Guidance on Updating Sponsors on Status of Sponsored Project During COVID-19 Pandemic

The University of Florida continues to work through the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Despite these challenges, most of our sponsored projects have continued, many by temporarily transitioning to remote workplaces, some with modifications to work plans, while others have been allowed to maintain some on-campus effort as a designated essential activity.  As we continue to support the research objectives in specific sponsored projects, it will prove helpful to keep sponsors accurately informed on the status of university operations and of specific sponsored projects, including modifications of work plans.

To read the entire guidance, please see Guidance on Updating Sponsors on Status of Sponsored Project During COVID-19 Pandemic posted here: https://research.ufl.edu/covid-19-updates.html

If your project is affected in any way, please consider providing your sponsor with a short update.  In addition, many program managers are interested to hear how their sponsored projects are continuing under the current work conditions. Please consult your Notice of Award to identify reporting contact and reporting cycle, considering whether it is prudent to provide the contact with an interim update.  These updates can take the form of short memos or bulleted lists and are intended to let agency contacts assess the impacts on their programs. In order to assist Principal Investigators in this process of updating sponsors, we are providing the following template as a framework for these communications.

 Status of University of Florida Operations:

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Florida remains deeply committed to the health and safety of the people involved in research at our institution, while continuing to pursue the objectives of our research sponsors.
• The University of Florida remains open with the majority of operations temporarily transitioned to teleworking from home.  All UF|Research administrative operations are fully functional and available via this modality.
• On-campus activities are currently limited to those identified and approved as essential by UF managers and leadership.
• Residents within the Gainesville community are currently under an emergency Stay at Home order from the state and local county.
• The University of Florida continues to monitor the impacts of the epidemic, and in coordination with local, state and national authorities, will assess changes to campus status as conditions warrant.

Sponsored Project Activity Update (enter project number and title):

• Despite the current challenges, we continue to pursue the objectives of this project.  Activities that have continued with little or no interruption include:
  • (Insert that which is appropriate for your project.  This might include computational studies; data analysis; reports and manuscript preparation; literature review; online dissemination of research; laboratory activities deemed essential and continuing; laboratory maintenance; etc.)
• Sponsored project activities that have been temporarily impacted include:
  • (Insert that which is appropriate for your project.  This might include experimental laboratory activities; travel; field work; etc.)
• Tentative plans for work on this project in the next 60 days
  • (Insert short paragraph describing tentative research plans for the next 2 months of activity.  Consider including work that is continued or modified.  If there are unanticipated costs going forward, you may wish to include this as well.)
• Additional information or requests to consider if needed or applicable include:
  • Inability to meet deliverables or reporting timelines
  • Need to extend the final budget period for 12 months due to project suspension
  • Request carryforward of unobligated balances from prior year to current year for immediate effort to support activities related to or affected by COVID-19
  • Sponsored project related travel, conferences, seminars, or other assemblies that were delayed or canceled, and their associated costs
  • Affected personnel (please include name, role, and impact such as unable to perform work functions remotely or reduced % from predicted)
    • Note that any personnel who are working now from foreign locations that were previously working from US locations may now qualify as foreign components and should be communicated to DSP.
  • Other: please describe in detail

Please note that a change in scope from approved aims is typically not permitted.   If you believe a change in scope (rather than change in methods or timelines) is necessary, please contact the Division of Sponsored Programs at ufawards@ufl.edu.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Division of Sponsored Programs at ufawards@ufl.edu. For more information on the impact of COVID-19 on research and sponsored programs, see https://research.ufl.edu/covid-19-updates.html.