Category / Post-award

Updated HRA and HCRW Statement of Activities and Schedule of Events published

Clinical Governance, NHS, Post-award, Research communication, Research Ethics, Research news

What is the significance of the Statement of Activities and Schedule of Events?

When the Health Research Authority (HRA) approval process was introduced in March 2016, the Statement of Activities (SoA) and Schedule of Events (SoE) documents were made mandatory for non-commercial studies – those initiated and managed by non-commercial organisations such as Universities, NHS Trusts, charities etc.
The two documents must be submitted alongside your study documents when seeking NHS Research Ethics Committee approval, and the approval of the HRA, as the ‘umbrella organisation’.

With the introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulations, the HRA and HCRW have amended the two documents. They may be found here.

Who is ‘HCRW’?

HCRW stands for Health and Care Research Wales, and they have recently aligned its processes and paperwork with the HRA’s, so as to streamline and make consistent the research application process within England and Wales. Until recently the HRA was the umbrella organisation in England only, and a separate process was required if you wished to include research sites in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland*.

*If you wish to include sites from Scotland and Ireland, then the ‘old process’ is still to be followed. Contact Research Ethics for guidance.

What do I need to do?

If you are currently awaiting your approvals from the REC and HRA/HCRW, you do not need to do anything unless otherwise instructed by the HRA/HCRW. If you are concerned please get in touch with your HRA assessor, or their queries line.

If you are simply thinking of introducing your research into the NHS, are at your beginning stages, or you are currently compiling your study documents, then please remember to use the new versions of the SoA and SoE.
Please get in touch with Research Ethics for guidance on any aspects of clinical research, guidance, and if not already obtained, to request sponsorship of your study. Guidance and useful documents may also be found on the Clinical Governance blog.

 

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

Clinical Governance, NHS, Post-award, Research Ethics, Research Training, Training

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, R&KEO)  will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.

IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.

The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.

The training will take place in Studland House, room 103 on Thursday 23rd August, at 13:00pm – 16:00pm.

Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

Useful resources for those involved in clinical research

Clinical Governance, NHS, Post-award, Research Ethics, Research news, Research Training

If you are involved in, or wish to be involved in clinical research, then take a look at this link, where you will find useful resources to support colleagues in getting involved with research, to find out more for yourself, and to help you to encourage more patients to take part too.

If your study will recruit NHS patients or staff, then BU must ‘sponsor’ your project, so remember to involve the Research Ethics team within R&KEO on researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk as early as possible in your study planning.

‘Clinical Research is Everyone’s Future’

Clinical Governance, NHS, Post-award, Research Ethics, Research Training

If you are interested in clinical research, or interested in working within this field, either on your own project, or as a future career, then take a look at the National Institute for Health Research’s short video about what clinical research is, and how to support it.

Watch the video to find out:

  • Why clinical research is at the core of the NHS
  • How to respond to patient questions about clinical research
  • How to help patients get involved in clinical research

Remember that the Research Ethics mailbox (researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk) is available if you have any queries about your own plans to embark on clinical research within the NHS.

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

Clinical Governance, Post-award, Research Ethics, Research Training

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, R&KEO) and Laura Purandare (Research Q&I Manager, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system. IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts.

The training will take place in Studland House, room 117 on 4th  July at 09:30am – 12:30pm.

Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

BU will also be required to ‘sponsor’ the research study and we can advise and guide you through the process of applying for this, and on all aspects of conducting research in the NHS.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Erasmus+ Staff Mobility (Teaching) experience at the University of Beira Interior (UBI)

EU, Post-award, Student Engagement

I just came back from a beautiful place in Portugal, Covilhã, where I went to deliver teaching to the Department of Management and Economics (Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences, UBI) students. Covilhã is a city surrounded by mountains.

Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal

It is because of its location, access to water and forest, the city was chosen as the Portugal’s centre of wool and fabrics making. In fact, Covilhã used be known as Portuguese Manchester. However, industrial crises led to a close of numerous factories, with these that are left operating now mainly producing wool for export purposes. Streets of Covilhã are continuous reminder of its heritage and history via unique street art.

UBI is a public university that was established in 1973 as Polytechnic Institute (hence very similar to BU). Currently, UBI hosts more than 7000 students who study across five faculties, Arts and Letters, Sciences, Health Sciences, Human and Social Sciences, and Engineering.

UBI – main campus

The BU-UBI Erasmus staff exchange partnership was first established by Professor Chris Shiel back in 2010. As it stands both institutions have not extended the partnership to cover student exchange because up until now UBI has not delivered their content in English. While teaching digital marketing to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, I have met many Erasmus+ exchange students who came to UBI from Bulgaria, Poland, Spain and Brazil.

UBI – Faculty of Human and Social Sciences

Majority of students expected teaching delivery in English and for this reason, as well as increasing interest towards UBI from EU students, from September 2018 the Department of Management and Economics starts delivery of their business and management courses in English. In light of such positive improvements, it is worth for us reviewing our Erasmus partnership with UBI.

Back to main focus of this post: this teaching opportunity was my first experience of teaching outside the UK and Russia, and first experience of engaging with Erasmus+. My teaching content and learning outcomes were agreed prior to the visit. I was down to teach aspects of e-commerce [I decided to talk about Headless Commerce instead] to final year BA (Hons) Marketing (1st cycle programme) students and digital marketing communications to MA Marketing (2nd cycle programme) students. In both cases students had not covered the topics previously so my aim was to introduce these, explain basics, critique applications and instil interest to read further. I did, however, felt nervous about the language, the pace of teaching and students’ understanding of concepts which might not have been applicable to the context of Portugal. All these fears disappeared as soon as I went to the classroom, saw students and started teaching. Both UG and PG students were extremely engaged with the content. In fact they were complimentary of visual images and infographics.

with final year BA (Hons) Marketing students

Students engaged in discussions as they could easily apply theory to practice and share examples of social commerce or search engine marketing from personal experiences. In fact, I experienced what I could call a teaching co-creation process that benefited both I and students. Students learnt from my UK-based examples and I have learnt so much from students on how digital marketing is done in Portugal. Together we debated nuances of newly implemented GDPR – this sparked so much interest. Being an advocate of digital pedagogy via extending classroom engagement to social media spaces, I had to offer an opportunity to UBI students to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Many of them were surprised and connected immediately. Strangely UBI academics were asking me about this as they were surprised how quickly I persuaded students to engage. I shared with UBI academics few links to BU’s TEL videos and they were quite intrigued by an institution wide initiative to encourage use of educational technology to enhance student experience.

Having spent five days within UBI’s walls (28.05.2018-1.06.2018), I managed not only to deliver teaching but also network with UBI’s academics, present my research (in particular recently accepted research paper on deployment of mobile technology by creative B2B SMEs and its impact on service innovation practices) and deliver a session on netnographic methodology to UBI’s academics and PhD researchers (some of whom came to Covilhã from Brazil).

with the UBI academics and PhD researchers

Moreover, the visit was a fantastic opportunity to promote the upcoming 17th International Annual Congress on Public and Nonprofit Marketing that takes place in Bournemouth on 6-7 September 2018. Deadline for abstract submission was extended to 2nd July, so if your research covers public and nonprofit contexts, then hurry up and submit your abstract via: https://www1.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/our-faculties/business-school/department-marketing/international-congress-public-nonprofit-marketing/theme-submission-details

Finally, as somebody who now lives and breathes Fusion my visit could not be all about teaching. In relation to a joint BU-UBI research, Dr Arminda do Paço and Dr Helena Alves are now working with me on two projects, (1) trust and communication, linked to the Faculty of Management QR-funded project on Trust Repair; and (2) circular economy – a comparative study of consumers’ perceptions in the UK and Portugal. Work on both projects is at the conceptualisation level with the team planning to seek an ethics approval in July and commencing data collection by end of July 2018. To keep up to date with developments connect with me on Twitter or read my work on ResearchGate. In relation to professional practice linked to future research and education, I was privileged to visit the UBI’s Wool Museum.

It has been an amazing experience to hear all about sustainable manufacturing and business practices adopted by wool making factories, practices which are challenged by fast fashion and postmodern consumerism. Sustainability is one of the UN’s, EU’s and the UK’s key research areas. Dr Arminda do Paço and I are now discussing potential to work on joint research involving industrial partners as well as opportunities to organise international field trips for BA Business Studies, BSc Marketing and BA Retail Management students.

In conclusion, this week in Portugal was busy and at the start nerve wrecking, but overall extremely positive and led to many more exciting opportunities for BU and UBI to foster our partnership, work on international research, share best practice in teaching and learning and meet again in a sunny Bournemouth this September.

If you wish to experience something new, share and enhance your teaching practices, I would highly recommend to apply for the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Teaching funding.

Elvira Bolat, Global Engagement Lead (Department of Marketing), Senior Lecturer in Marketing (The Business School), e-mail: ebolat@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

Clinical Governance, Post-award, Research Ethics, Research Training

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, R&KEO) and Laura Purandare (Research Q&I Manager, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system. IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts.

The training will take place in Studland House, room 117 on 4th  July at 09:30am – 12:30pm.

Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

BU will also be required to ‘sponsor’ the research study and we can advise and guide you through the process of applying for this, and on all aspects of conducting research in the NHS.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Thinking of conducting research in the NHS? – get in touch

Clinical Governance, Post-award, Research communication, Research Ethics

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then the R&KEO office are here to help!

Get in touch with Suzy on researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk with any queries you may have.
BU will be required to ‘sponsor’ the research study and we can advise and guide you through the process of applying for this, applying for your external approvals, and on all aspects of conducting research in the NHS.

Please remember, you will also be required to submit a BU online ethics checklist via https://ethics.bournemouth.ac.uk/ and to include the R&KEO Research Ethics team at all stages of your clinical research study.

Conducting research in the NHS – what you need to know

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, Post-award, Research Ethics, student research

Are you interested in conducting your research project in the NHS? Have you got plans to do so in the future? Or, are you simply interested in the prospect of doing this at some point during your academic or professional career?

If you are then there are additional requirements in order to make this a reality…however, don’t worry, because the R&KEO office can assist you in achieving these, helping to streamline the process.
Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk with any queries you may have.

Please note that BU is required to act as the Sponsor for clinical studies conducted in the NHS, by its students or staff members. The Sponsor is defined as ‘the person or body who takes on ultimate responsibility for the initiation, management and financing (or arranging the financing) of a clinical research study.’
Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk as soon as feasible if you think that your study will require BU to act as Sponsor. 

Make your meetings magical

Events, Post-award, pre-award, Research communication, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training

None of us can avoid meetings…

Then think how magnificent it would be if every single one was purposeful and powerful – sharing information, making decisions, identifying actions – but just without there being so many of them, or them taking so long!

In this session, we’ll use the 9 Characteristics of the Productivity Ninja™ to inspire change in your meeting skills, and you’ll identify specific ways your team can implement each of them, providing the opportunity to think about what makes effective, productive and fun meetings, and gives you the ideas and tools to make that happen.

Find out more and book your place now for the afternoon of Wednesday, 18th April 2018. This session, for BU Staff, will be at the Lansdowne Campus, with the location given in your booking confirmation.

Please also take a look at the external facilitator’s video, which introduces this workshop.

Find out about further events from the RKEDF and other Organisational Development workshops on the Staff Development & Engagement Events Calendar.

 

BU awarded research grant to improve nurse retention

BU research, Post-award, Research news

Researchers from Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences have received a grant of £140,000 from the Burdett Trust for Nursing. The researchers will be working to study and improve registered nurse retention in collaboration with our practice partners at Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trust (RBCH).

This exciting project launches on 1st June 2017 and will run for two years. Led by Dr Janet Scammell, working alongside Professor Stephen Tee and Dr Sharon Docherty, RBCH staff and service users is an exciting, collaborative, nurse-led project that will test an innovative evidence-based model for improving nurse retention known as TRACS (Transition, Resilience, Authentic leadership, Commitment, Support).

Retention of nurses within the UK is a grave issue with approximately 10% of the nursing workforce in England seriously considering leaving the profession. This has significant implications on the care provided to patients within the NHS.

Working with a large NHS Trust, a ‘bottom-up’ co-created retention strategy and tool-kit, based on principles underpinning TRACS will be developed and implemented in one high-risk Directorate. A robust evaluation will run alongside. The project will develop and refine an adaptable and evidence-based retention model, acting as an exemplar that will be transferable to any healthcare setting where nurses are employed.

Dr Scammell said “We’re excited to be working on this project and collaborating with local partners to improve retention within the healthcare workforce.”

A project website will be developed in the near future to host information as well as useful resources

CEMP research published by Samsung

BU research, Post-award, Research news

CEMP’s Digital Capability study has now been published by Samsung.

ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
In 2015, Samsung funded a six-month research project on the Isle of Portland in Weymouth, exploring the
impact of technology on participants’ engagement with community services, schools and family learning.
We partnered with the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP) at Bournemouth University.
The project has given us a rich set of findings on which to build further work, and we hope this summary will be
of help to schools, community organisations, policy makers, employers and even parents – anybody
who shares our interest in enabling communities to benefit from the power of digital technology.

Calling all RCUK PIs and Students!

Awarded & submitted bids, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment

RCUKThe next Researchfish submission period will run in February/March 2017. The key dates and policies for the 2017 exercise are detailed below…

Next Submission Period datesImage sourced from The Academy of Medical Sciences

PIs will need to log on to researchfish® and submit a return between the 6 February and 4pm on 16 March 2017 to confirm that their outcomes information is accurate and complete at that time. Students will once again be asked to submit their outcomes then too. It is important to note that this time there will not be a blanket extension given to those who don’t submit by the deadline.

 Studentships outcomes collection

The last Submission Period was the first time that all RCUK-funded Students were asked provide research outcomes from their Studentship awards. After considering the information gathered and the feedback received, RCUK has decided in future only students who are in the third or later year of their studies need to submit their outcomes. For the 2017 submission period this means students whose awards started on or before the 5 February 2015.

Sanctions

As was the case after the 2016 Submission Period, non-compliant PIs will lose eligibility to be either a PI or Co-I on further awards from any Research Council and any current awards will have their payments withheld until such time as the PI becomes compliant. Sanctions will not apply to students who do not comply with the request to submit their outcomes.

Attention: All RCUK PIs and Students!

Awarded & submitted bids, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment

RCUKThe next Researchfish submission period will run in February/March 2017. The key dates and policies for the 2017 exercise are detailed below…

Next Submission Period datesImage sourced from The Academy of Medical Sciences

PIs will need to log on to researchfish® and submit a return between the 6 February and 4pm on 16 March 2017 to confirm that their outcomes information is accurate and complete at that time. Students will once again be asked to submit their outcomes then too. It is important to note that this time there will not be a blanket extension given to those who don’t submit by the deadline.

 Studentships outcomes collection

The last Submission Period was the first time that all RCUK-funded Students were asked provide research outcomes from their Studentship awards. After considering the information gathered and the feedback received, RCUK has decided in future only students who are in the third or later year of their studies need to submit their outcomes. For the 2017 submission period this means students whose awards started on or before the 5 February 2015.

Sanctions

As was the case after the 2016 Submission Period, non-compliant PIs will lose eligibility to be either a PI or Co-I on further awards from any Research Council and any current awards will have their payments withheld until such time as the PI becomes compliant. Sanctions will not apply to students who do not comply with the request to submit their outcomes.

Calling all RCUK PIs and Students!

Awarded & submitted bids, Impact, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment

RCUKlogoWe’ve been informed by RCUK that the next Researchfish submission period will run in February/March 2017. The key dates and policies for the 2017 exercise are detailed below…

 

Next Submission Period dates

Image sourced from The Academy of Medical SciencesPIs will need to log on to researchfish® and submit a return between the 6 February and 4pm on 16 March 2017 to confirm that their outcomes information is accurate and complete at that time. Students will once again be asked to submit their outcomes then too. It is important to note that this time there will not be a blanket extension given to those who don’t submit by the deadline.

 Studentships outcomes collection

The last Submission Period was the first time that all RCUK-funded Students were asked provide research outcomes from their Studentship awards. After considering the information gathered and the feedback received, RCUK has decided in future only students who are in the third or later year of their studies need to submit their outcomes. For the 2017 submission period this means students whose awards started on or before the 5 February 2015.

Sanctions

As was the case after the 2016 Submission Period, non-compliant PIs will lose eligibility to be either a PI or Co-I on further awards from any Research Council and any current awards will have their payments withheld until such time as the PI becomes compliant. Sanctions will not apply to students who do not comply with the request to submit their outcomes.