Category / Impact

RDS Academic & Researcher Induction

Knowledge Exchange, Post-award, R & KE Operations

RDS Academic & Researcher Induction – Weds 23rd April, 10:00 – 11:00, online

The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level.  It will provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU

You’ll be made aware of the support available at each stage of the research lifecycle and get an introduction to the Research, Development & Support Team, who are here to help! It will be hosted by our experts who are responsible for strategy, outputs, ethics, public engagement, knowledge exchange, project management & training.  It will include:

  • A brief overview of research excellence at BU and how RDS can help/support academic staff
  • How we can support your impact, public engagement, knowledge exchange & output activity and why it’s important – essential to quality bids and the REF
  • How to find funding opportunities and access support for the application process
  • How to manage an awarded RKE projects, incl aspects on intellectual property & commercialisation
  • Key points on research ethics and governance
  • Where to find what training is available, incl other BU support and internal networks

Come along, join in, get some important insights – hopefully see you there!  Book your place HERE

If you are new to academia, it may be helpful for you to meet with your faculty mentor to guide your familiarisation of research at BU and expectations of an early career researcher before attending this induction. You can also join the Early Career researcher (ECR) Network.

For some background and more immediate information on RDS, please head to the RKE SharePoint

For further information on this event or joining the ECRN, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU-Lush Cosmetics Ltd collaboration to Develop Renewable Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Technology

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, Industry collaboration, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, REF Subjects, Student Engagement, student research

This is a landmark collaborative initiative between BU’s NanoCorr, Energy and Modelling (NCEM) Research Group led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan and team members including Dr Adil Saeed, Dr Mayank Anand and Aerk Dimri and Lush Cosmetics Ltd a major stakeholder in the conurbation. “Born in Poole, Lush offers a range of quirky and unique handmade bathing and cosmetic products with signature ‘Lush’ scents. The brand boasts an extremely ethical promise to consumers with all products being cruelty free, vegetarian and ethically sourced.” [Source]. “Lush Limited is a British cosmetics retailer which is headquartered in Poole, England. It was founded in 1995 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine and five other founders.” [Source].

 

“We laid the foundation for capitalising on tidal energy sources and providing clean energy solutions for local and regional domestic and commercial applications through Community Interest Company (CIC) / Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Poole Tidal Energy Partnership (PTEP), more than a decade ago, said Professor Zulfiqar Khan, one of the founding directors of PTEP.

This work led to UK based energy company collaboration in BU’s energy research: capture, conversion and storage through full funding of two PhDs, two Post Docs, one PhD in-kind support, industrial labs resources and funding patent applications, a three quarter of a million pound sterling research portfolio led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan. This has yielded in commercial patents in the US and GB, covering novel nano fluids, energy systems (capture, conversion and storage).

“This recent collaboration with LUSH is a testament of our full commitments to UNSDGs, UK and EU clean energy directives, initiatives which has led to emergence of BU as a global leader in Clean Energy Systems,” Professor Zulfiqar Khan added.

Dr Saeed said, “we provide opportunities for our UG/PGT courses to benefits from our research collaborations to enhance students learning and teaching experience through research informed educational provisions.” Dr Saeed, the Programme Leader of Mechanical Engineering course, said, we currently have three final year projects in energy systems which have been inspired and are linked to BU-LUSH collaborative project.

LUSH Creative Technologist Jim Woodward said, “We look forward to starting this journey with Professor Khan, his colleagues and students at Bournemouth University, researching the potential tidal energy in our beautiful Poole Harbour. We welcome the newly appointed PGR and wish him good luck in this exciting PhD project with us. What a force – Lush a local Poole company working with a fantastic local University.”

Group-mediated exercise for chronic conditions: an urgent need for implementation and scale-up

This week, Professor Tim Rees and colleagues from the Orthopaedic Research Institute published, in the prestigious British Journal of Sports Medicine, their position on the use of group exercise rehabilitation for those with chronic conditions. Supported by a UKRI Healthy Aging Catalyst Award, this followed their work using group exercise for people with hip osteoarthritis, and is inspired both by their research into group exercise and their training of physiotherapists with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

Part of a wider collaboration with colleagues at University of British Columbia and Australian National University, this work is addressing the fact that an aging population and growing NHS waiting lists are leaving an increasing number of people with chronic conditions needing treatment. At the same time, there is compelling evidence for the use of exercise in the treatment of 26 conditions, but when exercise is prescribed, rates of adherence are typically poor.

Professor Rees and colleagues show meta-analytical evidence that people are more likely to sustain their involvement in exercise programmes if they are given the opportunity to exercise with others in social, or group-based, settings rather than individually. Such group-mediated exercise is not only effective for getting people to adhere to their exercise rehabilitation, but groups are a convenient and cost-effective mode of delivery of exercise for rehabilitation, because many people can receive help at the same time and often via a single delivery agent. But current practice does not train health and exercise professionals to lead effective exercise groups. Professor Rees and colleagues make several recommendations for practitioners, organisations, and researchers.

Join us for the Centre for Science, Health and Data Communication Research Spring Speaker Series

Fusion

The Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research invites you to our Spring 25 speaker series. Featuring researchers from BU and around the world, these online talks are open to the public and encompass topics on the exploitation of seaweed, the adoption and use of VR, communicating numbers, AI migration governance, and using AI to build ‘databases from below’.

 All events take place on zoom– Wednesdays 14:00-15:00 UK time  

Research seminar and tech showcase 12.02.25: ICONIC (Intergenerational Co-design Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities) project

Fusion, innovation, PG research, Research themes

The Ageing and Dementia Research Centre are welcoming colleagues from Plymouth University to talk about the ICONIC project (see more details below) and showcase some of the technologies they have created.

 The team are interested in talking to any BU colleagues who work on co-design/digital health or immersive technologies and AI so please do come along (and let Michelle mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk know if would like to give a short presentation about your research).

 12th February 2025

11-1pm (presentations will be first and then tech showcase)

P222, Poole House, Talbot Campus

ICONIC Project

The ICONIC (Intergenerational Co-design Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities) project is exploring how co-design of novel technologies can support digital inclusion in Cornwall and Devon. The project recruited 99 participants to join intergenerational co-design workshops to create technologies that support access to environment, heritage, and community resources. The technologies include a social game, immersive heritage and underwater experiences, and a voice AI system accessed via a telephone call. The research team will be sharing their insights from the co-design process for each technology and discuss the effects of participation on digital inclusion.

  • Dr Rory Baxter is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, working on the EPSRC funded Intergenerational Codesign Of Novel technologies In Coastal communities (ICONIC) project to address digital exclusion in Cornwall and Devon. The project involves the intergenerational co-design of technologies for supporting access to heritage, environment, and community resources. His previous work includes the ESRC funded GOALD and ERDF funded EPIC projects, which focused on digital health innovation co-design and evaluation to support healthy ageing. Prior to that he completed an EPSRC funded iCASE PhD, exploring human navigation and search behaviour, during which Rory developed VR-based experimental tasks using Unity, which were adapted for online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Dr Oksana Hagen earned a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NCTU (Taiwan), MSc in Computer Vision and Robotics through the Erasmus Mundus ViBOT program, and a PhD in Computing at the University of Plymouth. After a brief period in industry, Oksana joined Aldebaran AI Lab (France) under a Marie Curie Fellowship to focus on research in machine learning. She subsequently contributed to social robotics research for AgeIn project at the University of Plymouth. Currently, she is part of the ICONIC project, developing VoiceAI and underwater telepresence applications through co-design. Her research interests include machine learning, robotics and HCI.
  • Dr Marius Varga’s expertise sits at the intersection of game technology and user experience, with a focus on serious games and immersive experiences. Currently, a Research Fellow part of the ICONIC project, using a co-design approach, Marius leads the development of a multiplayer Social Game focused on seagrass conservation and for Extended Reality (XR), he is developing an immersive heritage experience in partnership with National Trust. Marius is also involved in digital health projects such part of Bridging project – focused on using XR training with autistic employees and employers and Glider project – addressing challenges in frailty through robotics, play and immersive technology.
  • Dr Linan Zhang holds an MA in East Asian Studies (Japanese) and an MSc in International Development from the University of Edinburgh. She later earned a PhD with Transtechnology Research at the University of Plymouth, where she developed a philosophical framework to ease the paradigm conflicts in knowledge sharing, drawing inspiration from an international health collaboration, a global health crisis, and the development discourse. She is currently an Associate Lecturer for i-DAT, a Research Fellow in Orbital Science, and the Media and Admin officer for the ICONIC Project at the University of Plymouth. Additionally, she serves as an Associate Editor for Leonardo Review.

Upcoming webinars on children’s palliative care

Dr Duncan Randall from Nursing Sciences has been invited to contribute to three Webinars.
He has already delivered one on 14th of January for the re formed education group of Together for Short Lives. One of the main children’s palliative care organisations in the UK. Over 50 people attended to hear about Duncan’s work with Dr Sue Neilson of the University of Birmingham on education standards for the Children’s Palliative Care Education and Traning Action Group and their follow up work on advance care planning for children. Coming up are a webinar for the Association of British Paediatric Nurses on 14th February and one for the International Children’s Palliative Care Network on 20th February. These will be delivered with Dr Neilson and Professor Julia Downing Duncan’s co editors from the new Children’s Palliative Nursing Care book. Each of the webinar will discuss children’s pallaitive care and the lessons learnt from editing a textbook with 30 authors from 13 countries. Link to ABPN Webinar below
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-palliative-care-frameworks-an-interactive-workshop-for-nurses-tickets-1051966529207?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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.