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Creative ways to disseminate research findings: ‘Moving Stories – Moving On.’

PG research

Being new to the academic world I had naively thought that the only way to disseminate research findings was though conferences and publishing papers.  However, my eyes were opened when I attended a production by the Theatrescience Company in October.  A play was used as one of the means of sharing research findings of a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Using a range of qualitative methods the research investigated people’s experiences of being physically active in older age.  It was seeking to understand ‘what works’ from a group of older adults who were engaging in regular physical activity.

So on a mild autumn evening about 60 people filed into a room at the Knowledge Spa at Treliske Hospital, Cornwall (the home of the University of Exeter Medical School’s European Centre for Environmental and Human Health).  After a brief introduction we were treated to a one-off performance of verbatim script of excerpts of those interviewed.  It provoked a range of emotions from laugh out loud funny to tear-jerking sadness.  The depth of insight was immense and reminded me once again why I am enjoying my new career as a social scientist.  Interestingly, my sister (a local doctor in Cornwall) came away with a slightly different perspective.  Whilst she found it interesting, she felt it hadn’t equipped her any more in helping her work with patients to see them become more active.

The on-going challenge continues to see how we take these findings and turn them into practical strategies which really work.  We also need to consider how we can use different forms of representations (blogs, journal articles, theatre, lay summary documents etc.) so that the reach of our research can be as wide as possible.

What will I take away from this event?

I learnt two things from this production: Firstly, that I need to think bigger when wanting to share my research findings and secondly, remaining physically active as we age is so much more than trying to get people to achieve their 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.  Being active is part of our life journey and will fluctuate depending upon seasons in our lives.  There is also a lot more research which needs to be done to help us understand physical activity across the life course!

Please see this link below for more of the project details: http://www.ecehh.org/research-projects/moving-stories/

Dr Cassandra Phoenix who led the research, is currently primary investigator for the ESRC Seminar Series ‘More of the same is not enough: New directions for research on ageing and physical activity’. Seminars are being held around the country until 2017. For further information see: http://seminars.ecehh.org

HE Policy Update

Monday

Research spending

The UK must spend more than £20bn extra a year on research and development to tackle decades of under-investment according to The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. The committee wants the Government to commit to raising UK R&D spending to 3 per cent of GDP in five years’ time in order to fully capitalise on its science base and close the gap on international rivals by bolstering links between universities and businesses. Britain must spend billions to bridge gap in research, (The Independent).

Student votes

Students could tip the balance of power at the next general election, according to analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute of their voting patterns from 1997 to the present day. Students could affect the outcome in about 10 constituencies including Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband’s seats. Student vote could swing 2015 election, suggests study (BBC News), Collapse in Lib Dem student vote puts Clegg’s seat at risk, (The Daily Telegraph).

Tuesday

Private Providers

The National Audit Office has published their investigation into financial support for students at alternative HE providers. The report found that drop-out rates at these private providers were on average 12% (compared to 4% for HEFCE funded HEIs). The report also reveals that 20% of publicly funded students on Higher National courses at alternative providers may not have been registered with the qualification awarding body in 12/13. This means they would be unable to attain the qualifications they were funded for. Private provider drop-out rates and loan access laid bare by NAO (THE).

Wednesday

Student retention

Following a survey by Blackbullion (an independent Financial Education Training service), one in 10 undergraduates admit that it is likely they will have to drop out of university because they can’t afford to continue with their studies. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of students say they are worried about how they will continue to fund their degree, supporting concerns that the maintenance loan provided to undergraduates may not be enough to cover costs. One in 10 students ‘can’t afford to continue at university’ (The Daily Telegraph).

Postgraduate Loans

It was announced in the Autumn Statement that from 2016-17, income-contingent loans will be available for postgraduate taught masters courses in any subject for those under the age of 30. To provide support for students in the meantime, before the loans become available in 2016, it was announced that HEFCE will allocate £50 million in 2015-16 to universities to offer bursaries on a match funded basis. These will be £10,000 each and will benefit 10,000 students. Autumn Statement: Postgraduate loans of £10,000 (BBC News), Ten thousand bursaries for ten thousand students in 2015 (HEFCE) .

Thursday

Postgraduate Loan Reaction

The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that borrowers would face high effective marginal withdrawal rates on earnings, owing to the combined effect of repayments for postgraduate and undergraduate loans, alongside tax and National Insurance. Postgraduate borrowers ‘would face 50 per cent tax’ (THE).

Friday

Which? Student Survey

Which? have surveyed students on five extra-curricular aspects and produced rankings. The 5 categories were: sports, political scenes, creative scenes, nightlife and student union activities. Top student-rated universities revealed for 2014 (Which?).

Arts and Humanities

Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor at Falmouth University, has written a piece combating the myth that focusing on arts and humanities subjects restricts future career paths. She quotes recent research which shows that the creative industries will be worth over £100bn and provide 1.39m jobs by 2018. ‘Ignore creative subjects at your peril’ (Telegraph).

 

EUADS: deadline for applications is approaching!

Funding opportunities, Training

The EU Academic Development Scheme (EUADS) is a unique scheme developed to kick start your career in EU research, and is open to all BU academic staff.  The scheme will help you work towards making a submission by providing unlimited 1-2-1 support from an expert EU bid writer, group mentoring and unlimited assistance in actually writing your application over a 12 month period.  In addition to the training, the EUADS scheme also includes an individual fund. Each successful participant will have access to grants up to £3ooo to spend on activities supporting bid development, such as:
• Travel with the intent of networking
• Conference attendance with the intent of networking
• Pilot research work
• Fieldwork
• Attendance at external networking events leading to collaborative research proposals
• Meetings with external organisations to establish collaborations
• Preparation of specialist material or data
• Replacement teaching 

You can read more on this scheme in the EUADS Policy Document  and make a submission using the  EUADS Application Form.   

The deadline for applications is Friday 19th December 2014.  Applications and any questions should be submitted to the Funding Development Coordinator, Giles Ashton, gashton@bournemouth.ac.uk

Event idea for the Festival of Learning 2015- A ‘who do you think you are’ family themed event & using the game ‘Top Trumps’ to make a successful event idea

Festival of Learning

with the deadline fast approaching for proposals to be submitted, here are a further couple of event ideas which may be food for thought for the Festival of Learning.

A ‘Who do you think you are’ themed event could use the concept of people’s ancestors and talk about how family history can have an impact on the individual choices we make today. This is often of great interest to many of us and can create a real debate in the room. This was further proven to be a successful topic at Engage 2014 in which a talk focused on how people should ‘remember their ancestors roots and way of living’ and stick to this in their everyday life.

An event idea which is of a completely different angle is that of using the popular game of ‘Top trumps’ and embedding your research around this game. Gamification is a quickly growing concept in the business world and is gaining recognition as one of the most talked about words in recent years. This is the way in which learning can be gained from games with your chosen content. For example, you could use as an example different bacterias in a top trumps style. This would involve the younger generation pitting against one another to see who had the ‘deadliest bacteria’.

 

For more information on the Festival of Learning 2015 please email Naomi Kay and she will be happy to help with event proposals and general inquiries.

Festival of Learning 2015- Thinking outside the box? Maybe try thinking outside of BU for your events.

Festival of Learning

When thinking about running an event at the Festival of Learning it is common to assume this has to be on campus, however you may have not considered the greater appeal you may be able to get at a different location. Here are some ideas about places that may add that unique selling point which will draw in greater numbers of the public and improve your overall engagement.

 

The Aquarium

Bournemouth’s Aquarium is an instantly recognisable symbol for what people associate with great venues in Bournemouth.  This would be a great place to , hold an event especially if your area of research is marine based, although this isn’t necessarily essential. An idea which could possibly be built on is to hold ‘A night at’ themed event at this location. So get your creative caps on and see what you can come up with for this fantastic venue.

Afc Bournemouth

Bournemouth University and Afc Bournemouth have an incredibly strong working relationship and there is always the possibility to run events from this location. This could be a great venue for sports related research topics, imagine the instant appeal if your event could be held at the Championship high flyers ground!

Shelley Theatre (Boscombe)

The Shelley Theatre is in a great location for when the Festival takes place. It is close to the town centre, creates a great atmosphere and provides audience members with a memorable experience. This venue would work well for a variety of event ideas and has played host to brilliant Festival of Learning events in the past.

 

If any of these locations seem to inspire you to submit an event, or you have a general event inquiry. Please email Naomi Kay and she will be happy to help you in the proposal process of making that event idea you have a reality. The deadline for proposals is fast approaching (19th December at noon) so don’t hesitate to get involved!

 

Showcasing Undergraduate Research Excellence – SUREBU 2015: call for submissions

Fusion, student research

SUREBU is a Fusion funded project aimed at showcasing the best of BU’s undergraduate research.  Research is broadly defined and could include work towards an undergraduate essay or dissertation, work carried out as part of a volunteer or work placement, or activities for an academic society.  Not only are research skills a central part of undergraduate study and academic life, but they are also vital skills for any future career.  By encouraging undergraduate students to think critically and develop their skills, research will help to enhance their student experience and increase their employability upon graduation.

The call for submissions is now open, and all BU undergraduate students – from all schools and courses – are eligible to apply.  Examples of research could be anything from preparing for a dissertation or an essay to work carried out during a placement year to volunteering or work with academic societies.   The main criteria is that evidence of the student’s own critical thinking can be demonstrated.  As well as developing new skills, this is a good opportunity to enhance their CVs through a conference presentation, publication of abstract or even being the winner of awards and prizes.

To get involved, register on SUREBU’s website and submit an abstract.  Abstracts should be a maximum of 300 words, with a title no longer than 150 characters.  The deadline for submission is 5th January 2015.  If you know of a student or recent graduate who would be eligible to submit, do encourage them to apply!

National Contact Point: Manija Kamal

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 Manija Kamal, who is the NCP for Embedding Social Science and Humanities across H2020.  Follow the link for further details on NCPs and Horizon 2020.   

Funding Development Opportunities:Travel Fellowships

Funding opportunities

The British Council in Israel and the Science and Innovation Network have launched three travel fellowships: BIRAX Regenerative Medical Fellowships, Inaugural UK-Israel Science Fellowships, and Inaugural UK-Israel Science Lectureships. The schemes are designed to further research experience, establish or strengthen research links and develop scientific collaborations.  The deadline for these opportunities is 12 January 2015. 

The Executive Committee of HUCBMS has established two annual Fellowship Travel Awards to encourage collaboration in biomedical sciences teaching and research between UK-based and overseas universities.  The closing date for applications is 16 January 2015. 

For more information on these opportunities, visit the British Council website 

 

Newton – funding update

Funding opportunities

Further to the November post outlining the Newton Funding opportunities, two new calls have been announced for China and India.  Please note the closing dates:

 

UK-China Research and Innovation Partnership Fund (deadline: 27/02/2015)

Newton-Bhabha PhD Placements Programme (deadline: 15/01/2015)

India-UK Collaborative Industrial R&D Programme (deadline: 15/04/2015)

Further information and application guidance available on the website.

If you wish to apply, please contact your RKEO Officer as soon as possible.

MS Society looking for members to join their Grant Review Panels

Guidance

The MS Society is looking for members to join their Grant Review Panels. For the Grant Review Panel for Care and Services Research they are also recruiting a new Chair.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 12 noon on Thursday 11 December. Please email research@mssociety.org.uk  with your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your experience and how that will positively contribute to the work of the grant review panels.

 

Areas of Expertise Required

Members of the Panels would normally serve for a period of three years. They are looking for people from a variety of backgrounds, covering research, health and social care expertise.

If you possess the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and motivation to help ensure the MS Society funds high quality, relevant research then contact them ASAP. This is also a great development opportunity for you, as knowing how a review panel works can inform how you write and present bids.

For the GRP1 panel, they are encouraging applications from those with an expertise in the following areas:

–       Immunology

–       Stem Cells

–       Animal Models

–       Genetics

 For the GRP2 panel, they are encouraging applications from those with an expertise in the following areas:

–       Psychology

–       Statistics

–       Health economics

About the grant review panels

MS research work is driven by a strategy agreed with the Board of Trustees and which reflects the perspectives of the whole MS community – people affected by MS, clinicians, research scientists and others.

To help guide their research work they work with the advice and support of a Research Strategy Committee (RSC) and two Grant Review Panels (GRP). The RSC looks at the strategic picture, providing advice on broad areas of research, setting priorities and scrutinizing the larger, ongoing research programmes. The RSC does not decide which specific projects we should or should not fund. That more detailed work is carried out by our Grant Review Panels, one for Biomedical Research (GRP1) and one for Care and Services Research (GRP2).

Third book in PR history series published by Palgrave

The third book in Professor Tom Watson’s edited world history of public relations series, Middle Eastern and African Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations: Other Voices, has arrived.

Ten chapters from Turkey to South Africa and the Arab Gulf to Nigeria are covered by 14 authors.

The next book in the series, Latin American and Caribbean Perspectives, is due for online publishing by Palgrave Macmillan in its Pivot series next week. The hard copy will follow in 3-4 weeks’ time.

And the manuscript on Western European Perspectives will be submitted next week, too.

Busy times for PR history scholarship and publishing!

Digital Business Briefing – December 2014

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

 

Now available for December, the Digital Business Briefing is compiled by the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) in partnership with Innovate UK, Catapults, Tech City, Nesta, and Horizon2020. The briefing highlights funding, support, events and training relevant to those working in the digital industries.

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