BU Research Blog

27 May 2025

Share Your Views on Public Engagement – Royal Society Survey Open Until 30 June

The Royal Society is inviting UK-based researchers and public engagement professionals to take part in a short survey on the factors that affect how public engagement with research is planned, delivered and prioritised across the sector.

It’s open to people at any career stage, whether you’re actively involved in engagement or not.

The 2025 study builds on similar surveys conducted in 2006 and 2015, helping to track how public engagement with research has evolved over time in the UK. The findings will inform future decisions and policies aimed at better supporting researchers in their public engagement work.

The main aims of the study are to understand:

What public engagement means and involves in 2025
Its value and significance within the research landscape
The key enablers, barriers, opportunities, and risks
How public engagement can be effectively supported and implemented
How perceptions and practices have changed over time

How you can take part:

Complete the survey to share your experience of planning and delivering public engagement.
Share the survey with your colleagues and networks—particularly researchers at BU.

Even if you’re not currently taking part in engagement activities, you can still complete the survey to highlight any barriers or reasons why engagement hasn’t been a priority.

The survey is open until Monday 30 June 2025.

👉 Complete the survey here

If you have any questions, you can contact the Royal Society at: publicengagement@royalsociety.org

27 May 2025

Being Human Festival 2025 – Final Call for Unfunded Event Applications

Public engagement, Training yokselferraris

It’s Not Too Late to Get Involved in Being Human Festival 2025

If you’re still thinking about taking part in Being Human Festival 2025 by organising a public engagement event, activity or project, there’s still time to apply. The deadline for the Festival Event (unfunded) pathway is 5:00 PM on Friday 4 July.

This year’s festival will take place from 6 to 15 November, with the theme Between the Lines.

While the deadlines for Institutional Grants and Festival Event Grants have now passed, the Festival Event (unfunded) pathway remains open to those planning activities that do not require festival funding.

Why take part?

Being part of the festival is a valuable opportunity to share your research more widely, connect with different audiences, and be part of a national conversation about the humanities.

This pathway is open to any organisation with a link to humanities research — including universities, museums and galleries, libraries, archives, subject societies, and more.

To find out more, click here to read the full details.

27 May 2025

Policy engagement for impact sessions – last chance to book!

Knowledge Exchange, Training Amanda Edwards

We have a few places available for our policy engagement training sessions, which are now open to any researchers interested in learning how to get their research in front of decision makers.

DATES & TIMES

Friday 30th May, 9.30am-1pm, F306, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus
Developing Policy Engagement for Impact BOOK HERE

Wednesday 11th June, 9.30am-1pm, online via Zoom
Developing Policy Engagement for Impact (same content) BOOK HERE

KEY DETAILS

Developing Policy Engagement for Impact
Facilitated by BU’s policy consultant Carys Davis, this provides expert advice on navigating the policy landscape to ensure your research reaches and informs decision makers. Topics covered:

The purpose of influencing, the role of evidence and what it means for you
Writing elevator pitches and key messages
Principles of communicating with policy and decision makers
Effective policy writing
Understanding the policymaking landscape.

27 May 2025

How to promote Public Engagement Events: Free Training for Researchers – Being Human Festival 2025

Public engagement, Training yokselferraris

As part of the 2025 Being Human Festival Public Engagement Training Programme, this session will cover ways to promote your public engagement event and will explore how to reach your target audience, how to choose the best channels and platforms for promoting your event, and how to create a simple but effective promotional plan.

It will take place on Wednesday 2 July 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The session is free to attend, but booking is required.

What will be covered?

Designing and delivering a promotional plan
Getting to know your target audience
Writing event copy
Social media marketing and developing content

Accessibility information

This session will be held on Zoom and closed captioning will be available. Any resources referred to during the session will be circulated afterwards via email. Please make a note of any accessibility requirements in the booking form.

To book a place, please follow this link.

27 May 2025

Event Delivery and Top Tips: Free Training for Researchers – Being Human Festival 2025

Public engagement, Training yokselferraris

As part of the 2025 Being Human Festival Public Engagement Training Programme, this session will provide an overview of the practicalities of delivering a public engagement event.

It will take place on Wednesday 1 October 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The session is free to attend, but booking is required.

What will be covered?

Audience experience at events
Working with your partners
Communicating with your audience
Event spaces
Accessibility and inclusivity
Festival processes
Festival evaluation processes

Accessibility information

This session will be held on Zoom and closed captioning will be available. Any resources referred to during the session will be circulated afterwards via email. Please make a note of any accessibility requirements in the booking form.

To book a place, please follow this link.

27 May 2025

How to Work with Press and Media – Free Training from Being Human Festival

Public engagement, Training yokselferraris

As part of the 2025 Being Human Festival Public Engagement Training Programme, this online session will explore how researchers can work effectively with the press and media.

The session will take place on Tuesday 29 July 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. It is free to attend, but booking is required.

What will be covered?

Adapting specialist research for general audiences
Connecting research and public engagement events to the news
Promoting events in the press and media
Pitching to the press and media
Press releases
Overview of the different kinds of press and media to reach out to
Working with regional and local media
Working with your institutional press and communications teams

Accessibility information

This session will be held on Zoom and closed captioning will be available. Any resources referred to during the session will be circulated afterwards via email. Please make a note of any accessibility requirements in the booking form.

To book a place, please follow this link

26 May 2025

Centres of Excellence / demonstration projects

Awarded & submitted bids, international, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Many organisations use the concept of Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the intervention design and testing stage of a labour migration project. CoE is an interesting concept, which links to the notion of a ‘show home’ on a building site, the Scottish Government notion of a ‘demonstration project’, or more basic the content of the suitcase of a travelling salesman in the last century. For example, currently the Scottish Government established a Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund, running from 2021 to 2026, to deliver good quality local authority sites with the initial ‘demonstration projects’ providing examples of how to design more and better accommodation for the community. Whislt a previous demonstration projects in Scotland featured teenage sexual health behaviour (1-2). A ‘model home’ or a ‘show home’ is the same house as the new one you will be buying or renting, but fully decorated with often expensive stuff. This to show the seller the house’s best potential, i.e. to give you a sense of what you own home could look like.

The idea behind a CoE is that a group of people with a share aim, provide leadership, skills training, research, and advice and support on topic based on a high level of expertise among the team members to ensure best practice. It is to demonstrate that something could work and also how it might work in practice.

Professor Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

References:

Tucker, J, van Teijlingen E, Philip, K, Shucksmith, J, Penney, G (2006) Health Demonstration Projects: Issues evaluating community-based health intervention programme to improve young people’s sexual health, Critical Public Health, 16(3):175-89
Tucker, J., Fitzmaurice AE., Imamura, M., Penfold, S., Penney G, van Teijlingen E, Shucksmith J., Philip, K. (2007) Effect of national demonstration project Healthy Respect on teenage sexual health behaviour, European Journal of Public Health, 17(2): 33-41.

24 May 2025

CMWH showcases research at Wessex Health Partnership event

dmylod

On 19th May 2025 at the Wessex Women and Girls Event at the Southampton Science Park, BU’s Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health showcased its research and innovation in women’s health.

Professor Vanora Hundley and Dr. Dominique Mylod presented their ongoing development of an Early Labour app as a case study for the Maternity and Infant Health Equity Research Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University. Professor Carol Clark’s presentation focussed on pelvic floor health and the cost of urinary and faecal incontinence to women’s health and the planet. Dr. Chloe Casey honoured her mother-in-law’s memory with her PechaKucha presentation on using creative methodologies to engage women in recovery from alcohol.

In addition, Dr. Malika Felton and MRes students Susara Blunden and Maryam Malekian displayed posters summarising their research into the impact of exercise on women’s physiology and health, improving diagnositic and treatment pathways for women with endometriosis and exploring the impact of professional knowledge and skills on breastfeeding support respectively.

The event provided a valuable platform for BU researchers to connect with regional partners, contribute to the growing Wessex Women and Girls research network, and play a key role in shaping future initiatives aimed at closing gaps in women’s health. The CMWH’s invovement reinforces BU’s role as a leading voice in this important area of health innovation.

23 May 2025

Inaugural research meeting for British Academy grant

international, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today we had the introductory meeting of our recently funded ‘British Academy Project on Evidence-Informed Policymaking in Nepal’, the project is coordinated by the University of Huddersfield by Prof. Padam Simkhada, who is also Visiting Professor in Bournemouth University’s (BU) Faculty of Health & Social Sciences. The co-investigator at BU is Dr. Pramod Regmi (Principal Academic in International Health), with other co-applicants based at the Keele University, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Sheffield, the University of Chester, the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), Kathmandu University and the research-based charity Green Tara Nepal.

This one year grant is officially starting next month (1st June). The plans for this project were laid some time ago, and expressed in our 2022 paper ‘Nepal urgently needs a National Evidence Synthesis Centre‘ [1]. Our funded project will focus on the activities of: (1) formative research; (b) capacity building including evidence synthesis; (c) the establishment of a National Evidence Synthesis Centre; and (d) the evaluation of sustainability planning. The British Academy see this award also as providing a developmental opportunity, enabling award holders to build connections within the cohort and critically beyond that as well.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

Reference:

Simkhada, P., Dhimal, M., van Teijlingen, E., Gyanwali, P. (2022) Nepal Urgently Needs a National Evidence Synthesis Centre, Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 20 (3): i-ii.

20 May 2025

Reminder – Submit Your Application for the 2025 ESRC Festival: Deadline Friday 23 May

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Up to £1,000 per event available to engage the public with your research in a national prestigious festival

About the Festival of Social Science

The 23rd annual ESRC Festival of Social Science (FoSS) takes place Saturday 18 October – Saturday 8 November 2025, with the theme of ‘Our Working Lives’.

The festival is an annual UK-wide celebration of research and knowledge about people and society, organised and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). It provides a platform for researchers from UK universities to engage the public in a wide range of topics, from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education, and identity, through engaging events such as exhibitions, lectures, panel debates, performances, and workshops.

The festival is free to attend, with most events open to everyone, though some may target specific groups. It offers researchers a unique opportunity to take their work beyond the university, connect with diverse audiences, and present their research in creative and accessible ways. Funding of up to £1,000 per event is available.

What are the festival aims?

Encourage, support & create opportunities for social science researchers to engage with the public and young people
Promote & increase awareness of the social sciences and ESRC-funded research, & the contribution social science makes to the UK
Enable the public to engage with social science research
Engage with teachers and young people and raise their awareness of the social sciences

Training to run a great event

The national FoSS team is coordinating public engagement training with Engagement Trainer and Consultant Jamie Gallagher in June (repeated in September). Attendance at these sessions is mandatory for all event leads to attend and further details will be shared upon successful application.

Applications will be assessed on 5 key areas

Motivation for taking part – Show you have thought carefully about why you are applying e.g. to pilot an idea, reach a new audience, or develop public engagement skills, and what you hope to gain.
Target audience identified – Events must be aimed at a non-academic audience. Clearly define who your audience is (e.g. a specific public group, community, or professional sector). If you are proposing an event for professionals, businesses, policymakers, or third sector organisations, please note that ESRC rules only permit up to 20% of our events to be targeted at these groups. As we often receive many proposals in this category, selecting one of these audiences may reduce your chances of taking part.
Audience motivation – Show why your chosen audience would be interested in your activity, and how and when they might engage.
Content & format – Demonstrate initial ideas for what the activity will involve, why the format suits the goal (e.g. in-person, online), and considerations for timing and location.
Appropriate costing – Budget should be realistic, clear, and fit the scale and type of activity.

How to apply

We are particularly keen to receive applications from PGRs and early to mid-career researchers and encourage groups/teams to apply. If you have a supervisor, they will need to endorse your application by emailing publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

If you are considering applying, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with us directly as early as possible.

Apply to take part by completing the online application form.

Deadline for applications:  5pm  FRIDAY 23 MAY 2025 

You can view the slides from the Information Session here. If you weren’t able to attend, or if you would like to revisit what was covered, you can also watch the session here.

Please read before applying

Before submitting your application, please make sure you meet both the ESRC eligibility criteria and our key requirements. This is essential for your proposal to be considered. Applications that reference academic or undergraduate audiences, or propose campus-based venues, will not be eligible. This opportunity is focused on public engagement beyond academic settings.

Festival Event Leader Pack this practical guide supports researchers in planning and delivering events for the festival. It covers the festival’s aims, event criteria, useful planning tips, audience engagement, and evaluation. It also details the funding, training, and promotional support available from the ESRC, making it a key resource for aligning events with the festival’s goals.

Contact us

Please contact the Public Engagement Team to discuss your application publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

18 May 2025

PhD supervision is good for you

BU Challenges, international, Publishing, REF Subjects, student research, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Some people in academia (and many outside it) don’t appreciate the importance of PhD supervision . An academic supervising PhD students is not merely for the educational purposes, or in other words, for the benefits of the postgraduate student. The value of postgraduate supervision lies in pushing the boundaries of knowledge, about testing new ideas, new approaches or even new methods.

Interestingly, enough it means that PhD supervision for an academic is also about developing their own ideas, expanding one’s CV, and developing one’s career. Whilst for the university it is also for the wider benefit of research for the wider society. The latter means that PhD students help improve the REF (Research Excellence Framework) scores for a university, through metrics such as number and proportion of PhD completions, but also through papers based on PhD research co-authored with staff. It always amazes me how some outsider regard PhD supervision as simply more of the same, i.e. not that different from supervising an undergraduate student.

Looking at my ow CV, some of my best papers have been co-written with PhD students, including my most cited paper on SCOPUS [1]. Moreover, as the graph of my h-index [checked SCOPUS for May 19^th 2025] shows four of my top eight highest cited papers were co-authored with postgraduate students [1-4]. Papers that would not have been written without the postgraduate student conducting knowledge-advancing research!

Not surprisingly, three of the four former PhD students who co-authored these highly-cited papers are now in academic positions across the UK (the fourth one has retired). These four highlighted papers are not just looking good on my CV, they are also highly ranked within their respective journals. The first paper [1] is the 28^th most cited paper in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, an impressive 28^th position out of 12,762 articles ever published by this international journal. Similarly, the paper ‘Women’s autonomy in decision-making for health care: Demographic study in Nepal’ [2] is the 10^th most cited paper in Reproductive Health, whilst ‘ To tell or not to tell: Barriers and facilitators in family communication about genetic risk’ [3] is the 20^th most article in Clinical Genetics. Last, but not least, ‘Risk, Theory, Social & Medical Models: critical analysis of the concept of risk in maternity care’ [4] is the 17^th most cited article (out of 3,910) in the international journal Midwifery.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

References:

Simkhada, B., van Teijlingen E., Porter, M., Simkhada, P. (2008) Factors affecting the utilisation of antenatal care in developing countries: a systematic review of the literature, Journal of Advanced Nursing 61(3): 244-260.
Acharya, D.R., Bell, J., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E, Regmi, P.R. (2010) Women’s autonomy in decision-making for health care: Demographic study in Nepal. Reproductive Health 9(15) reproductive-health-journal.com/content/pdf/1742-4755-7-15.pdf
Forrest, K., Simpson, S., Wilson, B.J., van Teijlingen E, McKee L, Haites, N., Matthews E. (2003) To tell or not to tell: Barriers and facilitators in family communication about genetic risk,Clinical Genetics, 64: 317-26.
MacKenzie Bryers H., van Teijlingen, E. (2010) Risk, Theory, Social & Medical Models: critical analysis of the concept of risk in maternity care, Midwifery 26(5): 488-496.

16 May 2025

Upcoming 3C Event – Culture, Community & Canapés

PG research amoyse

The Doctoral College 3C event is approaching! All PGRs and Supervisors are invited.

Following feedback we received at the PGR Engagement Champions meetings, we will be hosting this 3C event at the later time of 16:00-17:30.

For this 3C event, we have swapped out the usual cake for something a little fancier — canapés! Join us and enjoy delicious bites and mingle with colleagues in an informal setting.

Whether you are new to the university or a seasoned researcher, this is the perfect opportunity to:

✨ Catch up with peers

🤝 Meet new faces

🧠 Share ideas and experiences

🥂 Enjoy some tasty food and drinks!

Join us Tuesday 20 May 16:00-17:30 on the fifth floor in the Student Centre, Talbot Campus.

Register here

Let’s foster collaboration, support and networking!

Keep an eye on the Doctoral College Brightspace to stay up to date on all future 3C events.

15 May 2025

Postgraduate Research Summer Social – tickets on sale

PG research amoyse

Tickets are now on sale for the Doctoral College Summer Social for the Postgraduate Research community at the delightful Branksome Dene Room. Situated in a stunning location that overlooks the beach, with amazing views of the sea to Old Harry Rocks.

We’ve booked this unique location for the exclusive use of PGRs and Supervisors for the afternoon to unwind and catch up with your fellow researchers and academics.

The Doctoral College PGR events at Branksome Dene Room are always a hit so we hope you can join us!

We are pleased to offer a Greek style lunch menu including a pita with your choice of filling (chicken souvlaki, vegetarian or vegan) served with chips, a salad bar, teas, coffees and soft drinks! You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to enjoy.

Booking and event details can be found here.

Ticket: £5

Please note there are limited spaces available, so please book as soon as possible if you would like to attend.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

LinkedIn: Doctoral College – Bournemouth University

X: @BUDocCollege | #BUDoctoralCollege

14 May 2025

May’s Research Café – Showcasing tomorrow’s researchers

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Postgraduate researchers took the spotlight at BU’s latest Research Café

We had a packed house at the BGB Café for a fascinating evening engaging conversation.

Three passionate postgraduate researchers from Bournemouth University took the stage to share their work. Each speaker gave a short talk on their research, sparking plenty of interest and questions from the audience. We covered everything from what drives our travel choices, to how nostalgia shapes our experience of video games, to the links between alcohol and eating habits in women.

Anna Preece Thesis: Disordered eating behaviours as a barrier to recovery in women with alcohol dependence | Rehabilitation and Sports Sciences (HSS)

Anna presented research on the behavioural links between food and alcohol, exploring how drinking habits and eating behaviours are connected in women. The talk highlighted the implications of these connections for mental health and well-being and discussed ways to improve support for individuals facing these challenges.

Jordan King presenting at Research Café

Jordan King Thesis: Exploring Nostalgic Experiences in Video Games | Psychology (FST)

Jordan explored the emotional power of video games, examining how they evoke memories from the past and create a sense of nostalgia. The talk focused on how digital play connects us to both personal and cultural memories, highlighting the deep emotional impact of gaming.

Wookjun Lee talking at Research Café

Wookjun Lee Thesis: Tourists’ use of public transportation in urban destinations: An experiential perspective | Marketing, Strategy and Innovation (BUBS)

Wookjun examined the factors influencing tourists’ travel choices, focusing on the role of public transport and how to encourage more eco-friendly travel habits. The talk highlighted strategies for promoting greener, more sustainable options for tourists.

It was a great chance to explore topics that affect our everyday lives and get a glimpse into the real-world impact of research happening at BU.

Attendees shared “It was a lovely event. A great time to learn and bond with other researchers” “It was inspiring to see the next generation of researchers sharing their work”

“I found it really interesting to hear directly from postgraduate researchers about the work happening at BU. The range of topics and the enthusiasm behind them made it a really engaging event”

Anna Preece speaking at Research Café

As one of the evening’s speakers, Anna Preece reflected on the experience

“I wanted the opportunity to share my research and hear people’s thoughts and questions about the project. It’s so important in research to hear different perspectives, especially those outside of academia, as they can challenge our thinking, or bring in new ideas… When you’re deep in the research, it’s easy to get lost in the data, so being reminded of the real-world context was invaluable… I hope attendees found the evening thought provoking and enjoyable and it helped them start to recognise the overlap between food and alcohol behaviours and consider what that might look like for themselves or someone they care about.”

Enrica Conrotto, Doctoral College Programme Manager at Bournemouth University, attended the evening and said

“a fantastic event showcasing the work of our Doctoral College PGRs. Congratulations to Anna Preece, Jordan King and Wookjun Lee for their engaging presentations, and a big thank you to the Public Engagement Team for organising the evening. An inspiring evening filled with engaging discussion”

Next up in our Research Café series

Tuesday 1 July, 6:30-8pm at BGB Café

More details coming soon

Contact 

If you have any questions about this event or the Research Café series, please contact the Public Engagement with Research Team at publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

14 May 2025

RKEDF: Principal Investigation – Post Award for RKE

Post-award, Training jfallows

Are you a Principal Investigator or planning to be one?

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 on Talbot Campus, 13:00-14:30 on Weds, 4th June 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

13 May 2025

NIHR Global Health Research Academy 2025

international, PG research Edwin van Teijlingen

The 2025 NIHR Global Health Research Academy Member event will take place on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th May. The NIHR recognizes that career progression is a common challenge for early-career researchers. This year the event’s theme is ‘Empowering Early-Career Researchers: Navigating Careers in Global Health’. This two-day online event aims to equip participants from across the globe with the skills and knowledge to navigate and build a career in global health research.

Bournemouth University staff and students participating in the NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation Call 4: Drowning Prevention for newly mobile infants under 2 years in Bangladesh programme have been invited. This NIHR-funded project is called Sonamoni and BU’s student Md. Shafkat Hossain, whose PhD assessed the work in Bangladesh, is one the participants, as is our colleague from Bangladesh Notan Dutta. In the afternoon BU’s Edwin van Teijlingen who will be chairing a session on ‘Funding & Grant Writing’.

Sonamoni is being coordinated by Bournemouth University in collaboration with the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research (CIPRB) in Bangladesh as well as the University of the West of England, Bristol, the University of Southampton, Design Without Borders (DWB) in Uganda, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). This project, with Prof. Dr. Aminur Rahman (at CIPRB) as Bangladesh lead, includes the above mentioned BU-based PhD project. The interdisciplinary team at Bournemouth University covers three faculties through: Dr. Mavis Bengtsson, Dr. Kyungjoo Cha, Dr. Mehdi Chowdhury, Dr. Yong Hun Lim, Mr. John Powell, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.

12 May 2025