Tagged / BU research

Consider starting M.Res. at Bournemouth University

NHS, PG research, student research

Bournemouth University is delighted to be working with UWE Bristol as one of the NIHR INSIGHT hosts providing funded postgraduate M.Res. research training for health and social care professionals.  BU provides excellent training, development, and teaching for the postgraduate community across disciplinary and interdisciplinary research fields.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) INSIGHT programme is a unique opportunity designed to inspire and equip the next generation of health and social care researchers. As part of its commitment to fostering a world-class research workforce, the NIHR INSIGHT programme offers a transformative experience with numerous benefits:

  • Exposure to Research Opportunities: Gain invaluable insight into health and social care research.
  • Hands-On Experience: Engage directly with researchers and practitioners, acquiring real-world skills.
  • Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced professionals, helping to shape your research career and development.
If you are health or social care professional you may want to have a look at the experience of midwifery researcher and current M.Res. student Susara Blunden (click here!).   For a more informal discussion email INSIGHTSWCC@bournemouth.ac.uk
Applications Open until 31st March 2025 (for September 2025 entry).
Links: – NIHR INSIGHT Programme for the South West Central Collaboration

Pilot studies methods paper cited 500 times

Publishing, writing

This morning ResearchGate alerted us that our paper ‘The importance of pilot studies’ [1] had reached 500 citations.  Profs. Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen, both in BU’s Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) have published several methods papers [1-6] on the importance of (a) conducting pilot studies, but also (b) reporting on their outcomes and lessons learnt.  It started more than two decades ago with lessons learnt from the Scottish Birth study [2]. Followed by a methods paper in a sociology journal [3], one in a midwifery journal [4] and one in a family planning journal [5].  The icing on the pudding was an encyclopedia entry in 2003 [6].

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2002) ‘The importance of pilot studies’ Nursing Standard 16(40): 33-36. Web: nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/vol16-40/pdfs/vol16w40p3336.pdf
  2. van Teijlingen, E., Rennie, AM., Hundley, V., Graham, W. (2001) The importance of conducting & reporting pilot studies: example of Scottish Births Survey, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34: 289-95.
  3. van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. (2001) The importance of pilot studies, Social Research Update Issue 35, (Editor N. Gilbert), Guildford: University of Surrey. Web:  http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU35.html
  4. Hundley, V., van Teijlingen E. (2002) The role of pilot studies in midwifery research RCM Midwives Journal 5(11): 372-74.
  5. van Teijlingen, E, Hundley, V. (2005) Pilot studies in family planning & reproductive health care, Journal of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care 31(3): 219-21.
  6. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2003) Pilot study, In: Encyclopaedia of Social Science Research Methods, Vol. 2, Lewis-Beck, M., Bryman, A. & Liao, T. (eds.), Orego, Sage: 823-24.

 

New labour migration and storytelling paper from Nepal

Two days ago BMJ Open published our latest article on Nepalese migrant workers ‘Coproducing a culturally sensitive storytelling video intervention to improve psycho-social well-being: a multimethods participatory study with Nepalese migrant workers’ [1]. This paper reports on an interdisciplinary feasibility study conducted in a Dhading, Nepal.  The paper is Open Access and hence freely available to anybody across the globe with internet access.  The authors claim the project is testament to the value of participatory methods in the development of culturally sensitive public health interventions for marginalised groups, and points to the utility of co-produced storytelling formats in migrant health contexts. The authors further highlight that future research is needed to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the intervention as well as the outcomes and experiences of migrant workers who engaged with the video. 

This latest paper in the field of the health and well-being of Nepalese migrant workers has Prof. Priya Paudyal from the University of Keele as its first author, and is co-authored by FHSS Visiting Faculty Prof. Padam Simkhada and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in BU’s Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH).  Previous research on migrant workers from Nepal from the BU team in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has resulted in three dozen academic papers [2-35].

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

References:

  1. Paudyal, P., Wasti, S.P., Neupane, P., Sapkota, J.L., Watts, C., Kulasabanathan, K., Silwal, R., Memon, A., Shukla, P., Pathak, R.S., Michelson, D., Beery, C., Moult, A., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Cassell, J. 10, (2025) Coproducing a culturally sensitive storytelling video intervention to improve psychosocial well-being: a multimethods participatory study with Nepalese migrant workers, BMJ Open 15:e086280. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086280
  2. Mahato, P., Bhusal, S., Regmi, P.,  van Teijlingen, E. (2024). Health and Wellbeing Among Nepali Migrants: A Scoping Review. Journal of Health Promotion, 12(1): 79–90. https://doi.org/10.3126/jhp.v12i1.72699
  3. Paudyal, A.R., Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P. R., Sharma, C. (2024). Returning Home to Nepal after Modern Slavery: Opportunities for Health Promotion. Journal of Health Promotion, 12(1): 125–132. https://doi.org/10.3126/jhp.v12i1.72713
  4. Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen, E., Gurung, M., Bhujel, S., Wasti, S.P. (2024) Workplace harassment faced by female Nepalese migrants working aboard, Global Health Journal 8(3): 128-132. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S241464472400040X
  5. Regmi, P., Aryal, N., Bhattarai, S., Sedhain, A., KC, R.K. and van Teijlingen, E. (2024) Exploring lifestyles, work environment and health care experience of Nepalese returnee labour migrants diagnosed with kidney-related problems, PLoS ONE 19(8): e0309203. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309203
  6. Regmi, P., Aryal, N., van Teijlingen, E., KC, R.K., Gautam, M. and Maharjan, S. (2024). A Qualitative Insight into Pre-Departure Orientation Training for Aspiring Nepalese Migrant Workers. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 9 (7).
  7. Chaudhary, M.N., Lim, V.C., Faller, E.M., Regmi, P., Aryal, N., Zain, S.N.M., Azman, A.S. and Sahimin, N. (2024). Assessing the basic knowledge and awareness of dengue fever prevention among migrant workers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. PLoS ONE, 19 (2).
  8. Aryal, N., Regmi, P., Adhikari Dhakal, S., Sharma, S. and van Teijlingen, E. (2024). Moral panic, fear, stigma, and discrimination against returnee migrants and Muslim populations in Nepal: analyses of COVID-19 media content. Journal of Media Studies, 38 (2), 71-98.
  9. Chaudhary, M.N., Lim, V.C., Sahimin, N., Faller, E.M., Regmi, P., Aryal, N. and Azman, A.S. (2023). Assessing the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices in, food safety among migrant workers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 54.
  10. Adhikari, Y., Regmi, P., Devkota, B. and van Teijlingen, E. (2023). Forgotten health and social care needs of left-behind families of Nepali migrant workers. Journal of Health Promotion, 10, 1-4.
  11. Regmi, P., Simkhada, P., Aryal, N., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Excessive mortalities among migrant workers: the case of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences, 4:31-32. https://doi.org/10.46405/ejms.v4i0.455
  12. Regmi, P., Dhakal Adhikari, S., Aryal, N., Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Fear, Stigma and Othering: The Impact of COVID-19 Rumours on Returnee Migrants and Muslim Populations of Nepal, International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health 19(15), 8986; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19158986
  13. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. and Regmi, P. (2022). Migrant Workers in Qatar: Not just an important topic during the FIFA World Cup 2022. Health Prospect: Journal of Public Health, 21 (3), 1-2.
  14. Simkhada, B., Sah, R.K., Mercel-Sanca, A., van Teijlingen, E., Bhurtyal, Y.M. and Regmi, P. (2021). Perceptions and Experiences of Health and Social Care Utilisation of the UK-Nepali Population. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 23 (2), 298-307.
  15. Aryal, N., Sedhain, A., Regmi, P.R., KC, R. K., van Teijlingen, E. (2021). Risk of kidney health among returnee Nepali migrant workers: A survey of nephrologists. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 12(12), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v12i12.39027
  16. Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., Sedhain, A., KC, R.K., Martinez Faller, E., Rijal, A., van Teijlingen, E. (2021) Kidney health risk of migrant workers: An issue we can no longer overlook. Health Prospect 20(1):15-7
  17. Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S., Adhikary, P. and Simkhada, P., (2020). The impact of spousal migration on the mental health of Nepali women: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (4).
  18. Regmi, P., Aryal, N., van Teijlingen, E., Adhikary, P. (2020) Nepali migrant workers and the need for pre-departure training on mental health: a qualitative study, Journal of Immigrant & Minority Health https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10903-019-00960-z.pdf
  19. Adhikary, P., Aryal, N., Dhungana, R.R., KC, R.K., Regmi, P., Wickramage, K.P., Duigan, P., Inkochasan, M., Sharma, G.N., Devkota, B., van Teijlingen, E. and Simkhada, P. (2020). Accessing health services in India: Experiences of seasonal migrants returning to Nepal. BMC Health Services Research, 20 (1), 992.
  20. Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Mahato, P., Aryal, N., Jadhav, N., Simkhada, P., Zahiruddin, Q.S., Gaidhane, A. (2019) The Health of Nepali Migrants in India: A Qualitative Study of Lifestyles and Risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193655
  21. Adhikary P, van Teijlingen E. (2019) Support networks in the Middle East & Malaysia: A qualitative study of Nepali returnee migrants’ experiences’ – International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health  9(2): 31-35.
  22. Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., Faller, E.M., van Teijlingen, E., Khoon, C.C., Pereira, A., Simkhada, P. (2019) Sudden cardiac death and kidney health related problems among Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology, 9 (3), 788-791. https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v9i3.25805
  23. Adhikary P, van Teijlingen E., Keen S. (2019) Workplace accidents among Nepali male workers in the Middle East and Malaysia: A qualitative study, Journal of Immigrant & Minority Health 21(5): 1115–1122. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10903-018-0801-y
  24. Dhungana, R.R., Aryal, N., Adhikary, P., Kc, R.K., Regmi, P.R., Devkota, B., Sharma, G.N., Wickramage, K., Van Teijlingen, E. and Simkhada, P. (2019). Psychological morbidity in Nepali cross-border migrants in India: A community based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 19 (1).
  25. Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P. and Mahat, P. (2019). Adolescents left behind by migrant workers: a call for community-based mental health interventions in Nepal. WHO South-East Asia journal of public health, 8 (1), 38-41.
  26. Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen, E.R., Gurung, M., Wasti, S. (2018) A survey of health problems of Nepalese female migrants workers in the Middle-East & Malaysia, BMC International Health & Human Rights 18(4): 1-7. http://rdcu.be/E3Ro.
  27. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Sharma, A., Bissell, P., Poobalan, A., Wasti, S.P. (2018) Health consequences of sex trafficking: A systematic review, Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 4(1): 130-49.
  28. Adhikary P, Sheppard, Z., Keen S., van Teijlingen E. (2018) Health and well-being of Nepalese migrant workers abroad, International Journal of Migration, Health & Social Care 14(1): 96-105.  https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-12-2015-0052
  29. Adhikary, P, Sheppard, Z., Keen, S., van Teijlingen, E. (2017) Risky work: accidents among Nepalese migrant workers in Malaysia, Qatar & Saudi Arabia, Health Prospect 16(2): 3-10.
  30. Simkhada, P.P., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Aryal, N. (2017) Identifying the gaps in Nepalese migrant workers’ health and well-being: A review of the literature. Journal of Travel Medicine, 24 (4). https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v9i3.25805
  31. Aryal, N., Regmi, PR., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P., Bhatta, YKD., Mann, S. (2016) Injury and Mortality in Young Nepalese Migrant Workers: A Call for Public Health Action. Asian-Pacific Journal of Public Health 28(8): 703-705.
  32. Aryal, N., Regmi, PR., van Teijlingen, E., Dhungel, D., Ghale, G., Bhatta, GK. (2016) Knowing is not enough: Migrant workers’ spouses vulnerability to HIV SAARC Journal of Tuberculosis, Lung Diseases & HIV/AIDS 8(1):9-15.
  33. Adhikary P., Keen S., van Teijlingen E. (2011) Health Issues among Nepalese migrant workers in Middle East. Health Science Journal 5: 169-75.   www.hsj.gr/volume5/issue3/532.pdf
  34. van Teijlingen E, Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P. (2009) Alcohol use among the Nepalese in the UK BMJ Rapid Response: www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/339/oct20_1/b4028#223451
  35. Adhikary, P., Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen E., Raja, AE. (2008) Health & Lifestyle of Nepalese Migrants in the UK BMC International Health & Human Rights 8(6). Web address: www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/8/6.

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – 1 week till applications close!

PG research

The Doctoral College has launched the second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG), and applications close on Monday 24 February 2025.

This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives. It can be used to fund a social event, training activity, analysis workshop, digital skills session, writing session or other activity to enhance the PGR journey experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the grant is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing such activities.

The Postgraduate Research Society organised the “Winter Holiday Social” during the first round of funding. Read on to explore their learning experiences gained while organising this event, as well as the benefits this social provided to the PGR community:

As Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), it’s easy to become absorbed in the day-to-day demands of research, often feeling isolated in our work. We spend long hours in libraries or labs, and it’s common to experience the sense that we are navigating our academic journey alone. This is why we decided to create events specifically designed to bring the PGR community together, providing a space where we could connect, share experiences, and, most importantly, feel valued for the work we do.

With the generous support of funding, we were able to organize an event that brought together around 50 PGRs from various disciplines. The goal was to foster a sense of community—an opportunity for researchers from different fields to meet, share insights, and offer support to one another. Through informal discussions attendees had the chance to connect with peers outside their usual academic circles.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how much of an impact the event would have. The feedback from participants highlighted a deep sense of appreciation, not only for the chance to network but also for the opportunity to feel acknowledged and supported. PGRs often work in relative isolation, so the chance to interact with others who understand the unique challenges of research was incredibly valuable. Many attendees shared how much they appreciated the warmth and inclusivity of the event.

In addition to the positive effects on the PGR community, this experience has also been a learning journey for us as organisers. From the initial planning stages to the event itself, we honed our event planning skills—working on everything from logistics to communication and participant engagement. This experience has not only built our confidence but also equipped us with the skills to organize even bigger and more impactful events in the future.

Looking ahead, we are excited to make this event an annual tradition. There is growing demand to continue offering spaces for PGRs to come together, and we plan to expand the event’s capacity in the coming years. We are also exploring the possibility of organizing additional initiatives throughout the year to further enhance the sense of community among PGRs.

Overall, the experience has been both inspiring and rewarding—demonstrating how a well-executed initiative can create lasting, positive change in a community. It has reinforced our belief in the power of connection, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the years to come.

Postgraduate Researcher Society

 

We hope the Winter Holiday Social has sparked some creative ideas for how you could utilise this funding for your own activity.

If you would like to apply, full details can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace, including the application form.

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application, please contact:

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Free Research Event – Wednesday 26th February – A Celebration of Sustainable Consumption Related Research

BU Research Centre CSSRC is celebrating its interdisciplinary and intersectoral research around Sustainable Consumption on Wednesday 26th February 2025, 3.15-5.00pm.

The Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption (CSSRC) invites you to attend its research event on Wednesday 26th February 2025 to celebrate its interdisciplinary and intersectoral research around sustainable consumption. After a welcome refreshment this interesting and informative event will comprise of two topical presentation sessions, each lead by a member of CSSRC, as outlined below. Opportunity for discussions and networking over refreshments after the talks will round off the event.

Session 1: Sustainability, Place Brands and congruence- how important are they in student choice? 

Professor of Societal Marketing, Chris Chapleo will discuss his current research in relation to two core projects: the first of these concerns the role of sustainability in university communications and branding, and whether sustainability league tables really matter to key stakeholders. He is also looking at sustainable city brands and how this links to universities in these cities. This is a joint project between BU and Pannonia, Hungary.  The second, related project is looking at how students choose a university and their ‘congruence’ with city/ university brands. This project is a collaboration between Bournemouth University, University of the West of England, and University of Plymouth.

Session 2: Understanding and encouraging the consumption of pulses

Professor of Psychology Katherine Appleton will present this session and introduce her work in this area. Pulses, including beans, chickpeas and lentils, are healthy, sustainable, low-cost foods, but consumption is low and increased consumption would benefit the health of the population and the planet. I have a programme of work looking at trying to understand why pulse consumption is low, and how we can increase this. I will speak about two studies that were completed last year looking at barriers and facilitators to pulse consumption, with specific foci on the use of recipes, enjoyment and cooking skills in increasing consumption. I will finish by considering our current ongoing study, and where we might be going next.

Provisional Timetable:

3.15-3.30pm – Welcome refreshment

3.30-4.30pm – Presentation sessions

4.30-5.00pm – Discussion, networking and refreshments

This is a free event, but you must register to attend via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-celebration-of-sustainable-consumption-related-research-tickets-1224716332519?aff=oddtdtcreator

About CSSRC

The Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption (CSSRC) aims to promote and advance the understanding of sustainable consumption and socially responsible consumption through developing and delivering internationally renowned research. It provides a hub to explore and address topics that are currently globally relevant, through utilising a strong interdisciplinary focus. Webpage: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/centre-sustainable-socially-responsible-consumption

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

PG research

A reminder that applications are still open for the 3MT competition. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize!  

We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications open 15 January 2025
  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

RKEDF: Principal Investigation – Post Award for RKE

Post-award

Are you a Principal Investigator or planning to be one? Then book now for this in person session!

 

This is for researchers who are or plan to be a Principal Investigator for an externally funded research or knowledge exchange project and is taking place in BGB, 13:00-14:30 on Weds, 19th March 2025.

Topics covered include:

• What is post award?
• Roles and responsibilities
• Systems
• Key policies
• Starting your awarded project
• Making changes to your project and reporting
• Hints and tips

By the end of the session, attendees will have a strong foundation of what to expect when being responsible for their awarded projects.

Book your place HERE.

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Development Framework

BU ECRN Funding call – closes 10th March 2025

The BU ECRN & RKEDF are delighted to offer funding to organise an event, roundtable, meeting, training, or workshop in support of research at BU. 

This funding supports BU Early Career Researcher Network members to organise and facilitate an event that can be thematic, subject/discipline based, foster community engagement, knowledge exchange or networking and does the following; 

 – Brings ECRs and others together to share ideas, knowledge and learning. 

– Provides a space for intellectual discussion. 

– Helps to facilitate collaboration and future opportunities.  

– Enables an opportunity for networking.  

 BU ECRN members can access up to £500 to organise and host an event, roundtable, meeting, training, or workshop at BU. Please see the requirements below.  

Read about past successful applicants here: BU Research Blog | Early Career Researcher networking funding outcomes: A Tabletop Discussion on Cyber Signatures in Human Trafficking | Bournemouth University

BU Research Blog | Early Career Researcher Network funding outcomes: Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) workshop | Bournemouth University

 – Please note all requests are subject to approval by the RKEDF Team and must be made at least 3 weeks in advance of the event date. No reimbursements for payments will be made without prior authorisation from the team. 

 – All expenses must be paid by the end of the BU financial year (July 2025) 

 – You will need to receive written confirmation from RKDEF that your request has been successful before you can proceed with organising the event.   

 – The event cannot have taken place prior to submitting your application. 

 Eligible costs  

  • Event space 
  • Travel bursaries for attendees 
  • Catering and refreshments (Tea, Coffee, Water, Light snacks, Lunch) 
  • Av (projector, screen, laptop, tech support on the day, microphones)  
  • Printing costs (meeting handouts) 
  • Speaker fee (up to £500) 

Ineligible Costs  

  • Software or hardware. 
  • International event, speaker, or travel costs.  
  • Costs for dependants or spouses to attend events.  
  • Research costs.   

How to apply: 

Please download and complete all of the sections of the EOI for BU ECRN Funding 2425 (500 words max per section) and email your completed application to: RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk by 10th March 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by 17th March 2025. 

If you have any questions or queries, please contact BU ECRN Academic Leads Ann Hemingway (aheming@bournemouth.ac.uk) and Sam Goodman (sgoodman@bournemouth.ac.uk) or RKEDF Advisor Joelle Fallows (jfallows@bournemouth.ac.uk).

Join us for the Centre for Science, Health and Data Communication Research Spring Speaker Series

Fusion

The Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research invites you to our Spring 25 speaker series. Featuring researchers from BU and around the world, these online talks are open to the public and encompass topics on the exploitation of seaweed, the adoption and use of VR, communicating numbers, AI migration governance, and using AI to build ‘databases from below’.

 All events take place on zoom– Wednesdays 14:00-15:00 UK time  

Horizon Europe event – Weds 12th Feb – extra spaces

Having fully sold out, I’m pleased to announce further spaces have been made available for this popular event……

In addition, the panel has been confirmed as

  • Prof Hamid Bouchachia, BU’s Horizon expert
  • Prof Melanie Klinkner, the only current European Research Council grant winner at BU
  • Prof Jeff Bray, the winner of the most recent Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchange grant coordinated by BU

Please see this blog post for further details and book in quick HERE before those extra spaces are taken…….

Contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk if you have any queries

What 35 Cities’ Road Networks Teach Us About Urban Complexity?

Publishing

What do Urban Road Networks reveal about life in the World’s Densest Cities?

A newly published paper, “A Multi-scale Network-based Topological Analysis of Urban Road Networks in Highly Populated Cities”, by recent PhD graduate Dr. Assemgul Kozhabek and Dr. Wei Koong Chai, explores this question by analyzing road networks from 35 densely populated cities worldwide—including those in China, India, Brazil, and Côte d’Ivoire. Using network science, the study offers fascinating insights into the structural patterns of urban road systems and their implications for city planning.

Key Findings 

  1. Macro-scale Insights:
    Cities with robust networks—those resilient to disruptions—tend to be more efficient, meaning they offer shorter travel distances. This highlights the importance of balancing robustness and efficiency in urban planning to prevent congestion.
  2. Meso-scale Patterns:
    The study reveals that these cities tend to be polycentric, with multiple key hubs rather than a single central core. Strong community structures (distinct, well-connected neighborhoods) and low core-periphery structures emphasize this decentralized nature.
  3. Micro-scale Observations:
    Critical intersections emerge in all cities, with betweenness centrality following a power-law distribution. This indicates that a few key intersections handle most traffic, making them vital for smooth flow.

Why It Matters 

For city planners, these insights offer valuable guidance. Designing cities with multiple centers, identifying key intersections, and balancing network robustness with efficiency can improve traffic management and urban resilience. As cities grow, smart infrastructure design will be crucial for sustainable urban living.

This study reminds us that cities are more than just buildings and roads—they’re dynamic, interconnected systems. Understanding their structure can lead to smarter, more livable urban environments.

Reference: Kozhabek, A. and Chai, W.K., 2025. A Multi-scale Network-based Topological Analysis of Urban Road Networks in Highly Populated Cities. Environment and planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/239980832513180

This work was partially funded by the Bournemouth-Christchurch-Poole (BCP) Council, UK and supported by an OpenBright Award.

         

BA ECRN: online connection and inspiration for ECRs each month

Training

 

Tuesday 11th February 1200 – 1300 GMT  Online, Zoom

 

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network – South West & South Wales cluster invites you to an online gathering on the 2nd Tuesday of each month where we get to know each other and exchange knowledge, support and inspiration. Each month, the first half of the meeting has a theme, often including a presentation and discussion. Then there is ample time for networking, fostering new connections and collaborations across the region. Our intention is the topics and format of the events are ECR-driven.

Feel free to bring your lunch or coffee. This is an informal space to connect.

REGISTER HERE

For more information about these events, and to feedback, please email Linda Lanyon.

Tuesday 11th February Programme

1200 – 1205: Welcome and objectives for this new series of events – Dr Linda Lanyon, BA ECRN SWSW Project Officer

1205 – 1230: Outcomes from the ECR workshop at Bath Spa University in October & discussion about next steps – Dr Sanja Djerasimovic, University of Exeter / all.

1230 – 1300: Networking & discussion – all

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network brings together ECRs across the humanities and social sciences disciplines, regardless of their funding source or background.

To book a ticket to attend this event you must be a member of the British Academy ECR Network. Please see the BA website for more information on eligibility and how to sign up. For membership enquiries, please email ecr_network@thebritishacademy.ac.uk.