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Progress on public engagement: Institutional survey – your support is required!

bubbles

In 2012, Bournemouth University signed up to the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) Manifesto for public engagement. Further details can be found here: http://bit.ly/1LNCZZv.

In order to understand the extent to which as BU is embedding public engagement, staff and students are being asked to complete this survey on annual basis. This will be used to assess progress and inform future plans.

The survey can be found here: http://bit.ly/1L1Rryf and I would be most grateful if you could promote participation in the survey to any staff and students that you work with.

Three £20 Amazon vouchers will be given to participants entering the prize draw. It is anticipated that this survey will take 10 minutes to complete. Responses must be received by 4th September.

Any queries about this survey should be sent to Rebecca Edwards (redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk). All responses will remain confidential.

 

 

Reminder that EoI are required for NERC standard grants round January 2016

Funding opportunities, Guidance

nerc-logo-50thFollowing on from my previous blog post informing you of NERC’s demand management measures, this is a reminder that only one application can be submitted to the January 2016 standard grant round.  Therefore, expressions of interest are required by 21st August.  All details of the competition process and the form can be found here.

Media training for ESRC-funded researchers

Guidance

Media training is changing at the ESRC.ESRC

Having taken on board extensive feedback from their delegates they are moving their media training forward to focus on the practical elements of working with the media.

They now offer a one day-long media training session that provides the opportunity to develop practical media skills in a safe environment.

They believe by concentrating their resources this way they will be able to give maximum opportunity for researchers, no matter what stage of their career, to develop their skills and feel comfortable handling media interviews. Whether a PhD student, postdoctoral researcher or senior fellow, the new practical media training session provides the guidance needed to engage the media with confidence – and plenty of opportunity to practice.

For more information, please see the article here.

The course will be taking place in different locations throughout the year. The forthcoming course dates are:

  • 17 September 2015 – London
  • 15 October 2015 – Cambridge
  • 30 October 2015 – London
  • 12 November 2015 – London

Book a place on a media training course.

For further information on any aspect of ESRC media training days please contact esrcmediatraining@esrc.ac.uk

GeoNet cultural heritage landscapes and deathscapes

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, Knowledge Exchange, REF Subjects, Research themes

In our last GeoNet seminar Craig Young and Tim Darville discussed cultural heritage landscapes and deathscapes, followed by Anne Luce who examined the presentation of suicide in the media.

Craig Young introduced the seminar discussing the evolving patterns of death and the changing social attitudes towards death. The physical absence of the dead body is becoming significantly apparent when illustrating the changes in the memorialisation of the dead. For example, new ways of scattering ashes such as sending in to space, converting it in to diamonds as a permanent keepsake and using social media to contact others to help spread ashes to different continents. An increase in the memorialisation at the site of death in the form of roadside shrines indicates a shift away from official ceremonies to more informal and open displays of grief.

Tim Darville, who has recently published on life, death, ritual and regional identity in Britain c. 1600 BC, discussed the relationship and practices between the living and dead. He used Stonehenge as an example. I found it interesting to discover that Stonehenge originated as a burial ground, and as a monument to the dead. Darville went on to explain links between the spatial orientations of the stone structures with the celestial calendar.  The landscape changes from contained to dispersed, each holding its own celestial meaning as a burial site.

Anne Luce carried on the discussion talking about suicide in the media. Changes in attitude towards suicides have resulted in more high profile suicides reported in the media. For example, the Bridgend suicides in Wales 2008 were presented by the media as a suicide cult, therefore being picked up by the international press. The growth in social media sites, such as Facebook, has led to personal and public displays of remembrance in the form of memorial pages, which in some instances has led to an increased awareness of online bullying as a main cause of suicide.

Charlotte Unwin, GeoNet Intern

EC Info Day – Health, Demographic Change and Well-being taking place on the 18th Sept 2015

Info Days

EC Info days: relating to Health, Demographic Change and Well-being are being held on the:

18th September 2015, Brussels, Belgium euflag

Info days and brokerage events run by the EC are an opportunity to get an overview of work programmes covering the 2016 and 2017 calendar years, meet up and hear from others who are interested in the same programme and potentially form links and build consortia for future applications.

Please click on the link below now to book or register you interest – this will definitely be a popular event!

http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=7829B368-BCD2-7BA8-039C396F0C62FA5D

Please let Emily or myself know if you intend to go so we can co-ordinate if others also wish to attend.

Launch of BU’s new Bridging Fund Scheme for research staff

Golden gate Bridge wallpaperThis month sees the launch of the new BU Bridging Fund Scheme which aims to provide additional stability to fixed-term researchers who continue to rely heavily on short-term contracts usually linked to external funding. This situation sometimes impacts negatively on continuity of employment and job security and can result in a costly loss of researcher talent for the institution.

The new Bridging Fund Scheme aims to mitigate these circumstances by redeploying the researcher where possible, or where feasible, by providing ‘bridging funding’ for the continuation of employment for a short-term (maximum three months) between research grants. It is intended to permit the temporary employment, in certain circumstances, of researchers between fixed-term contracts at BU, for whom no other source of funding is available, in order to:

(a) encourage the retention of experienced and skilled staff, and sustain research teams and expertise;

(b) aconcordat to support the career development of researchersvoid the break in employment and career which might otherwise be faced by such staff;

(c) maximise the opportunity for such staff to produce high-quality outputs and/or research impact at the end of funded contracts/grants.

This is a great step forward for BU and for BU’s researchers and is an action from our EC HR Excellence in Research Award which aims to increase BU’s alignment with the national Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (further information is available here: https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/research-environment/research-concordat/).

You can read the full guidelines here: BU bridging fund scheme guidelines v1 070815

HE Policy Update

Monday

Ernst and Young

Ernst and Young, one of the UK’s biggest graduate recruiters is to remove degree classification from the entry criteria for its hiring programmes. The company claims they have found “no evidence” that success at university was correlated with achievement in professional qualifications. Ernst and Young drops degree classification threshold for graduate recruitment (THE).

Tuesday

UCAS

UCAS has been accused of blocking efforts to improve social mobility by refusing to release important data it holds on students from poor backgrounds. The Chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, has called on UCAS to open up its gold mine of information to help end the “national scandal” of disadvantaged children missing out on places at top universities. Ucas refusing to release data it holds on students from poor backgrounds – while making £12m a year selling applicants’ details  (The Independent).

Wednesday

A Level Results

A shift towards teenagers taking the more traditional academic subjects will be revealed when A-level results are published next week. More students are now opting to take English and Maths at A-Level. A-level results will reveal shift in focus towards more traditional academic subjects  (The Independent).

Thursday

Graduate Wages

According to a study by the Sutton Trust and upReach, Graduates’ wages increase more quickly if they went to a private school, compounding the fact that privileged university leavers attract higher starting salaries too. Graduates who went to private school ‘get bigger pay rises’ (THE).

Friday

Graduate Tax

When speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Andy Burnham, a Labour leadership contender, promised to replace tuition fees with a graduate tax if he leads the party into government.  This policy would be a shift from Labour’s current policy of lowering tuition fees in England to £6,000 a year by reducing tax relief enjoyed by those earning above £150,000. Andy Burnham pledges to replace tuition fees with graduate tax (THE).

Introducing Oliver Cooke: Student Engagement Coordinator in the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team

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Hello my name is Oliver Cooke and I have recently started on my work placement working as the new Student Engagement Coordinator within the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office. I am responsible for engaging students with the research that Bournemouth University undertakes and to organise events where this engagement can be informative and entertaining.

I am currently working towards my degree in Media Studies and have a major interest in the advertisement sector. During my studies at Bournemouth University I worked as the Varsity Videographer for SportBU, which has given me a great amount of knowledge and expertise that will allow me to perform well in my new position.

I have major interests in films and music, as well as competing for the BU Olympic Weightlifting team.

Communicate 2015: the UK’s leading conference for environmental communicators

 

Communicate 2015: Challenging Partnerships will run from the 10th of November till the 11th of November at the Bristol Science Centre. This event is the UK’s leading conference for environmental communicators, bringing together over 150 delegates each year to develop their skills, share best practice and debate the latest issues in engaging people with the natural world

During these two days there will be inspiring content, interactive workshops and engaging discussion in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that provides fantastic opportunities for networking with fellow communicators.

It’s a great opportunity to learn more about public engagement and research communication through interactive sessions, top tips and networking with people across the sector.

The event began in the Bristol Natural History Consortium in 2003, when 6 organisations in Bristol joined forces on flagship environmental communication projects. From 2003-2008 they worked together under a message of understanding, before gaining charitable status in May 2008.

To register to the event and find out more please visit www.communicatenow.org.uk

 

Professor Colin Prichard’s research makes front page of yesterday’s Times newspaper

Professor Colin Prichard from BU (social work) featured on the front page of The Times yesterday in an article which considers why Dementia is being diagnosed a decade earlier than it was 20 years ago.

A version of the article ‘Dementia victims are getting younger’ can be seen online at The Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/

Colin Prichard and Emily Rosenorn-Lanng analysed data from 21 westernised countries, including the UK, between 1989 and 2010. The findings are published in the journal: Surgical Neorology International.

 

£5,000 funding available to SME’s

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

 

money and cogs

 

Are you working with a start-up, micro, small and medium sized businesses? If the answer is yes encourage them to apply for funding to assist with their innovation and growth. Known as Innovation Vouchers businesses can receive up to £5,ooo of funding. This funding can be used to work with the university to support them with their future plans.

The application process is straightforward and information on this process along with more details about the funding can be found here.

Call for papers on productivity

Technology in the hands

To assist current discussions with policy makers, the Chartered Association of Business Schools are accepting papers on how business schools can help solve the UK productivity crisis.

The Government has made the drive for increased productivity a key policy focus. To help the Chartered ABS in its discussions with policy makers and influencers (about the important contributions business schools make to its students, the economy and society) there is a call  for thought piece papers on the subject of productivity.

Where will UK productivity come from? We know that the UK punches above its weight in terms of scientific innovation and ground-breaking discoveries. But this world-leading performance fails to translate into commercial products and world-leading businesses. The crucial bridge between laboratory and market is, if not missing, then distinctly wobbly in the UK. And this is despite prolonged effort by successive governments to build this bridge, through the Technology Strategy Board, then Innovate UK, catapults, and numerous other policy initiatives. Why is this a hard problem? Chartered ABS thinks that part of the problem stems from the UK’s STEM/business divide. We train excellent scientists, but we give them none of the business skills that would unlock the commercial potential of their ideas. The UK’s business schools want to see a move from a narrow focus on STEM, to STEMM: where Management is seen as a core part of Science and Engineering training, education and research. Management education The evidence shows a wide gap between the skills of UK managers and their US and European peers. Research by the Chartered Management Institute in 2004 found that British employers spent on average just €1,625 (£1,430) a year on developing each manager, against €4,438 in Germany, €3,387 in Denmark and €2,674 in France. Only a fifth of UK business leaders have any management qualification, the CMI says.

Work by Nick Bloom, John van Reenen, and others has highlighted the significant effect that management skills have on firm productivity and performance. As they conclude: “improved management practice is one of the most effective ways for a firm to outperform its peers.” They further note “The overall performance of most countries is determined not by the performance of its leading companies, but by the size of its ‘tail’ of poor performers.” http://web.stanford.edu/~nbloom/ManagementReport.pdf

By working with SMEs, through initiatives like the Small Business Charter, UK business schools can act as catalysts for management change, raising the skills of UK managers to the levels of their European peers, and in turn driving up UK productivity.

Papers

Thought pieces addressing the topic “What can business schools do to drive up the UK’s productivity?” should be between 500 and 2000 words and submitted to Anne Kiem and Anne.Kiem@charteredabs.org by 11 September 2015. Selected papers may be published on the Chartered ABS website and may be used in discussions and roundtable events with MPs and policy makers. Papers may also be used as part of the lobbying activities of the Chartered ABS at the upcoming Conservative and Labour party conferences.

Understanding how people with depression think about how the past could have turned out differently

Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund

The period of funding from the BU Fusion Investment Fund (Co-Creation and Co-Production Strand) has just finished for my joint psychology and psychiatry research project into the role of counterfactual thinking in depression. Counterfactual thinking is thinking about how the past could have been different. It is closely tied-up with the emotion of regret but can help people prepare to deal more effectively with similar situations in the future. For example, a person who thinks that an intimate relationship that failed would have survived if they had taken more account of how their partner was feeling (counterfactual thinking) can adapt their behaviour accordingly in their next intimate relationship in order to try to prevent the breakdown of the relationship and ensure its longevity.

My collaborator on the Fusion-funded project is Dr Paul Walters who’s a Consultant Psychiatrist for Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust (DHUFT) based at Weymouth. A student from the Psychology Department’s Foundations in Clinical Psychology Master’s degree course (Stephen Richer) worked on the project by interviewing DHUFT patients who are diagnosed with depression. The project ran from December 2013 to July 2015, in which time a total of 29 patients were assessed. Although the project funding has ended, participant recruitment will continue until the required number of 65 participants is reached, which should be by October 2015.

Preliminary analysis of the data from the project suggests that the patients assessed tend to focus on aspects of the self (e.g., personality characteristics) when thinking counterfactually about a negative social event from their past. This finding contrasts with the counterfactual thoughts of people that have not received a formal clinical diagnosis of depression who, our previous research has found, tend to focus more on factors that are external to the self (e.g., other people’s behaviour) when mentally ‘undoing’ a previous negative social event. Once the data are collected from all 65 participants with depression, more meaningful comparisons between the counterfactual thoughts of depressed and non-depressed people will be drawn. Ultimately, Paul Walters and I hope that the findings of the project will aid in the refinement of the cognitive behavioural therapies that psychiatrists and clinical psychologists administer for the treatment of depression. Once the results of the data from all 65 participants have been analysed and written-up for publication, Paul and I plan to submit a funding bid to the National Institute of Health Research for a follow-on intervention project into tailoring cognitive behavioural therapies for depression based on the factors that influence the counterfactual thoughts of the patients with depression.

Overall, the BU Fusion funding has been immensely beneficial for engaging students and a key external stakeholder in the local community (DHUFT) in a valuable piece of applied research that has important psychotherapeutic implications for mental health patients and professional best practice implications for mental healthcare professionals.

Thank you, Fusion Investment Fund, I couldn’t have done the research without you.

Dr Kevin Thomas, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology.

Innovate 2015 – 9-10 November London

Business Engagement, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

Innovate 2011v4

 

The countdown has begun for Innovate 2015. From international investors, entrepreneurs, to government and academia, everyone who is anyone in innovation will be attending. Discover the full range of support available to help your business grow faster, get funding, make connections and go global. Innovate 2015 is a two day event designed to stimulate opportunities for innovation, export and investment for the UK’s most innovative companies, at all growth stages. Secure your two-day tickets now for £199 (plus VAT). One-day tickets to the event are also available for £165 (plus VAT).

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