Detailed information and a FAQ on Berkeley Lab’s response to COVID-19 can be found here: covid.lbl.gov.
To Foundry Users:
“Dear Molecular Foundry Community,
On November 2, Berkeley Lab entered Pilot 2d, the latest phase of our restart progression following COVID-19 closures.
As a result, the Molecular Foundry expanded access to its laboratories to accommodate an increasing number of staff and users, distributed among experimental facilities and critical operations roles. By limiting and actively managing both the total center’s density, as well as that of each facility, we hope to minimize the risk of transmission by maximizing social distancing at all times while still facilitating your research needs.
The Foundry continues to run a shift structure with multiple access times daily: shift 1 running 6:00 am until 12:00 noon, shift 2 running 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm, and shift 3 running 8:00 pm until 5:00 am; as well as weekend work. Normal access remains limited to one facility (floor) at a time within the approved shift, though we have started to allow for a small number of researchers during each shift to access two facilities in one shift. Dual-facility access must be approved by the facility director of both facilities, and any instrument reservations must be confirmed.
Given the limitations on activities that require close physical proximity, we have not allowed for training or new work in the past. However, this is something that is now possible in Pilot 2d on a case by case basis. Foundry staff are actively developing tools for training procedures consistent with physical distancing measures, where appropriate. Please watch for additional updates on these developments.
The Molecular Foundry is piloting a collaboration space, for physically distant face-to-face collaboration for up to four people in the Chemla conference room on the third floor of Building 67. You may reach out to your assigned scientist with requests to reserve this space.
The Molecular Foundry will provide a safe space for on-site users to take a short break from their experimental work. Incidental use of cubical space for <15 minutes is permitted without additional approval provided that masks continue to be worn, surfaces are cleaned before and after, and 12 feet (twice the normal 6 feet) distance can be maintained. If the nature of your work at the Foundry requires more than 15 minutes of desk use, such as for eating lunch, designated office spaces will be made available for this purpose. Users need to comply with requirements to disinfect desk space before and after use, and to leave a 30-minute gap between consecutive occupants. Please coordinate with your assigned scientist. Extended office work, such as a two-hour zoom meeting, is not appropriate for work on site at the Foundry, and should be shifted off site. Users working on site may eat outdoors on the third floor patio, and in the gravel area on the west side of the first floor. Remember to maintain physical distance from others when unmasked for eating.
Requests for access to work at the Foundry must be coordinated through your assigned scientist. Please reach out to your assigned scientist to discuss the possibilities for your work, bearing in mind the context for safety and prioritization described here. ”
As always, our priority is to maintain safe work practices including: work planning for social distancing, cleaning and disinfection protocols, mask requirements, following posted signs, and deliberate use of shared spaces like hallways, stairwells, bathrooms, and kitchens. We will also require work authorization through WPC Activity MF-0169, Molecular Foundry COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, the LBL0012 COVID-19 safety training, a weekly wellness check, and daily self-monitoring of health symptoms for everyone who comes on site. Please be mindful of new signs and protocols. In addition to COVID-specific safety measures, all integrated safety management protocols remain in place.
So far, the Foundry User Community has demonstrated considerable resilience and compliance with new safety requirements. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.
Shannon Ciston, User Program Director
Frequently Asked Questions: Foundry Restart Pilot 2d
- What is the process for users to get approval for Foundry access?
We are collecting requests for access to the Foundry at least one week in advance to your planned use of our facilities. Some facilities and instruments are in high demand, so early requests (3-4 weeks in advance) and flexibility in scheduling will improve your chances of timely access. We encourage you to coordinate with your assigned scientist to request access before you wish to come on site. - Can users who are not LBNL employees access the Foundry during Pilot 2d?
Yes, during Pilot 2d, access to Berkeley Lab is no longer limited to LBNL employees. However, there are still a limited number of available access slots, and limitations to side-by-side work may delay access for some users to a later phase. - What sort of work is being approved during Pilot 2d?
The assigned scientist for each project is the best contact for determining what parts of your proposed work might be completed during Restart Pilot 2d. Only work that can be performed safely, consistent with physical distancing requirements, is possible. The Foundry values equity of access for our users, held in balance with safety precautions and limits to overall occupancy in Pilot 2d. We aim to carefully consider such factors as:- Potential to impact the fight against COVID-19
- DOE and Berkeley Lab research priorities
- Urgency of timelines including student graduation, or finalizing a grant or publication
- Inherently safe activities, such as the ability to operate equipment independently to avoid side-by-side work, consistent with physical distancing requirements and work alone policies
- Development work that has potential for broad scientific or economic impacts
- Instrument availability
- Experimental complexity
- Travel considerations
- What are the access shifts?
There are three daily shifts on weekdays, Monday through Friday:- 6:00 am-12:00 pm
- 1:00 pm-7:00 pm
- 8:00 pm-5:00 am
Saturday and Sunday are managed as one shift during each 24-hour period.
- What should I do if my experiment requires more time than one shift?
You may request multiple shifts during the same day, or spread across multiple days. Please work with your assigned scientist to discuss this possibility. - How are requests to use multiple facilities handled?
Access to the Molecular Foundry is typically reserved for one facility (floor) per shift. If your work requires access to multiple facilities, this requires greater coordination and communication, and may require a second reserved slot.
If your access to a second facility is incidental, such as taking five minutes to collect a sample or fill an ice bucket, you are not required to reserve a slot in the second facility. However, you must communicate clearly with the facility director and staff of the second facility to make sure they are aware of your activities in advance, and work in a coordinated manner with others working in that facility to maintain 6-ft distancing, disinfection, and space occupancy limits.
If your access to a second facility is more integrated into your work, such that you will spend more than 5-10 minutes in the second facility, you are required to get approval for dual-access work from both facilities by reserving a slot in each of the facilities. You must get approval from both facility directors and reserve any appropriate instrumentation. Dual-access is provided on a limited basis. - How can I tell if I am approved for Molecular Foundry access during restart?
You should have received an email from your assigned scientist or facility director confirming the specific date(s) and time(s) of access. - What steps must I take to prepare for coming on site?
Once you have approval from your assigned scientist to come onsite to work, you must:- Complete the Berkeley Lab COVID-19 training course LBL-0012
- Review and accept the conditions of the WPC activity MF-0169 Molecular Foundry COVID-19 Exposure Prevention
- Complete your weekly symptom check, updated every Sunday, which must be recorded here: https://go.lbl.gov/s
- Continue to monitor your health symptoms daily, and do not report to a Lab site if you develop symptoms
- Bring your badge
Once all these conditions are met, we welcome you to the Foundry to do your work. Your name will be listed on daily access sheets posted at each of our entries to Buildings 67 and 72.
- What should I do if I arrive on site and don’t find my name on the door list of approved access?
Do not enter the Molecular Foundry. Even if you are sure that you should have access, our staff are empowered to ask you to leave if your name is not listed. If you believe that a mistake has been made, we encourage you to get in touch with your assigned scientist and/or facility director to inquire as to your access permissions. - Are users allowed on site to collect belongings or drop off materials?
Please note that during our current restart pilot Berkeley Lab is closely monitoring the number of individuals who are accessing its sites based on badge checks at entry points. Even if you only plan to be on site for a short period of time, this access will be counted against the total number of permitted accesses for that day and so it may prevent someone else from working in their lab for an entire shift. For this reason, we would advise you to arrange to access the Lab for short, non-research visits on weekend days, or on weekdays after 8:00 pm. Please work with your assigned scientist to coordinate these kinds of visits. - What is the timeline for increased user access to the Molecular Foundry?
The current public health context is being closely monitored for decision-making about future expansion of access to Berkeley Lab. The Foundry will be carefully considering factors such as safe maximum density before expanding numbers of users. The Berkeley Lab COVID-19 information page has current information about the pilot restart: https://covid.lbl.gov/
Foundry Updates:
11/2/2020: Restart Pilot 2d began on November 2. Please refer to the updated FAQ.
7/13/2020: Restart Pilot 2a began on July 13. Please refer to the updated FAQ.
5/28/2020: Berkeley Lab will begin Restart Pilot 1 on June 1, during which time the number of people working onsite will roughly double. A limited number of Foundry personnel will be able to return, as well as certain high-priority, trained users for whom LBL is their home institution. More information is forthcoming. Please see covid.lbl.gov for training and safety requirements during Pilot 1.
4/27/2020: The Bay Area will extend its shelter-in-place orders through the end of May. The Foundry will continue working remotely, with only critical operations and COVID-19 related research on-site.
4/14/2020: Active Foundry user proposals have been further extended. Please check the proposal portal for updated timelines.
3/30/2020: The Bay Area is extending its shelter-in-place orders until at least May 3rd. The Foundry staff continue to work remotely, and on-site work exempted from the order related to COVID-19 is ongoing in the Biological Nanostructures facility.
3/19/2020: The state of California is under shelter-in-place orders until further notice. For more information, see covid19.ca.gov. The Foundry continues to operate remotely, with reduced onsite staffing levels in accordance with local and statewide directives.
3/17/2020: The Molecular Foundry’s Spring Proposal Call deadline has been extended by three weeks to April 23. Accordingly, the review decisions will be communicated to users by June 5. All currently active proposals will be extended by one month. If the shutdown extends longer than currently planned, additional extensions will be granted.
3/16/2020: The Molecular Foundry is prepared for a “warm and safe” stand down of lab operations, effective March 17 and lasting until at least April 7. The lab site will remain powered and staffed by essential personnel.
Please go to status.lbl.gov for up-to-date information on the status of Berkeley Lab. See also the updates from our Strategic Communications team.
A summary of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research at Berkeley Lab, including at the Molecular Foundry, can be found here.
To learn about the novel coronavirus, visit coronavirus.gov. Cover image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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