As a multi-national organisation we are continuing to provide support to our 50,000 members and to our global community, while ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees by working remotely.
Our preparedness as an organisation means that our hard-working teams have been able to keep the RSC operating during such uncertain times, providing valuable support to our international community, from educators at all stages to researchers in academia and industry.
More than ever, I value the support we have received from our members, our partners and our community in the work that we do.
One way you can support the community is to make people aware of the Chemists’ Community Fund and the help it can provide during these challenging and uncertain times.
On behalf of our Trustees and our Leadership Team, I would like to ask all of our community to stay safe and work with us to continue advancing the chemical sciences.
Helen Pain
Royal Society of Chemistry Acting CEO
Ensuring business continuity
We have fully transitioned to remote working for all our teams, in line with our business continuity plans. The teams are working hard to keep the Royal Society of Chemistry operating and supporting our global chemical sciences community during this uncertain time.
Prioritising the safety and wellbeing of staff, we have taken the decision to close our Cambridge office in line with government advice. While we put in place a range of measures to enable us to open our Cambridge offices as a COVID-safe environment after the first lockdown, in light of the on-going restrictions imposed across the UK, we will review in mid-February whether or not to re-open Thomas Graham House.
We also took the decision to keep our Burlington House venue in London closed to the public for the foreseeable future and, as things stand, external events there planned later this year will remain under review.
We will continue to review our plans in line with the latest advice regarding COVID-19 and will update you accordingly should our plans change.
Risk assessment – COVID-19
This risk assessment seeks to outline the control measures adopted to protect our employees and others we come into contact with during this time and utilises the hierarchy of controls which is fundamental to the risk management process.
Download risk assessmentMake your voice heard, what are the impacts of COVID-19 on the UK research base?
Are you a technician in UK Higher Education and Research? Fill out the survey to share your experiences of how the pandemic is impacting on working practices for technicians. The Technician Commitment, in partnership with the Science Council, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Biology, the Wellcome Trust and the Research England funded TALENT programme are undertaking a survey to understand more fully the impact of COVID-19 on the technical community. The results will enable us, as a group of organisations, to explore how we can best support technical colleagues moving forwards.
We continue to emphasise to Government both the importance of R&D funding to the economy and the chemical sciences and the needs of our science at this time.
The chemical sciences’ contribution to the COVID-19 response
The chemical science community is playing an important role in the global response to COVID-19 - from the science of healthcare for those with the virus, to the many people whose work keeps us warm, clean and informed as we stay physically distanced.
We have started sharing #ChemVSCovid hero stories to celebrate these vital contributions. Read our first story about Ellie Laney-Bolton who is supporting the continued operation of the country’s nuclear power stations to keep our lights on, and look out for many other stories to follow here.
You can help us celebrate the chemists across the world who are making a difference by sharing your stories with us - either by e-mail, or using the hashtag #ChemVSCovid on social media. Find out more.
Supporting remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID situation means that teachers and students are working remotely, which brings a range of new challenges. On our Education in Chemistry pages we are offering free resources and ideas to support chemistry teachers, who are now teaching remotely. The pages also provide a range of learning resources for students to use for independent learning.
We recognise that these exceptional circumstances impact how universities can teach the chemistry courses we accredit. We have produced guidance on running practical sessions next academic year, including to help understand the impact of adjustments on accreditation.
Keeping gender on the agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic
Our Breaking the barriers report highlighted barriers disproportionately affecting women’s retention and progression and made recommendations for action. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we joined WISE, the campaign for gender balance in STEM, and 20 other organisations in signing a joint statement to ensure that we pool our resources in order to continue to drive gender equality – now more than ever.
Safeguarding the success of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic
SMEs are well placed to help combat COVID-19 but also stand to be greatly affected by it. Through the RSC EnterprisePlus scheme, we have been talking to SMEs about how their specialist skills and knowledge can be put to good use but also about their concerns for the future. We outline here key issues and actions Government can take to safeguard the success of EnterprisePlus SMEs, which we have shared and discussed with Government contacts.
Enquiries
Our mailboxes are monitored Monday to Friday between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm. If you have any enquiries, do not hesitate to contact us.
As COVID-19 and isolation measures require different ways of working, we have made changes to our programmes and activities to continue to provide the support you need. Find support here.
Details of UK office closures
Details of our office closures can be found here.
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