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ESRC-DFID Education and development: Raising learning outcomes in education systems programme – 2015 pre-call announcement

Funding opportunities

 

ESRC and DFID  will be inviting applications to a second call under the Raising Learning Outcomes in Education Systems programme in March 2015. The aim is to provide policymakers and practitioners with concrete ideas on how to improve learning, and understanding of how these will translate to their specific contexts and institutions.

The 2015 call will focus on the theme of ‘challenging contexts’ – where education systems face particular challenges, what enables or inhibits the raising of learning outcomes. An overview of the thematic focus and scope of call two, and eligibility and application requirements, are set out in the documents below. This pre-call announcement is being made to enable interested researchers to begin discussions with potential research partners and research users in advance of the formal call for proposals.

The deadline for proposals will be in May 2015 and further information can be found here.

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

BBSRC, GB

The Animal Welfare Research Network call aims to foster multidisciplinary collaborations that add benefit to animal welfare research by creating links between animal welfare researchers and the broader academic community. The focus is on research that contributes to the welfare of managed animals, including farmed, laboratory and companion animals, as well as on both vertebrates and relevant invertebrates, such as bees. The network encourages links to researchers working on non-managed species.

Maximum award: Unspecified.  Closing date: 24/03/15

EPSRC, GB

EPSRC invites proposals for its Fellowships in Manufacturing. The Fellowship will support those who have the potential to be future research leaders in their field in Manufacturing research; either academics who have recently moved from industry, or people in industry, involved in innovation, looking to move into academia. The aim is to offer up to five years of support for suitable candidates who not only have an appropriate background but can also articulate their vision for utilising their industrial experience to inform their future research direction.

Maximum award: Unspecified. Mandatory registration: 31/03/15. Closing date: 14/05/15.

 EPSRC, GB

EPSRC invites submissions of intent for its network and multidisciplinary research consortia call under the towards engineering grand challenges scheme. This supports multidisciplinary research consortia that can further advance engineering grand challenges in the following areas: Sustainable engineering solutions to provide water for all; Future Cities: engineering approaches that restore the balance between engineered and natural systems; Engineering across length scales, from atoms to applications. This call will support three consortia.

Maximum award: Approximately £12 million is available for three consortia for up to five years. Mandatory submissions of intent: 26/03/15.  Full proposals: 28/04/15.

EPSRC, GB

The EPSRC, under its themes of engineering, manufacturing the future and physical sciences, invites expressions of interest for its call on the future formulation of complex products. Supporting a series of projects addressing challenges in formulation science, the goal is to develop and improve manufacturing processes for the production of complex structured products, based on interdisciplinary research in fundamental and applied science.

Maximum award: Unspecified. Closing date: 23/04/15

 Wellcome Trust/Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, GB

The Wellcome Trust, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, invites applications for its Fellowship in Society and Ethics. This scheme enables a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD student or junior fellow to undertake a three-month fellowship. It is intended to help the Fellow develop an awareness of policy environments and processes, and to raise an issue relevant to the Trust’s Society and Ethics programme among a parliamentary audience.

Maximum award: Fully funded three-month minimum extension to your PhD or fellowship award. Closing date: 02/04/15

Wellcome Trust, GB

The Wellcome Trust invites proposals for its intermediate fellowships for researchers in India. This is a five year fellowship supporting excellent scientists who wish to undertake high-quality research and to establish themselves as independent researchers in an academic institution in India.

Maximum award: Unspecified. Closing date: Preliminary applications due 02/04/15

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.

Research Professional – all you need to know

Guidance

Every BU academic has a Research Professional account which delivers weekly emails detailing funding opportunities in their broad subject area. To really make the most of your Research Professional account, you should tailor it further by establishing additional alerts based on your specific area of expertise.  The Funding Development Team Officers can assist you with this, if required.

Research Professional have created several guides to help introduce users to ResearchProfessional. These can be downloaded here.

Quick Start Guide: Explains to users their first steps with the website, from creating an account to searching for content and setting up email alerts, all in the space of a single page.

User Guide: More detailed information covering all the key aspects of using ResearchProfessional.

Administrator Guide: A detailed description of the administrator functionality.

In addition to the above, there are a set of 2-3 minute videos online, designed to take a user through all the key features of ResearchProfessional.  To access the videos, please use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/researchprofessional 

Research Professional are running a series of online training broadcasts aimed at introducing users to the basics of creating and configuring their accounts on ResearchProfessional.  They are holding monthly sessions, covering everything you need to get started with ResearchProfessional.  The broadcast sessions will run for no more than 60 minutes, with the opportunity to ask questions via text chat.  Each session will cover:

  • Self registration and logging in
  • Building searches
  • Setting personalised alerts
  • Saving and bookmarking items
  • Subscribing to news alerts
  • Configuring your personal profile

Each session will run between 10.00am and 11.00am (UK) on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  You can register here for your preferred date:

24th March 2015

28th April 2015

29th May 2015

23rd June 2015

28th July 2015

25th August 2015

These are free and comprehensive training sessions and so this is a good opportunity to get to grips with how Research Professional can work for you.

Launch of the summer round of the BU Undergraduate Research Assistantship programme

I am delighted to announce today the launch of summer round of BU’s Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) programme. Funded by the Fusion Investment Fund, this programme offers paid employment opportunities for approximately 40 BU undergraduate students per year to work in clusters, centres and institutes, under the guidance of experienced academics, in a research position that is directly related to their career path and/or academic discipline. This enables the students to assist academic staff with their research whilst also gaining valuable research experience themselves.

Research shows there is a direct link between student satisfaction and research-based learning, particularly when the opportunity is in their field of study[1], and that the undergraduate student experience is improved by engaging them with research early and often.[2] URA programmes are common in North America and are offered in a significant number of universities, for example Harvard University, Northern Illinois University, Kent State University and Cornell University.

In 2015 BU is offering two modes of the URA programme:

  1. semester-based programme (c. 20 part-time positions running for eight weeks in semester 2)
  2. summer programme (c. 20 full-time positions running for six weeks in June/July 2015)

There are two stages to the application process: 1) Faculty application stage whereby BU academic staff can apply for URA positions, and 2) student selection stage whereby Faculty staff recruit to the positions.

We are now accepting applications from academic staff for URA positions for the summer-based programme. The deadline for applications is Friday 20th March 2015. All applications received will be reviewed by a panel comprising two Deputy Deans (Research and Professional Practice) and the Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange. Decisions on which positions to fund will be announced at the start of April.
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Further details, including the application form, are available here: Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) programme

[1] For example: Healey and Jenkins (2011) Linking discipline-based research with teaching to benefit student learning, available from: http://www.mickhealey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Linking-RT-Handout-Website1.doc

[2] For example: Madan, C R & Braden, D T (2013) The Benefits of Undergraduate Research: The Student’s Perspective, available from: http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/05/undergraduate-research-students-perspective/

Innovative Industry-based Cyber Security Masters kicked off last week!

Business Engagement, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

The all new MSc Cyber Security & Human Factors course kicked off last week with students eager to embark on their 18-36 month journey! This exciting part-time Masters in Cyber Security has been developed to meet the skills and education required by most digital enabled organisations whilst adapting the content and delivery to meet today’s student’s work-life balance. This innovative industry based MSc has taught modular elements followed by a period of research and reflection. Each module has an intensive 3 day program of lectures delivered at the University followed by 8 weeks of research activities, directed reading and reflection.

Cyberspace is a vast, complex and still evolving community that presents enterprise, industry and governments with ongoing security management challenges, as it grows on an exponential scale. The security of data is fundamental to any business, and IT professionals are increasingly aware of the complexities involved in protecting information, assets, knowledge and intellect. As cyberspace stores more and more information, specialists in security who are ahead of the game will become a critical element in reducing risk.

On this course, students will gain an understanding of the psychology of cyber security by investigating threat, vulnerabilities and impact risk; the contagion of fear, uncertainty and doubt; managing human factors in security; trust management and information assurance. Students will develop a deep and holistic awareness of Cyber Security and Human Factors.

Students will have access to a suite of Cyber Security and Digital Forensics laboratories with state-of-art simulation and analytical systems to discover, evaluate and educate the use of Intrusion Detection, Incident Management, Forensic analysis and System Penetration testing as well as incorporating Industry based skill training material and practices.

The next enrollment opportunity for this course is September 2015 (both part-time and full-time). If you’d like more information on the course please visit BU Cyber Security Unit or email the team.

Two BU authored chapters in new book on childbirth

Publishing, student research

BU Ph.D. student and Consultant Midwife Kathryn Gutteridge and Hannah Dahlen Associate Professor of Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney contributed a chapter to the book ‘The Roar behind the Silence: Why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care’.  Kathryn Gutteridge and Hannah Dahlen wrote under the title ‘Stop the fear and embrace birth’.  BU’s Dr. Jenny Hall also wrote a chapter called ‘Spirituality, compassion and maternity care’.

The  volume edited by Sheena Byrom and Soo Downe was published this week by Pinter & Martin (London).   I received my copy of the book yesterday, but didn’t have a chance to look at it until today.  The Roar Behind the Silence is both a practical and inspirational book, which likely to be of interest to people working in maternity care (midwives, doctors, managers), local and regional maternity-care policy-makers as well as politicians and funders and, of course, to many pregnant women and maternity-care pressure groups.  The book highlights examples of good practice, and offers practical tools for making change happen, advice on how to use evidence and real-life stories.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Matt Bentley’s Fusion Fund Research – South Africa Update

Fusion

Friday marked a successful visit to Abagold in Hermanus. Hermanus is famous for whale watching where the Southern Right whales can been seen close to the shore from September to November. The visit to Abagold by Matt and Carol Simon was hosted by Stoffel van Dyk who is their Operational Director. Abagold is one of the world’s premier abalone aquaculture farms producing the highest quality abalone for the export market. Abagold’s operation is sustainable and helps protect the wild abalone population from poaching activity. Abagold is also the industrial partner in the Fusion Investment Fund project. The farm will offer facilities for BU students who will trialling novel technologies for controlling shell-boring pests of the molluscs.

Taylor & Francis one of the most read publications

Publishing

Corrosion in large vehicles in the museum environment

Corrosion in large vehicles in the museum environment

Sustainable Design Research Centre recent publication “Modelling of metal-coating delamination incorporating variable environmental parameters” by Hammad Nazir (PhD student), Dr Zulfiqar Khan and K Stokes (Defence Science & Technology Laboratory Ministry of Defence industrial partner) has made it to the most read articles list on the Taylor & Francis website.

This research is co-funded by BU and Defence Science & Technology Laboratory Ministry of Defence, with in-kind support from The Tank Museum at Bovington and other industrial partners.

This paper has been available online since December 15th 2014 with 338 downloads/views recorded on Feb 28th 2015.

Keywords

cathodic delamination, coating delamination, degradation, mathematical modelling, diffusion, adhesion

HE Policy Update

Monday

Student Loans

Labour party analysis of Treasury figures suggests that student loan write-offs will rise to £20bn per year by 2048-49. Student loan write-offs will rise to £20bn by 2048-49, Labour warns (The Guardian​).

Labour and fees

Lord Mandelson’s speech to UUK last week warned that cutting university tuition fees to £6,000 a year could trigger a rise in foreign students to plug the funding gap, squeezing places available for British teenagers. Cutting tuition fees could reduce college places for Britons, warns Mandelson (The Times).

Tuesday

BIS criticism on alternative providers

A report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee has criticised how BIS handled the privatisation of higher education, concluding that the department ignored repeated warnings about the potential abuse of public money. MPs criticise lax oversight of £1.2bn higher education expansion  (The Guardian).

Wednesday

Maintenance loans

An extensive look at how “the squeezed middle” are facing financial difficulties in affording HE for their children because they earn too much for a full maintenance loan – which in many cases does not meet the full costs of attending universities (such as accommodation and living expenses). Parents lose their car paying price of university  (BBC News).

Student loan system – ‘unsustainable’ 

Professor Nicholas Barr, from the London School of Economics and Political Science, has warned that the current student loans system under which graduates start repayments once they earn £21,000 a year is unsustainable. He said repayments should start at £18,000 a year to avoid massive increases in taxes or cuts to university finances. Expert warns ‘unsustainable’ student loan system could leave £1bn unpaid, (The Independent).

Policy

The APPG on Migration has published a report warning that British universities are now losing out in the global race to attract international students, in particular to other Anglophone countries with more attractive post study work opportunities such as; the United States, Australia and Canada.  Post-Study Work Opportunities in the UK – New report warns UK at risk of losing foothold in crucial international student market (All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration).

Thursday

Nurse review

Fears about the objectivity of Sir Paul Nurse’s review of the research councils may be eased by the announcement of an advisory board containing a number of prominent sector figures. Advisory board to help steer Nurse review of research councils (THE).

OFFA

Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has published their strategic plan. It reported that a record number of 22,000 teenagers from poor families went to university in 2011. Under OFFA’s plans, this number should rise to nearly 40,000 within five years. They have also singled out highly selective universities, calling on them to do more to widen their intake. The Russell Group has responded to the surprise target, saying that they were keen to open their doors to more students but could do only so much if teenagers were not leaving school with the necessary grades. Universities told to double intake of poor students (The Times), Offa: no cap, no excuses on poor students, (THE).

Friday

Labour outline tuition fee plan

Ed Miliband today announced that if elected, Labour would cut university tuition fees in England to £6,000 per year from autumn 2016 in a speech on how the next Labour Government will support young people. He announced that the policy would be funded by reducing tax relief on pensions for those earning over £150,000 per year. The Labour leader also announced an increase of non-repayable maintenance grants by £400 per year to cover students’ living costs. However, these grants are only available to families with a total income below £42,000.  Labour promises to cut tuition fees to £6,000 (BBC News), Miliband announces £6K tuition fees pledge (THE).

 

PG Researcher Development Workshops coming up in March 2015

PG research

Workshops available in March 2015:

  • Wednesday 4 March 2015 – Preparing for your Viva
  • Monday 9 March 2015 – Developing Researcher Networks
  • Monday 9 March 2015 – Saying No Positively (new workshop for 2014/15)
  • Monday 10 March 2015 – Managing Pressure Positively
  • Wednesday 18 March 2015 – Ensuring Originality & Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Tuesday 24 March 2015 –  Preparing for your Initial Review

Booking is via myBU Graduate School PGR Community (don’t forget to log on with your student username and password)

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

BBSRC Enterprise Fellowships – Royal Society of Edinburgh, UK

The Enterprise Fellowships are designed to enable an individual to advance the commercialisation of existing research results or technological developments and are tenable for a period of one year.  The Fellowships enable the holder to concentrate on developing the commercial potential of their research, whilst also receiving formal training in relevant business skills.

Award max: Unspecified  
Closing date: 27/04/2015

Industry Fellowships – Royal Society, UK

This scheme is for academic scientists who want to work on a collaborative project with industry and for scientists in industry who want to work on a collaborative project with an academic organisation.

The scheme provides a basic salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research costs.

Award max: Basic salary & research expenses up to £2000/year
Closing Date: 26/03/2015

Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme – BBSRC

Participants enter as teams and develop a business plan for a company based on a hypothetical but plausible idea based on real markets over the course of a three day residential workshop. The workshop encompasses presentations and mentoring sessions from leading figures in industry and culminates in the presentation of the business plans to a panel of ‘equity investors’ drawn from industry and academia. Up to three teams for each workshop are selected to progress to the final in London.

Award max: Prize fund of £5000, including first prize of £2,500, trip to USA, invite to BIA Gala Dinner
Closing Date: 29/05/2015

Brian Mercer Award for Innovation – Royal Society

This scheme is for scientists who wish to develop an already proven concept or prototype into a near-market product ready for commercial exploitation. The scheme covers natural sciences, excluding medical devices.

Award max: £250,000
Closing date: 23/04/2015

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.

British Science Association Media Fellowships 2015 – applications open

Training

The British Science Association’sMedia Fellowship scheme provides a unique opportunity for practising scientists, clinicians and engineers to spend three to six weeks working at a media outlet, such as the Guardian, the Times, or the BBC.

Every year up to ten Media Fellows are mentored by professional journalists and learn how the media operates and reports on science, how to communicate with the media and to engage the wider public with science through the media.

The scheme has been running since 1987 and gives scientists, engineers and their colleagues, the confidence and willingness to engage with the media and tackle issues of mistrust and misrepresentation and to give journalists access to new scientific expertise; as well as providing opportunities for discussion and debate.

After their media placement Fellows attend the British Science Festival in September, which provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience working alongside a range of media organisations from all over the UK in our dedicated Press Centre. The Festival also offers opportunities to learn from a wide range of public engagement activities and network with academics, journalists and science communicators.

Applications are open until 3 April 2015.

In order to apply, you must complete the form on the BSA’s website, as well as provide a letter of support from your employer to say they are happy to release you to take part in the Fellowship.