Continuity of Operations for Research and Externally Sponsored Projects: Information for Faculty and Staff
Normal services provided by the Office of Research will continue during the suspension of university instruction. Please allow time for actions that require coordination between remote staffers. Below is general information and guidance for maintaining operations.
Current Sponsored Projects
- Principal Investigators (PIs) should familiarize themselves with university and public health department guidance to ensure compliance with the recommended practices of hygiene, social distancing, and self-monitoring of individual health to inhibit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
- PIs should prepare for flexibility and potential adjustments as the rapidly changing situation progresses.
- PIs who anticipate that deliverables will be delayed due to the exigencies of the condition please contact your Grant Coordinator as soon as possible in order to work with the funding agency. Please provide a brief explanation of the delay, outlining alternative work completed, and providing a plan for accomplishing the original deliverables.
- PIs who order their own disposable personal protective equipment for their labs should place orders much earlier than usual due to supply chain delays. Please contact the appropriate Research Accountant with your questions or concerns.
- Sponsored projects including workshops, group meetings, and other kinds of gatherings should consider using virtual meetings or delaying in-person gatherings until the Coronavirus risk recedes per university guidelines.
- We anticipate that funding agencies will post their own guidance for dealing with the pandemic. Grantees should follow that guidance as it is made available.
Submitting Proposals
- If you are planning to submit a grant, ORSSP will continue to submit proposals while working remotely.
- All new grant applications should go through the usual setup and review process through Cloud Express, including routing and approvals. Please contact your Grant Coordinator if you intend to submit a proposal that you have not yet entered into Cloud Express.
Research Integrity
- The IRB, IBC and IACUC will continue to function without disruption.
- Amendments to move existing in-person studies to online studies will be given expedited priority.
- PIs should consider pausing in-person human subject research. If it’s necessary for projects to continue, they should instruct participants to not come into the lab or office if sick and make available preventive measures. Lab and office surfaces should also be sanitized frequently.
- Researchers working at off-site locations (e.g. schools, nursing homes) should check with location contacts to ensure they are still allowed to conduct their projects and to follow site-specific sanitary procedures.
- Please remember that any human subject, animal or biological material protocol changes must be submitted for approval to the relevant review committee before being implemented.
Research Accounting
- The Office of Research Accounting will also continue operations, reviewing and approving expenditures; providing faculty notifications; award set up and monitoring; effort reporting; and working with the Research and Service Foundation on billing and invoicing activities.
Student Employment
- Students employed through research grants and internal funding sources may continue to work remotely on those sponsored projects. The use of university facilities may be allowed in accordance with current university policies and procedures. Please direct any questions to Human Resources.
- Graduate students should contact the College of Graduate Studies for questions pertaining to theses and dissertation research.
The Georgia Southern home page and the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal will remain the definitive sources of information about the University’s operating status. All announcements regarding changes to the University operating schedule will be posted as soon as decisions are made. In addition, Eagle Alerts may be issued regarding closings, cancellations or delays.
Additional Resources
Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources
The National Science Foundation has issued Important Notice No 146 to the Community Regarding COVID-19. NSF has also issued additional guidance on NSF’s implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum (M-20-17), entitled, Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations. NSF has implemented flexibilities authorized by OMB from specific administrative, financial management and audit requirements contained in 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards without compromising accountability requirements. Any questions about the policies described in the NSF Guidance should be directed to policy@nsf.gov. Questions specific to a particular award should be directed to the cognizant NSF Program Officer. NSF is working to update existing FAQs and other resources to reflect NSF’s new guidance and will keep you informed on our website at: nsf.gov/coronavirus.
Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) has compiled a listing of Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources. The listing will be updated as Agencies and Universities provide additional information and includes links provided by Universities to COVID-19 updated institutional travel policies, a helpful one-stop resource.
For updated information on the federal response, including news releases, fact sheets, rumor control, best practices and FAQ’s please visit the FEMA Coronavirus website.
Last updated: 3/24/2020
