BU Research Blog

17 May 2022

Two new academic papers on COVID-19 research

international, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This month CMMPH has two new research papers focusing on COVID-19. The first one published in World Medical & Health Policy reports on a quantitative study of the availability of hand-washing facilities in households across Nepal [1]. This study used secondary data from Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2016 to assess the association between households’ wealth status to handwashing stations. The findings reported a statistically significant association between age of the household head, residence place, ecological zone, province, wealth status, having of mosquito net, having a radio, and TV at respondents’ household to fixed hand-washing stations at their households.

The second paper published three days ago in Vaccines is a qualitative study of of interviews with Nepali immigrants living in the UK and their attitudes towards COVD-19 vaccination [2]. Vaccination saves lives and can be an effective strategy for preventing the spread of the COVID-19, but negative attitudes towards vaccines lead to vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Nepali community in the UK. This study found that attitudes towards COVID-19 are generally positive. Nine overlapping themes around barriers to COVID-19 vaccination were identified: (a) rumours and mis/disinformation; (b) prefer home remedies and yoga; (c) religion restriction; (d) concern towards vaccine eligibility; (e) difficulty with online vaccine booking system; (f) doubts of vaccine effectiveness after changing the second dose timeline; (g) lack of confidence in the vaccine; (h) past bad experience with the influenza vaccine; and (i) worried about side-effects. Understanding barriers to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine can help in the design of better targeted interventions. Public health messages including favourable policy should be tailored to address those barriers and make this vaccination programme more viable and acceptable to the ethnic minority communities in the UK. This Vaccine paper includes two FHSS Visiting Faculty as co-authors: Prof. Padam Simkhada and Dr. Bibha Simkhada.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

References:

Sharma, M., Adhikari, R., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Handwashing station in Nepal: Role of wealth status in establishing a handwashing station, World Medical & Health Policy Accepted
Simkhada, P., Tamang, P., Timilsina, L., Simkhada, B., Bissell, P., van Teijlingen, E., Sah, S.K., Wasti, S.P. (2022) Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Nepali in the UK: A Qualitative Study, Vaccine 10(5), 780;https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10050780

9 May 2022

RDS Funding Development Briefing – Wed. 11/05/22

Funding opportunities Ainars

The next RDS Funding Development Briefing will be on Wednesday (11/05/22) at 12 noon.

There will be a spotlight presentation on the Royal Society Industry Fellowships call.

In case you are not sure where/how to join, please contact my colleague Alexandra Pekalski for further details.

Thank you to all of you who have engaged in the sessions to date, we are looking forward to meeting you again.

5 May 2022

REMINDER- Learn more about the SIA game-changer call from successful applicants and conveners: sessions running 5th – 13th May

Rhyannan Hurst

The call for game-changing research concepts is currently open to enable the growth of BU’s Strategic Investment Areas.

This is your opportunity to put forward concepts for which BU will be known in the years to come. Concepts that are prioritised for development by the SIA Steering Groups, will benefit from tailored institutional support to turn your idea into a reality. This could include identification of match-funding, support from estates, personalised funding development support and much more – you tell us what you need to make a transformative idea a reality.

Game-changing research concepts are welcomed from all of our academic community across all career stages.

To learn more about the SIAs, the open call and to discuss what you could do, please find further details on the staff intranet.

You can also come along to one of our short briefing sessions to ask any questions that you like and to learn more:

Bite-size briefing events – 30-minute sessions – email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk to receive a diary invitation

Discuss your plans with an SIA convener:

Assistive Technology – Thursday 5th May, 12.30pm with Prof Christos Gatzidis (Convener of the AT SIA)

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Animation, Simulation & Visualisation – Wed 11th May, 3.00pm with Prof Kate Welham (Convener of the ASV SIA)

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Learn more from successful applicants:

To learn more from previously successful applicants, discuss potential ideas or identify potential BU partners are taking place on the following dates/times:

Tue 10th May, 1.00pm with Dr Xun He, who is developing the MINE cluster

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Fri 13th May, 3.00pm with Prof Rob Britton, who is developing the FishE @ BU cluster

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

28 April 2022

Upcoming Research Impact Workshops

Training esteiner

We have several RKEDF impact-related workshops coming up over the next couple of months; please use the links below to book onto them via OD:

Getting started with research impact: what is it? 12 May, 2pm (repeated on 16th September, 10am)

Evidencing Impact 14 June, 2pm (repeated on 12 October, 2pm)

Impact and Funding Applications 30 June, 2pm

As part of the newly announced Research Conference: Building Impact on 7 June we will also be holding live sessions on the Anatomy of a Case Study, investigating what an excellent case study looks like. This will be repeated online the following day (8 June, 2pm) for those who can’t make it so do look out for booking links for this too.

If you have any questions, please contact the Impact Advisors – Amanda Lazar or Beth Steiner.

28 April 2022

Learn more about the SIA game-changer call from successful applicants and conveners: sessions running 4th – 13th May

Rhyannan Hurst

The call for game-changing research concepts is currently open to enable the growth of BU’s Strategic Investment Areas.

This is your opportunity to put forward concepts for which BU will be known in the years to come. Concepts that are prioritised for development by the SIA Steering Groups, will benefit from tailored institutional support to turn your idea into a reality. This could include identification of match-funding, support from estates, personalised funding development support and much more – you tell us what you need to make a transformative idea a reality.

Game-changing research concepts are welcomed from all of our academic community across all career stages.

To learn more about the SIAs, the open call and to discuss what you could do, please find further details on the staff intranet.

You can also come along to one of our short briefing sessions to ask any questions that you like and to learn more:

Bite-size briefing events – 30-minute sessions – email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk to receive a diary invitation

Discuss your plans with an SIA convener:

Assistive Technology – Thursday 5th May, 12.30pm with Prof Christos Gatzidis (Convener of the AT SIA)

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Animation, Simulation & Visualisation – Wed 11th May, 3.00pm with Prof Kate Welham (Convener of the ASV SIA)

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Learn more from successful applicants:

To learn more from previously successful applicants, discuss potential ideas or identify potential BU partners are taking place on the following dates/times:

Wednesday 4th May, 9.00am with Dr Diogo Montalvao, who is developing the ADDISONIC cluster

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Tue 10th May, 1.00pm with Dr Xun He, who is developing the MINE cluster

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

Fri 13th May, 3.00pm with Prof Rob Britton, who is developing the FishE @ BU cluster

If you would like to join the meeting, email sia@bournemouth.ac.uk for a diary invitation or click on the link to join the meeting on the day: Click here to join the meeting

26 April 2022

RDS Funding Development Briefing on Wednesday 27/04/22

Funding opportunities Ainars

RDS Funding Development Briefing will be on Wednesday (26/04/22) at 12 noon. There will be no spotlight presentation this week.

Please not that there will be no briefing next week (04/05/2022).

Hopefully, you will be joining NIHR Information Session organised by our BU colleagues on Wednesday 27th April at 10am. More information you may find on Research Blog.

Looking forward to meeting you soon.

26 April 2022

NCCPE/NERC Events: Develop skills in public engagement with environmental research

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Environmental Engagement in Practice: An interactive events programme

Given the current environmental crises the world is facing, the importance of engaging the public with environmental research has never been higher. High-quality inclusive environmental engagement can raise awareness, build knowledge, and inspire action and change.

Funded by Natural Environment Research Council , the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement has developed the Environmental Engagement in Practice programme, a series of free day-long events, exploring themes for public engagement with environmental research.

The events will bring people across the sector together, from researchers and policy makers to creative and community practitioners, to learn and share ideas. Each event is tailored around a specific theme, informed by the Insights Report published earlier this year.

The first event will take place on Wednesday 25 May 2022 and will focus on practical skills that support public engagement. Registration for this event is now open.

The programme

Public engagement skills
Wednesday 25 May, 10am-4pm
This event will focus on practical skills that support public engagement work. All delegates will have the opportunity to participate in an inclusive engagement session, and then choose from a range of practical skills workshops including working with schools, working with policy makers, and creative storytelling.
Register for this event

Ethics of engagement and dealing with controversy (save the date)
Tuesday 6 September, 10am-4pm
This event will explore the ethical considerations needed to do engagement well. Through case studies and discussion, delegates will have the opportunity to explore the nature of controversy, and how these can be managed in an appropriate way. This session will include a reflection on what people value and how values play out when working alongside others.

Evaluation, sustainability and making a case (save the date)
Thursday 12 January 2023, 10am-4pm
This event covers three main challenges for those seeing to embed engagement into their work: how to evaluate your programme effectively; if and how to sustain your work; and how to advocate for the value of engagement within your research. These separate but interlinked challenges will be explored through interactive workshops, reflective sessions, and panel discussions.

Who can attend?

These events are intended for anyone working with environmental research with an interest in engagement and knowledge exchange, particularly those who are keen to develop or enhance their public engagement practices.

This includes:

Environmental researchers at any career level
Policy makers working with environmental research / researchers
Creative and community practitioners working with environmental research
Others who can demonstrate a connection with environmental research to their work

People at all levels of engagement experience, including those who are just starting out are welcome to attend.

Find out more and register

If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Chafee at alyssa.chafee@uwe.ac.uk.

Alternatively, please contact BU Engagement Officer, Adam Morris publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

25 April 2022

Open Call Reminder: ESRC Festival 2022 – Deadline for applications Friday 29 April

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Funding of up to £1,000 available to deliver your event or activity.

ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences, planned to take place from 22 October – 13 November 2022. BU have been involved in the festival for over a decade, running our own internal selection process and delivering up to ten activities per year.

ESRC Festival 2022 Theme

The theme set by the ESRC for this year’s festival is ‘my local area’’ and the ESRC wants to see at least a quarter of festival events based on this. This could be an exploration of Dorset’s social and economic history, the future of Bournemouth High Street, issues around deprivation in coastal towns or rural isolation. The theme is linked to the place-based agenda, which is a priority area for ESRC and UKRI. We encourage you to think broadly around this and we are happy for you to decide how far away you consider ‘local’ to be.

Who can apply?

The festival aims to encourage, support and create opportunities for social science researchers to engage with non-academic audiences. It is a prestigious initiative by a major research funder, and BU’s continued involvement is justified by the quality of events and activities. Being part of this festival is an achievement worth citing and celebrating.

It is an excellent opportunity to engage people outside of academia with your research and with the benefit of co-ordinated support and promotion from RDS and the ESRC.

Events must “feature social science (ideally with a social scientist involved in the event)”. If this doesn’t clearly apply to you, consider these options;

Does your research have clear implications for society that could be explored from a social science perspective?
Could you collaborate with a social scientist, combining your resources and creativity to explore the impact of your research? If you’re looking for a collaborator, the Research Blog or BU website are great places to start or contact us for help.

What support is available?

Before applying, you will have access to:

Bookable one-on-one advice slots with BU’s Engagement Officer
Detailed applicant guidance to help you apply

When your application is successful, you will receive:

A half-day training session from an expert external public engagement trainer
Continuing advice and support from BU’s public engagement team on all areas of planning, promoting delivering, evaluating your activity
The promotional boost from being part of a huge national festival.

How to apply

Read the application guidance to support you in completing an effective application.
Submit your application using the online form. You can save your progress and return later, though it’s advisable to keep a backup elsewhere. There is a pdf version of the whole form for drafting purposes only.

Find out more about the resources available to help plan and support your application

If you have any questions, please email the public engagement team.

25 April 2022

Collaboration with MMIHS in Nepal

international, PG research, student research, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This past three weeks Bournemouth University (BU) has strengthened our existing collaboration with MMIHS (Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Science) in Kathmandu. Until 2023 we have a staff and student Erasmus+ student exchange with MMIHS. Currently one FHSS PhD student is in Nepal at MMIHS as part of this Erasmus+ exchange. Two weeks Dr. Pramod Regmi, Senior Lecturer in International Health, was here for the GCRF-funded health and migration workshop which was organised in Kathmandu jointly with MMIHS. See the BU Research Blog of 15th April for more details (click here!).

Yesterday Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen met colleagues from the UK and Nepal at MMIHS to analyse some of the data from the Nepal Federal Health System Project. This three-year major collaborative project examines the consequences for the health system of Nepal’s move to a federal government structure in 2015. This is a joint project led by the University of Sheffield with Bournemouth University, the University of Huddersfield, and two institutions in Nepal: MMIHS and PHASE Nepal. This interdisciplinary study is funded by the UK Health Systems Research Initiative [Grant ref. MR/T023554/1].

At BU we are looking forward to welcoming MSc students and academic staff from MMIHS to BU as part of this exchange. We hope to generate interest among Nepalese postgraduate student to apply for a PhD place at BU.

Last, but not least, last week Prof. Vanora Hundley and I launched the book Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences in Kathmandu. This textbook has three chapter authors who are currently (or were recently) affiliated with MMIHS: Prof. Sujan Marahatta, Dr. Pratik Adhikary and Dr. Yubaraj Baral.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Reference:

Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P.P., Hundley, V. with Shreesh, K. (Eds.) (2022) Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal: Himal Books. [ISBN: 9789937117609]

22 April 2022

Public Engagement Funding Opportunity: Engaging the public with environmental science 2022

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) second round of Growing Roots (annual funding opportunity) has launched.

Apply for funding to develop new ways to engage the public with environmental science. This opportunity aims to support public engagement with environmental science research.

Projects must be delivered between 25 July 2022 and 28 February 2023.

The full economic cost of your project can be between £5,000 and £10,000.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 18 May 2022, 4pm

A webinar and Q & A session for applicants will take place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at 1:30pm If you are interested in attending the webinar, please register by emailing publicengagement@nerc.ukri.org

If you would like to discuss your application with the Public Engagement with Research team, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

22 April 2022

Take part in the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022: Deadline for applications – Friday 29 April

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

ESRC Festival Open Call: Deadline for applications Friday 29 April. Funding of up to £1,000 is available to deliver your event or activity

ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences, planned to take place from 22 October – 13 November 2022. BU have been involved in the festival for over a decade, running our own internal selection process and delivering up to ten activities per year.