Resources for researchers during the corona pandemic
Essential information for researchers at Ghent University
For the latest info and an overview of the safety measures check the general corona webpage.
Procedure in case of delay
The current situation affects all researchers, although some research projects are more affected than others. Some research activities can continue from home. Many research activities, however, cannot be done via teleworking. As a result, many research projects will be delayed. For some it may even become impossible to be carried out as foreseen in the research plan.
- We recommend that you document the impact of the corona guidelines on your research activities. Researchers involved in a project that requires timesheets (e.g. EU projects) and who are unable to continue their activities are required to register their service exemption in CATS.
- We expressly ask to notify the Research Department (via researchdelay@ugent.be) about the cases where you anticipate to incur irreversible delays. This is particularly important for sponsored research and services, where delays in terms of output (e.g. project deliverables, reports, milestones, …) could affect the payments. Furthermore, Ghent University may incur contractual liabilities for projects that may no longer be executable within a reasonable timeframe. In some exceptional cases, Ghent University may invoke so-called “force majeure” to be (temporarily or definitely) exempt of its own contractual obligations.
- It is important to note that any communication with counterparties about delays, or in response to notifications received from counterparties, should be handled by the Research Department. Do not initiate any direct communication yourself.
- Check the guidelines of funding organisations
- Specific measures by Doctoral Schools Ghent University
Specifically for international researchers
- Questions about issues with visa/stay permits of international researchers who will be/are funded by Ghent University during their stay in Belgium
- incoming researchers: HR contactperson - more information
- outgoing mobility: international.employment@ugent.be - more information
- Questions about issues with visa/stay permits of international (PhD) students who are/will not be employed by Ghent University during their stay in Belgium: Marianne Martens
- Questions about issues with visa of international researchers from countries of the Global South: Nancy Terryn
Access to scholarly output, research infrastructure, and funding
- As always, scholarly information accessible for Ghent University, is available through lib.ugent.be. More information on searching for academic resources in corona times in this (re)search tip.
- Overview of available services and infrastructure for research related to COVID-19
- What tools to use for online lectures?
- The Research Department tries to keep up with all available calls for funding for COVID-19 research. You can find them via this shared notebook or via our electronic newsletter BOZI.
Other resources
Adapting research methods
- Managing research risks (such as a pandemic) > blogpost by @ThomsonPat
- Should you quit (go part time or pause) your PhD during COVID-19? > blogpost by @Thesiswhisperer
- Remote supervision > blogpost by @miguelnacenta
- Creative methods for fieldwork: Open Google Doc (by @DALupton)
- Free webinars on research skills from Academic Consulting
- Crisis research, fast and slow > blogpost on The 100% CI
- Joint Statement on COVID-19: Ethical Considerations from a Global Perspective (UNESCO International Bioethics Committee & World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology)
- Why you should ignore all that coronavirus-inspired productivity pressure (blogpost by @ProfAishaAhmad)
- Five Human-Centred Design Methods to use in your projects when you are in isolation (blogpost by Martin Tomitsch)
- Carrying out qualitative research under lockdown
PhD defense and other presentations
- Twitter: #VirtualDefense
- the #Covid19ThesisDefense Google Calendar and other cool stuff for joining your doctoral peers in online thesis defense
- With many meetings and conferences cancelled in response to #COVID19, eLife is hosting a series of online talks where early career researchers can present their research remotely > website
- OSF Meetings is an easy way to share research content related to an event/conference/meeting. Researchers who share materials can add supplementary data, code, preprints, or other material alongside their poster or slides. Ghent University researchers can log in with their UGent account. > website
- Taking Your Conference Online (article in Inside HigherEd)
- Online presenteren (The Floor is Yours)
- Best practices for inclusive remote meetings
- Canceled presentation or conference:
(Science) Communication
-
Skype a scientist > website
- Lifeology helps all people better understand science with art. Scientists can share research, collaborate with artists, create Lifeology mini-courses and get communication training. They have developed a mini illustrated course on corona.
- Writing tips for op-eds during the pandemic (Inside HigherEd)
- Overview of scicomm methods
- Using MS Teams (webpage in Dutch by DICT UGent)
Staying sane and taking care of yourself (and others)
- Well-being and support for PhDs and postdoctoral researchers: resources compiled by Doctoral Schools
- A help sheet for managing fear and anxiety (compiled by @Harvard University Health Services)
- Practical and useful tips on how to cope during the 'Pandemic Paralysis' (blogpost by @KylieBall3)
- Remote working: the new normal for many, but it comes with hidden risks (The Conversation)
- Remote working for the first time (blogpost by remote working researcher Ella Hafermalz)
- The UK Council for Graduate Education has published a guide to online supervision, created to help research supervisors navigate the challenges of remote doctoral supervision.
- The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it (Rapid Review, The Lancet)
- Vitae blog
- I’m an academic, not a therapist. How do I support my group members’ mental health and well-being right now? > blogpost by @DickersonPsych
- SIPS - Social Isolation Prevention Sessions: a virtual platform for academics to not only help us stay focused, but also to help us stay connected > website
- Gratis mentaal welzijn livestream op weekdagen om 18u > website
- Initiatieven mentale gezondheid (samengebracht door PSYNC) > website
- Gezond leven in tijden van corona (Vlaams Instituut Gezond Leven) > website
Communities to join
- @JongeAcademie startte alvast een crowdsourcing rond telewerk #JAtelewerk en creëerde een virtuele werkruimte op slack. Alle expertise welkom, info op jongeacademie.be/covid/
- @henrifdrake has created a Slack workspace for early career researchers working on climate issues
- Sedimentologists Online
- Global consortium for mental health hosts #COVIDCafes on Twitter
Discipline specific resources
- Online resources for medievalists
- Survey for "Middle Ages for Educators: A Research and Teaching Exchange"
- Political and Social Sciences research portal: catalogues, databases, and more > website
- Wanting to learn new skills? Check these 450 Ivy League free online courses > website
- Adapting labs for remote learning
- COVID-19 Social Science Research Tracker
- SSRC Virtual Research Centre COVID
- brainlife.io wants to help researchers who are stuck at home and cannot perform neuroimaging data analyses
A bit of everything
- Scientist without a lab? (Infographic by @zjayres)
- How to survive a PhD during a pandemic
- How to quickly (and safely) move a lab course online?
- How institutions are approaching scientific research during COVID-19, and what they still need to know (Inside HigherEd)
- What will change if we have no conferences? (Nature)
- Meaningful online engagement (NCCPE)
- Covid-19 resources for science engagement organisations (Ecsite)
- @PHDComics is making their PhD Movies free to watch > website
Last modified April 8, 2022, 10:58 a.m.