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International conference in Copenhagen

Ann Hemingway Professor of Public Health (BU, Chair of the European Academy of Caring Science) was co convener of an international conference in Copenhagen in March. The two organisations who came together to run the conference were the European Academy of Caring  Science and the Nordic College of Caring Science. The conference venue was the beautiful Diakonissestiftelsen Education Centre for health and philosophy students in Copenhagen (see photo) which provided a relaxing and  comfortable environment for the 90 delegates and speakers. Our excellent thought provoking key note speakers included Professor Kate Galvin (University of Hull) and Professor Les Todres (Emeritus Professor BU) and their session, Exploring care: Directions for the head, hand and heart of dignity. Associate Professor Maria Kristiansen (Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, University of Copenhagen) and her session, Opinions of care in a multicultural perspective  – Caring Science in multicultural Europe, and Professor Elisabeth O C Hall (Emeritus Professor Aarhus University Denmark, Adjunct Professor University of the Faroe Islands) and her session A Big Picture of Caring Science. Several BU staff presented papers at the conference including Dr Liz Norton, Dr Ann Hemingway, Dr Maggie Hutchings, Dr Anne Quinney, Dr Caroline Ellis Hill and Dr Carol Pound. Many thanks to everyone involved particularly those on the organising and scientific committees.

Caring Science is the study of the health and wellbeing of humans in different life situations, and has as it’s basis respect for human dignity and integrity. Both these organisations are working to improve the quality of health and social care provision. For more information please contact aheming@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Fusion Investment Fund

The next round of the Fusion Investment Fund launches on 11th May.

The Fusion Investment Fund provides staff with the opportunity to develop and pursue their fusiongoals by bidding for and drawing on these ‘pump-priming’ resources. FIF is part of BU’s investment in intellectual capital.

Fusion is central to BU2018 and with this in mind we are embedding fusion within our Global Agenda as we enter the next exciting phase of shaping BU’s global footprint. Taking our internationally respected fusion of education, research and professional practice to a global audience increases BU’s global profile and underscores the excellent performance already achieved and recognised through the recent QAA and REF 2014 results. To drive our vision forward the competitive strands of Fusion (Co-creation and Co-production, and Staff Mobility and Networking) have been aligned to help staff (particularly those new to bidding, or new to BU) make BU become a truly global institution.

Watch out for more details soon about how the fund can support your work.

Funding Opportunities

Kan Tong Po visiting fellowships

Royal Society, GB

This scheme is for scientists in the UK who want to stimulate new collaborations with leading scientists overseas through either a one-off visit or bilateral travel. This scheme is not intended to support continued research between a UK applicant and co-applicant who was a former colleague or PhD student or to support other existing or recent collaborations between the applicant and co-applicant. Rather, the scheme is intended to stimulate new collaborations between scientists in the UK and overseas.

Eligibility requirements

The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

Both the UK applicant and overseas applicant must:

  • have a PhD, or be likely to have a PhD by the time the funding starts
  • hold a fixed or permanent contract at an eligible organisation for the duration of the project (ineligible organisations include industrial, private and commercial organisations, university spin-out companies, government bodies and research institutes and research councils)
  • be based in the respective countries at the time of the application

The funding available is dependent upon the length of the visit. Applicants may request:

  • up to of £3,000 for one-off travel lasting up to 3 months
  • up to £6000 for multiple visits to be completed within 1 year (including a maximum of £1000 for research expenses)
  • up to £12,000 for multiple visits to be completed within 2 years and cost share projects fixed at 2 years (including a maximum of £2000 for research expenses)

Closing Date: 01/June/2015

 

Newton mobility grants

Royal Society

The Royal Society offers Newton International Exchanges as mobility grants to provide international researchers with funding towards travel, subsistence and research expenses for either a one-off short visit to explore opportunities for building lasting networks or for bilateral visits to strengthen emerging collaborations. Successful candidates may wish to consider subsequently applying for a Newton International Fellowship or Newton Advanced Fellowship to consolidate partnerships.

The skills and knowledge gained should lead to changes in the well being of communities and increased economic benefits.

This award is currently available to international researchers that want to strengthen the research and innovation capacity by visiting or sending staff and students to the UK. The aims are to:

  • Strengthen research capacity of the partner countries – by facilitating training and skill transfer from the UK to partner countries.
  • Support excellent research – by linking the best researchers in the UK with the best researchers and their groups in partner countries and providing support for initial exploratory research.
  • Establish long term research links – between both partners to ensure sustainable research capacity in partner countries and benefit to the UK research community in the longer term.

This scheme is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of the Newton Fund.

Applicants must have a PhD or equivalent research experience and hold a permanent or fixed-term contract in an eligible university or research institute, which must span the duration of the project. Collaborations should focus on a single project involving overseas-based scientist (“the Applicant”) and UK-based scientist (“the Co-applicant”).

The funding available is dependent upon the length of the visit and the partner country.  Applicants may request:

  • up to £3,000 for one-off travel lasting up to 3 months
  • up to £6,000 for multiple visits to be completed within 1 year (including a maximum of £1,000 for research expenses)
  • up to £12,000 for multiple visits to be completed within 2 years (including a maximum of £2,000 for research expenses)

Closing Date: 3/June/2015

 

National Centre for Research Methods call for methodological research projects

Economic and Social Research Council

We are pleased to invite proposals for projects that will undertake cutting-edge methodological research development, within the context of substantive research problems. Projects must be focused in one or more of the following strategic areas:

  • Digital devices and mobile technologies for data collection
  • Participatory approaches
  • Analysis of online digital and Big Data
  • Bio-social data analysis
  • Policy relevant research synthesis
  • Small area estimation

The call is issued in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) which will co-fund in the Policy Relevant Research Synthesis area.

The aim of the call is to increase the quality and range of methodological skills and techniques used by the UK social science community, to enable new or existing social science research questions to be addressed more effectively. A total of £5 million (100 per cent fEC, ESRC contribution £4 million) is available. The maximum budget for an individual Research Project is £825,000 (100 per cent fEC, ESRC contribution £660,000) over a maximum of 36 months. Projects will need to commence on 1 January 2016.

Closing Date: 16/June/2015

 

Early-career fellowships for researchers in India

Wellcome Trust

This scheme provides a unique opportunity for the most promising postdoctoral researchers to carry out research in India. Applicants are expected to identify an important biomedical research question and design a project that would help answer this question. The proposal would also suggest how the proposed work would help develop the applicant’s future independent research program. Submitted proposals are expected to be globally competitive. Applicants may wish to set up long term training or collaborative visits (work outside Host Institution) for up to 24 months. These visits may be to other leading laboratories, anywhere in the world.

The fellowship is for five years, full time and provides:

Personal Support for the fellow.
Research expenses (materials and consumables; animals; support to attend scientific meetings; and small items of equipment, e.g. laptop)
Additional allowances (travel and overseas subsistence) for work outside the Host Institution; these are scientifically justified visits of up to 24 months to an external laboratory either in India or abroad.

Support funds for research staff or large equipments are not typically provided. It is expected that applicants will choose appropriate laboratories/ environments where majority of the necessary equipment and facilities are already available. To complete a preliminary application use our online system, IASys. Please ensure that the form is submitted by the published deadline.

Your preliminary application will normally be assessed within one month of the submission deadline. If successful, you will be invited to submit a full application. Your full application will be peer reviewed and considered by the appropriate Selection Committee and, if successful, you will be short-listed for interview. Short-listed candidates will be notified two weeks before the interview date. Applicants are not permitted to apply to multiple Fellowship schemes within the India Alliance in parallel. Only one application to one scheme will be entertained, at a time.

Preliminary application deadline: 15/June/2015

 

Supply chain integration in construction

Innovate UK

Innovate UK is to invest up to £2 million in feasibility studies to explore new ways of increasing collaboration and improving the flow of information throughout the construction supply chain. Our aim is to address problems arising from the fragmented nature of the industry. With so many layers of sub-contractors and suppliers, construction clients too often find themselves divorced from those who deliver projects on-site.

This lack of integration within the supply chain is leading to lost opportunities for innovation. We are therefore seeking proposals that will encourage the creation of more integrated, collaborative supply chains in this sector. These feasibility studies must be business-led. Projects are open to companies of any size working in collaboration. Small businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs, medium-sized businesses 60% and large businesses 50%.

We expect projects to last 6 to 12 months with total costs ranging from £50,000 to £150,000, although we may consider larger projects. This competition opens on 9 March 2015. The deadline for registration is at noon on 22 April 2015and the deadline for applications is at noon on 29 April 2015. A briefing day for potential applicants will be held in Bristol on 19 March 2015.

 

Collaborative doctoral awards

Arts and Humanities Research Council

Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDAs) provide funding for doctoral studentship projects, proposed by a university based academic, to work in collaboration with an organisation outside of higher education.  They are intended to encourage and develop collaboration and partnerships providing opportunities for doctoral students to gain first-hand experience of work outside the university environment and enhance the employment-related skills and training a research student gains during the course of their award.

The projects also encourage and establish links that can have long-term benefits for both collaborating partners, providing access to resources and materials, knowledge and expertise that may not otherwise have been available and also provide social, cultural and economic benefits to wider society.

The AHRC are keen to see innovative applications that build diverse relationships with the non-HE sectors and would like to encourage further proposals to work with businesses, regional museums, regional arts organisations and community groups.  Any topic within the AHRC’s subject domain is eligible. Selection of successful applications will not be subject to quota systems and there are no priority areas, however, PhD proposals which address AHRC’s research themes are encouraged. In 2013 AHRC named 12 Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) organisations through which a fixed number of CDAs are also available.

Closing Date: 7th/July/2015

 

 

 

Staff Profile Pages to be updated – 16 April 2015

 

 

 

 

There will be a planned update to the Staff Profile Pages (SPP) by the IT team on 16 April 2015 around 3pm. This update is expected to fix a few known bugs and to improve overall performance of the site.

Whilst we are not expecting much disruption and interruption caused by the update, please bear in mind that certain functions of the Staff Profile Pages, especially the search function, may not operate normally.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Dementia Hustings, Regent’s Park, London – 13th April 2015

Dr Michelle Heward represented Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) at the Dementia Hustings event in London on 13th April 2015, hosted by Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) and Alzheimer’s Society. In the lead up to the General Election, this event provided members and supporters of the DAA with an opportunity to hear from representatives of the main political parties about their plans for dementia in the next parliament.

Each representative was asked to give an overview of their vision for dementia care over next 5 years, which was followed by a panel discussion lead with questions from the audience. The event was chaired by Broadcaster Tania Bryar and the panel was formed of: Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt, Conservative; Rt. Hon. Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrats; and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Labour.

A number of key issues were debated including: joining up health and social care budgets; implementing a community care model that moves away from existing General Practitioner/Hospital model’s of care developed in the 1940’s; investing in further research to map what effective care looks like and to cultivate disease modifying/cure drugs; developing national and local dementia strategies; and increasing psychological and emotional support for carers.

Despite different approaches, there was consensus amongst all three parties on the importance of dementia and the need for government investment to initiate change.

Impact of fatigue management research in Multiple Sclerosis – FACETS, IMSPIRE and beyond

Lunchtime Seminar with Peter Thomas, Wednesday 15th April 1-1.50pm, R303

Please come to listen to Professor Peter Thomas present on the impact that his research into fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis is having, noting the importance of research with strong potential for patient benefit, and the importance of the research funder.

Further information on this Seminar series can be found by clicking on the link below.

Impact Seminar dates 2015

There is no need to book – just turn up. Contact Zoe on zsheppard@bournemouth.ac.uk for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Impact of fatigue management research in Multiple Sclerosis – FACETS, IMSPIRE and beyond

Lunchtime Seminar with Peter Thomas, Wednesday 15th April 1-1.50pm, R303

Please come to listen to Professor Peter Thomas present on the impact that his research into fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis is having, noting the importance of research with strong potential for patient benefit, and the importance of the research funder.

Further information on this Seminar series can be found by clicking on the link below.

Impact Seminar dates 2015

There is no need to book – just turn up. Contact Zoe on zsheppard@bournemouth.ac.uk for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Research Professional – all you need to know

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.  The Funding Development Team Officers can assist you with this, if required.

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:

28th April 2015

29th May 2015

23rd June 2015

28th July 2015

25th August 2015

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.

BUDI Holds Technology and Dementia Masterclass

Report by Dr Samuel Nyman

On Wednesday 18th March, the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) hosted a Masterclass on the use of technology with people with dementia. This was the first in a series of four Masterclasses set for the 2015 calendar year. We provided a day full of information and inspiration on the use of a range of technology with people with dementia. The morning focused on technology and everyday living, and included sessions on assistive technology, monitoring technology, smart homes, virtual reality, and dementia friendly technology guidelines. The afternoon focused on gaming technology and included opportunity to interact with a range of devices including iPads, an Xbox, Wii, a virtual reality environment, and an educational game. 

We had 20 external guests attend the day, who represented organisations from the public, private, and third sectors. The feedback was on the whole very positive and we look forward to providing the next Masterclass in a few months! 

Next Masterclasses:

Wednesday 17th June:             Financial and Legal Aspects of Dementia Care

Future Masterclasses:

Wednesday 30th September:   Creative Approaches in Dementia

Wednesday 2nd December:     Promoting Wellbeing at the End of Life

 

BUDI attends Quarterly Meeting of the Dementia Action Alliance (DAA)

Report by Dr Samuel  Nyman:

On 20th March BUDI attended the quarterly meeting of the Dementia Action Alliance (DAA). This was held in London at the College of Occupational Therapists. The day primarily consisted of presentations with time for discussion, and attracted members from private, public, and third sector organisations as well as people with dementia and their carers. The morning centred on risk reduction and the evidence for lifestyle factors to increase / decrease the risks of developing a dementia, and depression was a particular factor that was highlighted as an important risk factor. The afternoon presented two new calls to action:

Dementia Words Matter

From consultations with people with dementia, this call to action is to ask that everyone uses appropriate language when referring to people with dementia. We are to use terms such as “person with dementia” or “person living with dementia”. Terms to be avoided include referring to people with dementia as “sufferers”, “demented”, “senile”, or “victims”. Part of being a dementia friendly university will mean using the correct language when referring to people with dementia and not using terms that are likely to offend.

National Family Carer’s Involvement Network

With support of the Department of Health, this network will be to engage and equip carers to raise the profile of the needs of carers and to influence policy and practice. It will also be a resource for carers to support each other. Anyone who is a carer or knows of a carer of a person with dementia is encouraged to join this initiative and help campaign for better support and services for informal caregivers who play a vital role in supporting people with dementia.

BUDI is a proud member of the DAA and is a great place to network with key stakeholders who have an influence on policy and practice.

£5,000 business funding – Innovation Vouchers

Are you working with business?

Innovation Vouchers are open to all kinds of small businesses.    Businesses  can claim up to £5,000 towards the cost of expert advice if they classify as a start-up, micro or  SME . The funding encourages SMEs and start-ups to seek out fresh knowledge that can help their business to grow and develop. This could include advice on an innovative idea, learning more about using design within the  business or how to make the most of intellectual property.

Business challenge

Innovation Vouchers  have in the past been available only in specific technology areas. Now a business can apply if  they  just meet these simple tests:

• you need specialist help to meet a business challenge

• it’s the first time you have worked with the university (a great first rung on the ladder before a KTP  perhaps?)

You can apply at any time with around 100 vouchers being awarded every 3 months – for 2015 this is April and July. 

For more information, visit the website  Innovation Vouchers .

Innovation Vouchers are funded by Innovate UK. A short guide to  to help make clear what an assessor for Innovate UK competitions is looking for has been produced. All of the Innovate UK funding programmes follow a similar pattern and you should bear in mind that the questions are designed to help rather than trip you up. It is important that you answer the questions asked and cover all aspects the Guidance for Applicants describes.