BU Research Blog

4 January 2018

Research Policy News – 4 Jan 2018

It’s a quiet week in policy. The UK Parliament is currently in recess, meaning parliamentarians are focussed on their constituency business rather than national initiatives. Below are brief summaries of recent news, click into the links for more detailed information.

The UK Research Office publicised their Participant Portal highlighting its functionality to search for partners within the context of individual call topics.

Research Professional describes German innovations in nursing. Four practice centres will harness new technologies to trial new equipment and advances in practice in a partnership which combines research with industry and Government investment. Ideas to be trialled at the centres include reclining hospital beds that adjust the patient’s position via sensors, innovative transport systems to get nurses around the centres more quickly, disinfectant robots, digital companions and innovative solutions to reduce noise pollution. Check out here why home hospital beds are a game changer for caregivers and what are their other benefits?

Research Professional report that the European Patent Office has changed its infrastructure and made senior appointments to speed up the patenting processes. The department has also been reorganised to reflect current demand for patenting:

mobility and mechatronics
healthcare, biotechnology and chemistry
ICT

Research Professional detail Eurodoc’s call for Framework 9 to support studies into early career researchers health and working conditions. They also requested that every project funded by Framework 9 should help researchers gain the skills to switch to working in industry, as many researchers choose to do. Finally they requested the budget be doubled to, in part, increase the number of positions for early-careers researchers in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme and in the Starting Grants awarded by the European Research Council. Happiness at work was also one of the most popular THE articles in 2017.

BU’s Jo Garrad describes how you can get the best out of your Research Professional subscription by personalising the content you receive: Jo’s blog.

Institutes of Technology Fund: In December the Government announced a £170 million fund to establish Institutes of Technology delivering high level technical skills that meet employer needs. The Institutes of Technology will combine business, education and training providers within technical (particularly STEM) subjects to deliver the specific provision needed by local, regional and national employers. It forms part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy that will directly target skills gaps through upskilling existing and new entrants to the workforce. The first Institutes of Technology are expected to open in 2019.

Justine Greening stated:

“Institutes of technology will play a vital role driving our skills revolution with business and unlocking the potential of our country’s young people through better technical education. By bridging the country’s skills gaps, these new institutions will drive growth and widen opportunity.”

“This Government continues to invest in developing our homegrown talent so British business has the skills it needs and so that young people can get the opportunities they want.”

UKRO announced that the European Commission has published the list of expert evaluations who reviewed the Horizon 2020 proposals (2016 calls). See more here and in the European Commission’s reference documents.

Research Professional set out the top 10 EU policy stories of 2017, whilst UKRO contemplates the busy year ahead.

Industrial Strategy: The House of Lords has produced a library briefing on the Industrial Strategy and the UK Economy

Artificial Intelligence & Automation: The House of Commons Library has produced a briefing paper on Artificial Intelligence and Automation in the UK. Increasing digital skills, filling employment gaps, and funding for AI research are key issues for Government who seek to grow the AI industry. A sector deal for AI was announced in the Autumn 2017 Budget. This briefing paper considers the impact of AI and automation on the UK workforce, including how working lives may change. There are a broad range of predictions caveated by uncertainties such as the rate of technological development, rate of deployment, and the geographical variations. The paper concludes that the impact is likely to be significant and the Bank of England predicts that 15 million jobs will be influenced by automation over the next 20 years.

Consultations: Current academic consultations cover economist degree apprenticeships, health service workforce development and inshore fisheries pilots.

See the list of all live consultations relevant to BU here and BU’s responses here.

We’ll be back with the general HE policy update tomorrow.

JANE FORSTER | SARAH CARTER

Policy Advisor Policy & Public Affairs Officer

65111 65070

Follow: @PolicyBU on Twitter | policy@bournemouth.ac.uk

4 January 2018

Applications now open: Global Challenges STEAMLab 7/2/18

emilner

On Wednesday, 7th February 2018, BU’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Office will be facilitating a STEAMLab event on Global Challenges, attended by staff from the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), Academics from throughout the M3 universities and other organisations.

Which means…?

We’re seeking to come up with novel research that could form part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.

So, who should attend?

We want anyone who thinks they might have something to contribute, and who is available all day on Wednesday 7th February to come along. We will also be inviting relevant external attendees to contribute to the day. We welcome academics, NGO/business/government representatives who wish to contribute to having a positive impact through addressing the world’s global challenges.

What do I need to prepare in advance? What will the sandpit entail?

Absolutely nothing in advance. During the STEAMLab, you’ll be guided through a process which results in the development of research ideas. The process facilitates creativity, potentially leading to innovative and interdisciplinary research ideas. These ideas will be explored with other attendees, and further developed based on the feedback received.

What if I don’t have time to think about ideas in advance?

You don’t need to do this. Some inspiring speakers with a range of backgrounds will be coming along to give you ideas…

What about afterwards? Do I need to go away and do loads of work?

Well… that depends! The STEAMLab will result in some novel research ideas. Some of these may be progressed immediately; others might need more time to think about. You may find common ground with other attendees which you choose to take forward in other ways, such as writing a paper or applying for research funding. Support will be available to progress project ideas after the day.

What if my topic area is really specific, such as health?

Your contribution will be very welcome! One of the main benefits of a STEAMlab event is to bring together individuals with a range of backgrounds and specialisms who are able to see things just that bit differently to one another.

So, is this just networking?

Definitely not! It is a facilitated session with the primary intention of developing innovative research ideas, which also enables the development of networks. It gives you the opportunity to explore research ideas which you may develop over time, together with the chance to find common ground with academics from across BU and beyond.

So, how do I book onto this event?

To take part in this exciting opportunity, all participants should complete the Global Challenges STEAMLab Application Form and return this to RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk by Thursday, 18th January. Places are strictly limited and you will be be contacted to confirm a place place on the STEAMLab with arrangements nearer the time. The event will be held in Bournemouth at the Executive Business Centre.

By applying, you agree to attend for the full duration of the event on 7th February (c. 9:30 – 16:30). Spaces will be confirmed on 22/1/18.

If you have any queries prior to submitting your application, please contact Ehren Milner, RKEO Research Facilitator.

4 January 2018

2018 BU PhD Studentship Competition Closing Soon!

Funding opportunities nstewart

The 2018 BU PhD Studentship Competition is closing soon!

There are up to 40 matched funded projects available across BU, however there are no fully funded studentships on offer this round of the competition. This excludes Studentships agreed separately, or linked to prestigious bids.

The PhD Studentship projects will only be offered in conjunction with guaranteed external matched funding. The external matched funder should provide a minimum of 50% of the PhD Studentship stipend plus the research costs, which is equivalent to minimum of £25.5k over 36 months.

The PhD Studentships will be awarded to supervisory teams on the basis of a competitive process led by Professor John Fletcher (Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation) and Faculty DDRPPs. The process will be managed by the Doctoral College.

Full details about the competition can be found on the Doctoral College intranet.

The deadline for submission of applications will be 5pm on Monday 08 January 2018
Please ensure applications contain all relevant information (project proposal; letter of support from matched funder; due diligence form) as incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications, and any enquiries, should be submitted to the Doctoral College via email: phdstudentshipcompetition@bournemouth.ac.uk

4 January 2018

Public Engagement – Understanding your Audience

Public engagement biddled

One of the most important things you need to do to create a successful event is to make sure you have the right audience. Having a room full of archaeologists won’t help, if you want to share research which could shape nursing practice, for example.

To help you reach the audiences you want to connect with, we thought it might help to share a list of hint and tips, which you can use when planning your next event.

Define your target market –
1. Demographic – who are they, age, gender, profession, income,
2. Psychographics – what are their interests, values, attitudes, likes and dislikes,
3. Behavioural – What do they do, how do they consume media (online or offline).
Reach your target market – What is the best way to reach your target audience? If they are busy workers – what is the best platform or time of day to contact them? If they are retired, what are the best platforms to contact them – would it be online or physical marketing?
Identify what type of customer they are – Will you be targeting regular attendees or do you want to attract a new audience? Keep this in mind when creating your marketing materials in order to attract the right people.
Tailor that marketing – Once you understand what audience you want to attract, you can ensure all of the communications are on message to produce the largest turnout and increase engagement.
Who is your research looking at – Are there certain groups of people who could benefit from or are affected by your research? Think about who will be involved in those areas and what the best platform to contact them through is. If you are working in social care; what are the local organisations that would want to come along to your session, what is the best way to contact them?
Is there a certain location your research targets – If you are looking into a certain location for your research, why not engage the population of that area by promoting and running your event there? Not only will you be able to increase the attendance from engaged members of the public, you will be able to gain insight from the people who engage with that local area on a daily basis.
If you’re stuck and need advice on how to plan for the perfect advertising – Ask us! In the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, we have a lot of experience in finding the right audience to invite to a public engagement event. Get in touch if you need any advice or guidance to improve your skills at increasing engagement with your event.

If you want to learn more about increasing attendance at free public events, check out our blog post to learn all the tricks to making this happen.

4 January 2018

Abstract Deadline: Today!

conferences, PG research nstewart

Doctoral College – The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference

Make sure your Faculty is represented.

The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference abstract deadline is today. BU PGRs are invited to submit oral, poster or photography abstract to pgconference@bournemouth.ac.uk by midnight tonight, Thursday 4 January 2018.

Please ensure you follow the how to apply guidance (pdf 253kb) and you can download the Application Form (docx 545kb) here.

We look forward to receiving your application.

3 January 2018

UKRO News

Funding opportunities, Info Days, international eknight

Through BU’s subscription to UKRO, we have been advised of the following news items, which represent a ‘mere taster’ of all the updates provided by UKRO to their members.

To make full use of BU’s subscription to this service, why not register now?

News:

Policy Brief on Innovation & Industry Policy for the Next Decade Published by JRC

On 14 December 2017 a policy brief was published by the Economics of Industrial Research & Innovation (IRI), a scientific project carried out within the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). This document is intended to contribute to the discussion on post-2020 policies and subsequent preparation of the ninth Framework Programme (FP9). The aim is to discuss the research, business and policy challenges for the decade to come and provide guidance to the EU’s industrial research and innovation policy agenda. You can read the full UKRO article about it here.

UK’s Continued Engagement in Horizon 2020 – Response to Parliamentary Question

The Government has recently answered a Written Question on the steps taken by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to encourage UK researchers to continue to make bids for Horizon 2020. This answer makes reference to the recently agreed Joint Report and the future participation of the UK in Horizon 2020.

“The Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for scientists, innovators and tech investors across the world. We intend to secure the right outcome for the UK research base as we exit the European Union.

The Joint report from the negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government published on 8 December stated that UK entities’ right to participate in EU programmes will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This means that UK based organisations and individuals will be able to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, in 2019 and 2020, and will continue to receive funding for the lifetime of the project.

It remains the case that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, which is why the Government’s underwrite guarantee remains in place. UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while we remain a member of the EU and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.”

Events and Funding Opportunities:

Briefing on Opportunities for UK Collaboration with Chinese Organisations in Horizon 2020

The UK Research and Innovation China representative office, in cooperation with UKRO, has prepared a briefing on opportunities for collaboration with Chinese organisations in Horizon 2020.

Summary Note from the European Researchers’ Night Information Day.

On 14 December 2017, the European Commission hosted the NIGHT Info Day – an opportunity to learn about the novelties and the main features of the European Researchers Night action. The European Researchers’ Night, funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, is a Europe-wide public event which aims to enhance researchers’ public recognition, and to stimulate interest in research careers, especially among young people. Presentations from the day can be found here.

Please note: You will need to sign in or register, as a BU staff member, to access many of these items, as part of BU’s UKRO subscription. Links have only been given to resources in the public domain.

If considering applying to EU calls, please contact your Research Facilitator to access further support.

3 January 2018

Innovate UK Open Sector Competition – Round 4: Application deadline: 28.02.18 at 12:00

emilner

Are you working with a business on an innovative idea that will lead to new products/services? If so, the businesses you are working with may be able apply to Innovate UK’s Open Sector Competition. Up to 70% of funding will be provided for projects ranging from £25k to £1m that last from 6-36 months. To be eligible, the lead applicant must be a UK business carrying out the project in the UK.

Applications are welcome from any sector and are not restricted to Innovate UK’s four priority sectors of growth (emerging and enabling technologies, health and life sciences, infrastructure systems and manufacturing and materials). The deadline for applications is on 28/2/18 at 12:00.

For further information, please contact Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Rachel Clarke (clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk).

3 January 2018

Free BBSRC Workshop on sustainable intensification

Guidance Jo Garrad

Date:28 February and 1 March 2018
Venue:The Woodland Grange Hotel, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6RN

BBSRC, Defra and NERC, in partnership with the Sustainable Intensification Research Network (SIRN), are holding a workshop for researchers with interests in or expertise relevant to the sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture. This workshop aims to build on the legacy of Defra’s Sustainable Intensification and provide opportunities to link with other current sustainable intensification activities. The aims of the workshop are:

To bring together the wider UK SI community with researchers involved in SIP to facilitate networking and the identification of opportunities for collaboration, building on the legacy of SIP.
To stimulate the development of high quality research proposals related to SI that address relevant research challenges and explore new ways of approaching SI.
To raise awareness of relevant Government and Research Council interests and potential funding opportunities.

There is no cost to attend the workshop, overnight accommodation (on 28 February 2018) and meals will be provided free of charge. Attendees will be expected to cover their own travel costs.

The workshop will include:

The legacy of SIP
Research challenges (and gaps) to address policy and practice needs for SI
Scientific opportunities to address those challenges
Defra and Research Council perspectives and priorities for SI research
Facilitated networking to explore collaborative opportunities
Subsequent access (limited to applications led by workshop participants) to modest funding opportunities from SIRN and Defra to facilitate the further development of collaborative proposals

The Sustainable Intensification Research Platform

The SIP is a Defra and Welsh Government funded initiative that was established to identify ways of increasing farm productivity, while reducing negative environmental impacts and enhancing ecosystem services. SIP is a multi-partner research programme including farmers, industry experts, academia, environmental organisations and policymakers. The Platform consists of three linked and transdisciplinary research projects designed to explore opportunities and risks for sustainable intensification at the farm and landscape scale. The SIP will end in November 2017 and through this workshop BBSRC, Defra, NERC and SIRN hope to help the SIP community and others to build on its legacy. That legacy is a broad one, which includes data, tools, resources, experimental sites and capabilities, and a large and well-connected community of practice.

How to attend

This workshop is for research leaders currently working on or with interests relevant to SI.

Please fill in the from below and return to sustainable.agriculture@bbsrc.ac.uk by 5 January 2018, 4pm. If you have any questions, please use the above email address. Successful applicants will be informed by email during the week beginning 15 January 2018.

Expression of interest form for workshop participation (DOCX 147KB)You may need to download additional plug-ins to open this file.

Expression of interest form for workshop participation (ODT 130KB)You may need to download additional plug-ins to open this file.

3 January 2018

RKEDF Event – Intellectual Property considerations when approaching industry to undertake a research collaboration

BU Challenges, Training Pengpeng

This workshop will cover what should be considered about Intellectual Property (IP) when establishing links with industry for research purposes. Included in the conversation will be background IP, protecting work by copyright and techniques and available tools for sharing future (foreground) IP that may result from research. A pragmatic view will be presented and informal advice will be offered to attendees.

The intended learning outcomes of this session are:

Attendees will learn more about IP and why it is important
Attendees will learn methods to engage with industry in relation to IP
Attendees will gain insight into the implications of not having formalised agreements in place

Title	Date	Time	Location
Intellectual Property considerations…	Wednesday 31st January 2018	12.00 – 13.00	Talbot Campus

To book a place on this event please click here. If you wish to find out more about this event, do get in touch with Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

3 January 2018

RKEDF Event – Engaging with a business audience

BU Challenges Pengpeng

This one-day workshop aims to equip you with the necessary skills to be proficient and confident at networking. We will introduce you to various toolkits to gain a better understanding of working in partnership with businesses

Key learning outcomes are:

communicating to a business audience
being confident at networking

Title	Date	Time	Location
Engaging with a business audience	Thursday 25th January 2018	9.00 – 16.00	External Venue

To book a place on this event please click here. If you wish to find out more about this event, do get in touch with Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

3 January 2018

RKEDF Event – Commissioned research for impact

BU Challenges Pengpeng

This workshop will cover the merits of working with business. Attendees will learn the small details that need to be considered in order to turn working with business into research that can lead to major impacts.

The intended learning outcomes of this session are:

Attendees will learn why working with industry can have a major impacts

Title	Date	Time	Location
Commissioned research for impact	Monday 22nd January 2018	14.00 – 16.00	TBC

To book a place on this event please click here. If you wish to find out more about this event, do get in touch with Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

3 January 2018

RKEDF Event – Meeting the Industrial Challenges

BU Challenges Pengpeng

It’s still not too late to sign up for the ‘Meeting the Industrial Challenges’ event as part of the RKEDF.

This session will detail what we’ve learned about preparing projects in relation to meeting the UK governments Industrial Challenges. While specifically addressing the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, other avenues will also be explored covering how academia and industry can work together.

The intended learning outcomes of this session are:

Attendees will learn about the latest Industrial Challenge related schemes
Attendees will learn the which partners are eligible for specific funding calls
Attendees will gain insight into what has been learnt prior ISCF applications

Title	Date	Time	Location
Meeting the Industrial Challenges	Monday 8th January 2018	13.00 – 14.00	Talbot Campus

To book a place on this event please click here. If you wish to find out more, please do get in touch with Ehren Milner (emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk).

3 January 2018

Open Event. e-Voices: Redressing Marginality

conferences irega

You are warmly invited to participate to our Open Event on digital media and marginalised voices. The event will take place on January 17 (9.30am-5pm) at EBC. We have some great speakers lined up, such as Prof Jo Tacchi – Loughborough University, Prof Tim Unwin – Royal Holloway, Joey Ayoub – Global Voices and Elettra Pellanda – PositiveNegatives.

Please see the event page: http://evoices.cemp.ac.uk/bournemouth-uk/ for further details and registration info.

3 January 2018

Places still available- Meeting the Industrial Challenges – 8/1/18

emilner

Start the New Year learning about new opportunities. This session will detail what we’ve learned about preparing projects in relation to meeting the UK governments Industrial Challenges. While specifically addressing the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, other avenues will also be explored covering how academia and industry can work together.

• Attendees will learn about the latest Industrial Challenge related schemes
• Attendees will learn the which partners are eligible for specific funding calls
• Attendees will gain insight into what has been learnt prior ISCF applications

This session on “Meeting the Industrial Challenges” will run throughout 2018 at regular intervals to provide the latest updates to the Industrial Strategy Challenges Fund and related schemes. Spaces are still available for the first session taking place next week on 8/1/18, 13:00-14:00. To book onto the course please click here.

3 January 2018

Research Professional – all you need to know

Funding opportunities Jo Garrad

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:

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.

Have you noticed a new box appear 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.

3 January 2018

Abstract Deadline: 2 Days to Go!

conferences, PG research nstewart

Doctoral College – The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference

The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference abstract deadline is near. BU PGRs are invited to submit oral, poster or photography abstract to pgconference@bournemouth.ac.uk by midnight, Thursday 4 January 2018.

Please ensure you follow the how to apply guidance (pdf 253kb) and you can download the Application Form (docx 545kb) here.

We look forward to receiving your application.

2 January 2018

First kick offf

Paul de Vrieze

The “vF Interoperation suppoRting buSiness innovaTion” (FIRST) project provides new technology to describe manufacturing assets and to compose and integrate existing services into collaborative virtual manufacturing processes.

The project kick-off meeting took place in March 16-17 2017 at Bournemouth University UK. In attendance were the academic and industrial representatives from the partner institutions.

The FIRST Project kick-off meeting participants at BU[/caption]

The project combines partners from China, Germany, The Netherlands and Germany in the academic and industrial sectors. Together we work on processes in manufacturing context.

Bournemouth University, UK. Faculty of Science & Technology, Department of Computing and Informatics, Service Computing Group.
University of Groningen, Netherlands. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Distributed Systems Group.
Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy. Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche Informatiche e Matematiche, the Smart Applications, Environments, and Communities Group.
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Department of physics, informatics and mathematics, Department of physics, informatics and mathematics.
Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, China. The College of EngineeringThe College of Engineering.
GK software. Germany – world market leader in retail software
KM Software. China – Specialist in computer aided manufacturing

The kick-off meeting initiated the projected start from March 2017. Topics discussed at the the kick-off meeting included

Deeper knowledge of consortium partner, research agenda
Implementation of working packages and Deliverables
Presentations of partners
Discussing Consortium Agreement

Please find more details about the project at

research.bournemouth.ac.uk/2016/09/horizon-2020-funding-for-virtual-factory-research-at-bu/

2 January 2018

Abstract Deadline: 3 Days to Go!

conferences, PG research nstewart

Doctoral College – The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference

The 10th Annual Postgraduate Conference abstract deadline is near. BU PGRs are invited to submit oral, poster or photography abstract to pgconference@bournemouth.ac.uk by midnight, Thursday 4 January 2018.

Please ensure you follow the how to apply guidance (pdf 253kb) and you can download the Application Form (docx 545kb) here.

We look forward to receiving your application.

/ Full archive

Research Policy News – 4 Jan 2018

Applications now open: Global Challenges STEAMLab 7/2/18

2018 BU PhD Studentship Competition Closing Soon!

Public Engagement – Understanding your Audience

Abstract Deadline: Today!