Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
The JSPS London network for Japanese researchers based in the UK is growing – why not join them?
Visiting Japanese scholars, as well as tenured Japanese academics based at a UK institution, are welcome to join. It is free to join and JSPS offer events and funding schemes exclusive to members.
The web link to register is: https://ssl.jsps.org/members/?page=regist.
This invitation is for the BU Research Blog’s external readership as well as Japanese researchers working at Bournemouth University.
International Clinical Trials Day falls on 20th May each year and celebrates clinical research all over the world.
The day highlights the important impact research has had on medicine and on ensuring patients and the public have access to the most up-to-date treatments, and the best care possible.
The day celebrates the anniversary of the first clinical trial by James Lind in 1747, which looked into the causes of scurvy on board HMS Salisbury.
From The James Lind Library:
‘Without stating what method of allocation he used, Lind allocated two men to each of six different daily treatments for a period of fourteen days. The six treatments were: 1.1 litres of cider; twenty-five millilitres of elixir vitriol (dilute sulphuric acid); 18 millilitres of vinegar three times throughout the day before meals; half a pint of sea water; two oranges and one lemon continued for six days only (when the supply was exhausted); and a medicinal paste made up of garlic, mustard seed, dried radish root and gum myrrh.’
There will be various events happening around the county to celebrate, so keep on eye on Twitter for updates from neighbouring NHS Trusts.
Their events will raise awareness of the importance of clinical research, so if you have any queries relating to your own ideas or plans for a clinical project, then please email Suzy Wignall, Clinical Governance Advisor on researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Hopefully in attending one of the events, you won’t have to drink any of the cures above…and will be given ‘treatments’ similar to this! – http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2017/05/25/randomised-scone-trials-at-dorset-county-hospital/
BU hosts first seminar as part of a two seminar event.
Sponsored by the Leisure Studies Association and in partnership with Southampton Solent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)
Wednesday 8th May in Executive Business Centre
Dr Andrew Adams has led on developing this event which for the first part of the event brings international scholars and stakeholdrs together to discuss issues and forge new agendas concerning the developing field of evaluation. Speacial attention is likely to focus on the value, application and importance of realist evaluation practices.
Speakers at BU include: Professor Fred Coalter (Leeds Beckett University), Professor Sam Porter (Bournemouth University) and Dr Reinhard Haudenhuyse (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
If you might be interested in attending more information can be found here; https://newsletters.bournemouth.ac.uk/t/8U0-5I90G-79RYK1F7BA/cr.aspx
The programme for the day can be found here; Seminar Programme
Further information can be obtained from
Andrew Adams: aadams@bmouth.ac.uk
A multi-disciplinary team led by academics from the Business School have been awarded part of BU’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) to conduct research on Responsible Project Management (RPM) in the context of the ‘Rohingya crisis’ in Bangladesh.
“New knowledge about project management will be developed by studying and sharing understandings in the context of a human and environmental crisis, with particular emphasis on the competencies required to successfully engage diverse stakeholders” explains Dr Karen Thompson, from the Department of Leadership, Strategy and Organisations (LSO).
Dr Nigel Williams, Senior Lecturer in the LSO Department, elaborates, “Project management is often presented as an instrumental sequence of activities with defined outcomes. However, the reality of project practice involves uncertainty, ambiguity and complex human interactions with unpredictable outcomes. These challenges vary by context and particularly in developing countries which may be recovering from natural or man-made disaster, the rational/instrumental perspective of project management may be of little value.”
Bangladesh faces a large scale human disaster and is a country already highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of natural disasters due to its geographical location, flat and low-lying landscape and population density. Refugees arriving from neighbouring Myanmar are living in “an extremely precarious situation” (MSF 2018), and creating serious economic, social and environmental challenges. The economic impact of Rohingya refugees on the Bangladesh economy was already the subject of investigation by Dr Mehdi Chowdhury, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Business School, who is a former resident of Bangladesh and joins the team.
Tilak Ginige, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law, Faculty of Science and Technology, completes the team and has previously worked in the field of asylum immigration law.
The project will be funded for two years and will bring together the two disciplines of project management and responsible management. Empirical research in Bangladesh will be complimented by a collective social learning process with stakeholders to jointly frame and define problems, determine boundaries and intra team interactions. Outcomes are expected to improve the management of projects in Bangladesh and to develop new understandings, practices and sustainable relationships. New knowledge will have the potential to improve the management of projects and stakeholder engagement in other developing countries and projects where sustainable development is a priority.
For further information please contact Dr Mehdi Chowdhury mchowdhury@bournemouth.ac.uk
MSF 2018. Rohingya Refugee Crisis. Available online at: https://www.msf.org.uk/issues/rohingya-refugee-crisis?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrd6skYCP2gIVyZkbCh2BKAwZEAAYASAAEgLEOPD [Accessed 29 April 2018]
Photographs courtesy of Mohammad Romel
This week’s inaugural meeting of the Dorset Global Health Network was a great success. It was sold out on ‘Eventbrite’ long before day of the event (25th of April). The inaugural meeting held at Bournemouth University (BU) focused on Nepal. The evening was opened by Dr. Emer Forde who is GP Programme Director, Health Education Wessex (Dorset) and member of BU’s Centre for General Practice. She spoke of her and her son’s recent experience in her presentation ‘Voluntourism in Nepal : A lesson in the grey areas of global health.’
The second short presentation was by Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen for BU’s Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perintal Health (CMMPH). His presentation with the title ‘The challenge of perinatal mental health in Nepal’ covered issues around maternal mental health, auxiliary nurse-midwives and stigma and culture in southern Nepal. The project brought together academics, midwives, nurses, and other health workers in Nepal and the UK to help in the training of auxiliary nurse midwives in Nawalparasi on key aspects of mental health and mental health promotion. The project led by Bournemouth University was funded under the Health Partnership Scheme (HPS) which is managed by a London-based organisation called THET (Tropical Health & Education Trust).
The third speaker and final speaker Dr Ollie Ross, Consultant Anaesthetist at Southampton General Hospital, introduced the film ‘Hospital’. The film provides a portrait of a state-run hospital in one of the most remote and poor districts of Nepal and how individuals can make a difference to people’s lives. Dr Ross is also a consultant to the Nick Simons Foundation working in Nepal. According to The Nepali Times Nepal’s most accomplished documentary maker, Kesang Tseten, has a knack of bringing out in his films the best in people. He looks for the flower that grows amidst the squalour, and tries to spread a message of hope. His film, Hospital, returns to rural Nepal to portray a hospital in Kalikot where ordinary health workers accomplish extraordinary things.
The event was organised by the Dorset Primary Care Workforce Centre in collaboration with Bournemouth University and the Wessex Global Health Network.
The registration for the one-day event, ‘Geriaction Cinema: A Symposium on the Ageing Action Star’ is now open. Please follow the link for the registration page and further information:
The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.
In April 2018, The LIFE programme has launched its 2018 call for project proposals. This year, they are investing close to €400 million in nature conservation, environmental protection and climate action. They are also introducing a streamlined application process to make it easier to request LIFE funds.
As a bottom-up funding instrument, LIFE provides applicants with flexibility to truly innovate. The LIFE Programme supports projects that are either tackling climate change, or protecting nature and the environment.
See more funding information – “Traditional Projects” under the LIFE sub-programme for Environment and the LIFE sub-programme for Climate Action – various calls with concept note closing dates of 12th / 14th June and 12th September, depending on the call guidance.
LIFE are also hosting an Information Day in Brussels on 4/5/18, with registrations open until 2/45/18.
For the UK perspective, please go to the UK LIFE website.
BU staff wishing to apply should contact the relevant member of RKEO for their faculty.
This week saw the pre-publication of ‘Qualitative evaluation of mental health training of auxiliary nurse midwives in rural Nepal’ in the international journal Nurse Education Today (published by Elsevier). The paper is a report of an evaluation of a THET-funded projectwhich run from 2015 to 2017. Bournemouth University led a team comprising Liverpool John Moores University and Tribhuvan University (the oldest university in Nepal). These three universities worked together on a training project of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives in Nawalparasi focusing on key aspects of mental health and mental health promotion. The project was funded under the Health Partnership Scheme (HPS) which is managed by a London-based organisation called THET (Tropical Health & Education Trust).
Mental illness is increasingly recognized as a global health problem. However, in many countries, including Nepal, it is difficult to talk about mental health problems due to the stigma associated with it. Hence a training programme was developed to train auxiliary nurse midwives, who otherwise are not trained in mental health as part of their pre-registration training in rural Nepal, on issues related to maternal mental health. After the training programme a selection of auxiliary nurse midwives were interviewed to establish their views on the training, its usefulness and ways to improve it.
Preeti Mahato is a PhD student in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) who undertook an in-depth evaluation of our project as part of her PhD research. This qualitative study has three themes emerging: (1) issues related to training; (2) societal attitudes; and (3) support for women. The ‘training’ theme describes the benefits and limitations of training sessions. ‘Societal attitudes’ describes society’s attitude towards mental health which is largely negative. ‘Support’ describes the positive behaviour and attitude towards pregnant women and new mothers.
The paper concludes that there is a need for continued training for auxiliary nurse midwives who are based in the community. This gives them the opportunity to reach the whole community group and potentially have influence over reduction of stigma; offer support and diagnosis of mental ill-health. There is still stigma around giving birth to a female child which can lead to mental health problems. It is imperative to increase awareness and educate the general public regarding mental health illnesses especially involving family members of those who are affected.
Reference:
Dr. Pramod Regmi, FHSS Lecturer in International Health has been appointed as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Global Health Reports. This journal is affiliated with the Journal of Global Health (www.jogh.org). The Journal of Global Health Reports focuses on “Promoting local research to improve global health” It is open to all local, small-scale, context-specific studies in global health, both qualitative and quantitative, as long as they are conducted in a rigorous and replicable way and report their results properly.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Next week the Dorset Global Health Network will have its inaugural meeting on April 25th. The meeting will focus on Nepal starting at 18.30 with a Nepalese buffet.
There will be three short presentations followed by the film ‘Hospital’.
The Film “Hospital” provides a portrait of a state-run hospital in one of the most remote and poor districts of Nepal and how individuals can make a difference to people’s lives. It will be introduced by Dr Ollie Ross, who is a consultant to the Nick Simons Institute working in Nepal.
This will be followed by a discussion about the development of Dorset Global Health Network.
All are welcome. Book your place at www.focusnepal.eventbrite.co.uk
Application De
adline: Wednesday 30 May 2018 (17.00 UK Time)
Aims
The purpose of each project will be to advance and deepen our understanding of the relevance and importance of the historical context of development, culture(s) and heritage(s) in particular to addressing sustainable development. Tackling many of the world’s sustainable development challenges requires a consideration of local cultures, practices, histories and societal norms, and an understanding of how such norms are complex and contextually differentiated. It is often, however, the case that these considerations are not well or fully brought into sustainable development discussions that tend to ignore aesthetic, representational, and reflective practices. New approaches that cross sectoral and disciplinary boundaries will be vital in achieving a step change in this area.
Research Themes and Focus
This call is for research projects which address the overarching aims of the Sustainable Development Programme related to sustainable governance, sustainable growth and sustainable human development and creativity broadly understood. Projects must demonstrate an innovative and interdisciplinary approach and relevance to one or more of the three sub-themes below:
Eligibility Requirements
This call is open to researchers based at UK institutions. The main applicant must be based at an eligible UK university or research institute and be of at least postdoctoral or equivalent status. The applicant must either be in a permanent position at the institution or have a fixed-term position for the duration of the award. Co-applicants can be from overseas, and co-applicants from the Global South are particularly encouraged, but they must also be of at least postdoctoral or equivalent status.
All projects must be ODA eligible. Only proposals which aim to support the economic development and welfare of developing countries will be supported under this call.
Today on the second day of the 2018 BNAC (Britain-Nepal Academic Council) conference there was a very good representation of Bournemouth University (BU) research at Durham University. BU’s Professor Michael Wilmore presented his paper: Construction of ‘Community’ in Research on Nepalese Commons. In the morning FHSS’s PhD student Jib Acharya had an oral presentation on Impact of Healthy Snacks on Children’s Health: An Overview of a Pilot Study.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen presented joint work between BU, Liverpool John Moors University (LJMU) and the University of Oxford on the topic Skills transfer, employability & entrepreneurship of returnee labour migrants in Nepal. Bournemouth University was involved in this project through Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Nirmal Aryal and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.
The final talk of the day (and of the conference) was by Prof. Padam Simkhada from LJMU. Prof. Simkhada is also Visiting Professor at the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health at Bournemouth University. He was presenting Debate on Educational Reform in Nepal: Outcomes of the International Conference on Quality of Higher Education in Federal Nepal on behalf of LJMU, Bournemouth University and Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) in Nepal. Earlier this year BU signed a Memorandum of Agreement with MMIHS in Kathmandu.
Deadline: 27th April 2018The British Council would like to invite expressions of interest from established and early career researchers to expand our pool of reviewers for the Newton Fund and potentially other British Council programmes. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 18 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth.
We are looking for early career researchers who would like to broaden their experience of peer review as a career development opportunity, and for established researchers who are willing to share and use their experience to support the review process. Please note that we can only consider researchers based at UK institutions.
We are seeking reviewers for applications to the following five panels:
In particular, we would like to hear from researchers with expertise in fields with potential development impact, but this should be interpreted broadly as much of the research we fund approaches development challenges in a highly specialised way or using innovative methods.
We will use the information provided in the form to process and consider your expression of interest. As a result, your name may be added to our pool of potential peer reviewers, and we may approach you in the future to assist us in assessing proposals under British Council research programmes.
Click here to apply.
Here are some highlights from the Funding bulletin of 10th April 2018
If you are interested in applying to any of these calls then please contact your RKEO Funding Development Officer, in the first instance at least 3 weeks prior to the stated deadline.
Researcher Links Travel Grants (British Council)
Deadline date 8 June 2018 – 4pm UK Time
Travel grants – Peru, Philippines andSouth Africa
Researcher Links Workshop Grants (British Council)
Deadline date 8 June 2018 – 4pm UK Time
Workshop Grants – Brazil, China, India, Jordan and Peru
Deadline date 8th June 2018 – 4pm UK Time
Institutional Links – Indonesia, Peru, Philippines and Thailand
Fellowships for UK Researchers
British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society
Rolling basis applications
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has announced that the final call in financial year 2018 for their Short Term Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowships is now open.
Please visit the JSPS London website for further information.
The deadline is: Friday, 1st June 2018 and fellowships must start between 1st November 2018 to 31st March 2019.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is the leading research funding agency in Japan, established by the Japanese Government for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science.
Their Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (Short Term) provides the opportunity for researchers based outside of Japan to conduct collaborative research activities with leading research groups at Japanese Universities and Research Institutions for visits of between 1 to 12 months. Eligible applicants need to be either within 2 years of finishing their PhD at the time of applying to start their fellowship in Japan or have obtained their PhD after 2nd April 2012. Eligible research fields are not limited.
Read the reports from former JSPS Fellows who have taken part in this programme.
BU staff wishing to apply should contact the relevant member of RKEO for their faculty.
Do you want to know more about our fourth call for project proposals?
Are you looking for project partners or do you have a project idea to share?
Would you like to network and build new contacts?
Then join the Interreg Europe team on Friday 13 April 2018 at 10am (Paris time) a two-hour online event dedicated to networking, partner search, and information about their new project call.
During #europecooperates online, you will:
The event is fully online, so you can participate from wherever you are. The event will be streamed live on the #europecooperates website as well as on Facebook.
Furthermore, you can start sharing your ideas and send them your questions already before the event. To help you connect with the other participants, they will open the online chat rooms on Wednesday 11 April, two days ahead of the live stream.
See the programme for more information, register now and get ready to network!
The Interreg Europe team is looking forward to seeing you online!
If you wish to apply for this call or other European funding calls, please contact your Faculty’s Research Facilitator – FMC & FM: Alex Pekalski or for FHSS and FST: Rachel Clarke
As part of the new plan BU2025, “we want to continue to develop our global partnerships and links with other institutions and organisations”. This is an admirable aim, and it is, of course, the best way forward for a truly global Higher Education Institution like Bournemouth University (BU). But to translate this general aim into a particular global partnership we need to consider the underlying processes of initiating and developing such partnerships. We published a paper [1] on the issues one needs to consider in developing a partnership, based on the example of BU’s partnership with Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) in Nepal.
In late February this year MMIHS signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with BU at a ceremony in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, where Prof. Stephen Tee represented BU. This MOA is an agreement between us that provides a basis on which the parties will consider potential future collaboration. The UoA formalises a long-standing collaboration between the two institutions, and indicates a desire to collaborate further in the future. MMIHS and BU academics have jointly applied for research grants, conducted collaborative research and published together and it is exactly this personal link between people that allows this, and many other, global partnerships to flourish.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health
Reference:
BU staff can login below:
New BU midwifery publication by Joanne Rack
Meeting at BU to address maternal inequalities
MSCA Staff Exchanges 2024 Call – internal deadline
BU Professor has been invited to a series of plenary and invited lectures.
An Interview of BU-lead EU H2020 FIRST project published in “Horizon”, the EU Research & Innovation Magazine
Update on Horizon Europe Guarantee Horizon Europe Update – January 2023
Research Information Network