10 December 2012

IET Birmingham Christmas Lecture: The Future of Gaming

On Wednesday the 12^th of December 2012 Dr Eike Falk Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Game Development at BU’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), and Drs Christopher Peters and Fotis Liarokapis from the department of Computing at Coventry University will hold the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Birmingham’s Christmas Lecture on “The Future of Gaming” This public lecture will outline the evolution of computer and video games from their first emergence to the variety of modern games, ranging from casual games on mobile devices to the rich virtual environments found in desktop PC and console games. Discussion will focus on the different types of games, how game players play and interact with their games and what impact new developments in technology and game mechanics, such as gesture based user interfaces and brain computer interfaces, and emerging trends and changes in player behaviour, such as social gaming and cloud gaming, are likely to have in the future.

5 December 2012

EuropeAid – could your research activity be applied via European Aid Programmes?

Public engagement Emily Cieciura

EuropeAid is the ‘one-stop shop’ for European Aid Development and Co-operation Funding. The EU provides grants to countries throughout the world in need of assistance. This scheme allows third parties, such as BU, to access funding in turn for activities supporting the aims of these grants. This is to ensure the quality of EU aid and its effectiveness.

Fundign is available to support:

Designing EU development policies
Governance and Human Rights
Human Development
Food and Natural Resources
Economy and Trade

The website gives more information on current calls, with the advanced search allowing you to limit your search, for example, to specific regions or themes.

If you are interested in applying to this scheme, please read the funding guidance and contact Paul Lynch, Senior Officer for the EU team in RKE operations, if you decide to go ahead.

4 December 2012

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! Celebrate Public Engagement at BU with Prof Alice Roberts, 4pm, Thursday 6th December

Public engagement Becca Edwards

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30-6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University

This exciting event is a chance to celebrate public engagement at Bournemouth University. Come along between 3.30pm and 6pm to experience our interactive exhibition, showcasing some excellent examples of public engagement.

Between 4-5pm you will have an exclusive opportunity to hear from Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science for the University of Birmingham, about the importance of public engagement. Following Alice’s talk there will be a chance to hear from BU academics about their experiences with public engagement and further explore our interactive exhibition with a glass of wine in hand.

Agenda:

3.30pm: Opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition space

4.00pm: Alice Roberts talks on the importance of Public Engagement

4.30pm: BU academics share their experiences of engagement

5.00pm: Enjoy drinks and further opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition

6.00pm: Close

To register for this free event, please click on this link.

3 December 2012

BU Staff delivered a Master Class for GovToday carbon reduction event

Fusion, Public engagement Zulfiqar Khan

BU academics shared their ideas and research on low carbon initiatives with policymakers

BU Academics Dr Zulfiqar Khan and Prof Mark Hadfield (DEC), Sukanya Ayatakshi (BS) and Elena Cantarello (ApSci) exhibited at the govtoday Carbon Reduction 2012 event on 27 November 2012 at the Brewery Conference Centre in London . MSc in Green Economy, IMechE Further Learning Programme, BU research themes, UG/PG courses, resources and expertise were showcased and promoted during the event. Attendees included representatives from relevant government departments, agencies and other public sector organisations.

Dr Elena Cantarello, Dr Zulfiqar Khan and Sukanya Ayatakshi also delivered a Learning and Implementation Master Class on “How can we support development of the green economy?” which attracted the most audience. Julia Hasting-Taylor said “I just got a call from one of the conference organisers who said that you had the largest Masterclass attendance (94 out of 260 – so a third came to see y’all) and he’s already hearing great things about your session”.

Dr Elena Cantarello, teaching Carbon management and Green Technologies for the MSc in Green Economy, provided an overview of the principles of the green economy and how these may be implemented in practice to support green economic development. Elena was representing Prof. Adrian Newton, who is responsible for coordinating the world’s first MSc on the Green Economy.

Elena said: ‘we are aiming to equip people with the right skills to develop the Green Economy. This is something we strongly believe in and feel passionate about’.

Dr Zulfiqar Khan, whose current research on the potential of harnessing tidal power in Poole Harbour as a renewable energy source, said: “We want to try and get the message across that we are very much part of the green agenda in terms of renewable energy and renewable technology. Bournemouth University is a strong player in the game and we want to showcase the projects we have, and our expertise and facilities”.

He presented an overview of the engineering and technological solutions for renewable energy and renewable technology needs using case studies of student led community interest projects.

Sukanya Ayatakshi, lecturer in entrepreneurship at the business school, presented her PhD research on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and environmental taxation. The study looked at the impact of such taxes on the SMEs in the UK with an intention to “generate better understanding of how to engage SMEs in the wider discussion of the climate change problem”.

Sukanya said “most government policies especially environmental ones are designed for larger businesses and then imposed on the smaller ones without taking into consideration their unique circumstances. SMEs are present in all sectors that are liable to environmental taxation. If environmental taxation as a policy instrument wishes to achieve its behaviour changing objective then the first step needs to be effective communication along with practical help and support. Without such support SMEs tend to be distrustful and cynical about any such ‘environment’ related policies especially in these dire economic times”.

3 December 2012

Be ambitious… Now is the time to apply for KTP funding!

Funding opportunities, Public engagement, R & KE Operations Emily Cieciura

I have just returned from the annual KTP Managers’ Conference 2012 and the key message from the Technology Strategy Board is that now is the time to turn that conversation with a company into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. Knowledge Exchange allows you and the partner organisation to demonstrate and develop your research in the context of the market, to your mutual benefit. For the associate, who can be a named post doc., it also provides excellent project management experience.

Philip Ternouth presented his primary finding from the CIHE publication Key Attributes for Successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, that KTPs are a ‘value-adding’ mechanism for universities to form partnerships with industry. Importantly, in mapping the the KTP model onto their ‘Generic Process Model for KT in Open Innovation,’ the report shows that the KTP structure supports the vital ‘5Cs’: Company opportunity, Co-recognition, Co-formulation, Co-creation and Commercialisation. KTPs are also shown to assist in improving the absorptive capacity of the partner by potentially increasing the ability of firms and organisations to recognise the value of new external knowledge, assimilate it and apply it to commercial ends…Cohen and Levinthal (1990).

Iain Gray (CEO, TSB), reminded the conference that the TSB is there to promote wealth creation in the UK, but wealth and innovation can take many forms. Within the scheme’s boundaries, if the KTP proposal can demonstrate a step change for the organisation with a potential impact for the wider economy, be that in the truly commercial through to the social sectors, the TSB will consider its funding. Other funders, such as the ESRC and AHRC, are also on board, specifically requesting KTPs which meet their social agendas. Thus, the Technology Strategy Board values the impact made by all sectors of the economy.

If nothing else, take time to find out more about a funding scheme where submitted proposals have a c. 80% success rate at the approvals panel and can provide clear evidence of potential impact.

More information is available at the KTP website. BU has access to TSB advisers who can visit BU to talk to you and your colleagues about the benefits of KTPs and other TSB funding schemes. You can also sign up to the TSB site _connect and the Knowledge Transfer Networks related to your discipline. BU branded literature is available for BU staff to give to external contacts (email ecieciura@bournemouth.ac.uk). Yes, lots of help is on hand.

So, be ambitious and think KTP.

28 November 2012

Celebrating Public Engagement at BU with Prof. Alice Roberts! Thursday 6th December, 4pm – REGISTER NOW!

Public engagement Naomi Kay

In just over a weeks time Alice Roberts with be visiting BU to speak on the importance of public engagement. You can register for this exciting event by following this link.

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30pm – 6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus

Alice is a Professor of Public Engagement in Science for the University of Birmingham and will be giving a 30 minute talk on her views of the importance of public engagement. Following this unique opportunity you will have the chance to hear from academics responsible for some of the best examples of public engagement from BU, including Paola Palma’s work with Marine Activity Days, and a chance to view a taster of the work being done by the Seen but Seldom Heard project. There will be further opportunities in our interactive exhibition space to see more of the fascinating work being done at BU. See the exciting activities run by the AimHigher team with local schools to encourage students to go to university who may never have thought they’d be able to. Colleagues from AECC will also be present talking about the work they do with their research as well as their work with Cafe Scientifique, a monthly event run in Cafe Boscanova, Boscombe, that brings science and technology to the general public. Register now to see all this and much much more! This is a one off event and not to be missed!

Agenda:

3.30pm: Opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition space

4.00pm: Alice Roberts talks on the importance of Public Engagement

4.30pm: BU academics share their experiences of engagement

5.00pm: Enjoy drinks and further opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition

6.00pm: Close

REGISTER HERE

20 November 2012

Celebrating Public Engagement at BU with Prof. Alice Roberts! Thursday 6th December, 4pm – REGISTER NOW!

Public engagement Naomi Kay

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30-6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University

This exciting event is a chance to celebrate public engagement at Bournemouth University. Come along between 3.30pm and 6pm to experience our interactive exhibition, showcasing some excellent examples of public engagement.

Between 4-5pm you will have an exclusive opportunity to hear from Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science for the University of Birmingham, about the importance of public engagement. Following Alice’s talk there will be a chance to hear from BU academics about their experiences with public engagement and further explore our interactive exhibition with a glass of wine in hand.

Agenda:

3.30pm: Opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition space

4.00pm: Alice Roberts talks on the importance of Public Engagement

4.30pm: BU academics share their experiences of engagement

5.00pm: Enjoy drinks and further opportunity to explore our interactive exhibition

6.00pm: Close

To register for this free event, please click on this link.

7 November 2012

Would you like to help Prof Alice Roberts to demonstrate why public engagement matters? Date for the diary: 4pm, 6th December at BU!

Public engagement Becca Edwards

Embedded image permalink On 6th December at 4pm, we are planning to celebrate public engagement at Bournemouth University with a short talk from Prof Alice Roberts and some fantastic examples of public engagement at Bournemouth University. Please do put the date in your diary now!

Alice is University of Birmingham’s Professor of Public Engagement in Science and is well known to many from appearances on TV programmes such as Prehistoric Autopsy, The Incredible Human Journey, Coast and Time Team. Alice is a passionate advocate of the importance of public engagement, as you can see in this video.

Very excitingly, she has agreed to address an audience at Bournemouth University on the importance of public engagement! So, to further inspire colleagues about public engagement, we are looking for volunteers from our academic community to talk about why public engagement matters and to give some practical demonstrations of what they do.

Do you regularly go and talk to schools? Perhaps you have an interactive exhibit? Can you explain your research in 3 minutes, FameLab style? Do you have a film of your work? Could you explain why public engagement is a crucial element part of your work? If you can spare a small amount of time to contribute to this event, we want to hear from you!

Please contact Becca Edwards on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961206 if you are interested in sharing your work at this very special celebration of public engagement.

5 November 2012

Cafe Scientifique at Cafe Boscanova – Tuesday 6th November

Public engagement Naomi Kay

Our next exciting event has come around quickly and we look forward to welcoming Bryce Dyer to the stage on Tuesday 6^th November.

Bryce is a Senior Lecturer in Product Design at Bournemouth University and is working as part of a team of design engineers and clinicians studying prosthetics at BU’s Design Simulation Research Centre. In this exciting talk he will be discussing prosthetic limbs and the role of technology in elite sport. This is a topic that is hotly debated, with athletes such as Oscar Pistorius raising questions about the allowed length of competitor’s blades.

Doors are open from 6.30pm so come along early to make sure you have a good seat and time to buy a drink or two before the talk begins at 7.15pm. We have also arranged with Café Boscanova to have a small menu for the evening, along with the normal olives, flat breads and humus they will be serving:

Meaty Chilli, topped with yoghurt cheese and jalapenos.
Mung Bean Curry.

Both will be priced at £7.95.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

31 October 2012

BUDI Make Keynote Speech at Brendoncare Annual Event

Public engagement pmcparland

Michele Board and Patricia Mc Parland represented BUDI as keynote speakers at the recent Brendoncare annual event. Brendoncare is a large charity in the south of England dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people. They currently have 10 care centres across the South of England including their first total care living centre. More recently they have decided to prioritise dementia care and this was the focus of the 2012 annual event.

After a joint presentation on BUDI’s aims and recent work, Patricia presented a paper on how the general public understands and responds to dementia, while Michele presented a paper on the meaning of home and the implications of this for people with dementia. The feedback from Brendoncare is that the presentations were both stimulating and challenging. There was a great deal of interest in both BUDI and the specific pieces of work.

BUDI are currently working with Brendoncare on the development of a shared care facility for people with dementia and a KTP associate post has just been advertised for a Dementia Care Analyst. The successful person will work to lead and embed within the company an understanding of the critical dimensions required for creating a ‘Shared Care’ dementia complex.

28 October 2012

Public engagement and impact digest: news, events and opportunities

Public engagement Becca Edwards

Forthcoming public engagement activities at Bournemouth University

Café Scientifique, Tuesday 6^th November at 7.00pm, The Fastest Men On No Legs: Oscar Pistorius, prosthetic limbs & the role of technology in elite sport – Bryce Dyer. Café Boscanova, Bournemouth. For more information, click here

ESRC Festival of Social Science: Bournemouth University is hosting an unprecedented four events!

Monday 5^th November, London 2012: Was it Worth It? Interactive event for young people to review the impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Games both locally and nationally.

Wednesday 7^th November, Pathways to Impact: ageing, diversity, connectivity and community ESRC Festival of Social Science launch of the National Lottery funded Methods to Diversity and a chance to see the award–winning short film, Rufus Stone

Thursday 8^th November: What Constitutes Evidence for Copyright Policy? This interactive event offers the opportunity for discussion on evidence for copyright policy between social scientists, policy–makers and producers and users of copyright works.

Friday 9^th November: Going For Gold: Leveraging Post Olympic Tourism Legacies. In the post-Olympic Games period, this workshop will explore the extent to which the 2012 Games remains able to deliver global networks to support tourism promotion overseas, to engage industry and government in supporting the growth of the visitor economy, and to maximise the impact of public investment in tourism.

Dates for the diary

25^th January, 2013 – Multiculturalism and After: Has multiculturalism provided a durable ideal upon which a cohesive and tolerant society can be built? Or has it failed? This half-day conference will provide an opportunity to reflect upon the future of cultural difference in Britain – how do we experience it, what policy agendas does it call for, how can it be a source of creativity and dynamism within a positive national identity? Speakers include:

– Prof. Ted Cantle CBE, founder of the Institute of Community Cohesion, will talk about ‘Interculturalism’, his new book which proposes a new paradigm for social integration.

– David Aaronovitch, The Times columnist and author.

– Jamie Bartlett, Head of the Violence and Extremism Programme at DEMOS.

Please contact Prof Barry Richards for further details.

Public engagement activities further afield

If you are out of town, it is festival season! Check out the fantastic activities at Manchester Science Festival or Cambridge Festival of Ideas.

Public engagement opportunities

– Registrations for this year’s FameLab are still open! This is a really exciting competition to discover the new leading voice of science and engineering across the world and is designed to inspire young scientists and engineers to engage with the public.

– The National Co-ordinating Centre has opened a call for public engagement associates to help deliver and support their work. The NCCPE is looking for individuals that can support various areas of their work with a passion for public engagement.

– Workshop at Cambridge University on Communicating Research which is part of the AHRC Social Media Knowledge Exchange Project.

– NERC funded? If yes, NERC are offering public engagement training including media training and support on how to design public engagement activities.

Impact updates

– The ever useful LSE Impact of Social Sciences Blog, is publishing a series of advice notes on how to prepare impact case studies for REF. So far advice notes one and two are proving to be very popular!

– New report from the National Institute of Health Research: Impact of Patient, Carer and Public Involvement in Cancer Research

– HEFCE are looking for research users (deadline 5^th December) to be used on the expert panel to assess the impact elements of REF. To help this, a handy guide for research users has been released, which is an excellent introduction to REF including impact elements.

22 October 2012

Passionate about science? Why not enter a Famelab competition

Funding opportunities, PG research, Public engagement nbaines

If you think you can explain a concept in science, mathematics or engineering in just three minutes, enter a Famelab competition near you!

You could win a place on their expenses paid master class to develop your public engagement skills
Previous contestants have gone on to travel the globe, inspire school children and feature on radio and TV
£1000 prize money + £750 to spend on a public engagement activity

For full details, including competition closing dates and terms and conditions of entry, visit the Famelab website and view the FameLab Science Poster

15 October 2012

FameLab UK 2013

Public engagement Becca Edwards

The search is on for the new voices of science communication. FameLab has become arguably the world’s leading science communication competition, and is designed to help people communicate science and engineering to a wider audience, whether in schools, at public events or through the media. Over the autumn heats will be taking place across the country from Aberdeen to London, Cardiff to Cambridge.

If you’re currently working in science. technology, engineering or maths, and think you can explain a science or engineering concept in an engaging way to non-scientists in just three minutes, FameLab wants to hear from you!

The winner of the heats will get the chance to take part in a weekend MasterClass with experts in media & communication skills, before vying for the title of FameLab UK champion at the National Final in March 2013 where they will have the chance to take home £1,750 to further their career.

So if you think you have what it takes visit http://famelab.org/uk to register and see the FameLab Science Poster.

If you are planning to take part, then let us know! Becca would love to hear about why you are taking part and the experience of doing so.

11 October 2012

Engage 2012 booking open!

Public engagement Becca Edwards

The NCCPE has announced that booking has now opened for the third 3^rd National Conference: Engage 2012. This two day conference will explore how public engagement enables universities to face the challenges posed by the need to more rigorously demonstrate the impact of research; increasing demands for a ‘relevant’ curriculum that prepares students for life beyond university; and the need to mobilise knowledge in addressing challenges faced by society.

The conference will take place in Bristol on 5^th & 6^th December 2012, with keynote presenters including Carole Souter (CBE), Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund and David Sweeney, Director (Research, Innovation and Skills), HEFCE; themed workshops; and a host of other interactive sessions, delegates will be able to explore different aspects of the engagement agenda including research; teaching and learning; knowledge exchange; and social responsibility.

This year the NCCPE is delighted to announce the inclusion of three specialist workshops – providing an opportunity for delegates to meet others committed to the engagement agenda, and work together to share learning and experiences. These workshops are themed on: Creative Partnerships; Public Engagement with Health Research; and Museum and University partnerships.

The event is aimed at anyone passionate about the role of public engagement in higher education and interested in helping universities better engage with society. Early bird booking rates currently apply – and you can book your place here: www.survey.bris.ac.uk/nccpe/engage2012

More information about the conference and specialist workshops can be found here: www.publicengagement.ac.uk/engage-2012

10 October 2012

NCCPE Public Engagement Ambassador event: 7th November, London

Public engagement Becca Edwards

Booking is open for the next ambassador event taking place on Wednesday 7^th November. The event will run from 10.30am-4pm. Delegates will be able to find out more about public engagement at King’s College London; take a tour of the Museum of Life Sciences; and discuss relevant topics, informed by suggestions on the booking form. If you are a member of the scheme, please book here www.survey.bris.ac.uk/nccpe/peanov12. Find out more about the scheme here.

9 October 2012

Members of BU’s Centre for Face Processing Disorders attend Prosopagnosia Open Day at Birkbeck

Public engagement Sarah Bate

Last Friday saw the second annual ‘Prosopagnosia (Face blind) Open Day at Birkbeck, University of London. I was delighted to again receive an invitation to talk about my research at the event, along with Dr Kirsten Dalrymple (Dartmouth College, USA) and Professor Martin Eimer (Birkbeck, UK). However, the highlight of the day was listening to the stories and thoughts of the people with face blindness who attended the day. The public engagement event was designed to have an initial ‘closed session’ which was only accessible to people with face blindness and the researchers working with these people, whereas the media were invited in for an ‘open session’ in the afternoon. In the earlier session, us researchers were privileged to be offered a unique insight into the everyday experiences of people with face blindness, in addition to receiving their feedback about research participation and particular issues that we might like to explore further.

We heard some very emotional and sometimes heart-breaking first hand accounts of what it is like to live with face blindness, and all the delegates clearly took a lot away from the day. I also invited some other members of the Centre for Face Processing Disorders to accompany me to the event, and we all agreed the experience was invaluable for us as researchers. Here’s some reflections on the day from our group:

Dr Nicola Gregory (Postdoctoral Research Fellow):

“The main think I took away with me was the importance of remembering that when we as researchers engage with people with prosopagnosia we must always be mindful of the impact that this condition has on people’s lives. We may spend a lot of time reading about case studies in academic journals and thinking in terms of cognitive processes which may or may not be deficient, but meeting and chatting to people with prosopagnosia and hearing their stories was a wonderful reminder that ultimately prosopagnosia affects people, not just their cognitive functioning.”

Amanda Bussunt (final year BSc Psychology student completing her dissertation in the Centre for Face Processing Disorders):

“I thought the day was extremely insightful, and it really opened my eyes to the reality of what individuals with face blindness actually have to cope with on a daily basis. It was great being able to talk to people and get a real perspective, rather than reading it out of a journal article. I now have a better understanding of how they feel as research participants and how the experience could be made more comfortable for them, which will help me massively when I carry out the testing for my project.”

Overall it was a fantastic day, and we wish to send our thanks to the team at Birkbeck for their hospitality and for demonstrating the importance of public engagement in the research process.

8 October 2012

BU is taking part in Biology Week!

Public engagement Becca Edwards

www.societyofbiology.org BU’s Dr Genoveva F. Esteban and Dr Demetra Andreou will be taking part in the Society’s of Biology’s Biology Week, with help from Mrs Judith Wardlaw ( Industry Partnership Development Manager at The Thomas Hardye School). The event will discover the hidden world of water – capturing images of microscopic wildlife living in fresh waters, including those microscopic organisms that live inside others. Year 10 biology students and the Student Voice council will use the images to inspire a design for a banner depicting the “Wonders of Biology at Thomas Hardye School”. The banners will be used at a diverse range of public events, including the popular Dorchester Community Lectures organised by the Thomas Hardye School.

For more details about Biology week, please click here.

For further details about the event, please contact Genoveva directly.

8 October 2012

Cafe Scientifique: Professor Jeff Bagust’s talk “Cardiac Foxtrot” now available on YouTube

Public engagement Becca Edwards

For those of you that missed Cafe Scientifique this month, or you want to listen to the talk again, our friends at AECC kindly recorded Jeff’s talk which is now available to view on YouTube here.

For more information about forthcoming Cafe Scientifique events in Bournemouth, you can keep up to date with details on the website, via Facebook, twitter or by e-mail.

Category / Public engagement

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30-6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University

To register for this free event, please click on this link.

BU academics shared their ideas and research on low carbon initiatives with policymakers

Elena said: ‘we are aiming to equip people with the right skills to develop the Green Economy. This is something we strongly believe in and feel passionate about’.

He presented an overview of the engineering and technological solutions for renewable energy and renewable technology needs using case studies of student led community interest projects.

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30pm – 6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus

When: Thursday 6th December, 3.30-6pm

Where: Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University

To register for this free event, please click on this link.

Forthcoming public engagement activities at Bournemouth University

ESRC Festival of Social Science: Bournemouth University is hosting an unprecedented four events!

Dates for the diary

Public engagement activities further afield

Public engagement opportunities

Impact updates

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Search by popular post topics