BU Research Blog

Eva Papadopoulou

Research Facilitator in Humanities and Social Sciences

As a Research Facilitator, I am supporting academics with their proposals and ideas and help them focus in the appropriate funding schemes for Humanities and Social Science funders but mainly AHRC, ESRC, British Academy and Leverhulme. I am also working on strategic institutional bids involving the best of BU’s talent, for UKRI central funding.

I have worked at BU for over seventeen years, and have really come to know the people; I have worked across all Faculties, Business School, ApSci, EU, and a year secondment as the ethics adviser. My latest role was that of Research Officer for the Faculty of Media and Communication, where I was responsible for the Faculty’s research submissions at pre award, for the last 6 years.

Outside of work I enjoy cooking and eating with family and friends and watching weird films.

Zarak Afzal

Research Facilitator, Innovation and Infrastructure

As Research Facilitator for Innovation and Infrastructure, I support academics and researchers in the development and planning of applications to funders such as EPSRC, Innovate UK, Royal Society. I also support institutional activity relating to funding for infrastructure development.

My role involves searching for excellent opportunities and facilitating the development of bids, with the aim of submitting high-quality proposals utilising the expertise available at BU.

As a large part of my role focuses on Innovation, I also work closely with the Head of External Engagement, and the newly created Business Engagement & Knowledge Exchange Managers. This close working relationship enables a cohesive University strategy in targeting excellent opportunities for collaborative research projects with a range of partners. If you would like to formulate a research proposal in partnership with industry, or have a specific research idea which could benefit from industrial support, please get in contact with myself or the Business Engagement Managers. We will be able to help you, utilising our range of expertise and contacts.

Prior to joining BU, I worked at Exeter University in Research Finance and in Research Development in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy. At Exeter I gained strong expertise in research funding applications, working closely with academics from various disciplines. I supported a wide range of research proposals and projects to funders such as EPSRC, NERC, Royal Society and Leverhulme. However, my main specialism was supporting Industry funding, such as Innovate UK and contract research. To facilitate this, I worked very closely with colleagues in the Innovation, Impact and Business department on many different and exciting initiatives in Marine, Computing, Business and Engineering. Prior to working in Research Finance and Development, I worked for a private medical company and in the legal field.

Outside of work, I enjoy jogging and watching cricket. I also enjoy listening to music, watching TV/Films and eating food at interesting places.

Alice Brown

Research Contracts Manager

I am the Research Contracts Manager in RDS. My work days are Tuesdays to Fridays.

I maintain an oversight of the portfolio of RKE contracts and provide advice on these contracts prior to submission, at the point of award and on contract management of awarded projects. I support and review CAF exempt contracts. Working with Legal Services, we deliver approaches and advice on RKE contracting to academics.

Before this role, I was the Senior Funding Development Officer for the Strategic & Major Applications for Research Team from 2018 and a Funding Development Officer for FST from 2014. Before that, I was the Senior RKE Officer at the Arts University Bournemouth to cover a seconded member of staff. Before relocating from Australia, I have worked for 7 years in the Western Australian State Government in legal, policy and research roles.

My interests are travelling, hiking, baking and fine dining.

Sara Mundy

Funding Development Officer (FST)

I am a Funding Development Officer within Research Development and Support. I support academic colleagues in the BU Business School with the pre-award process.

I joined Research Development and Support in October 2013 as a Project Administrator, providing support for all awarded R&KE projects in HSS and SciTech. In my time with RDS I have obtained a vast amount of knowledge about the research environment.

My previous work experience has all been in the Private sector mainly in banking and insurance.

I am the BU Netball Team Patron as I played competitively myself for more than 30 years. I enjoy going on foreign holidays with my partner, we have 2 dogs called Ziggy and Romi and we enjoy long walks along the beach and the surrounding countryside with them.

Joanne Schofield

Funding Development Officer (FMC)

01202  9 (68239)
Available on Teams
Studland House – S801

I’m a Funding Development Officer, working in the pre-award team. I support colleagues in the Faculty of Media & Communication helping academics submit applications for funding.

I have worked in RDS since 2012  as an administrator and as a Project Delivery Officer within the Project Delivery Team, covering externally-funded UK- and EC-funded projects and I have also previously worked with the University’s ethics panels as Committee Clerk.

After graduating from Liverpool John Moores University, I worked for a number of different companies in a number of wide-ranging positions, latterly working as an Office Manager for the Civil Service. I have had a variety of roles throughout my career, starting initially in administration, as an Examiner for the Official Receiver and progressing to take responsibility for stand-alone projects and office management.

In my spare time I enjoy travelling to exotic places, eating out with friends, developing new recipes and going to the cinema.