BU Research Blog

14 June 2022

British Academy Writing Workshop in Nepal: Call for participants

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, international, Publishing, Training, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

We are inviting expressions of interest for Nepal-based academic with an interest in gender and development issue to participate in our Writing Workshop: “Promoting Publishing in the field of Gender and Development in Nepal”. Bournemouth University is leading two separate three-day workshops for early career researchers (ECRs) working across various universities in Nepal to encourage and support them to publish in peer reviewed journals in the field of social sciences, in Kathmandu (from 17-19 August 2022), and in Pokhara (from 21-23 August 2022). The funding for these exciting workshop is provided by the British Academy.

There will be a mixture of presentations, group discussion and other interactive exercises, and independent writing exercises. The workshop involves practical sessions to help attendees to make their research idea clear and compelling to reviewers, and finalise their papers for publications. One-to-one sessions with our expert advisers will allow attendees to work through different aspects of their own research papers, methods and ideas.

How to apply: If you are an ECR based in Nepal and have some idea (or/and data) to work towards publication in gender and development, then please send us:

A short CV – 3 pages maximum;
An abstract or summary of the proposed paper you wish to develop through the writing workshop- (300 words maximum) by 30^thJune 2022.

Female ECRs are highly encouraged to apply. Please use Subject British Academy Writing Workshop 2022 and email to sdhakaladhikari@bournemouth.ac.uk, with a copy to both: pregmi@bournemouth.ac.uk and rashmi.rajkarnikar@cdec.tu.edu.np . The faciliators will inform you about your selection for the workshop by the middle of July 2022. Selected participants will be asked to to submit their first rough draft by 3rd August, so that this can be discussed further during the workshop (17-19 August 2022).

The Writing Workshop facilitators are three BU scholars, Dr Shovita Dhakal Adhikari, in the Department of Social Sciences & Social Work, Dr. Pramod Regmi in the Department of Nursing Sciences, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Department of Midwifery & Health Science in collaboration with Dr. Rashmee Rajkarnikar, at Nepal’s oldest and largest university, namely Tribhuvan University.

8 June 2022

Another research league table

international, Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

This week Research.com, a prominent academic platform, published its 2022 Edition of the Ranking of Top 1000 Scientists in the area of Social Sciences and Humanities. Professor Edwin van Teijlingen, in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH), is listed as number 234 in United Kingdom ranking as well as number 1238 in the Social Sciences and Humanities world ranking.

6 June 2022

FMC Researcher Lyle Skains Co-Edits Field-Defining Collection

Fusion, international lskains

THE ELECTRONIC LITERATURE ORGANIZATION PRESENTS VOLUME 4 OF FIELD-DEFINING COLLECTION

Announcing the publication of the ELECTRONIC LITERATURE COLLECTION VOLUME 4, a freely accessible, Creative Commons-licensed collection of 132 digital-born literary works from 42 author nationalities in 31 languages. ELC4 debuted at the Electronic Literature Organization Conference in Como, Italy, May 30-June 1, 2022.

The Electronic Literature Collection, hosted by the Electronic Literature Organization, defines the field of electronic literature. Each volume recognises contemporary works, trends, and emerging creators in born-digital narrative and poetry. This collection is used as a foundational teaching text in university programs incorporating studies of electronic literature, interactive narratives, and e-poetry around the world.

Selected from more than 450 works, ELC4 presents the largest group yet of author/makers writing in Afrikaans, Ancient Chinese, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, isiXhosa, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mezangelle, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Setswana, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, South African Sign Language, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Yoruba.

The Collection includes commercial works such as groundbreaking VR experiences and narrative video games. These join the many other works that are open access: database fictions, autoethnographies by GenZ makers, works that play with AI, geospatial storytelling via mobile phones–among many other styles and platforms.

The Electronic Literature Collection Volume 4 was edited by Kathi Inman Berens, John T. Murray, R. Lyle Skains, Rui Torres, and Mia Zamora with the assistance of an international advisory board and three student fellows.

“We made a strong effort to discover artists who were previously unknown to us,” said the Editors. “Curators in Mexico, India, West Africa, and international consultants from six continents helped us discover and evaluate works in languages we don’t speak.”

“Our driving purpose was to expand the collection in terms of diversity,” added Skains, “and to make the origins of these works searchable and transparent to all collection users.”

Teachers looking to engage students in cutting-edge literary works will find they can freely access ELC4 on their phones. Classroom computers aren’t necessary. It’s like a free textbook!

Scholars will appreciate being able to download and study the code and media assets of featured works. The Electronic Literature Organization hosts versions of the works to ensure perpetual access, even after operating systems and software are updated or become obsolete.

FREELY ACCESS THE ELECTRONIC LITERATURE COLLECTION VOLUME 4 here:
https://collection.eliterature.org/4/

ELC4 is the fourth collection published by the Electronic Literature Organization in 22 years. All four are available freely via Creative Commons license: https://collection.eliterature.org/

The Electronic Literature Organization was founded in 1999 to foster and promote the reading, writing, teaching, and understanding of literature as it develops and persists in a changing digital environment. A 501c(3) non-profit organization, ELO includes writers, artists, teachers, scholars, and developers from around the world.

26 May 2022

NIHR Grant Applications Seminar ONLINE – 7th July 2022

BRIAN, Funding opportunities, NHS Louise Ward

Dear colleagues

– Do you have a great idea for research in health, social care or public health?
– Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

Our popular seminar continues online and will take place on Thursday 7th July 2022 from 10.00am – 12.30pm.

The seminar provides an overview of NIHR funding opportunities and research programme remits, requirements and application processes. We will give you top tips for your application and answer specific questions with experienced RDS South West advisers.

We also have a limited number of 20-minute 1-to-1 appointments available after the seminar should you wish to discuss your proposed study with an RDS adviser.

Find out more and book a place.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

23 May 2022

SETS seminar – ideas and future collaborations welcome

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement Roberta Discetti

This year Trento University (Italy) and Bournemouth University (UK) have launched the Socio-Ecological Transitions Seminars (SETS) as a joint initiative between the Centre for Sustainable and Socially Responsible Consumption at Bournemouth University and the Research Group on Collective Action, Change and Transition at the University of Trento.

SETS aim at reflecting with critical instruments and theories on socio-ecological transformations in times of crisis – with a special focus on everyday life and the sphere of social and ecological reproduction. In particular, the seminars aim at eliciting reflection on the different practices and “fields” where struggles and transformative action take place. The seminars are open to a diverse audience, including academics, students, practitioners, social movements, and non-specialist public.

In our first seminar in March, Stefania Barca (Universidade Santiago de Compostela) presented her last book “Forces of reproduction. Struggles and practices of ecosocial justice”, while researcher and activist Antonella Picchio (University of Modena) joined as discussant.

In April, Matthew Anderson (University of Portsmouth) and Indro Dasgupta, (Word Fair Trade Organisation) presented their work-in-progress on ‘Fair Trade Consumption in India’, while Anita Ahuja, Co-Founder and President of Conserve India and Board member of Fair Trade Forum India, joined as a discussant.

Lastly, in May, Lara Monticelli (Copenhagen Business School) presented her upcoming book The Future Is Now: An Introduction to Prefigurative Politics, focused on community-based, prefigurative social movements (e.g. sustainable communities, eco-villages, transition towns, solidarity networks) while Bernd Bonfert (Cardiff University) joined as a discussant.

Our seminars call for academics, social movements, and diverse actors to cooperate to give visibility to counter-narratives able to move towards an ‘ecological revolution’. We look forward to the second cycle in Autumn 2022 and feedback, collaborations and ideas are welcome. For more details contact Roberta Discetti (Department of People and Organisations).

17 May 2022

Two new academic papers on COVID-19 research

international, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This month CMMPH has two new research papers focusing on COVID-19. The first one published in World Medical & Health Policy reports on a quantitative study of the availability of hand-washing facilities in households across Nepal [1]. This study used secondary data from Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2016 to assess the association between households’ wealth status to handwashing stations. The findings reported a statistically significant association between age of the household head, residence place, ecological zone, province, wealth status, having of mosquito net, having a radio, and TV at respondents’ household to fixed hand-washing stations at their households.

The second paper published three days ago in Vaccines is a qualitative study of of interviews with Nepali immigrants living in the UK and their attitudes towards COVD-19 vaccination [2]. Vaccination saves lives and can be an effective strategy for preventing the spread of the COVID-19, but negative attitudes towards vaccines lead to vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Nepali community in the UK. This study found that attitudes towards COVID-19 are generally positive. Nine overlapping themes around barriers to COVID-19 vaccination were identified: (a) rumours and mis/disinformation; (b) prefer home remedies and yoga; (c) religion restriction; (d) concern towards vaccine eligibility; (e) difficulty with online vaccine booking system; (f) doubts of vaccine effectiveness after changing the second dose timeline; (g) lack of confidence in the vaccine; (h) past bad experience with the influenza vaccine; and (i) worried about side-effects. Understanding barriers to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine can help in the design of better targeted interventions. Public health messages including favourable policy should be tailored to address those barriers and make this vaccination programme more viable and acceptable to the ethnic minority communities in the UK. This Vaccine paper includes two FHSS Visiting Faculty as co-authors: Prof. Padam Simkhada and Dr. Bibha Simkhada.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

References:

Sharma, M., Adhikari, R., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Handwashing station in Nepal: Role of wealth status in establishing a handwashing station, World Medical & Health Policy Accepted
Simkhada, P., Tamang, P., Timilsina, L., Simkhada, B., Bissell, P., van Teijlingen, E., Sah, S.K., Wasti, S.P. (2022) Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Nepali in the UK: A Qualitative Study, Vaccine 10(5), 780;https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10050780

13 April 2022

Book now! Spotlight on NIHR – Information Session – 27 April 2022

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, NHS Louise Ward

Bournemouth University and the NIHR Research Design Service South West are jointly hosting an online NIHR Information Session, on Wednesday 27th April at 10am.

This NIHR Information Session will provide an overview of the NIHR as a funder, the NIHR funding programmes with specific focus on Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB), Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR), Invention for Innovation (i4i), and NIHR Fellowship opportunities.

The agenda is below.

10.00-10.15 Lisa Andrews, Research Facilitator, (Bournemouth University Research Development and Support) Introduction to the session

10.15-11.00 Professor Gordon Taylor, Director of the NIHR Research Design Service South West (RDS-SW)

Dr Sarah Thomas, Deputy Director of the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit and NIHR RDS-SW Adviser Spotlight on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and overview of funding streams

11.00-11.30 Professor Gordon Taylor About the NIHR Fellowship Programmes

11.30-11.45 BREAK

11.45-12.10 Dr Jo Welsman, Patient and Public Involvement Lead, NIHR RDS-SW Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research

12.10-12.30 Dr Lisa Austin, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead, NIHR RDS-SW Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and the new EDI toolkit

12.30-1.00 PANEL Questions

This session will be online, via Zoom. A link to join the meeting will be sent to you after registration.

This session will online, via Zoom. Please register via Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/300827682697

A link to join the meeting will be sent to you after registration.

This session is part of the Bournemouth University Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your grant applications. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

4 April 2022

Global Media Education Summit 2023

conferences jmcdougall

Global Media Education Summit 2023

Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada

March 2nd and 3rd 2023 – in person, with virtual panels.

Conference Theme: Media Edu-cologies

The Global Media Education Summit (MES) brings together an international network of researchers, educators, and practitioners across all aspects of media education, media and digital literacies, youth media production and media and technology in education. As the leading global showcase for research, pedagogy, and innovation, MES explores the changing currents across media education and media literacy communities around the world

Now in its fourteenth year, MES is convened by the UK’s Centre for Excellence in Media Practice, in collaboration with a leading media education space in a different country each year. In 2023, the School of Communication and the Community Engaged Research Initiative at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada will host the event, in partnership with the McLuhan Foundation. Simon Fraser University is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples.

We are pleased to announce that the Youth Media Education Summit (YMES) will return for the 2023 event, and will feature young people from across the local region working in a context of youth media production with educators and media creators from partner organizations.

The 2023 MES will be an in-person conference with some integrated virtual panels for delegates who are unable to travel to Vancouver. In addition, we will offer a special reduced rate registration fee to support participation by colleagues from locations across the Global South.

About the theme

The theme for the 2023 Media Education Summit is Media Edu-cologies, a construction that captures a complex set of ecological and environmental concerns now at the very centre of our field. The first concern is that posed by the climate crisis and instability in the Anthropocene, which for our field raises profound questions of media and ‘living systems’ (Antonio Lopez), how media infrastructures operate in nature and influence the earth’s ecologies, and how these systems can be engaged through new research, new conceptual frameworks, and new practices and pedagogies that address the place of the ecologies across global mediated life.

Where the ecological is mediated, media constitute an environment, and thus the second concern is that posed by our new socio-technical digital order, the impact of which has changed how we live everyday life. Through datafication, algorithms, surveillance structures and social media, our media is now an ecology, an environment that we habitually live through and connect with and that in turn, watches us and weaves our behaviour into a data order.

Together these overlapping concerns demand understanding and action on an ecological scale, and in this context the traditions of media education, media and information literacy and youth media production have much to offer and have already proven to be powerful resources for responding to the rise of algorithmic cultures, disinformation and misinformation, information fog and warfare, and the representation of nature, race, ethnicity, indigeneity and various forms of difference. Indeed, amidst our new media order, communities are continuing to find creative ways to resist and counter the impact of biased algorithms and tech corporations in their lives.

In Media Edu-cologies we welcome Papers and Conversations (see format definitions below) that broadly address ecological research, pedagogies, practices and conjunctures across the fields of media education and media literacies.

We send out this call to a wide range of recipients: educators, practitioners, researchers, activists / media artivists and those working in fields adjacent to media education and media literacies.

Proposals are invited for work across a range of topics, including (but not limited to):

The role of literacy and ecological metaphors in the field of media education;

Old media ecologies, new media environments;

Ecoliteracy, ecomedia, climate change pedagogies;

Petro cultures, energy futures and public communication

Algorithms, datafication, artificial intelligence, computational thinking, power and identity;

Race, ethnicity, indigeneity and algorithms of oppression;

Digital media infrastructures and the materialities of media systems;

Surveillance – markets, states and young people;

Social media, democracy and regulation;

Media, disinformation and hypermedia environments;

Social justice and media education;

Global health crisis and public communication;

Refugees, migration crisis and media educationDecolonizing digital spaces

Digital resistance, activism, and justice

How research informs practice – examples from formal and informal education

Pedagogical strategies for exploring digital environments and youth.

Call for Abstracts

We will be inviting abstracts for two options – MES Papers and CEMP Conversations.

MES Papers

MES 2023 invites presentations of research / practice in the broad fields of media education, media / digital literacies and media / technology in education. For this MES, we are particularly interested in receiving abstracts related to the theme of Media Edu-cologies.

Paper presentations should share the outcomes of research / practitioner enquiry, raising questions for the audience to discuss. Presentations are typically 15-20 minutes in length, forming part of a parallel session of 3 or 4 papers.

CEMP Conversations

This strand of the conference offers a different, more interactive platform for the exchange of research, practice and innovation in the broad fields of media education, media / digital literacy and media / technology in education. For the 2023 event, CEMP conversations should relate to the theme of Media Edu-cologies Conversations are given more time than standard presentations (typically two per parallel session) and can take the form of a seminar discussion, screening or other showcasing of work, demonstration, panel, workshop or roundtable, but we are open to other proposals.

Abstracts for both Papers and Conversations should be 250-300 words in length and must include:

Title
5-6 key words
A description of your topic, the work you will, present, and how you wish to present it
An indication of approaches or methods and/or research results, including their significance for the field of media education.
An indication of any media that will be included in the presentation

In addition, please include:

Author(s) bio of 50-75 words
Institutional affiliation(s)
Contact address and email

Please note, that in addition to the two in-person options, we are also offering some options for virtual presentations. As well as stating clearly whether your abstract is for an MES Paper or CEMP Conversation, please also state if you wish to present virtually or in person.

Timeline:

Submissions open: 8.5.22

Deadline for submissions: 2.9.22

Feedback will be provided by: 30.9.22

Resubmissions by: 14.10.22

Final decisions by: 28.10.22

1 April 2022

NIHR RDS SW Residential Research Retreat application drop-in sessions 4th April 1-3pm and 6th April 11am-1pm

Funding opportunities, Fusion, NHS Louise Ward

The NIHR Research Design Service South West (RDS SW) is holding a Residential Research Retreat 13-15^th September 2022 inclusive, at Dillington House in Somerset.

It offers a fantastic opportunity for research teams to develop high quality research proposals in health and social care suitable for submission to national peer-reviewed funding streams. At the retreat there is advice on tap from a range of methodological advisers (statisticians, health economists, patient and public involvement experts, qualitative researchers etc.) and dedicated time to work on your proposal as a team.

FHSS is offering to cover the costs of 2-3 teams. Teams of up to 3 or 4 can attend the retreat, ideally with at least one member employed in an NHS, social care or public health organisation in the Southwest. Multi-disciplinary teams with varied research experience will be considered favourably, and a mix of clinical and academic skills and experience is preferable. Teams may include service users or carers.

Places on the retreat are competitive and there is an application process. Fees may be waived for applicants from a public health or social care background, but applicants are advised to seek advice about this before submitting an application.

This is an excellent opportunity for academics who already have a proposal developed in health and social care research that is aligned with fusion and the strategic investment areas.

The deadline for applications is fast approaching: 20^th April 2022.

What to do next?

You’ll need to book a slot with NIHR RDS SW Bournemouth site lead, Dr Sarah Thomas who is holding drop-in information and advice sessions to discuss potential applications. After your slot you will be given an opportunity to apply for FHSS funding.

The sessions are from 1-3pm on Monday 4^th April or 11am-1pm on Wednesday 6^th April. Please e-mail: wardl@bournemouth.ac.uk to book your 15-minute slot.

Further details about the Residential Research Retreat, including the eligibility criteria and application process can be found here: Residential Research Retreat

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

The NIHR RDS can advise on all aspects of developing a grant application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by NIHR RDS South West) known as the Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice.

Feel free to call Louise Ward on 01202 961939 or send an email bucru@bournemouth.ac.uk to make an appointment.

31 March 2022

Research seminar and Soundlapse Concert with Dr Felipe Otondo

Fusion, Fusion themes, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Student Engagement aseddon

Last week Chilean composer and researcher Dr Felipe Otondo visited BU. Felipe, a Senior Lecturer at the Universidad Austral, Chile, gave a fascinating research seminar to the Creative Technology Department discussing his role in the Soundlapse Project.

Soundlpase is an interdisciplinary research initiative funded by the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development, which seeks to highlight the acoustical heritage of wetlands in the south of Chile, and studies these ecosystems‘ unique soundscapes through field recording techniques. As an outcome of the project’s periodic documentation of the “Parque Urbano El Bosque” wetland soundscapes in Valdivia, in 2021 eight sound artists, including BU’s Ambrose Seddon, were commissioned to compose works using these field recordings, available as an album through the Gruenrekorder label.

Along with the research seminar, on Thursday 24th March we hosted a concert of the commissioned works, in the Soundstage, Poole Gateway Building. This was our first loudspeaker concert in this new space, and it was fantastic to be able to finally set up our loudspeaker system and present immersive sound works in our new facilities.

The audience was a mixture of UG students from the BA Music & Sound Production, as well as BU staff, and members of the public. Some of the students assisted with the concert set up, gaining valuable experience of immersive audio systems for live concert performance whilst also meeting and chatting with Felipe.

24 March 2022

From Southern Brazil to Bournemouth, a Global Visiting Fellowship experience in times of Covid-19

Fusion, international lesteves

It was March 2020 when we submitted our application to BU’s Global Visiting Fellowship (GVF). Dr Luciana Esteves (LES, SciTech) reached out asking if I was interested in starting a collaboration taking the opportunity of the GVF scheme. We knew each other but have never worked together before. We thought it was a great opportunity to merge our research interests to assess how an ecosystem-based approach could make coastal vulnerability assessments more integrated to facilitate coastal adaptation. You can find insights about how our collaboration started in this blog.

An international collaboration proposal was born and later approved, great! Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit hard. All research and teaching schedules, timetables, academic calendars, everything became VERY uncertain. We were replanning activities without knowing when we would be able to start. We decided to do whatever was possible remotely. We started to co-supervise a postgraduate student enrolled at UFRGS and helped to kick start the process of establishing a BU-UFRGS MoU. We also organised an online workshop gathering researchers from across Brazil to discuss the methods and challenges of integrating ecosystem-based planning to better understand and manage coastal vulnerabilities in support of coastal adaptation.

It took almost two years for my first visit to BU (and my first ever to the UK) to happen. This was no easy task to coordinate. Federal institutions in Brazil, such as UFRGS, still have many restrictions in place regarding international travel. It was also difficult to find a period of time that was mutually convenient. The academic calendar in Brazil is still far from normal and, in UFRGS, we are still working remotely. At last, I arrived in Bournemouth on 6th March 2022 for a 17-day stay. It was very good to be able to travel and progress with our collaboration in person. Here are some personal impressions and highlights of my time in Bournemouth:

It was great to be able to be on Talbot campus and see BU’s facilities. I leave very impressed by the infrastructure and how sustainability is incorporated into the buildings. This is something you must be proud of!
I gave a lecture on Ecosystem-based management principles applied to environmental planning to undergraduate students (in the Applications of Environmental Science unit). This was the first time since December 2019 that I gave a lecture physically present in a classroom! It felt so good, thank you!
In hybrid mode, I gave a presentation to staff and PhD students about our laboratory and the ecosystem-based approaches we are using to support environmental management to address the needs of local organisations and government.
I have provided demonstrations of the TerrSet model applications for land-use change and ecosystem service mapping to staff and PhD students with potential for future collaboration.
We have proposed a special session for the Royal Geographical Society conference (to be held in Newcastle, 30 August to 2 September 2022).
We have started to write an academic paper and a practical guide for managers (particularly in less developed countries) about the application of ecosystem-based approaches to reduce coastal vulnerabilities and foster coastal adaptation.
We have identified possible calls and drafted a plan to secure funding from Brazil for staff and student mobility.

I’m very glad with the progress made. Luciana was a wonderful host and we worked well together. During my visit, I was contacted by many members of the university (from the administration, researchers and PhD students) and everyone was very polite and respectful. It is clear to me that BU is well-prepared for international collaboration. Besides work, I was very lucky with the weather and managed to visit some amazing places during weekends. The landscapes are beautiful, the Jurassic Coast is breathtaking, and London is a truly vibrant global city.

I look forward to continuing this collaboration beyond this Fellowship. My sincere thanks to all involved.

by Tatiana Silva (tatiana.silva@ufrgs.br)
BU’s Global Visiting Fellow
Associate Professor at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, southern Brazil

24 March 2022

Our Global Visiting Fellowship experience (in times of Covid-19)

international lesteves

It was 23rd March 2020 when we submitted our application to BU’s Global Visiting Fellowship (GVF) scheme. I’m sure you remember this date well! We received the outcome of the submission around mid-May and confirmation of funds in June. The GVF provides funding to facilitate international collaborations with partners in BU’s priority list and each fellowship lasts 3 years. The funds cover costs for the Fellows to visit BU and for modest research costs (find out more here). As you can imagine, our plans halted and had to be modified throughout the pandemic. Differences in the timing of restrictions imposed by the UK and Brazil created further difficulties. Only very recently we were able to actually progress with our planned activities and organise the visit of Dr Tatiana Silva to BU. Here we provide some insights about how we started this collaboration, our activities and how we are progressing.

The Fellow: Tatiana is Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Institute of Geosciences at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Her research applies remote sensing and spatial analyses to support ecosystem-based planning ranging from the local scale (e.g. ports) to state-wide mapping and zoning.

BU host: Dr Luciana Esteves is Associate Professor at the department of Life & Environmental Sciences (SciTech). Her research concerns drivers and consequences of coastal change and how ecosystem-based management can be a more sustainable and effective way to reduce coastal vulnerabilities.

Motivation to apply: International collaboration has always been an important part of my work. At BU, I was Global Engagement Leader for my department and, I continue to actively contribute to BU’s global engagement, particularly with Brazil. I have an extensive network in Brazil and I’m always interested in opportunities to continue working with colleagues there.

How this collaboration started: When BU launched the GVF scheme, I knew that two Brazilian universities were in BU’s list of priority partners (USP and UFRGS). I then assessed who in these universities could be a good collaborator and a good fit to the call. I did my PhD at UFRGS and I was interested in re-establishing links. The call encouraged applications from female staff/fellows so I prioritised potential female colleagues from UFRGS with converging research interests and with greater potential for a successful long-term collaboration. In my search, I found out that Tatiana was working at UFRGS and working with ecosystem-based planning and with track record in international collaboration. Further, she had roles that would make her well-placed to develop and consolidate a long-term partnership. Although I knew Tatiana from the time I was an academic in Brazil, we have never worked together but it seemed a very good fit for this call. I decided to send an email and assess her interest. I was very glad when she replied promptly and positively. We started to discuss our common interests and soon agreed on a plan for our proposal. And here we are!

We think our proposal was successful because: we carefully considered all requirements of the call and proposed a plan that attended to these requirements and, at the same time, enabled us to start a collaboration in a new line of research that was of common interest. The plan included: a special session at a conference, workshops, purchase of software (including student licences), training to students, co-supervision of postgraduate students, and publications.

Difficulties: COVID, COVID and COVID! Remote international collaborations are intrinsically difficult due to differences in time zones, academic calendars, teaching schedules, working styles etc. It’s even more so if it’s with someone you have never worked with. During the pandemic, funds were temporarily suspended and there was little we could do. Activities were replanned but a lot of time was lost. The opportunity for Tatiana to come to BU and for us to actually meet in person took 2 years to realise. Now we are progressing well but our funding ends at the end of July and this is a predicament.

Was this worthwhile? Yes, definitely. It would have been so much better and more enjoyable without the challenges brought by the pandemic, but I believe we have formed a partnership that will be long lasting – which is a key aim of the GVF scheme. We have a number of interesting activities to finish, students have expressed interest to go for placements with Tatiana and the MoU has been approved by both BU and UFRGS, so we have a lot to look forward to. We also found out that we can work well together, which is very important.

You can read Tatiana’s blog about her experience and visit to BU here.

Lu Esteves, lesteves@bournemouth.ac.uk

23 March 2022

Sustainable Ocean Economy through Smart Technology

Industry collaboration, innovation nbliebchen

https://pixabay.com/images/search/port/

Come listen to innovators who aim to create a sustainable ocean economy through smart technology and even smarter ideas. Whether you are a student in supply chain management, ecology, artificial intelligence or (business) economics, we would love you to join us and discover the exciting world of smart port innovation at our virtual TomorrowPorts conference, taking place tomorrow, March 24th 2022!

Ports are becoming the worldwide frontline for the energy transition, sustainability transition and digital transition of industry. Discover how you can build a career that contributes to smarter ports with your technological or economic skills and expertise.

We organize a talent track during which you’ll have opportunities to connect with top international employers, such as MSC and CMA-CGM via virtual recruitment booths and a speed-dating carrousel.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Smart talent for smart ports track at the TomorrowPorts conference March 24 2022. Participation is free of charge for students!

https://www.smartportsecosystem.com/tomorrowports-conference-2022-24-march-smarter-ports/

8 March 2022

Concert of works from the Soundlapse project

international, Public engagement aseddon

BU Sonic Arts presents an immersive multichannel concert of works from the Soundlapse Project, featuring works by Aki Pasoulas, Alejandro Albornoz, Brona Martin, Francisco Lopez, Pete Stollery, Rob Mackay and BU’s Ambrose Seddon.

The Soundlapse Project (2019-22) is an interdisciplinary research initiative funded in 2019 by the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development. It seeks to highlight the acoustical heritage of wetlands in the south of Chile.

The project brought together artists, acousticians, biologists and computer scientists with the aim of studying these ecosystems’ unique soundscapes. As an outcome of the project’s periodic documentation of the “Parque Urbano El Bosque” wetland soundscapes in Valdivia, in 2021 eight sound artists were commissioned to compose works using these field recordings.

Date: Thursday 24th March 2022 at 1700

Venue: The Sound Stage, Poole Gateway Building, Talbot Campus

Admission free but please book a ticket! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bu-sonic-arts-presents-works-from-the-soundlapse-project-chile-tickets-292077861747

More information about the project at: www.soundlapse.net

1 March 2022

Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) toolkit – NIHR webinar

NHS, Post-award, Research Integritiy Louise Ward

Dear colleagues

– Are you an NIHR funded researcher?
– Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

NIHR Research Design Service East Midlands are hosting a webinar introducing the new EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity) toolkit and is a valuable starting point for researchers seeking to develop more inclusive research proposals.

The NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) has developed an EDI toolkit to support researchers to consider and embed EDI at each stage of their research project, from inception through to dissemination, implementation and impact.

The 90 minute webinar is on 30th March 2022 at 13.30.

Medical Research Council – Better methods, better research

Funding opportunities, innovation, NHS Louise Ward

MRC are opening up a £2,000,000 fund on 6th May for improving the methods used by others in biomedical and health research.

Deadline: 15th June 2022

The full economic cost of your project can be up to £625,000. MRC and NIHR will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

This is an ongoing scheme. Application rounds open twice per year, closing in June and November

More details on the funding opportunity here.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

23 February 2022

NIHR Grant Applications Seminar ONLINE – 31st March 2022

Funding opportunities, NHS, writing Louise Ward

Dear colleagues

– Do you have a great idea for research in health, social care or public health?
– Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

Our popular seminar continues online and will take place on Thursday 31st March 2022 from 10.00am – 12.30pm.

The seminar provides an overview of NIHR funding opportunities and research programme remits, requirements and application processes. We will give you top tips for your application and answer specific questions with experienced RDS South West advisers.

We will also be joined by colleagues from the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. They will be talking about the HTA programme, the nature of the projects that it funds, tips for success and any upcoming changes.

We also have a limited number of 20-minute 1-to-1 appointments available after the seminar should you wish to discuss your proposed study with an RDS adviser.

Find out more and book a place.

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

We can help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

27 December 2021

New BU paper on digital tools for diabetes

innovation, international, open access, Publishing, Student Engagement, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to BU PhD student Nurudeen Adesina on the publication of his systematic review. Nurudeen together with Huseyin Dogan in the Department of Computing & Informatics, Sue Green in the Nursing for Long-term Health Centre, and Fotini Tsofliou in Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) appeared in print just before Christmas with their paper ‘Effectiveness and Usability of Digital Tools to Support Dietary Self-Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review‘ [1].

This new paper highlights that advice on dietary intake is an essential first line intervention for the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Digital tools such as web-based and smartphone apps have been suggested to provide a novel way of providing information on diet for optimal glucose regulation in women with GDM. This systematic review explored the effectiveness and usability of digital tools designed to support dietary self-management of GDM. A systematic search of Medline, Embase,
Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, and Scopus using key search terms identified 1476 papers reporting research studies, of which 16 met the specified inclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the ErasmusAGE Quality Score or the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018. The findings show that the adoption of digital tools may be an effective approach to support self-management relating to healthy diet, health behaviour, and adherence to therapy in women with GDM as a usable intervention. However, the four authors argue that there is a lack of evidence concerning the effectiveness of tools to support the dietary management of GDM. Consideration for ethnic specific dietary advice and evidence-based frameworks in the development of effective digital tools for dietary management of GDM should be considered as these aspects have been limited in the studies reviewed.

Reference:

Adesina, N.; Dogan, H.; Green, S.; Tsofliou, F. Effectiveness and Usability of Digital Tools to Support Dietary Self-Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2022, 14, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010010

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SETS seminar – ideas and future collaborations welcome

Global Media Education Summit 2023

Research seminar and Soundlapse Concert with Dr Felipe Otondo

From Southern Brazil to Bournemouth, a Global Visiting Fellowship experience in times of Covid-19

Our Global Visiting Fellowship experience (in times of Covid-19)

Sustainable Ocean Economy through Smart Technology

Concert of works from the Soundlapse project

Medical Research Council – Better methods, better research

New BU paper on digital tools for diabetes

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