Sign up for a place on these workshops, delivered by Dr Jamie Gallagher, one of the most experienced public engagement trainers in the UK. Jamie has previously provided training sessions for BU researchers in evaluation and communication, which have been extremely well-received by attendees:
‘Informative and highly relevant to research practice’
‘Insightful and useful session’
‘Benefitted from meeting and learning from other people’s experiences. Glad to have the opportunity to do this’.
Evaluation of Engagement
This workshop will highlight what you need to ask yourself, and the public, to ensure you can demonstrate the success of your intervention and capture the long term impact of it.
Successful public engagement can benefit research, researchers and the public – but how do you go about demonstrating this change? This workshop will guide you through the best evaluation processes, showing you when, why and, crucially, how to use evaluation to provide reliable, clear data. It will highlight how to demonstrate success to funders, record impact for the REF, help improve your processes, and give you a better understanding of the people you are connecting with.
To book a place on this workshop, please complete the booking form.
Advanced Evaluation
Taking an in-depth look at evaluation, participants will explore data capture, analysis and reporting. From surveys to focus groups, you will learn how to format powerful questions and report meaningful data. Discover how to develop evaluation plans for even the most complex topics. You will also learn how to write evaluation reports for funders or for the REF. This workshop requires good base knowledge of evaluation, ideally from attending the previous Evaluation of Engagement workshop.
To book a place on this workshop please complete the booking form.
NB: While we recommend you attend both sessions, you may judge the first session on its own as appropriate for your needs. However, as the advanced session will build on the knowledge and skills gained in the first session, we do advise against only attending the second.
Being Human takes place 7-16 November this year and is marking its 10th anniversary with the theme of ‘Landmarks’. The organisers say: ‘We will be looking back on landmark events in our history, while imagining landmarks we might yet create. We invite researchers to join us in thinking about physical or metaphorical landmarks and how they shape our world.’
If you would like the chance to take part in the UK’s national festival of the humanities, there are different ways to get involved:
Funded pathway
Festival Event grants: up to £4,000 to organise a single event or multiple events (Deadline: Friday 12 April)
Unfunded pathway
Festival Event: organise a festival event that does not require funding from Being Human (Deadline: Friday 7 June)
If you are interested, you can find guidance for applicants, further details and some frequently asked questions on the Being Human Festival website.
To support the growth of our PGR community, we are delighted to announce up to 10 fully-funded PhD studentships for candidates starting in April 2024 (Funded PhD & MRes studentships | Bournemouth University). The focus of these awards will be on research excellence as we look to REF2029.
The studentships will be awarded via a competitive process to the best candidates who identify a supervisory team and develop research projects which align to one or more of the BU research themes:
Helping people to live better for longer
Helping protect and preserve a sustainable environment
Preparing for and recovery from crisis
Challenging marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation
Helping creative industries and cultural heritage to thrive
Using our expertise to be a catalyst for growth, boosting skills and advancing the region.
With this student focussed funding approach, we aim to develop the excellence of our research culture by attracting high calibre candidates with a passion for research and a strong desire to contribute to BU’s research environment. The allocative process, which is aligned to those adopted for external UKRI fully-funded opportunities, will be overseen by the Interim Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange and administered by the Doctoral College.
UKRIO has announced details of a forthcoming Free Webinar “Social Media and Ethics” on Wednesday 21st February from 10:00 – 11:00 BST.
Research using social media data presents several ethical issues that researchers must navigate to ensure the responsible and respectful use of this data. Some of the primary ethical issues in research using social media includes privacy and informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality, data ownership and terms of use, ethical use of algorithms and AI, sensitive topics and vulnerable populations, consent and minors, deception and online identity, unintended consequences, and transparency and reproducibility.
This webinar discusses these ethical concerns that require a combination of thoughtful consideration, adherence to research guidelines, and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including social media platforms and users.
Dr Nicolas Gold, Associate Professor in Computer Science will lead the webinar, which will cover:
The identification of some key ethics issues when using social media data.
An approach to constructing arguments for ethically defensible research in this space.
A brief “tour” of some platform terms and their potential impact on research.
This webinar is aimed at all researchers using social media and those involved in the ethical review process of projects.
As BU subscribes to UKRIO services, UKRIO webinars are free and open to anyone who may be interested in research integrity and ethics, good research practice and improving research culture and avoiding misconduct.
To register – please click here (takes you to external website).
A packed house joined us at the Black Cherry Café for February’s Café Scientifique event.
They heard from skyscape archaeologist and BU PhD student Pamela Armstrong who spoke about ancient Britons’ relationship with the skies and the stars.
Her research has focused on the first monuments ever built on our landscapes – mounds known as barrows. These communal places made of earth and stone were designed to house the dead, with some theories suggesting that these huge structures were deliberately oriented to the sun, the moon and the stars.
Pamela Armstrong speaking at Cafe Scientifique
Pamela talked about her exploration of barrows across the Cotswolds, mapping their position against stars in the sky that would have been visible from the horizon.
These stars could have acted as useful anchor points for Neolithic communities, with their movement providing a frame of reference for navigation purposes or different times of the year.
The talk was followed by a lively Q&A session, with a range of questions covering topics such as the construction of the barrows and their use, how our night skies have changed over time, the role of women in these ceremonial monuments, and whether similar monuments are found across Europe.
Speaking about why she wanted to take part in the Café Scientifique event, Pamela said:
“One of the things we feel quite strongly about in the skyscape community is simply talking about the work we do. Skyscape archaeology is a relatively new discipline and so we do a lot of outreach.
“It has been fantastic – I was a bit startled when I heard the event was sold out but obviously delighted because that’s what we are here for, to reach as many people as possible. So I was thrilled, and I’ve had very nice responses from people in the audience who seem to have liked it.”
She added: “I hope people will take away a deeper knowledge about skyscapes from the past but also an introduction to the fact that we are all very connected to our sky whether we realise it or not, and I hope they will start looking at the sun, and the moon, and the stars not just from the early Neolithic but for now as well.”
Bournemouth University’s Café Scientifique events take place at the Black Cherry Café in Boscombe on the first Tuesday of the month. The idea is that, over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, people can hear about the latest developments in science and technology.
If you would like to find out more about Café Scientifique, or get involved in sharing your research with the public at future events, read our blog post and register your interest.
Dr Keith Parry co-authors this article about new research which questions whether it is right for children to be involved in high impact sports that risk injury to the brain…
Children’s high-impact sports can be abuse – experts explain why
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disorder likely caused by repeated head injuries. It was first described as dementia pugilistica and punch drunk syndrome almost 100 years ago. CTE continues to be a serious risk associated with high impact sports, such as boxing, American football and rugby.
Although the risks of traumatic brain injuries, such as concussion, and longer-term brain degeneration from repetitive hits in impact sports have been known for decades, some sport governing bodies continue to try and cast doubt onto the relationship between impact sports and CTE. However, media attention has begun to change people’s minds.
This growing awareness is accelerated by the many lawsuits against organising bodies in relation to brain trauma. Former professional and amateur players in sports such as American football, Australian rules football and rugby say their governing bodies failed to prevent harm during their playing careers.
These are not only issues for elite players. Studies into the brains of former players have found CTE in those who only played as amateurs. CTE has also been found in the brains of players under the age of 30 and even those as young as 17.
Each additional year of playing impact sports raises the risk of CTE, by as much as 30% in American football.
The dangers of high-impact sport aren’t contentious. Academic evidence and medical professionals now agree that sport-induced brain trauma leads to degenerative brain disease.
Not suitable for under-18s
Given this context, our recent paper written with Jack Hardwicke, a senior lecturer in the sociology of sport at Nottingham Trent University, has questioned whether it is right for children to participate in sports that intentionally feature impact, particularly involving the head. We argue that allowing under-18s to take part in high impact sports should be viewed as a form of child abuse – we use the term “child brain abuse” – and that these impact sports should be legally prohibited.
We are not calling for adult versions of impact sports to be banned and our argument does not apply to sports or activities where brain trauma might occur by accident. But in sports where impact is a structured part of the game, like boxing – or sports that create rapid brain movements, as in rugby tackling – collisions are not accidents, they are an inherent part of the sport.
The risk of CTE is far higher in sports such as American football and rugby. The odds of developing degenerative brain diseases are increased in former players of impact sports than are found in sports without deliberate impacts or the general population.
But these benefits can still be gained from non-impact versions of sports, such as touch rugby, which can help teach discipline and teamwork without the harm from brain trauma.
There are no health benefits of tackling – and there are no health benefits of being struck in the head. The health benefits of impact rugby or boxing are instead gained from the body’s overall movement.
Tag rugby tends to be faster moving than the sport’s full contact version so is better for improving cardiovascular health. Research has shown that incidents of contact during children’s rugby are the cause of cause of 87% of known injuries. Tackling, in particular, is responsible for 52% of all injuries – with concussion being the most common injury type. Tagging, rather than tackling, saves children’s brains from harm.
Inability to consent
Our research shows that impact sports should be treated equally with other prohibited activities for children, such as smoking. Children are unable to make informed decisions about the long-term risks of these activities. Parental provision for these activities is also socially stigmatised or criminalised.
Our research draws on a number of legal positions that support our argument that neither children nor parents on their behalf can consent to sports that require brain trauma as a necessary component of the sport.
For example, Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to which 195 countries are signatories, covers protection from violence, abuse and neglect. It states that:
Governments must do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and bad treatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.
Some commentators have agreed that while high-impact sports are dangerous, using the term child abuse is a step too far.
However, the NSPCC, the UK’s leading children’s charity, say that physical neglect is a form of abuse that occurs if a child is not kept safe. Allowing children to participate in impact sports while being aware of the harm they can cause is, our research shows, a failure keep children safe.
There is no justifiable health reason for a child to play impact sport over non-impact versions. We are asking that ministers privilege children’s brains over corporate sporting bodies.
We are currently recruiting for an Output Champion to help support preparation for our next REF Submission to Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory. The deadline for expressions of interest is 1 March 2024.
This role is recruited through an open and transparent process, which gives all academic staff the opportunity to put themselves forward. Applications from underrepresented groups (e.g. minority ethnic, declared disability) are particularly welcome.
We are currently preparing submissions to thirteen units (otherwise known as UOAs). Each unit has a leadership team with at least one leader, an output and impact champion. The leadership team are supported by a panel of reviewers who assess the research from the unit. This includes research outputs (journal articles, book chapters, digital artefacts and conference proceedings) and impact case studies.
We currently have vacancies in the following roles:
All roles require a level of commitment which is recognised accordingly with time to review, attend meetings, and take responsibility for tasks.
Undertaking a UOA role can be enjoyable and rewarding as two of our current champions testify:
“As UOA Outputs Champion you develop a detailed knowledge of all the great work that colleagues are doing related to the subject, and the different outlets used for disseminating their work. As an outputs committee member, you also get to know what research is going on across BU, and it’s interesting to see the differences between disciplines. It’s a good way develop your knowledge of the bigger picture of BU’s research, and also to understand the importance of REF and how it works in practice. You do spend quite a bit of time chasing colleagues to put their outputs on BRIAN for REF compliance but hopefully they forgive you!”
Professor Adele Ladkin – UOA 24 Output Champion
“As a UoA 17 impact champion, I work closely with the UoA 17 impact team to encourage the development of a culture of impact across BUBS. I try to pop into Department / research group meetings when I can to discuss impact, and I’ve enjoyed meeting people with a whole range of research interests. Sometimes it can be tough to engage people with impact – understandably; everyone is busy – so it’s important to be enthusiastic about the need for our BU research to reach the public. Overall, the role is about planting the seeds to get researchers thinking about the impact their work might have in the future (as well as the impact they have already had, sometimes without realising!)”
Dr Rafaelle Nicholson – UOA 17 Impact Champion
How to apply
All those interested should put forward a short case (suggested length of one paragraph) as to why they are interested in the role and what they think they could bring to it. These should be clearly marked with the relevant role and unit and emailed to ref@bournemouth.ac.uk by 5pm on 1 March 2024
Further detail on the role and the process of recruitment and selection criteria can be found here:
Meet fellow researchers and academics at the Postgraduate Research Showcase Celebration. Support your PGR community and celebrate some of the amazing research that is taking place at BU!
As part of our BU Fairtrade weeks 2024, we are delighted to invite you to a panel discussion dedicated to academics with an interest in sustainability, to explore connections with Fairtrade through collaboration with the Fairtrade Foundation.
Date: February 27th at 2 pm – Fusion Building, room F305 (in-person only event).
BU is a Fairtrade University; we received the accreditation in 2022 with the highest possible score (3 stars out of 3) and we are among a very small group of universities worldwide to have achieved this. There are plenty of ways for academics to get involved with Fairtrade that will be explored in a panel discussion with the following speakers:
Elena Fernandez-Lee, Education Campaigning Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation: Elena will talk about the Fairtrade University scheme, discussing best practices to embed Fairtrade in teaching and research, and highlighting potential areas of collaboration with BU academics. Elena will also share about the Foundation’s new campaigns about climate justice and decolonization of the curriculum, and outline ways for BU academics to get involved.
Izzy Chalk, BU Sustainability Officer: Izzy will talk about BU’s journey to becoming accredited as a 3-star Fairtrade university, outlining best practices in embedding Fairtrade in the curriculum and emphasising further areas of collaboration between the Sustainability team and BU academics.
Dr Roberta Discetti, BU Fairtrade academic representative: Roberta will share some research-informed practices related to Fairtrade engagement, including NGO/academics cooperation, student co-creation, and multi-stakeholder collaborative initiatives.
The panel discussion will be followed by an optional 30-minute networking where we will have the opportunity to connect with our guest speaker Elena and discuss different ways of expanding the integration of Fairtrade in sustainability teaching and research. This event is open to all BU and AUB academics, to maximise opportunities for collaboration across departments and faculties.
February’s webinar welcomes Heather Olive the Age Friendly Community Coordinator for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
In a response to the older population increasing globally The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2010 created an initiative called ‘Age Friendly Communities.’ The aim is that Age Friendly Communities enable people to continue to stay living in their homes, living the life they want to live for as long as possible. Importantly in these communities, older residents help to shape the place that they live. Locally we have built a network of over 80 organisations working towards this common aim. Nationally we share knowledge and best practice through the support of the Centre for Ageing Better.
Community voices is a collaboration between BU PIER partnership and Centre for Seldom Heard Voices to provide a platform and a voice to local community activists.
The Month in Research is our monthly round-up sharing research and knowledge exchange successes from across the previous month, showcasing the amazing work taking place across BU.
Your achievements
Thank you to everyone who has used the online form to put forward their achievements, or those of colleagues, this month.
With an international team of researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Illinois, and Juntendo University, Dr Daniel Lock (Business School) co-authored a new study in Social Science and Medicine. The research demonstrated that the well-being benefits of physical activity were activated when the activity was internalised as a meaningful feature of participants self-concept. Shared by Dr Daniel Lock on behalf of Dr Yuhei Inoue, Dr Daniel Lock, and Dr Miki Satoro
Fred McClintock (Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) has completed the first publication of his PhD: Assessing the Impact of Sensor Orientation on Accelerometer-Derived Angles: A Systematic Analysis and Proposed Error Reduction.
Funding
Congratulations to all those who have had funding for research and knowledge exchange projects and activities awarded in January. Highlights include:
Dr Szilvia Ruszev (Faculty of Media and Communication) has been awarded c.£172,000 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for their project Shared Post-Human Imagination: Human-AI Collaboration in Media Creation
Professor Marcin Budka (Faculty of Science and Technology) has been awarded c.£225,000 by Innovate UK for their KTP (Virtual): This is Crowd Ltd – Generative AI driven marketing campaign customisation tool
Professor Marios Angelopoulos (Faculty of Science and Technology) has been awarded c.£28,000 by Ofgem for their project Affordable carbon monoxide and heat verbal warning alarm
Publications
Congratulations to all those who have had work published across the last month. Below is a selection of publications from throughout January:
Content for The Month in Research has been collected using the research and knowledge exchange database (RED), the Bournemouth University Research Online (BURO) repository, and submissions via The Month in Research online form. It is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list. All information is correct as of 30.1.24.
Please use The Month in Research online form to share your highlights and achievements, or those of colleagues, for the next monthly round-up.
New paper on migrant workers from Nepal was published this week in KMC Journal. The paper ‘Risk Perception and Protective Health Measure Regarding COVID-19 among Nepali Labour Migrants’ Returnee from India’ has Shanti Khanal as lead author [1]. The journal is Open Access, hence freely available online across the globe. The paper examines the association between risk perception and protective behaviour regarding COVID-19 in returnee migrant workers. A total of 384 returnee migrants, based in a quarantine centre on return from India, participated in the study. Using the health belief model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, a structured interview questionnaire was designed and administered. A further three health workers were interviewed face-to-face.
The study showed that the perceived risk of COVID-19 among participants was medium to low. Participants perceived few barriers and had low self-efficacy levels compared to other constructs. This study further showed that participants were more likely to follow a range of protective health behaviours, but not found all. The study revealed a significant association between all risk perception constructs and protective behaviours (p=< 0.05). This study accordingly highlighted a significant relationship between the respondents’ risk perception level and protective health behaviours. The study envisaged that public awareness of risk to the people who returned from India is essential to increase risk perception during the outbreak.
The study works towards fulfilling SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), especially ‘Good health and well-being’ (SDG 3) and Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH)
Reference:
Khanal, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., Sharma, M., Acharya, J., Sharma, C., Kharel, S., Gaulee, U., Bhattarai, K., Pasa, R.B., Bohora, P. (2024) Risk Perception and Protective Health Measure Regarding COVID-19 among Nepali Labour Migrants’ Returnee from India. KMC Journal, 6(1): 313–330. https://doi.org/10.3126/kmcj.v6i1.62364
Are you a Postgraduate Researcher at Bournemouth University? Do you want to share your research with a public audience and improve your communication skills? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you.
We are looking for 3-4 post-graduate researchers to take part in a special edition of our Café Scientifique public event series to deliver a short talk about your research to a friendly public audience. The event will take place from 6:30-8:00pm on Tuesday 7 May 2024 at The Black Cherry in Boscombe.
Café Scientifique is a fun and informal way to engage the public with your research and get feedback from different perspectives. You will receive training and support from our experienced Café Scientifique organisers in the Public Engagement Team, who will help you prepare and deliver your talk with confidence.
Please complete a short form to let us know why you are interested in getting involved, and include a bit about your research.
If selected, we will send you guidance on how to develop and deliver an engaging talk to a public audience. We will ask you to produce and practice a ‘draft’ version of your talk.
You will be invited to attend a training session on Tuesday 9 April to deliver your talk in front of the organisers and other speakers involved with the event. We will provide you with supportive feedback and ask you to do the same to the other selected speakers.
The Public Engagement Team will organise the event and promote it to local public audiences. The team will support you every step of the way. From developing your ideas to engage with a public audience, to setting up and promoting your event. We will also be on hand on the day to help your event run smoothly
If you are interested, please complete this form. The deadline for applying is Friday 8 March, 5pm.
Please note: Completing this form does not guarantee you a space. We will be in touch with you to discuss your interest.
If you have any questions about getting involved with Café Sci, please get in touch with the Public Engagement with Research Team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.
At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with our research. The Public Engagement with Research team in Research Development and Support can help promote your event to relevant audiences through our monthly newsletters and via our social media channels.
To be considered for inclusion, your event or activity must be;
Focused on BU research, either solely or as part of a wider programme. Events or activities that do not involve BU research, such as marketing or recruitment events, will not be accepted.
Intended for and open to non-academic audiences, either entirely or as a portion of the audience.
Submitted, at the latest, in the first two weeks of the month preceding the event. For example, an event taking place in June should be submitted via the form any time before 14 May.
Event descriptions may be edited for consistency in style with other content.
Congratulations to Dr Gloria Khamkar, Principal Academic in Journalism from the Faculty of Media and Communication, for her success in securing a Global Ambassador Programme award from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
Dr Khamkar is at the start of a collaboration with Dr Monica Hwang, Associate Professor, Sociology Department, from the University of Saskatchewan and the two put forward their bid at the end of 2023. Securing these travel awards was a highly competitive process, and both of their applications were successful.
The award provides funding for both academics to travel to each university to work together to develop ideas for future research. Both have a shared interest in immigrant radio and initially plan to explore this in Toronto.
During her visit to University of Saskatchewan, Dr Khamkar will conduct knowledge exchange activities with Dr Hwang. Dr Khamkar will be teaching on the Multiculturalism course that Dr Hwang runs and conduct research seminar in-person in March/April 2024. Dr. Hwang intends to visit Bournemouth University in the summer of 2024. During these visits, Dr Khamkar and Dr Hwang plan to develop a joint research project proposal on ‘Impact of community radio on refugee community development in the UK and Canada’. This project has a potential to shape the migration policies of the UK and Canada by offering evidence-backed insights on community radio’s impact.
Dr. Khamkar’s research interests align seamlessly with the research areas of University of Saskatchewan’s Sociology Department, which holds international acclaim for its research in globalisation, immigration, transnationalism, integration, and race/ethnic relations. Dr. Khamkar’s contribution to cultural and migration studies, particularly through her research and published work on ethnic community radio for migrants, including her book “The Evolution of British Asian Radio in England” published with Springer Nature in April 2023, promises to enrich the research and teaching environment of the USAsk’s Sociology Department. Dr Khamkar is also a community radio broadcaster. She is currently leading a study on ‘Mobile Storytelling with Ukrainian Migrants in Dorset, England’ to help with their integration process, in partnership with the Ukrainian Community Dorset. The invaluable insights she would bring will be a significant asset to both the staff and student community at University of Saskatchewan.
Smilarly, Dr. Hwang’s academic expertise bridges the fields of inequality, race, and politics. Her research has focused on ethno-racial inequality, social and political trust, and civic activity. Her projects include editing and authoring “Social Inequality in Canada: Dimensions of Disadvantage,” published with Oxford University Press in February 2022 and examining the racialization processes of East Asians during COVID-19. She conducted this research during Visiting Senior Research Fellowship at the London School of Economics and Political Science (January 2022-2023). She is currently leading a study about voting options for permanent residents in Saskatoon, in partnership with the City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Open Door Society and is analysing the economic and political integration of Ukrainian migrants who arrived in Canada after Ukraine gained political independence. These studies are funded by the Research Junction Project and by the Canadian Centre for Ukrainian Studies.
BU signed a partnership agreement with University of Saskatchewan in 2023 and the two international offices have worked over the last twelve months to match academics in areas including science, nursing and media. The Global Engagement Hub team is now working towards a study exchange agreement with University of Saskatchewan and are identifying curriculum areas where this location will be of interest to students.
If you are interested in academic collaboration for research or in developing study exchange with University of Saskatchewan, please do get in touch at globalbu@bournemouth.ac.uk. Find out more about University of Saskatchewan here.
The Secrets of Public Engagement – Free Online Event
Tuesday 27 February 1-1:45pm
Are you passionate about sharing your work in STEM? Do you want to capture the imagination when explaining your love of science? Join the team behind New Scientist Live to discover the secrets behind the UK’s biggest science show.
In this free lunchtime virtual event, host Martin Davies (Head of Event Production, New Scientist) will welcome science communicator and engagement consultant Dr Jamie Gallagher, as he reveals how to prepare memorable talks and interactive stands that leave a lasting impression. Martin will also be joined by colleague Jacqui Mccarron, as they explore what they look for when inviting speakers and selecting exhibitors for New Scientist Live.
Jamie Gallagher is an award-winning freelance communicator and engagement professional with ten years’ experience in the delivery and evaluation of quality engagement projects. Working across dozens of institutions and subject areas he has helped improve the reach, profile and impact of research engagement in almost every discipline. Jamie is also a science communicator and can often be found on TV, radio or stage making research accessible.
Who should watch?
Sci-Comms Professionals
Public Engagement Officers
Researchers involved with public engagement
Science speakers and demonstrators
STEM ambassadors
Anyone else interested in communicating STEM topics to a public audience
Benefits of watching
Learn about how New Scientist Live communicates complicated ideas to a general audience
Discover how to have the greatest impact when exhibiting
Find out what makes a great science talk
Learn how to amplify your message to a wider, underrepresented audience
Booking information:
This online event will start at 1pm on Tuesday 27 February 2024. Access to a recording of the event will be exclusively available to registrants for the 12 months following the live event. The on-demand recording will be available to view within 24 hours of the live discussion.
Ring Central will email your ticket confirmation to you immediately after registering. You will also receive a separate email from Ring Centralwith a link to access the event within a week of the event start date; please note that each link is unique and should not be shared.
Tickets are non-transferable to any other New Scientist event.
Would you like to play a key role in supporting preparations for the Engagement & Impact element of BU’s REF2029 submission?
The REF Impact Subcommittee (RISC) has a vacancy for a Chair, which is open to all members of the Professoriate. You are invited to submit an Expression of Interest by 5pm Monday 5th February.
RISC reports on progress in the development of impact case studies to the REF Committee, making recommendations on impact resourcing and ensuring evidence of impact is robustly recorded.
Key responsibilities include:
Chairing the quarterly RISC meetings.
Ensuring discussion is fair, open and supportive.
Providing guidance in determining where greatest resourcing and support may be required, according to progress updates from impact champions.
Acting as champion for raising awareness across BU of the importance of REF impact case studies in relation to QR funding for the institution as a whole.
Application process:
Please submit a short case (one page max.) to impact@bournemouth.ac.uk, outlining why you are interested in this important role, and the knowledge, skills and experience you think you could bring to it. Applications from underrepresented groups (e.g. women, minority ethnic, declared disability) are particularly welcome. The deadline is: 5pm, Monday 5th February.
EoIs are reviewed against the selection criteria detailed below by a gender-balanced selection panel comprising:
Chair of the REF Steering Group
Chair of the REF Committee
RDS representative
In the event of there being just one EoI received for a particular panel member role, the panel will still review it using the selection criteria to ensure the applicant is suitable for the role.
Further details on the role and selection criteria are here:
The panel will give each EoI a score out of 15, based on how well they score against the criteria outlined below. These are equally weighted, with each criterion carrying a total possible score of 5. The panel will offer the role to the applicants with the highest ranked EoIs. A member of the panel will provide feedback to all applicants.
Knowledge and experience of REF and research impact (scored out of 5): The Chair/Deputy Chair are expected to have a thorough knowledge of the REF process, preparations and timeline and the requirements relating to the impact submission for REF2029. Ideally, they will have been involved in preparations for previous REF exercises or submitted an impact case study. It is expected that they will be practising researchers and will have a breadth of understanding of research across BU.
Experience of chairing meetings and reaching consensus to ensure sound decision-making (scored out of 5): The Chair/Deputy Chair will need to be able to chair meetings effectively and ensure prioritisation decisions are made in alignment with the requirements of the impact element of BU’s REF submission.
Plans for leading the impact agenda across the University (scored out of 5): The Chair/Deputy Chair are responsible for motivating the impact champions of each Unit of Assessment, as well as the wider research community, to optimise BU’s performance in the Engagement and Impact element of REF2029. They should have ideas for how they will do this.
Questions
Any queries regarding the process should be directed to impact@bournemouth.ac.uk. Specific questions about the Chair role should be directed to REF Committee Chair Professor Einar Thorson
The REF team have announced an update on the People, Culture and Environment (PCE) element of the REF2029 exercise.
A project has been commissioned to co-develop, with the research community, indicators to be used for the assessment of PCE. These indicators will be used to evidence and support institutions’ PCE submissions as part of a structured questionnaire for REF2029 submissions.
A pilot exercise to enable in-depth testing of the PCE indicators will run alongside the project. This will involve the drafting of example PCE submissions by a sample of HEIs for assessment by pilot panels, in a selected subset of Units of Assessment (UoA).
More details can be found on the REF2029 website, along with information on how HEIs can get involved in the pilot.
Being Human takes place 7-16 November this year and is marking its 10th anniversary with the theme of ‘Landmarks’. The organisers say: ‘We will be looking back on landmark events in our history, while imagining landmarks we might yet create. We invite researchers to join us in thinking about physical or metaphorical landmarks and how they shape our world.’
UKRIO has announced details of a forthcoming Free Webinar “Social Media and Ethics” on Wednesday 21st February from 10:00 – 11:00 BST. 
We are looking for 3-4 post-graduate researchers to take part in a special edition of our Café Scientifique public event series to
Would you like to play a key role in supporting preparations for the Engagement & Impact element of BU’s REF2029 submission?
Upcoming opportunities for PGRs – collaborate externally
BU involved in new MRF dissemination grant
New COVID-19 publication
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024
Horizon Europe News – December 2023