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Raf Nicholson on the Early Career Researcher Network

Awarded & submitted bids

I started work at Bournemouth University in April 2018 as Postdoctoral Researcher in Sport, Leisure and Tourism. At BU I have been supported by peers through both the Research Staff Association and the ECR Network. It was at a meeting of the ECR Network on research funding where I learned about the Acorn Fund, a specific BU pot of funding designed for Early Career Researchers.

I applied for an Acorn award in April 2019 and was subsequently awarded £4,444. This gave me the chance to begin work on a new project focused on the underrepresentation of women within sports leadership in the UK, carrying out oral history interviews with women who were involved in sports governance in the 1980s and 1990s. As part of this award I was also able to host an event at BU in December 2019 focused on “Women in Sport Governance”. We had representatives from 15 different National Governing Bodies of Sport attend the event, and I was able to share my research findings and develop my network. I was fully supported in running the event by members of BU’s Research Development & Support team, who assisted with the logistics and with publicising the event.

As a result of all the above support I achieved promotion to Senior Lecturer in April 2020, and I shared my experiences and learning with the ECR network at that month’s meeting.

I would really recommend the ECR network to other researchers. The meetings are always valuable and informative, and everyone is friendly and supportive. Personally, I found it was a lifeline during the UK lockdowns to have a (virtual) space to chat with others at ECRN meetings.

For more information about the Early Career Researcher Network and to book onto any of the monthly sessions, see here.

Wessex REACH Initiative – Peer support grant

Funding opportunities, NHS

The Wessex REACH Initiative was formally launched in the summer and their first newsletter can be found here.

Wessex REACH are offering a small amount of funding to groups of researchers who wish to create a space for thinking, connecting and problem solving with their peers.  By coming together in face-to-face peer group meetings, research ideas and local problems can be discussed, common challenges and possible solutions can be shared and learn from one another. Whether you want to meet for afternoon tea away from the office a few times a year or fund a grant writing away day or any other creative solution that suits your group, they are interested in receiving your applications.

Who is eligible?
Anyone currently working in healthcare, social care or in healthcare-related research in Wessex.

How much is available?
Each group can apply for up to £500 to be used over a 1 year period.  They are aiming to fund up to 4 groups in the first round.  All applications will be reviewed by the Wessex REACH Steering Group and successful applicants notified early in 2022.

How to apply?
Send a short summary (up to 500 words) to info@wessexreach.org.uk by 10 December 2021.  This summary should include the following information, which will be used in the shortlisting process:

  • Contact details for your group or an expression of interest in being part of a group in your area
  • Your reasons for applying and how the award will help to build research capacity in your group
  • Your planned event(s)/activity
  • What your group is hoping to achieve and how it aligns with building research capacity in the Wessex region
  • What facilitation support, if any, you would like from the Wessex REACH Exec Committee (https://www.wessexreach.org.uk/meet-the-team  )
  • Requested total budget

Questions
If you would like to discuss your eligibility or plans prior to applying please contact Beth Stuart (bls1@soton.ac.uk)

RESEARCH SEMINAR: 9/11 TWENTY YEARS ON: HOW ONE DAY CHANGED THE WORLD

THE FACULTY OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION presents 9/11 TWENTY YEARS ON: HOW ONE DAY CHANGED THE WORLD

HYBRID EVENT: 8 December 2021: 2-5pm

Fusion Building F201 or Zoom: https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/84914258379?pwd=ejNYVU1wWlFwdmVtcnk2cGkzWW44Zz09. 

If you are attending in person, which is of course welcomed, could I ask that you sign up via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/911-twenty-years-on-how-one-day-changed-the-world-tickets-216922309467

EVENT OVERVIEW

The events of 11 September 2001 are imprinted not only on the memories of those who witnessed them, they instituted changes which remain part of the lives of many across the world. The shock of the terrorist attacks, witnessed by a global audience, may have desensitized many to the changes: within our politics, our societies, within our ways of thinking and being. Western societies have become less inclusive and more anxious, meanwhile the so-called ‘war on terror’ has destabilised not only the lives of many across the Middle East and Asia but inspired further terrorist attacks across the European continent. This workshop explores how 9/11 impacted on our societies and the psychosocial effects of this traumatic event and the ongoing traumas it unleashed.

The workshop will showcase the work of Emeritus Professors Barry Richards and Stephen Jukes. Richards has a long-standing involvement in developing a psychoanalytic approach to politics, which in his work post 9/11 he has applied to the study of extremisms and to the appeal of terrorist organisations. Jukes was global head of news at the international news agency Reuters at the time of 9/11; subsequently his research has explored how journalists deal with experiencing traumatic news stories and the difficult relationship between journalism and emotion. Their work will be complemented by that of Dr Billie Pivnick a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist was Consulting Psychologist to Thinc Design, the exhibition design team partnered with the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City. In this collaborative role she worked over five years with the design team to manage the emergent, but repeatedly-collapsing trauma narrative. Her attention to enacted group dynamics rendered the event’s heightened emotions less disruptive to the storytelling endeavour

The event will be hybrid. The in-person part will be in F201 (Fusion Building, Bournemouth University Talbot Campus) with a Zoom link for Dr Pivnick as well as a virtual audience.

Event Schedule

2.00 Welcome by Professor Einar Thorsen, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication

2.10 Introduction by Professor Darren Lilleker, Chair

2.20 Professor Stephen Jukes: How 9/11 challenged journalism’s 150-year old objectivity paradigm and ushered in an era of emotionally-driven news

3.10 Professor Barry Richards: ‘A viral mutation in the human psyche’: terrorism since 9/11.

4.00 Dr. Billie A. Pivnick: Transforming collapse: Applying clinical psychoanalysis to the relational design of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

4.50 Closing remarks by Professor Darren Lilleker, Chair

 

Abstracts

How 9/11 challenged journalism’s 150-year old objectivity paradigm and ushered in an era of emotionally-driven news

Stephen Jukes

The attacks of Sept 11 unleashed a wave of patriotic and jingoistic news reporting across America. Deeply embedded journalistic norms of objectivity and impartiality were suspended as US media reacted with shock and dismay, falling in behind President George W. Bush’s ‘War on Terror.’ This paper argues that far from being a short-term phenomenon, Sept 11 proved to be a watershed in the practice of journalism. It ushered in an era in which the 150-year-old norm of objectivity would be subjected to its stiffest challenge to date and laid the foundations for an emotionally-driven news agenda. The paper traces the roots of today’s affective media landscape back to Sept 11 – from the immediacy of the live broadcasting of terror to the advent of graphic unfiltered social media imagery and open displays of emotion by journalists. The taboo on emotion that had held sway amongst journalists since the middle of the 19th Century was broken on Sept 11.

‘A viral mutation of the human psyche’. Terrorism since 9/11.

Barry Richards

This metaphorical phrase coined by the Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka asserts that there is something new, dramatically so, about contemporary terrorism. There is wide recognition that one of its drivers is the new force of the internet, whereby any set of ideas, however delusional and antisocial, can be put before a credulous audience across the globe. However, that does not explain the existence of that credulous audience, and the presence within it of individuals ready to kill their fellow citizens, and themselves, in the name of an ideology. Is the existence of this homicidal impulse, on the scale we now see it, also a new phenomenon? That is not a question about the human psyche as a phenomenon outside of its social context: there is no such thing. But societal changes can impact strongly on our psychological functioning, as seen in the marked shifts over time in the forms taken by mental disorder. Drawing on the psychoanalytic concept of containment, and on socio-cultural analyses of identity, this paper will offer a psycho-historical perspective on contemporary terrorism in the West.

Transforming collapse: Applying clinical psychoanalysis to the relational design of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

Billie A. Pivnick, Ph.D.

Symbolic of what we have possessed, lost, and wish to remember, the arts can memorialize cultural experiences too telling for mere speech. Aided by art, design, and storytelling, the many millions of visitors to the National September 11 Memorial Museum are remembering together not just one or more individuals or local communities, but an entire world that no longer exists. This paper details the collaboration between exhibition designer, Tom Hennes of Thinc Design, and myself, a psychoanalytic psychologist, in the relational design of the museum. This process entailed use of parallel and intertwined perspectives on how to help visitors remember, commemorate, honor, educate, witness, and mourn in order to transform unspeakable destruction into a creative reconstruction of continuity and vitality. How a psychoanalytic consultation to a museum design team developed from applying a few theoretical principles to a more generalizable model of museum storytelling will be illustrated with narrative and pictorial accounts of key moments.

 

 

Speaker Biographies

Stephen Jukes is emeritus professor in the Faculty of Media & Communication at Bournemouth University. He worked in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas as a foreign correspondent and regional editor at the international news agency Reuters. At the time of the Sept 11 attacks, he was Reuters Global Head of News based in Washington DC. He moved into the academic world in 2005, becoming dean of faculty at Bournemouth University and subsequently professor of journalism. His research focuses on areas of objectivity and emotion in news with an emphasis on conflict journalism, affect and trauma. His latest book is entitled Journalism and Emotion and explores the impact of today’s affective media environment on the practice of journalism, the lived experience of journalists and issues of trauma, moral injury and coping mechanisms.

Billie Pivnick, Ph.D. is a psychoanalytic psychologist in private practice in NYC. She is faculty/supervisor in the William Alanson White Institute Child/Adolescent Psychotherapy Program and the New Directions Psychoanalytic Writing Program. Co-Chair of the Humanities and Psychoanalysis Committee of American Psychological Association’s Division 39, she is co-founder and co-host (with Dr Romy Reading) of the podcast Couched which features conversations between analysts and various artists, academics, and influential cultural figures. She is also co-founder (with Dr Jane Hassinger) of the Psychoanalytic Community Collaboratory, a web-based seminar and project incubator for psychoanalytically-informed projects focused on innovative interdisciplinary responses to significant community problems. Additionally, she is Consulting Psychologist to Thinc Design, partnered with the National September 11 Memorial Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Pulse Foundation and is the winner of the APA’s Division 39’s 2015 Schillinger Memorial Essay Award for her essay, “Spaces to Stand In: Applying Clinical Psychoanalysis to the Relational Design of the National September 11 Memorial Museum,” and the IPTAR’s 1992 Stanley Berger Award for the contribution to psychoanalysis made by her research.

Barry Richards is emeritus professor in the Faculty of Media & Communication at Bournemouth University. After a first degree in psychology, Barry trained and worked as a clinical psychologist in the UK National Health Service before becoming a lecturer and taking a PhD in sociology. In his first academic post at the University of East London he led the development of psychosocial studies as an interdisciplinary teaching programme and research field, while researching and writing in a number of areas including popular culture, advertising, consumer behaviour, political leadership, and the rise of ‘therapeutic’ culture. He also published on the history of psychology. After moving to Bournemouth University in 2001 he concentrated on the psychosocial study of politics, developing a psychoanalytical approach to understanding political communication and public feeling, violent extremism, and social cohesion. The focus of this approach is on the emotional dimensions of political processes, particularly on the dynamics of the ’emotional public sphere’. Since leaving employment at Bournemouth in 2020, Barry has been pursuing a number of writing projects on a range of topics, including the influence on today’s culture and politics of the societal changes of the 1960s.

New journal article: Applying psychotherapy concepts to physical activity interventions for older adults

Back in July 2021, I posted a blog detailing the outcomes of a qualitative study exploring how the LiveWell Dorset behaviour change service influences older adults’ physical activity behaviour, as part of the wider Active Ageing Evaluation project. One of the key findings of this study was that participants valued the social support they received from LiveWell Dorset coaches, and their kind, non-judgmental and empathetic manner.

Largely inspired by this finding, I have subsequently written a narrative review article, which puts forward the novel idea, with wider supporting evidence, that the nature of the relationship between professional and client, a concept drawn from the field of psychotherapy and known as therapeutic alliance, may be a vital and foundational element of effective PA interventions for older adults.

The article has just been published in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and can be found here.

– Andy Powell (Lead investigator, Active Ageing Evaluation project)

Michelle Heward; reflections from an ACORN Awardee

Awarded & submitted bids, Post-award, Training

How BU ECR ACORN funding has helped my research career

I was awarded BU ECR Acorn funding in 2018 for a study titled ‘Minimising disorientation in care homes: Experiences of care home staff’. The funding enabled me to recruit and manage a student Research Assistant to undertake telephone interviews with care home managers, exploring how they address spatial disorientation and navigation of residents with dementia in such environments.

With guidance and support from my line manager Prof Jan Wiener and colleagues from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, I was able to gain experience of leading the study as Principal Investigator and contributing to the evidence base of current practice by publishing the findings in a journal article.

This experience has proven to be an essential element in building my research profile. It demonstrates my capability to build a multi-disciplinary team and lead a study through the research cycle, from idea to dissemination stage. As such, it has been a catalyst for me to obtain external research funding from the Alzheimer’s Research UK South Coast Network to continue developing my expertise and networks in this area. It has also given me the confidence to take forwards further research interests and ideas with my other line manager Prof Jane Murphy and various internal and external colleagues. I have since applied to funders such as NIHR, EPSRC, and Alzheimer’s Society – with some success and some still awaiting an outcome!

Personally, I feel that the support for ECRs at BU has improved recently with the development of initiatives such as the ECR network, ECR Acorn funding, and training and development courses specifically aiming at ECRS as part of the RKE Development Framework. I have benefited from career planning and development advice and resources from my line managers, those who run the ECR network, the BU MyCareerHub (particularly the networking and Linked in guidance) and having access to health and wellbeing resources such as a coach to discuss career trajectory.

I would encourage all ECRs at BU to take the time to look at what is available and make use of what is appropriate to them. If applying for ECR Acorn funding, start with a small, manageable project and involve more experienced colleagues to ensure you feel supported and able to complete the study.

Register to attend the Annual Postgraduate Research Conference  – Wednesday 1 December.

conferences, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, student research

Register to attend the Annual Postgraduate Research Conference  – all welcome!

Come along to support our postgraduate research community at the Annual Postgraduate Research Conference, Wednesday 1 December 2021, 09:30 – 17:30. Oral presentations will be hosted on Zoom.

You are also invited to FG06 during the day to network, and for PGRs we will be offering the opportunity to get a free professional headshot during the lunch break.

There will be a virtual poster exhibition on the BU website and across the blogs during the week of the conference with further pre-recorded presentations available to view at your leisure.

The full brochure, with all presenters and presentation types, will be circulated shortly. In the meantime, please see the live presentation conference programme for the day below.

It would be great to see many of you there. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch: pgconference@bournemouth.ac.uk. 

Natalie Stewart (Research Skills & Development Officer), Doctoral College.

PGR Supervisory Lunchbites | Supporting International PGRs

PG research, Training

Hosted by the Doctoral College, these one hour online lunch bite sessions supplement the regular New and Established Supervisory Development Sessions and are aimed at all academic staff who are new to, or experienced at, supervising research degree students and are interested in expanding their knowledge of a specific aspect or process in research degree supervision.

Each session will be led by a senior academic who will introduce the topic, and staff will benefit from discussions aimed at sharing best practice from across BU. Bookings are arranged by Organisational Development.

This session is focused on expanding individuals’ knowledge on the challenges of and best practice for supervising overseas PGRs. This discussion will be led by Dr Hanaa Osman, BUBS.

Staff attending this session will: 

  • have gained additional knowledge of the challenges of supervising overseas PGRs
  • have gained additional knowledge of the best practice for supervising overseas PGRs

Further details on the session as well as information on future lunchbite sessions can also be found on the staff intranet.

Date: Tuesday 30 November 2021

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

To book a place on this session please complete the booking form.

Further details and future sessions can also be found on the Supervisory Development Lunchbite Sessions staff intranet page.

Introducing the Early Career Researcher Network

Our established network of Early Career Researchers extends across the faculties. It provides support to Early Career Researchers from the experienced academic leaders of the network, Dr. Sam Goodman, and Prof. Ann Hemingway, as well as from peers, and highlights the support available from the Research Development and Support department and other BU teams. It also, as the name suggests, provides a forum for networking and making connections that can be of great benefit to an academic’s research career.

We have monthly networking events. We plan to continue holding them online for the time being, with a view to trialling at least a couple of hybrid events later in this academic year. We have a mix of themed discussions, (on topics like career planning, dealing with imposter syndrome, managing your profile as a researcher), plus open surgeries with more general Q&A.

For a more animated introduction, here is a short video of Sam and Ann talking about the network.

If you are not already a member of the network but would like to be, or if you have any queries, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk. No restrictions apply, as long as you identify yourself as someone in the early stages of their research career.

To have a look at what sessions are on, and to book onto any of them, please see here.

Webinar on ‘Theory in [Tourism] Research’

Hi, I’m Dr. Miguel Moital, Principal Academic in Events Management within the Department of Sport & Events Management, Bournemouth University Business School.

Last Thursday I had the honour to contribute to the CinTurs Seminars 2021 series, with a presentation on “Theory in (tourism) research”. The essence of the topic is that by understanding the theory behind using theory in (tourism) research, researchers will be better equipped to achieve high levels of theorisation, with all the benefits that ensue.

CinTurs in a government accredited research centre affiliated to the Algarve University, Portugal, whose mission focuses on the development and transfer of knowledge towards the sustainable development of tourism destinations and the well-being of tourists, visited communities and employees in the tourism industry. CinTurs is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and had the highest grade among the Tourism, Hospitality and Hotel management R&D centres in the last FCT evaluation cycle. The research centre consists of almost 40 active researchers and over 50 PhD students.

More than 70 people registered for the webinar, which included time for questions at the end. Some of the material had been presented before at the 2020 and 2021 Annual Conferences of the Brazilian Association of Tourism Research and Post-graduation (ANPTUR), in association with Professor Verônica Mayer of Fluminense Federal University (Rio de Janeiro).

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing some of the material collated and developed over the past few years. I also managed to provide a professional and interactive digital experience by using my state-of-the-art-digital learning experiences production studio that I have set up at home (if you want to know what I am talking about, watch this video followed by this one). I used a highly animated and colourful powerpoint presentation, providing a more guided narrative, which is vital when delivering content virtually. I also branded the event using the ‘supersource’ feature of the ATEM Mini Extreme video switcher. This feature allows me to bring myself and the presentation on to a single image over a background picture, which in this instance contained institutional logos and the name of the event.

The combination of content and narratives presented in the webinar is still quite new and developing all the time, so you never know how participants will react to it. This is particularly the case when there is a mixed audience made up of undergraduate, masters and PhD students, ECRs and experienced researchers, as was the case of this Webinar.

I am pleased to say that feedback was extremely positive.

Professor João Albino Silva, Full Professor at the Algarve University, said:

Congratulations on the excellent lesson you delivered this afternoon. It is not an easy topic but the clarity of your explanations is a result of the substantial investment you have done in this area. Without a doubt, your contribution to our Seminar series is very important for us, and in particular for our PhD students.

Dr. Maria João Carneiro, Assistant Professor at Aveiro University, commented that:

I enjoyed the Webinar very much. The content was very interesting and useful. Everything was very clear, with enriching and interesting perspectives, supported by very clear examples. 

Dominique Carrignton, a BU undergraduate student that I supervise, said:

I thought it was really helpful and useful! It was very engaging with the interactive slides and helped to visually see the process of theory. You covered a lot of the key content in a short time, finding the right balance of material with examples. It helped me think about where my research idea fits for sure!

The 90-minute webinar focused on the following themes:

  1. Why theory is essential in (tourism) research
  2. The role and functions of theory
  3. The types of theory
  4. The components of a theory
  5. The three levels of theoretical development
  6. Abstract thinking and theorisation

The content presented in the webinar is part of a wider initiative within my Dissertation Academy project (underpinned on this Youtube Channel), which involves developing a videobook on dissertation writing. Besides more complete versions of the topics above, other topics related to ‘theory in research’ already included in the table of contents of the planned videobook include:

  • The role of context in theory development (opportunity context and suitability context)
  • Trade-offs between breadth and depth
  • Theory, research and research design
  • Theory & Impact
  • Evaluating theories

Some of these topics are ‘mini-videobooks’ on their own, given the richness of the topic.

Launched Today: Making research matter Chief Nursing Officer for England’s strategic plan for research

The Chief Nursing Officer for England`s  `Making Research Matter Strategic Plan for Research` is being launched today. The plan is for all nurses working everywhere across health, social care, academia and policy development in England. The strategic plan will provide a vision for and begin the process of creating an inclusive accessible research career framework for nurses. BU`s Professor Ann Hemingway was involved in informing the plan. You can access the summary and the full document today which includes the implementation plan to 2023. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/B0880-cno-for-englands-strategic-plan-fo-research.pdf

FMC research process seminar this Tuesday. Classifying Emotions in Images: Humans versus Computers. All welcome

In the FMC Research Process Seminar Series, this week we welcome Dr Michael Bossetta, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media at Lund University.

His talk is on: “Classifying Emotions in Images: Humans versus Computers” which should be of interest to many colleagues from across disciplines. Summary below:

There seems to be a renewed interest in emotions from political and communication scholars. In this talk, I’ll provide examples of existing approaches to study emotions, as well as my experiences using computer vision to classify emotions in politicians’ social media images. That entails, first, discussing how to manage, sort, and deduplicate thousands of images. Then, I’ll show examples of where computer vision performs well and poorly. I’ll also share some preliminary results into how computers stack up against human judgements of emotions. In wrapping up, the strengths and weaknesses of applying computer vision for emotions research will be discussed.

Tuesday 23 November at 2pm on Zoom. 

https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/9292103478?pwd=UzJnNTNQWDdTNldXdjNWUnlTR1cxUT09

Meeting ID: 929 210 3478

Passcode: rps!4fmc

These seminars are approx 60 mins long and are focussed on the process of doing research – with the aim of sharing good practice and making us better researchers.

All welcome

Hope to see you there

Dan Jackson and Sae Oshima

Introduction to ACORN

Funding opportunities

What is ACORN fund about?

ACORN funding provides central investment to the most talented Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to support them in gaining experience in managing and leading their own pilot research projects. The name ACORN stands for ACceleration Of Research and Networking. These awards support BU’s commitment to the Concordat to Support to Career Development of Researchers.

It is increasingly common in the sector for universities to provide a central fund for research development activities, with funds allocated via an internal competitive process. The decision-making body is a panel, technical project implementation support, including financial management, is provided by faculties.

ACORN funding is managed by one of the internal funding panels; the ACORN panel consists of ten panel members representing all faculties, Doctoral College and Professional Services. The panel is led by the Chair Professor Jan Wiener, Vice-Chair Professor Julie Turner-Cobb and supported by Secretary and Clerk  from RDS.

There is a strong link between the ACORN Fund and the ECR Network (ECRN). Both were launched in 2018, with the ECRN having monthly meetings and a Brightspace community. Award holders are expected to engage with the ECRN and present at an ECRN event. In this way, those who do not benefit directly from the ACORN scheme by receiving funding, benefit indirectly though interaction with those ECRs who receive support via this scheme.

There are some key eligibility requirements applicants have to consider before applying for ACORN funding:

  • applicants must have completed their PhD;
  • applicants must have a post at BU (established or fixed term) for the full duration of the award;
  • applicants should have held a 0.2 or above research contract for no more than six years in total;
  • ACORN award holders cannot hold more than one ACORN award concurrently;
  • applicants are required to secure at least one mentor to provide support and advice through the application process and beyond.

Funded projects

Since ACORN funding started, 23 grants have been awarded.

Round 1

  • Return to Work after Stroke, PI Dr Kathryn Collins (HSS);
  • Enhancing Educational Practice Through 3D Pedagogy Workshops, PI Dr Deborah Gabriel (FMC);
  • Building BU-Brazil partnerships: self-managed breathing training for falls prevention, PI Dr James Gavin (FMC);
  • Training prisoners as hospitality workers: The Clink Charity case, PI Dr Charalampos Giousmpasoglou (FMC);
  • Minimising disorientation in care homes: Experiences of care home staff, PI Dr Michelle Heward (HSS);
  • Virtual Reality for supporting dementia care, PI Dr Ben Hicks (FST).

Round 2

  • The Beach Bots – preliminary study, PI Dr Rashid Bakirov (FST);
  • Contemporary Issues in Fertility Control, PI Dr Jeffrey Wale (FMC);
  • Women’s Sport Governance: Merger-Takeovers in the 1990s and beyond, PI Dr Rafaelle Nicholson (BUBS);
  • Using the power of the creative arts in supporting dementia care, PI Dr Amanda Adams (HSS);
  • Equity Based Online Crowdfunding Platforms and Gender Bias in Decision Making, PI Dr Sukanya Ayatakshi-Endow (BUBS);
  • Factors affecting access to mental health services in the Nepali and Iranian communities living in UK, PI Dr Bibha Simkhada (HSS);
  • Accessible Emoji, PI Dr Benjamin Gorman (FST).

Round 3

  • Turning Your Film Into Mine: Filmmaking and the Quotation Exception, PI Dr Claudy Op Den Kamp (FMC);
  • Neonate simulators and digital stories: enhancing social work practitioner’s knowledge of problem substance use during pregnancy, PI Dr Humaira Hussain (HSS);
  • Drawing Lines across Virtual Spaces: Nigerian Political Cartooning in the Digital Age, PI Dr Malcolm Corrigall (FMC);
  • Exploring pathways from suicide ideation to attempts in autism, PI Dr Rachel Moseley (FST);
  • Reliability and Development of Normative Data of the Total Faulty Breathing Scale, PI Dr Vikram Mohan (HSS).

Round 3.5

  • Using Game-based learning and Gamification to develop reflective practice in social work students and practitioners, PI Dr Louise Oliver (HSS);
  • Study into best inpatient ward bed layout at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, PI Dr Nirmal Aryal (HSS);
  • ‘Out-of-Commerce: Out-of-Mind’: Finding the Lost Films, PI Dr Melanie Stockton-Brown (FMC);
  • Filling the Gap: Investigating past and present socio-ecological resilience to aid future sustainability in the Poole Harbour Catchment, PI Dr Kimberley Davies (FST);
  • Smartphone-assisted automated grape disease diagnosis and remedial system, PI Dr Avleen Mahli (FST).

Round 4

The ACORN Fund Round 4 is now open for applications, so your name may be here in the future; all ECRs working at BU are welcome to submit their applications by 5pm on Friday, 10th December 2021.

Two options for ECRs are available – Standard Grants up to £5,000 that can be delivered before the end of July 2022 and Large Grants up to £10,00 for projects to be completed within 12 months.

The Panel and RDS are grateful for grant holders’ commitment and wish success to all Round 4 applicants.

This Sunday is a midwifery day

international, NHS

Today Sunday 21st November was a midwifery dominated day today.  This lunchtime a interdisciplinary team from CMMPH (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health) at BU and the University of Exeter submitted a research proposal to the ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) on Midwife-Led Birthing Centres in Low- and Middle-Income  Countries.   As a personal observation: whoever thought that setting the submission deadline for a Sunday was a good idea has no respect for researchers’ work-life balance!

This afternoon many of us attended the  March with Midwives vigils which were held nationwide in the UK to highlight issues with midwifery staffing and working conditions.  The March with Midwives vigil took place in 50 towns and cities, as a vigil to make the general public and politicians aware about the maternity crisis.  In Poole Park it attracted over fifty people.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH