I’ve been overwhelmed by the emails and comments of support from the wider research sector, not just members, particularly in relation to the letter that I sent to The Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak, MP Chancellor of the Exchequer.

In the letter I highlighted the value of the industry to UK plc and drew particular attention to vulnerable casual workers and SMEs. I have just followed up with a second letter requesting that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme be extended to include face-to-face interviewers and researchers.

MRS is having weekly discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and we use that forum to raise queries that come into us from the sector relating to business management and resilience. Our new Coronavirus portal has proved very popular, especially the Coronavirus FAQs published this week.

I am very happy to note that Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever - one of our loyal sponsors over the years - has pledged to put small suppliers at the top of the payment list. 

I have written to AURA and the members of the MRS Senior Client Council to ask that they follow similar ethical business practices. Here are the key areas that I asked clients to consider:

  1. Follow the lead of Morrisons and Unilever in prioritising payments to SMEs.
  2. Encourage more research commissioning during this time as in a Covid-19 society. Now more than ever research is needed to deliver the evidence and insight to understand the complex and wide-ranging impact of the pandemic.
  3. Talk to procurement departments to ensure the research supply chain is considered as they develop recovery policies.
  4. Keep reminding stakeholders of the value of research, so awareness remains consistent.
  5. Use this time to train staff with the increasing number of online modules on offer.
  6. Raise the for case for research and insight by using my letters to the Chancellor - feel free to use them.
  7. Do not treat research suppliers as a free resource, especially at this time - please pay suppliers on time.

Virtual training

We are hugely grateful to our trainers and facilitators who have worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to reformat our hugely successful programme of face-to-face training into a virtual classroom for members and non-members. You can see upcoming virtual training here.

Guidance and support

Our resources hub contains MRS guidance and third party advice on business resilience from experts across the business community. There’s also a growing FAQ section with input from our weekly discussions with BEIS.

News and updates

Our news and editorial team have been scouring their contacts to bring you news and views as they happen including a comprehensive run down of research trackers and studies that seek to understand consumer attitudes and behaviours during the Coronavirus pandemic.

I hope you find this email useful – I will continue to update you in the weeks to come. I also urge you to contact me if there are areas where you would like MRS support that are not currently covered.

Now more than ever MRS must fulfil its duty to protect, promote and support the research sector, so that it is in as good as shape as possible after this extremely difficult time has passed.

Molecules

Coronavirus: help and support

Find FAQs, research guidance and links to third party advice on business resilience.

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