⚠️ NUANCE Reopening Guidelines ⚠️

From NUANCE, sent 6/1/2020:

In accordance with the University’s Phased Return to Campus plan, the NUANCE Center staff are working to create a safe environment for researchers to return to the facility. In compliance with University, IDPH, and CDC guidelines, NUANCE will implement some operational changes and create a “new normal” to maintain safety in the labs.  All NUANCE users are required to:

1. Complete the Pandemic Essentials: Research on Campus certification course in myHR Learn before returning to campus.
2. Familiarize themselves with the NUANCE COVID-19 Operations Policies and acknowledge and agree to these before entering the lab.
3. Coordinate with facility managers to ensure they are aware of what may be required of them.

NUANCE Facilities will resume operations in three Core Phases:

(These Phases fall within Step 2: (Pilot) Research Ramp-up of the Phased Return to Campus plan.)

Phase 1 – Return to work: (begins 6/1, ends as late as 6/14) This phase is intended to allow the core facility director and staff time to prepare the facility to accept users.

1. No new users or new samples in the NUANCE
2. NUANCE staff focus on preparing instruments and services in new safe environment.
3. May involve rotating staff and services to ensure social distancing.
4. NUANCE core facilities move to Phase 2 as soon as they are ready.

Phase 2 – Limited User Access to Core Facilities: The procedures may be revised to optimize operations. Operating with social distancing has priority over service and instrument availability. NUANCE staff monitors and enforces user compliance, following a zero-tolerance policy.

1. Individual Facility (EPIC, Keck-II, SPID, BioCryo, NUFAB) Managers will reach out to users and faculty by email when they are ready to take reservations.

*** NOTE: Individual facilities will communicate facility-specific policies.

2. Instruments and services will have limited accessibility (or may be unavailable) at this stage.
3. Users need to contact NUANCE staff 2 days in advance to request reservations on an Instrument or tool; only staff will enter reservations in NUcore.
4. Users may not enter the NUANCE lab space unless they have been given permission (NUcore reservation is confirmed) by NUANCE
5. There will be no new instrument trainings during this time.

Phase 3 – Expanded Operations: Operations will be expanded as conditions around COVID-19 improve. Currently we do not know when this phase will be activated and how this phase will look in detail. We will keep you informed.