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PATH Final Conference – November 16th

conferences, international

PATH perinatal mental health final conference

The final conference for the PATH project is in Antwerp on 16th November, 2022.

The cross-border Interreg PATH initiative aims to improve perinatal mental health and includes a wide communications campaign, training for healthcare professionals and new services for families.

PATH involves thirteen partners from France, Belgium the Netherlands and the UK, including Bournemouth University. Leading BU’s project contribution is Professor Wen Tang, from the Faculty of Science and Technology.

For more information about the project and the conference, please contact Zequn Li or Timothy Devlin.

Heif Project PPI Event Eczema Igloo: seeking children age 7-11 with itchy eczema/and/or interest in computer games for half term workshops

Dr Heidi Singleton (DNS) , Professor Debbie Holley (DNS) and Dr Emily Arden-Close (Dept of Psychology) have an upcoming PPI event on the 25th and 26th October. It is open to all children aged 7-11 years (accompanied by an adult), who have moderate to severe eczema or would like to take part in a computer game event that could help children with eczema? 

Please share the eventbrite widely!  the EventBrite link below:  

 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-computer-game-eczema-research-event-tickets-423362076367  

Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry, and cracked which is a painful and distressing condition. It is estimated that around 20% of children suffer from this condition with 4% of these cases identified as moderate to severe. It has a major impact on children and their families; gets in the way of sleep, impacts upon social activities, and can lead to low mood and anxiety.   

  The use of virtual reality (VR) in clinical and therapeutic settings has been shown to help with pain relief and distraction from the effect of symptoms. While psychological approaches have been shown to be helpful for reducing the itch-scratch cycle in eczema, few children been offered them. Virtual reality has been used to treat children with anxiety, burns and pain, now we are seeing if it will also be helpful to distract from eczema symptoms. Drawing upon PPI methods in our initial work, we have now co-created an interactive “mini-VR igloo headset”, designed for a child lying on their bed. The VR games are designed to take the children into the sights and sounds of a cold or underwater environments, to distract them and ease the uncomfortable feelings of itchy eczema.  

Alongside those designing and producing the igloo from the University Department of Design and Engineering and Computer Animation, we will also be working with a support group for carers of children with eczema and BU Pier.

Research Professional – all you need to know

Funding opportunities

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 Research Professional. 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 Research Professional.

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 Research Professional. 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 Research Professional. They are holding two monthly sessions, covering everything you need to get started with Research Professional. 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 second Tuesday of every other month. You can register here for your preferred date:

8th November 2022

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. Previous recordings can be found here if you can’t attend a session.

Have you noticed the pink box on the BU Research Blog homepage?

By clicking on this box, on the left of the Research Blog home page just under the text ‘Funding Opportunities‘, you access a Research Professional real-time search of the calls announced by the Major UK Funders. Use this feature to stay up to date with funding calls. Please note that you will have to be on campus or connecting to your desktop via our VPN to fully access this service.

Research Series: Science, Health, & Data Communication

logo for the Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication ResearchThe Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research invites you to our Autumn-Winter 2022-23 research series. These talks are open to the public, and encompass topics on representations of bodies in the media, managing your health data, immersive media, and community responses to suicide.

Register for events on EventBrite.

CSHDCR is an interdisciplinary, cross-faculty centre seeking to explore the ways in which specialised knowledge and information is communicated to the public, including policy-makers and front-line workers, and how mass communication (such as journalism and entertainment media) conveys and represents these areas to audiences.

 

 

Karen Fowler-Watt – Imagining alternative futures: ‘storylistening’ in participatory arts as a route to peacebuilding

Date: Thursday, 13 October 2022 at 14:00 BST
Further details and registration.

Dr. Melissa Aronczyk – A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of American Environmentalism

Date: Thursday, 20 October 2022 at 14:00 BST
Further details and registration.

Dr. Manisha Ganguly – The Future of Investigative Journalism

Date: Thursday, 27 October 2022 at 14:00 BST
Further details and registration.

Dr Anastasia Denisova – Fashion media, influencers and climate change

Date: Thursday, 3 November 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

Dr. Ozlem Demirkol Tonnesen – Hidden in Plain Sight: Researching Social Media in Risky Settings

Date: Thursday, 17 November 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

Antonio Lopez – Are Algorithms Good for the Planet? An Ecomedia Literacy Perspective

Date: Thursday, 24 November 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

Isabella Rega and Andrea Medrado – Media Activism, Artivism, and the Fight Against Marginalisation in the Global South

Date: Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

Dr. Pollyanna Ruiz – #SayTheirNames; Remembering and Forgetting Black Lives Matter

Date: Thursday, 8 December 2022 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

Sarah Jones – Understanding VR

Date: Thursday, 12 January 2023 at 14:00 GMT
Further details and registration.

BA/Leverhulme Small Grants 9th November 2022

Funding opportunities

 

BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants

The call for the next round of BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants is now open and closes at 5.00 pm on 9th November 2022.

We welcome the new electronic Intention to Bid (e-ITB) forms from Early Career Researchers and/or for bids that deliver pump priming / seed  funding purposes.

Due to the volume of bids that are received by RDS in every round, the internal deadlines will be strictly applied to ensure that the pre-award team can provide

all interested academics with optimal support in a timely manner.

Where ITB forms are received after 10th October 2022 they will be moved automatically to the next round.

The British Academy has provided guidance and FAQs. They have stipulated that all applicants must read the documentation carefully before starting their application.

Timeline

The call closes at 5.00 pm on 9th November 2022.

Date Action

10/10 Intention to Bid forms to be submitted via the new electronic intention to bid platform.
At this date, advise your referee that you will be sending them your completed application on FlexiGrant and they will need to provide their supporting statement by .

12/10 If you are Grade 8 or below and you wish to use the support of an External Application Reviewer (EAR), you must submit a first draft of the application to RDS by this date.
An EAR will not be allocated to you if you send a draft to RDS after this date.

21/10 Latest date for you to fully complete your application on FlexiGrant, so it is ready for your referee to complete the supporting statement via FlexiGrant.
Note that the earlier you complete you application on FlexiGrant, the more time the referee will have to review your bid and provide the supporting statement by 31/10.

31/10 Latest date for referee to complete the supporting statement via FlexiGrant.
02/11 Click ‘submit’ and the form will be sent to BU’s account for RDS checks.
02-09/ 11 Institutional checking process – RDS will work with you to ensure compliance with all funder’s requirements.
09/11 Submission deadline – latest date to formally submit on FlexiGrant.

If you have any queries, please contact your Research Facilitator or Funding Development Officer.

 

Horizon Europe Update – October 2022

Since my last update, there is no significant news and the message from officials remains the same – UK researchers should continue to apply for Horizon Europe grants despite uncertainty over association.

I want personally to thank those BU academics who follow this advice in practice. As a result, 15 EU grant applications have been submitted in September. The fact is that the only way to secure external funding is to apply for it.

There are still calls open on EU Funding & Tenders portal with deadlines in November until early 2023. Work programme parts for 2023 – 2024 still are in development stage, more information regarding those you can find on Brightspace (presentation from yesterday’s funding briefing session is also there).

There was an interesting article published by Research Professional today about EU/UK negotiations related to Horizon Europe association; if interested, you can read full article here.

I only have to add that negotiations are not over; they speak in article about specific working group established in August 2022; unfortunately, their efforts ended up without any results.

We have recently seen some interest in COST Actions from BU academics. Formally, COST is not a part of Horizon Europe and the UK is one of COST member states. You can also read more here.

Once again, I would like to emphasise that regardless of outcome of EU/UK negotiations, international networking generates opportunities to apply for collaborative grants. If you are invited to join COST network, please do remember to submit e-ItB form, so RDS can process and support your application.

What can be done for more at-risk young people to become entrepreneurs?

The struggle to find sustainable employment is heightened among young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) and living in deprived communities. Despite initiatives to create more jobs, there is evidence to suggest a strong interest in entrepreneurship among young people in the UK.

A study on NEET young people’s views on entrepreneurship showed that 54% of 18 to 30-year-olds from the most disadvantaged regions in the UK would like to start a business. However, 54% of these young people are terrified of actually starting a business; only 22% know where to seek business advice and support, and only 8% would describe themselves as entrepreneurial.

According to the latest OECD Employment Outlook report, routine and low-skilled jobs are expected to decline by 12% in the UK by 2024. Although recent findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that at least 70% of 15- year-olds in the UK aspire to professional and managerial careers requiring tertiary education, low-achieving students have no intention of continuing their education after secondary school and high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to realise such careers because they have a lower chance of pursuing post-secondary education.

What can be done?

The SPEED-You-UP project seeks to improve the entrepreneurial and employability skills of at-risk and NEET young people in deprived coastal regions of England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. By encouraging young people’s appreciation of their talents and abilities as a springboard for launching a business, the project takes young people on a journey of self-discovery and confidence building. Through the project, young people have the opportunity to experiment with a business idea, which helps to raise their confidence and motivation.

According to three participants with no prior knowledge of starting a business and experiencing low self-belief: “Speed You-Up really helped us identify who we are and what we are trying to do and what we’re capable of doing.”

Funding Development Briefing 5/10/22 Spotlight on: ESRC

Funding opportunities

What are Funding Development Briefings?

Each session will cover the latest major funding opportunities, followed by a brief Q&A session. Sessions will also include a spotlight on a particular funding opportunity of strategic importance to BU. Sessions will be on Wednesdays, from 12 pm for half-an-hour. The same link can be used each week to join here.
Next Weds 5 October 12:00-12:30, we will cover ESRC.
Date Spotlight Funding Opportunity Briefing Research Facilitator Lead
14/09/2022 Innovate UK SMART Grants Innovation & Infrastructure
21/09/2022 NERC Pushing the Frontiers Life Sciences
28/09/2022 23/24 Horizon Europe Work Programmes EU & International
05/10/2022 ESRC Humanities & Social Sciences
12/10/2022 EPSRC Innovation & Infrastructure
19/10/2022 Wellcome Trust Life Sciences
26/10/2022 HALF TERM
02/11/2022 MSCA Overview of Actions EU & International
09/11/2022 AHRC Humanities & Social Sciences
16/11/2022 Regional Funding Innovation & Infrastructure
23/11/2022 NIHR Overview Life Sciences
30/11/2022 Horizon Europe Societal Challenges EU & International
07/12/2022 Leverhulme Trust Humanities & Social Sciences
14/12/2022 KTPs (Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Managers) Innovation & Infrastructure

Sessions will be recorded and made available after the session for those who cannot attend.

Sharing the results from this four year four country feasibility study…

Check out our new paper sharing the results from this feasibility study lead by BU focused on social innovation (co-production) strategies with older people helping them to Stay Active and Independent for Longer, the SAIL project. Dr Holly Crossen-White, Professor Ann Hemingway, Professor Adele Ladkin
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QAOA-02-2022-0012/full/html

An international qualitative feasibility study
to explore the process of using social
innovation (co-production) strategies with
older people: the SAIL project
Holly Louise Crossen-White, Ann Hemingway, Adele Ladkin, Andrew Jones, Amanda Burke
and Olaf Timmermans

Doctoral Supervision | New Supervisors Development Workshop

PG research

Whether you are a new supervisor, you plan to be one, or you have experience but are new to Bournemouth University, this development workshop is for you.

The workshop, which is mandatory for new supervisors, offers the necessary knowledge to supervise Postgraduate Research students by placing this knowledge within both the internal and external regulatory framework.

This workshop will cover the following key areas:

  • Nature and scope of doctoral study and the role of a supervisor
  • Code of Practice for Research Degrees at BU, its purpose and operation
  • Monitoring, progression, completion and process of research degrees at BU
  • Importance of diversity, equality and cultural awareness
  • Student recruitment and selection
  • Keeping students on track: motivation and guidance

Book your place onto one of the Doctoral Supervision: New Supervisors Development workshops below. Further details about this workshop can also be found on the staff intranet.

Date Time Location Booking
Thursday 20 October 2022 10:00 – 14:30 Online Book
Thursday 24 November 2022 10:00 – 14:30 Online Book
Thursday 23 February 2023 10:00 – 14:30 Talbot Campus Book
Wednesday 22 March 2023 10:00 – 14:30 Lansdowne Campus Book
Tuesday 16 May 2023 10:00 – 14:30 Talbot Campus Book

 

Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) results published

Knowledge Exchange

Research England has published the results of the second Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).

Knowledge exchange is defined as a collaborative, creative endeavour that translates knowledge and research into impact in society and the economy. This, in turn, helps to inform research, enrich education and enhance professional practice.

BU’s performance in the KEF demonstrates a number of areas of strength – including our research partnerships, our work with business, and supporting local growth and regeneration.

About the KEF

The KEF is published annually to allow universities to better understand and improve their own performance in knowledge exchange, and provide businesses and other users with more information on the knowledge and expertise of universities.

Universities are measured across seven perspectives:

  • Research partnerships,
  • Working with businesses,
  • Working with the public and third sector,
  • Skills, enterprise and entrepreneurship,
  • Local growth and regeneration,
  • IP and commercialisation,
  • Public and community engagement.

These areas have been measured through a combination of data collected through the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey and three narratives that summarised our institutional context, our contribution to local growth & regeneration and our public & community engagement.

In recognition of the fact that universities have different areas of expertise and work in regions with different needs, all universities in England have been placed into 7 different clusters according to their expertise, size and research activity.

The results are shared in the form of dashboards on the KEF website, with BU placed in Cluster E alongside other large universities with a broad portfolio of research across all disciplines.

Our KEF results demonstrate the breadth of activity across all of these important perspectives.

BU’s performance

Our performance in the latest KEF highlights several areas of strength – including our research partnerships and our work with business. We work collaboratively with organisations locally, nationally and internationally to embed our research in practice and support economic growth and innovation.

For example, the Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) is delivering education and professional development programmes to help meet the needs of the local community, the NHS and industry, as well as current global medical imaging workforce demands. Facilities including a 3T MRI scanner are also facilitating joint research opportunities with NHS trusts, primary care, industry and academia – helping to improve health outcomes for the region.

Through our partnership with University Hospitals Dorset, we are working on collaborative research that can make a real difference to patients. This includes a current joint project to explore commercialising a medical device which uses smartphones to screen nerve function in patients at risk of peripheral neuropathy – a condition which affects 2.3 million people in the UK and can lead to loss of sensation in the fingers and toes.

We are also developing new areas of research that have the potential to support industry – such as ADDISONIC, which explores how ultrasonic fatigue testing can quickly and reliably predict how materials will perform and last. This has a range of commercial applications – from jet engines to medical devices – and could help to create more efficient manufacturing processes and reduce global waste.

We share our work, research and expertise through public engagement activities, such as our regular Café Scientifique events and our online public lecture series, which gives audiences around the world the opportunity to learn more about BU research.

Ian Jones, Head of External Engagement at BU, said: “It is good to see an assessment of our progress in knowledge exchange and the impact we’ve made through our work.

“A part of our vision as a university is to enrich society. Our knowledge exchange work takes the knowledge we create and looks to embed it in society, and I’m proud that our work embodies this vision.”

David Sweeney CBE, Executive Chair of Research England, said: “Knowledge exchange (KE) is integral to the mission and purpose of our universities, and its importance in contributing to societal and economic prosperity is strongly supported by the Government.

“Today’s new version of the Knowledge Exchange Framework takes further forward the vision and potential of KE activity, providing richer evidence to demonstrate universities’ strengths in different areas when set alongside their peers.”

For more information about the KEF, please visit: https://kef.ac.uk/

Find out more about BU’s knowledge exchange activities

Leaving higher education? The state of work in UK universities

Individuals who have left academic or professional services posts in a UK university since January 2020 or are thinking of leaving academic or professional services posts are invited to respond to research being done by the University of Bristol, Swansea University and the Centre for Higher Education Transformation on why academic and professional services staff are leaving UK higher education posts in favour of alternative forms of employment.

Amongst other things the research addresses is what the positive and negative aspects of working in UK universities are and what would make UK universities better places to work.

If you would like to contribute, the deadline for responses is Friday 14 October 2022.

The survey can be found here.