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FP7 Transport Information Day and Networking Event for the 2013 Work Programme Calls

EU

The EC  is holding a two-day info day for universities, research institutions, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and companies who are interested in learning more about participating in the FP7 Work Programme 2013 transport theme. The two-day information event will be held on 18-19 July 2012 in the Charlemagne building, rue de la Loi 170, Brussels. The first day will inform potential researchers about FP7 and the new Transport Calls for Proposals under the 2013 Work Programme AND The second day will give participants the opportunity to network with potential project partners. If you are thinking of making a submission to this programme, then I cannot recommend your attendance at this enough! It will also be a key opportunity to network in general with people in similar research areas, so could well be worth attending even if you don’t intend to submit to this round. You can’t book online yet (see the hyperlink on info day for the page the booking will be released on to), but it’s good to block these dates out early if you want to attend.

BU sponsors local Young Enterprise team – Dynamix!

Research news

Bournemouth University is proud to be one of the sponsors of Dynamix, a Young Enterprise team based at Corfe Hills School in Broadstone. The Young Enterprise charity is a national initiative to forge links between schools and companies to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed in business. Their flagship Company Programme enables 30,000 15-19 year olds run their own real companies for a year with help from business mentors. Dynamix are taking part in this programme and have put together the text below about their company:

Dynamix is made up of 14 A-level students, all aiming for success within the Young Enterprise competition. We, as a company, meet every Wednesday at the 288 group building for a business meeting, during these meetings we have set up a business and designed, prototyped and manufactured an innovative product; Folderboard. This is a fully customisable A4 ring binder with an integrated whiteboard allowing you to store what’s important and wipe away what’s not!

Folderboard is the first product within our Inspirationery brand, we are developing other products within this brand, these include an A5 Folderboard, a Folderboard with a pad of paper included and even an iFolderboard, a folder with an integrated iPad holder.

With this concept, we are competing against other companies like us in Young Enterprise competitions. This requires us to write a company report, organise a trade stand, create and deliver a presentation on our business and product and be interviewed on all aspects of our journey by a panel of judges. We have had great success with the most recent competition, performing well in all of these areas and moving through to the next stage in the competition.

Dynamix has so much potential, we have received a lot of positive feedback from judges, we have the skills and the determination to go all the way through the many stages of the competitions to the international finals and we hope to do so.

You can visit the Dynamix website here: http://inspirationeryuk.com/ where you can read more about the company and order their products.

 

We wish them the best of luck in the Young Enterprise competition!

Want to see the calls for proposals for FP7 Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities to be launched in July? Then read on!

EU

I’ve managed to obtain a draft version of the FP7  Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities Work Programme which features the calls for proposals to be released in 2012. This is just a draft and therefore subject to change but it gives you a great idea as to what the European Commission are looking to fund. The Work Programme is a tedious read so I’ve summarised the info on funding in there for you; the aim of the call etc. I have bookmarked the document so you can jump straight to the call that interests you from the front page.

As this document is highly confidential I have placed it on our I drive; it is strictly forbidden to circulate this outside of BU! I:\R&KEO\Public\RDU\Draft Work Programmes for 2012-13

There are also the drafts for Environment, Health, ICT and Food, Agriculture, NMP, Fisheries & Biotechnology and others  in there too which I’ve blogged about previously. The final official version of the Work Programmes aren’t released until July 2012 so this gives you a fantastic head start to preparing a submission.

BU Research Blog is short-listed for a national award!

BU research, Research news

Hurray! The BU Research Blog has been short-listed for a Heist Award in the Best Internal Communication Campaign category. The Heist Awards have evolved over the last 20 years to become the premier awards programme for marketing in the sector and exist to recognise and celebrate professionalism and innovation in education marketing.

The Best Internal Communication Campaign category is for awareness campaigns aimed at staff, students or both and the judges are looking for a project with the purpose of improving internal knowledge, awareness and engagement.

Just to get short listed is a great achievement so thank you to everyone who contributes to and reads the Research Blog and who has made it a success.

The awards event will take place on Thursday 31 May in Leeds. Fingers crossed we win! 😀

 

Marie Curie Infoday & Proposal Writing Events – Registration Open!

EU

Registration is now open for the Marie Curie Individual Fellowships and Career Integration Grants General Information and Proposal Writing event, organised by the Marie Curie UK National Contact Point. There will be three separate events, each with the same format, which will take place at the following locations:

  • University College London, 10 May 2012;
  • University of Glasgow, 11 May 2012; and 
  • University of Bristol, 23 May 2012.

The aim of the session is to provide participants with an overview of the Marie Curie Individual Fellowships (Intra-European (IEF), International Outgoing (IOF), and International Incoming (IIF)) and the Career Integration Grants (CIG). These sessions will also provide those wishing to submit an application with a deeper understanding of the proposal format and the key issues they are required to address in planning and writing their proposal.
The session will include a presentation on the schemes, highlighting changes that have occurred since the 2011 call. It is also hoped that the session will provide a forum for discussion, and to answer questions that applicants may have relating to these schemes and preparing a proposal.
  
These sessions will last for half a day and are free (you will need to cover your own expenses and travel). Each session will provide an outline of the Marie Curie Actions, specific details on the fellowships and grants action and the application form and guidance on planning and writing your Marie Curie proposal. There will be the opportunity to ask questions throughout the sessions.

To register, please fill in the online registration form available from the Marie Curie NCP website. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis so register quickly!!!

Got Central American contacts? Get some funding to go see them!

EU

ENLACE travel grants promote exchange between Central American and European researchers, and encourage contacts between research institutions, to facilitate joint participation in FP7 calls.

These promote exchange between Central American and European researchers, and encourage contacts between research institutions, to facilitate joint participation in FP7 calls.

Full grants cover travel and subsistence costs worth up to €3,000 and co-financed grants provide costs worth up to €1,000. Funding covers a maximum of 30 days.

Draft research integrity concordat now available for comment

BU research, Research Integritiy

Research Councils UK (RCUK) is working with Universities UK, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Wellcome Trust and government departments to develop a concordat to support research integrity. Comments are now being invited on the draft concordat which is available on the Universities UK website or go directly to the draft concordat.

The consultation phase is open for six weeks and will close on Friday, 11 May 2012.

The concordat outlines five important commitments that those engaged in research can make to help ensure that the highest standards of rigour and integrity are maintained. It also makes a clear statement about the responsibilities of researchers, employers and funders of research in maintaining high standards in research.

On behalf of BU, a coordinated response will be drafted and sent to Universities UK.  If you have any comments, please send them directly to Julia Hastings Taylor.

As part of the BU Ethics Review, it will be strongly recommended that the University fully adopts the concordat and implements its recommendations. Not only will this help to ensure that BU is maintaining a high degree of research integrity, but it will also confirm that BU is brought in line with industry standards.

Sociological Cinema recommends Jones’ short video for teaching

BU research

The Sociological Cinema, (“designed to help sociology instructors incorporate videos into their classes”) has recently recommended one of Dr Kip Jones’ (HSC and the Media School) earliest stabs at visualizing research data via audio/visual production.  Produced in his bedsit and in a friend’s studio in Leicester, Jones used photographs on loan from the National Trust and dialogue retrieved in his PhD research on informal care to produce this short A/V work on an antiquated PC, using an inexpensive camera to film it.

The Sociological Cinema suggests that ‘I Can Remember the Night’ ‘could be useful in a class on cognitive sociology, highlighting how cognitive processes, such as memory, are shaped by socio-cultural events, such as divorce. In addition to using the clip as a way to interrogate biography and narrative as sociological methods of research, the clip could also be a nice launching pad from which to introduce an assignment where students create their own videos, using their own biographical narratives as a window through which to explore larger sociological phenomena, much in the way C.W. Mills suggested’.

The video itself is available on Vimeo and portrays “Polly”, a 65 year old woman from the Midlands in the UK, who recalls the time as a child when her parents sat her down and asked her which of them she wanted to be with. Her story, re-narrated by three players, represents how this traumatic event became an enduring memory throughout the various stages of her life.

Polly’s story is also told in more depth in two academic journal articles:

Jones, K. (2006) “Informal Care as Relationship: the Case of the Magnificent Seven” Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 13: 214-220.

Jones, K. (2005) “The Art of Collaborative Storytelling: arts-based representations of narrative contexts”. Invited paper for: International Sociological Association Research Committee on Biography and Society RC38 Newsletter, October 2005.

Other audio/video productions are also freely available on Jones’ Vimeo pages.

The KIPWORLD blog and website offer further resources.

EC funding for the ‘Development of Knowledge Alliances’

EU

The general objective of the call for proposals is to support the implementation of Knowledge Alliances which should ensure stronger societal and economic relevance, and outreach in higher education, by strengthening the role of higher education institutions as engines of innovation and increasing the employability, creativity and innovative potential of graduates, professors and company staff.Through this pilot project, the grant from the European Commission will support the implementation of Knowledge Alliances, helping the partner organisations implement structured partnerships which should lead to innovative and collaborative approaches in their field beyond the lifetime of the project.

Knowledge Alliances are structured partnerships aimed at stimulating innovation by bringing together businesses and higher education institutions. Knowledge Alliances should foster the role of Higher Education institutions as engines of innovation, through the flow and active exchange of knowledge between higher education and business, in turn leading to the development of long-term strategic partnerships between Higher Education Institutions and companies. These partnerships should support companies in providing new approaches to the professional development of their staff. Knowledge Alliances should also provide incentives to try out new and innovative teaching methods, to promote entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial mindsets, to foster the generation of new ideas and interdisciplinarity through co-operation. The deadline is June 28th.

UKRO have also released an article giving further detail on the call and the application process which you can access here.

EC electronic system to be replaced!

EU

A new online proposal submission system is currently being piloted on the FP7 ICT 9 Call for Proposals. The new system works directly in the Participant Portal.

 
While overall the system is very similar to the current submission system EPSS (Electronic Proposal Submission System), the main novelty is that the submission is now being done directly via the Participant Portal, and no longer in a separate system.

The Participant Portal Submission Service (PPSS) will be used for almost all calls from summer 2012 onwards, which may include the Marie Curie calls, but the EC will specify which system is to be used in each individual Call for Proposals and Guide for Applicants.  There is also a PPSS guide to take a look at.

Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme: Daily Life Activities of Older Adults at Home funding

EU

The Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Joint Programme has launched its fifth Call for Proposals: “ICT-based Solutions for (Self-) Management of Daily Life Activities of Older Adults at Home”, which encompasses important dimensions of the broad topic of Home Care. The deadline for proposals is 31 May 2012. This call aims to develop ICT-based solutions which enable and sustain older adults to continue managing their daily activities in their home. The call also aims to identfiy ICT-based solutions which support informal carers in their assistance. Successful projects are expected to target systemic solutions addressing the users’ wishes and needs, or to provide a contribution which is meant to be integrated into a systemic solution, including some kind of support service. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing up to EUR 1.2 million in funding for UK academic partners, while the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is also providing up to EUR 1.2 million in funding for UK non-academic partners.  

 

 

Grants Academy applications – what to do about signatures

BU research, Guidance

On the Grants Academy application form there is a section at the end where your DD R&E (or equivalent) is required to sign, to show that they support your application.

Applicants can either:

  • submit a hard copy, with signature, to the RDU
  • submit via email a scanned version of your application (with signature)
  • or, if you are submitting a version without a signature, we will need an accompanying email from your DD R&E (or equivalent), confirming that they are in support of your application.

Please note: An individual can scan their own signature, using the Ricoh printers, then save this signature as a bmp or gif file.  This can then be inserted into the document.

 Any questions?  Please contact Caroline O’Kane

The Grants Academy launches today!

BU research, Guidance

The application process is officially open!

Last week on the blog we outlined what the Grants Academy is all about.  Clicking on the   tag is a good way to refresh yourself of the relevant information.

Here are the things you need to know if you are thinking of applying:

First two-day training

The first two day training programme (Strand One) is scheduled for the 9th and 10th May.  This training is taking place off-site, at a Lansdowne Hotel.  There will be homework (!) to do on the 9th May, so you will need a clear evening too.

Further dates

There will be further Strand One training sessions scheduled for later in year (between August 2012 and July 2013).  The dates of these sessions are not yet fixed, and will be advertised in due course.  

Application process

  • In the first instance, we are interested in applicants who are available to attend the first two-day session on 9th and 10th May.  Please make sure you state your availability to attend the first session on your application.     There will be an opportunity to apply for membership and future Strand One training sessions (and Strand Two sessions), later on in the year.  

 

  • We are looking for no more than 12 participants at any one Strand One training session

 

  • The criteria for assessing applications will broadly include: 
    • potential for generating research and KE income in future
    • scope of future research plans
    • ambition, motivation and engagement
    • experience of bidding and success to date

 

  • Applicants will complete an application form, and send this to the RDU

 

  • The deadline for applications is midnight, Tuesday 17th April

 

  • All applications will be forwarded to the assessment panel, which is made up of the PVC and  four senior academics

 

  • All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application on Monday 30th April

 

  • The application form is below.

 

Any questions?  Please contact Caroline O’Kane

Application Form

What is the Grants Academy?

 

Turkish SME seeks Partners for Project on LED Lighting System

EU

Ale Technologies, a Turkish SME, is seeking partners for a research project for the design and development of a smart, integrated, and high-tech LED lighting system. The project seeks to create a concept for indoor lighting applications to create a safer, cleaner and a more energy-efficient environment. If this sounds up your street, don’t be shy and get in touch with the PI; details on the hyperlink above.

How ‘ethical’ are you? Test your knowledge and win a prize!

BU research, Research Ethics

Research Ethics Quiz

Time to toss out the dunce cap and proudly adorn your thinking cap – if you get all of the answers correct, you will win a prize.  Good luck and happy ethics!

    ACROSS

    6. Outputs, impact, environment – we’re all looking forward to the submission date in 2013

    7. The main focus of this blog

    8. The team that is responsible for all operational aspects of the pre- and post-award administration of research and knowledge exchange bids and awards

    13. Stream of funding that exists to support a range of practical initiatives and pump prime activity around Fusion

    14. Describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public, involving interation and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit

    DOWN

    1. The moral principles guiding research including inception, aims, completion, publication or results and beyond

    2. Will replace EU's FP7

    3. This initiative forms part of the Fusion Investment Fund and by becoming a member this will provide staff with access to a range of support services and advice not available to non-members and is open to staff of all grades with a range of experiences, not just junior colleagues

    4. The new Publications Management System

    5. BU’s database that tracks all pre- and post-award bids and projects

    9. The best university in the UK!

    10. The creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments, and society

    11. England's primary funding body

    12. The team that is responsible for all strategic, policy, process and quality aspects of research and knowledge exchange activity across BU, and particularly those which help to develop, enhance and stregthen our research culture

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your Office Number (so I know where to send the prize)

     

     

    The Grants Academy – Strand Three: Post-award training

    BU research, Guidance

    Strand Three – post-award training

    • The third strand of the Grants Academy will focus on post-award project management for Principal Investigators new to managing a grant.

     

    • The administrative specifics of managing a grant at BU will be covered in the awards information pack sent by RKE Operations to the PI prior to the start of the award, and for larger and/or more complex projects this will be discussed at the project kick-off meeting, led by the Research Development Officer (Research Conduct).

     

    • Strand Three is based on Vitae’s Leadership Development for Principal Investigators Framework and focuses on the skills required to successfully manage the grant, including:
      • What is expected of a principal investigator
      • Research environment and legal requirements
      • Impact and public engagement
      • Managing people
      • Project management
      • Network
      • Publishing outputs

     

    • Strand Three will offer new PIs with limited experience the opportunity to be mentored by a PI with significant experience who can advise and guide them on all aspects of research and project management.

     

    • Support will be provided to the mentor and mentee by the Research Development Officer (Research Conduct).

     

    • As part of Strand Three, the mentees will be required to complete the Vitae online resource for new PIs and their progress will be discussed during their meetings with their mentor, who will also advise where they might benefit from additional training to obtain the skills required to be a successful PI.

    How to apply

    The Grants Academy will officially launch on Monday, 2nd April.  Details about how to apply will be posted on the Research Blog on Monday.  Watch this space if you’re interested in joining the Academy.

    Want to find out more?

    If you would like to find out more please contact Caroline O’Kane

    Frustrated with the EC Science in Society Programme? Now’s your chance to have your say and change it for Horizon 2020!

    EU

    The European Commission has initiated a survey to evaluate and assess the future of the Science in Society Actions Programme.

    The study aims to find out what kind of achievements the programme has made so far, and which direction it should take in the future. Science and Society Actions promotes public awareness of science, gender equality and ethical discourse about research. The survey can be taken until 9 April, and the results will be made available in August this year.