ARMA Research Directors Forum Virtual Roundtable on Furloughing/ CJRS

20 May 2020

This is a briefing note summarising key points discussed in the webchat on Furloughing attended by members of the ARMA Research Directors Forum.

For details of how to join the ARMA Research Directors Forum, email enquiries@arma.ac.uk.

Key Highlights of the Discussion

Who’s being furloughed?

• Research Directors generally not considering furloughing their own members, although there are one or two exceptions. Focus to date has been on auxiliary staff (cleaning, design, banqueting, estates)
• Some non-publicly funded researchers have already been furloughed, with some institutions carrying out exercises to identify further staff who could be furloughed. These could include industrially-funded researchers, KTP associates and those not in receipt of public funds.
• Nervousness about furloughing publicly-funded staff – are we asking twice-over? This might also apply to RO staff in receipt of public funds. Some HR departments are resistant and some concern about how the public might react to universities ‘claiming twice’. Also a view amongst some that the admin burden is too great.
• Some institutions seeking to furlough c. 25% of their staff.
• General view is that guidance unlikely to be available from UKRI/Research England. Many Research Council-funded staff are unable to access their labs etc, so they literally cannot work.
• Conversations with furloughees have been mixed – some happy to accept it, others concerned that this might be first step to redundancy.
• The extension to the scheme has allowed some institutions to reconsider, although some consider the matter closed, with no appetite to have a further wave.

Current Challenges encountered by funders and universities

• Funders, and research office staff in universities, are having to cope with many enquiries about funded and no-cost extensions. In general, funders unable to support costed extensions or the 20% CJRS top-up as no additional funding made available. Some funders trying to be as flexible as possible relaxing virement rules, moving funds to future years etc.
• With charities specifically, likely to be a much lower ‘funding pot’ in future years as current situation seriously hampering their fundraising efforts.
• Real financial challenges for universities with much uncertainty, causing a lot of additional work for pre- and post-award teams. Issue about whether universities can afford all these no-cost extensions.
• Concern that this could have a knock-on effect on researchers applying for further grant funding, so we could see a drop in application activity/ future awards granted. Some institutions anticipating a 5-10% drop in research income, which would have an impact on reduced overheads. It was agreed that it would be sensible to engage with BUFDG on this issue.
• With regards to promotions and tenure, no participants at the Rountable had explored the impact that the current situation might have; it was just too early.

Returning to normality

• Discussion moved on to the issue of reopening labs and getting people back to work. Only COVID- labs open at present. Some universities have set out the broad principles for reopening, with the expectation that departments then put forward their implementation plans and resource requirements to accomplish this. University senior management concerned about how the sector is being viewed and anxious to return to normal as soon as is feasible.

• Many institutions looking at how this could be done (timing, access, washing stations etc), with some institutions opening their labs from early June. Non-science space also being actively considered. Some institutions have a phased plan, blending user-type (research students getting priority), discipline (physical labs getting priority) and location (social distancing feasibility). Priority being given to PGR student space

Resources

• Comprehensive briefing on CJRS, by Sapna Marwaha.

• Future topics for Virtual Round Tables welcomed! Email to enquiries@arma.ac.uk

Next ARMA Research Directors Forum Virtual Roundtable: Wednesday 3^rd June: Lockdown Exit Strategies and Restarting Research. Details at: https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-directors-forum-virtual-roundtables-lockdown-exit-strategies-and-re-starting-research/