BU Research Blog

January 9, 2023

RKEDF Evaluation Workshops: Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 February

BU research, ECR Network, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training ballen

The Public Engagement with Research Team are running two workshops in February: Evaluation of Engagement and Advanced Evaluation.

These sessions will be delivered by Dr Jamie Gallagher, one of the most experienced engagement trainers in the UK. Jamie is a dynamic and engaging trainer who makes these sessions enjoyable as well as useful.

It is recommended that both sessions are attended to gain the full benefit. The sessions will build skills from the basic principles of evaluation, through to being able to develop evaluation plans for even the most complex topics, exploring data capture, analysis and reporting. You’ll also learn how to write evaluation reports for funders or for the REF (Research Excellence Framework).

While both sessions are recommended, attending just the first session may be appropriate for your needs. It is advised against only attending the second session.

Evaluation of Engagement: Monday 20 February, 9am-12:30pm, Talbot Campus

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 give you reliable and clear data. It will highlight how to demonstrate success to funders, record impact for the REF, help to improve your processes, and give you a better understanding of the people you are connecting with.

At the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

Understand the purposes, uses and limitations of evaluation
Apply event-appropriate evaluation methods in multiple scenarios
Prepare useful, answerable and relevant evaluation questions
Devise and deliver your own evaluation plan
Interpret and report evaluation data.

To book a place on this workshop please complete the booking form.

Advanced Evaluation: Tuesday 21 February 9am – 12:30pm, Talbot Campus

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.

For any queries regarding either of these sessions please contact the Public Engagement team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

January 4, 2023

Introducing our RCATS project: ‘Resolving the extinction crisis: sustainable and technological solutions for biodiversity and society’

BU2025, Impact Rob Britton

Rates of biodiversity loss across the world are now so alarming that it is generally recognised there is an urgent need to halt this loss of species that is largely being driven by human activities (e.g. last month’s UN Biodiversity conference, COP15). Indeed, the UN describe current extinction rates as the largest loss of life since the time of the dinosaurs. It is thus timely that we were recently awarded funding from BU’s Research Capacity Transformation Scheme for our project on preventing biodiversity loss for the benefit of both society and the natural world by developing sustainable solutions based on data collected using the latest technologies.

Our project is bringing researchers together from across BU and working with our match funders and external partners to deliver an integrated programme of research on biodiversity and sustainability that ranges from the social sciences through to the development of new analytical processes in the laboratory and engineering new technologies to monitor biodiversity. Our work focuses around four post-doctoral research projects that work in synergy with five match-funded PhD studentships. Work by the PhDs includes understanding extinction risks in critically endangered species in fragmented habitats, and identifies how schemes to reconnect and rewild habitats can reverse biodiversity losses. Our post-doctoral researchers will assess the relationships between society, consumer choices and public policy to benefit biodiversity, and identify how human-driven environmental changes are affecting biodiversity in terms of the behaviour, physiology and genetics of animal populations and communities.

If you want to hear more about our project, including how you can get involved, we are holding an open meeting for Bournemouth University staff on 24^th January from 1 to 2 pm in Create lecture theatre. We look forward to seeing you there!

Rob Britton & Pippa Gillingham (Project leads)

December 14, 2022

RKEDF Workshop: Advanced Evaluation – Tuesday 21 February 9am-12:30pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, RKE development framework, Training ballen

Meaningful data and reporting. Discover how to develop evaluation plans for even the most complex topics, exploring data capture, analysis and reporting. You will also learn how to write evaluation reports for funders or for REF.

Taking an in-depth look at evaluation, participants will explore data capture, analysis and reporting. From surveys to focus groups format powerful questions and report meaningful data.

This workshop requires good base knowledge of evaluation, ideally from attending the previous session ‘Evaluation of engagement’.

Workshop	Date	Time	Location
Advanced Evaluation	Tuesday 21 February 2023	09:00 – 12:30	Talbot Campus

To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.

For any queries regarding the content of this session, please contact Public Engagement: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.

December 14, 2022

RKEDF Workshop: Evaluation of Engagement – Monday 20 February 9am-12:30pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training ballen

This workshop will take you through the simple questions to ask yourself and the public to ensure you can not only demonstrate the success of your intervention, but 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 give you reliable and clear data. Demonstrate success to funders; record Impact for REF; learn how to improve your processes and have a better understanding of the people you are connecting with.

At the end of the workshop you will be able to:

Understand the purposes, uses and limitations of evaluation
Apply event-appropriate evaluation methods in multiple scenarios
Prepare useful, answerable and relevant evaluation questions
Devise and deliver your own evaluation plan
Interpret and report evaluation data

Workshop	Date	Time	Location
Evaluation of Engagement	Monday, 20th February 2023	09:00 – 12:30	Talbot Campus

To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.

For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact Public Engagement: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.

December 14, 2022

Public and Patient Involvement in Research: RKEDF Workshop – Tuesday 24 January 2-3:30pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training ballen

Led by Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER), this session looks at how to meaningfully involve patients and service users in the research process.

This workshop offers an engaging introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement in research. It is co-designed and facilitated by Rachel Jury and Tim Worner, who have extensive experience of sharing their lived experience expertise in research studies, Dr Mel Hughes, Academic Lead for the BU PIER Partnership and Angela Warren, PIER involvement coordinator.

We will cover the different approaches to public involvement; the public contributor role; the benefits of public involvement and what pitfalls to avoid. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for researchers to learn about public involvement and to consider this from the perspective of experts by experience and in relation to their own research. This will be interactive with opportunities for researchers to share and discuss ideas and plans.

Intended outcomes

– Develop a knowledge and understanding of different models of public involvement
– Consider the benefits of public involvement for a research study and all those involved
– Identify best practice in designing and conducting public involvement in research

Workshop	Date	Time	Location
Public and Patient Involvement in Research	Tuesday, 24th January 2023	14:00 – 15:30	Lansdowne Campus

To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.

For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact Public Engagement: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.

December 14, 2022

Café Sci – Tuesday 7 February 2023: Challenging news negativity

BU research, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication ballen

At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.

We’ll be joined by Dr Antje Glück on Tuesday 7 February from 6:30 – 8:00pm

Challenging news negativity

Why can the news feel so overwhelmingly negative, and what can we do about it?

There’s no doubt that serious news needs to be handled appropriately, but can the widespread doom and gloom cause us to switch off?

Join Dr Antje Glück to discover why the news is biased towards negativity, and how alternative models of journalism can create better news for all of us.

This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early, so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.

Attendance is free but booking is required

Should you have any questions about this event, or if you would like to get involved with a future Café Sci talk, please contact the Public Engagement Team; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

December 13, 2022

Impact Planning with Saskia Gent – 18 January, 2023

ECR Network, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team alazar

Saskia Gent from Insights for Impact will be running an online workshop on January 18th from 13:00-15:00.

This interactive session is aimed at researchers at all stages of their careers who wish to plan for impact throughout the lifecycle of their project. Participants will learn how to build relationships and networks to inform research questions, identify impact goals and beneficiaries and develop relevant engagement activities.

By the end of the session, you will:
– know how to undertake stakeholder analysis
– be able to identify the different types of impact that may arise from your research
– be able to create a strategic plan to embed impact in your research from the start.

If you would like to attend the workshop, please email impact@bournemouth.ac.uk so that we can reserve your place. Places are limited so please register your interest as soon as possible.

December 9, 2022

Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol – Online Course: Connecting People, Creating Events

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

The Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol is inviting applications for a part-time, online course, which will run from Monday 16 January to Friday 24 March 2023.

You will develop the practical skills and theoretical understanding needed for effective, science-based public engagement, from the team behind UWE Bristol’s highly regarded Science Communication postgraduate programmes.

Topics include;

event design
understanding audiences
project planning
presentation skills
event promotion and evaluation

The course is designed to work flexibly alongside other commitments, with assignments that can be tailored to a current role or used to explore new possibilities.The eight units are taught over ten weeks (including two private-study weeks), with approximately ten hours study time each week.

You are required to have a minimum degree level qualification (or equivalent), though this does not need to be in a science-based subject. On completion you will gain 15 Masters-level credits (UK) or 7.5 ECTS (EU).

Course fees are £750

For more course information, and to apply, please visit: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/usskns15m/science-communication-connecting-people-creating-events or contact: science.communication@uwe.ac.uk.

If you would like to discuss your application with the BU’s Public Engagement with Research team, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

December 9, 2022

Early career STEM communicators: The Little Event online conference 2023

BU research, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Training ballen

The Little Event is a training session for people who are new to STEM communication.

Whether you work in a science centre or museum, volunteer for a festival, are involved in university outreach, or do anything else to engage people with science, technology, engineering and maths.

The introductory sessions will focus on developing the different skills that are useful in STEM communication, and they are delivered by experienced science communicators.

The 2023 Little Event will be held online over two days and are designed to work together to be booked as a package.

The programme includes sessions on Evaluation, Managing Projects, Presenting, Science Capital, and Careers and will include plenty of networking time.

Session 1: Thursday 19 January, 3- 6:30pm

Session 2: Saturday 21 January, 9:00am – 1:15pm

BIG members: cost £50. Non-members: cost is £85 and includes BIG Membership for 1 year. Book here: https://www.big.uk.com/event-5023798

If you would like to come to the Little Event for free, BIG offers bursaries to attend which will cover your fees as well as some expenses.

Applications close on Sunday 11 December 2022. See https://www.big.uk.com/event-5030137 to apply or https://www.big.uk.com/bursary for more information.

December 8, 2022

Centre for Seldom Heard Voices evidence cited in House of Lords Committee report

BU research, Impact, parliament, Public engagement mhughes

Lee-Ann Fenge (Professor of social care) and Andy Pulman (PDR in social care) submitted evidence to the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee earlier in the year. The report has just been published with some of their evidence mentioned on page 79 as follows:

‘Research undertaken by the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices at Bournemouth University with a range of diverse communities illustrates how co-produced participatory research can lead to wider social impact and awareness of those that rely on social care—for example, the experiences of LGBTQ+ citizens, older male carers, young disabled people and homeless people. It is vital that social care practice and research work in partnership with individuals and communities to achieve best outcomes for those who require social care support’.

You can read the full report here House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee report ‘A gloriously ordinary life’

December 8, 2022

Ukrainian refugees and their invisible luggage of displacement – publication by Dr Alina Dolea

BU research, humanities, Impact, Research Centres edolea

Dr. Alina Dolea, Associate Professor in Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy in FMC, has published an article on emotions, trauma and public diplomacy in the academic forum on the #RussiaUkraineWar that she co-edits together with Nadia Kaneva (University of Denver) and Ilan Manor (PhD) (Ben Gurion University of the Negev) in Place Branding & Public Diplomacy

In the article, Alina argues all displaced people (refugees, migrants, or expatriates) experience a sense of loss and trauma and the Ukrainians crossing the border to take refuge across Europe carry with them this emotional luggage that shapes their identity and influences their integration in their new host places. Yet, the consequences of this invisible luggage have been rarely scrutinized in depth in public diplomacy and even in diaspora diplomacy scholarship. She draws on the psychoanalytical work of Vamik Volkan to shed some light on the psychology of Ukrainian refugees and the reactions of Romanians as host population.

Expanding from her research on Romanian diaspora (over 5 million) and the current Ukrainian refugees in Europe (over 8 million), Alina posits it is essential to understand the complex psychology, loss, emotions and trauma of displacement in diaspora diplomacy. It is necessary for theory building in order to develop analytical frameworks and research questions that link psychological processes with engagement and disengagement. In terms of practice, it can inform medium- and long-term policies of support and integration of refugees in host countries. Developing programs and encouraging grassroots initiatives aimed to increase multi-cultural awareness, communication and collaboration between newcomers and host populations is critical. Increased communication towards host publics is also needed in European countries especially because previous waves of migration and refugees have been instrumentalized in exclusionary, divisive political discourses that contribute to social anxieties, fears and phobias towards newcomers. Psychoanalytical approaches can shed light on the psychological processes that make illiberal, populist and extremist discourses effective as they instrumentalize chosen traumas and chosen glories.

This essay calls for integrating the study of emotions in public diplomacy and diaspora diplomacy research in order to (1) explore the breadth and depth of psychological processes that turn individual emotions into group emotions and (2) understand the potential of emotions to enable or disrupt engagement. Interdisciplinary research which engages with political psychology approaches that look at emotions, affect and trauma can provide new analytical insights into the inner worlds and lived experiences of the displaced, as well as into the emotions that shape representations, attitudes and behaviours of both newcomers and hosts. Such insights are much needed in designing policies aimed to support displaced groups and ease their integration and adaption in host countries. They can also contribute to more inclusive and positive public discourses about migrants and refugees.

The Academic Forum on the #RussiaUkraineWar captures a variety of epistemic reflections, creating a common space for scholars from diverse fields such as public diplomacy, strategic communications, global media studies, nation branding, international relations, post-Soviet studies, linguistics, and cultural studies. Together, we re-examined some of the concepts and practices that have shaped major debates in public diplomacy and identified new angles and approaches that can no longer be ignored in light of a world of many crises.

December 8, 2022

Celebrating the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022 – a look back

BU research, ESRC, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication Adam Morris

This autumn saw BU host five events as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. The Festival is a nationwide celebration of the social sciences, with over 300 events held across the UK this year.

The Festival is designed to promote and increase awareness of social science and ESRC-funded research, enable social scientists to engage with non-academics and increase awareness of the contributions the social sciences make to the wellbeing and economy of UK society.

BU contributed to the Festival for the eleventh year in a row, holding a variety of events spanning research areas and faculties, which were held on campus, off campus and online.

Our festival events kicked off with ‘Which one of us is human?’, an interactive experience from Dr Maxine Gee and Dr Rachel Moseley set in a future where robots and humans looked identical, with two actors answering questions to help identify the ‘robot’ from the human.

Visitors were very engaged with solving the puzzle, with families, couples and people attending alone all teaming up to debate which actor was the robot.

But there was a twist – Maxine and Rachel revealed in their debrief that each actor was carefully written to present with a different type of autism. They went on to explain some of the science behind what autism actually is and discussed with the surprised groups what this meant for their perceptions of ‘humans’ and ‘robots’.

“Did not know much about autism and behaviour – it was interesting to know more and [it] opened my mind”
Feedback from attendee

“Excellent – could have chatted to the researchers for hours”
Feedback from attendee

Next in our series of events was the multi-part exhibition ‘Entrepreneurship for Young People’ showcasing the success of the SPEED-You-UP project to develop entrepreneurial skills in young people, headed up by Dr Esther Anwuzia with help from BU and external collaborators.

Hosted in The Old Schoolhouse, a community space in Boscombe, the exhibition shared stories from young people and school staff who had experienced first-hand the benefits the project had brought them.

Day one of the exhibition provided a taster session of the SPEED-You-UP programme, welcoming a group of young people to look at topics such as entrepreneurship, the advantages of having a business, what skills you need to have in business and generating a business idea.

Although just a taster, the session went down well with its teenaged attendees, who praised the opportunity to develop teamwork skills.

Day two welcomed local stakeholders with a professional interest to discuss bringing the programme to Bournemouth.

To reach an even wider audience, the exhibition also ran online, where you can still visit and read about the project.

Visit the online exhibition

The next event asked: ‘Are drones the future of delivery?’. Tucked in the corner of the Little Pickle Deli in Boscombe, a team led by PhD researcher Taalia Nadeem invited members of the University of the Third Age to play a new board game, helped along by coffee and cake.

In this game, players must make decisions about how, where, when and why to use delivery drones in a representative Bournemouth of the near future. With lots of factors to consider in making decisions and myriad unexpected consequences, the game drew out nuanced discussion and observations from a group of people that, by their own admission, had not given much thought to the topic before.

“I think the event was very informative and I enjoyed the discussions element of the game which I found enjoyable and interesting”
Feedback from attendee

“Initially felt possibly a little negative about drones – see all the positives now!”
Feedback from attendee

These insights were valuable, as they were recorded and will contribute to research led by Taalia with collaborators Professor Janet Dickinson and Dr Angela Smith on the public perception of delivery drones.

Following this was another event focusing on a sometimes perplexing new technology. ‘Demystifying NFTs: Understanding the law and technology’ was an online event hosted by Professor Dinusha Mendis that provided an informed look at a topic usually surrounded by hype.

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have captured the public imagination over the past year, but much about them remains a mystery.

External guest Nikolaos Mantis from Museo Techniki guided us through the technological underpinnings, while Dinusha revealed the surprising and sometimes inconvenient truths about what ‘owning’ an NFT actually means.

“Thank you – I hadn’t considered the legal aspects of NFTs and found this an insightful perspective.”
Feedback from attendee

This event welcomed a global audience from Europe and beyond, with guests from Thailand, Bangladesh, the USA, Mexico, Azerbaijan and Dijibouti, amongst other places.

To enrich this event further, Dinusha took an informative zine she had written all about NFTs, and ‘tokenised’ it as an NFT itself. A short quiz that was ran at the end of the event provided an opportunity for three lucky attendees to win a unique NFT to keep as a very appropriate souvenir.

If you’re left feeling curious about NFTs, you can catch up on this online event, including all the chat, polls and questions.

Watch this event

Rounding off our events this year was ‘Medical monsters: reducing medical anxiety through play and gamification’.

This playful workshop, aimed at children aged 7-11 and their guardians, explored strategies to reduce patient (children) anxiety around medical appointments and admissions. Featuring specially designed sessions of Jenga, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and virtual reality experiences, attendees explored and addressed personal anxieties around medical appointments.

Jointly delivered by Dr Holly Henderson, Dr Heidi Singleton and Professor Debbie Holley, the event welcomed families with young children to Bournemouth Gateway Building to try out the various experiences on offer.

As with Taalia’s event, these activities provided benefits for everyone. Not only were the organisers able to learn from trialling their activities with people of all ages, but the feedback of attendees will feed into ongoing research and projects to apply these techniques more widely.

“I think this topic of research is crucial. We have 2 children who are in hospital regularly and getting them to go to appointments is really challenging.”
Feedback from attendee

“Welcoming, friendly and couldn’t have come at a better time for us. Well-structured and useful – Thank you”
Feedback from attendee

All of the events this year were made possible by the ESRC, with whom we co-fund our annual festival activities. Event organisers applied through an internal process back in April 2022, and were selected by a panel from across BU. They were supported in bringing about their creative and engaging projects by myself (Adam Morris, Engagement Officer) and Beverley Allen (Events and Communications Co-ordinator).

If you’d like to take part in a future ESRC Festival of Social Science, it’s a great time to start thinking about what you could propose. Start by reading our blog post announcing the call for proposals for this year’s festival. If you’d like to start discussing your ideas, get in touch with the public engagement with research team at publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

November 29, 2022

RKEDF Workshop: Public & Patient Involvement in Research – Tuesday 24 January 2-3:30pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training ballen

Led by Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER), this session looks at how to meaningfully involve patients and service users in the research process.

This workshop offers an engaging introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement in research. It is co-designed and facilitated by Rachel Jury and Tim Worner, who have extensive experience of sharing their lived experience expertise in research studies, Dr Mel Hughes, Academic Lead for the BU PIER Partnership and Angela Warren, PIER involvement coordinator.

We will cover the different approaches to public involvement; the public contributor role; the benefits of public involvement and what pitfalls to avoid. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for researchers to learn about public involvement and to consider this from the perspective of experts by experience and in relation to their own research. This will be interactive with opportunities for researchers to share and discuss ideas and plans.

Intended outcomes

– Develop a knowledge and understanding of different models of public involvement
– Consider the benefits of public involvement for a research study and all those involved
– Identify best practice in designing and conducting public involvement in research

Workshop	Date	Time	Location
Public and Patient Involvement in Research	Tuesday, 24th January 2023	14:00 – 15:30	Lansdowne Campus

To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.

For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact Public Engagement: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.

November 29, 2022

REMINDER: Online Workshop – From Public Engagement to Impact Monday 5 December 3-4pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, RKE development framework ballen

This session is aimed at researchers at all stages of their careers to find out how public engagement activity can help their research have an impact on the world.

Participants will explore the link between public engagement activity and measurable impact, reflect on their own impact goals, identify potential stakeholders and engagement activity, and learn from high-ranking impact case studies with a significant public engagement pathway.

By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of how impact can be developed from public engagement activity.

Workshop	Date	Time	Location
From Public Engagement To Impact	Monday, 5 December 2022	15:00 – 16:00	Online

To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.

For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact BU’s Public Engagement team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.

November 29, 2022

Join the next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network: Wednesday 14 December 4-5pm

BU research, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement ballen

The next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network will be a bit different. Instead of our usual meetings we’re holding a social networking gathering to provide the opportunity to meet and connect with other network members.

The PER Network has so far been a great way of sharing experience and best practice with you, its members, but the real strength of a network is in how its members work together.

There is a wealth of experience, skills, and possibilities for collaboration amongst our members, but we know it’s difficult to keep up with the work happening in your own department, let alone across faculties, especially when opportunities to meet other academics are rarer than they used to be.

This will be a networking mixer, held on Wednesday 14 December, 4-5pm at Dylan’s Bar, Talbot Campus.

To join this meeting and find out about future ones, join our BU Public Engagement with Research Network. Check under ‘Meetings’ for upcoming sessions.

If you have any questions, please email the team.

November 25, 2022

Digital healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities in Africa – Looking back at Café Scientifique October 2022

BU research, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication ballen

Dr Festus Adeboyin shares his experience of presenting at a BU Café Scientifique event on 4 October 2022

My Café Scientifique experience

It was a pleasure to present once again at BU’s Café Scientifique. These sessions present such an interesting opportunity to discuss academic research with a diverse and extraordinary audience. In this presentation, we explored digital interventions for managing medication and healthcare service delivery to Key Populations (KPs) in underserved communities in Africa. KPs are defined by our project as males who have sex with other males (MSM); drug users that inject themselves; sex workers; and transgender people living with HIV/AIDS for whom expert recommend using CBD Oil UK natural supplements.

The project is looking to co-create a digital solution that can boost access to treatments and counselling by KPs. The user behaviour and impact of the intervention are also being examined. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ community has the highest occurrence of HIV/AIDS and faces a higher rate of hostility within the Nigerian context. In July 2022, I held an interactive management workshop at The Initiative for Equal Rights involving participants from various fields, including NGOs that work directly with KPs, Clinical Psychologists, Health Counsellors, Medical Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Psychologists, Lab scientists, and social workers.

Due to the nature of these communities, HIV/AIDS+ status, and other health concerns, a digital solution that creates a supportive environment, enhances confidentiality, encourages the use of prescribed medication/therapy, and can be easily accessed at a reasonable cost is highly desirable. This digital intervention will also ease the difficulties stakeholders encounter in providing healthcare services for underserved communities in a developing country like Nigeria.

I agreed to participate in this public engagement activity for my personal development, and because I love to receive feedback, new directions, and insights on the why, what, and how of my research.

The event went well. There was a great turnout and lots of fantastic questions at the end. I gained new perspectives from the session, and it was important to see the reaction of people to this area of research and subject matter.

Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology.

We’ve been holding these talks in Bournemouth for over ten years and we’re very pleased to have returned to in-person events at The Black Cherry, a fantastic new venue in Boscombe, Bournemouth.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to get involved with our Café Sci events, please get in touch publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

November 24, 2022

Evaluation, sustainability & making a case: Online workshop Thursday 12 January 10am-4pm

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Training ballen

This online workshop covers three main challenges for those seeking to embed engagement into their work;

how to evaluate your programme effectively
if and how to sustain your work
how to advocate for the value of engagement within your research

These separate but interlinked challenges will be explored through interactive workshops, reflective sessions, and panel discussions.

The workshop is aimed at anyone who has experienced one or more of the challenges listed and for those who want to explore options for addressing them in the future.

Also, if you have lots of experience of public engagement, or, if you’re just starting out, this session will provide opportunities to reflect together and share ideas and perspectives.

Register your place here

November 17, 2022

Upcoming research communication training opportunities

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Research communication, Research Training, RKE development framework, the conversation ematthews

Find out how engaging with the media can help lead to research impact and learn more about working with The Conversation in upcoming online training sessions:

Engaging with the media for impact – Wednesday 23^rd November, 2pm – 3.30pm (online)

Explore how working with the media can raise the profile of your research and lead to impact. Take away practical tips on talking to journalists, tracking the impact of media coverage and finding the best ways to reach your target audiences.

Book now

Writing for The Conversation – Wednesday 7^th December 2022, 2pm – 3pm (online)

BU is a partner of The Conversation, a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics working with professional journalists. Find out more about writing for The Conversation and have the chance to pitch your article ideas to one of their editors.

Learn how to consider the news potential of your expertise, how to look for story hooks and angles from the news or your research, and how to write a quality pitch.

Book now

The sessions take place as part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Framework (RKEDF) – advance booking is essential.

To find about more about research communications and to book onto the upcoming sessions, please visit the Research Impact, Engagement and Communications Sharepoint site

Category / Impact

RKEDF Evaluation Workshops: Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 February

Evaluation of Engagement: Monday 20 February, 9am-12:30pm, Talbot Campus

Advanced Evaluation: Tuesday 21 February 9am – 12:30pm, Talbot Campus

Introducing our RCATS project: ‘Resolving the extinction crisis: sustainable and technological solutions for biodiversity and society’

RKEDF Workshop: Advanced Evaluation – Tuesday 21 February 9am-12:30pm

RKEDF Workshop: Evaluation of Engagement – Monday 20 February 9am-12:30pm

Public and Patient Involvement in Research: RKEDF Workshop – Tuesday 24 January 2-3:30pm

Café Sci – Tuesday 7 February 2023: Challenging news negativity

Impact Planning with Saskia Gent – 18 January, 2023

Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol – Online Course: Connecting People, Creating Events

Early career STEM communicators: The Little Event online conference 2023

Ukrainian refugees and their invisible luggage of displacement – publication by Dr Alina Dolea

RKEDF Workshop: Public & Patient Involvement in Research – Tuesday 24 January 2-3:30pm

REMINDER: Online Workshop – From Public Engagement to Impact Monday 5 December 3-4pm

Join the next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network: Wednesday 14 December 4-5pm

Digital healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities in Africa – Looking back at Café Scientifique October 2022

Evaluation, sustainability & making a case: Online workshop Thursday 12 January 10am-4pm

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Upcoming research communication training opportunities

Engaging with the media for impact – Wednesday 23^rd November, 2pm – 3.30pm (online)

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Writing for The Conversation – Wednesday 7^th December 2022, 2pm – 3pm (online)

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Engaging with the media for impact – Wednesday 23rd November, 2pm – 3.30pm (online)

Writing for The Conversation – Wednesday 7th December 2022, 2pm – 3pm (online)

Other services

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Recent posts

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Engaging with the media for impact – Wednesday 23^rd November, 2pm – 3.30pm (online)

Writing for The Conversation – Wednesday 7^th December 2022, 2pm – 3pm (online)