/ Full archive

Investigating Academic Impact event at LSE on 13 June

Research assessment

The LSE Public Policy Group is running a free one day event on evidencing the impact of research.

Date: Monday 13 June 2011 
Time: 10-5pm 
Venue:  New Academic Building, LSE, London

Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact.

This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact.

PANELS:
Research Impact and the REF
Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council)
David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE)
Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot)

Current Thinking in Assessing Impact
Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)
Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge)
Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates)

Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement
Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London)
Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Insight)
Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE)
Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK)

BREAKOUT SESSIONS:
Academic impact on policy-making
Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government)
Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government)

Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators
Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR)
Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex)

Academic impacts on industry and business
James John (Director of Strategy, director of strategy, civil government, HP)

A ‘how to’ guide to measuring your own academic impact
Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)

Improving academic communication
Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics)
Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics)

This event is free and open to all but pre-registration is required. For more information phone and email the PPG team on 020 7955 6064 or 020 7955 6731 or by email on impactofsocialsciences@lse.ac.uk|. You can find more information on the Investigating Academic Impact website.

FP7 Ocean of Tomorrow 2012 Information Day – relevant for food, agri, biotch, energy, enviro & transport

The European Commission is organising an Information Day for the 2012 Ocean of Tomorrow co-ordinated topics, which will be included in the 2012 Work Programmes of the FP7 Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnologies (FAFB), Energy, Environment and Transport themes. The event will take place in Brussels but will also be webstreamed live.

its official – the arts & humanities make a significant contribution to the UK economy

New research shows that the arts and humanities make a significant contribution to the UK economy in part thanks to researchers being so highly connected with UK businesses. Commissioned by the AHRC and undertaken by the Centre for Business Research (CBR) at the University of Cambridge the report, Hidden Connections: Knowledge exchange between the arts and humanities and the private, public and third sectors, has surveyed over 3500 academics in the Arts and Humanities as well as over 2,500 businesses in all sectors of the UK economy as part of the study.

BU Research Impact event is a success!

Research assessment

Last Friday BU held an internal Research Impact event to share the success of the excellent research that has been undertaken by BU academics. The focus of the event was on how this research has had an impact outside of academia, for example an impact on society, the economy, quality of life, culture, policy, etc.

REF logoFor the forthcoming REF2014 BU will be required to include a number of research impact case studies as part of the submission. This is a new element to the REF (previously the RAE) and the HE sector has been grappling with the concept of impact for a number of years now.

The event, attended by over 75 BU staff, opened with a presentation from Prof Matthew Bennett (Pro Vice Chancellor – Research, Enterprise and Internationalisation) on BU’s future research strategy, planning for the REF, and how to develop and evidence research impact.

Part of the presentation focused on the BU Research Themes which are currently being identified and defined through academic consultation via the Research Blog. This is still in the early stages but Matthew presented the ten draft themes that are emerging. You can comment on the emerging themes here.

There were 35 impact case studies presented in total with most units of assessment (UOAs) presenting three case studies. At the end of each presentation members of the audience critiqued the case study and offered advice as to how the strengthen and maximise the impact claim.

Attendees were encouraged to go to impact case study presentations from different UOAs/Schools to find out about research that is undertaken in different areas of the University. Stronger impact case studies can also be developed with input from different disciplines.

The event was also attended by key staff from Marketing & Communications who will be working with UOA Leaders to develop and enhance impact case studies between now and the REF submission in autumn 2013.

There has been much positive feedback received from attendees and we are considering whether this should now be an annual event, celebrating the success of BU research and its benefit to society.

Many thanks to all the presenters and attendees, and everyone who supported the event and made it such a success! 😀

We are now seeking feedback on the impact case studies presented. These are all available on the I-drive (I:\CRKT\Public\RDU\REF\REF event May 2011\impact case study presentations). Please could you email your feedback to Anita Somner in the Research Development Unit by Friday 3 June. Anita will then anonymise and collate the feedback and share it with the UOA Leaders.

For further information on impact see the impact pages on the HEFCE website or our previous BU Research Blog posts on impact.

Eggs-citing new research engine and funding competition launched – CRACK-IT

Funding opportunities

 CRACK-IT®, is a new research engine and funding competition being launched by the NC3Rs  this year to connect academic and industrial researchers in solving global scientific challenges associated with animal models in the biosciences – focusing on improving efficiency and translation and minimising reliance on in vivo research.

A number of regional roadshows to launch CRACK-IT® and highlight the range of funding opportunities . A range of industry speakers  will discuss the current challenges in pharmaceutical and chemical development and the move towards open innovation and new mechanisms for collaboration. See CRACK-IT® for further details .

BU research-based film to be directed by Josh Appignanesi

Rufus Stone, a film by Josh Appignanesi

A film about love, sexual awakening and treachery, set in the bucolic countryside of south west England, and viewed through the lens of growing older.

Josh Appignanesi, London-based filmmaker, script writer and director, has been chosen to direct a short film based on three years of research at Bournemouth University.  The film, Rufus Stone, will tell the story of being gay and growing older in the British countryside.

Appignanesi recently directed and script edited the comedy feature film, The Infidel, written by David Baddiel and starring Omid Djalili and Richard Schiff, was released internationally in Spring 2010.  He has written and directed several short films, most notably Ex Memoria (2006) which stars Nathalie Press and Sara Kestelman in a study of a woman with Alzheimer’s disease, funded by the Wellcome Trust; and Nine 1/2 Minutes (2003), a romantic comedy starring David Tennant.

Rufus Stone is to be produced as the key output of the three-year research project, “Gay and Pleasant Land? – a study about positioning, ageing and gay life in rural South West England and Wales “. The Project is a work package in the New Dynamics of Ageing Project, “Grey and Pleasant Land?: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Connectivity of Older People in Rural Civic Society” and funded by the British Research Councils.

Dr Kip Jones, Reader at the School of Health & Social Care and the Media School, who is the project’s Principal Investigator and Executive Director of Rufus Stone said, ‘We are very fortunate to secure Appignanesi’s involvement in this important output resulting from our three year’s of research efforts. Our hope is that the film will dispel many of the myths surrounding ageing, being gay and life in British rural settings.  By engaging Appignanesi, the film and the results of this important, in-depth research will have significant impact on a wide variety of audiences’.

Upcoming Missenden Centre workshops – book your place now!

The Missenden Centre still has places available on two excellent workshops in June. The Research Development Unit has some funds available to support academics and research support staff to attend. If you are interested please contact Julie Northam in the first instance.

Successful bidding: second of our day clinics
2nd June
Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HQ
Tutor: John Wakeford
Bring a draft or previously unsuccessful application for advice on how to turn it into an award-winning form.
http://www.missendencentre.co.uk/s8.htm

Bidding for research funding: pathways to success
15/16 June for academics and
16/17 June for research support staff
With Sarah Andrew, Dean of Applied and Health Sciences, University of Chester
Robert Crawshaw, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Lancaster University
‘The course was excellent. I think it will probably change my entire approach to writing grant proposals and will most wholeheartedly recommend it to my colleagues. So, once again, many thanks.’  Dr. Miriam V. Dwek, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, University of Westminster.
http://www.missendencentre.co.uk/s7.htm

Book your place now!

Technology and Design (Mark Hadfield)

BU Challenges, Research themes

Author: Mark Hadfield (Design, Engineering and Computing)

Alternative name suggestion: Engineering and Design

Brief theme summary: This covers most of the activity from UOA 15 General Engineering and hence the alternative title suggestion. In view of the national STEM agenda it is important that research within this area is also aligned with current and future education strategies and also with industrial engagement. Academics associated with this theme will be mostly from the School of DEC currently located within the Design simulation, Sustainable Design research and Smart Technology (Biomedical engineering). Alternative theme encompasses our portfolio of engineering in mechanical, material, bio-medical and sustainable design research activities.

Structure is terms of linkages – see mission statements recently posted on the I drive from the relevant research centres within DEC. (I:\DEC\Private\Research\Business Plans\Centre Vision Statements)

Scope of theme: what is included?

Please see vision statements from the I Drive for DSRC, SDRC and STRC

Areas include:

  • Simulated Design Analysis
  • Creative Design
  • Virtual Manufacturing Processes  
  • Design modelling using finite elements, Boundary elements, Computational stress analysis methodology.
  • Vibration and Noise experimentation and theoretical analysis
  • Theories and experimentation of tribology
  • Sustainable Design
  • STEM, General Engineering, Design Education
  • Advanced materials
  • Materials evaluation and characterisation  
  • Biomedical engineering (FES)
  • Applied AI
  • Tribology across general engineering sectors
  • Corrosion and Fretting
  • Surface engineering

New future opportunities such as the Space technology and economy should be embraced given the new EU Space Centre is based in Oxford.

Scope of theme: what is excluded?

Large engineering laboratory studies due to space/equipment limitations i.e.

  • Engine lab for thermodynamic and energy studies
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Controlled noise measurements
  • Large/heavy manufacturing studies

Materials fabrication and development

Which big societal questions are addressed by this theme?

  • Hydrogen economy
  • Low carbon energy
  • Quality of life issues such as environment and high value services
  • Strategic advancements for SME’s
  • Governmental vision and strategy of industrial support
  • Energy efficiency

How do these link to the priorities of the major funding bodies? The nature of funding linked to this research theme depends on industrial collaboration for most income streams. Generally enhancing academic relationships with industry such as business breakfast events, short courses etc provides the foundation of opportunities listed below.

Direct industrial collaboration.

EU grants: people exchange (Madam Curie). Project grants including, technology (robotics), energy – energy savings, sustainable development, industry and industrial – manufacture, materials, research in practice – measurement methods, nano-technology, transport and construction – aerospace and space technology.

EPSRC including CASE studentship, areas include: Materials, mechanical and medical engineering,Process, environment & sustainability programme funding plan, platform grants and networks
Royal Academy of Engineering: staff mobility grants include the areas of robotics, sustainable design, complex systems
AHRC including Science and Heritage linkages

Medical Engineering:
MRC
NHS
DSRC
Welcome Trust

Leverhulme Trust – high profile, impact general research

TSB – industry joint funding for design prototype etc
KTP  – Advanced materials, nanotechnology, electronics, high value manufacturing, energy generation, healthcare, transport, Space.

How does this theme interlink with the other BU themes currently under consideration? Health and Wellbeing: through biomedical engineering research such a muscle stimulation, prosthesis design and modelling, environmental design, design of products/services at the health sector.

Recreation and leisure: links to sports design analysis such as swimmers acceleration monitoring (PhD student), Olympic ethics on Paralympics runners.

Society and social Change: human interaction use of technology.

Environmental change and biodiversity: environmental impact study of products and services.

Green economy and sustainability: Product innovation, green technology such as micro CHP, efficiency use of product and services such as RNLI. 

Aging: Innovation of products to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Learning and public engagement: sustainable design and education.

Entrepreneurship and economic growth: Commercialisation of products and as the pop-up tent, flood barrier. Patents from research projects e.g. Robotics and biomedical engineering.

HEFCE and RCUK work together on open access publishing

Publishing

open access logo, Public Library of ScienceHEFCE and Research Council UK (RCUK) have today committed to work together to make open access to published research a reality.

Open access publishing turns the traditional publishing route (readers paying subscriptions to publishers) on its head as researchers pay a fee to the publisher to publish their research and in turn the publisher makes the article available free of charge to readers immediately on publication. This enables research findings to be shared with a wider public audience thus increasing the visibility and potential impact/influence of the research findings.

Read the full story here – http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2011/rcuk.htm

BU has recently launched the BU Open Access Publication Fund. For further information read our previous post on the new fund.

Earlier this week SAS launched a short survey on attitudes towards open access publishing. Read more and take part in the survey here.

The excellent HEFCE REF event at BU!

Research assessment

Developing and Assessing Impact for the REF

Last week BU hosted a HEFCE-supported event for universities in the south of England outlining recent changes in how the quality of research in higher education is assessed.

The event, attended by over 150 delegates from 39 institutions, outlined the new Research Excellence Framework (REF) which includes a new assessment element focusing on research impact.

As Chris Taylor, Deputy REF Manager for HEFCE, explained: “REF will provide accountability for public investment in research and demonstrate its benefits.” He continued:

“Impact is defined as any contribution the research makes outside of academia. It is the higher education sector’s opportunity to shout about what it contributes to society.”

Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby (University of Kent), Professor Roy Harrison (University of Birmingham), Professor James Goodwin (Age UK), Dr Kathryn Monk (Environment Agency Wales) and Dr Mari Williams (RCUK) presented their experiences of assessing impact case studies in the REF pilot exercise. Professor Jim Griffiths (University of Plymouth) presented his experience of identifying and submitting impact case studies to the pilot exercise in the hope that others would learn from his experience.

Prevalent themes emerging from the pilot included the importance of a demonstrable chain of evidence from impact claim through to outcome, high quality research underpinning the impact claim and fostering the crucial relationship between academic and user.

Professor James Goodwin explained how research can change society for people’s benefit, stessing the importance of “converting research into a message that will influence people’s thinking”. He gave the recent removal of the default retirement age as an example of how this can influence policy.

The event closed with a Q&A session with all speakers, giving delegates the chance to obtain further clarity on the REF that will undoubtedly change the future of higher education research.

Matthew Bennett (BU’s PVC for Research, Enterprise and Internationalisation) said: “There has been sector-wide concern about how impact will be defined, collated and assessed in the REF, and this event provided excellent advice and guidance for academic staff likely to be submitting to the REF and those leading the submissions.”

The deadline for submitting submissions is November 2013 and the assesment will be made in 2014.

We will be adding further posts to the Research Blog focusing on the good practice shared at the event (such as defining impact, what makes a strong impact case study, etc) over the next few weeks.

Ageing (Sarah Hean)

BU Challenges, Research themes

Authors: Sarah Hean (School of Health and Social Care) on behalf of the Older Person, Children and Diverse Groups Programme (OPCD) of the Centre of Wellbeing and Quality of Life (CeWQoL)

Alternative name suggestion: Wellbeing and Quality of Life of Older People OR Wellbeing and Quality of Life across the Life Span

Brief theme summary: The theme focuses on intergroup communication as a means of enhancing older people’s quality of life.  Two dimensions are highlighted specifically: social and mental wellbeing.

Social wellbeing:  The theme focuses on reducing social isolation by enhancing older people’s communication with peers, community, health/social care professionals and other service providers (we view service providers as all professionals that may enhance the QOL of Older People and do not confine this to health and social care professionals alone), in order that their voice is heard in social policy. Professionals, working in multiprofessional, interagency environments, and who offer client-centred services, need to effectively communicate with each other and the client to ensure the quality of life of the older person. This theme explores how these processes can be better streamlined, understood and developed.

Mental well being: The mental/cognitive well being of older people is also a theme focus, considering particularly the experiences of older people living with dementia and the associated concepts of vulnerability.

We promote a humanistic approach that puts an emphasis on the lived experience of the older person, embodying their life goals and values.  Hereby, older people, form part of interprofessional, interdisciplinary or interagency teams rather than the passive recipient of their actions.  The theme therefore also focuses on developing these interprofessional teams through exploring and developing Interprofessional training that promotes an understanding of the value maps of both other professionals/agencies and the older person themselves.

Scope of theme: what is included? Research is often related to applied social science type research and service evaluations.

Developing rigorous theoretical models to guide research and practice in the theme is central.

Quantitative research: secondary data analysis of service records and cross sectional and longitudinal surveys. 

Qualitative research:  a range of perspectives (phenomenology, grounded theory etc) through focus groups, interviews and practice observations.  Practice development/service enhancement methodologies are also relevant.

Members of our OPCD programme apply their expertise in user involvement, social capital, social isolation, social networks, working with vulnerable groups, mental health, Dementia, Complementary Therapies, Interprofessional working and Education to this theme.  We focussing these skills on improving:

  • the outcome of Wellbeing and Quality of life
  • the population group of Older People.

To give a flavour of the types of project that fit under this theme, see below:

Previously funded Projects in Programme

  • Evaluation of the Mid Essex Memory Assessment and Support Service Care (Programme themes: Dementia, Older people) (Funder: NHS)
  • Evaluation of a Women worker in Criminal Justice System ((Programme themes: mental health, intergroup communication) (CoFunders: NHS/Criminal Justice System)
  • Evaluation of the South West Mental Health Assessment, Advice and Reports in Court Proceedings Pilot ((Programme themes: mental health/ intergroup communication)(CoFunders: NHS/CJS) 
  • Evolving theory in interprofessional education seminar series CROSS INSTITUTIONAL (Programme themes: Intergroup communication; Funder: ESRC)   

Current Funded Projects in Programme

  • Exploring the impact of friendship clubs on social isolation for the older age group”  – commissioned by. 2008-2011;  (Programme themes: Older People, social wellbeing) (Funder: Brendon care)
  • Knowledge Transfer Partnership: Building a business/social enterprise model to support older people self funding their own care (CROSS SCHOOL: HSC-BS))(Programme themes: Older people, intergroup communication) (Funder: ESRC/ HTB)
  • Exploring older people’s experiences of wellbeing and financial literacy during an Economic Down Turn (CROSS SCHOOL: HSC-BS) (Programme theme: Older people, quality of life, intergroup communication) (Joint Funders Institute of chartered accountants Scotland, Bournemouth Foundation)

Bids submitted

  • Interagency working London: evaluation of Focus teams liaising between Medium Secure Unit and CMHTs: (Short listed tender interview completed, Awaiting outcome: Programme theme: (Mental health, intergroup communication) (Funder: NHS)
  • Economic impact of social organisations: SW form: shortlisted for interview: Sarah Hean, John Fletcher, Charlie Monkcom (CAB) Presentation July 2011 CROSS SCHOOL (HSC-Tourism)(Programme theme: Older people, quality of life, Mental health, intergroup communication)(Funder: Big Lotttery. SW Forum)(Awaiting outcome)

Bids planned for term ahead:

  • Dementia bid: mapping the care pathway from the perspective of the patient: CROSS INSTITUIONAL (Programme theme: Older people, dementia) (Funder ESRC)

Scope of theme: what is excluded? Drug control trials or laboratory trials are out of our remit.

Which big societal questions are addressed by this theme? The Big Society promotes a move away from state support for social action to an increased reliance on community involvement and support of these activities.  This places particular pressure on third/voluntary sector organisations to fill the gap left by the with drawl of state funding and services.  These organisations are finding it increasingly important to be accountable for the social and financial impact of any state funding they do still receive and they need to develop their organisations financially to be increasingly independent of state funding.  In an increasingly ageing population, those third sector organisations supporting older people are particularly vulnerable.

This theme explores both the social impact (specifically on the quality of life of older people) and financial implications of these services.  We anticipate that novel interagency partnerships between the private, public and third sector will be key to the way the Big Society is managed and that the theme will contribute to this by developing an understanding of these opportunities and how they work.

How do these link to the priorities of the major funding bodies? The theme is congruent with the RCUK, cross council theme of Ageing: Lifelong Health and Wellbeing: realising economic, social and health gains of healthy ageing while reducing dependency, costs and inequities later in life.

By way of example, the funded project exploring the quality of life during and economic downturn and financial literacy in older people highlights the economic gains of health and wellbeing in older populations.

The currently funded KTP is developing a business model for older people self funding their own care.  This is particularly relevant to reducing dependency and costs in the older population

The evaluations/tenders that fall under this theme are increasingly being asked to address the links between cost effectiveness and social impact.  Our tenders on the a) economic impact of social organisations b) interagency working: London respond to this trend through a focus on cost effectiveness of wellbeing interventions, the financial impact of social interventions and the social impact of financial investment.

The research councils, the ESRC, specifically emphasises the importance of interdisciplinary working.  Thematically and operationally our bids to date are interdisciplinary: crossing school, professional, academic discipline, academic institution and public/private/third sector boundaries.

How does this theme interlink with the other BU themes currently under consideration? Links with the Health and Wellbeing theme.

New funding for research into extracting chemicals from the co-products of grain brewing

Funding opportunities

A collaboration between the BBSRC, EPSRC and industry has announced new funding for research into ways of extracting valuable chemicals from the co-products of grain brewing. The refining of both alcohol and biofuels produces low-value derivatives that are often sold as animal feed. This new funding call will challenge researchers to find ways of processing these by-products to yield chemicals sustainably that would otherwise have to be produced from fossil fuels. Read more on the BBSRC webpage.

Health and Wellbeing (Heather Hartwell and Ann Hemingway)

BU Challenges, Research themes

Authors: Heather Hartwell and Ann Hemingway (School of Tourism and School of Health and Social Care)

Alternative name suggestion: Wellbeing and Quality of Life

Brief theme summary: Wellbeing as described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its constitution (2006) denotes ‘health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. However, the concept is not new for example Aristotle described wellbeing in terms of ‘ataraxia’ (inner peace) and ‘eudaimonia’ (a feeling of wellbeing, happiness, contentment, pleasure, satisfaction and living the best life possible).Within the field of happiness economics, where the concept of subjective wellbeing is defined as life satisfaction, it can be both uni- or multi-dimensional. In other words from an economic standpoint, subjective wellbeing can be defined and measured as both satisfaction with life in general (uni-dimensional) and satisfaction with different aspects, or domains, of life (multi-dimensional). Happiness, although challenging to assess, as people will derive differing amounts of pleasure from the same experience, resonates with the ‘set-point’ theory of wellbeing where each individual is thought to have a set-point of happiness given by genetics and personality. Life events may deflect above and below but in time hedonic adaptation will return an individual to this initial point. The theoretical framework for interpretation is the theory of ‘Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis’ (Australian Unity, 2010), which proposes that everyone has a genetically determined ‘set-point’ for well-being that is internally maintained and defended, similarly to how body temperature is managed. Currently, the wellbeing debate anchors on two general perspectives: the hedonic approach, which defines wellbeing in terms of pleasure attainment; and the eudaimonic approach, which focuses on meaning and self-realization. The latter resonates with an emerging conceptualisation of public health which is to reject the model of ourselves as mechanics that diagnose and fix what is wrong to organic metaphors where we understand ourselves as ‘gardeners’, enabling the growth of what nourishes human life and spirit.

Scope of theme: what is included?

The cross university wellbeing theme currently with 113 staff registered has identified the following foci of activity:

  • Quality of life, wellness, wellbeing
  • Public Health
  • Health behaviours, physical activity, nutrition
  • Economic wellbeing
  • Health systems
  • Assistive and enabling technologies
  • Wellbeing in the workplace, learning environment, caring environment
  • Social inclusion and cohesion
  • Use of Media to influence Public Wellbeing
  • Emotions
  • Human right and ethics

 

Scope of theme: what is excluded? Infectious diseases.

Which big societal questions are addressed by this theme? Behavioural and lifestyle factors are major contributors to ill health and death some are well known such as unhealthy diet and lack of exercise however some are less obvious such as social isolation which is associated with increasing the risk of mental illness and coronary heart disease. A strong evidence base is required that will change the focus of our ‘National Sickness Service’ to one of prevention. In the Public Health White Paper, 2010, the emphasis is on research that can demonstrate new and cost effective ways of encouraging healthy behaviour.

The current fifth wave of public health identifies three main challenges:

  • How can the social and commercial changes which have conspired to make overweight/obesity more ‘normal’ be reversed?
  • How can the social inequality gap be reduced?
  • How can the rise in the levels of depression and anxiety with the associated loss of mental and emotional wellbeing be addressed?

How do these link to the priorities of the major funding bodies?

AHRC – Lifelong Health and Wellbeing (LLHW) is a major cross-council initiative supporting multi-disciplinary research addressing factors across the life course that influence healthy ageing and wellbeing in later life. 

ESRC STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2011-2015 – There are three refined primary strategic research objectives, which will guide future funding from the ESRC, in light of the comprehensive spending review – health and wellbeing would be incorporated within:

  • Influencing Behaviour and Informing Interventions – Create a better understanding of how and why people and organisations make decisions, and how these can be managed or influenced.

EU – FP7 Activity 2.2 Fork to farm: Food (including seafood), health and well being – Understanding consumer behaviour and consumer preferences as a major factor in the competitiveness of the food industry and the impact of food on the health, and well-being of the European citizen.

National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Funding stream on applied research focusing on dementia prevention, diagnosis and care and specifically on promoting the wellbeing of sufferers.

How does this theme interlink with the other BU themes currently under consideration? This theme will link with recreation and leisure (serious leisure and physical activity), society and social change, green economy (slow travel), and aging.

Currently, there is much interest from local and national colleagues, for example locally, Dr Adrian Dawson (Director of Public Health) and social enterprises such as BH Live and Active Dorset. Nationally, the Department of Health and the Royal Society for Public Health are engaged with the HEIF Wellbeing in the Workforce project. A horizontal wellbeing theme links the relationship between research and policy and hence provides an opportunity to demonstrate impact.

Key dates are:

  • May 27th (cross university meeting with the Director of Public Health)
  • July 6th (Innovation in Wellbeing Conference, HEIF Wellbeing in the Workplace project)
  • July 13th (cross university meeting with BH Live)

In addition, this theme will build on the work of CeWQoL, with its many local, national and international partners, and is a vertical stream within HSC, as it is within the School of Tourism through the Centre for Events and Sport Research.

Just to note: 

  • BU has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Society for Public Health, a powerful and strategic leader within this discipline.
  • BU is part of the Healthy University network.

Perspectives in Public Health published by Sage

Publishing

Dr Health Heartwell, School of Health and Social Care, is the Honorary Editor for Perspectives in Public Health and is interested in receiving submissions for future issues of the journal.

Perspectives in Public Health is an indexed bi-monthly, multidisciplinary public health journal with a truly international scope. Featured in PubMed and ISI, Perspectives in Public Health publishes original peer-reviewed articles, literature reviews, research papers, and opinion pieces on all aspects of the science, philosophy, and practice of health promotion and public health.

2009 Impact Factor: 0.406 Ranked 63/95 in Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

Colleagues who have published have received interest from all parts of the globe and I would like to invite submissions for the themed issues in 2012:

January – Health Literacy

March – Olympic Legacy

July – Healthy Aging

September – Adolescent Health

November – Unthemed

January 2013 – Health Workforce

The current issue is now online at  http://rsh.sagepub.com

Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth (Dean Patton)

BU Challenges, Research themes

Author: Dean Patton (Business School)

Alternative name suggestion: None

Brief theme summary: The theme provides a multi-disciplinary forum for researchers and practitioners in the field of entrepreneurship and small firm development and for those studying their impact upon local, regional and national contexts in which entrepreneurs emerge, innovate and establish the new economic activities which drive economic growth and create new economic wealth and employment.

Scope of theme: what is included?

  • New Venture Creation
  • Entrepreneurial Strategy and Organization
  • Entrepreneurial Marketing
  • Internationalization and International Entrepreneurship
  • Regional, National and International Growth Studies
  • Leadership and Entrepreneurial Behaviour
  • Entrepreneurial Finance and Accounting
  • Government Policy related to Entrepreneurship and economic Growth
  • Technology and Innovation
  • Business Incubation
  • Corporate Venturing
  • Family-Owned Businesses
  • Minority Issues in Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Small Business Operations and E-Commerce
  • Entrepreneurial skills and management Development

Scope of theme: what is excluded? It does not include enterprise when the term is used to indicate income generation activity from consultancy and other third stream activity that takes place within the public sector and, particularly, HEIs.

Which big societal questions are addressed by this theme? Entrepreneurship is all about the practices of exploration, experimentation and trial and error that lead to the development of new, novel and innovative practices, processes and products.  As such the subject can lend itself to many of the big themes within society informing technological development and contributing to novel solutions that improve environmental performance, reduce energy usage, increase the quality of life for an aging population and make UK PLC more competitive.  Therefore entrepreneurship is an overarching subject that lends itself to multi-disciplinary research that underpins growth and development in other disciplines.

How do these link to the priorities of the major funding bodies? Taking the RCUK themes there are some obvious parallels in the theme Living with Environmental Change the focus is on ‘understanding how people respond to environmental change, including economic responses via, among other things, new business models’.  The theme on Digital Economy seeks to ‘understand how new technologies impact upon business and their processes’.

Within the ESRC there are obvious links between Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth with their identified themes relating to Technology and Innovation and the Global Economy and indirect links to Environment and Energy, Health and Well Being and Social Diversity

The EPSRC is more difficult to address but there are opportunities under ‘Better Exploitation’ and more indirect work might be undertaken within the themes ‘Digital Economy’ and Healthcare’.

How does this theme interlink with the other BU themes currently under consideration? There are various opportunities to link this theme with others identified as entrepreneurship can be applied across industrial sectors, can be undertaken on behalf, or by, individuals at various life-cycle stages and has the potential to impact upon the context and culture of communities.  My own preference would be to focus the agenda upon the start-up and growth of firms that make a contribution to the economic development and societal welfare.  As such I would view the research theme as having a focus upon business and economics and, therefore, relating to other business sectors, for example, ‘creative and digital economies’ and the ‘green economy and sustainability’.