/ Full archive

Erasmus Staff Mobility Funding Competition for BU launches today!

You may or may not have heard of the Erasmus Staff Mobility scheme which BU has run for the last few years. If you have, then you will know it is a great scheme. If you haven’t then now is a great chance to learn more. Grants are available for BU staff to visit an enterprise or university in Europe and undertake teaching or training. This is not only a fantastic experience in itself but also a really great way to start to develop your networks. Your visit can be between 5 days and 6 weeks and non-academic staff can apply to the teaching strand too.

This year, I have taken over the gauntlet from Deborah Velay and incorporated the Erasmus Staff Mobility fund into the Fusion Investment Staff Mobility and Networking Fund. There is a really short application form to complete and the deadline is December 1st. The processes have been combined to improve our efficiency in delivering this scheme to you.

The Fusion Investment Fund was launched today and you can find out more on this absolutely brilliant scheme by following the link posted on the blog.

 

Fusion Investment Fund – 2012/13 December Round opens today!

Funding opportunities, Fusion, Guidance, R & KE Operations

The Fusion Investment Fund (FIF) is again opening the three strands currently available to staff!

At c. £3m per annum for the first three years the FIF represents the significant investment that BU is making in the development of staff and students, and the embedding of the Fusion philosophy. 

New Fusion Investment Fund online application form and general FAQ’s can be viewed on the FIF website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/FIF   

Also launching today is the Erasmus Staff Mobility scheme which has been merged into the Existing Staff Mobility and Networking strand, please see Erasmus Application and Guidance (Word 2010) 

 Follow the links below to be directed to the new strand policy documents as well as the new Application Form:

 Details of the intervention sessions can be seen here. Apply before the deadline on 1st December!

 If you have any questions about the fund do not hesitate to contact Sam Furr FIF Administrator.

Back in the Office

News from the PVC

I know this is old news and I will post something more interesting later in the week, but I thought I should just give a quick update for those that have been following my office-less experiment.  The headline is clear its finished after four weeks as a homeless PVC!

In terms of experience? Well to be honest it’s been mixed.  Could I do without my office and remain productive?  Yes is the simple answer.  Do I want to?  Not so sure on that score!  Initially it worked well since I had a bit more time free in my calendar, the atrium and other public work spaces were quieter, I also worked at home a bit and crucially I met lots of people and made some connections which all felt useful.  Towards the end the atrium in particular became almost impossible to find a seat in, let alone do any work, and my calendar was so full that I had little free time to meet people around the campus.  I learnt a bit about mobile working and how our IT systems aren’t really up to it for prolonged periods and also that we need more public work spaces apart from those around the coffee shops.  These are all issues that I will try to feed in as appropriate to our estates and IT plans when I get a chance over the coming months since mobile working is a legitimate choice and preference for many and may increase in the future.

Anyway the experiment is now officially over as I ease back into the comfort of my office, stretch my feet out beneath the desk, enjoy a decent computer screen, reach for my favourite mug and stare at the pictures of arctic landscapes on the wall.  But please feel free to continue to stop me and talk as I move about the campus and I intend to continue to find time in the coming months to adopt a more mobile pattern of working and to continue to let people know where I am working!

Fusion Investment Fund – Intervention Programmes in October / November 2012

Funding opportunities, Fusion, Guidance

Fusion Investment Fund Intervention Sessions

Applications to the December round of Fusion Investment Funding is now open.  To support academics in making applications two series of interventions are now available!

Grant Writing Development here at Talbot! – Book now onto the “Strengthening your FIF Proposal” workshop led by Martin Pickard

Two half day sessions are running on Tuesday 6th November with Martin Pickard from Grantcraft visiting Talbot. To book click here and fill out the booking form, numbers are limited to 12 in each session so do hurry!

Tuesday 6th November 2012, 09:00-12:00 – The Octagon, Talbot Campus

Tuesday 6th November 2012, 13:00-16:00 – The Octagon, Talbot Campus

This session will be led by Martin Pickard from Grantcraft and will provide academics who have drafted their FIF proposals with the opportunity to have their proposals reviewed by Martin and to identify areas that could be strengthened. Max of 12 attendees per session.

The session includes a one hour introductory presentation Martin calls ‘Grantmanship’, followed by a group workshop. Lunch included for both morning and afternoon attendees from 12:00 – 13:00.

Max of 12 attendees per session.

 

Hear it direct from the horse’s mouth! – Individual one-to-one advice from FIF committee members

For the December round of Fusion Investment Funding the committee members from all three strands (open to staff) are available to contact to arrange advice and guidance on completing your applications, from today right up to the 1st December deadline.

Please note the CCCP committee members will be available by phone or email only.

To contact members from one of the panels send an email to a member, names found clicking on the following pages:

Co-Creation and Co-Production strand CCCP

Staff Mobility and Networking strand SMN

Study Leave strand SL

 

Don’t forget to apply by the 1st December deadline!

Case is made for fusion of the Arts and Social Sciences

Kip Jones, Reader in Peformative Social Science, HSC and The Media School makes a case for the potential of arts-based social science to reach audiences and engage communities in an article in The Qualitative Report (Vol 17: 18, 1-8) published electronically today. http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR17/jones.pdf

 Entitled, “Connecting Research with Communities through Performative Social Science” (PSS), the paper contextualises both the use of the Arts in Social Science, as well as the utility of Social Science in the Arts and Humanities. PSS is conceived of as a fusion of the Arts and Social Sciences, creating a new paradigm where tools from the Arts and Humanities are explored for their utility in enriching the ways in which we investigate Social Science subjects and involve communities in our research efforts and diffusion of our collaborative endeavours. Performative Social Science is redefined in terms of a synthesis that can break down old boundaries, open up channels of communication and empower communities through engagement.

The article harks back the beginnings of PSS by recalling the influential AHRC funded series of workshops, “Social Science in Search of its Muse” held at BU throughout 2006-07, reported in a short video (https://vimeo.com/4327950). This was followed by a Special Issue on Performative Social Science for the online, qualitative journal, Forum: Qualitative Social Research (Jones et al., May, 2008), providing a wide range of examples and manifestations of PSS, with contributions from various disciplines/subject areas, and realized through a wide variety of approaches to research practice.

 Since these early efforts in PSS, the impact of these explorations has been measurable, including several completed PhDs utilizing principles of PSS, many journal articles, films and conference presentations nationally and internationally and further funding by Research Councils UK of research based in Performative Social Science methods.

Jones then turns to examples from his own work to illustrate what happens when Art talks to Social Science and Social Science responds to Art. The benefits of such interaction and interdisciplinarity are outlined in relation to a recently completed project using multi-methods, which resulted in the production and current dissemination of the professional short film, Rufus Stone.

Jones said, “Performative Social Science provides the overarching intellectual prowess, strategies and methodological and theoretical bases to engage and unite scholars across disciplines and, in turn, connect researchers’ endeavours with communities and stakeholders. Performative Social Science or a fusion of the arts and sciences are central to both community engagement and as catalysts for change”.

Daiwa Scholarships 2013

Funding opportunities

The Daiwa Scholarship is a unique 19-month programme of language study, work placement and homestay in Japan.

Daiwa Scholarships offer young and talented UK citizens with strong leadership potential, the opportunity to acquire Japanese language skills, and to access expertise and knowledge relevant to their career goals.  No previous experience of Japan or Japanese is necessary. 

As of  April 2012, 135 Daiwa Scholars – including scientists, artists, academics, lawyers and architects – will have benefited from the Daiwa Scholarships.  Daiwa Scholarships are provided by the Foundation to encourage better understanding between both countries.  Successful applicants will be based in Tokyo form September 2013 until the end of March 2015.  They will receive intensive language training; have opportunities to network with decision-makers in their field; and undertake work-placements at organisations relevant to their career goals.

The closing date for Daiwa Scholarship 2013 applications is Thursday 6 December 2012. The online application will be available from September 2012.  For more information about what is involved in the programme, please visit the web site here.

The Foundation is also happy to provide advice about possible applications – please contact scholarships@dajf.org.uk.

New Funding Programme on Quantitative Methods Training

Funding opportunities

         

                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nuffield Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are launching a £15.5 million funding programme in October 2012 aimed at promoting a step-change in quantitative methods training for UK social science undergraduates.

This 5-year programme will fund the creation of a network of up to 15 Quantitative Methods Centres to develop new approaches aimed at embedding the acquisition and application of quantitative skills to substantive issues in disciplines across the UK social science undergraduate curricula.

Centres will be able to apply for funding of up to £350k per year to develop and deliver a wide range of fundable training activities, including bursaries for students attending holiday courses or in relevant work placements, recruitment of new staff and the development of new courses and pathways to careers requiring skills in quantitative methods.

Centres are expected to be within single Higher Education Institutions, with limited scope for any consortia arrangements. Single departments or groups of departments within an Institution may apply, but only one application per Higher Education Institution will be allowed.

We expect that competition for funds will be intense. Applying Institutions should therefore already have demonstrable expertise in and commitment to developing quantitative skills in the social sciences.

More information about the programme can be found on the Nuffield Foundation website www.nuffieldfoundation.org from October 15th.  They will also be holding two launch events in London and Manchester to present this initiative:

Friday 19th October @ 11.00am British Academy, London

Thursday 8th November @ 11.15am Manchester University

If you are interested in applying, they hope that you will be able to attend one of these events. This is an open invitation, but all who wish to attend must register so that they can plan for numbers. Initially, no more than 2 attendees per HEI, but if they have room they would be happy to allow more.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP by e-mail using the attached form to QMEnquiries@nuffieldfoundation.org by Monday 8th October.  They will send further information about the events to registered attendees.

RSVP form

Popcorn, ice-cream and a film

Dear all,

 We would like to invite you to a joint meeting of the Phenomenology Interest Group and the Leisure and Recreation theme for popcorn, ice-cream and a film.

 Date: Wed 31st October, Time: 2.00pm, Place: PG10

Subject: What it means to live in the world as exemplified by Tao Rospoli’s film Being in the World.  Some challenging ideas presented in a different way.  The film is 77 minutes.  Then there will then be an opportunity for discussion.

Refreshments: Popcorn/ice-cream will be supplied. Please contact Sean Beer (sbeer@bournemouth.ac.uk ) to book a place.

 What is the film about:   We quickly move beyond the Greeks and then beyond Descartes’ mentalist notion (‘I think therefore I am’) of reality to Martin Heidegger’s conception: reality and meaning exist where minds interact with the world. We see humans at work and at play: juggling, doing high-precision Japanese carpentry, flamenco, and cooking gumbo. While we watch them work and struggle to introspect and talk about their art and their craft, we also hear Hubert Dreyfus and his students reflect on Heidegger and his philosophy. Our artisans confess that they cannot explain in rational terms how they do what they do. The being is in the doing. Interviews and action intertwine to make a challenging philosophy clear to the lay viewer.

 

 

 

 

Update: PGR Development Fund – additional competition deadline

Funding opportunities, PG research

 In response to feedback from PGRs, there will now be two competitions this year for the Scheme to allow for activities taking place later in the academic year. PGRs wishing to apply must submit an application form (below) to the Graduate School by the scheme deadlines:

  • 2 November 2012 – primarily for activity taking place between October 2012 and March 2013
  • 28 February 2013 – for activity taking place between March 2013 and July 2013.

The Graduate School PGR Development Scheme is open to all BU postgraduate researchers (PGRs) irrespective of the mode of study (full-time / part-time) or funding status (BU studentships / externally funded / self funded).

Individual awards will provide financial support of normally up to £2,000 (and exceptionally £5,000) for research activities related to an individual PGR’s research project or personal development.  It is envisaged that this year approximately 15 awards will be made.

Examples of research activities covered by the Scheme include:

  • Research Activities
    • Conference attendance
    • Additional fieldwork
    • Other activities required to advance research e.g. visiting major libraries, museums, other research institutions (UK, EU or International)
    • Preparation of specialist material or data
    • Research consumables and equipment (providing it is clear these would not normally be purchased by the School as part of the research degree)
  • Developmental Activities
    • Research development e.g. attending external training events specific to research activity
    • Personal development e.g. attending external personal development training events
  • Networking
    • Organisation of an academic conference at BU with external participants
    • Attendance at external networking events leading to advance of the research
    • Publications or dissemination of research

You should also map the proposed activity onto the relevant sub-domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF):

Knowledge & Intellectual Abilities A1 – Knowledge base A2 – Cognitive abilities A3 – Creativity
Personal Effectiveness B1 – Personal qualities B2 – Self-management B3 – Professional & career development
Research Governance C1 – Professional conduct C2 – Research management C3 – Finance, funding & resources
Engagement, Influence & Impact D1 – Working with others D2 – Communication & dissemination D3 – Engagement & impact

 Awards will only cover direct costs including travel; subsistence; training or development costs and all applications will need to include a precise breakdown of costs.  Applications should be supported by the Supervisory Team and the relevant Deputy Dean (Research & Enterprise) of the relevant Academic School.

 PGRs wishing to apply must submit a completed  GS PGR Development Fund Scheme – Application Form to the Graduate School   (graduateschool@bournemouth.ac.uk) by the following deadlines:

  • 2 November 2012 – primarily for activity taking place between October 2012 and March 2013
  • 28 February 2013 – for activity taking place between March 2013 and July 2013.

Applications to the Scheme will be reviewed independently and all decisions on funding will be made by the Graduate School. 

 For further information please read the GS Researcher Scholarships Scheme – Policy.

HSC PhD student from HSC presents in London at Society for Social Medicine

Sheetal’s SSM poster can be viewed here

Sheetal Sharma a PhD student at Health and Social Care at BU was lucky to be accepted at the Society for Social Medicine (SSM) September Conference in London to present her poster on my PhD research: Mixed-methods evaluation of a health promotion intervention in rural Nepal, complete with a photograph of the fieldwork involved in villages in Nepal! This year was particularly tough getting accepted as conference organisers commented that 360 abstracts were submitted, of which just 159 (44%) were accepted (including 3 as plenary presentations, 96 as parallel presentations, and 60 as poster presentations). And further stated that that at another SSM conference, an abstract awarded a poster presentation would have been given an oral presentation.
“My BU supervisors Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Prof. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Catherine Angell and my external supervisor Dr. Padam Simkhada (University of Sheffield) supported me to submit an abstract with our Spanish and Argentine academic partners, early this year”. I really appreciated the free place as universities have limited budgets to support their students in presenting at conferences; I doubt I would have attended had I had to meet the costs myself. So a big thanks to BU and SSM for supporting me! After my experiences at SSM 2012, I would encourage students and young researchers to attend SSM, as the research presented is stimulating and the feedback obtained is invaluable, the conference is really well organised, the support team and volunteers are really friendly and helpful! I hope to be a part of the ECR committee based on this conference.”
Sheetal mentioned she particularly enjoyed the workshop session on Evaluation of complex public health interventions, the concepts and methods practical guidance on “how to do it” and the applicability of different study designs, particularly the role of qualitative research by Mark Petticrew (LSHTM), James Hargreaves (LSHTM), and Steve Cummins (QMUL), as it relates to her evaluation on a health promotion intervention that aims to improve childbearing women’s demand of health services.
Sheetal felt it was great to see what research is conducted from institutions across the U.K. and globally, in a dynamic setting specifically the welcome address by Dr Piot who co-discovered the Ebola virus in Zaire in 1976, the Pemberton Lecture, 2012: Ethnicity and health by Peter Whincup. Sheetal feels research students should be encouraged to present as it motivates them to publish and network. Attending the conference in London also gave her a chance to visit the King’s Fund and dine at Lincoln’s Inn in the 19th century Great Hall with a view onto a fresco of Moses and Edward I ending with a guided tour of the Wellcome Collection.

Book now for the Lifelong Health & Wellbeing Sandpit

Feedback from BU staff who have participated in academic sandpits is always positive: “Sandpits stimulate creative thinking and encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone. They are an opportunity to learn from others whose approaches to research may be different from your own” – Prof. Adele Ladkin, School of Tourism, EPSRC Sandpit Participant

Sandpits provide an intensive, interactive and free-thinking environment. A group of participants from a range of disciplines and backgrounds use this space to get together to become immersed in a collaborative thinking processes in order to construct innovative approaches to issues or questions.

As sandpits involve diverse participants, they force catalysation, collision and collaboration. This produces unique and innovative outputs and fosters new partnerships.

We are facilitating with expert bid writer Dr Martin Pickard of GrantCraft, three 1-day sandpits at BU which focus around relevant Research Council UK cross-thematic areas. The first is  Lifelong Health & Wellbeing Sandpit which is being held on 24.10.12

Attending this sandpit will:

  • facilitate you networking with other researchers across BU who you wouldn’t normally come in to contact with
  • allow you to get a fresh perspective from a different discipline on the same issue
  • enable you to be part of a multidisciplinary team who potentially bids for Research Council funding
  • give you a truly unique experience

Spaces are limited for each of the sandpits and you can register for a place on the Staff Development website.

How Web 2.0 might revolutionise our research

Many of you will be familiar with the revolution that the internet is undergoing, with its growth of social networking, web applications, blogs and wikis. What I had not appreciated, until very recently, is what the full implications are for how we go about our research. I am sure that colleagues in DEC and the MediaSchoolare well ahead of the curve on this, but for the rest of us, the penny is perhaps only just beginning to drop. I recently attended a fascinating conference hosted by the European Social Simulation Association in Salzburg. This is a group of researchers united by a common interest in using computer programs to simulate human behaviour, and its implications for human society. This was very much a new arena for me; I was really attending to learn something about the agent-based modelling approaches that are the flavour of the month in these circles. But what most impressed me was the way researchers are now using web technologies to access data to explore in their models. For example, although I’d heard of “crowdsourcing” before, I’d never really seen it in practice, and what it can deliver. I was most impressed by groups using tools such as Twitter, together with mapping applications such as Google maps, to produce highly informative maps showing the movements and wellbeing of large numbers of people. A great example is what the LSE is doing to map happiness – yes, really – http://www.mappiness.org.uk/. Another example, from the University of Leeds, has been using Twitter to map the movements of commuters in and out of the city. What is perhaps most astonishing is that large numbers of people seem keen to participate in these research projects. Potentially useful tools being used by this research community include open source mapping initiatives such as Open Street Map http://www.openstreetmap.org/ and Maptube http://www.maptube.org/, as well as Survey mapper http://www.surveymapper.com/current.aspx. You might find this reference useful if you’re interested in learning more – http://ssc.sagepub.com/content/27/4/524

2 EU Partner searches

CETMA is seeking partners to get involved in a project regarding training platform for civil security intelligence analysis community. The aim is to train law enforcement agents on virtual civil scenarios, using training paths based on virtual learning that is related to user’s skills (advanced, medium, beginner) which will improve both agents deduction and induction ability.

ENEA,Italian agency for energy, environment and sustainable economic development, is seeking partners to join two projects, topic NMP.2013.1.3-1 ‘Safety in nanoscale production and products’ and topic SST.2013.1-2 ‘Towards the zero emission ship’.

ENEA develops research activities aiming to provide support for public policies and decision making processes, and it contributes to the development of innovative technologies stemming from research performed in public/private partnership. ENEA has a long experience in European projects, both as co-ordinator and as partner.

LIBRARY TRIAL: 3 month trial to e-journal Science

We have a 3 month trial to the e-journal Science with a view to subscribing in 2013.  The trial gives access to 1997 to date.

Notes on access:

  • on-campus access is IP-authenticated (therefore automatic);
  • off-campus via A-Z of e-journals link – access is via proxy server (user will be prompted for their BU login);

For help using e-journals, e-books, bibliographic databases (such as Scopus and Web of Science), bibliometrics and reference management contact the Library Subject Team for your School

Windows of Opportunity Event

What is it all about?

It is well known that banks aren’t lending; equity is scarce; and traditional investment returns can often be poor. WoO aim to demonstrate that there is another way…

Windows of Opportunity is a series of FREE events to inform entrepreneurs, businesses and investors about the new types of money and new investment opportunities that exist today.

Who is it for?

Our overarching goal is to make sense of the range of investment and funding options for potential or existing investors and entrepreneurs or young businesses.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Startups
  • Businesses
  • New Investors
  • Established Investors
  • Angel Investors

If you are an entrepreneur, a startup, a new or an established investor you can’t afford not to know about this and attend one of these FREE Events!  Details of the next event are below.

Growth Accelerator is partnering with School for Start Ups on a series of free educational events about types of finance and ways to obtain investments, including the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).

Sheffield Event details: Sheffield, Sheffield City Hall , Fri 12 October 2012

More details about the Windows of Opportunity and other event locations can be found here: http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/woo/

‘Oh no, I have to deal with HR!’

Guidance

Dear Friends of the HR & OB Department within the Business School:

There is a third seminar scheduled this year under the umbrella of the Department of HR & OB, Business School.  You are more than welcome to join us Friday, October 12 at 2:00 PM, room EB202.

The title of the seminar is “‘Oh no, I have to deal with HR!’ On Human Resource departments and their ‘bad’ reputation”. Dr Gbola Gbadamosi and Davide Secchi will share some ideas to explore potentials for collaboration, papers, research projects, funding, etc.  Please come join us for this exploratory research talk!