Tagged / RSA

Welcome to the Bournemouth University Research Staff Association (RSA)

Welcome to the Bournemouth University Research Staff Association (RSA)

 

 

What is it?

An association run by BU researchers from all faculties who want to make BU a great place to work and do research. We aim to ensure that researchers are supported to realise their full potential and to develop and produce research of the highest quality. (There are Research Staff Associations throughout UK universities and one of our BU RSA representatives is also a member of the UK RSA).

 

Who is it for?

Almost everyone! Postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, research assistants as well as anyone else who is actively engaged in research (or planning to be): postgraduate researchers; staff on teaching and research, or teaching contracts; clinicians; professional support staff; technicians.

 

What are our aims?

To help make BU a great place for researchers to work and progress in their careers.

 

To support BU researchers to produce excellent research by enabling them to thrive, personally and professionally through informal peer support / friendship with other researchers and encouraging BU to provide

      • a well-designed induction
      • a caring and helpful mentor
      • support to develop research and professional skills
      • increased job security
      • a university culture of inclusion, kindness, care, and support
      • opportunities to network, collaborate, share, and learn

 

How do we do that?

We support researchers through:

 

  1. Signposting you to the BU teams or individuals who can help you with issues such as: employment and contracts, work conditions, fairness and equity, discrimination, unions, professional development, careers advice, support for mental health and well-being.

 

  1. Offering peer support – opportunities to meet, socialise, network, share ideas, and collaborate with researchers from different faculties. We run informal online get-togethers and coffee mornings in faculties. We are also developing a series of university-wide events (in partnership with the Early Career Network) on topics such as career progression, funding, wellbeing.

 

  1. Representing you – raising concerns, lobbying, and advocating for researchers at the:
    • Research Concordat Steering Group. This group is responsible for helping BU translate the ideals of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers into improved researcher career development and effective policies.  The steering group can then highlight responsibilities across university departments from line managers and HR to the Vice Chancellor and the Executive Team.

 

    • Faculty Research & Professional Practice Committees (FRPPC) – where we can highlight specific initiatives and the vital role that line managers and senior academics play in facilitating the development of researchers in their department.

 

    • University Research & Professional Practice Committee (URPPC) where we can share the combined voice and experiences of research staff to shape the development of University wide research-based policy and procedures.

 

What do we need to succeed? 

You!  We need to know what the important issues, concerns, challenges, and aspirations of BU researchers are. We can then try to provide informative sessions which address the issues that are important to you, advocate for change – as well as letting BU know when they are getting it right! We would also like to get to know you and learn from your experiences – doing research can be lonely and being in contact with other researchers enriches our day.

 

When does the RSA meet?

The RSA meets regularly throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to attend or share issues that you would like raised with your faculty rep

 

How do I get involved/get in touch with the RSA representative for my faculty?

 

Your current reps are:

 

Faculty of Health & Social Science                         Sophia Amenyah samenyah@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                             Gladys Yinusa yinusagg@bournemouth.ac.uk

 Faculty of Science & Technology                           Kimberley Davies daviesk@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                            Sarah Elliott  selliott@bournemouth.ac.uk 

Faculty of Media & Communications                   No representative at present.

BU Business School:                                                   No representative at present.

 

 

 

Institutional Reps:                                                      Chaoguang Wang   wangc@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                            Anastasia Vayona   avayona@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                           Rejoice Chipuriro          rchipuriro@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Academic Reps:                                                           BUBS-Rafaelle Nicholson rnicholson@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                           BUBS-Julia Hibbert jhibbert@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                           FST-Derek Pitman dpitman@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                           FST-Michelle Heward mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk

                                                                                          FST-Ruijie Wang rwang3@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

 

Artificial Intelligence – RKEDF Workshop on Thursday, 29th June

Business Engagement, innovation

If you are interested in exploring ways in which AI could be utilised to deliver new or enhanced ways of working,

then put 29 June 2023 in your diary

 

 

AI is pervasive and will – for better or worse – hugely impact the nature of business, as well as society at large.

BU will be hosting a workshop where you can connect with expert colleagues at Bournemouth University who are involved in a range of AI research projects. There will also be a chance to find out about major funding opportunities connected with AI, build connections, and hear about support that you can access when applying for funding.

 

  • Learning more about AI research at BU
  • Building connections with Businesses working in AI
  • Meeting with BU colleagues doing AI research
  • Learning about AI research funding opportunities
  • Learning about support available for research applications

The event will take place on 29th June 2023, from 08.30 to 13:30 at Lansdowne Campus and catering will be available.

To book a place for the BU Artificial Intelligence Workshop, please complete the Booking Form.

For any queries regarding the content of this session, please email Zarak Afzal or Finn Morgan

“The Way of the Productivity Ninja” RKEDF Workshop

Are you battling information overload? Email deluge? Wrestling with procrastination, interruption or distraction? Constantly feel like you are in reactive, “juggling” and “plate spinning” mode? Find it hard to maintain energy and focus, to properly unplug and switch off, or to make space for what really matters – or for yourself?

If any of that sounds familiar, we’ve got you some help!

 

We’ve partnered up with Think Productive who are bringing us their brilliant “The Way of the Productivity Ninja” workshop on Thursday 29th June 2023, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

 

In this practical, engaging, interactive and fun 2 hour online workshop you’ll learn how to utilize the mindset and tactics of the 9 Characteristics of the Productivity Ninja.

For over a decade, the Think Productive team have been helping people worldwide to get their stuff done, while looking after themselves and each other – and get that elusive balance between work and wellbeing that we’re all looking for. Especially over the last few years we’ve all faced new challenges and circumstances as the ways and places we’re working have changed radically, and we’re now all exploring together what the future of work might be like in the longer term.

 

In the session Lee Cottier will be sharing ideas, tips, tools and habits that will help unleash your inner Productivity Ninja. There’ll be an opportunity to reflect on what’s been going well, and where you might want to make some changes – plus an invitation and loads of inspiration to try out some new approaches. All this, and you’ll create your own personal Productivity Ninja Action Plan too. After the session all attendees will get an eBook version of the “How to be a Productivity Ninja” book.

 

To book a place on “The Way of the Productivity Ninja” workshop please complete the Booking Form

 

For any further questions on the session, please email:  RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk

Research Staff Association (RSA) is organised a Writing Day for Researchers

Do you have a piece of writing to do or an article to finish up,

but can never seem to find the time to do it? This event is for you!

 

This Writing Day aims to provide a dedicated space and time away from our usual hectic schedules, to enable us as researchers to get our heads down and… write!

We’ll begin with some introductions – a chance to meet other researchers, make friends and support each other.

Then we’ll get down to business… writing!

Tuesday 13 June, 9am to 5pm 

Green House Hotel, BH1 3AX 

There will be tea and coffee available throughout the day, plus pastries on arrival, a buffet lunch and an afternoon snack.

Plenty of food and drink to fuel your writing!

After the day finishes at 5pm, we’ll stick around and go for drinks in the hotel bar, so please join us for more networking then if you’d like to.

 

Please sign up to attend via our EventBrite page here.

We only have 15 places available, so please sign up ASAP!

 

Please note that this event is organised by BU’s Research Staff Association – an association run by BU researchers from all faculties who want to make BU a great place to work and do research. We aim to ensure that researchers are supported to realise their full potential and to develop and produce research of the highest quality.

For queries regarding the content of this session, please email Raf Nicholson rnicholson@bournemouth.ac.uk

Research staff coffee break 10th June

A warm ‘hello!’ from your Research Staff Association (RSA) reps. Following the success of the first ‘Research Staff Coffee Breaks’, we are inviting all research staff to the second one on 10th June at 3-4pm.

The details for the coffee breaks are included below including the zoom links and log in details.

Please join us for this session – there’s no need to RSVP!

Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to send out coffee and cake but hopefully you can find something nice and can join us at some or all our breaks. We are looking into more formal provision of space and food and drink for when we are able to meet on campus but until then, we’re looking forward to meeting you virtually soon.

Best wishes

The Research Staff Association Team

Research staff coffee break 10th June

A warm ‘hello!’ from your Research Staff Association (RSA) reps. Following the success of the first ‘Research Staff Coffee Breaks’, we are inviting all research staff to the second one on 10th June at 3-4pm.

The details for the coffee breaks are included below including the zoom links and log in details.

Please join us for this session – there’s no need to RSVP!

Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to send out coffee and cake but hopefully you can find something nice and can join us at some or all our breaks. We are looking into more formal provision of space and food and drink for when we are able to meet on campus but until then, we’re looking forward to meeting you virtually soon.

Best wishes

The Research Staff Association Team

Research staff coffee break 10th June

A warm ‘hello!’ from your Research Staff Association (RSA) reps. Following the success of the first ‘Research Staff Coffee Breaks’, we are inviting all research staff to the second one on 10th June at 3-4pm.

The details for the coffee breaks are included below including the zoom links and log in details.

Please join us for this session – there’s no need to RSVP!

Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to send out coffee and cake but hopefully you can find something nice and can join us at some or all our breaks. We are looking into more formal provision of space and food and drink for when we are able to meet on campus but until then, we’re looking forward to meeting you virtually soon.

Best wishes

The Research Staff Association Team

Research staff coffee breaks

Coffee Morning

A warm ‘hello!’ from your Research Staff Association (RSA) reps. We hope that this email finds you well and that you have been managing to cope with all the changes over the last year.

We are contacting all the research staff across the university to invite you all to our virtual (for the moment) ‘Research Staff Coffee Breaks’, starting on 27th May at 10-11am and continuing throughout the summer. Due to the many challenges we have encountered over the last year and a general consensus among the members of the RSA that we would like to do more to support the research staff we represent, we are working to develop the RSA to help make BU a great place for researchers to work and progress in their careers. We want to offer peer support, accurate representation and opportunities to get to know other research staff across the university. To do this though, we need to connect with the members of the BU community who we represent (you!) and find out first-hand what the important issues, concerns and aspirations are.

As an initial means of introducing ourselves and meeting you we have set up a number of coffee breaks as an informal space to connect and take a break from work. Whilst we are still working from home these will be held on zoom. The details for the coffee breaks are included below including the zoom links and log in details. If you cannot make any of these meetings but would like to introduce yourself, raise an issue or simply ask a question please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email.

Zoom links:

Please join us for one or both of these – there’s no need to RSVP!

Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to send out coffee and cake but hopefully you can find something nice and can join us at some or all our breaks. We are looking into more formal provision of space and food and drink for when we are able to meet on campus but until then, we’re looking forward to meeting you virtually soon.

Best wishes

The Research Staff Association Team

BU’s Research Staff Association – new representative appointed

The BU Research Staff Association (RSA) is a forum promoting BU research culture. Research staff from across BU are encouraged to attend to meet with others researchers, disseminate their work, discuss career opportunities, hear updates on  BU’s implementation the Research Concordat, and give feedback or raise concerns that will help to develop and support the research community at BU.

BU Research Staff Representatives

Following the recent recruitment exercise, Dr Christina Stantis has accepted the role of BU Research Staff Association (RSA) representative, alongside Dr Michelle Heward.

The BU Research Staff representatives facilitate the BU RSA activities and attend the BU Research Concordat Steering Group and the University Research and Professional Practice Committee (URPPC) to provide an update on the BU RSA and raise any feedback or concerns. This ensures that feedback and concerns raised by research staff are fed into the BU Research Concordat Action Plan, so that they are addressed going forwards.

Faculty Research Staff Representatives

Each Faculty also has at least one Research Staff Representative. Their role is to attend Faculty Research and Professional Practice Committees and the BU Research Concordat Steering Group to provide an update on the BU RSA and feedback any comments or concerns. The current post holders are:

Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Dr Sarah Collard
Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Dr Nirmal Aryal
Faculty of Media and Communication Dr Ehtzaz Chaudhry
Faculty of Media and Communication Currently vacant
Faculty of Management Dr Rafaelle Nicholson
Faculty of Management Dr Thanh Huynh
Faculty of Science and Technology Dr Arif Reza Anwary 
Faculty of Science and Technology Currently vacant