Category / Ageing and Dementia

October 6, 2015

ESRC Festival of Social Science, Financial Scamming Event, 10th November 2015

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults from Financial Scamming

Date: Tuesday 10th November 2015 9.45 – 3pm
Location: Hamworthy Club Ltd, Magna Rd, Wimborne BH21 3AP

The National Centre for Post-qualifying Social Work is pleased announce that it will be hosting a FREE event on safeguarding vulnerable adults from financial scamming as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science.

Financial scamming and mass marketing fraud (MMF) are growing aspects of financial crime, and those working to protect vulnerable adults needs to develop increased awareness and understanding of the challenges it poses. The Office of Fair Trading estimates that UK consumers lose about £3.5 billion to scams each year. These threats take on many forms, including doorstep scams, phone scams, postal scams and increasingly scams via the internet.
This ESRC Festival of Social Science event will showcase recent research and best practice responses dealing with the threat posed by financial scams. This event will bring together staff from key agencies and the public to explore research and best practice to tackle this issue.

Speakers

Louise Baxter – The National Scams Team
‘The National Trading Standards Scam Team – What is being done to identify, protect and prevent future harm to victims of mass marketing fraud’

Sean Oliver – Croydon Council and Trish Burls Trading Standards
‘Safeguarding Social Work and Trading Standards, Joint Working: Research and Experiences from Croydon Council’

Rebecca Rogers – BU Cyber Security Unit
‘Protecting the vulnerable from cyber-crime’

Phil Mawhinney – Policy Officer – Consumer & Community, Age UK
Only the Tip of the Iceberg: Scams and Older People

After lunch there will be an opportunity to work with others to explore new ways of working together to tackle financial scams and to explore and the ways in which agencies can develop strategies to support vulnerable adults who are at risk or are victims of financial scams.

Staff from the National Centre for Post-qualifying Social Work will also showcase the recently updated National Safeguarding Framework for Adults

Places are limited and can be booked by CLICKING HERE

CLICK HERE to see the flyer, feel free to print it out and share with your colleagues.

For further information on the event please contact

Dr Lee-Ann Fenge – Deputy Director NCPQSW

lfenge@bournemouth.ac.uk

Reference

Office of Fair Trading (2009) The psychology of Scams, Office of Fair Trading: London

October 5, 2015

BUDI Masterclass held on 30 September: Creative Approaches in Dementia

Public engagement, Uncategorized mobrien

On Wednesday 30^th September, the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) hosted a Masterclass on creative approaches in dementia. This was the third in a series of four Masterclasses set for the 2015 calendar year. We provided a day full of information and inspiration on the use of a range of creative activities with people with dementia. The morning included sessions on the importance of engaging people with dementia in creative activities, how much residents in a care home are engaged in meaningful activity on a daily basis, and the use of gardening and nature for wellbeing. As well as presentations from the BUDI team we also benefited from presentations from a professional artist, photographer, poet, and musician.

The afternoon was a series of workshops that gave delegates an opportunity to try out some of the activities and explore how they might facilitate people with dementia and their carers in activities such as music, poetry, visual art, photography, and drama. Such creative arts were used not only to demonstrate how we can engage people with dementia in meaningful activities, and the creative ways that we can make use of the creative arts, but how we can also use the arts to challenge the public’s perceptions of the capabilities of people with dementia.
Poetry workshop resized

Feedback from delegates has been very positive and we look forward to providing the next Masterclass in a few months!

Next Masterclass:

Wednesday 2^nd December:
Promoting Wellbeing at the End of Life

Report by Dr Samuel Nyman, BUDI

October 1, 2015

Positive Active Ageing Photo Exhibition

Public engagement, Research communication cfarrance

I’m wondering if anyone would be interested in collaborating with me on a ‘Positive Active Ageing Photographic Exhibition’. The idea has come about through my PhD research where I have been fortunate enough to have met many older people who are really positive role models and are staying active by going to local community based group exercise programmes. I wanted to do something to showcase how important these programmes are and challenge some of the more negative views of ageing which can sometimes be portrayed.

I have had overwhelming enthusiasm about the idea from the exercise groups I’ve been working with and just wondered whether there are people in BU from other faculties who have also been working with active older people and would like to be involved in this event. Would love to hear from you if that’s the case. Please feel free to email me (Clare) on: cfarrance@bournemouth.ac.uk

(Image used with permission, Bromford Group. http://bit.ly/1Id23UH)

October 1, 2015

Bournemouth University listed in top 800 global universities

Global engagement, REF Subjects, Research assessment, Research communication, Research news, Uncategorized Edwin van Teijlingen

Bournemouth University ranked just over the half way line in the top 800 universities in the world. Bournemouth University is in good company in the bracket (401-500) with other well-known universities such as the University of Cagliari (Italy), Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), Curtin University (Australia), University of Waikato (New Zealand), Louisiana State University (USA) or the University of Tampere (Finland) to name but a few.

The full list of 800 universities is available here!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

September 9, 2015

Your most popular paper this week was ….

BRIAN, BU research, Global engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research themes, Research Training, Training, Uncategorized Edwin van Teijlingen

Every week I receive an email telling me what my most accessed paper is on Academia.edu. As a research-active academic I would like this ‘top paper’ to be one of my research papers based on primary research or perhaps a systematic review. My second preference is that I would like it to be one of my few more theoretical papers and, if not that, then at least one of many methods papers I have published with colleagues over the past decade. But no, every single week a fairly basic ‘how-to-do’ paper is my most accessed paper. This week’s message is typical: “Your most popular paper for the week was Writing an academic paper for publication, which had 142 views.”

This how-to-write-an-academic editorial has been my most read paper for months now. It is a paper Prof. Vanora Hundley, Prof. Padam Simkhada (Liverpool John Moores University & BU Visiting Faculty) and I wrote in an attempt to help budding academics and postgraduate students in a low-income country to think about the process of drafting and writing a scientific paper.

Perhaps this paper is popular because there is a global need for it (Academia.edu also gives break down from where in the world the paper has been accessed). It is also possible that it is on course reading list or perhaps it is recommended on webpage somewhere. The paper is,of course, Open-Access which helps in terms of providing more people across the globe easy and free access!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Reference:

Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. (2013) Writing an academic paper for publication, Health Renaissance 11(1): 1-5. healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Pp_1_5_Guest_Editorial.pdf

September 4, 2015

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

BU research, Research Ethics, Research news swincewicz

Emily Rosenorn-Lanng Research Assistant

Rebecca Johnson Research Assistant

Sarah Wincewicz Research Admin Assistant

Financial scamming is costing the UK public approximately £3.5 billion each year. It is a problem which has developed in recent years and has hit the press because of the relationship with charity mugging, or ‘chugging’ (charities coercing people to give money). Although both scamming and ‘chugging’ result in the coercion of money from donors, they differ in approach, perception and legality. Having a charity connection gives ‘chuggers’ a sense of morality, which gives them a sense of legality, allowing them to tug on the heartstrings of consumers and persuade them, sometimes by intimidation, to part with money. Once a donation has been made, and details have been obtained, charities feel they have the right to regularly hound their donors for further contributions, and have recently been discovered to sell their details on to non-charitable organisations.

The Daily Mail’s investigation into the story of former Army Colonel, Mr Rae, highlights the relationship between scamming and ‘chugging’. Charities who acquired Mr Rae’s personal details sold them up to 200 times to other charities and list brokers who then passed them to scammers who deceived £4,000 from him.

To what extent is it a problem?

The following figures, specific to Mr Rae, demonstrate the relationship that ‘chugging’ has with scamming:

The alarming figures demonstrate the impact of this relationship and raise plenty of questions. How valuable is personal information to a charity? Why are charities selling personal information to non-charities? Where are the moral boundaries in this? What part do charities play in the scamming of vulnerable people?

What are we doing about it?

Here at the National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice we are working with Trading Standards to tackle scamming and chugging. To do this we are looking into:

Early intervention
The cost to victims and the knock on effect of being scammed
Developing a sophisticated profile for a potential victim, allowing the creation of ethical mailing lists that charities and public bodies could use
Reviewing the understanding of the Data Protection Act to make it potentially easier to remove people from databases (mail, telesales and charity approach) for the most vulnerable
Developing good practice guides and advice for professionals working in this field and for vulnerable citizens and their families/carers.

We recognise that this will all take time, but there are steps that you can take today. You can help protect the most vulnerable members of society from this sort of exploitation. How? Have that conversation with Mum, Dad, Nan, Grandad, Aunt or an elderly neighbour. Keep an eye out for scam mail and an ear out for scam phone calls. Make them aware they have a choice as to whether to respond or not, or whether to donate or not.

Most of all, make sure they are not lonely. Time and time again, we hear how loneliness is a key factor in chugging and scamming. If we can ensure our friends and family are not so lonely, then we may be able to ensure they are less vulnerable.

August 26, 2015

An Early-Career Academic’s Experiences: How Grants Academy supported me to supervise an Undergraduate Research Assistant?

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Featured academics, Grants Academy jgavin

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to enrol on the Grants Academy, working to develop a draft proposal for what would be my first research study at BU. Having been taught the art of ‘craftsmanship’, ‘free writing’, and then developing the proposal(s) over time, allowed me to reflect upon and begin realising my research idea. This led to a cross-faculty research partnership and a Grants Academy Small Grant award, to fund a preliminary study to determine whether leg position influences the effects of an electrostimulation device used to prevent deep-vein thrombosis. The pilot study aimed to monitor leg muscle activity and balance ability in healthy, older adults, to provide a foundation for the future study focusing on post-operative, older adults. Not only did the Grants Academy develop my proposal writing skills and an understanding of research funding acquisition, but also supported me to establish my research profile at BU. Shortly after the internal-award, I applied for the Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) scheme, which would allow me to supervise a student for six weeks during the research study. The project was successful in supporting a URA, who sadly finished earlier this month.

Once a URA myself (albeit at Manchester Metropolitan University), I felt was it important to involve the assistant throughout the research process, including: protocol design, recruitment, laboratory testing, as well as data collection, archiving and early analysis. The URA proved to be mature, diligent and self-motivated, and also a great laboratory partner. After an induction week, she quickly familiarised herself with the lab equipment and was soon able to contribute to refining the study protocol. Partly due to her enthusiasm, partly due to Grants Academy funding, the URA worked hard: achieving NHS Good Clinical Practice training, co-presenting findings at Festival of Learning (Research Reflections event) and co-authoring the study protocol for Clinical Trial Register recognition. She also worked closely with academics from the Faculty of Management, and Faculty of Health and Social Care. Based on the URA’s performance and commitment, my co-investigator and I have invited her to continue working on the project to disseminate the study findings (with conference abstracts and two articles in preparation).

Early data suggests healthy, older adults benefit more from electrostimulation with the leg bent (seated position), than having the leg straight (typical hospital-administered, lying position). These findings will provide the basis for the future study examining the impact of leg position in clinical patients recovering from surgery. So thanks to Grants Academy, BU and my URA, I’ve been able to establish a sustainable, cross-faculty research plan that will promote co-creation and co-production with students, end-users and research partners into the future. Regardless of where you are in your career, Grants Academy and the URA Scheme offer boundless opportunities for professional and personal development – much recommended!

Dr James Gavin

Lecturer (Exercise Physiology)

Department of Sport and Physical Activity

Faculty of Management

August 14, 2015

FREE – Places for BU Staff and PhD Students for Creative Approaches in Dementia Masterclass

Research themes, Training mobrien

BUDI have a few free places available for BU staff and PhD Students to attend its masterclass entitled “Creative Approaches in Dementia” being held on Wednesday 30 September. This masterclass will be an interactive session which will be exploring the power and potential of creativity in supporting good practice and positive experiences of living with dementia.

Our speakers are:

Derek Eland, artist; Jonny Fluffypunk, poet; Andrew Baker, musician and Sharon Muiruri, drama specialist.

To read the flyer please click here . To book your free place please contact Dr Samuel Nyman at snyman@bournemouth.ac.uk

July 23, 2015

UK Nepali community research dissemination event

BU research, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Uncategorized Edwin van Teijlingen

BU and UKNFS jointly presented some of the key findings of their study into the UK’s Nepali community. The meeting (22 July) in the EBC was attended by local representatives of the NHS, the CCG and Healthwatch Dorset. BU Prof. Vanora Hundley, Deputy Dean for Research (FHSS), who herself has published several academic paper on Nepal or English-language academic journals in Nepal, welcomed the audience. She highlighted how the research fitted into the wider health and soial care research portfolio of the Faculty.

BU Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen’s presentation highlighted the issues of access the health and social services in growing Nepali community in the UK. The reports highlights health and lifestyle issues, help-seeking behaviour and the influence of culture on health-related decision making. He mentioned barriers such as language and knowledge about services (or lack thereof). The findings of this study relate to previous studies in the field of ethnic minority communities int he UK. Mr. Alan Mercel-Sanca, Chairperson of the UK Nepal Friendship Society thanked the key researchers Dr. Bibha Simkhada (BU VIsiting Faculty) and Dr. Rajeeb Kumar Sah for conducting this mixed-methods research to such a high standard. He also thanked the Big Lottery Fund for making this ground-breaking piece of work possible, and the NHS England Equality and Health Inequalities team for their interest in final report and advice on the research.

The Report offers a unique opportunity for local health crae providers and commissioners to improve their understanding of this particular ethnic minority group. In the long run the report may lead to more effectively service delivery, especially in terms of health and social services that are sensitive to the needs of the Nepali community. Moreover, the report’s findings have direct relevance to other South Asian and broader Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in the UK.

Finally, the audience heard how the report has been widely reported among the Nepali-language media to the Nepali community in the UK as well as in Nepal. This include coverage by the BBC World Service in Nepali, who interviewed Dr. Bibha Simkhada about the study.

The report is available online here!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

July 21, 2015

Improving Nepali’s health & social care in the UK: Presentation of key findings 22 July at BU

BU research, Featured academics, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research news Edwin van Teijlingen

Bournemouth University presents some of the key findings of the first study of its kind of the Nepali community in the UK. The report also shows the way forward for improved UK Nepali community NHS and social care provision. The research is a joint initiative between the UK Nepal Friendship Society, Bournemouth University in collaboration with the South East London Nepali community and funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Key findings from the report suggest in particular that the elderly Nepali population struggle to access cultural appropriate health and social care. This results in people accessing health services too late. Further research is needed on mental health, especially on loneliness and social isolation in the elderly, but also on minorities within the broader community as well as those with limited English language skills. Its recommendations have potential transformational value for the relationship between this ethnic minority, most well-known for its Gurkha community, and the NHS and social care providers.

Many Nepali people evidenced that they struggle with accessing and navigating NHS services, and that there are significant confidence-building requirements that need to be addressed concerning a revealed need for experiencing more equitable NHS customer service provision. The lead author Dr. Bibha Simkhada is Visiting Faculty at BU.

Ruth Passman of NHS England, Head of Equality & Health Inequalities commented:

“This report and its findings indicate the scale of the need for the NHS to have a better understanding of the needs of the Nepali community accessing in an effective and equitable way, and through its profile of health and wellbeing seeking behaviour of the community for the NHS to have the opportunity to better address in partnership with the Nepali community, its particular needs.”
Prof. Gail Thomas the Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences added: “Bournemouth University has a long-standing history of health and health promotion research in Nepal. This study amongst the Nepali community in South London reminds us of the importance of addressing health and well-being issues in ethnic minority communities in the UK.”

Mr. Tej Bahadur Chhetri, the Acting Ambassador and Charge D’Affaires at the Embassy of Nepal sent the following message:

This report is a most helpful contribution, to promote much needed change in healthcare provision for the Nepali community, especially with the fast approaching 200 years of special friendship and diplomatic relations between Nepal and the UK. The link between the two countries started with the Gurkha regiments becoming part of the British Army, and having been so to this day. The UK Nepali community will clearly benefit from the report and its recommendations’

Alan Mercel-Sanca, the Chairperson of the UK Nepal friendship Society added: “We particularly appreciate Dr Bibha Simkhada and Dr Rajeeb Kumar Sah’s dedication and high quality research in the Nepali community. We would also like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for making this ground-breaking piece of work possible, and the NHS England Equality and Health Inequalities team for their great interest in the value of the research. The Report offers a unique opportunity for our evolving NHS and the Ministry of Health to better understand and more effectively meet the needs and hear the Voice of the Nepali community – it clearly has direct relevance to other South Asian and broader Black & Minority Ethnic communities using and seeking to access an NHS that is equitable and effective.”

The presentation will take place tomorrow Wednesday 22nd July at 15.00 in the Executive Business Centre on Holdenhurst Rd. The meeting will be introduced and opened by Prof. Vanora Hundley, Deputy Dean for Research & Professional Practice in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences. Prof. Hundley herself has published several academic paper on Nepal or English-language academic journals in Nepal.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

@EvanTeijlingen

July 6, 2015

Phone scams and ‘vishing’ on the rise – how to protect vulnerable older people

BU research, Public engagement, Research news swincewicz

Dr Lee-Ann Fenge

Following our blog last week on the work the NCPQSW is undertaking with staff from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to respond to the risks posed by financial scams, the Financial Ombudsman Service has released a report to-day detailing the risks posed by phone scams and ‘vishing’.

Vishing is the way that criminals use the phone to defraud or mislead someone, and a particular threat identified by the Financial Ombudsman Service is the “no hang-up” scam. In this type of scam fraudsters pose as the police or a bank and then persuade individuals that their account is at immediate risk. Individuals may then be tricked into giving away their account and PIN details over the phone.

This study found that older people are disproportionately represented in those reporting phone scams to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and 80% of those affected were aged over 55.

Many of those contacting the FOS had lost substantial sums of money, and the 185 complaints reviewed involved losses of up to £4.3 million.

It is important that those agencies and professionals working with vulnerable adults are alert to the risks posed by such scams, and that they are able to provide information and advice to those most at risk. Age UK provide useful advice about avoiding the risks posed by financial scams

This includes:

Never give out personal or banking information when answering an incoming call
Be wary of calls from companies you haven’t dealt with before. This is cold calling and it should always ring alarm bells. Don’t be afraid to hang up or end the call with a brief ‘no’
Avoid calling numbers that begin ‘09’ as these are charged are premium rates, costing up to £2 per minute
If you are in doubt about the identity of a caller claiming to be from the police or your bank, ring the number on your statement using a different phone, or wait at least five minutes before making the call to make sure you are not still speaking to the fraudsters
Remember that banks will never ask for your PIN or passwords in full on the phone or via email, or send someone to your home to collect bank cards, etc

It is important that older people are made aware of the risks posed by phone scams, and that professional remain vigilant to the signs so that appropriate support and help can be offered.

July 2, 2015

Protecting vulnerable older people from financial scams

Public engagement, Research communication, Research news elanng

Dr Lee-Ann Fenge

Staff from the National Centre for Post-qualifying Social Work (NCPQSW) are working collaboratively with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to develop good practice guides and advice for professionals working with vulnerable citizens and their families/carers about responding to the risks posed by financial scams.

During the annual conference of the CTSI in Bournemouth this week Professor Keith Brown is running a workshop with Louise Baxter from the National Trading Standards Scams Team Manager entitled ‘Safeguarding, Mental Capacity and Scamming: The next Olive Cooke?

The aim is to raise awareness of the growing threat posed by a range of financial scams which target vulnerable older people including mass marketing fraud via the post, telephone and internet, as well as door step fraud.

In one sense we are all vulnerable to financial scams but citizens in the early stages of dementia who live alone are perhaps the most vulnerable. It is increasingly important that professionals working with older people become aware of the risks posed by financial scams and the Care Act (2014) explicitly mentions financial abuse as a safeguarding concern raising the profile of financial crime.

During the CTSI Conference the NCPQSW launched the updated version of the National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults, which is currently being developed in collaboration with Learn to Care, and partners across health, social services and trading standards. The new updated version will be available in August 2015 and enquires about purchasing copies of the framework can be made to swincewicz@bournemouth.ac.uk

The NCPQSW is committed to developing research in this area and the types of questions we are interested to find out more about include:

Does early intervention with scam victims allow them to remain independent and living in their own homes longer than victims who receive later or no intervention?

How do we define a ‘victim’ more carefully than just person who responded to a mailshot.

What are the on-going cost to victims, knock on effect of being scammed and how can we help the most chronic victims

If you are interested in helping us focus our research in this area, please click here to complete the online questionnaire.

June 25, 2015

A good week for music and dementia

BU research, Featured, Festival of Learning, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement Anthea Innes

This week is dementia and music therapy week. Although BUDI doesn’t do music therapy, nor do we or the musicians we work with subscribe to the notion of ‘therapy’ where music is concerned (therapeutic perhaps, but our work is not intending to provide therapy to people with dementia). However this week has allowed the work of the BUDI orchestra to feature in three arenas. First on Monday in a piece in the Guardian – http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/22/breakthroughs-in-bournemouth-how-the-bso-is-providing-relief-for-people-with-dementia

Second at the Royal College of Nursing annual congress held locally this year at the BIC where we presented the project to a surprisingly full and room (as our session was 5-6pm after a long day for delegates) and met with great enthusiasm. Lastly, following a well received presentation featuring the BUDI orchestra work back in May at a UK collaborative meeting between Universities engaging in social research on dementia we were lucky enough to be invited to a roundtable discussion held at Westminster on Thursday 25 June. This discussion was attended by practitioners, academics, government agencies (e.g. NHS England, Public Health England) and care providers, where we had the opportunity to share our work with colleagues and also to learn more about other music projects; the majority of which largely fall under the umbrella of music therapy, but also a range of other creative initiatives designed to engage and improve the well-being of those living with dementia. The BUDI orchestra remains a unique initiative in that our approach is inclusive (students, musicians, people with dementia at all points in their journey through dementia, and family members working together to learn, rehearse, play and then perform) and designed to provide a social and fun experience for people with dementia living in the community. (By contrast much music therapy is only available in clinical and care settings). If you haven’t seen the BUDI orchestra in action yet we have two performances coming up in the next couple of weeks – 11th and 13th July. Do come along and support our nationally and internationally innovative and unique work!

June 23, 2015

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news, Research themes nprajapati

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information.

The Department of Health, including NIHR, invites tenders for its small business research initiative call on faecal and urinary incontinence in frail elderly people. The call aims to find innovative new products and services to help with faecal and urinary incontinence in frail elderly people. Tenderers should address prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management.

Phase 1 shows the technical feasibility of the proposed concept, and Phase 2 contracts are intended to develop and evaluate prototypes or demonstration units from the more promising technologies in Phase 1. Only those projects that have completed Phase 1 successfully will be eligible for Phase 2.

Maximum award: up to £100,000 per project over six months

Closing date: 12:00pm, 11/08/15

NHS England, under the Department of Health, invites tenders for minimising the impact of falling. This competition focuses on minimising the impact of falls and the fear of falling in older people, and should address a range of unmet needs, expressed as ‘what if’ scenarios, that could improve the care that clinicians are able to offer to patients in terms of outcomes, experience and efficiency. Fall prevention services provide assessment, strength and balance training, occupational therapist support, vision assessments and medicines review. Tenders should show the technical feasibility of the proposed concept.

Maximum award: up to £100,000 per project for a maximum of six months.

Closing date: 12:00pm, 11/08/15

NHS England, under the Department of Health, invites tenders to address functional needs in the elderly. This competition aims to find technologies to help address, as well as provide solutions for, functional difficulties associated with patients, particularly the increasingly frail elderly suffering multi-morbidities (defined as suffering two or more chronic conditions). Technologies should be aligned to the three key challenges which are commonly associated with functional difficulties; these are: detecting frailty and monitoring deterioration; activities of daily living (including dressing above and below the waist, grooming, bathing and showering, light housework and preparing meals); and treatment burden, including adhering to disease management plans and lifestyle changes, as well as drug concordance, adherence and compliance. Tenders should show the technical feasibility of the proposed concept.

Maximum award: up to £100,000 per project for a maximum of six months.

Closing date: 12:00pm, 11/08/15

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Newton Fund invite proposals for their collaborative call with China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam on rice research. This aims to build on the combined strengths of academic research groups within China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK to work together on collaborative interdisciplinary and innovative basic, strategic or applied research that contributes to and underpins the long-term sustainable production of rice, and also an understanding that rice production sits alongside the provision of other ecosystem services. Projects of up to three years in duration and addressing the following challenges will be encouraged:

• Greater resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses;

• Improved resource use efficiency, including nitrogen, phosphorous and water;

• Improved quality of rice, including nutritional enhancement and grain quality;

• Novel research tool and technology development supporting the above areas, including systems biology, bioinformatics, screening and characterisation of germplasm for gene and trait discovery.

In addition to the challenges listed above, proposals will also be welcomed in the following areas and countries:

• Improved photosynthetic efficiency in rice (China, Thailand, UK)

• Environmentally sustainable rice cultivation systems (Thailand, Philippines, UK)

• Utilisation of rice by-products (Philippines, Vietnam, UK)

• Sustainably increasing the genetic yield potential of rice (China, UK)

Each proposal must involve at least one applicant based in the UK and one based in either China, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam. All proposals are required to have a UK principal Investigator, in addition to a PI from one or more of the partner countries.

All applicants must adhere to the national eligibility rules for research proposals.

The total budget from BBSRC and NERC is worth up to £6.5 million, with matched funding from the partner agencies in China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Projects may last up to a maximum of up to three years.

Closing date: 16:00, 13/08/15

The Natural and Environmental Research Council (NERC) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) are inviting research proposals under this ‘Understanding and Sustaining Brazilian Biome Resources’ call. This call is supported by the UK through the Newton Fund which forms part of the UK governments Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment and is only open to joint UK-Brazil applications.

This call aims to improve the understanding of the role of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems, the drivers and impact of change, and management and restoration options in Brazil. The call’s objectives are:

• Improve understanding of the role of biodiversity in major biome biogeochemical cycles at the whole-biome level;

• Explore the spatial correlations between ecosystem function in terms of biogeochemical cycles and the distribution of species of conservation concern, within a range of Brazilian ecosystems including forest and non-forest biomes;

• Critically assess the potential and trade-offs of ecosystem management and policy options to protect both key ecosystem functions and biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

Projects must undertake research at the biome spatial level, and should seek to utilise new or novel technological capability and make use of existing long term data sets that are available from other projects.

UK-based researchers associated with organisations eligible for NERC funding may apply. Brazilian researchers associated to public or non-profit higher education and research organisations in the state of São Paulo may apply.

NERC will provide up to £2 million at 80 per cent full economic cost for UK-based researchers with FAPESP providing matched equivalent effort to Brazilian researchers.

It is expected that two to three project proposals, lasting up to three years, will be funded.

Closing date: 16:00, 02/09/15

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council has extended the closing date for technical assessments and applications for their ARCHER leadership projects.

The previous deadline of 1 September has been extended to 7 September 2015. All other call details remain the same.

These awards provide direct access to the UK’s national supercomputing facility ARCHER for computationally intensive individual projects. Eligible projects may include the following:

• Leadership calculations that push the boundaries of scientific high performance computing;

• Calculations that require a large number of processing cores;

• High-risk, high-reward projects that rely heavily on high performance compute resource and have significant potential for large future impact;

• Substantial computational projects by experienced teams that need large compute resources, but do not rely on additional support by EPSRC or NERC;

• Pre-competitive computational production runs by non-academic research groups within sectors related to the remits of the ARCHER partner research councils.

Applicants should be individuals eligible to hold a full EPSRC or NERC grant, or persons of similar standing in industry or the third sector.

A total of 2m kAU is available, split between EPSRC and NERC remits at the ratio of 77 % EPSRC and 23 % NERC. Each applicant should apply for at least 100,000 kAU for a maximum period of two years.

Closing date: 16:00, 07/09/15

The Centre for Defence Enterprise and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory invite innovative proposals for their themed competition on ‘what’s inside that building’. This supports phase one research projects that aim to develop novel techniques which remotely provide information about the layout and situation inside a building, or underground facility from a range of at least 100 metres. Projects should develop and mature technology readiness level 2 to 3 concepts based on both direct sensing and inference from indirect measurements. In addition, they should address the following technology challenges: novel applications of traditional sensing methods; new technologies and approaches.

Proposals may include technologies that address the following:

• Detecting concealed manufacturing activity;

• Finding out about the internal structure of a building in preparation for entry, including walls, furniture and electrical equipment;

• Identifying illegal storage activities;

• Working out the number of people in a building and what they are doing;

• Detecting people who are hiding or being held against their will;

• Supporting disaster relief, for instance seeing under collapsed buildings.

Preference may be given to projects that produce a technology demonstration as opposed to projects that only deliver a written report.

The total budget for phase one of this competition is worth £650,000. There is no cap on proposals, however MOD is more likely to fund phase one projects worth between £50,000 and £100,000. Successful projects may receive an additional £500,000 for phase two of the competition, in which funding is awarded on a per-project basis. Proposals should focus on a short, sharp, proof of concept phase, typically lasting between 3 to 8 months.

Closing date: 17:00, 10/09/15

Nesta, in collaboration with Innovate UK, invites proposals for the Longitude prize. This rewards the development of a transformative point-of care diagnostic test to revolutionise the delivery of global healthcare and conserve antibiotics for future generations. The test must be accurate, rapid, affordable, easy to use and available to anyone, anywhere in the world. It should be able to identify when antibiotics are needed and, if they are, which ones to use.

Anyone and any organisation may enter. Teams must include a member who has a presence in the UK. The competition is only open to those who have developed a new diagnostic test.

The winner is awarded £8 million. £2m is awarded to support promising entries along the way. The prize money must be used to develop and market the winning solution.

Closing date: 30/09/15

Innovate UK’s IC tomorrow, in collaboration with several partners, invites proposals for its digital innovation contest on games. This supports the development of an innovative commercial prototype service or application across five areas which different areas of the games industry. Proposals should address one of the following challenges:

• Second-screen use in a game, supported by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE);

• Open street map data, supported by Crytek UK;

• New markets and perceptual computing, supported by Intel;

• Wider games distribution on mobile web, supported by Google Chrome;

• Games and cinema, supported by Odeon Cinema and Pinewood Studios.

Businesses based in the UK and EU may apply.

Five companies may receive up to £25,000 each. The total budget is £125,000.

Closing date: 12:00pm, 16/10/15

Follow-on funding from The Natural Environment Research Council

As the name suggests, the Follow-on Fund picks up where research programme and discovery science (responsive mode) grants leave off, and enables their commercial potential to be realised by further developing the research outputs.

Examples of activities funded include technology licensing, launching technology-based products or services, selling know-how based consultancy services, and the commercialisation of NERC-funded datasets.

Researchers who are receiving/have received NERC funding may apply. Proposals must build on the outputs of recent/previous NERC-funded research activity. Applicants are encouraged to seek input from potential commercial stakeholders and end-users before submitting an application. Projects do not have to be based on proprietary, patentable intellectual property, though all proposals must have demonstrable economic potential, and be likely to deliver some form of societal or environmental benefit.

Each proposal may receive up to £100,000 at 80 per cent full economic cost.

Closing date: 22/10/15

Please note that some funding bodies specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKEO Funding Development Officer

You can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.

June 19, 2015

BUDI hosts its second Masterclass

Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer epegrum

On Wednesday 17^th June BUDI hosted the second in its series of one-day Masterclasses, this time on “Financial & Legal Aspects of Dementia Care”.

It was a very thought-provoking day prompted by our set of highly knowledgeable guest speakers.

Our speakers included practising solicitors (Malcolm Skinner and Stuart Bradford), a recently retired independent financial advisor (Vivien Zarucki), and a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards manager (Esther Donald), who each have several years’ experience in their roles. They all provided interactive and stimulating sessions on the very practical and pertinent legal / financial issues that concern people affected by dementia and the common pitfalls to be avoided. The sessions included discussion of Power of Attorneys, the Mental Capacity Act, and the Care Cap due to come in force next year.

The feedback has been very positive and we are grateful for the contributions from our speakers. We now look forward to the next Masterclass!

The BUDI Masterclasses are open to BU staff and students to attend but advance booking is essential.

The next Masterclasses are:

Wednesday 30^th September – Creative Approaches in Dementia

Wednesday 2^nd December – Promoting Wellbeing at the End of Life

Should you require any further information or wish to book a space on either of these Masterclasses please contact us at budi@bournemouth.ac.uk .

June 5, 2015

WAN speaker event: ‘Inspiring our futures: High profile women at BU’

Featured academics, Research themes, Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

A lunchtime Women’s Academic Network (WAN) event on the 4th June to participate in a panel composed of three senior, high profile BU women proved to be one of our most popular WAN events. This drew in a wide audience of female academics of all ranks from across all the Faculties of the University. We were additionally honoured to have in the audience our VC, Professor John Vinney and the PVC for Global Engagement, Dr Sonal Minocha.

The panel included Sue Sutherland (OBE) Chair of the University Board, Professor Gail Thomas, Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and Head of Centre Excellence Learning and Professor Christine Maggs, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Technology. The seminar topic focused on an interactive discussion of career progression, achievements and dealing with potholes, cul-de-sacs, obstacles and speeding highways along the way from the personal and professional perspectives of our three eminent speakers.

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree opened by the event by welcoming the audience, introducing the speakers and warmly acknowledging all the support provided by panel members and her fellow co-convenors, Associate Professor Dr Heather Savigny and Professor Chris Shiel– not forgetting every member of the WAN community, whose numbers across BU grow weekly. This has helped to make WAN a powerful and exhilarating vehicle for achieving equality in diversity at BU.

The honesty, humour, courage and grit of the speakers in talking so candidly about their road to success was a revelation to the audience who were both moved and liberated to engage fully in discussions with the panel, plying them with questions, comments and sharing their own stories. This was the opportunity to demonstrate that strength in leadership lies in being able to reveal human vulnerabilities and aspirations – a lesson that was deeply inspirational to everyone in the room.

The VC closed the event with his own account – personal, unembellished and moving, staying on to discuss with WAN members his own vision for the future in respect of our shared aims. We, co-convenors, were delighted that the success of this event as another step towards assisting our fellow female colleagues on their paths to progress where the superb examples offered by our outstanding panel received a myriad of compliments from our enthralled WAN participants.

Reminder: Next WAN event Chaired by VC Professor John Vinney, 7^th July, 5pm TAG02, Tolpuddle Annexe, Talbot Campus.

Topic: Getting to the top: A grand plan or serendipity?

Speaker: Professor Judith Petts, CBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise, University of Southampton

Please note: this is an Open WAN Seminar – all academics, irrespective of gender, are warmly invited to attend. For full details of, and registration for Event: Prof Judith Petts, PVC Southampton, please see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/getting-to-the-top-a-grand-plan-or-serendipity-tickets-17003423698

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Dr Heather Savigny & Professor Chris Shiel,

WAN Co-convenors

May 21, 2015

“Very useful, informative (and fun) time. Thank you so much” BUDI hosts 4th Public Open Meeting

BU research, Public engagement Anthea Innes

Raising awareness of dementia has been a key part of the last three years of BUDIs work. This week we held our 4th annual public open meeting to coincide with national Dementia Awareness Week. The highlight for me was our carer and person with dementia panel where participants from some of our projects spoke about their experiences of living with dementia in the community and the impact our initiatives have had on their lives, in particular the BUDI orchestra. I concur with the comment of one attendee that “The carers panel was thought provoking”. The ultimate aim of the work we do is about improving lives and it is only by hearing about people’s direct experiences that we can ensure that our ongoing and future work addresses the needs and aspirations of those impacted by dementia.

Another attendee commented “Much wider range of speakers than expected” reflecting the range of projects we showcased, both BUDI projects including, evaluations of dementia-friendly community initiatives in Dorset and North Somerset; our intergenerational IT Club; BUDI Orchestra; Gardening; and Care Farming. As well as a number of external organisations we work with who shared the work they are doing locally to support people with dementia living within the community, including: Alzheimer’s Society, Future Roots, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, and the Wessex Academic Health Science Network.

Following previous successful events I tend to have positive expectations of our community engagement work – this was reflected in the comment of another attendee: “I expected a high standard but that was surpassed”

May 15, 2015

Dementia Awareness Week Monday 18th – Sunday 24th May 2015

Fusion, Public engagement, Training Ahmed Romouzy Ali

BUDI – Dementia Friends Awareness Session

Dementia Friends sessions are part of a national initiative by the Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness of dementia within our local communities. The sessions are designed to help people learn more about what it’s like to live with dementia so that those affected by the condition can feel included in their local community.

Dr Michelle Heward and Dr Ahmed Romouzy Ali from Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) will be delivering a Dementia Friends session on Thursday 21^st May 2015 10-11 am in TAG22, Talbot Campus at Bournemouth University.

If you would like to attend, please email Dr Ahmed Romouzy Ali on arali@bournemouth.ac.uk

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FREE – Places for BU Staff and PhD Students for Creative Approaches in Dementia Masterclass

A good week for music and dementia

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

BUDI hosts its second Masterclass

WAN speaker event: ‘Inspiring our futures: High profile women at BU’

“Very useful, informative (and fun) time. Thank you so much” BUDI hosts 4th Public Open Meeting

Dementia Awareness Week Monday 18th – Sunday 24th May 2015

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Date: Tuesday 10th November 2015 9.45 – 3pm Location: Hamworthy Club Ltd, Magna Rd, Wimborne BH21 3AP

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Date: Tuesday 10th November 2015 9.45 – 3pm
Location: Hamworthy Club Ltd, Magna Rd, Wimborne BH21 3AP