Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
The article “Why suicide rate among pregnant women in Nepal is rising” written by BU academics was published in The Conversation last year. At the time this attracted Indian newspaper attention. Clearly it is still a relevant issue as it attracted national coverage in a Nepali newspaper this week.
Dr. Bibha Simkhada & Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
The NHS R&D Forum Research Management Working Group have released their thoughts on how they feel that the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice can be refined and improved, to reflect current needs.
‘The Research Management Working Group is a group of members of the NHS R&D Forum with a wealth of experience
and expertise in both managing and delivering research activity within NHS organisations.’
You can read the group’s response here. The consultation is now closed, however the current Code of Practice can be found here.
If you are planning to conduct research with human participants that lack the capacity to consent or who may eventually lack capacity to consent, then the research application must go to an ethics committee that is flagged to review Social Care research.
BU ethics panels are not authorised to undertake this review or issue approval, and so an application via the IRAS system must be made. Further information can be gained via the HRA website and by emailing Research Ethics.
Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?
Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.
Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.
IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.
The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.
The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102, this Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.
Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.
NERC/MRC/ESRC in collaboration with the Belmont Forum, have issued a call to fund transdisciplinary, end-user focused approaches to investigate and address the linkages between climate, environment and health. Projects should seek to bridge knowledge gaps, understand health risks, improve predictability, and deliver usable data, information, and innovative solutions to planners and decision makers. The following themes are prioritised for this call; food systems and nutrition; heat and health and; climate-sensitive infectious diseases.
Projects must be eligible to receive funding from at least three partner organisations participating in this call established in three different countries, and should include researchers from the natural sciences, health/medical sciences, social and economical sciences or humanities, as well as societal partners.
The deadline for expressions of interest is 6th May 19, with full proposals due by 23rd July 19. More information is available on the website.
If you are interested in applying, please contact Lisa Andrews, RDS Research Facilitator or your Funding Development Officer, in the first instance.
Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?
Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.
Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.
IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.
The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.
The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102 Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.
Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.
Two Bournemouth University students, Matthew Dray and Amelia (Mimi) Simpson have presented their undergraduate research in Parliament last week, to parliamentarians, policy makers and fellow undergraduates at the annual ‘Posters in Parliament’ 2019 event.
This year’s event was organised by the University of Sussex and showcased more than 50 undergraduate students from around the UK. Now in its sixth year, BU has participated from the start. The annual event is an exhibition to allow MPs and policy makers learn more about the innovative undergraduate research being undertaken in various disciplines by undergraduates from a number of institutions. Other uni’s participating on the day were: Aberdeen, LSE, UCL, King’s College London, Newcastle, Nottingham Trent, Exeter, Plymouth, Sheffield, Reading and Portsmouth, etc.
Matthew Dray, a BSc (Hons) Computing student in Faculty of Science & Technology presented his research on IoT (The Internet of Things)-Enabled Landslide Monitoring System. Under the guidance of his tutor Dr Marios Angelopoulos, Matt offers up an innovative landslide monitoring system that combines state-of-the art Internet of Things and Data Analytics and an intuitive front end interface, with the main emphasis of his work on the latter. In collaboration with Bournemouth Borough Council, a pilot of the system has been deployed at East Cliff landslide. Matt says ‘the system was able to provide local authorities with a new means of efficient and remote monitoring, whilst also being a cost effective solution’. Speaking about taking part in Posters in Parliament, Matt said ‘it was an amazing experience to be apart of and was an honour to co-represent Bournemouth University at the event, even more so to be shortlisted for an award’.
‘It was great to see what other research was being done around the country and to hear about that research from other passionate students, and to talk to other students and MP’s about my own project and get their thoughts’. Matt found the experience to be an beneficial one, ‘I found it both educational and beneficial to me, and allowed me to develop key skills both professionally and personally’.
Mimi Simpson, a BA (Hons) Advertising student in Faculty of Media & Communication, shared her research on how Generation Y mothers participate in Online Mothering Communities (OMCs) as a Platform for Breastfeeding Information and Support.
‘My research developed from UNICEF declaring that improving breastfeeding rates was a national priority. As an Advertising student, I was interested in the influence that Facebook communities have on supporting and advising breastfeeding mothers. The research concluded that participating mothers have a more successful breastfeeding experience when supported by life-experienced mothers in social media communities’. Mimi also expressed the benefit of taking part in the event on the day ‘Speaking to other academics at Posters in Parliament helped me in considering future lines of research, specifically in the role social media communities play in supporting other medical areas and needs’.
Both Matt and Mimi will be presenting their research at the upcoming SURE 2019 conference in Fusion Building on March 20th. More information about BU’s undergraduate research conference can be found on the SURE website. Staff and students are welcome to take in the conference March 20th building and can book free tickets via Eventbrite.
Posters in Parliament is the prescursor event to the national BCUR 2019 conference, this year being held at University of South Wales, where a number of BU undergrads across all faculties are due to present and share their leading research.
‘Researchers, sponsors and funders have responsibilities – that may be legal requirements or ethical and moral expectations within an accepted governance framework of best practice and standards – to participants in research, patients and the wider public and research communities.’
The HRA have recently released a page of useful links and guidance that encompasses areas such as ‘top tips for transparency’, making your research results public, and also registering your study.
Related to this, hopefully you will have seen a recent blog post regarding the HRA’s commitment to ensuring research transparency. This has been a hot topic lately, and the subject of a recent House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report.
Take a look at the HRA guidance here.
BU has access to the ClinicalTrials.gov system so get in touch if you would like access. This is a great opportunity to register your study and study results in the public domain. It is free to use.
Despite the name, the system may be used for other clinical research projects.
Congratulations to Dr. Nirmal Aryal in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has been selected to participate in an international workshop targeting early career researchers (ECRs) on ‘Engendering research and reframing policy debate on migration & health and intersectional rights’ to be held in Kathmandu (Nepal) from 25th to 28th April 2019. 
This workshop is jointly organized by several universities in the UK, India as well as the International Organisation for Migration, as well as the Migration Health and Development Research Initiative(MHADRI). There will be 18 ECRs from South Asia and South East Asia and Nirmal is one for the six from the UK. The organizers will fund flight to and accommodation in Nepal.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?
Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.
Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.
IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.
The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.
The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102 Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.
Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.
An updated Code of Conduct for the application of data-driven technologies in the NHS was published on Tuesday of this week – the code ‘sets out what the NHS expects from companies who are developing new technologies for the health system, and what they can expect in return.
In order to assist applicants and researchers, the HRA have created new pages that set out the approvals process for data-driven technology research.
The section incorporates two pages of support –
The help pages will be added to the Clinical Governance section of the blog, for ease of access.
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee released a report last year on clinical trials transparency, as it was evident that a nearly half of clinical trials fail to publish their results. In their report, the committee made a number of recommendations to the Health Research Authority in order to rectify the situation.
At the time the HRA issued a response but today have published a further statement which sets out their commitment to research transparency. This is especially pertinent given the article published simultaneously in BMJ Open, which details the numbers of clinical trials that are publicly registered, compared with those that have received favourable opinion (approval) from a UK NHS research ethics committee.
BU has access to the ClinicalTrials.gov system so get in touch if you would like access. This is a great opportunity to register your study and study results in the public domain. It is free to register your study.
Despite the name, the system may be used for other clinical research projects.
The NIHR have recently published an article on the STAMPEDE trial which is helping to improve the prognosis and quality of life of those diagnosed with prostate cancer.
This is a research study that’s supported by the NIHR, and has been up and running since 2005, with more than 10,000 men having taken part. 125 UK sites are conducting the research, with local NHS Trusts amongst those 125.
The trial is multi-arm, so compares different treatments amongst the participant group – it is also ‘randomised’, so participants are allocated their treatment at random, reducing any bias in allocation.
The results to date from the trial have also influenced the NHS treatment for men with high risk, locally advanced metastatic prostate cancer. More STAMPEDE related news can be found on their website.
You can read the article here, which contains a testimony from a trial participant whose condition and quality of life have been vastly improved.
Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?
Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.
Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.
IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.
The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.
The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102 Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.
Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.
Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Collard and Dr. Pramod Regmi whose paper ‘Qualitative insights into feelings, knowledge, and impact of SUDEP: A narrative synthesis’. The paper has been accepted by the scientific journal Epilepsy & Behavior (published by Elsevier). Epilepsy Action is a charity that improves the lives of everyone affected by epilepsy. Epilepsy Action gives advice, improves healthcare, funds research and campaigns for change.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Two researchers from the University of Cambridge recently published an article in which they expressed their concerns over the ethics review and study set-up of a project, that was submitted in 2013.
Their study wished to recruit healthcare staff, which under the current system only requires HRA approval and not NHS Research Ethics Approval. However at the time of this study’s set-up, NHS Research Ethics clearance was a requirement.
Here are a few figures from the article which highlight the inadequacies of the previous system, that researchers had to navigate to undertake NHS-based clinical research.
Even though the above are rather off-putting, the Health Research Authority approval system has substantially improved timelines, efficiency and support for researchers and applicants. The new procedure was introduced in April 2016.
Now when you liaise with the HRA and Research Ethics Committee, you have one named contact for each team – a HRA Assessor and the REC Manager.
You can read the HRA’s response here, which signposts the reader to further resources.
Likewise at BU, dedicated support is on offer if you are thinking of introducing your own research idea into the NHS – email Research Ethics for advice and take a look at the Clinical Governance blog for guidance, further reading and regular updates.
Looking forward to our annual Systematic Review Masterclass at Bournemouth University which will be starting tomorrow February 14th. This year for the first time we have renamed it a ‘Systematic Review to Inform Clinical Practice’ as it is not only a free-standing masterclass but also a level 7 unit of Continuing Professional Development and Training . This year we aim to provide students with the opportunity to choose an area of interest and undertake an in-depth, independent study in the form of a systematic review, focusing on a negotiated aspect of clinical practice. Prof. Vanora Hundley and I had published over twenty systematic reviews (or papers about systematic reviewing) over the past two decades. [1-21] The unit will have input from BU’s Academic Liaison Librarian, Caspian Dugdale, and BU academics such as Dr. Bibha Simkhada, Lecturer in Nursing.
Professors Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)
References:
Education is changing – but what does this look like in practice? What does the future of learning hold for students? At Bournemouth University we are responding to research that considers how teachers of the future will work with their classes.
Drawing upon examples from fields as diverse as archaeology and nursing, Professor Debbie Holley, Professor Liz Falconer and Heidi Singleton (PhD Student) from the Centre for Excellence in Learning(CEL) showcased recent innovations to help support student learning, both inside and outside their physical classroom. 
A Wicked Challenge
“It’s our wicked challenge”, Debbie told the BU Cafe Scientifique audience on Tuesday evening, as she outlined the current lay of the land in terms of Virtual Reality (VR) and Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in higher education, emphasising that it is an educators’ duty to offer digital opportunities to 21st Century students. Debbie explained, how although technology can be of great benefit, the “wicked challenge” is defining and addressing the significant challenges impeding TEL adoption in higher education.
Time to engage
After discussing their work, the CEL team, supported by BU Learning Technologists Stephen Pyne and David Hunt got interactive, giving the Cafe Sci audience the opportunity to engage with the Google Cardboard headsets, encouraging them to try out different virtual reality scenarios.
Virtual Avebury
It was fascinating to hear how Liz and her team had used Lidar data to simulate how Avebury might have looked and sounded circa 2,300 BCE in an immersive 3D virtual reality environment. Liz reported findings from her large scale project which was conducted with members of the public at the Avebury site
Not only did people enjoy visiting the VR Avebury, but for some it brought out an emotional reaction as they felt they had experienced some of what it would have been like to have visited the ancient site when it was still complete. One of the participants said; “I felt completely immersed in the landscape. It was really interesting to see the difference between the real stones outside and the simulation. The difference between the sizes of the banks and ditches was particularly striking!” Liz concluded with her favourite finding; that women over the age of 60 were the third most likely group to enjoy gaming (mostly on their mobile phones). It reminds us all not to pre-judge what we think people will find enjoyable and useful as a learning experience.
VR Deteriorating Patient
Heidi explained and demonstrated her research around VR Deteriorating Patient, a computer simulator that trains students how to nurse a patient who is suffering from Diabetic Hypoglycaemia
Working with CEL, HSS and in particular Dr Janet James, Heidi is conducting an RCT to compare the VR training exercise with traditional teaching methods. The initial findings are very positive, with students reporting that it helps to bridge the theory practice gap, some saying; “You can practice and it doesn’t matter if you make wrong decisions. It is a safe environment.” “It will stick in my mind better. I will use it again to revise before the exam.” “It helps me to visualise the learning.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about VR, AR or 360 Video you can contact the CEL Team @cel_bu
The next Café Scientifique takes place on Tuesday 5 March where we’ll be hearing from Dr Alexios Mylonas who will be discussing whether popular browsers (such as Firefox, Chrome) for desktops and mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) protect their users from trackers that use Web Storage, Web SQL Database, and IndexedDB.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch with the Public Engagement Team – publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk, you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Plus, why not send us a request to be added to our Public Engagement mailing list and be the first to hear about our research events and activities.
The National Institute for Health Research have gathered some inspiring stories from people across England, whose lives have been transformed by clinical research. The stories cover a wide range of health conditions.
You can read them here.
Remember that support is on offer at BU if you are thinking of introducing your own research idea into the NHS – email Research Ethics for advice and take a look at the Clinical Governance blog.
BU staff can login below:
FHSS academics teaching in Nepal
New weight change BU paper
One week to go! | The 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference
Geography and Environmental Studies academics – would you like to get more involved in preparing our next REF submission?
Congratulations to three former BU staff
MSCA Staff Exchanges 2024 Call – internal deadline
Applications are now open for 2025 ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships!
Horizon Europe – ERC CoG and MSCA SE webinars MSCA Staff Exchanges 2024 Call – internal deadline Horizon Europe – ERC CoG and MSCA SE webinars
MaGMap: Mass Grave Mapping
ERC grants – series of webinars Last reminder – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 internal deadline next week
Research Information Network
Well done!