Category / Uncategorized

Building a research team

Uncategorized

Are you a researcher looking to submit a research application? If so, this could be your opportunity to start building up a research team. Not only will this reduce the cost of your bid, but it will also give you the chance to start building up a group in your research field.  

So, what do we mean by a research team? There are a number of definitions, but a key characteristic is that a research team is a group of people, working together with a commitment to achieve a common research goal. At BU, this might mean those working together on a research project, a research cluster, a centre or an institute. Teams are likely to include academics – senior, junior or both – research assistants and, where appropriate, technical or administrative staff. Individuals are likely to bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to the team which complement one another. However, you may also wish to consider whether team members’ behavioural traits and characteristics are also complementary. You can find out more from Vitae at https://www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/leadership-development-for-principal-investigators-pis/building-and-managing-a-research-team

If you are considering bringing together a research team, and aren’t sure how to go about it, please contact one of the Research Facilitators in RKEO – Jennifer Roddis, Alexandra Pekalski, Emily Cieciura and Paul Lynch – and we’ll be pleased to help.

Successful FST Santander-funded networking and conference visit to Spain, February 2015

Uncategorized

Dr Daniel Franklin (FST) recently visited colleagues from the University of Malaga in Spain, a Santander Partner University, and also attended the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography meeting in nearby Granada. This meeting had 2,500 delegates from 65 countries and used a parallel session format to present cutting-edge science from across the myriad disciplines involved in the study of aquatic systems.
During the visit Dan discussed research ideas with Dr Maria Segovia of the University of Malaga and met members of her research group. Discussion focused on the measurement of phytoplankton dynamics during large-scale ecosystem manipulations (mesocosm experiments) which are designed to test the response of the microbial food web to CO2 enrichment. Dan also discussed the possibility of student and staff research exchanges with Dr Segovia and this will form an ongoing process.
At the conference BU FST PhD students Ian Chapman and Dave Hartnell gave excellent presentations to leading lights in the fields of cyanobacteria management and phytoplankton assessment. The conference was excellent in the range of opportunities it provided to meet with and discuss research with world-leading specialists. We are now planning a submission to a high-impact factor journal which will publish proceedings from the conference. Overall, a very successful visit. Thanks to Santander for the funding.

Student-midwife-run postnatal clinic: FUSION example

BU research, Fusion, PG research, Publishing, Uncategorized

FHSS staff and students published their latest article ‘Would a student midwife run postnatal clinic make a valuable addition to midwifery education in the UK? — A systematic review’ now out on line in Nurse Education Today 35 : 480-486.   The paper is written by Wendy Marsh, Dana M. Colbourne, Susan Way & Vanora Hundley.

We are pleased to inform you that the final version of your article with full bibliographic details is now available online.  The publishers are providing the following personal article link, which will provide free access to this article, and is valid for 50 days, until April 17, 2015:  http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1QcG5xHa50bEa

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Cake Sale for Alzheimer’s Society

Uncategorized

Sarah and I will be hosting a bake sale in the Talbot Campus Atrium on Thursday 5th March, from 1-3pm, in aid of our 54km trek along the Isle of Wight coastal path this May Bank Holiday weekend. We’re taking on this test of endurance to support the valuable work of Alzheimer’s Society, and to help to make a difference for people living with dementia.

We would like to raise £295 each and we’ve been challenged to reach 50% of our fundraising target by 23rd March 2015. In order to achieve this goal, we would like to invite you to indulge your sweet tooth in aid of a good cause, and join us in the Atrium this Thursday afternoon for cakes and treats!

We’ll have a wide variety of cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and other treats available, along with vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and sugar-free options. If you would like to donate some baked goods for our stall, please contact us at snoone@bournemouth.ac.uk or lreynolds@bournemouth.ac.uk to make arrangements.

We’re not putting any prices on our cakes. We want people to donate however much they would like to (loose change also welcomed!). Alternatively, if you would like to donate to our fundraising efforts online, please visit our JustGiving team page at http://www.justgiving.com/teams/IOW2015-BUDI

To give you an idea of what your generosity could mean for people with dementia:

  • £5 could pay for one person to attend a half hour session at a monthly Dementia Café, providing information and support for people with dementia and their carers.
  • £20 could pay for 100 copies of Understanding and respecting the person with dementia – one of the Society’s most requested factsheets
  • £50 could fund a PhD researcher for one day to continue vital research into understanding the causes of dementia, how it can be treated and, ultimately, to find a cure.
  • £100 could pay for 4 weekly visits by an experienced Dementia Support Worker to someone affected by dementia offering them one-on-one support to help them feel less alone and to identify the services that could help them.
  • £120 could pay to run Talking Point for one day – the Society’s 24/7 online community for all people affected by dementia.

We have already received some very generous donations following our last blog post, and we would like to thank you for your support so far. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

Research Professional – all you need to know

BU research, Guidance, Uncategorized

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:

24th March 2015

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.

Two BU authored chapters in new book on childbirth

BU research, Featured academics, Publishing, student research, Uncategorized

BU Ph.D. student and Consultant Midwife Kathryn Gutteridge and Hannah Dahlen Associate Professor of Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney contributed a chapter to the book ‘The Roar behind the Silence: Why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care’.  Kathryn Gutteridge and Hannah Dahlen wrote under the title ‘Stop the fear and embrace birth’.  BU’s Dr. Jenny Hall also wrote a chapter called ‘Spirituality, compassion and maternity care’.

The  volume edited by Sheena Byrom and Soo Downe was published this week by Pinter & Martin (London).   I received my copy of the book yesterday, but didn’t have a chance to look at it until today.  The Roar Behind the Silence is both a practical and inspirational book, which likely to be of interest to people working in maternity care (midwives, doctors, managers), local and regional maternity-care policy-makers as well as politicians and funders and, of course, to many pregnant women and maternity-care pressure groups.  The book highlights examples of good practice, and offers practical tools for making change happen, advice on how to use evidence and real-life stories.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Matt Bentley’s Fusion Fund Research – South Africa Update

BU research, Featured, Fusion, Research news, Uncategorized

Friday marked a successful visit to Abagold in Hermanus. Hermanus is famous for whale watching where the Southern Right whales can been seen close to the shore from September to November. The visit to Abagold by Matt and Carol Simon was hosted by Stoffel van Dyk who is their Operational Director. Abagold is one of the world’s premier abalone aquaculture farms producing the highest quality abalone for the export market. Abagold’s operation is sustainable and helps protect the wild abalone population from poaching activity. Abagold is also the industrial partner in the Fusion Investment Fund project. The farm will offer facilities for BU students who will trialling novel technologies for controlling shell-boring pests of the molluscs.

HE Policy Update

Uncategorized

Monday

Student Loans

Labour party analysis of Treasury figures suggests that student loan write-offs will rise to £20bn per year by 2048-49. Student loan write-offs will rise to £20bn by 2048-49, Labour warns (The Guardian​).

Labour and fees

Lord Mandelson’s speech to UUK last week warned that cutting university tuition fees to £6,000 a year could trigger a rise in foreign students to plug the funding gap, squeezing places available for British teenagers. Cutting tuition fees could reduce college places for Britons, warns Mandelson (The Times).

Tuesday

BIS criticism on alternative providers

A report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee has criticised how BIS handled the privatisation of higher education, concluding that the department ignored repeated warnings about the potential abuse of public money. MPs criticise lax oversight of £1.2bn higher education expansion  (The Guardian).

Wednesday

Maintenance loans

An extensive look at how “the squeezed middle” are facing financial difficulties in affording HE for their children because they earn too much for a full maintenance loan – which in many cases does not meet the full costs of attending universities (such as accommodation and living expenses). Parents lose their car paying price of university  (BBC News).

Student loan system – ‘unsustainable’ 

Professor Nicholas Barr, from the London School of Economics and Political Science, has warned that the current student loans system under which graduates start repayments once they earn £21,000 a year is unsustainable. He said repayments should start at £18,000 a year to avoid massive increases in taxes or cuts to university finances. Expert warns ‘unsustainable’ student loan system could leave £1bn unpaid, (The Independent).

Policy

The APPG on Migration has published a report warning that British universities are now losing out in the global race to attract international students, in particular to other Anglophone countries with more attractive post study work opportunities such as; the United States, Australia and Canada.  Post-Study Work Opportunities in the UK – New report warns UK at risk of losing foothold in crucial international student market (All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration).

Thursday

Nurse review

Fears about the objectivity of Sir Paul Nurse’s review of the research councils may be eased by the announcement of an advisory board containing a number of prominent sector figures. Advisory board to help steer Nurse review of research councils (THE).

OFFA

Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has published their strategic plan. It reported that a record number of 22,000 teenagers from poor families went to university in 2011. Under OFFA’s plans, this number should rise to nearly 40,000 within five years. They have also singled out highly selective universities, calling on them to do more to widen their intake. The Russell Group has responded to the surprise target, saying that they were keen to open their doors to more students but could do only so much if teenagers were not leaving school with the necessary grades. Universities told to double intake of poor students (The Times), Offa: no cap, no excuses on poor students, (THE).

Friday

Labour outline tuition fee plan

Ed Miliband today announced that if elected, Labour would cut university tuition fees in England to £6,000 per year from autumn 2016 in a speech on how the next Labour Government will support young people. He announced that the policy would be funded by reducing tax relief on pensions for those earning over £150,000 per year. The Labour leader also announced an increase of non-repayable maintenance grants by £400 per year to cover students’ living costs. However, these grants are only available to families with a total income below £42,000.  Labour promises to cut tuition fees to £6,000 (BBC News), Miliband announces £6K tuition fees pledge (THE).

 

Matt Bentley’s Fusion Fund Research in South Africa

Uncategorized

Here in South Africa kicking off the Fusion Fund project on controlling pest infestations in abalone aquaculture. I arrived safely in Stellenbosch yesterday after the overnight flight from Heathrow. It was nearly two hours late but actually arriving at 08.30 rather than 06.30 local time is not a bad thing. I met up with Carol (Dr Carol Simon) in the Botany and Zoology Department of Stellenbosch University today. Two BU students will be here on the Fusion Fund project early this summer so sorting out the details for their visit are the first priority. We need to plan all the experimental work carefully to make sure we don’t lose time and get everything done (I should say achieve all the objectives!) that we need to during their research visit.

Dr Simon is the SA lead on the project

Lunchtime Seminar with Zoe Sheppard on 4th March

BU research, Fusion, PG research, Research news, student research, Uncategorized

Lunchtime Seminar on the Findings from Research Impact Scoping Exercise, Wednesday 4th March in R302

Research should make a difference, and as the Faculty’s strapline is ‘helping to make people’s lives better’, it is of relevance to us all. Our forthcoming Seminar series will showcase some of the excellent work of the Faculty to inspire other academics and PhD students.

No need to book, just turn up. Contact Zoe on zsheppard@bournemouth.ac.uk for more information.

Future Impact Seminar dates can be found by clicking on the link below.

Impact Seminar dates 2015

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bournemouth & Poole Sustainable Food City Partnership achieve Sustainable Fish City Award – a great outcome from partnership working.

Uncategorized

I have reported previously on BU’s engagement as a partner in the Bournemouth & Poole Sustainable Food City Partnership (SFC) http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2014/05/21/getting-on-board-with-the-bournemouth-and-poole-sustainable-food-cities-partnership/

It is now exciting to provide a further update – as part of the project Bournemouth and Poole have become the first towns in the world to achieve Sustainable Fish City status.  Some of the most important caterers and restaurant locally have committed to serving only verifiably sustainable fish, impacting upon over 3.6 million fish meals a year throughout the towns.

The campaign, run by the partnership, has been asking businesses and organisations across the two towns to make a pledge and commit to only using sustainably sourced fish in their menus.  Institutions involved include nearly all primary schools, leisure centres, theatres, Bournemouth Pavilion, large workplace restaurants, Bournemouth University, all major hospitals and some of the most iconic and best-loved restaurants including the Highcliff Marriot Hotel and A.F.C. Bournemouth. Despite hot competition from a number of other cities across the UK we are the first to receive the prestigious five star Sustainable Fish City award.

It is a truly extraordinary achievement which will have a huge impact on the local and national supply chain for fish.

Already we are seeing the impact of the campaign beyond Bournemouth and Poole – Harrison Catering Services, one of the UK’s top education and workplace caterers have recently taken the Fish Cities pledge on behalf of their UK-wide operation, and a major inspiration was the pledge of their Poole-based customer, the Jordans and Ryvita Company.

Molly Scott Cato, South West Green MEP, presented the award to Matt Budden, the Executive Chef of the Highcliff Grill at the Marriott Hotel on behalf of Sustainable Fish Cities at her recent visit to the area.

Ruth Westcott, Co-ordinator of Sustainable Fish Cities said:

“We are absolutely delighted to crown the world’s first Sustainable Fish City in Bournemouth and Poole – this campaign began back in 2011, inspired by the sustainable fish on the menu at the London 2012 Olympics, and it has taken a lot of hard work to get here.

Many of the world’s fish stocks are in a worryingly depleted state, but there are still shockingly few places in the UK that you can eat out safe in the knowledge that you are not eating an endangered or unsustainably caught species. Bournemouth and Poole’s most important and iconic institutions have proven that it is possible for any kind of caterer or restaurant to take action on this issue. I am sure they will be an inspiration to many other towns and cities in the UK to follow suit.”

Sarah Watson, Manager of the Sustainable Food City Partnership for Bournemouth and Poole said:

“We were determined that Bournemouth and Poole would be the first area to achieve this award.  We not only have some of the best places to eat out in the country but we also have an important fishing industry around Poole Quay which is a significant part of our local culture.”

Following on from the MDGS- the SDGS

BU research, Uncategorized

 I have been working in the area of educating global citizens who understand the need for sustainable  development for almost fifteen years. As the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2004-2014) has drawn to a close, and we have seen a review of progress against the Millennium Development Goals (insufficient progress essentially), I have been watching with interest as the strategy for taking actions forward emerges.

 Essentially the MDGS will be replaced by the SDGs – will more  sustainable development and social justice be achieved as a consequence?

An  international report which has just been released by the International Council for Science provides an expert commentary on the proposed 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.  My colleague (Professor Stephen Sterling – aka the ‘Godfather’ of ESD) was asked to write the section on Goal 4 and its associated targets. He has warned that the proposed Goal and targets are strong on access to  education but weak in terms of viewing education and learning as a key part of engaging and helping address the 16 other SDGs.

If you are interested in follwoing this up, the full report may be found  here (see p27 for Education):

http://www.icsu.org/publications/reports-and-reviews/review-of-targets-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-science-perspective-2015/review-of-targets-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-science-perspective-2015

 and news coverage is here:

http://roadtoparis.info/2015/02/12/science-building-perfect-world/

 Science http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/702.full.pdf?sid=1ba9e0a0-ced6-4a81-b008-30829c2dec43

Reuters Alert Net http://www.trust.org/item/20150212190135-jmtes/?source=fiTheWire

The report will now be used as part of the UN backed process of refining the SDGs before they are agreed and launched later this year.

If we are to prepare BU graduates who are able to make a significant contribution to the world, it seems valuable to keep abreast of such developments.

How well are we enabling our students to work towards sustainable development and a better world? How might we do that better?

 

 

Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

BU research, Featured academics, PG research, Uncategorized

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Nasirlow noise Switch-mode power supply designs

Title: Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 25 February 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

Nowadays, linear power supplies are widely used to provide the supply voltage rail to an audio amplifier and are considered bulky, inefficient and expensive due to the presence of various components. In particular, the typical requirements of linear designs call for physically large mains transformers, energy storage/filtering inductors and capacitors. This imposes a practical limit to the reduction of size and weight in audio power systems. In order to overcome these problems, Switch-mode Power Supplies (SMPS) incorporate high speed switching transistors that allow for much smaller power conversion and energy storage components to be employed. In addition the low power dissipation of the transistors in the saturated and off states results in higher efficiency, improved voltage regulation and excellent power factor ratings. However, the use of SMPS in audio amplification is not novel in itself, the contribution will arise from design optimisation to achieve the lowest possible harmonic distortion in the audio output stage. Therefore, the primary aim of this research project is to develop the novel low noise switch mode power supply for an audio power amplifier. It will also strive to elevate the reliability of SMPS through stability analysis and enhance the efficiency of power supply through high speed switching transistors. As a result, the research will aim towards changing the way industrial manufacturing of power supplies for audio amplifiers are carried out. It will also provide a new path for researchers in this field to utilize the SMPS in all other audio devices by further enhancing its efficiency and reducing system noise.

 

We hope to see you there.

 

New KTP call – Stratified Medicine!

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Uncategorized

Innovate UK have announced a new specific call for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) in Stratified Medicine.  Stratified medicine in this case means providing the right treatment, at the right time, to the right patient.  The specific call is part of a Stratified Medicine Innovation Platform that is funding a £50 million programme of research and development over five years.

Listed below are the main points for this call:

  • Innovate UK is investing up to £1million to establish new KTP in developing modelling approaches to support the use of stratified medicine in the UK – this is across bioinformatics, systems biology, health economics and analytical algorithms
  • The competition aims to help businesses to achieve access to modelling expertise that allows development of new diagnostic approaches and improves earlier evaluation of diagnostic products

Successful partnerships will enable businesses to advance a product for a stratified approach to treatment, requiring the use of new modelling systems that will either:

  • integrate healthcare and science data, to predict the likelihood of a product demonstrating the intended effect or value in a clinical setting, incorporating approaches such as systems biology or bioinformatics
  • provide innovative multi-parameter algorithms that enhance the predictive strength of a diagnostic test and allow commercialisation
  • provide innovative health economic models for products that will establish new clinical care pathways and allow product adoption
  • This competition aims to allow healthcare- related businesses to use KTP projects to access the modelling skills necessary to improve decision-making and the evaluation of diagnostic tests. This will allow for faster, more predictive and more accurate development of stratified medicine approaches.

Please note that out of scope are modelling approaches that:

  • Do not address a stratified approach to patient treatment
  • Are not related to the advancement of a potential product

There will be a briefing webinar at 13.00 on Thursday 19th February 2015, further information on this webinar can be found here.  Please note this webinar will be recorded and made available for future reference.

This call opens on 2nd March 2015 and closes on 18th November 2015.

If you have any comments or perhaps know of a company who might be interested in this call, please do let me know.  Rachel Clarke, KTP Officer – clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961347.

Biographic Narrative Interpretative Method Training

BU research, Training, Uncategorized

Louise Oliver

My research on child-to-parent abuse aims to interview families who are experiencing this issue, using the Biographic Narrative Interpretative Method (BNIM) developed by Tom Wengraf.  BNIM involves conducting rule governed interviews in which the first part of the interview is unstructured and the second part uses the words of the participant to ask more questions.  The analysis of the gathered information will be by using reflecting teams. These teams will help to maintain ‘multi-voiced’ interpretations. This idiographic method opens up the possibility for concurrently investigating multiple experiences, and through a better understanding, allows the development of new working-hypotheses.

 

The BNIM training is divided into two sections; the first part covers the interview technique to be used and the second part involves looking at the analysis method (This part will be delivered in 2015).

 

Having attended the first part of the training, understanding has been gained as to how challenging the interview technique is.  To know when to “push” for a ‘Particular Incident Narrative’ (PIN) can only be developed through practice, as is knowing when the participant is giving a PIN and not a generic incident narrative.   The initial training has involved holding six interviews; improving each time   with practice.  All attendees have had the opportunity to send two transcripts and notes to Wengraf for further critique, prior to holding the pilot interview.

 

There are three sub-sessions within this interview technique.  The first one uses the ‘Single -Question aimed at Inducing Narratives’ (SQUIN).  This involves asking one question, such as “tell me your life story” and allowing the participant to talk about what is important to them.  After a short break, or if appropriate another day, sub-session two can begin, using CUED-questions which are the participant’s exact words in the order given, pushing towards  the PINs.  Sub-session three is used, if required, on a separate day, to garner more information relevant to the research, using a semi-structured interview technique.

 

What has been observed is how powerful this interview technique is, to garner information especially when the interviewer is not steering the interview.  How deep the participant goes into their memory when they are relating a particular PIN, determines how detailed the story becomes.  This technique, if used properly, can open up endless possibilities that may not have been considered previously.

Seminar Postponed: Dancing with Parkinson’s

BU research, Fusion, PG research, Uncategorized

Lunchtime Seminar POSTPONED on Thursday 12th February 2015 , 1-1.50pm

Dr Sara Houston, Principal Lecturer in Dance at the University of Roehampton

Against the backdrop of a five-year study into dance for people with Parkinson’s, Dr Houston will examine what it means to ‘live well’ with Parkinson’s through those who participate in a dance class.  She will  examine how participants’ aims to ‘stand tall and step boldly’ are embodied and shaped by their dancing experience.  The seminar  will highlight one woman’s claim that dancing makes her feel beautiful, and, as such, is fundamental to her wellbeing. She will debate the challenge that this claim poses to those who argue that beauty in dance is at best unimportant, at worst disenfranchising. In debating this challenge she will create a link between aesthetics and health through a reformulation of the value of beauty in the context of chronic illness and wellbeing. This link will then allow her to discuss how feeling lovely could become relevant and meaningful within the context of participating in dance.

The seminar will be followed by the BU Humanisation Special Interest Group meeting  from  2 -4.30pm  in EB708, Lansdowne Campus. All are welcome.