Category / Events

Writing for The Conversation – upcoming training opportunities

Would you like to build a media profile and take your research to a global audience by writing for The Conversation?

The Conversation is a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics, researchers and PhD candidates working with professional journalists.

Since we first partnered with The Conversation, articles by BU authors have had close to 11 million reads and been republished by news outlets across the world.

Find out more about working with The Conversation and have the chance to pitch your ideas directly to one of their editors in our upcoming training sessions:

Writing for The Conversation interactive workshop

2-4pm, Wednesday 5th March (Fusion Building, Talbot Campus) 

In this interactive session, you’ll find out more about communicating your research to the public, what The Conversation is looking for, and have the chance to discuss your research with a Conversation editor and pitch potential story ideas.

Sign up via Eventbrite

One-to-one session with an editor from The Conversation

Between 2pm – 4pm (20 minute bookable slots), Wednesday 2nd April (online)

This one-to-one session with one of The Conversation’s editors is tailored to you and your research.

You’ll have the chance to discuss potential pitches and receive personalised advice and feedback on communicating your research to a general audience and turning your expertise into articles.

Book your 20 minute one-to-one session via Eventbrite.

Places on each training session are limited so please cancel your place via Eventbrite if you are no longer able to attend.

Find out more about our partnership and the benefits of working with The Conversation

An inspiring visit to Türkiye! Towards gender equality in research and academia

conferences

On January 20-21, 2025, the VOICES in Action: International Event on Gender Equality in Science and Research took place at Izmir University of Economics (IEU). Organised and funded by COST Action VOICES, this two-day conference brought together a group of experts and researchers from across Europe to exchange knowledge and experiences on issues related to gender equality in academia and research. The event featured a lineup of speakers, including Dr Ola Thomson from BU Business School.

Day one set the scene with topics such as implementing Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in universities and research institutions, integrating gender perspectives in research, and exploring the global challenges faced by women in STEM careers.

Ola, who is a management committee member and co-lead of VOICES, delivered a talk focusing on the activities of her working group in promoting inclusive mentoring as a strategy to advance gender equality in academia and research. Ola shared insights from the Mentoring Mapping in Europe project, which involved identifying and analysing existing mentoring programmes to better understand their impact and gaps. Additionally, she presented the outcomes of the Inclusive Mentoring Summer Training held in Bilbao in 2024, which had utilised art-based and co-creation techniques to enable mentees, mentors and programme managers to share their experiences of mentoring and create ten guiding principles on inclusive mentoring.

Day two was an interactive and hands-on experience for attendees, featuring co-creation workshops for early-career researchers. Ola and her two VOICES colleagues Dr Jennifer Dahmen-Adkins from Germany, and Şerife Durna from Türkiye co-led a World Café session, which explored the challenges impacting early researchers’ careers. Themes included the gendered nature of institutions and the impact of systemic inequalities, addressing the tension between professional demands and societal gender roles, examining gendered access to opportunities and critiquing notions of “meritocracy” and “excellence”, and lastly, sharing personal and institutional experiences to understand the prevalence and impact of bias.

This event was a rewarding opportunity to engage with a Turkish community of researchers and academics committed to shaping the future of gender equality in science and research. It underscored the importance of collaboration across Europe and Inclusiveness Target Countries such as Türkiye, where challenging socio-political systems operate and influence gender equality efforts and outcomes.

This work links to three UN SDGs: Gender equality,  Decent work and economic growth, and Reduced inequalities within and among countries.

RKEDF ECR development opportunities – book now!

Training

ECRN: Demonstrating Research Impact – Mon 3rd Feb, 14:00-16:00, online 

Are you hopeful that you research is going to make a difference?  Have you considered the variety of ways your research can have an impact? This session will help you consider the ways in which you can demonstrate the impact your research is having and start you off on planning an impact strategy.  Open to ECRs & PGRs. Book your place HERE

Konfer training – Thurs 6th Feb, 14:00-15:30, in person – Talbot campus

Featuring Anna Dent-Davies and Shivaun Meehan from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). They will introduce Konfer, a powerful platform for navigating the UK innovation ecosystem.  For those unfamiliar, Konfer connects users with resources and potential collaborators perfectly aligned with their research or innovation projects.

You’ll also have the chance to discuss your specific research projects or areas of interest and even begin drafting your own collaboration call during the session.  Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how Konfer can support your research and innovation goals!

Ahead of the session, we kindly ask attendees to:

  • Sign up to Konfer.
  • Come prepared with an innovation challenge or collaboration opportunity in mind.

Find out more and book your place HERE

RKEDF: ECRN – Work life balance – Weds 12th Feb, 13:00-14:00, in person – Talbot campus

This session is aimed at Academics, Researchers and PGRs with an interest in discussing work/life balance within Academic roles and careers.  The session aims to discuss approaches to setting and maintaining healthy work/life balance whilst also managing the demands of their role. It will follow an open, discursive model and invite responses from ECRs with input from the ECRN Academic leads.  For further details and bookings, click HERE

Please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk if you have any queries.

3MT Competition – Applications open

PG research

The Doctoral College is excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

 

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

Digital dementia care: How social media is shaping experiences of dementia

We’re thrilled to invite you to the second online seminar in the new ADRC series. This session will feature Dr. Catherine Talbot from Bournemouth University, presenting: Digital dementia care: How social media is shaping experiences of dementia.

With a rapidly growing population of people affected by dementia and increasing global emphasis being placed on early and timely diagnosis, it is vital to explore creative ways of supporting those affected. Social media has potential to mitigate some of the challenges associated with dementia, by facilitating social connectivity and access to information. Despite these possibilities, research in this area is scarce, and social media platforms are not designed with the specific needs of people with dementia or their carers in mind. In this talk, Dr Catherine Talbot will present the findings from her British Academy funded research, which aimed to explore the attitudes of people with dementia and their carers towards engaging with social media. She will also discuss how educational and technological initiatives can empower people with dementia to use social media safely and effectively.

The seminar is open to all Bournemouth University staff, students, community organisations, and anyone interested in the topic.
Please keep an eye out for upcoming seminars throughout 2025!
See you there!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/88106186753?pwd=G65UYAra4oQjjNN76HauXxsBmI0oib.1
Meeting ID: 881 0618 6753
Passcode: $30@u6Af

Research Connect Seminar Recap: December Highlights

PG research

In this month’s Research Connect seminar, organized by the Department of Marketing, Strategy, and Innovation in the Business School, we had the pleasure of hearing two captivating research presentations. Dr. Dayle Child explored the topic “Too Much of a Good Thing? The Double-Edged Sword of Meaningful Work,” highlighting the benefits and challenges of meaningful work among sales employees. Meanwhile, Shuyu Wan, preparing for her major review, shared her PhD progress on how brand attributes and consumer ethnocentrism/xenocentrism shape Chinese skincare purchase decisions. 

The seminar was well-attended by colleagues and PGR’s and inspired engaging discussions on both topics. This was our final session for 2024. I’m truly grateful for the support and enthusiasm shown by colleagues in presenting, attending, and contributing to this seminar series. Their active participation has been instrumental in enriching our research culture across departments within the Business School. 

Our Research Connect seminars will resume in 2025, with the first session scheduled for January 22nd, 4–5 PM in F306 with an opportunity to continue our research discussion in Dylan’s afterwards. If you have any questions or would like to participate in the 2025 seminar series, feel free to reach out to me at sashraf@bournemouth.ac.uk.  

Wishing you a wonderful festive break and a happy New Year! See you in 2025. 

BU organised a very successful Theoretical Archaeology Group meeting last weekend

A stand at the TAG meetingLast week we saw over 220 archaeologists from all over the world gather on Talbot Campus for the 45th annual meeting of the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG), organised by Department of Archaeology and Anthropology staff and students. Over two and a half days, 25 separate sessions with over 230 research papers were presented, mostly in the Fusion Building.

Two keynote lectures were delivered by Prof Ian Hodder on “Archaeological Theory since 1984 and the Politics of Human Displacement” and Gill Hay on “Mrs Thatcher and the privatisation of knowledge: the evolution of archaeological practice in Britain since 1990”.

In addition, key stakeholders such as the Council for British Archaeology and the Chartered Institute for Archaeology, Butser Ancient Farm, BU’s The Sanctuary heritage, craft and wellbeing group, as well as academic publishers and other heritage-related vendors held stalls.

People stood behind a table BU continued the recent TAG tradition of awarding prizes. This year’s TAG Prize for outstanding theoretical contribution was awarded to Dr Rachel Crellin of Leicester University. The Don Henson prize for best student debut paper went to Heather Ford of the University of Glasgow, with three commendable mentions also awarded – one of which went to BU’s postgraduate researcher Ingrid O’Donnell.

Written by Dr Fabio Silva

Decoding Research Conferences: Unveiling the ROI

conferences, international, Knowledge Exchange

Hello, fellow PhD researchers! 🌟

Picture this: You, a PhD student, presenting your research at your first academic conference. It’s an exhilarating experience! I just returned from the three-day Complex Networks 2024 conference in Istanbul, Turkey, where I had a chance to present poster on our published paper on spread of congestion on urban road networks. Here, I’d like to share why attending academic conferences is a valuable experience.

Building Connections

Conferences are vibrant hubs buzzing with experts in your field. They provide the perfect opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and establish relationships that could shape your career. I had the privilege of meeting researchers from leading institutes, departments, and labs focusing on Complex Networks, including the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), Vienna, and the Centre for Complexity and Complex Networks, City University of Hong Kong.

Exploring New Ideas

Attending conferences gives you access to the latest research trends and cutting-edge findings, sparking fresh ideas for your own work. I participated in fascinating sessions on road network dynamics and emerging trends in Urban Systems, Mobility & Networks, and Machine Learning & Networks. These sessions offered valuable insights and broadened my research perspective.

Meeting Academic Heroes

One of the most inspiring aspects of conferences is the chance to meet the scholars who have shaped your research journey. I was thrilled to meet my academic hero, Professor Piet Van Mieghem from Delft University of Technology. His work greatly inspired my supervisor and me to do our research on congestion spread in road networks. Meeting him in person and discussing his work was truly exciting and motivating.

Personal Growth

Conferences are about more than just academics—they’re also a chance to grow personally. Traveling to Istanbul allowed me to experience Turkish culture, delicious Turkish cuisine, and enjoy the renowned hospitality.

Pro Tip

Preparation is essential! Perfect your presentation, research the speakers, and connect with participants ahead of time to maximize your conference experience.

     
Acknowledgements

My journey to this conference was made possible by the Scholarship for Events on Complex Systems (SECS) from the Young Researchers of the Complex Systems Society. 🌐✨ Special thanks to my supervisor Dr Wei Koong Chai.

With respect,
Assemgul Kozhabek

London Universities Bid-generating Sandpit designed and facilitated by Catalin Brylla and Lyle Skains

30 early career academics from ten London universities came together on the 26-27 November at Greenwich University for a two-day interdisciplinary sandpit funded by The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network and facilitated by Dr. Catalin Brylla (Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotion, and Social Justice) and Dr. Lyle Skains (Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research). The participants specialised in a variety of disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, policy studies, performance, media, tourism, environmental sciences, architecture and law. They brought their interests in a sustainable world and society (as represented by the UN Sustainable Development Goals) to the sandpit for networking, team-building, funding and project development workshops, many of which were based on the successful and innovative NESTA-developed ‘Crucible’ programme (no longer online, but see the Welsh Crucible).
The success of the sandpit’s activities was highlighted by the culmination of four projects proposed to a panel of subject experts: Prof. Andrew Clark (lifecourse development), Prof. Gianluca Tozzi (industrial engineering), Prof. Jin Chan (entrepreneurship), Prof. Thomas Evans (psychology), Prof. Georgios Samakovitis (financial management), Dr Damian Poulter (psychology), Dr. Zheng Liu (operations management), Dr. Lyle Skains (arts practice and interdisciplinarity) and Dr. Catalin Brylla (media practice and stigma reduction). These experts provided mentorship and feedback on the projects as they developed toward funding proposals. Two sandpit follow-up sessions will also aid the participants in developing their funding proposals.
To receive news of further sandpits and development opportunities, join the BA ECRN.

Successful first session in the ADRC seminar series

We were thrilled to host the first of our new ADRC seminar series last Wednesday and welcomed a range of attendees including academics, practitioners, students and community members.

Dr Michele Board begun the seminar by outlining the project and subject area, its aims and key findings for risk factors for dementia in military veterans. Following this, Rebecca Dew presented the collaborative literature review being carried out by the project team, which also was a great opportunity to hear valuable contributions from project team members. We were then pleased to present the project work undertaken with veterans living dementia and their carers during our creative workshops series which aimed to explore the research priorities for veterans living with dementia. During the seminar session, our documentary film was also presented, and we were thrilled to take part in engaging discussion with attendees around current research for veterans living with dementia, next steps for our upcoming work and the session finished with a thought-provoking Q&A section.
We look forward to welcoming both new and previous attendees to our next session on Wednesday 29th January 3-4pm!

Leverhulme Visit- 4th December

Last Wednesday we had the pleasure of hosting the Director of Leverhulme at Bournemouth.

Professor Anna Vignoles talked to us about the small but mighty team she leads (one of the most responsive funder teams), the Trust’s approach to funding and all the various funds they offer, gave us valuable insights and tips on making our cases heard at the applications and left us all inspired to think big.

Really important to hear from Funding leaders such as Anna during these difficult times for the sector and the high number of attendance made that very clear as well.

Please get in touch with the Research office if you have any ideas you wish to discuss, no matter how much out there your idea might be, you will get a sympathetic ear from us and support to find the most fitting funder.

Thanks to Anna and those who attended our session,

Eva