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REF update: HEFCE’s REFlections event, 25 March 2015

Research assessment

I went to HEFCE’s (rather cleverly named) REFlections event on Wednesday to hear about the review of REF 2014 and plans for the future of research assessment.

The key points were:

  • Collaboration and multi-/interdisciplinary research are likely to be important for the next REF
  • HEFCE have commissioned Elsevier to undertake a project on measuring multidisciplinary research to inform the next REF
  • The REF impact case studies database went live yesterday and is an excellent resource
  • Dual support system is likely to stay
  • Impact case studies are likely to stay, however, the impact template may change/become obsolete
  • Peer review will stay, informed by metrics in some disciplines (akin to REF 2014)
  • Metrics are not yet robust enough to have a metrics-driven REF. In particular, this is not yet possible for the assessment of outputs or impact. It is possible, however, to rely more heavily on metrics for the environment assessment and there could be changes to this part for the next REF.

 

HEFCE plan to consult with the sector on future plans for the REF this coming autumn.

 

Further information:

ESRC have updated their Research Data policy

Funding opportunities, Guidance

The ESRC has updated its research data policy .

The key points are:

  • it is the grant holder’s responsibility to incorporate data management as an integral part of the research project, and
  • data must be made available for re-use or archiving with the ESRC data service providers within three months of the end of the grant.

Please click on the link above for further information.

£5,000 business funding – Innovation Vouchers

Are you working with business?

Innovation Vouchers are open to all kinds of small businesses.    Businesses  can claim up to £5,000 towards the cost of expert advice if they classify as a start-up, micro or  SME . The funding encourages SMEs and start-ups to seek out fresh knowledge that can help their business to grow and develop. This could include advice on an innovative idea, learning more about using design within the  business or how to make the most of intellectual property.

Business challenge

Innovation Vouchers  have in the past been available only in specific technology areas. Now a business can apply if  they  just meet these simple tests:

• you need specialist help to meet a business challenge

• it’s the first time you have worked with the university (a great first rung on the ladder before a KTP  perhaps?)

You can apply at any time with around 100 vouchers being awarded every 3 months – for 2015 this is April and July. 

For more information, visit the website  Innovation Vouchers .

Innovation Vouchers are funded by Innovate UK. A short guide to  to help make clear what an assessor for Innovate UK competitions is looking for has been produced. All of the Innovate UK funding programmes follow a similar pattern and you should bear in mind that the questions are designed to help rather than trip you up. It is important that you answer the questions asked and cover all aspects the Guidance for Applicants describes.

 

 

 

 

Academic induction to research and knowledge exchange at BU

Guidance

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) invite all ‘new to BU’ academics to an induction.  The purpose of the induction is to inform you of the following:

  • how we can support you when planning your research career;
  • how to apply for funding (the policies and processes around costs and approvals);
  • how to manage your successful research applications (including ethics, governance, risks and finance);
  • how we can support you on impact, public engagement, outputs and open access, case studies, and a whole lot more.

The first induction will be held on 14th April 2015 on the 4th floor of Melbury House.  The format of the day is as follows:

9.00-9.30 – Coffee/tea and cake will be available on arrival

9.30 – RKEO academic induction

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 contact Charmain Lyons, clyons@bournemouth.ac.uk for an official invitation.  We will directly contacted those who have started at BU in the last three months.

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

Regards,

The RKEO team

BUDI Orchestra Performance 27th March

Last October, BUDI were lucky enough to secure funding from the ‘Inspired by 2012 Health and Wellbeing’ Fund via Dorset County Council to run another round of our music initiative with people with dementia and their carers from the community.

BUDI Orchestra have been working hard for the last eight weeks to bring you a performance this Friday 27th March, and we would be delighted if you could come along and show your support for all they have achieved in such a short space of time.

 

When? 27th March 2015, 10:30 – 11:30am

Where? The Atrium, Talbot Campus

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN) 17th March

Business Engagement

Report on Meeting of the Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN) 17th March, Worcester

On the 17th March, BUDI attended the quarterly meeting of the Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN). It was held in The Hive, University of Worcester, a building co-owned by the university and the council. The Network is an open forum with a purpose to share information and innovation across UK Higher Education providers and to influence the provision of education for the current and future dementia workforce. The host institution gives a presentation at these meetings and on this occasion the University of Worcester decided to initiate discussion about their intentions of developing training for academics wanting to specialise in dementia, and dementia trainers working outside of higher education who want more training in how to design and deliver educational programmes. We also had discussion about how dementia could be better embedded within existing programmes across university departments / courses. At these meetings members also have opportunity to share about their latest developments and initiatives. BUDI was able to share about their work in developing a new MSc in Applied Dementia Studies, and the four Masterclasses that we are running this calendar year. BUDI is proud to be a member of this network and national networks such as these are great not only for sharing innovation and good practice but for working together to help shape the UK’s education provision. This network’s most recent way of achieving this was to develop a national curriculum that is now in the process of being implemented.

 

Research, Innovate, Grow – RCUK’s vision for future investment in the UK research base

Funding opportunities

Research Councils UK  (RCUK) has articulated its vision for future investment in the UK research base, adopting the slogan “Research, Innovate, Grow” as an encapsulation of its current and future purpose.

RCUK, the UK’s biggest investors in public sector research, are committed to ensuring the UK remains the best place in the world to do research, innovate and grow business.  “Strong, sustained investment in the UK research base is essential to strengthen and let fly the excellence, creativity and impact of the UK’s world leading researchers, innovators and businesses. Only by doing this will we be able to address the challenges facing our society today and create the opportunities for business growth in the future,” said Professor Rick Rylance, Chair of RCUK.

Going forward RCUK will:

  • shape a world-leading research base with strength across disciplines
  • accelerate innovation and impact from this excellent research base
  • collaborate and co-invest with Innovate UK and other partners in the research and innovation ecosystem
  • drive new multidisciplinary research programmes
  • work together to maximise impact and further drive efficiency

“The world-leading UK research base attracts and retains global businesses in the UK and establishes the positive environment to generate new businesses and enable them to grow. This drives industrial sectors and enables national and regional economic growth,” Prof  Rylance said. “The breadth, quality and richness of the UK research base is unique. It enables us to address society’s challenges and business opportunities across the spectrum. It is a very precious resource and a superb advantage for the UK. We need to invest now to secure its future. We will be investing not just for now but for our children.”

RCUK is determined to build on this position through: 

  • sustained long-term investment in the research base
  • leveraging the UK’s position at the centre of the global research network
  • realising the full potential of the UK innovation ecosystem

“RCUK will continue to invest in the creation of new knowledge and drive innovation,” said Professor  Jackie Hunter, RCUK Impact Champion. “The collective ambition of the Research Councils is to maintain and further enhance the UK’s leading position as THE best place in the world to do research, innovate and grow a business. Only by doing this can the benefits of the research investment already made be secured, maximizing the UK research base’s contribution towards the creation of a strong economy and societal benefit now and in the future.”

The UK has 1% of the global population and only 3% of global funding for research yet produces 16% of the world’s most highly cited papers. Almost half of research articles published by UK researchers have international co-authors. Four of the world’s top 10 universities are in the UK. The Research Councils drive and enable researchers, business and partners to create knowledge and innovation for society, industry, Government and the third sector. RCUK funded researchers are more likely to collaborate with business than those funded through any other route.  The Research Councils co-deliver research and innovation with more than 2,500 businesses.

If you would like to contribute to the Nurse review of research councils, please see the blog post setting out BU procedure and deadlines.

£7m funding competition open for registration

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

 

Wave Energy Scotland (WES) is launching four new SBRI funding competitions with up to £7m funding available.

The aim of this funding competition is the development of new innovative energy conversion solutions that are applicable to the wave energy sector. More information on this funding opportunity.

Competition Briefing event, 31 March 2015.

This event is an excellent opportunity for you to receive first hand information about the competition – its scope, application process, key dates etc. More information on the briefing event.

Health and Wellbeing through Occupation Conference – Abstract Deadline 31 March 2015

Dear All,

PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS CONFERENCE DEADLINE!  JUST ONE WEEK AWAY!

Be part of the…  ‘Health and Wellbeing through Occupation’ Occupational Science Europe Conference – 3rd & 4th September 2015.

Share your work or emerging ideas on an international stage where we welcome a diversity of presentations: oral, poster and poster display.

SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT TODAY!

Information can be found on the conference website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/osec or for further queries please contact Julie Atherton by phone: 01202 962804 or email occupation@bournemouth.ac.uk.

 

Thank you.

 

£4m collaborative R&D funding now open ! – Protecting data in industry

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

£4m collaborative R&D funding now open ! – 23 March 2015

Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects that tackle the growing risks of disruption to internet-enabled businesses and their digital supply. More information on this competition.

Competition Briefing Events – 25 March onwards at several locations

The event is an excellent opportunity for you to receive first hand information about the competition – its scope, application process, key dates etc. as well as meet and network with peers, potential partners, market leaders & innovators in the industry. More information & event registration page.

For queries about this competition, please contact support@innovateuk.gov.uk

UNCLASSIFIED

Publishing, REF Subjects, Research assessment

Picture the scene… it’s 2016 the 1st April 2016 to be precise and you’ve had an article you have been working on for the past 6 months accepted by your first choice journal – well done you – you spend the next 3 months eagerly waiting to read your hard work in print. When it finally it is published you are ecstatic, it is well  received by your colleagues, peers, journalists and the public – your research is out there and making a real impact to society, you couldn’t have imagined a better reception. Well done you again!

Now fast-forward to submission of the next REF where you enthusiastically submit your lovingly crafted, well received, well cited article for submission with the full expectation that it will certainly be assessed as a 4* publication but then the bomb drops… the article is “UNCLASSIFIED”. Why I hear you cry?! Well back in 2016 when your article was accepted you did not make it open access – simple.

HEFCEs decision on non-compliance of their Open Access Policy really couldn’t be clearer in this aspect:

“Any output submitted to the post-2014 REF that falls within the scope of this policy but does not meet its requirements or exceptions will be treated as non-compliant. Non-compliant outputs will be given an unclassified score and will not be assessed in the REF.”

We have 12 months to get ready for to comply with HEFCEs Open Access policy and we have to start now. Only the author and the publisher know when an article is accepted and this is the key point for the policy. So, if you want to have the full benefit of all your hard work, then make sure that when an article is accepted by a publisher you upload it to BRIAN – simple.

For further information on how to you go about making your outputs open access, please see the guidance here. Email openaccess@bournemouth.ac.uk with queries or attend one of our Open Access Workshops over the next few months.

Further information on HEFCEs policy can be found here

BU Academic’s Major International Engagement and Esteem

Fusion

Dr Zulfiqar Khan FIMechE, CEng, SFHEA

Dr Zulfiqar Khan (Associate Professor), Director Sustainable Design Research Centre SciTech has been invited to Chair Surface Engineering Track at the STLE (Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers) 70th Annual Meeting & Exhibition May 2015.

Zulfiqar is leading the Surface Engineering Technical Committee as Vice-Chair. He is also Technical Editor of Tribology & Lubrication Technology (TLT), STLE’s official membership publication. Around 126 STLE members were invited to submit a case for support to become technical editor, only 17 were selected, of whom Zulfiqar is the only non-US member of the technical committee.

He has been actively engaged and making significant contributions to the STLE since May of 2008, as conference track Chair, Vice-chair, Paper Solicitation Chair and is currently leading the selection process of the Surface Engineering 2015 best paper award.

SLTE mission is “to advance the science of tribology and the practice of lubrication engineering in order to foster innovation, improve the performance of equipment and products, conserve resources and protect the environment.” [STLE website].

STLE is serving the needs of more than 10, 000 members and over 150 industrial partners within the Tribology & Lubrication Engineering sector. STLE has a 24 member elected board with elected president (annual) who leads STLE as CEO and heads the board as Chair, 23 technical committees and councils and has an annual budget of around 2.25 million USD [STLE website].

If you would like to know more or have interests to get involved please contact Dr Zulfiqar Khan directly.

Institute for Studies in Landscapes and Human Evolution (ISLHE): Come and find out more over cake and coffee!!

Coffee Morning

Are you an archaeologist, computer scientist, ecologist, animator, anthropologist, palaeoanthropologist working in a Professional Service? ….

Or simply interested in landscapes and how they influenced human evolution?

If so why not drop by and find out more about BU’s newly launched Institute for Studies in Landscape and Human Evolution (ISLHE) at 1.30 PM on the 25th March (TAG01).  We would like to invite BU staff to an opportunity to find out more and see how they might get involved over coffee.

ISLHE’s research agenda focuses around the role of landscape process in driving human evolution.  What drove the evolution of our species?  Why did some species of the human family tree become extinct while others did not?  What role did climate change and landscape process in Africa play in guiding this evolution?  These are fundamental questions about our own origins and what drove our evolution.  The research agenda focuses on tackling these questions from a landscape-based perspective integrating a wide range of fields anthropology, archaeology, palaeoanthropology, ecology, remote sensing of modern analogues with both earth and computer science.

Working both in the field and using computer modelling we hope to tackle some of these questions over the next few years.  Another key part of our agenda is to work with computer animators to bring our science alive in the imagination of both scientific and popular audiences.

Join us to find out more!!

BU academic visits Qatar University to discuss interdisciplinary research on cybersecurity

Dr John McAlaney from the Department of Psychology has visited Qatar University to present research that he and his colleague Dr Raian Ali of the Department of Computing have been conducting on the psychological and socio-technical aspects of cybersecurity. Attendees at this multi-disciplinary event included researchers from the Open University, the Qatar National Research Fund and the British Council. Dr McAlaney also attended a reception organised by the British Embassy in Doha, where His Excellency the British Ambassador Mr Nicholas Hopton welcomed the attendees to Qatar and spoke about the importance of interdisciplinary research and the benefits of collaborative research between the UK and Qatar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr McAlaney presenting to the delegates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qatar University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doha skyline