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Committee inquiries: open calls for evidence

Below is a list of committee inquiries with current open calls for evidence. Please contact Emma Bambury-Whitton if you would like to discuss submitting evidence.

Commons Select Committee inquiries

Joint Committee inquiries

Public Bill Committees

HE Policy Update

BIS cuts

A document ‘BIS 2020 – Finance and Headcount outline’ has outlined the department’s latest restructuring plan. The document reveals that some 265 jobs could be shed from the research councils (16 per cent of the workforce), with another 47 going from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (17 per cent of the workforce) and 12 jobs going from the Office for Fair Access (67 per cent of the workforce). BIS plans could see almost 5,000 jobs lost by 2020 (Research Professional).

Graduate Employment

BIS has published its latest figures on the graduate labour market for 2015. You can view the report here. The key statistics are as follows.

  • Graduate unemployment: 3.1%
  • Non-graduate unemployment: 6.4%
  • Young graduates: 56% in high skill jobs, 31% in medium and low skill jobs
  • Young non-graduates 17% in high skill jobs, 54% in medium and low skill jobs
  • Median salary for young graduates: £24,000 (£31,500 for all ages)
  • Median salary for young non-graduates: £18,000 (£22,000 for all ages)

Policy-making

An article in the Guardian looks into how scientists can impact policy. It discusses how scientists need to understand the policy process and the likely demand for and uptake of evidence, before working out how to produce evidence that would fit into the process. If scientists want to influence policymaking, they need to understand it (The Guardian).

Sutton Report                  

The Sutton Trust published a report on graduate debt with international comparisons. You can view the report here. The key points are as follows.

  • Those who graduated from English universities last year – under the £9,000 fees regime – owed an average of £44,000.
  • Average debts in other English-speaking countries ranged between approximately £15,000 and £29,000.
  • On average American graduates owe between $29,000 (£20,500), for students at public or private non-profit universities, and $32,600, for those at private for-profit universities.
  • The report highlights the growing complexity in arrangements in the UK nations, with different fee levels in Scotland and grants in Wales that enable Welsh students to take up places at English universities for less than £4,000 a year rather than up to £9,000.
  • The report argues that the abolition of maintenance grants this September will leave the poorest students with debts in excess of £50,000.

Anti-lobbying

An anti-lobbying clause that was due to come into effect on 1 May and which would have affected many researchers in the UK has been put on hold awaiting a review. You can view the statement here.

A-levels

Which? has reported that almost a third (28%) of more than 1,000 UK 18 and 19 year-old university applicants surveyed said they wished they had chosen different subjects. They also reveal that 41% wished they had considered which subjects would be of most use. Too many university applicants ‘pick wrong subjects at 16’ (BBC News).

HESA

HESA released their statistics on the finances of higher education providers in 2014/15. The figures show that medicine, dentistry and health were the biggest spending academics departments. Breakdown of £31 billion expenditure of UK HE sector. (HESA).

 

UG Physio students secure prestigious research post

Darel Evans and George Erskine has been chosen to be 2 of just 6 selected research internships with Arthritis Research UK. George will be working on the project entitled What are the illness beliefs and expectations of people with Psoriatic Arthritis? Analysis of qualitative data from focus groups under the supervision of Professor Sarah Hewlett at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Darel will be working on Optimisation of footwear choices in the management of knee Osteoarthritis (OA) at the University of Salford under the supervision of Dr Anita Williams.

As a Physio team we couldn’t be more proud of their achievements and wish them ever success. It is the first time undergraduates from the BU Physio programme have gone for such an acclaimed position and to have 2 accepted really is a triumph. Thanks to the team for supporting the applications and we hope their success will breed success in others.

ICERI2016 Announcement

We are glad to inform you that ICERI2016 (9th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation) will be held on the 14th, 15th and 16th of November 2016, in Seville, Spain (http://iated.org/iceri)

It will be very interesting for professionals in the area of Education, Research, Innovation. After 9 years, ICERI has become an annual meeting point for lecturers, researchers, professors, educational scientists and technologists Every year, ICERI brings together over 700 delegates from 80 different countries.

It will provide the ideal opportunity to present your projects and experiences to an international audience. Also, it will offer participants an overview of the current situation of education and new learning technologies.The deadline for abstract submissions is July 14th, 2016.

Abstracts should be submitted on-line at http://iated.org/iceri/online_submission

ICERI2016 Proceedings will be reviewed for their inclusion in the ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index (Web of Science). Previous editions are already indexed. Also, a DOI number will be assigned to each accepted paper.

24/5/16 – Smart Cities Sandpit

BU Challenges, Funding opportunities, Research themes, Training

creativity road signJust a quick reminder before the long weekend, to sign up for the forthcoming Smart Cities sandpit on Tuesday, 24th May 2016.

To take part in this exciting opportunity, BU staff should complete the Smart-Cities-Sandpit-Application-Form and return this to Dianne Goodman by Tuesday, 17th May (extended to allow for those taking leave around the Bank Holiday). Places are strictly limited.

By applying, you agree to attend for the full duration of the event on 24th May (c. 9:30 – 16:30). This event will be held in BU’s Executive Business Centre (EBC).

If you are one of our external blog subscribers and you are interested in attending or if BU staff have any queries prior to submitting your application, please contact Emily Cieciura, RKEO Research Facilitator: EU & International.

 

 

This event is especially pertinent given this announcement from the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership:

£23.3 million will be invested into four major transport schemes to improve access into and around the Port of Poole and help boost economic growth in the area.  The funds have been secured by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership as part of the Dorset Growth Deal.

The four schemes will be delivered by the Borough of Poole and include:

  • A £4.3 million investment into the A349 (the main link road into the Port of Poole and the town centre from the A31) at Gravel Hill:
    • Stabilising and strengthening embankments
    • Increasing capacity for motor vehicles at the Queen Anne Drive junction
    • Improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists
  • £2 million junction, pedestrian and cyclist improvements at Darby’s Corner and Dunyeats junction.
  • New ‘approach spans’ for Poole Bridge i.e. the parts of the bridge that carry traffic from the land to the main section of the bridge (the green copper towers).  This £4.2 million superstructure replacement will ensure the bridge continues to offer a vital route into the port:
    • Carriageway widened to 6.5 metres
    • Conversion of footpath into a 2.5-metre-wide shared footway/cycleway
    • Extension of shared footway/cycleway along the lifting spans
  • £13 million worth of major access improvements to the Port of Poole on the town side of the Backwater Channel and new development sites.  Improvement to a number of key junctions including redevelopment of Hunger Hill.

What will these improvements achieve?

These major transport infrastructure projects will improve access into and around the Port of Poole, unlock regeneration sites, create more highly skilled jobs, improve housing and drive local economic growth.

When will work start?

The current work schedule start dates are as follows:

  • Dunyeats junction – May 2016
  • Darby’s Corner – 2018
  • Gravel Hill – July 2016
  • New approach spans for Poole Bridge – September2016
  • Townside access improvements – 2017/2018.

What are ‘Growth Deals’?

Growth Deals provide funds to local enterprise partnerships for projects that benefit the local area and economy. A total of £79 million for Dorset has already been successfully bid for by Dorset LEP through the Dorset Growth Deal, which aims to bring together local, national and private sector funding to unlock and unblock key housing and employment sites, create more highly skilled jobs and support economic growth.

£23,310,000 has been allocated to fund transport infrastructure improvements into and around the Port of Poole.  This figure includes both Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s growth deal funding (90%) and a local contribution from the Borough of Poole (10%).

 For more information

For more details about the Port of Poole growth deal visit www.poole.gov.uk/dorsetgrowthdeal

“This multi-million-pound investment into the Port of Poole’s transport infrastructure will not only safeguard important road and bridge routes but will also unlock economic growth into the region.” 

Gordon Page, Chairman, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership

 

IP Management for Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions

ipr
The European IPR Helpdesk is running a number of webinars over the next few months and RKEO are promoting those relevant to EU Horizon 2020 activities.

Potential applicants for the Marie Sklowdowska-Curie Actions could benefit from attending the below Webinar or attending the MSCA focused programmes and events which can be found here.

4/5/16     9:30 AM     IP Management in H2020 with a special focus on Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions        Location:  P402 – Poole House Talbot Campus

Duration: 60 minutes (presentation) + 15 minutes (Q&As)

Please arrive at 9:15am for a prompt 9:30 start with the webinar duration being one hour. We have the room booked for a longer time so that we can have a post-webinar discussion afterwards, if appropriate. Please only register on the European IPR Helpdesk link if you will be joining the webinar(s) from your own desk rather than joining us. You can also check the European IPR Helpdesk Calendar for all their events.If you would like to attend any of this webinar, please email Dianne Goodman. If this proves to be very popular, we may need to change the room, so pre-booking is essential.

AHRC Research in Film Awards opens for submissions

Funding opportunities

AHRC_logo_anniversaryThe Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is launching its 2016 Research in Film Awards in a bid to find new and emerging talent that straddle the worlds of both film making and arts and humanities research.

The 2016 awards will be judged by panel of academics and film industry experts. Awards will be made in five categories (see below) and the winner in each category will win £2,000 towards their future film-making activities.

  1. Best Research Film of the Year
  2. Doctoral Award
  3. Utopias Award: Imagining our Future
  4. Innovation Award
  5. Inspiration Award – Best film inspired by the arts and humanities (public category)

To get a feel for the what the Research in Film Awards are all about, watch this short highlights film from the 2015 event.

The call for applications closes at 5pm on 1 July 2016

For more information about this call, please visit the funding call page.

 

BU guide to full economic costing and other useful information

Research funding wordleIf you’re thinking of applying for external funding to carry out research or knowledge exchange activities then you may find these useful links (on the staff intranet) on BU processes of help:

These are all essential reading if you are thinking of applying for external funding.  Please contact your Funding Development Officer as soon as you know you want to apply for an opportunity.

Pollinator Exchange HEIF project connects practitioners and academics in common pursuit of urban pollinator conservation

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

Pollinators are vitally important ecosystem service providers. They have been credited with being responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat; indeed many of our crops are wholly or partially dependent on insect pollination. Hence, the decline in pollinator populations has been a cause of concern not just for scientists, but for governments and the public at large. In the UK, this has led to an official government strategy on how to best protect our pollinators: the National Pollinator Strategy (Defra 2014).

Taking into account the growing number of studies that show the vitally important role urban areas can play in pollinator conservation, the strategy recognises pollinator-friendly management across towns and cities as a key component in nationwide efforts to halt their decline. While understanding of urban pollinators’ needs and experience in managing urban green spaces for their benefit is accumulating, it can often be difficult for practitioners to find the practical advice they need to implement the right measures. This was highlighted at a recent meeting co-organised by Defra and the University of Bristol’s Urban Pollinators Project which recommended the establishment of a central repository of information for urban practitioners.

BU’s Pollinator Exchange HEIF project, launched in October 2015 collaboratively between the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Media School, aims to fulfil this role. It will result in an online portal that links practitioners, academics, NGOs, private gardeners, ecological consultants and anyone else with an active interest in urban pollinator conservation. Users are invited to share relevant guidelines, case studies, summaries of peer-reviewed papers and other content that will help urban green space managers make pollinator-friendly choices based on the latest evidence.

The project is supported by Bournemouth Borough Council and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. A stakeholder workshop in May will provide potential users with the opportunity to comment on the portal’s content and usability, ensuring it will be both useful and intuitive when launched in July. For questions or feedback, please contact Project Manager Kathy Hodder (khodder@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Research Assistant Arne Loth (aloth@bournemouth.ac.uk).

Quick guides have been updated

Guidance

Help and support signpostWithin the Research Toolkit (see menu link above), we have several quick guides for applying to various funders and for certain activities.  These have been updated this week and so do check them out.  Added to them are useful links to BU processes, which are only available on our staff intranet.  These are:

These are all essential reading if you are thinking of applying for external funding to carry out your research and knowledge exchange activities.

Research Fellowship bid writing retreat – 19 May 2016

Funding opportunities, Training

Are you looking to apply for your first research Fellowship? Unsure how to frame a research Fellowship application? Come along to the Fellowship bid writing retreat on 19 May and gain some insights into how a Fellowship differs from a research grant application, how you can ensure that you meet their requirements, and have some time to develop your application. You’ll also hear from colleagues who have been awarded Fellowships about their experiences.

You’ll be expected to come along to the day with an idea of which Fellowship scheme to which you wish to apply, and share your ideas about why this is appropriate for you. If you think this might be an ideal opportunity to work on your Fellowship proposal and would like to book onto the event, please contact Dianne Goodman at dgoodman@bournemouth.ac.uk by 13 May 2016. Please direct any queries to Jennifer Roddis, Research Facilitator (jroddis@bournemouth.ac.uk), who will be delivering the event. The event will take place in the EBC, between 9.30am and 4.00pm. For further information about Fellowships, please see http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/researcher-toolbox/research-funders-guide/fellowships/ .

 

Save the Date! Interdisciplinary Research HE Sector Day – 21st June 2016

See more recent blog post for updated information. 

Save the date for REKO’s forthcoming Interdisciplinary Research Sector Day!

interdisciplinary-1It will take place on Tuesday, 21st June 2016 in the Executive Business Centre.

There will be speakers from BU and other organisations plus plenty of opportunity to network with academic and professional research administration colleagues from other universities. Already confirmed are speakers from HEFCE, Sussex, Brunel and BU.

The event will be advertised to colleagues in other institutions so, if you would like to help promote this event to people in your professional network, keep an eye on this blog for further information in the coming weeks. Academic and Research Support staff from the Higher Education research community are welcome to attend this free event. Please share this link with others in your professional network.

For more information before the programme and booking instructions are published, please contact Emily Cieciura in REKO.

Latest Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information.money and cogs

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

The BBSRC has made funds of £5k for BBSRC grant holders as part of the International Scientific Interchange Scheme to establish new contacts with international counterparts.  Closing Date Open

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Applications are welcomed for access to super-computing time  (>100,000 kAU or 6666667 core-hours on ARCHER) up to 24 months as part of the ARCHER Leadership Project or as part of the Resource Allocation Panel (>1,000kAUs or >66,667 ARCHER core hours) for 12 months for research that falls within the remit of the EPSRC or NERC.  Closing Date 13/6/16  

Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance

The Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance is accepting applications for a maximum of €50k, for projects lasting 6-12 months for the creation of Transnational Networks/Working Groups in the following areas:

  1. Guidelines on use (Human & Veterinary) – Affordable stewardship
  2. Surveillance in primary care
  3. New anti-infective/ New adjuvant therapies / Alternative approaches
  4. Evaluation of risk for generation of resistance in human setting
  5. Rapid diagnostic tests
  6. Role of environmental factors
  7. Infrastructures/Biobanks available relevant to infection and AMR

Each working group must include at least three partners from the following countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and Canada.  Closing Date 6/6/16

Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust have made available the Small Arts Awards (small- to medium-sized projects – up to and including £40k) to support new project ideas or ways of working, investigate and experiment with new methods of engagement through the arts or the final production costs of new work. Closing Date 1/6/16

As part of the Development Awards, up to £10k is available for ideas for TV, radio, games or film projects in collaboration with scientists and researchers. Closing Date 27/7/16

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

Please note that some funding bodies specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKEO Funding Development Officer.

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.