2020-12-16 MRRC: Tier 3 Research May Continue

Good afternoon MRRC Community,

Tier 3 research studies may now be resumed with the following requirements: that studies have complied with the ‘Update on Research at Pitt’ memo dated 12/14/2020, have reviewed and enhanced their study’s mitigation plans accordingly and submitted an attestation of these measures to their respective department head along with a letter stating that "study mitigation plans have been revised in accordance with the ‘Update on Research at Pitt’ memo dated 12/14/2020." PLEASE FORWARD A COPY OF THIS MEMO to Jen Dobberstein (dobbersteinj@pitt.edu) before you schedule or submit subject information.

If you have questions regarding Tier 3 research they should be sent to askirb@pitt.edu. General questions about the update should be sent to researchcovid@pitt.edu.

Regardless of what tier projects are categorized as the following criteria has been added:

• The study’s research participant quarantine guideline must be reviewed and updated if needed to state that the participant must undergo a 14-day quarantine period or have a negative SARS CoV-2 PCR test 10 days from the most recent exposure to a symptomatic COVID-19 positive individual and be asymptomatic before being scheduled for an in-person appointment.


• The study’s plan for participants with COVID-19 infection must ensure that no one is scheduled for an in-person appointment until 10 days after symptom resolution or a positive test, whichever is longer.


• Both participants and investigators must wear appropriate PPE (particularly masks) as described in their mitigation plan. Those who have an approved study where masks are removed during the scan can also proceed.


• In-person group research activities on campus must follow the same or more restrictive limits as those specified in University guidelines

We have updated the MRRC covid-19 prescreen (see attached), that users should be completing with their subjects 24 hours before the scheduled MRI.

We will be adding all studies fixed slots, beginning January 4th, 2020, please be patient as this does take time to manually add everything. Attached is the current fixed slot schedule. If you will not be recruiting in the month of January please let us know ASAP so we can open the slots ups to other users. If a slot is listed as open, it may be requested for a fixed slot if your group is not already assigned some. We have also made a few small changes to the schedule:

• The Available status has been updated to Available by Request (white). Users can request slots for the systems and practice rooms by submitting urgent or priority request. Please see our how to’s on the website.
  
  


• A phone number is required to be provided for the slot under primary contact, we have added “(Name & Phone #)” to Primary Contact. Failure to provide a phone number will forfeit the slot. Please see our how to’s on the website on how to add your contact information.
  
  

Reminders:

• Please check with your staff to make sure they are receiving communications from the MRRC, if they are not please email Jen Dobberstein.
• Please wait to be called to come to the MRRC. Users who arrive at the MRRC without being called will be asked to leave and their slot will be canceled. Also, a written warning for the first offense or a suspension for second offense. Second offenses will also be reported to the IRB.
• All our communications and SOP’s are available on the website.
• Wear a mask
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer
• Stay Safe

Please stay safe, and if there are any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you,
Ashok Panigrahy, Bea Luna, & Jen Dobberstein