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The Student Project Bank has launched!

student research

We are delighted to announce that the Student Project Bank has launched and is accepting project proposals. If you have an idea that has the potential to benefit community and society, or work with an organisation that does, please contact us.

The Student Project Bank is looking for community organisations, charities, not-for-profit organisations and corporate partners that would like help implementing a project that benefits society. It can be anything that benefits an individual, a community or society such as a piece of research, service improvement or a creative project.

The Student Project Bank is a mutually beneficial collaboration between external organisations and our students. As part of their studies, our students get to work on a live project with the potential for real-world impact. Each project will give students the opportunity to put theory into practice, develop transferrable skills and gain real-world project experience. External organisations get the opportunity to benefit from their knowledge, skills and creativity whilst gaining valuable insights into their project area.

Projects are available to all students studying at undergraduate or Master’s level and can be used for their dissertation, final project, an assignment or group work. There are also opportunities for projects to be carried out for extra-curricular experience. Projects are available for academic members of staff to select to set to their students.

A list of projects will be available on the Student Project Bank webpage shortly.

Find out more by visiting our webpage or send us an email.

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EPSRC Science Photo Competition 2016

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council have launched its fourth  EPSRC Science Photo Competition.  Open to all EPSRC supported researchers and EPSRC supported doctoral students, the Science Photo Competition gives both researchers and students the chance to showcase their research through pictures. Previous prizes have included equipment to the value of £500. Winners will also feature in EPSRC’s Pioneer Magazine and other EPSRC publications. There have been some fantastic images of research over the last three years and some winners have recieved great national coverage for their images.

Images should feature in one of five categories:

  • Equipment and Facilities
  • Eureka and Discovery
  • Innovation
  • People and Skills
  • Weird and Wonderful

Deadline for entries is Friday 16 December 2016. Could BU have a new winner?

To read more about the competiton take a look here.

Or if you have any questions email photocomp@epsrc.ac.uk

 

FHSS Dr. Vanessa Heaslip awarded Florence Nightingale Travel Scholarship

Awarded & submitted bids, international

florence-nightingale-foundation-2016Dr. Vanessa Heaslip in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) has been awarded a Florence Nightingale Travel Scholarship. She will be using this prestigious award to travel to New Zealand and various locations in the United Kingdom. She is hoping to learn from New Zealand, which is decades ahead in tackling these issues, to establish, adapt and develop principles for implementation in the UK.  Vanessa’s study funded by the Florence Nightingale Foudation is called: “Towards addressing health inequalities of marginalised communities; using Gypsy Roma Travellers (GRT) as the model.”

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

AHRC & BBC Radio 3 – applications for New Generation Thinkers 2017

Funding opportunities

Are you an Early Career Researcher? Would you like the opportunity to develop the skills to tell the story of your research to new audiences?

Apply now for the AHRC and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Thinkers 2017 Programme.

Sam GoodmanBU’s Dr Sam Goodman is one of AHRC’s New Generation Thinkers, having won the award last year. He features in this film from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which shines a light on the AHRC/ BBC Radio 3, New Generation Thinkers scheme.

This pioneering scheme aims to develop a new generation of academics who can bring the best of university research and scholarly ideas to a broad audience – through BBC broadcasting. Each year, up to sixty successful applicants have a chance to develop their programme-making ideas with experienced BBC producers at a series of dedicated workshops and, of these up to ten will become Radio 3’s resident New Generation Thinkers. They will benefit from a unique opportunity to develop their own programmes for BBC Radio 3, the chance to regularly appear on air and work closely with the AHRC communications team.

ahrc-ngtBBC Radio 3 and its programmes Free Thinking, the Verb, the Essay and the Sunday Feature have provided a platform for debate and commentary from scholars across the world. You could now join them on air.

Applicants do not have to be funded by the AHRC to apply; the scheme is open to all early career researchers based in a UK Research Organisation (either Higher Education Institution or Independent Research Organisation [IRO]).

They welcome applications from researchers working in all areas of the arts and humanities. This year they are again extending the call for researchers who work in areas of social sciences and medical science whose work intersects with the arts and humanities. Do you know a researcher who could benefit from this opportunity? Why not forward them this email and encourage them to apply or share a link on social media using the hashtag #newgenerationthinkers.

Closing Date: 26/10/2016

Applicants should be available to attend workshops:

  • Wednesday 11th January 2017, Salford
  • Monday 16th January 2017, London
  • Wednesday 18th January 2017, London

If invited to attend the workshops you will be offered a date at one of the three locations. Candidates will be invited to the workshops the week commencing the 12th December 2016.

Applicants that are successful at the workshops should be free to attend:

  • Wednesday 8th March 2017, for media training in London
  • The dates of the Gateshead Free Thinking Festival between Friday 17th March to Sunday 19th March as the winners will be announced during this period.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted using the Research Councils’ Joint electronic Submission (Je-S) System at the latest by 4.00pm Wednesday 26th October 2016, and must go through the host organisation approval process prior to this closing date. Therefore, please contact your RKEO Funding Development Officer at least three weeks before applying.

Full details of the call can be found in the New Generation Thinkers 2017 Call Document (PDF, 265KB)

For complete terms and conditions please see the Conditions of Entry for New Generation Thinkers

FP9: what is on the horizon?

Science|Business hosted a full day webcast of their event Research Strategies: Europe 2030 and the next Framework Programme.

There are a number of consulations forthcoming, where you will be able to contribute:

> Horizon 2020 interim evaluation (due to launch w/c 17/10/16)

> FP9 consulations (expected early 2017)

Please take a look at Policy directions – a synthesis, which drew together the discussions from the strategy and policy workshops:

> Connected health: Can big data help us live healthier, longer?

> Energy and resources: Can innovation really help us manage the planet better?

> Security and defence R&D: How can we make Europe safer?

> Connected cars: Can autos, ICT and regulation work together?

> Open Innovation: How public labs and private investment can work together

> Scaling up: How can Europe grow its companies faster?

> Enabling technologies: How can R&I re-power Europe’s industries?

Key features for possible inclusion in the next Framework Programme (FP9), the successor to Horizon 2020, include:

> A greater role for Social Sciences and Humanities much earlier in the innovation process, rather than being brought in to make new technology acceptable to the end user, late in the day

> Making innovation inclusive by engaging with all stakeholders, linked to a drive towards a shared vocabulary and cultural understanding, especially between industry and academia

> Demand-driven research

> Open data and the implications for security and privacy

> Impact, with the ability to measure, monitor, demonstrate and communicate impact being specifically mentioned – there needs to be a credible    promise of impact / added value for society and growth

> Excellence is still paramount

> FP9 activity needs to be part of society, part of the solution and perceived as such.

Further hints of what may be to come can be found in Commissioner Moedas’ speech Embracing an ERA of Change, Berlin, 10/10/16.

The inherent dilemmas presented by Kurt Vandenburghe (Director Policy Development and Coordination at European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation) are:

> Prioritisation may exclude some stakeholders

> The need for a careful balance between ensuring continuity yet embracing change, as we move from Horizon 2020 (FP8) to FP9

Want to know more? Watch out for further announcements made on this blog. As well as Science|Business being an excellent source of EU information, BU also has a subscription to UKRO, to which BU staff can subscribe with their BU email.

Are you involved in a research project related to policing or crime reduction.. read on !

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, PG research

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If you’re involved in a research project related to policing or crime reduction, you can share your work on the College of Policing website. (You will need to make sure that you have permission from your project/ research collaborators/ partners are aware of your intention and you have their agreement. )

The College of Policing website has a research tool that enables you to share  research using  the Policing and Crime Reduction Research Map. Criteria for use includes:

  • relevant to policing and crime reduction
  • of Masters degree level or above (and can include work/professional based project work)
  • ongoing and not completed can be included ( aswell as completed projects).

This tool has been trialled as part of the Higher Education Innovation Funded projects (HEIF 5+1 that were funded from August 2015 – July 2017) that were relevant to this sector. Check out these projects here:

Dr Sarah Bate: The identification of superior face recognition skills. Sarah’s research was also included on the website’s news pages.

Professor Wen Tang: Police training using gamification technology

This is a great tool to promote your research and develop opportunities for further collaboration and networking there-by extending the reach and potential impact. Both Sarah and Wen have very quickly received enquiries from members of the police force (from other parts of the UK), external collaborators and other institutions.

The map can be found here and information on how to add details of the research can be found using this link.

 

 

 

EPSRC ICT ECR workshops

Funding opportunities, Guidance

EPSRC_logoHow many acronyms can you fit in one title?  The EPSRC are holding two two-day workshops for early career researchers in the areas of information and communication technologies:

The workshops will provide an update to EPSRC and ICT Theme strategies and policies, and guidance on applying for grants. The workshops will be attended by a number of EPSRC staff but also by experienced academics from across the ICT portfolio who will provide guidance and mentoring throughout the two days. The events will include a number of facilitated sessions covering topics such as impact from research, career development and a number of new ICT Theme priorities. They will also include opportunities for networking with other ECR colleagues and the previously mentioned mentors.

Target Audience

The event will be of greatest interest to ICT researchers that have completed a PhD (or equivalent qualification) within the previous ten years, are eligible to hold an EPSRC grant and hold few or no grants as Principal Investigator.

However, they do not wish to be prescriptive based on years of post-doctoral experience and welcome applications from prospective participants with a different pattern of academic experience, early career researchers based in industry and postdoctoral research assistants who are hoping to take lectureship positions in the near future. The internal assessment process will take into account the need for a balance of attendees across career stages.

Applying to Attend and Selection Procedure

Those wishing to attend the workshop should complete the short Expression of Interest (EoI) form on this page. This will be used to select participants based on their justification of attendance as described in their EoI submission. In addition, EPSRC will also ensure a balanced representation of organisation, research area, expertise and career stages.

Places are limited and the number of participants from a given organisation may have to be restricted in the event of multiple applications. EPSRC are committed to a policy of equal opportunities. Selection will primarily be based on justification of attendance. However, EPSRC is hoping to improve attendance by underrepresented groups at workshops and will consider this when selecting attendees.

Resources

If you are interested in applying to attend a workshop, please can you let the RKEO Funding Development Team know as we would be interested in receiving feedback on the workshop content.

RKEO Academic and Researcher Induction

Guidance

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) invite all ‘new to BU’ academics and researchers to an induction.

Signpost with the words Help, Support, Advice, Guidance and Assistance on the direction arrows, against a bright blue cloudy sky.This event provides an overview of all the practical information staff need to begin developing their research plans at BU, using both internal and external networks; to develop and disseminate research outcomes; and maximising the available funding opportunities.

Objectives

  • The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level
  • To provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU

Indicative content

  • An overview of research at BU and how R&KEO can help/support academic staff
  • The importance of horizon-scanning, signposting relevant internal and external funding opportunities and clarifying the applications process
  • How to grow a R&KE portfolio, including academic development schemes
  • How to develop internal and external research networks
  • Key points on research ethics and developing research outputs
  • Getting started with Knowledge Exchange and business engagement

For more information about the event, please see the following link: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-lifecycle/developing-your-proposal/

The fifth induction will be held on Tuesday, 18th October 2016 on the 4th floor of Melbury House.

Title Date Time Location
Research & Knowledge Exchange Office (R&KEO) Research Induction Tuesday 18th October 2016 9.00 – 12.00 Lansdowne Campus

9.00-9.15 – Coffee/tea and cake/fruit will be available on arrival

9.15 – RKEO academic induction (with a break at 10.45)

11.25 – Organisational Development upcoming development opportunities

11.30 – Opportunity for one to one interaction with RKEO staff

12.00 – Close

There will also be literature and information packs available.

If you would like to attend the induction then please book your place through Organisational Development and you can also visit their pages here. We will directly contact those who have started at BU in the last five months.

We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you.

Regards,

The RKEO teamRKEO

Have you been involved with an event designed for the external community?

Guidance, Research assessment

Then we want to hear from you!smiley-face1

The University is currently compiling the data for the annual Higher Education – Business & Community Interaction survey (HE-BCI) due to be submitted to HESA shortly. Data returned is used to calculate our HEIF grant.

We are asked to submit details of social, cultural and community events designed for the external community (to include both free and chargeable events) which took place between 1 August 2015 and 31 July 2016.

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Event types that should be returned include, but are not limited to:

  • public lectures
  • performance arts (dance, drama, music, etc)
  • exhibitions
  • museum education
  • events for schools and community groups
  • business breakfasts

We cannot return events such as open days, Student Union activity, commercial conferences, etc.

All events that we ran as part of the Festival of Learning, ESRC Festival of Social Science and Cafe Scientifique series are likely to be eligible for inclusion and we will collate this information on your behalf centrally.

If you have been involved with any other event which could be returned, please could you let your contact (see below) know the event name and date, whether it was free or chargeable, the estimated number of attendees, and an estimate of how much academic time was spent preparing for (but not delivering) the event:

  • SciTech – Kelly Deacon-Smith
  • FoM – Rob Hydon
  • HSS – Tanya Richardson
  • FMC – Mark Brocklehurst
  • Professional Service – Fiona Knight (RKEO)

The data returned is used by HEFCE to allocate the HEIF funding so it is important that we return as accurate a picture as possible.

Incubation: Creating Value for Universities

Knowledge Exchange

events

 

Date: 2nd November 2016
Location: London South Bank University
Time: 9:30am -4:00pm
KnowledgeLondon in partnership with HEEG is excited to bring you Incubation: Creating Value for Universities. The event provides an opportunity for debate and discussion on incubation centres. Incubation is a key strand of Enterprise activity, though universities can at times be uncertain about how it creates value.

Attendees at the event will hear from incubation managers and their colleagues about how this has worked in their universities, as well as from some of the founders who have benefitted from the service. There wil also be the chance to take a look at some of the nuts and bolts of running an incubation system, and consider how different types of incubator might be linked to the stage of development and type of university host.

Confirmed Speakers

Karen Brookes
Karen is the Programme Director for the SETsquared Partnership having devised and run their incubation and entrepreneurship training activities for the last fourteen years. She led the team that developed the world’s number one University Incubation Programme which has provided support to over 1,000 early stage technology companies which have raised over £1bn in investment.

Karen has built the SETsquared enterprise brand for the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey, which has provided over £3.8bn of economic impact to the UK economy. Karen has been key in the development of overseas relations in the US with technology support organisations such as MIT, Massachusetts Technology Transfer Centre, CONNECT, Global CONNECT, T2 Venture Capital and Austin Technology Incubator. Relationships with these organisations provide a springboard platform for European startups to access the US markets.

Adrian Tindall

Adrian is the Tenant Manager for Research, Enterprise and Innovation at London South Bank University (LSBU), where he managers the workspace community based in the Clarence Centre for Enterprise & Innovation and the Technopark.

Adrian acts as an enabler and facilitator for the SMEs housed in the workspace to engage with LSBU academics, staff and students through projects, events, mentoring and placements. Having developed a strategy to maximise the engagement opportunities for both LSBU and tenants, Adrian and his team are now looking for future tenants who complement and underpin the University’s Corporate Strategy.

Delegates from KnowledgeLondon and HEEG can attend FREE. BU is a memeber of this organisation.

Heartfelt story by BU PhD student in Ugandan newspaper today

uganda-aliceThe Daily Monitor in Uganda published the sad story of the death in childbirth of Juliet Angwech Opoka-Kinyera and her new-born baby.  The story is told by Juliet’s sister Alice Opoka.  Before starting her PhD in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Alice worked in the field of maternal health as a researcher and health educator.  Alice Opoka is cited in the newspaper article as saying: “Childbirth in other parts of the world is a moment of joy and expectation for the newest addition to the family. Sadly, in the developing world, it is a bridge between life and death.”

But rather than silently remembering her sister, Alice uses her story to highlight the imporance of reducing maternal mortality.  She expresses this eloquantly in the following sentences: “To save even just one woman and baby from the claws of death at a time when she is meant to be bringing life to this earth. If we see human faces beyond the statistics, perhaps there will be a new sense of urgency to prevent maternal deaths from happening anywhere in the world.  Each one playing their part in the community, health facility and government.”

Every day nearly 800 women die in childbirth, nearly all of them in low-income countries and nearly all there deaths are ‘avoidable’.  Nearly two decades ago Dr Brundtland, the then Director-General of the WHO (World Health Organization), highlighted that “Because of our collective failure to solve this problem, the tragedy of maternal mortality represents a major source of suffering and injustice in our societies.” She added “This situation cannot be allowed to continue.”  Today women are still dying unnecessary.  Alice’s story is a stark reminder why research into improving maternity care for women in low-income countries is so very important.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinal Health

Festival of Social Science: widening participation and photography

Centre for Excellence in Learning, Student Engagement, student research

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“I want to take a break… stop autopiloting … everything that you do makes you feel”

Student, 10/10/2016

In My Voice, My Story, we explore what it means to be a non-traditional student at university through the participatory photographic and story technique, photovoice. This technique sees students become the researchers of their own lives through taking photos and telling their stories.

The photovoice method is a participatory approach used to inform policymakers, so that meaningful policy changes can be shaped the lived experiences of the communities the policies are intended to serve.

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We focus on students from non-traditional backgrounds because we know how the lived experiences of these students are often marginalised by institutions and that this impacts upon their attainment and degree outcomes. Learning together in this way is a central tenet to our programme of Fair Access Research.

This research contributes to new, more participatory, ways of doing and thinking about widening participation which is a core tenet to BU’s Fair Access Research project.

students-who-bounce-back-exhibition

Students Who Bounce Back, led by Dr Jacqueline Priego

We invite you all to a workshop where we will listen to the students’ voices, learn from the students’ stories, gain insights into different research methods and work together to develop practical responses to what we see and hear.  

Monday 7th November 2016 10:00 -13:00 in the Fusion Building, F105

Book a place here!

You will gain insights into the power of arts-based social participatory research methods for eliciting deep stories and re-represented for social action. Having engaged with storytelling, participants will discuss ways in which the students’ lived experiences could shape policy changes and interventions to better enable students to belong.

 Feel free to share this invitation  with your colleagues or networks.

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For more information about this project or BU’s innovative Fair Access Research, email the Principal Investigators, Dr Vanessa Heaslip (vheaslip@bournemouth.ac.uk) and Dr Clive Hunt (chunt@bournemouth.ac.uk).