Research-specific Coronavirus COVID-19 Information

To report concerns about legal, regulatory, or policy violations or unethical conduct, please contact the University of Arizona’s Ethics and Compliance Hotline, an anonymous, 24/7 resource. More information also can be found in the Whistleblower Awareness Training module in UAccess Learning.

Reporting Time during the COVID-19 Response 

• Salary charges on sponsored projects: See the Federal Agency Guidance section for details on individual sponsors.  The University of Arizona's policy treats all funds consistently with regard to charging salaries and benefits during periods when no work is performed due to the effect of COVID-19, so these charges are allowable on grants where the sponsor is following the March 19, 2020 OMB memo.  
• Information on other sponsors will be posted as soon as it is available. 

14.17 Travel Changes and Cancellations

UITS Resources for working remotely  

COGR FAQs:  COVID-19 Impacts on Federal Awards 

Export Control and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

• All researchers working on export controlled and CUI projects who work from home could be in violation of the security requirements outlined in the projects’ Technology Control Plans (TCP). The researchers should check with the appropriate person in the college (department head, ADR, dean) for approval and the Export Control office (export@email.arizona.edu) / CUI-UITS team prior to working with export controlled/CUI data from home.  If the export control and CUI requirements can be met, the CUI-UITS team and Export Control will provide an Addendum to the TCP that outlines the risks and the ­­­responsibilities the researcher must agree to follow.

Research Administration & Compliance:  Continuity plans for Sponsored Projects & Contracting Services (SPCS), the Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP), Research Laboratory & Safety Services (RLSS), the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) will enable staff to provide services while working remotely.  In the event of illness or quarantine, services may be delayed.  

Tech Launch Arizona, Tech Parks, and Arizona FORGE are also developing plans to provide services while working remotely.   

Core Facilities are developing plans to cover various scenarios.  

• CARES Act 
• Analysis of the Senate CARES Act 

National Science Foundation (NSF) 

• NSF Coronavirus Information Page 
• NSF Implementation of March 19 OMB Memo - Flexibilities Available to Applicants & Recipients
• NSF Implementation of April 9 OMB Memo - Repurposing Federal Financial Assistance Programs 
• FAQs about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for NSF Proposers and Awardees
• NSF Guidance for Major Facilities and Contracts Regarding COVID-19 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

• NIH Coronavirus Information Page 
• Guidance for NIH-funded Clinical Trials and Human Subjects Affected by COVID-19
• Flexibilities Available to Applicants and Recipients for Federal Financial Assistance Affected by COVID-19 
  • COVID-19 Flexibilities for Applicants and Recipients FAQs 
    • Guidance on charging salaries, stipends, conference fees, travel expenses 
    • Preaward Costs allowing from January 20, 2020 through the public health emergency period and prior to start of award for COVID-19 affected awardees.
    • Contact your Grants Management Official/Program Official for extension of financial and other reporting. 
    • Extension of closeout for affected awardees.  
• General FAQs - Proposal Submission and Award Management Related to COVID-19
• NIH Late Application Policy Due to Public Health Emergency for United States for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• NIH Guidance on Travel and Meetings 
• NIH Extramural Response to Natural Disasters and Other Emergencies 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

• NASA Implementation of March 19 OMB Memo - Flexibilities Available to Applicants & Recipients
• NASA FAQs on March 19 OMB Memo 
• NASA Science Mission Directorate Town Hall
• NASA Science Mission Directorate FAQs  

U.S. Department of Agriculture

• NIFA March 19 OMB memo 
• NIFA FAQs
• NIFA/AFRI application deadlines 
• NIFA Late Application Policy 

U.S. Department of Energy

• DOE Coronavirus Hub 
• Memorandum for Applicants and Awardees 
• Guidance for Financial Assistance Awards 

U.S. Department of Defense 

• AFOSR Memo on No Cost Extensions 
• Coronavirus:  DOD response 
• Implementation of March 19 OMB memo - flexibilities available to applicants and recipients
• USAMRAA/CDMRP Grant FAQs

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

• Health & Safety Information for Financial Assistance Recipients during COVID-19

U.S. Department of Education

• Select FAQs 
• Institute of Education Sciences FAQs 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

• USGS COVID-19 Guidance for Financial Assistance 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Flexibilities Available to Applicants and Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Affected by COVID-19

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• FAQs for grantees

Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA)

• FAQs for grantees 

U.S. Department of Justice 

• Office of Juvenile Justice & Deliquency Prevention 

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 

• USAID COVID-19 Partner Guidance 
• USAID COVID-19 Guidance for Implementing Partners 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

• Implementation Guidance for Supplemental Funding Provided in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) April 10, 2020
• Repurposing Existing Federal Financial Assistance Programs and Awards to Support the Emergency Response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) April 9, 2020 
• Administrative Relief for Recipients & Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations March 19, 2020 
• Administrative Relief for Recipients & Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) March 9, 2020

U.S Department of State 

• Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs temporary push on International Exchange Programs 
  • From 3/13/20 ECA communication:  "ECA is strongly advising all current U.S. Fulbright participants to make arrangements to depart their country of assignment as soon as possible. If grantees do not leave now, there is no guarantee that the Fulbright Program will be able to assist them with department as future travel may become more challenging without notice, including reduced air service and requirements for quarantine.  All U.S. participants who have begun their awards will continue to receive their Fulbright grants payments through June 30, 2020."  

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

• Frequently Asked Questions 

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) 

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) 

American Heart Association Grant COVID-19 FAQs

Haury Program Spring 2020 Call for Proposals suspended 

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine COVID-19 Resources 

Figshare Open Research Data on COVID-19

COVID-19 Data Repositories

Please follow and reference UArizona guidance and travel policy.  Information on cancellations and reimbursement of charges is in 14.17 Travel Changes and Cancellations.  Because our policy is consistent across funding sources, these charges are generally allowable on sponsored projects.  

Sponsoring agencies, including federal sponsors, may issue additional guidance on travel and cost allowability.  Until that guidance is posted, University of Arizona travel guidelines should be followed. 

Refundable tickets and flight insurance may be considered on a case-by-case basis with a business justification.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Notice of Arrival Restrictions on China, Iran, and Schengen Countries of Europe 

The Human Subjects Protection Program is working remotely.  

We encourage decreasing the number of protocol-mandated in-person study visits to healthcare facilities or replacing protocol-mandated visits to healthcare facilities with home visits or telemedicine options, if these are feasible and do not negatively impact participant safety.  These modifications to a protocol must be approved by the UA IRB prior to implementation.  Protocol deviations can be made to eliminate immediate risks to subjects.   

HSPP will operate according to a normal schedule, and may have staff working remotely as the situation unfolds.  IRB committee meetings will take place via videoconference.   

University of Arizona IRB Update on COVID-19 Response

FDA Guidance on Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products during COVID-19 Pandemic 

The Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a bulletin providing information and reminders regarding how patient information may be shared during the outbreak of disease or other emergency situations.

“In light of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)is providing this bulletin to ensure that HIPAA covered entities and their business associates are aware of the ways that patient information may be shared under the HIPAA Privacy Rule in an outbreak of infectious disease or other emergency situation, and to serve as a reminder that the protections of the Privacy Rule are not set aside during an emergency. The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of patients’ health information (protected health information) but is balanced to ensure that appropriate uses and disclosures of the information still may be made when necessary to treat a patient, to protect the nation’s public health, and for other critical purposes.”

HIPAA Privacy and Novel Coronavirus Bulletin

Please reach out to the HIPAA Privacy Program if you have any questions or concerns.

Communicating Health Information Online (March 18, 2020)

UAC has been working in concert with UA/RII leadership to prepare for potential staff and supply shortages that may develop as a result of this pandemic. UAC will continue operations with limited changes to mitigate potential impact. These changes are distributed by listserv to the UAC user group. Please contact UAC directly if you have questions or concerns.

IACUC will operate according to a normal schedule, and may have staff working remotely as the situation unfolds.  Committee meetings will take place via video conference. 

NIH Flexibilities for Assured Institutions for Activities of IACUCs Due to COVID-19

Research Laboratory & Safety Services (RLSS) will operate under a normal schedule, and may have staff working remotely as the situation unfolds.  Staff will maintain essential functions in the event of a campus closure.  

COVID-19 Guidance for Research Safety (March 18, 2020)

Procedure for Temporary Laboratory Closure (March 18, 2020

In compliance with recent university directives, the Occupational Health staff will be working remotely. As such, our medical clinic will be closed and all clinical services will be suspended to include provider visits, vaccinations, lab work and routine respirator fit testing. We will continue to provide administrative services as our capabilities allow.

We will reschedule all appointments when we are able to return to campus. Our staff will still make arrangements for critical visits, if the need arises. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

If you have any questions, or need assistance, please feel free to contact our program manager Jim Metras at jamesmetras@email.arizona.edu or on his cell phone at 520-780-8023.