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RCUK impact case studies now online

RCUK logoResearch Councils UK (RCUK) have recently launched a number of best practice case studies online to help inspire you when filling out the Pathways to Impact section of your funding applications.

The Pathways to Impact are designed to encourage you to consider the sorts of activities that may help your research to have an impact. A wide variety of activities have been funded from the Pathways to Impact section, including public engagement, direct collaborations with beneficiaries, events and policy briefings.

The case studies provide personal accounts from RCUK-funded researchers about their approaches and experiences of Pathways to Impact. The case studies also provide guidance and top tips on how you can maximise impact from your research. Tips include avoiding potential pitfalls, such as focusing only on past activities rather than looking ahead to explore the potential impact of the project, and ensuring milestones are included where appropriate along with an explanation of the rationale behind activities.

Further case studies will be added over the coming weeks to build a knowledge bank of experience and best practice that you can draw on.

Global accounting rules – an unfeasible aim?

Stella Fearnley, Professor of Accounting at BU, and Shyam Sunder, James L. Frank Professor of Accounting, Economics, and Finance at Yale School of Management, recently published their views on global accounting rules in the Financial Times financial markets online edition. The article outlines the authors’ concerns that the application of uniform financial processes or rules in diverse societies, such as the introduction of the euro and the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), does not yield uniform outcomes. They urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to abandon any plans to proceed with IFRS in the US, and encourage other countries that already employ IFRS to insist on a much less complex system.

Ultimately, the authors suggest the G20 drop its support for global accounting standards and recommend a system of accounting based on professional judgments and sound, prudent principles. At the end of the day, Anglo-American based accounting standards are not necessarily appropriate for the whole world.

To access a copy of the full article, you can sign up for free to the FT website and download a copy here.

The new European Framework for Research Careers could help you

Last week I posted about the INORMS conference I attended this month. Another key presentation I saw came from the EC’s Adeline Kroll; ‘Towards Professionalisation of Research in Europe’ outlined how countries in the EU lack comprehensive provisions for professional development in research beyond PhD level.

The presentation highlighted that there is a lack of comparable research career structures within the EU, that there is no EU-wide guidance for researchers on matters such as whether they can take their grants with them when moving to other institutes within the EU and other matters such as pensions.

In response to this, the presenter announced that a taskforce is working on a European Framework for Research Careers, which aims to have research recognised as a separate professional category. This will address issues such as the quality of doctoral training, gender balance in research careers and employment conditions to clarify the rights and obligations of Europe’s researchers.

Fusion Investment Fund Applications – Three weeks to go!

Funding opportunities, Fusion, Guidance, Training

I would like to remind you of the deadline for applications to the Fusion Investment Fund, which is the 1st July. 

Last Fusion Investment Fund Workshops – Places are still available!

Many of your colleagues have attended these workshop sessions in the last two weeks, bringing along draft proposals to show Matthew Bennett and his team of academics.  I attended the surgery session on Thursday 7th June, meeting colleagues taking the opportunity to attend and ask for specific advice and pointers from Matthew on how to make their applications stand out from the crowd. 

Please be aware we re-scheduled the Study Leave Workshop – This is now taking place on Wednesday 13th June

Study Leave Workshop:

Wednesday 13th June 2012, 09:00-10:00 – PG146, Thomas Hardy Suite (TC).

This workshop will provide academics preparing proposals for study leave funding with the opportunity to discuss issues around study leave, the contractual/HR side of the arrangements, and the benefits of undertaking study leave. The workshop will be lead by Matthew Bennett with support from HR and a couple of BU academics with experience of taking study leave as part of their careers. Max of 30 attendees.

The Last Fusion Investment Fund surgery:

Friday 22th June 2012, 12:00-14:00 – P403, Poole House (TC)

These surgeries will provide academics preparing proposals for one of the FIF strands with the opportunity to bring their ideas and drafts to discuss with Matthew Bennett and a team of Professors and to test out what makes a good, fundable proposal with a competitive edge. Max of 30 attendees per session.

  • Booking onto a session is easy, simply click the link to be taken to Staff Development bookings page.

 

Applying to the fund.

 To apply to the fund please see the information here on our intranet pages.

 If you have any queries about the fund please email FusionFund@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Best of luck!

Sam

Sign up to the BU Research Themes!

The BU Research Themes were launched in December at the first of the BU-wide Fusion events. The Themes are society-led, encourage cross-School working and collaboration, and will be the main vehicle through which BU research is presented externally in future.

We’re now encouraging staff and postgraduate research students to sign up to one or more of the Themes! This is a great way to get involved in the BU research environment and to meet other academics and students from across the University. Many of the themes are now starting to hold meetings to determine how to move the themes forward and this is your chance to get involved.

There are eight BU Research Themes:

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

If you would like to join one or more of the Themes, then complete the form below and my colleague Nikki Gloyns will add you to the list.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your School / Professional Service (required)

    Staff or PGR student? (required)

    StaffPGR

    Please select the themes that you are interested in (required)

    Talk on Software Platforms for Evolving Predictive Systems, wednesday 13th June 14:00, Lawrence Lecture Theatre

    REF Subjects, Research themes

    Our next external speaker of the STRC seminar series will be Mr . Tobiasz Dworak. The talk will take place on Wednesday, 13th of June in Lawrence Lecture Theatre at 14:00 h
    Tobiasz is a highly experience Project Manager and Software Developer in the International Company Research & Engineering Center (REC-global)
    I think that those of you involved in software design and development would like to hear this Seminar.
    The title of the talk is: “Current state of INFER platform software. (Hands on demo)”
    “I will be presenting current state of the INFER (Computational Intelligence Platform for Evolving and Robust Predictive Systems) software with emphasis on new model of predictive elements. Additionally I’ll draft further of INFER core and present live demo of the software. Open discussion will take part after the presentation. I’d like to hear wishes from all potential users of INFER”.
    Best Wishes, Emili

    Hefce’s purse strings may be tied to the proposed Concordat to Support Research Integrity

    Research Integritiy

    Universities could be forced to sign up to the proposed Concordat to Support Research Integrity as a condition of public funding under proposals being considered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce).  The Concordat–drafted by Universities UK, Research Councils UK, among others–sets out the standards required of researchers, funders and universities, but makes clear that primary responsibility for policing misconduct rests with institutions.  Please see a previous blog post from 4 April which provides more detail on the Concordat.  Fortunately, Bournemouth University is already on track to implement the standards set out in the Concordat. 

    If Hefce decides to require universities to sign up to (and effectively implement) the Concordat as a condition of public funding, this will be a huge first step towards funding being tied to research integrity principles.  As BU’s research conduct officer, it brings me great joy to see Hefce helping to ensure research is done to the highest degree of integrity by requiring compliance with the concordat as part of the financial memorandum universities sign with Hefce.  A paper prepared for Hefce’s board members said the move would “provide assurance to the government and the…public that public funding for research is used with integrity and that appropriate mechanisms are in place to identify and respond to…misconduct,”adding that “the other major UK funders” are also considering making compliance a condition of their grants.  A final decision on this plan will be made once the final version of the Concordat is published next month.

    Even more reasons to think about an Erasmus Mundus application

    David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, recently submitted a response to a report ‘Recommendations to support UK Outward Student Mobility ‘ produced by a group established last year to review the obstacles and incentives to outward student mobility in the UK.  

    Support was given for the report which advocates the creation of a national strategy for mobility supported by ‘a body designed to facilitate and promote best practice, effectiveness and professionalism’. In fact Mr Willetts liked it so much he asked the Group’s Chair to explore possible models for a national strategy, including a national body to coordinate this, for a future meeting of the high-level International Education Advisory Forum.

    Student mobility is becoming a more strategic issue for the UK, giving students a competitive advantage in the employment market and institutions an increase in international collaborative research and raising the institutions profile across the world.

    The EC released figures on the Erasmus Mundus programme last week; approximately 231,000 students and 43,000 university staff received an EU grant to study or work abroad as part of the Erasmus programme in 2010-11. This represents a  7.2 per cent increase for study grants compared with the previous academic year; a 15 per cent increase in grants for work placements; and a 13.3 per cent increase for staff exchanges.

    Erasmus Mundus is a great way for you to get involved with student mobility and to help you build stronger networks abroad for future research collaborations. This programme funded by the EC is designed especially to help you establish partnerships with institutions abroad and also to allow you to study/ research/ teach internationally. You can read more on the Erasmus Mundus scheme on my previous blogpost.

    Congratulations to BU’s newly appointed NERC reviewers!

    Congratulations to Prof Matthew Bennett and Prof Rudy Gozlan who have both been appointed as reviewers to NERC.

    The NERC Peer Review College provides assessments, advice and guidance across NERC’s range of research investments. However, members are most involved in reviewing Responsive Mode research proposals and participating in Responsive Mode moderating panel meetings. The are currently c. 440 college members.

    This is great news for Matthew and Rudy, and also for the School of Applied Sciences and the University. Congratulations!

    Join the Ageing at BU Facebook group

    The Health, Wellbeing and Ageing Research Theme invite BU staff and students interested in Wellbeing and Ageing to consider joining the AGEING AT BU facebook group. The aim of the group is to share our own work, events and reading on research, education, practice and policy that relates to older people, ageing and wellbeing. We would encourage our practice partners outside of BU to join also.

    You can join the group on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/106969319443779/

    BU wins a prestigious HEA studentship!

    Awarded & submitted bids

    Last week the Higher Education Academy (HEA) announced the winners of their Doctoral Programme awards, which form part of the HEA’s strategy to undertake research to develop pedagogical knowledge and evidence-based practice in higher education. The 15 awards have been made to academics to support Doctoral studentships in fields including the impact of retention strategies on part-time mature students in HE, and unpacking the dynamics of group interaction in problem-based learning.

    Professor Jonathan Parker in the School of Health and Social Care was awarded one of the studentships for a student to research male students in qualifying social work education.

    This is an excellent achievement, especially taking into account the popularity of the scheme! Congratulations Jonathan 🙂

    Your chance to attend one of the AHRC’s theme events and contribute to the future funding agenda

    The AHRC are organising three open events for people to come and find out more about their themes, to provide input into the future development of the themes and to give an opportunity for networking.

    Details about the events and how to register have been added to the AHRC website today: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News/Events/Pages/AHRCThemeEvents.aspx

    The themes are:

    • Care for the Future
    • Digital Transformations
    • Science in Culture
    • Translating Cultures
    • Connected Communities

    The events will be held on the following dates:

    Wednesday 4 July – University of Manchester: 10am – 3.30pm
    Monday 16 July – Avonmouth House London: 10am – 3.30pm
    Friday 20 July – Edinburgh (venue tbc): 10am – 3.30pm

    These events provide academics with an excellent opportunity to find out what is happening with each of the themes and to contribute to the development of the future agenda and funding calls. They also provide the opportunity to network with colleagues with similar research interests and to test out ideas.

    UK Research Councils respond to Horizon 2020 proposal

    This month the RCUK released their response to the proposals for Horizon 2020. The RCUK response represents the collective views of the seven UK Research Councils in response to the proposed structure and scope of Horizon 2020 as set out in the Commission’s proposals.

    You can read the full document here but highlights include praise for emphasis on excellence and capacity, praise for tackling Societal Challenges and a recognition of praise for the retaining of schemes such as Marie Curie. It raises concerns over  proposals for  ‘Inclusive Innovative and Secure Societies’ challenge as this seems to bring together a large number of disparate activities in a way that may not be the most coherent or effective and calls for the contribution of social sciences and humanities to each of the Societal Challenges to be better articulated.