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Financial technologies funding

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

 

Attend the Fintech Innovation Contest Assembly – 25 Feb 2015

This facilitated knowledge sharing and networking event, organised by IC tomorrow, a digital programme for Innovate UK, and the Knowledge Transfer Network brings together leading industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities around innovation in financial technologies.  There will also be the chance to find out about the upcoming launch of IC tomorrow’s funded ‘Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

If you have technology or expertise relevant to the financial services industry, or if you are interested to find out about how to navigate this expanding market, then this free evening event is for you. This session provides the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, brands, academics, technologists, designers, and thought leaders across a range of financial services sectors.

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-assembly-registration-15426001586

 £175K Financial Technologies Innovation Contest

The IC tomorrow Financial Technologies innovation contest will offer a total of £175k to businesses to encourage innovation within Financial Technologies. Through a range of challenges, including themes of Education, Cyber Security, Transactions, Personal Finance Management, Compliance and Regulation, IC tomorrow are looking for innovative proposals from companies with digital solutions relevant to these themes within the financial sector.

The briefing event will provide an opportunity to get insight about the challenges from our challenge partners and all you need to know about the application process for the Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

London: 04 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118520

Online Webinar: 04 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-webinar-financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-registration-15794522843

Cardiff: 05 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-cardiff-registration-15749448023

Edinburgh: 10 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15749741902

Belfast: 11 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-belfast-registration-15749951529

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships – what’s in it for you? REF edition

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, REF Subjects

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)…you may have heard this term before and wondered what they are?  Or maybe you’ve been part of one?  Regardless of your experience with KTP, the scheme is currently in it’s 40th year of operation.  That’s 40 years of government funding dedicated to collaboration between academia and business, 40 years of innovation and 40 years of successful relationships being built (and lasting!) between Universities and business resulting in stronger partnerships boosting both academic expertise and business productivity.

So, what’s so important about this scheme in terms of you?  If we look at it in terms of the REF, recently for REF2014, KTP featured in impact case studies from Universities all around the country.  A few examples of this include an impact case study from us at Bournemouth University, where a KTP with local company Morning Data provided an insight into the success of the project and the impact it had on the company.  A brief insight into this KTP can be found here and the full case study referencing the KTP can be found here.  Other examples of where KTP has informed a REF2014 impact case study is with the University of Teesside, where several KTP have been referenced in this impact case study.  The University of Bristol have also demonstrated the link between KTP and impact by highlighting a KTP in one of their impact case studies.

As we move to REF2020, impact is expected to continue to play a large part of the submissions and as such, KTP is a fantastic way to demonstrate impact from research.

If you would like to receive dedicated support for KTP from the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office, find out about the KTP Academic Development Scheme which is currently in recruitment.  For further information on this scheme or other KTP enquiries, please call Rachel Clarke, Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP) on 61347 or email; clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk

GRADUATE SCHOOL BU PGR EVENT – JORGE CHAM PHD COMICS, TUESDAY, 17TH MARCH 2015

PG research

Registration is now open on the Graduate School website.  This will be a sell-out event, so register your place early.  For BU PGRs and Academic staff.

The Graduate School have invited Jorge Cham, creator of the cult comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper, or PHD – probably the most gut-achingly funny/tragic counsellor you could recommend to a PhD Student, and features in the ‘Times Higher Education’ (THE) – to lecture at a PGR social event on Tuesday 17th March 2015, EBC, Lansdowne Campus. 3.30-7.00pm.  Refreshments provided.

There will be the opportunity to meet and talk to Jorge and get a copy of his signed book too, as well as networking with other PGRs and academic staff.

Welcoming our newest Erasmus Mundus TECHNO II post-doc

I am Dr Helmi Norman, an Erasmus Mundus post-doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University (BU). I arrived here late December 2014 and will be attached here until the end of June 2015. My research interest is in the area of emerging learning technologies, where I am particularly interested in the mobile, online and ubiquitous technologies that can applied for 21st century learning.

Currently, at BU, I am working with Dr Huseyin Dogan on three main research initiatives. First, we are working with the Technology-Enhanced Learning Division under the Centre for Excellence in Learning at BU on creating a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for education technology. The MOOC created could serve as platform for educators in exploring potential teaching and learning technologies for promoting learner-driven innovations. I have been previously involved with a national MOOC initiative in Malaysia and the BU MOOC initiative can further spark new cross-regional research between Europe and Asia in this field.

Second, we are currently studying on social media addiction which is currently becoming a serious issue and we are investigating effective approaches and techniques of intervening with the addiction. Third, we are also currently working on a research about peer assessment using online learning technologies.

Feel free to contact me on future collaborations at mnorman@bournemouth.ac.uk or helmi.norman@gmail.com.  

 

BU has two Erasmus Mundus Academic Partnerships TECHNO and TECHNO II partnerships. Please contact Dr Demetra Andreou if you would like more information: dandreou@bournemouth.ac.uk

Up to £10M Worth of Funding Available for Digital Innovators

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange

Register now for the upcoming events below which will highlight and provide information about Innovate UK funding competitions opening in March 2015.

Digital Business Drop-in – 19 February 2015

Come along to an informal and short Digital Business Drop-in session for an opportunity to meet the representatives of the Innovate UK and the organisations working in partnership to hear about upcoming funding and support available for digital companies and also the chance to showcase your business in a 5 minute presentation. 

Register at: https://www.etouches.com/115025

Attend the Fintech Innovation Contest Assembly – 25 Feb 2015

This facilitated knowledge sharing and networking event, organised by IC tomorrow, a digital programme for Innovate UK, and the Knowledge Transfer Network brings together leading industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities around innovation in financial technologies.  There will also be the chance to find out about the upcoming launch of IC tomorrow’s funded ‘Financial Technologies Innovation Contest.

If you have technology or expertise relevant to the financial services industry, or if you are interested to find out about how to navigate this expanding market, then this free evening event is for you. This session provides the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, brands, academics, technologists, designers, and thought leaders across a range of financial services sectors.

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fintech-assembly-registration-15426001586

 £175K Financial Technologies Innovation Contest

The IC tomorrow Financial Technologies innovation contest will offer a total of £175k to businesses to encourage innovation within Financial Technologies. Through a range of challenges, including themes of Education, Cyber Security, Transactions, Personal Finance Management, Compliance and Regulation, IC tomorrow are looking for innovative proposals from companies with digital solutions relevant to these themes within the financial sector.

The briefing event will provide an opportunity to get insight about the challenges from our challenge partners and all you need to know about the application process for our Financial Technologies Innovation Contest. 

London: 04 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118520

Online Webinar: 04 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-webinar-financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-registration-15794522843

Cardiff: 05 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-cardiff-registration-15749448023

Edinburgh: 10 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15749741902

Belfast: 11 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/financial-technologies-innovation-contest-briefing-belfast-registration-15749951529

 Using Personal Data to Improve User & Customer Experience

London: 17 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-briefing-london-registration-15750410903

Manchester: 19 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-manchester-registration-15750960547

Edinburgh: 20 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-personal-data-to-improve-user-customer-experience-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15750770980

 £4M Protecting Data in Industry 

Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects that tackle the growing risks of disruption to internet-enabled businesses and their digital supply chains.

With the Internet of Things providing new sources of data and end-users’ ever-increasing digital footprint, it is difficult to adequately protect the interests of a business, industry or sector. There is also a lack of understanding of the effects disruption may have.  Desired proposals would address the challenge of protecting a business, industry or sector from digital disruption that could compromise data across the digital supply chain.

Belfast: 25 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-belfast-registration-15751274486

Cardiff: 30 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-cardiff-registration-15751564353

London: 31 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118529

Edinburgh: 01 April 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15751602467

Innovation in Retail Speed Networking – 31 March 2015

If you are an SME or start-up with an innovative product in the Retail space then this free evening event is for you.

The event will offer chosen companies a series of one-to-one sessions with major retail brands including Argos, John Lewis, Snow & Rock and Liberty of London. The speed networking format has been designed to help connect start-ups and SMEs with larger commercial partners to fuel understanding and enable partnerships. We have up to 15 places available for the most innovative digital companies working in this space.

The aim of this event is to explore opportunities for innovation throughout the Retail industry, from ecommerce & payment through to aspects such as data analytics & personalisation & supply chain management.

Apply here: https://ictomorrow.innovateuk.org/innovation-in-retail-networking

 

National Contact Points: Jerome de Barros and Alex Harris – Health, Wellbeing and Demographic Change

Guidance

National Contact Points (NCPs) provide impartial advice regarding EU Funding within their specialist area of Horizon 2020.  The advice is free and confidential and tailored to your needs.  This is an excellent service for drawing on the experience and knowledge of someone who deals exclusively with a particular scheme or work programme.  If you are interested in testing out project ideas, checking scheme eligibility, discussing the direction of travel of a particular funding stream or just asking some questions on the practicalities of applications they are a great source of help. 

 

This week we would like to introduce you to Jerome de Barros and Alex Harris, who are the the NCPs for Health, Wellbeing and Demographic Change.  Follow the link for further details on NCPs and Horizon 2020.

Following on from the MDGS- the SDGS

 I have been working in the area of educating global citizens who understand the need for sustainable  development for almost fifteen years. As the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2004-2014) has drawn to a close, and we have seen a review of progress against the Millennium Development Goals (insufficient progress essentially), I have been watching with interest as the strategy for taking actions forward emerges.

 Essentially the MDGS will be replaced by the SDGs – will more  sustainable development and social justice be achieved as a consequence?

An  international report which has just been released by the International Council for Science provides an expert commentary on the proposed 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.  My colleague (Professor Stephen Sterling – aka the ‘Godfather’ of ESD) was asked to write the section on Goal 4 and its associated targets. He has warned that the proposed Goal and targets are strong on access to  education but weak in terms of viewing education and learning as a key part of engaging and helping address the 16 other SDGs.

If you are interested in follwoing this up, the full report may be found  here (see p27 for Education):

http://www.icsu.org/publications/reports-and-reviews/review-of-targets-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-science-perspective-2015/review-of-targets-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-science-perspective-2015

 and news coverage is here:

http://roadtoparis.info/2015/02/12/science-building-perfect-world/

 Science http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/702.full.pdf?sid=1ba9e0a0-ced6-4a81-b008-30829c2dec43

Reuters Alert Net http://www.trust.org/item/20150212190135-jmtes/?source=fiTheWire

The report will now be used as part of the UN backed process of refining the SDGs before they are agreed and launched later this year.

If we are to prepare BU graduates who are able to make a significant contribution to the world, it seems valuable to keep abreast of such developments.

How well are we enabling our students to work towards sustainable development and a better world? How might we do that better?

 

 

Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

The following funding opportunities have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

Medical Research Council, GB

Biomedical catalyst – developmental pathway funding scheme

The Medical Research Council invites outline proposals for its developmental pathway funding scheme, under the biomedical catalyst programme. This supports projects aiming to improve prevention, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of significant health needs, or projects that focus on research tools which increase the efficiency of developing interventions.

Award amount: not specified Closing date 25/03/15

 

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, GB

Towards engineering grand challenges – network and multidisciplinary research consortia call 

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will shortly be inviting applications for its network and multidisciplinary research consortia call under its towards engineering grand challenges scheme.

This call supports multidisciplinary research consortia that can further advance the following engineering grand challenges:

•engineering solutions to sustainably provide water for all;

•future cities – engineering approaches that restore the balance between engineered and natural systems;

•engineering across length scales, from atoms to applications;

•identifying risk and building in resilience into engineered systems, with consideration given only to network plus proposals.

Approximately three awards are available.

Award amount: Not specified Closing date: 28 Apr 15

Wellcome Trust, GB

Medical humanities research bursaries

The Wellcome Trust invites applications for its medical humanities research bursaries. These support small and medium-scale research projects based on library or archive collections supported by the trust. Projects must focus either on Wellcome library holdings or on any collection supported by a previous research resources grant, but they need not be historically grounded.

Applicants must be based in, or travelling to, the UK or Republic of Ireland. Applications are not limited to academic researchers and may be submitted by conservators, artists, performers, broadcasters, writers, public engagement practitioners and others working in the creative arts.

Bursaries are usually worth between £5,000 and £25,000, depending on the duration of research, and may contribute towards travel, accommodation, subsistence and photocopying costs.

Award amount between £5K and £25K: Closing date: 01/04/15 or later round 01/10/15

Economic and Social Research Council, GB

UK in a changing Europe initiative commissioning fund  

The Economic and Social Research Council invites applications for its UK in a changing Europe initiative commissioning fund. This aims to promote high quality social scientific research into the nature of the relationship between the UK and the EU, with a particular emphasis on making the findings of this research easily available to non-academic stakeholders. Activities covered under this programme include, but are not limited to;

•synthesising existing research findings;

•producing policy briefs presenting the findings of academic research;

•holding briefings or workshops bringing together academics and non-academic stakeholders.

UK-based researchers from eligible research organisations may apply.

Award amount max: Grants are worth up to £10,000 each. Closing date 28/03/15

Centre for evaluating complexity across the energy, environment and food nexus

The ESRC, in partnership with the NERC, DEFRA, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Environment Agency and the Food Standards Agency, invites outline proposals for its centre for evaluating complexity across the energy, environment and food nexus. The centre aims to pioneer, test and promote innovative and inclusive methods to address the challenges of evaluating this complexity across energy, water, environment and food research. The core features of the centre are leadership, methodology development, methods applications and capacity building. Methods must contribute to the generation of evaluation evidence which can help to ensure that policy and practices are effective, and that the best use is made of public money.

Applications are open to any academics, policymakers and local practitioners provided the principal investigator is based at a UK higher education institution or independent research organisation that is eligible for ESRC funding.

Award amount: Max £2,900,000 Closing date 18/03/15

Natural Environment Research Council – NERC, GB

Standard Research Grants

The Natural Environment Research Council invites applications for its standard research grants. This is an open competition for curiosity-motivated basic, strategic or applied research. There are two calls under this programme: standard grants and standard grants for new investigators. Eligibility for the new investigator call is restricted to researchers within three years of becoming eligible for NERC funding as a principal investigator, and who have not received funding as a PI from any source. The PI must reside in the UK and be employed by an eligible UK research organisation.

Grants are worth a min of £65,000 to a max of £800,000 Closing date 21/07/15 

Please note that some funders specify a time for submission as well as a date. Please confirm this with your  RKEO Funding Development Officer

You can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in  RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.

Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

PG research

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Nasirlow noise Switch-mode power supply designs

Title: Development of novel low noise Switch-mode power supply designs for high fidelity audio power amplifiers

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 25 February 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

Nowadays, linear power supplies are widely used to provide the supply voltage rail to an audio amplifier and are considered bulky, inefficient and expensive due to the presence of various components. In particular, the typical requirements of linear designs call for physically large mains transformers, energy storage/filtering inductors and capacitors. This imposes a practical limit to the reduction of size and weight in audio power systems. In order to overcome these problems, Switch-mode Power Supplies (SMPS) incorporate high speed switching transistors that allow for much smaller power conversion and energy storage components to be employed. In addition the low power dissipation of the transistors in the saturated and off states results in higher efficiency, improved voltage regulation and excellent power factor ratings. However, the use of SMPS in audio amplification is not novel in itself, the contribution will arise from design optimisation to achieve the lowest possible harmonic distortion in the audio output stage. Therefore, the primary aim of this research project is to develop the novel low noise switch mode power supply for an audio power amplifier. It will also strive to elevate the reliability of SMPS through stability analysis and enhance the efficiency of power supply through high speed switching transistors. As a result, the research will aim towards changing the way industrial manufacturing of power supplies for audio amplifiers are carried out. It will also provide a new path for researchers in this field to utilize the SMPS in all other audio devices by further enhancing its efficiency and reducing system noise.

 

We hope to see you there.

 

Research Staff Association- Lunchtime meeting on Wed 25th Feb 12-1pm in PG22

We would like to invite you to the 2nd meeting of the newly formed Research Staff Association (RSA) on Wednesday 25th February from 12-1pm in PG22. 

The RSA is a forum for research staff to network with other researchers from across BU, get updates on how BU is implementing the Research Concordat, exchange information and give feedback that can help to develop and support the research community at BU. 

Lunch will be on offer and pizza is on the menu (yes that’s right there is such a thing as a free lunch) so please confirm your attendance by email to rhurst@bournemouth.ac.uk

We look forwarding to meeting you – Ana Ruiz-Navarro and Marilyn Cash (Research Staff Representatives-Research Concordat Steering Group)

Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team: how have we been flying the KEIT for you?

The Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team (fondly known to us as KEIT) is a relatively new team within RKEO.  KEIT is made up of an enthusiastic group of people working to ensure that BU’s research and  knowledge is informed by society for the benefit of society on a number of cross institutional projects such as the Festival of Learning and HEIF-5 funded initiatives, amongst many others!

The past month has been a busy one for the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team starting with the excellent news that the research website had won the ‘Best Research Website’ in the international eduStyle Awards, winning both the People’s Choice and Judged Award categories – fighting off competition from MIT, Yale and Columbia. If that wasn’t exciting enough, we have been continuing to profile BU’s excellent REF results and Dorset Magazine has featured Professor David Osselton in a piece which brings insight to the region on about his fascinating toxicology research.

We have not rested on our laurels engaging our student body with our amazing research either, with over 40 students attending our first live research chat (known from here on in as 14: Live) led by Professor Janet Dickinson. Students were also treated to insights from Dr James Gavin in The Rock on how exercise can improve ankle flexibility and postural stability in older people. Our public engagement programme has also continued in earnest, with Café Scientifique returning in February. Professor Matt Bentley led a fascinating talk exploring whether reproduction in the sea is lunacy? Despite snow on the morning of the event, Café Boscanova was packed!

BU’s record of partnership working received a big boost with the announcement that Bournemouth University’s Global Environment Solutions (BUG) HEIF funded project team have been commissioned by Poole Council to try and bring an end to the water quality issues which have become synonymous with the lake in Poole Park. Enabled by funding from the Heritage Lottery Funding this is a fantastic result for the local community and BU.

The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Academic Development Scheme (KTPADs) is once again open for registration. Led by Innovate UK, KTPs are a brilliant way of working with industry and creating employment for an exceptional graduate or post-doctoral researcher. If you would like to get involved, see this blog post and to learn more about the power of KTP or contact Rachel Clarke, our resident KTP guru.
Aside from the work of KEIT you can outwardly see, we are busy planning exciting initiatives for the months and years ahead. Scheduling is currently underway for the next Festival of Learning which takes place between 11th-17th July. We are currently working on some *extremely* exciting events, so watch this space. We are also planning out the Festival of Learning On Tour, so if you want to wow the world or have some fun whilst collecting data, come and join us at a public event. Contact Naomi Kay directly for further information.

On a more technical note, we are working to support researchers to develop and evidence the impact of their research. This is ranging from the technical side with the development of a new institutional wide system for impact capture, through to personalised support to maximise the impact of research. We are also nearly ready to publish the next Bournemouth Research Chronicle – keep your eyes peeled!

If you’re feeling inspired by our blog post and would like to get involved with some of our projects then feel free to get in touch:

–        Rebecca Edwards – Knowledge Exchange and Impact Manager

–        Rachel Bowen – Research Communications Manager

–        Rachel Clarke – Knowledge Exchange Adviser (KTP)

–        Jayne Codling – Knowledge Exchange Adviser

–        Naomi Kay – Public Engagement Officer

–        Harry Gibson – Public Engagement Events Organiser

–        Sam Squelch – Student Engagement Coordinator

To find out more about us and what we do, take a look at our team page.

 

 

European Commission workshop “A European Roadmap for Climate Services”, Brussels, 17 March 2015

Knowledge Exchange

This Commission workshop is the first public occasion to present the European Roadmap for Climate Services to stakeholders and key players in the field, share views and experiences on key issues, discuss the challenges and opportunities, and move towards its implementation.  It is aimed in particular at organisations that either produce or supply climate information and intelligence, or are interested as actual or potential users of climate services.

[The Commission attributes a broad meaning to the term “climate services”, which covers the transformation of climate-related data – together with other relevant information – into customised products such as projections, forecasts, information, trends, economic analysis, assessments (including technology assessment), counselling on best practices, development and evaluation of solutions and any other service in relation to climate that may be of use for the society at large.]

The Roadmap, which will be published by the end of February 2015, has been produced by a Commission ad hoc Expert Group, established as one of the main outcomes of the first workshop “Towards a European Market for Climate Services” (18 March 2014). It is not a Commission document, but relied on the involvement of a larger supporting group – including the EC services, Copernicus and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) – and on a focused stakeholders’ consultation.  The Roadmap is expected to offer a coherent and focused framework for action, able to leverage on existing initiatives at EU (such as Horizon 2020) and national level, as well as to provide a support framework to local initiatives.

Online registration, draft agenda and further information are available here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/REGISTRATIONClimateServ

Deadline to register is 10 March, but early registration is recommended as places are limited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Have you checked out the interactive Research Lifecycle diagram yet?

If you haven’t then you most definitely should! Our Research Lifecycle diagram is a jazzy interactive part of the BU Research Blog that shows the support and initiatives that are available to staff and students at each stage of the research lifecycle. The information is general enough so as to apply to all disciplines and you can use it to organize and identify the many activities involved in your research. You can explore the Research Lifecycle to find information on how to get started with:

1. Developing your research strategy

2. Developing your proposal

3. The research process

4. Publication and dissemination

5. Impact

RKEO will be adding to the Research Lifecycle to ensure it always contains the most up to date information to support you with planning, organising and undertaking your research.

You can access the diagram from the links in this post or from the menu bar that appears on all screens in the Research Blog.

 

New KTP call – Stratified Medicine!

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

Innovate UK have announced a new specific call for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) in Stratified Medicine.  Stratified medicine in this case means providing the right treatment, at the right time, to the right patient.  The specific call is part of a Stratified Medicine Innovation Platform that is funding a £50 million programme of research and development over five years.

Listed below are the main points for this call:

  • Innovate UK is investing up to £1million to establish new KTP in developing modelling approaches to support the use of stratified medicine in the UK – this is across bioinformatics, systems biology, health economics and analytical algorithms
  • The competition aims to help businesses to achieve access to modelling expertise that allows development of new diagnostic approaches and improves earlier evaluation of diagnostic products

Successful partnerships will enable businesses to advance a product for a stratified approach to treatment, requiring the use of new modelling systems that will either:

  • integrate healthcare and science data, to predict the likelihood of a product demonstrating the intended effect or value in a clinical setting, incorporating approaches such as systems biology or bioinformatics
  • provide innovative multi-parameter algorithms that enhance the predictive strength of a diagnostic test and allow commercialisation
  • provide innovative health economic models for products that will establish new clinical care pathways and allow product adoption
  • This competition aims to allow healthcare- related businesses to use KTP projects to access the modelling skills necessary to improve decision-making and the evaluation of diagnostic tests. This will allow for faster, more predictive and more accurate development of stratified medicine approaches.

Please note that out of scope are modelling approaches that:

  • Do not address a stratified approach to patient treatment
  • Are not related to the advancement of a potential product

There will be a briefing webinar at 13.00 on Thursday 19th February 2015, further information on this webinar can be found here.  Please note this webinar will be recorded and made available for future reference.

This call opens on 2nd March 2015 and closes on 18th November 2015.

If you have any comments or perhaps know of a company who might be interested in this call, please do let me know.  Rachel Clarke, KTP Officer – clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961347.

Serendipitous Impact and the Power of No: lessons from CEMP’s Research Away Day

R & KE Operations, Training

On Friday February 13, 2015 eighteen researchers across all stages of their careers came together for our CEMP Research Away Day. Hosted at the Old School House By the Sea in Boscombe, the day focused on how we can foster our media & education research culture, from REF strategy to collaboration building, both at BU and beyond.

Kicking us off with REF and Impact, Rebecca Edwards from RKEO spoke about key issues including the new Open Access Guidelines and how we can work to evidence our impact. She summed up 8 key points to takeaway:

1. Know your Open Access
2. Go Gold when possible – use RKEO fund
3. Collaborate with other institutions and international colleagues
4. Identify and developing Impact Case Studies
5. Evidencing your Impact as you go along (testimonials, visitor counts, etc)
6. Promote your research on the BU research website
7. Aim to increase research income
8. Focus on PhD registrations and completions

Sound like a gigantic task for just one person? These goals are not for individuals to accomplish alone. Working in teams and groups is key for doing innovative research, producing outputs and building successful bids. Making connections between our work is a necessary beginning.

Isabella Rega’s Making Connections session got the group talking about where our interests intersect. Using three different coloured post-it notes, we wrote down the issues (green), methods (pink) and stakeholders (yellow) that we work with. Participatory research methods, HE teaching and learning, and Education and Social Change emerged as key overlaps.

Out of these connections some concrete plans emerged, including turning fusion project output into educational resources and a participatory methods workshop day.

From project plans to project afterlife, we shifted to speak about documenting and evidencing impact. We looked at four case studies of research projects including ETAG and Copyrightuser.org, their significance and who they reached. Rebecca Edwards provided advice on how we evidence, measure and track our project’s impact. Sometimes these impacts can be anticipated, but more often there is serendipity and surprise.

Tracking Impact

-Tiers of influence
-Is influencing an organisation enough? How do we understand what this was?
-Testimonials
-Formal letters from key institutions
-If you’ve done research at another institution it doesn’t count at our institution. Impact stays at institution. Reason is because it is usually about groups.
-Entire groups can be rewarded for impact
-Demonstrate the evidence of impact on policy —> Following the story
-Distinct contribution of the University
-Can’t always see the impact from the outset —> serendipity involved, not always
-visitors counts and the result of them

After a tasty, if unidentifiable food-filled lunch from Bosconova, we ran a reflection session on barriers to research bidding and publishing. Designed to get us thinking about the personal and structural constraints on our research, the session helped us room-source practical solutions to common challenges.

Richard Wallis got us back up on our feet with a enthusiastic round of Research Speed Dating. Partnering up with colleagues for short bursts of time, we quickly exchanged project ideas offering feedback and fostering more research connections. Julian McDougall and Richard Berger rounded out the afternoon with a go-around. Everyone shared their upcoming plans and outlined the support they would need to achieve them.

Described by participants as a “fantastic day,” we left feeling the best kind of inspired: more excited and less exhausted about the research plans that lay ahead for CEMP’s growing educational research community.

Anna Feigenbaum is a CEMP Fellow. To find out more about CEMP and how to get involved, check out the website: http://www.cemp.ac.uk/