BU Research Blog

July 28, 2015

HEFCE Open Access Policy – Adjustments and Qualifications

BRIAN, BU research, Guidance, Publishing, REF Subjects, Research assessment, Research news sastringer

On Friday (24 July 2015), HEFCE announced a number of adjustments and qualifications to its policy for open access (OA) in the next REF following consultation with HEIs. The key adjustment is that:

From 1^st April 2016, authors will have until 3 months after publication to deposit outputs in our Institutional Repository (BURO) via BRIAN. This is a temporary measure for the first year of the policy, to allow time to transition to a new way of working.

From 1^st April 2017, the transition period will end, and in order to comply with the Open Access policy, authors will be expected to deposit outputs in (BURO) via BRIAN within 3 months of acceptance.

In light of these adjustments, it is recommended that authors still deposit outputs as soon as possible after acceptance to ensure continued compliance with all OA policies.

The circular and updated policy are available through the links below, if you have any queries or require further information on Open Access at BU including the Open Access Publication Fund, please contact Peng Peng Hatch at pphatch@bournemouth.ac.uk.

View this circular letter on the HEFCE website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2015/CL,202015/

View the full updated HEFCE policy at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/Year/2014/201407/

July 28, 2015

Euraxess – July highlights

BU research, EU, Global engagement, Research news Emily Cieciura

The Euraxess July newsletter is promoting the following opportunities that are relevant to Bournemouth University:

CONFAP-UK Academies: Fellowships, Research Mobility, and Young Investigator Awards for UK researchers in Brazil

Brazilian State Funding Agencies, articulated by its National Council (CONFAP), have launched a call for proposals offering support to researchers based in UK Universities and Research Institutions to spend from two weeks to four years working in research in Brazil, in collaboration with local colleagues.

The call offers support for researchers in the UK through:
a) Fellowships
b) Research Mobility Grants
c) Young Investigator Grants comprising a scholarship plus a research funding grant.

These Newton Fund activities offer an opportunity for UK researchers to develop the strengths and capabilities of their research groups through training, collaboration and reciprocal visits with a partner in some of the best research groups in the Brazil.

The second round of applications is now open and will close on 23 October 2015.

Science Slam

Do you have links with an Early Stage Researcher based in ASEAN, Brazil, China, India, Japan or North America? Then direct them to this scheme. First prize is a free trip to Europe, a one-day science communication workshop and a meeting with European Commission representatives in Brussels, Belgium, and a meeting at a European research institution of their choice! Closing dates are in September but applicants will need to check the information for their region.

Environmental sustainability in Europe and India

TECO “Technological Eco-Innovations for the Quality Control of Polluted Waters and Soils” is a new project funded by the European Union and coordinated by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) with the partnership of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI – India).

The goal of TECO is to improve and promote collaborations between Europe and India in the field of environmental sustainability.

Grants are provided for the mobility of European researchers, engineers and experts to spend up to three months in Indian research institutes or private companies to open new professional collaborations and to develop innovative ideas in the field of new technologies applied to the decontamination of waters and soils.

The deadline is 15 September 2015. The mobility program will start from January 2016.

Newton Funding Opportunities (see also previous blog post)

There are currently 24 opportunities listed as open for applications by the Newton fund.

Locations include: Egypt, India,Indonesia,Kazakhstan,Mexico,Philippines,South Africa,Vietnam, Brazil, Turkey and Chile. A wide range of disciplines is also represented, from Agriculture to Rapid Urbanisation.

British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowships (see also previous blog post)

Newton Advanced Fellowships provide early to mid-career international researchers with an opportunity to develop their research strengths and capabilities, and those of their group or network, through training, collaboration and visits with a partner in the UK.

Sign up to receive your own copy of the Euraxess Newsletter so that you are the first to know about international opportunities.

July 27, 2015

Impact case studies: what are they and why are they important?

Research news Rachel Bowen

Impact is fast becoming a new buzzword in higher education as demonstrating impact becomes more and more of priority in the context of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and requirements of funders. Precisely because of its associations with REF and funding bids, the term ‘impact’ can be off-putting, but really it means no more than showing how research is making a difference – something that many researchers do instinctively but perhaps wouldn’t think to classify as ‘impact’.

HEFCE defined impact as “an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia.” Impact then, can be seen as the effect and research the catalyst for change. HEFCE have identified four particularly outstanding impact case studies from the last REF, which they believe represent all the different ways that research can make a difference. These are:

Under the 2014 REF, impact counted as 20% of a unit’s overall quality score and there have been suggestions that in the next REF it may count for even more. Panels took into account the research’s ‘reach’ and ‘significance’ and gave a rating of between 4* and unclassified for each profile. Last year’s results showed that 97% of BU’s research is having an outstanding, very considerable or considerable impact on society – a fantastic achievement. You can read examples of our REF case studies here.

As well as being an opportunity to show how our research is making a difference, impact case studies can influence the make-up of our overall REF submission profile. For example, if two impact case studies were submitted to a unit each would count for 10% of the profile’s overall score – a significant part of each submission. The number of case studies submitted also determined the number of staff that can be returned within each unit of assessment. Up to 14.99 (FTE) staff required 2 impact case studies, with each additional case study allowing the inclusion of another 9.99 (FTE) staff. The contribution of each case study author to the overall unit result was therefore very significant. Their contribution went beyond that of REF, as the materials gathered have also been used to highlight BU’s research excellence as part of a University Alliance project as well as being used to persuade future students to study at BU.

Although it seems only a short period of time since the last REF results were published, preparations for the next REF – thought to be in 2020 – are already underway. The submission date is likely to be late 2019, which means that researchers who are currently working to connect their research results with people or organisations that could benefit from their knowledge are excellent candidates for future impact case studies. While research impact needs to take place within the specific REF timeframe, the underpinning research could be recent or date back several years, with impact building on years of previous work.

To find out more about research impact and the support on offer from BU, please contact the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team in the Research Knowledge and Exchange Office.

To find out more about the impact element of the REF, you can read analysis reports of REF 2014 from King’s College London and RAND Europe.

July 24, 2015

New BU Research Methods paper

BU research, Featured academics, Global engagement, Knowledge Transfer, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, Uncategorized Edwin van Teijlingen

Yesterday the journal Health Prospect published another of our research methods papers. This latest paper on cross-national comparative research has been written by five sociologists from Northern Europe and North America: Ray De Vries (University of Michigan USA & Hogeschool Zuyd, Maastricht University, the Netherlands), Cecilia Benoit (University of Victoria, Canada), Jane Sandall (King’s College London), Ivy Bourgeault (University of Ottawa, Canada), Sirpa Wrede (University of Helsinki, Finland) and Edwin van Teijlingen (Bournemouth University). We have been working together on cross-cultural and cross-national issues in maternity care and midwifery since the mid-1990s. Our collaborative research led to the edited volume Birth by Design: Pregnancy, Midwifery Care and Midwifery in North America and Europe (Routledge, 2001). The book was short-listed for the British Sociological Association’s (BSA) Medical Sociology Book Prize in 2004.

The paper in Health Prospect is the latest in a series of papers addressing issues around the method of doing cross-national research. We highlight some of the specific contributions the discipline of sociology can make to cross-national comparative research in the public health field. Sociologists call attention to often unnoticed social and cultural factors that influence the way national reproductive health care systems are created and operated. The paper is published in an Open Access journal so it is easily and freely available to anybody across the globe.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

van Teijlingen, E., Benoit, C., Bourgeault, I., DeVries, R., Sandall, J., Wrede, S. (2015) Learning from health care in other countries: the prospect of comparative research, Health Prospect 14(1): 8-12. info/index.php/HPROSPECT/article/view/13036/10525

July 24, 2015

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Project – ENEFOR

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, EU, Research news gfilis

We would like to welcome you to our Marie Sklodowska – Curie project “ENEFOR”. We proudly present you our website (http://enefor.eu) and we look forward for a live discussion on the project’s output!

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement (No 658494). The project started on April 2015 and it will be completed on April 2017.

This exciting and innovative project aims to develop new econometric model frameworks to forecast oil price and oil price volatility, which will be successful in enhancing internal consistency, forecasting accuracy and easiness to communicate extracting added-value (in terms of predictability) information from the ultra high sampling frequency. In addition, this project aims to use the forecasted oil price volatility to predict the economic policy uncertainty in Europe, given that oil price shocks exert significant impact on the effectiveness of economic policy.

July 22, 2015

Newton Advanced Fellowships 2015 announced

BU research, Funding opportunities, Global engagement, Research news Emily Cieciura

The Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy and the Royal Society have announced the first round of recipients of their new research funding scheme, the Newton Advanced Fellowships. The scheme provides established international researchers with an opportunity to develop the research strengths and capabilities of their research groups through training, collaboration and reciprocal visits with a partner in the UK.

Researchers in Brazil, China, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey will collaborate with research partners in the UK. It is anticipated the skills and knowledge gained through these partnerships should lead to changes in the well-being of communities and increased economic benefits for partner countries. Partner agencies in participating countries are also offering their own schemes which UK researchers can apply for.

The recipients receive funding for diverse research projects which include studying the anthropogenic pollution effects on clouds in the Amazon; evaluating the role of youth employability programmes in South Africa; understanding how risk behaviour shapes foreign capital flows to Turkey; designing photocatalysts for solar fuels; working on child obesity in Mexico; examining the effects of affirmative action in college admission on social mobility in Brazil; and a study on antibiotic resistance.

See the full list of recipients and their areas of research via the webpage. Non-Russell Group recipients include Northumbria University, Heriot-Watt University, University of Greenwich and Edge Hill University.

Applications for the next round of Academy of Medical Sciences, Royal Society and British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowships closes on 16 September 2015. The Royal Society also has a LinkedIn group to facilitate finding partners.

If you intend to apply for a Newton Advanced Fellowship in this or future rounds, please contact Emily Cieciura as soon as possible.

July 21, 2015

Improving Nepali’s health & social care in the UK: Presentation of key findings 22 July at BU

BU research, Featured academics, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research news Edwin van Teijlingen

Bournemouth University presents some of the key findings of the first study of its kind of the Nepali community in the UK. The report also shows the way forward for improved UK Nepali community NHS and social care provision. The research is a joint initiative between the UK Nepal Friendship Society, Bournemouth University in collaboration with the South East London Nepali community and funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Key findings from the report suggest in particular that the elderly Nepali population struggle to access cultural appropriate health and social care. This results in people accessing health services too late. Further research is needed on mental health, especially on loneliness and social isolation in the elderly, but also on minorities within the broader community as well as those with limited English language skills. Its recommendations have potential transformational value for the relationship between this ethnic minority, most well-known for its Gurkha community, and the NHS and social care providers.

Many Nepali people evidenced that they struggle with accessing and navigating NHS services, and that there are significant confidence-building requirements that need to be addressed concerning a revealed need for experiencing more equitable NHS customer service provision. The lead author Dr. Bibha Simkhada is Visiting Faculty at BU.

Ruth Passman of NHS England, Head of Equality & Health Inequalities commented:

“This report and its findings indicate the scale of the need for the NHS to have a better understanding of the needs of the Nepali community accessing in an effective and equitable way, and through its profile of health and wellbeing seeking behaviour of the community for the NHS to have the opportunity to better address in partnership with the Nepali community, its particular needs.”
Prof. Gail Thomas the Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences added: “Bournemouth University has a long-standing history of health and health promotion research in Nepal. This study amongst the Nepali community in South London reminds us of the importance of addressing health and well-being issues in ethnic minority communities in the UK.”

Mr. Tej Bahadur Chhetri, the Acting Ambassador and Charge D’Affaires at the Embassy of Nepal sent the following message:

This report is a most helpful contribution, to promote much needed change in healthcare provision for the Nepali community, especially with the fast approaching 200 years of special friendship and diplomatic relations between Nepal and the UK. The link between the two countries started with the Gurkha regiments becoming part of the British Army, and having been so to this day. The UK Nepali community will clearly benefit from the report and its recommendations’

Alan Mercel-Sanca, the Chairperson of the UK Nepal friendship Society added: “We particularly appreciate Dr Bibha Simkhada and Dr Rajeeb Kumar Sah’s dedication and high quality research in the Nepali community. We would also like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for making this ground-breaking piece of work possible, and the NHS England Equality and Health Inequalities team for their great interest in the value of the research. The Report offers a unique opportunity for our evolving NHS and the Ministry of Health to better understand and more effectively meet the needs and hear the Voice of the Nepali community – it clearly has direct relevance to other South Asian and broader Black & Minority Ethnic communities using and seeking to access an NHS that is equitable and effective.”

The presentation will take place tomorrow Wednesday 22nd July at 15.00 in the Executive Business Centre on Holdenhurst Rd. The meeting will be introduced and opened by Prof. Vanora Hundley, Deputy Dean for Research & Professional Practice in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences. Prof. Hundley herself has published several academic paper on Nepal or English-language academic journals in Nepal.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

@EvanTeijlingen

July 20, 2015

Festival of Learning event demonstrates pilot Seen But Seldom heard e learning tool

BU research, Festival of Learning, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Research communication, Research Ethics, Research news swincewicz

Dr Lee-Ann Fenge

During last week’s Bournemouth University Festival of Learning, the team (Dr. Carrie Hodges, Faculty of Media and Communication; Wendy Cutts and Dr Lee-Ann Fenge, Faculty of Health and Social Science) held a pilot session for a new e-learning tool which they have developed in collaboration with young people from the Seen but Seldom Heard project.

This e-learning tool has been developed with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, and builds on previous work which has used participatory performative research methodologies, including performance poetry to enable young people with disabilities (aged 14-20 years) to explore the nature of disability within society and their own experiences of being disabled. The previous outputs from this project have included live performances as part of the Cultural Olympiad 2012, local literary festivals, a performance at the House of Commons in December 2014, as well as a documentary film (CLICK HERE for a ‘taster’).

The e-learning tool aims to develop understanding of the needs and experiences of young people with disabilities, in particular, amongst their peers, schools and communities. It includes information and engaging activities, and has been made in collaboration with young people from the Seen but Seldom Heard project. Media representations of disability are largely negative due to the limited number of stereotypes used and these stereotypes contribute to the ‘invisibility’ of disabled people within society. This tool hopes to challenge this ‘invisibility’ by encouraging people to think differently about aspects of discrimination linked to disability. It is hoped that this will be used widely in educational settings, as well as in the wider community to change hearts and minds. It will facilitate learning either as a stand-alone tool, or as part of a wider approach towards diversity and inclusivity.

The pilot session for the tool was helpful in terms of gaining feedback on how it could be further refined, before it is officially launched during the Autumn 2015. CLICK HERE for more details on the Seen But Seldo m Heard project

July 20, 2015

Have you checked out the interactive Research Lifecycle diagram yet?

BU research, Research news Julie Northam

If you haven’t then you most definitely should! Our Research Lifecycle diagram is a jazzy new interactive part of the BU Research Blog that shows the support and initiatives that are available to staff and students at each stage of the research lifecycle. The information is general enough so as to apply to all disciplines and you can use it to organize and identify the many activities involved in your research. You can explore the Research Lifecycle to find information on how to get started with:

1. Developing your research strategy

2. Developing your proposal

3. The research process

4. Publication and dissemination

5. Impact

RKEO will be adding to the Research Lifecycle to ensure it always contains the most up to date information to support you with planning, organising and undertaking your research.

You can access the diagram from the links in this post or from the menu bar that appears on all screens in the Research Blog.

July 15, 2015

From Stour Valley to Silicon Valley-Dr. Dinusha Mendis on Research Leave in Stanford University California

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Featured academics, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, PG research, Post-award, Public engagement, Research news cippm

In January 2015, Dr. Dinusha Mendis, Associate Professor in Law and Co-Director of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) in the Faculty of Media and Communications was awarded a period of research leave funded by the Fusion Investment Fund which commenced on 1 January 2015. The study leave was granted to further Dr. Mendis’ research into the digital aspects of Copyright Law and the Intellectual Property (IP) Implications of 3D Printing.

Since 1 January 2015, Dr. Mendis has held appointments as Visiting Fellow at University of Bocconi in Italy and as Lord Provost Fellow at University of Tasmania in Australia. For further information about the collaborative work carried out by Dr. Mendis during this time, please see here (BU Research Blog post dated 13 March 2015).

Dr. Mendis will complete her research leave in July 2015 having spent two months as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford Law School, Stanford University California.

During her time as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, Dr. Mendis was involved in working with Professor Mark Lemley of Stanford Law School, to further her research into the intellectual property implications of 3D printing. Sponsored by Professor Lemley, Dr. Mendis utilised the time at Stanford to complete two research papers (to be published in Autumn 2015) and collaborate with IP experts from University of California, Berkeley; Emory University; Georgia Tech University and Indiana University in taking forward a project in the area of 3D printing and intellectual property implications.

The Research Leave was made possible by the generous support of Bournemouth University’s Fusion Investment Fund which in turn led to the Visiting appointments for which Dr. Mendis is very grateful.

The appointments have all proved to be very productive and rewarding in taking forward the research on the IP implications of 3D printing. The final appointment, which involved being a Visiting Scholar at Stanford Law School was a very positive experience – and will be an unforgettable one.

July 15, 2015

Support and Celebrate our Research Success at the FoL – come along!

BU research, Featured academics, Festival of Learning, Info Days, Research news Dianne Goodman

Support and Celebrate our Research Success at the FoL – come along!

We would love to see you at our Drop-in event ‘Research Reflections’ on the 16 July – feel free to attend for a session or two, or the whole day. Come along and hear about the huge range of Research taking place across the University, and support your fellow academics talking about their Research.

When: Taking place on Thursday the 16th of JULY in The Coyne Lecture Theatre in the Thomas Hardy Suite from 10am – 4pm.
Book now

Our confirmed speakers include:

10am Heather Hartwell, discussing the VeggiEAT project

10.40am Jamie Matthews discussing the international news coverage of the Japanese earthquake and consequent tsunami

10.55am Helen Farasat discussing her research with parents of children with eczema

11.10am Arjan Gosal – losing sight of trees for the honey

11.45am Angie Gosling

12.00 midday Sine McDougall on participating in Research

12.15pm Yeganeh Morakabati will speak about her experiences of teaching in Afghanistan

12:30pm Dan Weissmann, Anna Feigenbaum, Dan Jackson and Einar Thorsen exploring challenges that arise when working with data that is hidden, sensitive or obscured

12:45pm Elizabeth Rosser discussing her Marie Curie experiences

1.00pm Lunch

1.45pm Neil Vaughan, discussing his research into developing an epidural simulator

2.00pm Ashley Woodfall reflecting on the core conceptual struggle with a recently completed research project with children and those that make media for children

2.15pm Fabian Homberg will be observing and explaining petty corruption: An analysis of the “$20 sandwich trick”

3.00pm Carrie Hodges, Lee-Ann Fenge and Wendy Cutts speaking about their project which focuses on young people with disabilities.

3.15pm James Gavin will talk about his project looking at whether technology can be used to increase strength and balance in older adults

More speakers to be confirmed – please check our Blog posts for updates!

Book now

July 14, 2015

Funding available to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from that NERC-funded research

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Research news jcodling

Fund now open !

The Follow-on Fund is a ‘proof of concept’ fund to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from that NERC-funded research.

This funding picks up where research programme and discovery science (responsive mode) grants leave off and enables those research outputs to be further developed so their commercial potential can be realised.

Examples of activities funded include technology licensing, launching technology-based products or services, selling know-how based consultancy services, and the commercialisation of NERC-funded datasets. Proposals are invited for projects pursuing any of these approaches or, indeed, others.

The Follow-on Fund will opens today – 14 July 2015 and close on 22 October 2015. This call will allow proposals for up to £125k at 100% FEC (£100k NERC contribution at 80% FEC) for up to 12 months, starting in April 2016.

For further information: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/schemes/followon/

July 13, 2015

Ethical fundraising : Protecting vulnerable adults from aggressive fundraising techniques

BU research, Festival of Learning, Research Ethics, Research news swincewicz

Dr Lee-Ann Fenge

There is growing awareness in the government and media of the importance of recognising and responding to the risks posed by financial abuse of vulnerable older people. My last two blogs have focused on financial scams and mass marketing fraud, but it is now becoming recognised that the charity sector are also employing dubious marketing techniques to elicit money from vulnerable individuals.

The marketing techniques and fundraising methods of charities have come under the spotlight since the death of Olive Cooke, 92, in May. Although her family insist that the numerous approaches she received from charities were not to blame for her death, the fact that she received 267 charity letters in one month alone started alarm bells ringing. Some charities working with emotionally upsetting issues (such as animal cruelty) sometimes employ shocking imagery which has been described as psychoactive advertising (Bennett, 2015). These types of marketing approaches seek to evoke a positive emotional response to fundraising, but can be upsetting for those who receive such material through the post.
As a result of governmental concern about the fundraising methods employed by some charities, changes will be
introduced as amendments to the Charities Bill. This new legislation will tighten rules on how fundraisers approach people who are vulnerable, and how vulnerable adults should be protected from high-pressure marketing tactics.

Some charities have already responded to these concerns by suspending operations with call centres which use
high pressure fundraising techniques.It is interesting to note that although the government is seeking to put a brake on aggressive fundraising techniques, this comes at a time when the remit of the Charity Commission to effectively regulate the sector has been reduced due to budget reductions following the UK Treasury’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2014–15. This has resulted in a reduction in the Commission’s regulatory engagement with charities. As part of the government response to concerns about unethical fundraising tactics, Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), will chair an urgent review of fundraising self-regulation.

It is important that the charity sector develop good practice guidance which embraces the responsibility to safeguard vulnerable groups, and put an end to working with companies which use aggressive fundraising techniques.

The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work at BU is currently working collaboratively with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to develop good practice guides and advice for professionals working with vulnerable citizens and their families/carers about responding to the risks posed by financial scams. We will be hosting an event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science on 10^th November to explore with the sector how we develop better responses to safeguarding those most at risk of financial exploitation. Details of how to book onto this event will be posted in the near future.

Reference:

Bennett, R. (2015) Individual characteristics and the arousal of mixed emotions: consequences for the effectiveness of charity fundraising advertisements, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 20: 188–209

July 10, 2015

UK Nepali Community Equality in Health & Social Care Study

BU research, Featured academics, Global engagement, Public engagement, Publishing, Research news Edwin van Teijlingen

Yesterday (July 9th) saw the launch of the report based on a study of the Nepali Community in the UK on Equality in Health & Social Care. The joint project between the UKNFS (UK-Nepal Friendship Society) and Bournemouth University was funded by the National Lottery and supported by The Embassy of Nepal in London, the Non Residential Nepali Association [NRNA UK], and NHS England. The presentation of the report ook place at the NRNA UK head office in Woolwich.

The Chief Guest of Honour at our launch was Mr Sushil Thapa from the Embassy of Nepal, representing His Excellency Mr Tej Bahadur Chhetri, Acting Ambassador of Nepal to the UK. The chief guest speaker was Dr. Habib Naqvi, NHS England Head of Equality, who highlighted the Report and its recommendations. The Principal Investigator Dr. Bibha Simkhada, who is also Visiting Faculty in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, presented the key findings to the audience. Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen gave a short presentation settign this report in the wider portfolio of resarch related to Nepal conducted at BU. Mr. Alan Mercel-Sanca, Chairperson of UKNFS commented:

‘We particularly appreciate Dr Bibha Simkhada and Dr Rajeeb Kumar Sah’s dedication and high quality research in the Nepali community. We would also like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for making this ground-breaking piece of work possible, and the NHS England Equality and Health Inequalities team for their great interest in the value of the research. The Report offers a unique opportunity for our evolving NHS and the Ministry of Health to better understand and more effectively meet the needs and hear the Voice of the Nepali community – it clearly has direct relevance to other South Asian and broader Black & Minority Ethnic communities using and seeking to access an NHS that is equitable and effective.’

The Report’s Executive Summary can be found here!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

July 8, 2015

British Council International Research Workshops – your chance to participate

BU research, Funding opportunities, Global engagement, Info Days, Research news, Training Emily Cieciura

The following international workshops are all being advertised on the British Council website.

If you are an early-career researcher based in the UK or the partner country you can apply for a grant to participate.

Promotion of clean energy in resource-rich countries: case study of Kazakhstan

Date of workshop: 17-19 August 2015
Location of workshop: Astana, Kazakhstan
Partner country: Kazakhstan
Deadline for application: 7 July

Science, Technology and Innovation in Neglected Diseases: Policies, Funding and Knowledge Creation

Date of workshop: 17-20 November 2015
Location of workshop: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Partner country: Brazil
Deadline for application: 17 August 2015

Development of disaster resilient coastal communities to enhance economic development and social welfare

Date of workshop: 28 October – 1 November 2015
Location of workshop: Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia
Partner country: Indonesia
Deadline for applications: 13th July 2015

Materials Chemistry for Energy and the Environment: A UK-Indonesia Initiative

Date of workshop: 26-29 January 2016
Location of workshop: Bogor, Indonesia
Partner country: Indonesia
Deadline for applications: 1 September 2015

Next Generation Sequencing applications to improve livestock welfare, food security and socioeconomic stability in Brazil

Date of workshop: 12-16 October 2015
Location of workshop: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Partner country: Brazil
Deadline for applications: 29 July 2015

STEM Education workshop

Date of workshop: 3-6 November 2015
Location of workshop: Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Partner country: Mexico
Deadline for applications: 31 July 2015

July 8, 2015

Do you need a KIC?

BU research, Business Engagement, EU, Funding opportunities, Global engagement, Research news Emily Cieciura

The European Institute for Innovation and Technology (A European Commission body) has announced their Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) calls for 2016:

EIT Food: Food4future: sustainable supply chain from resources to consumers
EIT Manufacturing: Added-value manufacturing

To find out more and how you can get involved, the first port of call is the dedicated website, which includes slides outlining the announcement and timeline. There is also specific information for potential partners in the HE sector.

If you are not sure what a KIC does, the EIT website details:

As new types of partnerships within the European innovation landscape, KICs are characterised by the following features:

High degree of integration: each KIC is organised around an independent legal entity, gathering world-class KIC partners from all the innovation dimensions. The specificity of the KICs is to integrate, for the first time at EU level, education and entrepreneurship with research and innovation. The EIT does not address education, research and innovation independently but instead simultaneously, as constitutive elements of a single innovation chain, to deliver incremental and disruptive innovation.
Long-term perspective: each KIC is set up for a minimum of seven years to contribute to overcoming fragmentation via world-class, long-term, integrated partnerships. This long-term perspective enables partners to commit to a strategic initiative for a longer time than in traditional innovation policy initiatives. It also ensures that the KIC is able to focus on short-, mid- and long-term objectives, remaining agile enough to adapt to emerging needs from the field in which they operate.
Efficient governance: strong leadership is a pre-requisite; each KIC is driven by a CEO and KIC partners are represented by single legal entities for more streamlined decision-making. KICs must produce annual business plans, including an ambitious portfolio of activities from education to business creation, with clear targets and deliverables, looking for both market and societal impact.
The co-location model: each KIC consists of five or six world-class innovation hotspots, building and leveraging on existing European capacities. A co-location centre brings together diverse teams of individuals from across the Knowledge Triangle together in one physical place (usually within partners’ universities or companies), acting as a hub for many KIC activities, and combining competences and skills developed in different areas of specialisation at a pan-European level.
KICs culture: Europe needs to embrace a true entrepreneurial culture, which is essential for capturing the value of research and innovation, for setting-up new ventures and actual market deployment of innovations in potential high-growth sectors. KICs are doing just this by integrating education and entrepreneurship with research and innovation and operating according to business logic and a results-oriented approach.

Still not sure? Take a look at the websites for the existing KICs: EIT Raw Materials, Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT Health and KIC Innoenergy to see who is involved and what they have achieved.

July 7, 2015

The Innovation Projects Open Call

BU research, Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Research news jcodling

Announcement of Opportunity

The Innovation Projects Open Call will fund projects that increase and accelerate the uptake and impact of NERC funded research outputs by supporting translational and knowledge exchange activity which delivers direct tangible and demonstrable benefits to end users, particularly businesses.

Funds will be used to support projects which focus upon generating user applicable outputs from past and/or current NERC supported research and which translates them into outcomes that achieve impact.

The Innovation Projects Open call will open on 14 July 2015 and close on 22 October 2015. This call will allow proposals for up to £125k at 100% FEC (£100k NERC contribution at 80% FEC) for up to 24 months, starting in April 2016. NERC anticipates seeing a range of requests within the £125k limit/24 month limits, reflecting the range of potential projects and activities.

For further information: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/schemes/innovation-projects/

July 7, 2015

Newton Fund – new calls announced

BU research, Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Global engagement, Research news Emily Cieciura

The Newton Fund have announced the following international funding opportunities with their closing dates. If you wish to apply for any of these, please contact Emily Cieciura, Research Facilitator – EU & International as soon as possible.

22/07/15 (4pm GMT)		MULTI COUNTRY CALL- BBSRC-Newton Fund Call for Virtual Joint Centres in Agricultural Nitrogen
31/07/15 (4pm BST)		INDIA- Newton-Bhabha PhD placements programme
13/08/15 (4pm GMT)		MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Call for collaborative research proposals in rice research
17/08/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! PHILIPPINES- DOST-Newton PhD Scholarship programme
02/09/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! BRAZIL- Understanding and Sustaining Brazilian Biome Resources
04/09/15		SOUTH AFRICA- Tuberculosis (TB) control implementation science partnerships
09/09/15		NEW CALL! MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Newton International Fellowships (The Royal Academy)
09/09/15		NEW CALL! MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Newton International Fellowships(The Academy of Medical Sciences)
16/09/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Newton Advanced Fellowships (British Academy)
16/09/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Newton Mobility Grants
16/09/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! MULTI COUNTRY CALL- Newton Advanced Fellowships (The Royal Society)
16/09/15		NEW OPPORTUNITY! CHINA- Newton Advanced Fellowships (The Academy of Medical Sciences)
14/10/15 (12pm GMT)		NEW OPPORTUNITY! MEXICO- UK-Mexico Collaborative Industrial R&D Competition
19/10/15		TURKEY- TUBITAK Fellowships for international highly qualified PhD students and post-doctoral researchers
Applications on a rolling basis	……..	TURKEY- Fellowships for Visiting Scientists and Scientists on Sabbatical Leave

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