Restart of Research - Memo to Trainees

On June 1, 2020 Yale University restarted limited research on campus in Phase I of the research reactivation plan, https://research.yale.edu/phase-1. The university Returning to Yale website has a summary of guidelines. https://covid19.yale.edu/returning-yale.

To prepare for this restart of on-campus work the university has developed a specific set of guidelines for faculty, chairs and trainees.  PIs, faculty, and lab managers are preparing detailed work plans for their specific laboratories for on-campus activities during Phase I. 

All research plans must be entered and submitted through the campus-wide EHS Integrator system. On-campus research activities can only begin after review and approval of the plans by the Chair, the Dean’s Safety Committee, and the Provost Office. All on-campus work has to comply with EHS standards and the special university guidelines for Phase I research. 

On-campus work during Phase I is voluntarily for trainees.  The Guidance for trainees and teaching fellows including graduate students, postdocs, and postgraduates is detailed here,
https://research.yale.edu/research-reactivation-information-and-guidance-trainees.

Please note that trainees do not need to provide any reason if they choose not to return to on-campus work during Phase I.  If you choose not to work on campus, your supervisor and the Department will work with you to develop a remote working plan.

The Department is committed to ensure the safety and well-being of its members and the campus community. We are particularly concerned about understanding potential concerns of our students and trainees. Your PI will provide you with your group’s final plan for the restart of research and discuss it with you.

If you have any questions or concerns about the proposed on-campus work now or in the future, please feel free to contact me directly, or discuss your concerns through one of the following channels:

  • The DGS (Farren Isaacs)
  • The department’s director of postdoctoral affairs (John Alvaro)
  • Office for Postdoctoral Affairs https://postdocs.yale.edu/
  • The department’s representative on the Science Safety committee (Ron Breaker)
  • The department Climate and Diversity Committee (Thierry Emonet, Chair; faculty members Shirin Bahmanyar, Jing Yan)
  • The department’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee (Farren Isaacs, David Breslow, Josh Gendron, Valerie Horsley)
  • Your PI and advisor
  • Trainees may also make anonymous or identified reports through the University Hotline

All of them would be happy to receive and discuss your questions and concerns and will make sure to observe your confidentiality. 

I will follow up on any question or concern that reaches me or is brought to my attention. 

I look forward to working with all of you as we navigate the restart and continuation of our on-campus activities during these unprecedented times. 

Best, 

Vivian Irish