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Would you like to test the new research council grants system?

Je-S logoThe research councils are replacing their electronic grants submission service, Je-S, in 2017. More information about this project can be found here http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/funding/2017update/

They are looking for more people to get involved in user research. Can you help?

Initially they are looking for researchers; they need to test with both people who have never applied for a research grant through the Je-S system before as well as those who are more frequent applicants. At this stage they will predominantly be testing prototypes with users. User testing will be carried out throughout the year in a number of formats, such as site visits, remotely over Skype, or through labs where users go to a central location nearby.

Test sessions will take between half an hour to an hour. If you are interested in being a tester then please can you let me, Jo Garrad, know by 15th July 2016. You will need to provide me with the following information:

  1. Name
  2. Organisation
  3. Academic Discipline (high level)
  4. Email address and telephone number
  5. Have you got experience of applying for grants? yes/no
  6. Are you likely to apply for grants in the future but haven’t done so to date? yes/no
  7. Do you work in a research development, finance or other research office role? yes/no
  8. Have you conducted peer reviews for the Research Councils or any other funder before? yes/no
  9. Have you sat on an assessment or moderating panel for the Research Councils or any funder before? yes/no

New HSS PhD paper!

BRIAN, PG research, Publishing, student research

SPSHSS PhD student Andrew Harding and fellow authors  Jonathan Parker, Sarah Hean and Ann Hemingway have recently had a paper accepted for publication in Social Policy & Society, the sister publication to the Journal of Social Policy and run by the Social Policy Association.

A critical yet under-researched area, the paper presents a comprehensive literature review that critiques current research on the outcome/impact of information and advice on welfare. A realist evaluation approach is then proposed as being capable to address critical weaknesses in existing research.

Among other areas that are covered, the paper provides an overview of the importance of information and advice in the context of the marketisation of UK welfare provision and a new ‘efficacy framework’ is developed which can be used to assess the scope of research.

A final draft post-refereeing version of the paper will be uploaded to BRIAN in due course.

BU Research Staff Association at the Festival of Learning 2016

A team of researchers at Bournemouth University (BU), representing the BU Research Staff Association (RSA), held an event as part of the annual Festival of Learning. The event captioned ‘Making a difference through research: research with impact’ took place on Tuesday 28th June 2016 in the Fusion Building of the Talbot Campus of BU, and drew a cross section of participants from the University, including members of the public. During the event, presenters showcased research that makes a difference and responds to societal needs. Poster presentations and demonstrations at the event covered a range of topics such as:

  • Improving short term management of patients with dementia admitted to hospital
  • BU Research in Nepal
  • Blaming active volcanoes or active volcanic blame? Volcanic crisis management in developing countries: the case of Cameroon
  • SME Access to Finance
  • Developing a support framework to enhance the placement experience of international students
  • Exploring lifestyle factors among African immigrants living with Type 2 diabetes in the UK
  • Making an Impact with UK Media
  • An evaluation of online 3D Mass Customisation (MC) Design
  • Integrating the Tourism Industry with Emergency Response Planning for Crises and Disasters, Using Building Block Scenarios in the Context of Complexity: Case Study on Cruise Ship Industry
  • Water Pollution vs. Water Management in India

Lead presenters include the following BU researchers: Marcellus Mbah, Michelle Heward, Mary Duah-Owusu White, Yolanda Barrado-Martín, Huiwen Zhao, Folashade Alloh, Genoveva Esteban, Majda Al-Salti, Mary Nanyongo, Thanh Huynh, Pramod Regmi, Henry Bang and Katie Thompson. The following photos captured the engaging and inspiring nature of the event:

FOL 1 FOL 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOL 3 FOL 6

 

 

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FOL 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are thankful to all members of staff who gave a presentation or contributed in some respect to the success of the event. The next BU RSA coffee morning will take place in July. Should you want to get in touch with BU Research Staff Association (RSA) for support or information, do contact the representatives, Marcellus Mbah mmbah@bournemouth.ac.uk. and Michelle Heward mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk.

HE Policy Update

EU referendum

The Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson MP released a statement on 28th June on ‘higher education and research following the EU referendum’.

  • He confirmed that EU citizens currently studying in the UK, or starting their courses in September 2016 will continue to receive loans until they finish their courses.
  • There will be no immediate changes concerning immigration rules of British students living in the EU, and European students living in the UK.
  • There are no changes to students studying in the EU, beneficiaries of Erasmus+ or those considering applying in 2017.
  • There will be no immediate effect on those applying to or participating in Horizon 2020.

Any future changes to the above will depend on the negotiations between the UK and EU.

Jo Johnson also spoke at the Wellcome Trust on ‘Leading the world in the new age of global science’.

  • He said that the prospect of Brexit inevitably poses new challenges at a time when research itself is becoming more collaborative and more global, and that our task now is to chart a course that protects the UK’s status as a full-spectrum scientific power.
  • The government will be creating a new annual £1 million Newton Prize. The prize will be awarded for the best science or innovation projects that promote the economic development and social welfare of Newton partner countries, or address the problems of poor people around the world.
  • The government want the REF and the TEF to be mutually reinforcing and will ask institutions to consider how they promote research-led teaching in their TEF submissions.
  • Jo Johnson also announced he would be concerned about any discrimination against UK participants in Horizon 2020.

Jane Forster has written a blog about the next steps for higher education in light of the EU referendum result, you can view the blog on the Bournemouth University website.

Graduate Employment

The DLHE survey for 2014/15 has been published. The Times Higher has reported that the proportion of UK university leavers in work or further study has hit a record high, with more graduates going into professional jobs, but that there is a growing gender pay gap, with male graduates earning significantly more on average than their female counterparts. However The Telegraph reports that over 50,000 new graduates are in non-graduate jobs, including lollypop ladies, factory workers and hospital porters.

Irish Higher Education

Irish universities risk losing part of their funding if they fail to tackle gender inequality under proposed reforms to improve women’s promotion chances in academia. Institutions would also be unable to apply for research funding if they failed to achieve at least a Silver Athena SWAN award within seven years. Improve gender balance in Irish HE or face fines, says review (THE).

Student Loans

The Petitions Committee has granted a debate on ‘stopping retrospective changes to the student loans agreement’ following the petition on the subject receiving over 100,000 signatures. The debate will take place on 18th July at 4:30pm and will be led by Helen Jones MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee. You can watch the debate via this link.

TEF

An article in the Times Higher Education claims that an industry-wide, university-student “contract to educate” must be implemented. This should incorporate as binding terms the representations made by the university to the applicant/student-consumer, and include the essential comparative data that students need to begin to overcome the information asymmetry problem. The TEF: trading standards whose time has come (THE).

Why editorials?

international, Knowledge Transfer, open access, Publishing, Research Integritiy, writing

Zika editorial 2016BU academics are editors on a wide range of scientific journals.  As editors we often write editorials for academic journals which have a number of specific functions.  It is a key means of communication between the editor(s) and the journal’s readership.  It is also vehicle to highlight topical academic and political issues related to the journal and the discipline(s) it represents. JAM June 2016 editorial

Earlier this week the latest issue of the Journal of Asian Midwives came out with an editorial which is an illustration of the first point giving information to the readers [1].  The topics addressed in this editorial included the announcement that this new journal was now indexed in the CINAHL Database, a recent major international conference in the field and a call for the forthcoming 2017 ICM (Internation Confederation of Midwives) tri-annual conference.  Today saw the publication of an editorial on the Zika virus and its potential impact in Nepal in the journal Medical Science [2].   This guest editorial co-written by BU’s Visiting Faculties Dr. Brijesh Sathian and Prof. Padam Simkhada with Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health) calls for action in Nepal.  A country where malaria is endemic. The Zika virus uses mosquitoes like the ones spreading Dengue fever and malaria.  Zika is a virus we do not wish to see spreading in countries where malaria is already rife.  The editorial warns that precautionary measures are needed to prevent a Zika outbreak as the spread of the virus to the country seems inevitable, the only uncertainty is when it will be arriving.

Both journals are Open Access which means these editorials can be read by anybody with internet access free of charge.

References:

  1. Jan, R., van Teijlingen, E. (2016) Editorial JAM June 2016, Journal of Asian Midwives 3(1):1. http://ecommons.aku.edu/jam/vol3/iss1/1/
  2. van Teijlingen, E., Sathian, B., & Simkhada, P. (2016). Zika & Nepal: a far greater risk for its population than to individuals. Medical Science 4(2): 312-313. http://www.pubmedhouse.com/journals/ms/articles/1064/PMHID1064.pdf

 

Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework – building a team

Knowledge Exchange

teamworkWe have previously posted about the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework. Here we introduce another of the pathways: that dedicated to building a team.

The ‘building a team’ pathway will take into consideration the many types of team which can be required for research and knowledge exchange. There will be sessions on working with stakeholders, and external facilitators will be brought in to deliver events based around building a team and networking for research and knowledge exchange. We will run several sandpits, each based around a grand challenge, with a view to bringing together interdisciplinary and inter-sector teams to address a major research problem.

We’ll be populating the the OD website with more information and the booking link over the coming weeks. We’ll also be providing a timetable of all events as soon as possible. In the meantime, updates will be posted on the BU research blog and the Faculty blogs.

Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework – funding from NIHR

Knowledge Exchange

We have previously posted about the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework. Here we introduce another of the pathways: that dedicated to funding from the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). National Institute for Health Research

There will be a range of sessions relating to this funder, including an introduction to the different types of funding offered, a session concerning NIHR Fellowships, and another on the Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) scheme. This will include some examples of academics’ experiences of these schemes. We will also be inviting one of the team from the Central Commissioning Facility to deliver a session on Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in NIHR grants.

We’ll be populating the the OD website with more information and the booking link over the coming weeks. We’ll also be providing a timetable of all events as soon as possible. In the meantime, updates will be posted on the BU research blog and the Faculty blogs.

Deadline for latest HEIF call – Friday 1 July

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

andrew archery

Friday 1 July is the deadline for applications to be submitted in response to the latest HEIF funding call.

Quick tips if you have yet to submit your final proposal.

  • Make sure your word count is within the limits where specified.
  • The review panel is made up of internal and external members – consider this when writing your proposal in terms of language, acronyms and abbreviations.
  • Contact your DDRP if you have not already done so . Their signature is required. An electronic version is acceptable.
  • Make sure the budget section has been completed and the totals add up.
  • Supporting documentation is not needed. (Website links can be used within the proposal if relevant to your application.)
  • Please submit your proposal in word format  – so using the original application template.

Next steps

Based on the call schedule:

Action Date
Call w/c   – applications open w/c 06/06/16
Proposal deadline – applications close 01/07/16 Friday
Proposal review process 04/07/16   – 18/07/16
Successful projects announced w/c 18/07/16
New project funding starts 01/08/16

For all details on the latest HEIF call click here.

Good luck!

Research and Impact in Active Ageing Symposia (University of Cumbria) – A URA Experience

conferences, PG research, student research

Louise Burgess, Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA)

When first applying to become an URA, I was unsure about what to expect. Initially, I thought my summer would be spent holding a clipboard and collecting endless lists of data for someone else to analyse. In reality, the role has been much more exciting than I could have imagined, even prompting me to investigate future careers within research. The research I am assisting with aims to examine the most effective acute recovery routine for individuals who have undergone hip arthroplasty, a reconstructive procedure which involves the replacement of the femoral head and acetabulum with an artificial prosthesis. I felt immediately welcomed by James Gavin (Lead Researcher) and the Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) team: Tom Wainwright, (Deputy Head), Tikki Immins (Research Fellow) Shay Bahadori (Medical Device Engineer), in my URA role.

Since starting 2 weeks ago, I have been involved in:

  • Designing and implementing a testing protocolRecruitment media
  • Recruitment through designing posters and contacting volunteers
  • Advancing skills technical: electromyography (EMG), isometric strength testing, clinical recovery exercises
  • Developing my subject knowledge and understanding
  • Training on the PrimusRS Multimodal Dynamometer
  • Developing data collection spreadsheets
  • Data collection: anthropometric, handgrip strength, walk speed, muscle activity and isometric strength.
  • Data analysis (using Biometrics Datalog EMG software)
  • Conference presentation:Research and Impact in Active Ageing Symposia (University of Cumbria)

Attending the Research and Impact in Active Ageing Symposia (University of Cumbria) proved to be a valuable experience for me as both a student, and as a researcher. The morning began with a talk from Prof Tim Donovan, who covered the role of vision and eye movement in motor control. This was followed by Prof Giuseppe de Vito (University College Dublin), focussing on how old muscle responds to training and nutritional interventions. Finally, Prof Andrea Macaluso (University of Rome Foro Italico) discussed his work on physical activity levels and physiological factors underlying mobility in ageing.

The morning was followed by a poster presentation session, where I presented the findings of my dissertation project. My dissertation entitled, ‘The Incidence of Injuries and the Epidemiology of Osteoarthritis in Retired, Amateur, Rugby Union Males’ was a project I thoroughly enjoyed and despite being incredibly nervous, I really liked sharing it with others. I presented my work to other students, academics, researchers, and members of the NHS. The feedback I received during the question and answer session after my presentation was positive, with ideas how the research could be expanded in the future. Having the opportunity to take part within the symposia increased my confidence within my own research, improved my presentation skills and developed my knowledge of research in active ageing. I even won the prize for best poster presentation, a £100 Human Kinetics book voucher!

I’m not even half way through my time as a URA, but I would still highly recommend other students to apply for similar positions at Bournemouth University.

For more information on ORI please visit:

  • bournemouth.ac.uk/ori2
  • Twitter: @BU_Orthopaedic

Or to get involved with the current research please email me on:

  • Lburgess@bournemouth.ac.uk

Visible Students/Invisible Needs: Fair Access Event

Centre for Excellence in Learning

I Extend My Arms 1931 or 1932 Claude Cahun 1894-1954 Purchased 2007 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/P79319

I Extend My Arms 1931 or 1932 by Claude Cahun 

Monday 11th July

10:00-14:00 

EBC 202 and 203

We are living through a time of great change and discontent the sector and the country. Finding spaces for hope, solace and respect seem even more important then they usually do.

Members of the Fair Access Research project are trying to make just such a space on Monday 11th July.

We are extending our arms to you to invite you all to an event where we share with you our research and find ways work and learn together at a time when partnership is so vital.

During the workshop we will engage in debates and participate in group activities as we work together to make visible the invisible needs of all of our students.

There will be a poster exhibition showcasing the variety of widening participation activities happening across the university.

The workshop is open to staff across all faculties and for professional service staff interested in this area. We want to collectively work to make the university and higher education a more equitable, more socially just place for our students, our selves and our society.

Lunch will be provided.

Here is our invitation. To book a place email awardrop@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

Your Research: Science for Global Good

Funding opportunities

UKCDSUKCDS have launched  ‘Your Research: Science for Global Good’ a new researcher hub with information for researchers who want to use their knowledge and skills to help tackle global development challenges. The hub includes inspiring case studies from nanotechnology to behavioural science, a new funding hub with an overview of the main programmes within the UK, such as the Newton Fund and Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and tips for building partnerships.

This is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in applying for funding, particularly those who want to tap into the £1.5bn funding available from GCRF (see my blog article on this fund for more information).

UK Collaborative on Development Sciences (UKCDS) is a group of 14 UK government departments and research funders working in international development.

The Graduate School @ ARMA

PG research

CaptureEvery year the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) Conference welcomes research professionals from all over the country to share the latest knowledge, experience and best practice around professional research support. This year the Graduate School attended the ARMA conference hosted in my home city of Birmingham. It was great that our paper entitled ‘A New Model of Training for Doctoral Supervisors at Bournemouth University’ was accepted to be presented at the conference (which attracted over 300 delegates) as it gave us a great opportunity to showcase some of the innovative work being done by the Graduate School. The paper, which highlighted our commitment to the ongoing enhancement of postgraduate supervisory training, was extremely well received and stimulated interesting discussion around the topic. Since the conference, Dr Julia Taylor (Graduate School Academic Manager) has been asked to join the ARMA PGR Special Interest Group as well as provide additional presentations on this topic at future ARMA events. We look forward to our next conference at the UKCGE where we will also be presenting a conference paper.

Brexit: The future for UK Higher Education

Since the announcement last Friday 24th June that the UK had voted to leave the EU, some light has been shed on the implications for UK universities.

The Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson MP released a statement on 28th June on higher education and research following the EU referendum.

  • He confirmed that EU citizens currently studying in the UK or starting their courses in September 2016 will continue to receive loans until they finish their courses.
  • There will be no immediate changes concerning immigration rules of British students living in the EU, and European students living in the UK.
  • There are no changes to students studying in the EU, beneficiaries of Erasmus+ or those considering applying in 2017.
  • There will be no immediate effect on those applying to or participating in Horizon 2020.

Brexit should therefore not result in any immediate changes. However, there could be significant changes in the years to come, although this will depend on the arrangements negotiated between the UK and EU. The negotiations could begin when a new Prime Minister is announced, this will definitely be by October 2016, but could be as early as September with the conservative contenders due to launch their leadership bids imminently.    They could take up to two years, or even longer (if the EU partners all agree).

Although there is uncertainty ahead about the impact of Brexit for UK higher education, there have been some positive reports about the possible future of the sector’s relationship with the EU. On the 28th June, the Italian Prime Minister said he wanted to find a way for UK students to gain passports while they studied for degree courses. Additionally, the Independent has outlined some reasons to be optimistic about the future relationship of the UK universities and the EU, and states that as long as the UK government commits to higher education, and recognises the role it plays, the future for the sector could remain bright.   An article including quotes from the Minister in the THE is also interesting.

Our Vice-Chancellor has commented in an updated statement and Jane Forster has written a blog on what happens in HE after the vote.