Category / Events

Book now – The supporting eating and drinking well with dementia at home event

Thursday 24 July 2025

10:30 AM – 3:30 PM

The Eating and Drinking Well with Dementia at Home Guide is a new resource to support people living with dementia at home, specifically designed for family carers, friends, and home care workers.

We are honoured to welcome our keynote speaker, Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive, Homecare Association, who brings extensive expertise spanning social care, health, housing, and the technology sector. We will also be joined by people with lived experience, researchers, and representatives from key stakeholder organisations.

Everyone interested in nutrition, dementia, and home care is welcome, whether you’re looking to learn more, support a family member, or are a care provider in the social care or healthcare sector!

• Keynote address

• Networking over lunch

• About TOMATO project and research findings that informed the development of the resources

• Panel and audience discussions

• Official launch of the resource (print copy available on the day).

For further information on this event, please contact HSSRKEAdministrator@bournemouth.ac.uk

Book your place now at www.bournemouth.ac.uk/dementia-at-home Please let us know of any specific dietary requirements.

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 1 week to go!

PG research

1 week to go till the Postgraduate Research Summer Social. We’re so excited to welcome you to the Branksome Dene Room for an afternoon of patio games, delicious food and sunshine by the beach! 

We’ve booked this stunning location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and reconnect up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Register here

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend. 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

World Wellbeing Week 2025 – free activities for PGRs

PG research

The international awareness event World Wellbeing Week takes place in June each year. To celebrate, the Doctoral College is pleased to share a variety of free activities available to PGRs to give you the opportunity to unwind and look after your mental, physical, and social wellbeing. 

Herbal tea and arts & crafts

Enjoy some arts and crafts in the sun whilst relaxing with herbal teas!

📅 When: Tuesday 24 June – Friday 27 June, 10:00-14:00
📍 Where: Doctoral College (DLG08) outside patio, Talbot Campus

Community Garden volunteering

Spend some time enjoying nature and volunteer in the garden to support the mission to grow food for each other and those in need.

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 12:00-14:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Seed bombs & sweet treats

Join us for a fun, hands-on activity where you’ll make your own eco-friendly seed bombs using clay, soil, and seeds. Take these home with you and plant them in your garden or green up a forgotten public place! 🌱
There will also be some delicious sweet treats for you to enjoy!

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 15:00-16:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Register here

Table tennis

Following last year’s successful table tennis wellbeing event, we have booked the SportBU studio again for more table tennis fun!

Socialise with other PGR students and get active in a relaxed environment. This will not be a competitive tournament, just simply come and have a friendly hit.

📅 When: Wednesday 25 June, 19:00-20:30
📍 Where: SportBU, Talbot Campus

Register here

Paint & Sip to Summer

Unwind and paint your own little summer inspired canvas to take home for decoration over tasty mocktails, laughter and summery bites!

📅 When: Thursday 26 June, 16:00-18:00
📍 Where: BU Community Garden, Talbot Campus

Register here

 

Click here for more information about World Wellbeing Week 2025

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Reflecting on Alzheimer’s Awareness Week: A Day of Learning, Connection and Innovation

On Monday 20th May, we were proud to host a packed day of events at Bournemouth University in support of Alzheimer’s Awareness Week — bringing together housing professionals, students, researchers, and community partners to raise awareness and share ideas around dementia-friendly practices.

Our day began with an insightful Dementia Friends session, led by the Alzheimer’s Society. Attendees learned more about what it’s like to live with dementia and how small, everyday actions can make a big difference. At the end of the session, everyone also received their Dementia Friends badge, joining a growing network of people committed to creating a more dementia-friendly society.
After lunch, we explored the Time for Dementia programme — an inspiring initiative connecting healthcare students with people living with dementia and their carers to foster deeper empathy and understanding.
The afternoon saw us dive into some thought-provoking research and innovation. Dr Aisling Flynn shared her work on how virtual reality technology can help combat social isolation for people living with dementia, while Dr Michele Board presented the SERVED project, examining the unique needs of military veterans affected by dementia.
After a short break, we rounded off the day with the exciting launch of ‘Insight Dementia: Going into Hospital’ — a brand-new resource for hospital staff, featuring immersive VR demonstrations and printed copies of the resource given to attendees and practice partners.
It was a true pleasure to welcome a mix of staff, students, practice partners attend these sessions and raise awareness for dementia. Thank you to everyone who joined us for an inspiring, informative day!

Successful academic writing, publishing and collaboration workshop at BU

PG research, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

Last week’s workshop on ‘Academic Writing, Publishing & Collaborating’ held at Talbot Campus organised by Mrs. Anjana Paudyal, Ph.D. student in FHSS (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) was very engaging and very well attended.  This event was part of the Doctoral College’s Research Culture and Community workshop series.  The workshop was opened by Anjana, who spoke about publishing her first PhD paper in the first half year of her part-time PhD journey.

Key sessions in this interactive workshop included presentations from Ms. Jillian Ireland based at UHD (University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust) and academics based at BU.  Jillian spoke about her experience of publishing in practice journals as well as publishing papers about practice in academic journals.

Whilst Dr. Pramod Regmi, Principal Academic in International Health in FHSS stressed the importance of paying attention to publishing metrics and identifiers, including h-factors, impact factors, and social media use in academic publishing.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Research Culture Champion in FHSS outlined ideas for turning PhD chapters in papers and he also highlighted BU’s unique option of doing a so-called ‘Integrated thesis‘.  The integrated thesis format allows students to incorporate papers into their thesis.  These can be published papers, papers accepted for publication, papers submitted, prepared but not submitted papers and other unpublished papers or reports.

Dr. Orlanda Harvey is a senior lecturer in Social Work at BU, specialising in Developing Professional Relationships and Leadership, she presented replying to reviewers.   The Question & Answer session was lively and engaging.

Last, but not least, Anjana Paudyal, the organiser, and presenters would like to thank the Doctoral College for supporting this important event!

Presenting SERVED at the KCL Veterans’ Mental Health Conference

SERVED – Supporting Evidence-based Research for Veterans Experiencing Dementia

We are pleased to share that Dr Michele Board recently had the wonderful opportunity to present at the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference at King’s College London on 19th May, an event dedicated to sharing research, lived experiences, and innovations aimed at improving mental health outcomes for our veteran community.
Why dementia matters in the veteran community
Dementia is a growing public health concern, and its impact within the veteran population deserves special attention. Military service can expose individuals to unique risk factors — such as traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and heightened stress exposure — which research suggests may influence cognitive health later in life. Despite this, dementia in veterans is still a relatively under-researched and under-acknowledged issue.
Key points from the conference
We were delighted to present some of the work we have been doing with veterans as part of the SERVED project and showcase excerpts of our documentary film, highlighting the need for increased focus on tailored, veteran-specific approaches to dementia care and support.
In the session, Michele shared findings from our research, including the relevance of dementia awareness, as well as findings from the workshops we ran with veterans living with dementia and their carers. One of the striking points Michele raised is that much of the existing research in this field has been predominantly US-based. In fact, a recent literature review found no published studies on UK veterans’ experiences of dementia at the time of searching.
Stigma around dementia remains a challenge within the general public, and it may be even more pronounced in military culture. Combined with increased exposure to risk factors within the military for developing dementia, this makes awareness-raising within veteran communities especially important. Encouraging open conversations about memory concerns and dementia could make a real difference in helping veterans seek support earlier, improving outcomes and quality of life.
What’s next?
Presenting at this conference wasn’t just about sharing our research — it was about starting conversations and building connections. Conversations about how we ensure no veteran feels isolated or overlooked as they age, and how we integrate dementia support into the wider framework of support for veterans. The discussions sparked at the conference led to new interest and increased awareness within the veteran community, highlighting the need to keep pushing this important agenda forward.
Presenting at this conference wasn’t just about sharing our research — it was about starting conversations and building connections. Conversations about how we ensure no veteran feels isolated or overlooked as they age, and how we integrate dementia support into the wider framework of support for veterans. The discussions sparked at the conference led to new interest and increased awareness within the veteran community, highlighting the need to keep pushing this important agenda forward.
Final thoughts
We’re very grateful to King’s College London and the Forces in Mind Trust for providing a platform to shine a light on this important issue, and we look forward to seeing how this conversation continues to grow.

The Wessex Nutrition Research Network and the INFORmED project

Discover how we can work together to improve the lives of people living in Wessex through nutrition research.

We need you for a short meeting: 

Are you Interested in research and nutrition?

Do you want to improve nutritional outcomes across the life course?

If so, please come to one of our engagement events (online or face-to-face) to share your priorities and experiences.

Key dates:

Online: Tuesday 1st July (12.30 – 2.30 pm) or Wednesday 2nd July (9.30-11.30 am)

or

In-person: Wednesday 9th July (10 am to 2 pm, Registration from 9.30 am) Room LE30 at University Hospital Southampton, SO16 6YD

The Wessex Nutrition Research Network and the INFORmED project are a new Wessex Health Partners collaboration led by University Hospital Southampton and Bournemouth University, which aims to improve nutritional health outcomes across the life course.

The‘INFORmED’ project focuses on Improving Nutritional Outcomes for people across Wessex by Engaging Dietitians and Nutritionists in Research. Specifically, we aim to:

Connect dietitians, nutritionists, organisations, patients, the public, and the community with a shared interest in nutrition.

Collaborate to improve the lives of people living in Wessex.

Develop a sustainable, collaborative, inclusive network to tackle key nutritional challenges and priorities across the life-course to improve health and well-being in Wessex.

Grow new research capability in nutrition interdisciplinary research led by underrepresented professions, and in particular, dietitians and nutritionists

‘INFORmED’ engagement events are open to anyone interested in improving nutrition across Wessex. We particularly encourage dietitians, nutritionists, and managers who are interested in getting started or developing their clinical academic journey, as well as those interested in overweight, obesity, and young people.

We are delighted to invite attendees to an event supporting dietitians and nutritionists of all grades (pre- and post-registration; ANutr and RNutr) across Wessex to engage in research and evidence-based opportunities.

Educators, managers, academics, community/council members, interested organisations/individuals, and industry representatives are also welcome.

These events are aimed at anyone interested in starting in or advancing their clinical academic ambitions in nutrition research.

If you would like to attend, please complete this ‘Eventbrite’ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1394795052549?aff=oddtdtcreator

and a short survey (https://forms.office.com/e/j8dP8BHPey). The survey includes a short scoping survey that will be used at the engagement event.

 

Survey link:

https://forms.office.com/e/j8dP8BHPey

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 2 weeks to go!

PG research

2 weeks to go till the Postgraduate Research Summer Social. We’re so excited to welcome you to the Branksome Dene Room for an afternoon of patio games, delicious food and sunshine by the beach! 

We’ve booked this stunning location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and reconnect up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Register here

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend. 

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

ERC Advanced Grant 2025 Webinar

Funding opportunities

This information, with some edits, is reposted from recent UKRO news.

The UK Research Office (UKRO), in its capacity as UK National Contact Point for the European Research Council (ERC), is organising a webinar for researchers who are interested in applying for the 2025 or any of the future ERC Advanced Grant calls. Attendance is free of charge, however, registration for the webinar is required. The session will last 2 hours.

The webinar will provide information on the submission process, how proposals are evaluated and other elements you’ll need to consider when designing a project for your research excellence idea ahead of the ERC Advanced Grant deadline of 28th August 2025.

Antonino Puglisi, UK National Contact Point, and Professor Rachel Gibson will be joining the webinar. Professor Rachel Gibson will share details of her journey towards getting an ERC Advanced grant.