[Academic] Update regarding returning to campus-based research activities

[Paul McKenna]

Dear All,

I am writing to provide a brief update regarding returning to 
campus-based research activities.

As you know, from the Principal’s weekly all-staff messages and the 
Inside Strathclyde newsletters, procedures are being developed by the 
Return and Resume Development Group (RRDG) to facilitate safe access for 
some laboratory research to restart during phase 2 of the Scottish 
Government’s Route Map out of lockdown. This process is ongoing and as 
yet we have not been given permission to resume any on-campus research 
and all buildings remain closed for now.

The RRDG will determine the order of priority for lab buildings to 
reopen. It is likely that TIC and labs in buildings facilitating covid 
research (in SIPBS and Chemistry) will be prioritised. I am pressing 
hard for the John Anderson building to also be high on that list and we 
have strong support from the Dean.

It is difficult to put a timescale on this, particularly as each 
building has to be approved as ready, with a risk assessment performed 
by Estates. This not only relates to covid preventative measures 
(one-way systems, signage etc), but other factors such as water hygiene 
/legionella tests etc. I would hope that the TIC and SIPBS buildings 
might to be approved for some resumption of research activities in the 
next week or two (possibly 6^th or 13^th July), enabling some of our 
research to resume, with the John Anderson building (or parts of it) 
following a week or two later (possibly ~20^th or 27^th July). Please 
note that these are just my estimates and the actual timescales may be 
later, depending on RRDG’s prioritisation decisions and how quickly the 
various activities are progressed. Safety is the overriding factor and 
we cannot proceed until the University is content that everything is in 
place in this regard.

We have advanced our preparations in the Department with draft induction 
materials, safety documentation and building plans, and await guidance 
from the various RRDG work-streams to finalise and communicate these.

I’ll keep you informed of any significant developments, including any 
changes to short access arrangements to our buildings, which for now 
still requires approval by the Dean.

Best wishes,

Paul

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Prof. Paul McKenna
Head of Department
Department of Physics, SUPA,
University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow G4 0NG
U.K.

Tel: 0141-548-3132 (secretary) / 5712 (direct)
Email: paul.mckenna at strath.ac.uk
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