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.
A few days ago a group of researchers from the UK, Nepal and South Korea listed as the top five authors writing on migrant workers’ health-related research in Nepal. Their recent paper ‘Migrant workers’ health-related research in Nepal: A bibliometric study’ was published last week in the journal Dialogues in Health (Elsevier) with as lead author Dr. Sharada P. Wasti from the University of Greenwich [1]. The team conducted a systematic search of published literature on Nepalese migrant workers’ health was conducted in Scopus, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science, followed by a bibliometric analysis. The search of databases retrieved 520 records, and a total of 161 papers were included in the analysis. Bibliometric analyses were performed to create visualisation maps. The team found that most articles were published on infectious diseases, followed by health and lifestyle, sexual and reproductive health, access to health services, workplace safety, maternal health, and health systems and policy.
Their search found that 533 researchers originating from 24 countries contributed to the pool of literature. It also lists the top five authors in the field in Table 5. We were proud to find out that all five top author positions are affiliated with Bournemouth University (BU): three are current BU staff, Dr. Pratik Adhikari one is a BU PhD graduate, and Prof. Padam Simkhada from the University of Huddersfield, is BU Visiting Faculty.
References:
Wasti, S.P., Shrestha, A, Atteraya, M.S., GC, V,S. (2023) Migrant workers’ health-related research in Nepal: A bibliometric study, Dialogues in Health 3: 100147, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dialog.2023.100147.
Congratulations to Drs. Pramod Regmi and Nirmal Aryal in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences who published their latest paper this week [1]. This peer-reviewed paper ‘Assessing the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices in, food safety among migrant workers in Klang Valley, Malaysia’ in the journal Travel Medicine & Infectious Disease assesses the current food safety KAP (knowledge, attitudes and behaviour) as well as strategies to promote food safety awareness, among migrant workers across occupational sectors in Malaysia.
The authors conducted a survey with 403 migrant workers using telephone interviews and online self-administered questionnaires. The respondents were Nepalese, Filipino and Indonesian migrant workers. The majority were male, working in the services industry, had completed high school, aged between 30 and 39 years and had worked in Malaysia for less than ten years. Knowledge was significantly correlated with attitudes and practices. Female respondents had lower knowledge and attitude scores while younger respondents had lower knowledge scores. Indonesian and Filipino respondents had lower knowledge and attitudes scores than Nepalese respondents. Understanding food safety information from social media was positively correlated with the respondents’ food safety knowledge and practices. The paper concludes there is: (i) a to target female, younger, Indonesian and Filipino migrant workers, and (ii) the potential of social media to improve public awareness of food safety and hygienic practices.
Well done!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH)
Reference:
Chaudhary MN, Lim V-C, Sahimin N, Faller EM, Regmi P, Aryal N, Azman AS (2023) Assessing the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices in, food safety among migrant workers in Klang Valley, Malaysia, Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102620.
Join UKRIO for their latest free webinar “Correcting the scholarly record, and dispelling myths around corrections” on Wednesday 20th September from 10:00 – 11:00 BST.
A core part of publication ethics is the correction of published research affected by errors or misconduct.
This webinar aims to explain both the process of fixing errors and misconceptions about corrections, focusing on journal articles, and to answer the questions:
Who decides what needs to be corrected?
What are the responsibilities of editors, journals, research institutions, and authors?
How are corrections done and what form do they take?
How do readers know when work has been corrected?
What are the barriers to correcting the scholarly literature – and, hopefully, the solutions to these problems?
Lead by expert speakers, this session will draw on their experience in handling corrections and developing editorial policies.
Gráinne McNamara, Research Integrity/Publication Ethics Manager, Karger Publishers
As BU subscribes to UKRIO services, UKRIO webinars are free and open to anyone who may be interested in research integrity and ethics, good research practice and improving research culture and misconduct.
To register – please click here (takes you to external website).
Worldwide drowning has caused over 2.5 million deaths in the last decade. The overwhelming majority of these deaths (90%) happen in low-middle-income countries. Globally, the highest drowning rates occur among children aged 1–4 years.
To mark this year’s World Drowning Prevention Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is raising awareness of drowning interventions such as teaching school-age children basic swimming water safety and safe rescue skills. Drowning is a public health issue, through their World Drowning Prevention Day campaign, WHO will be reminding people that: “Anyone can drown, but no one should.”
In Bangladesh, drowning is the leading cause of death in children over the age of one. Globally, the country has one of the highest rates of drowning, especially among children. Additionally, the risk of drowning in rural areas is twice as likely in comparison to cities. Some of the reasons for this are due to access to hazards, e.g., because there are a significant number of ponds and ditches, creating natural drowning hazards for very young children.
Bournemouth University and the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) jointly have received funding for research into the number of children drowning deaths in Bangladesh. The project, called ‘Sonamoni’, is being coordinated by Bournemouth University in collaboration with the University of the West of England, Bristol, the University of Southampton, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). We are working with CIPRB to reduce drownings among newly-mobile children, generally under two years old. The project, with Prof. Dr. Aminur Rahman as Bangladesh lead, includes a PhD project by BU’s Mr. Shafkat Hossain. Shafkat’s thesis focuses on aspects of the Human-Centred-Design element of the Sonamoni project.
This £1.6m project has been made possible thanks to a grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) through their Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation programme. For more information, visit the NIHR website.
The interdisciplinary team at Bournemouth University cover three faculties supported by the following academics: Dr. Mavis Bengtsson, Dr. Kyungjoo Cha, Dr. Mehdi Chowdhury, Dr. Yong Hun Lim, Mr. John Powell, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.
In summer 2015, BU launched the BU Bridging Fund Scheme to provide ‘bridging funding’ for the continuation of employment of research staff for a short-term (usually up to three months, but up to six months can be considered in exceptional situations) between research grants. BU’s Bridging Fund Scheme is intended to permit the temporary employment, in certain circumstances, of researchers between fixed-term contracts at BU, for whom no other source of funding is available, in order to:
(a) encourage the retention of experienced and skilled staff, and sustain research teams and expertise;
(b) avoid the break in employment and career which might otherwise be faced by such staff;
(c) maximise the opportunity for such staff to produce high-quality outputs and/or research impact at the end of funded contracts/grants.
The scheme guidelines have been updated to include a figure demonstrating the application workflow (in Appendix 2 of the scheme guidelines).
The Bridging Fund Scheme is an action from our Athena Swan action plan (which aims to create a more gender inclusive culture at BU) and our HR Excellence in Research Award (which aims to increase BU’s alignment with the national Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers).
The competition, open to students across the world, asked for suggestions for ‘How Computing can address the Energy Crisis.’ Assemgul’s winning entry was a poster that featured comics and anecdotes on urban traffic congestion as one of the main contributors to the energy crisis. It should be highlighted that she also focuses on congestion mitigation in her Ph.D. thesis.
Are you a post-graduate researcher at Bournemouth University who wants to share your sustainability-themed research with the public and improve your communication skills? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
We are looking for 3-4 post-graduate researchers to take part in a special edition of our Café Scientifique public event series, where you will deliver a short talk about your research to a friendly public audience. The event will take place from 6:30-8:00pm on Tuesday 5th September 2023 at The Black Cherry in Boscombe.
Café Scientifique is a fun and informal way to engage the public with your research and get feedback from different perspectives. You will also receive training and support from our experienced Café Scientifique organiser Adam Morris and host George Askwith, who will help you prepare and deliver your talk with confidence and clarity.
The overarching theme for the event will be sustainability. You must be free for a training session at 2-3pm on Tuesday 22 August in Fusion F107, and for the event itself in September.
The deadline for applying is midnight at the end of Wednesday 26 July.
How it will work
Complete a short form to let us know why you’re interested and a bit about your research and how it meets the sustainability theme.
If selected to take part – you will be sent guidance on how to develop and deliver a great talk. Based on this, you will develop and practice a ‘draft’ version of your talk.
At 2-3pm on Tuesday 22 August 2023, you will attend a training session to practise your talk in front of the organisers and other speakers, and receive and give supportive feedback.
The event will be organised for you and marketed to our local public audience. Feel free to share it with anyone you know!
The British Sociological Society’s (BSA) journal Sociological Research Onlineis seeking a new second book review editor. All Editors, including the book review editor, have to be BSA members throughout their term of office and previous engagement with the BSA is desirable. The term of office is three years with the possibility of an extension, starting mid-November 2023. The deadline for applications is 11th October 2013.
Sociological Research Online is published by the international social science publishing house SAGE. The editorial team has just been informed this week that the Impact Factor of the journal has increased to 1.6.
Interested candidates should submit a pro forma application of no more than 2 pages and a short CV. To receive a pro forma application, please contact Selina Hisir, BSA
Publications Coordinator, at email: sro.journal@britsoc.org.uk
As current book review editor I am very happy to talk to interested sociologists informally.
Written evidence provided to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee by Prof. Ann Luce, FMC, has been cited in the “Progress in improving NHS mental health services” report released today. Luce’s research around suicide risk to NHS mental health staff and the impact that has on care, served as the underpinning evidence for one of six recommendations the committee has made.
The Public Accounts Committee heard concerning evidence of increasing pressures on NHS mental health staff at a time of spiking demand. In the report published today, it warns that increased workload is leading to burnout for remaining staff, which contributes to a higher rate of staff turnover and a resulting vicious cycle of more staff shortages.
17,000 staff (12%) left the NHS mental health workforce in 2021-22, up from pre-pandemic levels of around 14,000 a year. Those citing work-life balance reasons for leaving increased from 4% in 2012-13 to 14% in 2021-22, and the percentage of days lost from the workforce due to psychiatric reasons doubled in a decade. NHS England told the PAC that, in common with all NHS staff, mental health problems are one of the biggest drivers of sickness among staff.
Staff shortages are holding back NHS mental health services as a whole from improving and expanding. The PAC calls on the NHS to address the fact that staff increases are being outpaced by the rise in demand for services. The NHS mental health workforce increased by 22% overall between 2016-17 and 2021-22, while referrals to these services increased by 44% over the same period. The PAC’s inquiry found that staff vacancy rates in acute inpatient mental health services are at approximately 20% or more.
Good data and information is necessary to manage and improve NHS services, as well as to deliver them impactfully and cost-effectively. The Government and NHS England (NHSE) acknowledged to the PAC that mental health services are lagging behind physical services in this area to a particularly concerning degree. Of 29 integrated care boards surveyed by the National Audit Office, only four said they had all or most of the data they needed to assess patient and user experiences, and none of them felt this in relation to patient outcomes.
Another area of particular concern for the PAC is a continuing lack of progress in the area of treating mental health services with equal priority as physical services – or ‘parity of esteem’. Despite the Government setting this ambition in 2011, and the PAC itself calling four years ago for a clear definition of how to measure progress to get there – a recommendation accepted at the time by the Government – there is still no such clear definition.
Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “The findings of our inquiry must serve as a warning to the Government that mental health is still in danger of not being treated with the same urgent priority as physical health. NHS mental health staff deal with some of the most challenging care needs there are. Staff in this space deserve not just our heartfelt gratitude for the job they do, but concrete support and training to work as part of well-staffed workplaces. Our report warns of a vicious cycle, in which staff shortages and morale both worsen in self-reinforcing parallel.
“The short-term actions being taken by the Government and NHS England to tackle ongoing pressure are welcome. But these numbers are still going in the wrong direction, as demand for care well outpaces the supply of staff to provide it. The Government must act to pull services out of this doom loop. Invaluable care for some of our most vulnerable cannot and must not be provided at the expense of the welfare of the workforce carrying it out.”
NHS England and the Government now have six months to respond.
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If you are interested in submitting written evidence based on your research to a Parliamentary Inquiry, please reach out to impact@bournemouth.ac.uk who can help you with putting together your submission. Contributions to inquires are a good pathway to impact for impact case studies for the REF, and can lead to policy change and influence.
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My secondment at Kraftenshus, Boras Sweden this picture shows Prof Andreas, BU ESR Mavis Bengtsson and Dr Erik at Kraftenshus
Join UKRIO for their latest free webinar “Correcting the scholarly record, and dispelling myths around corrections” on 
provide ‘bridging funding’ for the continuation of employment of research staff for a short-term (usually up to three months, but up to six months can be considered in exceptional situations) between research grants. BU’s Bridging Fund Scheme is intended to permit the temporary employment, in certain circumstances, of researchers between fixed-term contracts at BU, for whom no other source of funding is available, in order to:
Written evidence
Dr. Ashraf cited on ‘Modest Fashion’ in The Guardian
NIHR-funded research launches website
Academics write for newspaper in Nepal
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