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FACETS research featured on MS Society blog

FACETS

BU’s FACETS project, which focuses on managing fatigue in people with MS has been featured in a blog post by the MS Society.  Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported and debilitating symptoms of MS and can have a real impact on people’s lives.  It’s the main reason why people with MS eventually give up work.

Research from Professor Peter Thomas and Dr Sarah Thomas from BU’s Clinical Research Unit have developed a group based fatigue management programme called FACETS.  The programme helps to equip people with the tools and strategies they need to effectively manage their energy and cope with fatigue.  Below is an expert from the blog.

Mind the gap – getting care and services research to the clinic

It can sometimes take years for research findings to be rolled out in clinics. The gap between clinical trials and the clinic means that people often miss out on services that were developed with them in mind.

We want to make sure that everyone has access to the therapies, services and support that are right for them. And we’re working hard to make sure that happens.

Managing MS fatigue effectively

‘FACETS’ is a group-based fatigue management programme for people with MS. FACETS stands for Fatigue: Applying Cognitive behavioural and Energy effectiveness Techniques to lifeStyle.

During the programme, people learn strategies to help them manage their energy levels more effectively and explore different ways of thinking about fatigue.

The programme was shown to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life for people with MS in a 2013 trial we funded.

Since then we’ve supported the research team to roll out FACETS, via training days for health care professionals so they can deliver the programme in their practices.

Over 200 health professionals have been trained so far. And a recent survey suggested that more than 1,500 people with MS have already attended a FACETS programme.

Dr Sarah Thomas, who developed the programme, said “One of the most rewarding aspects of carrying out this work has been seeing FACETS rolled out into clinics and, we hope, making a difference to people’s lives.”

The blog can be read in full here.

Chancellor announces first round of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund funding in Spring Budget

Funding opportunities, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

money and cogs

The first tranche of challenges supported by the Industrial Strategy Challenge fund (ISCF) has been welcomed by research and innovation leaders. The spring budget announced an initial investment of £270 million in 2017 to 2018. This is to kick-start the development of disruptive technologies that have the potential to transform the UK economy.

First announced by the Prime Minister at the 2016 CBI Annual Conference, the ISCF will help identify and develop UK industries that are fit for the future, driving progress in technologies where the UK can build on our existing areas of industrial and research strength.

In his Budget speech  earlier this week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced funding for the first three competitions in the ISCF:

  • Leading the world in the development, design and manufacture of batteries that will power the next generation of electric vehicles, helping to tackle air pollution
  • Developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and robotics systems that will operate in extreme and hazardous environments, including off-shore energy, nuclear energy, space and deep mining
  • Accelerating patient access to new drugs and treatments through developing brand new medicine manufacturing technologies, helping to improve public health

Read in full.

 

BU Postgraduate Conference 2017 – Prize Winners

PG research

PG Conference 2017

BU celebrated some of the best current PhD, Master’s by Research and MSc postgraduate research at its Postgraduate Conference 2017 yesterday. Winners of the oral presentations and academic poster and photography exhibition were announced at the end of the conference, listed below. Congratulations to everyone who participated.

 

Oral Presentations:

1st Prize Samantha Prince, PGR Faculty of Management

2nd Prize Magnhild Sletten, PGR Faculty of Science and Technology

3rd Prize Clare Gordon, PGR Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Commended Prize Sara Glithro, PGR Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Poster Presentation Winners: Paul Leal PGR FHSS, Maria Musarskaya PGR FoM, Walaa Naji Bajnaio PGR FMC, Sarah Hodge FST

Poster Presentation Commended: Lauren Bishop PGT FHSS, Tahani Mohamed PGR FoM, Phil Mathews PGR FMC, Dan Carter PGR FST

Photography Presentation Winner: Phil Mathews PGR FMC Commended: Resh Samauroo FMC

Enquiries to Debbie: pgconference@bournemouth.ac.uk

Vernissage and Opening of the Exhibition EMANUEL GOLDBERG – ARCHITECT OF KNOWLEDGE

Vernissage and Opening of the Exhibition EMANUEL GOLDBERG – ARCHITECT OF KNOWLEDGE

at the Museum Technical Collection Dresden, Germany.

curated by Roland Schwarz, Kerstin Stutterheim, Albert Lang, Julia Blume, Rene Patzwald and a group of students from TU Berlin.

http://www.tsd.de/en/mm/exhibitions/special-exhibitions/preview-exhibitions/

On the occasion of the opening the documentary will be shown as special screening premiere Friday and Saturday

photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE GOLDBERG-CONDITION — More to see than can be seen

by Kerstin Stutterheim & Niels Bolbrinker

D 2017, 76 min, HD

A poetic search and scouting about a sorrowly nearly forgotten man and his fate. He was a visionary, migrant, Jew, teacher, researcher, inventor, husband, scientist, father, manager, founder, and much more.

In a dialog between memories of his family, a poetic and academic research about him and his importance one can understand not only his importance for the development of visual-optical technique and media but as well how history is influencing biographies and thus, technical and scientific advances.

 

 

Featured Student Project Bank partner of the week: Help-in

Help-In Logo

In the first of our weekly spotlights, Richard Hawkesford, CEO of the charity Help-in, tells us more about his organisation and what he hopes to achieve by working with the Student Project Bank.

Help-in will be the first social media platform of its kind: a non-profit social media platform that will connect anyone who needs help to anyone anywhere in the world that is willing to give it. I want to offer the opportunity for BU students to help me build this platform and to become part of the Help-in vision.

I came up with the Help-in idea while I was travelling. I wanted to volunteer as part of my experience but found the internet to be a frustrating place to find opportunities that didn’t cost the Earth. In fact, on talking to others, an overwhelming majority agreed the whole process should be easier.

60% spent 10-50 hours looking online and 15% spent over 50 hours. Some paid large amounts of money with no transparency about where the money went, and a quarter gave up because they found it so time consuming or difficult to find anything online.

I never want anyone to give up when they have good intentions to help others.

When I was able to volunteer I realised it was equally as frustrating for the grassroots good causes I wanted to help. They spend up to half their working week looking for volunteers, funding and other help.

I have faith in humanity, but I don´t always think we’re given the right tools to make the most of our giving nature. This is where the Help-in idea evolved.

I want to live in a world where people are able to ask for help, and be connected to people all over the world that are willing to give it out of love and compassion.

Do you want to get involved? The following projects are available:

SPB044: Crowdfunding feasibility study and campaign design for charities

Help connect millions of people to the help they need when they need it and allow millions to offer their help to those less fortunate or in need. Help-in is a charity that aims to create a new social media platform designed to increase volunteering both hands on and virtually. Carry out a feasibility study into crowdfunding models for charitable organisations and use your findings to design a three week campaign with a soft launch. There will be the opportunity to implement the campaign if desired.

SPB045: Social media marketing and management plan for a local charity

Help connect millions of people to the help they need when they need it and allow millions to offer their help to those less fortunate or in need. Help-in is a charity that aims to create a new social media platform designed to increase volunteering both hands on and virtually. Design a social media marketing plan for a crowdfunding campaign and create a management plan for the marketing plan.

SPB046: Brand development for Help-in

Help connect millions of people to the help they need when they need it and allow millions to offer their help to those less fortunate or in need. Help-in is a charity that aims to create a new social media platform designed to increase volunteering both hands on and virtually. Work with Help-in to develop their brand. This will be used to influence the look and feel of their platform and across social media, the website and any printed materials.

SPB047: Social media platform prototype development for Help-in

Help connect millions of people to the help they need when they need it and allow millions to offer their help to those less fortunate or in need. Help-in is a charity that aims to create a new social media platform designed to increase volunteering both hands on and virtually. Work with Help-in to develop the above social media platform. All aspects must be scalable to cope with additions to details, projects, tick boxes and ultimately users. The Platform will be global, so there is a need to search for companies or project types in any part of the world.

Find out more and apply.

Research Photography Competition- Your winners announced today!

Student Engagement

Find out who you voted to be your winner of 2017’s Research Photography Competition.ResearchPhotographyCompetitionintranet1

Come along today at 2-3pm, in the Atrium Art Gallery, where Vice Chancellor John Vinney will be announcing the three winners.

The Competition is in its third year and saw 26 entries from across all faculties. The images give us just a small glimpse into some of the fantastic work our researchers are doing both here at BU and across the globe. These images will be displayed in the gallery and the researchers  will be on hand to to talk about their research and the inspiration behind their photographs.

If you would like to come along to congratulate the winners please register here. 

Staff and students are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided!

Latest Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

The following is a snap-shot of funding opportunities that have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

Early access to EU referendum data competition

Economic and Social Research Council, GB

This enables researchers to access early EU referendum data to understand why Britain decided to leave the EU.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 13 Mar 17 Closing soon

Industry fellowships

Royal Society, GB

These enable academic scientists to work on collaborative projects with industry, or individuals employed in industry to work on collaborative projects with university departments or non-profit research organisations. Fellowships support a period of up to two years and cover fellows’ basic salary during the secondment as well as research expenses of up to £2,000 per year.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 13 Apr 17

BBSRC enterprise fellowships

Royal Society of Edinburgh, GB

These enable an individual to advance the commercialisation of existing research and outcomes or technological developments, whilst also receiving formal training in relevant business skills, with the objective to increase exploitation of ideas with commercial potential from BBSRC-funded research programmes. Fellowships are tenable for one year, and provide up to £37,000 in salary support and up to £10,000 for direct costs

Maximum award: £47,000

Closing date: 26 Apr 17 (recurring)

Satellite applications catapult – knowledge exchange fellowship

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

This supports proposals that consider the role of satellite applications and services in addressing environmental issues and challenges faced by urban leaders, government organisations, planners or businesses, in towns and cities. The budget is worth £60,000 for salary costs and up to £8,000 for travel and subsistence per year.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 27 Apr 17

Emerging and enabling technologies competition – round 2

Innovate UK, GB

Funding aims identify and invest in new technologies and the underpinning capabilities that improve existing industries by inspiring the products, processes and services of tomorrow. The total budget is worth £15 million. Projects should last between six months and three years and are expected to range in total costs between £35,000 and £2m.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 03 May 17

Parliamentary academic fellowship scheme – open call

Economic and Social Research Council, GB

This enables researchers from different subject areas and at any career stage to forge useful and lasting connections with decision makers in parliament. Successful fellowships will be funded through IAA. Fellowships should have a minimum of one month in duration and not exceed one year.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 30 Jun 17

Healthcare technologies discipline hopping

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, GB

This provides researchers with an opportunity to spend time in a different research or user environment in order to better understand the need for and potential of research in engineering, physical sciences, mathematical sciences or information and communications technology to have an impact in addressing health challenges. The awards are tenable for between three and 12 months and cover 80 per cent of the salary cost for the principle investigator, travel, subsistence and resources for the specific activities.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: None

POSTPONED: Public engagement training courses

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

*** This opportunity is temporarily closed. The following information is subject to change. The training is being reviewed and there will be further information to come in early or mid 2017. Courses are free and include overnight accommodation and evening meals between days one and two. ***

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: Not known

Find more funding opportunities

Search all the latest calls

If you are interested in submitting to any of the above calls you must contact your  RKEO Funding Development Officer with adequate notice before the deadline.

For more funding opportunities that are most relevant to you, 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.

 

So what?

Guidance

so whatRKEO have hosted two funder visits in the past three weeks (Interreg and Medical Research Council).  Both funders highlighted the ‘So what?’ principle in terms of research ideas, i.e. what is the consequence of your work; who can benefit from your work in the long-term and what can be done to increase the chances of the work reaching those beneficiaries.  Even if your proposal doesn’t directly address economic or societal impact you should be able to explain the pathway that links your work to – using the example of MRC – improving human health.

In order to describe the impact of your work, keep asking yourself ‘so what?’ or even better, describe your research idea to a colleague (or to take a step further, a member of the public) and get them to ask ‘so what’ at each point when you think you’ve finished explaining. RKEO had another funder visit today, the British Academy, and they used the phrase ‘Try not to be Gollum’, i.e. don’t be precious about your research and invite comments from others, share it and make it interesting.

Being able to fully explain the impact of your research will obviously increase your chances of being successful when applying for external research funds.

impactThere are a vast number of resources available on strengthening your research proposals and developing impact.  Most funders will have guidance on impact, for example, section 2.2.5 of the MRC funder guide provides tips on articulating potential impact.  They may also have impact reports; links to all of the research councils impact reports can be found in the BU research blog’s Research Funder Guide.  BU has an online toolkit to help support the development of your research impact.  The toolkit explores what impact is, how you can go about creating an impact strategy, and looks at some commonly used pathways to impact, as well as examples of outstanding impact case studies.

For more information about impact, please contact the RKEO Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team or if you’re putting an application together and want advice on the impact sections, please contact the RKEO Funding Development Team.

Letting the Pigeons Fly Free!

Professor Matthew Bennett, Professor Of Environmental & Geographical Sciences, will be presenting a ‘Leading Innovation’ masterclass on Wednesday 22nd March.

‘Silos destroy the collective power of innovation that comes with inter-disciplinary collaboration and an ability to seek research funding, impact and success flexibly both as individuals and as teams.  In this master class using personal examples and reflections we will discuss the concept of transferability of research skills, of how to create a sense of confidence and how to inspire a can-do spirit that conquers all.’

It will take place 10.00 – 11.30 on Talbot Campus.  Please email od@bournemouth.ac.uk to book a place

Future sessions in this series include:

  • An innovative approach to setting up a Research Hub
  • Developing Interdisciplinarity
  • The clinical doctorate model – enabling Practitioner Research

For more details please visit the Staff Intranet

BU Guide to Full Economic Costing

Guidance

father tedLast year, RKEO revised and re-published the BU guide to full Economic Costing, know as fEC (which some people choose to pronounce in a ‘Father Jack’ style).  The full guide can be found on the BU intranet.

If you are applying for external funding for your research and knowledge exchange activities then you need to read the guide and understand what makes up the costs of a project.  The guide fully explains what fEC is, how it’s calculated, the difference between cost and price, estimating staff time, and explanation of the terminology, i.e. what is directly incurred, directly allocated, estates, indirect costs, and exceptional items.

For more information and assistance with costing your external research or knowledge exchange application, please contact your RKEO Funding Development Officer.

Early Intervention in Eating Disorders Conference

Bournemmouth University  and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust have organised an ‘Early Intervention in Eating Disorders Conference.

Event Date: 10 May 2017
Time: 9:00-16:00
Venue: 2nd floor of the Executive Business Centre (EBC), Lansdowne Campus, Bournemouth University, BH8 8EB

The event has a host of speakers and workshops.  If you are interested in seeing the conference agenda and booking on to the event then please click here.

Service Excellence Conference: Academic Strand

The Magic Weaving Business – Teaching in the 21st Century
21st century jobs? How and why educators make a difference.  

This keynote from Sir John Jones will share his experiences of working with young people in the most challenging schools in the UK and the need to develop creativity, ingenuity, portability & flexibility in our students, and indeed, in ourselves.

Academic colleagues are warmly welcome to attend the Service Excellence Conference which will include the opportunity to attend this exciting session with Sir John Jones.

Unable to attend for the whole day?
For those of you who are unable to attend the full day please do book for this specific session only. You may also like to join us for lunch before the keynote.

Date:               Thursday 20 April
Times:             Lunch – 1.00pm, Keynote – 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Location:         Talbot campus – Fusion

Please register for this session and let us know if you would like to join us for lunch so we can organise the catering.

This talk will be of particular interest to academic staff and non-academic staff are of course very welcome to attend too.

If you would like to register to attend the conference for the full day please book here.

14:Live Presents- Festival Fear of Missing Out (FoMO): What is it and how can you manage it?

Student Engagement

14live

Come along on 21 March at 2-3pm on Floor 5, Student Centre on Talbot Campus for the March edition of 14:Live.

Spring is fast approaching and festival season is just around the corner. Over the next few months you will be subjected to intense marketing campaigns from festival promoters, such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, who will be telling you not to miss out on this year’s music festivals.

Many of your friends will be sharing their excitement about going to these festivals on social media. Social media has heightened the sensation that everyone but us appears to be having fun and many people have become more sensitive to FoMO appeals.

In this 14:Live, Dr Miguel Moital will discuss the psychology of ‘Fear of Missing Out’. What emotions come with FoMO? What marketing tricks are used to heighten FoMO? How can these emotions be managed?

With drinks and snacks provided, this will be a session you won’t want to miss!

All staff and students are welcome!

Research Photography Competition- Your Winners!

Student Engagement

Find out who you voted to be your winner of 2017’s Research Photography Competition.ResearchPhotographyCompetitionintranet1

Join us on Thursday 9 March 2017 at 2-3pm, in the Atrium Art Gallery, where Vice Chancellor John Vinney will be announcing the three winners.

The Competition is in its third year and saw 26 entries from across all faculties. The images give us just a small glimpse into some of the fantastic work our researchers are doing both here at BU and across the globe. These images will be displayed in the gallery and the researchers  will be on hand to to talk about their research and the inspiration behind their photographs.

If you would like to come along to congratulate the winners please register here. 

Staff and students are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided!

Last chance to reserve a place- British Academy Visit 8/3/17

Funding opportunities

british_academy_logoThe British Academy is returning to BU on 8 March 2017.  This is an invaluable opportunity to find out more about the international and domestic funding available through the organisation.  For those of you who are not familiar with the British Academy, it is the UK’s leading independent body for the humanities and social sciences, promoting funding, knowledge exchange and providing independent advice within the humanities. 

The session will last just over  1 hour (13:00-14:15) and will comprise a presentation focusing on international and domestic funding opportunities along with an overview of the British Academy, followed by a Q&A session.

Representatives of the British Academy will be available to answer any individual queries not covered in the presentation or Q&A session, and members of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office will be on hand should you wish to discuss BU’s processes for bidding to the organisation.

Places for this event can be reserved through Organisational Development here.

 

Extended deadline! CFP: Psychosocial Reflections on a Half Century of Cultural Revolution

Association for Psychosocial Studies Biennial Conference

Bournemouth University, 5th- 7th April 2018

Frank-Auerbach-Primrose-Hill-Summer-1968-1011x1024

Extended CALL FOR PAPERS!

Association for Psychosocial Studies Biennial Conference

Bournemouth University, 5th-7th April 2018

‘Psychosocial Reflections on a Half Century of Cultural Revolution:

The 50th anniversary of seasons of love and protest’

Join us to reflect on revolutionary relationships and revolutionary politics which challenged authority then and which influence us now.

The cultural forces and the political movements of 1967 and 1968 aimed to change the world, and did so. Recent development of some populist and protest politics could be seen as a continuation of the revolutionary movements in the 1960s. Hedonic themes that recall the summer of love suffuse contemporary life, and self-reflection and emotional literacy have also become prominent values, linked towards human diversity and the international community.

We invite you to offer psychosocial analyses of the development and legacy today of the ‘revolutions’ in love, sex and politics. This could be via explorations of contemporary issues in politics, culture and artistic expression, or through historical studies. All proposals for papers must indicate how they address both psychological and social dimensions of their topic.

 

Send your abstract of 250-300 words to: APS2018@bournemouth.ac.uk

Deadline: 1st October 2017. Confirmation of acceptance: 1st November.

We welcome contributions from academics and practitioners from different fields and disciplines and very much look forward to seeing you there!