Tagged / BU research

ECRN – Work/Life balance for ECRs & PGRs

Training

RKEDF & ECRN are hosting an in person work/life balance session for ECRs & PGRs, on Talbot Campus, Weds 12th Feb, 13:00 – 14:00. 

This session is aimed at Academics, Researchers and PGRs with an interest in discussing work/life balance within Academic roles and careers.

The session aims to discuss approaches to setting and maintaining healthy work/life balance whilst also managing the demands of their role. It will follow an open, discursive model and invite responses with input from the Academic leads.

By the end of the session, attendees will have acquired knowledge of models and techniques to healthy professional practice with regards to time management, wellbeing and working practices, and have had the opportunity to discuss their specific circumstances with peers and experienced Academic mentors.

Book your place here

For further information on this event please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

RKEDF February Digest

Training

Book now for RKEDF training in February 2025 

Click on the titles to find further details and book your place 

ECRN: Demonstrating Research Impact  

Monday 3rd February 14.00-16.00 – in person, online 

Are you hopeful that you research is going to make a difference?  Have you considered the variety of ways your research can have an impact?  This session will help you consider the ways in which you can demonstrate the impact your research is having and start you off on planning an impact strategy.  Facilitated by RDS expert Adam Morris. 

Konfer training 

Thursday 6th February 14:00 – 15:30 – in person, Talbot Campus 

We invite you to an in-person training session, featuring Anna Dent-Davies and Shivaun Meehan from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). They will introduce Konfer, a powerful platform for navigating the UK innovation ecosystem.  For those unfamiliar, Konfer connects users with resources and potential collaborators perfectly aligned with their research or innovation projects. 

RKEDF: ECRN – Work life balance 

Wednesday 12th February 13:00-14:00, in person, Talbot Campus 

This session is aimed at Academics, Researchers and PGRs with an interest in discussing work/life balance within Academic roles and careers.  The session aims to discuss approaches to setting and maintaining healthy work/life balance whilst also managing the demands of their role. It will follow an open, discursive model and invite responses from ECRs with input from the Academic leads. 

Horizon Europe 

Wednesday 12th February 13:00-14:30, in person, Talbot Campus 

Looking to secure European funding? Then this Horizon Europe event is for you! 

This session will cover: 

  • Introduction to Horizon Europe 
  • Where and how to find EU funding opportunities 
  • Panel discussion – What are the most effective ways of building international partnerships and getting involved with peers across Europe? 
  • Q&A session 

KTP Development – Public Sector KTPs 

Wednesday 19th February 13:00-14:00, in person, BGB, Lansdowne  

Public Sector KTPs: Developing the ‘Business Case’ – Providing Persuasive Evidence of Impact 

Sometimes organisations can see an opportunity for growth, something that will supercharge their business, but they don’t quite know where or how to start. That’s when a Knowledge Transfer Partnership could help.  As part of ongoing work to grow our KTP numbers and to coincide with their milestone birthday, we are hosting a series of developmental sessions for staff (and businesses) to debunk myths, provide insights, and forge connections. 

Please help us in avoiding any waste of resources; make sure you can attend or cancel your booking prior to the session. For any further information, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk   

Links for further RKE information and support are below: 

RKE SharePoint page: RKE – Home 

RKEDF SharePoint for development opportunities: Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework RKEDF – Home 

RKEDF Brightspace: Homepage – Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework  

 

2025 Bid-generating sandpit: Interdisciplinary research towards sustainable development goals

Funded by the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network and organised by the Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotion, and Social Justice, we are inviting applications for the:

2025 Bid-generating Sandpit: Interdisciplinary Research towards Sustainable Development Goals

26 – 27 March 2025

Bournemouth University, Executive Business Centre (TBC)

Participate in dynamic and interactive sessions to develop innovative research concepts addressing any of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), leading to funding bids across institutions and disciplines. Your goal is to form an interdisciplinary project team and build a funding proposal in only two days. You will then be allocated a mentor and have two online follow-up sessions to share your project progress and experiences.

We welcome early career (as you choose to define it) researchers, artists, practitioners or anyone with a general interest in sustainability and emerging interdisciplinary projects. You must be based at one of these universities: Bournemouth University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff University, University of Exeter, University of Bath, Bath Spa University, University of Bristol, University of Gloucestershire, University of Plymouth, University of the West of England or University of Wales Trinity Saint David. You should be keen to work in a multidisciplinary team, and willing to commit to attending the full sandpit, on both days. No prior experience of research funding is required.

To secure your spot in the Sandpit, please complete and submit the following application by 6th February 2025 – note that all participants must commit to attending both full days in person: https://forms.office.com/e/AQiAsf5Wxn

The event is facilitated by Dr. Catalin Brylla and Dr. Lyle Skains, with advisors and mentors to be drawn from senior Bournemouth University staff based on participant disciplines and interests.  If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

RKEDF ECR development opportunities – book now!

Training

ECRN: Demonstrating Research Impact – Mon 3rd Feb, 14:00-16:00, online 

Are you hopeful that you research is going to make a difference?  Have you considered the variety of ways your research can have an impact? This session will help you consider the ways in which you can demonstrate the impact your research is having and start you off on planning an impact strategy.  Open to ECRs & PGRs. Book your place HERE

Konfer training – Thurs 6th Feb, 14:00-15:30, in person – Talbot campus

Featuring Anna Dent-Davies and Shivaun Meehan from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). They will introduce Konfer, a powerful platform for navigating the UK innovation ecosystem.  For those unfamiliar, Konfer connects users with resources and potential collaborators perfectly aligned with their research or innovation projects.

You’ll also have the chance to discuss your specific research projects or areas of interest and even begin drafting your own collaboration call during the session.  Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how Konfer can support your research and innovation goals!

Ahead of the session, we kindly ask attendees to:

  • Sign up to Konfer.
  • Come prepared with an innovation challenge or collaboration opportunity in mind.

Find out more and book your place HERE

RKEDF: ECRN – Work life balance – Weds 12th Feb, 13:00-14:00, in person – Talbot campus

This session is aimed at Academics, Researchers and PGRs with an interest in discussing work/life balance within Academic roles and careers.  The session aims to discuss approaches to setting and maintaining healthy work/life balance whilst also managing the demands of their role. It will follow an open, discursive model and invite responses from ECRs with input from the ECRN Academic leads.  For further details and bookings, click HERE

Please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk if you have any queries.

Horizon Europe funding – Weds 12th Feb

Funding opportunities, Training

Looking to secure European funding?

Horizon Europe event – in person, Wednesday 12th Feb, Talbot Campus 13:00-14:30.  Hosted by RDS Horizon expert, Ainar Blaudums and BU’s very own successful Horizon Europe academic, Prof Hamid Bouchachia.

This session will cover:

  • Introduction to Horizon Europe
  • Where and how to find EU funding opportunities
  • Panel discussion – What are the most effective ways of building international partnerships and getting involved with peers across Europe?
  • Q&A session

For further information on this event please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

Book your place HERE

New PhD publication on Caesarean Section

international, PG research, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Soluchana Dhakal-Rai whose latest research paper ‘Explaining rising caesarean section rates in urban Nepal: A mixed-methods study’ has been accepted today by the international journal PLOS One [1].  Sulochana graduated last November with a Ph.D. from Bournemouth University; photo shows her with the BU-based supervisors: Dr. Juliet Wood, Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. 

Sulochana has been very productive in terms of publications based on her Ph.D., as this is the seventh paper based on her research! She published six previous papers [1-6], in addition during her time as BU Ph.D. student Sulochana also contributed to a book chapter [8[ as part of the textbook Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

 

 

 

 

References:

  1. Dhakal Rai, S., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P.R., Wood, J., Dangal, G., Dhakal, K.B. 2025 Explaining rising caesarean section rates in urban Nepal: A mixed-methods study, PLOS One (Accepted).
  2. Dhakal-Rai, S, van Teijlingen E, Regmi,PR, Wood J, Dangal G, Dhakal KB. (2022) Factors contributing to rising cesarean section rates in South Asian countries: A systematic review, Asian J Med Sci 13(2): 143-174.
  3. Dhakal-Rai, S, van Teijlingen E, Regmi,PR, Wood J, Dangal G, Dhakal KB. (2021) Caesarean Section for Non-medical Reasons: A Rising Public Health Issue. J Karnali Acad Health Sci 2021;4(2)
  4. Dhakal-Rai, S., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Wood, J., Dangal, G., Dhakal, K.B. (2021) A brief history and indications for cesarean section. J Patan Acad Health Sci, 8: e1-e10.
  5. Dhakal-Rai, S., van Teijlingen, E, Regmi, P, Wood, J, Dangal, G, Dhakal, KB. (2021) Classification of Caesarean Section: A Scoping Review of the Robson classification. Nep J Obstet Gynecol. 16(32):2-9.
  6. Dhakal-Rai, S., Regmi, PR, van Teijlingen, E, Wood, J., Dangal G, Dhakal, KB. (2018) Rising Rate of Caesarean Section in Urban Nepal, J Nepal Health Res Council 16(41): 479-80.
  7. Dhakal Rai, S., Poobalan, A., Jan, R., Bogren, M., Wood, J., Dangal, G., Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Dhakal, K.B., Badar, S.J., Shahid, F. (2019) Caesarean Section rates in South Asian cities: Can midwifery help stem the rise? J Asian Midwives, 6(2):4–22.
  8. van Teijlingen, E., Ireland, J., Hundley, V, Dhakal Rai, S., Simkhada, P., Sathian, B. (2022) Identifying an appropriate Title, In: Wasti, S.P., et al. (Eds.) Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal: Himal Books: 39-47.

 

3MT Competition – Applications open

PG research

The Doctoral College is 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.

 

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

ECRN: Demonstrating research impact – 03/02/25

Are you hopeful that you research is going to make a difference? Have you considered the variety of ways your research can have an impact? This session will help you consider the ways in which you can demonstrate the impact your research is having and start you off on planning an impact strategy.

 

BU’s Impact Advisor, Adam Morris, will facilitate this online session on 03/02/25, 14:00-16:00.

Book your place here

BU ECRN Funding call NOW OPEN

Funding opportunities

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).

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – Apply Now!

PG research

The Doctoral College is delighted to launch the second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG).

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 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.

A successful event that took place during the first round of funding, was “Culture on a Plate”, organised by Bohan Liu from BUBS. Read on to learn about Bohan’s experience and how this event has had a positive impact on the PGR community:

On 11th December 2024, Bournemouth University’s PGR community came together for the much-anticipated “Culture on a Plate” event, a celebration of cultural diversity through food.

The event brought together over 40 attendees from various departments, showcasing a vibrant array of home-cooked dishes that reflected traditions from around the world. Each dish carried a unique story, sparking meaningful conversations and creating a deeper appreciation for the cultural richness within our community. The enthusiasm of participants was heartwarming, with many praising the event and suggesting it become a regular tradition at BU. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the 21 contributors who shared their culinary creations and the individuals who kindly provided recipes for everyone to try at home. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to connect through shared meals and cultural stories.

For me, organising this event was an incredibly enriching experience. It helped me develop essential skills in event management, cross-cultural communication, and community building. It was both challenging and rewarding to see the joy and sense of belonging it brought to our PGR community.

I am deeply grateful to the BU Doctoral College for their support and funding, without which this event would not have been possible. Many thanks go to Enrica Conrotto and the staff from the Doctoral College, whose efforts were instrumental in bringing this event to life. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Professor Dimitrios, whose guidance and encouragement played a crucial role in shaping the success of this event.

This joyful gathering, held just before the Christmas holiday and New Year, was more than just a celebration of food. It was a spark of passion for inclusivity and connection, one that I hope will continue to grow and inspire the BU community into the coming year.

This experience has been immensely fulfilling and has reaffirmed the importance of fostering a collaborative PGR community. I hope this forum marks the beginning of more initiatives aimed at empowering BU researchers to achieve academic excellence and make meaningful contributions to their fields.

Bohan Liu (BUBS)

We hope this event has inspired you and perhaps has given you some ideas to submit an application for this second round of funding.

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

  • Applications opened Monday 13 January 2025
  • Applications close Monday 24 February 2025

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

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

 

Future Leaders Fellowship – meet a previous winner on 28th Jan!

The next round for the UKRI Future Leader Fellows (FLF) is coming up – see this post. A previous FLF leader, Professor Matt Ryan is visiting Bournemouth University to speak about applying to the FLF scheme and how it has impacted his career.

Professor Matt Ryan, Professor of Governance and Public Policy from Southampton University, will be visiting on 28 January 2025, 2-3pm for an ‘in person’ talk on the Talbot campus. His talk will focus on applying for the Future Leader Fellowship. Matt is the perfect speaker, having been a Future Leaders Fellow since January 2020 through his Rebooting Democracy project. This aims to understand which innovations in public participation restore and sustain democracy. Matt has held visiting positions at the University of Canberra, as JQYA International Fellow at Geothe University- Frankfurt, and as a Turing Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute. He is founding co-director of the Centre for Democratic Futures and Policy Director at the Web Science Institute.  His research crosses several disciplinary boundaries and focuses on democratic innovation, participation in politics and policymaking, as well as improving social research methods.

Book your place here

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – Applications Open

PG research

The Doctoral College is delighted to offer a second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG). This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives.

This grant 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.

Several events supported by the first round of funding took place in December 2024, including ‘Building Your Research Toward High-Quality Manuscripts’ forum, organised by Shadeepa Karunarathne and Aashish John from the Faculty of Science and Technology.

We are pleased to share Shadeepa’s experience and thoughts following on from the successful running of his RCCG funded event:

As I near the final stages of my PhD journey at Bournemouth University, I felt inspired to give back to the community that has supported me over the years. Recognizing the challenges many postgraduate researchers (PGRs) face in producing high-quality manuscripts, I initiated a forum titled “Building Your Research Toward High-Quality Manuscripts – Guidance from the Highest Ranked BU Scientists.” This event aimed to bridge the gaps in collaboration and offer practical guidance to help PGRs elevate their research output.

The forum brought together some of BU’s top-performing academics to share insights on critical aspects of academic publishing, including structuring manuscripts, conducting effective literature reviews, addressing facility limitations, and navigating the peer-review process. I am immensely grateful to Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Dr Hari Pandey, Prof. Jian Zhang, and Prof. Matthew Bennett, who generously shared their expertise as resource people, making the sessions incredibly insightful and impactful. Their guidance offered participants actionable strategies to refine their research and produce manuscripts worthy of high-ranking journals.

Organizing this forum was a first for me, and I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of Aashish John, my co-organizer, whose collaboration was instrumental. My sincere thanks also go to Enrica Conrotto and the Doctoral College for their guidance on planning and execution, as well as the PGR Community and Culture Grant for funding the initiative.

The response to the event was overwhelmingly positive, with a full house of 40 participants and glowing feedback highlighting its relevance and practicality. Many attendees emphasized how beneficial it was and expressed a desire for more such sessions in the future.

Shadeepa Karunarathne (FST)

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

  • Applications opened Monday 13 January 2025
  • Applications close Monday 24 February 2025

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

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

The Doctoral College

RKEDF January digest

Training

A very happy New Year to all from the RKEDF team!

Book now for RKEDF training in January 2025 

Click on the titles to find further details and book your place 

 Compelling Impact Narratives for Funding Success  

Tuesday 28 January 10.00-12.00 – in person, Talbot campus 

Struggling to effectively communicate the potential impact of your research in funding applications? Our training session, Impact and Funding Bids, will equip you with the practical tools and knowledge to develop effective plans of impact, articulate these in proposals and increase your success rates. 

This session is intended for academics working on a proposal at the time of the session. It could be an early-stage idea, or a specific proposal for a funder. Please bring your proposal with you to the session to work on.  

 Future Leaders Fellowship – Meet Matt! 

Tuesday 28 January 14:00 – 15:00 – in person, Talbot campus 

Meet Professor Matt Ryan, Professor of Governance and Public Policy from Southampton University, who will be visiting for an ‘in person’ talk and networking session on the Talbot campus. His research crosses several disciplinary boundaries and focuses on democratic innovation, participation in politics and policymaking, as well as improving social research methods.  

 Epigeum Research Skills Toolkit 

Do you want to refresh your researcher skills? Have a look at the Epigeum Research Skills Toolkit (on demand online modules).  Further information on how to access Epigeum courses can be found here

 

 

 

Please help us in avoiding any waste of resources; make sure you can attend or cancel your booking prior to the session. For any further information, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk