Relaunching Research and Creative Activity (RCA)

Research and creative activities will be relaunched in stages, as appropriate based on conditions.

Return Stages

Stage 0: Represents access restricted to the maintenance of critical RCA capabilities and to critical and high priority activities, such as COVID-19 rapid response research. We estimate this to be 5-10% of normal RCA access. This represented UMBC’s Research Maintenance Mode, March 18 – June 14.

Stage 1: Represents a degree of carefully staged, pre-authorized access, as permitted by federal, state and local government restrictions, and in accord with guidance from the CDC and OSHA. Priority will be given to time-sensitive and low-risk RCA activities. Normal RCA space occupancy will be maintained at a reduced level with proper physical distancing in place. We estimate this to be 20-25% of normal RCA density. We transitioned to Stage 1 on June 15.

Stage 2: Represents increased activity and human density, permitting new RCA activities to be initiated if it has been identified as a priority. We estimate that this represents 25-50% of normal density. Expected transition to Stage 2 is August 17 or later.

Stage 3: Represents a further lessening of RCA density constraints, opening up for most RCA activity, but maintaining the density of research personnel at 50-80% of normal density.

Stage 4: Represents a return to RCA activities as usual, with full campus density and activity.

To the extent possible, remote continuation of RCA activities will be encouraged and supported. In-person RCA activities must occur at lower density to maintain physical distancing and will include a risk assessment of each activity and the space in which it will be conducted. This will include the operations of core facilities and the library, and plans to retreat from a given relaunch phase, including the potential safe shut down of laboratories, studios, facilities, and buildings, if required.