Category / Research news

Call for entries for fifth UK Energy Innovation Awards

Research news

Innovators from across the energy industry and SME community are being invited to enter the UK’s leading energy innovation awards which showcase and celebrate outstanding projects, technologies and talent making a real impact in the energy sector.

Now in its fifth year, the UK Energy Innovation Awards 2015, will unite figureheads of the energy industry and the innovation community in a high profile event to celebrate the best innovations across the electricity and gas networks including the renewables sector.

Following an unprecedented number of high calibre entries last year, the awards, organised by the Energy Innovation Centre and supported by leaders from the major energy companies, has been refreshed and extended to include new categories which reflect the diversity of entries in previous years.

These updated categories include:

  • Best Offshore Renewable Energy Innovation sponsored by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult
  • Best Electricity Network Improvement
  • Best Gas Network Improvement
  • Best Innovation Contributing to Quality and Reliability of Electricity Supply
  • Best Innovation Contributing to Quality and Reliability of Gas Supply

Altogether there will be 14 categories with the closing date for entries on Friday, December 12th. A black tie awards ceremony will be held in Manchester on April 30th featuring leaders from across the energy networks. Entries can be made online by visiting www.energyinnovationcentre.com

Chief executives from across the energy industry will be on the judging panel including Northern Gas Network’s chief executive and Energy Innovation Centre chairman Mark Horsley.

Last year, the awards attracted more than 370 guests from the electricity, gas and offshore renewables sectors along with innovators from a wide range of small businesses, start-up companies and academia.

Amongst the winners were Open Grid Systems which won the ‘International Trade Award’ in recognition of strong overseas sales of its tablet application which gives network operators an augmented reality view of assets out in the field, the first tool of its kind. Other technologies recognised included a robotic system which internally repairs leaking cast iron mains, the UK’s first ‘smart grid’ in Orkney and a unique technology to allow keyhole excavations on highways and roads.

Denise Massey, managing director of the Energy Innovation Centre, said: “The UK innovation scene has continued to grow and develop so much since the awards began back in 2010 and we are proud to have been able to contribute to this. With this in mind, we look forward to seeing a diverse and exciting range of entries representing the continued improvements happening in the sector.

 “The Energy Innovation Centre exists to encourage this important collaboration between external innovators and the energy industry by modernising the networks and revolutionising the way electricity and gas is delivered. It’s clear the industry is alive with an incredible number of talented, creative and forward thinking problem solvers, engineers, technologists, and academics so we look forward to seeing the entries.”

The full list of categories includes:

For category sponsorship opportunities, please contact Out There Events on 0161 946 6262 or email ellie@outthereevents.com.

Measuring research impact – report from the Medical Research Council shows the societal reach of research

BU research, Research news

Measuring research impact beyond academia is becoming a standardised part of research.  Thanks in part to the changes to the REF, more and more emphasis is being placed on the need to demonstrate the value of research more widely.  With that in mind, the latest research outputs, outcomes and impact report from the Medical Research Council (MRC) is a useful tool for demonstrating that impact to a broad audience.  Based on research taken place over the last few years, the report gathers together impact statistics and case studies of key outcomes and explains them in language accessible to all.

It makes for interesting reading, with statistics showing:

  • 46% of MRC-funded research projects attracted further funding from more than 1,000 different funders,
  • Between 2006 and 2013, researchers took part in more than 23,000 public engagement events,
  • One fifth of researchers reported that their work had an impact on local, national or international policy,
  • 12% of awards led to the development of a product or intervention.

Statistics aside, some of the most exciting parts of the report lie in the stories and case studies identified.  For example, research about portion sizes from the MRC’s Human Nutrition Research Group went on to inform a recent ‘Portion Distortion’ campaign from the British Heart Foundation.  Not only did the research support an effective campaign, it was also used to influence public health policy in the Department of Health and prompted major food companies to re-shape their business strategies.

A further example from the MRC Institute of Hearing Research demonstrated how researchers were able to develop a new test to measure listening attention by measuring sound comparison and reaction times.  It looks at how quickly people respond to sounds, how quickly people can pick out changes in relevant information in sound and how well people ignore irrelevant information in sounds.  The test is being used in research training and testing, with versions available for both children and adults.

So what can be learned from this?  The report showcases only a few exciting and inspiring research projects funded by the MRC – clearly there is far more going on than can be reported.  However, it is an excellent example of the research work going on across the country and shows the wide range of impacts and outcomes research can have in areas such as policy, product development and industry collaboration to name but a few.  While research impact is still an emerging area, this latest report from the MRC shows why it is so important to measure it, as the contribution MRC-funded projects are making to society as a whole is clearly substantial.

You can find out more about BU’s research impact work here or by contacting the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team.

Horizon 2020 – Innovate UK Webinars

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The Knowledge Transfer Network invite you to H2020
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. The Knowledge Transfer Network in partnership with Innovate UK, is hosting a series of support workshops and events to assist business in accessing, partnering for, and understanding the opportunities presented by Horizon 2020. 
Webinars Announced…
15th Oct; H2020 Webinar: Energy Efficient Buildings Calls (EeB) 2015
 
21st Oct; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Low Carbon Energy projects including renewable electricity, renewable heat, smart grids and energy storage
22nd Oct; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Energy Efficiency projects
 23rd Oct; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Smart Cities and Communities projects
 
20th-21st Nov, London; Pilot Live event: H2020 International Proposal Exercise on Built Environment Calls (EeB and EE)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Past Events 
European Funding for the Materials & Nanotechnology, Chemistry & Manufacturing Communities – Presentations available here.
Sustainable Value Chains – European funding for innovation in sustainable use and supply of resources – Presentations available here.
Get in Touch 
claire.claessen@ktn-uk.org

 
Support for a wide variety of business applying to H2020
The Knowledge Transfer Network events will provide support to a wide spectrum of businesses through a combination of information, networking, pitching, drop in surgeries & consortia building events.
Dates have been announced for a series of webinars covering Energy Efficient Buildings, Low Carbon Energy, Energy Efficiency and Smart Cities  & Communities. Details can be found below.Get involved

Which EU Internet of Things Large Scale Pilots? Consultation and Invitation for Commitment: This is your chance to influence what goes into the work programme – and show some willing, if you are so inclined. Participate here.
15th October; H2020 Webinar: Energy Efficient Buildings Calls (EeB) 2015
The webinar  will present the current Horizon 2020 Call for Proposals for Energy Efficient Buildings projects. The current Call for Proposals has a budget of 72M€ and includes topics on design tools for refurbishment of buildings, buildings design for new highly energy performing buildings and integrated approaches to retrofitting of residential buildings.
More >>
 21st October; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Low Carbon Energy projects including renewable electricity, renewable heat, smart grids and energy storage
This webinar will highlight the forthcoming opportunities in Horizon 2020 Energy within the Low Carbon Energy Call topics. 
More >>
     
22nd October; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Energy Efficiency projects
This webinar will highlight the forthcoming opportunities in Horizon 2020 Energy within the Energy Efficiency Call topics. 
More >>
     
23rd October; H2020 Webinar: 2015 Calls for Proposals for Smart Cities and Communities projects    
 
This webinar will highlight the forthcoming opportunities in Horizon 2020 Energy within the Smart Cities and Communities Call topics. 
 
More >>
     
20th-21st November, London; H2020 International Proposal Exercise on Built Environment Calls (EeB and EE)
 
The aim of this event is to facilitate the creation of potential consortia and smart proposals for 2015 around the EeB calls (Industrial Leadership) and the EE (societal challenge). The event is open only to 60 delegates with a max of 40 from UK and max of 20 from Europe. Please note that your registration is subject to approval by the Knowledge Transfer Network.
 

More >>
     

For even more information, please go to the KTN website and register on _connect, Innovate UK’s information portal, to receive personal updates relevant to you.

International History of the Radio Documentary

BU research, Research news

The first open meeting of the Centre for Media History will be this coming Monday, 13 October. The guest speaker will be Virginia Madsen, Convenor Radio at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia who will be talking about her forthcoming book on the international history of the radio documentary

 

Monday 13 October

6 – 7.30 pm

Lecture theatre KG03 in Kimmeridge House, Talbot campus Refreshments served from 5.30 pm

 

Virginia Madsen is a Senior Lecturer and Convenor Radio at Macquarie University, Sydney. Formerly a producer for Australia’s ABC, she was a founding member of the national audio arts programme, ‘The Listening Room’. She has published pioneering essays exploring the radio documentary and ‘feature’, and ‘cultural radio’ traditions. She is currently writing the first international history of ‘the documentary imagination’ in radio, examining forms and developments from the 1920s to the present renaissance. Virginia is Chair of the Management Committee of Australia’s only Centre for Media History and Chief Investigator of the ARC Project (2014): “Cultural Conversations: A History of ABC Radio National”.

 

Developing Research Outputs

Research news, Training

I have put together a seven week programme of seminars that deal with research practice drawing on my own experience.  The programme is independent of any official development programme, but forms a natural complement to other things running at BU, such as the Grants and Writing Academies.  The course caters for all types of research not just those based in the sciences and the weekly sessions will consist of a seminar with an opportunity for discussion, as well as time in which participants can discuss their current projects, papers and bids.

The programme is free and open to all members of academic and professional/support staff at BU.  A certificate of attendance and completion will be issued and registration is via Organisational Development: staffdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

The only pre-requisite is that participant’s make a commitment via a ‘learning contract’ to attend each of the sessions, unless absent due to unforeseen circumstances outside work.  The programme will run on Tuesday lunchtimes (12.15 to 13.45) and starts on the 21nd October 2014.  Participants are welcome to bring their lunch if they wish.  The minimum cohort size is 8 and confirmation that the programme will run will be given by 1st October 2014.  If there is sufficient interest a second cohort may run in the spring term.  You will find further details at Staff Intranet including an outline programme.

Sage Publications’ Social Science Space features article by Kip Jones

Research news

 

Sage Publications disseminates important research across the social science disciplines around the world. For the second time, Sage’s on line presence, Social Science Space, features an article by Bournemouth University’s Kip Jones.

“(The Grand Theory of) Neo Emotivism” is Jones’ take on the current state of mind of many researchers globally wishing to connect to their research “subjects” as well as to their own emotions. The article first appeared on Jones’ blog, KIPWORLD, where it has been viewed nearly 900 times in less than a month. The article went live today as the lead article on Social Science Space.

“’Neo-emotivism’ is a concept Kip Jones describes as intentionally using emotional responses for academic ends in large part by drawing from non-traditional sources like art and literature for inspiration and even vocabulary”. Fashioned in a tongue-in-cheek way after 19th and 20th Century art manifestos, the article makes it’s case by highlighting examples from a range of resources, including singer Jeff Buckley, composer Max Richter, artist Kazimir Malevich and architect Zada Hadid.

Thoughts for the article initially emerged from Jones’ interactions with fellow BU academics at a recent ARTS in Research (AiR) two-day workshop at Bournemouth University. Jones was surprised and encouraged by faculty and students, not only from Health & Social Care, but also from Media, Design, Engineering and Computing and Tourism with a similar ache to connect emotionally with their subjects and to acknowledge the “first person” in their dialogues. His concept of the “Pre-REFaelites” materialised from that encounter.

The ARTS in Research (AiR) cross-Schools collaborative will hold an additional two days of workshops at the Lighthouse in Poole led by artist-in-residence, Hazel Evans, on 20th and 21st November. Faculty and students from across schools and from outside of the University are encouraged to join us for the two days of creative engagement. More info

Congratulations to Dr. William Haydock

BU research, Featured academics, Publishing, Research news, Uncategorized

 

Congratulations to William Haydock, researcher in HSC, for his recently published paper in Capital & Class 38 (3): 583-600. 

The paper “‘20 tins of Stella for a fiver’: The making of class through Labour and Coalition government alcohol policy” is available from: http://cnc.sagepub.com/content/38/3/583.abstract

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Understanding the constructions of the ‘other’: co-produced knowledge and understanding of ‘terrorists’ and ‘terrorism’

BU research, Fusion, Research news, student research

Last year, I put together a small HEA individual grant to build upon our earlier research concerning terrorism and social work education, and civil unrest and welfare in Muslim countries. Unfortunately, the bid was unsuccessful but one should never let a good bid go to waste. Given that it was education focused, based around co-production and student enhancement – a ‘fusion’-based project! -I thought rather than try somewhere else for funding I would embed it into the third year undergraduate Sociology unit Terrorism, Protection & Society, where it would have sat if successful.

The project encourages active student engagement in learning, employing a methodology of co-production of knowledge in which skills to collaborate in producing critically informed and societally beneficial knowledge will be developed. Students are reading, critically, major UK newspapers, identifying and analysing those articles that mention ‘terrorists, terrorism or terror’ and associated concepts. From this they are engaged in identifying the processes by which our dominant cultural frames are constructed and can be challenged. The project findings, once 30-days worth of newspapers have been scoured for relevant articles, will be widely disseminated through the production of academic papers, a submission to eBU and through conference presentations.

Students following the Terrorism, Protection & Society module, engage in learning how the ‘other’, in this case ‘terrorist’, is constructed within popular debate and within the public media in the UK. As part of the project rooted within the unit, students will also analyse the media’s use of target terms (terrorist, terrorism, terror and so on) through a content and discourse analysis, and debate the potential consequences of this for contemporary society and for developing a deeper and more nuanced understanding that can assist in restraining social conflict, violence and the ‘othering’ of those who may be associated with core characteristics of ‘terrorists’ according to the socio-cultural master-narratives created by media representations.

Students will produce a paper with academic staff for the eBU on-line journal; most co-production of academic papers with students occurs at postgraduate level and this project has a degree of originality in promoting co-production of academic knowledge with undergraduate students, something we have done already in respect of edited books. Other academic outputs will be developed and students demonstrating interest and capacity will be invited to participate in their production.

Alongside the academic publications envisaged, this proposal meets BU’s fusion objectives in seeking also to add to the corpus of evidence of pedagogical benefits for students of knowledge co-creation and includes a focus on the student experience of the processes of learning.

Thus, as part of the teaching and learning students engage with, the project has wide reach and significance for student learning and pedagogical development by enhancing social and cultural understanding amongst students who will soon graduate, alongside producing autonomous and critically thinking individuals who can translate their learning and core skills into the employment market.

This week students energetically engaged with the preliminary data extraction and coding of those newspaper articles dealing with concepts and issues that were termed or could be termed as terror, terrorist, terrorism, extremism and so forth. The work undertaken helped to put in perspective some of the first two weeks’ lecture material and allowed the students to bring their own critical understandings to this complex and emotive area.

So far, the project has illuminated to me what an incredibly versatile and intellectually agile student body we have; people who will be an asset to the workforce of the future and a credit to our university! I am looking forward to the following weeks as the project unfurls.

 

Professor Jonathan Parker

 

Sociology students engaged in research

 

Effective channels for course or unit communication

Research news, Research themes, student research

Student using smart phone

How and when we communicate course or unit level information with students can impact their perception of course organisation and management and subsequently their student experience.

The Student Communications Team and Student Experience Champion Mark Ridolfo host a workshop, Effective channels for student course communication, on Tuesday 14 October.

The event will explore a range of channels and how to use them effectively. Topics will include:

  • How course communication can impact student experience
  • The current communication environment and managing the expectation of your students
  • Some effective course communication examples from colleagues across BU, including:       
    • Text messages (Students Comms Team)
    • iBU (Amy Blackham, (Student Communications Manager)
    • myBU (Mark Ridolfo, Student experience Champion)
    • Facebook and Twitter (Dr Ana Adi, Lecturer in Corporate and Marketing Communications)
    • Other social media examples (Jasmine Connolly, Social Media Officer)
  • Expert panel discussion / Q&A.

You can find out more and register at the Staff Development and Engagement pages.

Readers of this blog post might also have a particular interest in Julie Northam’s blog post Benefits of research-led learning on the student experience and NSS scores.

Introducing the BU Research Lifecycle diagram!

BU research, Research news

I am delighted to introduce you to our Research Lifecycle diagram – 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.

 

Review of CEL Grand Opening

BU research, Research news, student research

Following the launch of BU’s Centre for Excellence in Learning in April 2014, we now have a CEL room in the heart of the Talbot campus. On Tuesday 23rd September, the CEL space on the ground floor of Poole House, PG30a, was officially opened.  To mark the occasion, there were presentations from three well-renowned speakers about the ‘Importance of Learning’.  Professor Stephen Heppell, BU Professor in the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP), began by talking on ‘The importance of the context for learning and the value of a Centre for Excellence in Learning’, followed by Professor Ron Barnett, Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the Institute of Education in London, who spoke on the issue of ‘Flexibility in Learning; Challenges and Possibilities’ – his presentation can be viewed by clicking on the link below.  Dr Jenny Moon, BU Associate Professor in CEMP and National Teaching Fellow, concluded the presentations by sharing her thoughts on ‘Inspiring a passion for learning about learning’.

Following the presentations, invited guests gathered in the foyer outside the Centre to hear a few words from the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Vinney about the important work that CEL has initiated to date.  Before cutting the ribbon, the guest of honour, Professor Ron Barnett,  said how encouraged he felt about the prominence of CEL at BU as its central location was a clear representation of the value attributed to it.  A drinks reception followed where colleagues were able to further network and consider how best to use this very positive resource in taking forward student centred learning in future.

Flexibility – Bournemouth university

Latest major funding opportunities

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

AHRC. Digital Transformations Small Grants.Funding for projects up to a value of £50k is available for a maximum duration of 12 months  in relation to the Digital Transformations in the Arts and Humanities Theme. Closing date: 27/11/2014 at 16:00

BBSRC. Follow-on Funding.  A Follow-On Grant enables researchers who have a sound understanding of the market opportunity for their intellectual assets to execute a defined programme of work of up to two years in length for under £250k.  Follow-On Fund projects must draw substantially on previous research funding by BBSRC. Closing date: 4/2/15

EPSRC

Bridging the Gaps between the Engineering and Physical Sciences and Antimicrobial Resistance. Up to £5M is available to support institutional Bridging the Gap awards to enable institutions to undertake a range of people-focused activities to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations following the AMR research agenda. Closing date: 2/12/14 at 16:00

Fresh Ideas Fund. Bids are welcome from those with fresh ideas for platforms in innovative Class III, musculoskeletal medical device manufacturing.  Awards are limited to a maximum value of £50K. Closing Date: 19/12/14

Future Manufacturing Research Hubs. EPSRC is inviting outline applications for a number of large-scale, multidisciplinary research Hubs to address major, long-term challenges facing manufacturing industries, as well as capture opportunities from emerging research areas.  A total of £20 million is available to support two Hubs for seven years, which will each have a programme of innovative research in the engineering and physical sciences, related to the challenges in commercialising early stage research. The Hubs will feature high quality, multidisciplinary research, strong engagement with relevant manufacturing industries, and will take a leadership role in their national network. Closing date: 11/11/14 at 16:00

Transforming approaches to improving hearing aid technology.  Transforming approaches to improving hearing aid technology. Proposals are invited to support multidisciplinary research collaborations, which are academically led and focussed primarily on the following research challenges: 1) Optimising hearing aid devices for individuals 2) Speech-in-noise performance in hearing aid devices 3) New methods of signal transduction.  EPSRC expects to allocate between £3million and £5million through this call to innovative, multidisciplinary research projects.  Closing date: 27/11/14 at 16:00

ESRC

Celebrating Impact Prize 2015. The prize celebrates outstanding ESRC research and success in collaborative working, partnerships, engagement and knowledge exchange activities that have led to significant impact. There are £90,000 of prizes to be won. Closing date: 20/11/14

Innovate UK

Building UK’s leadership in aerospace technology. Innovate UK is to invest up to £25m in collaborative research and development that supports the delivery of the priorities set out in the joint industry and Government industrial strategy for aerospace. Closing date: 28/1/15

Improving food supply chain efficiency. An investment of up to £11m in business projects to improve the resource efficiency and resilience of the food and drink supply chain will be made. Registration closing date: 26/11/14

 Medical Research Council

Career Development Award (CDA).  The CDA supports outstanding post-doctoral researchers who are not clinically active to consolidate their research skills and make the transition from post-doctoral researcher to independent investigator.  Awards are made under the full economic costing framework (FEC)opens in new window. There is no limit to the funding that can be requested under the scheme, but requests should be appropriate to the project. Closing date: 28/04/2015

Senior non-clinical fellowship (SNCF). Applicants should hold a PhD (or equivalent) and have at least six years’ post-doctoral research experience at the time of application closing date. The SNCF provides full personal salary costs, together with support for research staff, consumables expenses, travel costs and capital equipment appropriate for the research project. Closing date: 28/04/2015

NERC

Standard Grants. This is an open competition for curiosity-motivated basic, strategic or applied research.  The minimum that can be requested per complete proposal and per component is £65,000 (100% Full Economic Cost) and the maximum for the complete proposal is £1·2m (100% Full Economic Cost). Closing date: 20/1/15

Follow-on Fund. This fund 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. As a pilot, for the autumn call there is the opportunity to apply for up to £250k. Closing date: 18/12/2014

Innovation Projects call. The call will support projects that are likely to generate little or no commercial return, but which will deliver impact. Activities can include products, models, tools, internships or secondments.  Closing Date: 18/12/14

Programme coordination: environmental risks to infrastructure innovation programme.  Tenders are welcome from teams or individual or to support and coordinate the delivery of and Innovation Programme working with leading infrastructure owners, operators and engineering consultancies to translate science into tangible benefit to the UK economy.  Closing Date: 29/10/2014

Toshiba Fellowship Programme. The Toshiba Fellowship Programme (TFP) offers outstanding scientists an opportunity to apply to join Toshiba’s research and development laboratories in Japan, initially for one year, on a Research Fellowship Contract. Closing date: 5/12/14

 Please note that some funders specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKE Support Officer.

You can set up your own personalised alerts on ResearchProfessional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s RKE Officer in RKE Operations or see the recent post on this topic, which includes forthcoming training dates up to November 2014.

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

eBU – helping to develop academic papers for the new academic year

BU research, PG research, Publishing, REF Subjects, Research news, Research themes

With the new academic year about to go into full swing, I’m sure everyone has many papers planned for the year ahead.

In the last 14 months eBU: Online Journal has a build up a steady track record of helping early career academics and more established scholars to gain feedback on their work before submitting to external journals. In fact, not only does eBU have a track record in helping academics gain feedback, but BU academics are using eBU feedback to help them publish in external journals.

From immediate publication to open peer review in a safe internal environment in weeks instead of months, eBU is ideally placed to help early career and established academics to break through the barriers that stand in the way of publication – surely you’d be foolish not to consider using eBU for your next paper!

Two-day ARTS in Research Workshop at the Lighthouse Centre for the Arts in Poole

BU research, Featured, PG research, Research news, Training

Bournemouth University Centre for Qualitative Research and

ARTS in Research Collaborative

in co-operation with
The Lighthouse Poole’s Centre for the Arts
Centre of artistic excellence for live events, theatre, music, film & visual arts present:
Two-day Workshop 20 & 21 November, 2014
Developing Arts-based Approaches
to Academic Research  
With Hazel Evans, Artist-in-Residence at The Lighthouse
Established artist in Dorset, Hazel is a multi-disciplinary artist working with the themes of communication, journeys, interior and exterior landscapes of the body. Her storytelling theatre company ‘Valise Noire’, was established in 2011. “Words, musical scores and ink on paper fusing the past and present, inspire my illustrative and written work. I enjoy blending antiquity with contemporary, reality and fantasy, black and white. I respond to music in real time documenting the feelings and sounds by the visual landscaping of my illustrations, poems and live art. ” –Hazel Evans
Spend two days exploring the workspaces of living, breathing performers and artists with us at the Lighthouse!  You will have a tour of the facilities, then see and discuss Hazel’s installation in the gallery. With Hazel’s guidance, you will work on your own projects, beginning in text as a point-of-departure. You will explore working with your body, music and/or multi-media during the two days of activities.
Cost for the two-day workshop: £200.
Early-bird discount (by 31st October): £175.
Teas, coffees on arrival and mid-morning break plus choice of finger buffet lunch will be included in the price. The days will run from 9:30 am until 4 pm.
Academic staff and students are encouraged to apply for funding through their School’s training and/or enrichment schemes.

Space themed call for KTP has been launched!

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Research news

Pun intended.

Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board) has launched a new specialised Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) call for space.

This targeted call will support 10 to 12 KTP projects which are in line with the UK’s Space Innovation and Growth Strategy (IGS).

Key points of this targeted call are:

  • ‘Upstream’ projects in satellite and satellite instrument manufacture need to be generally aligned with the National Space Technology Strategy
  • ‘Downstream’ projects need to link to a defined market/end product
  • All projects must use expertise from outside of the space sector
  • There is a bursary fund available for a number of KTP associates to attend the International Space University summer school

This call is now open and closes on 11th February 2015.

For complete information on this call, please visit the Innovate UK website.

If you would like to discuss this call and potential KTP ideas around this call, please do contact me: Rachel Clarke, Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP) – 01202 961347 – clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk

Newton Fund – Call for Applications.

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The Newton Fund is an initiative with the aim of developing the long-term sustainable growth and welfare of partner countries through building research and innovation capacity. It forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance commitment. The Newton Fund Partner Countries are: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

Newton Advanced Fellowships

The Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy and Royal Society are inviting applications to the first round of the Newton Advanced Fellowships as part of the Newton Fund. Newton Advanced Fellowships provide established researchers with an opportunity to develop the research strengths and capabilities of their research group or network through training, collaboration and reciprocal visits with a partner in the UK. Awards last for up to three years and are available to support researchers across the natural sciences including engineering, clinical or patient-oriented research, social sciences and humanities. Up to £37,000 is available each year for:

  • A salary top up (maximum £5,000) for the group or network leader from the partner country.
  • Research support (up to £15,000) to cover costs for studentships, staff, consumables or equipment.
  • Travel and subsistence (up to £12,000) to cover travel costs of the UK partner to the international partner and/or travel of the international partner to the UK.
  • Training (up to £5,000) to support the career development of the applicant and their research group or network.
The closing date for applications is 17:00, 22/10/2014. 
For further information, please visit the funder’s websites:
The Academy of Medical Sciences – www.acmedsci.ac.uk/newton-advanced

Newton Mobility Grants

The British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society are inviting applications to the first round of the Newton Mobility Grants as part of the Newton Fund.
This scheme helps strengthen the research and innovation capacity of researchers from Partner Countries by facilitating exchanges of researchers. Applicants should be researchers from academic establishments or government-funded research institutes. Awards last for up to two years and are available to support researchers across the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Applications must include a researcher from the UK and a researcher from an eligible partner country. Awards will cover costs for travel, subsistence and research expenses. The grant must be based around a joint research project.

  • The British Academy programme is known as Newton Mobility Grants. Grants are offered up to a maximum of £10,000 for a period of one year.
  • The Royal Academy of Engineering programme is known as the Newton Research Collaboration Programme. Awards provide funding at a flat rate of £2,000 per month of exchange visit (up to £24,000 for twelve months total exchange visit/s).
  • The Royal Society programme is known as Newton International Exchanges. Awards last from between three months and up to two years, and up to £12,000 is available dependent upon the length of the visit.
The closing date for applications to the British Academy and Royal Society is 17:00, 22/10/2014. 
The closing date for applications to the Royal Academy of Engineering is 16:00, 24/10/2014. 
For further information, please visit the funder’s websites:
The British Academy – www.britac.ac.uk/newtonfund/
Royal Academy of Engineering – www.raeng.org.uk/NewtonFund/
Royal Society –  https://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/newton-mobility-grants/

Latest Major Funding Opportunities

BU research, Funding opportunities, Research news

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

The Academy of Medical Sciences, along with other funders has announced that they are inviting applications to the Daniel Turnberg travel fellowship scheme. Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowships give early-career biomedical researchers the chance to undertake short-term visits to further their research experience and learn new techniques. This scheme aims to build research links and developing ongoing scientific collaborations between the UK and the Middle East. A maximum award amount of £9,000 is available. The closing date for application is 17:00, 19/01/2015. 

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has announced that they are inviting applications to their Flexible interchange programme. The programme (FLIP) supports the movement of people from one environment to a different one to exchange knowledge/technology/skills, developing bioscience research/researchers and addressing their strategic priorities. Awards will typically last up to 24 months, cost up to £150,000 in total at 80% fEC. The deadline for applications is 16:00, 15/10/2014. 

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is also inviting applications to their China Partnering Awards scheme. The aim is to set up partnership links between UK and overseas laboratories, to promote the exchange of scientists, particularly early career scientists and to promote access to facilities. Funds can only be used for travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops or exchanges. They are not to fund salary costs, consumables, items of equipment or other research costs, nor to link ongoing single collaborative projects. Typically up to £30,000 over a period of up to 4-years for partnerships with 1 or more Chinese life science laboratories is awarded. The deadline for applications is 16:00, 13/11/2014. 

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is inviting applications to its Super follow-on funding scheme. The programme is designed to support the translation of fundamental research funded by them into practical application, including commercialisation. The aim of the programme is to help researchers maximise the societal and economic benefits of their research. Project duration and funding available differentiates between the types of follow-on fund. The call will open on 01/12/2014 and the application deadline will be 04/02/2015. 

Innovate UK has announced that they will be accepting applications to their Innovation in the space sector scheme. This targeted competition for KTPs will support 10 to 12 KTP projects of between six and 36 months, helping to translate the UK’s academic strengths in this area into commercial success. The aim is for businesses to gain the research-driven knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions, in line with the UK’s Space Innovation and Growth Strategy (IGS). Companies will then be better placed to exploit the expanding global space market. Up to £1.3million of funding is available. The deadlines for applications are 01/10/2014, 19/11/2014, and 11/02/2015. 

Innovate UK has also announced that they are inviting applications to their World-leading off-highway vehicles scheme. They will invest up to £3m in collaborative R&D projects that will enable significant reductions in off-highway vehicle emissions and/or deliver major improvements in their operational efficiency. The deadline for registration is noon, 05/11/2014, and the deadline for applications is noon, 12/11/2014. 

Innovate UK and the EPSRC have announced that applications will now be accepted to the Recovering valuable materials from waste scheme. They are investing up to £4.5million in collaborative R&D projects that seek to increase the recovery of valuable materials from waste streams. They expect projects to last up to 24 months and to have total costs of up to £800,000. This is a two-stage competition that opens for applicants on 12/01/2015. The deadline for registration is at noon, 18/02/2015, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at noon, 25/02/2015. 

The Leverhulme Trust has announced that they will soon be inviting applications to their Research Programme Grants scheme. Up to £1.75 million will be available over five years, to enable the exploration of specified research themes through a series of interlinking research projects. Further information on future rounds will be available in autumn 2014.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is inviting applications to its African Research Leader Scheme 2014/15. The aim is to strengthen research leadership across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by attracting and retaining exceptionally talented individuals who will lead high quality programmes of research on key global health issues pertinent to SSA.  The African Research Leader (ARL) should be supported by an enthusiastic local research environment and by a strong linkage with a UK partner. Awards will provide support for up to 5 years and should not exceed £750,000 in total. The deadline for applications is 16:00, 27/11/2014.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced a call for hearing aid research networks. Researchers are invited to submit proposals for Hearing Aid Research Networks to develop multidisciplinary, cross-sector collaborations in the areas of optimising devices for individuals and novel methods of transduction. Applicants can request up to £150,000 (80% FEC) for a maximum period of 18 months. The deadline for applications is 16:00, 02/12/2014.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced that it is accepting applications to its Partnership Awards.  Partnership Awards aim to stimulate collaborative, mutually beneficial research and partnership between industry and academia and to enhance MRC fellows’ development as research leaders. The awards offer both financial and advisory support for existing MRC fellows. There has been no deadline specified.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is inviting applications to its Knowledge exchange fellowships scheme. Directed Knowledge Exchange Fellowships work on a topic or with a business sector that the NERC community has identified as needing a dedicated person to accelerate the impact of NERC-funded science, you can find these on the link above. The maximum award amount is £200,000. The deadline for applications is 29/10/2014. 

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has also announced that it will soon be inviting applications to its Follow-on fund scheme. The Follow-on Fund is a ‘proof of concept’ fund to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from that NERC-funded research. Up to £250,000 in funding is available. The call will open on 23/09/2014 and will close on 18/12/2014. 

The Welcome Trust has announced that they are inviting applications to the Senior Investigator Awards in Society and Ethics. The awards support researchers who have an international track record of significant achievement, who have demonstrated the originality and impact of their research, and who are leading their field. Senior Investigator Awards provide flexible support at a level and length that is sufficient to enable exceptional researchers to address the most important questions about health and disease and their social, political and historical contexts. A Senior Investigator Award might be in the range of £100,000 to £200,000 per year, depending on the needs of your research and your ability to justify the proposed costs. The closing date for 2015 applications is 23/01/2015 for preliminary applications, and 02/04/2015 for full applications.

The Welcome Trust has also announced that they are welcoming applications for the 2015 New Investigator Awards in Society and Ethics. Researchers should be able to articulate a compelling long-term vision for their research and demonstrate the talent, track record and originality to achieve it. New Investigator Awards provide flexible support at a level and length that is sufficient to enable exceptional researchers to address the most important questions about health and disease and their social, political and historical contexts.  New Investigator Award might be in the range of £100,000 to £200,000 per year, depending on the needs of your research and your ability to justify the proposed costs. The deadline for preliminary applications is 23/01/2015; the deadline for full applications is 02/04/2015. 

Please note that some funders specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your RKE Support Officer.

You can set up your own personalised alerts on ResearchProfessional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s RKE Officer in RKE Operations or see the recent post on this topic, which includes forthcoming training dates up to November 2014.

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