Category / BU research

The Science Bus is coming to town!

BU research, Events, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team

The Science Bus is coming!

How clean is the air on your street, and can you measure this yourself? Do you know what lives in your yogurt? And how can you charge your phone when you don’t have access to electricity? We want to find out with you! The Science Bus brings you workshops and tools to find the answers to these questions and investigate the world around you.

The Science Bus will travel across Europe in search of folk remedies until November 2017. A folk remedy is an everyday trick or “life hack” that anyone can use to make or fix just about anything. Some of this knowledge might even have been around for hundreds (maybe thousands!) of years.

In partnership with the Student Project Bank and SportBU, the Science Bus will be hosted at Slades Farm Family Festival on Sunday 16th July and at Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre from 18th – 21st July. Come along and take part in a workshop!

Why are we on a hunt for folk remedies?

We’d like to put them to the test! How do these remedies work? What are the ingredients? What are the scientific principles behind them? And what can we do to improve them? By combining old knowledge with new technologies, we want to make these clever folk remedies accessible to everyone.

The Science Bus is hosting workshops all around Europe to engage curious minds and encourage people to share their life hacks. The Science Bus will stop at festivals, campsites and marketplaces. In the workshops, our captains will investigate these folk remedies with you. They’ll bring along handy instructions and Do-It-Yourself (research) tools for you to build simple, scientific instruments. This is science for everyone!

Why is the Science Bus important?

We are so used to buying everything we need (and more) that we tend to forget that we can produce and fix things ourselves. We’re not sure exactly what’s in our food, where our products are made , what is right or wrong, or what our options are. Our goal with the Science Bus is to raise questions, encourage critical thinking and investigate our daily environment together. Why? We want as many people as possible to experience that making things themselves and gathering knowledge is both easy and fun!

Catch the Science Bus

The Science Bus will be driving around Europe until November 2017: from the UK to Slovenia, Spain, Germany and many places in-between. The Science Bus captains will share their adventures and discoveries via our website and social media. Do you know any clever folk remedies? Share them with our captains or via our website so that everyone can make use of it! Get involved and follow the Science Bus via togethersciencebus.eu or #sciencebus and be sure to follow it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Who is behind the Science Bus?

The Science Bus project is realised by a group of enthusiastic makers from Waag Society – institute for art, science and technology – based in Amsterdam and is part of the European project, “Doing It Together Science.” Within this project, research institutions work together with science galleries, museums and art institutions to engage as many people as possible with citizen science. By hosting innovative workshops, exhibitions and activities all around Europe, the eleven partners show that citizen science is an accessible and fun way to explore the world around you. For more information check out togetherscience.eu.

Introducing STEAMLab

BU research, Guidance

You may have heard of Sandpits in the academic environment and know what they are or even attended one.  However, we in RKEO are constantly asked ‘what’s a sandpit’, ‘does it stand for something’, ‘it doesn’t sound like it includes me’, or just a straightforward ‘I don’t get it’.

At the same time, you will have seen last week that the well known term STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has now become STEAM, with ‘Arts’ being rightfully recognised as a vital component of research.

In true Orwellian style, we have renamed ‘Sandpits’ to the new name of ‘STEAMLab‘.  This demonstrates the purpose of the STEAMLabs as being open to all disciplines and encouraging truly interdisciplinary research ideas.  The ‘Lab’ part demonstrates the working environment that leads to the creation of novel research ideas and partnerships.  In a nutshell, the STEAMLabs offer the opportunity to meet new people from all disciplines and sectors, and to spend dedicated time developing novel ideas for research projects (as well as lots of post-its).

Four key topics have been selected for the STEAMLabs in 2017/18.  These are based around key government priorities and where the biggest pots of funding will be available.  The STEAMLab topics are:

  • Food security – 25 October 2017
  • Global Challenges – 7 February 2018
  • Industrial Challenges – 11 April 2018
  • Virtual Problems – 6 June 2018

These are broad themes to ensure that they are open to everyone from all disciplines.  If you think that they don’t include you then please have a chat with your RKEO Facilitator who can explain how your research could make a vital contribution to new ideas and approaches.  In order to encourage wider partnerships, each STEAMLab will include academics from other universities, as well as representatives from industry and other sectors.   More details will follow on each of the STEAMLabs in due course and so please watch the blog for news on how to get involved.

Industrial Strategy Commission Report Released

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The Industrial Strategy Commission was launched on March 6th 2017. The first comprehensive report on how the UK government will make long-term investments into innovative business related activity and research has been released and may be found here.

Much of the report focuses on the requirements of an economic management strategy and the vision of what it is expected long-term investment will lead towards. A short summary of this may be found here.

How to use this information:

  1. Check to see if the research you are planning to undertake may fit under the foundational vision set forth in the report
  2. Consider if the research you plan to undertake can be made to contribute to this vision with some alteration
  3. Be prepared- funding calls from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund may come at short notice from a number of funding sources.

For Bournemouth University academics who may have queries about how your research may fit within future schemes, please contact Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Lisa Gale-Andrews (lgaleandrews@bournemouth.ac.uk).

 

EPSRC New Investigator Awards to replace First Grants

BU research, Funding opportunities, Guidance

EPSRC logoFrom Tuesday, 25 July 2017 a New Investigator Award scheme will replace the EPSRC’s First Grant initiative. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is introducing the new scheme following a recent review of First Grants, with input from advisory teams and universities.

The New Investigator Award scheme will remove some of the current restrictions and will help improve the quality and ambition of research proposals submitted, recognising that different projects and new investigators have different needs. EPSRC will continue to draw on input from advisory teams and universities to monitor and evaluate progress of the scheme.

The New Investigator Award scheme will:

  • Remove the financial value and the duration caps
  • Encourage a greater degree of university support to aid career development
  • Remove time based eligibility criteria, ensuring support for researchers who are new to leading research applications
  • Encourage panels to recommend invited resubmission and give feedback to support this more often than they would for standard grant applications

Information for current First Grant applicants:

  • EPSRC anticipates that all applicants eligible for the First Grant scheme will also be eligible for a New Investigator Award
  • The First Grants system will close at 16:00 (BST) on Monday 24 July 2017
  • Applications after this date should be made through the New Investigator Award scheme
  • First Grant applications that have not been submitted via the Je-S system after 16:00 (BST) on Monday 24 July 2017 will no longer be available

Current First Grant applicants should liaise with RKEO to ensure a copy of the application information is captured. This can then be used in New Investigator Award applications.

FHSS Post-grads score with their story of a study group for Sociological Imagination blog

BU research, PG research, Research news, Uncategorized

(l. to r.) Louise Oliver, Jo Thurston, Karen Cooper & Mandy Podee

Four  Health & Social Sciences post-grads (Karen Cooper, Louise Oliver, Mananya Podee & Joanna Thurston), Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, have just published an article in the Sociological Imagination blog.  All at similar stages in the PhD process, they have banded together to form a Methodological Study Group, at the recommendation of their supervisor. In their article for the Sociological Imagination, the four report on:

  1. How the idea for the Methodology Study came about? Had they been involved in any projects like this previously?
  2. Are there elements of method that they share in common? How does this help the group to move forward?
  3. One particularly interesting aspect of the project is their relationship between each other, each other’s work and their own thesis. Have links developed?
  4. What advice would they give to social scientists interested in using a similar study group? How can this format help postgrad students particularly to develop methodology?
  5. How has working in a study group made in easier to return to working alone and in isolation? Or have they found an answer to this in the group process itself?

Supervisor, Dr Kip Jones said, “All four are involved in one way or another under the broad umbrella of Narrative Research. This has been key to providing a platform and common interest to hold the group together and make it a productive one in a very short time.  My job was to suggest the Study Group and format, then stay out of the way. This format has proved successful”.

Read the article here.

British Academy Global Challenges Research Networking Grants

BU research, Funding opportunities, international

The Academy of Medical Sciences in partnership with the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society, is delighted to announce the call for applications to a scheme to allow researchers from developing countries and the UK to forge links and hold networking events to generate innovative and interdisciplinary research ideas to address global challenges.

What is offered

This scheme is targeted at researchers who are looking to form new international collaborations. The maximum amount available is £25,000. Applications from the humanities and social sciences are welcome.

Applications should focus on building a collaborative network and therefore have to be submitted jointly by a lead overseas researcher from a developing country and a lead researcher based in the UK.

To be eligible to apply, both applicants must:

  • Have completed a PhD or have experience at an equivalent level
  • Have proven research experience in their field
  • Hold a permanent position at an eligible institution (in the UK or a DAC-listed country), or a fixed-term contract for the duration of the award.

Projects must start between 1st January 2018 and 31st March 2018, and the funding will last for one year. Full details of eligibility for this scheme are outlined in the guidance, which can be downloaded from the right side of this page. Please read this carefully before submitting an application.

Please contact the Academy of Medical Science’s grants team if you have any queries on 0203 1413 244, or email the team at gcrfnetworking@acmedsci.ac.uk.

For more information see here.

How to be a Productivity Ninja™

BU Challenges, BU research, Guidance, Info Days, RKE development framework, Training, writing

The ThinkProductive Team will be visiting BU next Wednesday to deliver a 90 minute action-packed seminar on How to be a Productivity Ninja™ . They will share with you the 9 Characteristics of the Productivity Ninja™ and help you to identify specific ways you can implement them.

If you want to learn the way of the Productivity Ninja™ then book on here!

 

 

Photo of the Week: Dramaturgical study of ‘Game of Thrones’

BU research

Dramaturgical study of 'Game of Thrones'

Dramaturgical study of ‘Game of Thrones’

Our next instalment of the ‘Photo of the Week’ series features Professor Kerstin Stutterheim‘s research which is a dramaturgical study of popular HBO series Game of Thrones.  Photo of the Week is a weekly instalment, which features an image taken by our fantastic BU staff and students. The photos give a glimpse into some of the fascinating work our researchers have been doing across BU and the wider community.

My current research project is an analysis of the dramaturgy and aesthetics used to make Game of Thrones a success. This will understand the emotions and the attractiveness of this successful production. My research in the field of film dramaturgy can open the door to an understanding of the power and the techniques of audio-visual narration in performance works. Film dramaturgy can not only support our film and TV students to learn their skills but also enable people to understand film and media productions as work reflecting reality. Although ‘Game of Thrones’ is a fantasy-series, it reflects Zeitgeist- the situation we are currently living in. My research will look at how this series is representing concepts of the world we live in or our fears about it.

If you’d like find out more about the research or the photo itself then please contact Professor Stutterheim.

This photo was originally an entry to the 2017 Research Photography Competition. If you have any other questions about the Photo of the Week series or the competition please email research@bournemouth.ac.uk

Helping surgeons when things go wrong

BU research, conferences, Events, Uncategorized

1-day BU conference examining the effect of adverse events on surgeons, 8th September 2017

A group of BU researchers are working in partnership with Royal Bournemouth Hospital to carry out research examining the consequences of complications and errors on surgeons’ lives.  On September 8th 2017 we are holding a one day conference to highlight the effects of dealing with adverse events.  We have been fortunate in attracting eminent speakers from around the UK to contribute to the conference which will be held at the Executive Business School on the Lansdowne Campus.

Speakers include:-

  • Sir Miles Irving (Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Manchester University)
  • Dr Clare Gerada (Medical Director, NHS Practitioner Health Programme)
  • Professor Debbie Cohen (Director, Centre for Physician Health, Cardiff University)
  • Dr Mike Peters (Medical Director, BMA Doctors for Doctors Unit)
  • Dr Suzanne Shale (Medical ethicist advising national bodies following healthcare harm)

Speakers will present the latest research in the area, share insights from their surgical careers and personal experiences, and consider how better support and training can be provided for surgeons.

If you are interested in attending (attendance is free for BU staff) or would like to know more please visit www.surgeonwellbeing.co.uk or contact Professor Siné McDougall (smcdougall@bournemouth.ac.uk; ext. 61722).

 

 

Calling all phenomenologists out there!

BU research

Vanessa Heaslip and Jane Fry are re-commencing the across faculty Phenomenology Interest Group (originally created by Les Todres and Kate Galvin). This group’s aim is to explore and share the philosophy of   phenomenology and its research methodology. The first session will be launching a series of films of Les Todres in conversation with Vanessa and Jane. Film clips will be shown concerning elements of philosophy and research to stimulate debate and discussion. Please contact Dr. Vanessa Heaslip (vheaslip@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Dr. Jane Fry   (jfry@bournemouth.ac.uk) for expressions of interest.

CDE Research Showcase – BU Festival of Learning 2017

BU research, Events, Festival of Learning

Join us at the CDE Showcase – a free drop in event taking place in the Fusion Building, 307 – 309 as part of the Festival of Learning.

 The Centre for Digital Entertainment, is an EPSRC doctoral training centre, funding researchers in games, visual effects, animation and other industries that use digital visualisation skills.  It is a joint venture between Bournemouth University and the University of Bath offering a four year Engineering Doctorate.

Our showcase will highlight the diverse range of research currently taking place.

CDE Research Engineer Thomas Matthews, will showcase the Virtual Reality world of ‘Mayan Adventure’, courtesy of his host company AiSolve.  Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a virtual world filled with twists and tunnels, traveling further into an action adventure.

 

Zack Lyons, one of our Research Engineers based at the University of Bath, will have a demo of his ‘Virtual Reality Experiences for Brain Injury Rehabilitation’.  Zack recently showcased this demo during the 50th anniversary festival in Bath and it proved to be extremely popular.  Walk through streets, give instructions and react to the situations you’re presented with. This technology is being used in the rehabilitation of brain injuries, analysing how people behave and predicting problems that they may experience in real life to develop new therapeutic opportunities.  This demo is in collaboration with the University of Bath’s Dr Leon Watts and Zack’s host company designability UK.

Dr Hongchuan Yu, will be joining us to showcase his current research.  Hongchuan along with PhD student Yunfei Fu will demo “From brush paintings to bas-reliefs”,

“Relief is a kind of sculpture in which 3D models are carved into a relatively flat surface. In essence, it creates a bridge between a full 3D sculpture and a 2D painting.

We present a new approach for generating bas-reliefs from brush paintings. Our approach exploits the concept of brush strokes, making strokes possible to generate 3D proxies separately suitable for recomposing in art design. We apply layer decomposition by imposing boundary constraints. The resulting 3D proxies of brush strokes are sufficient to evoke the impression of the consistent 3D shapes, so that they may be further edited in 3D space. This fulfils the request of recomposition in bas-relief design.”

We will also be joined by Soumya Chinnachamy Barathi, FIRE Fellow PhD at the University of Bath, showcasing her research on ‘Affective Ludology in VR Exergames.  Simone Barbieri CDE Research Engineer for Bournemouth University, with his demo on  ‘2D characters in a Virtual Reality environment’ and Daniel Finnegan – CDE Research Engineer from the University of Bath who has recently successfully defended his thesis, ‘Compensating for Distance Compression in Virtual Audiovisual Environments’.  Daniel will demo ‘Dungeon Escape’, a compendium of realities (Real, Virtual, Mixed).

 

We hope you are able to pop in to see us on Saturday 8th July in the Fusion Building 307 – 309

Festival of Learning 2017- starts on Saturday!

BU research, Events, Research communication, Student Engagement

Bournemouth University Festival of Learning 2016

The Festival of Learning starts this Saturday for 5 days jam-packed with over 140 free activities and events for all the family.

Running in its fifth year, the festival has returned from the Global Festival of Learning which took place in ASEAN, China and India earlier in the year. Throughout the week we have different events taking place, with the festival kicking off on our Talbot Campus for a fun-filled day of activities and events for all the family on the Saturday. We’re then taking the festival off campus on the Sunday to Poole Quay, before returning to BU in the week with exciting events and activities running through the day and evening.

Saturday 8 July

Join us for a day packed with family-fun, as we transform the campus into a hub of creativity and innovation. Everyone from toddlers, to grandparents will find something for them, with events ranging from dinosaurs, to 3D printing and microbiology.

As well as this, we have a special guest speaker Anna McNuff. Anna is an inspirational speaker, endurance athlete, adventurer and self confessed mischief maker. She’ll be joining us for the day to share tales from her adventures. Book to find out why she believes passions and dreams should be embraced and explored.

You can view and book tickets for our Saturday events here.

Sunday 9 July

We’ll be heading off campus to Poole Quay on the Sunday. You can stroll along the quay, grab an ice cream and pop over to our Festival of Learning tent. We’ve got activities for all the family including healthy eating, a pop up hospital and a visual representation of Dorset’s past.

You can view and book tickets for our Sunday events here.

Monday 10 July to Wednesday 12 July

The festival will be returning to BU with a  host of events taking place day and night Monday to Wednesday. There’s a whole array of events for everyone from families, to adults, students and professionals. So why not explore the campus and take advantage of our fantastic facilities?

You’ll find events ranging from exercise classes, to coding classes and a chance to explore one our TV studios.

Wednesday will be our global day to celebrate the Global Festival of Learning and the close of the festival for 2017. With events ranging from an international food festival, tales from our BU staff and students from ASEAN, China and India, as well looking at the region’s growing digital impact.

You can view and book tickets for events on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday here.

For more information about the Festival of Learning, please click here.

Ageing and Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) at Royal College of Physicians – launch of Electronic workbook for Nutrition and Dementia care

BU research, Impact, Uncategorized

Professor Jane Murphy, Joanne Holmes and Michelle Board supported by Michelle O’Brien hosted the launch of the online version of the workbook ‘Eating and Drinking Well: Supporting People Living with Dementia’ at the Royal College of Physicians, London on 27th June 2017.  Attended by leading stakeholders across health and social care,  charities including age UK, hospices,  WRVS and  housing organisations,  this impact event explore how good nutrition and hydration can be improved for people living with dementia.

The ADRC was delighted to welcome Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England  who gave an inspiring keynote speech concentrating on the importance of  nutrition to ensure dignity in care.  He was passionate about the need to raise the profile of good food and nutrition amongst politicians and policy makers to enhance and maintain quality of life for many older people receiving social care.  Other speakers included Jan Zietara, Head of Operational Delivery, Health Education England (South) who talked about current work and new developments to enhance the knowledge and skills of the health and social workforce with particular focus on initiatives for dementia education and training.   Finally, Kathy Wallis, Senior Programme Manager, Nutrition in Older People Programme, Wessex Academic Health Science Network highlighted the projects, resources and tools undertaken to address the growing concerns of malnutrition (undernutrition) in older people living in the community.

Helped by a lovely afternoon tea, there was active and lively discussion by all participants about how the workbook could help improve the delivery of nutritional care for people with dementia across a range of health and social care sectors.  All were very supportive of the training tools and left the event with lots of ideas and identified actions to put into place that would be followed up by the team!

The workbook stems from research funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing. The workbook is freely downloadable from the website:

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/nutrition-dementia

It is designed to be used in conjunction with a training film, also available via the website.