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Networking with microbes: BOSS – Biogeography of Organisms of Small Size

Funding opportunities, Fusion

Genoveva Esteban, Associate Professor at the School of Applied Sciences, has been awarded a Santander Staff Mobility and Networking Scholarship (strand of the Fusion Investment Fund) to develop a network with Prof Angel Baltanás at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). The network is called BOSS (Biogeography of Organisms of Small Size) – a research-educational network on freshwater aquatic ecology. The aim of BOSS is to investigate the geographical distribution of small-sized organisms and rare freshwater invertebrates involving students (supervised by the PI and CoI) at each university to exchange data collected from rare aquatic habitats in central Spain and in Dorset via the internet. The network will aim at developing a bilingual on-line learning and communications tool to facilitate exchange of students, masters, ecological information, and research between both institutions.  The project will also help promote BU’s PG research and MSc opportunities.

Carnival Futures: Notting Hill Carnival 2020

Awarded & submitted bids

Nicole Ferdinand, Senior Lecturer in Events Management in the School of Tourism has been awarded a research grant from the King’s Cultural Institute for a research project entitled “Carnival Futures: Notting Hill Carnival 2020” which seeks to engage cultural organizations along with other stakeholders in proactively planning for the future of the Notting Hill Carnival. Nicole will be working closely with Carnival Village and other organizations within the carnival community to engage stakeholders in the process of scenario planning. Using scenarios the carnival community will consider how their external relationship portfolio and internal capabilities need to be adapted to match future requirements. The project builds on research Nicole is conducting as part of her PhD. which she is currently completing at King’s College London. Her project is being funded by the Creative Futures Fund.  

Dr. Mary Beth Gouthro, Programme Leader Events Management, also from the School of Tourism has been engaged through the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office to conduct an external evaluation of the project.

 

 

RCUK publishes guidelines on the governance of good research conduct

Guidance, Research Integritiy

Research Councils UK (RCUK) has published its latest policy and guidelines to help researchers and research organisations achieve the highest standards possible when carrying out research. The policy and guidelines have been updated to reflect growing national and international experience in identifying and promoting good research conduct, and in addressing unsatisfactory conduct.

The RCUK Policy and Guidelines on Governance of Good Research Conduct:

  • sets standards of good research practice, with associated guidelines
  • specifies and describes unacceptable research conduct
  • provides guidelines for reporting and investigating allegations of research misconduct
  • clarifies the respective responsibilities of the Research Councils and Research Organisations in fostering and safeguarding the highest possible standards of research conduct.

This document replaces the RCUK Policy and Code of Conduct on the Governance of Good Research Conduct, published in July 2009, and was developed after a wide consultation with partners across the higher education and research sector. It covers the promotion of good research conduct, including good conduct in peer review, the need for appropriate training and development, what constitutes unacceptable research conduct, and the investigation and reporting of unacceptable research conduct.

Professor Rick Rylance, Chair of RCUK, said: “A commitment to good research conduct lies at the heart of an effective research system. High standards of integrity underpin the quality and reliability of research outcomes and of the decisions we make about funding.

“The Research Councils have long been committed to maintaining the highest standards. As a signatory of the Universities UK Concordat to support research integrity, RCUK expects all individuals engaged in research – including researchers themselves, support staff, managers and administrators – to abide by its principles and foster a supportive and open environment.”

The Policy and Guidelines are intended to apply across the full spectrum of research and training funded by the Research Councils and should be amplified in specific disciplines by the guidance issued by individual Research Councils, other funders, professional associations and learned societies.

PhD Studentship Competition 2013 – 2nd Call for Matched Funded Studentships – Submission Deadline 18th March 2013

Following the successful allocation of 39 PhD Studentships (fully and matched funded) under the 1st call, we are delighted to announce a 2nd call of the competition in which there are 5 matched funded studentships available for candidates starting in September 2013 as outlined below:

Matched-funding (50% equivalent to £24k over three years) may come from:

  • Industry/business partners,
  • Government and non-government organizations,
  • Academic Schools,
  • NHS,
  • Research Councils, or
  • Other external bodies.

Priority may be given to applications that involve supervisors from two or more Schools and/or those from early career researchers.

All proposals should match clearly to one of the eight BU Research Challenges:

  • Creative & Digital Economies
  • Culture & Society
  • Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth
  • Environmental Change & Biodiversity
  • Green Economy & Sustainability
  • Health, Wellbeing & Aging
  • Leisure & Recreation
  • Technology & Design.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss potential applications to this funding strand with their Deputy Dean Research or equivalent within their School.

As with the 1st call, the PhD Studentships will be awarded to Supervisory Teams on the basis of a competitive process across the whole of BU led by Professor Matthew Bennett (PVC Research, Enterprise & Internationalization) and managed by the Graduate School.

Applications will be assessed and awards made by a cross University Panel. In selecting proposals for funding, emphasis will be placed on the excellence of the research and quality of proposal in the first instance.  Strategic fit with the REF and Societal Impact will also be assessed. The panel will individually score each proposal and meet formally to select the successful projects.

Only the best projects will be funded and proceed to advert. Full details and criteria are set out in the BU-Studentship-Competition-2013-Final-Policy (Rd2).  Staff are asked to check the eligibility criteria carefully before applying.

Proposals should be submitted on the Studentship-Project-Proposal-2013 (Matched Funding) to the Graduate School (phdstudentshipcompetition@bournemouth.ac.uk) no later than 5pm on Monday 18th March 2013.

All proposals must be completed fully, include all appropriate signatures and be accompanied by a supporting document from the matched funder (letter, email, etc).

Good luck!

Renegades

News from the PVC

Now if I was a master of popular culture, which I am not having spent my youth with my nose in a book or walking on some lonely mountainside then I would be able to link the title to song lyrics or film titles in some witty way.  I have this nagging feeling that I should be able to do this, but have to admit to abject failure in the attempt; may be someone else can help?

The word renegade is an interesting one and for someone who is a natural rebel, tilting at the system, has some appeal.  But some of those systems are important and I find myself having to be an ‘enforcer’ of those systems.  So what systems am I trying to gently remind you of?  Well it is those that pertain to external bidding.  We have uncovered a few renegades recently who are for whatever reason – over enthusiasm is my favoured explanation – have been circumventing our well established systems for dealing with research and knowledge exchange grants.  The process is absolutely clear; all external bids whether they are for teaching, research or knowledge exchange must be costed by RKE Ops, logged on RED our internal funding database, signed off via an APF and subject before acceptance to a contract approval process.  I know that some of you see these systems as ‘bureaucracy’ or interference with academic freedom and another obstacle in the way of you doing your job.  I have heard all of this recently in response to the changes we are making to the APF process, but these systems are in place for good reason and it is perhaps worth reminding ourselves of what they are.

Well first off we have a standard costing methodology that ensure that we recover where possible the full cost of a research or knowledge exchange bid and when possible for commercial work make a small profit if this is appropriate.  Staff time needs to be costed as does the overheads that go with it from heat and lighting through to the IT and estate infrastructure we provide.  Even when the total value of an award is limited we need to know the true cost to the organisation of an activity, so that we can acknowledge and accept the implicit cross-subsidy that is occurring.  We also need to capture what we bid for in order to make our statutory returns to HESA and for Schools to monitor performance against both their budget and performance targets as set out in BU2018.  There is also a well-established hierarchy of financial and contractual levels at which different people within the organisation can approve things.  For example, anything above £500k needs a signature from a member of the BU Board.  Contracts need to be vetted to ensure that the terms and conditions are not punitive to staff or the University and that our intellectual freedom and property is being protected and preserved.  This is all routine and standard stuff for RKE Ops and is all taken care of for you; it is not a bureaucracy but a necessary process of making an application for external funding.

In the last three years RKE Ops have established a uniformity of approach and support across BU and are committed to improving the efficiency of their systems and the service they provide.  In fact we are in the process of reviewing both and will be making further changes later in the year to improve the service they offer.  There are occasional log jams, particularly around contract approval, but the more business we do on our own terms and conditions the less these are.  RKE Ops and I work with Legal Services to identify issues and challenges and I am always interested to hear of problems or sources of delay with a view to seeing what can be done to resolve them.  But no system is perfect and I would like to emphasise that ours is no more bureaucratic that of other HEI’s whatever people may say!  So my final parting shot is that these systems are there for a reason, are not an obstacle or an impediment to bidding, are not unusual within the sector and need to be complied with; not to do so is a matter with consequences. 

The renegades are being contacted individually and gently educated in the error of their ways and are I am sure they are just isolated cases, but I do want to reinforce the message.  If you are making an external bid of any sort talk to RKE Ops and they will not only help and support you but will make sure that the correct protocols are followed.

Fusion Investment Surgery Sessions – Gain some valuable advice and be inspired!

Awarded & submitted bids, Funding opportunities, Fusion

 As part of the Fusion in Action conference on Thursday 18 April, the Fusion Investment Surgery drop-in sessions will provide an excellent opportunity to talk about your potential applications to the Fusion Investment Fund (FIF). The FIF scheme reopens in April/May with an application deadline of 3 June, so why not take the opportunity to discuss your ideas and get advice about eligibility and assessment criteria now, as well as gaining inspiration from the showcase of the best of Fusion in Action at BU over the last 12 months!

The conference features a range of engaging presenters and two of these will be discussing their successful FIF bids so it’s a fantastic opportunity to find out more from those with the knowledge.

The following committee members will be on-hand with advice about the different funding schemes and how to ensure your applications have the best possible chance of being successful:

Study Leave – Debbie Sadd

Staff Mobility & Networking – Feng Tian

Co-Creation and Co-Production – Hong Bui and Richard Scullion

Book now to attend the conference (via the Staff Development Webpage) and come along for this great opportunity to learn more about how you can get involved and secure funding for activities that matter to you!

Fusion in Action Conference:

On Thursday 18 April, Kimmeridge House

Begins at 12pm with a networking lunch

Ends at 5pm with wine and nibbles

Presentations, posters, drop-in sessions and a Q&A Panel

Hosted by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty and Chief Operating Officer Jim Andrews

Bookings are essential

Adido Presents…

The Centre for Entrepreneurship is delighted to invite you to a series of FREE digital marketing related seminars presented by Adido, one of the South’s fastest growing digital agencies.

Please see below for further details – we hope you can join us!

 The Digital Trends of 2013 – Monday 11th March 2013

What will businesses need to know about to get ahead in digital in 2013? This seminar will cover the most important areas to invest in to make sure your business maximises the opportunities available.

Maximising Mobile – Thursday 18th April 2013

Mobile internet traffic set to overtake desktop at the end of this year and more mobile devices are being sold every day. As mobile devices become even more pervasive in our day to day lives the opportunities engage with audiences increases dramatically.

SEO in 2013 – Thursday 27th June 2013

Of all the digital marketing channels used by marketers, none has changed more than SEO in the last few years. This seminar will highlight some of the major issues facing the industry along with how to get ahead of your competition in 2013.

To find out more or to book your place please visit www.bucfe.com/events

BU REF Individual Staff Circumstances Disclosure

Research assessment

Back in Autumn 2012, the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development and Operations Team(RKEDO) conducted the first round of the BU REF Individual Staff Circumstances data collection (please see link for more information) on a large scale, with a submission deadline of the 31 October 2012. Since then, data collection has been on-going and all new and existing REF eligible staff have been actively encouraged to disclose relevant individual circumstances.

The BU REF Circumstances Board first met last December to consider the following categories:

1. Early Career Researchers – 38 applicants

2. Maternity, paternity or adoption – 7 applicants

3. Part-time and/or career break – 3 applicants

4. More than two circumstances – 7 applicants

5. Complex circumstances – 3 applicants

There were also 11 applicants where staff had wanted their individual circumstances known but were not seeking a reduction in outputs.

The BU REF Circumstances Board will  meet again in Spring/Summer 2013 to consider any new cases or existing cases with changed circumstances.

How is this relevant to you?

If you are planning on submitting to the REF2014 assessment, there is a possibility that you might be eligible for a reduction of outputs, depending on your individual circumstances (please see link for more information).

What action do I need to take?

To find out if you are eligible for REF submission, please see section 3.1 of the BU REF 2014 Code of Practice and ‘Staff eligibility’ in the BU REF FAQs. You are then encouraged to complete the disclosure form. If further information is required about any circumstances disclosed, you will be contacted by a member of the HR team involved in the REF. You should print out, sign and return your completed form marked ‘REF Confidential’ to Judith Wilson, HR Manager, M601, Melbury House, 1-3 Oxford Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8ES. Alternatively, you can also email your completed form to refcircumstances@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Further information

For more information on BU REF2014, please click on ‘ref’ on the right-hand tab, which will take you to all previous blog posts on all things REF.

Please feel free to get in touch with me or Rita Dugan (rdugan@bournemouth.ac.uk) if you wish to speak to someone about your REF eligibility. 

Seminar on Autonomous Systems & Robotics for Future Cities

We would like to invite you to our next Software Systems Research Centre seminar given by Prof. Carsten Maple on “Autonomous Systems & Robotics for Future Cities”

Room: P410 (Poole House, Talbot Campus)

Time: 14:00 – 15:00

Date: Friday, 15-March-2013

Title: Autonomous Systems & Robotics for Future Cities

Abstract. Autonomous and robotic systems provide technical aids in the modern living environment. Considerable effort and investment have been made in blending sensing, control and feedback, user interfaces, information processing and hardware for such systems. This talk will present an overview of the current development. Examples will be demonstrated from research conducted at the University of Bedfordshire through EU funded projects (e.g. shadow robot systems to assist the elderly / disabled at home). Discussions will be made on future perspectives of these systems for modern city life.

Biography.  Professor Carsten Maple is Pro Vice Chancellor – Research and Enterprise, University of Bedfordshire, UK. He graduated with a BSc in mathematics and a PhD in numerical analysis from the University of Leicester. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS) and a Chartered IT Practitioner (CITP).  Professor Maple is editor / guest editor for several international journals such as International Journal of Grid Computing, International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control. He has been chairman for a number of international conferences such as IEEE International Conference on Parallel Computing, International Conference on Information Visualisation, and International Symposium on Applications of Graph Theory. He has been invited to present keynote speeches to various international conferences. He has published over 150 papers internationally. He has been invited to talk on security, syberstalking, robotics and applied computing on UK Parliament, radio and TVs.

 

New tool for professionals working with adults at risk of harm

Safe tool LogoFor many staying out of harm’s way is a matter of locking doors and windows and avoiding dangerous places, people and situations; however for some vulnerable people it is not quite so easy. The threat of abuse is behind those closed doors, well hidden from public view and for those living in the midst of adult abuse violence and fear permeates many aspects of their lives, frequently perpetrated against them by those charged with providing their care.

Recent media reports on the abuse of vulnerable patients at Winterbourne View and Mid Staffordshire Hospital have highlighted failures in the system where professional social workers and nurses have failed to protect those most vulnerable.

Di Galpin, Lucy Morrison and Emily Rosenorn Lanng from National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work(NCPQSW) have developed an on-line tool to help practitioners evaluate and reflect on their practice when working with adults at risk of harm to ensure those who are most vulnerable are protected and do not live in fear.

The Safeguarding Adults Framework Evaluation (SAFE) tool  is used to support professionals working in the health and social care sector to improve their practice in keeping adults safe from harm. The on-line SAFE tool encourages practitioners to evaluate and reflect on their practice and offers a framework to help support the development of skills and knowledge in safeguarding adults at risk for the future.

Protecting adults at risk of harm is at the heart of professional practice in health and social care and the NCPQSW at BU is committed to supporting this to the highest level. Di, Lucy and Emily have worked together to produce a number of resources which can be used with the on-line SAFE tool, including the development of the first National Capabilities Framework for professionals protecting vulnerable adults which is being used by a number of local authorities across the country and the Safeguarding Adults at Risk of Harm staff group B workbook for qualified health and social care professionals.

For more information please visit the SAFE tool.

EUNF award enables research with the University of Ljubljana

An EU Networking Fund (EUNF) award made to Vanora Hundley will enable research collaboration between Bournemouth University and the University of Ljubljana. Established in 1918 the University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia.

University of LlubljanaThe EUNF award will enable Vanora to travel to Ljubljana to discuss research on the topic of intervention in childbirth; an issue that is challenging many high income countries. The University of Ljubljana has run a midwifery programme since 1996 and currently admits 30 students a year. Research is a core component of midwifery education, as it is in other European institutions including Bournemouth University. However, postgraduate research in midwifery is less common there and it is hoped that this collaboration can strengthen midwifery research in Slovenia.

SILVER – Active ageing: Open call for robotic based pre-commercial solutions

Funding opportunities

In the European Union, countries are facing tough times in the health and elderly care sector: while populations age and require more care services, countries are under pressure to make these services more cost efficient and effective. The pan-European SILVER project (Supporting Independent LiVing for the Elderly through Robotics) aims to demonstrate how public services can be rejuvenated by procuring R&D services that will develop higher quality and more sustainable elderly care solutions.   

The SILVER project searches for new, innovative ways to acquire public sector health services by utilizing a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) process designed for optimally matching R&D with procurers’ needs. The goal is to find new technologies to assist elderly people’s ability to continue living independently at home. By the use of robotics or other related technologies, the elderly are able to enjoy homelife even if they have physical or cognitive disabilities.

 Registrations for the competition can be made via the SILVER webpage at www.silverpcp.eu/call-for-tender/registration

 SILVER (Supporting Independent LiVing for the Elderly through Robotics) is a research and development project to establish and to execute a Pre-Commercial Procurement process suitable for the conditions for cross-border project implementation across several EU countries. It is funded by the European Union under the ICT cooperation part of the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7). The project started in January 2012 and will run for 51 months. SILVER has partners in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom.

 Status: OPEN

Open Date: 1st March 2013

Registration Close Date: 5th June 2013

Close Date: 12th June 2013

Website: www.silverpcp.eu/

e-mail: competitions@silverpcp.eu

Phone number: +44(0) 300 321 4357