As we approach the end of the fall semester, and in light of rising COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island, I am writing with some information about Brown’s Resuming Research process and guidelines (https://www.brown.edu/research/conducting-research-brown/resuming-research).

Safety Guidance: I would like to reiterate Rhode Island public health and University guidance to wear a mask whenever you are with people who you don't live with or who are not in your pod, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering a research or other building, and continue social distancing.

Gathering size: The state recently adjusted its guidelines for gatherings to an upper limit of 10 people and to require everyone to wear a mask. If your approved resuming research plan included gatherings, including those that involve human subjects, please adjust your gathering size to comply with these updated guidelines.

Undergraduates in Labs: If you have undergraduates approved to work in your lab, please note that University policy states that after the conclusion of fall classes on November 25, undergraduates who leave Rhode Island may not return to Brown for work in labs, or any other university activities, until the start of the spring semester. At the start of the spring semester they must observe any required Quiet Period or quarantine. This follows the campus safety principles in the Plan for a Healthy and Safe 2020-21. If you have approved undergraduates in your lab plan who will not travel for the Thanksgiving holiday and will continue in-person work in your lab, please provide a list of those individuals to resuming_research@brown.edu. Updates should be provided no later than Friday, November 20, 2020.

Travel for Other Personnel: Other personnel who plan to travel during the holidays should frequently check the Rhode Island COVID-19 Travel Information for Residents and Visitors web page for the most recent quarantine and other requirements.

Population Density: The state of Rhode Island’s density requirements are 1 person per 100 square feet. Brown’s Resuming Research laboratory density requirement is 1 person per 150 square feet and will remain at that level, more conservative than the current Rhode Island requirements. Although we will communicate with you should the state restrictions become more stringent, please ensure that you are aware of current state requirements on an ongoing basis. Awareness of state requirements helps us all keep our community safe.

You can find more details about Resuming Research guidelines on the Resuming Research web page (https://www.brown.edu/research/conducting-research-brown/resuming-research). In particular, we have recently added some examples of lab safety plans that illustrate the careful attention to safety that our research community has put into this process. Also, we have added FAQs and the University review process of in-person research activities.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge, with our thanks, the faculty, students and staff in the Brown research community for their careful, thoughtful approach to in-person lab and field research activities. Any further questions or thoughts about this can be shared with me via resuming_research@brown.edu.

Sincerely,
Jill Pipher
Vice President for Research

Elisha Benjamin Andrews
Professor of Mathematics