2/8/22
The Vice Provost of Research has approved Educational Assignments for minors (17 and under) for in-person educational experiences on campus. Please complete the relevant forms and email to Employee & Labor Relations to initiate the process. Please note that all COVID-19 health requirements apply to Educational Assignments and Visiting Researchers, which includes signing an attestation. Visit https://goforward.uchicago.edu/health-requirements for the most current information and attestation.
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5/25/21
The University has lifted COVID-19 restrictions for Educational Assignments and are now allowing UChicago and non-UChicago registered undergrads and graduate students to participate in formal programs during the Summer quarter. UChicago enrolled students may participate in individual Educational Assignments. Please complete the relevant forms and email to Employee & Labor Relations.
All students (external and UChicago) participating in Summer programs that are not registered via University Registrar, are required to complete the Educational Assignment forms. This allows Employee & Labor Relations and the Office of Research Safety to track presence, location, assess and record individual training, ensure compliance of laboratories, collect the risk & liability waiver, and other relevant information for safety and/or metrics purposes in adherence to the multiple University policies. All students on campus must follow the COVID-19 guidelines as outlined on the UChicago GoForward website.
FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE ORS ADMINISTRATOR *
Note: It is still the case that In-person Educational Assignments for High School students are suspended. However, these may proceed if 100% remote.
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12/23/20
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to share the following amendments (# 1, 2 below) from the Vice-provost for Research, Karen Kim, to your research resumption guidelines. These changes are intended to broaden the ability of our College undergraduates to engage in research, while maintaining our shared commitment to protecting our community. Note that the remaining criteria for undergraduates working in the laboratories remain unchanged and must be addressed in an amended RRP proposal, and approved by your department chair/section chief and Dean for Basic Research, in order for the students to gain access to BSD research buildings.
Winter Quarter – Undergraduate Involvement in On-Campus Research (12.23.2020)
We are writing to notify you of two changes to our research resumption guidelines regarding inclusion of undergraduate students from the College in on-campus research. Beginning Winter quarter (Jan 11, 2021):
- An undergraduate is no longer required to have at least one year of prior experience in the PI’s laboratory; and
- The PI must identify who will serve as the undergraduate’s direct student supervisor and document (e.g., via an email) the supervisor’s agreement to supervise the student.
The other research resumption requirements and guidelines are unchanged and, as a reminder, include:
- Adherence to the universal masking, 6 feet social distancing requirement, hand hygiene and other COVID-19 related public health practices within the laboratory.
- The undergraduate can be accounted for and accommodated under the currently applicable density threshold.
- The undergraduate’s completion of (i) the COVID-19 safety training and attestation and (ii) COVID-19 safety training for lab-based researchers (cvd-01W) along with a post-training quiz score of at least 70%
- Completion of relevant lab safety training (e.g., biosafety, chemical hygiene, laser or radiation safety training, general lab safety) which can be found at ORS training.
- If the undergraduate is a minor (i.e., less than 18 years of age), please contact Office of Research Safety (researchsafety@uchicago.edu) to confirm other requirements pertaining to minors in laboratories are satisfied, including parental consent.
Also note that the following information is required for your amended RRP proposals:
- The student’s expected time commitment/week.
- Whether the PI intends to compensate the student for their research activity, and if so, the compensation amount.
- Who is the primary beneficiary of the student’s research activity as between the PI and the student.