Environment submissions database

As described in REF5a, discussions about Royal Holloway’s Strategy 2020-2030 were already well underway in 2019-2020. The pandemic had profound effects on our institutional strategy, and the ten-year strategy was replaced with a more agile three-year plan (2021-2024), approved by Council in December 2020. This aims for greater sustainability for research given reduced institutional income and new ways of working. Our research structures were tested during the pandemic, as follows: 1. The School Structure enabled an agile response to the challenges of research in and beyond the pandemic. Weekly meetings of six School Directors of Research and Knowledge Exchange, led by the Deputy Principal, enabled the robust involvement of Schools in decision-making. 2. Our strategic focus on challenge-led interdisciplinary research was accelerated in the pandemic. Having grown our research in digital technologies, the creative digital economy and cyber security, we initiated Catalyst Hubs to address digital responses to the pandemic. 3. We responded to calls for COVID-related research, gaining over £260k in UKRI COVID rapid response awards. They including research on new nasal sprays, effects on mental health, and social attitudes to COVID. 4. We postponed research sabbaticals for 2020-21 to release capacity for online education. A scheme to restart sabbaticals in 2021-22 is planned. 5. Travel for research was halted, particularly affecting overseas travel for staff and research students. Risk assessment were introduced in line with governments’ guidelines. 6. Doctoral students were supported in undertaking research virtually. ‘Covid extensions’ eased deadlines, and additional funding awarded to eligible students. People: Academics and research students faced additional pressures, often disproportionately affecting carers, and those shielding, home-schooling, and bereaved. We provided: 7. Flexible working arrangements to help staff with caring responsibilities and an information hub with practical guidance and wellbeing support for staff working from home. 8. One-to-one conversations with managers to mitigate safety concerns when returning to campus. 9. Support for extremely and moderately clinically vulnerable researchers from Occupational Health. 10. Regular opportunities to maintain contact with the College community, through networks and departmental activities. Infrastructure and facilities 11. Investment in our IT infrastructure and on-line resources in the library meant that researchers were well-supported in the move online. 12. We halted research involving in-person human participation, but responded creatively by replacing this with virtual fieldwork, virtual laboratory engagement and performances using digital technologies. 13. All campus laboratories were closed from March to June and re-opened on a rolling basis. There was reduced capacity in labs due to adjustments for COVID-safe working. 14. We were unable to undertake capital spend on equipment and buildings (except UKRI funded projects). This led to cancellation of our £5m grant from the LEP for an Enterprise and Cyber Security Centre. 15. Industrial partners had limited access to site during lockdown. REF submission 16. Preparations for REF2021 were well underway in March 2020 with clear structures in place. Preparation of our REF submission, particularly REF5bs, was adversely affected by demands on academics’ time due to on-line education and the challenges of homeworking.