Update on temporary on-campus research restrictions

Posted: January 21, 5:30 p.m.

Effective January 22, the U of A has lifted its temporary safety measures for on-campus research and is returning to the following level of restrictions:

Status of U of A Research During COVID-19 (effective January 22, 2021)

• Only approved research may be carried out on our campuses. All research that can be conducted remotely MUST continue to be conducted remotely.
• Field research must be approved by the Field Research Office.
• One-time and occasional visits to campus are not permitted for U of A employees while Alberta’s provincewide work from home directive is in effect, with few exceptions.
• All research activity must have continuity plans and the ability to shutdown or suspend operations, including labs, within 24-48 hours.

This decision was made by the Public Health Response Team (PHRT) and university leaders after careful consideration of recently improved rates of community COVID-19 case statistics, public health advice, and our collective eagerness to ease the temporary restrictions to U of A research as soon as it was safe to do so.

On-campus research work approvals are still valid

Researchers do not need to apply for approval to come back to campus if their research project has previously received approval to be on campus during COVID-19; however, returning researchers must ensure their COVID-19 Return to Campus Plans are reviewed and updated as needed. All team members should be familiar with the plan. Follow your Return to Campus Plan to make sure your campus research spaces and work environments are also ready for your safe return. Researchers that have not been back to campus since March 2020, and cannot conduct their research remotely, must apply to conduct research on campus. 

New safety compliance rule

On-campus research spaces will now be under a new compliance regulation to best protect the safety of our community as well as safeguarding the continuity of research across the institution. Non-compliance with campus safety protocols while conducting research on-campus can result in the immediate suspension of the associated research project(s) on campus. If suspended for not following campus safety protocols, the research lead will be required to re-apply before the project can start on campus again. Learn more about campus-wide safety enforcement.

All other U of A temporary restrictions will continue, for now

As of this distribution, there are no other changes to the U of A’s temporarily enhanced safety measures as part of the province-wide State of Public Health Emergency and the COVID-19 restrictions still present in Alberta. This means only approved critical services employees and in-person teaching and learning is allowed on our campuses. All other staff must continue to work remotely. Always check this website for the latest information.

Please remember, all research activities must always meet current, local public health and travel requirements set by public health and travel authorities and the university's current safety measures. In addition, all faculty, staff and students are required to minimize their time on campus for their required activity to help safely manage our workspaces and buildings.

Thank you for your continued attention to campus safety information. On behalf of the university, the PHRT will continue to carefully monitor and adjust campus activities if necessary.