Guidance for UAB Research Trainees (Undergraduate, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows)
- No trainee should be compelled to come to campus for any purpose, and faculty and Departments/Schools must be flexible to support remote work arrangements.
Undergraduate Students:
- On-campus research by undergraduates is suspended, unless it can be conducted remotely or virtually. Exceptions for on-campus research may be granted if the student has a skillset not replicated by another lab member necessary for essential research (see guidelines for essential research above), or where the student is needed for the continuity of data collection. All exception requests must be submitted by the PI to Dr. Kent Keyser at
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Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows:
- Graduate students and post-docs may be permitted in laboratories for completion of studies needed for a thesis or dissertation defense during the 2020 Spring or Summer terms or the completion of studies for postdoctoral fellows who are within 3 months of an end of an appointment or fellowship funding when those activities do not require interventions or interactions with human subjects and can meet the social distancing requirements.
- Faculty advisors and mentors should work with their graduate students and postdocs to develop or update individualized plans (IDPs) to continue their research remotely.
- In the event that a laboratory requires a trainee to maintain a physical presence in the lab for the completion of their specific studies, or to maintain other essential research, a written electronic exception request including at least the name of the trainee, the physical space they would occupy, and justification that the research is essential is required from the PI. The request must be approved by the following in sequential order as listed below:
- Program Director for Graduate Studies Program (for the graduate student)
- Department Chair (of the PI/advisor)
- School/College Dean’s Office (of the PI/advisor)
- Dean of the Graduate School (for graduate students) OR Senior Associate Dean of the Office of Postdoctoral Education (for postdoctoral fellows)
The resulting decision will be reported to the trainee, PI, the Graduate Studies/Program Director, and the PI’s Department Chair and School/College Dean’s Office.