/ Full archive

REF event 19 & 20 May 2011 – SAVE THE DATE!

Research assessment

REF logoBU will be holding a two day Research Excellence Framework (REF) event on 19 and 20 May to which all staff are invited to attend.

Day 1 (open to BU staff and external delegates)
9am-2pm – this will be an external event supported by HEFCE to which all HEIs in the South of England will be invited. The focus will be on developing and assessing impact for the REF. There will be speakers from HEFCE, an academic from one of the impact pilot institutions (University of Plymouth), and some of the impact pilot panel members. The event is aimed primarily at academics likely to be submitted to the REF and UOA Leaders. It will provide a forum for networking and discussion around preparations for the impact element of the REF.

Day 1 (open to BU staff only)
2pm-5pm – There will be an opportunity for internal networking, a demonstration of the publications management system BU will soon be implementing, and a talk by Prof Matthew Bennett on building a publication profile for the REF.

Day 2 (open to BU staff only)
9am-4:30pm – the focus of Day 2 is the development of the BU impact case studies. The day will open with a presentation by Prof Matthew Bennett on what impact actually is, followed by presentations of the impact case studies being developed at the moment (3 per Unit of Assessment). These will run in 9 concurrent sessions with 4 presentations taking place in parallel during each session. The main aims of Day 2 are to get academics thinking about the impact case studies in a structured way, to identify resource requirements to maximise potential impacts, and the engage staff from M&C with the case studies being developed. In addition this is a great opportunity to showcase the excellent research that is undertaken at BU, to meet colleagues from other Schools, and to stimulate ideas for future research collaborations.

The event is free to attend but booking is essential. Booking will open next week – further details to follow!

A champion for research?

When I applied for my new job as PVC (Research, Enterprise, Internationalisation) I set out my stall around the need for there to be a strong Academic Champion for Research within BU.  Someone who would fight the corner of ordinary academics engaged in research and enterprise.  As an active researcher I understand many of the challenges and barriers that exist within the system, but to stay an effective champion I need to stay in touch with the rank and file.  I need to know what concerns you, what the obstacles and challenges are.  I have spent a lot of time in the first few months listening to individuals around BU, visiting our Research Centres and talking to anybody who wants to talk about research.  This is an enlightening process not least because of the wonderful work which is taking place and the committed, energetic staff around the organisation that make it such a great place to work; a place that I am fiercely proud off.  There is nothing better than hearing about someone’s research first hand and it makes this job worth doing.  So please keep letting me have your news, ideas and information on the challenges you face to getting things done.  I want to know what concerns you, what needs to be fixed, how we can improve our collective research performance as I begin to think about a new research and enterprise strategy for BU over the next few months.  Just stop me on campus, drop me an e-mail, add a comment to this post, or book an appointment to talk research!

Tea in the Namibian Desert

Matthew Bennett

PS I thought this post needed a picture since I like pictures; so here is one from December of tea in the Namibian Desert!

BU shortlisted for THE Leadership and Management Awards for ‘Outstanding Research Management Team’

BU has been shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards in the category of  ‘Outstanding Research Management Team’.

The submission focused on the set up and implementation of the CRE Operations team by FCS during 2009-10 and the benefits that a centralised service has provided.

BU has also been shortlisted in the category ‘Outstanding Finance Team’ (for the second year running).

The awards will take place on 16 June at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

This is a fabulous achievement for Financial and Commercial Services! 😀 Whoop!

For the list of finalists see the THELMAs website.

REF Highlight Report #8

Research assessment

REF logoThe latest REF Highlight Report is now available from the Research Intranet.

Key points include updates on:

  • progress with the UOA Action Plans
  • the REF two-day event to be held at BU in May (19th/20th)
  • the second mock exercises for UOAs 7 and 26
  • the RASG and RALT meetings held in March

You can access the full document from here: REF Highlight Report #8

RCUK delivery plan published

RCUK logoLast week Research Councils UK (RCUK) published its new delivery plan. The plan sets out the programme of collective activities for the period 2011-2015, building on the strategic objectives set out in the RCUK Strategic Vision.

The collective work that the Research Councils do as RCUK will cover two broad areas: delivering excellence with impact and enhancing efficiency.

The RCUK programme, detailed in the Delivery Plan, contributes to:

  • Co-ordinating multidisciplinary research to address societal challenges
  • Maximising the impact of the research funded by Research Councils
  • Supporting research in the international context
  • Ensuring a continued pipeline of highly skilled researchers for the sustained health of the research base, and for wider economic and societal benefit
  • Engaging the public with the research.

Collaboration and multidisciplinary research will continue to be supported through the six cross-Council themes:

Research Councils will also work collectively to both improve the efficiency of their own operations and drive enhanced efficiency in the wider research base.

For further information read the full RCUK Delivery Plan. 

A selection of EU Funding opportunities…

Funding opportunities

European Refugee Fund 2011
The UK Borders Agency has announced that it is seeking applications through the European Refugee Fund – which relates to resettlement under the Gateway Protection Programme.  The minimum amount that can be applied for is £75,000 per year per project, and the maximum is £350,000 per year per project for up to three years to fund the management and delivery of activities. Deadline: 21.04.11

European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs
The EC has launched a new call for proposal to create a European network of mentors for women entrepreneurs. Grants of up to €75,000 will be available to each network. Deadline: 20.04.11

Support for European Cooperation in Education and Training – LLP
The EC has issued a call for proposals under its Lifelong Learning Programme to support European cooperation in education and training.  Grants of up to €300,000 per project are available. Deadline: 30.06.11

Support for Television Broadcasting of European Audiovisual Works
MEDIA 2007 funding is available to cover up to 12,5% of an organisation’s eligible production budget (with a maximum amount per work of 500.000 €) for fiction and animation, and 20% of the organisation’s eligible budget (with a maximum of 300.000 € per work) for documentaries. Deadline: 20.06.11

Good Luck & Congratulations Weekending 8 April 2011

Awarded & submitted bids

This week good luck and congratulations are due to staff in the Business School, Media School and Applied Sciences.  Julie Robson, Tim Ford, Sue Warnock and Mark Ridolfo all submitted enterprise bids for short courses or consultancy.  Martin Kretschmer is to be congratulated on his successful application for support from AHRC/SCRIPT.  In the Media School Sofronis Efstathiou and Hugh Chignell both submitted conference and enterprise bids, while  Dan Jackson, Craig Batty and Jo Tyler have all received good news about bids.  Finally in Applied Sciences congratulations are due to Eileen Wilkes and Bournemouth Archaeology for a couple of small grants and consultancy contracts.

Keep those bids coming!

Matthew Bennett

Notes from AHRC, ESRC & BA on challenges and opportunities for the arts and humanities and social sciences in the current economic climate

 

BU’s Kate Welham and Richard Shipway attended a meeting jointly hosted by the AHRC, British Academy and the ESRC aimed at discussing the challenges and opportunities for the arts and humanities and social sciences in the current economic climate. The focus of the event included presentations from the three Chief Executives of the respective research bodies who outlined their amended research agendas and current strategic funding priorities. Notes from the day can be found here: Arts Humanities & Social Sciences Meeting Event

Collaborate with SMEs through a new Grant Research and Development Scheme

Funding opportunities

A new Grant for Research and Development (GRD) scheme aimed at supporting small and medium-sized companies across the UK, enabling them to research and develop new products, processes and services is open for applications and will be managed by the Technology Strategy Board. The maximum funding available will be £25,000 for proof-of-market grants, £100,000 for proof-of-concept grants and £250,000 for development of prototype grants.

2 health related funding opportunities

Funding opportunities

Nuffield Foundation – Research and Innovation Grants
The Nuffield Foundation is inviting applications through its Research and Innovation Grants programme. Grants normally range between £5,000 and £150,000.  Deadline: 08.07.11

SUBWAY Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Grants
HRUK is inviting applications for up to £10,000 to support projects that strongly promote heart health, not just healthy lifestyles.

Funding for Links with Japan

Funding opportunities

The Daiwa Foundation which supports closer links between Britain and Japan is seeking applications under its small grants programme. Grants of £3,000-£7,000 are available to individuals, societies, associations or other bodies in the UK or Japan to promote and support interaction (any type of activity) between the two countries. Deadline: 30.09.11

EuropeAid: Funding for EU policy development, governance, human rights, human development, food, natural resources, economy or trade

Funding opportunities

EuropeAid is responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid through programmes and projects across the world, providing a single contact point for stakeholders inside and outside the EU to deal with. EuropeAid offers funding through grant calls and contract calls; to learn more about how to get funded visit the BU EuropeAid webpage.

Intelligent Energy Europe online support session

Funding opportunities

The next Intelligent Energy Europe online support session will take place on Wednesday 13th April at 3pm.  The session will include a presentation on Section 4 of the IEE proposal – objectives and impacts.    If you would like to join this session  email the IEE team and you will be sent the telephone conference call dial in details and the weblink where you will be able to view the slides. 

RCUK Research Outcomes Project

Research assessment

In an effort to record the outcomes and impact of research beyond the end of a funded project, Research Councils UK (RCUK) have been developing a system to gather the relevant quantitative and qualitative evidence. The information collated will be an important part of the Research Councils’ strategy development, and will be crucial in demonstrating the benefits of RCUK-funded research to society and the economy.

Currently, the Research Outcomes Project remains on course to go live in summer 2011, although a full roll out may not occur until autumn. Grant holders will be required to provide information on the following output types:

  • Publications
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Exploitation
  • Recognition
  • Staff Development
  • Further Funding
  • Impact

The idea is for the system to allow outcomes to be reported at any point during the funding agreement and beyond, recognising that impacts from research are often realised some time after funding agreements have been completed.

The project team are engaging with users to ensure the system will be easy to use and aligned as far as possible with universities’ own research management information systems. A focus group of research managers provided feedback on the system, which is currently being built, and a pilot exercise is due to take place in August 2011.

BU is currently following the development of the Research Outcomes Project and will be looking at ways to help academics provide the required data in due course. In the meantime, please contact Anita Somner if you have any questions. To raise queries or concerns, or to make suggestions to RCUK, you can use the project email address: researchoutcomes@rcuk.ac.uk .

Research Development Unit (RDU) changes

I’m pleased to confirm four significant changes to the Research Development Unit (RDU) that will take place over the coming months.

First, our name has changed from the Research Unit to the Research Development Unit (RDU) to more accurately reflect what it is we do and the services we offer.

The second group of changes are to the existing RDU team:

My job description has been tweaked slightly and my job title remains the same – University Research Development Manager. I will continue to lead the RDU and work closely with the PVC (Research, Enterprise & Internationalisation), and be responsible for the operationalisation of BU research strategy, research policy, external research assessment returns, research management information, and R&E systems (such as RED).

Corrina Dickson’s job description has been updated and her job title changed to Senior Research Development Officer (EU). Once all of the changes have been made, Corrina will no longer be undertaking the management of the internal peer review scheme (RPRS) and all of her time will be dedicated to supporting EU funding, i.e. identifying and promoting EU funding opportunities, working with academic staff to strengthen proposals, and brokering relationships with EU bodies. This is the first time BU has had a dedicated EU support post so is an exciting time for both BU and Corrina.

Anita Somner’s job description has also been updated and her job title has been changed to Research Development Officer (REF). These changes reflect Anita’s continuing and valued role in supporting the University’s preparations for the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF).

I’m sure you’ll all join me in congratulating Corrina and Anita, and wishing them well in their roles!

The third change to the RDU is that in addition to the job description and job title changes for the existing team members, there will also be two further posts which we will seek to recruit to over the next few months:

Research Development Officer (Funding & Processes) – having been vacant since November 2009 due to a staff secondment this post will be advertised internally later this week. The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring our internal R&E systems (such as RED & iCOST) and pre- and post-award processes are efficient and streamlined. Other duties will include administering external R&E systems (such as Je-S, Research Professional, etc), collating R&E management information, sourcing funding opportunities and serving as Secretary for the University Research Ethics Committee.

Senior R&E Officer (Peer Review) – This is a new part-time post that will be dedicated to managing the internal peer review scheme (RPRS). The post-holder will initially be based in the Research Development Unit, mentored by Corrina, with the aim of transferring to the CRE Operations team later in calendar year. Having this post based in CRE Operations will ensure that internal peer review is embedded in the pre-award research process resulting in a much more streamlined process for academics submitting bids. This post will be advertised in May.

These are both excellent opportunities – if you would like to discuss either of them, please contact me (ext: 61208) and I will happily provide further details.

The fourth and final change is our line management and direction which will now come from two senior posts at BU – the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research, Enterprise & Internationalisation) (Prof Matthew Bennett) and the Head of Financial and Commercial Services (Susanne Clarke). This will ensure that there is an academic voice shaping research support and development, whilst also ensuring that research remains integrated with FCS for elements such as audit, external reporting, and R&E systems and processes.

These are really exciting changes for the Research Development Unit and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent service, support and advice for all research matters across BU.

😀 We always welcome feedback and suggestions as to how to improve our service, particulary at times such as this when there are lots of opportunities for change. If you do have any feedback or suggestions, please leave a comment to this post or email us.

Julie Northam

University Research Development Manager

Future BU research themes – have your say!

Following the current refresh of Vision & Values led by the Vice Chancellor Professor John Vinney the intention is to look again at the research and enterprise strategy for BU.

There are likely to be two big elements of change: one is a shift to talking about research as an all embracing term for not only the creation of knowledge but also its dissemination through enterprise and professional practice, and the other is a move towards a more outward facing approach led by the large societal themes both of the day and of the future.  This will position BU to respond more effectively to the big research questions; those associated with the funding and societal impact.  As the first step towards this we are trying to identify a series of broad themes or communities of interest around which we can focus and foster a more collegial and collaborative research mission. 

Identifying these themes or communities is something we wish to engage all staff in.  In the short term these themes and communities will be used to promote our research via the web through a shift to a more narrative based approach rather than one based on our internal structures as at present. 

To start this process off we looked first at the key funding themes for the research councils and other large funders and then ‘road-tested’ them via the BU Professoriate to come up with a long list of possible research themes or communities of interest.  I am now seeking your input via a survey; what themes speak to you? What themes would your research fit under? What are we are missing?  The survey takes less than two minutes to complete. Your participation is very much appreciated and will help directly shape not only the way in which we promote our research via the BU website but also our future research strategy.

To complete the survey click here!

 The survey is open until Monday 2 May.

 

Matthew Bennett

PVC (Research, Enterprise & Internationalisation)