BU Research Blog

10 March 2026

3C Online Social: Research Culture, Community & Can you Guess Who? Thursday 26 March 1-2pm

The Doctoral College invites BU’s research community to a relaxed online social centred on Culture, Community, and Connection

This 3C event offers a playful break from the academic routine with a “Guess Who?” game where your work takes centre stage. Submit an image that best represents your research along with a 7-word description of your work, then join us online to see who can match the clues to the right researcher.

Whether you contribute, or join as an audience member, it’s a fantastic way to share your work creatively and spark new collaborations

Event Details

Thursday 26 March

1-2pm

Online

Find out more and register here

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the event, please get in touch with the Research Development & Culture Team: researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

2 March 2026

Accessing Sign Language for Better Communication

Awarded & submitted bids, international Zhidong Xiao

We warmly invite you to a two‑day workshop/symposium funded by the British Council’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF). The event will open on Monday afternoon (9 March) with two introductory British Sign Language (BSL) taster sessions led by professional BSL teachers from the Wilts & Dorset Deaf Association (WDDA). This will be followed by a full day of talks on Tuesday, featuring academics, professionals, and researchers discussing sign language history, recognition, and the role of AI in supporting inclusive communities.

Venue: Student Hall, Talbot Campus

Event Schedule is as follows:

Monday (9^th March)

12:30 Registration

12:50 Opening address

13:00 – 14:30 BSL session – BSL teachers: Lynn Preston & Richard Neale

14:30 – 15:00 Break

15:00 – 16:30 BSL session – BSL teachers: Lynn Preston & Richard Neale

16:30 Closing

Tuesday (10^th March)

9:30 Registration

9:50 Opening address

10:00 – 11:00 AI Translation between Sign and Spoken Language

Presenter: Richard Bowden is Professor of Computer Vision and Machine Learning within the Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing at the University of Surrey. He is also co-founder of Signapse. His research centres on the use of computer vision to locate, track, and understand humans with a specific interest and focus on sign languages. Having worked on many areas of computer vision, including robotics, autonomous vehicles and the tracking and analysis of humans. He has been developing computational approaches to sign language recognition and translation for over 30 years. Over the last few years Richard has refocused his entire research group on Sign Language Translation, with recent funding including a large grant from Google to reduce the cost of translation through AI and SignGPT, which aims to develop the next generation of AI tools for sign languages.

11:00 – 11:15 Break

11:15 – 12:00 A History of the Development and Access to British Sign Language

Presenter: George Raggett has been deaf from the age of eight through a yet undiagnosed hereditary condition. George acquired good speaking and reading skills prior to his hearing loss and prefer to communicate using these methods, supplemented by hearing aids and naturally developed lip-reading skills. George has developed Sign Language skills since 1987 and has been teaching Sign Language and Deaf Awareness & Communication courses to all ages since qualifying as a teacher in 2002. In 2007, George became a trustee of The Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association, a charity set up to promote and support the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities of both counties, in 2004

12:00 – 13:30 Break

13:30 – 14:15 Relevant Annotation for Multimodal Interaction Analysis: AI Bridging Interaction Studies of Gestures and Signs

Presenter: Mayumi Bono is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Informatics (NII), Tokyo, Japan. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Kobe University in 2005. In her Ph.D. project, she demonstrated how to build a machine-readable model of the ‘Participation Framework,’ initially provided by Canadian-American sociologist Erving Goffman. After receiving her Ph.D., she got a position in informatics at ATR Media Information Science Laboratories, Kyoto University, and the National Institute of Informatics based on fruitful collaborations with engineering and informatics researchers. Currently, she is conducting several research projects of building sharable spoken and sign language multimodal corpora in an open science framework for all academic researchers interested in human communication using artificial intelligence techniques such as machine learning.

14:15 – 14:45 J-Shuwa: A Large-Scale Web-Collected Japanese Sign Language-Japanese Parallel Corpus

Presenter: Junwen Mo is a PhD candidate in the Nakayama Lab at the University of Tokyo. His research focuses on sign language understanding, with an emphasis on Japanese Sign Language translation. Recently, he has also developed an interest in alternative computational paradigms for artificial intelligence.

14:45 – Break

15:00 – 15:30 Between Representation and Embodiment: Perspectives on Sign Language Avatars

Presenter: Yi Wen is a first-year PhD researcher at Bournemouth University, where she previously completed her Master’s in Artificial Intelligence. She has a background in the game industry, working on large-scale production pipelines and collaborative projects. Her current research interests include sign language avatars, particularly exploring how different representational approaches may influence how signing is generated and experienced.

15:30 – 16:00 Continuous Sign language Recognition (CSLR): Feature Extraction from an Image Procesing Perspective

Presenter: Xinyu Zhang is an artificial intelligence researcher working at the intersection of medical imaging, representation learning, and algorithmic alignment. Her research advances contemporary medical AI by promoting approaches that reduce dependence on clinical expert teams and high computational resources, thereby enhancing scalability, reproducibility, and accessibility.

16:30 Closing

2 March 2026

From Sustainable Research to Sustainable Research Lives: Reflections from the SPROUT Network Event

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Supported by the ECR Research Culture and Community Grant, the SPROUT Network hosted its second collaborative hybrid event at BU’s Fusion Building on Tuesday 17 February 2026. What does it mean to be a “sustainable” researcher? Does it refer to the topics being studied, or the way researchers live their lives while conducting that work? The session brought together PGRs, ECRs, and supervisors from Bournemouth, Cardiff, and Durham Universities to tackle these very questions.

Building Momentum: The Three Pillars

Following the foundation laid during the network’s inaugural session in November, this second event moved the conversation forward. Shifting the focus from what is researched to how researchers work and sustain themselves.

The organisers structured the day around three core pillars:

Sustainability as Practice: Exploring how research is designed and carried out, from initial focus and methodology to eventual impact
Sustainability as Culture: Examining how research environments and institutional structures shape what is possible and what is valued within academia
Sustainability as Research Lives: Focusing on the human element, sustaining the “researcher self” and professional communities over the long term

Keynote Insights: Practice and Resilience

The network was honoured to welcome two keynote speakers who offered unique, complementary perspectives.

Professor Fiona Cownie framed sustainability as an active choice enacted through doctoral work. Introducing the “Sustainability Triangle,” challenging researchers to balance their Choices (topics and methods) against external Constraints (time and resources) and the necessity of Compromise without losing professional integrity.

Professor Emerita Fiona Cownie introducing the 'Sustainability Triangle,' a framework designed to help researchers balance methodology with institutional constraints

Keynote speaker Professor Fiona Cownie discussing the vital role of sustainability in doctoral research practice during the SPROUT Network hybrid event

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree then explored the human realities of academic work, arguing that sustainable research depends on sustainable research lives. Sharing a moving reminder from poet William Stafford: “There’s a thread you follow… While you hold it you can’t get lost,” emphasising the need for a stabilising sense of purpose to navigate the pressures of contemporary research culture.

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree sharing reflections on care, resilience, and the ‘researcher self’ during her keynote session

A Milestone for Organisers: Leadership and Growth

For the SPROUT team, coordinating a multi-institutional, hybrid event was a significant milestone in professional development.

The session was led by a dedicated team:

PGR/ECR Leads: Mosopefoluwa Akinrinmade, Ibrahim Awawdeh, and Kasongo Shutsha.

Academic Leads: Dr Tahani Mohamed (Bournemouth), Dr Julie Gwilliam (Cardiff), and Rosalind Beaumont (Durham).

Reflecting on the impact of the grant, Dr Tahani Mohamed noted:

“The funding enabled the network to deliver a high-impact event that moved beyond ‘business as usual.’ It allowed the team to create a generous and thoughtful space where ECRs and PGRs felt safe to discuss the structural and personal factors that shape their careers. Facilitating these ‘deep conversations’ has significantly increased our confidence in leading research culture initiatives.”

Managing the grant funds and coordinating across three universities provided the leads with invaluable experience in leadership, multi-site logistics, and cross-university advocacy.

Impact and Future Growth

The event demonstrated a clear interest for community-based research culture initiatives. Feedback from the community highlighted the importance of this space:

“I am so thankful for such a group existing within BU… which focuses on sustainability in research. The meeting was really valuable and the two speakers were inspirational.”

The SPROUT community continues to grow because researchers find value in returning. Future sessions are already being planned to cover sustainable funding strategies, research methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Stay Connected

To join the SPROUT mailing list or Teams group, please contact sprout@bournemouth.ac.uk or reach out to Dr Tahani Mohamed at tmohamed@bournemouth.ac.uk

Apply for the ECR Research Culture and Community Grant

Do you have an idea for an event or initiative that could strengthen the research culture at BU? We invite you to follow in the Sprout Team’s footsteps and apply for funding to bring your project to life.

Find out more and submit your application here: Research Culture and Community Grant

Closing Date 4pm, Monday 9 March 2026

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application, please contact Enrica Conrotto, Researcher Development Manager, at researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

25 February 2026

From Evidence to Action: Addressing LGBTQIA+ Gambling Harm at the House of Commons

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, REF 2029 impact case studies rbush

Researchers from Bournemouth University were honoured to attend the House of Commons on 23rd February for the parliamentary launch of Recover with Pride, the UK’s first dedicated LGBTQ+ gambling harm support programme.

Speaking on behalf of Bournemouth University’s Gambling Research Group, Dr Reece Bush-Evans shared research examining the barriers LGBTQIA+ people can face when seeking support for gambling-related harm. The presentation highlighted how minority stress, stigma, discrimination, and a lack of culturally competent provision can shape both experiences of harm and pathways to recovery. The key message was clear: this is not a niche issue — it is a public health and equality issue. Reece was joined by Professor John McAlaney, Head of the Gambling Research Group.

The Parliamentary event brought together over 40 representatives from across the sector and featured contributions from more than 10 organisations, including Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, Ara Recovery For All, Gamstop, Gamban, Coalition to End Gambling Ads, Betknowmore UK, Cyrenians, Reframe Coaching, University of Brighton and EPIC Restart Foundation. The day also featured powerful lived experience testimonies and a keynote address from John Slinger MP. Representatives from organisations such as Stonewall Housing, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, The Primary Care Gambling Service, Galop, Adferiad, Chapter One and Beacon Counselling Trust were also in attendance, reflecting strong cross-sector commitment.

During the presentation, Reece discussed recently published peer-reviewed research exploring gambling harm within LGBTQIA+ communities, alongside the outputs of an International Conference and National Think Tank hosted by the Gambling Research Group in Bournemouth last November. Opened by Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost Professor Niamh Downing, the conference brought together over 20 organisations spanning lived experience leaders, frontline services, researchers and policy stakeholders, with one clear purpose: to translate evidence into action.

Across a full day of international talks and collaborative discussion, several priorities were identified. Short-term actions included strengthening inclusive signalling across services, embedding consistent cultural competency training, and improving cross-sector collaboration and referral pathways. Longer-term goals focused on explicitly including LGBTQIA+ communities within national gambling strategies, establishing a national working group focused on marginalised communities, and developing sustainable LGBTQIA+-specific support networks.

The energy in the room was captured by a live artist, visually recording discussions and commitments to change. Feedback from the November event was overwhelmingly positive: 94% of attendees reported that it significantly increased their understanding of gambling harms experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities, 89% said they were highly likely to implement change in their work, 83% reported a shift in their views or assumptions, and 100% developed new professional connections to support future action.

Taking place during LGBT History Month, the parliamentary launch of Recover with Pride represents more than a policy milestone. It reflects progress in recognising and addressing the specific challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ communities — ensuring that conversations about equality extend into emerging areas such as gambling harm. It is a proud moment for Bournemouth University and an important step forward in advancing inclusive, evidence-informed public health policy.

23 February 2026

3C Event: Research Culture, Community & Can you Guess Who? Thursday 26 March 1-2pm

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The Doctoral College invites BU’s research community to a relaxed online social centred on Culture, Community, and Connection

This 3C event offers a playful break from the academic routine with a “Guess Who?” game where your work takes centre stage. Submit an image that best represents your research along with a 7-word description of your work, then join us online to see who can match the clues to the right researcher.

Whether you contribute, or join as an audience member, it’s a fantastic way to share your work creatively and spark new collaborations

Event Details

Thursday 26 March

1-2pm

Online

Find out more and register here

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the event, please get in touch with the Research Development & Culture Team: researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

26 January 2026

Celebrating our Research: Postgraduate Research Showcase 2026

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The Doctoral College invites the BU community to the Postgraduate Research Showcase, hosted in the Atrium Gallery from Tuesday 3 February to Thursday 26 February 2026.

This exhibition features a curated selection of posters from our 17th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. It is a fantastic opportunity to explore the diverse research being driven by our Postgraduate Researchers. The selected posters will remain on display throughout the duration of the showcase, allowing you plenty of time to visit and engage with the work.

Join us for the Launch Event

To kick off the exhibition, we are hosting a celebratory launch event. This is a chance to network with fellow researchers, meet academics, and show your support for the PGR community.

Wednesday 4 February 2026
3-4pm
Atrium Gallery, Poole House, Talbot Campus
Cheese and wine will be provided (with vegan and non-alcoholic options available).

Register your place via Eventbrite here

Please note there will be no virtual exhibition this year, so make sure to stop by the Atrium Gallery in person to experience the showcase. If you would like a taste of the energy from our recent conference, you can catch highlights and images from the event on YouTube.

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the incredible contributions of our Postgraduate Researchers

9 January 2026

Fourth INRC Symposium: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation

PG research, REF Subjects, Research themes ebballester

We cordially invite you to the 4^th Symposium of the BU Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation on Friday, the 16th of January 2026, 9:30-15:00 at the Lees Lecture Theatre (Talbot Campus, Poole House -outside).

This symposium encompasses a journey from clinical case studies to new, emerging experimental and computational methodologies that underpin future translational applications. It is an opportunity for informal discussions on grant proposals and to explore shared interests with our external guests from the NHS and collaborating EU universities.

The schedule is as follows:

9:30 Coffee

9:50 Opening and Welcome Address

10:00-10.50 Dr Michalis Doumas (Queen’s University Belfast): Sensory integration for postural control in healthy ageing and in people living with Parkinson’s.

10:50 Coffee break

11:00-11:50 Session I. Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Dr Ioanna Markostamou: Naming spatial relations in typical and atypical ageing: At the crossroads of language and perception.

Dr Catherine Talbot: Dementia in the digital age: exploring the promise and pitfalls of social technologies.

11:50-12.50 Lunch break (no lunch provided, but Talbot Campus facilities available)

12.50-13.40 Dr Andre Rupp (Online Talk): Auditory pitch perception and clinical applications.

13:40 Coffee break

14:00-14.50 Session II: Neuro-inspired computation

Dr Anna Metzger: Understanding haptic perception of objects’ shape and material via DNN modelling.

Dr Hongchuan Yu: Waa3D: an open-source platform to benchmark performance of algorithms for automated neuro tracing in light microscopy datasets.

Concluding Remarks + Invitation to everybody to become a member of the INRC network

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Ellen Seiss, eseiss@bournemouth.ac.uk or Emili Balaguer-Ballester, eb-ballester@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Thank you very much; we are looking forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Ellen and Emili, on behalf of all of us.

7 January 2026

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025 – Reflecting back and looking ahead to 2026

yokselferraris

The ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025 has now drawn to a close, marking another inspiring celebration of research, engagement, and the power of social science to shape our everyday lives. As we move into 2026, this is a timely moment to reflect on the impact of last year’s festival and the ways in which it connected research with people and communities. At Bournemouth University, this year’s programme featured a diverse range of events that encouraged dialogue, fostered collaboration, and celebrated the continuing value of social science in society.

The 2025 festival, which included 348 events across the UK, explored how work and employment connect to wellbeing, sustainability, and social change. The programme also featured a wide range of activities covering the full breadth of social science research.

For the 14th year, BU took part in the festival, drawing over 250 attendees to five engaging events. In partnership with the University of Southampton for the third consecutive year, Bournemouth University showcased a programme of events ranging from participatory activities and virtual reality experiences to thought-provoking panel discussions.

Our festival programme opened with Work in a Changing World, an inspiring event hosted at the specialist school Connie Rothman Learning Trust. In this session, young people were invited to envision their future working lives through film-making and AI-supported creative tools.

Participants took part in two interactive film workshops led by Dr Nick Gray and Dr Philip Wilkinson, using film and digital storytelling to explore both the opportunities and risks posed by emerging technologies. The workshops created space for reflection on how technological change may shape future careers, while empowering young people to express their own perspectives through creative practice.

The programme continued in Poole with Fast Cash, Hidden Costs, an interactive exhibition held at Dolphin Centre, Poole, led by Dr Reece Bush and collaborators.

This event explored the realities of matched betting and challenged the idea of “risk-free” income. Visitors were able to drop in throughout the day and engage with hands-on activities, visual data displays, myth-busting exercises, and lived-experience stories. Short, accessible talks ran at regular intervals, explaining what matched betting is, why it is growing in popularity, and what current research reveals about its potential harms.

Read full story here blog post

Our next event “Deepfake Deep Dive” by Professor Dinusha Mendis was an online event, a 45-minute panel discussion followed by an open Q&A. This event highlighted different perspectives from law, policy, technology, and practice, with a focus on the UK’s current approach to AI. The UK is yet to legislate in the area of deepfake AI, which leaves open several questions for the creative, cultural industries as well as society. This event addressed the current gaps and provide insights from different sectors in highlighting ways in which we can tackle the growing issue of deepfakes. The Deepfake Deep Dive event featured guest speakers Dugald Johnson, Policy Officer from Equity, Rossana Ducato (University of Aberdeen), and Victoriano Darias from IFPI, who shared policy, academic, and industry perspectives on the challenges posed by deepfake technologies.

Watch the event here < video >

The series continued with Digital Futures for All, led by Dr Philip Wilkinson. The session opened with a reflective talk marking three years of the Digital Skills Hub, sharing lessons from working at the front lines of digital inclusion, followed by a 45-minute panel discussion and Q&A. The panel brought together academic experts and practitioners, including Dr Phil Wilkinson (Digital Skills Hub), Dr Nick Gray (Bournemouth University), Kaoutar Addi (Digital Skills Hub), Rachel Doe (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council), and Andy Merchant (Bournemouth Churches Housing Association), who shared research insights alongside real-world experience of engaging the public in digital skills programmes.

We concluded this year’s festival journey with Through a Child’s Eyes: Understanding Childhood Drowning in Bangladesh, a powerful event led by Professor Edwin van Teijlingen.

The session began with a short presentation introducing the research project, followed by an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience. Developed in collaboration with Dreamerz Lab in Bangladesh, the VR environment allowed participants to experience rural village life from both child and adult perspectives. By showing how water surrounds homes and daily life, the experience powerfully illustrated why very young children are particularly vulnerable to drowning.

Read full story here Blog post

Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to this year’s ESRC Festival of Social Science. Your involvement helped make the programme a meaningful celebration of the positive impact that social science has on our communities.

Applying for the ESRC Festival – what you need to know

If you are considering taking part in a future ESRC Festival of Social Science, now is an excellent time to start developing your ideas. Reviewing the 2026 festival open call is a good way to understand what we look for in strong applications. Event leads are selected through a competitive internal application process, and early planning can help you shape a proposal that is both impactful and well aligned with the festival’s aims.

The open call for next year’s festival is expected to launch in May/June 2026. If you would like to discuss an early idea or explore potential proposals, please contact us at researchengagementandimpact@bournemouth.ac.uk

5 January 2026

3C Event: Research Culture, Community & Cookies – Tuesday 13 January 10-11am

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Behind every successful grant and impact case study, is a dedicated support team. Join us at our next 3C event to meet the Research & Innovation Services staff in person. Discover the specialised support available to help you navigate and succeed on your research journey.

No slides, just support

Grab a coffee and a cookie, and have an informal chat with the Research and Innovation Services Team. No appointments, no formal presentations, just a chance to connect with the people behind your research support services. The same friendly 3C atmosphere you love, now with added expertise.

Who’s joining us?

The following RIS staff members will be joining us to answer your questions or simply say hello:

Shumana Begum – Research Governance Adviser
Claire Fenton – REF Lead
Eva Papadopoulou – Research Grants Manager (Pre-Award)
Julia Taylor – Head of Doctoral College
Alex Morrison – Research Grants Programme Manager

Event Details

Date: Tuesday 13 January

Time: 10-11am

Location: Room K103, Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus

How to join: Find out more and register here

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the event, please do get in touch with the Research Development & Culture Team: researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

5 January 2026

FLF UKRI round 11- internal launch and timelines

Funding opportunities Eva Papadopoulou

The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships  (FLF) round 11 will open soon and like every year, we would be delighted to support via BU new talent to apply to these very prestigious fellowships. The scheme aims to develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business. This scheme is looking for early career researchers and innovators who are either:

looking to establish or transition to independence
developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting.

UKRI are offering funding to support ambitious research or innovation programmes across UKRI’s remit. The fellowship will enable fellows (from the UK or abroad) to tackle ambitious research and develop their careers.

There is no minimum or maximum award value.

Your project can last for up to four years, with the option to apply to renew for a further three years.

The external deadline for this call is 16^th June 2026

BU internal competition:

We are running an internal demand management process at BU to ensure we support and encourage submissions from the highest standard of candidates. BU is capped at a maximum of 3 applications.

The focus is to ensure candidates are eligible and have a high chance of success, providing them with comprehensive advice and support, to develop a high-quality programme of research and proposal for submission. Applications are welcome from internal academics (both as prospective fellows or mentors of prospective fellows) and external academics to be hosted by BU.

Prospective applicants should complete an Expression of Interest form and send to Research Development by 5pm on 11th February 2026. A panel of subject experts and Deans of Research will review each EoI and selected applicants will be notified by 28th February. All documents relating to this internal competition are available on the I Drive here: I:\RDS\Public\FLF Round 11. If you cannot access the link or the Documents, please contact Eva Papadopoulou.

Selected applicants will then be supported to progress with their application and receive internal and external support as required.

A briefing on this call will be held on 21st January 2026 at 11am, via Teams, including an overview of the scheme and a Q&A session with experienced panelists and reviewers.

Please email Eva Papadopoulou if you would like to attend or have any queries.

Process for selecting applications timeline:

Date	Action
5th January 2026	Internal Launch of Call
21st January 2026	Future Leaders Briefing and Q&A for Fellows and mentors – at the Funding Development Briefing.
2nd February 2026	Call Opens
11th February 2026 COB	EoI deadline
24th February 2026	EOI Panel Meeting
28th February 2026	Notify successful Internal FLF/s

1 January 2026

Final Bournemouth University publication of 2025

international, Public engagement, Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

Happy New Year and we hope it will be prosperous and healthy. On the last day of 2025 the Nepal Journal of Epidemiology published our editorial ‘Progress of the Unique Fellowship in Health Research Evidence Synthesis in Nepal‘ [1]. Co-authors of this editorial include Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Visiting Faculty: Prof. Padam Simkhada and Dr. Bibha Simkhada who are both grant holders on the British Academy grant which also includes BU’s Dr. Pramod Regmi. The journal editor added a photo of our recent three-day event on research capacity building in Dhulikhel (Nepal) to the cover of the December issue. Nepalese researchers, academics, policymakers and practitioners are undertaking a unique Fellowship in evidence synthesis and evidence-based policy making. This Fellowship is part of a larger project called ‘Evidence Informed Health Policy Making in Nepal (EHPN)’, funded by the British Academy. After our training event Dr. Regmi had the opportunity to present our (2022) textbook Academic Writing and Publishing in Health and Social Sciences to His Excellency Mr. Madhav Chaulagain, Nepal’s newly appointed Minister of Forest & Environment.

Evidence-informed policy making developed out of the earlier idea of ‘evidence-based policy making’. The central idea behind evidence-based policy making was that it should be largely (or even solely) guided by evidence. Evidence-informed policy making adds that policies should not just be evidence-based they should also be feasible, appropriate for their context and aligned with stakeholders’ values and therefore one would expect meaningful input from these stakeholders. This is the second editorial highlighting our research capacity-building work in Nepal. The first editorial ‘Strengthening Evidence Synthesis for Health Policymaking in Nepal: A New Fellowship Initiative’ appeared in an earlier edition of the Nepal Journal of Epidemiology [2].

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

References:

Vaidya, A., Simkhada, P., Silwal, R. C., Paudyal, P., Dhimal, M., Simkhada, B., van Teijlingen, E. (2025). Progress of the Unique Fellowship in Health Research Evidence Synthesis in Nepal. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology, 15(4), 1397–1398.
Simkhada, P., Vaidya, A., Regmi, P. P., Paudyal, P., van Teijlingen, E., Dhimal, M., Shrestha, A., Koirala, B., Simkhada, B. (2025). Strengthening Evidence Synthesis for Health Policymaking in Nepal: A New Fellowship Initiative. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology, 15(2), 1379–1380.

16 December 2025

From Classroom to Catalyst: Impact, Inclusion and the UN SDGs in Entrepreneurship Education at Bournemouth University

BU Challenges, Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Fusion, HEIF, Industry collaboration, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, REF 2029 impact case studies, Student Engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

It feels like only yesterday that I was writing a research blog reflecting on social impact entrepreneurship amongst students at Bournemouth University Business School (BUBS) in the Faculty of Business and Law. A year on, this work continues to evolve, offering further evidence of how entrepreneurship education can act as a catalyst for social impact, inclusion and sustainable development.

This year’s final-year 20-credit module on the Entrepreneurship pathway, called Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures, ran yet another elevator pitch event, resulting in 22 new mentoring opportunities for students developing socially and environmentally minded business ideas. This builds on 24 mentoring opportunities created the previous year, highlighting not only the consistency of outcomes but also the growing strength of the entrepreneurial ecosystem surrounding BU.

The module has now been running for over seven years and has undergone deliberate pedagogical redesign during that time. It now operates as an in-class incubation and ideation space for social and impact entrepreneurship, rather than a traditional lecture-led module. Students are supported in developing, testing, and refining venture ideas within a structured environment that prioritises both business viability and social impact.

Central to the unit’s design is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Rather than treating the SDGs as abstract global ambitions, students are encouraged to use them as a practical framework for opportunity recognition. The SDGs help students to identify real-world problems, consider systemic impacts, and design business models that create economic, social and environmental value simultaneously. In this sense, sustainability is positioned not as an ethical add-on, but as a source of legitimacy, resilience and competitive advantage.

Across two days of live elevator pitches, final-year students presented a diverse range of ideas addressing challenges at local, national and global levels. The quality and ambition of the pitches demonstrated a notable shift in entrepreneurial mindset. While financial feasibility remained central, many students framed entrepreneurship in terms of long-term value creation, legacy and responsibility, with profit understood as a means to enable impact rather than an end in itself.

As a module-level assessment, this activity could have been delivered entirely within the classroom. However, entrepreneurship is inherently experiential and relational. Each year, the assessment is therefore designed as a live engagement exercise, with students pitching to an external panel of judges drawn from industry, policy and practice. The panel provides immediate feedback and, crucially, offers mentoring and access to professional networks. These outcomes are particularly significant in relation to inclusive entrepreneurship practice at BU. By embedding incubation, mentoring, and ecosystem engagement within a credit-bearing module, access to entrepreneurial opportunities is expanded. Students do not need prior entrepreneurial experience, social capital or financial resources to participate. Instead, all students on the pathway are given structured access to support, feedback and visibility.

Inclusive entrepreneurship is also evident in the nature of the ideas themselves. Many ventures draw directly on students’ lived experiences, cultural backgrounds and community contexts, demonstrating how diversity can be a driver of innovation. The breadth of the judging panel—including expertise in sustainability, inclusive enterprise, ethnic minority entrepreneurship and venture coaching—further reinforces inclusive role modelling and challenges narrow stereotypes of who entrepreneurs are and what they do. None of this would be possible without the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports this work. Over seven years, that ecosystem has grown significantly, reflecting shared commitment to impact-driven and inclusive entrepreneurship. The sustained willingness of external partners to mentor students demonstrates that meaningful inclusion is built through relationships and trust, not rhetoric alone.

Reflecting on these outcomes raises an important question for higher education more broadly. If such impact—mentoring, confidence building, inclusive participation and SDG-aligned venture development—can be achieved within a single 20-credit module, what more might be possible with structured, longitudinal support for student social entrepreneurs? At Bournemouth University, this module offers a practical example of how entrepreneurship education can contribute to inclusive growth and sustainable development, aligning teaching, research and external engagement with the Global Goals.

21 November 2025

Final day of the ESRC Festival of Social Science

Festival of Learning, Fusion themes, international, PG research, Public engagement, REF Subjects, Student Engagement Edwin van Teijlingen

Saturday 8th November was the final day of the national Festival of Social Sciences (FoSS), which was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Many universities across the Uk organised a wide-ranging set of events. Bournemouth University (BU) organised six events, and on the last day it put up a public-engagement event around its Sonamoni research project at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) building in Poole. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 6-24 months in Bangladesh, yet it rarely receives the same attention as other global health issues. The Sonamoni project, led by Bournemouth University and the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the University of Southampton, the University of the West of England (UWE), the RNLI, and Design Without Borders (DWB) in Uganda.

This £1.6m project has been made possible thanks to a grant from the UK’s National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) through its Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation programme. Sonamoni is in the process of developing practical, community-based solutions to reduce drowning among 6-24 months’ old children.

The FoSS event at the RNLI earlier this month was presented by BU academics John Powell and Edwin van Teijlingen with a major contribution from BU’s PhD student Md. Shafkat Hossain, whose doctoral studies focuses on the local community’s understanding of, and engagement with, the Human-Centred Design element of the Sonamoni project. Prof. van Teijlingen, from BU’s School of Health & Care, introduced the project and he highligthed the harmony between the different social science disciplines of the members of the international research team as well as the interdisciplinary nature of this collaboration. The FoSS event was prepared and supported by BU’s Yasemin Oksel Ferraris and Claire Fenton.

One of the ideas generated by the Sonamoni project, which involves local community involvement at all stages of the study, is a low cost playpen to keep young children save. John Powell MBE outlined the Human-Centred Design process and the eight potential solutions it generated. The FoSS event on the Saturday morning focused particulary on the design stages of the playpen, from concept to a model that could be tested in the field in rural Bangladesh. The colourful first batch of playpens in the photo are ready to be taken to families to be tested in the two field sites. The audience of the FoSS event was particularly interested ways the researchers in Bangladesh managed to get and keep the community involved in this very applied research.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health

17 November 2025

It’s Safer Gambling Week: Register Now for Our Free LGBTQIA+ Conference

conferences, Public engagement rbush

LGBTQIA+ Experiences of Gambling-Related Harms: Conference and Think-Tank Event

It’s Safer Gambling Week – and what better way to deepen our understanding and drive change than by joining an event focused on a group too often overlooked in this conversation.

Academics across the university are warmly invited to a special one-day conference exploring gambling-related harm within LGBTQIA+ communities, taking place Monday 24th November 2025 (9:30am–4.00pm) at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel.

Hosted by Bournemouth University’s Gambling Research Group, this free event brings together researchers, lived experience experts, support organisations, and policymakers to deepen understanding of how gambling harm affects LGBTQIA+ individuals in the UK and globally. The day features new findings from BU, powerful lived experience narratives, international insights, and a collaborative think-tank designed to co-create practical, inclusive solutions.

Highlights include:

Research presentations and the latest UK data.
Lived experience panel and Q&A.
Spotlight talks from Gordon Moody, Ara Recovery For All, Switchboard, Ygam, and more.
Global perspectives from New Zealand and the USA.
An interactive think-tank session focused on improving policy and support pathways.
Lunch and refreshments are provided.

This event forms part of a Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms-funded project led by Dr Reece Bush-Evans, and offers a unique opportunity for academic colleagues to contribute expertise, connect across disciplines, and support impactful, community-informed research.

Register for free:
Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lgbtqia-experiences-of-gambling-related-harms-tickets-1795320133849?aff=oddtdtcreator

Registration closes 5.00pm on Friday 21 November.

17 November 2025

From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation

REF Subjects, Research themes ebballester

We cordially invite you to the 4th Symposium of the BU Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation on Friday, the 16th of January 2026, 9:30-15:00 at the Lees Lecture Theatre (Talbot Campus, Poole House -outside).

The symposium consists of a journey from clinical case studies to new, emerging experimental and computational methodologies underpinning future translational applications. It is an opportunity for informal discussions on grant proposals and to explore shared interests with our external guests from the NHS and collaborating EU universities. The provisional schedule is:

9:30. Coffee.

9:50. Welcome Address and Keynote talk: Dr Mihalis Doumas, Queen’s University Belfast.

10.45-11:00. Coffee Break and Networking.

11:00-11:50. Session I. Clinical Neuroscience.

11.50 -12.50. Lunch and Grants Discussion.

12.50-13:45. Keynote talk: Dr Andre Rupp, University of Heidelberg.

13:45-14:00 Coffee Break and Networking.

14:00-14:50. Session II. Neuro-Inspired Computation.

14:50-15:00. Concluding Remarks and Invitation to become a member of the INRC network.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Ellen Seiss, eseiss@bournemouth.ac.uk or Emili Balaguer-Ballester, eb-ballester@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Thank you very much, and we are looking forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Ellen and Emili, on behalf of all of us.

13 November 2025

ESRC Festival of Social Science – Fast Cash, Hidden Costs: The Matched Betting Dilemma

Public engagement rbush

“Fast cash, hidden costs” – Reflections from an ESRC Festival of Social Science Event

The Gambling Research Group at Bournemouth University recently hosted Fast cash, hidden costs: The matched betting dilemma as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science—drawing an impressive 235 attendees to The Dolphin Centre in Poole. Delivered in partnership with Ara Recovery For All, the event opened up vital conversations about the realities of matched betting, challenging the notion of “risk-free” gambling and highlighting the hidden harms that often go unnoticed.

The day brought together researchers, practitioners, and members of the public in an energetic, open, and welcoming space. Ara Recovery For All played a key role in engaging younger audiences and facilitating meaningful discussions, including several personal stories of gambling-related harm. These insights underscored the importance of accessible research engagement in raising awareness and empowering communities.

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive:

100% of respondents who were surveyed agreed they were glad they attended and had learned something new.
Attendees ranged widely in age and background, with many stating they had “stumbled upon” the event—demonstrating real public appetite for approachable, evidence-based conversations about gambling risk.
Comments praised the interactive materials, friendly atmosphere, and clear, engaging information.

This event formed part of a Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms-funded research project led by Dr Reece Bush-Evans. It also continues the Gambling Research Group’s commitment to supporting public understanding of gambling harms and promoting safer, more informed decision-making.

13 November 2025

LGBTQIA+ Experiences of Gambling Related Harms: Join Us for a Free One-Day Event

conferences, international, Public engagement, REF 2029 impact case studies rbush

LGBTQIA+ Experiences of Gambling-Related Harms: Conference and Think-Tank Event

Academics across the university are warmly invited to a special one-day conference exploring gambling-related harm within LGBTQIA+ communities, taking place Monday 24th November 2025 (9:30am–4.00pm) at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel.

Hosted by Bournemouth University’s Gambling Research Group, this free event brings together researchers, lived experience experts, support organisations, and policymakers to deepen understanding of how gambling harm affects LGBTQIA+ individuals in the UK and globally. The day features new findings from BU, powerful lived experience narratives, international insights, and a collaborative think-tank designed to co-create practical, inclusive solutions.

Highlights include:

Research presentations and the latest UK data.
Lived experience panel and Q&A.
Spotlight talks from Gordon Moody, Ara Recovery For All, Switchboard, Ygam, and more.
Global perspectives from New Zealand and the USA.
An interactive think-tank session focused on improving policy and support pathways.
Lunch and refreshments are provided.

This event forms part of a Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms-funded project led by Dr Reece Bush-Evans, and offers a unique opportunity for academic colleagues to contribute expertise, connect across disciplines, and support impactful, community-informed research.

Register for free:
Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lgbtqia-experiences-of-gambling-related-harms-tickets-1795320133849?aff=oddtdtcreator

Registration closes 5.00pm on Wednesday 19 November.

7 November 2025

Join the 17th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference – Wednesday 3 December 2025

Knowledge Exchange, PG research ballen

17th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference: Register now

Register now to attend the 17th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Doctoral College.

Join us for a day of showcasing some of the excellent research taking place across BU by our postgraduate research community. This event provides a platform for our postgraduate researchers to present their research, share insights, and engage in meaningful discussions with peers, university colleagues, and external partners.

Date & Time: Wednesday 3 December, 9am-4:30pm

Location: Fusion Building, Talbot Campus

This year, the Poster Exhibition will take place in FG04 & FG06, Fusion Building, with viewings taking place in the morning and during the lunch break. Oral presentations hosted in Share Lecture Theatre in the Fusion Building.

Whether you’re a researcher, academic, colleague, or just interested in the cutting-edge work happening at BU find out more and book your place here

The detailed programme will be available soon.

Category / Events

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Accessing Sign Language for Better Communication

From Sustainable Research to Sustainable Research Lives: Reflections from the SPROUT Network Event

From Evidence to Action: Addressing LGBTQIA+ Gambling Harm at the House of Commons

3C Event: Research Culture, Community & Can you Guess Who? Thursday 26 March 1-2pm

Celebrating our Research: Postgraduate Research Showcase 2026

Fourth INRC Symposium: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025 – Reflecting back and looking ahead to 2026

3C Event: Research Culture, Community & Cookies – Tuesday 13 January 10-11am

FLF UKRI round 11- internal launch and timelines

From Classroom to Catalyst: Impact, Inclusion and the UN SDGs in Entrepreneurship Education at Bournemouth University

It’s Safer Gambling Week: Register Now for Our Free LGBTQIA+ Conference

From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation

LGBTQIA+ Experiences of Gambling Related Harms: Join Us for a Free One-Day Event

Join the 17th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference – Wednesday 3 December 2025

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