Category / RKE development framework

Lifting the Lid on the Future of Food – STEAMLab 25th January 2018

On Thursday 25th January 2018, BU’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) will be hosting a Food STEAMLab.

Which means…?

We’re seeking to come up with novel research which addresses challenges in the future of food. With increasing pressure on food sources and the food industry, we need to consider how food security can be guaranteed for the future. Potential areas to address this challenge may include but are not limited to, malnutrition/nutrition, agriculture, logistics, robotics, supply chain, new forms of food, sustainability, political/economic problems, food policy, food waste & recycling, and climate & the environment.

So, who should attend?

STEAMLabs cover broad themes to ensure that they are open to everyone from all disciplines. So if you think you have something to contribute then come along.  If you think that they don’t include you then please have a chat with your RKEO Facilitator who can explain how your research could make a vital contribution to new ideas and approaches. In order to encourage wider partnerships, each STEAMLab will include academics from other universities, as well as representatives from industry and other sectors.

What do I need to prepare in advance? What will the STEAMLab entail?

Absolutely nothing in advance. During the session, you’ll be guided through a process which results in the development of research ideas. The process facilitates creativity, potentially leading to innovative and interdisciplinary research ideas. These ideas will be explored with other attendees, and further developed based on the feedback received.

What if I don’t have time to think about ideas in advance?

You don’t need to do this but it will help. Attendees will come from a range of backgrounds so we expect that there will be lively conversations resulting from these different perspectives.

What about afterwards? Do I need to go away and do loads of work?

Well… that depends! The interactive day will result in some novel research ideas. Some of these may be progressed immediately; others might need more time to develop. You may find common ground with other attendees which you choose to take forward in other ways, such as writing a paper or applying for research funding. Your Research Facilitator will be on hand to support you as you develop bids for funding.

What if my topic area is really specific, and doesn’t really relate to food?

Your contribution will be very welcome! One of the main benefits of this type of event is to bring together individuals with a range of backgrounds and specialisms who are able to see things just that bit differently to one another.

So, is this just networking?

Definitely not! It is a facilitated session with the primary intention of developing innovative research ideas, which also enables the development of networks. It gives you the opportunity to explore research ideas which you may develop over time, together with the chance to find common ground with academics from across BU and beyond.

How do I book onto this event?

To take part in this exciting opportunity, BU staff should request a place by emailing RKEDevFramework as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

This event will be held in the EBC, Lansdowne Campus.

If you have any queries prior to submitting your application, please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.

This event is part of the Research Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

 

NIHR Fellowships Event 21st March 2018 – SAVE THE DATE

 

As part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, RKEO are holding a session on NIHR Fellowships.

The NIHR Fellowship Event will provide information about NIHR’s Fellowship schemes, and offer some hints and tips for a successful application. We are pleased to welcome the following speakers:

  • Dr Gordon Taylor, Research Design Service South West, NIHR Doctoral Panel Member & Reader in Medical Statistics, University of Bath
  • NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (TBC)
  • Clare Gordon, BU NIHR Fellow

Date: Wednesday 21st March 2018

Time: 12:00-13:00

Venue: Lansdowne Campus

The session is open to all academics, researchers and clinicians who have an interest in applying for NIHR Fellowships.

Please book your space through Eventbrite.

About the NIHR Fellowship Programme: The NIHR is the UK’s major funder of applied health research. All of the research it funds works towards improving the health and wealth of the nation. The NIHR develops and supports the people who conduct and contribute to health research and equally supports the training of the next generation of health researchers. NIHR training programmes provide a unique opportunity for all professionals to improve the health of patients in their care through research. Training and career development awards from the NIHR range from undergraduate level through to opportunities for established investigators and research leaders. They are open to a wide range of professions and designed to suit different working arrangements and career pathways.

New online resources available under the Charities Pathway of the RKE Development Framework

RKEO dev logo - banner

Online materials are now available under the ‘Funding from the Charities’ pathway of the RKE Development Framework.

Online sessions that have recently been added include:

  • ‘Introduction to Funding from the National Lottery’
  • ‘Where to find Charitable Funding’
  • ‘Funding from Smaller Charities – General Principles’

The materials are available through myBU. To access the materials please login to myBU, and access the RKEO RKE Funding from major charitiescommunity ‘BU: Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework’. From here, you can navigate through the pathways (see left hand side of screen) to the Funding from Charities pathway to find the session materials.

Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions under this pathway including a visit from Wellcome Trust, Leverhulme Trust and a Bid Writing Retreat for Charities. Further information on these sessions will be posted on the Research Blog in due course.

RKEDF Event: Innovate UK – A guide to funding

Date: Tuesday 28th November

Time: 10.00-11.00

Venue: Bournemouth House

Innovate UK provides funding for innovative projects in the UK.  Our local Knowledge Transfer Adviser from Innovate UK will be providing us with a guide to funding from Innovate UK and also information on the Knowledge Transfer Networks around the UK.

Refreshments will be provided.

To book your space, please contact od@bournemouth.ac.uk

For further information, please contact Rachel Clarke, Knowledge Exchange Adviser.

Workshop: Sharing your research with the media

Despite the increasing popularity of online media sources, traditional media outlets still tend to be the main way most people consume news.  Working with the media can be a very powerful way of sharing your research findings with the general public or with specialist audiences.  It’s a good way of disseminating your research, which can lead to impact further down the line.

As part of our new Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, we will be running a session about working with the media as one way of sharing your research.  This session is part of the ‘planning for impact and communicating research’ pathway.

This workshop will be led by BU’s PR manager, Nathaniel Hobby, who will take you through the basics of working with the press.

Date & time: Thursday 30 November  10am – 1pm

Location: Lansdowne Campus

For further information and to book, see BU’s staff intranet.

Horizon 2020 : Exploring the Industrial Leadership Pillar – Your chance to learn more!

Does your research benefit from industrial collaborations?

What will collaboration with an industry partner achieve?

How much do you understand about the Horizon 2020 funding opportunities and requirements?

To find out more, sign up to the Horizon 2020: Exploring the Industrial Leadership Pillar session.

This session will explore the Industrial Leadership pillar of Horizon 2020, the European Commission’s flagship funding mechanism and assist you in aligning your research to the European Commission’s requirements.

Particiular consideration, due to the nature of this pillar, will be given to working with industrial partners.

The intended learning outcomes of this session are:

  • To have an awareness and understanding of the funding opportunities within the Leadership pillar of Horizon 2020
  • To be able to assess potential eligibility for this scheme
  • To be confident is assessing, independently, the best route to funding within this scheme.
  • To be able to explain funding opportunities to business contacts
Title Date Time Location
Horizon 2020- Exploring the Industrial Leadership Pillar Tuesday 5th December 2017 9.30 – 12.00 Lansdowne Campus

To book a place on this event please click here.

 

Introduction to Funding from the National Lottery – online materials launched

RKEO dev logo - banner

Online materials are now available under the ‘Funding from the Charities’ pathway of the RKE Development Framework.

An online session for ‘Introduction to Funding from the National Lottery’ is now available. The materials are available through myBU. To access the materials please login to myBU, and access the RKEO RKE Funding from major charitiescommunity ‘BU: Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework’. From here, you can navigate through the pathways (see left hand side of screen) to the Funding from Charities pathway to find the session materials.

Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions under this pathway including ‘Funding from Smaller Charities’ as well as a Bid Writing Retreat for Charities. Further information on these sessions will be posted on the Research Blog in due course.

The Conversation – media training for female academics

Bournemouth University have an ongoing partnership with The Conversation, a media outlet that encourages academics to submit and write news stories on their chosen subject.

The Conversation will be visiting Bournemouth University on Wednesday 22nd November 2017 for a day of training aimed at encouraging female academics in speaking to the media and writing for The Conversation.

In partnership with the Women’s Academic Network (WAN), female academics at Bournemouth University are invited to participate in the day, attend training with Conversation editor Laura Hood, and speak one-to-one and pitch ideas for news stories and articles based on your area of expertise.

The morning session will be a chance to find out more about The Conversation, and to speak openly about the role female academics can play in the media, and barriers that may be preventing this to happen.

Laura Hood will then remain at BU for the afternoon, where academics can book appointments to speak one-to-one about training needs, pitch ideas, or ask questions about getting more involved.

To register your interest in the day, and to attend the morning training session, email newsdesk@bournemouth.ac.uk

For a one-to-one session with Conversation editor Laura Hood, book a slot through our Doodlepoll: https://doodle.com/poll/eynvbfzcees44zhw

The Conversation partnership includes regular training sessions for Bournemouth University academics, with further training opportunities available for all academic staff in the coming months.

Academics! Book your place now for the ‘Engaging with policy makers’ session next Thursday

Need any help with understanding how to use your research to influence public policy? Looking for support and guidance on how to effectively engage with policy makers?

Policy-makers often use research evidence to help inform policies and solutions for issues that affect everyone on a daily basis. They can incorporate a range of individuals, including those who are elected into political positions, civil servants who work in government departments or those working in professional governing bodes, meaning there are a variety of ways in which research can lead to influencing policy.

Research can be particularly influential in policy making as it could provide the basis for an evidence-based change or amendment to legislation. This can be a very powerful way of developing research impact, but it can also be a very complex process.

Join us at next week’s session with BU’s Policy Advisor, Jane Forster, who will help you develop an understanding of the process of influencing public policy and how to use your research to influence policy makers as part of the Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

Title Date Time Location
Engaging with policy makers Thursday 16th November 2017 10.00 – 12.00 Talbot Campus

By the end of the session, you should have a good understanding of and feel confident to use your research to engage and influence policy makers effectively in order to develop your research impact.

Book your place here!

External Application Reviewers Available

We are delighted to confirm that as part of the Research Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, we now have funds available for external application reviewers.

A reminder of the process has been outlined below, and all documentation is available on MyBU here.

Who decides when an external application reviewer may be used?

The permission of academics to use the faculty tied budgets will be under the control of the Deputy Deans of Research and Professional Practice (DDRPP) of each faculty.  This is to keep strategic control under the charge of each DDRPP for their respective faculty. 

How will academics access this support?

Academics who wish to access external support need to consult with their faculty DDRPP.  Please read the “Appointing an External Expert- Procedure” documents and complete the “External Support Checklist” along with an “Intention to Bid” form and send this to the relevant DDRPP.  If the request is approved, the DDRPP will send the approved paperwork to RKEO who will then contact the external consultant and the academic to work on a service specification.  All contracts and legal/financial arrangements will be dealt with by RKEO.

Who provides the External Support?

We currently have several external application reviewers available, details of which can be found on MyBU.  This process is still open so additional providers may be added at a later date. 

What do academics need to do?

Those interested in making use of an external expert should allow at least four weeks to work on an application before a funding call closing date. Shorter notice would not allow sufficient time for the experts to 1) make room in their schedules for working on a new application and 2) provide an appropriate level of in-depth advice with enough time to incorporate changes and suggestions.

Applicants will be asked to send a copy of an Intention to Bid form as well as a completed checklist to their DDRPP which will explain the background to their proposal and why they would find support helpful.

Sandpits can help researchers escape disciplinary bubbles – why YOU should attend a BU STEAMLab

Idélab

For a team in Norway who attended the first Idélab in 2014 (otherwise known as a sandpit) the event gave them the opportunity to develop four collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects to ‘help save the world’. When discussing the sandpit approach they stated that it “created both cross-disciplinary projects and collaborative practices. These are for the moment only ripples. But a ripple can make a wave that advances the tide”.

The full article details further benefits, and challenges, of the sandpit approach and makes a convincing case as to why it’s important to engage with such events. The article is available on the Research Professional pages.

What we do at BU

As you will have seen, we have recently renamed our sandpit events as STEAMLabs (inspired by Norway’s extremely successful Idélab). This demonstrates the purpose of the STEAMLabs as being open to all disciplines and encouraging truly interdisciplinary research ideas.  The ‘Lab’ part demonstrates the working environment that leads to the creation of novel research ideas and partnerships. In a nutshell, the STEAMLabs offer the opportunity to meet new people from all disciplines and sectors, and to spend dedicated time developing novel ideas for research projects.

Food Glorious Food

Our next STEAMLab is on 14th November on the topic of Food Security. Spaces are still available, so please apply by completing the Food Security Application Form and return this to RKEDevFramework by Friday 3rd November.

By applying, you agree to attend for the full duration of the event on 14th November 2017 (c. 9:30 – 16:00). This event will be held in the EBC, Lansdowne Campus.

If you have any queries prior to submitting your application, please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.

This event is part of the Research Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

Resurrecting your unsuccessful grant application – book on now!

 

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about how to resurrect those old grant applications that you’ve long since forgotten about.

But what do you do after hearing your application was unsuccessful? As part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, RKEO are holding a session on ‘Confronting your Unsuccessful application’. This one-day event will combine:

  1.  information about how individuals deal with rejection
  2.  advice and guidance on how this can be turned into something positive
  3.  advice on how feedback can be approached
  4.  the opportunity for individuals to work on revising their bids, using the above as a basis for doing so.

The afternoon session will comprise of 1-2-1 sessions with the external facilitator, to get specific advice relating to your application.

There are 15 spaces available for academic staff whose funding application has been rejected and wish to re-submit to another funder, within the next 12 months.

Date: Wednesday 15th November 2017

Time: 09:00-13:30 with opportunities for a 1-2-1 appointment in the afternoon session

Venue: Lansdowne Campus

Book your space via the RKE Development Framework page for this event.

For further information, please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.