Requirements for Research Ramp-Up
The Research Compliance & Safety Committee has collaboratively designed and begun to implement a three-step process to prepare researchers for campus re-entry, eventual in-person participant engagement, and compliance with protocols and procedures to maintain safety as outlined by Federal, State, City and College requirements. Completion of proposed procedures will not automatically mean that a researcher can engage in-person with human participants. After completion of the three-step process, researchers must gain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for all human subjects research before returning to campus. Please review TC IRB’s website for a guide on how to submit an IRB protocol.
Currently, Teachers College (TC) campus remains closed to all visitors. The Research Compliance & Safety Committee will work in tandem with Teachers College’s efforts when inviting anyone to return to campus (this specifically includes individuals in research labs). The three-step process for a research return to campus is summarized in the infographic below and consists of the following parts.
Job Safety Assessment and Risk Analysis
The lead investigator and all members of each research team planning to resume on-campus activities must complete a two-part (online and physical walk through of lab space) Job Safety Assessment (JSA) led by the Environmental Health and Safety Office.
- Contact Patrick Mathelier Director of Environmental Health and Safety - ehs@tc.columbia.edu to schedule a Job Safety Assessment (JSA)
Training
Investigators and research personnel must complete all required training modules:
- General Return to Campus Training (hosted by Environmental Health and Safety for anyone returning to campus in-person)
- Research-Specific Training Modules
- Specific Training Modules as determined by the Job Safety Assessment (e.g., working with vulnerable populations or in high-physical contact contexts)
- As part of a typical IRB protocol submission, researchers will need to complete the IRB Social And Behavioral Researchers - Basic Course through CITI’s website: citiprogram.org
Research Safety Monitor Designation
The lead investigator of research groups or labs on campus will register as a Research Safety Monitor (RSM). An additional person, typically a member of the research group personnel, can also register as an RSM. The Research Safety Monitor Agreement stipulates that the lead investigator is responsible for safety oversight, personnel safety training, and serving as the primary contact for health or safety emergencies in each on-campus research space. The Research Safety Monitor’s contact information will be available to campus officials.
In addition to these steps, lead investigators are also required to communicate with the TC Institutional Review Board (IRB) about their intentions to restart in-person data collection and to specify in an IRB modification request the procedures that they plan to implement, specifically detailing how they will manage and minimize risks associated with in-person research activities. The IRB will review each modification submission on a case-by-case basis to evaluate the risk of study activities for research participants before issuing an approval letter. Researchers may not begin any research related-activities until receiving an IRB approval letter. For a guide on how to submit an IRB protocol, click here.
Research Safety Monitor Agreement
The lead investigator of research groups or labs on campus will register as a Research Safety Monitor (RSM). An additional person, typically a member of the research group personnel, can also register as an RSM. The Research Safety Monitor Agreement stipulates that the lead investigator is responsible for safety oversight, personnel safety training, and serving as the primary contact for health or safety emergencies in each on-campus research space. The Research Safety Monitor’s contact information will be available to campus officials. Click this link to access the Research Safety Monitor agreement for research labs or centers download this PDF.