Recently, Dr. Lai Xu, the joint coordinator Dr. Paul de Vrieze of the EU H2020 FIRST (Virtual Factories: Interoperation supporting Business Innovation) project, was featured in an interview by Horizon, the EU Research & Innovation Magazine. The interview-related article and a concise video have been published.
The FIRST project, which concluded in December 2022 after a six-year duration, was a substantial undertaking with a budget of 1.2 million Euros and involved eight international partners. It aimed to address the challenges associated with constructing a virtual factory using existing Industry 4.0 frameworks and standards. The project not only explored potential business innovations for manufacturing products, such as integrating business and manufacturing processes for customized products, but also for manufacturing services, like virtual maintenance services.
The scope of the project extended beyond enhancing manufacturing efficiency and empowering SMEs. It also focused on safeguarding the future of European manufacturing by preventing the theft of advanced technologies. The consortium driving the FIRST project is comprised of partners with robust expertise in computer science and information systems, some of whom possess mechanical engineering proficiency. Additionally, the consortium includes two software vendors from Germany and China, along with a traditional manufacturing facility.
The number of people using food banks in the UK has increased from 26,000 in 2008-09 to more than 100 times that in 2023. Nearly one in five British households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in September 2022.
In the financial year to April 2023, Trussell Trust, the largest (but not the only) network of food banks in the UK, distributed emergency food parcels to nearly three million people.
Food banks provide free, pre-prepared parcels of food to those most in need. They have provided a great deal of support for low-income families, especially during the cost of living crisis.
However, they are not perfect. Food banks offer people little choice, are dependent on unreliable supply chains. Research has also shown that people who use food banks often experience shame and stigma when doing so.
My research, with colleague Heather Hartwell at Bournemouth University, has found a viable alternative. Community markets selling food and household items at subsidised rates to all could be a sustainable solution to the problems with existing food support programmes.
Food banks rely heavily on donations. But rising food prices means even would-be donors are struggling to buy that extra can of beans and other items. Beneficiaries of food banks also told us that parcels were mostly made up of dried, tinned and processed foods.
While it is important that parcels have a long shelf life, people experiencing food poverty want a choice of fresh and frozen food items, including meat. The constraints in the range and quality of food available are also associated with health problems such as diabetes, asthma and obesity.
Food banks also do not empower people who use them to become self-sufficient. Rather, they often result in long-term reliance on food aid. Hence, food banks offer temporary relief from hunger without addressing the bigger issues that lead to food insecurity.
Community markets
Community markets operate differently to food banks. They are open to everyone in the local community, regardless of income level, and provide a range of food choices along with other items such as school uniforms and toiletries.
We interviewed 38 people who regularly used or were involved in the operation of these programmes in the UK. Through these discussions, we assessed how well community markets address the challenges of food security, and found that they are a possible solution to the limitations of food banks and parcel distribution.
Community markets do not solely rely on donations from the public or businesses. They pay a subscription to charity networks such as FareShare, which provide the market with items in bulk, which are sold to the community at a subsidised rate. All revenue from sales is reinvested to pay for future bulk purchases.
People with low incomes who shop at community markets told us they enjoyed having food at affordable food prices and felt a stronger sense of autonomy, and being part of the community. They did not feel their reliance on food support was a barrier to being part of society. As one person said:
I very much prefer being able to choose my food instead of being given parcels. … It just feels dignified to be able to pay for goods, even if it is at subsidised rates, and then being able to choose what I want based on what I would like to eat.
These markets can be used by people from across the community, including those on a higher income. People who were more well-off told us they wanted to shop at the markets because they felt they were giving back, spending their money to be reinvested in the programme:
I thought that people who would come to the market … would be very needy, not only financially but mentally as well but it isn’t like that … I like shopping here because the money I pay is invested back into the community.
Additionally, community markets serve as a hub, offering organised group activities and services for people, such as cooking and gardening classes, yoga and sewing. Through these activities, the community markets are tackling loneliness and other health issues – not just hunger.
Community markets are economically self-sufficient. They use revenue generated from selling products at subsidised rates to subscribe to charitable food surplus redistribution organisations. This financial independence sets them apart from food banks, which often rely on grants. They can also be environmentally sustainable, actively reducing food waste and their carbon footprint by redistributing surplus food to local emergency services and farms.
As more people rely on food aid, it’s important that local councils and national governments support alternatives to food banks. For the family struggling to fill the fridge or the student coping with higher rent, our findings show community markets could be of significant help, while allowing people to maintain their dignity and be part of their community.
This is a free online event for academics interested in policy engagement, run by Showrunner Communications on 7th September, 13:00-15:00. You can sign up via Eventbrite.
During this session, participants will learn to write for policy stakeholders, including advice on drafting comment articles and blogs, and Select Committee and Government consultation responses.
This session will also focus on building participants’ professional social media profiles and emphasising their expertise online.
Showrunner’s training workshops build the understanding and skills that academics need to effectively achieve policy impact throughout their careers.
This session will be delivered by Nicky Hobbs and Jennifer Harrison, who are communications, policy, and education specialists, in partnership with Showrunner Communications and the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network.
Jennifer Harrison
Jennifer has a distinctive track record within the fields of policy, public affairs, and communications, on behalf of national and local government, the voluntary and community sector, and higher education. Her work has been used by think tanks and policy institutes, directly influenced legislative and policy change, and has represented policy interests at the highest level, including meetings with ministers, in regional and national media, and at parliamentary inquiries.
Jennifer was Durham University’s first policy engagement lead, working with academics to successfully achieve REF and societal impact. This included helping to secure the first ever parliamentary inquiry into urban soil health, securing changes to criminal justice legislation, and campaigning to end irresponsible lending practices that exacerbate poverty. She has been Chair of the Russell Group Political Affairs Network and has contributed widely to thought leadership across the sector, including policy blogs and conference speaking engagements focusing on the nature of policy engagement and research impact.
Nicky Hobbs
Nicky is a communications and engagement leader with over two decades of experience, Nicky has run programmes and led teams for multiple private and public sector organisations.
Nicky has led award-winning communications departments in two Russell Group universities; UCL and Queen Mary and stakeholder engagement at a Government department. At Queen Mary, Nicky led communications for the ground-breaking City of London Institute of Technology which opened in 2022. As a consultant, she has led engagement campaigns for multiple social enterprises and charities and has significant expertise in developing high-impact digital content with a focus on higher and further education.
We are collecting details of all events for external audiences that took place between 1 August 2022 – 31 July 2023
Thank you to everyone who has already provided information via the SharePoint site. The form will stay open for you to add your activities until Friday 29 September 2023.
This data forms part of BU’s annual Higher Education – Business & Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey and is used to calculate our Higher Education Innovation Funding grant. It also feeds into our submission to the Knowledge Exchange Framework so it is really important for us to provide a full and accurate picture of all our public engagement.
Which events do I need to report?
Public lectures & talks
Performance arts (music, dance, drama etc)
Exhibitions (galleries, museums etc)
Museum education
Media engagement (TV/radio interviews, podcasts etc)
If you’re not sure if your event is eligible for inclusion, the SharePoint site includes further details and guidance.
All events that were part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022, Online Public Lecture Series and Café Scientifique have been collated on your behalf centrally, so there is no need to add these.
What data is collected?
We collect a wider range of data than is required for HE-BCI, for additional external and internal reporting, e.g. HEIF Annual Monitoring Statement and Athena Swan. For the purposes of the HE-BCI survey, you must record the following:
Event dates – to ensure eligibility
Whether the event or activity was free or chargeable
Number of attendees (or views/visitors)
Amount of staff time in hours needed for delivery.
Without this specific data, we will not be able to include your event in the survey.
This week the Journal of Asian Midwives published its latest issue. Celebrating a decade of publishing, this is the first issue of volume 10. The journal is Open Access and freely available online for anybody who wants to read it (click here!). In the editorial of this new issue the editors highlighted online events around the International Day of the Midwife, the ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) Triennial Congress in Bali, Indonesia in June, and the acceptance of the Journal of Asian Midwives by SCOPUS [1]. The editorial finishes by highlighting new additions to the journal, including the opportunity to submit short research proposals, or proposals for improvement in service or practice, blogs and from the next issue onwards, short view point articles.
Reference:
van Teijlingen, E., Jan, R., Mubeen, K., Musaddique, A. (2023) Editorial – summer 2023. Journal of Asian Midwives,10(1): 1–3.
We are excited to announce that theDevelopment fund from the British Academy Early Career Research Network in the South West is now open.
Development fund (rolling call): This fund provides the opportunity for ECRs to hold an event, roundtable, meeting or training activity, which promotes networking, collaboration, knowledge sharing or develops skills throughout the region, and can be extended to the wider ECR network if appropriate.
ECRs can claim a total of £3000 towards their activities which will need to be paid for by their institution and then expensed back to the BA.
This year’s BA ECRN seed funding and development fund call is now live.
We are pleased to announce of the next round of seed funding for ECRs in the South West. The aim of this scheme will be to create and support new cross-sector research partnerships and offer the funding to support ECR career development.
These small awards (of up to £3K) will support the direct costs associated with activities that support new research, the development of new stakeholder relationships, broadening knowledge of a sector, future career options or accessing resources and facilities.
British Academy Seed Fund SW Hub bids will need a e-ITB to be completed 4 weeks before the deadline so the relevant FDO can open a RED ID, prep a costing and send off the approval request to the Faculty, before the PI can submit.
Sarah Clark, BU MSc Student gives a presentation at The Ehlers-Danlos Society Global Learning Conference in Dublin on 3rd August, presenting her May 2021 BMJ paper “Help me trust you after my misdiagnosis”.
Sarah, who has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, is a Masters student at BU studying Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology. Sarah sits as a patient expert in the EDS International Consortium, Psychiatric and Psychological Aspects Working Group: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/international-consortium-working-groups/#psychiatric
Sarah has personal interests in “the diagnostic journey”, ‘harm from the medical system” and “medically-induced PTSD”, having previously been under a community mental health team for 15 years and misdiagnosed with the highly stigmatising label of EUPD. Raising awareness of the harm caused by misdiagnosis is of huge importance to Sarah. In fact, Sarah was diagnosed last May with Autism Spectrum Condition, a realisation she only made thanks to attending the autism lectures on her MSc course here at BU! For her MSc Research Project she is researching “What are the daily experiences of autistic people living with hEDS?”
Sarah is studying part-time at BU due to the amount of time managing several complex medical conditions takes each day, but alongside managing her wellbeing, Sarah regularly engages in public awareness work, volunteering and charity fundraising work. She is also a keen photographer, writer and yogi and was featured in Hotpod Yoga’s Move with Purpose Campaign recently where she talked about her late-autism diagnosis: https://hotpodyoga.com/move-with-purpose/
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
How can we shape a better future for ourselves and the planet? Join us on Tuesday 5 September 6:30-8pm for an evening of inspiring talks and discussions with postgraduate researchers from Bournemouth University, all currently working towards their PhDs, who will share their insights and perspectives.
From patient safety and experience, to medical device reprocessing and recycling, these speakers will challenge you to think critically and creatively about the future we want to create. This event is free and open to all, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers and other attendees.
Patient feedback for improving NHS care by Sarah Chessell, PhD researcher in Health and Social Care. How can we ensure that patients receive the best possible care and experience in health and social care settings? Sarah will discuss how near-real time patient feedback can be used to create a culture of responsibility and challenge, with staff being able to respond and act positively to patients’ needs and preferences.
Reprocessing single use medical devices: a sustainable solution for the NHS? by Matthew Edge, PhD researcher in Bournemouth University Business School. How can we reduce the environmental impact of medical devices that are used once and then thrown away? Matthew will present research on reprocessing single use medical devices, a practice that involves re-sterilising, repairing and repackaging them for reuse.
This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talks start at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.
If you have any questions about this event, or you’re interested in getting involved with a future Café Sci event, please email the Public Engagement with Research Team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
The Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) has re-opened its call for applications for the IMIV MRI Research Project Scheme 2023.
Under the scheme, imaging research projects can apply for up to 100 hours of scanning time on the IMIV’s state-of-the-art 3T Siemens Lumina MRI scanner.
The focus of the scheme is on multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional projects, and priority will be given to projects with a clinical partnership.
All research projects must have a Bournemouth University researcher as lead or co-lead applicant.
Projects must be able to demonstrate how they will lead to peer-reviewed academic outputs and external funding applications for further MR imaging studies.
Please note: the award does not cover any additional expenses related to scanning, or other aspects of the project.
Remember toadvise your refereethat you will be sending them your completed application on FlexiGrant and they will need to provide their supporting statement by 1st November.
29th September
If you are Grade 8 or below and you wish to use the support of an External Application Reviewer (EAR), you must submit your draft application to RDS by this date.
01/11/2023 at the latest
Nominated referee supporting statement to be completed via FlexiGrant
Note that the earlier you complete you application on FlexiGrant, the more time the referee will have to review your bid and provide the supporting statement.
02/11/23 at the latest.
Your final application must be submitted on FlexiGrant by this date at the latest.
Click ‘submit’ and the form will be sent to BU’s account for RDS checks.
02-08th November
Institutional checks to take place by RDS
RDS will work with you to ensure compliance with all funder’s requirements.
Against the backdrop of the Women’s World Cup, the Sport & Physical Activity Centre (SPARC) hosted the Women’s World Cup (WWC) Forum on July 17th.
Featuring presentations from Dr Beth Fielding-Lloyd (Sheffield Hallam University), Anika Leslie-Walker (Nottingham Trent University) and Dr Rafaelle Nicholson (Faculty of Media & Communication, BU), the forum set out to explore the contemporary nature of women’s football and how academic work aligns to the apparent pace of growth. Attendees were invited back the following day and spent a productive day unpacking issues raised at the Forum and explored potential areas for further academic exploration.
One week prior to the event, former England International Karen Carney, authored an Independent Report for DCMS, titled Raising the Bar: Re-Framing the Opportunity in Women’s Football. The report offers a comprehensive review of the growth opportunities for the game at professional and grassroots level, but also highlights the significant challenges facing the game. The report, and indeed the SPARC Forum, invited us to look behind the mask of the landmark event and how narratives of ‘progress’ at such landmark events (attendances, media interest, coverage, taglines: the WWC for example is branded ‘Beyond Greatness’) can present a false picture of progress, highlight myths of women’s empowerment and indeed mask new/existing expressions of power.
In particular, discussion at the Forum focussed on developing a sustainable and inclusive fan base for the game (beyond landmark fixtures, average Women’s Super League (WSL) attendance stands at 2,800), funding and diversity issues within the talent pathway, safe fan experience/spaces (marked by religion, gender and race), gender pay disparities, the lessons of prior mergers and governance structures, and broadcasting rights (the UK’s domestic broadcasters offered just 8% of that which they paid for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar) and media representations (that oft tended to reinforce, as opposed to challenge, dominant gender power relations). Indeed, and even as the Forum was in full-swing, the Australian team (The Matildas) broadcast a video highlighting pay disparities, the England team expressed their disappointment over a lack of agreement over their bonuses, figures from the Carney report suggested that 71% of attendees at WSL games reported their experience was ‘short of expectation’, and highlighted that there exists a significant lack of understanding of minority ethnic fans.
As the women’s game grows and transitions from a Football Association-owned entity to a new independently owned management structure (currently named New Co.) this is indeed an exciting time for women’s football. However, the Forum & workshop reinforced the need to peek behind the shiny spectacle of the World Cup and address some of the challenges that continue to be faced in the development of a sustainable, equitable and inclusive ‘product’. After two long, yet productive, days participants left with a compelling commitment to engage with key stakeholders and undertake a programme of work that aims to address inequalities in the game and influence policy, practice and strategy.
ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) platform launched by research company Open AI, can write an essay in response to a short prompt. It can perform mathematical equations – and show its working.
ChatGPT is a generative AI system: an algorithm that can generate new content from existing bodies of documents, images or audio when prompted with a description or question. It’s unsurprising concerns have emerged that young people are using ChatGPT and similar technology as a shortcut when doing their homework.
But banning students from using ChatGPT, or expecting teachers to scour homework for its use, would be shortsighted. Education has adapted to – and embraced – online technology for decades. The approach to generative AI should be no different.
The UK government has launched a consultation on the use of generative AI in education, following the publication of initial guidance on how schools might make best use of this technology.
In general, the advice is progressive and acknowledged the potential benefits of using these tools. It suggests that AI tools may have value in reducing teacher workload when producing teaching resources, marking, and in administrative tasks. But the guidance also states:
Schools and colleges may wish to review homework policies, to consider the approach to homework and other forms of unsupervised study as necessary to account for the availability of generative AI.
While little practical advice is offered on how to do this, the suggestion is that schools and colleges should consider the potential for cheating when students are using these tools.
Nothing new
Past research on student cheating suggested that students’ techniques were sophisticated and that they felt remorseful only if caught. They cheated because it was easy, especially with new online technologies.
But this research wasn’t investigating students’ use of Chat GPT or any kind of generative AI. It was conducted over 20 years ago, part of a body of literature that emerged at the turn of the century around the potential harm newly emerging internet search engines could do to student writing, homework and assessment.
We can look at past research to track the entry of new technologies into the classroom – and to infer the varying concerns about their use. In the 1990s, research explored the impact word processors might have on child literacy. It found that students writing on computers were more collaborative and focused on the task. In the 1970s, there were questions on the effect electronic calculators might have on children’s maths abilities.
In 2023, it would seem ludicrous to state that a child could not use a calculator, word processor or search engine in a homework task or piece of coursework. But the suspicion of new technology remains. It clouds the reality that emerging digital tools can be effective in supporting learning and developing crucial critical thinking and life skills.
Get on board
Punitive approaches and threats of detection make the use of such tools covert. A far more progressive position would be for teachers to embrace these technologies, learn how they work, and make this part of teaching on digital literacy, misinformation and critical thinking. This, in my experience, is what young people want from education on digital technology.
Children should learn the difference between acknowledging the use of these tools and claiming the work as their own. They should also learn whether – or not – to trust the information provided to them on the internet.
The educational charity SWGfL, of which I am a trustee, has recently launched an AI hub which provides further guidance on how to use these new tools in school settings. The charity also runs Project Evolve, a toolkit containing a large number of teaching resources around managing online information, which will help in these classroom discussions.
I expect to see generative AI tools being merged, eventually, into mainstream learning. Saying “do not use search engines” for an assignment is now ridiculous. The same might be said in the future about prohibitions on using generative AI.
Perhaps the homework that teachers set will be different. But as with search engines, word processors and calculators, schools are not going to be able to ignore their rapid advance. It is far better to embrace and adapt to change, rather than resisting (and failing to stop) it.
An association run by BU researchers from all faculties who want to make BU a great place to work and do research. We aim to ensure that researchers are supported to realise their full potential and to develop and produce research of the highest quality. (There are Research Staff Associations throughout UK universities and one of our BU RSA representatives is also a member of the UK RSA).
Who is it for?
Almost everyone! Postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, research assistants as well as anyone else who is actively engaged in research (or planning to be): postgraduate researchers; staff on teaching and research, or teaching contracts; clinicians; professional support staff; technicians.
What are our aims?
To help make BU a great place for researchers to work and progress in their careers.
To support BU researchers to produce excellent research by enabling them to thrive, personally and professionally through informal peer support / friendship with other researchers and encouraging BU to provide
a well-designed induction
a caring and helpful mentor
support to develop research and professional skills
increased job security
a university culture of inclusion, kindness, care, and support
opportunities to network, collaborate, share, and learn
How do we do that?
We support researchers through:
Signposting you to the BU teams or individuals who can help you with issues such as: employment and contracts, work conditions, fairness and equity, discrimination, unions, professional development, careers advice, support for mental health and well-being.
Offering peer support – opportunities to meet, socialise, network, share ideas, and collaborate with researchers from different faculties. We run informal online get-togethers and coffee mornings in faculties. We are also developing a series of university-wide events (in partnership with the Early Career Network) on topics such as career progression, funding, wellbeing.
Representing you – raising concerns, lobbying, and advocating for researchers at the:
Research Concordat Steering Group. This group is responsible for helping BU translate the ideals of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers into improved researcher career development and effective policies. The steering group can then highlight responsibilities across university departments from line managers and HR to the Vice Chancellor and the Executive Team.
Faculty Research & Professional Practice Committees (FRPPC) – where we can highlight specific initiatives and the vital role that line managers and senior academics play in facilitating the development of researchers in their department.
University Research & Professional Practice Committee (URPPC) where we can share the combined voice and experiences of research staff to shape the development of University wide research-based policy and procedures.
What do we need to succeed?
You! We need to know what the important issues, concerns, challenges, and aspirations of BU researchers are. We can then try to provide informative sessions which address the issues that are important to you, advocate for change – as well as letting BU know when they are getting it right! We would also like to get to know you and learn from your experiences – doing research can be lonely and being in contact with other researchers enriches our day.
When does the RSA meet?
The RSA meets regularly throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to attend or share issues that you would like raised with your faculty rep
How do I get involved/get in touch with the RSA representative for my faculty?
BU Early Stage Researcher Mavis Bengtsson – My secondment at Kraftenshus, Boras Sweden this picture shows Prof Andreas, BU ESR Mavis Bengtsson and Dr Erik at Kraftenshus
As an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) from INNOVATEDIGNITY Project, based at Bournemouth University, England, I did my secondment while doing my PhD in Kraftenshus in Boras, Sweden and was under the mentorship of Professor Andreas Hellström and Dr Erik Eriksson. They have been instrumental in initiating Kraftenshus through research and evaluation that informed decisions in Kraftenshus. Kraftenshus is based in Boras, and it is the first support centre in Sweden designed by and for people affected by cancer, including patients, family, friends, staff members and local community representatives. The founder of Kraftenshus experienced that after being diagnosed with cancer and getting her chemotherapy, she lacked support in the community, where she experienced loneliness. However, starting this organisation to help other cancer patients improved her well-being. The organisation started in 2017 in Boras, Sweden and has recently expanded to 2 more cities. The impact of cancer on individuals is profound, and diagnosis means emotional turmoil for most people, as it affects all aspects of health(Mohlin et al. 2020). Cancer patients often desire emotional support after a cancer diagnosis (Ray et al. 2019). These people who want support might not always receive it, even though emotional support can come from a range of people in their social networks (Ray et al. 2019). The complexities of cancer increase once people are back in the community because it affects the whole family. Most patients feel lonely, and Kraftenshus helps patients to meet other patients. The organisation’s core focus is on emotional and social support for people with cancer. The design of the venue was based on the action research results. The meeting place is designed as a home to give people a homely feeling when they discuss their issues. The organisation and activities are a patient-led and voluntary organisation. They received funding from the government in 2017. Kraften hus use a participation and co-creation model and a service design approach. They have considered a sustainable business model to establish how the project would survive over the years. One of the areas was creating a shared vision with the politicians and other stakeholders. With resources from the Universities, they have evaluated the organisation. Members volunteer and lead activities or teachings. They collaborate with various stakeholders, do knitting, have creative painting rooms, do walks, have a gym membership, and get referrals from the hospital. Kraftenshus has a long collaboration with the Regional Cancer Centre, which drives the implementation of a cancer strategy launched in 2010 due to increased cancer cases and challenges of the healthcare system in Sweden. Kraftenhus worked closely with Regional Cancer Centre to design an integrated and patient-oriented cancer care model in the community. One of the areas that we explored with Prof Andreas Hellström and Dr Erik Eriksson was to do research at Kraftenshus together. https://cancercentrum.se/vast/patient-och-narstaende/kraftens-hus/ Kraftenshus is a great community organisation contributing to cancer patients’ emotional healing and with the motto: “No one should be alone with cancer.”
Since 2010 the New Generation Thinkers scheme has developed a new generation of academics who can bring the best of university research and scholarly ideas to a broad audience through the media and public engagement.
It’s a chance for early career researchers to cultivate the skills to communicate their research findings to those outside the academic community. Each year, since 2010, 60 applicants are invited to create ideas with the BBC, of which 10 will be chosen as New Generation Thinkers. Please check the call link for your eligibility.
Your research must have a primary focus in the arts and humanities. Your research could be bringing together arts and humanities research with other non-AHRC funded disciplines, provided you can demonstrate suitable links to the world of arts and humanities and that arts and humanities remains a primary focus.
The 10 that are selected as New Generation Thinkers, will be working with BBC Radio 3 and benefiting from a unique opportunity to develop their own programmes for the station and a chance to regularly appear on air. The AHRC also provides media training for Thinkers, and offers the possibility of working with BBC TV, speaking opportunities, involvement with the AHRC-funded Being Human Festival and more.
The timeline of the process is as below.
Timeline
3 July 2023 9:00am
Opening date
30 August 2023 11:00am
How to apply webinar
5 September 11-12:30
BU Workshop/ mock panel with RDS and peer review college expert from BU- please check the events calendar booking page to be available soon.
27th September 2023
final proposal submitted in the UKRI Funding Service for RDS review
Today ResearchGate alerted me that our paper ‘Women, Midwives, and a Medical Model of Maternity Care in Switzerland’ [1] has been read 2,500 times. This paper published in the International Journal of Childbirth focuses on the organisation of maternity health care in Switzerland. Switzerland has a costly health care system with high intervention rates within an obstetric-led maternity care model. Evidence has shown that midwifery care is associated with lower cost, higher satisfaction rates among women, and less intervention. However, in this model, midwives are both marginalized and underused.
The article focuses on the distribution of power and knowledge between midwives, women, and the medical profession. The varying power structures that shape the maternity care system in Switzerland are examined, using a case study approach that draws on Foucault’s concepts of the gaze, surveillance, disciplinary power, and the docile body. This article critically analyzes the model of maternity care received by women in Switzerland and how it negatively impacts on both women’s personal and midwives’ professional autonomy while simultaneously driving up costs.
A better understanding of the underlying power structures operating within the maternity care system may facilitate the implementation of more midwifery-led care currently being endorsed by the Swiss Midwifery Association and some government agencies. This could result in reduced cost and lower intervention rates with reduced associated morbidity.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH)
Reference:
Brailey, S., Luyben, A., Firth, L, van Teijlingen, E (2017) Women, midwives & medical model of maternity care in Switzerland, International Journal of Childbirth7(3): 117-25.
Bournemouth University and FMC researcher Lyle Skains has been awarded the N. Katherine Hayles Award for Criticism of Electronic Literature for her book Neverending Stories: The Popular Emergence of Digital Fiction, released from Bloomsbury in January 2023. The award was announced at the annual Electronic Literature Organisation (ELO) Conference on 13 July 2023 in Coimbra, Portugal, alongside winners of the Robert Coover Award for a Work of Electronic Literature, the Marjorie C. Luesebrink Career Achievement Award, and the Maverick Award.
The ELO is the foremost international professional body for scholars and practitioners working in the field of electronic literature, and has been awarding works of scholarship on electronic literature since 2014. The organisation notes that “The N. Katherine Hayles Award for Criticism of Electronic Literature is an award given for the best work of criticism, of any length, on the topic of electronic literature… recognise[ing] excellence in the field.” The award includes a plaque, one-year’s associate membership of the ELO, and prize money of $1000USD.
In selecting Dr. Skains’ Neverending Stories for the Hayles Prize, the jury made the following statement:
The judges of the 2023 N. Katherine Hayles Award for Criticism of Electronic Literature have unanimously recognized Neverending Stories: The Popular Emergence of Digital Fiction by [R.] Lyle Skains as the winning entry. The book is a granular exploration of both the evolution of digital fiction and its impact on (and positioning in) popular culture. The author’s focus on marginalized authors/creators, as well as reframing accepted aspects of digital fiction, sets their work apart.
Skains does more than justice to a complex topic with her ambitious work spanning over half a century of digital literature development. Her analysis of multiple digital narrative forms – covering everything from text-based adventure games to creepypasta participatory fiction to ‘archontic’ fiction – is comprehensive and perceptive. The book navigates appreciable tensions between avant-garde and popular forms of digital fiction while seeking to recover hidden contributions of women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ authors. The included case studies also provide invaluable insights into trends that are shaping the future of digital fiction, making the book a must-read for scholars, creators, and fans.
The judges wish to express that the task of selecting the winners for this year’s N. Katherine Hayles Award for Criticism of Electronic Literature was exceptionally challenging due to the exemplary standard of entries received. The depth and diversity of perspectives presented in the entries made the deliberation process both stimulating and demanding. The judges extend our appreciation to all the entrants for contributing to the enrichment of the field, and for setting a remarkable benchmark for future submissions.
Dr. Skains joins Jessica Pressman, Mark Marino, Jeremy Douglass, and Lai-Tze Fan in winning this prestigious prize. She adds that, in addition to the acknowledgements made in the book, she wants to thank the support she’s had in the field from generous mentors and peers, including Astrid Ensslin, Dene Grigar, Caitlin Fisher, Mark Marino, Stuart Moulthrop, Anastasia Salter, John Murray, and María Mencía, who edited the fantastic collection #WomenTechLit that inspired so much of Neverending Stories.
BU staff can login below:
Other services
Don’t miss a post!
Subscribe for the BU Research Digest, delivered freshly every day.
We are excited to announce that the
This year’s BA ECRN seed funding and development fund call is now live.
How can we shape a better future for ourselves and the planet? Join us on Tuesday 5 September 6:30-8pm for an evening of inspiring talks and discussions with postgraduate researchers from Bournemouth University, all currently working towards their PhDs, who will share their insights and perspectives.
My secondment at Kraftenshus, Boras Sweden this picture shows Prof Andreas, BU ESR Mavis Bengtsson and Dr Erik at Kraftenshus
BRIAN drop-in surgery – Lansdowne
Postgraduate Research Summer Social – 1 week to go!
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 Call
ERC Advanced Grant 2025 Webinar
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Published
Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme pre-Published
Update on UKRO services
European research project exploring use of ‘virtual twins’ to better manage metabolic associated fatty liver disease