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Hidden Microbes in Christchurch House “Pond”

Student Engagement, student research

Microscopic investigations of water samples from the half-barrel pond in Christchurch House courtyard have revealed a menagerie of single-celled life. These tiny organisms (smaller than one tenth of a millimetre) are incredibly important as they form the basis of food webs.  They also play a major role in maintaining water quality as they feed on bacteria, and stalked species such as Vorticella (image) are responsible for their removal in waste-water treatment plants.  The half-barrel “pond” may be almost as small as its inhabitants but it promises to become a treasure of local ‘hidden’ biodiversity!

For further information please contact Genoveva F. Esteban gesteban@bournemouth@ac.uk, Jack Dazley i7447079@bournemouth.ac.uk, or Damian Evans devans@bournemouth.ac.uk

ADRC at ‘VOICEs in dementia care’ conference in Nottingham

Dr Michelle Heward from the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) attended the ‘VOICEs in dementia care: the science and practice of communication’ conference hosted by the Institute of Mental Health, at the University of Nottingham on Tuesday 17th October 2017. This free event was open to anyone interested in understanding communication with people with dementia and attracted over 100 healthcare professionals working with people with dementia, family carers and academics.

During the day there were several presentations highlighting current research on communication and dementia, and its application in health and social care settings. This included the VideOing to Improve Communication Education (VOICE), an NIHR funded study led by Professor Harwood, to improve communication between healthcare professionals and people with dementia in acute hospitals. VOICE offers a different method for training simulated patients, grounded in patients’ real interactional practices as observed from video data. Attendees got to see a demonstration of an interaction between a healthcare professional and a simulated patient (trained using the VOICE approach), and hear about the new toolkit designed to improve the use of simulated patients in training healthcare professionals.

Other presentations focused on: how people with dementia are involved in decision making; optimising hearing-related communication; power of attorney in dementia care communication; and shared reading with people with dementia. This conference certainly provided food for thought given the ADRC’s interest in simulated learning.

BU’s PGR Paul Fairbairn at the Lipids and Brain IV conference in Nancy

Knowledge Exchange, PG research, student research

The Société Française pour l’Etude des Lipides (SFEL) recently held the fourth iteration of their Lipids and Brain conference in Nancy France.

I was given the opportunity to present some preliminary results from an ongoing study I am conducting as part of my PhD, looking into the effects of a multi-nutrient omega-3 fatty acid supplement and exercise on mobility and cognitive function in ladies aged 60+.  Analysis of the baseline data revealed relationships between levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood with cognitive and gait outcomes, however this effect differed between non-frail and pre-frail participants.

The conference brought together scientists, physicians and nutritionists to provide a unique prospective on the role of lipid nutrition in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with a large focus on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).  The conference was a mix of lectures, invited reviews, and poster sessions.  There was a tremendous variety of topics presented, including lectures on the pathophysiology and epidemiology of AD, how AD can impact lipid metabolism and the effects of lipid intake on prevention and treatment of AD.

During the conference Professor Stephen Cunnane from the Research Center on Aging, Sherbrooke (Canada) was presented with the prestigious Chevreul Medal.

On a personal note this was an exciting opportunity for me to present my work and represent Bournemouth University and my supervisory team of Dr. Simon Dyall and Dr. Fotini Tsofliou at a respected conference.  It was very satisfying to see some interest in my work from researchers whose work I myself look up to.

I would like to extend my gratitude towards Bournemouth University, for providing the funding that allowed me to attend the conference and to the scientific committee at the SFEL for organising such an impeccable event.

If you would like to learn more about our research, please feel free to contact me at pfairbairn@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Nature, nurture & beyond: what underpins exceptional sport performance?

What makes an exceptional athlete? Are people born with innate abilities which help them to succeed or is sporting talent nurtured through practice and training? As part of his ‘Great British Medallists’ research project conducted for UK Sport, Professor Tim Rees explored the importance of both nature and nurture in the development of elite athletes. The findings, which will be shared as part of his inaugural lecture, identified some of the differences between elite athletes (non-medal winning Olympians) and super elite athletes – those winning Olympic gold medals.

Expectations of top level athletes are ever increasing, so research that can help identify strategies to improve performance can make a significant difference to results. As part of his lecture, Professor Rees will dispel some of the commonly held misperceptions around sporting performance and will discuss what the future holds in terms of supporting top athletes.

Professor Tim Rees is a leading authority on human performance and talent development, his work published in the most prestigious and high-impact academic publications and featured in all major media including extensive interviews for BBC Radio 4 and US National Public Radio. His ‘Great British Medalists’ project was the most downloaded Sports Medicine article of 2016, earning a nomination for the Times Higher Education Project of the Year. His specialism has led to speaking engagements, collaborations, and consulting appointments worldwide.

Bournemouth University’s inaugural lecture series aims to celebrate new professorial appointments and the depth and breadth of research produced by the university. For further information on the inaugural lecture series, please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/public-lecture-series

About the event

To book your free ticket, click here.

Venue: AFC Bournemouth, Vitality Stadium, Dean Court, Kings Park, Bournemouth, BH7 7AF.

Date: Monday 20 November.

Time: 6:30pm for a 7pm lecture start.

Refreshments will be provided at the event.

For more information about the event, please contact Matthew Fancy: mfancy@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Cross-disciplinary mental health network plus call – BU Meeting

We will be holding a networking event for BU academics who are interested in the Cross-Research Council Mental Health Network Plus call on 1st November 09:30-11:30 in PG140. It will be a chance to get like-minded people in one space to identify possible collaborations and differences.

No preparation is necessary for the meeting; however we would ask you to read the call guidance see here.

Refreshment will be provided, if you would like attend please contact Alexandra Pekalski or Lisa Gale Andrews.

 

 

Commissioning process for NERC DTP2 confirmed

Funding opportunities

NERC will commission its second round of Doctoral Training Partnership investment (DTP2) through a fully open competitive call, to be launched in January 2018.

The announcement of opportunity, containing full details of the call, is currently under development and will be published in January 2018. To ensure a fair and transparent process, NERC will not answer individual queries about the DTP2 call in advance of the announcement of opportunity being published.

A town hall meeting will be held in central London on Tuesday 30 January 2018 to provide an opportunity to discuss the call. Details of how to register your interest in attending the town hall meeting will be announced in due course.

For more information on NERC DTPs, and the outcomes of the recent DTP evaluation, please see the information available on the NERC website.

 

NERC Council – membership vacancies

NERC is looking to appoint up to twelve new council members with relevance expertise and experience.  Applications are encouraged from suitably qualified people with a broad range of expertise and experience in research and innovation across higher education, industry and commerce, policy and/or civil society, reflecting different characteristics and professional backgrounds.

Further information and details of how to apply are available at: https://www.ukri.org/news/appointments-to-the-councils-of-uk-research-and-innovation/

The closing date for applications is 12:00pm mid-day on Monday 13 November 2017.

Interviews will be held in December 2017 / January 2018

Library workshop: Developing an effective search strategy – 25th of October 2017 at 1pm

Hello,

Searching the literature is one of the main components of research.

This workshop  (Wednesday, 25th of October, 1pm-3pm) gives you the tools to perform a literature search strategically; some of the aspects I will cover include:

  • Boolean operators
  • Identifying keywords
  • Using MySearch and subject-specific databases
  • Citation searching and alerts
  • Web of Science and Scopus

I look forward to seeing you at this workshop.

José

José López Blanco, Faculty Librarian (Health and Social Sciences)

#Vitaechat 19 October, 12-1pm – ‘What every researcher needs to know’

PG research, Training

Focus-on: Getting started – ‘What every researcher needs to know’

Join the #vitaechat on Thursday 19 October from 12 until 1pm and find out more about:

  • what first steps should be taken when undertaking your PhD or starting a new postdoc role
  • managing supervisor/PI relationships
  • planning your research project
  • identifying your typical milestones
  • prioritising your development opportunities
  • when best to start thinking about your post-PhD career

This is a good opportunity to gain essential tips and understand what to expect next from experts who have been on a similar journey.  What’s even better is that you don’t even have to leave your desk!

Register here.

Postgraduate Research: Santander Mobility Award 2017-18 – Call For Applications

Funding opportunities, PG research

We are delighted to announce that the Doctoral College has been awarded Santander funding for postgraduate research mobility activities.

Information on submitting an application can be found on the Santander Mobility Awards 2017-18 webpage.

Deadline for applications 09:00 Monday 13 November 2017.

Submit completed application forms to the Research Skills and Development Officers via the email: PGRskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Resurrecting your unsuccessful grant application – book on now!

 

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about how to resurrect those old grant applications that you’ve long since forgotten about.

But what do you do after hearing your application was unsuccessful? As part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, RKEO are holding a session on ‘Confronting your Unsuccessful application’. This one-day event will combine:

  1.  information about how individuals deal with rejection
  2.  advice and guidance on how this can be turned into something positive
  3.  advice on how feedback can be approached
  4.  the opportunity for individuals to work on revising their bids, using the above as a basis for doing so.

The afternoon session will comprise of 1-2-1 sessions with the external facilitator, to get specific advice relating to your application.

There are 15 spaces available for academic staff whose funding application has been rejected and wish to re-submit to another funder, within the next 12 months.

Date: Wednesday 15th November 2017

Time: 09:00-13:30 with opportunities for a 1-2-1 appointment in the afternoon session

Venue: Lansdowne Campus

Book your space via the RKE Development Framework page for this event.

For further information, please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.

The Royal Society- Entrepreneur in Residence scheme- DEADLINE: 4/1/18

The Royal Society are inviting applications to the Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) scheme.  The purpose of the scheme is to give academics in UK Universities practical experience the latest science, research and innovation in industry.  The scheme allows for the successful translation of academic research into industry and likewise for the growth of entrepreneurial culture within universities.  The close working with industry will also help with developing relevant curricula to produce graduates ready to work in industry.

The scheme covers residencies in all areas of the Natural science except for clinical medicine. The scheme will contribute up to £40k over two years towards salary (0.2 FTE) and travel or project costs.

For further information please contact Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

 

 

AHRC report about arts and humanities research on mental health

A new report, Exploring Mental Health and Wellbeing, published by the Arts and Humanities Research Council highlights the important role that arts and humanities based research can play in helping to address complex issues around mental health.

The report brings to life a wealth of case studies that are contributing to the mental health debate. These include examining the work of academics at the University of Cambridge who are pioneering an innovative design of a personalised fragrance dispenser to help manage anxiety to a project being managed by the University of Essex to educate policy-makers on the issues surrounding impaired decision-making capacity.

Research around mental health is focused around developing a cross-disciplinary approach – and arts and humanities scholars have a key role to play. The AHRC has funded research in many different aspects of mental health research in recent years, with an investment of over £10m in seventy-six projects since 2010.

The new cross-disciplinary mental health research agenda sees the UK’s seven research councils joining forces to collaborate on mental health research. Published in August this year, the agenda paves the way for cross-council collaboration on mental health, highlighting the importance of including the arts and humanities in this area of research.

Cross-Border Event on Natural and Cultural Heritage – post event report

international

On Wednesday 11th October, BU were pleased to welcome the Interreg France (Channel) England (FCE) team and their guests for their cross-border event, considering Specific Objective 3.1: Natural and Cultural Heritage:

3.1- Realise the potential of the common natural and cultural assets to deliver innovative and sustainable growth 

The focus of this Specific Objective is to develop the economic potential of the Programme’s natural and cultural heritage. By investing in this Specific Objective the Programme aims to improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the Programme’s cultural and natural heritage, and to support economic growth through developing a more competitive tourism offer.

This has the aim of increasing not only the regions appeal to visitors, but making it a more appealing place to live and work with the intention of attracting businesses and therefore jobs to the area.

With over 70 attendees from across the area of eligibility, the day gave all attendees the opportunity to find out more about the programme, explore areas of common interest, meet with like-minded potential project partners and consider how their own disciplines may contribute to the delivery of innovative and sustainable economic activities which enhance common cultural and natural assets.

The day began with a welcome from Carolyn Reid (FCE Programme Manager) and Prof Michael Wilmore (Executive Dean, BU’s Faculty of Media and Communication). Following presentations outlining the scheme, attendees found out more about two funded projects – VISTA-AR and GO TRADE. Following a panel discussion with heritage experts from both France and the UK, the afternoon consisted of themed breakout sessions (Natural Heritage, Built Heritage, Intangible Tourism and Events and Trails) plus surgeries with FCE facilitators.

The day concluded with project pitches and recognition that the event had been a fruitful experience for all those in attendance.

If BU staff are considering applying for this or any other Interreg scheme, please contact Emily Cieciura, RKEO’s Research Facilitator: EU & International Funding.

FHSS PGR Impact Workshop

Many thanks to all those who attended the Health and Social Sciences PGR Impact Workshop on 5th October. This was a great opportunity for those at various points on the PhD journey to consider how their research might be impactful.

Those who attended commented that the workshop was a timely reminder of the importance of integrating impact into a doctoral project as well as understanding the importance of public engagement as knowledge exchange.

Thanks to Dr James Gavin and Jane Forster for their input to the session on the importance of public and patient involvement in research and seeking impact in the context of policy.

For those in HSS please feel free to contact Clare Killingback, Impact Champion for more information on Research Impact.

Funder Visit – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science on 21st November 2017

Funding opportunities, Info Days, international

BU’s Research & Knowledge Exchange Office is delighted to be hosting the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science visit on Tuesday, 21st November 2017.

The schedule for the event is:

13:00           Welcoming Address

13:05            JSPS – Overview, Institutional and Group Programmes

 Ms Chika Itoi, Deputy Director, JSPS London

13:25            JSPS Fellowship Programmes

 Ms Shiho Hayashida, International Programme Associate, JSPS London

13:45            Experiences of Doing Research in Japan

 Professor Chang Hong Liu (BU’s Department of Psychology)

13:55            Questions and Answers

14:00           Close

This event is open to BU academics and those from other regional universities. To book your place, please email RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk, putting JSPS in the subject line. The event will take place on BU’s Talbot Campus, with the room confirmed to you after booking.

Please also see the post concerning JSPS’ Fellowship scheme which is open until 1st December 2017.

 

Photo of the Week: Baltic Pride: The visibility of LGBT human rights claiming

Baltic Pride: The visibility of LGBT human rights claiming

Baltic Pride: The visibility of LGBT human rights claiming

Our next instalment of the ‘Photo of the Week’ series features Dr Jayne Caudwell’s image of a Pride bus in Baltic Pride 2016.  The series is a weekly instalment, which features an image taken by our fantastic BU staff and students. The photos give a glimpse into some of the fascinating work our researchers have been doing across BU and the wider community.

This research project focuses on Baltic Pride 2016 and the politics of LGBTQ visibility. Pride parades can be important for the advocacy of LGBT human rights claims. Prides take place across the world and their histories and scales vary enormously. Some adopt en-mass celebration and carnivalesque styles, whilst others face severe opposition. Global manifestations of Pride are uneven and yet, they are connected. Many take place around the month of June because of the legacies of USA-based LGBT liberation triggered by the Stonewall Riots on June 29th, 1969 in Greenwich Village, and most rely on rainbow flags, LGBTQ-positive banners and slogans to carry the politics of global Pride.

The research explores the transnational flow of the Pride movement and associated universal human rights claims through the visuals of Baltic Pride 2016.

If you’d like find out more about the research or the photo itself then please contact Dr Caudwell.

This photo was originally an entry in the 2017 Research Photography Competition. If you have any other questions about the Photo of the Week series or the competition please email research@bournemouth.ac.uk.