Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
The Doctoral College Newsletter provides termly information and updates to all those involved with postgraduate research at BU. The latest edition is now available to download here. Click on the web-links provided to learn more about the news, events and opportunities that may interest you.
If you would like to make a contribution to future newsletters, please contact the Doctoral College.
Updated message (8 July 2020): due to floods in Assam this week this international conference has been postponed by a few weeks.
If you are interested in a more global perspective of COVID-19 you may want to attend the upcoming Online International Conference “COVID-19: A Global Perspective” to be held from 29 to 31 July, 2020 by the PG Department of Economics, Gossaigaon College, Gauhati University, Assam, INDIA. BU will be contributing to the sub-theme COVID-19 and its impact on the health sector.
Professor Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Beth Clarkson, University of Portsmouth; Alex Culvin, Durham University; Keith Parry, Bournemouth University, and Stacey Pope, Durham University
Women’s football has made great strides in recent years. Attendances at the women’s FA Cup final continue to set new records. One survey suggested that one-third of adults are interested in the women’s game and 69% of those believe it deserves the same profile as men’s football.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has left the game in a precarious position. Although the suspension of elite football in England was initially applied evenly to both men’s and women’s competitions, there will be deeper and more far-reaching consequences for the women’s game.
The Football Association’s (FA) 2017 Game Plan for Growth, which included doubling the number of women and girls taking part in football by 2020 and improving commercial prospects, has largely been left unfulfilled. Such promises of equality (football for all) by the FA are starting to sound hollow. The Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship seasons have now been cancelled. In contrast, plans to resume the men’s Premier League and Championship advance at pace.
Read more:
There are plenty of female superstars in football, but very few women coaches – here’s why
In our recently published research – the first academic study on this topic – we have highlighted why the pandemic is impacting men’s and women’s football differently.
Prior to the pandemic, elite women’s football was already facing poor pitches, lower wages and prize money and conditions far behind men’s clubs. The biggest challenge for women’s football is that elite women’s teams rely on sponsorship for income. For example, 80% of Manchester City Women’s turnover is from commercial activity, most of which is sponsorship.
Women’s sport is also underfunded when compared to men’s in terms of things like marketing and prize money – see the tweet below. COVID-19 is also likely to hit many businesses’ profits hard, leaving companies who previously wanted to invest in women’s football unable to. If this causes the pool of sponsors to shrink – a pool that is already small – the future of women’s football will be under financial threat.
At the same time, financial strain on men’s football means women’s football could be one of the casualties. The majority of elite women’s teams are secondary sides under the umbrella of the professional men’s club. There are numerous examples in recent history where relegation or financial hardship for the men’s club has resulted in cutting ties with the women’s team.
For example, when the men’s club withdrew their financial support in 2017, Notts County women’s club collapsed the day before the new season, leaving their players jobless and, in some cases, homeless. When men’s teams cut their ties like this, women’s teams can be left with no choice but to fold.
Finally, elite women’s football is partially funded by the FA. The association has put significant investment into the women’s sport since professionalisation occurred in 2018, but historically, women’s football has been undervalued by the FA. It banned women’s matches from the grounds of FA-affiliated clubs between 1921 and 1971. And during earlier periods of financial insecurity, clubs and the FA cut investment to the women’s game.
Worryingly, the governing body has predicted a loss in excess of £100 million as a consequence of COVID-19. Grassroots and women’s football are not areas likely to be axed, but at present, there is no clear message that women’s football will continue to be invested in.
Women’s football has gone through tough times before. It is resilient. So, COVID-19 may not be a fatal blow. However, swift and decisive action is needed to protect the recent momentum and growth of women’s football in England. Our recommendations are:
1) Clubs must shift their perspective so that women’s football is viewed as a core business and not as a goodwill gesture to the community.
2) Clubs should be entrepreneurial and innovative in their approaches to generating revenue for the women’s game, such as crowdfunding.
3) Women footballers are often on short-term contracts and juggle other jobs and family responsibilities alongside football careers. Issues surrounding wellbeing might be felt more acutely in women’s football. Clubs must work to actively support players.
4) The 12-month delay to the Women’s European Championship, now due to be held in England in 2022, should be seen as an opportunity. Leveraging mainstream interest in the Men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup, a “festival of football” could be created to attract fan interest in the women’s game.
5) When the game restarts, women’s football supporters must remain faithful in their support of the game. Visible advocates will show the governing body and clubs that there is a sustained demand for women’s football.
Read more:
Sing when you’re women: why it’s time to take female sports fans seriously
If we are to continue advancing a “new age” of women’s football, it is important that the women’s game is part of the conversation about football’s return. Without a clearly communicated strategy for the women’s game, the future of clubs and players’ health and wellbeing remain at risk.
Beth Clarkson, Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, University of Portsmouth; Alex Culvin, Postdoctoral Researcher in Professional Women’s Football, Durham University; Keith Parry, Deputy Head Of Department in Department of Sport & Events Management, Bournemouth University, and Stacey Pope, Associate Professor in the Sociology of Sport, Durham University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Center stage this week in the PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Varshini Nandakumar, PhD student in the Faculty of Science & Technology with this poster entitled:
‘Design of a functional electrical stimulation device adaptive to walking.’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a neuro-rehabilitation technique commonly used to aid walking in individuals suffering from Drop Foot (DF), a condition that limits ankle dorsiflexion leading to drag the foot while walking. FES devices make use of small electrical pulses to generate functional muscle contraction, enabling dorsiflexion to overcome DF. Existing FES devices are aiding mobility significantly, but one limitation in them is the inefficacy to allow the user to walk confidently in different walking scenarios. As reported by users, this is caused due to the inability to lift their foot sufficiently to ambulate on different walking scenarios. Hence this project proposes to overcome this limitation using machine learning algorithms to develop a predictive model to identify steps, ramps, and kerbs. The output of this model will then be used to control the stimulation levels to provide sufficient stimulation to enable the user to overcome the obstacle.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
Still plenty to share in this PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Chris Williams, PhD student in the Faculty of Management with this poster entitled:
‘Accreditation of higher education in the UK: The rise of PSRBs & potential influence.’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
This poster will provide a graphical illustration and analysis of data collected as part of my PhD. The data collected identifies when Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB’s) that accredit UK undergraduate degrees began their accreditation programmes. PSRB’s were identified from data held by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and contacted individually to establish when they began accrediting, leading to the collation of a unique set of figures. HESA’s data is used as part of the Key Information Set (KIS) that HE institutions display on their web pages and other printed material. The information is also held by the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of HE in the UK. Further, the poster identifies key events impacting the UK HE sector and provides a brief analysis of any correlation with the commencement of the accreditation schemes that responded.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
Children and parents have struggled to adjust to homeschooling. Now, some have to cope with returning to schools which will seem very different to those they left at the beginning of lockdown. One group of children, though, are facing challenges beyond those experienced by the majority.
Children with special educational needs (SEN) make up around 15% of all pupils in mainstream education. Developmental dyslexia is the most common condition in this group, estimated to affect between 10%-16% of the UK population. Autism is much rarer, affecting about 1.1%.
Our research suggests that children with these conditions might find it especially difficult to adapt to changes in their education. We need to recognise the extra challenges homeschooling and online learning have posed for many children – and take this into account as schools reopen.
Many people think of dyslexia as a language disorder, but it also affects the memory and people’s ability to verbalise ideas and to pay attention. Even in the best of learning environments, struggles in school are likely to lead to low self-esteem for dyslexic children.
These difficulties are also experienced by autistic children, who may perceive the sensory world differently. Sounds can be magnified, for example, making it hard for a child working at the kitchen table to drag their attention away from the ticking of a clock or the dripping of a tap. Their experience of “not fitting in” also affects their self-esteem.
Another aspect of autism is concrete, black and white thinking. Some autistic children struggle with homework because they think school is for work and home is for play. Routine and predictability is crucial for these children. The move to home education has been another change for them in a sea of turmoil caused by the pandemic.
In school, autistic and dyslexic children would often have specialist support in place to help them with these problems. Without this kind of support, problems with attention and self-esteem may make learning at home very difficult.
It’s also important to recognise that dyslexia and autism are often inherited. Educational and emotional support at home may be limited, further disadvantaging the child and reinforcing the parent’s own potential sense of inadequacy. Children with SEN are also more likely to come from poorer families, an additional layer of inequality.
Recent research has found that while many children with SEN (and their parents) are indeed more anxious and sad than usual, some families actually report minimal or even positive impacts of distance learning under lockdown. For some children, lockdown is a respite. For dyslexic children, it means they are not the child who is taken out of typical lessons to catch up on other work.
For autistic children, it may be an escape from the bullying which is tragically endemic in this group. Many autistic children, including those with a type of autism called pathological demand avoidance, are simply too anxious to attend school regularly.
Remote online education may offer children a greater opportunity for personalised learning at their own pace. For these reasons, many parents of SEN children choose to homeschool their children even under normal circumstances. They argue that home-schooling allows teaching to be built upon the child’s interests, while removing them from rigid standardised testing which is focused on the majority of learners and may set children with conditions like autism or dyslexia up to fail.
As schools begin to reopen, advice is already emerging around how best to protect and support children. It’s important to make children feel safe and in control as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
Experts suggest that emotional and social development should take precedence over school work. Some children may need special help with this. Autistic children, for instance, may need to be explicitly taught how to play appropriately, and may need adult assistance to make friends.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, teachers were advised to set up small circles of friends for vulnerable children. As such, the current advice, which recommends that children should stay in small groups, may be well suited to those with special educational needs. However, teachers will also need to actively adopt other strategies to foster social bonds between the child and their peers.
As always, it will be important for parents and teachers to collaborate closely to ensure as much consistency as possible. There are things that teachers and parents can do to help children deal with difficult emotions. Children might also be dealing with bereavement and new financial insecurity at home. The involvement of other child specialists, like psychologists and social workers, might therefore be beneficial.
To help build a sense of control, we need to do more to help children with special educational needs succeed in school, respecting their own pace and learning styles. As this situation evolves, we must be mindful of its impact on the already entrenched inequality that hampers these learners. However, the situation also forces us to come face-to-face with the cracks in our previous systems and come up with new ways of doing things which might, in the long term, reap surprising benefits.
Julie Kirkby, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Bournemouth University and Rachel Moseley, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Bournemouth University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A new article by Prof. Dinusha Mendis (Department of Humanities and Law, FMC), co-authored with Dr. Ana Santos-Rutschman (St Louis University, USA) and Dr. Rosa Ballardini (University of Lapland, Finland) explores the way in which the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of 3D printing in healthcare. In particular, the article considers the use of 3D printing in the fight against this pandemic and the implications which have arisen in the legal field – as a result of intellectual property laws.
These implications first became apparent in March 2020 in the Lombardy region in Northern Italy, one of the areas which was hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the outbreak progressed, a hospital of Chiari (a town in the province of Brescia) came close to running out of valves to connect patients to ventilators. The hospital reached out to the local manufacturers for more, but they could not deliver replacement valves in time – due to their supply chain and restrictions arising from intellectual property laws. However, a local engineering startup heard about the situation and developed three different versions of the valve prototype in a few hours. Within 24 hours, they had used a series of 3D printers to produce 100 valves, by reverse engineering and 3D printing the replacement valves. Furthermore, while a valve from the original manufacturers cost over 10.000 euros, the 3D-printed valves produced by Fracassi and Romaioli were significantly cheaper at around 1 euro.
One of the main reasons for the price disparity between the original valves and the 3D-printed ones, stemmed from the legal framework around technology use. There were also questions raised about the breach of intellectual property laws, by the local engineers.
However, at a time in which there is great legal uncertainty about how 3D printing in general will be regulated worldwide, it is important to think ahead to future scenarios of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly pandemics – where intellectual property laws may appear to stand in the way of critical health issues. In concluding the article, the authors make recommendations for the future and in this context, suggests a carve-out which would become applicable when there is a declaration of emergency by local or national authorities.
>> Read the full article here: https://iprinfo.fi/artikkeli/3d-printing-how-an-emerging-technology-may-help-fight-a-pandemic/
In April 2020, Prof. Mendis, together with partners from UK, Germany, Austria and Finland completed a large scale empirical and legal study on the Intellectual Property Implications of the Development of Industrial 3D Printing. The project was commissioned by the European Commission to Bournemouth University in 2018.
>> Download the full report and executive summary here.
Monday 8th June 10:00 – 12:00
This workshop will introduce you to EndNote, software that saves you time when managing your references and writing for publication.
This session will cover:
Essential Preparation
You must have the correct software loaded onto your machine prior to attending.
You may find it beneficial (but not essential) to have dual monitors. This could allow you to watch the teaching and try things out at the same time.
See here to book.
Please see below for a recent update from the Health Research Authority with regard to a new amendment tool and the online submission of amendments.
If you have any queries please email Suzy Wignall in Research Development & Support.
Online submission of amendments and a new amendment tool is now live across the UK, as of today Tuesday 2 June 2020.
These new processes for handling amendments are part of our ongoing Research Systems programme to improve services for applicants.
From 2 June, all applicants making an amendment to project-based research will need to complete the amendment tool and submit their amendment online. The tool replaces the Notification of Substantial Amendment (NoSA) and Non-Substantial Amendment forms. Amendments to Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases will also be submitted online from this date.
To help with these changes, we have now published:
For queries on how to complete the tool, questions on the results from the tool, once complete or how to submit your amendment online, please contact amendments@hra.nhs.uk
Amendment Tool
The new amendment tool should be used for all project-based research including amendments being made under the COVID-19 fast-track process, from 2 June. (Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases will continue to use the IRAS generated substantial amendment forms.)
The tool categorises the amendment and provides tailored guidance on how to submit. It will identify any review bodies the amendment needs to be sent to, based on the changes that are being made to the study. It also provides detailed information about the amendment to participating sites.
The Notice of Substantial Amendment/annex 2 form can be generated by completing the tool. This version of the form can then be submitted to the REC and the MHRA (as required) when making a substantial amendment to a trial.
The amendment tool is based in Excel, but in the longer term we plan to fully integrate the tool functionality into IRAS.
The introduction of the amendment tool may require changes to Sponsor’s quality system (e.g. SOPs, guidance documents and templates etc.). Organisations should do this in accordance with the new process in good time. Given the additional demands placed across the healthcare research systems at this time, the MHRA has confirmed that it will adopt a pragmatic approach during inspection.
Submitting amendments online
Once you have completed the amendment tool, you should follow the submission guidance provided in the submission guidance tab of the tool. If the amendment needs to be submitted, then the amendment tool, together with all the supporting documents, should be uploaded into a new part of IRAS and submitted using the online system.
For amendments to Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases the IRAS substantial amendment form should be submitted online in place of the amendment tool.
Applicants will need to set up a new login and password for the new part of IRAS. We are sharing a login process with NIHR systems for the new parts of IRAS that provide online booking, the Combined Ways of Working (CWoW) pilot, and this new amendment system. If you already have a login for any NIHR system or one of these new parts of IRAS you can use the same details. If you do not already have a login for those systems, you will need to set up a new login and password as guided by the system.
Once you have logged in, applications will need to input the IRAS ID for the study as well as some other information regarding the study and amendment, some of which will need to be copied directly from the tool itself. Applicants can upload documents including a pdf of the tool itself. The system will issue an email to confirm the amendment has been submitted.
Next up in the PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Hina Tariq, PhD student in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences with this poster entitled:
‘Validation of contracture assessment screening tool.’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
Contractures are a debilitating consequence of prolonged immobility potentially leading to physical impairments, limited functional mobility, decreased independence with everyday activities, and reduced social participation. There is no standard assessment tool available to assess the risk of contracture development or progression. The Contracture Assessment Screening Tool (CAST) was developed by Dorset Health Care University NHS Foundation Trust to address this gap. This project aims to establish the 1) CAST validity and 2) CAST effectiveness in reducing contracture development and progression. Timely identification of those at risk of contracture development or progression may help facilitate contracture prevention and the associated negative sequelae. To evaluate CAST, a mixed methods approach is being utilised including realist review and evaluation. Merging different methodologies and a realist approach will provide a unique perspective on CAST validation and use. This project is ongoing and the poster will present the overall methodology and significance of the project.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
What does public engagement look like during a time of lockdown and social distancing? Does it all have to take place online? In a guest blog for the NCCPE, David Owen reflects on how public engagement is being re-imagined and invites you to share your ideas.
“Researchers and public engagement professionals have been finding new ways of working and responding to the crisis. In the early phases of lockdown, there was much attention on the adoption of online technologies […] Several social commenters and researchers alike have suggested that the social distancing measures will exacerbate those already isolated and vulnerable. Clearly an over-reliance on online engagement will leave those without the means to engage with this content digitally with little or no opportunity to participate. […] So, what role is there for public and community engagement with research? Is it all going to be online from now on?”
A free online event from Analema Group, involving BU researcher Oliver Gingrich.
KIMA: Noise is a new art film by Analema Group, which explores how urban noise affects our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and asks – what can we do about it?
You are invited to the online premiere of KIMA: Noise, a live viewing followed by a discussion about the film and your experiences of urban noise, together with the artists and researchers who have worked on this project.
The KIMA: Noise project has so far taken in an exhibition and workshops at Tate Modern, involving noise expert Prof. Stephen Stansfeld, community groups such as Better Bankside, residents, and researchers in the field of urban noise.
The film will premiere on Analema Group’s YouTube channel, after which we’ll move to Zoom for our discussion. Sign up to keep up to date and receive all the necessary details.
Taking us into the sixth week of the PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Juliette Hecquet, PhD student in the Faculty of Management with this poster entitled:
‘Exploring yoga as a flow experience: A phenomenological study of contemporary communities.’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
The definition of yoga remains fluid and controversial, creating an oxymoron between the philosophical roots of yoga and physical practice. The majority of published academic research is in medicalised fields; however researchers agree yoga has vast positive outcomes with the potential to be valuable in society. A lack of clarity exists on what the yoga experience now is, with sparse evidence of, non-medical, qualitative research. The flow experience and the practice of yoga continue to draws parallel’s from a philosophical standpoint. Yoga can be regarded as one of the oldest and most systematic methods of producing flow experience but has yet to be researched as one. This interpretative phenomenological research aims to explore the lived yoga experience and the potential flow experience, across contemporary yoga communities. Videos (vlogs) and in-depth semi-structured interviews will explore the research questions; how yoga participants explain their lived yoga experience and the potential flow experience.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
Please see below for a recent update from the Health Research Authority with regard to a new amendment tool and the online submission of amendments.
If you have any queries please email Suzy Wignall in Research Development & Support.
Online submission of amendments and a new amendment tool will go live across the UK on Tuesday 2 June 2020.
These new processes for handling amendments are part of our ongoing Research Systems programme to improve services for applicants.
From 2 June, all applicants making an amendment to project-based research will need to complete the amendment tool and submit their amendment online. The tool replaces the Notification of Substantial Amendment (NoSA) and Non-Substantial Amendment forms. Amendments to Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases will also be submitted online from this date.
To help with these changes, we have now published:
For queries on how to complete the tool, questions on the results from the tool, once complete or how to submit your amendment online, please contact amendments@hra.nhs.uk
Amendment Tool
The new amendment tool should be used for all project-based research including amendments being made under the COVID-19 fast-track process, from 2 June. (Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases will continue to use the IRAS generated substantial amendment forms.)
The tool categorises the amendment and provides tailored guidance on how to submit. It will identify any review bodies the amendment needs to be sent to, based on the changes that are being made to the study. It also provides detailed information about the amendment to participating sites.
The Notice of Substantial Amendment/annex 2 form can be generated by completing the tool. This version of the form can then be submitted to the REC and the MHRA (as required) when making a substantial amendment to a trial.
The amendment tool is based in Excel, but in the longer term we plan to fully integrate the tool functionality into IRAS.
The introduction of the amendment tool may require changes to Sponsor’s quality system (e.g. SOPs, guidance documents and templates etc.). Organisations should do this in accordance with the new process in good time. Given the additional demands placed across the healthcare research systems at this time, the MHRA has confirmed that it will adopt a pragmatic approach during inspection.
Submitting amendments online
Once you have completed the amendment tool, you should follow the submission guidance provided in the submission guidance tab of the tool. If the amendment needs to be submitted, then the amendment tool, together with all the supporting documents, should be uploaded into a new part of IRAS and submitted using the online system.
For amendments to Research Tissue Banks and Research Databases the IRAS substantial amendment form should be submitted online in place of the amendment tool.
Applicants will need to set up a new login and password for the new part of IRAS. We are sharing a login process with NIHR systems for the new parts of IRAS that provide online booking, the Combined Ways of Working (CWoW) pilot, and this new amendment system. If you already have a login for any NIHR system or one of these new parts of IRAS you can use the same details. If you do not already have a login for those systems, you will need to set up a new login and password as guided by the system.
Once you have logged in, applications will need to input the IRAS ID for the study as well as some other information regarding the study and amendment, some of which will need to be copied directly from the tool itself. Applicants can upload documents including a pdf of the tool itself. The system will issue an email to confirm the amendment has been submitted.
This weeks highlight in the PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Helen Slater, PhD student in the Faculty of Science & Technology with this poster from her live exhibition entitled:
‘LEAP voices in the jungle: remote monitoring of forest biodiversity.’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
A major challenge in wildlife conservation is the difficulty of collecting and maintaining robust records of abundance and distribution. Sumatra contains a diverse array of unique animal sounds, since many forest animals use acoustic signals for long range communication; these signals can tell us a great deal about wildlife populations and behaviour. A forest soundscape was recorded in secondary forest in Sumatra, Indonesia, as a tool for rapid biodiversity assessment and to begin building a database of vocal signals for long term monitoring of apes and elephants. A network of custom-built acoustic recorders were deployed, covering both protected secondary forest and smallholder plantations at the forest edge. These data are valuable for biodiversity and population monitoring, as well as hugely effective tools for conservation education. In addition to wildlife research, materials collected from this project are being incorporated into an interactive exhibition to engage young children with nature and conservation.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
Please see below for an update from the Health Research Authority with regard to the new system for booking in applications.
Any queries please get in touch with Suzy Wignall, Clinical Governance Advisor.
A new online booking service will be rolled out for IRAS studies on Tuesday 19 May – replacing the current Central Booking Service (CBS) telephone line. This is part of our ongoing Research Systems programme of work to improve our services for applicants.
Applicants submitting research projects through IRAS will no longer need to call the Central Booking Service to book a Research Ethics Committee, or to enable IRAS Form submission. Instead applicants will access the new online booking service via IRAS to book their application for review. The service is quick and easy to use and, unlike the current Central Booking Service, will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it easier for research applicants. If you need help and support with the new system you can call 0207 104 8008 between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
In order to make use of this new functionality, applicants will be directed to a new part of IRAS which hosts the online booking service. A separate login will be required, but support will be provided. You will need to set up a new login and password for this area unless you already have a login for a NIHR system or as part of the Combined Ways of Working pilot (CWoW) pilot. In this case you can use your existing log in details.
Applicants will need to answer a series of questions online before being able to book a slot. This directs the applicant to the appropriate REC. The questions will be familiar to anyone who has used the CBS. Once you have completed your online REC booking, you will still need to electronically submit your application in IRAS using the normal process.
Applicants making contact about fast-track COVID-19 studies, should continue to follow our current guidance or email fast.track@hra.nhs.uk, DO NOT use the online booking service.
The work to build the online booking service began before the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is being rolled out now so that the system can support research applicants with non-COVID-19 studies.
Training and guidance will be available via the IRAS website. You can also watch a short video to see how to use the online booking service.
Congratulations to Dr. Preeti Mahato in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perintal Helath (CMMPH) on the acceptance of the paper ‘ Evaluation of a health promotion intervention associated with birthing centres in rural Nepal’. This paper is part of Dr. Mahato’s PhD work and will appear soon in the international journal PLOS ONE. The journal is Open Access so anyone across the world may copy, distribute, or reuse these articles, as long as the author and original source are properly cited.
The research in this thesis used a longitudinal study design where pre-intervention survey was conducted by Green Tara Nepal a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) in year 2012. The health promotion intervention was conducted by the same NGO in the period 2014 to 2016 and the post-intervention survey was conducted by Dr Mahato in the year 2017.
The intervention was financially supported by a London-based Buddhist charity called Green Tara Trust. The results of the pre- and post-intervention surveys were compared to identify statistically significant changes that might have occurred due to the intervention and also to determine the factors affecting place of birth. This study is co-authored by Professors Edwin van Teijlingen and Vanora Hundley and Dr Catherine Angell from CMMPH and FHSS Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada (based at the University of Huddersfield).
Fourth in this PGR Virtual Poster Showcase:
Lara Christ, visiting PhD student in the Faculty of Management with this poster entitled:
‘Nonprofit brand orientation in emerging countries: Antecedents, barriers and outcomes’
Click the poster below to enlarge.
Considering the importance of the nonprofit organizations in emerging countries, the research aims to develop the elements that constitute the nonprofit brand orientation in emerging countries and identify the antecedents, barriers and outcomes of nonprofit brand orientation. In this way, the recent literature about the concept was analysed and a theoretical model is going to be proposed. The research is going to be realized in four steps: generation of indicators from an exploratory research, grouping of the indicators in factors, confirmation of the factors and test of the proposed model. We expect to produce a measurement scale of nonprofit brand orientation, antecedents, barriers and outcomes in emerging countries. In addition to the theoretical relevance of a new scale of a concept that has not been approached yet in the marketing literature, the project can contribute to the management of social organizations bringing benefits to society as a whole.
If this research has inspired you and you’d like to explore applying for a research degree please visit the postgraduate research web pages or contact our dedicated admissions team.
BU staff can login below:
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024
Research Information Network
Upcoming opportunities for PGRs – collaborate externally
BU involved in new MRF dissemination grant
New COVID-19 publication
Horizon Europe News – December 2023