Description:

This session takes you behind the scenes to learn how the Office for Research supported Northwestern’s COVID-19 response. Discussion will explore key decisions, partnerships, challenges, successes and lessons learned from ramping down the University’s large, complex research enterprise — and then gradually ramping it back up with new pandemic training and safety guidelines.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Northwestern took swift strategic action to confront an existential threat that generated widespread uncertainty, disruption and fear. A major early effort involved following the state’s stay-at-home order and shifting most on-campus research to highly effective remote operations. This project proved complex given the University’s vibrant, multicampus research enterprise supported by nearly $900 million in annual sponsored funding. More than 8,500 faculty, staff and students engage in active investigations across about 2 million square feet of laboratory space. This varied work involves animals, human participants, delicate instrumentation and hazardous materials — all of which require careful attention to ensure health and well-being, ongoing regulatory compliance and the preservation of vital research data. This session will take you behind the scenes to learn how the Office for Research (OR) supported Northwestern’s COVID-19 response, exploring key decisions, partnerships, challenges, successes and lessons learned from ramping down the research ecosystem — and then gradually ramping it back up with new pandemic training and safety guidelines. Attendees will gain a richer understanding of OR and Northwestern’s research enterprise, learning how the University achieved a record-level of sponsored research activity despite the pandemic, including advancing important COVID-19 science. The session will offer insights into how to manage a rapidly changing crisis by harnessing cross-unit collaborations, superior relational capital and diverse expertise. Participants also will come away with a deeper appreciation for how to approach challenge to galvanize teams, inspire operational innovation and pursue bold new opportunities.