Is It COVID-19, a Cold, or the Flu? What to Do When COVID and Flu Cases Surge
A BU infectious diseases expert on how the current surge compares to past pandemic years, whether it’s time to mask again, which symptoms should prompt a test, and what to do if you test positive
Back2BU Research: Personnel Lists and Visitor Policies
TO: Boston University Principal Investigators FROM: Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research DATE: September 3, 2021 SUBJECT: Back2BU Research: Personnel Lists and Visitor Policies Since May 2020, faculty PIs have been required to maintain personnel lists for their research groups and submit updates on a rolling basis to the Office of Research […]
Back2BU Research: Vaccination Status Reporting
The gradual repopulation of BU’s campuses begins this week. While some restrictions are being lifted, research personnel are required to abide by several important conditions detailed below, including mandatory vaccination reporting, capacity limits for offices, and some health and safety protocols. Mandatory Vaccination Reporting On May 28, President Brown announced that all faculty and staff […]
Returning to Campus: Information for BU Researchers
TO: Boston University Faculty FROM: Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research DATE: May 7, 2021 SUBJECT: Returning to Campus: Information for BU Researchers In his May 6 letter to the BU community, President Brown shared that the University would begin repopulating our campuses with “the goal of achieving 50 percent staffing levels by […]
Is your research group vaccinated? Here’s what you need to know.
As more members of BU’s research community are receiving the vaccine, we’re beginning to hear questions about how vaccinations will affect BU’s COVID guidelines for research. The latest information is below. We will update this page if/when the guidance changes. Will lab occupancy limits or other guidelines change once research personnel have been vaccinated? The […]
Memo: State of BU Research + 8 Safety Violations to Avoid
TO: Boston University Researchers FROM: Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research DATE: January 20, 2021 SUBJECT: State of BU Research + 8 Safety Violations to Avoid Welcome to the spring 2021 semester. I’m writing with an update on the state of research at BU, including our community’s collective effort to keep faculty, […]
Temporary Capacity Limits for Offices & Administrative Spaces
Beginning on December 26, 2020, Massachusetts implemented temporary capacity limits to stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases and hospitalizations rise. Most industries are subject to a 25% capacity limit. The state’s 25% capacity limit does not apply to experimental/”wet” research labs. It does apply to administrative spaces associated with research, including offices and most […]
Now Inviting Labs & Clinics to Place PPE Orders for the Spring
During the spring semester, Sourcing & Procurement (S&P) will continue assisting labs and clinics with the acquisition and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of BU’s research recovery effort. With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, the supply chain remains extremely constrained, and centralized purchasing maximizes BU’s ability to obtain authentic, high-quality products […]
Memo: Health & Safety Requirements for Research Groups
TO: Boston University Principal Investigators FROM: Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research DATE: October 15, 2020 SUBJECT: Action Required: Health & Safety Requirements for Research Groups I’m writing today with important reminders about the COVID-19 protocols required of all Boston University labs, groups, and centers approved for on-campus research. Read on for […]
Guidance and Recommended Practices for Working with Inactivated SARS-COV-2 Materials
BACKGROUND & PURPOSE Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) is a newly identified viral pathogen that causes the disease COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus Disease-2019). SARS CoV‐2 is a positive strand, or sense strand, single-stranded RNA virus. SARS‐CoV-2 is highly infectious and has affected millions of people worldwide resulting in a pandemic. Boston University has […]