Category / Events

Presenting Advances in Marking Medical Images at NLP Healthcare Summit 2025

international

📢 The NLP Heathcare Summit 2025 is nearly in a week. This year, I am looking forward to showcase advances that were made at Bournemouth University in Understanding Medical Concepts via LLM in Textual Series Narratives of Imaging Series ⚕️

In this talk we cover LLM evaluation concepts through the detailed overview of manual reporting directions in liver cancer imaging. We cover radiological imaging aspects that doctors tend to mention ✍️ and see how these aspects could be retrieved by LLM 🤖 by means of NLP and IR techniques. We provide recommendations on model scale choice and findings out of result analysis.

These advances were achieved while at Centre for Applied Creative Technologies CfACTs+ by working on “Marking Medical Image Reports Automatically with Natural Language Processing (NLP-MMI)” project.

Dr. Nicolay Rusnachenko
Research Fellow at Centre For Applied Creative Technologies PLUS (CFACT+)
Bournemouth University

BA ECRN South West & South Wales events

SWSW Webinar Series: How to Create and Deliver an Effective Presentation

Malcolm Love – Weds 2nd April, 1200-1330 Zoom

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) – Southwest & South Wales (SWSW) invites ECRs across humanities and social sciences to its Webinar Series.

In this webinar Malcolm Love will talk about how to prepare and deliver highly effective presentations, including tips on presenting material and yourself: overcoming stage fright, storytelling, body language. This will be an interactive event.

Malcolm (https://malcolmlove.org/) is a former senior producer (programme maker) at the BBC. He is an independent producer, radio presenter, lecturer and public communication skills coach.  He specialises in public engagement skills and has more than 25 years’ experience in delivering skill building workshops and masterclasses around the world in over 40 countries.

REGISTER HERE

SWSW Connect: online connection and inspiration each month

Tuesday 15th April 1200 – 1300  Zoom

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) – Southwest & South Wales (SWSW) invites ECRs across humanities and social sciences to a monthly ECR-driven online gathering where we get to know each other, exchange knowledge, support and inspiration. Meetings combine thematic content with time for networking and fostering new connections across the region.

REGISTER HERE

April’s topic:

Continuing the REACH Principles: What does Reach IN, Reach OUT, Reach BEYOND mean for us as individuals and as a Network?

How can we best use the ECRN for connecting with others (Reach Out) and using the supportive environment to extend skills (Reach Beyond)? We will discuss this together as a group and in smaller breakout groups which will allow time for connecting with each other.

For more information, email Linda Lanyon

Information about the BA ECR Network.

CWLTH Research Seminar & Centre Meeting

PG research, student research

The Centre for Wellbeing and Long-Term Health (CWLTH) will be hosting their next Research Seminar and Centre meeting at 11:00 on Tuesday 22nd April. PhD student Yagya Adhikari will be presenting their doctoral research exploring ‘Parental migration for work and psychosocial problems among left-behind adolescents in Nepal.‘ Click HERE to join this meeting on Teams. Contact CWLTH@bournemouth.ac.uk for more information about the Centre.

NCCA Research: Ensuring the Quality of Autonomous Intelligent Systems through the Guide to Ethical Assessment of the Product

IEEE CertifAIEd Four Phases

Image Source Link

So far, I successfully complete IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA training program 🎓, dedicated to guide Ethical Assessment and Product Improvement using the CertifAIEd framework.

The following Wednessday 26th of March 2025, as a part of NCCA Research Seminars, I am looking forward to briefly demostrate the potentials of earned skills in the following talk:

Title: Ensuring the Quality of Autonomous Intelligent Systems: A Guide to Ethical Assessment and Product Improvement using the IEEE CertifAIEd framework. 

Description: Many products employ Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS) including: transportation (self-driving cars), manufacturing, retail / customer service, healthcare, finance, education (AI learning platforms). The use of a quality framework to manage the risks of AIS is crucial to protect users and grow product adoption. The standards association IEEE offers the ability to evaluate the quality of any AIS using an evaluation framework – CertifAIEd. Having recently completed the first stage of IEEE CertifAIEd training, I will present an overview of the potentials of CertifAIEd and the route to become an authorized assessor.

Dr. Nicolay Rusnachenko
Research Fellow at Centre For Applied Creative Technologies PLUS (CFACT+)
Bournemouth University

Research Connect Seminar: February & March 2025 Recap

PG research, Publishing

The Research Connect seminar series, organized by the Department of Marketing, Strategy, and Innovation at the Business School, continued successfully throughout February and March 2025. These sessions have provided an excellent platform for colleagues and PGR’s to showcase their research, share insights, and engage in thought-provoking discussions.

February 12 Session

We kicked off the February seminar with Prof. Jeff Bray, who presented his work on last year’s Watercress-funded project. He also shared valuable insights into navigating the funding application and review process this year. This was followed by Asim Batwa (second year PGR) who presented his research on Smart Digital Nudges: Enhancing Tourists’ Sustainable Transportation Decisions. His session, ahead of his major review, led to a engaging discussion on the role of digital interventions in sustainable travel behaviour.

March 12 Session

In March, Duncan Light presented his research recently published in Tourism Review on Selling Souvenirs and Lifestyle Entrepreneurship, offering key insights into this evolving market. The session concluded with a very interesting discussion on Quality vs. Quantity in Academic Publishing—a very timely topic for researchers striving to strike the right balance in their publication strategies.

You can read Duncan’s full paper: Light, D., Lupu, C., Creţan, R. and Chapman, A. (2024), “Unconventional entrepreneurs: the non-economic motives of souvenir sellers”, Tourism Review, Vol. 79 No. 8, pp. 1442-1456. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2023-0655

Join Us for the Next Research Connect Seminar!

Our next Research Connect session is scheduled for April 9, 2025, from 4:00–5:00 PM in F108. We will follow the same format: an academic presentation, followed by a PGR-led discussion. As always, we’ll continue the conversation informally at Dylan’s afterward.

Looking forward to seeing you there 😊

This week – Konfer – an innovation and collaboration platform

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

Join Us for an online Konfer Training Session!

We invite you to an online training session on 20 March 2025, featuring Anna Dent-Davies and Shivaun Meehan from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). They will introduce Konfer, a powerful platform for navigating the UK innovation ecosystem.

For those unfamiliar, Konfer connects users with resources and potential collaborators perfectly aligned with their research or innovation projects.

During this 1.5-hour interactive online session, Anna and Shivaun will guide you through making the most of Konfer, focusing on:

· Effectively searching the platform.

· Drafting high-quality collaboration calls by addressing four key questions.

You’ll also have the chance to discuss your specific research projects or areas of interest and even begin drafting your own collaboration call during the session.

Ahead of the session, we kindly ask attendees to:

· Sign up to Konfer.

· Come prepared with an innovation challenge or collaboration opportunity in mind.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how Konfer can support your research and innovation goals – to book your place, please visit this link.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025

Funding opportunities

This week, there have been a few news updates related to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships.

MSCA PF 2025 Call opening

The first news reported by UKRO is that the EC has a delay in the launch date for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call, moving it from 9 April to 8 May 2025. However, this delay will not affect the closing date, which remains as planned – 10 September 2025.

UKRO also states that, to minimise the impact of the shortened application period, the Guide for Applicants and the Application Form will be uploaded in advance to the Funding & Tenders Portal call page.

MSCA PF Information session

CONNECTS-UK is organising an online informative session/workshop on MSCA Individual Fellowships on 27th March 2025, from 15:30 to 17:00 UK time. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage directly with successful MSCA fellows from various research fields.

This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the MSCA programme and Individual Fellowships, offering insights into the application process, eligibility, funding, and featuring successful MSCA fellows from different fields sharing their experiences. Full details and the agenda can be found via this link.

Those new to the MSCA PF scheme are encouraged to join this event or any other MSCA PF-specific event, as there will not be specific workshops organised at BU.

Although the information session is free of charge, participants must register in advance to attend.

Internal processes

Please note that, given that almost all Horizon Europe 2025 collaborative calls will have deadlines in September and October, the internal deadline for submission of MSCA PF ItBs will be in late June or early July.

We kindly ask that supervisors submit the CVs of their potential fellows in the funder’s defined format, along with the ItB, as this is required to assess their eligibility and competitiveness. A document outlining the requirements for the researcher’s CV is available on the RDS SharePoint site.

If you have any EU funding-related questions, feel free to get in touch with me – Research Facilitator International Ainar Blaudums. For general pre-award or non-EU queries, please email the Pre-award Enquiries mailbox or contact my colleagues who assist with applications to UK funders.

Horizon Europe info days 2025

Funding opportunities

This information has been updated (added information about Cluster 2) on 28 March 2025.

I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who attended the Horizon Europe event in February, particularly those who participated on the panel and shared valuable insights with other colleagues. BU staff can access the presentation on the RKE SharePoint site here.

We are currently awaiting the publication of the 2025 Work Programme, expected in about a month. While the official publication date is not set, some work programmes may be made available through pre-publication a couple of weeks in advance, although this is not guaranteed. According to the latest available information, around 7 April, the European Commission is planning to pre-publish at least the 2025 Horizon Europe Missions Programme with the call topics under the Cancer Mission and around 30 April, the calls and topics on the EU’s Funding and Tenders Portal.

In preparation for this, the European Commission has announced the first Horizon Europe 2025 information days, scheduled to take place in May. These events will be held online, with live streaming available. For more details, please click on the link for each event.

Below is a summary of what we know so far.

Tuesday 6 May 2025, 09:00 – 15:30 (CEST) Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility. This Info Day will take place both onsite in the Charlemagne building (Brussels) and online. Please note that onsite participation is limited. Registration for onsite participation closes on 31 March 2025 (or earlier if the capacity of the venue has been reached).

Tuesday 13 May 2025, 09:30 – Wednesday 14 May 2025, 17:00 (CEST) Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space. Speakers from the European Commission will provide detailed insights into the call topics, evaluation and award processes. The 6 destinations under this cluster are:

  • Climate neutral, circular and digitised production
  • Increased autonomy in key strategic value chains for resilient industry
  • World leading data and computing technologies
  • Digital and emerging technologies for competitiveness and fit for the Green Deal
  • Open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data
  • A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies

Thursday 15 May 2025, 09:30 (GMT+02:00) Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Societies. This cluster aims to aims to meet EU goals and priorities on enhancing democratic governance and citizens participation, on the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage, and to respond to and shape multifaceted social, economic, technological and cultural transformations.

The event will provide prospective applicants with an opportunity to learn more about the funding options under the new work programme. The event will be livestreamed, register here.

Tuesday 20 May 2025, 09:00 – 17:00 (CEST) Horizon Europe info days – WIDERA Work Programme 2025. Speakers from the European Commission will present the new call topics.

Tuesday 20 May 2025, 09:00 – Wednesday 21 May 2025, 18:00 (CEST) Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment. The event will cover:

  • Insights into the policy context
  • A ‘key-to-success’ session focused on guidance and tips for quality proposals
  • Pitches for each of the topics from the Work Programme 2025
  • A dedicated session on co-funded partnerships

You can also sign up to the Info Days and receive updates on the latest news related to the event.

Thursday 22 May 2025, 09:00 – 17:00 (CEST) Horizon Europe info days – Cluster 1: Health. This cluster aims to deliver on the following six destinations:

  • Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society
  • Living and working in a health-promoting environment
  • Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden
  • Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality health care
  • Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society
  • Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health-related industry

I will update this blog as soon as new information becomes available about clusters 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Societies) and 3 (Civil Security for Society), so stay tuned!

As usual, if you have any EU funding-related questions, feel free to get in touch with me – Research Facilitator International Ainar Blaudums. For general pre-award or non-EU queries, please email the Pre-award Enquiries mailbox or contact my colleagues who support UK applications. There is a lot of useful information on our RDS pre-award SharePoint site.

RKEDF March digest

Training

Book now for RKEDF training in March 2025 

Click on the titles to find further details and book your place 

ECRN: Intellectual Property and Your Research 

Tuesday 4th March 14:00-15:30 – online 

Intellectual Property underpins academic research, as it is through Intellectual Property protection that we can protect, commercialise, and own our research & creative outputs.  As researchers, we are constantly engaged in the works and products of others, all of which are underpinned and protected by Intellectual Property. We are also constantly creating our own outputs that can be protected by Intellectual Property.  This workshop will explain the key areas of Intellectual Property that relate to academic research; how to protect your own Intellectual Property; and how to avoid infringing on the Intellectual Property of others. 

Research Data Management: An introduction 

Wednesday 5th March 12:00 – 13:00 – online 

Attendance is recommended for any academic wishing to maximise the impact of their research data, and to learn how it can be managed through the research life cycle in a way that complies with research best practice and any legal, ethical or commercial requirements.  It aligns with BU’s Research Data Policy, which closely reflects many funder and journal requirements.  

Writing for The Conversation interactive workshop 

Wednesday 5th March 14:00-16:00, in person, Talbot Campus 

Learn how to consider the news potential of your expertise, how to look for story hooks and angles from the news, how to write a quality story pitch to section editors, and other advice.  In this interactive session, you’ll find out more about communicating your research to the public, what The Conversation is looking for, and have the chance to discuss your research with a Conversation editor and pitch potential story ideas. 

BRIAN – drop-in surgery – no booking required

Tuesday 11th March 14:00-16:00, F203, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus 

This is a 2 hour drop in surgery for any questions or issues relating to BRIAN.  No question is a stupid question so pop in and ask.  

ECRN – Imposter Syndrome 

Wednesday 19th March 13:00-14:00, in person, Talbot Campus 

This session is aimed at colleagues dealing with feelings of imposter syndrome in academia. The session will offer a space to discuss this growing issue as well as offer advice, guidance and support on how to manage, avoid and overcome such feelings. At the end of the session attendees will have achieved greater confidence in developing their career and profile.  This workshop aimed at: All staff – Academic, teaching, research, professional services. 

Principal Investigation – Post Award for RKE 

Wednesday 19th March 13:00-14:30, in person, BGB, Lansdowne  

This session is aimed at any researcher who is or plans to be a Principal Investigator for an externally funded research or knowledge exchange project.  By the end of the session, attendees will have a strong foundation of what to expect when being responsible for their awarded projects. Topics covered include: 

  • What is post award? • Roles and responsibilities • Systems
  • Key policies • Starting your awarded project • Making changes to your project and reporting • Hints and tips

KTP Development  

Wednesday 19th March 13:00-14:00, in person, Talbot Campus 

Sometimes organisations can see an opportunity for growth, something that will supercharge their business, but they don’t quite know where or how to start. That’s when a Knowledge Transfer Partnership could help.  We are hosting a series of developmental sessions for staff (and businesses) to debunk myths, provide insights, and forge connections.  This session will focus on Fiduciary Responsibility and Evaluation of Company Accounts, Demonstration of Financial Strength, Suitability of Company Finances & Eligibility for KTP Scheme. 

Links for further RKE information and support are below: 

RKE SharePoint page: RKE – Home 

RKEDF SharePoint for development opportunities: Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework RKEDF – Home 

RKEDF Brightspace: Homepage – Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework  

Please help us in avoiding any waste of resources; make sure you can attend or cancel your booking prior to the session. For any further information, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk   

BU-Lush Cosmetics Ltd collaboration to Develop Renewable Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Technology

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, Industry collaboration, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, REF Subjects, Student Engagement, student research

This is a landmark collaborative initiative between BU’s NanoCorr, Energy and Modelling (NCEM) Research Group led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan and team members including Dr Adil Saeed, Dr Mayank Anand and Aerk Dimri and Lush Cosmetics Ltd a major stakeholder in the conurbation. “Born in Poole, Lush offers a range of quirky and unique handmade bathing and cosmetic products with signature ‘Lush’ scents. The brand boasts an extremely ethical promise to consumers with all products being cruelty free, vegetarian and ethically sourced.” [Source]. “Lush Limited is a British cosmetics retailer which is headquartered in Poole, England. It was founded in 1995 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine and five other founders.” [Source].

 

“We laid the foundation for capitalising on tidal energy sources and providing clean energy solutions for local and regional domestic and commercial applications through Community Interest Company (CIC) / Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Poole Tidal Energy Partnership (PTEP), more than a decade ago, said Professor Zulfiqar Khan, one of the founding directors of PTEP.

This work led to UK based energy company collaboration in BU’s energy research: capture, conversion and storage through full funding of two PhDs, two Post Docs, one PhD in-kind support, industrial labs resources and funding patent applications, a three quarter of a million pound sterling research portfolio led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan. This has yielded in commercial patents in the US and GB, covering novel nano fluids, energy systems (capture, conversion and storage).

“This recent collaboration with LUSH is a testament of our full commitments to UNSDGs, UK and EU clean energy directives, initiatives which has led to emergence of BU as a global leader in Clean Energy Systems,” Professor Zulfiqar Khan added.

Dr Saeed said, “we provide opportunities for our UG/PGT courses to benefits from our research collaborations to enhance students learning and teaching experience through research informed educational provisions.” Dr Saeed, the Programme Leader of Mechanical Engineering course, said, we currently have three final year projects in energy systems which have been inspired and are linked to BU-LUSH collaborative project.

LUSH Creative Technologist Jim Woodward said, “We look forward to starting this journey with Professor Khan, his colleagues and students at Bournemouth University, researching the potential tidal energy in our beautiful Poole Harbour. We welcome the newly appointed PGR and wish him good luck in this exciting PhD project with us. What a force – Lush a local Poole company working with a fantastic local University.”

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

PG research

1 week till applications close for the 3MT competition!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize.

We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team