Environment submissions database

Sheffield Hallam University’s research and impact work has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic in three main ways: 1) Directly addressing Covid-related challenges of global and national importance The University has rapidly focused the power of its research knowledge and skills on the cause of the world’s resilience to and recovery from the Covid pandemic. Examples of this include the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre’s RICOVR unit, set up specifically to identify the best means of helping people recover and rehabilitate from Covid-19, with particular focus on physical activity and long-Covid symptoms. The Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology has influenced policy-makers on behavioural science matters relating to the pandemic, including on informing UK public messaging on encouraging people to follow Covid-19 restrictions. The Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research has partnered with US company Secured Communications to help global businesses and organisations collaborate securely during the pandemic. Long-standing partnerships have also been reinvigorated, including work with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield City Council to lead the public health response across the region. This included the donation and production of resources, such as laboratory equipment, ventilator components and PPE. 2) The agile transferring of partner and beneficiary engagement work to alternative modes Researchers across the institution immediately recognised the opportunities of the global circumstances to extend the impact of their research to new and more diverse audiences. Lab4Living’s new ‘Journeying through Dementia’ web-platform Connecting People, Connecting Support sought to bring support to vulnerable people cut off from their normal means of accessing it. Since its launch in April 2020, it has been accessed over 56,000 times, been adopted by Alzheimer Scotland, and cited in the NHS England response to Covid-19. Other examples of this include online exhibitions disseminated through the rapidly-developed gallery.shu.ac.uk. Public research events and projects including: research institute ‘dialogue’ events on Ageing and Human Rights, the Hallam Festival of Education, the Humanities Research Centre’s Reading Sheffield project and the Helena Kennedy Centre’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence - have seen exponential increases in audience numbers and engagement compared to traditional delivery means. 3) Supporting our research community to allow our people and work to continue to thrive, with particular emphasis on equality groups Extensive support has been provided to doctoral researchers and research-active staff. Fee-free extensions were offered to all doctoral researchers, as well as extensions to all studentships, irrespective of the source of funding. Additional progress monitoring and pastoral support measures have also been put in place. Research-active staff have been supported in continuing and extending their activities, by ensuring maximum safe access to research facilities and enabling as much other continuity and adaptation as possible. The grant application and publication rates of female staff and those with caring responsibilities have been particularly monitored, and interventions initiated to support these groups.