.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Urgo
Interim Executive Vice President and Provost

Office of Research Administration and UA Research

The Office of Research Administration is fully functional and operating remotely, and will respond to your calls and emails as soon as possible during normal business hours. The ORA’s directory online identifies the pre- and post-award representative for each college/department.  

If you plan to submit a new proposal in the next several weeks, please contact your grants coordinator as soon as possible regarding your intent to submit and include the sponsor, the program and the link to the RFP if possible. This will allow the staff to be better prepared to meet your needs. 

The IRB, IACUC and other compliance committees will continue to function via email and virtual meetings. 

All questions regarding current research should be directed to your dean and/or chair. “Managing the Impact of COVID-19 – Guidance for the UA Research Community” was issued by the provost on March 18 and sent to the deans to disseminate to their college’s personnel. Additional questions can be sent to Dr. Phil Allen, interim director of research, at paallen@uakron.edu or by calling 330-972-6177, or to Dr. George Chase, interim director of research initiatives, at gchase@uakron.edu or by calling 330-972-7943.