Category / Creative, Digital & Cognitive Science

Financial technologies funding

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

 

Attend the Fintech Innovation Contest Assembly – 25 Feb 2015

This facilitated knowledge sharing and networking event, organised by IC tomorrow, a digital programme for Innovate UK, and the Knowledge Transfer Network brings together leading industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities around innovation in financial technologies.  There will also be the chance to find out about the upcoming launch of IC tomorrow’s funded ‘Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

If you have technology or expertise relevant to the financial services industry, or if you are interested to find out about how to navigate this expanding market, then this free evening event is for you. This session provides the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, brands, academics, technologists, designers, and thought leaders across a range of financial services sectors.

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-assembly-registration-15426001586

 £175K Financial Technologies Innovation Contest

The IC tomorrow Financial Technologies innovation contest will offer a total of £175k to businesses to encourage innovation within Financial Technologies. Through a range of challenges, including themes of Education, Cyber Security, Transactions, Personal Finance Management, Compliance and Regulation, IC tomorrow are looking for innovative proposals from companies with digital solutions relevant to these themes within the financial sector.

The briefing event will provide an opportunity to get insight about the challenges from our challenge partners and all you need to know about the application process for the Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

London: 04 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118520

Online Webinar: 04 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-webinar-financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-registration-15794522843

Cardiff: 05 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-cardiff-registration-15749448023

Edinburgh: 10 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15749741902

Belfast: 11 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-belfast-registration-15749951529

Up to £10M Worth of Funding Available for Digital Innovators

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

Register now for the upcoming events below which will highlight and provide information about Innovate UK funding competitions opening in March 2015.

Digital Business Drop-in – 19 February 2015

Come along to an informal and short Digital Business Drop-in session for an opportunity to meet the representatives of the Innovate UK and the organisations working in partnership to hear about upcoming funding and support available for digital companies and also the chance to showcase your business in a 5 minute presentation. 

Register at: https://www.etouches.com/115025

Attend the Fintech Innovation Contest Assembly – 25 Feb 2015

This facilitated knowledge sharing and networking event, organised by IC tomorrow, a digital programme for Innovate UK, and the Knowledge Transfer Network brings together leading industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities around innovation in financial technologies.  There will also be the chance to find out about the upcoming launch of IC tomorrow’s funded ‘Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

If you have technology or expertise relevant to the financial services industry, or if you are interested to find out about how to navigate this expanding market, then this free evening event is for you. This session provides the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, brands, academics, technologists, designers, and thought leaders across a range of financial services sectors.

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-assembly-registration-15426001586

 £175K Financial Technologies Innovation Contest

The IC tomorrow Financial Technologies innovation contest will offer a total of £175k to businesses to encourage innovation within Financial Technologies. Through a range of challenges, including themes of Education, Cyber Security, Transactions, Personal Finance Management, Compliance and Regulation, IC tomorrow are looking for innovative proposals from companies with digital solutions relevant to these themes within the financial sector.

The briefing event will provide an opportunity to get insight about the challenges from our challenge partners and all you need to know about the application process for our Financial Technologies Innovation Contest. 

London: 04 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118520

Online Webinar: 04 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-webinar-financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-registration-15794522843

Cardiff: 05 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-cardiff-registration-15749448023

Edinburgh: 10 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15749741902

Belfast: 11 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-belfast-registration-15749951529

 Using Personal Data to Improve User & Customer Experience

London: 17 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-briefing-london-registration-15750410903

Manchester: 19 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-manchester-registration-15750960547

Edinburgh: 20 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15750770980

 £4M Protecting Data in Industry 

Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects that tackle the growing risks of disruption to internet-enabled businesses and their digital supply chains.

With the Internet of Things providing new sources of data and end-users’ ever-increasing digital footprint, it is difficult to adequately protect the interests of a business, industry or sector. There is also a lack of understanding of the effects disruption may have.  Desired proposals would address the challenge of protecting a business, industry or sector from digital disruption that could compromise data across the digital supply chain.

Belfast: 25 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-belfast-registration-15751274486

Cardiff: 30 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-cardiff-registration-15751564353

London: 31 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118529

Edinburgh: 01 April 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15751602467

Innovation in Retail Speed Networking – 31 March 2015

If you are an SME or start-up with an innovative product in the Retail space then this free evening event is for you.

The event will offer chosen companies a series of one-to-one sessions with major retail brands including Argos, John Lewis, Snow & Rock and Liberty of London. The speed networking format has been designed to help connect start-ups and SMEs with larger commercial partners to fuel understanding and enable partnerships. We have up to 15 places available for the most innovative digital companies working in this space.

The aim of this event is to explore opportunities for innovation throughout the Retail industry, from ecommerce & payment through to aspects such as data analytics & personalisation & supply chain management.

Apply here: https://ictomorrow.innovateuk.org/innovation-in-retail-networking

 

Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

BU research, Featured academics, PG research, Uncategorized

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Nasirlow noise Switch-mode power supply designs

Title: Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 25 February 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

Nowadays, linear power supplies are widely used to provide the supply voltage rail to an audio amplifier and are considered bulky, inefficient and expensive due to the presence of various components. In particular, the typical requirements of linear designs call for physically large mains transformers, energy storage/filtering inductors and capacitors. This imposes a practical limit to the reduction of size and weight in audio power systems. In order to overcome these problems, Switch-mode Power Supplies (SMPS) incorporate high speed switching transistors that allow for much smaller power conversion and energy storage components to be employed. In addition the low power dissipation of the transistors in the saturated and off states results in higher efficiency, improved voltage regulation and excellent power factor ratings. However, the use of SMPS in audio amplification is not novel in itself, the contribution will arise from design optimisation to achieve the lowest possible harmonic distortion in the audio output stage. Therefore, the primary aim of this research project is to develop the novel low noise switch mode power supply for an audio power amplifier. It will also strive to elevate the reliability of SMPS through stability analysis and enhance the efficiency of power supply through high speed switching transistors. As a result, the research will aim towards changing the way industrial manufacturing of power supplies for audio amplifiers are carried out. It will also provide a new path for researchers in this field to utilize the SMPS in all other audio devices by further enhancing its efficiency and reducing system noise.

 

We hope to see you there.

 

Serendipitous Impact and the Power of No: lessons from CEMP’s Research Away Day

BU research, R & KE Operations, Training

On Friday February 13, 2015 eighteen researchers across all stages of their careers came together for our CEMP Research Away Day. Hosted at the Old School House By the Sea in Boscombe, the day focused on how we can foster our media & education research culture, from REF strategy to collaboration building, both at BU and beyond.

Kicking us off with REF and Impact, Rebecca Edwards from RKEO spoke about key issues including the new Open Access Guidelines and how we can work to evidence our impact. She summed up 8 key points to takeaway:

1. Know your Open Access
2. Go Gold when possible – use RKEO fund
3. Collaborate with other institutions and international colleagues
4. Identify and developing Impact Case Studies
5. Evidencing your Impact as you go along (testimonials, visitor counts, etc)
6. Promote your research on the BU research website
7. Aim to increase research income
8. Focus on PhD registrations and completions

Sound like a gigantic task for just one person? These goals are not for individuals to accomplish alone. Working in teams and groups is key for doing innovative research, producing outputs and building successful bids. Making connections between our work is a necessary beginning.

Isabella Rega’s Making Connections session got the group talking about where our interests intersect. Using three different coloured post-it notes, we wrote down the issues (green), methods (pink) and stakeholders (yellow) that we work with. Participatory research methods, HE teaching and learning, and Education and Social Change emerged as key overlaps.

Out of these connections some concrete plans emerged, including turning fusion project output into educational resources and a participatory methods workshop day.

From project plans to project afterlife, we shifted to speak about documenting and evidencing impact. We looked at four case studies of research projects including ETAG and Copyrightuser.org, their significance and who they reached. Rebecca Edwards provided advice on how we evidence, measure and track our project’s impact. Sometimes these impacts can be anticipated, but more often there is serendipity and surprise.

Tracking Impact

-Tiers of influence
-Is influencing an organisation enough? How do we understand what this was?
-Testimonials
-Formal letters from key institutions
-If you’ve done research at another institution it doesn’t count at our institution. Impact stays at institution. Reason is because it is usually about groups.
-Entire groups can be rewarded for impact
-Demonstrate the evidence of impact on policy —> Following the story
-Distinct contribution of the University
-Can’t always see the impact from the outset —> serendipity involved, not always
-visitors counts and the result of them

After a tasty, if unidentifiable food-filled lunch from Bosconova, we ran a reflection session on barriers to research bidding and publishing. Designed to get us thinking about the personal and structural constraints on our research, the session helped us room-source practical solutions to common challenges.

Richard Wallis got us back up on our feet with a enthusiastic round of Research Speed Dating. Partnering up with colleagues for short bursts of time, we quickly exchanged project ideas offering feedback and fostering more research connections. Julian McDougall and Richard Berger rounded out the afternoon with a go-around. Everyone shared their upcoming plans and outlined the support they would need to achieve them.

Described by participants as a “fantastic day,” we left feeling the best kind of inspired: more excited and less exhausted about the research plans that lay ahead for CEMP’s growing educational research community.

Anna Feigenbaum is a CEMP Fellow. To find out more about CEMP and how to get involved, check out the website: http://www.cemp.ac.uk/

Are you in the know? – Creative, digital and design communities

Knowledge Transfer

 

Trying to keep up with what is happening within this sector.?

Why not sign up for a comprehensive newsletter emailed to you on a regular basis summarising upcoming events, funding programmes and awards within this sector. Packed full of information this is an easy read and a useful tool to keep up to speed with news and information in this fast moving creative arena.

Published by the Knowledge Transfer Network.

 

.

£500,000 funding – Better interactions between people and machines

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Investment up to £500,000 in feasibility studies in the area of user experience (UX). The aim is to encourage new and improved ways for machines, their computing systems and people to interact.

Innovate UK is to invest up to £500,000 in feasibility studies in the area of user experience (UX). The aim is to encourage new and improved ways for machines, their computing systems and people to interact. Proposals may address technologies that contribute to these new approaches, such as sensing information about the user, or they may address technologies that help with specific types of experience, such as mobile or wearable devices. Projects must be collaborative and business-led. The competition is open only to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with the option to collaborate with one additional SME or research organisation/academic partner. 

Small businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs and medium-sized businesses up to 60%. 

Projects are expected to last between 3 and 12 months and to have total project costs of up to £50,000. 

The feasibility studies are part of a £1.5m Innovate UK programme to stimulate innovations in user experience (UX). This competition runs in parallel with a £1m Knowledge Transfer Partnership competition. For details, visit the competition page.

 This competition opens on 16 February 2015 and the deadline for registration is noon on 25 March 2015. The deadline for applications is noon on 1 April 2015. A briefing day (with webinar option) for potential applicants will be held in London on 18 February 2015.

SW businesses can benefit from £5k of funding from Creative England

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

Creative England is offering creative digital businesses in the South West the chance to apply for a third round of Business Strategy and Innovation Vouchers.

The scheme provides companies with £1,000 – £5,000 to subsidise much of the cost of procuring expert third party services in order to aid growth.

Funded by the Creative Industries iNet programme through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), the initiative focuses strongly on digital innovation and business strategy.

The Creative England Innovation Programme helps creative companies build and sell innovative products and services more successfully. This work is delivered through structured projects – which include seed investment, mentoring, marketing, and business support, planning and strategy. These projects help companies jump over business barriers to grow more quickly and profitably.

In order to apply to this round, businesses must be based in Bristol, Bath, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset or Gloucestershire, and be able to provide a total equalling 30% of the requested amount in match funding.

The voucher scheme is part of a wider £314k programme of support through the Creative England Innovation Programme.

Applications for the Voucher Scheme close on February 27th, 2015. For more information please read the guidelines below. Companies can apply directly here.

 

Cloud and Weather Simulation for computer graphics

BU research, Featured academics, PG research, Research news, student research

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Leigh McLoughlin

Title: Cloud and Weather Simulation for Computer Graphics

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 18th February 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

In this talk I will discuss my work on cloud simulation for computer graphics. This work was designed to provide a means of simulating clouds and weather features, such as rain, using desktop graphics hardware. This involves elements of meteorology, numerical weather simulation and computational fluid dynamics, taken from the sciences and adapted to meet the more artistic requirements of computer graphics in which an element of control is required and the laws of physics may be wilfully disobeyed. The result is a lightweight physically-inspired cloud simulation scheme, capable of emulating the dynamic properties of cloud formation and weather effects.

We hope to see you there.

GeoNet Launch with climate change event

BU research, Coffee Morning, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange

The fusion funded GeoNet project holds its first event on Tuesday the 3rd of February. The project aims to bring together staff and students from across the university with mutual interests via a series of events, including some lunchtime panel debates and a series of external speakers. GeoNet is very inclusive and anyone with an interest is welcome to come and take part. The events are designed to encourage conversation and interaction, with plenty of audience participation. Our first event is;

A conversation about climate change

Coyne Lecture Theatre

Tues 3rd February, 1-2pm

Come along to the Coyne on the 3rd Feb to join in the first of eleven planned GeoNet events. Join panellists who research the science of climate change and its impacts (John Stewart, Andrew Ford and Pippa Gillingham from the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences) and those who research how best to communicate it (Einar Thorsen, Nathan Farrell and David Fevyer from the Media School) in conversation to find out more about their work. We want this session to be as interactive as possible and there will be lots of opportunities to ask questions and help us as we try to learn from each other.

Tea, coffee and cookies will be provided and all are welcome!

Join us for today’s cyber security seminar…

Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Uncategorized

Staff and students are invited to join us for today’s cyber security seminar on:

‘Persuasive Technology for Information Security’

Tuesday, 27th January at 4pm. 

Room: P335 LT

In the seminar, participants will hear about design principles for persuasive technology for promoting information security and also about methods to evaluate persuasive technology. Concrete examples and “best practices” will be given from a recent research project, in which it is used in organizations to make employees comply with information security policies.

Our speaker will be Marc Busch.  Marc is a scientist at the AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology and is active at the intersection of persuasive technology and usable privacy and security. Furthermore, he is specialized in advanced quantitative and qualitative usability and user experience methodology, research methods and statistics in Human-computer interaction. Marc is involved in several international and national research and industrial projects, such as MUSES – Multiplatform Usable Endpoint Security Before joining AIT, Marc was at CURE – Center for Usability Research & Engineering, where he focused on user experience and usability.

Cyber Security Seminar: Persuasive Technology for Information Security – Today, 4pm

BU research, REF Subjects

Our next Interdisciplinary Cyber Security Seminar will take place TODAY (Tuesday, 27th January) at 4pm. The seminar will take place at Poole House in P335 LT, and will be free and open to all.

Our speaker will be Marc Busch. Marc is scientist at the AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology and is active at the intersection of persuasive technology and usable privacy and security. Furthermore, he is specialized in advanced quantitative and qualitative usability and user experience methodology, research methods and statistics in Human-computer interaction. Marc is involved in several international and national research and industrial projects, such as MUSES – Multiplatform Usable Endpoint Security. Before joining AIT, Marc was at CURE – Center for Usability Research & Engineering, where he focused on user experience and usability.

Abstract: Persuasive Technology is a vibrant field of research and practice, aiming to change the attitude or behavior of people. Persuasive technology has various different application areas, e.g. games motivating physical activity. An emerging application area is persuasive technology to increase information security and to engage people to protect their privacy. In the seminar, participants will hear about design principles for persuasive technology for promoting information security and also about methods to evaluate persuasive technology. Concrete examples and “best practices” will be given from a recent research project, in which persuasive technology is used in organizations to make employees comply with information security policies.

Start-up and innovation opportunities in next generation mobile

Business Engagement

The next generation of mobile communications technology, 5G, will be a flexible infrastructure capable of handling our ever increasing demand for mobile data and providing connectivity for a wide range of future technologies, from the Internet of Things to digital healthcare, and from advanced gaming to driverless cars. 5G’s short and fast network response times will unleash a new wave of exciting and disruptive applications and with experts predicting deployment from as early as 2020, this evening’s speakers will consider the opportunities for smart start-ups and innovators and share their thoughts on how entrepreneurs can seize this opportunity to create new, world-class businesses.

Register to attend the event of February 5 2015.

Confirmed Speakers:

  • Chair: Keith Robson, COO, 5G Innovation Centre
  • Professor Stephen Temple, Technical Secretary to the Technical Advisory Board, 5G Innovation Centre
  • Dr Mike Short CBE FREng FIET, Vice President, Telefonica Europe and Director, Enterprise M3
  • Gerry Foster, 5G Systems architect & Innovation Gateway Senior Technical Project Manager

Speaker biographies.

Find out more

Playfulness and academic performance of university students

BU research, Research news

Dr. Lukman Aroean, a Senior Lecturer in International Marketing in the Bournemouth University Business School, has recently paid a research visit to the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.  The research visit was funded by British Council Researcher Link and last from end of August to early October 2014. The research topic was about playfulness and academic performance of university students. A two-stage field research involving forty nine undergraduate students of the host university has been undertaken. At the moment the research team has identified interesting findings including the conceptualization of playfulness as an experience, how playfulness interacts with students’ academic performance and how personal preferences are related to the gap between playfulness and academic activity. Dr. Aroean has given two research seminars in the host university about the research findings. Further collaboration is under consideration including engaging business schools from the ASEAN (South East Asian Nations) region.   

CIPPM Researchers launch Copyright Resource for A/AS Level Media Studies

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Featured, Featured academics, Post-award, Research news

Researchers at the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) in collaboration with CREATe, the RCUK Centre for Copyright and New Business Models in the Creative Economy at the University of Glasgow have launched an educational web resource aimed at A/AS Level Media Studies. The project, which was carried out during 2013-2014, was funded by RCUK under a contract with CREATe, University of Glasgow (Principal Investigator: Dr. Dinusha Mendis, Co-Director, CIPPM).

The Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP) at Bournemouth University is also part of the collaboration.

The web resource and downloadable PDF forms part of the already established Copyrightuser.org  (initially funded by the Fusion Investment Fund, 2012-2013) and is titled, Contemporary Media Regulation: A Case Study in Copyright Law.

In particular, this educational web resource addresses Critical Perspectives in Media, Section B: Contemporary Media Issues and was approved by Oxford Cambridge and RSA (OCR) Examination Board at their Annual Conference on 21 March 2014.

The resource was disseminated to a large network of Schools in England and Wales in January 2015 and during 2015-2016, the researchers will map the impact of this educational resource by identifying how many Schools / students have opted to study Copyright Law as part of the Critical Perspectives in Media, Section B: Contemporary Media Issues.

The value of this educational resource has already been identified by the UK Government.  In October 2014, Copyrightuser.org was mentioned by Mike Weatherley MP in his report Copyright Education and Awareness, in which he specifically mentioned this resource as an attempt to introduce copyright law into the AS/A Level Media Studies curriculum in schools in England and Wales. A write-up about it can be found here.

The content is shaped to enable teachers to explain the complexity and importance of copyright in media, and for the students to research copyright regulation and demonstrate their understanding within the Contemporary Media Regulation exam question.

This educational resource provides teachers with simple and straightforward information about copyright law. The focus is to bring together different perspectives on copyright issues. There is a consideration of the historical, contemporary and future copyright issues, with an emphasis on present.

The resource was formally launched in February 2015 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the press release titled ‘What we Should Teach Students about Copyright Law’ can be accessed here.

The educational resource was produced by a team consisting of:

Authors: Ms. Hayleigh Bosher and Dr. Dinusha Mendis (CIPPM)

Illustrations: Mr. Davide Bonazzi

Editor: Professor Ronan Deazley (Professor of Copyright Law, CREATe, University of Glasgow)

Educational Resource Development: Dr. Julian McDougall (CEMP)

Production: Mr. Bartolomeo Meletti (CREATe, University of Glasgow)

Questionnaire Respondents: see here

Transdisciplinary Arts Practice: Moving Sideways to Move Forward

BU research, Featured academics, Research news

Transdisciplinary Arts Practice: Moving Sideways to Move ForwardWe would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Bill Thompson (Video & Sound Artist, Lecturer in Music and Audio Technology, Bournemouth University)

Title: Transdisciplinary Arts Practice: Moving Sideways to Move Forward

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 14th January 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

I’ll be discussing recent collaborative work with choreographer Ian Spink involving transdiciplinary practice across several projects in Scotland, as well as past work with choreographer Claire Pencak and archaeologists Antonia Thomas and Dan Lee at the Ness of Brodgar site in Orkney. I’ll also discuss  some of my work with / against technology in my solo and sound art practice as well my experience leading collaborative arts practice workshops with Ian Spink ( fast + Dirty ) and individually ( Fail Again, Fail Better ) at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and elsewhere.

We hope to see you there.