COVID-19 U of T Engineering Graduate Students FAQs

We understand that this is a highly stressful time for many of you and we remain committed to providing you with highly engaged academic support. The University has determined that all lab-based research operations must have been shut down as of than 5 p.m., Friday March 20, 2020, other than critical COVID-19 research and time-sensitive critical projects. Other research settings, including many off-campus sites, are also shutting down. Please stay informed of the status of activities in your own research setting. In many cases, plans for future research may also need to be changed and contingency plans developed. Consult with your research supervisor about your planning. Please also consult the website of the Office of Vice-President Research and Innovation which will be updated daily.

Here is a helpful guide on coping with working from home and resources developed by a faculty member, research associate and PhD student. This document is always updated so please check back for new resources.

To address the concerns of research-stream students and supervisors may have about graduate research  and how it may impact a student's academic progress, SGS has shared guidelines with students and supervisors on research continuity planning. Please read the full message here.

SGS asks that supervisors/advisors and their research-stream Master’s and Ph.D. students plan to have an online mentoring meeting to discuss and formally document the impact of the pandemic on the student’s research plans and academic progress. Strategies to mitigate this impact, if needed, should be discussed and recorded. For doctoral students, this mentoring meeting may be part of the Annual Progress Report meeting; or it may be a special meeting. A supplemental form to document the results of this meeting will be provided to you. When completed, please return it to your departmental Graduate Coordinator or graduate administrator, no later than May 15, 2020.

The mentoring meeting will not only serve as an important check-in, but an opportunity for students and supervisors to discuss any concerns surrounding these unanticipated events. Information gathered from the meetings will inform future planning by departments, divisions and institutional leaders aimed at supporting students’ academic progress in these challenging times. SGS is exploring a range of tools to help support students during this pandemic such as departments, divisions and institutional leaders aimed at supporting students’ academic progress in these challenging times.

For continuing students, a follow-up mentoring meeting in October is expected.

SGS also shared Strategies for Graduate Mentoring and Supervision at a Distance.

Following the memo from the Office of Vice-President Research & Innovation and Strategic Initiative, below is additional information regarding the internal processes for research restart planning.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Toronto scaled back its research activities and only maintained COVID-19-related projects and critical time-sensitive research. Along with other Ontario workplaces, the University will institute a phased approach to restarting suspended activities while mitigating the risk of resurgence and future waves.

For restarting research, this means instituting implementation principles with the understanding that the recovery and adaptation of research is a complex, interconnected process that will be undertaken in coordination with the academic divisions and institution-wide portfolios such as the School of Graduate Studies, Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities & Services, Human Resources & Equity, the University of Toronto Libraries, and Information Technology Services.

The University will determine when the restart will begin based on government direction, while following these overarching principles:

• The health, safety and protection of our community (faculty, librarians, staff, students, post-doctoral fellows, and visitors) is the prime consideration as we return to in-person research activities on campuses and in field settings.
• The applicable local, provincial, and federal public health directives and guidelines will inform planning and the timing and sequence of restarting research activities.
• The restart of on-campus research will be coordinated and aligned with University directives.
• Divisional and unit planning and implementation will follow the principles described in this document (and any of their amendments).
• The research recovery and adaptation will consider and recognize equity and inclusion and the intricacies unique to different groups and research settings.

As part of this effort, the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has formed a Research Restart Advisory Committee (RRAC) to coordinate the phased recovery and adaption of research operations through clear and transparent processes and in a coordinated manner. Members of RRAC are :

• Ramin Farnood, Professor and Vice-Dean Research (Chair)
• Jason Anderson, Professor and Associate Chair Research, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Julie Audet, Professor and Vice-Dean Graduate Studies
• Esmeralda Bukuroshi, PhD Student, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry
• Lisa Camilleri, Assistant Dean, Administration, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
• Birsen Donmez, Professor and Associate Chair Research, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
• Amin Kamaleddin Ezabadi, PhD Student, Institute of Biomedical Engineering
• Elaine Footman, Research Coordinator, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
• Philippe Lavoie, Professor and Associate Director Research, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies
• Ofer Levi, Associate Professor, Institute of Biomedical Engineering
• Milica Radisic, Professor and Associate Chair Research, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry
• Matthew Roorda, Professor, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering
• Thomas Saint-Ivany, Director, Facilities and Infrastructure Planning, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
• Andrey Shukalyuk, Health & Safety Advisor, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
• Chandra Veer Singh, Associate Professor and Associate Chair Research, Department of Materials Science & Engineering

RRAC has been holding weekly meetings to plan and coordinate preparations for a sustainable research restart across the Faculty.

In addition, the group is working closely with the Institutional Research Restart Steering Committee (that is also meeting weekly) on developing the institutional guidelines for restarting research.

In the meantime, please feel free to contact any member of RRAC with your questions and suggestions.