Researchers must follow this Guide to request access to on-campus research spaces or re-start fieldwork, when allowed under public health directives. MRU’s top priority remains to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, faculty, research participants and collaborators, and our broader community.

MRU will enable as much on-campus and field research activities as possible, while both respecting the necessary limits required by the evolving response of the ACMOH to the COVID-19 situation in Alberta, and ensuring that research activities will be in compliance with all applicable University policies and guidelines. While this Guide provides the framework for approving certain research activities, it may become necessary to re-impose restrictions on research, should the situation and direction from the ACMOH require them. We will also ensure that the process for approving the resumption of on-campus research activity and fieldwork is informed, fair, reasonable, and transparent.

During any period in which entry and access to campus, or the ability to travel and work in the field, have restrictions imposed in response to directives from the ACMOH, permission to resume on-campus or field research activity will be granted through the process outlined in this Guide. Only on-campus or field research activities that have been approved through the process outlined here can proceed during such periods.

For all reviews for approval, the Guiding Principles which will guide decisions regarding the resumption of research activities are as follows:

1. Research activities must adhere to all relevant public health directives from the Province of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health (ACMOH) with regards to actions required to limit the spread of COVID-19.

• The details of these directives will change over time, with a planned gradual staged easing of restrictions according to specified criteria to be established by the Province.
• As Provincial guidelines change during the various stages, researchers will be expected to similarly adapt to the current requirement at any given time.
• Mount Royal is looking to the following resources:
  • Alberta Health Services
  • The Government of Alberta
  • Public Health Canada
  • Global Affairs Canada
  • Calgary Emergency Management Agency

2. Research activities must protect the physical, mental and emotional health and safety of our students, staff, faculty, research participants and collaborators.

• Researchers – including students, and staff – must not feel compelled to work on campus or in the field during this period of restricted activities if they feel it presents risks to their personal health and safety. Research involving, or partnering with, community members must be conducted to ensure these people similarly do not feel compelled to be part of the research; vulnerable communities should not be involved during a time of risk.

Efforts should continually strive to enable as much research activity as possible, while respecting the necessary limits required by the evolving COVID-19 situation in Alberta, following the directives of the ACMOH, and understanding the potential to re-impose tighter restrictions should the situation require.

In addition to the Guiding Principles, listed below are the priorities that will be considered in order of relative importance for the resumption of research activities on campus or in the field:

• Research related directly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Research for which data would be unduly difficult to replace or reproduce if the research activity is not able to be resumed as soon as permitted. This includes time-sensitive research continuity activities that cannot be paused for ongoing extended periods due to the potential of losing or disrupting sample protocols, data sequences, disruption of ongoing longitudinal studies, etc.
• Research that is directly related to a student’s program of study for which delay or disruption will cause a high probability of incompletion or personal hardship.
• Research and fieldwork that can be undertaken in isolation and/or requiring a minimum of interaction with other individuals.
• Research activity that cannot be adapted or carried out remotely, which involves external partners or funding bodies that have not indicated flexibility under the COVID-19 restricted circumstances, and which have end-dates within 12 months of the request being made.

CAMPUS ACCESS

Effective August 24th, 2020, applications to resume research activities through access to on-campus facilities have been integrated into the MRU People Plan processes. If you require access to on-campus facilities complete the Application for Ongoing Campus Access or the One-Off Request for Coming to Campus form.

FIELD WORK

All researchers proposing to resume research activities through field work will be required to submit an Application to Initiate or Resume Research (Field Work)

NOTE: this does not include field activities that require face to face interactions with research participants (i.e. face to face interviews, focus groups etc.)

Applications to resume field work will be reviewed and approved by the Vice Provost and Associate Vice President, Academic and the applicant’s Associate Dean, Research or equivalent (Review Committee).

The applicant maybe required to provide additional information or make changes to the application before final approval is rendered.

Approved applications will be filed with the Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement. 

Finally, approval to resume research through this process does not remove the required safety and compliance practices such as consultation with EHS representatives and clearance from the Human Research Ethics Board or Animal Care Committee. The faculty member must consult with the Research Compliance Officer to determine if any modifications to active clearances are required.

Important note: Student involvement and off campus research activities in the field require the completion of the full  Off-Campus Activity Form One.  

A completed Off-Campus Activity Form One must be emailed to Melissa Deane (mdeane1@mtroyal.ca) when you submit your Application to Initiate or Resume Research.

It is the Principal Investigator's responsibility to ensure the training, orientation, and supervision of all team members involved in their research including students/research assistants.

Applications to resume research activities through field work can be prepared and submitted on behalf of a single faculty researcher, or a research team comprised of one or more faculty researchers along with students and/or research support employees.

NOTE: this does not include field activities that require face to face interactions with research participants (i.e. face to face interviews, focus groups etc.)

The applicant will submit the Application to Initiate or Resume Research (Field Work) which includes the following information:

• A list of the primary faculty researcher(s) submitting the application, and all research team members to be involved in the research activities; include each individual’s position at MRU (faculty, student, lab technician, etc.).
• A description of the requested research activities to be resumed. The description may be brief, but must:
  
  • be sufficient to outline the nature of the research to be undertaken;
    • be clear in the reasons why it cannot be done remotely (that is, why it must be done in the field);
• A plan to address COVID-19 safety requirements including:
  
  • How travel to and from research sites will be compliant with the current government and University travel advisories and restrictions
  • Plan to ensure the team is able to be contacted during the fieldwork period
  • Social distancing plan for your team for:
    
    • Travel at the research site
    • Living and working conditions on-site (is self-isolation achievable if necessary)
  • Plans to respond to a member of the research team developing COVID-19 symptoms 
  • Plan to manage contact with local communities and ensure social distancing protocols are maintained