General Guidelines for Fieldwork

• Refer to the Template for Covid-19 Response Plan – Fieldwork (available at Templates and Resources for Research Continuity).
• Researchers should also consult with the national Work Safely Protocol for futher guidance on business trips and working in community settings.
• Prior approval must be obtained before researchers can undertake fieldwork activities.
• All Fieldwork Covid-19 Response Plan documentation must be submitted for prior approval, including any updates to a previously approved Covid-19 Response Plan documentation for Fieldwork.
• Approval must be obtained by submitting your documentation to the Head of School/RICU, or where delegated the Head of Department/equivalent (see Research Continuity Approval & Reporting Processes).
• Covid-19 Response Plans are living documents, therefore the Fieldwork Covid-19 Documentation and must be updated accordingly: changes to the response plan itself and Risk Assessments; changes to the investigational site (or adding a new one); change in research personnel warrant updating the Covid-19 Response Plan documentation. The updated Covid-19 Response Plan-Fieldwork must be approved by the Head of Unit in order for the fieldwork study to continue.

Guidance on Covid-19 Response Plan-Fieldwork

Use the Template for Covid-19 Response Plan – Fieldwork (accessed at  Templates and Resources for Research Continuity), to draft/update your response plan.

The Covid-19 Response Plan-Fieldwork should detail the following:

• Name & reference ID of study
• Include the name/s and location/s of the investigational site/s.
• The revision number of the Covid-19 Response Plan (ie Revision 1/2/3 etc.)
• The name of the responsible UCC Dept/Research Unit
• Name of the PI for the study.
• The name, signature of the authorised approving person - Head of School/RICU, see .
• The author/s of the Covid-19 Response Plan
• Details of Covid-19 Response Team and Persons of Responsibility
• Contents (list contents of the Covid-19 Response Plan, and associated documentation).
• A Signed Statement of Assurance from the approving person -  Head of School/RICU/Department
• A Policy Statement (see Template for Covid-19 Response Plan – Fieldwork, accessed at Templates and Resources for Research Continuity).

Key Associated Documents

• COVID-19 Risk Assessment
• Details regarding insurance to undertake the research as appropriate.

Covid-19 Response Plan-Fieldwork: Main Body (see the Template Covid-19 Response Plan-Fieldwork, accessed at Templates and Resources for Research Continuity, for additional guidance notes).

• Overview of the Study
• Covid-19 Measures - Researchers
  • includes a section relating to travel, see Guidelines for Travel for Research
• Dealing with and Planning for a Suspected Case of COVID-19  
• Study Procedures (Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs))

**A system must be detailed and put in place to log the engagement/activity of named researchers undertaking Fieldwork, for instance the date/detail of the named researcher travelling to named investigation site to undertake named study**