Guidance for summer undergraduate research and creative activity:

• Training. All undergraduates who will be involved in summer research should complete the online COVID-19 safety training. If a student has previously completed this requirement, retraining is not required. There are two options for completing the online training and either training is acceptable: “Returning to Research Training Course” OR “Returning to Campus Training Course.” Students only need to complete one of the trainings even if they are engaged in multiple research or experiential learning opportunities. Students should provide email confirmation that they have completed the training to their research mentor/supervisor/faculty advisor. As always, research mentors/supervisors are responsible for ensuring their undergraduate researchers have completed the EHS, human subjects, and/or animal use training relevant to the research in which they are involved.
• Safety Plans. Undergraduates involved in laboratory and/or human subjects research should review, sign, and follow their mentor’s COVID-19 Safety Plan. The responsible faculty member/principal investigator is responsible for ensuring undergraduates’ compliance with all facets of the Safety Plan.
• Remote as Default. Wherever possible, research and related activities should be completed remotely in furtherance of the goal of limiting gatherings and density. This includes activities such as lab/research group meetings and 1:1 meetings. Consider remote activity the default and reserve in-person/in-lab/in-studio time for activities that can only be accomplished with the equipment and materials in those spaces.

Faculty and students: Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research (our@uconn.edu) with any questions. The Office of the Vice President for Research (ovpr@uconn.edu) and their COVID-19 Guidance for the UConn Research Community page are key resources for the research community at UConn and UConn Health. We thank faculty, staff, and students for your care and cooperation, which are essential to involving students safely this summer.

Guidance on Undergraduate Research During and After Spring Break
During and following the spring recess (April 11-17, 2021), undergraduate students may continue to participate in on-campus research projects that cannot be done remotely. However, undergraduate students cannot be required to return to campus to work on research projects during or following this break. The general expectation is that students will not return to campus following spring recess. If a student will continue to be on campus to work on a research project, the faculty member must ensure there is necessary and substantive work that cannot be done remotely. In addition, all work must follow approved safety protocols as well as campus-specific, university, and state requirements in place at the time. Faculty and undergraduates involved in research projects should discuss and mutually agree upon what work will be conducted after the recess, and whether it will be remote or in-person. If there are questions, faculty or students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Research (our@uconn.edu) or the Office of the Vice President for Research (ovpr@uconn.edu).

Guidance for spring undergraduate research and creative activity:

• Training. All undergraduates who will be involved in research and/or enrolled in experiential learning credit (e.g., internship, undergraduate research, thesis, independent study) should complete the online COVID-19 safety training. If a student has previously completed this requirement, retraining is not required. There are two options for completing the online training and either training is acceptable: “Returning to Research Training Course” OR “Returning to Campus Training Course.” Students only need to complete one of the trainings even if they are engaged in multiple research or experiential learning opportunities. Students should provide email confirmation that they have completed the training to their research mentor/supervisor/faculty advisor. As always, research mentors/supervisors are responsible for ensuring their undergraduate researchers have completed the EHS, human subjects, and/or animal use training relevant to the research in which they are involved.
• Safety Plans. Undergraduates involved in laboratory and/or human subjects research should review, sign, and follow their mentor’s COVID-19 Safety Plan. The responsible faculty member/principal investigator is responsible for ensuring undergraduates’ compliance with all facets of the Safety Plan.
• Remote as Default. Wherever possible, research (including research with associated course credit or student employment) and related activities should be completed remotely in furtherance of the goal of limiting gatherings and density. This includes activities such as lab/research group meetings and 1:1 meetings. Consider remote activity the default and reserve in-person/in-lab/in-studio time for activities that can only be accomplished with the equipment and materials in those spaces.
• Course Modality. If a student is enrolled in course credits based on their involvement in research, independent study, or creative activity this fall, ensure that the course’s modality accurately reflects the modality of the student’s planned involvement: Online (WW) or Distance Learning (DL) if all course activities will be conducted online, or By Arrangement (AR) if some or all activities will be conducted in person. Modality changes or the addition of course sections may be made through departmental request to the Registrar through the 10th day of the spring semester.

Additional guidance for residential students:
Residential students may not be involved in research on their campus of residence during the 2-week quarantine period at the start of the spring semester; in-person activities are inconsistent with Residential Life's community expectations during the quarantine period. In addition, students may not be involved in off-campus or inter-campus research during the residential quarantine period. Should residential communities become subject to quarantine during the semester, students in those communities should not participate in any in-person research activities at any location until their quarantine is lifted. For further information from Residential Life, consult their Spring 2021 Communications webpage.

Faculty and students: Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research (our@uconn.edu) with any questions. The Office of the Vice President for Research (ovpr@uconn.edu) and their COVID-19 Guidance for the UConn Research Community page are key resources for the research community at UConn and UConn Health. We thank faculty, staff, and students for your care and cooperation, which are essential to involving students safely this semester.

Guidance for fall undergraduate research and creative activity:

• Training. All undergraduates who will be involved in research and/or enrolled in experiential learning credit (e.g., internship, undergraduate research, thesis, independent study) should complete the online COVID-19 safety training. There are two options for completing the online training and either training is acceptable: “Returning to Research Training Course” OR “Returning to Campus Training Course.” Students only need to complete one of the trainings even if they are engaged in multiple research or experiential learning opportunities. Students should provide email confirmation that they have completed the training to their research mentor/supervisor/faculty advisor. As always, research mentors/supervisors are responsible for ensuring their undergraduate researchers have completed the EHS, human subjects, and/or animal use training relevant to the research in which they are involved.
• Safety Plans. Undergraduates involved in laboratory and/or human subjects research should review, sign, and follow their mentor’s OVPR-approved COVID-19 Safety Plan. The responsible faculty member/principal investigator is responsible for ensuring undergraduates’ compliance with all facets of the approved Safety Plan.
• Remote as Default. Wherever possible, research (including research with associated course credit or student employment) and related activities should be completed remotely in furtherance of the goal of limiting gatherings and density. This includes activities such as lab/research group meetings and 1:1 meetings. Consider remote activity the default and reserve in-person/in-lab/in-studio time for activities that can only be accomplished with the equipment and materials in those spaces.
• Course Modality. If a student is enrolled in course credits based on their involvement in research, independent study, or creative activity this fall, ensure that the course’s modality accurately reflects the modality of the student’s planned involvement. Modality changes to these courses should be made promptly so students’ enrollment reflects how all their fall courses will be delivered.

No additional approval process is required for undergraduate research after the fall campus reopening. Residential students with a summer undergraduate research approval may be involved in research on their campus of residence during the 2-week quarantine period if that research involvement is consistent with Residential Life's community expectations during the quarantine period. Students may not be involved in off-campus or inter-campus research during that time.

Guidance on Undergraduate Research After Thanksgiving Break
Following the Thanksgiving recess, undergraduate students may continue to participate in on-campus research projects that cannot be done remotely. However, undergraduate students cannot be required to return to campus to work on research projects following break. The general expectation is that students will not return to campus following break. If a student will continue to be on campus to work on a research project, the faculty member must ensure there is necessary and substantive work that cannot be done remotely. In addition, all work must follow approved COVID-19 safety protocols as well as campus-specific, university, and state requirements in place at the time. If a student has traveled out of state to a location subject to the state's travel advisory, the student must follow all state requirements, including self-quarantine and the submission of a travel health form. Faculty and undergraduates involved in research projects should discuss and mutually agree upon what work will be conducted after the recess, and whether it will be remote or in-person. If there are questions, faculty or students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Research (our@uconn.edu) or the Office of the Vice President for Research (ovpr@uconn.edu).

Faculty and students: Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research (our@uconn.edu) with any questions. The Office of the Vice President for Research (ovpr@uconn.edu) and their COVID-19 Guidance for the UConn Research Community page are key resources for the research community at UConn and UConn Health. We thank faculty, staff, and students for your care and cooperation, which are essential to involving students safely this fall semester.

• The undergraduate student should complete and submit the Student Request to Resume Undergraduate Research Form. Once submitted, this will be emailed automatically to both the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).
• The faculty member wanting to add one or more undergraduate students to an approved safety plan should complete and submit the Faculty Request to Resume Undergraduate Research Form. Once submitted, this will be emailed automatically to both OUR and OVPR. If the faculty member does not yet have an approved safety plan, they should follow the steps listed here to obtain OVPR approval to resume research activity.
• Once BOTH forms are received, the OVPR will respond with an approval to both the student and faculty member.
• If you have questions or concerns, please contact the OVPR at ovpr@uconn.edu or the OUR at our@uconn.edu.

In the spring, university senior leadership recommended transitioning summer undergraduate research programs to telecommuting/online options. In accordance with this guidance, we made the difficult decision to move all summer undergraduate research programs administered within the Office of Undergraduate Research (and the broader Enrichment Programs unit) to a remote-only model. Please note that the Health Research Program will remain in remote-only mode for the remainder of the summer program period. Participants can contact Dr. Rowena Grainger, Health Research Program Manager, with any questions. For all OUR programs, staff are available to answer program-specific questions and consult with students and faculty on how to adapt their research and creative projects to their particular circumstances.

What do I do if my faculty mentor is unresponsive?
This is a very difficult time for faculty too. Please understand that the demands of restarting research safely require significant faculty time and effort. Please reach out to your mentor using the communication channels you have used in the past and ask to arrange a conversation. Ensure that you are monitoring those communication channels regularly (e.g., checking email and voicemail) so you do not miss a response.

What do I do if my faculty mentor pressures me to resume in-person/on-campus/field research?
Any undergraduate student's involvement in in-person, on-campus, and/or field research during summer 2020 is completely optional. Students should not be pressured in any way by their mentors or research groups to resume in-person/on-campus/field research. Please contact our@uconn.edu if you are in this situation. Continuing with remote research through the summer will be the best option for many students, including those who had always planned to work on their projects from home, those who are living at a considerable distance from the campus, and those with personal risk factors. Faculty are asked to ensure that complying with the research shut down and ramp up directives does not negatively impact their assessment of students, whether via course grades, future letters of recommendation, or in any other form.

What kinds of research activities can be done remotely?
Each project and student are different, so it is important that students and their mentors discuss what is viable for their particular situation. As a starting point for those discussions, we offer this list of suggestions adapted from the Graduate School's Guide to Coping with the Suspension of Many Research Activities:

• Preparing a literature review, where it is possible to do so using electronic sources available through the library.
• Collating, consolidating, and analyzing data that has already been collected.
• Writing thesis sections where the research is complete. Writing thesis sections that explain how the research would proceed under normal circumstances. Writing thesis sections that acknowledge unanswered questions and point to areas for further investigation.
• Writing all or part of papers intended for publication in journals or conference proceedings.
• Acquiring new research skills or improving existing skills (e.g., learning a new language, acquiring new computational skills, improving drafting or drawing skills).
• Identifying and applying for future fellowship or research funding opportunities. The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships can assist.
• For continuing students: Developing contingency plans for worst-case scenarios associated with interruption of research (e.g., cancellation of travel to research sites during Summer 2020, extension of restrictions on use of campus facilities through Summer 2020).

Shifting research activities to remote or virtual modes (e.g., conducting interviews with participants electronically rather than face-to-face) may require amendment to existing research compliance approvals. Please visit the OVPR's COVID-19 Research Guidance page for more information.

Consider also how you can use this time to think creatively, develop new ideas, and lean into the newness of this moment. For one undergraduate researcher's suggestions in this regard, visit Research-Related Activities to Engage in During Closures

Considerations for contingency planning and shifting to remote research:

• What questions can be addressed through the use of electronic resources? How can existing research questions be adapted to work in a more restricted research environment?
• What research methods, processes, or activities can be pursued remotely? What research-related skills can be developed remotely?
• What research compliance approvals or amendments need to be secured in order to proceed in a virtual environment? See COVID-19 Research Guidance.
• What strategies and technologies can be used to maintain research community and collaboration? What kind(s) of support can I offer to others and what kind(s) of support do I need?
• Refer to the developing list of questions to consider in the Graduate School's Guide to Coping with the Suspension of Many Research Activities; most apply equally well to undergraduate projects.

How can I contact the Office of Undergraduate Research?
All OUR staff are working remotely until further notice. At this time, the best way to reach us is through email. As always, feel free to email our@uconn.edu with any question or concern, and we will respond as quickly as possible. To contact a specific staff member via email, please refer to the Contact Us page. Phone and video advising appointments are available and can be scheduled via Nexus.

I have a question that's not addressed here, or want to share a resource or suggestion that might be helpful. What should I do?
Please send a message to our@uconn.edu! We will continue to update this page as we gather additional information.