COVID-19 Research FAQs: Additional Considerations
Q: How can I order equipment or supplies to my home address while working remotely?
Refer to Sourcing & Procurement guidance: https://www.bu.edu/sourcing/covid-19-updates
Shoppers should continue to follow IS&T and BU Sourcing & Procurement guidelines and order from one of our contracted IT suppliers for computers and peripherals. We encourage the use of the Terrier Marketplace where IS&T standards (configured machines) are available to order.
During this remote work situation, we are allowing ship-to-home with a financial administrator’s approval. Add a note to shopping carts that the delivery address is not the usual address.
Audit will be running reports against home delivery addresses to ensure the assets are returned to campus.
Q: Where to send checks?
A: Payments to Boston University for reimbursement of sponsored research awards should still be sent to our lockbox address below:
Boston University Grants Receivables
P.O. Box 28763
New York, NY 10087-8763
Additionally, ACH payments can be made for payers within the U.S. Please contact Missy Downs, Director of Research Finance at 617-358-5114 for ACH instructions.
Q: Research studies with a lab component already purchased gloves. Who would pay for other supplies (masks, wipes, etc.), if needed?
Please reach out to your PAFO RA to discuss. Subject to your institutional policies, personal protection equipment needed to perform the grant may be a direct charge. Supplies needed for general cleaning should be covered by a non-grant or departmental account.
Q: If staff would need to work from home, we are considering cell phones for use when contacting human subjects since some people are uncomfortable with using their personal phones when calling human subjects or research study participants. Depending on the research study, it could be from one to three to several cell phones needed. What alternatives do they have?
Please reach out to your PAFO RA to discuss. Inexpensive cell phones used solely for the purposes of the grant would appear to be a defensible charge to the grant in these circumstances. The PI/department authorizing the charges would need to oversee the purchases and use of the phones to ensure that they were used exclusively for the project; if used for multiple projects, cost allocations must reflect relative usage. Obtain prior approval from your institution if its policy prohibits the reimbursement of cell phone charges. Documentation should be retained in the department’s grant file. In addition, the department may want to consider alternative technologies that allow users to shield their personal number when using their own cell phone for business purposes. For example, see Google Voice:
How it works: https://www.lifewire.com/how-google-voice-works-3426682
Link to the app: https://voice.google.com/u/0/about
Important Note: In the context of human subjects research, we want to remind the research community that Google Voice for consumers is not HIPAA compliant and should not be used for research projects subject to HIPAA requirements.
Q: Reminder calls to research study participants to stay home if they are sick are already taking place. Some of our research study participants are older and more vulnerable. Emails from my institution have reminded employees to stay home if sick. Can I charge unexpected costs that may arise to the grant? (For example, additional labor charges for time spent calling study participants).
Costs to projects related to contact with study participants (to guide their participation or to make arrangements for alternate plans) are allowable costs to the project. If the volume of such work involves a significant amount of additional labor charges, investigators can consider requesting supplements from their funding agency. It will be important to document the actual additional cost in these circumstances to guide requests for supplemental funding or additional time.
Q: DOJ – Will programmatic and financial monitoring continue?
Until otherwise notified, all planned on-site monitoring will be conducted as remote monitoring or postponed for a later date. You will be contacted by your OJP grant manager and/or financial staff of OJP’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer to make alternative arrangements. If your organization is unable to participate in remote monitoring due to operational limitations, you may request postponement until a later date.