Environment submissions database

As a small university submitting our first REF the general consequences of COVID-19 have been particularly impactful, this included: • Academic staff focused on delivering online learning, supporting students and adjusting/risk-assessing practical activities delivered in person. Our academic staff are two thirds female (HESA 18/19, 67%) which is higher than sector average (HESA 18/11, 46%) meaning the consequences are likely to have been, on average, more pronounced. • These impacts were reflected in a recent Wellbeing and Workload Pulse Survey, with 169 responses (> 50% response rate). 84% agreed Marjon was interested in wellbeing, 93% agreed they had a safe and secure working environment but 55% felt stressed at work always or frequently. • As a civic university, embedded within our region, lots of staff engage in community activities e.g., as MAT Board Trustees and school governors (e.g. 100% of staff in our Teacher Education Partnership School are school governors) which has meant additional time dedicated to supporting these key areas. The more pronounced direct impact of COVID-19 on our REF submission has been on activities, testimonial collation, and finalising impact case studies. Specific examples include: • Health and education sectors have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. In line with Marjon values we waited to contact partners and delayed testimonials, but this has meant less time to shape the narrative around our impact. • Significant time has been invested to reconfigure a range of services and activities that enable us to demonstrate impact to be delivered in a digital format e.g. some of the health and wellbeing clinics in the UoA24 impact case study. Nonetheless some of these services and activities have simply had to cease. • Some of the pathways to impact have been influenced e.g. All Party Parliamentary Groups activities, conferences and keynotes. This has been especially problematic for longitudinal research and impact case studies that have not benefited from the full REF cycle e.g. ICET World Assembly July 2020 was delayed which affected the educational isolation impact case study in UoA23. The environment for research has been impacted by COVID-19, including: • We were expecting our first PhD completions within academic year 2019-20 (within REF cycle) however COVID-19 delayed these by at least 6-12 months, with a high proportion of students interrupting their studies. • A positive trajectory in research environment is evident but the formation of new RKE groups & stakeholder engagement is less developed than hoped for. This presents opportunity to ensure they address the post-COVID context and impact positively on place. • Some research has been paused, e.g., environmental physiology including new projects, with external partners, with agreed pump priming funding. There is still no timeline for commencement of this type of research. • We adjusted to online delivery for our seminar series, researcher developer series and have found this has increased engagement and overcomes the limitation of being geographically quite remote. Some activities have been paused e.g. writing retreats (virtual formats available including PGR student led and wider groups eg Guild HE).