Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with our research.
The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support can help promote your event to relevant audiences. Through regular newsletters and via social media channels.
Share your upcoming public event or activity
If you have any questions, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
We are proud to launch our new Research Impact, Engagement and Communications Sharepoint site!
This is your one stop shop for all things impact, public engagement and research communications within RDS.
On the site, you will find resources for communicating your research, increasing its impact and engaging the public with your research.
You’ll find links to RKEDF training sessions, guides to impact, public engagement and research communications along with information about useful contacts within RDS and news about the REF.
The site is easily navigable and is divided into three sections:
Research Impact:
This section outlines how we can help you to plan, accelerate and evidence the impact of your research and includes resources, contact details of our Impact Advisers and links to useful information on impact pathways, the REF and impact training.
Public Engagement with Research:
In this section, we explain how we can help when you want to engage with the public to share your research. The ways to do this are many and varied but ultimately, high quality public engagement has huge benefits for BU, for society and for you – the academic. Here you can find links to advice, training and funding along with the contact details of our Public Engagement team and details of how to join the thriving BU Public Engagement Network.
Research Communications:
Here, we offer you support and guidance on the different ways of sharing your research with different audiences. This includes working with the media (including our partnership with The Conversation), writing for the web and using social media.
The site will be updated regularly and has been designed to be as user friendly as possible. Please make sure you bookmark and keep checking back regularly for updates and news.
Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, but entrepreneurial skills can not only help young people to start their own businesses, they can also help boost their employability. This exhibition and set of activities look at how a new project can help young people to build an entrepreneurial mindset to open up diverse career opportunities.
This event is an audio-visual exhibition to showcase a project to develop entrepreneurial skills in young people. It will share the work and voices of young people who have taken part in the project in communities similar to Boscombe across 4 countries. It will also share the experiences of people in business or local organisations who set up the project.
The exhibition is on for 3 days, you can drop in to look around the exhibition at any time while it’s open or join activities such as talks, tours and workshops held each day. Please register even if you just want to pop in for 5 minutes, or you will be asked to do so on arrival.
Activities
Tuesday 25 October – young people can join us for a taster workshop session of the entrepreneurship skills project.
Wednesday 26 October – we’ll welcome local organisations and business to discover the potential of the scheme for their future.
Thursday 27 October – we will invite local policymakers and education representatives to learn how the project might be supported more widely.
If you have any questions about this event, or any of the other events in the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022 series, please contact the Public Engagement with Research Team: email the public engagement team.
This session is aimed at researchers at all stages of their careers to find out how public engagement activity can help their research have an impact on the world.
Participants will explore the link between public engagement activity and measurable impact, reflect on their own impact goals, identify potential stakeholders and engagement activity, and learn from high-ranking impact case studies with a significant public engagement pathway.
By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of how impact can be developed from public engagement activity.
| Workshop | Date | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Public Engagement to Impact | Wednesday, 30th November 2022 | 13:30 – 14:30 |
To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.
For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact BU’s Public Engagement team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
We’ll be joined by Dr Danni Liang and Dr Daisy Fan on Tuesday 1 November from 6:30 – 8:00pm.
How volunteering can boost your wellbeing
Engaging in community activities not only helps others but can help you too. Bournemouth University researchers Dr Danni Liang and Dr Daisy Fan measured the impact of engaging in the work of Grounded Community, a local Boscombe charity, on volunteers and discovered that being involved in community activities boosted their health and wellbeing.
Join us to learn more about this ongoing research, the Grounded Community project and what engaging in other community projects could do for you.
This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.
Attendance is free but booking is required
Should you have any questions about this event, or if you would like to get involved with a future Café Sci talk, please contact the Public Engagement Team; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
What can research tell us about our society? We’ll be holding free events for the public featuring discussions on how young people can build an entrepreneurial mindset and discover how play and gamification can reduce anxiety in children around medical appointments.
Which one of us is human?
Saturday 22 October
Bournemouth Library, Bournemouth
Imagine a future where robots and humans looked identical: how would you know who is human? Join this interactive event to identify the ‘robot’ from live performers. Discuss your tactics and explore the mystery behind the experience.
How to become a young entrepreneur
Tuesday 25-Thursday 27 October
The Old School House, Boscombe
Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, but entrepreneurial skills can not only help young people to start their own businesses, but they can also help boost their employability. Join this event to find out how young people can build an entrepreneurial mindset.
Medical monsters: reducing medical anxiety through play and gamification
Saturday 12 November
Bournemouth Gateway Building, Bournemouth
Anxiety around medical appointments and admissions can affect people in different ways, from causing distress and worry to preventing people seeking the medical help they need. Join this interactive session to explore how play and gamification strategies can reduce patient anxiety in children. Featuring specially designed sessions of Jenga, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and virtual reality experiences.
Closed-group activities as part of the Festival of Social Science
Some activities are organised with partner organisations or particular groups and are not open for general registration.
Are drones the future of delivery?
If predictions about the future of deliveries are correct, we might start seeing a lot more drones in our skies. But how do you feel about this? How much do you actually know about drones and how they will be used?
Join us to learn more and play a custom-designed board game, to explore how we’ll make decisions about drones in our future.
Youth in nature: escaping to the outdoors
Social science evidence suggests nature exposure benefits mental and physical health, yet teenagers have low rates of access to nature and levels of nature connectedness. Research shows youth nature engagement requires a sense of purpose; therefore, this event invites young people to experience activities centred on ‘being’ or ‘doing’ in outdoor space.
Don’t get scammed online
Being scammed online is often seen as a problem for older people, but young people can fall victim to scams too. This workshop helps young people think about their online experience and learn how to avoid being scammed.
If you have any questions about these events, or if you would like to know how you can get involved in one of our Public Engagement with Research events, please email the public engagement team.
The seminar is online, on November 9th at 3 pm (UK time)
Zoom Meeting joining details:
https://unitn.zoom.us/j/85334570893
Meeting ID: 853 3457 0893
Password: SETS
SETS is a joint initiative between the Research Group on Collective Action, Change, and Transition at the University of Trento, the Centre for Sustainable and Socially Responsible Consumption at Bournemouth University, and the Environmental Sociology Section at the University of Orebro. The seminars are open to a diverse audience, including academics, students, practitioners, social movements, and the non-specialist public.
The 2022-2023 calendar is available here: https://socioecologico.com/2022/08/02/socio-ecological-transitions-seminar-sets-a-y-2022-2023/
Dr. Alina Dolea, Associate Professor in Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy, has been awarded a trophy at the RePatriot Gala organized in Iasi (Romania) on October 7th, 2022, in recognition of her research on Romanian diaspora, nation branding and public diplomacy. Alina was named one of Top 100 Romanians in Diaspora who make a difference, excel and inspire in 10 different fields of activity, top published by Romania’s Newsweek magazine. She was acknowledged for her work and contribution to Education, alongside other 9 Romanian researchers and professors (Categoria Educație | Repatriot). This was the fifth edition of the Gala organized annually by RePatriot, was recorded and is to be aired by the Romanian National Television.
The Gala event was the highlight of the RePatriot Summit 2022 attended by over 200 participants who gathered to find solutions to the economic crisis and the Ukrainian war at the border. Opening remarks were delivered by state secretaries of the Romanian President, the President of the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian Prime Minister. During the Summit, Alina contributed to the discussions within the Education Strategic working group, a format of networking and know-how exchange that will continue with regular meetings throughout the year.
Alina’s insights are all the more relevant as according to the latest UK settlement scheme statistics, Romanians are now the largest national group in the UK (with close to 1,3 million applications), followed closely by Polish and then Italian nationals.
RePatriot is a community of Romanian entrepreneurs and business leaders established in 2015 with the aim to connect Romanians abroad with business, investment and development opportunities in Romania. Currently, over 5 million Romanians (of a total population of around 20 million) live abroad and constitute collectively the biggest investor in Romania through the remittances (money) they sent back. This community aims to act as a networking platform to encourage more business investments in Romania and know-how transfer.
Imagine a future where robots and humans looked identical: how would you know who is human? In this 30-minute interactive session, as a group you will enter a space that will act as a time tunnel into the future. There you will meet two actors and face the challenge of making this very decision (the ‘Turing test’), choosing from a set of questions to help you identify the ‘robot’.
You should be wary: not all responses are as they might seem, and there are many kinds of human minds.
What’s on offer? An interactive challenge in which, as a team, you will attempt to identify the ‘robot’ from live performers, using a few questions. This is followed by a ‘debrief’ with Bournemouth University researchers, where you’ll discuss your tactics and explore the mystery behind the experience and what it implies about different kinds of minds.
Who is leading the event? Dr Maxine Gee and Dr Rachel Moseley
Who is this event open to? Adults and children over 12. Particularly for those with an interest in psychology, how we communicate with each other, neurodiversity and autism, artificial intelligence and the future.
Where is this event? Bournemouth Library
If you have any questions about this event, or any of the other events in the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022 series, please contact the Public Engagement with Research Team: email the public engagement team.
We’re excited to launch our series of free events online and in-person, as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022.
What can research tell us about our society? We’ll be holding events for the public featuring discussions on how young people can build an entrepreneurial mindset and discover how play and gamification can reduce anxiety in children around medical appointments. Find out more about our fascinating programme of events.
Which one of us is human?
Saturday 22 October
Bournemouth Library, Bournemouth
Imagine a future where robots and humans looked identical: how would you know who is human? Join this interactive event to identify the ‘robot’ from live performers. Discuss your tactics and explore the mystery behind the experience.
How to become a young entrepreneur
Tuesday 25-Thursday 27 October
The Old School House, Boscombe
Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, but entrepreneurial skills can not only help young people to start their own businesses, but they can also help boost their employability. Join this event to find out how young people can build an entrepreneurial mindset.
Medical monsters: reducing medical anxiety through play and gamification
Saturday 12 November
Bournemouth Gateway Building, Bournemouth
Anxiety around medical appointments and admissions can affect people in different ways, from causing distress and worry to preventing people seeking the medical help they need. Join this interactive session to explore how play and gamification strategies can reduce patient anxiety in children. Featuring specially designed sessions of Jenga, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and virtual reality experiences.
Closed-group activities as part of the Festival of Social Science
Some activities are organised with partner organisations or particular groups and are not open for general registration.
Are drones the future of delivery?
If predictions about the future of deliveries are correct, we might start seeing a lot more drones in our skies. But how do you feel about this? How much do you actually know about drones and how they will be used?
Join us to learn more and play a custom-designed board game, to explore how we’ll make decisions about drones in our future.
Youth in nature: escaping to the outdoors
Social science evidence suggests nature exposure benefits mental and physical health, yet teenagers have low rates of access to nature and levels of nature connectedness. Research shows youth nature engagement requires a sense of purpose; therefore, this event invites young people to experience activities centred on ‘being’ or ‘doing’ in outdoor space.
Don’t get scammed online
Being scammed online is often seen as a problem for older people, but young people can fall victim to scams too. This workshop helps young people think about their online experience and learn how to avoid being scammed.
If you have any questions about these events, or if you would like to know how you can get involved in one of our Public Engagement with Research events, please email the public engagement team.
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
We’ll be joined by Dr Danni Liang and Dr Daisy Fan on Tuesday 1 November from 6:30 – 8:00pm.
How volunteering can boost your wellbeing
Engaging in community activities not only helps others but can help you too. Bournemouth University researchers Dr Danni Liang and Dr Daisy Fan measured the impact of engaging in the work of Grounded Community, a local Boscombe charity, on volunteers and discovered that being involved in community activities boosted their health and wellbeing.
Join us to learn more about this ongoing research, the Grounded Community project and what engaging in other community projects could do for you.
This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.
Attendance is free but booking is required
Should you have any questions about this event, or if you would like to get involved with a future Café Sci talk, please contact the Public Engagement Team; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
Being able to describe what you do and why is an essential skill for any researcher. This workshop will help you take your communication to the next level. Science Communicator and previous international 3MT winner Dr Jamie Gallagher will show you how to turn your research into the most interesting, engaging and memorable presentation possible.
Discover the hints and tips that will make your talk stand out from the crowd and how to banish nerves to give a confident performance.
Following this workshop, you should be able to:
| Workshop | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Talk, Lasting Impression | Tuesday, 18th October 2022 | 10:00 – 11:00 | Online |
To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.
For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact BU’s Public Engagement team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.
Research England has published the results of the second Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).
Knowledge exchange is defined as a collaborative, creative endeavour that translates knowledge and research into impact in society and the economy. This, in turn, helps to inform research, enrich education and enhance professional practice.
BU’s performance in the KEF demonstrates a number of areas of strength – including our research partnerships, our work with business, and supporting local growth and regeneration.
About the KEF
The KEF is published annually to allow universities to better understand and improve their own performance in knowledge exchange, and provide businesses and other users with more information on the knowledge and expertise of universities.
Universities are measured across seven perspectives:
These areas have been measured through a combination of data collected through the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey and three narratives that summarised our institutional context, our contribution to local growth & regeneration and our public & community engagement.
In recognition of the fact that universities have different areas of expertise and work in regions with different needs, all universities in England have been placed into 7 different clusters according to their expertise, size and research activity.
The results are shared in the form of dashboards on the KEF website, with BU placed in Cluster E alongside other large universities with a broad portfolio of research across all disciplines.
Our KEF results demonstrate the breadth of activity across all of these important perspectives.
BU’s performance
Our performance in the latest KEF highlights several areas of strength – including our research partnerships and our work with business. We work collaboratively with organisations locally, nationally and internationally to embed our research in practice and support economic growth and innovation.
For example, the Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) is delivering education and professional development programmes to help meet the needs of the local community, the NHS and industry, as well as current global medical imaging workforce demands. Facilities including a 3T MRI scanner are also facilitating joint research opportunities with NHS trusts, primary care, industry and academia – helping to improve health outcomes for the region.
Through our partnership with University Hospitals Dorset, we are working on collaborative research that can make a real difference to patients. This includes a current joint project to explore commercialising a medical device which uses smartphones to screen nerve function in patients at risk of peripheral neuropathy – a condition which affects 2.3 million people in the UK and can lead to loss of sensation in the fingers and toes.
We are also developing new areas of research that have the potential to support industry – such as ADDISONIC, which explores how ultrasonic fatigue testing can quickly and reliably predict how materials will perform and last. This has a range of commercial applications – from jet engines to medical devices – and could help to create more efficient manufacturing processes and reduce global waste.
We share our work, research and expertise through public engagement activities, such as our regular Café Scientifique events and our online public lecture series, which gives audiences around the world the opportunity to learn more about BU research.
Ian Jones, Head of External Engagement at BU, said: “It is good to see an assessment of our progress in knowledge exchange and the impact we’ve made through our work.
“A part of our vision as a university is to enrich society. Our knowledge exchange work takes the knowledge we create and looks to embed it in society, and I’m proud that our work embodies this vision.”
David Sweeney CBE, Executive Chair of Research England, said: “Knowledge exchange (KE) is integral to the mission and purpose of our universities, and its importance in contributing to societal and economic prosperity is strongly supported by the Government.
“Today’s new version of the Knowledge Exchange Framework takes further forward the vision and potential of KE activity, providing richer evidence to demonstrate universities’ strengths in different areas when set alongside their peers.”
For more information about the KEF, please visit: https://kef.ac.uk/
Apply for funding to bring the public into dialogue about the future of health and social care.
UKRI are looking for researchers that will work with the public to contribute in imaginative ways to activities and conversations that will help shape future debate and decision-making about the future of health, ageing and wellbeing over the next 25 years.
You must be at a UK-based research organisation that is eligible to receive funding from UK Research and Innovation to apply. Interdisciplinary applications are welcome, though your research must be rooted in the arts and humanities.
The full economic cost of your project can be up to £40,000. Arts and Humanities Research Council will fund 100% of the full economic cost.
Projects can be delivered at any time between June 2023 and March 2024.
Closing date for applications: 4pm, Tuesday 13 December 2022
Interested PIs should submit a completed e-ITB by 4 weeks before the deadline, which is 15/11/2022.
For more information, please email: enquiries@ahrc.ukri.org
If you would like to discuss your application with the Public Engagement with Research team, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Join this free, online event on citizen science and participatory research – Thursday 20 October 10am–3:30pm
This event aims to inspire and support you to explore what citizen science is and the opportunities it offers, for policymakers, funders and researchers alike. A range of speakers from international research and policy areas will reflect on citizen science as a form of participatory research, and its impact on policymakers and practitioners around the world.
Meet the people behind some of the current projects funded by UKRI and Food Standards Agency, which are exploring ways of embedding citizen science across research, from the safety of infant formula to young people’s mental health. There will be opportunities to explore themes based on your interests in citizen science and its potential impacts, and network with others interested and involved citizen science.
Confirmed speakers include:
Being able to describe what you do and why is an essential skill for any researcher. This workshop will help you take your communication to the next level. Science Communicator and previous international 3MT winner Dr Jamie Gallagher will show you how to turn your research into the most interesting, engaging and memorable presentation possible.
Discover the hints and tips that will make your talk stand out from the crowd and how to banish nerves to give a confident performance.
Following this workshop, you should be able to:
| Workshop | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Talk, Lasting Impression | Tuesday, 18th October 2022 | 10:00 – 11:00 | Online |
To book a place on this workshop please complete the Booking Form.
For queries regarding the content of this session, please contact BU’s Public Engagement team: publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
For any other queries, please contact Organisational Development.
Tell us about your social, cultural & community events for the period 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022 – this is used to calculate our Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) award
This information forms part of BU’s annual Higher Education – Business & Community Interaction survey and it is vital we provide a full and accurate picture of all our public engagement activity.
If you’re not sure if your event is eligible for inclusion, the SharePoint site includes further details and guidance.
For the purposes of the HE-BCI survey, you must record the following:
Without this specific data, we will not be able to include your event in the survey.
The SharePoint site provides details about which data is collected and how, including calculating attendee numbers and staff time, and reporting online activities and multiple related events. If you have any further questions about the HE-BCI return, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
We’ll be joined by Dr Festus Adedoyin on Tuesday 4 October from 6:30 – 8:00pm.
Digital healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities in Africa
In Nigeria, LGBTQ+ people are often criminalised and discriminated against, meaning they are less likely to seek medical help despite suffering higher rates of HIV/AIDS, mental health conditions and other problems.
To tackle this problem, Dr Festus Adedoyin is developing a digital solution to provide safer access to healthcare, working with NGOs, social workers and people across the medical field on a confidential and secure online platform.
Join us at Café Scientifique to discover the challenges and rewards of developing a digital solution in a complex social situation.
This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.
Attendance is free but booking is required
Should you have any questions about this event, or if you would like to get involved with a future Café Sci talk, please contact the Public Engagement Team; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
BU staff can login below:
April’s Café Scientifique – Should we help machines understand and respond to our emotions?
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Apply for up to £1,000 to deliver an event and take part in a national festival of public engagement with research
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