On 16th October, Dr Emily Arden-Close, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, presented to Santander Group about how they can help problem gamblers. This was based on research she had conducted exploring ex-problem and social gamblers’ experiences of gambling and perceptions of EROGamb, technology developed by the Responsible Online Gambling Research Team for managing responsible online gambling.
The presentation generated a lot of discussion, and is expected to lead Santander Group taking an active role in developing policy to enable early identification of problem gamblers.
Tagged / public engagement
British Science Festival Chelmsford 2020: Calls for proposals now open
Calls for proposals for British Science Festival 2020 are now open!
Taking place from the 8-12 September in Chelmsford and Essex, the Festival will be hosted by Anglia Ruskin University.
Each year, thousands of people come together to celebrate the latest developments in research and engage in open discussion about issues affecting our culture and society. Through a mixture of traditional and creative formats, it focuses on showcasing cutting-edge science and technology.
Festival proposals should be aimed at non-specialist adults (16+) with a broad interest in science. All events are free to attend.
There are two ways to get involved…
Award Lecture nominations
Are you, or do you know, a promising early career researcher?
Every year nominations are requested for the seven Award Lectureships available to promising early career academics, skilled at engaging people with their research. These Award Lectures aim to promote open and informed discussion of science and related disciplines. The selected candidates will have the opportunity to present their winning Award Lecture at the 2020 Festival. To get an idea of what it’s like to be an Award Lecturer, check out the blog from one of the 2018 winners.
Nomination deadline: 17:00, 6 January 2020
Open call for proposals
The open call is an opportunity for anyone to submit an event idea.
Festival proposals should be aimed at non-specialist adults (16+) with a broad interest in science. During the week, Festival events will take place in the daytime on the university campus, followed by events throughout the city each evening. To close the Festival, there will be a final celebration over the weekend. The programme is aimed at a range of formats from talks to drop-in activities and creative content that challenges perceptions of what science is and can be.
Please submit one proposal per event.
Proposal deadline: 17:00, 17 February 2020
More information about the above, including the application process and FAQs, can be found on the website
People who are thinking about submitting a nomination or proposal are strongly encouraged to chat with the Festival team before completing the form(s). If you’re interested please contact anna.woolman@britishscienceassociation.org
Alternatively you can contact Adam Morris (Engagement Officer) if you would like advice on planning or submitting your application or to discuss ideas.
And finally – a reminder about the upcoming UK Science Festivals Network conference taking place in London on the 19 November. Perfect for anyone working or interested in the science Festival, or wider engagement sector. More information and tickets available here
ESRC Festival of Social Science 2019: Upcoming events
Bookings for the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2019 are open.
This year’s #ESRCFestival events are taking place across Bournemouth and Poole between 2-9 November.
How does social science research influence our social, economic and political lives? How can we use this research to prepare ourselves for the future challenges facing society?
Come and join us for the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2019 to gain a fascinating insight into some of the social science research taking place at Bournemouth University and find out how we’re helping to understand and shape society. The festival is a unique exploration of our society now, and how society may look in the future as we adapt to the various challenges in the world around us.
This year we are exploring a number of different issues through a series of talks, interactive workshops, discussions and exhibitions. These events are aimed at a wide range of audiences to share understanding and spark conversations that can make a difference to society.
Living your best life: positivity for wellbeing
Saturday 2 November: 9:30am -12:30pm
Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG
With a rise in reported mental health issues amongst the general population, it is important to understand how each of us can take steps to develop our own self-awareness and socio-emotional intelligence. In this event we’ll turn the latest social science research into wellbeing tips and self-care strategies you can adopt in our own life, to develop your confidence and a better understanding of your emotional experiences.
Ways of seeing sport coaching violence
Monday 4 November: 6 – 8pm
Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus
Abuse, intimidation and violence in sport and coaching remain a significant global problem. Drawing on academic research and real life accounts of coach-athlete related violence, this event offers sport coaches, practitioners and others interested in this issue a unique and innovative opportunity to engage with research through an arts-based, audio-visual installation. You’ll also be able to chat to the researchers and share your experiences and views on developing positive coaching practice.
Trauma-informed health and social care
Tuesday 5 November: 9am – 4pm
The Shelley Theatre, Beechwood Avenue, Bournemouth, BH5 1LX
Trauma informed care is a new way of supporting the wellbeing of individuals who are experiencing, or have experienced childhood adversity or trauma. Using the World Café format, we will bring together those who work with people in a supportive role, for example teachers, care workers and social workers, to exchange ideas, learn from each other and develop new strategies. We’ll also feature talks from service users and expert practitioners, as well as workshop activities.
Stress and wellbeing in the workplace
Wednesday 6 November: 10am – 4pm
Executive Business Centre, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB
There is growing recognition that experiencing stress and trauma at work can have a hugely detrimental effect on your wellbeing. This event brings together academic researchers, staff from key agencies and the public to discuss research on stress and workplace trauma, and the best ways of tackling it. There will an opportunity to try out a range of self-care, relaxation and coping techniques as part of the event.
Preparing Gen Z for the global workplace
Wednesday 6 November: 3 – 5:30pm
Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus
It’s more important than ever that we equip our 21st century learners with the skills they need to thrive in the global workplace. This event, for further education teachers and tutors will teach you how to deliver a suite of workshops developed at Bournemouth University. We will run through the workshops in small interactive groups, and you will be provided with all the materials required to adapt these workshops for your own work with young people.
How we think about pregnancy and childbirth
Friday 8 November: 5:30 – 6:30pm
Poole Hospital, Longfleet Road, Poole BH15 2JB
This event looks at different perspectives on pregnancy – from the social model of pregnancy, which accepts childbirth as a normal event in a woman’s life to the medical model, which portrays childbirth as potentially dangerous to health. We’ll also discuss how understanding key models of pregnancy and childbirth could help politicians, journalists, healthcare professionals, pregnant women and new mothers put issues around ‘normal birth’ into perspective
Friday 8 November: 6 – 8pm
South Coast Roast, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth BH2 6EJ
News stories highlight the power of influencers to drive overspending, overconsumption, fast fashion and to erode self-confidence. But is there a better way? Join local influencers and experts from Bournemouth University for a relaxed event with talks and workshops. We’ll talk about how to post responsibly, how to understand your own behaviour and identity, and the power dynamics between influencers and followers. What’s more – we’ll learn how influencers can make the world a better place.
Saturday 9 November: 10am – 3pm
Executive Business Centre, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB
This event will discuss the role of the media in suicide prevention, and the impact it can have on those suffering from bereavement and working in the field of suicide prevention. Join Bournemouth University academic Dr Ann Luce, along with people with experience of suicide, members of the Mental Health Forum, the Wellbeing and Recovery Partnership and the NHS. The event will feature talks and a discussion, with peer counsellors on hand to support you.
Hidden stories of online gamblers
Tuesday 5 November: 7:30 – 9pm and all week, online
Cafe Boscanova, Boscombe BH1 4BP
Visit our virtual exhibition, where we’ll share the diverse stories and voices of those affected by online gambling. Attend our Cafe Scientifique discussion in person or watch online to enjoy talks to discover the artificial intelligence, targeted advertising and behavioural science that keeps gamblers hooked and how you can beat them. Join the conversation by sharing your views and stories on social media.
For more information about any of these events please contact; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
Cafe Scientifique – Tuesday 5 November: Hidden stories of online gamblers
Café Scientifique takes place on the first Tuesday evening of the month at Café Boscanova
Enjoy listening to a short talk from our guest speaker before engaging in debate and discussion around that topic.
We’ll be joined by Dr Elvira Bolat & Dr Emily Arden-Close on Tuesday 5 November from 7:30pm until 9pm (doors open at 6:30pm) No need to register, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!
Hidden stories of online gamblers
The stereotype of the problem gambler no longer holds true – digital connectivity means we are all now exposed to online gambling and the risk of addiction. Join researchers from BU to discover how platforms use artificial intelligence, targeted advertising and behavioural science to keep gamblers hooked – and how you can avoid falling prey to these tools.
If you have any questions please do get in touch
Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Research Training Events – Coming Up at BU
Looking to enhance your career as an academic researcher ?
Here are some great RKEDF training events coming up in the next fortnight.
Tuesday 15th Oct 10:00 – 12:00 Good Clinical Practice ‘Lite’ – helping you to maintain essential standards for conducting clinical research.
Wednesday 16th Oct 10:00 – 12:00 Getting Started in Public Engagement – essential for disseminating your research findings.
Thursday 17th Oct 16:00 – 17:00 BRIAN – Building Your Staff Profile – a key tool for networking and managing your research output.
Monday 21st Oct 09:00 – 13:00 High Quality Public Engagement – for those experienced in public engagement who want to step up to the next level.
Monday 21st Oct 15:00 – 17:00 ACORN Pre-Application Workshop – for those ECRs who wish to apply for internal ACORN funding.
Thursday 24th Oct 09:30 – 13:00 GCRF Best Practice Workshop – for those with Global Challenge Research Fund experience and those who want to apply.
Thursday 24th Oct 10:00 – 12:00 Overview of NIHR, CRNs, and NIHR Portfolio – find out more about nation’s largest funder of health and care research.
Follow the links for more information and to book.
Checkout the full range of possible events via the RKEDF or by date using the OD Event Calendar.
Cafe Scientifique – The changing face of crime: how can we improve the recognisability of facial composites?
Facial composites are computerised visual likenesses, created by witnesses and victims of crimes, to resemble perpetrators. These images are released to the public in the course of an appeal, in the hope that someone familiar with the offender will report their identification to the police. While facial composites are only constructed in situations where the offender is unfamiliar to the victim and the offence serious, recent statistics show that upwards of 2,500 criminal investigations have made use of these images since 2013.
In this month’s Café Scientifique, Dr Emma Portch discussed how researchers can work collaboratively with forensic practitioners to improve the recognisability of these images. Emma highlighted that researchers can influence three separate stages of the composite construction process: (1) pre-construction cognitive interview techniques, (2) construction mechanics, and (3) post-production display of images.
Do construction systems mimic the way in which humans recognise unfamiliar faces? Emma detailed the difference between feature-based and holistic computerised composite systems. While feature-based systems require the witness to piece together a likeness, by selecting and editing from a database of individual photographed features (e.g. noses and mouths), holistic systems allow the witness to select whole-face representations, with selections bred together to preserve important configural similarities (i.e. the relative distances between features). Emma described how holistic systems better mirror the way in which we recognise faces in everyday life and demonstrated how further enhancement techniques can be used to boost the accuracy of images created this way (e.g. removing or blurring external facial features).
Are facial descriptions detrimental to subsequent facial recognition? Descriptions of the offender’s face are often critical to the process of composite construction and ACPO stipulate that composites should not be created if the witness cannot provide one. However, Emma revealed that providing a detailed facial description can sometimes make it more difficult to recognise when a composite has reached a good level of visual likeness. This so-called verbal overshadowing effect may arise as providing a verbal description of the face instates a suboptimal feature-based processing style, at odds with the holistic style needed to recognise that a composite well-resembles the offender. Emma discussed ways to alleviate verbal overshadowing, specifically focusing on promising results with a newer type of holistic interviewing.
How can we ensure that facial composites are recognised by those familiar with the offender? Composites are a useful investigative tool insofar as they can be identified by officers and members of the public familiar with the offender. Emma outlined the importance of post-production of images prior to media release, describing how different techniques could be used to occlude commonly error-prone regions of the image, and upregulate distinctive and accurate regions, respectively.
Dr Emma Portch reflects on her experience of speaking at Cafe Scientifique: ‘Public engagement is a vital exercise for communicating research findings to those who benefit from it most. The Café Scientifique team organised an excellent event and the attendees keep me on my toes with interesting and insightful questions and discussion’.
The next Café Scientifique will take place at Café Boscanova on Tuesday 5 November from 7:30pm until 9pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
There’s no need to register, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!
Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci
If you have any questions please do get in touch You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Forthcoming RKEDF Research Training Events
We have some great events coming up over the next few weeks to help support you in your research activities :
October
Tuesday 15th October | RKEDF: Good Clinical Practice ‘Lite’ |
Wednesday 16th October | RKEDF: Getting started in public engagement with research |
Thursday 17th October | RKEDF: BRIAN: Building your staff profile |
Monday 21st October | RKEDF: High Quality Public Engagement |
Thursday 24th October | RKEDF: Overview of NIHR, CRNs and NIHR portfolio |
Thursday 24th October | GCRF Best Practice Workshop |
Wednesday 30th October | RDS Academic and Researcher Induction Event |
November
Tuesday 5th November | RKEDF: Clinical Research- documentation and filing |
Wednesday 6th November | RKEDF: Research Outputs – Writing Day |
Tuesday 19th November | RKEDF: Impact Planning Session |
Wednesday 13th November | RKEDF: EndNote Desktop for Managing References and Writing for Publication |
Tuesday 19th November | RKEDF: Advanced Literature Search Techniques |
Tuesday 19th November | RKEDF: Working with Industry |
Tuesday 19th November | RKEDF: Building Evidence for REF Impact Case Studies |
Wednesday 20th November | RKEDF: Leverhulme Prize Drafting Workshop |
Wednesday 20th November | RKEDF: Inspirational Impact Journey |
Wednesday 20th November | Leverhulme Trust visit to BU |
Tuesday 26th November | RKEDF: Evaluation: Developing your approach |
Wednesday 27th November | RKEDF: Measuring the Impact of Your Research with Advanced Citation Tools. |
You can see all the Organisational Development and RKEDF events in one place on the handy calendar of events.
Please note that all sessions are now targeted, so look closely at the event page to ensure that the event is suitable for you. In addition, RKEDF events now require the approval of your Head of Department (or other nominated approver). Please follow the instructions given on the event page and the template email for you to initiate the booking request.
If you have any queries, please get in touch!
HE Policy update for the w/e 4th October 2019
A bit more politics than policy this week…a bit of a trend this year.
SoS Education declares focus on FE and Technical Ed
Wonkhe report on the Conservative Party conference and visualise the following amongst the HE the HE tea leaves:
- And what then for universities? Unlike Tory conferences of past years, the spotlight was pointing elsewhere. Universities and science minister Chris Skidmore was in reassurance mode. He’s not prejudging the Augar response but he’s making it clear to everyone that will listen that a simple cut in fees is unlikely at this point. His boss Gavin Williamson has been mostly focusing on technical education.
- Rachel Wolf was the woman of the moment as news broke in Manchester that she is largely responsible for writing the party’s manifesto for the coming election. Knowledgeable about the sector and well connected, her agency Public First did the guts of the work on the recent Civic University Commission and she previously advised Boris when he was a shadow HE minister…We’re also told that the document will be kept short and sweet to avoid the pitfalls of Theresa May’s 2017 manifesto that quickly unravelled.
Education Secretary of State, Gavin Williamson, spoke at the Conservative Party Conference. The entire speech backs FE and technical education with little mention of HE. The main elements of the speech as the minister delivered it follow. Further below is a shorter summary and link to the official Government press release covering the speech.
Williamson:
- But even today … even after all this progress … there is one part of our education system that’s often overlooked…… Further Education. While past Labour Governments obsessed over targets to get half the population to university…. They forgot about the other 50% … They ignored the other 50%. Conference… we’re going to put that right. Ever since secondary education was made free and available to all … … by a Conservative, RAB Butler, … … governments of all colours have talked about technical and vocational education … but deeds, in truth, have rarely matched the words. That’s why … I promise to give my all … … to make technical and vocational education … … the first choice for anybody … with the aptitude, desire and interest to pursue it. Apprenticeships, technical and vocational education are just as valuable as University education… and they are just as important to our economy… So, today, I am setting a new ambition… … to super-charge further education over the next decade with an aim to overtake Germany in the opportunities we offer to those studying technical routes by 2029.
- But I don’t want to focus only on apprenticeships and T-Levels … … because we need better technical and vocational education … over and above that too…… And that is why we’re opening new Institutes of Technology…… they’re providing university-level technical qualifications … and the sector-specific skills … that are most-needed in their local economies. They have the potential … to transform high-level technical education …Bringing together FE colleges, universities and employers… … but we don’t have enough of them to serve the whole country… So today, I can tell you … … we will make available … an extra £120 million … … so we can have an Institute of Technology … in every part of the country……Opening a total of 20, so that there is one in each major city. We will make sure every young person… in every part of our country… gets the chance to gain the high level technical skills that they, and we, need. From the elementary to the elite… We need stretching technical education at every level …
- Conference, I’ve been in the Department for Education for just ten short weeks … but my mission as your Education Secretary is clear…to accept no excuses … and keep the focus on raising standards in all our schools …but also to deliver nothing less than a revolution in technical education . Doing so is vital for our country … for our economy … and most importantly for our children…
The Government’s press release summarises Williamson’s speech as:.
- The government will provide up to £120 million of additional funding to enable every region in England to establish a high-quality Institute of Technology.
- A new Skills and Productivity Board will also be established to provide the government with expert advice on how to ensure the courses and qualifications on offer to students are high-quality, are aligned to the skills that employers need for the future and will help increase productivity.
- Opening a network of 11 Maths Free Schools across every region of the country – and confirmed that a new Maths Free School will open in the North East through a partnership between Durham University and Durham Sixth Form College.
What next for government?
Political Intelligence set out 5 scenarios through which the PM wouldn’t have to ask the EU for a further extension for Brexit. On Wednesday Boris’ letter to Jean Claude-Juncker proposing a new Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol was published. The BBC reported on Friday afternoon that government papers in a Scottish case said that the PM would send the extension letter to the EU if there is no deal.
It’s all a wait and see game now – whether there is a deal or not with the EU, whether it can get through Parliament, whether the PM will apply for an extension if there is no agreed deal in time, and whether the EU will grant one if he asks. And even if we don’t leave the EU without a deal in October, it seems likely that we will in January (unless a deal is agreed before then), because a Tory majority in a November election seems like a real possibility – and that would mean that there will be enough MPs to approve a no deal exit. And…even more importantly…whether we leave in October or January, with a deal or without, it is not over. A deal means a transition period while a longer term arrangement is sorted out – and in a no deal scenario the government will still want a trade deal with the EU. And who thinks that will be easier than the current negotiations, especially as the backstop or whatever arrangements replace it will be on the table from the EU’s point of view.
The EU will do what they do – in the UK, it is all about numbers. Are there the numbers for the PM to get his deal (and the necessary legislation) through? Are there the numbers to vote for an election? Will the Queen’s Speech be approved by Parliament and what happens if it isn’t? What will Labour and the Lib Dems and the 21 new independent MPs do when it comes to the crunch? The risk of the PM following through on his no deal rhetoric is now looking smaller so the question for the anti-no deal MPs is whether it is better to vote for the Johnson deal or wait and see what happens in an election. And some Labour MPs are calling for a referendum before an election – but it is hard to see how that will come about except via a vote of no confidence leading to a Corbyn government without an election – and that doesn’t look very likely either unless the Lib Dems and the Tory rebels back Corbyn – which at least this week they aren’t doing…..
The future of HE
Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has blogged about David Cameron following the release of his new book. Hillman uses the text to consider the complications behind Cameron’s decision to introduce higher fees and how the link between this and the removal of student number controls isn’t as obvious as might be assumed.
Chris Skidmore, Universities Minister, answered a parliamentary question on ensuring universities adopt system-wide planning processes in addition to number controls:
- Formal student number controls were phased out in 2012/13 with the exception of capped medical places to enable as many students as possible to access and succeed in higher education (HE). This has enabled record rates of 18-year olds to benefit from a university education than ever before, including from disadvantaged backgrounds. 50% of students are now choosing to study in HE and in 2018, those from disadvantaged backgrounds were 52% more likely to enter full-time HE than in 2009.
- One of the aims of the new independent regulator for HE, the Office for Students, which became operational on 1 August 2019, is to hold providers to account for delivering well-designed courses that offer successful outcomes for all of their students
We reported the Labour conference discussions about fees last week – Nick Hillman has a blog about the impact of their promise here.
Bill Rammell, Chair of MillionPlus and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire delivered a speech to a Conservative Fringe event entitled, The Age of Upheaval: what should post-18 education look like in 2030? The full speech can be viewed here. He said:
- “We must grow the resources for our part-time and mature learners … Around 20 million of the UK’s working population do not have level 4 qualifications or above … this means mature learners represent a huge pool of untapped potential across the UK. In order to meet the challenges of tomorrow – be those relating to fairness, social justice, skills development, or productivity – it is crucial for the UK that everyone can access educational opportunities.”
- “Our universities are huge draws internationally. It is enormously encouraging that the government is pushing an International Education Strategy, targeting more international students, and the recent announcements on post-study work are a genuine boost”.
- “However, this cannot be job done. We need further reform of practices at the Home Office and the Visa Agency to achieve the lofty ambitions we have set ourselves. We need to cut out duplication and bureaucracy, as well as unfair subjectivity in decision making that currently acts as a barrier to expanding our essential education exports. I know the Minister is keen to do more on this, and we are always ready to help.”
Research news
Greg Clark (ex- Secretary of State for BEIS, currently without the Conservative Whip due to voting against the Government) pushed for Boris’ Government to uphold the commitment to increase research funding during oral questions this week – and got a positive response from the Chancellor Sajid Javid:
Q – Greg Clark: As we leave the EU, we need to reinforce our international reputation as a powerhouse of scientific excellence. In 2017 we spent 1.7% of national income on research and development, while Germany spent 3% and Israel 4.3%. So will the Chancellor use his next Budget to make substantial progress towards our 2.4% target and recommit to the medium-term target of 3% of national income going into research and development?
A – Sajid Javid: First, may I thank my right hon. Friend for his excellent work as Business Secretary, including in this hugely important area of research and development? He set some ambitious targets. We intend to stick to those targets, if not go even further, which I am sure he would welcome. Obviously I will not set out the Budget now, but I absolutely share his ambition, and I think he will be pleased with what we eventually do.
Immigration
Home Secretary Priti Patel stated at the Conservative Conference she intends to launch an Australian-style points-based immigration system and once again stated her commitment to “ending free movement once and for all”. She continued that the new system would welcome “brilliant scientists, the finest academics and leading people in their fields” coming to Britain. Patel also intends to lift police restrictions on ‘stop and search’, significantly increase the number of officers carrying tasers, and tackle gangs, particularly county lines children, with £20 million to tackle drugs running.
Parliamentary question on international student visas:
Q – Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the effect on international student numbers by country of the decision to extend UK work visas for foreign graduates to two years after completion of their studies.
A – Seema Kennedy:
- The launch of the Graduate immigration route demonstrates our support for the UK’s world-leading education sector and ensures that it remains competitive internationally. No estimate has been made of the number of students by country who will take advantage of it.
- The International Education Strategy sets out our ambition to increase the number of international higher education students to 600,000 by 2030 and this change will contribute to that goal.
Technical Education
Monday saw an interesting discussion in the Lords chamber on T levels. The current hotspots were both raised – whether Russell Group universities will accept them as entry qualifications and how the grade thresholds were disproportionately disadvantage students with SEN, particularly dyslexia, and may bar them from accessing T levels.
Media Engagement
Sarah has written a blog on BU’s Research site highlighting a new article on the Wonkhe site which considers why academics (do or don’t) engage with the media to communicate their research. Here are some excerpts from the Wonkhe blog which highlight why academic colleagues believe working with the media is now essential:
- … academic media advocates simply now regard working with journalists as part of the job. Not only that, but they also stress that it is now (more than ever) a duty and an obligation – especially in an era of growing media input from the subjective and the “ill-informed” (most commonly defined as: shoot-from-the-hip politicians or rent-a-quote personalities drawn from reality TV shows).
- While their journey as a go-to media expert has been challenging, and certainly there are some hard lessons to learn on the way, they say that we have now come to a point where academics just have to be bolder, must stand-up and project their knowledge, their evidence, their experience, and they must simply just seize the initiative. Without taking this stand then academics will be crowded out as the voices of reason
- “So often politicians and policy-makers present things as facts, but there’s no evidence base for this, so I feel obliged to point out that there is a big body of work and evidence that isn’t being drawn upon, just being the critical voice to say “have you thought about the implications of what you are saying?”. The value of it is that it allows the public to have a more rounded view of the situation, so they can make their own minds up, based on evidence.”
Widening Participation and Success
Wonkhe report that: the Scottish government has published a carers strategic policy statement, with the aim of connecting a range of disparate policies to support carers, including with progression into higher education. The policy statement is open for consultation, with particular concern about the extent to which the statement will help to inform carers about the opportunities available to them.
Other news
Graduate recruitment. Wonkhe report on an Institute of Student Employers report. – 2019 Inside Student Recruitment (members only access) which finds that: “the percentage of its members setting no minimum entry requirements for graduate recruits has risen from 7 per cent in 2014 to 22 per cent, whilst the proportion of employers requiring a 2:1 has dropped from 76 per cent to 57 per cent. The requirement for minimum A level grades or UCAS points has also declined to 16 per cent. The report also shows that the majority of companies (almost nine out of ten) do not look for a qualification in a particular subject, and just 2 per cent use postgraduate degrees as a minimum requirement. Firms are also giving a higher priority to diversity issues – 38 per cent are changing the universities they visit, and 36 per cent are undertaking blind recruitment.”
Prevent: Wonkhe report that the Home Office has published a “ways of working” note to inform Lord Alex Carlisle’s review of Prevent. Wonkhe explain that the note elaborates on how the review will address the terms of reference, and what evidence it will seek to gather. The review will consider the “concept and implications” of the Prevent duty, how well it is being implemented at the local level, and the validity of criticisms and complaints about Prevent.
Patent filings by women: Female innovators have doubled in the last 20 years – but there’s still a long way to go, says the IPO. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published the Gender profiles in worldwide patenting report. Across the world female innovators have doubled in the last twenty years, however, women still only made up 12.7% of patent inventors in 2017 (compared to 6.8% in 1998). The report finds that:
- more than one in five patent inventions have a named female inventor
- the biggest increase of female inventors compared to males is in academia. Patents linked to female inventors in universities rose from 15% to 20% between 1998 and 2017. Women inventors in industry rose from 6% to 10% over that period
- industries with the highest numbers of female inventors are biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and organic fine chemistry. In these areas, approximately half of the patent applications filed between 1998 and 2017 named at least one female inventor
- the proportion of female inventors resident in the UK has risen from 8% in 1998 to 11% in 2017
Student Loan Mythbusting: Martin Lewis continues his campaign to help the nation understand student finance. Moneysavingexpert.com have released a new video – Student Loans Decoded. The video is an hour long but breaks up into separately accessible chapters. It is aimed at students in years 11-13 and sets out to explain student finance and bust the myths and misunderstandings so students make an informed choice.
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EPSRC Invitation for Proposals Update
Invitation for proposals
Engineering Engagement Champions (Pilot)
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has up to £1.5 million available through the Engineering Theme to provide bespoke support to EPSRC researchers in our community to undertake public engagement activities in order to inspire, and interact with the public as well as attract them to Engineering and Physical Sciences.
£1.5m is available to support up to 10 Champions through this call. Applicants must have been named on an EPSRC grant within the last 5 years. Applications are invited from all career stages.
It is expected that applicants will be active researchers in engineering and physical sciences, however this funding is to support public engagement activities to sit alongside core research. These activities could include, but are not limited to, engagement with individuals of particular protected characteristics who may be underrepresented in engineering, education sector stakeholders or government representatives.
Through this call resources can be requested to cover staff time, overheads, and consumables associated with public engagement and wider outreach activities. Applicants can apply for between 0.2 to 0.5 FTE for up to 24-36 months.
Applicants will be expected to evaluate the impact of their activities and include a one page summary of their approach to evaluation in the proposal document.
Funding for technical research is not available in this call, please refer to standard routes for this funding.
EPSRC will work in partnership to deliver specific training and networking opportunities for applicants funded through this call.
Resources
ISCF Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre – Champion
Funding Available
This call is the first stage to fund a £20 million Research and Innovation Centre as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge. This call will provide £100,000 of funding for one successful Industrial Decarbonisation Champion six month grant followed by one £19.9 million Research and Innovation Centre which will be funded until 31 March 2024.
How to apply
This is the first of a two stage application process. Applicants must submit an initial proposal by 22 October 2019 via Je-S with the successful candidate being invited to develop a full proposal and submit via Je-S by 06 July 2020. Only the successful applicant will be invited to submit to the second stage as Principal Investigator. Other applicants may be part of the second stage as Co-Investigators.
Stage 1
ISCF Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre – Champion call – Aimed at identifying a Champion for Industrial Decarbonisation and building a multidisciplinary consortium with six months of funding.
Stage 2
ISCF Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre call – Invited stage for a full proposal for a virtual multidisciplinary research Centre. Its remit will include carrying out multidisciplinary research and cross-cutting activities such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, gasification, policy, economic, institutional and regulatory analysis, and knowledge exchange.
Funding for the Industrial Decarbonisation Champion and the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre will be provided through the ISCF. Therefore, there are additional grant conditions and expectations as part of the funding which are fully detailed in the call document. The Champion will be accountable to the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge Director who is responsible for the overall delivery of this ISCF Challenge.
Resources
- Industrial Decarbonisation Champion call (PDF 317KB)
- Equality Impact Assessment – Industrial Decarbonisation (PDF 204KB)
Please contact Adam Morris (Engagement Officer) if you would like advice on submitting your application.
BU PGR Maria Abdel Karim nominated for Student Widescreen Film of the Year Competition
Maria Abdel Karim, Postgraduate Research student in the Faculty of Media & Communication has been shortlisted for the final round of the prestigious Student Widescreen Film of the Year Competition.
Maria’s film ‘Two Women Can Tango’ has been picked from hundreds of entries from around the world to be screened alongside five other short films on Thursday 10 October 2019 at the Widescreen Weekend festival.
The narrative short film, shot in London, was presented as Maria’s Masters film for BU. Maria believes her film carries a strong humanitarian message behind it and a clear message that love is able to connect humans despite all their differences. It tells the story of Reem, a Palestinian young woman living in London on a sponsored visa who only has a couple of months before her visa expires when she meets Alma, a British-Jewish Tango instructor who sweeps her off her feet the moment they have their first Tango dance together. As the Tango between the two women escalate, Reem’s days in London become countable. She is left with only one choice to make.
The Student Widescreen Film of the Year Competition is one of the premier international events for showcasing young, emerging talent working with widescreen filmmaking technology. This unique competition strives to celebrate widescreen film and technologies within all genres. Previous entrants have spanned a range of methods including documentary, animation and short clips.
Cafe Scientifique Tuesday 1 October – The changing face of crime: how can we improve the recognisability of facial composites?
Café Scientifique takes place on the first Tuesday evening of the month at Café Boscanova
Enjoy listening to a short talk from our guest speaker before engaging in debate and discussion around that topic
We’ll be joined by Dr Emma Portch from the Faculty of Science & Technology on Tuesday 1 October from 7:30pm until 9pm (doors open at 6:30pm) No need to register, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!
The changing face of crime: how can we improve the recognisability of facial composites?
Facial composites are computerised visual likenesses, constructed by witnesses and victims of crime, and released via the media in the hope that someone will recognise the constructed individual. While some composites are fairly accurate reconstructions that generate important investigative leads, others appear comical and may detract from the seriousness of the offence (who remembers the Cheshire Cat Burglar?). Join us to explore how psychologists can work with the police to improve the quality of composite images, have a go at recognising ‘celebrity’ composites and test your ability to generate accurate facial descriptions.
If you have any questions please do get in touch
Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci
Cafe Scientifique: Eye Tracking as a Window to the Mind
The movements of your eyes can reveal a lot about what you’re thinking.
Researchers at Bournemouth University are studying eye movement in order to understand the mental processes behind everyday tasks, such as reading and navigation.
At a packed Cafe Scientifique on Tuesday 3 September, Dr Tim Slattery from the Faculty of Science & Technology here at BU, discussed how eye tracking is already being used and what the future may hold when eye tracking becomes more widespread, even embedded in our personal devices.
Dr Slattery explained how research into eye movement can help us understand mental processes behind everyday tasks, and how movements of your eyes can reveal a lot about what you’re thinking and how you are processing information in the world around you.
The audience were presented with various visual illusions to highlight the fact that our perceptions of the world around us are not 100% accurate. He then described the anatomy of the eye and why we need to move our eyes to better see the objects that capture our attention.
Tim and colleagues gave interactive demonstrations to show what state of the art eye tracking technology is capable of and also discussed how eye tracking is already being used and what the future may hold when eye tracking becomes more widespread, even embedded in our personal devices. In fact, in 2017 Apple purchased SMI (SensoMotoric Instruments) which manufactured eye tracking equipment, and as of this year there is a third party app, Hawkeye which allows users to track their eye movements while looking at newer iphones and the ipad pro. This recent advancement holds both promise for eye tracking research and problems related to personal data protection. The audience was very engaged in a lively debate on these issues.
Follow the link below for access to slides from Dr Tim Slattery’s Cafe Sci talk on Tuesday 3 September:
Eye Tracking as a window to the mind
The next Café Scientifique will take place at Café Boscanova on
Tuesday 1 October from 7:30pm until 9pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
There’s no need to register, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!
Find out more about Café Scientifique and sign up to our mailing list to hear about other research events: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cafe-sci
If you have any questions please do get in touch
Public Engagement Opportunity: Be Part of Cheltenham Science Festival 2020
Cheltenham Science Festival is a 6-day celebration of science, jam-packed with thought-provoking discussions, energetic schools shows, hands-on workshops, mind-blowing performances and interactive exhibitions
2019’s programme featured 200 events and 68 school events with the best scientists, thinkers and writers, celebrating a host of anniversaries including the Apollo moon landing and Periodic Table’s 150th birthday. Over 43,800 tickets were issued and over 48,000 engaged visitors enjoyed free interactive activities at the Festival Village, and in the town centre.
From 2 – 7 June 2020, the beautiful regency town of Cheltenham will welcome schools, families and adults to join scientists, engineers, comedians, writers, mathematicians, performers and other science enthusiasts to explore the world around them in new ways. The Festival primarily takes place in the Cheltenham Town Hall and on Imperial Gardens.
“I’m an avid fan of Cheltenham Science Festival. It is, without doubt, the premier science festival in the country because it is supported by pretty much everyone who cares about promoting science in Britain.” Professor Brian Cox
You can apply separately to be part of the schools programme, adult and family programme, interactive zones and festival village or around Cheltenham town.
Application Forms and Deadlines
Find out more here and click through to the links below to apply
Schools events: 9am Monday 16 September 2019
Adult and family events: Midday Friday 18 October 2019
Festival site and around town activities: Midday Friday 22 November 2019
Interactive zones: Midday Friday 20 December 2019
Partnership packages
Bespoke partnership packages are available to include event sponsorship, venue sponsorship, interactive hands-on activities, audience/public engagement, branding opportunities and much more…
Are you interested to work collaboratively, showcasing your work and partnering with a leading UK Science Festival?
Contact partnerships@cheltenhamfestivals.com or call 01242 537256
Alternatively you can contact Adam Morris (Engagement Officer) if you would like advice on planning an activity or submitting your application
New article published in The Converstation on trust and the PPI scandal
Dr Julie Robson (Faculty of Management) has published a new article in The Conversation questioning whether banks can ever repair the trust that has been damaged following the PPI (payment protection insurance) scandal.
The article draws on two bodies of research. The first is a BU QR funded project on trust repair; and the second, research with co-author Prof Jillian Farquhar (Solent University) on brand spillover.
With the PPI deadline for claims fast approaching on the 29th August 2019, the article acknowledges that banks can soon draw a line under the scandal from a financial perspective but may not be able to restore consumer trust.
A full copy of the article can be found here.
BU Writing & Publishing Workshops in Kathmandu
This past week Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen from the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) presented several workshops on academic writing and scientific publishing to BU’s partners in Nepal. He presented at Nepal’s oldest and largest university Tribhuvan University (TU) on Wednesday. The Faculty of Education had made the effort to produce a personalised banner for Edwin. Prof. Bhimsen Devkota, who invited him to run this workshop, was his PhD student many years ago at the University of Aberdeen
The next day he visited Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) which has a Memorandum of Agreement with BU, which was signed by Prof. Tee in early 2018 (see BU Research Blog). At MMIHS the audience that day consisted mostly of Master of Public Health students. Edwin recently celebrated his ten-years of being Visiting Professor at MMIHS.
Yesterday he had the honour of running a workshop at BNMT (Birat Nepal Medical Trust), affiliated with the Britain Nepal Medical Trust which started working in Nepal more than fifty years ago in 1967. The audience at BNMT was smaller and this allowed for loads of fruitful discussions.
These workshops are part of BU capacity building approach for health workers, development workers, health students and researchers in Nepal. Writing with colleagues in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, and various UK universities, including with Visiting Faculty based at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS) as well as Visiting Faculty at NHS Poole Foundation Hospital and Hamad General Hospital (Qatar) the BU team as published 12 papers on aspects of academic writing and/or publishing [1-12].
References
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- van Teijlingen E., Hundley, V., Bick, D. (2014) Who should be an author on your academic paper? Midwifery 30: 385-386.
- Hall, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) The journal editor: friend or foe? Women & Birth 28(2): e26-e29.
- 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.
- Pradhan, AK, van Teijlingen, ER. (2017) Predatory publishing: a great concern for authors, Med Sci 5(4): 43.
Not all fieldwork goes to plan
Hardly ever does a research trip go smoothly and completely to plan. Our latest trip to Nepal was no different. It started really with a delay, I had the money for a flight in the spring, but I really could not find the time to leave Bournemouth University for a three-week trip.
The first little hiccup of this summer’s fieldwork trip, during the monsoon, occurred on arrival at Kathmandu Airport on 23 July. I normally bring three bottles of whisky as a present for my PhD former students and fellow researchers in Nepal. These are bought during my stop-over in the Middle East and this always worked well until this year. This time I was stopped on arrival by a very apologetic customs officer who informed me that the rules for bringing alcohol into Nepal had changed since the beginning of this year and that I could only bring in one bottle. I received a lovely certificate for the two bottles I had to leave behind (see photo).
The second little hiccup was that one of the three research dissemination meetings we had hoped to organise in Kathmandu could not take place. Unfortunately, the organisation we had been collaborating with had not managed to finalise the research report on time. We had also hoped to meet up with staff at Social Science Baha. We have submitted the final draft manuscript for our next book to them and wanted to discuss progress, but the director was unfortunately out of the country.
Further little hiccups were more mundane, such as the electricity going off twice (for perhaps five minutes each time) during one of my teaching sessions on Introduction to Qualitative Research. This meant trying to start a slow laptop as back-up, whilst restarting a still warm overhead projector, etc. But the Nepali audience, being used this, took it all in its stride. And I’ll spare you the details of my day of diarrhoea (either weather or food-hygiene related, probably both).
The biggest problem this time was much more unexpected. Two days ago there was a big fire not too far from in Kathmandu (see picture taken from my bed room). A little later after the photo was taken, we got stuck in traffic because several roads were blocked around the burning building on our way to Tribhuvan University. Later I found out that the fire had destroyed the head office of a national internet provider, which is also the provider for the charity Green Tara Nepal, which we are working with. So I have had hardly any internet for a few days which is really difficult for a 21st century academic.
However, this fieldwork trip has been very successful to date. We have co-organised two well attended meetings, one on the introduction of CPD in Nursing led by Dr. Bibha Simkhada (see previous BU blog here) and one Consultation meeting on migration and health research led by Dr. Pramod Regmi, both run in collaboration with BU’s Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada. Moreover, I was invited to speak at an international sociology conference last Sunday here in Kathmandu which I did not even know was going on till two days before. I had to pleasure of meeting our midwifery friends in Nepal as well as a representative of the German Aid Agency GIZ. We managed to have dinner in Kathmandu with loads of colleagues and friends who work with BU in one form or another, including one of my recent co-authors from the University of Tokyo who happened to be in Nepal.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
BU CILVRS Project presented at Parliament
Denyse King from the Centre of Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal (CMMPH) recently presented her CILVRS Project at a Parliamentary event. The CILVRS Project is a Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE) to improve healthcare education. Denyse presented this at the Further Education for Leadership symposium on Ed-Tech at Parliament on July 17th 2019. She introduced a VRLE on ‘safeguarding’ to share with delegates there who then experienced the VRLE through immersion with Oculus Quest headsets. The response from symposium delegates to the VRLE was overwhelmingly positive and with excellent discussions regarding the possible content of future VRLEs. Denyse has written this VRLE content as part of her role as a lecturer in midwifery. This was subsequently built to her specifications by a company called Daden Ltd. The VRLE are designed to be profession generic and topic specific, which ensures that the majority of healthcare students can use each VRLE. Denyse King is sitting on the far right of the table of experts for the Further Education Trust for Leadership (photo).
VRLEs offer healthcare students access learning materials in ways which enhance their student experience. Use of VRLE mean Bournemouth University can offer students clinical experiences which cannot otherwise be guaranteed as routine part of their healthcare education. In addition to this, Continuous Practice Development (CPD) is a requirement of the Nursing and Midwifery Council [1-2] and the World Health Organization (WHO) [3] have highlighted that learners globally have limited access to Higher Education. The WHO also state that educators internationally lack skills and necessary equipment as well as a lack of access to practical skills teaching. Therefore, VRLE also have a place in offering realistic clinical experiences for CPD nationally and internationally. One example of the latter would be through Bournemouth University a close working relationships in Nepal: (1) where midwifery students can also benefit; or (2) in the development of CPD in nursing and midwifery in Nepal as recently presented on the BU Research Blog (click here).
The CILVRS Project is another excellent example of the BU FUSION with Research resulting in improvements in Education, which in turn are leading to better Practice.The response from symposium delegates to the VRLE was overwhelmingly positive and with excellent discussions regarding the possible content of future VRLEs. Denyse is very active in this field. She has created a VRLE for urinalysis training as well as three VRLE related to safeguarding (which are nearly complete) as part of the CILVRS Project. She is developing further VRLEs I: two for perinatal mental health which I am creating in collaboration with University of Newcastle (Australia), Solent NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. Some of this is being trialled within the BU midwifery programme in the forth coming year 2019/2020, and this exciting work is part of her doctorate research: Towards more holistic clinical practice: exploring the impact of virtual reality learning environments on healthcare education.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
References:
- NMC 2018a. Standards for competence for registered midwives. London: NMC
- NMC 2018b. Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses. London: NMC
- World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), UNICEF, and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). 2019. Framework for Action: Strengthening Quality Midwifery Education for Universal Health Coverage 2030. Geneva: WHO.
IOM or IOM: it can be rather confusing
This month’s fieldtrip to Nepal has a rather confusing element, namely the two separate organisations the BU team is working with have the same abbreviation. Not only that, each organisation/abbreviation is equally well known in its own field. Dr. Bibha Simkhada, Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen and FHSS’s Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada are here in Kathmandu to work with IOM (Institute of Medicine) Maharajgunj Nursing Campus. It is the pioneer school of nursing in the country and part of Nepal’s oldest university, Tribhuvan University. This collaboration involves studying issues around CPD (Continuous Professional Development) in Nursing in Nepal, and also includes BU’s Dr. Ian Donaldson and Dr. Catherine Angell.
The second research meeting next week or early August in Kathmandu is between BU’s Dr. Pramod Regmi, Prof. Padam Simkhada and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen on the issue of health and migration with IOM (International Organisation of Migration). IOM, as a United Nations’ agency, is the leading international organization for migration. This health of migrants’ project also involves BU’s Dr. Nirmal Aryal and Dr. Preeti Mahato.
Sometimes it is all a little bit confusing. Perhaps as well that we don’t have a collaborator from the IOM (Isle of Man).