Tagged / conference

HSC PhD student from HSC presents in London at Society for Social Medicine

BU research

Sheetal’s SSM poster can be viewed here

Sheetal Sharma a PhD student at Health and Social Care at BU was lucky to be accepted at the Society for Social Medicine (SSM) September Conference in London to present her poster on my PhD research: Mixed-methods evaluation of a health promotion intervention in rural Nepal, complete with a photograph of the fieldwork involved in villages in Nepal! This year was particularly tough getting accepted as conference organisers commented that 360 abstracts were submitted, of which just 159 (44%) were accepted (including 3 as plenary presentations, 96 as parallel presentations, and 60 as poster presentations). And further stated that that at another SSM conference, an abstract awarded a poster presentation would have been given an oral presentation.
“My BU supervisors Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Prof. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Catherine Angell and my external supervisor Dr. Padam Simkhada (University of Sheffield) supported me to submit an abstract with our Spanish and Argentine academic partners, early this year”. I really appreciated the free place as universities have limited budgets to support their students in presenting at conferences; I doubt I would have attended had I had to meet the costs myself. So a big thanks to BU and SSM for supporting me! After my experiences at SSM 2012, I would encourage students and young researchers to attend SSM, as the research presented is stimulating and the feedback obtained is invaluable, the conference is really well organised, the support team and volunteers are really friendly and helpful! I hope to be a part of the ECR committee based on this conference.”
Sheetal mentioned she particularly enjoyed the workshop session on Evaluation of complex public health interventions, the concepts and methods practical guidance on “how to do it” and the applicability of different study designs, particularly the role of qualitative research by Mark Petticrew (LSHTM), James Hargreaves (LSHTM), and Steve Cummins (QMUL), as it relates to her evaluation on a health promotion intervention that aims to improve childbearing women’s demand of health services.
Sheetal felt it was great to see what research is conducted from institutions across the U.K. and globally, in a dynamic setting specifically the welcome address by Dr Piot who co-discovered the Ebola virus in Zaire in 1976, the Pemberton Lecture, 2012: Ethnicity and health by Peter Whincup. Sheetal feels research students should be encouraged to present as it motivates them to publish and network. Attending the conference in London also gave her a chance to visit the King’s Fund and dine at Lincoln’s Inn in the 19th century Great Hall with a view onto a fresco of Moses and Edward I ending with a guided tour of the Wellcome Collection.

#hwbbu – Health and Wellbeing Community Hashtag (and biscuits)

BU research

#hwbbu – Twitter hashtags

As Carol Bond indicated in the comments to the recent blog post about the successful HSC Health and Wellbeing Community Conference the community agreed to select a twitter hashtag in order to collect information from any tweets relevant to the activities of the community.

I was tasked with organising this, being familiar with the concept, and after a wait for the registration to come through I can confirm that the hashtag is #hwbbu (Health and Wellbeing at Bournemouth University). The hashtag is registered with the Healthcare Hashtags Project here. This project maintains a date-searchable archive of the tweets of healthcare relevant hashtags as well as allowing analysis of activity and reach.

We went for a short hashtag because this is good practice with Twitter being limited to only 140 characters for each tweet.

Biscuits – Light is alright

As you’ll see from the rather fetching picture from the conference post, I took part in the biscuit taste test organised by Dr Heather Hartwell who was talking to us about the concept of ‘Health by Stealth’. We tried two Rich Tea biscuits from the same company and, despite what the picture shows, most people preferred biscuit A. This was actually the ‘Light’ version! Less fat, less calories, slightly more sugar needed to bond it but crunchier (less claggy) and the same price. The problem is we tend to think of ‘healthy’ versions as not being as tasty. I did manage to guess by sight which was the healthiest so was therefore surprised to prefer its taste. As someone who likes a sweet snack I think it’s definitely worth trying out lighter versions in future.

 

Discourses of Inclusion and Exclusion Conference – new sustainability symposium theme

BU research, Research news

I am co-ordinating a symposium on Issues of Inclusivity in the Sustainable University at the DPR annual conference to be held at the University of Greenwich, 9-11 April, 2013. The link is here.

If DPR (Discourse, Power Resistance) is new to you, it is worth saying that DPR is an annual conference, now in its thirteenth year, with an established and increasing international reputation: in 2012 41 nations were represented at the conference. Perhaps the simplest way to tell you about the conference is to give you some links. The conference website is here. You can find a list of DPR publications here together with a link to the conference journal: Power and Education.

Please consider submitting an abstract.

Chris Shiel

Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology – Funding Opportunities

BU research, Funding opportunities

The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology have announced a number of funding opportunities.  These include:

Developmental Grants (these must include some members of SRIP) – The Society will provide up to £1500 to cover travel and accommodation for participants and other small incidental costs. Costs will be reimbursed through a University or other appropriate organisation. The organisers of funded workshops will be required to supply accounts of the monies spent and a brief factual report of the workshop.  Applications can be made at any time .

Conference bursary for students – Since 1980 SRIP has organized an annual international scientific conference to exchange research findings, develop research interest and networks and to engage with clinical partners. The society awards bursaries to enable academic students to attend the conference and prizes to esteemed researchers (clinical and academic) in recognition of their work. The Society provides a total of 3 Bursaries for students to attend the conference each year. The bursary will cover Conference Fees and up to £150 towards travel and accommodation. Applications for a bursary will be considered on an individual basis by the committee. Preference will be given to students presenting a paper or poster and to those who have no, or limited, funds available to support conference attendance.  The closing date for receipt of applications is the end of July of the year in which the conference is due to take place.

Annual Student Prize – Each year the society awards an Annual Prize for a research thesis submitted as part of an undergraduate degree (B.A. / B.Sc.), masters by research (M.A. / M.Sc.), or equivalent level professional training (e.g., MBBS).* The subject of the thesis may be any aspect of reproduction, birth or infancy.  If you are working on a dissertation at this level, why not enter?  You could win £150, an expenses paid trip to the SRIP annual conference and a years membership (see terms and conditions). All entries must be received by 30th June.

Annual Graduate Student Prize – The Society has instituted an annual prize for a research thesis submitted as a full or partial requirement for a post graduate degree, including M.Phil., D.Clin.Psy. and Ph.D and other similar awards. The subject of the thesis may be any aspect of reproduction, birth or infancy. If you are working on a dissertation at this level, why not enter? The prize is £250, a year’s membership of SRIP and an expenses paid trip to the SRIP annual conference (see terms and conditions).  All entries must be received by 30th June.

Please visit their web site for specific details on how to apply.

 The RKE Operations team can help you with your application.

4th World Business Ethics Forum – 16-18 December 2012, Hong Kong

Funding opportunities, Research Ethics, Research news, Uncategorized

The 4th World Business Ethics Forum (WBEF) will be held from 16 to 18 December 2012 by the School of Business of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).  BU have received an invitation to submit papers for presentation at the Conference.

The theme for this 4th WBEF is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability.  HKBU welcome research papers related to this broad theme.  Suggested topics include:

Dimensions and theories of CSR; CSR and risk management; CSR and business ethics; CSR and strategic management; CSR and corporate sustainability; CSR and corporate governance; CSR reporting and capital market; Corporate sustainability management; Legal issues of CSR; CSR in Asia; CSR in China; CSR education; CSR case studies; CSR in western perspectives; and other related issues.

They anticipate that over 150 scholars and professionals across the world will attend the Conference.  Selected papers from the Conference will be published in a special issue of Journal of Business Ethics.

The deadline for paper submission is 30th June 2012.  Please submit the full paper and enquiries to the Conference Secretariat at wbef@hkbu.edu.hk.  Email submissions in Word format are strongly preferred.  Submission of full paper for review indicates that it or a similar version has not been previously published or is not simultaneously under review elsewhere.  Each submission should include FULL contact details, including the author(s)’ brief bio, institution affiliation, mailing address, telephone and fax number, e-mail address, topic area (up to three topics selected from the above).  Full paper should not be more than 40 pages in double-line spacing (all inclusive) and must follow the style guidelines of the Journal of Business Ethics (JBE).

For more details of the Conference, please visit the web site at http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~wbef.  The Conference Committee will select full papers on a competitive basis, and author(s) will be notified by September 2012.

EU funding available in the hard sciences for research, networking, visits and conference attendance

EU

FP7 Artemis call for proposals: Funding supports industry-driven research projects in the field of embedded computing systems which aim to design, develop and deploy interoperable, cost-effective, powerful safe and secure electronics and software systems. The budget for this call is approximately €138.73 million and the financial contribution of the programme will be 16.7 per cent of eligible costs. Projects are expected to last for up to three years. Closing date 06.09.12

ESF Research conferences scheme: Grants support high-level research conferences lasting for three to four days in ESF member organisation countries. Closing date 15.09.12

 ESF Earthtime – the European contribution short visit and exchange grants: Grants should foster collaboration between European researchers working on topics relevant to geochronology and stratigraphy. Short visit grants provide €85 per day over a maximum of two weeks. Exchange grants provide €400 per week over a maximum of three months. Both awards provide actual travel expenses, worth up to €500. No deadline.

4th Annual PGR Conference – Thursday 28 June 2012

PG research

A Celebration of BU PGR Research

This annual conference is designed to showcase the best of BU’s postgraduate research and to provide a unique opportunity for PGRs to present their work within a learning environment. Our multi-disciplinary conference will allow for cross-school interaction as well as opportunities for collaboration, where appropriate.

The 2012 conference will build on the great success of the previous PGR Conferences in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Call for Abstracts

We are inviting abstracts for oral and poster presentations from Post Graduate Research students at any stage of their research degree. Presentations may focus on:

  • Research area
  • Specific methodological approach
  • Initial findings
  • Experience of your research journey e.g. transfer

There will be prizes for the best poster and oral presentations. Please be aware that there are limited number of oral presentation slots.

We are also looking for volunteers to help organise the conference and chair sessions. If you are interested please email the Graduate School.

How to Register

All conference attendees, including contributors, will need to complete the booking form (Conference booking form (Word doc 83 Kb)) and send via email to:graduateschool@bournemouth.ac.uk

Deadlines

For submitting abstracts: Monday 21st May
For attending the conference: Monday 11th June

Further details on presentation formats and programmes from previous conferences are available here.

ESF social inequalities conference grants up for grabs

EU

The European Science Foundation invites applications for grants to attend the ESF-ZIF-Bielefeld University research conference on tracing social inequalities in environmentally induced migration.
The conference, to be held from 9 to 13 December 2012 in Bielefeld, Germany, will concentrate on the social inequalities between world regions, countries, geographical regions, organisations, groups and categories of people involved in environmental- and climate-induced migration. Grants are available to cover the conference fee or assist with travel costs for students and early stage researchers. View the full details for this call on the ESF website and the deadline is July 1st.

View Keynote Speeches from the FSBI 2011 conference

BU research

The Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI) 2011 Annual International Conference took place at BU in July last year.

The week-long event organised by the FSBI and BU focused on the damage being done to aquatic ecosystems and fish communities, and discussed how scientific evidence could be used to benefit the world’s fisheries.

The conference attracted many esteemed Scientists from a total of 22 countries who presented their research over five days.

Four of the keynote speeches, as well as an overview of the conference, can be seen below.

An overview of the Fish Diversity and Conservation: Current State of Knowledge

Julian Olden (University of Washington) – Invasive Species and Alternative Global Futures for Freshwater Ecosystems

Ya-hui Zhaoyh (Chinese Academy of Science) – Out of Sight Out of Mind: Current Knowledge on Chinese Cave Fish

David Dudgeon – Asian River Fishes in the Anthropecene – Conservation Challenges in an era of Rapid Environmental Change

Steve Railsback – Behaviour in Fish Conservation Models: Getting From “why” to “how”

Paul Skelton – Walking the Tightrope: Trends in African Freshwater Systematic Ichthyology

Reflections on a conference – challenging your own assumptions

Guidance

In January I presented at the Eighth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability which took place in Vancouver. The conference focuses on the idea that sustainability is best understood in a holistic way. 

When you go to a conference it is too easy to get caught up in anxiety about delivering your own paper, at this conference I was determined to maximise my learning opportunities (and be relaxed about my paper) so crammed in as many sessions as I could.  I made a lot of contacts; I also learned so much which challenged my own thinking, even more so because the conference is multi –disciplinary and very inclusive. I attended sessions ranging from economic models for sustainability, campus initiatives, social and cultural implications, and perspectives from art, sociology, engineering and literature. 

It was great to have my assumptions challenged about US perspectives in relation to carbon and the environment (it is too easy to see the USA as a carbon guzzler). It was also interesting to see the ‘political’ arise in academic debate (Republican views v Democratic) with subsequent falling out!

Many USA and Canadian universities are aiming for zero carbon by 2050. Some are aiming for zero waste by 2020. They all want to grow by up to 30% so new buildings are being conceptualised which are carbon neutral from the outset. Canada may have pulled back from Kyoto but their universities are forging ahead with SD. There were some exciting presentations and lots of new things to think about. 

What struck me particularly, apart from ‘we need to up our game here’  was learning what sustainable development means from a Southern perspective and the impossible task confronted by developing countries who are trying to secure economic sustainability but struggling with climate change, and struggling with the pollution  left as a result of western activities and needs. In the Niger Delta it will take 25-30 years to clean up the pollution left by oil companies and cost 1bn (UNEP, 2011). Oil accounts for 80% of Nigeria’s revenue but the benefits are not being felt – the region is characterised by conflict. I did not know that they flare off their gas for starters. I had not realised the extent to which the wetland and coastal marine eco-system was being contaminated. I also had not realised that so many water projects have been abandoned in Nigeria, that individuals are often forced to drill their own bore holes (and fight for water). In Sub Saharan Africa 4000-6000 children die each day as a result of water born diseases. 

I came away from the conference fired up to take action but wanting to share a couple of points:

  • Don’t be so focused on your own perspective that you forget to really listen to others.
  • Don’t be so focused on getting your own paper over, to the extent that you reduce the opportunity to learn and develop networks
  • A multi-disciplinary focus really stimulates new thinking – while we are each working in our respective disciplines and research themes, it is important to seek opportunities to share with those who may seem different/more difficult to work with than those who have a similar world view- you might learn more from the challenge and develop new ideas.

Please contact me if you would like to hear more about the conference.

Chris Shiel, Associate Professor, Centre for Global Perspectives

Call for Papers – Council for Hospitality Management Education Conference

Research news

Call for papers for peer-reviewed consideration for presentation at the 21st CHME Annual Research Conference hosted by University College Birmingham.

Both full papers of 4,000-6,000 words, and developmental papers of 1,000-2,000 words are invited under the three panel themes of

  • Cultural and Critical Studies in Hospitality,
  • Developments in Hospitality and Tourism Research, and
  • Research and Practice in Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

For notes and guidelines on submission format please follow those set out by Hospitality & Society which can be located at http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/views-journal,id=194/view,page=2/

 

Papers should be submitted as a word document to CHME2012@UCB.ac.uk

Final Submission Deadline: Tuesday 31st of January 2012

 

For further information visit the website: http://chme.ucb.ac.uk/

 

SciTech Europe 2011: Advancing Research, Innovation & Collaboration

EU, Research news

There are a limited number of last minute complimentary places available to attend SciTech Europe 2011 on 24 November at The Square, Meeting Centre, Brussels.

Confirmed to Speak

Dr. Anneli Pauli
Deputy Director-General on Innovation and ERA (European Research Area), Directorate-General Research, European Commission

Professor Enric Banda
President, Euroscience

Professor Maria Leptin
Member of the Management Committee, Initiative for Science in Europe and Director of EMBO

Iztok Lesjak
President, International Association of Science Parks, European Division

Dr. Katrien Maes
Chief Policy Officer, League of European Research Universities

Dr. John Smith
Deputy Secretary General, European University Association (EUA)

Dr. Ayoade MJ Oduola
Coordinator, Stewardship for Infectious Diseases of poverty (STE),

Professor Joanna Chataway
Director, Innovation and Technology Policy, RAND Europe

Professor Anthony J Ryan OBE
Board member, STFC Science Council; Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Science, Sheffield University

View Full Programme

To register your complimentary place at this event please use our Online Registration System using discount code STEUCOMP at the final stage of the registration process.  Book Online

Rio plus 20

As we move into the run up for Rio plus 20 a number of colleagues in the UK are seeking to influence the thinking of key delegates and power brokers (unfortunately the UK delegates are not announced yet). November 1st is the deadline for receiving formal submissions which will be considered for the text to be negotiated at the Summit (compilation text). 

The EAUC is asking members to input their views.

http://www.eauc.org.uk/giving_eauc_members_a_powerful_international_vo

 It is critically important that the role of education in relation to sustainable development does not slide off the table. My colleague Professor Daniella Tilbury has been engaged in the PreComs and has alerted that there is a real danger that the dialogue is moving away from the Agenda 21 vision and UN DESD, to focus on technical and specialist training approaches (with little reference to learning based change and social community learning). There is still time to influence (sustainability will not be achieved by technical solutions alone – it requires education and behaviour change) and to stress the importance of ESD. You can influence either through EAUC or Education Caucus, or other channels you may have access to

To find out more about the processes leading up to Rio

http://www.earthsummit2012.org/

Or

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/

 If you have ideas about influencing it would be interesting to hear them.

At the same time as the Summit there is a World Symposium on Higher Education and SD. The call for papers is still open

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=289&menu=27nd

 If you are developing research for Rio it would be great to hear about it

Tourism, Climate Change & Sustainability top of BU’s agenda

BU research

BU’s International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR) is delighted to be hosting the second global conference to explore real-world issues.

The international conference: ‘Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability’ will take place from 13-14 September 2012. The emphasis of the event is to discuss and disseminate conceptual ideas and contested relationships between climate change, sustainability and tourism and examine worldwide responses and exchange cutting-edge research.

Dr Maharaj Vijay Reddy and Dr Keith Wilkes are the organisers of this conference, who are also editing a book jointly on this title for Earthscan London. The book launch will also take place during the conference next year.

This conference will feature keynote presentations from high-level policy makers from international agencies UNWTO and UNESCO MAB, the European Commission, leading research institutions and the private sector. Among these distinguished speakers are:

  • Mr Luigi Cabrini, Director UNWTO Sustainable Tourism, Madrid.
  • Dr Ishwaran Natarajan, Director UNESCO Division for Earth & Ecological Sciences, Paris.
  • Dr Richard Butler, Emeritus Professor, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
  • Dr Stephan Harrison, University of Exeter & Oxford University Centre for the Environment.

Breakout sessions are planned to enable speakers to interact on a more personal level with delegates as well as for attendees to present their research on these important topics. In addition, leading publishers will be present throughout the duration of the conference to meet with delegates and discuss future publishing opportunities.

Dr Maharaj Vijay Reddy commented “we are pleased to announce this event on a globally crucial title. It will facilitate cutting-edge debates, timely knowledge exchange and networking”.

Dr Keith Wilkes says hosting the second ‘Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability’ conference is “very exciting and, coupled with the high-calibre keynote speakers, is further evidence of the position of BU as a driving force at the forefront of global tourism research, teaching and professional practice”.

The first call for abstracts was released recently.

Participate in the JISC “Good Data Management Conference” online today

Research news

JISC is live streaming its research integrity conference today 13 September looking specifically at the importance of good research data management.  The aim is to bring together the current thinking on effective practice and give senior staff and researchers an opportunity to debate the thornier issues, like whose responsibility this is and how to manage freedom of information requests. 

You are welcome to participate by submitting questions via twitter by using #jiscres11 or emailing jiscevents@gmail.com, your questions will be put to the panel.  You can also watch the keynote speakers live who are:

  • Professor David Baker, deputy chair of JISC
  • Professor Dave De Roure, professor of e-research, Oxford University e-Research Centre and national strategic director of Digital Social Research
  • Professor Sir Tim O’Shea, principal and vice chancellor of University of Edinburgh and chair of JISC
  • Professor Kevin Schürer, pro vice chancellor (Research and Enterprise), University of Leicester
  • Sarah Porter, JISC’s head of innovation

During the conference you can:

  • Learn why research data management matters and who should be responsible for research data management in your organisation
  • Read recommended reports and resources as they are referred to by the speakers
  • Understand from case studies what success might look like
  • Watch key experts describe the routes to successful data management
  • Participate on Twitter and ask questions of the speakers using #jiscres11
  • View technical requirements for watching live stream via Mediasite

There’s no need to register – simply join online today from 09.45.