b'Fostering a Culture of Research and Scholarship(contd)and Technology established six (6) research groupsRapid Research Response to Global andSupport for staff orcommittees.TheyincludedTheSargassumRegional Health Demands Research Seminars Research Group, The Cannabis Research Committee,MembersoftheFacultyofSocialSciencesImproving Writing SkillsThe Caribbean School of Media and Communication TheScanningElectronMicroscopeCommitteespearheaded several research projects in responseIntheAcademicYear2019-2020,theFacultyof(CARIMAC) continued to host their weekly Academic -toprepareandsubmitajointapplicationtoanto the COVID-19 pandemic. These included: Social Sciences (FSS) continued to emphasize andStaffResearchSeminars.Thesewereheldoutof external entity for funding a new Scanning Electron1.Rapid Response Survey to COVID-19 - Dr. Kavitashowcase the importance of high-quality, impactfulaneedtoenhancetheresearchproductivityat Microscope (SEM), The Research Computing GroupJohnson researchbyencouragingandsupportingtheworkCARIMAC.Staffidentifiedsevenbroadresearch - to maximize the use of SPARKSThe UWI Super2.RuralsmallfarmerhouseholdsandincomeofitsacademicsthroughanumberofresearchareastoguidehowtheSchoolwouldgatherdata Computer, The MSc Science Education Committee -shocks from COVIDDr. Patricia Northover initiatives. These included a Writers Retreat, Researchto understand Caribbean media and communication to propose an inter-faculty and inter-departmental3.The impact of COVID-19 on the employment ofGrantWritingWorkshop,andtheprovisionofaexperiences;thesewere:1)Communicationfor MastersprogrammeinSciencewithEducation,HouseholdWorkersinJamaica-Dr.HeatherWriting Room to enhance research and publicationsDevelopment;2)MediaDesign,Productionand andTheEnvironmentalMonitoringGroup.TheRicketts throughacademicwriting.FacultymembersalsoIndustry; 3) Communication Policy and Professional SargassumGrouphasgarneredreasonable4.The effect of COVID-19 on Caribbean DemocracyusedinterdisciplinaryandinnovativeapproachesPractice; 4) Human Communication and Technology;68 funding since being set up while the Environmental- Dr. Lisa Vasciannie toidentifyandaddressrelevantCaribbeanissues5) Media Cultures and Society;6) Strategic Integrated69MonitoringCommitteehasmadesubmissionsfor5.Estimating the impact of COVID-19 on Jamaicanthrough impactful COVID-19 research. Communication;and 7)Journalism Practice. two substantial research grants.MSMEs- Professor David Tennant6.TheSocioeconomicImpactofCOVID-19on TheDepartmentofGeographyandGeologyre- Children in JamaicaDr. Kelly-Ann Dixon-Hamil Selected Conferences and webinars across Campus held face-to-face organized its research efforts around four themes:and online Academic Year 2019 to 2020DisasterStudies,GeospatialResearch,Water Resources,andCoastalEnvironments.InsupportProducing new scholarsof its efforts, the Department revived the Unit for Disaster Studies (UDS), renamed the Map & ImageInasynopticwaythenetbenefitofkeepingthe Library (as the Geospatial Support Group -GSU) and,learningenvironmentagogcanbeseeninthe formalizedtheCaribbeanEnvironmentsResearchpostgraduate students who worked successfully to Group (CERG) and the Water Studies Group (WSG).defendtheirdissertationsbetweenAprilandJuly Tostrengthenthegeospatialcapacityofthe2020.These included 7 PhD and 10 MPhil students Department, 7 high-performance computers and 20from across the Faculties of Science and Technology, research tablets were acquired in January 2020. TheHumanitiesandEducation,SocialSciencesand computers and the research tablets are importantMedical Sciences. These students will add expertise assets for the GSU, which will function as the hub oftoareasofenvironmentbiology,culturalstudies, geospatial expertise across the Department, and aeducation,zoology,mathematicsandmolecular mechanism for engagement and collaboration withbiology. external partners.ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Realigning our Resources with Resilience and Resourcefulness'