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Research Ethics Panel Meetings – Reminder to staff and postgraduate researchers

Research Ethics, Research Ethics Panels

Research Ethics

There are no central Research Ethics Panel (REP) meetings held during August, so if you’re hoping to start data collection activities over the summer and are in the process of completing your research ethics checklist, please keep this in mind when planning your research activities.  Submit your checklist in time for the final REP meetings to be held in July.  Checklists received during August which need to be reviewed by a full Panel will be deferred until September (dates to be advised).

REPs review all staff projects and postgraduate research projects which have been identified as high risk through the online ethics checklist.  Details on what constitutes high risk can be found on the research governance, research ethics & integrity website.

There are two central REPs:

  • Science, Technology & Health – last meeting date of 2023/24 is 24 July 2024 with deadline for submissions – 16 July 2024
  • Social Sciences & Humanities – Meetings dates for September – TBC

 

Staff and PGR ‘high risk’ projects will be reviewed by one of the central REPs and Researchers (including PGR Supervisors) will normally be invited to Panel for discussions.

Staff Projects which are ‘low risk’

Reviews for low risk projects will continue as normal during August (via email), although turnaround may take longer than normal due to Reviewer availability during this month.

PGR Projects which are ‘low risk’

There are no changes to the review process for low risk PGR projects and reviews will continues as normal throughout August, again subject to the availability of Supervisor and assigned Ethics Champions.

More details about the review process and REP meeting dates can be found on the governance, research ethics & integrity website.  Email enquiries should be sent to researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

New paper: Tourism and transport use in Bali, Indonesia

international, student research

Congratulations to BUBS PhD student Rama Permana on the publication of his paper ‘The (un)sustainability of rural tourism travel in the Global South: A social practice theory perspective’ in the International Journal of Tourism Research. The paper draws on a series of semi-structured interviews with tourists and destination stakeholders which explore tourists’ rural travel practices in Bali, Indonesia. The paper uses a social practices perspective to explore how Bali’s transport provision has evolved to meet residents’ needs for travel and income generation, shaping the options for tourists. The paper highlights how transition to more sustainable transport use is challenging when local populations are invested in existing transport provision and how this provision has become part of the tourism experience. 

Last reminder – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 internal deadline next week

Funding opportunities

Dear colleagues,

This is a kind reminder that next Monday, 15 July 2024 is the deadline for submission of ItB if you plan to submit an application to MSCA PF 2024 call.

We have already received a large number of ItBs which is close to the capacity RDS can handle, so any late ItBs submitted after Monday will be rejected.

This year we have planned that all proposals are completed and submitted to the funder on 10 September, a day before the call deadline.

MRes studentship opportunities – application deadline extended to 14th August, 2024

student research

Update about the NIHR INSIGHT programme MRes studentship eligibility which impacts on the current recruitment round.

Following consultation with the 12 regional leads for the NIHR INSIGHT programme, NIHR has agreed to Research Masters studentships being open to applicants with up to five years’ experience of practice in the health or care profession for which they hold the required registration. It is still possible to provide flexibility for instances such as career breaks or time out for caring responsibilities so long as experience of practice fits with this guidance.

In light of the above changes, the deadline for applications for the Research Masters Studentships for South West Central have been extended to Wednesday 14th August 2024 to allow for applications for those who may now meet the eligibility criteria.  Information about how to apply is available on our webpage: https://insight-southwestcentral.net/

There was also discussion about health and care professionals working on skilled worker visas and the requirements for Research Masters studentships in line with all applicants, only those with up to five years’ experience of practice (UK and international practice) will be considered. Those on skilled worker visas will need to be employed on a full-time basis and given clinical release to undertake the MRes programme (0.4FTE). The studentship stipend can be paid to employers to offset the cost of clinical/care release. However, this will mean that employers will need to subsidise the difference in salary costs. This will need to be discussed and negotiated on an individual basis where employers deem it appropriate.

If you have any queries, please contact  Carol Clark (cclark@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Theo Akudjedu  (takudjedu@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Les Gelling lgelling@bournemouth.ac.uk

A successful second Women’s Health Research Symposium

The Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health hosted their second Women’s Health Research Symposium on Tuesday 25th June 2024, sharing women’s health research from across Dorset.

The event was funded by the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health, The Women’s Academic Network, and The Doctoral College. The event provided an opportunity for academics, clinicians, researchers, and third-sector organisations to network, discuss ideas, and outline key priorities in women’s healthcare.  

The themes of the presentation mirrored the priorities of the Women’s Health Strategy for England including tackling inequalities and wider determinants of health, improving access to services, health promotion through education, women’s mental health, and supporting women’s health throughout the life course. Keynote speakers included Dr Michael Dooley, Visiting Professor at BU (Bournemouth University) and Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Helen Crook, Strategy and Transformation Programme Manager leading on the Dorset Women’s Health Hub, and Marianne Storey, Chair of the Dorset Women CIC.  

Part-funded by The Doctoral College Culture and Community grant, the event aimed to highlight the work of our postgraduate researchers. A range of posters and oral presentations were delivered by BU postgraduate students including Rosie Harper, Eunhee Kim, Umarah Mahmood, Sara Ahmadi, Pritika Gurung, Megan Chesters, Abier Hamidi, Kate Rattley, and Nurudeen Adesina.  

Academics from the BU Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health also discussed new research findings including new consensus recommendations on cold water swimming in pregnancy (Dr Malika Felton) and the lived experience of LGBTQ+ parents who breast/chest-fed their children (Dr Sarah Hillier). We also welcomed Associate Professor Alyx Taylor from AECC University College to discuss her work around the identification of perinatal mental health needs. 

In addition to a range of engaging oral presentations, we invited Dr Humaira Khan (AECC University College) to display her foetal alcohol syndrome simulator, and Pauline Ferrick-Squibb (Arts University Bournemouth) to showcase her quilt that was created through participatory research with women sharing their experience of menopause. The event concluded with a panel discussion with BU’s Women’s Academic Network and research centres including the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health, Ageing & Dementia Research Centre, andCentre for Seldom Heard Voices. 

The second Women’s Health Research Symposium was a success, and we look forward to inviting delegates back to the university next year. The event provided an opportunity for academics, clinicians, and stakeholders to make collaborative partnerships to improve women’s health across Dorset. 

      

Research Ethics Panel Meetings – Reminder to Staff and Postgraduate Researchers

Research Ethics, Research Ethics Panels

Research Ethics

There are no central Research Ethics Panel (REP) meetings held during August, so if you’re hoping to start data collection activities over the summer and are in the process of completing your research ethics checklist, please keep this in mind when planning your research activities.  Submit your checklist in time for the final REP meetings to be held in July.  Checklists received during August which need to be reviewed by a full Panel will be deferred until September (dates to be advised).

REPs review all staff projects and postgraduate research projects which have been identified as high risk through the online ethics checklist.  Details on what constitutes high risk can be found on the research governance, research ethics & integrity website.

There are two central REPs:

  • Science, Technology & Health (final meeting date for 2023/24 is 24 July 2024, with deadline for submissions – 16 July 2024)
  • Social Sciences & Humanities (final meeting date for 2023/24 is 10 July 2024.  Deadline for submissions – closed)

 

Staff and PGR ‘high risk’ projects will be reviewed by one of the central REPs and Researchers (including PGR Supervisors) will normally be invited to Panel for discussions.

Staff Projects which are ‘low risk’

Reviews for low risk projects will continue as normal during August (via email), although turnaround may take longer than normal due to Reviewer availability during this month.

PGR Projects which are ‘low risk’

There are no changes to the review process for low risk PGR projects and reviews will continues as normal throughout August, again subject to the availability of Supervisor and assigned Ethics Champions.

More details about the review process and REP meeting dates can be found on the governance, research ethics & integrity website.  Email enquiries should be sent to researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

British Academy Global Professorships 2024 Internal competition

Funding opportunities, international

 

British Academy has launched their Global Professorships

The British Academy Global Professorships scheme aims to support internationally recognized scholars by funding four-year research projects in the UK as an opportunity to undertake high-risk, curiosity-driven research in the humanities and social sciences in a UK research institution.

1. **Eligibility**:
– Applicants should be internationally recognized mid-career and senior scholars, in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences (recognised in their field or with exceptional promise) who are currently employed outside the United Kingdom.
– Must hold a doctoral degree and have a significant publication record.
-Applicants can be of any nationality but they must be based outside of the UK at the time of application.

2. **Funding**:
– The award provides up to £900,000 over four years.
– Covers salary costs, research expenses, overheads and relocation costs.

3. **Application Process**:
– The application is submitted by the UK host institution.
– Includes a detailed research proposal, budget, and support statements from the host institution.
– The deadline for submissions and specific guidelines are detailed in the call for applications.

4. **Selection Criteria**:

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

  • The excellent research track record and/or promise of the applicant;
  • The quality, ambition and originality of the proposed research vision and programme, with the aim to support state-of-the-art applications that break new ground;
  • The distinct research contribution and added value that the applicant will be able to make to the UK host institution, and the suitability of the UK host institution for the applicant’s research project that enables the award-holders and their UK host institutions to achieve a step change in their respective research programmes;
  • Whether the gender equality statement meets or exceeds the minimum standard as set out in the Gender Equality in Research and Innovation policy;
  • Value for money
  • Support from the host institution.

For more details, refer to the British Academy’s official guidance notes (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/global-professorships/guidance-notes/).

Application Process

Due to Demand management, set by BA for this call, BU can submit a max of 4 applications- candidates must contact Eva Papadopoulou, to express their interest request over email, and submit a draft copy of their Flexi-Grant proposal, where the above criteria will need to be addressed. Please do so by the 26th July.  Any queries please contact Eva Papadopoulou. 

A “step change” in parliamentray foresight capabilities

Knowledge Transfer

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons recently commented that the introduction of a new Thematic Policy Network will “create a step change in delivering the evidence needed to help parliamentarians”.

The new network resulted from the work of the Horizon Scanning Committee in the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology. Prof. John Oliver sits on the committee and his expertise and research was used to help develop a methodological process for the identification of emerging trends and critical uncertainties that will provide forward-thinking analysis to develop future Areas of Research Interest and inform scrutiny, legislation and debate that addresses key economic and societal challenges.

Prof. Oliver commented that the new network will adopt a methodology that takes “a strategic, forward-looking, evidence-informed approach to engaging with policy areas whilst also developing new foresight competencies in Scenario Planning”.

AFE Staff Seminar delivered by Professor Arusha Cooray

 

 

Professor Arusha Cooray, Head of Accounting and Finance academic group, College of Business, Law and Governance at the James Cook University, Australia delivered a session at the AFE Staff Seminar on 28th June, 2024. She is an Editor of Journal of International Development (CABS 2*) and an Associate Editor of International Journal of Finance and Economics (CABS 3*).

Her research seminar topic was “Chinese Foreign Direct Investment Outflows and Host Country Economic Growth “. It was followed by a “Meet the Editor” session. Both were very engaging and well attended by staff and PGRs.

The ADRC Ageing Well Together event was a great success

The Ageing & Dementia Research Centre hosted a free public event in June with 52 attendees from local organisations, members of the public and researchers. The purpose of the event was to bring people together to showcase research and initiatives around the theme of ageing well.  

Key speaker

The key speaker of the event was Rachel Woodward Carrick, speaker and author of Happy Silver People: How to make life happier as you grow older within the BGB lecture theatre.

Presentations/showcase

Both Mel Hughes and Angela Paget from PIER shared some of their learning from a collaboration with the BCP Age Friendly Communities network.

Here are some words from Mel summarising the collaboration – The BU PIER partnership have been supporting this work as forum and steering group members from the start and so it felt a natural opportunity to collaborate when we were asked to start a conversation with older people across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, on envisioning an age friendly community. We used appreciative inquiry and the 4D model of discover, dream, design and deliver to provide a framework for a series of workshops conducted in March 2024 with Age Friendly partners, Beautiful Wisdom, Salvation Army, Prama Care and Christchurch Community Partnership. We posed the same question to the conference attendees – if there are no limits, what, for you does an age friendly community look and feel like. It was great to see how open and engaged the attendees were to envision an age friendly community and the steps they would take to making it a reality. We are excited to share the report from the March conversations in July.

There were tables set up in BG 115 and 116 where local care organisations showcased their services and BU research staff showcased their research allowing people to browse their stands and to ask questions, as well as getting hold of some much-favoured merchandise! There was also a visit from the very special Nelly the therapy dog from the company ‘Hey Doggie’ with her owner Jacqui, who we have built a good relationship with having first met them at the Dog Café event at the Potteries Care Home (this takes place the second Wednesday of each month).

There was also the chance to hear from the ADRC Research Participant Group, who shared their experiences of contributing to research. This group meets monthly via Zoom with two in-person meetings taking place each year. We are always looking for new members of the public to join this group. Further details can be found on www.bournemouth.ac.uk/adrc (if you know of anyone who would be interested in joining or if you are a BU researcher who would like to present your research at one of these monthly meetings, in order to get public engagement with your project).

Yoga activity

After a very successful morning at the event, we were joined by a Sport BU yoga teacher, Melsia Tomlin-Kraftner, who gave us all an introduction to Chair Yoga in the lecture theatre, this was a very engaging and informative session on the benefits of regular movement as we age, as well as providing a lot of laughs from those participating.

Event highlights

Associate Professor Susan Dewhurst and Associate Professor Michele Board the co-lead of the centre and Dr Michelle Heward the deputy co-lead of the centre have provided their best bits of the event below:

  • My highlight was the atmosphere and energy that was present in the showcase event. Given the diversity of tables, there was something for everyone, making it a really inclusive event (Dr Susan Dewhurst).
  • It was very much an example of a collaborative, community event with sharing of expertise about ageing (the lived experience!) and research we are doing to promote healthy ageing and raising our understanding of people living with dementia (Dr Michele Board).
  • Hearing from members of the public about their involvement in ADRC research and what it meant to them was a powerful reminder of the impact that our research can have on our local community. Attendees gave positive feedback about the event, one attendee said, ‘Interesting talks in the lecture theatre, fascinating info and chat in the ‘break out room’ and especially great to meet the research students – such a credit to BU! I found it all energising and stimulating and am better informed all round after attending’ (Dr Michelle Heward).

The work of the ADRC focuses around maintaining good quality of life as we age and supporting those living with long-term conditions in older age, such as dementia. Please follow us on social media @BournemouthADRC to keep up to date with our latest news and visit our website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/adrc to check out more about our research and our education and training resources.