Category / BU research

New Year’s Research Resolution #5 – contribute to the new research website

BU research, Guidance

Happy New Year to you all and welcome back to work!

Each day this week we’ll be posting a New Year’s Research Resolution to help you get back into the swing of things. Today’s resolution is to contribute to the new research website.

BU’s new research website was launched in beta (i.e. test version) in December and has a radically updated design, presenting our research around our eight society-focused Research Themes. In each section content is displayed by research news, research impact, public engagement and postgraduate research. It is also possible to view content by each REF Unit of Assessment and see details of our Research Centres.  You can access the new website here:  http://research.bournemouth.ac.uk.

One of the key reasons for the new research website is to ensure that our researchers are able to easily and frequently share their research online.  Everyone will be able to craft their own content and upload articles themselves.  The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (R&KEO) will perform a light-touch check to ensure the correct tags are added and new content will go live on the site within 1-2 working days.  The webpages are yours to add content to!

Contributing to the new website is easy!  Content is added via WordPress (the same as adding posts to the BU Research Blog) and can be done by clicking on this link (your logon will be your BU network logon): http://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/login.  We want you to add content about your research projects, the research collaborations you are involved with, the research your PhD students are undertaking, your public engagement and outreach activities, news about you, your research and your research centre, etc.

All BU staff automatically have access to add content using their network logon. Once you have logged in for the first time we can give you additional access to edit and contribute to relevant research centres as well. Email research@bournemouth.ac.uk to request additional admin rights.

If you would like training in how to add content to the new website then sessions are available.  There are some workshops taking place next week (you can book online here). Further sessions are currently being scheduled. Please contact Sally Gates for more information..

Adding content is quick and easy, and shows the external world how vibrant and exciting research is at BU!  And that’s why your New Year’s Research Resolution #5 is to add content to the new website!

Knowledge Point based annotation for Open Educational Resources

BU research, PG research, Research news

Our next Creative Technology Research Centre Research Seminar will be presented by Xinglong Ma.

Title: Knowledge Points based annotation for Open Educational Resources

Date: Wednesday 15th January 2014

Time: 2 – 3PM

Venue: P302 LT

Linking Open Data Cloud

Abstract:  In recent years, the emergence of open educational resources (OERs), in particularly Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), such as Coursera, Edx, Udacity, are making efforts to enhance openness and reuse regardless of demographic constraints. In 2011, the first course, “Introduction to AI”, from Stanford University reached 160,000 enrolments, and in the following years, millions of learners have been involved in the MOOCs. High dropout rates ensued in this self-regulated and self-controlled learning process. In order to encourage seamless learning under the open and reusable learning environment, an innovative approach is proposed based on semanticized Knowledge Points. This talk will discuss the concept of Knowledge Points and suggest the potential values of the Knowledge Points with semantics by comparing them with other annotation approaches.

Have your say in shaping BU’s RKE strategy – deadline extended!

BU research

The deadline for commenting on the draft Institutional Development Plan for RKE has been extended by one week to Friday 17th January.

As part of the delivery planning process in 2013, a draft institutional development plan for research and knowledge exchange (RKE) at BU was produced. The aim of the document was to set out a long-term plan for developing and supporting RKE activity to meet the objectives of the BU2018 strategy. The aim is to instigate the plan from early 2014.

The plan has been drafted and has been road tested with UET, URKEC and around 20 academics to date. We are now seeking views from the academic community on the plan as a whole and on specific elements of the plan. Your feedback, comments and ideas will feed into the final version which will be the blueprint for how RKE activity is supported and developed in the long-term.

Feedback and discussion will be facilitated online. Upon accessing the site you will be able to read the plan in its entirety and see the key elements on which we are seeking views and suggestions.

Click on one of the topics and you will be presented with a brief summary of what is being proposed as part of the institutional development plan. Beneath this text you will see the previous comments that have been left by colleagues. You are strongly encouraged to add a reply stating your own views and suggestions. This is especially important and will ensure that the academic community has shaped the support and development mechanism put in place. If you wish to feedback confidentially then please send your comments to Professor John Fletcher, cc’d to Julie Northam.

The aim of this website is to provide a forum to facilitate the discussion of the plan as a whole and the identified key elements. Providing feedback works in the same way as adding a comment to the Research Blog, i.e. you can add a comment and this will be visible to all other viewers. The site is password protected and the password is only available to BU staff from the Staff Intranet.

This feedback exercise will run from 28 November until 17 January. A final version of the plan will be circulated to all staff in early 2014.

The site is password protected to ensure only BU staff are able to contribute.  To access the password please see the story on the Staff Intranet: https://staffintranet.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/news/thismonth/rkefeedbackneeded.php

Book Now! AHRC visiting BU – Monday 20th Jan and British Academy in Feb and Leverhulme Trust in March 2014

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

Attention!! Funder visits – many of you may have missed this Blog post sent by Corrina at the end of November 2013 however it is not too late to get yourself booked in….

Working on a variety of initiatives in R&KEO over the years, one element of development which we receive consistently excellent feedback, is the events we arrange where funders to come to BU and present their organisations funding priorities and advice on making an application. We have arranged for several funders to visit BU in 2014, and are re-advertising the first three in order for you to block out time in your diary now!

On Monday 20 January 2014, the AHRC will be visiting to discuss their research priorities, calls and their top tips for making a submission. On Wednesday 19 February 2014, The British Academy will be visiting to discuss proposals they fund and share their tips on making an application. On Wednesday 19 March 2014, The Leverhulme Trust which funds all academic disciplines will be visiting to discuss their grants and give advice on making an application.

Spaces on all these events are limited due to the rooms available so booking is essential! Grants Academy members can be guaranteed a space by emailing Dianne. The booking hyperlinks are:

AHRC funder visit

British Academy funder visit

Leverhulme Trust  funder visit

Psychology Research Seminar: Laughing in the face of adversity – the influence of affective state on situation awareness

BU research

Venue & date: Thursday 30th January at 4pm in K103 (Kimmeridge House)

Situation awareness can be loosely defined as, ‘knowing what’s going on around you and what to do about it.’   In everyday life we make complex decisions – some good, some bad – on the basis of our awareness of what is going on around us.  Sadly situation awareness can sometimes be sub-optimal leading to catastrophic errors such as road traffic accidents and air crashes.  Such errors often appear to result from a ‘tunnelling down’ with available and useful information being ignored. This attentional tunnelling is widely reported by (amongst others) firefighters, medical staff and military personnel.

Dr Graham Edgar from the Centre for Research in Applied Cognition, Knowledge, Learning and Emotion at the University of Gloucestershire will present his research examining information-use in building and maintaining situation awareness, and the influence that affective state has on that process.

All are welcome and there is no need to book – just come along!

BU’s best wishes to Dr. Padam Simkhada (HSC Visiting Faculty)

BU research, Featured academics, PG research, Publishing, Research news, Uncategorized

Dr Padam Simkhada, senior lecturer in ScHARR at the University of Sheffield was awarded the CEA Award of Global Health Research for his contribution to global research at a special ceremony at the Mahatma Gandhi University, India just before last Christmas. Dr Simkhada has been Visiting Faculty at BU in the School of Health & Social Care since 2010. He is involved in various BU projects, including the Fellowship awarded by the charity Wellbeing of Women, in association with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), for research into Nepalese maternity services and women’s health from an international perspective. The research team consists of Lesley Milne, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, Vanora Hundley, Professor in Midwifery, Edwin van Teijlingen, Professor of Reproductive Health Research at BU, and BU Visiting Faculty Dr. Padam Simkhada.

 

Dr. Simkhada is also co-supervisor of HSC PhD student Ms. Sheetal Sharma.  Sheetal Sharma’s poster presentation recently won the best poster prize at a conference in Birmingham for the poster Getting women to care in Nepal: A Difference in Difference analysis of a health promotion intervention.   Sheetal is supported by Bournemouth University with a studentship and a Santander grant.

Dr. Simkhada has published over 70 research articles on issues such as reproductive and sexual health, migration and sex trafficking and maternal and child health.  Furthermore, he has been working to improve the quality of health research among higher education institutions in Nepal.

This Global Health Research Award for Dr. Simkhada has been reported widely in the media in India, Nepal and in England.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health

NIHR Research Design Service Grant Applications Workshop

BU research

 

The Research Design Service South West (RDS SW) is running a one-day grant applications workshop on Tuesday 1st April 2014 at Taunton Racecourse, Somerset.

The grant applications workshop is directed at researchers who are considering applying to peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research, and is intended to allow them to turn good applications into excellent ones.

If you are interested in attending the workshop you will need to submit an application form and the latest draft of your research proposal by 1pm on Monday 3rd March 2014.

For more information and to download an application form please go to http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/gaw.htm.

Have your say in shaping BU’s RKE strategy

BU research

As part of the delivery planning process in 2013, a draft institutional development plan for research and knowledge exchange (RKE) at BU was produced. The aim of the document was to set out a long-term plan for developing and supporting RKE activity to meet the objectives of the BU2018 strategy. The aim is to instigate the plan from early 2014.

The plan has been drafted and has been road tested with UET, URKEC and around 20 academics to date. We are now seeking views from the academic community on the plan as a whole and on specific elements of the plan. Your feedback, comments and ideas will feed into the final version which will be the blueprint for how RKE activity is supported and developed in the long-term.

Feedback and discussion will be facilitated online. Upon accessing the site you will be able to read the plan in its entirety and see the key elements on which we are seeking views and suggestions.

Click on one of the topics and you will be presented with a brief summary of what is being proposed as part of the institutional development plan. Beneath this text you will see the previous comments that have been left by colleagues. You are strongly encouraged to add a reply stating your own views and suggestions. This is especially important and will ensure that the academic community has shaped the support and development mechanism put in place. If you wish to feedback confidentially then please send your comments to Julie Northam.

The aim of this website is to provide a forum to facilitate the discussion of the plan as a whole and the identified key elements. Providing feedback works in the same way as adding a comment to the Research Blog, i.e. you can add a comment and this will be visible to all other viewers. The site is password protected and the password is only available to BU staff from the Staff Intranet.

This feedback exercise will run from 28 November until 10 January. A final version of the plan will be circulated to all staff in early 2014.

The site is password protected to ensure only BU staff are able to contribute.  To access the password please see the story on the Staff Intranet: https://staffintranet.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/news/thismonth/rkefeedbackneeded.php

Celebrate your research – send us your photos!

BU research

We all know you’re out there doing fantastic research and we want to know about it – more specifically, we want proof through pictures!

One of the aims of this blog is to celebrate the incredible research that you’re doing, so send us some pictures of you ‘getting stuck in’ with your research projects – the crazier the better!

Do you want to see your picture scrolling across the slider at the top of the BU Research Blog homepage??  If so, send all pictures and a brief description to Julia Hastings Taylor.  It’s time to celebrate your research!

Research Professional – all you need to know

BU research, Funding opportunities

Every 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.

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 January 2014

25th February 2014

25th March 2014

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.

Using Social Media to Enhance Your Research Profile and Get Your Message to a Wider Audience

BU research, Training

Are you interesting in learning about Using Social Media to Enhance Your Research Profile and Get Your Message to a Wider Audience?

This session will cover how you can use social media, such as  Twitter, Blogs, social citations, Facebook, and online networking to raise your academic profile. The benefits of doing so include raising your academic profile, finding collaborators, engaging the public with your research and creating pathways to impact.

  • Facilitated by: Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, School of Tourism
  • Aimed at: Academic staff
  • Friday 10th January, 2-4pm in PG22, Ground Floor, Poole House, Talbot Campus. To book a place, please email staffdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

To learn more about how social media can be a powerful tool for academics, see this article by Kaisa Puutinen and Rosalind Edwards on Who gives a tweet? After 24 hours and 860 downloads, we think quite a few actually do

social media for the terrified

Latest major funding opportunities

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The following opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

 UK Funders:

  • The AHRC invites expressions of interest to attend a research development workshop addressing the challenges of Disconnection, Division and Exclusion, being held as a part of the cross-Council Connected Communities Programme on 18-20 March 2014 at the Novotel Sheffield Centre Hotel. This is part of the AHRC Connected Communities Programme. The deadline for applications to attend the workshop is 30/01/14.
  •  Action on Hearing Loss and BBSRC have issued a ‘highlight notice’ regarding Lifecourse of the Auditory System. Together they wish to encourage research that will increase our understanding of how the auditory system develops and ages and the processes that lead to age-related hearing loss. They also wish to encourage research that will apply this knowledge to prevent and treat hearing loss to ultimately improve quality of life. Applications are to be submitted by 31/01/14.
  • Network grants are available from the EPSRC to bring together researchers, industry and other groups to develop collaborations through workshops, visits and part-time coordinators. The grant award is not specified and there is no deadline given.
  • The EPSRC has a call for research that will support fundamental research in sensing and imaging targeted specifically at the diagnosis of Dementias and the quantitative measurement of disease progression. The total award is not specified. The closing date is 17/02/14
  • The EPSRC Engineering Theme wishes to develop collaborative projects between researchers from the UK and China in partnership with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the area of ‘Sustainable Materials for Infrastructure’ under the following themes: Multi-functional materials; Energy efficient buildings; Novel concrete technologies and Materials 5R; Reduce, Recover, Reuse, Recycle and Retain. Registration closes 20/01/14 with proposals due by 19/02/14
  • Reflecting the aims of the National Cyber Security Programme, UK Government and its delivery partners are working to increase the UK’s academic capability in all fields of Cyber Security. Together BIS, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), EPSRC, GCHQ and the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCSIA) have developed a joint approach and strategy for reaching this goal. As part of that strategy EPSRC and CPNI are inviting proposals from academic researchers who wish to be part of the Research Institute in Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems (ICS). Submissions to Phase Two must be received by 13/02/14 (it is not a pre-requisite to have submitted to Phase One).
  • End Use Energy Demand (EUED) Research Centres is an RCUK / EPSRC Energy Programme call to encourage researchers who are not in the centres to work with the centres. The proposed research should be on a topic relevant to one or more of the EUED Centres. Two types of proposal are invited: Smaller Standard Research proposals (limited to £300k) for individuals at an early stage of their career to work with the DEMAND centre at Lancaster University and standard Research Proposals (limited to £600k) to work with the other EUED Centres. Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 06/02/14 with full invited proposals to be with the funder by 16/04/14.
  • The Research Seminars Competition 2013-2014, supported by the ESRC, is now open. Funding is available for UK research organisations to hold Research Seminars for groups of academic researchers, postgraduate students and non-academic users from different organisations. Seminar groups meet regularly to exchange information and ideas with the aim of advancing research within their fields. There is a maximum of £30,000 available and proposal must be submitted by 28/01/14.
  • Do you want to have an impact on the future of the UK? The ESRC are inviting full proposals from eligible research organisations across the UK to conduct a study of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. The maximum amount available is £312,500. The deadline for submissions is 06/02/14.
  • ESRC and DFID are pleased to invite applications for Evidence Synthesis Research Awards (ESRA) under the ESRC-DFID Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation Research. The five themes are: Research methods, Gender, Children and young people, Governance and Health. Awards are up to £30,000 and must be completed within six months of the start of the award. All awards will commence between 1 April and 1 June 2014. Applications are due on 28/01/14.
  • Biomedical Catalyst: Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) is a £180 million integrated translational funding programme jointly operated by the MRC and the Technology Strategy Board providing responsive and effective support for the best life science opportunities arising in the UK. There are various deadline dates in early 2014 depending on theme – please check website for details.
  • The Alexander Fleming dissemination scheme support the dissemination of MRC and Medical Research Foundation-funded research results beyond the scientific peer reviewed press, to patients, participants, practitioners and policy makers. Up to £30,000 is available and there is no given closing date.
  • The MRC are offering Programme Grants. These provide larger, longer term (five years) and renewable programme funding and aim to help the medical science community to ‘think bigger’ in the themes – Molecular and Cellular Medicine,Infections and Immunity, Population and Systems Medicine Board and Neurosciences and Mental Health. Applications are to be submitted in January 2014. Please check the website for details of each theme.
  • The MRC wishes to understand better the link between research and wider economic and societal impacts, and to use this understanding to improve strategies for the future support of research. As such, there is a call for studies which address all areas if impact, such as economic, societal, cultural, public policy or services, health, or quality of life. Applications must be submitted 27/03/14.
  • Do your research interests consider the impact of the harm caused by alcohol to drinking behaviours? MRC, ESRC and Alcohol Research UK wish to continue making key contributions to this field, in this case through providing authoritative evidence on the link between the specific harms caused directly by a distinct pattern, level and duration of alcohol drinking at key stages in the life-course. Work packages between £750,000 and £1.5m are expected. The closing date is 04/02/14.
  • The MRC and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) invite proposals to the UK-China Stem Cell Partnership Initiative from high quality research teams based in the UK and China. The initiative will provide funding for collaborative research projects, focussed on basic and preclinical research of relevance to the longer term development of stem cell based therapies for human disease and disorders. Up to £2m is available and the closing date is 07/05/14.
  • Natural Resources Wales with support from Welsh Government and the Technology Strategy Board (SBRI) are seeking innovative (Fenceless Fencing Solution) measures to control livestock access around watercourses and riparian zones to reduce the impact of agriculture. The small business research initiative (SBRI) process is being used to find innovative alternatives to traditional wood and wire fencing. Application submissions for Phase One are due on 06/01/14.
  • NERC’s Large Grants support adventurous, large-scale and complex research tackling big environmental science questions that cannot be addressed through other NERC funding opportunities. Grants are available between £1·2m and £3.7m, 100% (Full Economic Cost) with a duration of up to five years. Outline proposals are due by 20/03/14 and full proposals by 11/11/14.
  • Royal Society-DFID Africa Capacity Building Initiative is a programme is for scientists who want to develop collaborative research consortia between scientists in sub-Saharan Africa and a research institution in the UK. The overall aim of the scheme is to strengthen the research capacity of universities and research institution in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of sustainable research networks. Up to £1.243m is on offer. Applications are to be submitted by 09/04/14.
  • Have you written a science book which makes your field more accessible to public adult audiences? Then consider the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books. The deadline to enter a book is Friday 28 February 2014.
  • The Technology Strategy Board is supporting, with an investment of up to £1.5m, feasibility studies to stimulate innovation in networked intelligent sensor systems, and new applications of them. Proposals must be collaborative and business-led. Applicants must register by 22/01/14 and submit by 29/01/14.
  • The Technology Strategy Board, together with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology are offering UK-China partnerships in sustainable manufacturing. Through this scheme there is investment of up to £3m in collaborative R&D projects that make manufacturing processes more sustainable. Applicants must register by 19/03/14 with the proposal to be submitted by 26/03/14.
  • Are you a postdoctoral scientist who has recently decided to recommence a scientific research career after a continuous break of at least two years? Then The Wellcome Trust may be able to help you with a Career Re-entry Fellowship. It gives such scientists the opportunity to return to high-quality research, with the potential to undertake refresher or further training and is particularly suitable for applicants wishing to return to research after a break for family commitments. Applications must be submitted by 08/05/14.
  • Through The Wellcome Trust, the Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for the most promising newly qualified postdoctoral researchers to make an early start in developing their independent research careers, working in the best laboratories in the UK and overseas. Up to £250,000 is on offer. The Preliminary application deadline is 08/05/14 with the invited full application deadline being 18/07/14.
  • The Wellcome Trust’s Research Career Development Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science provides an opportunity for postdoctoral scientists from across the remits of the Trust’s funding streams to become independent research scientists and undertake high-quality research in an eligible Republic of Ireland institution. Closing date 16/04/14.
  • The Sir Henry Dale Fellowships, offered via The Wellcome Trust is for outstanding postdoctoral scientists wishing to build their own UK-based independent research career addressing an important biomedical question. The closing date for this call is 16/04/14.
  • The Wellcome Trust is offeringPrincipal Research Fellowships.  This is the most prestigious of our personal awards and provides long-term support for researchers of international standing. Successful candidates will have an established track record in research at the highest level. This award is particularly suitable for exceptional senior research scientists currently based overseas who wish to work in the UK or ROI. There is no closing date given.
  • Biomedical Vacation Scholarships are offered by The Wellcome Trust. These awards provide promising undergraduates with hands-on experience of research during the summer vacation, with the aim of encouraging them to consider a career in research. Scholarship holders in the past have included students of biological sciences (including biology, sports science and pharmacy) and medics, vets, dentists and optometrists. Up to £1,520 is available and the call closes on 14/02/14.
  • Are you working at the edge of your discipline? The Wellcome Trust – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide four years’ support for recently qualified postdoctoral researchers to gain experience of research at the interfaces between biology/medicine and mathematics, engineering, computer, physical or chemical sciences. Closing date 07/07/14.
  • The Welsh Government is supporting research to enable nurses to spend 10% more time with patients in direct value adding care. This is an exciting opportunity for businesses and innovative organisations to work with BCU HB over the next 2/3 years to improve patient care, enabling staff to spend more time with their patients and also to support business to develop innovative technology which will be marketable for the future. This is an open competition and will be run in 2 phases, with businesses able to bid for development contracts of up to £40k in phase 1 (proof of concept) and up to £400k in phase 2 (demonstrator projects). There will be a Briefing Event /Supplier Day on 17/01/4 and submissions are due on 31/01/14.

 

European Funded Research:

  • The Second ERA-CAPS joint call has been pre-announced. In the UK, BBSRC will be the participating agency. For more information please refer to the ERA-CAPS website. The call is expected to be announced on 14/01/14.
  • The ERA-Net `Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research‘ (NEURON) has been established to coordinate the research efforts and funding programmes of European countries, Israel and Canada in the field of disease related neuroscience.The aim of the call is to facilitate multi-national, collaborative research projects that will address important questions relating to neuroinflammation. Closing date 19/03/14.
  • Under the ERA-NET MARTEC Consortium, there is a call for collaborative research projects in different areas of maritime technologies. Please refer to the call website for details of the MARTEC II Call priorities. The call will close on 20/04/14.
  • The principal objective of the ERA-NET BESTF call is to fund public-private projects that de-risk bioenergy technologies at demonstration scale and to encourage further private exploitation. Amongst other conditions, the project must be at an appropriate stage of development to deliver a pre-commercial demonstration during the timescale of the project. Closing date 10/02/14.

 Please note that some funders specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKE Support Officer.

You can set up your own personalised alerts on ResearchProfessional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s RKE Officer in RKE Operations or see the recent post on this topic.

The next post on this topic is expected week commencing 06/01/14.

Dr. Anna Feigenbaum Wins AAG Enrichment Grant

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Research news

The Association of American Geographers (AAG) has awarded an annual meeting grant to Dr. Anna Feigenbaum, lecturer in Media and Politics at the Media School. AAG Enrichment Funds “support participation of distinguished non-geographers in the annual meeting,” helping to promote cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange between geography and other fields of study. Dr. Feigenbaum will travel to Tampa, Florida in April 2014 to deliver a presentation on her Tear Gas project in preparation for her monograph on the subject due out with Verso in 2015. She will also participate in the ‘subconference’–a set of meetings within the meeting focused on collaboration and skill-sharing. As part of the ‘Professional and intellectual triage for emerging and early career scholars’ panel, Dr. Feigenbaum will offer guidance on moving through the first years of academia in these times of precarity and change in the HE sector.

Password? Not another one!

BU research, Publishing, Uncategorized

The increasing volume of academic activity on the internet coupled with a growing obsession about privacy and data protection means for many academics a rapidly expanding number of online accounts and associated passwords. This is, of course, over and above our regular dose of accounts and passwords as citizens of the virtual world. The average adult in the UK must have at least 25 internet accounts, for the bank/building society, supermarkets, phone companies, social media, airlines, trains, insurance companies, eBay, the website of the parents’ council of your children’s school, your electricity provider, the council tax, etc.

I feel as an academic, the burden is even worse. Every single time another scientific journal invites me to review a paper it opens an on-line account for me. Every time I apply for a grant from a funding body to which I have not previously applied, I am required to set up an account with a new password. When you apply for 20-odd grants every year and review manuscripts for a similar number of different journals the number of accounts and passwords add up rapidly. Then there are the other accounts and passwords related to work for sites such as this BU Research Blog, BRIAN, Survey Monkey, for the university for whom you act as external examiner, for Drop Box, the British Library, ORCIC, ACADEMIA.EDU, ResearchGate, Researchfish, Linkedin, and the list goes on.

These last few months I was reminded how non user friendly some systems are. First, I received new secure email account for my part on a REF sub-panel. The account name chosen for me is different from what I would have chosen and what I am used to at Bournemouth University. The importance of confidentiality for the REF work is clear so my password has to be different from anything I use elsewhere. Secondly, a few weeks later I attempted to put my name done for the tri-annual conference of the International Congress of Midwifery in Prague next year. It turns out you cannot join the conference without opening an on-line account first. The account name was automatically chosen for me and so was the password. Unfortunately, both are impossible to remember, neither the account name nor the password (which was case sensitive) were ones I would have selected personally.

There is some hope as some journals allow you to choose your own account name and password. Elsevier has brought most of its journals into one account, with your own email as the account name and all with the same password. Similarly a group of English-language journals in Nepal called Nepal Journals OnLine (NepJOL) use one account name for all participating journals. For the rest of my account names and passwords I can only follow the advice given by Stephen Fry on an episode of QI: “Write it down somewhere on a piece of paper”. The underlying idea is that the people who try to steal your internet account details sit in a bedsit in London or Hong Kong and won’t come to your office or living room to steal a piece of paper with computer addresses. The people who try to break into your house or office are looking for objects with a street value, such as your TV, phone or laptop, they are generally not interested in a piece of paper with some scribbles on it.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health