Category / Knowledge Exchange

Reasons to be cheerful as Liberty Media era dawns in Formula One

Knowledge Exchange

Image 20170320 9108 1n0jm3c
PJMixer/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Dr Bruce Grant-Braham writes for The Conversation. For more information about writing for The Conversation, contact rbowen@bournemouth.ac.uk or newsdesk@bournemouth.ac.uk.

The new Formula One season offers some reason for optimism. When the green lights flash for the opening race in Melbourne at the end of March, we will get our first glimpse of the new promised “Super Bowl-style” Grand Prix. If its recent history is any guide, Liberty Media, the group which now owns F1, should have the ability, experience and resources to revitalise the sport, and deliver on promises they’ve made. The Conversation

John Malone’s Liberty is a vast media conglomerate, and a rival of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Both, at various times, have eyed each other’s share holdings. Liberty controls big name brands such as Virgin Media and the shopping channel QVC. It is anticipated that the organisation’s media pedigree will be used to recruit younger Formula One fans, and attempt to keep a tight hold of them through improved interaction.

For an idea of how this might go, we can look at Liberty’s ownership of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the US. The former World Series Champions were bought a decade ago from Time Warner in what was described rather unromantically as a “tax driven transaction”. Since then, performance on the field has not lived up to expectations. Two years ago, attendance slumped to the lowest level in 25 years, which affected revenue badly. Not good signs for Formula One you might say.

Renovation

However, many of the problems for the Braves were caused by essential renovations of their home ground, Turner Field. This had been the 1996 Centennial Olympic Stadium and was in need of substantial upgrading to improve the experience for fans. There was no solution that didn’t involve a significant outlay.

What Atlanta is getting is a new stadium complex – Sun Trust Park, which opens in April and involves a deal to bring in Comcast’s high-speed voice and video services. An agreement like this could have potential in F1 where Liberty has suggested both virtual reality and gambling opportunities might be developed.

For the Atlanta Braves, the prospect of this new venue bolstered confidence and led to a sharp increase in the value of the MLB franchise. There is fresh optimism around results on the field too if forecasts are right about the good young players that Liberty has assembled.

Sun Trust Park is not just a sports stadium, and as such, it doesn’t have to rely entirely on MLB games for revenue. It includes a shopping mall which will have up to a million square feet of retail space, as well as a hotel and sponsorship involvement from other local blue chip companies including Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines. The prospect of year-round entertainment is a message for many Formula One tracks: investment in infrastructure could pay off.

MLB makeover. Turner Field in 2006.
Gregor Smith/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Liberty are well placed to advise. Another Liberty company, Live Nation Entertainment, is a partner in Sun Trust Park, and describes itself as the largest live entertainment company in the world. Billy Joel will headline the first concert at the sports stadium, opening a schedule that is expected to see 40 music and comedy shows each year.

Brains and Brawn

The Liberty team has some strong leadership in place, but they haven’t played it flawlessly so far. CEO of the parent group Liberty Media Corporation is Greg Maffei, who also acts as Live Nation’s chairman. Maffei is a former Microsoft chief financial officer (CFO) and was once chairman and CFO of technology group Oracle. He described Liberty as “happy owners” of The Atlanta Braves but came in for criticism from loyal fans when he referred to the team as an “asset” and wouldn’t give a long term commitment.

This is noteworthy because Liberty Media Corp chairman, John Malone, has a reputation for building and selling business empires. At the time of writing he has not yet visited a Formula One race.

Liberty’s Formula One Group, however, is being led by Chase Carey – a former executive vice-chairman at 21st Century Fox. He claimed to be “awed” when he visited the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix and was impressed that the race managed to captivate the whole city. He drew that comparison with the Super Bowl.

But the really crucial part of the leadership team must be Ross Brawn. He was hired by Liberty to act as managing director for motor sports and called the Formula One deal an “almost unprecedented opportunity to work together with the teams and promoters for a better F1.”

There is little that Brawn doesn’t know about Formula One having delivered no less than 20 world titles. He has worked with Williams, Benetton and Ferrari, notably with Michael Schumacher. In 2009 he won one title with his own team’s Brawn GP Formula One car driven by Jenson Button. And Brawn has many educated opinions about the competitiveness of the racing and the show expected by spectators.

These were no doubt expressed during his time as a consultant to Liberty before the company purchased Formula One. Brawn also introduced Virgin Media to Formula One in 2009, a company now absorbed in to Liberty. He too knows the media ropes and the expectations of such sponsors.

Brawn’s involvement, alongside the long-term game played with the Atlanta Braves, offers every indication that Liberty has the potential to improve Formula One for all concerned – and to do so not just with an accountant’s eye, but with some understanding of the glorious romance attached to this global sport.

Bruce Grant-Braham, Lecturer in Sport Marketing specialising in motorsport, Bournemouth University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Sherlock’s Window: In search of an odourless growth medium

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

“A key aspect of forensic investigation is the assessment of the ‘window of opportunity’ during which death took place. Estimations using insects (e.g. blowflies) increase accuracy. Using blowflies to determine post-mortem period requires an understanding of the temperature dependent growth patterns that they develop through their life cycle. In order to understand this, blowfly larvae are reared on growth media in the laboratory.

Sherlock’s Window is a HEIF-funded project at BU which aims to produce an odourless growth medium that can be rolled out internationally for use in forensic investigation. Illustrated here is the head of a third instar blowfly larva. Maggots have no eyes, but the protrusions at the tip of the mouth area are palps, used for feeling and manipulating food particles. The rows of black barbs that are visible are used to pull the maggot forward through the food substrate.”

This was the abstract submitted to accompany Dr Andrew Whittington’s recent submission to the Research Photography Competition.

Find out more about the project in the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle featured in the section:  “Innovation in industry:how researchers and the wider community are working together.”

Follow HEIF on Instagram to find out more about the innovation projects taking place at BU: https://www.instagram.com/heif_at_bu/

 

 

 

BU alumni working on serious gaming project

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

Joshua (Josh) Cook graduated in 2016  with a first in BSc Games Programming.  He is currently working on an innovation project being led by Professor Wen Tang. ” PLUS”   is a gamified training application funded by HEIF,  in collaboration with the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall (Strategic Alliance) Police forces in order to provide a virtual learning environment that teaches trainees in a more engaging manner than traditional paper based learning.

As a project team member Wen commented “Josh has been a pro-active and key member of the project team working with both academics , the College of Policing and police forces around the UK to develop this training application.”

Key areas of focus for Josh have included:

  • Making the system more generic, so that the project can later be expanded to multiple areas and more situations with ease
  • Improve the visual environment (of the game) with shaders and animations
  • Include data analytics in order to obtain an understanding as to how trainees are using the game, how long they take, how many mistakes they make etc

Josh didn’t take a placement year during University, so aside from a summer position in a local games position he  did not have much work experience. On being given this opportuntity to work on the projetc Josh commented ” The PLUS project seemed like an interesting project to work on, and when I found out a position was open to work on it I applied. I’ve learned some useful things on this project, such as working from and improving upon an existing code base, what it’s like working directly with clients, implementing and using data analytics, and I’m sure I’ll learn more throughout the duration of my employment.”

This project has received funding from August 2015 with the funding ending in July 2017. (HEIF 5+1 and HEIF 5+1+1)

Read more about this project in full: Serious Games for Police Training. 

College of Policing Research Map

BU alumni supporting innovation projects at BU

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Student Engagement, student research

Dominika Budka is currently working on an innovation funded (HEIF) project called: “Dinosaurs to Forensic Science: Digital, Tracks and Traces”. She graduated last year  (2016) having completed an MSc Forensic and Neuropsychological Perspectives in Face-Processing

Forensic technology and tools are advancing across the board, with the analysis of digital trace evidence being an exception. The techniques and tools used to capture and analyse footwear evidence have not changed in over a hundred years. This project is already changing the status quo by translating academic research on human and dinosaur tracks into tools for forensic practitioners to use. The product that has been  developed, DigTrace, is an integrated software solution for the capture and analysis of 3D data whether in a forensic context (footwear evidence) or in the study of vertebrate tracks and footprints. One of the  recent successes is the exhibit  the project team are  organising at the very prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, to be held in London in July.

 The project team were looking for a dissemination officer to help spread the word about the software and engage user groups both within the UK and overseas.  Dominika’s role involves working with external stakeholder groups, organising dissemination events, developing training materials and events for academics, crime agencies, forensic specialists, and UK police forces.

About working on the project, Dominika comented,  “I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to the project, which is not only well-aligned with my interests, but has also a huge potential for impact in terms of improving societal security. I’m working with a unique product set which can enhance global security by improving forensic practice, as well as criminal intelligence gathering and ultimately prosecution. The forensic context of the project is what I find most interesting as it links directly to my MSc”

To find out more about the project – click on the link: Dinosaurs to Forensic Science: Digital, Tracks and Traces

 

Tracks in the sand: tracking criminals

HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

“Within our lives we leave thousands of individual footprints – in the snow, on the beach, in the park and sometimes even muddy prints on the kitchen floor!  Tracks are more numerous than any other form of trace evidence, and record a unique snap shot in time about the track-maker.  Not only do they record details of the shoes worn, but information about our body mass, style of walking and the specific wear on the soles of our shoes that record information about the history of our footfall.  Reading these clues digitally provides an important forensic tools and HEIF-funded BU research (www.DigTrace.co.uk) in this area is shaping forensic practice both in the UK and overseas. “

This was the abstract submitted to accompany Professor Matthew Bennett’s  recent submission to the Research Photography Competition.

This is the first image to go live on the new Instagram account for HEIF. What not follow to find out more obout the exciting innovations projects past and present at BU.

It can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/heif_at_bu/

 

Innovation funding now featured on Instagram !

Business Engagement, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, student research

Forming part of a media package to support innovation funding at BU, a new Instagram Account is now live. Oliver Cooke a third year student on the BA Honours Media Production course is developing a number of different media channels to showcase the range of Higher Education Innovation Funded (HEIF) projects at BU.

It can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/heif_at_bu/

This first image to go live comes from Matthew Bennett’s submission to the Research Photography Competition. (Read more about the HEIF project Matthew is leading on here: Dinosaurs to Forensic Science: Digital, Tracks and Traces

(Research Photography Competition now in its third year.)

Ollie is also working on a short video documentary and website as part of this project.

Ollie’s  experience with HEIF came from the time on his  work placement last year.  He worked within the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) as the Student Engagement Co-Ordinator and had the chance to be involved in a number of initiatives including HEIF. Whilst reflecting on his time in RKEO and ideas for his Graduate Project, it was clear  that there are many interesting projects at BU.

Commenting on his chosen topic Ollie comented “It also struck me that here was an ideal opportunity to create some really engaging media content in order to showcase the innovation journeys and provide more information about innovation and knowledge exchange at BU. This will aim to highlight the people involved with HEIF at BU, as well as the research.”

Ollie has just started filming and the first footage has been shot involving Andrew Whittington (PI)  and BU student Christopher Dwen who are working on the project: “Sherlock’s Window: improving accuracy of entomological forensics at post-mortem criminal investigation using combined cuticular hydrocarbon and internal metabolite analysis.”

(Sherlock’s Window was also featured in the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle: Edition 6, January 2017, Page 22.)

Latest Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

The following is a snap-shot of funding opportunities that have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

EXTENDED DEADLINE: MRC Harwell genome editing mice for medicine grant

Medical Research Council, GB

*** The closing date for this opportunity has been extended. The previous deadline of 10 March has been extended to 17 March 2017. All other call details remain unchanged. This grant supports the production of genetically modified mouse lines that advance knowledge of human disease or are of widespread use in biomedical science. ***

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 17 Mar 17 Closing soon

UK-Thailand workshop on infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases

Medical Research Council, GB

This enables UK researchers to meet researchers from from Thai institutions and explore opportunities for research collaboration in Bangkok between 17 May and 19 May 2017. The grant covers costs for the UK attendees.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 21 Mar 17 Closing soon

Scoping group for enhancing resilience of UK peatlands – meeting

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

The scoping group will develop the science case for a potential strategic research programme on enhancing resilience of UK peatlands. NERC will cover all reasonable travel and subsistence costs associated with attending the scoping group meeting.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 23 Mar 17 Closing soon

Diagnostics, prosthetics and orthotics to tackle health challenges in developing countries

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, GB

This supports internationally leading programmes of research, centred around innovative healthcare technologies, to tackle the challenges faced by developing countries. The total budget is worth £7.5 million, and six to eight projects will be funded.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 20 Apr 17

Innovation Caucus PhD intern opportunity

Economic and Social Research Council, GB

This enables PhD candidates to undertake research to inform the strategy and practice of Innovate UK and the ESRC.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 20 Apr 17

Cabinet Office high level knowledge exchange fellowship

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

This aims to improve the impact from NERC science within national resilience policy making, and enable the Civil Contingencies Secretariat to be a better user of science and better able to showcase the value of science in policy. The fellowship is paid at 80 per cent full economic costs, and will be for a two-year period initially, with a possibility of extension.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 27 Apr 17

Insurance knowledge exchange fellowship

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

This aims to foster collaborations between the insurance and reinsurance industry and academia to accelerate the uptake and impact of environmental science. The fellowship is paid at 80 per cent full economic cost, and financial support includes but is not limited to travel and subsistence, and events such as workshops, seminars, open days or user training.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 27 Apr 17

Antarctic logistic support

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

This provides logistic support for Antarctic fieldwork including the use of British Antarctic Survey infrastructure.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 28 Apr 17

International Journal of Social Research Methodology seminar competition

Economic and Social Research Council, GB

This supports the development of critical and innovative approaches to ongoing and emerging methodological debates across a range of approaches, both qualitative and quantitative, including mixed and comparative methods, as these relate to philosophical, theoretical, ethical, political and practice issues. £3,500 is available and covers costs of room and equipment hire, hospitality, consumables and travel for speakers.

Maximum award: £3,500

Closing date: 30 Apr 17

Environmental science impact programme

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

These enable research organisations to collaborate with business, policy bodies and other actors that contribute to the economic development specific to their location, in order to deliver significant regional impact from NERC environmental science. The total budget is worth between £2.5 million and £4m over a period of four years.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 22 Jun 17

Industrial CASE studentships

Natural Environment Research Council, GB

This promotes collaboration between the research community and the end users of research. Each studentship is worth up to £84,392 over maximum 4 years.

Maximum award: £84,392

Closing date: 06 Jul 17 (recurring)

COMING SOON: Infectious diseases call

Medical Research Council, GB

*** This opportunity will be available soon. The next call is expected to open shortly. The following information is subject to change. This supports research on infectious diseases of relevance to Thailand and the Thai population. Projects are tenable for three years. ***

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: Not known

COMING SOON: Non-communicable diseases call

Medical Research Council, GB

*** This opportunity will be available soon. The next call is expected to open shortly. The following information is subject to change. This supports research on non-communicable diseases of relevance to Thailand and the Thai population. Projects are tenable for three years. ***

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: Not known

Clinical scientist fellowships

Motor Neurone Disease Association, GB

These provide support to laboratory based studies in the field of motor neurone disease. Funding provides support for four years.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 05 Apr 17 (recurring)

Senior clinical fellowships

Motor Neurone Disease Association, GB

These support clinical researchers wishing to pursue research into the pathogenesis and treatment of motor neurone disease. Funding provides support for five years.

Maximum award: Not known

Closing date: 05 Apr 17 (recurring)

COMING SOON: Breast radiology professorship

Royal College of Radiologists, GB

*** This opportunity will be available soon. The next call is expected to open in January 2018. The following information is subject to change. This professorship enables a fellow to undertake six to eight visits to training programmes to deliver lectures, and undertake appropriate workshops or small group teaching, with the aim to foster high quality breast imaging throughout the UK. The professorship is worth up to £10,000 over one year. ***

Maximum award: £10,000

Closing date: Not known

Find more funding opportunities

Search all the latest calls

If you are interested in submitting to any of the above calls you must contact your  RKEO Funding Development Officer with adequate notice before the deadline.

For more funding opportunities that are most relevant to you, you can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in  RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.

Chancellor announces first round of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund funding in Spring Budget

Funding opportunities, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

money and cogs

The first tranche of challenges supported by the Industrial Strategy Challenge fund (ISCF) has been welcomed by research and innovation leaders. The spring budget announced an initial investment of £270 million in 2017 to 2018. This is to kick-start the development of disruptive technologies that have the potential to transform the UK economy.

First announced by the Prime Minister at the 2016 CBI Annual Conference, the ISCF will help identify and develop UK industries that are fit for the future, driving progress in technologies where the UK can build on our existing areas of industrial and research strength.

In his Budget speech  earlier this week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced funding for the first three competitions in the ISCF:

  • Leading the world in the development, design and manufacture of batteries that will power the next generation of electric vehicles, helping to tackle air pollution
  • Developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and robotics systems that will operate in extreme and hazardous environments, including off-shore energy, nuclear energy, space and deep mining
  • Accelerating patient access to new drugs and treatments through developing brand new medicine manufacturing technologies, helping to improve public health

Read in full.

 

Graduate Project – Supporting innovation at BU

Business Engagement, Fusion, HEIF, innovation, Knowledge Exchange

Oliver Cooke filming compressedMy name is Oliver Cooke and I am currently in my third year of study on the BA Honours Media Production course. As part of my Graduate Project, I am developing a media package in order to showcase a number of projects that have been awarded Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF).

My experience with HEIF comes from the time on my work placement that I undertook last year. I worked within the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) as the Student Engagement Co-Ordinator. I learnt about many initiatives at BU including HEIF; so whilst reflecting on my time in RKEO and ideas for my Graduate Project, it was clear to me that there are many interesting projects at BU. It also struck me that here was an ideal opportunity to create some really engaging media content in order to showcase the innovation journeys and provide more information about innovation and knowledge exchange at BU.

The media content I will be producing will include a short video documentary, web content that can be integrated with the BU Research Website and a social media campaign. This will aim to highlight the people involved with HEIF at BU, as well as the research.

I have just started filming and the first footage has been shot involving Andrew Whittington (PI)  and BU student Christopher Dwen who are working on the project: “Sherlock’s Window: improving accuracy of entomological forensics at post-mortem criminal investigation using combined cuticular hydrocarbon and internal metabolite analysis.”

(Sherlock’s Window was also featured in the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle: Edition 6, January 2017, Page 22.)

 

Working in partnership with businesses: how research can provide solutions

Knowledge Exchange

This year’s Bournemouth Research Chronicle explores the ways in which our academics are working with students, our local community and with partners abroad.  In the latest edition Shelley Ellis, Lecturer in Performance Analysis, shares her story of working with South Coast Canoes to tackle the problem of adapting sporting equipment to fit women.  Below, Simon Rham, owner of South Coast Canoes explains his company’s involvement in the project.

“I first got to know more about this subject after Shelley applied to become a South Coast Canoes Team Paddler. Shelley represents us on and off the water and has helped grow our profile with her coaching and expertise,” explains Simon.

“Shelley told me about the subject she was researching and to help her with this we have held talks both at the shop and at a charity paddling event in Devon which we run. These talks were extremely interesting and helped to increase the awareness within the paddling community of what Shelley is trying to achieve.  We’ve given Shelley access to our social media accounts to help her raise the profile of her research area.”

“One of the other ways we’ve been able to help Shelley is by supporting her to find particular pieces of equipment which she needs for her research.  For example, Shelley was trying to purchase paddle shafts from New Zealand, which have power meters built in.  These are great for measuring performance and are a good tool for Shelley’s research.”

“She needed some blades to go with the paddle shafts, so I put her in touch with AT Paddles, who are based in the USA.  They kindly sent over some samples for her to use as part of her research.  With this equipment, Shelley has been able to gather more data out on the water to help her better understand how subtle differences in seat height can affect paddling performance.  We will continue to work with Shelley on this as it is an extremely interesting area of research.”

To find out more about Shelley’s research and her work with South Coast Canoes, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.