uconn health

Research Shut Down Notice March 23, 2020

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With Governor Lamont’s order for all non-essential businesses to suspend operations, the president, provost and vice president for research have determined that all on-campus research activities on ALL CAMPUSES – UConn, regional and UConn Health – must stop and labs must
close by 8 p.m. on Monday March 23.

In addition to faculty, this includes research being conducted by undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. The only exceptions to this are human subjects clinical trials, research where continued in-person interaction or intervention is needed for the safety and welfare of enrolled subjects, research that is directly connected to addressing the COVID-19 crisis, and research that can be conducted remotely by faculty, staff, and/or students without in-person intervention or interaction with research subjects.

We understand the enormous impact this decision will have on faculty and students. But as we deal with the challenges of a global pandemic as well as the uncertainty of its impact on all aspects of the University and surrounding communities, we must make difficult decisions guided
by the principles of health and safety.

  • Faculty and research staff should follow the Laboratory Ramp-Down Checklist: Procedures for Safely Vacating a Laboratory (updated March 22, 2020) to close down their research and labs.
  • Research related to COVID-19 can continue, but faculty must submit a Critical Research Infrastructure Inventory form indicating they need to begin or continue this work and describe the work (see last question on the form).
  • Faculty with animals must contact the attending veterinarian for their campus regarding steps to immediately reduce animal numbers and number of cages. Breeding must be reduced to the minimum possible; no increases in cage counts will be permitted and plans should be in place for reductions of cage counts in the future. Labs using aquatic, avian, or other species that are housed outside the vivarium must contact the attending veterinarian regarding how animal care and husbandry operations will be maintained.
  • Any faculty with critical research infrastructure, such as unique reagents, unique cell lines, equipment, liquid nitrogen stocks, and certain long-term experiments should complete the Critical Research Infrastructure Inventory form (updated March 22, 2020). These will be reviewed and the faculty
    member will then be advised on how to proceed based on their individual situation.
  • Any researcher or faculty member who is unable to halt their research by Monday’s deadline or who has a unique situation that needs to be considered should email ovpr@uconn.edu with a description of the situation or need and their recommendation for how it can best be met or addressed. The email should include a phone number(s) where the faculty member can be reached.
  • Any student or employee who feels they have been asked unreasonably to continue on campus research beyond Monday’s deadline should contact the dean of their school or college and the OVPR without fear of retaliation.

For now, the shut-down of labs will be in effect until April 22, 2020. We will assess and monitor the status as events change daily. However, you should plan for a remote-work research operation and lab closure that could last for several weeks or months.

Important NIH teleconference on Covid-19 Monday, March 16, 2020

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Dear UConn Community,

Research!America is hosting a conference call on Monday, March 16th from 1:30 to 2:30 PM with NIH Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak. Dr. Tabak will discuss NIH’s efforts to ensure research institutions and scientists are accorded the flexibility needed as they confront COVID-19-related research disruptions. No need to RSVP for the call (call number below). To dial in:

What: Teleconference with Dr. Larry Tabak
When: 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET, Monday, March 16, 2020
Call-In: 866-876-6756 (toll-free) or 704-288-1165 (U.S.)
Passcode: 737857

The following are additional updates and guidance from the NIH and NSF

o   Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 for the National Science Foundation

o   NSF website for the research community with detailed guidance on the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

o   Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 for the National Institutes of Health

o   Flexibilities Available to Applicants and Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Affected by COVID-19

Cheers,
Radenka

Attention- UConn Health Human Subjects Research Community:

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The UConn Health Institutional Review Board (IRB) would like to remind Principal Investigators (PI) and study personnel of existing IRB policies and procedures that are in place and that may be relevant given the potential impact of COVID-19 on research. Because every research protocol is different, the IRB is not issuing a single standard. Principal Investigators are responsible for the oversight of their research, for knowing the nature of their research, and for determining what action, if any, is needed for ensuring appropriate policies and procedures are followed. The following policies may be of particular relevance during this time. Principal Investigators and study personnel should review these policies and determine which actions, if any, are appropriate.

Policy 2011-009.1 – Institutional Review Board – Submission of Materials: In accordance with this policy, if a Principal Investigator determines that a change to the implementation of the protocol is necessary, a request for modification is to be submitted to the IRB. For example, if the PI determines that all subject interviews will be conducted by phone vs. in person, a request for modification should be submitted to the IRB. As with any modification, the change should be clearly described to the IRB. For example, changes that will only occur for a limited timeframe should be described accordingly (e.g. “while the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, subject interviews will be conducted by phone whenever possible”). When possible, approval for such changes is to be received prior to the change being implemented.  However, if a change in protocol is required to eliminate apparent immediate hazards to subjects, the PI may implement that change and report it to the IRB within five business days. In this type of situation, the change to protocol would be anticipated to be a lasting change and not particular to one subject ,which would be reported per one of the following policies.

Policy 2009-002.0 – Reporting Non-Compliance to the Institutional Review Board: In accordance with this policy, protocol deviations within the control of the research team are to be reported to the IRB within five business days. Non-compliance that is not within the control of the research team and that does not pose risks to subjects is to be reported to the IRB at the time of continuation or study closure, whichever comes first. For example, if a subject declines to come to a study visit due to general concerns about COVID-19, and missing that visit will not place the subject at risk, this would be tracked by the study team and reported to the IRB at study continuation or closure. Likewise, if the institution makes a policy decision that prevents the study team from fully implementing the approved protocol, the deviations would be tracked and reported at study continuation or closure, provided the subjects were not put at risk. For example, if the institution limited access to only those providing or needing clinical care, subjects would not be able to come on site for interview/survey procedures. It is anticipated that the tracking of protocol deviations will be the most prevalent course of action during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policy 2009-001.0 – Reporting Unanticipated Problems to the Institutional Review Board: An unanticipated problem is any unforeseen occurrence that involves risk to the subject or others, and that is related to or is possibly related to either a research intervention or interaction, or the conduct of the study in general. If a protocol is not able to be implemented and that inability places the subject at risk (e.g. subjects prevented from coming to institution to receive clinical research intervention and the lack of intervention puts the subject at risk), the PI should report this to the IRB. This may be a single missed visit; or it may become a concern after a certain number of visits are missed.

In summary, it is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to oversee the implementation of the research protocol within the framework of existing IRB policies and procedures. If you have any questions, you may contact one of the IRB Regulatory Specialists.

  • Steven MacKinnon for IRB numbers ending in -1 or .1  (mackinnon@uchc.edu, 860-679-8729)
  • Patricia Gneiting for IRB numbers ending in -2 or .2   (gneiting@uchc.edu, 860-679-4849)

Lab Animal Use / IACUC Module

The InfoEd Lab Animal Use / IACUC module for UConn Health supports the submission, review and management of animal research protocols. UConn Health began using this system effective June 1, 2020 and transitioned any existing approved IACUC protocols from Topaz Elements into the InfoEd system.

How To Materials

Listed below are various self-service handouts and instructional sheets with simple instructions on how to perform various functions within the InfoEd Lab Animal Use / IACUC module. Other how to materials for the Animal Facility Management / CCM are also available which cover animal ordering and billing and other operational aspects.

Also see, IACUC Protocol Information at https://ovpr.uchc.edu/services/rics/animal/iacuc/protocol/

IACUC Members

For technical issues with InfoEd, please email era-support(at)UConn(Dot)edu or call 860-486-7944.

Note: Effective January 1, 2022, there is no longer a requirement to have protocols reviewed annually. For Animal Use / IACUC protocols which start with the number TE-######-#### format, these protocols have been transitioned from Topaz Elements and should not be directly modified by PI’s within the InfoEd System. To modify TE- numbered protocols, PI’s will do so by submitting an interim Word document to the IACUC office. IACUC staff will maintain the TE- submissions within InfoEd until the project ends or until the PI decides to create a new InfoEd AP- numbered protocol for his/her study. The TE- numbered study protocol would be closed at that time.

Animal Facility Management (AFM) Module

The InfoEd Animal Facility Management supports the animal care operations of the Center for Comparative Medicine including animal ordering, husbandry, census, and billing of animal facility protocols. UConn Health began using this system effective July 30, 2020 and it became available to investigators on August 31, 2020.

How To Materials

Listed below are various self-service handouts and instructional sheets with simple instructions on how to perform various functions within the Animal Facility / CCM module. Other protocol submission and review materials are covered in the Lab Animal Use / IACUC module.

For technical issues with InfoEd, please email era-support(at)UConn(Dot)edu, call 860-486-7944 and leave a message, or chat with us through the OVPR or InfoEd websites during normal business hours, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM weekdays.

NSF 2026 Idea Machine

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Dear Colleagues,

In the summer of 2018, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched an innovative competition, the NSF 2026 Idea Machine, to crowdsource big challenges and big ideas that could help tackle them. The Idea Machine aimed to set the stage for breakthrough research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and STEM education through the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and beyond. NSF received around 800 entries from established researchers, students, teachers, and even high school and middle school students from all across the country. Those 800 big ideas have now been narrowed down to seven finalists, which were announced last week.

As we continue to work towards fulfilling President Katsouleas’ bold vision to boost research, scholarship, and creative works at UConn, I encourage you to visit the NSF 2026 Idea Machine site and learn about the program’s goals and the recently selected finalists. This provides UConn’s research community with an opportunity to see what is next for the NSF’s long-term agenda and align our activities based on our existing and emerging strengths.

Thank you for your continued commitment to grow UConn’s profile in research, scholarship, and the arts.

Cheers,
Radenka

Dr. Radenka Maric
Vice President for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
UConn/UConn Health
Professor in Sustainable Energy
438 Whitney Road Ext., Unit 1006
Storrs, CT 06269
Storrs: 860.486.3621
UCH: 860.679.2230
research.uconn.edu

Export of Research Materials Abroad

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To the UConn/UConn Health research community:

The Council on Government Relations (COGR) has issued an alert regarding recent situations where researchers have attempted to export research materials abroad. The FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have increased their surveillance efforts to identify transport of research materials and verify that those exports comply with federal laws. These efforts are believed to be part of a nation-wide enforcement action to control the transport of biological materials that may present a threat to our national security and/or reduce the theft of intellectual property developed in the US, much of it with federal funds.

Transporting certain materials may require import/export permits or other documentation from federal agencies, including US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FDA, USDA, Fish and Wildlife, and the CDC.

Anyone with questions should contact the applicable federal agency or the UConn Export Control Office (exportcontrol@uconn.edu) for assistance.

Related news:
– https://www.universalhub.com/2019/chinese-cancer-researcher-not-allowed-leave
– https://www.universalhub.com/2019/chinese-researcher-nabbed-liquid-filled-vials

Wesley G. Byerly, Pharm.D.
Associate Vice President

NIH Proposal Overview

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s medical research agency. For over a century, NIH has been making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers. Each has its own specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. All but three of these Institutes and Centers receive their funding directly from Congress, and administer their own budgets.

NIH and other Public Health Service Agency applications may be submitted through either ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace. Submission via ASSIST is strongly recommended.

 

Useful Links:

NIH Website

Program Deadlines

Unsolicited Program Applications – Parent Announcements

NIH Policies and Guidance

NIH Application Guide

 

ASSIST

The Application Submission System & Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST) system is used to prepare and submit applications electronically to NIH and other Public Health Service agencies. Prior to using ASSIST, applicants should identify a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to which they would like to apply. FOAs are posted in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts and/or in Grants.gov each of which has robust search capabilities. The FOA text will indicate whether ASSIST can be used to apply to that opportunity.

Active Grants.gov and eRA Commons credentials are required to prepare and submit applications using ASSIST.

Useful Links:

Grants.gov Account Registration

Login to ASSIST

Funding Opportunities

ASSIST User Guide

Research.gov

The Research.gov Proposal Preparation and Submission Site will provide the ability to create, submit, track, and update proposals associated with active NSF funding opportunities (initially for Full, Research, non-collaborative proposals only). This furthers an NSF goal of providing quick access to proposal information and grants management services in one location in Research.gov. The goals of this system are to provide a modernized, intuitive environment for proposal preparation and submission, reduce administrative burden via real-time compliance checking; provide online help tips and notes; and incorporate a proposal wizard that walks users through the proposal setup process.

Research.gov’s new proposal preparation system is now available for preparing and submitting full research non-collaborative proposals.

Useful Links:

Research.gov

Research.gov Account Registration

Login to Research.gov