Tagged / BU research

FST and BUBS Research Staff Association Reps wanted!

HR excellence in research logoThe BU Research Staff Association (RSA) is a forum to promote research culture at BU. Research staff from across BU are encouraged to attend, to network with others researchers, disseminate their work, discuss career opportunities, hear updates on how BU is implementing the Research Concordat, and give feedback or raise concerns that will help to develop and support the research community at BU.

We are looking to recruit FST and BUBS Faculty RSA Representatives.

The Faculty RSA reps role is to support the Institutional reps with the running of the BU RSA, attending the Research Concordat Steering Group, and Faculty Research and Professional Practice Committee Meetings, to provide an update on the BU RSA and feedback any comments or concerns.

Eligible research staff are those on research-only contracts – fixed-term or open-ended employment (not PTHP/casual contracts) who have at least one year remaining on their contract at the time of recruitment.

If you are interested in the FST RSA rep or BUBS  RSA rep role, please supply a few words to demonstrate your interest and availability in relation to the position. These should be submitted to the RDS Researchdev@bournemouth.ac.uk  by 5pm on Thursday 14 March 2024.

Please contact your RSA reps to chat about it if you have any queries.

BU is a University Gateway Partner for AHRC-funded StoryArcs Programme

Industry collaboration, Knowledge Exchange

A map of the UK with blue, purple, and pink dots noting locations relevant to the project. The text states "Across the UK, StoryArcs is exploring the deep structures and innovative uses of Story."Across the UK, 11 Story Associates are on a mission…

The StoryArcs Pilot Programme sees skilled individuals take on a presented challenge as they deepen their understanding of the value and potential of Story. Each of the 11 Story experts brings with them a range of skills in telling, analysing, and/or researching stories, and experience across multiple sectors, including creative writing, virtual reality, and community engagement.

We’re delighted to be a University Gateway Partner on the StoryArcs Programme, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The programme is led by Bambo Soyinka, the world’s first (and only) Professor of Story, at The Story Society, Bath Spa University.

Locally, Dr Kayla Jones is working with Local Trust to collect and preserve the community experiences generated by their “Big Local” funding project. She is based at Bournemouth University, and mentored by Lyle Skains.

With the help of the Story Associates, the StoryArcs Programme is conducting a deep exploration into the nature of Story Skills. They’re seeking to find out what Story Skills are, to define and categorise them, and to examine how they work to enable diverse and innovative benefits.

Discover more about StoryArcs and the Story Associates at: https://storyarcs.com/blog/meet-the-story-associates/

Congratulations to Prof. Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

international, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Professor of Social and Cultural Diversity, on the publication of her latest book An Historiography of Women’s Missionary Nursing Through the Lives of Two Sisters: Doing the Lord’s work in Kenya and South India (published by Routledge).

This book employs both ethnographic and secondary, archival data, drawing on a rich, fascinating trove of original material from the pre-1940s to the present day.  It offers a unique historiographic study of twentieth century Methodist missionary work and women’s active expression of faith, practised at the critical confluence of historical and global changes. The study focuses on two English Methodist missionary nursing Sisters and siblings, Audrey and Muriel Chalkely, whose words and experiences are captured in detail, foregrounding tumultuous socio-political changes of the end of Empire and post-Independence in twentieth century Kenya and South India.

This work presents a timely revision to prevailing postcolonial critiques in placing the fundamental importance of human relationships centre stage. Offering a detailed (auto)biographical and reflective narrative, this ‘herstory’ pivots on three main thematic strands relating to people, place and passion, where socio-cultural details are vividly explored. 

This book pays tribute to our former colleague, Professor Fran Biley.  As part of a wider oral history project entitled “Memories of Nursing” Fran Biley interviewed two British sisters who had retired to the South of England.  The two sisters, Muriel and Audrey, followed very similar missionary career paths in two different former British colonies.  Two sisters spent a total of 54 years working as Methodist missionaries in India and Kenya, one as a nurse, the other as a midwife.  Fran collected over 10 hours of interview data, as well as old videos, a suitcase of 35mm slides, albums full of old photographs, letters and personal papers from the two sisters.   Unfortunately, Fran died far too young in November 2012, before the rich data could be analysed.  Sara conducted further extensive interviews with Muriel and others who knew them, as well as undertaking a huge detective hunt to find a considerable amount of secondary data pertaining to the sisters and other Methodist missionaries across UK archives.  I am glad to be able to report that  Dr Muriel Chalkley, whose life is portrayed in the book, received an Honorary Doctorate from Bournemouth University in recognition of her services to nursing.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’ Health (CMWH)

 

Visiting Researcher Patty Raun on Improvisation for Research Communication

“The Art of Connecting Across Difference: Improvisation for Research Communication”

Professor Patty RaunThe Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research is delighted to be hosting Professor Patty Raun, visiting from Virginia Tech’s Centre for Communication Science. She will be giving a special edition hybrid talk as part of our Spring speaker series on Monday March 11 from 4-5pm in P226 (Poole House). To receive the full calendar invitation, email afeigenbaum@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Come and play! Join us in person if you are able, as Patricia Raun, actor and director of the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech in the USA, leads an exploration of some of the tools of arts practice that can help researchers build muscles of empathy, inclusion, and awareness. Raun will share a sampling of some of the participatory improvisation exercises that can lead to more effective and engaging interactions with collaborators and with public audiences. The urgent and growing need to use all of our capacities as human beings to address the complex challenges of our world means that while we must certainly use data and appeal to intellect–we also need to use less quantifiable aspects of human connection and communication. One recent participant in one of Raun’s workshops wrote, “This work gives me an understanding of what is required to be fully expressive, and I’m increasingly aware of how important that is. My research isn’t finished until it is communicated–and this work is about approaches to connecting with others that I have never really considered before. It is really invigorating and joyful.”

Professor Patty Raun is a professional actor and voice coach, a theatre professor, and Director of the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech. She has devoted her life to developing healthy and varied voices (both literal and figurative) in individuals, institutions, and communities. She served as department head of Theatre and as director of the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech from 2002 – 2016 and has recently shifted the focus of her research and teaching to sharing the powerful tools of the theatre in the development of communication skills for scientists, technology professionals, and scholars — helping them to discover ways to become more direct, personal, spontaneous, and responsive.  She is particularly interested in empathy development, serious games and roleplay, collaborative problem solving, and values-based leadership.

Research Leadership:  Leading the Development of a Project for Funding

Training

Research Leadership:  Leading the Development of a Project for Funding

                                                                          Monday, 11/03/24, 13.00-15.00

We are all told to bid, to ensure that bidding for research funding is a normal part of academic life. This is especially the case for those in, or moving into, research leadership roles. But, where and how do you start? What are the key points to consider? How do you develop competitive ideas and what are the key ingredients in developing a bid? In this session we draw on the expertise of an external consultant, Dr Stephen Kemp, and BU’s Professor Michael Silk to explore the key elements to consider when thinking about leading the development of a project for funding. Particular emphasis will be based on:

  • Demystifying bidding, research leadership & project development through the lens of funding applications: developing research questions, choosing partners, incorporating impact and more
  • The key ingredients for (and the ‘balancing act’ of) leading the development of a project for funding
  • The lived experience (and successes and failures, challenges and benefits) of leading the development of a funded project (at BU!)
  • Using the RASCI matrix and GANTT charts

Book your place for this exciting event here.  For any queries, please contact RKE Development Framework

PGR Research Culture and Community Grant

PG research

Reminder the Second Call for Applications is Open 

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

We are committed to fostering a cohesive and collaborative community of PGRs and we have dedicated grants aimed at supporting PGR-led social and/or academic events: this may be a social event, training activity or other initiatives to enhance the PGR student experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the funding is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing PGR engagement activities.

Stream 1: PGR Researcher Development

  • Supports the organisation of skills focused workshops, events, or initiatives.
  • Grants of up to £500 per activity are available.
  • Examples: analysis workshops, guest speakers, digital skills sessions, writing sessions.

Stream 2: PGR Research Culture and Community

  • Supports the delivery of PGR research culture and community building, well-being or social activities.
  • Grants of up to £300 per activity are available.
  • Examples: cultural events, get togethers, wellbeing enhancing activities.

Applications close Monday 4 March 2024 (midnight)

Full details on how to apply, including the application form can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace.

 

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

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

3C Event – PGR Culture, Community & Cake

PG research

The Doctoral College is excited to bring you our first 3C event! This social event is a catch-up opportunity for all PGRs to meet informally with the PGR community, share your research and make new connections.

This is also a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have, particularly for any new starters. This is an informal session and it would be great to see you there.

Register here