The survey was commissioned by the Research Steering Group (RSG) to better understand how the national lockdown in response to COVID-19 has impacted the research progress and wellbeing of research staff.
The survey asked questions relating to the disruption of research progress, including access to University research facilities, the challenges of home working, changes in researchers’ role as a carer for dependants, perspectives on returning to on-site working, and concerns about short and long term impacts on researchers’ careers.
The survey also invited respondents to inform RSG how the University might support them better and about their priorities as new working practices are established. Respondents were invited to provide demographic information so that the data could be analysed from an inequalities perspective.
All University staff whose roles are categorised as research staff (AP) or research fellows (AR), with fixed term, or open ended externally funded employment contracts, in posts at grade 6, 7 or 8, were invited to participate. The survey opened on 8 July 2020 and closed on 24 July 2020.
The survey results have informed the design of the COVID19 – Rebuilding Research Momentum Fund (CRRMF).
