Covid-19

On March 26, 2020, UBC released a Broadcast Update reminding those accessing UBC's systems and networks remotely of the IT resources and support available at this time. Please refer to the broadcast for additional information.

In line with UBC and provincial health authority guidelines, the Equity and Inclusion office is taking the following precautions and shifting and adapting the way they are delivering their services.

• Human rights advising services remain available to UBC students, staff and faculty. Services will be provided via email, telephone consultation or other virtual system as appropriate. Should you have any concerns of discrimination (Policy SC7), please contact the human rights team.
• As the office is closed, should you have an inquiry about any of their resources or consultation services, please submit a consultation service request.

The Equity and Inclusion team will work to address your needs remotely as best as they can. Please refer to their website for additional information.

On March 19, 2020, UBC released a Broadcast Update announcing the university is curtailing on-campus research activities on its Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. This is in line with social distancing protocols regarding remote teaching and working arrangements implemented in the last week. This curtailment is in effect until April 15, 2020 and may be extended.

To continue research activities on our campuses, researchers must receive an exemption to be classed as critical research or maintaining critical research resources. The exemption process is outlined at https://research.ubc.ca/covid-19. It involves approval at the departmental, Faculty and Vice-President, Research & Innovation levels. Examples of critical research may include COVID-19 research and clinical trials. Critical research resources may include data, cell lines, materials and reagents that are deemed essential and difficult to replace.

For additional information, please connect with your department administrator.

On March 16, 2020, UBC released a Broadcast Update regarding remote working opportunities which includes Postdoctoral Fellows.  We encourage all postdocs to review this broadcast and work with their PI’s and units on how best to continue their work in a safe manner.  If you have any questions or concerns about working remotely, please connect with your units directly, as they are in the best position to provide assistance and support.

On March 13, 2020, UBC released a Broadcast Update regarding events and travel. Events with more than 250 people in attendance have been cancelled, and the Office of the Provincial Medical Health Office, BC Centre for Disease Control and Ministry of Health are also recommending British Columbians avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada, including to the United States. Please review the full broadcast for information about self-isolation requirements established by the University.

We are currently reviewing all of our current professional development programming, and will be looking at alternate-format delivery when feasible. Those events that cannot be accomodated via alternate-format delivery may be cancelled or postponed.

The following PDFO events have been cancelled or postponed:

• Foundations of Project Management II – Tuesday, March 17 & Wednesday, March 18, 2020 (Postponed)
• Immigration Clinics – March 2020 – Tuesday, March 24, 2020 (Cancelled)
• Immigration for Postdoctoral Fellows - Thursday, April 16, 2020 (Cancelled)

The following PDFO events have been transitioned to webinar format and will proceed as scheduled. For additional information and to register, please refer to the Professional Development page of the PDFO website. 

• Skills of Communication - Friday, March 27, 2020
• Essentials of Productive Teams - Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The following online learning and professional development resources are available for the UBC postdoc community: 

• Online Learning with Mitacs Training:
  • Online, on-demand and self-paced learning on subjects including:
    • Communicating Your Research
    • Cross-Cultural Team Communications
    • Managing Project Timelines
    • Practical Tips for Growing Your Network
    • Time Management
    • Writing Effective Emails
    • Writing Strategic Business Reports
• Individual Development Plans
  • Free online career exploration and planning tools: 
    • For postdocs in the Humanities and Social Sciences:ImaginePhD 
    • For postdocs in the Sciences: myIDP
• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
  • Workshops and programs on a variety of topics, such as increasing research productivity, dissertation success, and maintaining work-life balance, as well as networking opportunities. 
  • Current programming includes the Spring 2020 14-Day Writing Challenge
  • To create an account:
    • Visit UBC’s page at www.facultydiversity.org/institutions/ubc
    • Click “Activate my Membership”. Please note you will need an email address ending in “ubc.ca”.
    • Create a profile.
    • If you have any problems creating your profile or accessing the site, please contact membership@facultydiversity.org
• NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) 
  • Offers weekly webinars on a variety of topics.
• Beyond the Professoriate
  • An online career planning and development tool.

The Postdoctoral Fellows Office is currently closed to the public. However, the PDFO team continues to maintain operations. Following UBC's March 16 recommendation to implement remote work, the PDFO team is working remotely and there may be a delay in service as a result. Please contact the PDFO via email at postdoctoral.fellows@ubc.ca.

Confidential and voluntary counselling support service is available through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), provided through Morneau Shepell. Appointments are available in multiple languages and formats, and counsellors can help with a range of issues including stress, depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. The Morneau Shepell Care Access Centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-387-4765 or through workhealthlife.com.

We are currently reviewing all of our current professional development programming, and will be looking at alternate-format delivery when feasible. Those events that cannot be accomodated via alternate-format delivery may be cancelled or postponed.

At this time, the following sessions have been cancelled or postponed:

• Foundations of Project Management II – Tuesday, March 17 & Wednesday, March 18, 2020 (Postponed)
• Immigration Clinics – March 2020 – Tuesday, March 24, 2020 (Cancelled)
• Immigration for Postdoctoral Fellows - Thursday, April 16, 2020 (Cancelled)

The following PDFO events have been transitioned to webinar format and will proceed as scheduled. For additional information and to register, please refer to the Professional Development page of the PDFO website. 

• Skills of Communication - Friday, March 27, 2020
• Essentials of Productive Teams - Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Global Affairs Canada has issued an advisory to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice. To limit the spread of COVID-19, many countries have put in place travel or border restrictions and other measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines. As a result, your travel plans may be severely disrupted and/or you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected. For information on the global travel advisory, please click here.

If you are an international Postdoctoral Fellow and are experiencing difficulties returning to Canada, please contact the Housing and Relocation Services Office for assistance. This team has 3 Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) on staff who may be able to assist.

The support services provided through the Employee & Family Assistance Program are accessible to UBC postdocs at all times, even when outside of Canada.