Close to 1,000 researchers, postgraduate researchers and research support colleague have attended a series of virtual town halls to share ideas, raise questions and concerns, and to offer mutual support.

A new series of these virtual forums has been announced:

Monday 29 June 12.30-2pm – for postgraduate researchers and their supervisors
Reserve your place

Monday 6 July 2.30-4pm – for the wider research community
Reserve your place

Friday 17 July 1pm -2.30pm – for the wider research community
Reserve your place

The town halls, conducted via Teams, will again be hosted by Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange.

Dame Jessica said: “I have found hosting these sessions very valuable, offering an opportunity to hear questions and concerns from colleagues as we work towards establishing our ‘new normal’ way of working.”

Themes arising at the first series of town halls include our progress towards recovery; time frames to resume on-campus research activity; the effect of lab closures and the curtailing of field work and clinical trials; concerns over health and safety and maintaining social distancing; the balance between teaching and research; adapting to new ways of working, often combined with caring responsibilities; and the changing funding landscape.

The last town hall also saw discussion on what research could look like in a world after the virus. What would we do differently; what are the opportunities to work better together and collaborate more effectively?

FAQs and guidance for researchers have been updated following the town halls. Where circumstances require an individual response, for example to postgraduate researchers on visas, extensions and funding, colleagues are receiving guidance and support on a case-by-case basis.

Nottingham and Anne McLaren research fellows are also being invited to a second town hall and will be contacted directly.

As well as focusing on our recovery, this second series will look ahead to the future of research in the post COVID-19 world.

Dame Jessica added: “I’m keen to hear from researchers on where we might focus our resources and capitalise on our strengths to help to inform our approach. As you register, you will also be invited to submit a question in advance, and once again I will be joined by a panel of representative colleagues from across the University.”