Environment submissions database

LJMU has a range of research and knowledge exchange (RKE) activity that has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Health and Science research where a substantial portfolio of face-to-face activity on the LJMU estate has been heavily disrupted. Our focus as an institution has been to provide pastoral and resource support to a wide range of staff, PGR students and activities. We have supported, alongside external funders (CoA-UKRI, Innovate UK), costed and no-cost extensions to specific grants. This process, overseen by the University Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (URKEC) and Finance received endorsement from the University’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). ELT and URKEC supported a COVID-19 specific Rapid Response internal grant call. Supporting 7 COVID-related projects across a range of areas including virus burden in dental procedures and understanding the impact of the pandemic on domestic abuse. Whenever and wherever possible, around the University’s estate we have adhered to national restrictions and local public health guidelines. We have provided estate support for COVID-19 research activity and contract activity with external partners (e.g. elite athletes returning to sport). A focus for financial support has been our contract-research staff (no one was furloughed or made redundant) and our PGR students. Where possible, contract extensions were arranged with internal or external resource support. PGRs and their supervisors have sought to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 by repurposing research programmes (we have moved several studies to on-line data collection where relevant). The Doctoral Academy (DA) have been extremely active in academic and pastoral support and have demonstrated substantial organisational and practical agility by moving enrolment and induction activity, it’s Researcher Development Programme, social support, and examinations online. Example activities include, “Thesis Boot Camps” moving on-line at the onset of lockdown. These then increased in frequency to weekly writing days, helping PGRs to maintain focus and connect with one another while working from home. During 2020, the weekly online writing group gained regular PGR participants based in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland and Botswana. In addition, since March 2020 there have been 140 research degrees awarded following online viva voce examinations. Importantly, the DA also manage funded PGR extensions (automatic 3-month stipend extension; with further 3 months in exceptional circumstances) and fee support to University and self-funded PGRs in response to the challenges of the pandemic. The DA has also provided the governance for follow-on UKRI PhD funding.