Skip to main content

Category / BU research

NIHR webinar: How nurses can build a career in research – 11am on Wednesday 22 Feb

BU research

Nurses are in a unique position on the frontline to see where the gaps are in delivering care and what questions need answering. Pursuing a clinical academic career can provide a stimulating and rewarding career pathway.

Training and career development awards from the National institute for Health Research (NIHR) range across all levels, are open to a wide range of professions and are designed to suit different working arrangements and career pathways.

This special one hour webinar, specifically for nurses, will explore the opportunities available to nurses from the NIHR to pursue a clinical academic career.

This webinar will cover:

  • An overview of the funding opportunities available from the NIHR for nurses to pursue a clinical academic career
  • Details about the HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (for non-medical professions) – including advice and guidance on applying
  • Some of the challenges nurses can face and tips on how to overcome them
  • A live Q&A session

The webinar will be presented by Dr Pete Thompson, Assistant Director at the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre and HEE/NIHR Senior Clinical Research Fellow Kirsty Winkley, Specialist Diabetes Nurse.

You can register for the webinar via the following link: http://bit.ly/researchcareersfornurses

If you have any issues when registering please email tcc@nihr.ac.uk.

Don’t forget, your local branch of the NIHR Research Design Service is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) on the 5th floor of Royal London House. Feel free to pop in and see us, call us on 61939 or send us an email.

Humanising care: how research is making a difference to hospital care

BU research, Knowledge Exchange, Research communication

For many people, going into hospital can be a very difficult time and the small things that staff do can make the experience less stressful – taking the time to offer reassurance, communicating clearly and going the extra mile in a myriad of different ways.  A joint project between staff and patients at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Stroke Unit and researchers at Bournemouth University has been exploring these humanising touches and how they improve care.

Nikki Manns, Ward Sister and Caroline Bagnall, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, are both part of RBH’s Stroke Unit and have been involved in the humanising care project since the beginning.  Below, they explain what motivated them to take part and how the project has been making a difference.

“I wanted to get involved because it seemed a good way of sharing our patients’ experiences,” explains Nikki, “I wanted our staff to hear patient stories from their perspective, so that we could get a better understanding of their journey on the stroke ward.  For me, that was one of the most valuable parts of the project.”

“I was interested in how we could improve our services,” says Caroline, “I was fascinated by the idea of humanised care and looking at how we could improve services from a human perspective.  I loved being involved in the project.  For me, one of the most important things was having the time to reflect on our work as staff and with patients.  It was very valuable to be able to think about each stage of the journey and explore how it felt to both staff and patients,” continues Caroline.

“I found it a very motivating process,” says Nikki, “Our staff really engaged with the project, which continued even after we finished.  Staff have been sharing snippets and stories with the rest of the team and really taking on board what we talked about.  They’ve been looking at all sorts of different things we could change in our working environment.”

“It’s been really  inspirational seeing people from all parts of the team getting together and coming up with new ideas and new projects that they want to lead.  They’ve been really motivated to improve patient care and experience.  The feedback they’ve got as a result has been great and has helped them to see how they’re making a difference.”

“One of the main things we’ve become aware of through the project is the power of small things,” says Caroline, “When people are in a new environment, they can feel quite overwhelmed.  The little things that we do as staff can help them to feel a little less vulnerable and scared when they have a huge event happening in their lives.  It’s been good to be reminded of the difference a small gesture can make.”

“Normally we get most of our feedback once people have left hospital,” says Nikki, “It’s usually through the friends and family survey sent out once people have been discharged.  Being face-to-face with our patients and hearing their experiences has been incredibly powerful.  It’s got so much more value to it.”

“I’d really like to see the humanising care project continue and rolled out in other parts of our NHS Trust.  All patients should have a fantastic experience, regardless of their age or what ward they’re on and I think all healthcare staff can learn something from being involved.”

To find out more about the humanising care project, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

Wellcome Trust changes to fellowship schemes

BU research, Funding opportunities, Guidance

wellcometrust_logoTime restrictions based on the number of years since a researcher was awarded their PhD have been removed from Wellcome fellowship schemes.

They’re making this change to increase flexibility for researchers and so widen the pool of people who can apply for Wellcome support as they build a career in independent research.

They want to support the best researchers through their fellowships and believe the emphasis should be on the independence, achievement and vision of those who apply.

The reality of research is that it doesn’t always follow an anticipated timescale, and the application of time constraints can close doors for those who may have moved disciplines, for example from maths or physics to biological science.

The change will not disadvantage researchers who are in the early years of their career – applicants will be judged on achievements according to their experience.

Find our more about Wellcome funding

Taking part in an archaeology field trip: exploring Madinat al-Zahra

BU research, Knowledge Exchange, Research communication

As part of her degree, archaeology student Josie Hagan, had the opportunity to join Professor Kate Welham at a dig in southern Spain.  Josie and Professor Welham formed part of the international team exploring the medieval palace city of Madinat al-Zahra.  Below, Josie shares her experiences of fieldwork.

“When I found out I would be going to Spain I was obviously extremely excited but also nervous!  I had participated in geophysical survey before in Wales and England but I knew that working in an entirely different country would bring different challenges,” explains Josie, “I really wanted to brush up my skills in geophysics (there is always more to learn), experience a different country’s archaeology and their outlook on how to manage archaeologically important sites.”

“I also wanted to meet more archaeologists! There is always so much you can learn from just speaking to other people and it is always nice making new friends across the globe.”

“While I was out in Spain, we used geophysical survey over what was the city at the bottom of Madinat Al-Zahara. We worked in small teams or pairs, as there was so much ground to cover, and this involved getting help from local Spanish archaeology and history students. Their English was amazing, and they were a brilliant team to work with, as everyone seemed keen to learn how to use the equipment.”

“The Spanish students were quite new to using some of the equipment, so it was nice to pass on some of the skills we had learned.  Towards the end of our time there, the Spanish students were taking their own surveys with us assisting.  Teaching someone else is great way of learning how much knowledge you have!”

“At the end of each day we also had the opportunity to help with downloading and processing the data we had gathered. This is really great experience and is also nice to see how our hard work was coming together on the screen.”

“My advice to anyone who is thinking of studying archaeology is to go for it! I didn’t do archaeology at A-level or have any real experience before I came to university but I have absolutely loved the course, found the teaching and content amazing and it’s just such a varied degree.  There is plenty to learn and I really appreciate the variety of lectures, seminars, lab sessions and field work, which keeps it all really interesting. “

“And for anyone thinking of going on a field trip – just go for it!  It will be scary at first but if you are happy to work hard and willing to learn then you will bring so much more to the trip then you can imagine.”

To find out more about the project and Professor Welham’s work, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle – BU’s research magazine.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

Declining sport viewership shows why we should keep it on free TV

BU research, Research communication

Heath McDonald, Swinburne University of Technology and Daniel Lock, Bournemouth University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

If you’d like to pitch your own article idea to The Conversation, please contact either newsdesk@bournemouth.ac.uk or rbowen@bournemouth.ac.uk.

 

Declining television viewership for sporting events might suggest that those of us who heralded sport as a potential saviour of traditional broadcast media had it all wrong.

In Australia, ratings for the recent one-day cricket matches were dire and the Australian Open tennis was mixed. In the UK, viewership for the British Open golf collapsed by 75% and even the once untouchable English Premier League (EPL) has seen declines in certain timeslots. Meanwhile, Formula 1 is in a slow decline that has been ongoing for almost a decade, and the NFL is down year over year as well.

But putting the numbers under closer inspection reveals other explanations. Many of these leagues are moving onto pay TV or are the victims of changing sporting tastes. Rather than dampening broadcaster enthusiasm for live sport, they show why sport should remain on free TV.

A closer look at the numbers

The Australian Open television ratings are maybe the most interesting of the bunch. The women’s final won the night in Australia, but with fewer viewers than previous years. The men’s final was a huge drawcard and viewing figures were well up from the previous year’s final. Worldwide, however, both the men’s and women’s finals were significantly up on previous years.

So, what happened to Australian tennis viewership when the women’s final was on? More sport! The women’s tennis final was up against the final of the Big Bash League (BBL) cricket, which attracted more than a million viewers to come a close second in the ratings.

The increased popularity of the BBL shows fans aren’t cutting out or cutting down sport consumption. Instead, they are substituting one format of cricket, or one sport, for another. Cricket Australia launched the BBL for this exact reason, and it has been a tremendous success.

As BBL shows, the decline in one sport can be driven by consumer sport preferences changing, rather than people abandoning sport altogether.

The EPL and Champions Leagues, previously bastions of strong viewership, have also experienced fluctuations in audience figures. That said, a closer look implies that a lack of marquee fixtures in the EPL and the qualification of historically smaller clubs (i.e., Leicester) have diminished audience interest to some extent.

Moving to pay TV

Another explanation for declining audience figures concerns sports that have moved from free-to-air broadcasters to pay television. In the UK, the transition of the British Open from the BBC to Sky television led to a 75% drop in viewing figures. The highlights package broadcast on the BBC following the conclusion of the event drew almost half a million more viewers than the live coverage on Sky. This suggests that short-run events (at least in the initial stages of the relationship), such as the Open might be insufficient to translate British Golf fans into Sky subscribers.

In Australia, Optus gained the rights to EPL by paying almost three times the amount Foxtel was paying to show it previously. This has been the subject of a large amount of fan anger ever since. Viewership through these channels is difficult to track, but Optus subscriptions do not appeared to have increased markedly since the deal. Meanwhile, ratings for the home-grown A-league, which airs on Fox Sports and SBS, are up, possibly because fans are switching from EPL for their soccer fix.

But the money being offered to move to pay TV is hard to turn down.

It looks like the next five year BBL rights could go for up to $A300 million – a three-fold increase from the A$100 million Ten paid for the initial five year deal. A big part of the BBL’s success has come from it being broadcast every night of the week, on a major free-to-air channel, at a relatively non-competitive time of year. Broadcast it on pay TV and things might change. Sure, some people will subscribe, but BBL is largely a family sport and the added subscription costs could price out a substantial proportion of the consumer market.

Still a golden opportunity for free TV

Restricted broadcast threatens the future of a sport league. All brands grow by increasing the number of people who consume them. Only free TV gives that to sports brands. The EPL story defies this logic, demonstrating exponential growth since its transition to Sky Sports in the early 90s; however, if brands choose to limit distribution to narrow channels like pay TV, the chances of brand growth are severely limited.

Advertisers and sponsors, already confused about where they should be advertising, are also big losers if sport isn’t shown on free-to-air TV. As Professor Mark Ritson explains quite colourfully, traditional media gets much better results than social media advertising and other alternatives. But to do so, it must have wide reach – it needs to be attracting large audiences. If free to air television was to lose big draw card sport broadcasts, audiences shrink and advertising there becomes much less powerful.

Whatever it costs to retain sports on FTV, it is probably worth it for both advertisers and broadcasters. And it’s not just the sports that are big right now that they should focus on. Australia’s appetite for sport is not diminishing, but it is reshaping.

A recent survey we conducted of 4,000 people Australia-wide showed that interest in the AFL women’s league (AFLW) is strong. Around two thirds of AFL fans will either watch or attend at least one game of AFLW during this upcoming season. Across all people surveyed, around 27% said they were likely to attend a game of AFLW and 38% intended to watch at least half a match on television. Even allowing for the usual difference between what people intend to do and what actually ends up happening, these numbers are strong. The AFL has wisely moved games to bigger venues in anticipation of much larger crowds than the initial 5,000 per match estimates.

AFLW stands a very good chance of being Australia’s dominant women’s sporting league – in its very first year. For a savvy broadcaster, this represents a golden opportunity.

The ConversationHeath McDonald, Professor of Marketing, Swinburne University of Technology and Daniel Lock, Senior Lecturer in Sport, Bournemouth University

New BU research magazine published

BU research, Knowledge Exchange, Research communication

Cover image

The latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle (BRC) is now available.  The magazine shares just a small selection of the research taking place at BU, from working with local hospitals to shaping conservation practices in Indonesia to improving sports equipment.

Complex global challenges are a defining feature of today’s world and universities can play a key role in addressing these challenges.  Here at Bournemouth University, we encourage our researchers to work together with our students and external organisations – businesses, charities, and hospitals to name just a few – to find solutions to these issues.  We believe that by bringing together research, education and professional practice, we can make a real difference through our work.  We call this Fusion.

This edition shares some of our examples of Fusion in action.  You’ll discover how our academic community is working together to co-create solutions to global challenges and to better understand society and the world around us.  You can also read about some of our newly awarded research grants and projects being undertaken by some of our PhD students.

Our students are a key part of our academic community and are involved in a wide range of research projects at BU.  In this edition of the BRC, you can find out about their fieldwork in Indonesia, Nepal and Spain, where they have been able to develop skills and gain experiences which will enhance their employability and help them later on.  In Indonesia, our students have been working with local charities to improve conservation practices, while in Nepal, student journalists have been reporting on the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake.

Locally, our researchers are collaborating with partner organisations in the region to extend our impact and make a real difference.  One example is our work with the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, where staff, former patients and BU researchers have been exploring the idea of ‘humanised care’ and how this can improve patient experiences.

We also encourage and support our researchers to work alongside businesses and other external organisations, enabling them to create projects that provide new, innovative ideas and drive industries forward.  Just one of the ways we support this is through Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), which allows us to support a wide range of knowledge-based interactions between universities and the wider world.  In this edition of the BRC, you can read about two of our newest HEIF projects and challenges that our researchers are tackling.

The Bournemouth Research Chronicle gives an insight in to the exciting work taking place at Bournemouth University every day.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

Call for project proposals – T/REFF funding

BU research, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Fusion, REF Subjects

cel-logo-web                  cemp-logo

We are happy to announce this first TREFF call for proposals

TREFF (German word) – meeting point / coming together (thanks to Stephen Jukes!)

Two projects will be funded (£750 maximum each). One TREFF project will be funded in FMC by CEMP and one from UoA25 for non-FMC staff.

With the forthcoming Teaching Excellence Framework and the new version of REF, after the STERN report, ahead of us, we are keen to explore ways of working that converge pedagogic innovation with educational research in BU’s subject areas. Our view is that separating TEF and REF is problematic and that the STERN report and TEF together provide rich opportunities for higher education practitioners to align teaching excellence with impactful research.

Towards this, we are offering 2 small grants of £750 to fund T/REF pilot projects (TREFF).
The funding must be spent by the end of July 2017 and be supported by line manager(s), with the following outcomes:

An action research intervention that aims to make a significant difference to learning and teaching, related directly to the criteria for TEF;

The submission of a journal article reporting on the findings of the project and their significance for educational research (or a related field) outside of BU;

A presentation to faculty staff / CEL on how the project converged TEF and REF criteria (for unit of assessment 25 – Education)

More info on TEF: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/teaching-excellence-framework-tef-everything-you-need-to-know

FMC proposals should be submitted to both Isabella Rega and Julian McDougall

Non-FMC proposals should be submitted to both Debbie Holley and Julian McDougall

 

Proposals should be submitted by email, consisting of 2 elements:
A succinct proposal for the action research project, including the proposed outcomes (no more than 2 sides of A4)
A detailed expenditure plan for the funding – maximum £750.
Line manager support must also be confirmed at the point of application.

Deadline for proposals – Feb 28th 2017

Projects to be completed / funding spent by 31.7.17

________________

New projects in the Student Project Bank w/c 30/01/2017

BU research, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team

There are new projects in the Student Project Bank for the following subject areas:
  • Business, management and marketing
  • Health and social care
  • Media and communications
  • Sciences
  • Social studies
Projects are available to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at BU and can be used for their dissertation, assignment, unit or group work. Members of staff may also choose a project to set to their students. A complete list of projects is available here.

SPB036: Employee Engagement Globally: A research project based on Merlin Entertainments

Employee Engagement Globally: What engages different people globally, from different geographic regions to different personas and job types. How do they want to be recognised, and what does recognition mean to them? Research trends in engagement DRIVERs per geographic region, job role and persona, as well as recognition recommendations for different groups.

SPB037: Evaluate the effects of companion planting of Brassicas with Mint and/or Nasturtium

Set up and monitor a field trial exploring the effectiveness of companion planting of Brassica species with a mixed regime of Brassica and Mint and/or Nasturtium in reducing pest-related crop damage.

SPB038: Benefits of Assistance Dogs for Children with Autism and Down’s Syndrome

Research and document the benefits an assistance dog can provide to a child with Autism/Down’s Syndrome and provide theories as to why the benefits occur, financial benefits for the NHS, Education Authorities and Social Services. The objectives of the project are to increase understanding of why benefits occur, to document benefits achieved through the provision of an assistance dog, potential financial benefits for local communities and promoting greater understanding and inclusion of Autism and Down’s Syndrome.

SPB039: Social media marketing plan for QuietSphere Student Mentoring

Create a social media strategy aimed at university students and parents of university aged children/ university students in order to raise the profile of QuietSphere Student Mentoring.

SPB042: Promotional video for High Mead Community Farm

Create a 3-4 minute promotional video of High Mead Community Farm that will give the co-farmers, volunteers and staff an opportunity to share their stories of working on the farm. Capture the people, the animals and the land that make up the farm.

Apply now

If you would like to find out more and apply for one of the above projects, send us an email to request a project brief and an application form.

British Academy Flagship Skills Project – The value of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

BU research, Research communication, Research news

british_academy_logoThe British Academy is launching an exciting new project which aims to articulate, for the first time, the skills that are inherent to the study of arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS), their value to the individual, and the contribution they do make and could make in future to society.

Building on the success of its Languages and Quantitative Skills (LQS) Programme, the British Academy is developing a new programme of work on skills. The flagship project of this programme aims to articulate the skills that are inherent to the study of arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS), their value to the individual, and the contribution they do make and could make in future to society as well as those that are important for educators of AHSS students to introduce directly. The Academy hopes to stimulate and facilitate a national debate about the nature and value of these skills, as well as setting the agenda for its own Skills Programme to 2020.

The project will seek to intellectualise what is meant by skills, and look at questions such as what skills should studying AHSS develop? What skills do individuals who have studied AHSS demonstrate? What contribution do individuals with AHSS skills make to society and the economy? What skills do employers want? What skills will be needed in the future

To find out more, download their introductory booklet here

The Call for Evidence document is available to download here

People talkingWho should respond?

The Academy is seeking the views of a broad range of stakeholders in the education and skills sector, including but not limited to education providers, learned societies, careers advisory services, students, employers and policy-makers.

How to respond

Please ensure that all responses are in Microsoft Word format (not PDF), and that they include concrete examples wherever possible and are fully referenced where appropriate. Responses should not exceed 3000 words and should be as clear and succinct as possible. Please submit your completed response to skills@britac.ac.uk by Wednesday 15 March 2017.

Research Professional – all you need to know

BU research, Funding opportunities

Research-Professional-logoEvery BU academic has a Research Professional account which delivers weekly emails detailing funding opportunities in their broad subject area. To really make the most of your Research Professional account, you should tailor it further by establishing additional alerts based on your specific area of expertise. The Funding Development Team Officers can assist you with this, if required.

Research Professional have created several guides to help introduce users to ResearchProfessional. These can be downloaded here.

Quick Start Guide: Explains to users their first steps with the website, from creating an account to searching for content and setting up email alerts, all in the space of a single page.

User Guide: More detailed information covering all the key aspects of using ResearchProfessional.

Administrator Guide: A detailed description of the administrator functionality.

In addition to the above, there are a set of 2-3 minute videos online, designed to take a user through all the key features of ResearchProfessional. To access the videos, please use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/researchprofessional

Research Professional are running a series of online training broadcasts aimed at introducing users to the basics of creating and configuring their accounts on ResearchProfessional. They are holding monthly sessions, covering everything you need to get started with ResearchProfessional. The broadcast sessions will run for no more than 60 minutes, with the opportunity to ask questions via text chat. Each session will cover:

  • Self registration and logging in
  • Building searches
  • Setting personalised alerts
  • Saving and bookmarking items
  • Subscribing to news alerts
  • Configuring your personal profile

Each session will run between 10.00am and 11.00am (UK) on the fourth Tuesday of each month. You can register here for your preferred date:

28th February 2017

28th March 2017

25th April 2017

23rd May 2017

27th June 2017

25th July 2017

22nd August 2017

26th September 2017

24th October 2017

These are free and comprehensive training sessions and so this is a good opportunity to get to grips with how Research Professional can work for you.

RKEO Academic and Researcher Induction

BU research, Guidance

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: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-lifecycle/developing-your-proposal/

The sixth induction will be held on Tuesday, 7th March 2017 on the 4th floor of Melbury House.

Title Date Time Location
Research & Knowledge Exchange Office (R&KEO) Research Induction Tuesday 7th March 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

BU host MRC regional visit

BU research, Events, Funding opportunities

Event Date: Wednesday the 1st March 2017logo_mrc

Time: 13:30pm – 15:30pm

On Wednesday, 1st March 2017, the Medical Research Council (MRC) will be visiting BU between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. The presentation will provide:

  • tips on writing a good application, including such documents as ‘pathways to impact’;
  • an overview of the peer review process for all types of application
  • how to respond to your reviewer comments
  • an overview of MRC fellowship schemes

The presentation is open to the regional university network, known as the M3 group, which includes: AUB, Bournemouth, Brighton, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Southampton Solent, Surrey, Sussex and Winchester. All academics and research offices are welcome to attend.  If you are interested in applying to any of the research councils then this will be useful to you.

BU will host a pre-event networking lunch for all attendees from 12 noon. This is a great opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the research councils and how you can strengthen your applications for funding. If you would like to attend, then please book through Eventbrite.

About the MRC: The Medical Research Council improves human health through world-class medical research. They fund research across the biomedical spectrum, from fundamental lab-based science to clinical trials, and in all major disease areas. Their research has resulted in life-changing discoveries for over a hundred years. They are the largest research council with a budget expenditure of £927.8m in 2015/16.

For further information on this event please contact: RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk

Bournemouth University to host workshop exploring the future of trade agreements post-Brexit

BU research

A workshop at the Commonwealth Secretariat, organised by Bournemouth University (BU), will explore the impact of Brexit on trade policy and agreements.The two-day workshop, Navigating the Evolving Free Trade Agreements Landscape: Implications of Brexit, will take place in London on 6 and 7 February 2017.

It will feature international speakers from a range of academic and professional backgrounds around the theme of trade policy post-Brexit, with a keynote address by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP.

Mr Clifton-Brown MP is the Co-Chair of International Trade and Investment All Party Parliamentary Group and will discuss the UK’s trade priorities in 2017.

Deliberations throughout the workshops will focus in particular on Brexit issues including consequences for global trade relations, public procurement, and the perspective of businesses.

The workshop is part of an Economic and Research Council (ESRC) funded research project entitled ‘Transformations in Global Governance: Integration via Free Trade Agreements’ (GIFTA).

It is being held jointly with the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, and will feature four Round Table discussions and several paper presentations on Brexit and the future of trade policy.

Professor Sangeeta Khorana, Professor of Economics at BU, is the Principal Investigator of the ESRC research project.

She said: “The aim of the workshop is to improve evidence-informed policy and practice by facilitating mutual engagement between academic, business and policy communities around current and future policy needs following the vote to Brexit.”

Find out more about the ESRC research project on the GIFTA website