Environment submissions database

A primary impact of COVID-19 on research and impact at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has been on staff time available to conduct and disseminate research. All research staff are also involved in teaching. COVID-19 has increased teaching time commitments due to the change to online teaching, the need to adapt delivery and support quickly in line with changing government guidance and the additional student support required. Additional impacts have arisen from staff illness and caring responsibilities. In many cases, staff ability to undertake and disseminate research has been severely limited during this period. There have been delays and cancellations in research projects and a consequent reduction in income for 19-20 and 20-21. Where possible, research has been adapted but some research involving health and social care service users and staff has not been able to proceed. Extensions have been required for EU project deliverables, milestones and reports (eg Horizon 2020). Environmental research has also been impacted. For example, originally delayed due to Australian bush fires, local travel restrictions due to COVID caused a cessation in progression with aerial monitoring data collection. Publications have also been delayed or postponed. Many peer-reviewed journal articles were delayed as reviewer availability was affected by COVID-19. Books and book chapter publications have been delayed by as much as 2 years due to ability of authors and editors to complete their commitments. Dissemination events have been delayed or adapted. Where events have been changed to online, this may have increased ability to attend by certain participants (for example a wider regional audience for the sports disability event) but may have limited attendance by others (for example, service users, health and social care workforce). For example, a disability sport conference scheduled for March took place as an online webinar in June. LGBTQI+ faith and identity events scheduled for Summer 2020 were replaced by an online conference in December. The University Research Ethics Panel quickly provided guidance to staff and students in March 2020, advising on the adaption or cessation of any research involving face-to-face interactions. A simple process was introduced for amendment of ethical approvals to enable research to be adapted safely and easily. Guidance was produced along with signposting to sector and discipline specific protocols to support safe conductance of research. Guidance was reviewed and adapted regularly, and new model consent forms created to enable face-to-face research to take place safely when possible in line with current government guidance.