Category / Training

DEC receives successful KTP training session…..

BU research, Training

i love KTPAlthough KTPs have been around for over 30 years; for some academics they are still new territory! Bearing this in mind, it was suggested that a training session on KTPs would be welcomed by academics in the School of DEC.

The training session took place at the Talbot Campus last week, and was well received – especially as the session provided the opportunity to meet Neil Grice who is the KTP Advisor for the region.  KTP Advisors play a key role in the setting up of KTPs – they have a broad range of industrial expertise and are on hand to help with the preparation of a KTP proposal.  Then, throughout the life cycle of the KTP, they monitor the progress to ensure that all the partners achieve their goals.

Neil provided an excellent and engaging overview of KTPs, and in addition to his presentation, further project information was delivered by BU colleagues, Emily Cieciura and Norman Stock. They both did a fantastic job of explaining the particulars in bidding for KTPs and what is required post award. The technicalities of a KTP can be quite laborious, so credit goes to Neil, Emily and Norman for delivering a training session which was clear and straightforward!

If you feel you or your school would benefit from a KTP training session, please get in touch! KTP’s are an excellent opportunity for academics to engage with further Research and Development, and in particular they contribute to the REF.  Taking this into consideration, why not take advantage of a training session and find out the value of KTPs?

To find out further information, or to arrange a training session, please email Lucy Rossiter.

1-2-1 Sessions with an Expert Bid Writer at BU Available!

BU research, Research news, Training

The RKE Development team have organised a unique experience for BU staff; a 1-2-1 with a leading grant writer. With a career background in both Academia and Industry Dr. Martin Pickard of Grantcraft is a specialist in writing and supporting research grant applications and tenders as well as providing administrative and management support services for ongoing projects. During the last 20 years Martin has worked extensively across Europe with a large number of universities, and research institutes as well as industrial firms, ranging from small SME’s to major international companies.

Martin is providing individual 1-2-1 surgeries with any academic staff member and works individually and confidentiality with each Principal Investigator as the project is structured and prepared in order to optimize the application documentation from every aspect of the Funders perspective; guiding, steering and showing how to optimize the application throughout the bid process.

Academics at BU who have undertaken his guidance have stated his ‘support and direction was invaluable – Martin gave me some pragmatic suggestions which really helped to shape the bid. His eye for detail made the document much easier to read and the message much clearer. I was very grateful for his input’ Assoc. Prof Heather Hartwell, School of Tourism.

In this highly competitive environment, many strong applications pass the threshold but fail to reach the funding level not because of their science or what they say, but because of their structure and what they omit to say.  The science and art of Martin’s assistance directly addresses this major hurdle to success from innumerably perspectives; enabling demonstrated significantly higher success rates. Even experienced staff at BU who have utilized his services, have called Martin’s approach, ‘refreshing and helpful and renewed my energies in the arduous search for funding. He has had a major influence on the structure and presentation of my recent bids’ Prof Barry Richards, Media School.

Martin will work with you through a process of successive discussions and iterations of the application document, identifying and optimising as many of the weaker aspects as possible, starting with your 1-2-1 session. Identifying these weaknesses is important and takes considerable experience to be fully encompassing but the unique aspect of this approach is the direct provision of solutions and alternatives assembled from a lifetime career involvement, understanding and practise.  This way, not only are you made aware of the problem but given a direct improvement solution It is only at the latter stages that effective grant-writing becomes evident with tweaks to phrases and styles as well as implementation of key/typical standards and texts. Results confirm that without this build of research structure behind and throughout the application success is always limited. This unique experience is valued by academics who have undertaken this process with him ‘Martin makes you think differently about approaching bid writing, constructing a bid and how to build up an argument throughout the various boxes; without changing the actual content he makes you think how to make key points jump out at the reviewer’, Dr Darren Lilleker, Media School.

The process, although labour intensive, works; with a proven historical average success rates of close to 1 in 2 against norms of 1 in 8 to 1 in 10. You can take up this unique and valuable experience, by booking a session now. 

Appointments are approx 45 minutes long and you can book multiple sessions. You will also have unlimited telephone and email support to progress your application after meeting with Martin and you can discuss several applications with him. 

Martin is at BU on the following dates and times and sessions must be booked through Dianne Goodman

Upcoming dates:

  • 27th March 2013, 1:15-5pm (Talbot Campus) now full

Newly available dates (please note – limited availability):

  • 15th April 2013, 9-11am and 2-5pm (Lansdowne Campus) now full
  • 16th April 2013, 16:15-5pm (Lansdowne Campus) now full
  • 16th May 2013, 9:15am- 5pm (Talbot Campus) now full
  • 10th July 2013, 9:15am- 5pm (Talbot Campus)
  • 4th September 2013, 9:15- 5 (TBA)

 

Need A Fully Funded Research Fellow ???

BU research, EU, Funding opportunities, Training

  

 The Prize

These schemes provide strong financial support for a Research Fellow in your department for a period of 12 – 24 months on any research topic.

The Catch

The Research Fellow must come from another European Country or International Base worldwide. It is joint application with you and the fellowship candidate – so they must be identified. (If the fellow is already in the UK they must have been working here for less than 1 year in the last 3.)

The Deadline

Deadline for application is August 2013 – but the forms are relatively easy & straight forward – although moderately time consuming.Fellowships will start in early 2014 but this start date could be extended to early 2015.

Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)                  Deadline  Mid August 2013

International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)       Deadline  Mid August 2013

Note: For people already at the University there is a similar outgoing international Fellowship scheme to enable research periods in other , non European, Labs and Research Centres.

These fellowships are prestigious and highly sought after, especially as they pay very well. There is a difference in emphasis between the two schemes but the overriding criteria is candidate, and host, excellence with respect to the justification of the project rationale. This is all derived from the candidates cv and thus please discuss initially with Martin Pickard who can advise on suitability and fit.

These fellowships are an excellent, and often overlooked, way to expand and compliment a research team. Initial advice is imperative as, again, project structure and rationale with respect to the candidate are very important in determining success and need to be argued and justified around the actual science and project.

Requirements.

One University (Host) and one applicant, of any nationality, other than from than the UK. (candidates may already be in the UK but must have spent less than 12 months of the past 36 in the UK)

The higher the quality of the cv, rated against age and experience, the more likelihood of funding success. Each prospective fellow can only apply for one fellowship but any host can have as many fellows as they want applying to work with the same PI.

The Grant

Typical project period – Minimum 12 months — Maximum 24 months

Fellow income: In excess of 80,000 Euro per year.

University Income: Minimum of 18,000 Euro per year.

Help Needed ??

If you have a research Fellow in Mind (or can find one through networking or your colleague links) the application will not take a lot of time – but a clearly defined and specific approach is required. Guidance notes will be available as well as direct one to one support from our proposal writing specialist Dr. Martin Pickard. 

To assist further we have also arranged a series of 2 morning information sessions to be held on the Wednesday 27th of March and repeated again on the Tuesday 16th of April 2013 

Information Session 1 –  09:00am – 10:00am

A Brief Introduction to the Marie Curie Fellowship Schemes – for those of general interest.  

In addition to the general European topic specific calls under the cooperation programme there are a number of explicit opportunities arising through other schemes – some of which are far more easily accessible and have the advantage of being open to literally any research idea/topic. Several of these arise through the People programme under the Marie Curie calls and this 40 minute plus Q&A information session seeks to highlight some of these opportunities and identify their pro’s and cons so that a clear strategy can be developed to avoid missing these significant, and relatively easy, opportunities.

Information Session 2 – 10:15am – 12:15pm

How to Approach and Structure your Marie Curie Fellowship Application –  for those possibly intending to submit a bid.

The structure of any bid (partner interactions, methodology synergy etc.) is critical to the success of an application and forward planning is a key element of winning proposals.

If you are thinking of applying this August this session will illustrate the basic approach requirements for success and show how to structure and present your research application in the correct form of “Brusselese”.  A brief, 2 hour, guide to the Marie Curie application process.

Please note: If you are already intending to submit a bid this August then Session 1 will provide very little additional information. Also Grants Academy members who have already attended our Grants Academy 2 Day Bid Writing Workshop will not need to attend Session 1 as this has already been covered in your workshop so we would recommend you book into and attend Session 2 only.

If these are a potential interest to you – don’t miss this exceptional opportunity. Please book in ASAP via Staff Development Booking Link to reserve your space as we anticipate these sessions will be very popular.

 

At an early stage in your research career? Then come to one of our ECR Forums!

BU research, Training

Last year we ran a series of forums for academic colleagues who are at an early stage in their research career.  You can find out more about the September session here

The forums are an open, informal sessions where you can meet with experienced academics and members of R&KEO to discuss anything you like to do with research. From publications to projects to funding to research strategy we will be on hand to help and advise.  Going forward we plan to hold these forums on a School by School basis.  If you would be interested in attending one of these events, please contact Nikki Gloyns here.

The next forum will be a Media School event and will be held on 27 March 2013 from 12:30 – 15:00 on Talbot Campus.  If you wish to attend the Media School forum, please contact Nikki Gloyns to book. Lunch will be provided so booking is essential.

Book writing: essential information for researchers

BU research, Training

Coming soon is essential training on book writing. A must for researchers, especially those looking to write their first book.

Facilitated by Professor Stuart Allen, this session will provide advice on the following topics:

  • writing for book publications
  • submitting chapters
  • Intellectual property rights
  • copyright
  • attribution
  • co-authorship

Facilitated by: Professor Stuart Allan, The Media School

Aimed at: Academic Staff

Date: Wednesday 22nd January 2014

Time: 14.00-16.00

Location: PG22, Ground Floor, Poole House, Talbot Campus

To book your place on this workshop, please email staffdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

At an early stage in your research career? Then come to one of our ECR Forums!

BU research, Training

Over the past few months we have run a series of forums for academic colleagues who are at an early stage in their research career.  You can find out more about the September session here

The forums will be open, informal sessions where you can meet with a group of experienced academics and members of R&KEO to discuss anything you like to do with research. From publications to projects to funding to research strategy we will be on hand to help and advise. Lunch / refreshments will be provided so booking is essential

The next forum will be held on 11 December 12:30 – 15:00 Casterbridge, Talbot Campus and you will need to book to confirm your attendance.

PGR Development Framework Programme – October Workshops

PG research, Training

Introducing the new 2012/2013 PGR Development Framework Programme.  Bookings are now open for October workshops

Time Management
Outline: This workshop will identify major drains on your time or energies and explore different tools to structure your use of time and resources

  • Date: Tuesday 16 October 2012
  • Time: 09:30 – 12:30
  • Room: S219, Studland House – Lansdowne Campus
  • Facilitator: Dr Margaret Collins (External)
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk

There are limited places available for this workshop, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Time Management
Outline: This workshop will identify major drains on your time or energies and explore different tools to structure your use of time and resources

  • Date: Tuesday 16 October 2012
  • Time: 13:30 – 16:30
  • Room: S219, Studland House – Lansdowne Campus
  • Facilitator: Dr Margaret Collins (External)
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk
  • There are limited places available for this workshop, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Managing your Research Project
Outline: This workshop will examine the nature of project management, identifying goals, millstones and assessing risks.  Consideration will also be given on how to organise time and resources to best achieve the project goals.

  • Date: Wednesday 17 October 2012
  • Time: 09:30 – 16:30
  • Room: PG22, Poole House – Talbot Campus
  • Facilitator: Dr Margaret Collins (External)
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk

This workshop is now FULL.  On booking your name will be added to a reserve list for notification should a place become available

Preparing for your First Review
Outline: The aim of the workshop is to familiarise students with the purpose and role of their first review with insights from a current PGR and School Research Administrator

  • Date: Wednesday 24 October 2012
  • Time: 14:00 – 16:00
  • Room: PG22, Poole House – Talbot Campus
  • Facilitators: Dr Fiona Knight, Karen Ward (RA) and James Hawkins (PGR)
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk

Public Engagement
Outline: The workshop will look at What Public Engagement is; Why does it matter?; How to do it; Engagement in practice; Internal support for creating a supportive environment for engagement.

  • Date: Wednesday 31 October 2012
  • Time: 09:30 – 11:30
  • Room: PG22, Poole House – Talbot Campus
  • Facilitator: Dr Rebecca Edwards
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk

Managing working Relationships (Students and Supervisors)
Outline: This workshop aims to provide you with a clear understanding of the working relationship between student and supervisor, roles and responsibilities as well as expectations from both sides

  • Date: Wednesday 31 October 2012
  • Time: 14:00 – 16:00
  • Room: PG22, Poole House – Talbot Campus
  • Facilitator: Dr Heather Hartwell
  • Booking: GSbookings@bournemouth.ac.uk

Details will be published on the BU Research Blog, so subscribe today to keep in touch with current events to avoid the disappointment of missing out!

New Library Resource: full text access to Nature.com

Guidance, Research news, Training

You will be delighted to discover that The Library have been able to make funds available to purchase a site licence to the full text of the journal Nature at Nature.com.  Full text access is current year plus a rolling 4 year archive.  This is complemented by access from 1997 to date (with a 12 month embargo) on Academic Search Complete and Medline Complete.

Notes on access:

  • on-campus access is IP-authenticated (therefore automatic);
  • off-campus
  • via mySearch
    • for the latest 12 months the user will need to follow the LinkSource link and if off-campus login by following the Institution login links
    • earlier content back to 1997 there will be a pdf link to the content on Academic Search Complete.

For help using e-journals, e-books, bibliographic databases (such as Scopus and Web of Science), bibliometrics and reference management contact the Library Subject Team for your School.

Research Professional

BU research, Funding opportunities, Guidance, Training

Every BU academic has a Research Professional account which delivers weekly emails detailing funding opportunities in their broad subject area. To really make the most of your Research Professional account, you should tailor it further by establishing additional alerts based on your specific area of expertise.

Research Professional have created several guides to help introduce users to ResearchProfessional. These can be downloaded here.

Quick Start Guide: Explains to users their first steps with the website, from creating an account to searching for content and setting up email alerts, all in the space of a single page.

User Guide: More detailed information covering all the key aspects of using ResearchProfessional.

Administrator Guide: A detailed description of the administrator functionality.

In addition to the above, there are a set of 2-3 minute videos online, designed to take a user through all the key features of ResearchProfessional.  To access the videos, please use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/researchprofessional 

Research Professional are running a series of online training broadcasts aimed at introducing users to the basics of creating and configuring their accounts on ResearchProfessional.  They are holding monthly sessions, covering everything you need to get started with ResearchProfessional.  The broadcast sessions will run for no more than 60 minutes, with the opportunity to ask questions via text chat.  Each session will cover:

  • Self registration and logging in
  • Building searches
  • Setting personalised alerts
  • Saving and bookmarking items
  • Subscribing to news alerts
  • Configuring your personal profile

Each session will run between 10.00am and 11.00am (UK) on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  You can register here for your preferred date:

25th September 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/156092065

23rd October 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/864991824

27th November 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/326491841

These are free and comprehensive training sessions and so this is a good opportunity to get to grips with how Research Professional can work for you.

Research Professional – Training

BU research, Funding opportunities, Guidance, Training

Research Professional are running a series of online training broadcasts aimed at introducing users to the basics of creating and configuring their accounts on ResearchProfessional.  They are holding monthly sessions, covering everything you need to get started with ResearchProfessional.  The broadcast sessions will run for no more than 60 minutes, with the opportunity to ask questions via text chat.  Each session will cover:

  • Self registration and logging in
  • Building searches
  • Setting personalised alerts
  • Saving and bookmarking items
  • Subscribing to news alerts
  • Configuring your personal profile

Each session will run between 10.00am and 11.00am (UK) on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  You can register here for your preferred date:

25th September 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/156092065

23rd October 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/864991824

27th November 2012: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/326491841

These are free and comprehensive training sessions and so this is a good opportunity to get to grips with how Research Professional can work for you.

In addition to the above, there are a set of 2-3 minute videos online, designed to take a user through all the key features of ResearchProfessional.  To access the videos, please use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/researchprofessional 

Research Professional have created several guides to help introduce users to ResearchProfessional. These can be downloaded here.

Quick Start Guide: Explains to users their first steps with the website, from creating an account to searching for content and setting up email alerts, all in the space of a single page.

User Guide: More detailed information covering all the key aspects of using ResearchProfessional.

Administrator Guide: A detailed description of the administrator functionality.

An Introduction to Research Administration & Management

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Guidance, Post-award, R & KE Operations, Training

The Research & Knowledge Exchange Operations (RKE Ops) team will be hosting a lunchtime staff development session on ‘An Introduction to Research Administration and Management’ geared towards professional and support staff on the 11th July 2012 at 12.30pm.

The session will explore the basics around research administration and management, including an overview of full Economic Costing (fEC), the prominent research funders and general good practice in research project management.

Further details can be found below:

  • What? Introduction to Research Administration & Management
  • When? Wednesday 11th July, 12.30 to 13.30pm
  • Where? The Octagon, Library, Talbot Campus
  • Who? Professional and support staff interested in research administration.
  • How?  To book a place please click here

Fusion Investment Fund Applications – Three weeks to go!

Funding opportunities, Fusion, Guidance, Training, Uncategorized

I would like to remind you of the deadline for applications to the Fusion Investment Fund, which is the 1st July. 

Last Fusion Investment Fund Workshops – Places are still available!

Many of your colleagues have attended these workshop sessions in the last two weeks, bringing along draft proposals to show Matthew Bennett and his team of academics.  I attended the surgery session on Thursday 7th June, meeting colleagues taking the opportunity to attend and ask for specific advice and pointers from Matthew on how to make their applications stand out from the crowd. 

Please be aware we re-scheduled the Study Leave Workshop – This is now taking place on Wednesday 13th June

Study Leave Workshop:

Wednesday 13th June 2012, 09:00-10:00 – PG146, Thomas Hardy Suite (TC).

This workshop will provide academics preparing proposals for study leave funding with the opportunity to discuss issues around study leave, the contractual/HR side of the arrangements, and the benefits of undertaking study leave. The workshop will be lead by Matthew Bennett with support from HR and a couple of BU academics with experience of taking study leave as part of their careers. Max of 30 attendees.

The Last Fusion Investment Fund surgery:

Friday 22th June 2012, 12:00-14:00 – P403, Poole House (TC)

These surgeries will provide academics preparing proposals for one of the FIF strands with the opportunity to bring their ideas and drafts to discuss with Matthew Bennett and a team of Professors and to test out what makes a good, fundable proposal with a competitive edge. Max of 30 attendees per session.

  • Booking onto a session is easy, simply click the link to be taken to Staff Development bookings page.

 

Applying to the fund.

 To apply to the fund please see the information here on our intranet pages.

 If you have any queries about the fund please email FusionFund@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Best of luck!

Sam