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How are you going to develop YOUR career as a researcher?

Back in March I launched the CROS and PIRLS surveys to gather your views on what life is like at BU. Having analysed the responses, some fantastic insights were gained from this and a working group is being established to address the common issues and make improvements; more information on these actions will be released on the blog in time.

One finding in particular grabbed my attention however which is and linked to our on-going work as part of our EC HR Excellence in Research Badge award and is a favourite subject for me; the development of an academic career path. When I finished my PhD I would have loved a structured training plan, useful guidance and some literature around this, and from the survey results it seems many of your (at various stages of your career) would also find this incredibly helpful.

I am currently putting the finishing touches to an optional and open to all set of development sessions you can undertake at BU and also some online training too. This programme will include assessing your current strengths and areas for further development as a researcher to help shape your skills and experience to build your career as you wish. More details on the ‘BRAD’ programme will be announced soon…

In the meantime, for anyone interested in developing your career as a researcher, Vitae’s new publication The Career-Wise Researcher is a really useful read. They also have guides on The Balanced Researcher, The Creative Researcher, The Engaging Researcher, The Leading Researcher and The Informed Researcher. As with all Vitae publications, they are short (around 10 pages each), easy to read and incredibly useful.  

 

FIF Networking visit to New Zealand

Funding opportunities, Fusion

My Fusion journey started well before the Fusion fund came into being. Medicine 2.0 logoI’ve attended several Medicine 2.0 conferences, increasing my network of people researching in a similar area to myself along the way.  Last year this led to an invitation to visit Prof John Sullivan at the University of Otago, New Zealand. The University of Otago, founded in 1869, is New Zealand’s oldest university.

My research interests are around the role of the Internet and Social Media in supporting people living with long term conditions, and the related implications for healthcare professionals’ practice and education. Prof Sullivan researches in the area of sport concussion, including projects examining the role of the world wide web (www) in facilitating concussion awareness.

I applied to the Staff Networking and Mobility strand for support to take up this invitation, and was awarded funds for a 2 week visit to explore potential collaboration in research and education initiatives.

While I was there I was invited to give a guest lecture, where I shared some recent research I have undertaken into the ethics of using online discussion boards as research data. I was lucky enough to meet other Otago academics with an interest in this, including Dr Lynley Anderson in the Bioethics Centre, and Dr Lisa Whitehead, the Director of the Centre for Postgraduate Nursing.

I had an inspiring fortnight, mainly at the Dunedin campus. The School of Physiotherapy were kind enough to give me office space and computer access during my stay.  The University of Otago has grown over the years and has a historic core, surrounded by a collection of buildings of various ages and styles. Prof Sullivan took me on a walk around the campus and told me something of its history.

University of Otago. Copyright C Bond
I also visited several local coffee shops, where a lot of networking meetings seem to happen. Prof David Baxter, the Dean, gave me an overview of the work of the School, and I discussed research into low back pain with Dr Ramakrishnan Mani, and use of the Internet in education with Dr Daniel Ribeiro.

I also visited the University of Otago’s Christchurch campus where Dr Whitehead is based.

The Centre for Postgraduate Nursing is located in the City Centre, and while there I took some time out to walk around the areas of the downtown area that have been opened to the public after the devastating earthquakes suffered by the city two years ago.

I’ve come back with ideas for two possible research projects that now need to be developed, and funding found.

If anyone would like to know more about my research, or to discuss the Staff Mobility and Networking fund, please email me (cbond)

 

CEMP Research & Innovation Funding Bulletin & Cluster Meeting

Funding opportunities

Here is the slightly late, but updated, CEMP Research and Innovation Funding Bulletin: CEMP Cluster bulletin and agenda 20.6.13

The next cluster meeting is on Thursday 27th June, 10-11.30 in the CEMP office and, as always, anyone interested in a funding opportunity in the bulletin or wanting to develop another idea for a CEMP project, is very welcome indeed.

Or if you are interested in discussing a project / funding call but cannot attend the meeting, please contact Julian McDougall.

 

Comment on BU Blog leads to academic publication

Guidance, PG research, Publishing

Authorship differs between disciplines

Paper by Hundley et al. published 2013

Last year Prof. Matthew Bennett1 raised some interesting issues about academic authorship on this award-winning BU Blog.  Authorship is an issue that many academic colleague see as challenging.   On September 27th, 2012 two of us replied to this blog by adding some of our own observations on the web. 2   Having penned our online comments we discussed the issue with BU Visiting Faculty Dr. Padam Simkhada Senior Lecturer in International Health at ScHARR, University of Sheffield (www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/sections/ph/staff/profiles/padamsimkhada).  Between the three of us we came to the conclusion that the issue of academic authorship can be very confusing as well as tricky.

 

We discussed a wide-range of issues around academic authorship, including who should be an author and who should not be so, the order of authors, and that there are different conventions between different academic disciplines.  Being academic we rapidly came to the conclusion that there was a paper in this.  We drafted our ideas, searched the literature for other discussions on authorship, general guidelines on authorship, etc.   We wrote the paper and submitted it to the academic journal Health Renaissance; an Open-Access journal, which is freely available world-wide.  The editor liked it and published our paper ‘Academic authorship: who, why and in what order?’ this month as a guest editorial. 3

 

 

We would like to highlight that there are two separate messages in the publication of this paper.  The first message is about academic scholarship; some of our colleagues may find the content of this paper is a useful guide in deciding authorship order, or at least in helping to open the debate about who should be included as co-author and who is not eligible.  The second message is more about academic citizenship, namely that messages on the BU Blog and even comments in reply to other people’s messages may contain useful information to the wider academic community and should be taken further.  Our message here is don’t see the BU Blog as an end point, see it as a stepping stone to the wider academic world!

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen*, Prof. Vanora Hundley* & Dr. Padam Simkhada**

* Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health, HSC, Bournemouth University

** ScHARR, The University of Sheffield

 

References:

1.      Bennett, M. (2012) What’s in a list?, BU Research Blog, http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2012/09/27/whats-in-a-list/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

 

2.      Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E. (2012) Response to What’s in a list?, http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2012/09/27/whats-in-a-list/#comment-17234

 

3.      Hundley, V., van Teijlingen,      E., Simkhada, P. (2013) Academic authorship: who, why and in what order? Health Renaissance 11      (2):98-101  www.healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Download/vol-11-2/Page_99_101_Editorial.pdf

Free money! Free money! 1 week left to apply!

Funding opportunities, Fusion

 Okay so it’s not exactly free….you will have to do something for it but what if I told you that you will be hailed within BU, and who knows, maybe the world, as a researcher/support staff member extraordinaire! Your peers will bow down in the corridors in your honour, you will be met with applause when you enter the atrium.*

 I know what you’re thinking….’This sounds brilliant! Where can I find out more?’ Just point your mouse here, my friend, and all will be revealed.

*This may not actually happen.

The Fusion Investment Fund is managed by Samantha Leahy-Harland and is administered by Natalie Baines. Please direct all initial enquiries to Natalie Baines.

Joint research theme meeting – Creative & Digital Economy / Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth

Staff are invited to attend a ‘joint’ meeting of the Creative & Digital Economies and Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth research themes. The idea behind the meeting is to cross-pollinate staff ideas and ensure that research themes do not become silos.

The meeting will take place on 26 June (12-2pm) in the EBC (EB705). The meeting will provide a useful platform to catch up on what’s happening within each of the themes. We would also like to hold a number of ‘elevator pitches’ from staff who have an idea(s) on funding applications or joint research papers and would like to work collaboratively with another member(s) of staff. For example, you may need a specific skill or have a gap in your knowledge to develop a funding application/paper – so here’s your chance to get some momentum into your idea. Each ‘pitch’ should last no more than 3 minutes (no powerpoint slides!).

If you have an idea and would like to pitch it to other staff, then please let Professor Dean Patton or Dr John Oliver beforehand.

CEMP Conversation: 27:6:13

PG research

The next CEMP conversation – our fortnightly readers’ and writers’ group – will take place on Thursday June 27th 12 – 1pm in the CEMP office.

This time we’ll be discussing this article, provided by CEMP research student Tom Stacey:

Psychological Science-2013-Frost-0956797612472207

Tom will make a link from the article to his own PHD research and open the discussion.

As always, anyone who wants to read the article and join the discussion is very welcome indeed.

 

Fund an EU meeting with COST

COST  funds pan-European, bottom-up networks of scientists and researchers across all science and technology fields. These networks, called ‘COST Actions’, promote international coordination of nationally-funded research, but mot the research itself. Proposals for actions are now open and those which play a precursor role for other European programmes and/or initiated by early-stage researchers are favoured.
COST is organised in nine broad domains (Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences; Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies; Earth System Science and Environmental Management; Food and Agriculture; Forests, their Products and Services; Individuals, Societies, Cultures and Health; Information and Communi­ation Technologies; Materials, Physics and Nanosciences; Transport and Urban Development). To make a submission, you must have a minimum of five EU countries involved and you should choose one domain where possible or if it is truly interdisciplinary then there is a possibility of a trans-domain proposal application.  All info on the current call can be found here.

ELOs and Sponsors

 

European Interprofessional Education Network

For all of us interested in building EU networks in the area of interprofessional, interagency and integrated working and education, the European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN) conference in September may be of interest.  Abstract deadline has been extended to 30 June.

http://www.eipen.eu/conferences_4.html

BU research on the Japanese Tohoku tsunami

Dr Maharaj Vijay Reddy from the School of Tourism has recently returned from the Tohoku region of North East Japan, where he explored the nature of the impact of the 2011 on the tourism industry of the North East Japan and identified the priorities for socio-economic revival and sustainable future of the coastal communities and local businesses including agriculture and fisheries. The Great East Japan earthquake (8.9 magnitude) and the tsunami that followed have had catastrophic impacts on Northern Japan creating economic, nuclear and humanitarian crises in 2011. The major part of fieldwork was carried out with the financial support offered by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation in London.

Dr Reddy’s very intensive fieldwork in March 2013 covered all the four Prefectures of the Tohoku on the Pacific coast, namely Miyagi, Iwate, Aomori and Fukushima. He has completed over 80 semi-structured interviews by meeting with multidisciplinary stakeholders from the four worst affected Prefectures as well as respondents and relevant organizations in Tokyo and other parts of the Japan. This significant project was completed with the prompt local help offered by the Directors related to the Departments of Environment, Fisheries, Infrastructure, Industry and Tourism within the Prefectural Government Offices of Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori.

Respondents include ANA Airlines, Japan East Railway, JAL City Hotels, Metropolitan Hotels, Monterey Hotels, Toyoko Inn Hotels, Tourism Associations based in famous locations such as Matshushima (Miyagi), Hachinohe (Aomori) and Morioka (Iwate), leading tour operators including JTB, relief agencies such as the Nippon Foundation, Ocean Policy Research Foundation and many other local businesses whose opinions are being translated (from Japanese language) ‘anonymously’ by the students at the School of Tourism for analysis and interpretation.

Dr Reddy expressed his sincere thanks to those respondents and the others who offered immense support. For instance, Mr Ishikua of Miyagi Prefecture Government, Mr Mikami of Aomori Prefecture Government, Mr Kobori of Japan National Tourism Organisation in Tokyo, Ms Mizuho of Monterey Hotel in Sendai, UNITAR Hiroshima, Sendai Tourism and Convention Bureau, and researchers at the Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo and the Fukushima University.

Fusion Investment Fund: Costing proposals

Funding opportunities, Fusion

We have had quite a few enquiries asking for help to provide costs for fusion fund applications. It is expected that applicants will calculate costs themselves. Please note that costings are not handled by RKE Ops as only external funding applications are processed by this team.  In the main, fusion applications involve travel and subsistence costs which can be calculated by staff drawing on standard guidance. In the case that an applicant is being bought out of their current post or hiring a new member of staff for a project your Director of Operations within your school should be able to provide guidance on identifying costs.  We encourage applicants to be as realistic as possible with regards to costings because any changes to approved projects, including costs during the lifecycle of the project, would need to be approve by Matthew Bennett.

 In the event of any queries please contact Natalie Baines, Fusion Investment Fund administrator.

There’s also more information about the different strands of the Fund on the Staff Intranet pages.

Rami Mhanna visits Russia as part of the Santander Travel Grant

 

 

 

 

 

Last year we bought you the story of Rami Mhanna receiving a Santander Scholarship. Below he shares his experiences of travelling to Russia as part of his grant:

As part of Santander Travel Grant, I am visiting Russia in order to do a research about Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

I started by visiting Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), which is one of the Santander Universities. I also visited the Russian International Olympic University in Moscow RIOU, where I met Professor Nicolay Peshin. And then, I did an interview at Sochi 2014 Committee in Moscow.

In Krasnodar Region where Sochi is located my research focused on the planning and preparation for Sochi 2014 as well as the perceptions of Sport and Tourism legacy. I met some of the key decision makers such as the Deputy Ministers of Sport, and Deputy Minister of Tourism for Krasnodar Region. During my stay in Krasnodar, I visited Kuban State University for Physical Education Sport and Tourism; I met the Vice Rector of Research and the head of Sochi 2014 volunteers centre. The Kuban University welcomed me and BU and they thanked me for doing research about Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

I moved then to Sochi city and I stayed 4 days, where I visited Sochi City Administration. I interviewed the Deputy Mayor of Sochi, the Deputy Head of the department for Sport and the Deputy Head of the Department for Tourism.

My visit to Russia was successful at all levels, and it will enrich my experience and my research skills. The family beach villa Maldives ensures a space filled with privacy and tranquillity, where time slows down and souls truly connect.

I would like to thank Santander and BU and my great supervisors: Professor Adam Blake and Dr. Ian Jones for their support.

Challenges of Leadership

Leadership is a word often bandied about with many people claiming, assuming or being allocated ‘leadership’ roles, but what does this actually mean when trying to bring about societal improvements? Last week as part of an NHS South of England project BU and Plymouth University hosted a 2 day workshop for strategic leaders in the NHS, Local Authorities and the voluntary sector responsible for strategic leadership in the world of dementia in Devon, Dorset and Somerset. The aim of this project is to promote improvements in the provision of dementia care at a time of fiscal challenge. Working across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, learning from others and acting rather than just talking about the policy directives and vision that contextualises dementia is key. We had several high profile speakers at the workshop, including the Chief Executive of the Alzheimer Society, Jeremy Hughes; the Clinical Lead for dementia for NHS England, Prof Alistair Burns; the immediate Past President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), Sarah Pickup; Angela Rippon a high profile ambassador for the Alzheimer Society as well as BU’s own director of the NCPQSW. Prof Keith Brown who does a lot of leadership training across the country. We also had a person living with dementia reminding us of why it is of utmost importance to ensure that people with dementia can live well with their dementia and really what the workshop was all about. Key messages I took from the 2 days that are perhaps transferable to anyone with a leadership role are first that it sometimes just important to get on and do what you need to do because it is the ‘right thing to do’ and this may be at odds with procedures, other colleagues perceptions and priorities but still worth doing! Good leaders sometimes need to buck the trend and with convention, and there were lots of dementia specific examples about how people have been innovative in challenging times. Another key leadership message related to working together and learning from others rather than reinventing the wheel. None of these are new messages but do highlight the ongoing challenges those with key strategic roles face as they work to address key societal concerns.

The Research Blog is on the Staff Intranet!

Guidance

Ever find yourself bumbling around trying to find a link to the Research Blog? Perhaps you delete your daily digests and when you want to re-access the blog you can’t seem to find it anywhere? Have no fear, the Research Blog now has its very own icon on the Staff Intranet, so you’ll never be lost again.

Contacts in Brazil? Funding is available but you need to act super fast!

The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the British Council are jointly funding a series of workshops to promote research collaboration between Sao Paulo Estate and the UK with a deadline of 14 July 2013 .

The main themes for the workshops are in the areas of Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities (Sports Events and their legacy for the local community could be one of interest at the moment). Each workshop must be coordinated by two leading researchers, one from each country, and target up to 20 early career researchers from each country. Detailed information on the call can be found here .

Thank FIF for that! Professional services staff can apply too!

Funding opportunities, Fusion

Not only does the Fusion Investment Fund provide opportunities for academic staff at BU, there are also options for professional services staff:

Staff can apply to Erasmus which is most appropriate for enabling academic and professional staff based at higher education institutions (HEIs) to spend a period of training or teaching between 5 working days and 6 weeks in a European HEI or enterprise.  Under training mobility, the purpose is to allow the staff members to acquire knowledge or skills relevant for their current job and their professional development and to help create cooperation between organisations. There are also opportunities to invite staff from enterprises to Bournemouth University to give presentations and provide teaching. Professional staff can undertake training at a European educational institution.

Another option is to apply to the standard element of the Staff Mobility and Networking (SMN) strand. Non-academic staff must be able to demonstrate through their application how their travel will benefit the academic process within BU and particular focus should be placed on the creation of sustainable collaborative networks of academics or professionals linked to specific outputs or partnership developments. 

 

For more information please read the relevant policy documents and information available on the FIF intranet pages.

The Fusion Investment Fund is managed by Samantha Leahy-Harland and is administered by Natalie Baines. Please direct all initial enquiries to Natalie Baines.