Dear all
We hope you are keeping safe and well during these unprecedented and challenging times. For research staff, as for other staff, there is much uncertainty, and we will all have many questions in the days and weeks ahead.
There has been a great deal of information, both from the government, from the university centrally, from faculties and departments, and from other sources, including the funding councils, and we wanted to draw some of this together for you here.
University advice
The main university page is the best place to turn for general and health advice, and for links to other sources (including Public Health England). This is being updated regularly.
https://portal.lancaster.ac.uk/intranet/cms/coronavirus
Research-specific advice
There is a page on RES specifically about the impact on research, and that will also likely be updated regularly: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/research/research-services/impact-of-covid-19/
Online coaching from OED
OED are working to set up some online coaching groups and put some of their other materials online. Contact OED (oed@lancaster.ac.uk) to register your interest.
Join the RSA Microsoft Teams Space
The Research Staff Association exec have set up a teams space, where we hope research staff will be able to share their questions and offer each other support. This is open to all research staff, just click on the link below to join. The exec will contribute this, but as we are all juggling our own work and family issues as well, the hope is that this group will be self-supporting and research staff may be able to advise others. Often research staff will have the same questions and concerns and this will offer a space to share advice. Do remember that we are not experts, legal or HR advisors.
This information will also all be posted on a new blog post on the RSA website, and we will be posted updates as we have them. If there is anything specific you would like to see, please do get in touch.
The message from Steve Bradley was one of thanks and support, encouraging staff to do what they can, take care of their families, ask for help, and look out for each other. The RSA will endeavour to support research staff across the university in these challenging times.
With best wishes,
Linda
(on behalf of the RSA exec)