Research Management Plans have served an important role in keeping our research community safe throughout the pandemic. As public health and University COVID-19 measures are lifted or paused [1], we are also pausing the requirement for Research Management Plans to be in place. 

A few notes on human participant face-to-face research:

• Researchers who have ongoing projects with human participants should continue with precautions outlined in the informed consent (with COVID appendix) unless revised with a formal REB amendment.
• For new studies, the COVID consent appendix is no longer required, however researchers are asked to add the following statement to the Risks section of consent forms: "The research team is committed to providing a safe environment for the community and will follow all COVID-19 safety guidelines outlined by the University of Guelph and public health."
• As with all potential risk, researchers who feel their research puts participants at a higher risk for COVID-19 should flag this at the REB application stage.

For all research activities, please continue to follow requirements outlined on the University’s COVID-19 website [2]. 

Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to continue to take steps that help keep our community safe, including wearing masks and staying up-to-date with vaccinations and booster doses, even if public health or University requirements for those actions have been lifted or paused.

Please be aware that with the evolving nature of the pandemic, we may at some point see the return of the requirement for Research Management Plans or restrictions on human participant face-to-face research.

If you have concerns about your safety and well-being while working in University of Guelph facilities, you are encouraged to review your work situation, and any requirements to be on site, in discussion with your supervisor, manager, graduate program coordinator, chair or director, as appropriate.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies: