Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
I am the Project Officer within the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office covering the Faculty of Science and Technology.
I am responsible for providing professional and specialist advice and support to academic colleagues on all aspects of post-award R&KE activity, including advising on contracts and project deliverables, management of budgets and project management.
I joined Bournemouth University as a Project Delivery Officer in August 2014. I provide professional support and advice to academic colleagues on externally funded research and knowledge exchange grant activity.
Prior to this I worked as a project manager and policy adviser in the public sector, then moved into the product management environment in the private sector.
An esoteric long-term personal interest I have is that of self improvement through the study of oriental martial arts.
Euraxess UK is a British Council hub, which aids researchers in their career development, supporting mobility and acting as a support mechanism for researchers moving abroad or moving to the UK.
The following items have been highlighted in the current Euraxess Newsletter:
Grants are now available for early career researchers to attend a Nutrition Policy to Practice in Pakistan: Exploring the Challenges and Research Opportunities workshop at the Serena Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan between 8-11 March 2015.
Application forms can be downloaded from the website and the deadline to apply is 30 January 2015. Further eligibility criteria may apply, and applicants should read the Further Information document.
Under the Researcher Links scheme offered by the British Council and FAPESP, there will be a workshop on Complex Systems held at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, between 8-13 March 2015. The workshop is being coordinated by Dr Murilo S. Baptista and Prof José R. C. Piqueira, and will have contributions from other leading researchers.
Early Career Researchers from the UK or Brazil are invited to apply to attend this workshop before the deadline for applications, 23 January 2015.
Scholarships and grants are announced for UK Researchers focusing on Clinical and Patient oriented research from The Academy of Medical Science/CONACYT -Mexico/CONFAP-Brazil. The duration and terms of the awards vary between partners. Further detailed information can be found on specific programmes can be found on the Academy’s website.
You can sign up to receive the British Council – Euraxess alerts direct to your inbox. For more information about Euraxess, please go to the British Council website. For example, read more about FameLab, part of the Northern Ireland Science Festival, which runs from 19 Feb – 1 March 2015.
The Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology is looking at the UK Science Landscape. The aim of this project is to build a picture of the whole research landscape in the UK and to develop a stronger evidence base. This evidence base will help to inform future strategic decision-making and help the UK to maintain and develop its excellence in research.
As part of this project, the Council for Science and Technology (CST) wish to understand better how the UK’s research community defines itself and the links and interconnections that exist between research disciplines. To help to do this, the UK Knowledge Landscape Tool has been developed and has been designed to gather data from researchers on the disciplines, dependencies and key infrastructure they think make up modern research.
To be part of this and experimental approach, users can log on and create an account on the UK Knowledge Landscape website.
CST are interested in crowd-sourcing a large amount of data which will be analysed for statistically significant patterns across the whole body of responses and then used to produce outputs such as taxonomies or maps. The more responses the tool has, the better the mappings are likely to be, therefore, they would welcome your input.
Speaker: Professor Andrew W. Lloyd
Date and time: 3 Feburary 2015, 15:00-17:00
Location: K101, Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University
Event Description: This presentation will outline the challenges and opportunities of developing both the Institutional Athena Swan Bronze Application and the subsequent development of the individual School Applications within the University of Brighton. It will discuss both the methods used to obtain and analyse the various datasets and the approaches adopted in terms of developing an action plan which would build on our existing practices to improve gender equality and develop a more inclusive and progressive culture within the university.
After the presentation there will be the opportunity for individuals to find out more about the Athena SWAN work at BU and take part in a focus group.
Biography
Professor Andrew W. Lloyd MA (Cantab.) PhD CSci CChem FRSC FBSE FIMMM FHEA
Dean of the College of Life, Health & Physical Sciences, Professor of Biomedical Materials
Andrew Lloyd graduated from Robinson College, University of Cambridge in 1986 with a degree in Natural Sciences, specialising in bioorganic chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology. He completed his PhD in biopharmaceutics and was appointed to the academic staff in the Department of Pharmacy, University of Brighton as a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1989, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1993. He was made Reader in Biopharmaceutical Sciences and elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1998 and awarded the chair in Biomedical Materials in 2000. He was appointed as Joint Head of Research with responsibility for strategic planning in the School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences in 2000, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering in 2003 and to his present post as Dean of the College of Life, Health & Physical Sciences in 2014.
Professor Lloyd led the Institution’s Athena Swan Self-Assessment Steering Group which secured the University Bronze Award in 2012 and chairs both the University Athena Swan Steering Group, which presently oversees the development of the School-based Award Applications, and the University Research Concordat Implementation Steering Group.
Event Schedule
15:00 Welcome from Professor Tiantian Zhang, Head of Graduate School and Chair of BU Athena SWAN institutional self-assessment team
15:05 Talk from Professor Andrew W. Lloyd
16:00 Overview of the BU Athena SWAN submission, Professor Tiantian Zhang/James Palfreman-Kay
16:10 Group discussions to consider what more should we do:
• in addressing gender balance at BU?
• in supporting and advancing women’s careers?
• in organisation and culture change to enhance gender equality?
• in supporting flexible working and managing career breaks?
16:55 Closing comments, Professor Tiantian Zhang
17:00 Event closes
Cardiff Science Festival are looking for content for this year’s festival and now is the time to get in your proposals!
2015 FESTIVAL
The fourth Cardiff Science Festival is scheduled to take place between 13th and 19th July 2015. Their showcase for science and technology has loads of events taking place in venues across Cardiff. From hands on workshops, live demonstrations, comedy, talks, discussion forums, performances, lectures, debates, exhibitions, guided tours and panel discussions, there is something for everybody. Cardiff Science Festival is organised by a group of volunteers with the aim of providing as many fun and informative events as possible whilst keeping the costs as low as possible.
Specifically for this years festival they are looking for Proposals which include ideas such as:
They are also open to all ideas, so if you would like to find out more information including how to submit your ideas, please click here.
They will be finalising the programme in early May with it being made public at the start of June. You can submit ideas to them any time between now and then but the earlier you can submit, the better chance it has of making the programme.
This is a great opportunity & one you can’t miss!
Dr. Jacqui Taylor, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Bournemouth University recently presented and ran a workshop at the ‘National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology’, an annual conference for teachers of psychology to explore new ideas to enhance and broaden their teaching skills. Below, Dr. Taylor summarises her experience:
“I welcomed the New Year by presenting a poster and workshop at the 37th Annual ‘National Institute on the Teaching Of Psychology’ in Florida. The first day dawned with a beautiful sunrise and an early 7:30 am breakfast session!
My poster ‘The Evaluation and Assessment of Online Skills Through Online Group Discussion’ stimulated lots of interaction from delegates who were mainly interested in my use of reflection as an assessment tool. Increasingly, much of a psychology student’s learning occurs within electronic environments, however rarely are the new skills they develop in these contexts identified, improved or assessed. Over the past 5 years, I have addressed this important need, and examples from assessed online student discussions were presented in my poster to demonstrate an innovative way to develop and assess online skills. I made some good contacts with other lecturers who were using quite different quantitative rubrics to assess technical skills and I look forward to developing links with them.
My second presentation was under a category called ‘Participant Idea Exchange (referred to as PIEs!)’ and consisted of a one-hour facilitated workshop session. My ‘PIE’ was on ‘Psychological Literacy: A Practical Approach’ and I presented with Dr Carolyn Mair (a past PGR and lecturer at BU). Psychological literacy is a new and important concept in psychology education which encapsulates the knowledge, skills and attributes acquired through the study of psychology and the ability to transfer learning from the academic setting into the real world. Despite an increasing number of academic and professional publications highlighting theoretical concepts and benefits of psychological literacy, there are few practical resources for psychology educators. This PIE addressed this need by discussing our two recent publications commissioned by the UK Higher Education Academy: ‘An Introductory Guide to Psychological Literacy’ (Mair, Taylor & Hulme, 2013) and ‘A Psychological Literacy Compendium’ (Taylor & Hulme, in prep).
As the sun set on this year’s conference there were promises from many delegates to collaborate and share their teaching practice throughout 2015 and meet once again at the 38th ‘NITOP’ in 2016.”
Exciting news – BU’s research website, launched in January 2014, has been short listed in the Best Research Website category in the international eduStyle Awards. These celebrate the best work in college and university websites and aim to recognise the most innovative and exciting developments in key areas of HE web development.
Each award is given as both a People’s Choice and a Judged Award. People’s Choice voting closes this Wednesday (21 January) so please do visit the eduStyle website and vote for BU! To vote you need to register on the site and then vote on the nominees page (http://www.edustyle.net/awards/2014/nominees.php) using the radio buttons.
BU is the only UK institution to be short listed this year and is up against four other institutions – Yale University, MIT, Columbia University and Biola University.
The winners will be announced on 28 January 2015.
We are very pleased to announce that we are receiving funding from the Fusion Investment Fund for a project to examine the impact of tax planning activity or ‘tax avoidance schemes’ on the market value of listed UK companies. The aim is to extend the UK research that has commenced in the Accounting, Finance and Economics Department through comparative studies in Italy and Germany by collaborating with tax accounting researchers in those countries.
Tax avoidance has been recognised as a major problem by the G8 Nations and the OECD with the publication of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan in 2013. In the UK the government has objected to so-called ‘aggressive tax avoidance’ schemes that are technically legal but have arguably little or no commercial substance and the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) was introduced as part of the Finance Act of 2013 in an attempt to prevent such schemes. Concerns about the national tax revenues are quite widely publicised and researched but there is very little research devoted to the study of how the value relevance of tax accounting information relates to the extent of corporate tax avoidance activity. The research is important to users of reported accounting information including investors such as pension funds. The tax accounting research has policy implications as the related corporate valuation risk impacts the collective investments of individuals such as pension scheme members and equity investors both large and small.
This research is particularly well-timed as there is increasing public interest in tax policy including that relating to anti-avoidance or ‘anti-abuse’ legislation in the UK and other jurisdictions. The accounting profession is also conscious of the greater need for adequate tax disclosures for complex and risky transactions.
The research is likely to increase the impact of Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Management on the accounting profession and the business community in the important disciplines of tax and accounting policy.
Dr Alan Kirkpatrick (Principal Investigator) – Dept of Accounting, Finance and Economics – akirkpatrick@bournemouth.ac.uk
Dr Dragana Radicic – Dept of Accounting, Finance and Economics – dradicic@bournemouth.ac.uk
Monday
Graduate Employment
The Graduate Market in 2015 report has shown that for Britain’s leading employers, the average graduate starting salary will rise to £30,000 this year and graduate recruitment is set to expand by 8.1% (the highest in the past decade). Graduates are getting record salaries (The Times).
Tuesday
Counter Terrorism and Security Bill
The Joint Committee on Human Rights advised that the government should remove universities from the list of authorities covered by proposed new powers in the Counter Terrorism and Security Bill. They say the plans to require universities to stop people from being drawn into terrorism would stifle academic freedom. Terror plans ‘threaten academic freedom’ (BBC News).
Wednesday
US Universities
There is concern that students are choosing to go to US universities amid concerns over rising fees and quality of degree courses – including contact time. British students shun Oxbridge in favour of ‘value for money’ US (The Independent).
Campus Safety
A third of female students in Britain have endured a sexual assault or unwanted advances at university, new research conducted for The Telegraph shows. The End Violence Against Women Coalition, an alliance of charities and campaign groups, warned that higher education institutions are avoiding their legal responsibilities by refusing to investigate sexual assault allegations. One in three UK female students sexually assaulted or abused on campus (The Telegraph).
Thursday
International Students
Higher education leaders have called on Theresa May to stop using international students as a political football in a Conservative Party power struggle, as details emerge of more proposed visa restrictions. Foreign students used as ‘pawns in a political game’ (Times Higher Education).
Friday
Degree Quality
HESA figures show that one in five graduates were awarded a first-class degree last year, prompting claims that universities are handing out more top grades to boost their league table positions. The number of students attaining a first has doubled in the past decade, rising by 14 per cent in 12 months to a record of almost 80,000 last summer. Universities ‘handing out more firsts to lift rankings’ (The Telegraph).
Part-Time Students
Nearly 55,000 fewer part-time students were studying in the UK in 2013-14 than in 2012-13, with overall numbers dipping to 603,325 last year according to data released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Part-time student numbers continue to dive (Times Higher Education).
Chinese Students
Last year, 58,810 first-year students from China started undergraduate degrees at UK universities – a rise of 4 per cent on last year. The number of new Chinese students has rocketed by almost 60 per cent since 2009-10. However, students from India declined by 12 per cent and Pakistan by 7 per cent, suggesting that the government’s clampdown on student visas and tough rhetoric on immigration had put many off coming to the UK. More students here from China than whole of EU (The Independent).
2015 Election
Several Vice-Chancellors have been asked to share their expectations for 2015 party manifestos for the Guardian HE Network, the article includes comments from Professor John Vinney. Vice-chancellors share their expectations for 2015 party manifestos (Guardian HE network).
Hello! I’m the co-ordinator for the Fusion Investment Fund which was designed to support Fusion by funding ‘pump-priming’ initiatives. There are two different strands for staff – Staff Mobility & Networking and Co-creation & Co-production. I also deal with two externally funded programmes – Erasmus and Santander, which both support overseas staff travel for purposes such as teaching, training and networking.
You can find out more about the Fusion Investment Fund here and do get in touch if you have any queries or want more information. The next round is likely to be opening in the Spring.
It’s a fascinating job – I’m involved in all stages of the process – it includes providing information about the funds, helping people through the application process and supporting the pre-screen and committee review processes. After the awards are made, I liaise with the PIs to set up their budgets and get their project started, I monitor the project’s progress, deal with any requests for changes to the project or its budget, carry out budget audits and ensure that each PI carries out an effective evaluation at the end of their project. We currently have around 130 live projects utilising about £1.3m of funding.
My main aim is to ensure that high quality projects obtain funding and then that the funding is used in the most effective way to obtain the best results for BU as a whole. Simples!!
I’ve been at BU since 2011, firstly in Student Administration Services and more recently in Applied Sciences (as it was then) in Programmes Admin and student support. I really enjoyed being part of a School and one of the attractions of this role for me was the continued contact with academic staff and their research.
My pre-BU experience is mostly in Finance, including ten years in Credit Management and three as a Budget Analyst. I’ve also got some experience of applying for grants in the charity sector, all of which gives me a useful background for this job.
Outside of work I enjoy crafts, especially sewing and knitting, I love cooking (and luckily my husband loves eating!) and we both enjoy walking and photography. We bought a house at the end of last year and I am presently perfecting my skills at crossing a mud slide to get to my front door – my husband is confident it will be a garden one day! I have two grown children and in fact our daughter came to university here, loved it so much she stayed and that’s how we ended up moving to Dorset four years ago.
So – if you are thinking of putting in a bid in the next round, or want to know more about how the fund might support your work, do get in touch. One opportunity would be the next RKEO coffee morning on 4th Feb – it’ll be 9.30 to 10.30 in the RKEO office on the 4th floor of Melbury House.
Happy New Year to you all and welcome back!
Each day this week we’ll be posting a New Year’s Research Resolution to help you get back into the swing of things. Today’s resolution is to do some exciting and fun public engagement!
Why do academics do public engagement? There are many reasons why academic undertake public engagement activities (such as to comply with requirements of research funders or with the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research, or as part of the dissemination plan for a research project) however most do public engagement because it is FUN and puts the passion and excitement back into research!
There are a loads of ways to undertake public engagement, including:
And, of course, contributing to BU’s own Festival of Learning 2015! If you’re interested in contributing to the Festival and have not yet submitted your idea to the team, please contact Naomi Kay as soon as possible.
We have dedicated staff in the RKEO to support public engagement, as well as a modest budget to support activities. If you would like to discuss how to get involved then please contact Rebecca Edwards.
Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE): Information EventIn its capacity as UK National Contact Point for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the UK Research Office is holding an information event for researchers who are interested in applying for the 2015 MSCA Research and Innovation Staff Exchange call, which opens on 6 January 2015, with a closing date of 28 April 2015.
Aim of the Research and Innovation Staff Exchange funding
The RISE scheme supports projects which promote international and/or inter-sectoral collaboration through staff exchanges and the sharing of knowledge and best practice. The scheme involves organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors, organisations based in Europe (EU Member States and Associated Countries) and outside of Europe (third countries).
Date and venue
Thursday, 22 January 2015
London South Bank University
Room 806, Keyworth Centre
Keyworth Street
London SE1 6NG
Aim of Information Event
The event will provide participants with an in-depth overview of the RISE scheme. Participants should gain a clear understanding of the proposal format and the key issues relating to planning, writing and submitting proposals.
Who should attend?
The event is aimed at staff at UK academic and non-academic organisations, including industry, who are planning to submit a proposal to the RISE call.
Registration
Attendance is free of charge, but capacity at the venue is limited and places will therefore be allocated on a first come first served basis. Register via the UKRO workshop announcement.
The event will only take place if a minimum number of participants is reached. All interested participants will be notified by Friday 16 January 2015 at the very latest.
Agenda
The event will cover key issues relating to planning, writing and submitting proposals. A successful RISE 2014 project case study will be presented by the Principal Investigator.
Competition open to all BU undergraduate students and recent graduates
Research skills are central part of all undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and are also a key skill in most career paths. On March 4th 2015, Bournemouth University will be hosting a conference to showcase the best examples of research work from BU’s current undergraduates and recent graduates. As well as having the opportunity to present their research and develop new skills for their CVs, students will also have the chance to win prizes such as a fully funded MSc or MRes at BU, a paid placement and vouchers.
Students and recent graduates are now being invited to submit their applications by the deadline of 20th January. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words, and could describe a broad range of research activities, such as a dissertation, essay, work for a placement, volunteering or even research undertaken for a student society. The main criteria is that students are able to demonstrate their own critical thinking. All BU undergraduates – from all courses and faculties – as well as recent graduates are eligible to apply.
To submit your 300 word abstract, register here.
Terms and conditions for the competition can be viewed here.
The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:
Medical Research Council, GB
Molecular and cellular medicine – Research grants
The Medical Research Council invites applications for its research grants in molecular and cellular medicine. These are suitable for focused research projects that may be short- or long-term in nature. In addition, they can be used to support method development and continuation of research facilities and may involve more than one research group or institution.
Award amount – up to £1,000,000. Closing date 06/05/2015
Computational genomics analysis and training call for collaborative projects
The Medical Research Council’s computational genomics analysis and training programme invites applications for its call for collaborative projects. This is for collaborative projects that involve next-generation sequencing datasets to address important questions in biomedical science, aligning with MRC research priorities.
Applicants should be UK-based experimental and clinical groups with novel experimental designs or existing datasets making use of high-throughput sequencing methods. No experience in using next-generation sequencing methods is required.
Applicants may benefit from CGAT analytical capacity and expertise. In exceptional circumstances CGAT may also contribute funds for sequencing.
Award amount: not specified Closing date 30/01/15
| Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, GB
These support investigator- led research activities addressing any topic within the council’s remit. Grants may be used for research projects, technology development, equipment or use of existing facilities, new facilities or infrastructure provision, research networks and coordination, and summer schools. Grants are tenable for up to five years.
Wellcome Trust, GB |
The Wellcome Trust will shortly be inviting applications for phase two partnership grants of its Science Learning+ programme. The closing date is expected to fall in the last quarter of 2015 however application information has not yet been confirmed. The following call details are subject to change.
These grants support partnerships involving partners both in the US and in the UK or Republic of Ireland that aim to improve the knowledge base and practice of informal science experiences to better understand, strengthen and coordinate their vital role in science engagement and learning. Research should align with the following categories
Award amount max: Not specified Closing date: unknown
The Royal Society, GB
Newton mobility grants
The Royal Society offers Newton International Exchanges as mobility grants to provide international researchers with funding towards travel, subsistence and research expenses for either a one-off short visit to explore opportunities for building lasting networks or for bilateral visits to strengthen emerging collaborations.
Award amount: max £12,000 Closing date 19/02/15
Standard programme – Colin Pillinger International Exchanges award
This stimulates new collaborations within the natural sciences between scientists in the UK and overseas. Grants are worth up to £12,000 over a maximum period of two years. Researchers may also receive the Colin Pillinger international exchanges award of £10,000 to communicate their research to the general public.
Award amount: max £13,000 Closing date 17/02/15
AHRC/Cheltenham Festivals call for events at the science and literature festivals
To mark its tenth anniversary in 2015, the AHRC is looking to extend its partnership with Cheltenham Festivals by inviting applications from researchers to present their research at one of a series of four engaging public events at the Times Cheltenham Science Festival and the Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2015. One event will run at the Science Festival, and three at the Literature Festival.
Award amount: not specified Closing date 09/02/15
Natural Environment Research Council – NERC, GB
Atmospheric pollution and human health in a developing megacity
The NERC and the Medical Research Council (MRC) in the UK (with input from the Newton Fund) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) are investing in a strategic research programme on urban air pollution in the megacity Beijing and impacts on health. NERC, MRC and NSFC are inviting Expression of Interest applications for a call under this programme.
The programme is split into four themes:
All applications must be collaborations between UK and Chinese researchers.
Award amount max: Not specified Closing date: 06/03/15
The Natural Environment Research Council invites proposals for its urgency grants. These allow scientists to respond rapidly to unexpected and transient events affecting the environment. Proposals must fall within NERC’s scientific remit.
Award amount: max £52,000 Closing date no deadline
Researchers from the UK and their international collaborators may carry out environmental research relevant to the NERC remit at the Ny-Ålesund station on the Svalbard archipelago.
Award amount: not specified: Closing date 31/03/15
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Please note that some funders specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKEO Funding Development Officer
You can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in RKEO or view the recent blog post here.
If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.
I have some researchers visiting from the University of Ulster in February and they would like to take the opportunity to interview 2 or 3 SME owners who have used crowdfunding. I’d be grateful if anyone has contacts that they could pass on to me: palford@bournemouth.ac.uk
The Wessex Conservation Forum aims to bring together representatives from NGOs, Universities and Government bodies for a free one day conference discussing ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & the Green Economy’ in the Wessex region. The services which nature provides us with, such as clean water, clean air, fertile soil and food, are not only crucial for the well-being of human-kind, they also represent an astronomical value. It has been estimated by economists that the loss of biodiversity was costing the EU €450 billion annually, equal to 3% of GDP. Hence, halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services is now a UK and EU priority for 2020.
Confirmed speakers include representatives from a variety of organisations and are listed below.
To book: This event is popular and places are limited. Click here to find out more information and register for your free place.
For those involved in business and business planning some of this information would not necessarily be new, however very important when completing any funding application or competition where Innovate UK are the main funder. Innovate UK is the new name for the Technology Strategy Board and fund, support and connect innovative businesses to accelerate sustainable economic growth.
This is a user friendly document and worth reading to assist with applications for funding large or small!
BU staff can login below:
Apply now to take part in the 2025 ESRC Festival of Social Science
Photo exhibition happening now at Talbot Campus – Ageing in a digital world
A compassionate approach to Simulation: new national blog post published
The Future of Surface Protection: Nanocomposite Coatings Explained
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025
Horizon Europe info days 2025 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025
Update on UKRO services
European research project exploring use of ‘virtual twins’ to better manage metabolic associated fatty liver disease
Research Information Network