Category / Postgraduate Research

The UKCGE UK Research Supervision Survey – Now live!

Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research Supervision

Share your experiences of supervising postgraduate research degree students

The UK Research Supervision Survey (UKRSS) is a national survey, run by the UK Council for Graduate Education, providing those involved in research supervision an opportunity to share their experiences of supervising PGRs.

The survey is open to all those involved in supervising PGRs enrolled at a UK HEI, whether they are supervising in a formal or informal capacity, partly based in industry, or located somewhere other than the UK.

The findings will form a report to help the UKCGE and the wider postgraduate community better understand the complexity of contemporary research supervision and how it is recognised and rewarded.

How do I take part?

The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete with an opportunity to win £250 for taking part.

To share your experiences of supervising PGRs:

Complete the Survey >

The survey closes on 31st May 2021.

Why should I take part?

Despite its importance and complexity, research supervision is often an undervalued area of academic practice. With support from Wellcome Trust and UKRI, this survey is another important part of the UKCGE’s support for those involved in research supervision and will help to build the clearest picture of contemporary research supervision in the UK.

More information

You can find out more information about the survey on the UKCGE website.

CEMP student and Faculty Placement Development Advisor Vianna Renaud showcased by Advance HE in latest employability publication

conferences, Postgraduate Research, Publishing

It was with great honour and surprise that I was accepted as a session presenter at the Advance HE Employability Symposium ‘Breaking the Mould’ in September 2020. Following the event, I was invited to contribute to the follow up publication in a new compendium of case studies, co-edited by Stuart Norton, Advance HE Senior Advisor in Learning and Teaching, and Roger Dalrymple, Associate Dean at Oxford Brookes University. For a quick introduction into the project, ‘as the global events of 2020 have called for a renewed creativity and flexibility in employability development in Higher Education, we very much feel the evidence of the new case study collection is that a step change in scope and vision was already well underway.’

Whist my contribution was about employability coaching and mentoring between final year and first year students, other areas of focus within the publication include that of virtual placements, the creation of placement opportunities within university settings themselves, and the empowering of students to map and plot their employability journeys and/or work related learning experiences.

As Stuart and Roger quite wisely state, ‘Since the legacy from pandemic disruption thus looks likely to extend into the medium or long- term, the new collection also brings some timely and very practical strategies to wider notice –these include embedding employability initiatives in all academic years of undergraduate and postgraduate study and cross-fertilizing the learning from employability initiatives between international and home students.’

For further information on the new publication:

https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-views/advance-he-launches-new-employability-case-study-series-2021-employability-breaking

 

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2021 – Deadline approaching

Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Uncategorized

Have your say

Deadline approaching! This year’s Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) will close in *ten days*

Don’t miss the chance to tell us about your experience at Bournemouth University by taking part in the Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey which closes on Monday 17 May 2021. We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying at Bournemouth University. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a University we could do better.

As a thank you for taking part, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

How do I take part?

PGRs received an email from the University on Monday 12 April 2021 containing a unique link which allows you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, the research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development, and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2021

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

 

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Research staff coffee breaks

BU research, Coffee Morning, ECR Network, Events, Postgraduate Research, research staff

A warm ‘hello!’ from your Research Staff Association (RSA) reps. We hope that this email finds you well and that you have been managing to cope with all the changes over the last year.

We are contacting all the research staff across the university to invite you all to our virtual (for the moment) ‘Research Staff Coffee Breaks’, starting on 27th May at 10-11am and continuing throughout the summer. Due to the many challenges we have encountered over the last year and a general consensus among the members of the RSA that we would like to do more to support the research staff we represent, we are working to develop the RSA to help make BU a great place for researchers to work and progress in their careers. We want to offer peer support, accurate representation and opportunities to get to know other research staff across the university. To do this though, we need to connect with the members of the BU community who we represent (you!) and find out first-hand what the important issues, concerns and aspirations are.

As an initial means of introducing ourselves and meeting you we have set up a number of coffee breaks as an informal space to connect and take a break from work. Whilst we are still working from home these will be held on zoom. The details for the coffee breaks are included below including the zoom links and log in details. If you cannot make any of these meetings but would like to introduce yourself, raise an issue or simply ask a question please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email.

Zoom links:

Please join us for one or both of these – there’s no need to RSVP!

Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to send out coffee and cake but hopefully you can find something nice and can join us at some or all our breaks. We are looking into more formal provision of space and food and drink for when we are able to meet on campus but until then, we’re looking forward to meeting you virtually soon.

Best wishes

The Research Staff Association Team

FMC Research Process Seminars. Upcoming sessions – all staff and research students welcome

BU research, ECR Network, Events, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research Integritiy, Research news, Uncategorized

Hi colleagues,

For the last three and a half years, we have been running regular research seminars in the Faculty of Media and Communication. These are 60 min research seminars focussed on the process of doing research – particularly research methods but also including publishing, writing, time management etc. The idea here is that the speaker takes us through the anatomy of the project focussing particularly on the data collection and method – the challenges, the successes, and the failures. For the audience, we walk away with a practical application of a method we may not be familiar with or may not have applied in this way before.

The schedule until the start of June is below, with links to each seminar. Each will be led by an external speaker, who are leading experts in these methods.

If you would like to give a talk on an aspect of method or research process, then drop us a line

Dan Jackson and Sae Oshima, FMC

 

11 May at 2pm

Re-designing focus groups for inclusion – by Filippo Trevisan at American University, Washington, DC

Focus groups provide important opportunities for putting participants’ voices at the center of social research. However, ensuring that every participant has a fair chance of being heard can be difficult. This seminar will discuss strategies to ensure that focus groups are as inclusive as possible, focusing in particular on the challenges faced by participants with communication disabilities and disorders, which account for over 10% of the world’s adult population. Inspired by the principles of universal design, a range of solutions will be discussed that constitutes a flexible framework to empower new voices in research.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/87139699000?pwd=TjZKWnBMRnJtc0g3bDdoTEQ2RkNKQT09

Meeting ID: 871 3969 9000

Passcode: F+3iwB@Y

18th May at 2pm

Capturing incivility in online political spaces – by Rosalynd Southern and Emily Harmer at The University of Liverpool

Abstract TBA

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/89365837916?pwd=bnlua1ZnMWJxOWJwUGxaNld6eks5dz09

Meeting ID: 893 6583 7916

Passcode: Za@D3Csq

25th May at 2pm

Examining the Dirt Under Our Fingernails: Exploring the Role of Ethnographic Mixed-Methods Research in Digital Political Communication – by James Dennis (University of Portsmouth), Amy Smith (BU) and Nikki Soo (Cardiff University)

As political actors diversify into multimedia communication strategies and citizens embrace semi-public and private digital spaces for everyday political talk, research into this realm has become increasingly complex. Effective and accurate investigation into political communication processes, events, and outcomes that occur in hybrid media systems means scholars must employ methodological reflexivity. In this paper, we argue that in particular, ethnography, the close observation of the phenomenon of study, is critical for scholars seeking to connect observations of digital communication with an understanding of the motivations that drive them. Combining insights from three projects analysing MPs, parties, news media organisations, and acRPStivist organisations, we provide advice for scholars looking to draw upon this methodological toolset.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/83798048442?pwd=TU56dG82dUpNV0ZUY3IyVFF4OVk1QT09

Meeting ID: 837 9804 8442

Passcode: p6x+Lb6A

1st June at 2pm

Thinking about epistemology – by Richard Thomas at Swansea University

This sort of philosophical thinking is often bypassed as we all dive into our research. But still worth pondering, I think. We will all find some particular approaches to our work are more suitable than others, and more suited to us as people and researchers. This talk sketches out a critical realist approach as particularly suitable to journalism/media research where we find out what the media does, how it does it, but most important of all – WHY they do it that way. Suitable perhaps for researchers, teachers and students.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/89956403486?pwd=cC95YnhMV1RGQ1RGQi9zS2RBZ2Z0UT09

Meeting ID: 899 5640 3486

Passcode: 6#tSV+*y

 

Postgraduate Researchers and Supervisors | Monthly Update for Researcher Development

BU research, Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research Training, Training

Postgraduate researchers and supervisors, hopefully you have seen your monthly update for researcher development e-newsletter sent earlier this week. If you have missed it, please check your junk email or you can view it within the Researcher Development Programme on Brightspace.

The start of the month is a great time to reflect on your upcoming postgraduate researcher development needs and explore what is being delivered this month as part of the Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme and what is available via your Faculty or Department. Remember some sessions only run once per year, so don’t miss out.

Please also subscribe to your Brightspace announcement notifications for updates when they are posted.

If you have any questions about the Researcher Development Programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Natalie (Research Skills & Development Officer)
pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk 

BU Studentship Funding Panel

BU research, Doctoral College, Featured, Funding opportunities, Impact, PG research, Postgraduate Research

This week, the BU Research Blog has focussed on the different internal funding panels. This final post focusses on the BU Studentship Funding Panel, which oversees the allocation of central funding for postgraduate research (PGR) studentships. The BU Studentship Funding panel consists of thirteen panel members from across Faculties and Professional Services, is chaired by Professor Katherine Appleton (FMC), with the support of Associate Professor Dan Jackson (FMC), Deputy Chair.

BU has been awarding PhD Studentships since 2006 when, to help realise its then research vision, the University created an unprecedented 80 fully funded PhD studentships to support outstanding students. The most significant development of the scheme was the introduction of matched funding in 2009, which not only maximised the use of internal funds but also helped academics, and PGRs, develop specialised research collaborations with local, national and international organisations (including other HEIs), businesses and communities.

The continued focus on matched funding fulfils a number of BU priorities including:

  • increasing the number of Studentships available;
  • increasing the opportunities within QR and other funding allocations; and
  • the building and strengthening of a greater number of external relationships.

In addition, most importantly the inclusion of external partnerships also provides a stronger Fusion learning experience for our PGRs. Where possible, the allocation of the BU Studentships is aligned to BU’s Research Principles particularly in encouraging interdisciplinary research, building critical mass and the mentoring of ECRs through the professoriate.

Over the last 5 years alone, the scheme has provided funding for more than 150 PGRs across BU. Projects in recent years have been wide ranging  and include:

  • Type 1 diabetes and eating disorders: developing best practice communication guidelines for healthcare professionals supervised by Dr Janet James in collaboration with Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch in collaboration with Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • The impact of the current delivery models of care for older patients at Christchurch Day Hospital supervised by Dr Michele Board in collaboration with Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • Waterloo Uncovered: Using large-scale geophysical survey to investigate the world’s most famous battlefield supervised by Dr Stuart Eve in collaboration with Waterloo Uncovered
  • Modelling, prediction and control of the spread of aquaculture diseases supervised by Dr Marcin Budka in collaboration with Centre for Environments, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
  • Phenology and ecology of the critically endangered European eel during their marine to freshwater transition supervised by Robert Britton in collaboration with Environment Agency
  • Injury risk and performance: Towards a better understanding of the complexities and intricacies of load monitoring within an elite football club supervised by Professor Tim Rees in collaboration with AFC Bournemouth
  • Intellectual property, information rights and the regulation of the Digital Single Market supervised by Professor Maurizio Borghi in collaboration with Erasmus + Programme
  • Artificial Intelligence Based Approaches for Game Design and Development supervised by Professor Feng Tian in collaboration with Shenzhen University, China
  • Reducing free sugar intakes: Evidence for effective dietary recommendations supervised by Professor Katherine Appleton in collaboration with International Sweeteners Association

Not surprisingly however, the impact of COVID-19 has been challenging for all involved in the BU Studentships. Recruitment of new PGRs was put on hold whilst BU focussed on supporting our existing studentships holders through these unusual and difficult times. Going forward, BU is working on reviewing the BU Studentships scheme to ensure a more equitable allocation of projects across all Faculties and developing a sustainable financial model prior to announcing the next competition for projects to start in September 2022.

Congratulations to PhD student Raksha Thapa

Doctoral College, Featured academics, international, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Publishing, Research news, Student Engagement, Uncategorized, Women's Academic Network, writing

This week BU PhD student Raksha Thapa  heard from the editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health that her  manuscript “Caste Exclusion and Health Discrimination in South Asia: A Systematic Review” has been accepted for publication [1].  Raksha is supervised in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences by Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Vanessa Heaslip and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.  The paper is a systematic review and the protocol for it was published in PROSPERO early on at the start of her PhD studies [2].

Well done!

 

References

  1. Thapa, R., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Heaslip, V. (2021) Caste Exclusion and Health Discrimination in South Asia: A Systematic Review, Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (accepted).
  2. Thapa, R., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Heaslip, V. (2018) Caste exclusion and health discrimination. Prospero CRD42018110431crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42018110431

IMSET Seminar: Modelling land use in the ancient Near East

BU research, Featured academics, Knowledge Exchange, Postgraduate Research, Research communication

Thursday 22 April at 4pm 

Modelling land use in the ancient Near East: methodological problems and interpretive potential with Dr. Dan Lawrence, Durham University 

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes have important biophysical and biogeochemical effects on climate via a variety of mechanisms. The PAGES working group LandCover6k aims to produce global reconstructions of land use and land cover based on archaeological data to provide climate modellers with datasets for sensitivity testing. The Ancient Near East has a long history of agricultural and pastoral exploitation, and as such represents a key area for the understanding of human induced landcover change. This paper will discuss the methods through which land use has been reconstructed by the Middle East group of the Landcover6K project. It will also show how these methods can also be used by archaeologists to investigate socio-ecological systems through time, building on datasets collected through the ERC funded Climate, Landscape, Settlement and Society (CLaSS) Project. This project aims to collect all archaeological settlement, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data available for the Fertile Crescent over the Holocene. Combining land use modelling with archaeologically derived evidence for past population and subsistence practices has significant interpretive potential. We illustrate this by presenting new results on the impact of the 4.2kya event, a period of drought associated by some with the collapse of the Akkadian empire and widespread population decline. We will also discuss preliminary work on long term trends in social complexity, productivity and resilience. 

Find out more and book your place.  

 

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) now open

Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research

Have your say

The Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) is now open

Share your feedback with us by taking part in the Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying at Bournemouth University. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a University we could do better.

As a thank you for taking part, we will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

How do I take part?

PGRs will receive an email from the University on Monday 12 April 2021 containing a unique link which will allow you to access and complete the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

What will I be asked?

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential and any reporting will be entirely anonymous.The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at BU. It will ask you to share your views on supervision, resources, the research community, progress and assessment, skills and professional development, and wellbeing.

Why should I take part?

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of PGRs and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

More information

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2021

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

 

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Postgraduate Researchers and Supervisors | Monthly Update for Researcher Development

BU research, Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research Training, Training

Postgraduate researchers and supervisors, hopefully you have seen your brand new look monthly update for researcher development e-newsletter sent last week. If you have missed it, please check your junk email.

The start of the month is a great time to reflect on your upcoming postgraduate researcher development needs and explore what is being delivered this month as part of the Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme and what is available via your Faculty or Department. Remember some sessions only run once per year, so don’t miss out.

Please also subscribe to your Brightspace announcement notifications for updates when they are posted.

If you have any questions about the Researcher Development Programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Natalie (Research Skills & Development Officer)
pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk 

PRES 2021 | One week to go

BU research, Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, student research

Just one week to go!

The Advance HE Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) launches next Monday.

Have your say

We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a University we could do better.

PGRs are reminded to look out for an email from the University on Monday 12 April 2021 containing your unique link to the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

It will take around 15 minutes to complete. Feedback is confidential and any reporting will be entirely anonymous.The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience as a postgraduate research student at Bournemouth University.

Your feedback is important. The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is the only national survey of postgraduate research students and so is the only way for us to compare how we are doing with other institutions and to make changes that will improve your experience in the future.

We will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2021

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

 

Best wishes,

The Doctoral College

Congratulations to Debora Almeida on latest publication

BU research, international, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research news, Uncategorized, writing

The journal Resuscitation Plus published a systematic review with Debora Almeida in the Department of Midwifery & Health Sciences as lead author.  Her latest paper ‘Do automated real-time feedback devices improve CPR quality? A systematic review of literature’ is co-authored with colleagues from Brazil.  The review assessed the effectiveness of automated real-time feedback devices for improving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) performance during training, simulation and real-life resuscitation attempts in the adult and paediatric population.  The paper concludes that the use of automated real-time feedback devices enhances skill acquisition and CPR performance during training of healthcare professionals, and secondly, that further research is needed to better understand the role of feedback devices in clinical setting.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

 

Reference:

  1. Gugelmin-Almeida, D., Tobase, L., Polastri, T.F., Peres, H.H.C., Timerman, S. (2021) Do automated real-time feedback devices improve CPR quality? A systematic review of literature, Resuscitation Plus,
    6, article: 100108

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2021

BU research, Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Uncategorized

Have your say

PRES will launch on 12 April 2021 for postgraduate research (PGR) students to complete.

Look out for an email from the University containing your unique link to the survey.

We are keen to make sure our PGRs have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do this, we need to know what you think works well and what as a University we could do better. This is your chance to tell us about your experience as a PGR at Bournemouth University.

Thank you to all PGRs who completed the 2019 PRES survey – we listened to you and your feedback has helped us to enhance your PGR experience in a range of areas.

This year the survey will open on 12 April 2021 and close on 17 May 2021. It will take around 15 minutes to complete. Feedback is confidential and any reporting will be entirely anonymous. We also kindly ask that all supervisors encourage their PGRs to participate in the survey.

How do I complete the survey?

You will receive an email from PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk on 12 April 2021 that contains a link, unique to you, to access the survey. If you can’t find this email, contact PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk and we’ll help you to get access.

We will be making a £1 donation for every survey completed on your behalf, to the student mental health wellbeing charity, Student Minds.

If you would like to know more about the survey, please visit: PRES 2021

We hope you take the opportunity to get involved this year and help us make improvements to your experience.

Best wishes,

Doctoral College

For any PRES related queries, please email: PRES@bournemouth.ac.uk

Online researcher development resources for PGRs

Doctoral College, Featured, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research Training, Training

Online researcher development resources for PGRs

Online researcher development resources for PGRs are now easier to access via the new content area on the Doctoral College: Researcher Development Programme.

This collection of additional on-demand online development opportunities is in addition to your Research Skills Toolkit and Video Arts comedy-based videos and e-learning packages.

If you have any questions about researcher development opportunities for postgraduate researchers or any resources we could add to the list, please do get in touch:

Natalie [Research Skills & Development Officer]

 

 

 

 

 

NIHR Grant Applications Seminar ONLINE

BU research, ECR Network, Funding opportunities, NHS, PG research, Postgraduate Research, Research news

Tuesday 23rd March 2021, 10.00am – 12.30pm

Do you have a great idea for research in health, social care or public health?
Are you planning to submit a grant application to NIHR?

The popular NIHR seminar continues online and will next take place on Tuesday 23rd March 2021 from 10.00am – 12.30pm. The seminar provides an overview of NIHR funding opportunities and research programme remits, requirements and application processes.

NIHR will give you top tips for your application and answer specific questions with experienced RDS South West advisers.

There are also have a limited number of 20-minute 1-to-1 appointments available after the seminar should you wish to discuss your proposed study with an RDS adviser. Find out more and book a place

Clinical Governance RKEDF sessions

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, nhs, NHS, Postgraduate Research, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training

As part of the RKEDF Academics and Researchers can book onto the following sessions, either as a one-to-one meeting or a bespoke team session:

Please contact Suzy Wignall, Clinical Governance Advisor if you are interested in any of these sessions.