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Research Professional

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.

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:

26th February 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/267446504 

26th March 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/518275168 

23rd April 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/255287520 

28th May 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/806064201 

25th June 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/492839664 

23rd July 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/771246561 

27th August 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/398714217 

24th September 2013: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/882372120 

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.

PhD student at HSC? BEACON needs you

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Ref: (http://www.sterlingtimes.org/kitchener.jpg)

Wondered if you had thought of writing a few lines for this years Beacon on your PhD study.

Just a short summary.  It could be as little as 150 words, nothing to big.  Just to raise the awareness of your work internally.

Please email <ssharma@bournemouth.ac.uk> Thanks Sheetal!

Socially-Adaptive Cloud gets the 3 Bs

Fusion

 

Brasilia-Birmingham-Bournemouth Social-Adaptation in the Cloud The BBB Project

This project creates a community of interest which involves academics from the computing groups of University of Brasilia, University of Birmingham , and Bournemouth University . The three groups are focused on Software Engineering research and this project involves exchange visits and the establishment of joint work.  BBB co-operatively initiates a timely thread of research on “Socially-Adaptive Cloud SaaS”. We are investigating core engineering foundations required to enable end-users to formulate Software-as-a–Service adaptation decisions at runtime. This focuses on the collection of users’ feedback about the quality of SaaS which could be used by the SaaS to adapt autonomously.

BBB welcomes any potential collaboration with interested academic and industrial institutes to exchange knowledge and join us to work in this area.

The project is funded by the The Fusion Investment Fund Staff Mobility & Networking (SMN) Strand of Bournemouth University.

 

 

The Research Apprenticeship Summer Scheme, networking and ‘brain drain’

Dr Sarah Bate, Professor Sine McDougall and I were recently awarded money to expand our previous efforts to give second year undergraduate students the opportunity to experience life as full-time researchers. Run for 8 weeks last summer for the first time, the selected students applied for and won the opportunity to work closely with a member of the Psychology Research Centre, and took part in discussions about experimental design, analysis and theory.  They contributed fully to the whole process. The students reported gaining tremendous benefits from the scheme in terms of knowledge and skills gained (and consequently applied to their final year of study); particularly, they said, in their ability to digest academic articles, a task previously daunting and time-consuming.

Buoyed by this first run, this year’s scheme will not only give new students the same opportunity but will also involve sponsorship (financial and non-financial) by external bodies, generating greater interaction with significant external bodies; relationships/networks that have the potential to help with research goals and award funding in the future. This first-step engagement with potential grant funders could represent a new path to funding larger projects; we foresee the possibility of matched-funded positions (at less than £1000 per student it is not too much to ask).  Our aim is for each of the positions to be associated with a local charity or business. For example, one RA position this year will be referred to as the ‘Dorset ADHD Support Group Research Apprenticeship Position’.  Engaging with this support group to garner non-financial sponsorship has led to an invitation to the NHS ADHD Strategy Group and discussions about how future financial sponsorship might come about (not to mention their help in identifying families that live with ADHD and the introduction to other key personnel in the local NHS Trust and other relevant bodies).

A further betterment of the scheme this year is specifically aimed at preventing ‘brain drain’. We recently lost three of our best students to some prestigious institutions in the transition from BSc to MSc level. In the present bid we also applied for funds to have two excellent students work as RAs between their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees on projects specifically geared towards a topic they could address at MSc level. Importantly, for the very best students this will complete the path from the voluntary term-time RA scheme which we also run at second year level to the summer apprenticeship scheme right through to MSc project, ensuring an unprecedented level of co-creation. The postgraduate RA scheme will, we hope, act as an incentive for these students to stay with us.

In future we hope to port this model to other Centres and Schools. It is relatively cheap to run, and the benefits are considerable and, even if we do say ourselves, great fusion. If you are interested, please contact us.

Kip Jones interviewed by LSE’s Impact blog

London School of Economics’ “Impact of Social Sciences” weblog has just published a five-minute interview with HSC and the Media School’s Kip Jones.  Mark Carrigan, Managing Editor of the British Politics and Policy blog talked with Jones for a piece entitled, “5 Minutes with Kip Jones: “we engage in the creative process and open new doors for communication” on the site.

Carrigan was particularly interested in questioning Jones about the impact that the research-based, award-winning short film, Rufus Stone, has produced. Jones answered questions about how the script was crafted from years of in-depth research. He also discussed the possibility of social scientists collaborating with artists, but also generating their own small projects, which Jones likes to call ‘kitchen sink’ work.

The growing Performative Social Science movement is commented upon. Advice on funding such ventures and the possibilities of arts-based research and dissemination in  engaging ‘in the creative process and open(ing) new doors for communication and future development possibilities’ is highlighted.

Rufus Stone will be screened at Cambridge Arts Picturehouse cinema on the 22nd of February at 4 p.m.as part of their Arts and Science Researcher Forum. The film also can be seen at BU at Talbot campus hosted by BU Media School’s Narrative Group on 18 March, Kimmeridge (KG03) at 1 p.m.

 

 

Are you making the most of your RKEO?

We in the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) have extensive experience and qualifications that you can really utilise to help you with your own research career…and we’re an interesting lot too, so if you don’t know us already get in touch to come and say hello.

To give you a snippet of our the skills and experience we have that you can tap into, you may be interested to know that some of us have PhDs and Masters degrees and have worked as researchers or grant writers ourselves. We have qualifications in subject areas ranging from biology, to international business and management; anthropology to economics and psychology to MBAs. Some of us have clocked up experience working for other universities, research councils, research organisations, banks and libraries before coming to BU, others have worked at BU for many years in a range of Schools and Services and others have worked all over the globe.

In addition to academia, some of us have had former careers as media producers, journal editors and international marketers and indeed some of us still have dual careers as interior designers, bespoke jewellery designers and creators and NLP practitioners. So not only so we have a lot of expertise and experience to help you, we’re also a diverse and fascinating bunch. If you are interested in learning more, then take a look at our RKEO Development Team and Operation Team pages and get in touch with us.

 

Training course on agent-based modelling techniques

Have you ever heard of agent based models, and wondered what they are? Have you perhaps been dazzled by computer simulations of flocking birds or shoals of fish, and wondered how they are produced? Or perhaps you enjoy computer games involving interacting individuals, such as the magnificent Fifa13. If so, you might be interested in a training course that we are hosting later this year, supported by the Fusion Fund.

Agent-based models (ABM) can be described as a type  of computational model that are used for simulating the actions and interactions of autonomous “agents”. These can be either individuals, such as people or animals, or collective entities such as businesses or other types of organization. The models enable the behaviour of such agents to be explored in relation to the behaviour of the system as a whole. The approach is relevant to areas such as game theory, complex systems, computational sociology, multi-agent systems, and evolutionary programming. They are relevant to a wide range of research domains including ecological and social sciences, and enable the study of how simple behavioural rules can generate complex behaviour. They provide a very useful method for supporting interdisciplinary collaboration.

The course will be led by leading practitioners of this rapidly developing technique, and will focus on the use of Netlogo (http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/). This is an open source software environment, which is both powerful and user friendly, enabling attractive graphical output to be generated readily. The course is open to both staff and postgraduate students  who are interested in learning the technique. While the course will be introductory, it is principally aimed at researchers who already have some experience in modelling, or who can see a direct potential application of this method to their own research. Please contact me for further information – Adrian Newton anewton@bournemouth.ac.uk

MASTERCLASS: INTRODUCTION TO GROUNDED THEORY

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MASTERCLASS:  INTRODUCTION TO GROUNDED THEORY

14-15 February 2013

This two day Masterclass will be an introduction to Grounded Theory – theory developed from the data.  The masterclass has been designed to suit postgraduate students, academics and professionals who may wish to use grounded theory (GT) in their research but do not yet have full knowledge of the approach.  The masterclass can also be taken as a stand-alone Master’s level unit of study – Contact Dr Caroline Ellis-Hill for details: cehill@bournemouth.ac.uk

Facilitators:

Immy Holloway, Professor Emeritus in the School of Health & Social Care at BU.  Immy is a sociologist and has taught and supervised qualitative research for several decades.  She still actively pursues her interest in qualitative research by supervising PhD students and writing articles and books.  Immy used GT in her PhD before the proliferation of books and articles on GT.

Liz Norton is a Senior Lecturer at BU.  Her professional background is in education and nursing and her current academic interest and work is in public health.  Liz has a particular interest in Glaserian GT and her experience of using GT in practice includes completion of environment and health-related grounded theory studies for MPhil and PhD qualifications.

 Quotes from previous masterclass attendees:

“Their knowledge and expertise felt like a valuable resource open to all”

“Presenters were very experienced . . . particularly high quality and effective teaching methods”

Full details of the Masterclass and the online booking form can be found at: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/masterclass

Euro PR history network backed by Fusion

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion

IHPRC at EBC - Scene for first EPRHN meeting

A proposal to develop an innovative Europe-wide network of researchers in the history of public relations field has been supported by the Fusion Investment Fund (FIF).

The European Public Relations History Network (EPRHN) was formed in mid-2012 by Prof Tom Watson and backed by EUPRERA (European Public Relations Education & Research Association) as a priority project for the next three years. It was set up to identify archives and resources, undertake collaborative research, and prepare bids to European research bodies and PR industry organisations.

The field of public relations history has been developed at BU over the past four years, mainly through the establishment of the International History of Public Relations Conference (IHPRC).

Prof Watson said: “there has been increasing interest in the conference and PR historical research in Europe over the past 3-4 years but it has largely focused on national histories, personalities or phenomena. Collaborative research, across national boundaries, has yet to emerge. There is little shared knowledge of archival resources, where they exist or can be created.”

So far, 35 academics and practitioners from 12 countries have shown their interest in EPRHN. Its first publication, a catalogue of archives and resources in seven countries has just been published.  A EPRHN planning meeting will be held at BU after IHPRC in June.

Within The Media School, the network will also help develop European aspects of the Centre for Media History (CMH). CMH is already developing relationships with universities in Sweden and northern Germany. CMH and EPRHN will, it is hoped, foster the recruitment of PGR students interested in media and communication historical research.

The Fusion funding will allow EPRHN to hold a planning event at BU after IHPRC in late June and for Prof Watson and Dr Tasos Theofilou, who is working with him on both PR history projects, to attend EUPRERA’s annual conference in Barcelona in October. At EUPRERA, they will hold the network’s first formal meeting and workshop. [Photos by Minna-Liisa Nurmilaasko, PROCOM Finland].

IHPRC 2012

How to write a business case – training workshop

Guidance

On 6th March, Dr Martin Pickard of GrantCraft will be delivering a half-day,  interactive session that will show academics how to put forward a business case to justify projects; tools, techniques and expertise needed.  The session will be using examples to enhance understanding of what exactly goes into writing a compelling business case.

 Key elements to be covered include:

  • Understanding the essential elements which need to be in a good business case
  • Acquiring a practical framework for a comprehensive, persuasive business case
  • Working through the components of a great business case
  • Identifying how you can prove that you are good at what you do and what you need to improve still further
  • Learning how to present your case persuasively
  • Learning how to write for government tenders etc.

The event will take place at the Octagon, Talbot Campus, starting at 9am and ending at 13.00pm.

Please note that lunch will be provided between approximately 12.00 & 13.00 for this event.

To book your place: please follow this link Booking Form

For more info:  please contact Caroline O’Kane or Dianne Goodman.

 

The enormous benefits of becoming an EC Horizon 2020 Advisory Panel member

Most of you will have heard me say before that the best way to influence what the European Commission will fund is by being involved in their advisory groups.

Joining an advisory group will not allow you to influence what funding is released under Horizon 2020 but you will have the chance to network with others from across Europe, leading to a host of potential collaborators. This is an especially attractive prospect when you consider that advisory group members are permitted to apply to any funding scheme they wish (so you have a ready consortium for the calls!).

There is a call for Horizon 2020 Advisory Group members out right now and it couldn’t be easier to join. The form is mainly your personal details and a couple of boxes for your qualifications and experience; it is less than 4 pages. You also get to select the Advisory Panel of interest to you (from health and wellbeing to clean energy) so there really is no reason not to sign up.

Places go quickly so take a look at the full details on the European Commission webpage and get involved.

Tags:

5th Annual PGR Conference @ BU – REMINDER

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A Celebration of BU PGR Research

Our annual conference is designed to showcase the best of BU’s postgraduate research and to provide a unique opportunity for you as PGRs to present your work within a safe learning environment. Our multi-disciplinary conference will allow for cross-school interaction as well as opportunities for collaboration, where appropriate.

The 2013 conference will build on the great success of the previous PGR Conferences held in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Call for Abstracts

We are inviting abstracts for oral, poster presentations AND new for 2013, a photography presentation – no matter at what stage you are in your Research Project. Presentations may focus on:

  • Research area
  • Specific methodological approach
  • Initial findings
  • Experience of your research journey e.g. transfer

There will be prizes for the best poster, oral and photography presentations. Please be aware that there are limited number of oral presentation slots.

We are also looking for volunteers to help chair sessions, so if you are interested please email the Graduate School.

Guidelines

Please see

How to Register

You will all need to register, whether you are contributing or just attending.  Please complete the booking form (conference booking form) and send via email to: graduateschool@bournemouth.ac.uk

Deadlines

For submitting abstracts: Monday 25 March 2013
For attending the conference: Friday 12th April 2013

PGR Development Programme – February workshops

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I just wanted to remind you about what’s on offer in February!  I’m still taking bookings for the following workshops, so please email gsbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to attend:

  • Action Research
    The aim of the workshop is to provide an overview of Action Research and its origins.  You will look at the introduction to the concept of “communicative spaces” and discuss the use of Action Research for a dissertation
  • Preparing for your Viva
    The aim of the workshop is to familiarise students with the purpose and the format of the oral examination of their thesis. The workshop will familiarise participants with the role of the internal and external examiner and the judgements they will be making in the course of the viva. The session will also include input from the subject Librarians on copyright procedures
  • Introduction to Focus Groups
    The session will briefly outline the origin of Focus Group Research, its underlying philosophy, and its place among qualitative methods.  The session will also address some more practical issues and the strengths and weaknesses of this particular qualitative method.
  • Practice- Led Research
    This workshop will provide an overview of what makes practice-led research different from other academic research, looking at some case studies.  This will be followed by a discussion around the issues and rewarding events that participants have encountered as practice-led researchers.

A full programme including dates and times can be found here: PGR Development Framework Prog _Feb workshops

Santander PGR Grants – Round Two is now open

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APPLY NOW!

This is an excellent opportunity for you to apply for funds to travel to at least one university from either the UK Santander Universities Network or to one of the Overseas Santander Partner Universities, to undertake a specific piece of work and build or develop links with international Researchers.  For this round, Santander are offering 10 x £2,000 grants for BU Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs).

Successful applicants will be expected to participate in general PR activities about their research. This may involve attending events and promoting the benefits of the funding.  

For further information, please read the GS Santander Travel Grants – Policy.

To apply, please complete the GS Santander Travel Grants – Application Form and submit it by email to the Graduate School (email: graduateschool@bournemouth.ac.uk) by 5 pm, Friday 8th March 2013.

Working with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Themis Foundation in Andorra. School of Tourism’s Adele Ladkin on her FIF Staff Mobility Funding

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion

In September of last year, Professor Adele Ladkin received funding from the FIF staff mobility strand to undertake two visits to the UNWTO.Themis Foundation Headquarters in Andorra. 

As part of its Capacity Building Programme, UNWTO.Themis provides educational courses for tourism industry experts.  Due to the demand for different topics, subject experts from the tourism industry and public sector are recruited as facilitators to deliver the courses.

Adele has just returned from her first visit to Andorra where she and Ms Sònia Figueras, the UNWTO.Capacity Programme manager at the UNWTO.Themis Foundation have been writing a teaching guide, and developing an intensive training course for the facilitators.

As a provider of educational courses, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is committed to sharing best practice in tourism teaching and learning. The purpose of the course is to assist and train facilitators to provide UNWTO Themis courses.  Along with practical guidance, the course aims to ensure that facilitators understand and articulate the philosophy and strategic issues of the UNWTO, UNWTO.Themis and their programmes.

The visit provided an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange, with Adele gaining an insight into the latest educational activities being undertaken by UNWTO.Themis, and for her to share her expertise in developing tourism educational materials.  As Adele states:  “This has been a very intensive visit with us working collectively on the educational materials.  It also gave me the opportunity to discuss the potential for further research collaboration, which is great news for the School of Tourism and BU.”  Adele will return to Andorra for the second visit later in the year.