Information about COVID-19 and attending 2023 ISEE programs and events

This page contains information about COVID-19 in relation to ISEE programs and events offered in 2023, including information about:

• What to consider before committing to participating in programs or events and making travel arrangements
• Contingency plans in the event that we cannot hold the program or event as planned
• What to expect at in-person ISEE events or programs

What to consider before committing to participate in an ISEE program or event and making travel arrangements:

• Vaccine requirement: ISEE is headquartered at University of California (UC) and follows the UC COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate which requires that, with few exceptions, the UC community be vaccinated against the coronavirus, including all CDC recommended boosters to be considered “current” in vaccine status. All participants should be prepared to show proof of current vaccination status or an approved exemption from their home institution.
• Pre-acceptance agreement: Before acceptance into ISEE programs, you will be asked to submit a pre-acceptance agreement (in “Part B” of our applications), which states that you can meet the vaccine requirement, and will adhere to other COVID precautions. Our pre-acceptance agreements outline the most cautious protocols; however, we will reduce protocols as appropriate depending on the status of the pandemic.
• Bringing travel companions: We ask that participants consider carefully the ramifications of bringing travel companion(s) to any ISEE event. Travel companions increase exposure risk and may also incur additional expenses, if either the participant or companion tests positive for COVID during the program or event. Travel companions will not be allowed to join ISEE activities such as meals. We certainly understand the appeal of bringing companions and regret that we have to make this request, but we encourage you to think carefully about this, and have a plan for being as safe as possible, mitigating risks, and covering costs.
• Adding person travel days: To reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 during ISEE events, we request that participants take safety precautions while traveling and schedule any personal time/days following the event, rather than prior to the event.

Contingency plans if we cannot hold the ISEE event as planned:

• We are optimistically planning for programs and events to go forward as planned, in-person. If the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from holding the event, we will consider postponement, pivoting to remote, or cancelation. 
• If we have to postpone, we will do our best to accommodate everyone, but know that new dates may exclude some participants.

During ISEE activities, we anticipate that participants will need to adhere to COVID precautionary measures. We will monitor the status of COVID-19, as well as local requirements, and may reduce some of these requirements, but participants should be prepared to: 

• Wear a high quality face mask when indoors, and any time the venue requires it
• Adhere to COVID testing and isolation requirements
• Complete daily symptom check forms and report any symptoms to ISEE program staff
• Be as careful as possible about safety measures during and outside of program time

As we’ve learned to live with the pandemic we know that precautions and requirements can change. We will continue to monitor the guidelines, keep up to date on precautionary measures, and post more information for participants as we approach the event.