Environment submissions database

UCLan was open for business March-July 2020. Our COVID-19 response continues. Health and wellbeing came first: >Recognition of diversity of impacts on staff >No staff furloughed >Wellbeing resources, including MyWellness app and Pulse Surveys Smooth transition to homeworking enabled by exceptional IT support: >Face-to-face training of 789 staff in 14-days lockdown preparation >Dedicated website, online guides on MSTeams and other enabling technologies >Sector best practice in helping BSL interpreters develop online/digital capabilities PGR support transferred online, focussing on pastoral care and progression: >No detriment to annual assessments >39 PGR fee-waived extensions (£72k) >Hardship funding >Face-to-face training moved online >Annual events proceeded - Research Showcase, PGR Conference, 3MT >PGR coffee-mornings, continuation of School research meetings >28 online vivas As Lancashire’s largest University health provider, we pulled together with local partners: >Worked with Lancashire Resilience Forum and MoD to convert Sports Centre into Nightingale Hospital, offered medical facilities at UCLan Burnley, provided accommodation to NHS staff >Clinical and other specialist staff plus 320 final-year medical/nursing students supported the front line >Online ventilator training for NHS; ethics support to help NHS staff make challenging decisions >Manufacture of respirator valves, PPE and 330 surgical gowns - cross-UCLan effort, in collaboration with partners Researchers were productive at home and on campus: >Prioritised access to labs for COVID-research and final-year PGRs >Recovery plans developed, including safe working procedures and risk assessments for phased return to campus >15 COVID articles published on a range of topics >Support for research bidding continued largely interrupted. Research Services supported 72 COVID-related bids, 14 awarded (£919,695) >Regular COVID updates provided researchers with latest information from funders >Ongoing digitising of Library Special Collections There were negative effects on research: >202 out of 584 funded projects were affected by COVID with ~£1 million (15%) shortfall in 2019/20 Research Income >Research outputs and 7 out of 50 of our impact case studies were critically affected by COVID through cancellation of major events/activities and travel bans, as well as reduction in consumer demand >Reduced productivity due to home working and focus diverted to delivery of teaching online. But our academics rose to the challenge: >Events/resources transitioned online, eg Into Our Skies, a unique approach to teaching primary school children about Earth and Space through dance was made into online teaching material accessible to educators around Europe >Collaborative working with Pirbright Institute to develop low-cost antibody-like smart materials that can be applied to rapid diagnosis and potential treatment of COVID-19 >Remote live psychological support, including trauma therapy (EMDR), for frontline COVID workers in NHS, care homes and the Police nationally/internationally >Pre-COVID research on telemedicine was invaluable to the roll out of remote NHS cancer, cystic fibrosis and stroke care during the pandemic >WHO guidance surrounding COVID and pregnancy >Grief/poetry writing workshops and digital writing resources for NHS practitioners and the public taken up nationwide and distributed to practitioners in India and South Africa >MedTech Solutions Group set up - rapid response unit in manufacturing and testing, including supporting SMEs to development next-generation PPE and equipment