Office of the Vice President for Research
E-Newsletter
Fall 2021
To view archived newsletters, click here
Letter from the Vice President for Research
Dear Research Colleagues,
In mid-summer, we transitioned to Research Phase 5 operations for our research labs and field-based research. This effectively allowed our research activities to be restored to full capacity and, importantly, implemented the campus-wide guidance for use of masks and Covid-19 vaccination and testing mandates across the research setting. Current guidance is provided in theLatest Guidancesection of the Stronger Together webpage, and updates will be communicated via campus-wide emails from Human Resource Services. The transition to Research Phase 5 eliminates the requirement for PIs to maintain and update an individual lab operating plan for restarting research, including personnel lists and the need to obtain approvals from department Chairs or supervisors. However, compliance with campus-wide guidance is important to minimize risks and ensure continued operations across Stony Brook’s research community. It’s important that eligible faculty and staff get vaccinated and share their vaccination status as described here. Weekly surveillance testing is required for any person who has a physical presence on campus and who has not been fully vaccinated or who has not shared their vaccinated status.
All eyes remain focused on Congress as they consider multiple bills that would authorize significant increases in funding for federal agencies, including NIH, NSF, DOE, and DOD. Much of the optimism behind these bills stems from the bipartisan support they enjoy in both houses of Congress. In anticipation of increased research funding opportunities, we have established a number of “Tiger Teams” to help prepare faculty in advance of new funding opportunity announcements. The initial ten Teams have focus areas that were identified in the USICA bill passed by the Senate, which would create a new directorate in the National Science Foundation. These Tiger Teams, typically consisting of a half-dozen faculty, will be assessing our existing strengths and compare these with expected topics for new funding. Although much of the teams’ focus will be on center-scale funding opportunities, the insights gained will benefit individual investigators and can also provide a roadmap for future investments in strategic areas.
It’s noteworthy that the prominent research funding bills in the Senate and in the House signal Congress’ continued concerns about protecting US investments in R&D spending. While the provisions still need to be reconciled, it seems certain that Congress will strengthen oversight of foreign influences and will require federal funding agencies to impose new disclosure requirements on investigators. This will come as no surprise for those that have watched as some agencies have carried out investigations of faculty who failed to disclose foreign connections or support. A recent letter to the NIH research community from Dr. Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research for NIH, summarized the most common violations related to foreign interference, noting that of 214 scientists at 93 institutions who have been investigated, the majority failed to disclose foreign grant support or participation in a foreign talent program. Consequences have included removal from NIH grant support, and some cases have been referred to the OIG for criminal or civil action. Thus, it is abundantly clear that failure to follow sponsors’ disclosure requirements may result in severe consequences for investigators. Stony Brook takes such matters very seriously, and we continually monitor guidance from federal sponsors. Current information is provided on the OVPR International Relationships and Activities webpage, including specific requirements for the major funding agencies. A recent communication from the White House Science Advisor, Dr. Eric Lander, recently alerted funding agencies to expect guidance that would harmonize requirements across most agencies. This should simplify the disclosure process.
Turning my attention to some of the changes occurring within OVPR, I am especially excited by the new investments being made as a result of the Strategic Budget Initiative and President McInnis’s focus on supporting research. These will allow us to expand the support that we provide to investigators. Elsewhere in this Newsletter, we note some of our new staff who will allow us to better serve our research community. Keep an eye open for separate announcements of other investments in our research enterprise.
As always, I appreciate hearing from you. Please feel free to bring any suggestions or concerns to my attention.
Regards,
Richard J. Reeder
Vice President for Research
Table of Contents
News From:
- Office of Proposal Development
- Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management
- Office of Research Compliance
- Intellectual Property Partners
- Economic Development
- Office of Human Resource Services
Office of Proposal Development News
Announcements
OVPR Seed Grant Program Announcement
We are pleased to announce that the next cycle of the OVPR Seed Grant Program competition is now open!
What does it fund: The seed grant program aims to give Stony Brook University faculty a competitive edge in securing external research funds by supporting and fostering innovative scientific and scholarly activities that will lead to the development of proposals with a greater likelihood of success.
Applicant Requirements:
- All PIs must be current, full-time, tenured or tenure track faculty at Stony Brook University.
- Applicants may only be PI on one application and Co-PI on one application.
- There is a limit of four Co-PIs on any one application.
- You may not apply as PI if you currently have an active OVPR Seed Grant.
Award: Budgets should not exceed $70,000 and typical project lengths should be 12-18 months.
Proposals should provide a clear timeline to the submission of a proposal to an external sponsor within 18 months.
Deadline: Full proposals due October 1, 2021: click here.
To review the application details, including timeline and FAQ's, click here.
If you have questions or need further information, please email the Office of Proposal Development at opd_ovpr@stonybrook.edu.
Revise and Resubmit Seed Grant Program Announcement
We are pleased to announce this new special initiative seed grant program is now open!
What does it fund: The OVPR Revise and Resubmit Seed Grant Program is a pilot program that will provide funding to support the resubmission efforts of PIs/teams who have received highly favorable summary statements on prior, unfunded grant proposals. The funds are to be utilized to explicitly address weaknesses and gaps in the original submissions as indicated by the reviewers.
This pilot seed grant program will accept proposals from PIs targeting NIH funding opportunities for their resubmissions. Future cycles may be open more broadly to include additional sponsors.
Applicant Requirements:
- PIs must be current, full-time, tenured or tenure track faculty at Stony Brook University.
- Faculty may only submit ONE proposal to the OVPR Revise and Resubmit Seed Grant Program.
- PIs of active OVPR Seed Grant projects from previous cycles are eligible to submit a proposal to the OVPR Revise and Resubmit Seed Grant Program.
- PIs must have plans to resubmit a proposal that was declined for funding in the past 12 months and must make their summary statements available.
- PIs of awarded projects will receive information about upcoming workshops offered by OVPR and will be encouraged to participate when relevant.
Award: Average size award is $10,000. Well justified proposals may request up to $20,000. Award periods will vary between 6 and 12 months. PIs are expected to apply for external grants within the award period.
Deadline: Full proposals by November 1, 2021: click here.
Click here to view the full Request for Applications. Refer to theFAQs for all OVPR Seed Grant Programs.
If you have questions or need further information, please email the Office of Proposal Development at opd_ovpr@stonybrook.edu.
Workshops
OVPR Seed Grant Program Workshop Series
The purpose of this new series is to highlight projects funded by the program since its inception in 2018. Each session will feature one of the funded seed grant projects with a presentation by the PI(s) followed by an open discussion with the workshop attendees. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss active research projects with an interdisciplinary faculty group and to connect with potential collaborators.
The series will begin on Monday, September 27th at 4-5pm with The Virus is in the Details: Discovering Subtle COVID-19 Visual Features on Chest Radiographs Using Machine Learning, a talk by Dr. Prateek Prasanna in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Please click here to register.
Workshop sessions will continue throughout the Fall 2021 semester. Upcoming sessions will be posted on our website.
The Early Career Workshop Series for Stony Brook Researchers
Workshop 1: Introduction to Various Sponsors
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021 • 4-5pm
- Federal sponsors (DOE, NSF, NIH, DOD)
- Private sponsors (foundations, corporations)
- Overview of the submission process
Workshop 2: Understanding a Funding Opportunity Announcement
Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 • 4-5pm
- How to find funding opportunities
- How to dissect and interpret a funding opportunity announcement
Workshop 3: How to Construct a Budget
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 • 4-5pm
- Why the budget is critical to a successful proposal
- How and when to include major equipment purchases
- Overview of fringe benefits, indirect costs (F&A) and institutional base salary
Workshop 4: Engaging with a Program Officer
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021 • 4-5pm
- The importance of connecting with program officers
- How to schedule a meeting with a program officer
Please click here to register.
All participants will receive a Zoom link in advance of the virtual workshops.
Questions should be directed toOPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu or (631) 632-3127.
Other OPD News
New OPD Services
OPD now offers a variety of internal and external support services to assist Stony Brook University investigators with finding, developing and applying for highly competitive large and complex (multi-million, multi-institutional) proposals.
- Internal Services: OPD continues to provide technical and skilled administrative support to faculty developing grant proposals for external funding. Please visit the Proposal Development Support page to learn more and to request this service.
- External Services: OPD works with external consultants to provide graphic design and copy editing services for Stony Brook University proposal submissions. Please visit theGraphic Design Support andCopy Editing Support pages to learn more and to request these services.
Reminder: Update your Pivot Profile
Having an updated Pivot profile makes finding relevant funding opportunities much easier. It also makes finding collaborators simpler, both internally at Stony Brook University as well as externally at other institutions that subscribe to Pivot. OPD recommends faculty log in to Pivot to update their profile on a regular basis, as the database works most effectively for faculty who include the most information.
Faculty can log in to Pivot by Proquest at any time to set up an account and claim their profile. To make additional profile changes, please follow these instructions: Updating Your Pivot Profile.
To learn more about Pivot by Proquest, please visit OPD’s website. To request further assistance, or to set up one-on-one or group Pivot training sessions, please contact OPD at OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu.
New Staff
Richard Tomczak is a Proposal Development Coordinator with the Office of Proposal Development. He graduated in Summer 2021 from Stony Brook University with his PhD in History. Before coming to OPD, he worked on a New York Community Trust Grant with the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum initiative, Dyckman Discovered, which investigated the stories of enslaved individuals who lived in Upper Manhattan during the colonial period. He also taught History and Social Studies Education courses as an Instructor at Stony Brook University. From 2017-2018, Richard received a Fulbright Research Fellowship to pursue his dissertation research at the University of Ottawa, and served on the Stony Brook Fulbright Campus Committee mentoring potential applicants.
New OPD Office
OPD has moved! Our new address is:
Office of Proposal Development Office of the Vice President for Research N5580 Melville Library Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-3367Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management News
How you log into NCBI Accounts is Changing this Summer
Do you log into NCBI to use MyNCBI, SciENcv, or MyBibliography? Do you submit data to NCBI? Beginning in June 2021, there will be changes to how you log into these and all other NCBI accounts. Read below for the details.
What is happening? NCBI is transitioning from using local account passwords (the password you created at NCBI) for logging into NCBI to using only 3rd-party logins (your username and password from Google, Login.gov, ORCiD, your university or research institution account, etc).
What about my account data? This change will NOT affect the data in your account, such as your MyBibliography, SciENcv, or submission data. You will also keep your NCBI Username, you just won’t be able to log in with it anymore.
Why is this happening? NIH, NLM, and NCBI take your privacy and security very seriously. Transitioning to 3rd parties who have industry-standard security practices ensures that you have the highest level of security and enables us to focus our resources on improving your experience once you log in.
Which third-party logins can I use? We have over 4000 3rd-party options for you to choose from, including Login.gov, ORCiD, Google, Microsoft, and InCommon and EduGain affiliated organizations. See: Choosing the Best 3rd-Party Option for You
What is happening when?
Summer 2021 - As of June 22, users are no longer be able to create an account with an NCBI-managed password. Shortly afterward, we will be launching a software tool (“wizard”) to walk you through the process of disabling your NCBI password and linking a 3rd-party login. We are rolling out the wizard gradually this summer, so you may not see it right away.
June 2022 - Any accounts without valid 3rd-party logins linked to them will no longer be accessible through NCBI login pages. The data in the accounts will be preserved and procedures will be available for data recovery.
What do I need to do? We suggest linking at least one 3rd-party login to your account now and starting to use it to log into NCBI. By acting now, you will ensure no difficulties or delays in accessing your accounts come June 2022 when special procedures will be required to access accounts without linked 3rd-party logins. For directions, see: How do I link 3rd-party logins to my NCBI account?
Need help? Refer to NCBI Account Login FAQs for more information. If you have any questions or encounter issues, you can always write us at the Help Desk or email us at info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Issuance of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide - Effective October 4, 2021
NSF has published a revised version of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Overall, the Guide has been updated to align with the changes to NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1). The Guide will be effective for applications submitted (via Grants.gov) or due, on or after October 4, 2021.(https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide1021&org=NSF)
SUMMARY OF CHANGES Effective for applications submitted, or due, on or after October 4, 2021
Overall Document
- The Grants.gov Application Guide has been updated to align with changes to NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1). Editorial changes have been made throughout to either clarify or enhance the intended meaning of a sentence or section.
- References and definitions have been updated for consistency with the revised 2 CFR §200 that was issued by the Office of Management and Budget in August 2020.
Chapter V, Research and Related (R&R) Forms and Instructions, Sections 2.5 Enter Applicant Information and 3.1 Enter Project/Performance Site Primary Location, have been supplemented with language to address the new unique entity identifier (UEI) requirements that go into effect by April 2022.
Chapter VI, NSF-Specific Forms and Instructions, Section 1.4 Enter Other Information, has been modified to increase clarity and convey NSF’s expectations in situations where a foreign organization or foreign individual’s involvement is considered essential to a project.
Chapter VI, NSF-Specific Forms and Instructions, Sections 2.2 and 2.6, Attach Biographical Sketch, have been revised to increase the page limit for biographical sketch(es) to three pages.
NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for 2021-2025
In order to advance its mission and fulfill requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act, NIH will update its Strategic Plan every 5 years. The most recent iteration, the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2021–2025, is an update on the previous plan for fiscal years 2016–2020.
The Strategic Plan outlines NIH’s vision for biomedical research direction, capacity, and stewardship, by articulating the highest priorities of NIH over the next 5 years. In addition, it provides illustrative examples of accomplishments under the last plan and new initiatives under this one. The Strategic Plan was developed through collaboration between leadership and staff across NIH and key stakeholders, including the research community, professional societies, advocacy groups, and the public.
The NIH-Wide Strategic Plan is designed to complement and harmonize Institute and Center (IC) strategic plans across NIH, which address their individual missions.
Upcoming Conferences & Webinars
Please visit our Webinars, Workshops, Training, Conferences webpage for the latest information regarging upcoming webinars and meetings offered by Federal
Demonstration Partnership (FDP) and National Sciebce Foundation (NSF).
OSP Staff Changes
The Office of Sponsored Programs welcomes Barbara Neal who has joined our team as Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist on August 16, 2021. Prior to her role at SBU, Barbara served as Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects & Grants Administration at Oregon Institute of Technology, where she helped faculty and students in all aspects of grant management. With over 21 years of grant management experience and a diverse background in both STEM education and biomedical research funded by federal, state, and commercial entities, Barbara is excited to bring a fresh perspective to our research community. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Florida, and Master’s Degrees in Research Administration from Emmanuel College. We’re super excited that our organization welcomes another strong talent!
New Roles and Responsibilities in OGM
We are pleased to announce that the Office of Grants Management has initiated an updated roles and responsibilities model to provide a broader scope of life of sponsored award needs.
Effective immediately all aspects of fiscal transaction approvals as well as sponsor payment, closeout and audit will be assigned to a Sponsored Award Analyst, who will be responsible for the life of award actions instead of the two separate teams within OGM.
This has been a gradual process as both teams have been cross training and will continue to support each other as the various tasks are transitioned to one individual in OGM that will respond to all aspects of Sponsored Award actions from onset to close out.
Please refer to the contact list linked https://research.stonybrook.edu/contact/assignments.php to learn who your OGM point of contact is for these matters. All team members have associated back up team members as well as two Assistant Directors who oversee and are responsible for the various expenditure, billing and reporting functions. Any questions or concerns can be directed to Sheila Routh, Director of OGM.
Office of Research Compliance News
Notification of Transition from IRBNet to Qualtrics for Quality Improvement Projects
During the fall of this year, the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) in conjunction with the Chief Medical Officer Stony brook University Health Sciences Center will require that all new Quality Improvement projects be submitted in the Qualtrics system. Currently, Quality Improvement projects that are already in IRBNet will remain in IRBNet. The portal to the Qualtrics system will be available soon.
In an effort to make this transition as smooth as possible, the ORC will be offering informational sessions for the campus community beginning in September. If your faculty would like an informational session on changes to the Quality Improvement process, please contact Rebecca Dahl at rebecca.dahl@stonybrook.edu.
Please continue to monitor campus email accounts and the ORC website for updates as we approach the start date for requiring Quality Improvement project submissions via the Qualtrics portal.
Guidance for Human Subjects Research
All research with human subjects (including studies with no direct benefit) can now proceed with Stony Brook University required safeguards in place for study personnel and human subjects. Research subjects must follow university guidance depending on the location of the research (e.g., hospital/main campus). , Up to date information regarding COVID-19 can be foundon the Stony Brook University Stronger Together webpage here or the Stony Brook Medicine webpage here.
NEW Question in myResearch IRB
A new question has recently been added to myResearch IRB. The question, “The PI agrees to permit the Office of Research Compliance to publicly share basic information about this study for Community Outreach Initiatives?” can be found in the Basic Information section of the online smart form application for human subjects research.
The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) strongly urges investigators to check YES to this question when submitting a new study or at the time of study modification. The goal is to enable the ORC to share basic study details, such as general area of research and study team contact information, with our local community through outreach initiatives. Initiatives may include the Stony Brook website, registry database listings, media publications, and wellness fairs.
Providing resources and educating the local community about research conducted at Stony Brook is an important communication tool to encourage the local community to volunteer for research and ultimately advance medical discovery.
TriNetX
TriNetX (TNX) is a self-service medical record data platform available to our Stony Brook Medicine researchers. Users can review and analyze current de-identified medical record data of Stony Brook and over 50 other health care institutions combined. Opportunities for use include:
- Retrospective views of Stony Brook medical data or medical data from larger Research Network
- In-tool cohort analysis
- De-identified datasets for publishable research
- Study design and feasibility work
- Subject recruitment via re-identification of cohort (with IRB approval)
Check out https://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/trinetx for details about TNX, and to request an account.
Single IRB (sIRB) Consultation
A sIRB is a federally mandated IRB of record, selected on a study-by-study basis to provide ethical review for all institutions participating in multi-site or collaborative human subjects research. The 2018 Common Rule mandates that all collaborative, non-exempt human subjects research that is federally funded or supported must be approved under a sIRB. Additionally, a sIRB is required for all multi-site (each site following the same protocol), non-exempt human subjects research study that is funded by the NIH. More information about these regulations can be found here: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/research-compliance/External-IRBs/Submission-Guidelines/sIRB
It is extremely important to contact the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) early in the federal funding application process for collaborative or multi-site research that may fall under one of these mandates. The ORC will consult with the investigator about options for sIRB and assist in the development of the sIRB plan to be submitted with the funding application. Early consultation will prevent serious delays in the start of research once funded. Stony Brook IRB may not be named as the IRB of record in the sIRB plan without prior approval from the ORC.
Intellectual Property Partners
Intranasal COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates Single-dose Efficacy In Preclinical Studies, In Parallel With Achievement Of Phase 1 Clinical Milestone
Codagenix, a spinoff from the Stony Brook University, has published preclinical data supporting the potential safety and efficacy of COVI-VAC. Read more
Congratulations to the members of the IPP licensing team James Martino and Harrison Seidner on winning the second place prize in the annual New York State Business Plan Competition! Read more
RF SUNY Ranked #34 In the List Of Top 100 Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents In 2020
The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2020 has been released by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). Read more
7 Patents Issued to Stony Brook Researchers
IPP is pleased to announce 7 new U.S. patents issued to our faculty and students from April 2021 to present. Read more
Intellectual Property Partners Office Hours
Stony Brook Intellectual Property Partners is offering office hours for Stony Brook faculty, post-docs and graduate students. Schedule your appointment every Wednesday, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, to consult with one of our licensing team members on topics ranging from intellectual property protection to commercialization of your technology innovations. Bring your questions! Read more
Exclusive License Agreement Executed with NanoFiber Solutions
NanoFiber Solutions has entered into an Exclusive License to develop and commercialize off-the-shelf scaffolds for tissue engineered implants developed by Drs. Ben Chu, Ben Hsiao, Dufei Fang, and Kwang-Sok Kim.
New Members of the National Academy of Inventors Were Inducted During the NAI-SBU Chapter Annual Meeting Held in May 2021
Economic Development News
The Advanced Energy Center Hosts Its Virtual AEC 2021
On June 9 and 10 the Advanced Energy Research and Development Center (AERTC) held its virtual Advanced Energy Conference 2021: Charting the Course for Energy, which brought together policymakers, energy researchers and entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to discuss the future of energy. Read more
SBU Team Wins SUNY Award to Help Fund Technology Startup, Orchid Imaging
A team from Stony Brook University won the SUNY Startup Summer School (S4) Class of 2021 Demo Day quick pitch competition on August 11, designed to showcase grant proposals and research of 153 SUNY students and faculty in the emerging technologies fields. Read more
SBU Food Business Incubator Startups Invited to Dan’s Taste Events in the Hamptons
Several startup companies that are part of Stony Brook University’s Food Business Incubator at Calverton have been invited to participate in Dan’s Taste premier food and wine events in the Hamptons this summer, which are hosted by Dan’s Papers and Schneps Media. Read more
CEWIT Announces Its Virtual CEWIT2021 Event – Don’t Miss the Discussion!
The Center of Excellence Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) is hosting its 17 th International Conference on Emerging Technologies for a Smarter World (CEWIT2021) virtually on November 3 & 4, 2021, co-sponsored by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Learn more and register today!
Human Resource Services News
New HR Website -- Research Portal
We are thrilled to announce that we have launched a new HR Website, which includes Training Opportunities for RF Employees, a Researcher Portal geared towards supporting the full life-cycle of your research as well as a section tailored specifically to the hiring of postdocs, a process currently being streamlined even further so stay tuned!We welcome Your Feedback.
Sharing Vaccination Status
Sharing your vaccination status through SOLAR>COVID-19 > COVID-19 Vaccination Record is open to active RF University Employees.
Students, including RPAs, will not be able to complete this action through SOLAR. For more information visit Sharing Vaccination Status.
Getting Vaccinated
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has issued an order that all hospitals and nursing homes “continuously require all covered personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the first dose for current personnel received by September 27, 2021.” The order broadly defines “covered personnel” as “all persons employed or affiliated with a covered entity, whether paid or unpaid, including but not limited to employees, members of the medical and nursing staff, contract staff, students, and volunteers, who engage in activities such that if they were infected with COVID-19, they could potentially expose patients, residents, or personnel working for such entity to the disease.”
The University is required to comply with this order which allows for limited medical exemptions with reasonable accommodations, consistent with applicable law. The DOH will be monitoring any such exemptions. The Medical Exemption Form, which outlines exemption criteria and instructions, can be found on the Stronger Together website.
If you haven’t already been vaccinated, we urge you to get your first dose right away as vaccine appointments may be limited as the September 27 state deadline draws closer. Questions? VisitVaccine FAQ’s.
- Student Activities Center (SAC) Point of Distribution (POD) Site: For Information on hours of operation visit COVID-19 Vaccination PODS.
- SBU’s R&D Park 1500 Stony Brook Road: Open for appointments or walk-ins every Mon - Sat, from 8 am to 6 pm, and every Sunday, from 8 am to noon.
- For Other NYS-run COVID-19 vaccination sites visit NYS Am I Eligible.
COVID-19 Testing
- Fully Vaccinated University Employees who have shared their vaccination status with HR have been notified of their monthly COVID-19 Surveillance testing schedule. If they are away from the workplace and miss their scheduled testing period they should test on their return to the workplace and thereafter according to their schedule.
- Unvaccinated/Unknown Status University Employees: Mandatory weekly surveillance testing will continue to be required for any person who has a physical presence on campus and who has not been fully vaccinated or who has not shared their fully vaccinated status with HR.
- All Students: For the latest COVID-19 guidance visit Student Affairs.
- All employees who work in a hospital setting, ambulatory care setting or in any other location in which they may care for or interact with patients regardless of their vaccination status are required to participate in weekly COVID testing. The Health Sciences Galleria on Level 3 has testing hours Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45 am to 3:15 pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:45 am to 5 pm. Appointments and pre-registration are not needed.
Telecommuting
SBU recently distributed a Workplace Flexibility Telecommuting Pilot Program as noted in this message. Please read this Policy carefully and discuss with your supervisor if you are considering making a request to telecommute.
Accomodations
If you need to request a workplace accommodation due to a disability, these requests are handled by the Office of Equity and Access. For more information visit OEA.
Mask Mandates
Until further notice, all faculty, staff, students and visitors, regardless of their vaccination status, must wear face coverings while inside University and Hospital buildings. For more information, visit Latest COVID-19 Guidance.
COVID-19 Information Line - (631) 632-5000
- Option #1 - Health Information Line (HIL) continues to be an important resource for employees who identify themselves as having COVID-19 related symptoms through the daily screener, test positive, or have recently been exposed to the virus. Beyond addressing these medical questions, licensed healthcare providers can guide faculty and staff who believe they may be eligible for a leave under FMLA or ADA, or for any other COVID-related ADA accommodation, on next steps using normal, pre-pandemic processes.
- Option #2 - HR Information Line (HRIL) provides general guidance to State and RF employees including information on the use of accruals and leaves.
The Ombuds Office
Ombuds provides consultation on workplace issues and conducts educational workshops. Access “Transition Back to the Workplace” tips ontheir homepage.
Questions?
More Questions? Visit our new, HR COVID-19 dedicated website HR Forward or Contact Us. For the most recent COVID-19 protocols visit Latest Guidance.