Category / Knowledge Exchange

Successful ESRC Festival of Social Sciences in EBC today

Slide1Slide2This afternoon Prof. Jonathan Parker introduced the final of three session in the Executive Business Centre under the title ‘Enhancing social life through global social research: Part 3. Social science research in diverse communities’.  This session was well attended and coveredwas a wide-range of interesting social science research topics.

Professor of Sociology Ann Brooks started off the session with her presentation on ‘Emotional labour and social change.’   She was followed by Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen who gave an overview of research in Nepal.  FHSS PhD student Andy Harding introduced his thesis research into ‘Information provision and housing choices for older people.’  At this point Prof. Brooks gave her second talk on ‘Risk and the crisis of authenticity in cities’. Social Anthropologist Dr. Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers spoke about her research on ‘Reconciliation and engaged ethnography in the Balkans.’  Dr. Hyun-Joo Lim highlighted her study on ‘North Korean defectors in the UK’ and the session was completed by Dr. Mastoureh Fathi who presented her analysis of parenting books for Muslim parents in the UK.

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This was the last day of the ESRC Festival of Social Science at which Bournemouth University was extremely well presented!

 

Thank you to my colleagues for organising this and the ESRC for funding the events!

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

(medical sociologist)

KTP Academic Development Scheme – Applications Live

Staff are now invited to apply for a place at the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Academic Development Scheme (KTPADS).

What is KTP?

KTP is part-funded by the government and the aim of this scheme is to encourage collaboration on projects between businesses and academics.  KTP had previously been called the Teaching Company Scheme (TCS), though a rebrand a decade ago saw the TCS become KTP.  KTP is managed by Innovate UK and provides benefits to all parties involved – this scheme offers a fusion of academic and industry collaboration supported by an associate (graduate).

What is to benefit to me?

KTP is an excellent way of bringing in income and developing knowledge exchange with a clear pathway to impact.

Key benefits of KTP are as follows:

  • Facilitates research impact
  • Increases research funding, including supervision time for the Knowledge Base Supervisor (academic) to the Associate (graduate), this time averages at half a day a week
  • Contributes to the University’s REF submission
  • Improve links with industry partners
  • Apply knowledge to innovative business-critical project
  • Raise your profile among colleagues/the Institution

How do I apply?

To apply for a place on the scheme, please compete this application form and send to Rachel Clarke before the application deadline on Sunday 22nd November.  This form will need to be signed by yourself and your Line Manager.  Applications open on Monday 9th November and close at midnight on Sunday 22nd November.

If you would like to discuss this scheme, please contact Rachel Clarke, Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP) on 01202 961347 or clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk

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KTP Academic Development Scheme

The next cohort for the KTP Academic Development Scheme (KTPADS) will go live for applications on 9th November.

The aim of this scheme is to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to engage with business and work towards a collaborative project with a business.  The end result aims to see the business using Bournemouth University as a knowledge base for a KTP.  The scheme will be made up of a series of workshops on business engagement and networking opportunities with local business, it will also include regular support from the Innovate UK regional KTP Adviser and the Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP).

Should you be interested in this scheme or require further information, please contact KE Adviser (KTP), Rachel Clarke on 01202 961347 or email KTP@bournemouth.ac.uk 

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Reports highlight economic impact of business innovation funding

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Independent reports on Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Smart highlight significant impacts from these Innovate UK funding programmes.

If business enagement is an area you are keen to develop – why not attend the sesion being run on this topic as part of the BRAD training later this month. You will get a chance to hear from internal and external speakers who have worked and are working with BU.

KTP

KTP is managed by Innovate UK and aims to help businesses improve competitiveness and productivity through a partnership with a university or research institution and the employment of a recent graduate with relevant experience – known as the associate. For every £1 invested by KTP sponsors has returned £7 to £8.50 to the UK economy

 

KTP partnership infographic

The second study by SQW Ltd, working with Cambridge Econometrics and BMG Research, found that Smart funding since 2011 had had a positive impact on business R&D, expenditure, employment, turnover and propensity to export.Smart provides funding of up to £250,000 to support small and medium-sized businesses working on innovative R&D projects that could lead to new products or services. Businesses that responded to the authors’ survey forecast a return by 2017 of £5 for every £1 invested in Smart funding in 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013. The report added that the true extent of the impact of Smart funding since 2011 was not likely to be seen until 2017

Smart RoI forecast infographic

Read the Smart impact report.

 

 

 

 

New HEIF project commences: Modelling Natural Capital in Dorset

UK government policies relating to economic growth and the environment explicitly identify the need to create ‘a green economy, in which economic growth and the health of our natural resources sustain each other, and markets, businesses and Government better reflect the value of nature’ (Defra 2011). Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Local Nature Partnerships (LNP), including those in Dorset, were specifically created to support achievement of this goal. Key challenges are the need to assess the economic value of ecosystem services and to factor them into decision making; and the need to develop integrated and multisectoral approaches to spatial development that improve synergies and reduce trade-offs, while supporting the sustainable management of natural resources.

This project is designed to overcome these challenges, through the development of a modelling toolkit that will enable the value of ecosystem services to be assessed and mapped, then linked with economic activity. While analysis of ecosystem services is now a major international research endeavour, linkage with economic activity (such as the inputs and outputs of different industrial sectors) is at a very early stage. The toolkit to be developed by this project will therefore be both innovative and timely. By piloting the toolkit using Dorset as a case study, this project will deliver a proof of concept, with potential global applicability if successful.

Funded under the Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) initiative, any questions regarding the project can be addressed to P.I. Prof. Adrian Newton or Research Assistant Arjan Gosal.

Knowledge exchange funding delivers £9.70 for every pound invested

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New research shows that HEFCE funding for university knowledge exchange (KE) activity delivers significant and increasing return for public investment. The return on investment from £1 of Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF)  is currently estimated at £9.70 in benefits for the economy and society, and may deliver even higher returns in future.

These results reflect the way universities overall are gaining greater expertise in KE, using HEIF more effectively and developing stronger partnerships, particularly with businesses. The research studies demonstrate the range and breadth of KE activity, and the significant benefits it brings to the economy and society.

The research studies describe positive feedback from businesses and social and community groups working with universities, on the benefits they have received from KE activities. Businesses feel that universities have become much more willing to engage and that higher education KE delivers value for money.

If you want to find out more about how you can start to develop relationships with business or build on existing networks, why not register to attend a free training session being held at the university on Thursday 19 November. This will include internal and external speakers who share their experiences either as a business or as an academic.

For more information and to book your place click here.

Read the full article on the HEFCE website.

New KTP Associate job vacancy

The Faculty of Science and Technology have been awarded a KTP with Precision Acoustics, manufacturers of acoustic measurement products, in Dorchester.

The position is for a Software Development Architect.  Salary c.£26,000.  Closing date 24/11/2015.

The post is an 18 month fixed-term contract.

Please share the full job description amongst your networks.

For further information, please contact :

Dr Paul Morris at Precision Acoustics

paul@acoustics.co.uk 01305 264669

Dr Richard Gunstone at Bournemouth University

rgunstone@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 966744

IT Software Architect Whole Page Ad v6

EU funding call now open!

EU heart

EU funding opportunity – are you working with SMEs?
Open call to SMEs and new entrants for industrial experiments Digital Agenda for Europe.  The call is now open (28 October 2015) and the closing date is 3 December 2015.  This call aims to initiate new business and innovation opportunities between SMEs and new entrants, major cyber physical system-platform providers, and competence centres. The maximum European Commission contribution for industrial experiments per applicant is €150,000. The funding rate is 70 per cent. The maximum duration of industrial experiment is 18 months.
For more information: https://www.eurocps.org/innovators-projects/open-calls/

KTP Academic Development Scheme Cohort 3

Academics will be invited to apply for cohort 3 of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Academic Development Scheme (KTPADS) from 9th November 2015.

For those who are unfamiliar with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP), they are a three-way partnership between a knowledge base (in this case, BU), a company and a graduates.  There is knowledge transfer in all directions where academic knowledge embeds a new capability within a business to make it more efficient and profitable via a project managed by a graduate.

The aim of this scheme is to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to engage with business and work towards a collaborative project with a business.  The end result aims to see the business using Bournemouth University as a knowledge base for a KTP.  The scheme will be made up of a series of workshops on business engagement and networking opportunities with local business, it will also include regular support from the Innovate UK regional KTP Adviser and the Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP).

Should you be interested in this scheme or require further information, please contact KE Adviser (KTP), Rachel Clarke on 01202 961347 or email KTP@bournemouth.ac.uk 

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SMART awards – Support for innovative SMEs

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SMART  is a grant scheme which offers funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology, from which successful new products, processes and services could emerge.
The scheme supports SMEs carrying out R&D which offers potentially significant rewards and that could stimulate UK economic growth.
Three types of grant are available:
  • Proof of market
  • Proof of concept
  • Development of prototype.
Any UK SME undertaking research and development may apply; applications are accepted on a rolling basis for assessment by independent experts.
 This call closes on 26 November 2015 at 12.00.