Research in the Time of COVID-19

In mid-March Chancellor Carol Christ announced that UC Berkeley would be locked down, on-campus research would be suspended and PIs should implement plans to operate remotely “to the greatest extent possible”.  Only critical research and COVID-19-related research activities were permitted for on-campus access, reflecting only about 10% of Berkeley’s total research efforts. In late May, the campus announced a phased research recovery plan, with the following guiding principles:

1. Protect the health and well-being of our community.
2. Reopen gradually using a phased approach based on building and lab density, with appropriate caution, in the context of local health conditions.
3. Consultation and flexibility for those who do not wish to return to campus to work.
4. Adopt a process for granting access to campus research facilities that is transparent, equitable, and fair.

Research on-campus has begun to slowly ramp up, but to date, most labs are still operating remotely, and in this time of COVID-19, many have adopted creative strategies for performing remote research. 

This talk will share the UC Research Ramp Up Task Force’s efforts, methods, and state of the art, and highlight some of the strategies for remote vision research.

https://vision.berkeley.edu/people/dennis-levi-od-phd/