Two projects receive Coronavirus research awards

coronavirus

Two Humanities projects have received awards for new projects to address the social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of Coronavirus.

The Social Sciences Division's Urgent Response Fund awarded grants to projects across the University which support immediate impact and engagement work relating to the global crisis.

One of the winners is Lockdown2020, a crowd-sourcing project led by Dr Stuart Lee of the English Faculty in collaboration with IT Services and the City of Oxford Museum. The project aims “to capture the daily life of staff and students, what has changed, and what are their experiences.” The material that is submitted will form a digital archive of memories for current and future generations to explore and study.

Staff and students can visit the project website to contribute their own experiences. They will be asked for:

  • A description of your typical day/or plan for your day
  • Pictures from your 'new normal' life (anything that represents your daily life in lockdown, or what is happening in your neighbourhood)
  • A message to the future -  a short time capsule message for future staff, students, and historians of the University describing the current times (audio, video, or text)

Another recipient is Contagion Cabinet for Covid, which is led by Professor Sally Shuttleworth, also of the English Faculty. This project brings together humanities and medical researchers with Chipping Norton Theatre and Oxford Spires Academy to produce a theatrical film of drama, discussion and disease for the Coronavirus era. Professor Shuttleworth explained: “Interweaving songs, scenes from plays, and short extracts from newspapers, the production will explore the social history of contagion while responding sensitively to the current crisis”.

For more information on these projects, and the full list of awards, visit the Social Sciences website.