At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with BU research.
The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support (RDS) can help promote your event to relevant audiences through our regular newsletter and social media channels. It also helps us to stay informed on the public engagement work being carried out by BU.
Please note: we are keen to promote BU public engagement with research activity wherever possible, but completing this form does not guarantee that we will be able to promote your event. To be considered for inclusion, your event or activity must be;
Focused on BU research, either solely or as part of a wider programme.
Events or activities that do not involve BU research, such as marketing or recruitment events, will not be accepted.
Intended for and open to non-academic audiences, either entirely or as a portion of the audience.
Submitted, at the latest, in the first two weeks of the month preceding the event.
For example, an event taking place in June should be submitted via the form any time before 14 May. This is due to lead times on producing and sending the newsletter.
Event descriptions may be edited for consistency in style with other content. If you have any questions about this process, please contact us.
Café Scientifique is an international event format that hosts a talk from a researcher followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion, all in an informal and friendly environment.
For several years, Café Scientifique has been held in Boscombe’s Café Boscanova, a cosy café capable of holding 20 to 40 people at a push. Holding events in this space, privately opened for the evening and offering food and drink, encourages a laid-back and conversational atmosphere.
This posed a challenge when restrictions meant that gatherings and cafes were both off-limits. Since September 2020 we have held these events online, which has demonstrated the positives and negatives of online public engagement.
We’ve kept familiarity where possible, sticking to the same schedule of events held on the evening of the first Tuesday of every month (bar August and December). The events are hosted and promoted under the banner of BU, following the same format and with our regular host Dr Sharon Docherty.
We hold these events over Zoom allowing Sharon, our guest speaker and the audience to all see each other on video, and for the speaker to be able to present slides. Using the standard meeting platform does mean enforced muting of the audience though, to minimise additional noise.
With the ability to join from anywhere, and without the audience limit of a physical space, we’ve seen much higher attendance for our online events. Despite marketing these events only within the UK, we’ve welcomed attendees from around the world to hear about BU research and pose questions to our academics.
Our speaker for December 2020, Dr Sarah Elliott, shares some thoughts on the experience;
“I recently participated in Café Scientifique which, because of the current pandemic, has moved on-line. I think this is a great opportunity to be involved in and for viewers across the country to engage in scientific research.
Academics spend a lot of time presenting their research to each other and publishing their data, but through Café Sci as a platform you are able to reach a wider audience and facilitate discussions about your research in an informal and friendly environment.
The event had a good turn out and very positive feedback, the questions asked in the discussion were all thought provoking and important points were highlighted upon which I could expand my explanations. Academics always have so much to say, and not enough time to say it, so the ample time given for discussion at a Café Sci event provides a real opportunity to focus on the aspects of the talk which the public were most interested in.”
Hosting these events online has also made them easy to record, where guest academics chose to do so, and so we are able to share past events through our YouTube channel.
Translating Café Scientifique online didn’t all go as expected, though. To begin with, we tried as much as possible to encourage the same convivial, conversational atmosphere as in-person events, inviting audience members to chat amongst themselves in the chat section and ask their questions live over video. However, we soon found that attendees were generally reluctant to talk on video in front of a large virtual audience and asked instead that questions be posted in the chat, where host Sharon could read them to our speaker.
This encapsulates the importance of challenging your assumptions about engaging online and being willing to adapt. While there are certainly advantages to be had in audience size, diversity and types of accessibility, it can be difficult to foster a sense of interpersonal connection. Whether this is a relevant factor will vary between projects.
Despite the advantages we’ve seen with holding Café Scientifique online, we plan to resume in-person events when possible, as the café atmosphere and surroundings are the essence of what makes the format special. However, the experience of holding these events online has been, and will continue to be valuable in advising on activities that thrive in an online environment.
There’s no doubt that the past year has presented a huge challenge to public engagement with research, but it’s one to which the BU research community has risen brilliantly.
With an increased national awareness of the role HEIs play in research, and vice versa, comes a stronger imperative to engage public audiences in the exciting research carried out at BU. In a series of posts this week we’ll be taking a refreshed look at public engagement with research in the context of the past year, some inspirational examples of projects by BU academics and advice on how to develop public engagement work.
Engaging online
The start of restrictions on events last year saw a mass pivot to online engagement with research, adapting familiar formats for online delivery and developing new techniques too.
We’ll take a closer look at some of these examples in future posts, but here’s just a flavour of the activities carried out over the past year to engage the public in research;
Café Scientifique has been held online since September last year, drawing in record numbers from around the globe. Find out more about how we’ve delivered these events online and an academic’s experience of being involved.
Dr Oliver Gingrich; researcher, creative practitioner, and artist with the collective Analema Group, held an online research film premiere and Q&A on urban noise and wellbeing. Oliver’s experiences and advice are covered in more detail in another post.
The ESRC Festival of Social Science 2020 was held almost entirely online across the national festival. BU held five live online events, as well as an online exhibition, covering topics as diverse as online gambling, communicating public health data, visual perception, social care decisions, Dorset heritage and nature, and female political leadership. Take a closer look at these events in another post.
Dr Catalin Brylla screened his film on blindness, wellbeing and stigma in the virtual world of Second Life, where his public group have their own ‘island’.
The Ageing and Dementia Research Centre hosted informal coffee mornings to chat about their research and empower relevant audiences to feed back on ongoing and future research.
Dr Sarah Collard shared interviews, personal experience and hosted discussion on the topic of exercising with epilepsy.
The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (LES) translated their fledgling Family Science Festival to an online format, and were invited by leading environmental science funder NERC to share their experience.
The SURE 2021 conference highlighted excellent research from over 100 undergraduates in a full day conference for audiences inside and outside of BU.
The future of online engagement
It has been really impressive to see how academics have adapted and reformulated their plans for public engagement with research. We’ve seen people use this situation as an opportunity to refresh their thinking and explore the opportunities presented by online engagement, rather than be limited by it. There are a number of advantages that mean it should remain an option to consider;
Online engagement with research is more accessible for many people and can reach entirely new audiences as a result
It is often cheaper, avoiding venue, travel and catering costs
Being open to attendees at a national or international level means your audience can be very specific, but much larger than a local event. In the right context, this can be an effective pathway to achieving research impact.
However, we can’t just move everything online and call it a success. There are potential downsides to engaging online that can vary depending on your context;
Increased accessibility for some means decreased accessibility for others; limited IT skills, confidence and equipment exclude many from joining
It is more difficult to foster a sense of interpersonal connection when engaging online, compared to in-person experiences
Looking ahead, we need to find a balanced approach, in which online engagement is just one highly effective option among many others that might work for engaging the public with research. Later this week we’ll look at what support is available at BU for developing strategies and activities to engage the public in research.
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed online setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
We’ll be joined by Professor Adrian Newton on Tuesday 4 May, from 7.00pm until 8:30pm.
Figures including David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have recently drawn attention to the risks of ecosystem collapse. But what do we know about this process? What might cause an ecosystem to collapse, and what are the consequences? Join us to review our current understanding of ecosystem collapse, and how it relates to subsequent ecological recovery, drawing on examples from throughout Earth’s history.
Last week during the Easter break close to twenty BU students across all 4 faculties took part in the virtual version of the British Conference for Undergraduate Research (BCUR) hosted by the University of Leeds on April 12-13. Last year’s event was cancelled so those due to attend last year along with new BU registrations meant that a bigger number of students could take part this year. It was a very full programme with over 600 participating over the 2 days. Students presented their research along with taking in keynote addresses, online socials including murder mysteries, a welcome event and PhD info sessions. Abbie Williams, a BA (Hons) Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences 2020 graduate who did a presentation on ‘Investigating Coaches’ and Practitioners’ Experiences of Performance Blocks in Sport’ found participating worthwhile: “I learned so much – overall I thought it was great and I really enjoyed presenting as well”.
Will Priddis is a BA (Hons) Film student and did a presentation on ‘Shooting the Stage: Using filmmaking techniques to enhance the recording of live theatre’. He shared: “It was really nice to see so many presentations from so many disciplines…I presented about media but had a really fun time attending some great maths and physics presentations too. It was really nice to connect with some like-minded people in that sense”.
SciTech student Morven Smith BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences presented on ‘Assessing Dominance Hierarchies and Food Preferences in Garden Birds’. She shares these observations: “I had a really really fantastic time at BCUR, I feel like it was such a good experience and definitely made me work on my presentation and public speaking skills. Which is an opportunity I never would’ve had if I hadn’t put myself out my comfort zone a little bit!”
And Amy Preece, BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing presented on ‘What are the Impacts of Drama-based interventions when used in Forensic Settings?’ She provides this feedback: “BCUR was a really positive experience. It further piqued my interest for further education and made me consider future research career options for myself. The format worked well online, although I would have preferred a physical conference to attend. You’ll get out of it what you put in, and if you go in willing to listen and network you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Finally, we can see in the image here Finlay Brown, a BA (Hons) Politics student has his session captivated with his presentation on ‘To What Extent has the dissemination of an anti-elite syle of populism affected public trust in a Covid-19 vaccination in the UK’.
Presentations and content presented by all BU students taking part can be found in the programme here. BU Students who get involved in SURE have the opportunity to be considered to take part in BCUR as well. Special thanks to all staff and faculties who have supported students to get involved in SURE and BCUR. Future hosts of the national conference include Warwick, Exeter and Newcastle.
Free training sessions for BU staff on engaging the public in your research, as part of the RKEDF
High quality public engagement
Monday 26 April 2021 2.00 – 4.30pm Online (Blackboard Collaborate)
This course will develop your public engagement skills to a high level. It is aimed at academics with some public engagement experience, and/or those who have completed the ‘Getting started in Public Engagement’ session. The course offers an opportunity to reflect on past public engagement work and plans for the future. In particular, we will focus on developing your own plans with guided feedback and discussion. This workshop will be delivered by expert trainers from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)
Aims of this workshop
Explore frameworks and concepts that deepen thinking about People, Purpose and Process
Apply those explorations to your own work
Consider how to take the concepts into your own work in the future
How to book your place
Complete this Approval Request email template and send it to your Head or Deputy Head of Department.
Your HoD/DHoD can approve your registration session by forwarding the email to Organisational Development.
You will be sent an Outlook Calendar meeting request to confirm your booking. This should be sent to you within 2 working days of receipt.
Getting started in public engagement with research
Online recorded session now available
Aims of this workshop
This session aims to get academics from zero or little experience in public engagement with research (PER) to a position where they are confident carrying out PER activity with awareness of audience, delivery and evaluation.
At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with BU research.
The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support (RDS) can help promote your event to relevant audiences through our regular newsletter and social media channels. It also helps us to stay informed on the public engagement work being carried out by BU.
Please note: we are keen to promote BU public engagement with research activity wherever possible, but completing this form does not guarantee that we will be able to promote your event. To be considered for inclusion, your event or activity must be;
Focused on BU research, either solely or as part of a wider programme.
Events or activities that do not involve BU research, such as marketing or recruitment events, will not be accepted.
Intended for and open to non-academic audiences, either entirely or as a portion of the audience.
Submitted, at the latest, in the first two weeks of the month preceding the event.
For example, an event taking place in June should be submitted via the form any time before 14 May. This is due to lead times on producing and sending the newsletter.
Event descriptions may be edited for consistency in style with other content. If you have any questions about this process, please contact us.
The next Standing up for Science online workshop is taking place on Thursday 13 May 09:30-13:00. Find out how to make your voice heard in public debates about science and evidence.
As part of the Voice of Young Science, a network of 4000+ of Early Career Researchers from across the UK and Europe, this workshop encourages early career researchers (ECRs) to make their voices heard in public debates about science. During this half-day event, ECRs meet scientists who have engaged with the media and learn from respected science journalists, hear from policymakers on how to inform policy and talk about involving the public in communicating research with public engagement experts.
A registration link will be sent to all successful applicants before the webinar.
Learn from researchers who have engaged with the media, and policymakers about why good evidence is important for them and how researchers can help to inform policy. Respected science journalists will talk about how the media works, how to respond and comment, and what journalists expect from scientists and researchers. Get hints and tips from communications experts on how you can start standing up for science, and find out how to involve the public in communicating research.
FREE for STEM and social science early career researchers, trainees and medical professionals.
Free training sessions for BU staff on engaging the public in your research, as part of the RKEDF.
Evaluation: developing your approach
Wednesday 21 April 2021
10.30am – 1.00pm
Online (Blackboard Collaborate)
This course will cover why evaluation is important, look at ways to get started, explore different techniques, and consider what your findings can tell you and your organisation or funder. We will also cover the ways in which evaluation can be used to generate evidence for impact. With an emphasis on how to conduct evaluation, join us for a programme of practical activities and discussion as together we demystify evaluation and find the fun in revealing and identifying your effectiveness. This workshop will be delivered by expert trainers from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
▸ Aims of this workshop
develop an awareness of the value and importance of evaluating public engagement.
gain familiarity with the process of evaluation and the usefulness of planning.
consider the uses of evaluation including improving activities; sharing good practice and reporting.
begin to explore the issues and challenges of evaluating public engagement.
continue to develop personal and professional skills, for example in communication, planning and critical reflection.
increase confidence in evaluating public engagement activities.
understand how evaluation ties in to impact
▸ How to book your place
Complete this Approval Request email template and send it to your Head or Deputy Head of Department.
Your HoD/DHoD can approve your registration session by forwarding the email to Organisational Development.
You will be sent an Outlook Calendar meeting request to confirm your booking. This should be sent to you within 2 working days of receipt.
High quality public engagement
Monday 26 April 2021
2.00 – 4.30pm
Online (Blackboard Collaborate)
This course will develop your public engagement skills to a high level. It is aimed at academics with some public engagement experience, and/or those who have completed the ‘Getting started in Public Engagement’ session. The course offers an opportunity to reflect on past public engagement work and plans for the future. In particular, we will focus on developing your own plans with guided feedback and discussion. This workshop will be delivered by expert trainers from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
▸ Aims of this workshop
Explore frameworks and concepts that deepen thinking about People, Purpose and Process
Apply those explorations to your own work
Consider how to take the concepts into your own work in the future
▸ How to book your place
Complete this Approval Request email template and send it to your Head or Deputy Head of Department.
Your HoD/DHoD can approve your registration session by forwarding the email to Organisational Development.
You will be sent an Outlook Calendar meeting request to confirm your booking. This should be sent to you within 2 working days of receipt.
Getting started in public engagement with research
Online recorded session now available
▸ Aims of this workshop
This session aims to get academics from zero or little experience in public engagement with research (PER) to a position where they are confident carrying out PER activity with awareness of audience, delivery and evaluation.
I invite you to join us in developing our proposal for Sustainable Storytelling for Science & Health as a game-changing concept supporting BU SIAs. In brief, we propose to explore and evaluate science and health communicationthrough popular narrative across a variety of media and genres. How do popular narratives educate and influence behaviour, as well as entertaining us? How can we use these works to effect behaviour change in areas relevant to global challenges (such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals)?
What do we mean by “science and health”? We’re taking a broad approach, so we want to be open to communication of all research conducted at BU, which includes humanities and social science as well! Current and proposed projects encompass sustainability, ecology, archaeology, heritage, public health, medical information, training, mental health and suicide, social care, media literacy, assistive tech, dementia, and more.
What do we mean by “popular narrative”? Play and narrative are fundamental learning techniques stretching back before written culture and formal education, and the public learns a great deal from the media they consume. Science communication scholars have been advocating for entertainment media producers to include authentic science in their work, so we think the converse carries merit: entertainment media with accurate and persuasive educational content can have positive benefits on audiences. Thus, we intend to explore science and health communication through prose, journalism, games, film, documentary, television, VR/AR, immersive experiences, interactive narratives, comics/graphics, performance, social media, and more.
Who are “we”? Aside from the royal we of me, we are a (growing!) team of researchers in communications, journalism, narrative, public health, health, ecology, behaviour, marketing, animation, digital humanities, performance, film, media, nursing, and more. I am leading the bid from my cross-faculty position in Health & Science Communication and the emerging Science, Health, and Data Communications Research Group, and I welcome co-investigators as well as team members.
Bournemouth University already has a plethora of experts and a strong foundation of projects in these areas across multiple faculties; this proposal would enable us to come together in a more formal manner to amplify our current work and foster new research collaborations. If you want to be involved but you’re not sure how your work/interests fit in, please feel free to contact me. If you’re sure you want to be involved, also contact me!
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed online setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
We’ll be joined by Claudia Tang this Tuesday 6 April, from 7.00pm till 8:30pm.
Is sugar the enemy in your diet? What about sweet-tasting foods in general? The way we think about eating sugary foods can be affected by how we view the alternatives; eating low-calorie sweeteners or avoiding sweet foods altogether. BU researcher Claudia Tang asked the public how they feel about sugar, sugar alternatives and policies like the sugar tax. Join us to explore how we feel about sweet tastes, reveal common (mis)beliefs and discover how you can play a part in new research.
Free training sessions for BU staff on engaging the public in your research, as part of the RKEDF.
Evaluation: developing your approach
Wednesday 21 April 2021
10.30am – 1.00pm
Online (Blackboard Collaborate)
This course will cover why evaluation is important, look at ways to get started, explore different techniques, and consider what your findings can tell you and your organisation or funder. We will also cover the ways in which evaluation can be used to generate evidence for impact. With an emphasis on how to conduct evaluation, join us for a programme of practical activities and discussion as together we demystify evaluation and find the fun in revealing and identifying your effectiveness. This workshop will be delivered by expert trainers from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
▸ Aims of this workshop
develop an awareness of the value and importance of evaluating public engagement.
gain familiarity with the process of evaluation and the usefulness of planning.
consider the uses of evaluation including improving activities; sharing good practice and reporting.
begin to explore the issues and challenges of evaluating public engagement.
continue to develop personal and professional skills, for example in communication, planning and critical reflection.
increase confidence in evaluating public engagement activities.
understand how evaluation ties in to impact
▸ How to book your place
Complete this Approval Request email template and send it to your Head or Deputy Head of Department.
Your HoD/DHoD can approve your registration session by forwarding the email to Organisational Development.
You will be sent an Outlook Calendar meeting request to confirm your booking. This should be sent to you within 2 working days of receipt.
High quality public engagement
Monday 26 April 2021
2.00 – 4.30pm
Online (Blackboard Collaborate)
This course will develop your public engagement skills to a high level. It is aimed at academics with some public engagement experience, and/or those who have completed the ‘Getting started in Public Engagement’ session. The course offers an opportunity to reflect on past public engagement work and plans for the future. In particular, we will focus on developing your own plans with guided feedback and discussion. This workshop will be delivered by expert trainers from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
▸ Aims of this workshop
Explore frameworks and concepts that deepen thinking about People, Purpose and Process
Apply those explorations to your own work
Consider how to take the concepts into your own work in the future
▸ How to book your place
Complete this Approval Request email template and send it to your Head or Deputy Head of Department.
Your HoD/DHoD can approve your registration session by forwarding the email to Organisational Development.
You will be sent an Outlook Calendar meeting request to confirm your booking. This should be sent to you within 2 working days of receipt.
Getting started in public engagement with research
Online recorded session now available
▸ Aims of this workshop
This session aims to get academics from zero or little experience in public engagement with research (PER) to a position where they are confident carrying out PER activity with awareness of audience, delivery and evaluation.
The SURE conference was held virtually this year on March 17th with well over 100 participating throughout the afternoon including undergraduates from all faculties, staff and family & friends of students presenting. There was a wide variety of work drawn from that ranged from eg the impacts of drama in forensic settings, how human behavior affects mass outbreaks, newspaper reporting on Communist ideology, and impact of Covid 19 on business conferences. Students were recognized in each faculty for the quality of their work, with Amazon vouchers being awarded to Finlay Brown and Yana Livena (FMC), Natasha Cox and David Cabrini Back (HSS), Fin Underhill and Anne Heim (FST) and Jana Sasstamoinen and Tom Dexter (BUBS). The Sustainability prize was awarded to Jack Sykes of FMC by Eleanor Wills BU Sustainability Support Officer. An overall prize winner of a Masters Fee Waiver was awarded to Tara Walker of FST on her commendable work on how educational professionals personally manage inclusion (see her reaction here). This virtual conference once again highlights the wonderful work BU undergrads are capable of.
Staff from all faculties chipped in to support the students by way of chairing the online channels (streams). Keynotes were delivered by our esteemed colleagues Isa Rega of FMC on digital storytelling and empowerment, and a join presentation from Dean Lois Farquharson and Samreen Ashraf of BUBS on the power of research skills and our adaptation to a changing world. Vice Chancellor John Vinney was also on hand to welcome students and commend their work.
The SURE planning committee for 2021 was made up of Mary Beth Gouthro and Fiona Cownie as co-Chairs, Faculty Reps Miguel Moital, Roya Haratian and Andrew M’manga. A special shout out to Rae Bell, Student Communications officer who was integral to its function and hosting on the day. Some SURE participants have had abstracts accepted for the national BCUR conference hosted by the University of Leeds on April 12-13 where 20 BU students will be showcasing their work from across our faculties.
The theme of this month’s network briefing is BU’s Strategic Investment Areas, and how Early Career Researchers can get involved.
BOOKING: Unless otherwise stated, to book, please email OD@bournemouth.ac.uk with evidence of approval from your Head of Department or Deputy Head of Department.
You can see all the Organisational Development and Research Knowledge Development Framework (RKEDF) events in one place on the handy calendar of events.
At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with BU research.
The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support (RDS) can help promote your event to relevant audiences through our regular newsletter and social media channels. It also helps us to stay informed on the public engagement work being carried out by BU.
Please note: we are keen to promote BU public engagement with research activity wherever possible, but completing this form does not guarantee that we will be able to promote your event. To be considered for inclusion, your event or activity must be;
Focused on BU research, either solely or as part of a wider programme.
Events or activities that do not involve BU research, such as marketing or recruitment events, will not be accepted.
Intended for and open to non-academic audiences, either entirely or as a portion of the audience.
Submitted, at the latest, in the first two weeks of the month preceding the event.
For example, an event taking place in June should be submitted via the form any time before 14 May. This is due to lead times on producing and sending the newsletter.
Event descriptions may be edited for consistency in style with other content. If you have any questions about this process, please contact us.
Have you already had some experience of public engagement with research but are looking to take stock and develop a more strategic approach ?
In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to examine a series of frameworks and tools that can be used to develop high quality public engagement. In applying these tools – through case studies, activities and discussions – delegates will develop a more strategic approach to their public engagement practice.
See the staff intranet page for more information and for booking details.
If you have any queries, please contact Adam Morris.
How removing weirs could help fish to migrate along the River Severn.
At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed online setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.
The barriers that once enabled major industry along the UK’s longest river may pose problems for fish that need to migrate up and downstream. Researchers from Bournemouth University have investigated how these weirs, locks and other infrastructure affect fish migration along the River Severn – and what could happen if they were removed. Join us to find out how our rivers might be restored to let fish to swim freely once more.
To follow on from my blog post earlier this week – here are some further examples of knowledge exchange in action; of particular projects that have been funded by HEIF.
These projects and initiatives demonstrate the breadth of knowledge exchange activities that take place across BU.
Dr Anita Diaz led a project to develop a digital media solution to advertise volunteering opportunities within conservation across the country. The online network created, features volunteering opportunities from over 100 UK conservation organisations. The organisations can learn from volunteer feedback about which projects were most engaging and thus how to best position volunteering opportunities in future
Matthew Bennett and Prof. Marcin Budka formed a team to develop the PalaeoGo! App. This project explored various paths relating to dinosaurs and potential uses within museums, national parks and schools, demonstrating the agility of the team exploring different markets for their product.
The Student Project Bank is a HEIF funded project that has recently moved to the Careers and Employability team. The SPB is creating a series of advisory groups amongst the Faculties to help develop its structure. The main aim of the SPB is to ensure that students have external engagement and access to real life projects as part of their taught studies. For further information, please contact spb@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Public Engagement with Research has still be active despite lockdown. The Public Engagement team have moved their regular Public Engagement events to an online format, such as Café Scientifique – of which, the next Café Sci event is on Tuesday 2 March. The topic is Restoring our Rivers – Removing Barriers to Fish Migration.
And finally, our HEIF funding also is supporting our IP and commercialisation generation and exploitation, do get in touch if you have an idea to discuss relating to this.
HEIF has recently invested in these new projects:
Dr Alain Simons – Medical Ward Simulation Game for medical trainees
Dr Jane Henriksen-Bulmer – Trivial Privacy
Dr Karen Thompson – Responsible Project Management Knowledge Exchange and Development of New Competencies using Virtual Reality
Marcin Budka – ThyroidBuddy: Thyroid titration tool
Dr Vedad Hulusic – Feeling the Unfelt (FUN): Assistive Technology accessible digital environments with a haptic interface
Dr Xiaosong Yang – Neuravatar: Integrated augmented reality platform for medical education, postgraduate training and decision support
If this knowledge exchange work sounds appealing, read on….
Small fund
If these projects have enthused you for knowledge exchange work, perhaps they’ve sparked some ideas, reminded you of a potential project you could be involved with or have just highlighted some best practice that you want in on – here’s how HEIF can help.
The HEIF Panel have this week released a small fund for BU staff to apply for. You can apply for a maximum of £5,000 for knowledge exchange activities that will take place prior to 31 July 2021. This could be to get a knowledge exchange project off the ground, perhaps with some market research for an example, or to help complete a knowledge exchange project. Further information can be found in this blog post.
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