Georgina Ferry interviews Patrick Grant, Vesuvius Chair of Materials and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research), 25 January 2022.
Topics discussed include (00:00:30) PG's early studies in Materials Engineering in Nottingham, PhD at Oxford in the Materials Department, various posts at Oxford; (00:01:25) PG's motivations and big questions behind research; (00:02:06) scientific approaches taken during research, including simulations and experiments; (00:03:19) academic leadership role; (00:05:23) PG's first memory of COVID-19 in early 2020 and impact on the University; (00:07:50) the response of the University including shutting down during the Government-imposed lockdown; (00:12:00) Crisis Management team; (00:12:43) University finances and contingency planning as a result of lockdown; (00:18:30) support for staff working remotely during lockdown; (00:20:36) staff survey, funding for rebuilding research momentum; (00:22:47) supervision of research group, including inducting new researchers remotely; (00:25:39) Research Staff Hub; (00:31:10) researchers' decisions to pivot their research to COVID-19 and assistance from donors in supporting this research; (00:34:09) COVID-19 Research Response Fund; (00:34:55) Strategic Research Fund; (00:37:40) funded projects under the COVID-19 Research Response Fund; (00:41:10) communications with other universities; (00:42:29) return to on-site working; (00:46:19) digital working, work-life balance; (00:48:29) research collaboration between departments; (00:50:45) personal response to COVID-19; (00:52:02) changes to working hours during the pandemic and working from home; (00:53:16) involvement in COVID-19 safety regime, development of on-site working protocols; (00:55:15) PG's personal well-being during the pandemic; (00:56:26) changes to approach to work, pace of work and research at Oxford.
