COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities

COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities and Funding-Related Information. The Office of Research & Innovation has compiled a list of COVID-19 research funding opportunities, guidance and funding-related information. We encourage you to review and stay abreast of federal funding updates and funding opportunities through sponsor websites and listservs.

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Novel Coronavirus Advisory for Research

Actions to address the potential impact of COVID-19 on research

March 9, 2020
From the Office of the Vice Dean for Research
For All Chairs, Principal Investigators, and Members of Research Teams

As communicated by President Fry in his emails of March 2nd and 9th, Drexel University has established a coordinated effort to respond to current and emerging threats associated with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 disease. Information and resources can be found at drexel.edu/coronavirus. All faculty, students and staff at Drexel should check the link above regularly for updates.

In addition to the resources listed on that page, the National Institutes of Health has links to the science and clinical trials for COVID-19.

This advisory is directed specifically to the research community at the College of Medicine (COM), with the goal of mitigating disruptions to our research enterprise. It is complementary to any communications from Charles B. Cairns, MD, Dean of COM, and Aleister Saunders, PhD, Executive Vice Provost for Research and Innovation.

1. Protect yourself, the Drexel community and the community-at-large.

Faculty, students, post-docs and staff should stay home and contact their health care provider if they present with symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. Supervisors should send employees or staff home if they arrive at work with symptoms. Contact our Drexel Human Resources Business Partner with any issues or concerns. Expect more information from HR or other University-level sources as time progresses. In general, everyone should minimize physical contact, such as handshaking, and sharing of food or drink with others. Additional information is available at the websites noted above.

2. Update and confirm communications plans.

Communication plans should be updated at three levels: departments; research teams/laboratory groups; and with the Office of the Vice Dean for Research (OVDR) in COM. Please provide to the OVDR a list containing the Drexel email address, Drexel phone number and cell phone number for the Chair, the Department Administrator, faculty members, and any other persons designated as department-level persons-of-contact (POC). Contact information for OVDR will be provided for distribution within departments.

• Chairs, please review existing plans for your department for emergency preparedness to determine if modifications are required to reduce the impact of disruption from COVID-19.
• PI's are responsible for determining coverage or shutting down research studies, as needed, if team members become ill and must stay home.
• The Vice Dean for Research is the liaison for research preparedness for COM with the Executive Vice Provost for Research and Innovation and the Provost's Office. OVDR welcomes inquiries from the chairs and other members of the research community and will communicate updates in policies and protocols as they become available.
• Faculty or staff members overseeing clinical research protocols, whether active or in the process of closing, should provide contact information to OVDR.

3. Plan for restricted access to buildings where research is conducted.

Drexel University is discussing plans for access, if any, of essential personnel to buildings where research is conducted, should those buildings or the university, as a whole, be closed. Information will be updated when available. Chairs should create lists of essential personnel for their department, should a limited access policy be instituted.

4. Plan for limitations on transportation to campus.

It is possible that public transit via SEPTA would be limited or shutdown for some period of time. Determine who requires public transit to commute, especially those who live too far to walk. Competition for ride-share and taxis could become difficult, if those services continue. Note that city and regional authorities have not suggested that transit will be disrupted, but it would be prudent to consider this possibility. Plan within research teams and departments accordingly for reductions in workforce.

5. Establish and test methods for telecommuting and conferencing.

All PI's and their teams (research faculty, staff, graduate students, post-docs) should prepare for working on data analysis, grant and manuscript preparation, etc., from remote locations, if necessary. Methods for conducting laboratory meetings through Zoom or other platforms should be tested in advance. Please note that access to, storage and treatment of sensitive information (https://drexel.edu/it/about/policies/data), including data governed by HIPAA regulations (https://drexel.edu/it/about/policies/policies/06-Clinical-Data-Storage/), must comply with University and other policies for security of research data.

6. Procure critical supplies for research, to the extent possible.

The supply chain is already stressed and is expected to undergo more serious challenges. If resources and space permit, consider ordering critical supplies now, in excess of immediate need. It is likely that selected items will be on restricted allocation or unavailable through standard processes. Drexel has established relationships with some vendors to get priority on some of those items. If you have difficulty, email sourcing@drexel.edu. If you have problems through that mechanism, please contact OVDR and we will attempt to help through Procurement Services.

7. Schedule studies carefully, with back-up coverage by personnel, involving the use of laboratory animals in research.

Information about University Laboratory Animal Resources has been released (3/9) by Dr. Saunders. It includes a template for a contingency plan for working with ULAR. Follow-up information and specific questions about ongoing or scheduled research should be directed to Richard Huneke, DVM, MPH, DACLAM, Executive Director of ULAR. Please note that veterinary medications must be ordered through Dr. Huneke and many of these are in limited supply. Also, discuss with Dr. Huneke how to protect germlines for bioengineered animals if you have not already frozen necessary biological materials.

8. Protect samples and cell lines.

Consider whether experimental protocols and capacity permit freezing of duplicate samples during the time-course of the study. Take precautions to protect cell lines.

9. Aim to get grant and other sponsored contract proposals for submission to the Office of Research and Innovation earlier than the usual deadline.

The University is putting mechanisms in place to continue full support for all aspects of administering grants and sponsored projects during the challenge by COVID-19. Anticipate a statement from Dr. Saunders.

Thank you for your attention to these items as we work together as a community to optimize health and safety, and minimize interference with the research enterprise.

Sincerely,
Kenny J. Simansky, PhD
Vice Dean for Research

About the Office of the Vice Dean for Research

The Office of the Vice Dean for Research serves to support clinical and basic research activities, works with departments and interdisciplinary programs to develop and implement research, facilitates translational research and promotes mentoring to advance the training of physicians/scientists.

The vice dean for research steers and supports faculty research efforts, influencing opportunities for discovery by our medical and biomedical graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents and medical fellows. Noreen Robertson, DMD, associate vice dean for research, and Richard Huneke, DVM, MPH, executive director of University Laboratory Animal Resources, serve complementary missions within the Office of the Vice Dean to foster pre-clinical and clinical research within the institution. We are committed to bridging the superb clinical expertise and world-class research and educational capabilities of the medical school to enhance our progressive, high-quality medical education, scientific research and patient care.

The purpose of these web pages is to serve as a focal point for research at Drexel University College of Medicine. We are dedicated to providing research support to investigators. The links to the left will provide you with information and resources. Note that Drexel University's Office of Research provides certain administrative services for the Drexel University College of Medicine research program.

Q&A: Kenny Simansky, PhD, Vice Dean for Research, Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology