/ Full archive

CoPMRE Eleventh Annual Symposium: Impact in Healthcare Research and Education’

The Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education are hosting their Eleventh Annual Symposium on Tuesday 14 October 2014.

The event will focus on developments and activities around impact in healthcare research and education. It will explore impact from the perspectives of the public, the research funder, the university, the provider, the student and the medical educator.

Speakers include:

  • Professor Trish Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Care and Dean for Research Impact, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry
  • Simon Denegri, Chair INVOLVE
  • Natalie Carter, Head of Research Liaison and Evaluation, Arthritis Research UK
  • Jonathan Grant, Director, Kings Policy Institute.

This symposium is suitable for primary and secondary doctors, allied healthcare professionals, academics and anyone with an interest in medical research and education. Interested staff from across BU are invited and very welcome.

You can register on Eventbrite here. For more information please contact Audrey Dixon.

HE Policy and Press Summary – last week

Monday

 

The launch of University Alliance’s HELP UK proposals was picked up in the Conversation last week:

 

Social Mobility

The persistent focus on getting disadvantaged pupils into ‘top universities’ continues after research looking at the educational trajectories of disadvantaged children by the IFS is published by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission. 

 

The report suggests that “nearly 2,200 fewer poor children are attending elite universities than would be expected if they followed the same educational trajectory throughout secondary school as their better-off peers with similar levels of attainment at age 11.”

 

International & Immigration

HEPI have today released results of a survey which indicates that 78% of Conservative candidates think international students should be excluded from any target for reducing migration. 

 

Sascha Auerbach, a lecturer in modern British history at the University of Nottingham comments in the Guardian that teaching at US universities is “broad and superficial compared with the UK.”

 

Teaching & Learning

A report, by scientific bodies including the Academy of Medical Sciences, says the quality of graduates is under threat by universities undervaluing the importance of teaching in academic careers.

 

Whilst an analysis of previously unpublished surveys of students and reveals that many tutorials and lectures are being taken by postgraduates rather than lecturers and professors. 

 

Tuesday

 

Widening Participation

The Department of Education has released official date showing that disadvantaged pupils in inner London are more likely to go to university than much better off youngsters outside the capital.

 

Dr Sarah Lewthwaite, an independent researcher in disability, accessibility and higher education, warns in The Guardian that “cuts to the Disabled Students’ Allowance have repercussions for higher education as a whole, not just students.”

 

Research

Professor Stephen Caddick, Vice Provost of UCL argues, “for commercialisation to thrive it is vital that the UK invests appropriately in the entire pipeline of development, from early-phase frontier research through to technology development and thereafter commercialisation.”

 

 

Staff pay

Peter Scott, Professor of higher education studies at the Institute of Education, complains that “Universities have avoided financial crises by skimping on wages and outsourcing jobs while vice-chancellors’ pay has soared.”

 

Wednesday

 

Value for Money

A new survey by Which? Has found that nearly half of 1st and 2nd year students don’t think their degree is worth the money they’ll pay back, although nearly three-quarters say it will get them the career they want. University value for money questioned by students (Which?)

 

Election Policy

Lord Adonis has asked for a Labour government to set a science and research budget for the entire Parliament, and to give universities a bigger role in driving local growth. Labour should set science budget ‘for full Parliament’ (THE)

 

Women in STEM

A new study has revealed that women are massively underrepresented in the laboratories of the highest-achieving male biology professors in the US. Prize-winners’ labs ‘least likely to hire women’ (THE)

 

Careers Services

In a comment piece a 2nd year undergraduate has written about the need for university style careers services to be extended into schools. He also calls on other universities to follow the example of institutions such as Oxford Brookes and offer entrepreneurship focused modules. The ‘real world’ needn’t be so daunting (Telegraph Comment)

 

Comparison Test

Oxbridge and other UK universities are opposing attempts by the OECD to introduce Pisa-style tests to compare students from HE institutions around the world. Top UK universities oppose global comparison tests, says OECD (FT – Attached)

 

Thursday

 

NSS

The a HEFCE study of the NSS has shown that UK students in general are more satisfied with their university experience over the past decade, with overall satisfaction levels having risen by 5 percentage points between 2005 and 2013.

–       Student satisfaction ‘is on the rise’, survey shows (BBC)

–       Student satisfaction with university education on rise (Guardian)

 

The study was released alongside a review of the NSS which has recommended adjusting the NSS questions to counter a trend in students giving the same answer to every question. Spike in NSS ‘yea-sayers’ could weaken survey data (THE)

 

Student Visas

In a comment piece John Gill of THE argues that universities must take responsibility for oversight of international students. Leader: Visa issues at heart of problem (THE)

 

Fears that London branch campuses run by UK universities could have been targeted by criminals running visa scams have arisen as the Home Office investigation begins. Visa fraudsters ‘preying on’ London branch campuses (THE)

 

Government Policy

A survey of vice-chancellors has revealed striking levels of anger and frustration with the government and their policies. Vice-chancellors voice frustrations with policies (THE)

 

Future Graduates

David Sweeney, director for research, innovations and skills at HEFCE, has urged the sector to focus on producing graduates who will engage with society. University still a bastion of social elite, says Hefce official (THE)

 

Friday

 

Employment

HESA employment PIs, released earlier in the week, have shown that on average 92% of students were in employment 6 months after graduating. 8% of UK graduates still unemployed six months after finishing university (Independent)

 

Maths Education

A Nuffield Foundation report has found that changes to GCSE and A-level maths might put students off the subject. Maths changes ‘may put students off’, warns report (BBC)

 

RCUK Statement of Expectations for Research Fellowships and Future Research Leaders

Funding opportunities, Guidance

Research Councils UK (RCUK) has published its Statement of Expectations for Research Fellowships and Future Research Leaders, which sets out common principles for the support of all Research Council-funded fellowships and future research leaders.

The Research Councils want to ensure that the individuals funded as fellows or future research leaders are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly complex global research environment.

The document details what is expected of research organisations, including providing fellows with a named mentor, and the individual researchers, including a commitment to playing an active role in the wider research area through peer review. It also sets out what is expected of the research councils.

If you are interested in applying for an RCUK fellowship then please contact the RKEO team in the first instance.

IHPRC celebrates 5th birthday

The International History of Public Relations Conference (IHPRC) celebrated its fifth birthday on the first day of the 2014 conference on Wednesday, July 2.

The conference chair, Prof Tom Watson, was joined in cutting the celebration cake by Prof Don Wright (BostonUniversity), Associate Professor Meg Lamme (UniversityofAlabama) and Associate Professor Natalia Rodriguez Salcedo (UniversityofNavarra), who were members of an advisory panel consulted on the establishment of the conference in 2009.

 The conference, which was opened by the Dean of The Media School, Stephen Jukes, has been attended by delegates from more than 12 countries. Some 33 papers and a Keynote Panel have been presented.

More than 150 papers have been offered by delegates from 30 countries in the past five years. The conference has established the field of PR history and spurred a big growth in journal and book publishing, with two more books launched at the 2014 conference.

 Planning is already beginning for the 2015 conference to be held on July 7-8.

(L-R) Prof Don Wright, Prof Tom Watson, Assoc Prof Meg Lamme & Assoc Prof Natalia Rodriguez Salcedo

 

Reminder: Upcoming seminar from Australian visitor Dr Terry Haines

Further to the previous announcement (http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2014/06/12/upcoming-seminar-from-dr-terry-haines-monash-university-australia/), a title and abstract is now available for the seminar:

Tuesday 8th July, 2pm, TA134, Talbot campus:

Dr Terry Haines, Monash University, Melbourne.

Reversing research and implementation science for practices that are widely provided, dogma heavy and evidence light.

Some widely provided health services have an absence of evidence for effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and/or safety yet persist in clinical practice. It is possible that these practices are wasting valuable resources, but alternately may be valuable assets to service provision. Provision of these services in the context of usual care is a considerable barrier to conducting a conventional trial. Our team has recently developed a novel research approach to conduct a trial for this context[1]. This approach turns a conventional stepped-wedge, cluster randomised controlled trial design on its head.  This presentation will outline the strengths and limitations of the stepped-wedge design relative to other experimental designs, describes how this design was turned into a novel disinvestment research design, and then describe its first application in a clinical setting. The clinical example involves the withdrawal of weekend allied health services from acute medical and surgical wards across three hospitals in Australia. The early results of this trial run contrary to current initiatives to create a 7-day a week health service.

Reference

1. Haines T, O’Brien L, McDermott F, Markham D, Mitchell D, Watterson D, Skinner E: A novel research design can aid disinvestment from existing health technologies with uncertain effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and/or safety. J Clin Epidemiol 2014 , 67(2):144-151.

If you are able to attend the seminar, please let Samuel Nyman know by email: snyman@bournemouth.ac.uk

Latest HSC Midwifery paper in Open Access

Our latest paper in Midwifery ‘Translation and validation of the German version of the Mother-Generated Index and its application during the postnatal period’ is now freely available through Open Access on the Midwifery (Elsevier) webpages.

 

The lead author Susanne Grylka-Baeschlin, together with my colleagues Kathrin Stoll and Mechthild M. Gross, secured funding from COST to make this paper Open Access. The paper was part of Susanne’s M.Sc. project at the Midwifery Research and Education Unit, Hannover Medical School, Germany.

 

We would like to thank the ISCH Cost Action ISO907 (Childbirth Cultures, Concerns, and Consequences: Creating a dynamic EU framework for optimal maternity care) for funding the Open Access.   COST (European Cooperation in Science & Technology) is one of the longest-running European frameworks supporting cooperation among scientists and researchers across Europe. For further information on COST in general see: www.cost.eu.   UCLan lead this particular COST Action and Prof. Soo Downe is the Chair of the Action (www.iresearch4birth.eu).

 

For my colleagues at Bournemouth University please, note there is also funding available for Open Access publishing within the university: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2014/05/22/money-available-for-open-access-publishing/

 

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Today’s slides from ROMEO project

Publishing

 

Thank you very much for all of you who attended today’s presentation of the joint project between the University of Aberdeen, Bournemouth University and the University of Stirling.  For those who missed the session or who asked for a copy of the slides after the session, please find these included in the BU Research Blog.

ROMEO Edwin June 2014

The project was funded by National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme (09/127/01).  Therefore, I must point out that “views and opinions expressed therein (and here) are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the HTA programme, NIHR, NHS or the Department of Health.”

 

As with all HTA reports the final report and a ten-page summary are both freely available online, see:

www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/118180/FullReport-hta18350.pdf

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health.

R

Dr. Inventor – next generation “Google” search for researchers

Awarded & submitted bids, Research assessment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you eager to have innovative ideas?  Are you keen to find an effective method to solve your research problems? Do you want to speed up your research information collection? Cooperated among eight universities and companies around Europe, we are developing a virtual personal research assistant in our new European Commission funded project “Dr. Inventor – Promoting Scientific Creativity by Utilising Web-based Research Objects”. 

DrInventorDr Inventor aims to develop an intelligent software system utilising machine-empowered search and computation to bring researchers extended perspectives for scientific innovation. By informing researchers of a broad spectrum of relevant research concepts and approaches, this system will help assess the novelty of research ideas and offer suggestions of new concepts and workflows for new scientific discovery. Dr Inventor will be the first web-based system that supports the exploration of scientific creativity via a computational approach, which will overcome a lot of human limitations.

If you would like our system to work the way you envisage to do, please join our user requirement study by finishing a short survey (taking about 5 minutes) at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/drinventor. You can tell us how you perform your research tasks, what is the most difficult part in your research, what you wish our system to do to help you. Your feedback will guide our design; your suggestions may steer the way how people undertake research in the next few decades.

          

 Jian J Zhang & Xiaosong Yang

National Centre for Computer Animation, The Media School, Bournemouth University

 

Epidurals PhD researcher wins EPSRC award

PG research

Congratulations to SciTech’s Dr Neil Vaughan who has won the EPSRC’s ICT Pioneers ‘Transforming Society’ award. The accolade, which recognises the most exceptional UK PhD students, was awarded to Neil at a ceremony in Westminster last week for his innovative epidural simulator project.

The simulator uses software to replicate the epidural process, thereby assisting in training for this delicate procedure that is performed over 1000 times each day in the UK.

Neil’s supervisor Dr Venky Dubey said: “This is an exceptional achievement for BU and the collaborating partner Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Neil was up against stiff competition from top universities, including the University of Oxford, University College London and the University of Bath.”

The clinical project was proposed by the senior consultant anaesthetist at Poole Hospital, Professor Michael Wee, who also co-supervised the PhD.

Neil’s work was judged by a panel of technical experts from academia and industry. He triumphed through a rigorous selection process over a six month period, which included a written proposal, video and poster presentation. This culminated in a high-profile research showcase, where finalists pitched their project to representatives from the EPSRC, Hewlett Packard, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), BT and an audience of hundreds.

For more information about the project view the news item on the research webpages.

National Security: Advancing Capabilities to Meet Current and Future Threats

 

On Thursday 3rd July, the BU Cyber Security Unit (BUCSU) will be exhibiting at the National Security: Advancing Capabilities to Meet Current and Future Threats conference in London.

The conference will offer delegates an opportunity to investigate the key threats and risks to the UK’s national security. They will also learn of the latest developments in developing the UK’s cyber security and the role technology can play in protecting infrastructure and ensuring business and service continuity.

Facing the issue of developing the UK’s cyber security, there are two important areas which need to be tackled – the shortage of security practitioners and the increasing skills gap between existing knowledge and new cyber threats.

In response to these issues, BUCSU will be launching at the conference its ‘job retention through education plan’.  The unit is already working closely with the Police and there is traction to work with other government agencies too; this conference will provide an excellent opportunity to engage with these agencies and UK businesses.


Research Professional – all you need to know

Funding opportunities

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.

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:

22 July 2014

26 August 2014

23 September 2014

28 October 2014

25 November 2014

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.

Trip to Stirling University’s Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research Unit (NMAHP-RU)

Awarded & submitted bids

I have recently returned from an amazing opportunity to go to Scotland and attend the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research unit (NMAHP-RU) at Stirling University for two days. I landed at 2200 at Edinburgh airport and was lucky enough to have a fantastic taxi driver that acted as tour guide on the 40 minute drive from the airport to Stirling University pointing out Stirling castle, Edinburgh Bridge and the kelpies monument that was lit beautifully against the dark skyline. I was staying at Stirling Management Centre which is onsite at Stirling University.

Day One

My first day on the 17th was a beautifully sunny and hot one. I had a meeting with Dr Helen Cheyne of the NMAHP-RU who is involved in decision making research, with interests and paper’s on interventions in labour, identifying labour and intrapartum care assessment to name but a few. The meeting was informal and involved a lovely walk around campus which is extremely large with its own woodland area and lake; home to beautiful wildlife. We discussed my study as well as the related work she had done in the field followed by a history of Scotland’s maternity care services and current practices around discussing place of birth.  Overall a thoroughly thought provoking and useful meeting, Helen also put me in touch with a fellow Phd student with interests in my study topic who I have been in contact with. We then attended the Research Unit which was large and open planned where I met all of her colleagues, some of which I had meetings with.

Following lunch my second meeting was with Dr Julie Cowie a researcher interested in complex interventions, ehealth and mixed methodologies all related to my study. We sat outside and made use of the glorious sunshine whilst discussing my choice of methods and how to choose the most appropriate decision analysis framework.  Again I received a lot of helpful advice and information to support my study, making the meeting an extremely valuable one.

Then came the time to give my presentation; the moment that I had been dreading since I knew I was going on this trip. Luckily everyone had been extremely welcoming and kind and my fears had subsided slightly. The presentation had gone as well as I could have hoped and what followed was a great discussion that yielded useful points to consider.  Unfortunately technology wasn’t on my side and the link to the decision support tool wouldn’t open ….. Luckily enough my supervisors had warned me from their previous experience that this could happen and I had taken screen shots to input into the presentation so a massive crisis was averted!  The high of the presentation ended my first day at the research unit, I returned to the hotel elated. I made use of their fantastic gym facilities and Olympic size swimming pool!

Day two

Yet another beautifully warm and bright day (I joke not) consisted of further meetings. The first with Dr Purva Abhyankar an expert in the field of decision making and the use / implementation of decision aids within health related settings. She has had numerous publications in the decision aid field and has a wealth of knowledge to access, providing me with a list of area’s to read into and books to further my knowledge. Followed by a meeting with Dr Pat Hoddinott who is a former GP and has a particular interest in the design and delivery of complex interventions such as a decision support tool to support health behaviours around childbirth, we discussed at length my chosen methodology with possibilities of adding some new ideas such as the ‘think out loud’ technique.  I left the meetings with my head swimming with new knowledge and a new boost of excitement, ideas to research and consider.

Overall

Walking back to the hotel that afternoon I felt a sense of achievement, I had my first travel experience on my own without have a meltdown, I completed my first presentation to peers that new nothing of my study and left with some encouraging comments and a sense that my knowledge level had doubled with all of their expert advice and suggestions. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable, thought provoking and memorable trip with not a cloud or drop of rain in sight.

I would like to thank the NMAHP-RU and all those that took the time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and again to Santander for the funding to make this trip possible.

Teachers’ Pension Scheme for Academic Staff

Craig Tiley from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme will be visiting BU on Monday 7th July 2014, 10:00-11:00, Talbot Campus to give a presentation on pension provision for staff.

All Academic staff are welcome to attend, regardless of whether they are already members or are thinking of joining the scheme.

The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes with some additional time available to ask questions.

You may also be interested in the following websites for more information:

To book on or for more information please visit the Staff Development and Engagement Pages on the Staff Intranet.

 

Find out more about KTP on Friday 4th July!

Funding opportunities

On Friday 4th July, R&KEO are hosting a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awareness Day for academics who wish to explore KTP.

Throughout the day, guest speakers will talk about the KTP process and KTP experiences.  Speakers range from representatives from the Technology Strategy Board (the body behind funding KTPs), University staff and also case studies of recent BU KTPs.

The session will be held in the Executive Business Centre, Lansdowne Campus from 9am-4pm, refreshments and lunch are included.

Spaces are limited so if you would like to attend, please do contact Rachel Clarke by close of play on Wednesday 2nd July, to book your place.

Rachel Clarke, KTP Officer – 01202 961347, clarker@bournemouth.ac.uk

Strong Presence of our Computing Research at RCIS’14 Conference in Morocco

PG research

Our research in the area of Human-Centred Software Systems has been presented through three full papers in the IEEE Eighth International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS), which was held on May 28-30 2014 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

http://www.rcis-conf.com/rcis2014/

Our presented papers in RCIS 2014 are:

  • Mahmood Hosseini, Keith Phalp, Jacqui Taylor, Raian Ali. The Four Pillars of Crowdsourcing: A Reference Model.
  • Malik Almaliki, Cornelius Ncube, Raian Ali. The Design of Adaptive Acquisition of Users Feedback: an Empirical Study.
  • Raian Ali, Nan Jiang, Sherry Jeary, Keith Phalp. Consideration in Software-mediated Social Interaction.

The papers were presented by Dr. Nan Jiang, and the PGRs  Mahmood Hosseini and Malik Almaliki. It was a great opportunity for knowledge exchange and to maximize impact and visibility of our research. Interesting ideas as a follow up of our research were discussed and a number of overseas colleagues expressed interest in visiting us to do a joint work.

To get the presentations, please visit our Slideshare at: http://www.slideshare.net/Sociad-BU/

 

 

‘Intelligences’ theme of PR conference

Dr David MacQueen and Prof Tom Watson of The Media School both chaired panels and presented papers at the PR Meeting #4 conference in Barcelona last week.

The conference, which features research on critical approaches to public relations and strategic communication, had a focus on ‘intelligences’ this year.

Dr McQueen chaired a session which included fellow speakers from the the US, Spain and New Zealand. His paper, jointly authored with Graeme Baxter of Robert Gordon University, considered community resistance to corporate power in Scotland and Ireland.

Prof Watson presented a critical review of repetitive research issues in PR, in a session which also included speakers from Australia and Sweden. On the final afternoon of the conference he was a panel speaker on academic writing and publishing.

“This conference is a top event as it has broad international participation and always pushes into new research territory,” said Prof Watson. “This year, it was built around Howard Gardners’s work on intelligences, which brought forward aspects such as competitive, professional, spiritual, digital, emotional, dialogic, wicked and feminist intelligences.”

(L-R) PR Meeting # organisers Prof Jordi Xifra (Pompeu Fabra) and Prof David McKie (Wakato) with Prof Tom Watson