Tagged / BU research

Photo of the week: ‘Environmental impact of the Rohingya refugee crisis in a photo’

Telling a story of research through photography

The ‘photo of the week’ is a weekly series featuring photographs taken by BU academics and students for our Research Photography Competition which took place earlier this year.

These provide a snapshot into some of the incredible research taking place across the BU community. 

This week’s photo of the week was taken by Mehidi Chowdhury and is titled;

‘Environmental impact of the Rohingya refugee crisis in a photo’

‘The photo has been taken during my visit to the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The Kutupalong camp is the largest refugee camp in the world hosting more than half a million refugees. The visit funded by BU’s Global Challenges Research Fund took place in August 2018; one year after the latest mass exodus of Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh. The environmental impact of the crisis is visibly devastating. Forest areas have been cleared to make shelters for refugees. No large trees, birds and animals can be seen. I saw some Rohingya and local Bangladeshi settlements side by side. The demarcation is clear: Bangladeshi settlements are covered with trees and Rohingya settlements are not. The photo captures just that’

If you have any questions about the Photo of the Week series or the Research Photography Competition please email research@bournemouth.ac.uk

GCRF Best Practice Workshop

Training

The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Panel invites academics involved, or wishing to be involved, in Official Development Assistance (ODA) related research projects to a one–day workshop on Thursday 24th October 2019 from 09:30 – 14:00 on the Talbot Campus

The workshop will review best practice, identify future synergies and will highlight common issues and challenges confronting GCRF projects at the University.

At present, BU staff are leading and/or contributing to a wide range of GCRF eligible projects at various stages of development. Since there are many notable issues and challenges associated with acquiring and delivering the distinctive nature of GCRF related projects, the proposed workshop will bring together existing GCRF participants at the University to share conceptual designs, best practice, common implementation issues and solutions as well as notable work arounds. The workshops will thus enable participants:

  • To discuss the challenges in designing effective GCRF related projects that must maintain Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and GCRF eligibility;
  • To explore possibilities for existing and future synergies between GCRF projects at the University;
  • To identify common implementation challenges presented in transforming a GCRF project into reality;
  • To share best practice in dealing with local and/or international partners and/or partnerships;
  • To discuss issues relating to maximising deliverables and impact;
  • To inform existing and future monitoring and reporting processes of the projects and the University in relation to the GCRF;
  • To provide insights into effective ways that the University can further enhance effective support for GCRF related projects;
  • To identify potential future ‘quick wins’ and ‘take away’ that can inform and improve ongoing GCRF projects;
  • To provide a foundation for future activities of the GCRF panel including a future workshop looking at future bidding for projects beyond the GCRF.

Please book via this link.

RKEDF – Overview of NIHR, CRNs and NIHR portfolio

Guidance, NHS, Training

On Tuesday 24th October, RDS are running a 2 hour workshop to give an overview of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Clinical Research Networks and the NIHR ‘portfolio’.

This workshop is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of the NIHR’s portfolio of research studies to BU and NHS partners.  It will also explore the role of the NIHR Clinical Research Networks (CRN), with an emphasis on the set-up and work of our local network, Wessex.

The workshop will cover the requirements to be eligible for the NIHR portfolio, how to apply so that your study may be considered for adoption, and how to access the support of the NIHR CRN.

By the end of this workshop you will have an understanding about:

  • The work of the NIHR and layout of the CRNs
  • How to apply for and the requirements for portfolio adoption
  • The benefits of having a study on the NIHR portfolio

If you’re interested in attending then reserve your place via Organisational Development.

RKEDF – Good Clinical Practice ‘Lite’

NHS, Research Ethics, Training

On Tuesday 15th October, RDS are running a 2 hour workshop on the standards of Good Clinical Practice. If you’re running your own clinical research, or are planning to in the future then this workshop is for you.

This workshop is designed to ensure that Researchers are equipped to conduct clinical research in accordance with the international standard.

The workshop will cover other standards and regulations, roles in clinical research, participant eligibility and data collection, safety reporting and closing down your study.

By the end of this workshop you will have an understanding about:

  • The importance of protecting the rights, safety and wellbeing of research participants
  • The importance of ensuring that research data are reliable
  • The roles and responsibilities of those involved in clinical research
  • The different stages of the clinical research pathway

If you’re interested in attending then reserve your place via Organisational Development.

New BU paper: Health of Nepali migrants in India

international, open access, writing

Today the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health accepted our paper ‘The health of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study of lifestyles and risks’ [1].  The research in this paper was funded through Connect India is Bournemouth University’s Hub of Practice for the Indian subcontinent.  It brought together a community of researchers, educators, practitioners and students, both at Bournemouth University and across the Indian subcontinent.

The lead author, Dr. Pramod Regmi, is lecturer in International Health in the Department of Nursing & Clinical Science.  His co-authors are based in the UK, Nepal and India.  BU authors are: Pramod Regmi, Edwin van Teijlingen, Preeti Mahato and Nirmal Aryal as well as BU Visiting Faculty Prof. Padam Simkhada.  The  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an interdisciplinary Open Access journal, hence when published this paper will be freely available to readers across the globe, including India and Nepal.

Reference:

  1. Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Mahato, P., Aryal, N., Jadhav, N., Simkhada, P., Syed Zahiruddin, Q., Gaidhane, A., (2019) The health of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study of lifestyles and risks Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health (forthcoming)

 

 

Good Clinical Practice refresher – Tuesday 8th October

NHS, Research Ethics, Training

Are you currently undertaking research within the NHS, and your Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training is due to expire? Or has it expired recently?

GCP certification lasts for two years, so if your training is due to expire, has expired, or you want to validate your learning, then take advantage of the upcoming refresher half day session, taking place at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Tuesday 8th October, 8:30am – 11:30am.

Spaces are still remaining, so if you’d like to enrol, get in touch with Research Ethics.

Free online course! – Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research

NHS, Research Ethics, Training

Interested in clinical research and what’s involved? Are you contemplating a career in healthcare or the life sciences, or, do you want to find out more about the role of clinical research in improving healthcare?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, then why not sign up to FutureLearn’s Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research course?

The course has been developed by the University of Leeds and will be available from 7th October, via this link.

It is completely free and all online, lasting 4 weeks – registration now open!

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. By completing the course you will have achieved 16 hours of CPD time.

Remember – support is on offer at BU if you are thinking of introducing your research ideas into the NHS – email the Research Ethics mailbox, and take a look at the Clinical Governance blog.

Photo of the week: ‘The TACIT Trial: TAi ChI for people with dementia’

Telling a story of research through photography

The ‘photo of the week’ is a weekly series featuring photographs taken by BU academics and students for our Research Photography Competition which took place earlier this year.

These provide a snapshot into some of the incredible research taking place across the BU community. 

This week’s photo of the week was taken by Samuel Nyman and is titled;

‘The TACIT Trial: TAi ChI for people with dementia’

‘This photo is taken from a Festival of Learning event in 2018 for the TACIT Trial here on BU campus. After PhD students Yolanda Barrado-Martín and Iram Bibi presented on the study, the audience got to try out Tai Chi for themselves! The class was led by senior instructor Robert Joyce, from Elemental Tai Chi. For the trial, we have been delivering Tai Chi classes all across Wessex: Dorset, Romsey, and Portsmouth. The venues ranged from leisure centres, church halls, to NHS sites. Though Tai Chi can be practised anywhere. Indeed, many have seen images of crowds of people practising Tai Chi in public parks in China! The TACIT Trial is a study investigating the benefits of Tai Chi for community-dwelling people with dementia and their informal carers.

We hope to show that it improves balance to help prevent falls and improves the quality of life of those with dementia and their carers who come to the classes with them. This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through a Career Development Fellowship awarded to Dr Samuel Nyman’

If you have any questions about the Photo of the Week series or the Research Photography Competition please email; research@bournemouth.ac.uk

Getting started on applying for research funding

Training

This workshop will provide information on the best routes to funding based upon career stages. It will explore how to create your project budget, provide an introduction to the relevant BU processes around funding and quality assurance, in particular the approval process (using the Activity Proposal Form (APF)).

Worskhop outcomes:

  • Identify appropriate funders for different areas of research
  • Understand how best to progress your research proposals at BU
  • Understand how best to access help with your research proposals

Tuesday 8th October 12:00 – 13:30 (Talbot Campus)

If you’re not able to make this date, the workshop will be repeated on 28/04/2020.

To find out more about it and to book, please see here.

 

Improving the impact section of your funding bids

Training

Writing the impact section in a grant application can be challenging but a strong impact summary and description of the impact pathway/s can make all the difference between getting your research funded or not.

The RKEDF training session, Impact and Funding Bids, on Tuesday 1st October, 13:00-15:00, at Talbot Campus will help you understand exactly what you need to write for the best chance of success.

Facilitated by Impact Officers Matt Fancy and Amanda Edwards and Funding Development Officer Eva Papadopoulou, the session will give practical advice on completing the impact summary and pathway to impact sections of funding applications as well as best practice examples.

The session is aimed at academics at all stages of their careers, but it likely to be especially useful for ECRs preparing their first funding bids.

For further details and to register, follow the link to the OD booking page: Impact and Funding Bids.

Photo of the week: ‘Fatherhood’

Telling a story of research through photography

The ‘photo of the week’ is a weekly series featuring photographs taken by BU academics and students for our Research Photography Competition which took place earlier this year.

These provide a snapshot into some of the incredible research taking place across the BU community. 

This week’s photo of the week was taken by Minesh Khashu and is titled;

‘Fatherhood’

The Family Initiative’s International Neonatal Fathers Working Group, chaired by Prof Minesh Khashu, has reviewed the literature on engaging fathers in neonatal units, with the aim of making recommendations for improving experience of fathers as well as health outcomes in neonatal practice. We believe that supporting the father-baby bond and supporting co-parenting between the mother and the father benefits the health of the baby. We find, however, that practice remains sub-optimal. Fathers typically describe the opportunity to bond with their babies, particularly skin-to-skin care, in glowing terms of gratitude, happiness and love.

These sensations are underpinned by hormonal and neurobiological changes that take place in fathers when they care for their babies. Fathers are subject to different social expectations from mothers and this shapes how they respond to the situation and how neonatal staff treats them. Fathers are more likely to be considered responsible for earning, they are often considered to be less competent at caring than mothers and they are expected to be “the strong one”, providing support to mothers but not expecting it in return. Our review ends with 12 practical recommendations for neonatal teams to focus on.

If you have any questions about the Photo of the Week series or the Research Photography Competition please email research@bournemouth.ac.uk

Research Council Development Scheme – applications now open

Funding opportunities, Training

BU is introducing the third round of the Research Council Development Scheme which is a coordinated, targeted set of activities designed to inspire and equip BU researchers to achieve greater success with Research Council funding.

The aim is to:

  • Increase awareness of the Research Councils opportunities
  • Equip researchers with the confidence and skills to apply for the Research Councils funding in line with their career stage
  • Fast-track the development of a portfolio of proposals by facilitating proposal writing, setting next steps and allocating support

Due to the wide range of opportunities offered by Research Councils, the RCDS will feature a range of activities which may be generic in scope or targeted to a cohort as follows.

  • E cohort – early career researchers and those new to Research Councils (learning aims: first grants, fellowships, general mind-set and approach)
  • M cohort – mid-career researchers and those with some Research Councils experience (learning aims: project leadership and moving up to larger grants/collaborations)
  • P cohort – professorial level and those with significant Research Council experience (learning aims: high value, strategic and longer-larger funding)

Members of the RCDS will have access to a mix of development activities:

  • As a group and within targeted cohorts: training, workshops, structured proposal writing sessions and opportunities to build peer-to-peer support.
  • 1:1 support for scoping/identifying funding streams and planning/starting proposals.
  • Hands-on work to develop proposals through the scheme, including bid surgeries.

The criteria for membership, expectations of membership, and the training and development timetable for the RCDS can be found in the scheme document : BU-RC-Dev.-Scheme-communications-19-20-1

Those wanting to participate in this great opportunity will need to submit an expression of interest to: RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk stating:

  • Why they are applying to the RCDS
  • What (if any) Research Council Bidding experience they have to date
  • Which targeted cohort they consider themselves to be in: E, M or P
  • Do they have a funding proposal in development? If so, to provide details of the proposal (this is not essential to be a member)

Please submit your expression of interest by 15th November 2019. RDS will then send a membership agreement form to potential members, where they will agree to attend the training sessions and submit proposals to the research councils. As this scheme is part of the RKEDF, potential members will need to seek approval from their Head of Department or departmental nominated approver.

Please read through the scheme document (above) and if any clarification is required then contact Lisa Andrews, Research Facilitator, RDS. This scheme is a fantastic opportunity to accelerate your research council funding track record.

BU articles on academic writing & publishing

Centre for Excellence in Learning, Guidance, open access, Publishing, REF Subjects, Training, writing

Last Friday ResearchGate informed us that ‘Writing an Abstract for a Scientific Conference’ [1] published by three Bournemouth University (BU) scholars (Prof. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Bibha Sinkhada and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen and a BU Visiting Professor (Prof. Padam Simkhada) had reached 2,500 reads. This paper is one of a series of articles BU academics have published on several aspects of academic writing and scientific publishing.  The range of publications includes issue such as: predatory publishers, authors earning from copyright; finding the best title for your paper, and issues of authorship [2-13].  These are great resources for budding academic writers, especially as nearly are Open Access publications and hence freely available across the world.

Other useful BU resources include the work by Dr. Kip Jones, such as his blogs on Organising & Writing a PhD thesis or his advice on Writing Blogs.   Another great BU resource is the online publication by Dr. Miguel Moital, who wrote the e-book Writing Dissertations & Theses: What you should know but no one tells you, where he shares valuable practical information about the process of writing academic work, notably dissertations. The book starts with explaining the six criteria, expressed in the form of 6 ‘C’s, required to produce high quality dissertations: Confined, Corroborated, Critical, Coherent, Concise and Captivating. The e-book then goes on to share a range of ‘tips and tools’ which contribute to fulfilling the 6 Cs. 

Moreover, it is also worth pointing out that there are some great web resources on writing and publishing produced by BU Library staff, for example on plagiarism;  academic writing; or how to cite references.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwife

References

  1. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen E., Hundley, V., Simkhada, BD. (2013) Writing an Abstract for a Scientific Conference, Kathmandu Univ Med J 11(3): 262-65. http://www.kumj.com.np/issue/43/262-265.pdf
  2. van Teijlingen, E, Hundley, V. (2002) Getting your paper to the right journal: a case study of an academic paper, J Advanced Nurs 37(6): 506-11.
  3. Pitchforth, E, Porter M, Teijlingen van E, Keenan Forrest, K. (2005) Writing up & presenting qualitative research in family planning & reproductive health care, J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 31(2): 132-135.
  4. Kretschmer, M., Hardwick, P. (2007) Authors’ earnings from copyright and non-copyright sources: A survey of 25,000 British and German writers, Bournemouth: Bournemouth University,  Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management.
  5. van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada, PP, Rizyal A (2012) Submitting a paper to an academic peer-reviewed journal, where to start? (Guest Editorial) Health Renaissance 10(1): 1-4.
  6. van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada. PP, Simkhada, B, Ireland J. (2012) The long & winding road to publication, Nepal J Epidemiol 2(4): 213-215 http://nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/7093/6388
  7. Hundley, V, van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada, P (2013) Academic authorship: who, why and in what order? Health Renaissance 11(2):98-101 www.healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Download/vol-11-2/Page_99_101_Editorial.pdf
  8. Simkhada P, van Teijlingen E, Hundley V. (2013) Writing an academic paper for publication, Health Renaissance 11(1):1-5. www.healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Pp_1_5_Guest_Editorial.pdf
  9. van Teijlingen, E., Ireland, J., Hundley, V., Simkhada, P., Sathian, B. (2014) Finding the right title for your article: Advice for academic authors, Nepal J Epidemiol 4(1): 344-347.
  10. van Teijlingen E., Hundley, V., Bick, D. (2014) Who should be an author on your academic paper? Midwifery 30: 385-386.
  11. Hall, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) The journal editor: friend or foe? Women & Birth 28(2): e26-e29.
  12. Sathian, B., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Roy, B, Banerjee, I. (2016) Grant writing for innovative medical research: Time to rethink. Med Sci 4(3):332-33.
  13. Pradhan, AK, van Teijlingen, ER. (2017) Predatory publishing: a great concern for authors, Med Sci 5(4): 43.