Tagged / BU research

3C Event: ECR Network Café – Wednesday 16 September 2-3pm

Join Us for Culture, Community & Cake: Launching BU’s Early Career Researcher Network

Kick off the new academic year by connecting with your research community. As part of BU’s Research Culture, Community and Cake (3C) initiative, we are excited to host a special ECR Network Café.

Whether you are brand new to BU, or looking to expand your existing circle, this session offers a relaxed space to meet fellow early career researchers, exchange ideas, and find common ground. Alongside coffee and cake, we will also be officially launching BU’s new ECR Development Programme, designed specifically to help you build the skills, networks, and support systems needed to thrive in your research journey.

Event Details 

Wednesday 16 September, 2-3pm

F305, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus

Come along to enjoy a slice of cake, help shape a supportive ECR network, and take advantage of the professional development opportunities available to you this year.

Find out more and register here

BU geography student’s undergraduate dissertation published in international journal

student research

Grassroots opposition to second homes, seen on the streets of Cornwall.

Research that began as an undergraduate dissertation at Bournemouth University has been published in Geographical Review, journal of the American Geographical Society. The paper, “Second Homes and the (Re)production of Cornish Nationalism,” is co-authored by Conan Millen, a recent graduate of BU’s BSc (hons) Geography, and Dr Marin Cvitanović, Principal Academic in Human Geography in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.

The study looks at how attitudes toward second homes and tourism connect to identity in Cornwall, one of the poorest regions in Western Europe despite its high concentration of second-home ownership. Drawing on an online survey of 504 Cornwall residents, the paper identifies four distinct clusters of opinion on housing, tourism and belonging, and asks how these relate to age, income and ethnic identity.

A few findings stand out. Younger, lower-income and Cornish-identifying respondents were significantly more likely to oppose second homes and short-term holiday lets, particularly over concerns about affordability and community cohesion. Older and more affluent respondents identifying as British or English took a more positive view of tourism’s economic benefits. Age had the strongest statistical effect of any factor measured, more so than ethnicity or income, suggesting that generational experience of housing insecurity plays a central role in shaping these attitudes. Opposition to second homes was also somewhat higher in postcodes with higher average house prices.

The paper places these findings within wider debates on housing and identity. It draws a link between the rise of “generation rent” across the UK and Europe and the emergence of place-based, often exclusionary responses to housing pressure, sometimes described in the literature as forms of “housing nationalism.” In Cornwall’s case, the study argues that expressions of Cornish identity in relation to housing are shaped as much by material economic exclusion as by cultural or ethnic distinctiveness.

Since graduating, Conan Millen has been working as part of the wider public health team at Cornwall Council, where he is involved in analysing and processing data to inform projects and monitor the health and wellbeing of people living and growing up in Cornwall.

BU’s BSc (Hons) Geography is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). In the most recent National Student Survey, 94% of students agreed that teaching staff were good at explaining things, and 94% agreed that teaching staff had supported their learning well.

References:

Millen, C., & Cvitanović, M. (2026). Second Homes and the (Re)production of Cornish Nationalism. Geographical Review, 116(1), 39–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/00167428.2025.2578855

Why some commons survive and others don’t

conferences

BU’s research presented at the Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference

Dr Marin Cvitanović, Principal Academic in Human Geography at BU’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, presented research on commons at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference, held at the Society and Imperial College London from 1 to 4 September 2026.

Commons are resources, such as pastures, forests and water, that are shared and managed collectively by a community, rather than owned privately or by the state. The presentation, “Pathways to de-marginalising commons in Croatia,” was co-authored with Dr Lana Slavuj Borčić of the University of Zagreb. It used Croatia as a case study to ask a question that is relevant well beyond one country: why do some shared-resource systems survive generations of political, economic and demographic change, while others quietly fall out of use? Cvitanović and Slavuj Borčić argue that commons can become marginalised in several ways at once. This includes geographical marginalisation in depopulating rural regions, institutional marginalisation through long periods of legal ambiguity, and economic marginalisation through exclusion from subsidies and leasing markets. A further, generational, form of marginalisation can also occur, where legal recognition arrives only after the community that once sustained a commons has already aged out of it.

To understand how some commons manage to persist despite these pressures, the researchers compared cases where common pastures had fallen out of use, with a case where a commons continued to function. The comparison points to a broader pattern. Legal recognition on its own rarely saves a commons. What tends to matter is whether governance support, funding routes and recognition of a resource’s wider ecological value arrive while a community of users still exists to make use of them. Even then, moving away from marginalisation looks more like an ongoing process than a finished achievement.

This work is linked to Dr Cvitanović’s involvement in Resilient Rules, an ERC-funded Horizon Europe project led by the University of Zaragoza, which studies the diversity and resilience of rules that communities worldwide use to govern shared natural resources. Dr Cvitanović contributes to the project’s global field research team, covering Croatia.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference is one of the world’s largest gatherings of geographers, bringing together more than 2,000 researchers each year. The 2026 conference theme, “Geographies of inequalities: towards just places,” was chaired by Professor Peter Hopkins of Newcastle University.

Joint NHS -BU article published on Midwifery & Public Health

Today Discover Public Health published a new joint paper written by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) and Bournemouth University staff.  This latest paper ‘The evolving relationship between public health and midwifery in the United Kingdom’ [1] appeared in the open access journal Discover Public Health. The authors are: Beth Fletcher, Public Health Lead Maternity Services at UHD, Jillian Ireland, bank midwife and former Professional Midwifery Advocate at UHD as well as Visiting Faculty in BU’s Faculty of Health, Environment & Health Sciences, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, co-director of BU’s Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health.

The authors had originally submitted the paper under the title ‘UK Midwifery and Public Health: Perfect partners or unhappy bedfellows?’ but one of the reviewers (and the editor) thought the more neutral ”The evolving relationship between public health and midwifery in the United Kingdom’ was better suited.

There is a cautionary tale as the authors were under the impression, at the time of submission, that Discover Public Health was still a journal in which one could publish without paying a so-called APC (article Processing Charge).  It turned out that this was no longer the case, and although Bournemouth University has a deal with Springer, the publisher of Discover Public Health, this is only to the value of 15% of the APC.  Since publising in the journal is expensive at £ 1,790.00 per article Bournemouth University had large additional amount.

References:

  1.  Fletcher, B., Ireland, J., van Teijlingen, E. (2026) ‘The evolving relationship between public health and midwifery in the United Kingdom, Discover Public Health, 23;1330. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12982-026-02740-1

 

 

UKCGE Recognised Research Supervision Programme: Applications Close 19 October

The current submission window open for academic staff to seek national recognition for their doctoral supervision closes at 9am on Monday 19 October.

Whether you are just starting out in supervision or already experienced, you can apply for national recognition of your doctoral supervision through the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE).

Levels of Recognition

  • Recognised Supervisor (Full Award): For those who have supported doctoral candidates through to final examination and completion.
  • Recognised Associate Supervisor: For those who have not yet supervised candidates to completion and/or who contribute to supervision in an informal capacity.

Why Apply

UK universities are increasingly prioritising supervisor development to enhance research culture and doctoral support. The Research Supervisor Recognition Programme (RSRP) encourages supervisors at all levels to engage in structured self-reflection, using the Good Supervisory Practice Framework to identify strengths and target areas for growth.

Key Benefits

  • Structured Self-Reflection: Evaluate your methods and decision-making
  • Benchmarked Excellence: Map your practice against national standards
  • Professional Growth: Identify clear pathways for improvement, whether applying for Full or Associate awards
  • BU already has over 30 recognised research supervisors, and you could be next

How to Apply

Write a reflective account of your supervisory practice aligned with the Good Supervisory Practice Framework.

Submit your Application using the Relevant Form

Recognised Supervisor Reflective Account Form

Recognised Associate Supervisor Reflective Account Form

Your application will be peer-reviewed by a two-person panel. Whatever the outcome, you will receive detailed feedback.

UKCGE | Frequently Asked Questions

To complete your application, please ensure we receive a formal approval email sent directly from your Associate Dean Research, Innovation and Enterprise to researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk. This confirmation is required before your application can move to the final review stage.

For more information, to register your interest, or to discuss your application, please email Julia Taylor (Doctoral College) at researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Please note: The Doctoral College will cover the cost of applications submitted by BU supervisors.

Application Deadlines

BU Window Closes: 9am, Monday 19 October

UKCGE Window Closes: Friday 23 October

Expected Outcome: January 2027

Complete applications should be submitted to Julia Taylor (Doctoral College) at researcherdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk by the above deadlines.

Supporting Workshop

Supervisory Lunchbite | UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor Award 

This session provides an introduction to the UKCGE Good Supervisory Practice Framework and the two levels of recognition:

Recognised Supervisor (Full Award)

Recognised Associate Supervisor

Staff attending this session will be able to:

  • Understand the application process for UKCGE recognition (including deadlines and timescales)
  • Apply the UKCGE Best Practice Framework to their own supervisory experience
  • Appreciate the wide-ranging, highly complex and demanding set of roles that modern research supervisors undertake to perform the role effectively

Wednesday 16 September, 12-1pm

Online

Find out more and register here

Dr. Paul Whittington attends Technology and the SEND Reforms Roundtable in the House of Commons

Dr. Paul Whittington was invited to attend the Technology and SEND Reforms Roundtable at the House of Commons on Wednesday 8th July. The event was organised by Policy Connect through the All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology with the focus on the role of technology in SEND support and SEND teacher training incorporating technology and responsible AI. The session was held in a committee room within the Palace of Westminster and included a panel of experts from CENMAC, University of East London, LEP Academy Trust, TechEdology and Nasen, chaired by Peter Swallow MP.

The Roundtable discussed the recent work undertaken by the Department for Education since the 2019 Education Technology Strategy. This included assessments for assistive technology and meeting digital standards by using AI and teacher training. The Government has committed £200m to provide this training including funding assistive technology lending libraries in local authorities throughout the UK. This is an important area of research for pupils with SEND as suitable assistive technology can reduce barriers and enable more individual needs to be met. The event was also an opportunity for Dr. Paul Whittington to promote the EduAbility research conducted by the Department of Computing and Engineering, involving Professor Huseyin Dogan.

The EduAbility application provides assistive technology recommendations and training for pupils with disabilities as well as teachers, support staff and parents/carers. It is therefore closely related to the SEND Reforms. Following the development of the Android application in 2025, funding was awarded from the department’s Quality Research Fund for the iOS development of EduAbility. Since March 2026, the application has been converted to the Flutter platform that allows EduAbilty to be maintained for both Android and iOS simultaneously using a shared codebase format.

Now that the application is compatible for both Android and iOS, we will be publishing EduAbility on Apple Store and Google Play Store in Autumn 2026. This will initially be as a free application, with future potential to be a paid application to support ongoing development and maintenance. Policy Connect have expressed interest in EduAbility to promote the application through their networks, including the Schools within the EdTech Demonstrator Programme. It is anticipated that Dr. Paul Whittington will attend future events organised by Policy Connect within the domain of education and assistive technology.

Dr. Paul Whittington joins Bett 2026 DfE Assistive Technology Roundtable

In January 2026, Dr. Paul Whittington was invited to be a panellist on the Department for Education (DfE) Assistive Technology roundtable at Bett 2026 in ExCel London, the leading event for education technology. The purpose of the roundtable was for DfE policy colleagues to listen and learn from domain experts in assistive technology to further inform their understanding of the use of assistive technology in mainstream education. There were two focused areas for discussion, ‘barriers and enablers to assistive technology in mainstream settings’ and ‘the existing evidence base’.

The roundtable was chaired by Helen Davies, Assistive Technology Policy Lead at DfE and included panellists from the University of Dundee and CENMAC, a London based advisory service providing assessments of assistive technology. Interesting discussions were held during the one hour panel session where the current challenges of assistive technology in education were highlighted. This included that pupils with disabilities are often unaware of the technologies that can support them with education and that teachers/support staff may not have the required knowledge to guide the individuals. Dr. Paul Whittington emphasised his personal experience of the importance that assistive technology played in his mainstream education, in terms of accessing computers and educational resources. A theme of a discussion was developing recommendation systems for assistive technology and how this could aim to improve awareness of available products, which is aligned closely with the EduAbility application developed by Dr. Paul Whittington and Professor Huseyin Dogan from the Department of Computing and Engineering.

Attending the roundtable was also an opportunity to visit the many exhibitors at Bett 2026 who were showcasing the latest in innovations in assistive technology as well as other products for general educational use. Exhibitors included suppliers of software such as Crick Software, VisionAid and The Williams AV Family of Assistive Communication Solutions. There were also some interesting robotics technologies that have been designed to provide practical support for people with disabilities.

Visiting the exhibitors was an opportunity to introduce EduAbiity as a method for manufacturers to promote their products to potential customers. The British Association for Assistive Technology (BATA) had a stand at the show and discussions were held in relation to Bournemouth University becoming an academic member of the association to further our future research in the domain in terms of conducting evaluations and maximising visibility of our initiatives in line with the BU 2035 research strategy.

Overall, it was a very valuable visit to the Bett 2026 show in terms of contributing to DfE discussions and promoting our assistive technology research. We are currently in the process of developing the EduAbility application for iOS and once this is publicly disseminated through the Apple Store and Google Play Store, there could be potential for Bournemouth University to attend the Bett Show as an exhibitor in the future.

New interdisciplinary paper accepted for publication

international, open access, Women's Academic Network

Today we heard from the Editor in Chief of the Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences that our paper ‘Ethical Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy: An Interdisciplinary Solution to a Global Public Health Problem‘ has been accepted for publication [1].  This paper has three Bournemouth academics as co-author: Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Sukanya Ayatakshi-Endow and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. The paper is truly interdisciplinary, the six authors have disciplinary backgrounds in: pharmacy, health education, public health, business studies, economics, health services research and sociology. 

This viewpoint offers a different way of looking at the worldwide problem of the increased use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. In low-income countries, such as Nepal, pharmacies have a key role in dispensing medicine, and local pharmacies often provide health care advice in rural communities. However, the way many pharmacies operate can easily lead to unethical practices that are harmful to the health of their recipients, but also to the wider population. Such dangerous business practices involve inappropriate prescription and dispensing of medicine (i.e. antibiotics). Public health professionals have promoted better regulation and education to reduce the use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. These approaches have an important place to play, but in this paper, we propose one particular intervention, namely the training of community pharmacy shop owners in sustainable and ethical entrepreneurship. To offer greater insights into the issue we have produced a theoretical framework. We suggest interventions should be co-created with all relevant stakeholders to change perceptions of entrepreneurship, offer management training, thus promoting an ethical and sustainable business culture, and in the long run, improve pharmacy education in these areas.

The Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences is an Open Access journal, hence freely available to read when it gets published.

Reference:

  1. Regmi, P.R., Ayatakshi-Endow, S., Rajkarnikar, R., van Teijlingen, E., Khanal, D.P., Poudel, R.S. (2026) Ethical Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy: An Interdisciplinary Solution to a Global Public Health Problem?” Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences (EJMS) (accepted July 2026).

BU professor invited speaker at Huddersfield University

Publishing, Training, writing

Last Friday (July 10th) Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen presented at University of Huddersfield staff development ‘Academic Writing Retreat’.  After attending the Global Consortium for Public Health Research Conference held earlier in the week at the University of Huddersfield, he was invited to stay a little longer to present at, and help facilitate, this staff writing day.  Edwin spoke about what motivates academics to write, the role of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), selecting an appropriate journal for your academic paper, and a range of other relevant topics and questions raised by participants on the day. The day was organised by Huddersfield’s Dr. Bibha Simkhada (who is also a BU Visiting Faculty), and included two further facilitators: Ph.D. student Joshua Oykere and Dr. Devendra Raj Singh.

 

BU contributions to successful Global Health conference

conferences, international, Publishing, writing

Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen attended this week’s Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR) 4th Annual Conference at the University of Huddersfield.  The conference was very well attended with delegates from India, Nepal, Ghana, Finland and the UK.  BU’s contribution included a poster on the recently completed study on kidney disease in Nepalese migrant workers, a study funded by The Colt Foundation.

Prof. Chandra Kala Sharma, President of Nursing Association of Nepal and Dr. Bibha Simkhada, Reader in Nursing at the University of Huddersfield presented on ‘Implementing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in Nursing in Nepal’.  In this very topical presentation they highlighted the importance of the research conducted in Nepal by UK universities (which included Bournemouth University) in getting the regulations changed in Nepal around CPD.  This effect of research into CPD in Nursing will make a useful REF Impact Case Study.

Both Pramod and Edwin chaired a session on different days of the conference.  Whilst Prof. van Teijlingen gave an invited presentation on the topic of ‘Equitable participation on academic publications’.    He also facilitated a Round Table Discussion with five selected panel members on the final day.

New paramedic science paper by BU’s Dr. Ursula Rolfe

NHS, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Ursula Rolfe in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Science on the publication of her latest paper ‘Paramedics’ management of people experiencing mental health issues: An investigation of knowledge gaps and support needs in England‘ [1].  The paper is co-authored with colleagues from the University of Southampton and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, Wessex.  The paper highlights that demand for mental health care from U.K. ambulance services is increasing, yet paramedics report feeling underprepared to manage these presentations. This study aimed to identify knowledge gaps, educational needs, and systemic factors shaping frontline paramedics’ ability to provide mental health care in England, examining: (1) mental health education and training at pre- and post-registration levels; and (2) paramedics’ experiences of managing mental health presentations. A two-phase mixed-methods design was employed across the country.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
Reference:
Zecchinato, F., Rolfe, U., Sloan, H, Campling, N. (2026) Paramedics’ management of people experiencing mental health issues: An investigation of knowledge gaps and support needs in England, Paramedicine [ONLINE FIRST]   https://doi.org/10.1177/27536386261467717

Equitable Partnerships in Global Health Research

conferences, international

Today is the first day of the Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR) 4th Annual Conference here at the University of Huddersfield.  This two-day Conference (July 6-7) has as its theme ‘Equitable Partnerships in Global Health Research’.  It brings together academics based in Ghana, the UK, Nepal, India, and Finland.  This 4th conference has a mixture of invited speakers, roundtable discussions, poster presentations and keynote speeches.

The conference was originally the brainchild of Prof. Padam Simkhada, who recently moved from the University of Huddersfield to the University of Chester.  The main organisers at the University of Huddersfield are Dr. Rajeeb Kumar Sah, Dr. Bibha Simkhada and Dr. Zoe Darwin.  Bournemouth University is represented in Huddersfield by Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMWH well-represented at the International Confederation of Midwives’ 34th Congress

Researchers from the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health shared their expertise at the recent 34th Triennial ICM Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.

Presentations included workshops by Dr Juliet Wood – Supporting student midwife confidence to facilitate physiologic birth: a workshop for clinical and academic faculty and Dr Laura Iannuzzi – Rest or arrest? A workshop to advance knowledge and skills to support women, families and teams when dealing with a slowing or pausing labour.

Laura Stedman presented her work on The impact of neonatal intensive care admission at term following gestational diabetes mellitus: a neglected area.
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Dr Dominique Mylod and Prof Vanora Hundley had poster presentations on their work in the early phase of labour: Can we identify women who will need additional support in the early (latent) phase of labour? and Supporting women in early labour: an interdisciplinary digital approach.
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You can read the abstracts here

 

 

 

Methods of Researching Digital Harms and Cybercrime: An Interdisciplinary Symposium – Wednesday 15 July

Join this upcoming interdisciplinary symposium exploring how researchers safely and effectively study cybercrime, online safety, and digital manipulation in the digital age

Supported by the Research Culture and Community Grant and organised by Dr Mark Berry, the day features insights spanning psychology, AI, criminology, and media ethics.

The symposium is designed for academic staff, early career researchers, and postgraduate researchers working on digital harms, online safety, or cybersecurity who are seeking interdisciplinary collaborations. It is also highly relevant for sector practitioners and stakeholders, including those in policing, digital investigation, victim support, policy, education, and third-sector organisations.

Highlights Include

  • NCA Keynote: Protecting Children from Online Harms – Robert Richardson and DCI Adam Smith on law enforcement challenges and the vital role of academic research.
  • AI & Cyber Communities: Using AI/BERT models to analyse text corpuses from massive hacker forums (Prof. John McAlaney).
  • Policy & Social Media: The absurdist cycle of “ban solutionism” regarding children and social media (Prof. Andy Phippen).
  • Crypto & Fraud: Machine learning models for real-time fraud detection in crypto wallets (Dr Muntadher Sallal).
  • Gaming & Gambling: Mixed-methods approaches to researching digital harms with neurodivergent youth (Dr Emily Arden-Close & Dr Constantina Panourgia).
  • International Insights: A digital anthropology approach to countering child recruitment narratives on social media in Colombia (Juan Pablo Hernández).

Event Details

Wednesday 15 July 15, 9:30am-5pm

The Allsebrook Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

Coffee, lunch, and dedicated Q&A networking blocks are included throughout the day.

Find out more and register here