If you’re looking to have an impact on local, national and international policy with your research, you may find the BU policy influence digest email useful.
The policy influence digest highlights policy influencing opportunities and tips. The digests are usually circulated weekly and contain information on expert calls, specialist or committee advisor opportunities, areas of research interest issued by the Government departments, fellowship opportunities, the notable sector reports and Government announcements from the week, events and training as well as a range of other opportunities to share your expertise (including responding to consultations or select committee inquiries).
If you’d like to receive the digest by email, sign up in two clicks or scan the QR code below (BU login required).
Yesterday our latest methodological paper ‘Methods or Methodology: Terms That Are Too Often Confused’ appeared online. [1] We recently published a methods paper outlining the difference between Methods and Methodology as so many postgraduate students manage to get it wrong or don’t understand the distinction between the two. There is a distinct difference between methodology and methods in research. However, too many students, researchers, and authors of academic papers do not seem to pay attention to the crucial difference. This is true not only in education research but also in many other academic disciplines. In simple terms, the term methods refers to the research tools and techniques; for example, in the qualitative field, interviews are a tool to collect data, and in the quantitative field, a questionnaire-based survey is an example of a data collection tool. Methodology is a broader concept as it refers to the overall approach to the research, includes a justification for this approach, and links to research philosophy, i.e., how we produce knowledge. This methodological note aims to explain the confusion, drawing on examples from the published literature in education research and beyond. It also considers the complexities and crossovers. The final section ends with key advice to researchers and authors on key mistakes to avoid regarding the difference between methods and methodology, including covering this in early supervision discussions.
Our interdisciplinary team, based in the UK and Nepal, comprises Dr. Orlanda Harvey in BU’s Department of Sociology & Social Work, Dr. Pramod Regmi in BU’s Department of Nursing Science, Dr. Preeti Mahato from Royal Holloway, University of London, Dr. Shovita Dhakal Adhikari, London Metropolitan University, Dr. Rolina Dhital, based at Health Action & Research in Nepal and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in BU’s Department of Midwifery & Health Sciences. In addition it is worth mentioning that both Preeti and Shovita are both former member of staff in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) at BU. Finally, although the official publication date is Sept 2023, it only appeared online yesterday. This new methods paper is part of growing series of methods papers by members of this team of academics [2-12].
Regmi, P.R., Waithaka, E., Paudyal, A., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2016) Guide to the design and application of online questionnaire surveys. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 6(4): 640-644. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/17258
Regmi, PR., Aryal, N., Kurmi, O., Pant, PR., van Teijlingen, E, Wasti, PP. (2017) Informed consent in health research: challenges and barriers in low-and middle-income countries with specific reference to Nepal, Developing World Bioethics 17(2):84-89.
Mahato, P., Angell, C., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P.P. (2018) Using Mixed-methods Research in Health & Education in Nepal, Journal of Health Promotion Official Publication of Health Education Association of Nepal (HEAN), 6: 45-48.
van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Adhikary, P., Aryal, N., Simkhada, P. (2019). Interdisciplinary Research in Public Health: Not quite straightforward. Health Prospect, 18(1), 4-7. https://doi.org/10.3126/hprospect.v18i1.19337
Dhakal Adhikari, S., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi,P., Mahato, P., Simkhada, B., Simkhada, P. (2020) The presentation of academic self in the digital age: the role of electronic databases, International Journal of Social Sciences & Management 7(1):38-41.
Shanker, S., Wasti, S.P., Ireland, J., Regmi, P., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2021) The Interdisciplinary Team Not the Interdisciplinarist: Reflections on Interdisciplinary Research, Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences3(2): 1-5. https://doi.org/10.46405/ejms.v3i2.317
Arnold, R., Gordon, C., Way, S., Mahato, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Why use Appreciative Inquiry? Lessons learned during COVID-19 in a UK maternity service, European Journal of Midwifery 6 (May): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.18332/ejm/147444
Mahato, P., Tamang, P., Simkhada, B., Wasti, S. P., Devkota, B., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E.R. (2022) Reflections on health promotion fieldwork in Nepal: Trials and tribulations. Journal of Health Promotion10(1): 5–12. https://doi.org/10.3126/jhp.v10i1.50978
Khatiwada, S., Gautam, P., Koju, A., Niraula, B., Khanal, G., Sitaula, A., Lamichhane, J., Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E (2023). Patient and Public Engagement in Health Research: Learning from UK Ideas. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 8(1): 28–35. https://doi.org/10.3126/jmmihs.v8i1.57268
Thapa, R., Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Heaslip, V. (2023) Researching Dalits and health care: Considering positionality, Health Prospect21(1): 6-8.
SUNRISE (Supporting University Network for Research in Sustainability Engagement) is a British Council funded project, managed by BU in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
Join us tomorrow Wednesday April 24th for our collaborative showcase event of sustainability projects from BU and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). We will meet together online and on campus (DG06, Dorset House, Talbot Campus) at 8-10 am UK time (sorry it’s early – it’s because of the time difference with Malaysia).
We will offer coffee and croissants and share projects from BU and USM. We will launch our SUNRISE sustainability showcase aiming to inspire academic collaborations and student research around sustainability. Our speakers tomorrow include:
from BU:
Dr Sukanya Ayatakshi Endow, who explores gender bias in crowd-funding
Dr James Fair, who explores sustainable developments within cinema
Dr Reena VIjayakumaran, who explores food insecurity and sustainable food in rural India.
from USM:
Dr Musfirah Zulkurnain, who explores sustainable solutions to food security
Dr Derek Chieh, who examines sustainable production of high-quality duckweeds feedstock using fish farm wastewater
Dr Emilin Alli, who explores wear not waste: moving towards zero textile waste
Thank you to our speakers and everyone who contributed to the SUNRISE Showcase. We look forward to sharing the British Council funded SUNRISE project with you.
SUNRISE aims at inspiring and building capacity for sustainability research through hybrid cross-institutional student mobility events. Particularly, it focuses on leveraging student online and hybrid mobility to build capacity for research on sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More info on the project is available here.
At BU, the project is managed by Dr Milena Bobeva (BUBS), Dr Reena Vijayakumaran (HSS), Prof Fiona Cownie (FMC), Dr Roberta Discetti (BUBS), and Dr Daisy Fan (BUBS). Our partners at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are Dr Vina Tan Phei Sean and Assoc Prof. Ng Theam Foo.
We have two opportunities for PGRs to collaborate externally.
On Wed 24 April we are launching our SUNRISE project in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia to promote research around sustainability and collaborations moving forward.
On Thurs 25 April we hold our third SPROUT event – our PGR Sustainability network with PGRs from Universities of Cardiff and Newcastle. Our focus is Sharing our sustainability stories.
Join us online for either or both events or in person on Wed am – though we do start SUNRISE early at 8-10 am (DG06).
Sign up via Eventbrite:
SUNRISE Wednesday 24 April 8-10 am online or on campus DG06 – sign up here
SPROUT Thursday 25 April 1-2 pm online – sign up here
More details below – hope to see you at these events if you’re interested in sustainability and collaboration.
SUNRISE
Would you like to attend our showcase event for sustainability projects from BU and our collaborator Universiti Sains Malaysia? We will meet together online and on campus next Wednesday April 24th 8-10 am UK time (sorry it’s early – it’s because of the time difference with Malaysia).
We will offer coffee and croissants and share three projects from BU and three from USM at the event. We will think through possible collaborations going forward and introduce the SUNRISE British Council funded project.
BU speakers include:
Dr Sukanya Ayatakshi Endow who explores gender bias in crowd-funding
Dr James Fair who explores sustainable developments within cinema
USM speakers include:
Dr Musfirah Zulkurnain who explores sustainable solutions to food security
Ms Nuri Izyani Ramlee who explores stingless bee farming for a healthier future
At the event we will launch our SUNRISE sustainability showcase which brings together sustainability projects from both institutions from academics and PGRs. We aim to use this to inspire possible collaborations and student research around sustainability. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this. Please note, if you’re part of the showcase we’re not asking you to present on the 24th , unless I’ve been in touch, but to be part of the audience and discussion.
Join us for the April SPROUT event: Sharing our Sustainability Stories
Hear from PGRs as they share their sustainability stories and engage in a writing taster session to begin articulating (or refining) your sustainability story.
This is an interactive session. Our PGR leads will share their sustainability stories. We will follow with a writing workshop taster ‘Writing your sustainability story’ in which you can write and share your sustainability story. We will finish by introducing our plans for Sprout online writing workshops
Bournemouth University of part of a research consortium that has recently been awarded a Dissemination Award from the Medical Research Foundation (MRF). Last week the MRF announced that it has granted £30,294 for a project to ‘Strengthening Nepal’s health systems’. This Dissemination Award has been offered to expand the reach and impact of our recently completed study which was funded by the UK Health Systems Research Initiative [Grant ref. MR/T023554/1]. In this larger Nepal Federal Health System Project we studied the effects on the health system of Nepal’s move from a centralised political system to a more federal government structure in 2015. This interdisciplinary project was led by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with Bournemouth University, the University of Huddersfield, Canterbury Christ Church University and two institutions in Nepal: MMIHS (Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences) and PHASE Nepal.
This week the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH) accepted our latest paper from our research on the impact of the federalisation of the health care system in Nepal. This paper ‘COVID-19 as a challenge to Nepal’s newly federalised health system: capacities, responsibilities, and mindsets’ has Bikesh Koirala as first author [1].
This recently completed study was funded by the UK Health Systems Research Initiative [Grant ref. MR/T023554/1]. In this larger Nepal Federal Health System Project we studied the effects on the health system of Nepal’s move from a centralised political system to a more federal government structure in 2015. This joint project was led by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with Bournemouth University, the University of Huddersfield, Canterbury Christ Church University and two higher education institutions in Nepal: MMIHS (Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences) and PHASE Nepal.
This is the seventh paper from our collaboration. Previous papers focused on a wide range of aspects of this interdisciplinary study, including on its methods, participatory policy analysis, the WHO (World Health Organization) health systems building blocks, and public health [2-7].
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMWH (Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health)
References:
Koirala, B., Rushton, S., Adhikary, P., Balen, J., Basnet, S., Joshi, S., Karki, A., Lee, A., Rijal, B., Simkhada, P., Subedi, M., van Teijlingen, E., Karki, J. (2024) COVID-19 as a challenge to Nepal’s newly federalised health system: capacities, responsibilities, and mindsets, Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (accepted).
Sapkota, S., Rushton, S., et al. (2024) Participatory policy analysis in health policy and systems research: reflections from a study in Nepal. Health Research & Policy Systems, 22 (No.7) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-023-01092-5 .
Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., et al. (2023) Overcoming the Challenges Facing Nepal’s Health System During Federalisation: An Analysis of Health System Building Blocks, Health Research Policy & Systems21(117) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-023-01033-2
Sapkota, S., Dhakal, A., et al. (2023) The impact of decentralisation on health systems: a systematic review of reviews. BMJ Global Health 8:e013317. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013317.
Sapkota, S., Panday, S., et al. (2022) Health System Strengthening: The Role of Public Health in Federal Nepal, Journal of the Nepal Public Health Association 7(1):36-42.
Adhikary, P., Balen, J., et al. (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: Emerging evidence on the effectiveness of action by, and cooperation between, different levels of government in a federal system, Journal of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences 3 (3): 1-11.
Rushton, S., Pandey, S., van Teijlingen, E., et al. (2021) An Investigation into the Impact of Decentralization on the Health System of Nepal. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 7(1): 3–14. https://doi.org/10.3126/jmmihs.v7i1.43146
Bournemouth University researchers at the Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) will contribute to a new national study evaluating non-contrast-enhanced MRI and comparing it to standard of care ultrasound in a cohort of patients under surveillance for liver cancer.
Researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Nottingham, Bournemouth and Glasgow Caledonian will lead the £2.2 million AMULET clinical study into the use of a new imaging technique for surveillance of liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis. The study is funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, a partnership between the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. The team will compare non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the standard of care ultrasound to assess which imaging technique is better for diagnosing liver cancer earlier.
The study is led by Dr Michael Pavlides (study chief investigator, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford) and Professor Susan Francis (study lead technical investigator, University of Nottingham). Associate Professor Jamie Franklin, Head of the IMIV, is a co-investigator on the project and the study lead radiologist.
Liver cancer incidence is increasing in the UK. The earlier that liver cancer is detected, the more likely that treatment will be successful. Currently we use ultrasound to detect liver cancer, but liver ultrasound has poor sensitivity in some patients meaning that early liver cancers can be missed. MRI is not routinely used for liver cancer surveillance. The study team are developing a shorter non-contrast-enhanced MRI protocol, as an alternative to ultrasound and contrast-enhanced MRI, with the aim of using it for more sensitive surveillance.
Dr Franklin said: “This is an important and timely project. We need more accurate, cost-effective tools to detect liver cancer at an early stage, which gives us the best chance of successful treatment. We’re excited to be working with the research team to deliver this study, which we hope will benefit patients in the future.”
The AMULET project will build on the University of Oxford’s DeLIVER programme (funded by Cancer Research UK). For more information about the DeLIVER early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma research programme, please visit the DeLIVER website: https://deliver.cancer.ox.ac.uk/
Ahead of the London Marathon this weekend, Dr Ben Powis co-authors this article for The Conversation which explains the variety of techniques used by visually impaired runners, as well as the societal barriers that stop visually impaired people from getting involved in the sport.
In this weekend’s London Marathon, nearly 50,000 runners will hit the capital’s streets in one of the world’s most iconic races. For the visually impaired (VI) runners on the start line, their approach to this famous route will differ from their sighted counterparts. Just as there are misconceptions about blindness itself, many people are confused about how VI people run.
Some assume that all VI runners are blind with no usable vision, have superhuman compensatory skills and are passively guided around running routes by sighted guides. The reality is that, like all runners, VI runners have diverse experiences, preferences and needs.
In our research, we’ve conducted in-depth interviews with eight blind and partially sighted runners about their running practices. Some navigate routes independently, while others run with a guide – using a tether, holding their elbow or running in close proximity.
VI running can be a rich and creative experience, engaging all the senses. But, as one of our participants stated, this process is not innate: “People say, ‘Oh your smell becomes better, your hearing becomes better’. I don’t think it does, I just think you tune into it a little bit more… it just becomes more of a natural thing.”
As research on the runner-guide partnership shows, it can take practice and trying different strategies for runners to make sense of their surroundings and figure out what works for them.
Through touch, hearing, smell and usable vision, VI runners actively develop unique relationships with the routes they run. Our participants described how they identify landmarks, such as the sound of a river or the feel of changing terrain, to construct maps inside their heads. As one runner explains: “I could subconsciously tell you where every crack on the pavement is.”
Barriers to running
With VI people being one of the most inactive minority groups, running can be inclusive, empowering and provide a range of social and physical benefits.
But there are a number of societal barriers to VI people getting and staying involved in running. Ableist assumptions about who can and cannot run, are frequently internalised by VI people themselves.
One of our participants, who is blind from birth, explained: “I’d never even considered running before really… I just thought I couldn’t do it.” Having acquired sight loss in adulthood, another participant said: “I thought I’d never be able to run again, which was a massive blow when I first started losing my sight.”
To combat these assumptions and spread awareness about opportunities, runners like Kelly Barton and her guides share running content online. A recent video of her 250th parkrun, which she completed without being tethered to a guide, attracted national media coverage.
Our participants reported struggling to find guide runners, who can support VI people to run safely by guiding them along a route using verbal instructions, tethers or physical contact.
One VI runner who owns a guide dog contacted a local running event for a guide and was told they “haven’t found a guide yet, but we’ve got a dog sitter”. While there are local groups connecting VI runners and guides in some areas, such as VI Runners Bristol, this is not consistent across the UK.
For VI runners who prefer running indoors, the treadmills used in many gyms are inaccessible. The charity Thomas Pocklington Trust and UK Coaching are working to address this through the inclusive facilities toolkit.
How you can get involved
For many VI runners, including our participants, parkrun has become a popular place to get started. The event’s inclusive ethos and specific efforts to encourage VI runners have created a welcoming and accessible environment.
If you are in search of a guide, British Blind Sport and England Athletics operate a database to connect VI runners with guides licensed by England Athletics. And if you are a sighted runner thinking about becoming a guide, you can complete a sight loss awareness and guide running workshop to get listed on the database.
Prospective runners and guides can also connect informally through parkruns, running clubs, local VI organisations or running organisations like Achilles International.
The Conference Committee welcome all PGRs in HSS to submit an abstract to present at the 2nd annual department conference, which will be held on Tuesday 4th June.
Last year’s inaugural conference was very successful, with evaluations celebrating the welcoming and supportive atmosphere for sharing aspects of our PGR work. It was fantastic to hear from students across the faculty and to see the breadth of research being carried out. You can see some highlights on X, by searching for the tagline #FHSSPGRConference2023
We welcome applications from all HSS PGRS, at any stage of the research. Please submit your abstract, for either an oral presentation (20mins/3mins) or a poster presentation at https://forms.office.com/e/uwMMNxstEY. NB the deadline for submissions has been extended by 1 week. Closing date Friday 19th April.
We have 2 keynote speakers organised to present on the day.
Dr. Mona Seyed Esfahani will deliver a keynote on new technologies in healthcare in the morning.
Dr. Holly Henderson will deliver a keynote on AI in research in the afternoon.
We look forward to receiving your abstracts. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on wardl@bournemouth.ac.uk or Tanya Andrewes on tandrewes@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Best wishes
Louise Ward, on behalf of the Conference Committee
The RKEDF and BU ECRN are delighted to offer funding (up to £500) to organise an event, roundtable, meeting, training, or workshop in support of research at BU.
This funding supports BU Early Career Researcher Network members to organise and facilitate an event that can be thematic, subject/discipline based, foster community engagement, knowledge exchange or networking and does the following;
– Brings ECRs and others together to share ideas, knowledge and learning.
– Provides a space for intellectual discussion.
– Helps to facilitate collaboration and future opportunities.
– Enables an opportunity for networking.
– Please note all requests are subject to approval by the RKDEF Team and must be made at least 3 weeks in advance of the event date. No reimbursements for payments will be made without prior authorisation from the team.
– All expenses must be paid by the end of the BU financial year (July 2024)
– You will need to receive written confirmation from RKDEF that your request has been successful before you can proceed with organising the event.
– The event cannot have taken place prior to submitting your application.
Eligible costs
Event space
Travel bursaries for attendees
Catering and refreshments (Tea, Coffee, Water, Light snacks, Lunch)
Av (projector, screen, laptop, tech support on the day, microphones)
Printing costs (meeting handouts)
Speaker fee (up to £500)
Ineligible Costs
Software or hardware.
International event, speaker, or travel costs.
Costs for dependants or spouses to attend events.
Research costs.
How to apply:
Please download and complete all sections of the EOI for BU ECRN Funding (500 words max per section) and email your completed application to: RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk by 26th April 2024. Successful applicants will be notified by 1st May 2024.
Are you an academic, researcher or PhD candidate who would like to build a media profile and take your research to a global public audience by writing for The Conversation?
The Conversation is a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics working with professional journalists. It is an open access, independent media charity funded by more than 80 UK and European universities.
In this interactive session we’ll take you through what The Conversation is – our origins and aims; what we do and why.
We’ll look at why you should communicate your research to the public and take you through The Conversation’s unique, collaborative editorial process.
We’ll give you tips on style, tone and structure (with examples), look at how to pitch (with examples) and look at different approaches and article types.
You will have the opportunity to discuss your research with a Conversation editor and pitch potential story ideas.
*Note the session takes place on Zoom and we expect you to turn your camera on.
Benefits of attending
Find out how to join a community of academic authors taking their expertise outside the institution
Understand what makes a good story and the types of articles your expertise could generate
Learn the skills of journalistic writing and how to make your writing accessible and engaging to a diverse general audience
Meet one of The Conversation’s editors and learn how we commission articles
To get the most out of your time with the editor, come prepared:
Read some articles on The Conversation to get a sense of what we publish
Think about the sort of pieces you might potentially write, what aspects of your research might interest people, and come armed with ideas.
There are a limited number of places for this session. If you sign up and then are no longer able to attend, please cancel your registration so that your place can be re-allocated to a colleague on the waiting list.
Since the introduction of workstreams in October 2022, the Transformation team and the Research Development and Support (RDS) team have been working collaboratively on three workstreams to improve BU’s Research & Knowledge Exchange (RKE) service provision. Feedback from the academic community at BU suggested there is a need to reduce bureaucracy and to streamline processes. As part of these efforts, and with the support of IT Services, we have reviewed and improved the Intention to Bid (ItB) form. The form has been developed and tested with input from the academic community and the Business and Knowledge Exchange Managers.
The new Intention to Bid (ItB) form launched on 8 April and is available to access
Ability to save progress on the form and return to it later
Shorter form
Costing information is no longer required as part of the ItB form submission process
Form allows for collaboration – a member of the research team can create the form on the behalf of the PI
Form now incorporates Knowledge Exchange aspects
There are only 6 very simple questions needed to notify RDS of the intention to bid. This will trigger notifications to RDS and to the Faculty (DDRPP, HoDs, DHoDs or Exec Deans). Following this early notification process, further information can be continually developed on the form in stages. This includes information about the research team, project requirements, project goals and aims, as well as confirmation on how the mandatory Faculty Quality Approval requirements will be fulfilled. Once RDS are notified through the early notification, a member from the Funding Development Team will be in touch to work collaboratively with the PI on developing the project for submission.
Short notice application route We recognise that some projects and calls are open for short periods of time, and that other circumstances may dictate when the intention to bid form is completed. If the submission deadline is in less than 4 weeks, the form will first seek approval from RDS (in collaboration with the DDRPP) through the short notice application route. As part of the process, you will be required to submit a draft application or a 2-page concept note (excluding tenders).
All submissions with a deadline over 4 weeks will automatically be processed.
We have developed some user guideson the RKE SharePoint site and will also offer drop-in sessions on MS teams.
The next scheduled session is Wednesday 24th April 12:30pm
Thank you to everyone who attended our ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024 Information Session, in collaboration with the University of Southampton.
The slides from the session are available here, and if you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the recording here.
The 22nd annual Festival of Social Science will take place this year Saturday 19 October – Saturday 9 November, with the theme ‘Our Digital Lives’
This national festival offers the chance to create an inspiring event which enables you to connect your research in a creative and engaging way with a broad public audience.
For the second year, BU is partnering with the University of Southampton (UoS) and we are particularly keen to hear from researchers who have already established collaborations with UoS colleagues and may wish to run a joint event. This collaboration enables us to run an extended programme of events, broadening our impact reach and expanding our networks across Dorset and Hampshire.
Funding of up to £1,000 per event is available, and BU’s Public Engagement with Research team offers continuing advice and support on all areas of event development, planning, delivery and evaluation.
What is the ESRC Festival of Social Science?
The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences. The festival consists of a series of events run each autumn, delivered by ESRC’s ‘festival partners’, higher education institutions from across the UK. Events range from exhibitions, lectures, panel debates, performances, and workshops. Bournemouth University has been involved in the Festival for over a decade.
What if I’ve never done public engagement before?
Everyone has to start somewhere, and this is the ideal place. You’ll have access to support, advice and training throughout. If you’re unsure, seek out a more experienced colleague to collaborate with.
The ESRC says that events must “feature social science (ideally with a social scientist involved in the event)”. If this doesn’t clearly apply to you, consider these options;
Does your research have clear implications for society that could be explored from a social science perspective?
Could you collaborate with a social scientist, combining your resources and creativity to explore the impact of your research? If you’re looking for a collaborator, the Research Blog or BU website are great places to start or contact us for help
What support will I get?
Being part of this festival means a higher level of support and reach than we usually provide.
Before applying, you’ll have access to:
Advice on request from BU’s Public Engagement Team
The ESRC’s Festival Event Leader pack
When your application is successful, you’ll get:
Funding of up to £1,000 managed by RDS
Training provided by the ESRC Festival of Social Science
Continuing advice and support from BU’s public engagement team on all areas of planning, delivering, evaluating your activity
Wide-scale promotion and marketing of your event by BU, UoS and the ESRC
How to Apply
Apply to take part in the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024 by completing the online application form by midnight at the end of Thursday 16 May 2024.
At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with our research.
The Public Engagement with Research team in Research Development and Support can help promote your event to relevant audiences through our monthly newsletters and via our social media channels.
To be considered for inclusion, your event or activity must be;
Focused on BU research, either solely or as part of a wider programme. Events or activities that do not involve BU research, such as marketing or recruitment events, will not be accepted.
Intended for and open to non-academic audiences, either entirely or as a portion of the audience.
Submitted, at the latest, in the first two weeks of the month preceding the event. For example, an event taking place in June should be submitted via the form any time before 14 May.
Event descriptions may be edited for consistency in style with other content.
Thank you for your interest in our new Seed Fund for public engagement with research. We’ve received a considerable number of applications for the funding so far.
We’re pleased to announce that we still have funding available for up to six projects. The latest we can accept applications for this academic year is 28th June and the application form will no longer be accessible after that date.
What’s it for?
We want to provide small amounts of funding (up to £500) to help researchers develop and incorporate meaningful, two-way engagement with beneficiaries and research users. The aim is to help support a more engaged research culture across BU and accelerate the impact arising from research.
Who can apply?
The scheme is open to researchers at all career stages, whether they have previous public engagement experience.
What are we looking for?
We would like to fund engagement activity that addresses any/all the following:
reaches a new audience or community, or
tests a pilot activity to evaluate what works, with the aim of developing impact from existing research or securing further external funding, or
develops your own engagement skills and understanding of the value of public engagement with research.
The relevant staff in the Research Excellence Team will provide support to deliver activities and will manage funds centrally. All activity and spend will need to be completed before 31 July 2024.
(Please note that this funding will not be awarded for attending conferences or networking events where the engagement with stakeholders is speculative.)
Results showed that of the 93 victim-survivors of domestic violence and abuse, half stated they would have stayed in their relationship with perpetrators if the abuse had stopped, and a similar number reported that they believed their relationships would have been different had there been help for the perpetrator. Analysis of perpetrator interviews showed that they faced barriers to obtaining support, such as being labelled a ‘perpetrator’ which, had they been addressed, may have enhanced their engagement with services. Whilst acknowledging the need for safeguarding and justice, this paper demonstrates the importance of reflecting both victim-survivor and perpetrator needs in order for perpetrators to fully engage with support services. Moreover, it highlighted the need to address the underlying societal issues related to hegemonic masculinity, which can lead to the abuse of women being normalised and the vulnerability of men being stigmatised, through education for young people around healthy relationships.
Day 1 – Writing for Publication Workshop – 18 June 2024, 10am-4pm
This workshop covers a range of strategies: targeting a journal, writing to prompts, types of prompt for academic writing, ‘snack’ writing, goal-setting for writing, freewriting, generative writing, analysing academic writing in your field, criteria, writing an abstract, using prompts in series, outlining, dealing with reviewers’ feedback, writing groups, micro-groups and retreats. Many of these can be used to prepare for a concentrated spell of writing at a writing retreat – which follows tomorrow. This is a practical workshop. The aim of the writing activities in this workshop is to let you try these strategies and consider how/if/where/when they could fit into your writing practice. You can use these to write for your article during the workshop, and you have a day’s writing to develop it tomorrow.
Day 2 – Writing Retreat – 19 June, 9am-4pm
Aims – To provide dedicated writing time and develop productive writing practices.
Format
This structured retreat uses the ‘typing pool’ model. We all write at the same time, for fixed time slots, using goal-setting and peer and self-monitoring for our individual writing projects. Because we all write together, we can discuss our goals at the start and end of the day (10-15 minutes). Almost all the retreat time is writing time, with regular breaks.
Learning objectives
1. Understand the Structured Writing Retreat model.
2. Structure a writing day.
3. Maintain well-being during intensive periods of writing.
Day 3 – Free Writing Day
An in-person writing day. Lunch will be provided.
Book your place here under ‘Writing Academy’ – 18/06/2024 to 20/06/2024’ in the drop-down menu.
Looking forward to speaking at the University of Aberdeen this week, unfortunately not in person. This one-hour session coming Wednesday lunchtime will focus on the ‘medical/social model of childbirth‘. Please contact Kelly Gray at the University of Aberdeen (kelly.gray@abdn.ac.uk) for the Teams link to join!
First page of the paper
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
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