The University will only allow critical research activities for lab-based research until March 31, according to a campus-wide email from Vice Chancellor for Research Terry Magnuson on Wednesday.
Critical research activities qualifies as research that is:
- Directly related to COVID-19,
- Is extremely time-sensitive and critical for graduate student graduation this calendar year
- Would be difficult or impossible to restart.
Magnuson said in the email that PIs and researchers should be prepared for the possibility of this policy remaining in place after March 31.
Research can be continued remotely or outside of laboratories, subject to University guidance, Magnuson said in the email.
"Your research remains important, and activity such as virtual meetings, the writing of reports or papers, data management and analysis, computation, proposal development, submissions to sponsors, etc., should all continue," Magnuson said in the email. "We expect UNC’s research computing resources to be available and sustained during this period of reduced campus activity."
Researchers were instructed to fill out a Critical Activity Exception Request Form by March 19 to determine whether research qualifies as critical research activities.
