Category / BU research

Congratulations to Dr. Keen on new Nepal publication

BU research, international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Research news, student research, Uncategorized, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Steve Keen in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and BU PhD graduate Dr. Pratik Adhikary on the acceptance today of their paper ‘Risky work: Accidents among Nepalese migrant workers in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi ‘ by the journal Health Prospect [1].  This is a peer-reviewed public health journal, part of Nepal Journals Online, and the journal is Open Access.  Nepal Journals OnLine (NepJOL) provides access to Nepalese published research, and increase worldwide knowledge of indigenous scholarship.

The Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has a growing number of publications on health and migration research, especially on the health and well-being of migrants from Nepal [2-5].

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

References:

  1. Adhikary, P., Sheppard, Z., Keen, S., van Teijlingen, E. (2017) Risky work: Accidents among Nepalese migrant workers in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi, Health Prospect (forthcoming)
  2. Adhikary, P., Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen E., Raja, AE. (2008) Health & Lifestyle of Nepalese Migrants in the UK BMC International Health & Human Rights 8(6). Web address: www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/8/6.
  3. van Teijlingen E, Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P. (2009) Alcohol use among the Nepalese in the UK BMJ Rapid Response: www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/339/oct20_1/b4028#223451
  4. Adhikary P., Keen S., van Teijlingen, E. (2011) Health Issues among Nepalese migrant workers in Middle East. Health Science Journal 5: 169-175. www.hsj.gr/volume5/issue3/532.pdf
  5. Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P., Bhatta, Y.K.D., Mann, S. (2016) Injury and Mortality in Young Nepalese Migrant Workers: A Call for Public Health Action. Asian-Pacific Journal of Public Health 28(8): 703-705.

British Academy Bid Writing retreat– reserve your place now!

BU research

The BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants scheme opens on the 6th of September 2017.

A workshop, the “Bid Writing retreat- British Academy small grant” will be held Thursday September 7th, 2017 (9:30-16:30). The workshop will offer helpful tips from past British Academy Small Grant winners as well as focused support from team members of the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office.  Participants are asked to have a draft application for the British Academy Small Grant in preparation in advance of this workshop that they can develop during the day.  Workshop places are limited so please book your place here.

Members of BU interested in discussing this workshop opportunity please contact Ehren Milner, Research Facilitator (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

BU Briefing – Understanding Afghan healthcare providers

BU research

Our BU briefing papers are designed to make our research outputs accessible and easily digestible so that our research findings can quickly be applied – whether to society, culture, public policy, services, the environment or to improve quality of life. They have been created to highlight research findings and their potential impact within their field. 

This paper focuses on the perspectives of Afghan healthcare providers on their roles, experiences, values and motivations, and the impact this has on the quality of care for perinatal women and their newborn babies.  To understand their perspectives , the researchers undertook a six-week observation – including interviews and focus groups – to analyse the culture of a maternity hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.

This research study offers multiple insights into Afghan healthcare provider behaviour and reveals complex interrelated issues that affect care in this setting.  It is one of few international studies that explore care from the perspective of healthcare providers in their cultural and social environment.  It reveals that understanding the context of healthcare is crucial to understanding behaviour and the underlying problems to quality of care.

Click here to read the briefing paper.

For more information about the research, contact Professor Edwin van Teijlingen at evteijlingen@bournemouth.ac.uk or Immy Holloway at ihollowa@bournemouth.ac.uk. 
To find out how your research output could be turned into a BU Briefing, contact research@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Approaching the Case for Support – Book Now!

BU research, Events, RKE development framework

As part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, RKEO are hosting a session on ‘Approaching the Case for Support’.

This interactive morning session will provide an overview of RCUK funding, and an overview of the anatomy of a proposal before detailing approaches to tackling the case for support, with the aim of increasing the likelihood of receiving funding. There will be an opportunity to gain feedback from the external facilitator, on the day and subsequently.

All academics and researchers are welcome to attend, but as places are limited we ask that participants have a funding application they plan to submit within 12 months. The application can be to any funder.

Date: Wednesday 4th October 2017

Time: 09:30-12:30

Venue: Talbot Campus

For more information and to book your space please see the RKE Development Framework page for this event.

For any other queries please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.

RKEO Academic and Researcher Induction

BU research, Events, Research Training, Training

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) invite all ‘new to BU’ academics and researchers to an induction.

Signpost with the words Help, Support, Advice, Guidance and Assistance on the direction arrows, against a bright blue cloudy sky.This event provides an overview of all the practical information staff need to begin developing their research plans at BU, using both internal and external networks; to develop and disseminate research outcomes; and maximising the available funding opportunities.

Objectives

  • The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level
  • To provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU

Indicative content

  • An overview of research at BU and how R&KEO can help/support academic staff
  • The importance of horizon-scanning, signposting relevant internal and external funding opportunities and clarifying the applications process
  • How to grow a R&KE portfolio, including academic development schemes
  • How to develop internal and external research networks
  • Key points on research ethics and developing research outputs
  • Getting started with Knowledge Exchange and business engagement

For more information about the event, please see the following link: https://staffintranet.bournemouth.ac.uk/workingatbu/staffdevelopmentandengagement/rolecareerdevelopment/academiccareerdevelopment/rkeoinduction/

The seventh induction will be held on Wednesday, 27th September 2017 on the 4th floor of Melbury House.

Title Date Time Location
Research & Knowledge Exchange Office (R&KEO) Research Induction Wednesday 27th September 2017 9.00 – 12.00 Lansdowne Campus

9.00-9.15 – Coffee/tea and cake/fruit will be available on arrival

9.15 – RKEO academic induction (with a break at 10.45)

11.25 – Organisational Development upcoming development opportunities

11.30 – Opportunity for one to one interaction with RKEO staff

12.00 – Close

There will also be literature and information packs available.

If you would like to attend the induction then please book your place through Organisational Development and you can also visit their pages here. We will directly contact those who have started at BU in the last five months.

We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you.

Regards,

The RKEO teamRKEO

Amends to NERC Research grant eligibility for New Investigators

BU research, Funding opportunities, Guidance

The eligibility for the NERC New Investigators scheme has been updated from three to five years of applicants first becoming eligible for NERC funding as a Principal Investigator. This applies from the January 2018 closing date. See: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/eligibility/

Grants and Fellowships Handbook – A new version of the NERC grants and fellowships handbook is now available on their website at: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/howtoapply/forms/grantshandbook/

 

What happens when things go wrong in medicine?

BU research, Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Events

1-day BU conference/workshop examining what happens when things go wrong in surgery, 8th September 2017

Every day we make mistakes; we pick up the wrong set of keys from the kitchen drawer, pick up the wrong identical suitcase from the airport carousel, or, in the case of the Oscars, a near identical envelope is given to Warren Beatty who then announces the wrong Best Film winner.

What happens when things go wrong in surgery where the consequences can be much more serious?  While attention, quite rightly, focuses on patient need when things go wrong, the aim of this event is to examine how medical professionals can be better supported and trained to cope with these adverse events.

Eminent speakers from around the UK will present the latest research in the area, share insights from their surgical careers and personal experiences and will consider:-

Impact – The personal impact when complications and errors arise in surgery

Resilience – Dealing with stress and maintaining wellbeing

Restoration – what can be done when things go wrong?

While the focus is on surgeons, it is clear that those in other medical professions (e.g. nurses, midwives, GPs) face similar issues in the workplace. Anyone with an interest in the topic is welcome to attend (attendance is free for BU staff).   For further details and to register for the conference please visit www.surgeonwellbeing.co.uk or contact Professor Siné McDougall (smcdougall@bournemouth.ac.uk; ext. 61722).

Writing Days – Open for Booking!

BU research, Publishing, RKE development framework, writing

As part of the Writing Academy, a series of writing days have been organised to help support BU authors work on their publications by providing some dedicated time and space, away from everyday distractions.

The days will have a collaborative focus on productive writing with other BU authors, the RKEO team will also be on hand to provide authors with help and guidance on all areas of the publication process.

Writing Days have been scheduled on the below dates:

  • Friday 15th September 2017

    Thursday 2nd November 2017

    Friday 5th January 2018

    Wednesday 7th March 2018

    Tuesday 22nd May 2018

    Monday 23rd July 2018

Spaces are limited so please only book on if you are able to commit to attending for the whole day.

Click here to book on!

Changes to British Academy grant submission system

BU research, Funding opportunities

The British Academy have used e-GAP as their application submission system for a number of years.  They have now changed to Flexi-Grant.

If you have previously registered with eGAP, your account has been migrated to the new grant management platform, Flexi-Grant®. Before you can log in to Flexi-Grant®, you will need to reset your password as your existing eGAP password will not work.  View this page and click on ‘Reset eGAP password’ to access the new system.  If you have never registered for eGAP then you can create an account on Flexi-Grant by clicking on ‘register’ in the ‘Get Involved’ section of the same page.

You will have to register for an account on Flexi-Grant in order to apply to any future British Academy funding opportunities.  Applicants who have submitted an application through eGAP and are still awaiting a result should be able to review progress through the new system.

If you are unsure of what to do then please contact your RKEO Funding Development Officer for advice.

RKEO calendar 2017-18

BU research

Coming soon to a desk near you, or rather, it will be on your desk by the end of this month, RKEO are pleased to announce that we have designed our first ever desk calendar for all academic staff.

The calendar runs from September 2017 through to July 2018 (no August entry as we all need a well-deserved rest).  It props up nicely to stand alone on your desk.  It contains:

The calendar contains many images from the BU Research Photography competition, including this years winner ‘I am Ron’ by Chantel Cox, which has aptly been placed in December.  Thanks to all those who agreed to have their fantastic photos included.  We will survey staff for opinions on the calendar in approximately six months time.

 

NEW: RKEDF Programme for 2017/18

BU research, Events, Research Training, RKE development framework

Following consultation, the RKEO have developed the new programme of training and development opportunities for 2017/18 for the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

There will be over 150 training and development opportunities available.  Visit the site to see what’s on offer throughout the year.  Many opportunities are available for booking.

What’s new for 2017/18

There are 14 pathways this year, which includes the addition of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) pathway.  This will see a number of events/workshops throughout the year, with most based around the individual units of assessment (UoA).  We have renamed the ‘Working with Business’ pathway to ‘Research Partnerships with Industry’.  This is more descriptive of what is on offer through this pathway.

As well as a full programme of opportunities, we have also created a mini-programme of opportunities specifically for Research Assistants, post-docs and early career researchers.  Booking is through the main RKEDF website.

We are pleased to announce that both BU Pro Vice Chancellors will be running strategy sessions this year.  Keep an eye out for dates later in the year.

We have also developed a set of frequently asked questions to help you navigate your way through the RKEDF.

Success signHighlights

There are many events to choose from this year, as well as online content available throughout the year.  Shown below are a snapshot of what might interest you.

Do browse the main site and see how BU can support you in the development of your research career.  Bookings are all through Organisational Development and available electronically within each pathway.  If you have any general queries then please contact Jo Garrad, Funding Development Manager, RKEO.

 

2017 Industrial Innovation Fellowships and Industrial Mobility Fellowships

BU research, Funding opportunities

RCUK (UKRI) have announced that up to 24 Industrial Innovation Fellowships for Early Career Researchers will be supported as part of the National Productivity Fund.  NERC will be delivering the fellowships as Industrial Innovations Fellowships and Industrial Mobility Fellowships. Successful applicants will be expected to commence their fellowships by the 1st of January 2018 at the latest.

The Industrial Innovations fellowships are 3.5 year awards for a single named researcher.  The Industrial Mobility Fellowships are 6-12 month fellowships that enable ECRs to spend time exploring interdisciplinary solutions while placed within industry. Both fund must have research clearly aligned with one or more of the challenge areas of the governments Industrial Strategy of:

  • Clean energy;
  • Robotics and AI;
  • Satellites and space;
  • Leading edge healthcare and medicine;
  • Manufacturing and materials;
  • Biotechnology and synthetic biology;
  • Transformative digital technologies (including big data and analytics);
  • Quantum technologies;
  • Technologies for the creative industries;
  • Building a resilient economy.

A total fund of £8.86m is available for the Industrial Innovations Fellowships and there are no specific funding limits to applicants other than a restriction that no equipment cost may exceed £10k. Industrial Mobility Fellowships are anticipated to have budgets between £50k-100k depending on the duration of the award.

For further information, or to check the suitability of these funds, please contact your faculty Research Facilitator (Ehren Milner, emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk or Lisa Gale-Andrews,  lgaleandrews@bournemouth.ac.uk).

 

New BU scheme to encourage research projects with prestigious funders

BU research, Guidance, Research news

BU is introducing a new scheme which encourages submissions to externally-funded research projects.

The aim is to:

  • demonstrate BU’s commitment to supporting research undertaken with prestigious research funders;
  • build research capacity and capability in areas of strategic importance;
  • enhance the sustainability of the University’s research culture and environment;
  • recognise and reward the research grant successes of academic staff.

The scheme has two pathways: i) PGR studentships; and ii) postdoctoral research staff. Each of these, and the relevant procedures and eligibility, are set out in the scheme document, which can be found here.

For the PGR studentship pathway, academics will need to make a case for a studentship to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (R&I), but with authorisation sought in advance from the Faculty Executive Dean. The second pathway for postdoctoral research staff will be automatically applied by RKEO to all eligible applications (following discussion with and consent by the PI).

Please read through the Scheme document and if any clarification is required then contact Jo Garrad, Funding Development Manager, RKEO.

Present-day Lebanese descend from Biblical Canaanites, genetic study suggests

BU research

The Sidon excavation site. (A) Map shows the location of Lebanon with present-day political borders in the Near East. (B) A magnification showing the Levant region and the location of the city of Sidon. (C) Photo shows the Sidon excavation site, which included the burials of individuals studied here.

In the most recent whole-genome study of ancient remains from the Near East, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute scientists and their collaborators sequenced the entire genomes of 4,000-year-old Canaanite individuals who inhabited the region during the Bronze Age, and compared these to other ancient and present-day populations. The results, published in the August issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics suggest that present-day Lebanese are direct descendants of the ancient Canaanites.

The Near East is often described as the cradle of civilisation. The Bronze Age Canaanites, later known as the Phoenicians, introduced many aspects of society that we know today – they created the first alphabet, established colonies throughout the Mediterranean and were mentioned several times in the Bible.

However, historical records of the Canaanites are limited. They were mentioned in ancient Greek and Egyptian texts, and the Bible, which reports widespread destruction of Canaanite settlements and annihilation of the communities. Experts have long debated who the Canaanites were genetically, what happened to them, who their ancestors were, and if they had any descendants today.

In the first study of its kind, a team led by scientists of the Sanger Institute have uncovered the genetics of the Canaanite people and a firm link with people living in Lebanon today. The team discovered that more than 90 per cent of present-day Lebanese ancestry is likely to be from the Canaanites, with an additional small proportion of ancestry coming from a different Eurasian population. Researchers estimate that new Eurasian people mixed with the Canaanite population about 2,200 to 3,800 years ago at a time when there were many conquests of the region from outside.

The analysis of ancient DNA also revealed that the Canaanites themselves were a mixture of local people who settled in farming villages during the Neolithic period and eastern migrants who arrived in the area around 5,000 years ago.

The researchers sequenced whole genomes of five Canaanite individuals who lived 4,000 years ago in a city known as Sidon in present-day Lebanon were, as well as the genomes of 99 present-day Lebanese, and analysed the genetic relationship between the ancient Canaanites and modern Lebanese.

Dr Marc Haber, first author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: “It was a pleasant surprise to be able to extract and analyse DNA from 4,000-year-old human remains found in a hot environment, which is not known for preserving DNA well. We overcame this challenge by taking samples from the petrous bone in the skull, which is a very tough bone with a high density of ancient DNA. This method of extraction combined with the lowering costs of whole genome sequencing made this study possible.”

Dr Claude Doumet-Serhal, co-author and Director of the Sidon excavation site* in Lebanon, said: “For the first time we have genetic evidence for substantial continuity in the region, from the Bronze Age Canaanite population through to the present day. These results agree with the continuity seen by archaeologists. Collaborations between archaeologists and geneticists greatly enrich both fields of study and can answer questions about ancestry in ways that experts in neither field can answer alone.”

Prof Holger Schutkowski of Bournemouth University’s Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Forensic Science and a co-author, said: “We are delighted to be part of this significant collaboration with the Sidon excavation and the Sanger Institute, and to contribute to elucidating the Canaanite origin and legacy.”

Dr Chris Tyler-Smith, lead author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: “Genetic studies using ancient DNA can expand our understanding of history, and answer questions about the likely origins and descendants of enigmatic populations like the Canaanites, who left few written records themselves. Now we would like to investigate the earlier and later genetic history of the Near East, and how it relates to the surrounding regions.”

Burial 63: Middle Bronze Age II B, about 1600 BC. Photos courtesy of Dr Claude Doumet-Serhal.

*For more information on the Sidon excavation site, please visit www.sidonexcavation.com

Marc Haber et al. (2017) Continuity and admixture in the last five millennia of Levantine history from ancient Canaanite and present-day Lebanese genome sequences. American Journal of Human Genetics. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.06.013

Funding:
This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant 098051).

Research funding available for the economic and social value of health in the UK

BU research, Funding opportunities

The Health Foundation, an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK, has launched a new £1.5 million funding programme for innovative research on the economic and social value of health in the UK.

They are inviting researchers to submit research proposals that build the evidence for health as an asset for the economy and society, and generate new knowledge to understand the impact that the health of an individual has on their own social and economic outcomes.

They are looking to fund a number of projects that span a range of age groups and different social and economic outcomes.

Each project will receive between £150,000 and £350,000 for research that is up to three years in duration.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon, Friday 29 September 2017.

For more information, and to apply, see here.

An information call for the programme will be held on Thursday 17 August at 4pm. Register your interest here.

AHRC New Generation Thinkers scheme 2018

BU research, Funding opportunities

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have launched their annual competition, in conjunction with BBC Radio 3, called ‘New Generation Thinkers’.

This competition aims to develop a new generation of academics who can bring the best of university research and scholarly ideas to a broad audience through working with the media. It’s a chance for early career researchers to cultivate the skills to communicate their research findings to those outside the academic community.

Each year, up to 60 successful applicants have a chance to develop their media skills, including programme-making ideas with experienced BBC producers at a series of dedicated workshops. Of these up to ten will become BBC Radio 3’s resident New Generation Thinkers and benefit from a unique opportunity to develop their own programmes for the station and a chance to regularly appear on air. There will also be the possibility of working with BBC TV, a number of speak opportunities and the chance to become a regular blogger.

Applicants are welcome from researchers working in all areas of the arts and humanities. This year the call has been extended for researchers who work in areas of social sciences and medical science whose work intersects with the arts and humanities. There are a series of interfaces, and many areas of common ground between. This scheme is open to researchers whose work intersects with arts and humanities and is not restricted to AHRC researchers.

To enter, please see the Call Guidance (PDF, 233KB) and Conditions of Entry (PDF, 108KB). Entries must be submitted via Je-S. If you are interested in applying, please contact your RKEO Funding Development Officer in the first instance.  BU approval is required before submission and only RKEO can submit your application for you.

NERC standard grants (January 18 deadline) – internal competition launched

BU research, Funding opportunities

NERC introduced demand management measures in 2012. These were revised in 2015 to reduce the number and size of applications from research organisations for NERC’s discovery science standard grant scheme. Full details can be found in the BU policy document for NERC demand management measures at: http://intranetsp.bournemouth.ac.uk/policy/BU Policy for NERC Demand Management Measures.docx.

As at March 2015, BU has been capped at one application per standard grant round. The measures only apply to NERC standard grants (including new investigators). An application counts towards an organisation, where the organisation is applying as the grant holding organisation (of the lead or component grant). This will be the organisation of the Principal Investigator of the lead or component grant.

BU process

As a result, BU has introduced a process for determining which application will be submitted to each NERC Standard Grant round. This will take the form of an internal competition, which will include peer review. The next available standard grant round is January 2018. The process for selecting an application for this round can be found in the process document here – the deadline for internal Expressions of Interest (EoI) which will be used to determine which application will be submitted is 22nd September 2017.  The EoI form can be found here: I:\R&KEO\Public\NERC Demand Management 2017.

NERC have advised that where a research organisation submits more applications to any round than allowed under the cap, NERC will office-reject any excess applications, based purely on the time of submission through the Je-S system (last submitted = first rejected). However, as RKEO submit applications through Je-S on behalf of applicants, RKEO will not submit any applications that do not have prior agreement from the internal competition.

Following the internal competition, the Principal Investigator will have access to support from RKEO, and will work closely with the Research Facilitator and Funding Development Officers to develop the application. Access to external bid writers will also be available.

Appeals process

If an EoI is not selected to be submitted as an application, the Principal Investigator can appeal to Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty, Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Any appeals must be submitted within ten working days of the original decision. All appeals will be considered within ten working days of receipt.

RKEO Contacts

Please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator – lgaleandrews@bournemouth.ac.uk or Jo Garrad, RKEO Funding Development Manager – jgarrad@bournemouth.ac.uk if you wish to submit an expression of interest.

ISCF Workshop: Prospering from the Energy Revolution

BU research, Events

Thursday 7th September 2017  – Birmingham

Innovate UK, BEIS and the Research Councils are seeking academics, innovators and thought leaders to participate in an engagement workshop to review and validate the proposed Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) theme, “Prospering from the energy revolution” which has an aspiration to create a number of “whole system”, local energy demonstrators around the UK to accelerate the energy system transition.

Secure, affordable and clean energy is critical to our economic productivity, competitiveness, and employment. Optimising the transition in the UK first helps our economy to thrive while also opens up domestic markets and immense export opportunities for UK businesses. The UK is taking a lead in the move to a cleaner system.

A series of local demonstrators across the UK is now essential to serve as ‘innovation runways’ that link up new solutions, assess and prove clean, affordable energy outcomes in the real world, and launch innovative businesses into commercial readiness, prepared for export.

For further information about the workshop and to submit an Expression of Interest form please see the registration page.

If you have any queries please contact Jenni McDonell (jenni.mcdonnell@ktn-uk.org)