Questions?
Please email coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca.
Public Health guidance and University of Waterloo operations may have changed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our COVID-19 frequently asked questions.
This message was originally sent to faculty members by Charmaine Dean, vice-president, research and international.
The Central Planning Group of the Integrated Co-coordination and Planning Committee, including the President, Vice-Presidents and Deans, has been active in developing a phased plan for restarting research on campus, with support from the Research Restart Working Group.
Last week, the Province opened the door for institutions to begin to implement phased returns to on-campus research activity by announcing that professional services related to conducting research and experimental development may begin to resume activity. This announcement has moved us into the first Phase of our planned return and as such, we will be expanding the criteria for permission to access to campus to conduct research activities.
Previously, researchers could request access to continue on-campus research if the research was deemed critical (that is, not continuing it would result in a significant loss of data or equipment) or related to COVID-19. Phase 1 of the Research Restart plan begins with an expansion of criteria for on-campus research activities for those that cannot conduct research remotely or require access to labs. These criteria now include considerations for:
If you wish to request access to campus to resume research activity based on any of the criteria listed above, you are invited to submit a request outlining how your research fits the criteria and how you will resume activities following social distancing and other public authority guidelines.
For those who are granted access to resume on-campus research activities, on-campus should be limited to activities that require such access. Other activities, for example, lab meetings, should continue to be held remotely.
For the immediate future, no visitors will be granted access to campus. Travel restrictions remain in effect, as do restrictions on in-person seminars and conferences, which should continue to be held remotely.
We will provide support for researchers who require assistance in adapting lab space and activities to adhere to social distancing and other health and safety guidelines. Please reach out to researchqueries@uwaterloo.ca for assistance.
Over the next six-to-eight weeks, criteria will continue to expand gradually, with the expectation that full access to all on-campus research labs is targeted for mid-July, providing continued approval from health authorities and successful implementation of each phase of reopening labs.
Last Friday, the Prime Minister announced a new fund to provide wage supports to universities to enable support of research service staff funded industry, or by other sources, and whose work has been temporarily suspended. This fund, totaling $450M, is intended to maintain essential research-related activities during the crisis to ramp back up to full operations once physical distancing measures are lifted. It will cover 75% of total eligible costs and be delivered by granting councils.
As soon as we have further details on this program, further information will be provided.
We will provide regular updates over the next few weeks as the phased plan is executed, evaluated and continuously adapted according to guidelines from the federal and provincial public health authorities.
As always, we welcome your feedback on any of these processes and encourage you to ask questions or share concerns. You may direct your comments to Bernie Duncker, AVP, Interdisciplinary Research, chair of the Research Restart Working Group, or any other member of that working group as previously listed. You may also send comments or questions directly to my office through vpri@uwaterloo.ca.
Thank you for your patience and efforts in supporting a safe and efficient return to on-campus research.
Please email coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.