2025 Bid-generating Sandpit: Interdisciplinary Research towards Sustainable Development Goals26 – 27 March 2025Bournemouth University, Executive Business Centre (TBC)
Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
2025 Bid-generating Sandpit: Interdisciplinary Research towards Sustainable Development Goals26 – 27 March 2025Bournemouth University, Executive Business Centre (TBC)
Congratulations to Emeritus Prof. Jonathan Parker, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Visiting Faculty Prof. Vanessa Heaslip and Dr. Kirsty Marshall, the latter two co-authors are based at the University of Salford, on their latest paper ‘Promoting equity in community nursing’ [1].
This paper links to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) published by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 in order to promote health, well-being and economic security for all. Bournemouth University, of course, is among the best universities worldwide for its sustainability, according to the new Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. BU was ranked 39th out of 1,963 universities measured against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) internationally in June 2024.
Heaslip and colleagues remind us that is worth considering the degree to which these influence one’s professional practice. They offer a reflective activity on the issue, see Box 1 ‘Community nurses and the SDGs’ .
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Reference:
The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level. It will provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU
You’ll be made aware of the support available at each stage of the research lifecycle and get an introduction to the Research, Development & Support Team, who are here to help! It will be hosted by our experts who are responsible for strategy, outputs, ethics, public engagement, knowledge exchange, project management & training. It will include:
Come along, join in, get some important insights – hopefully see you there! Book your place HERE
If you are new to academia, it may be helpful for you to meet with your faculty mentor to guide your familiarisation of research at BU and expectations of an early career researcher before attending this induction. You can also join the Early Career researcher (ECR) Network.
For some background and more immediate information on RDS, please head to the RKE SharePoint
For further information on this event or joining the ECRN, please contact RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk
We are excited to announce the RKEDF Early Career Researcher Network 2024-25 training programme. Please note, these sessions are open to ECRs, PGRs and MCAs. Maybe you’ve had a break from research and want to hone your skills – all are welcome!
The ECR network meets monthly, with a great line-up of events and networking opportunities. Many of the sessions will have a theme, a discussion on a popular topic, followed by more general Q&A and networking. Some sessions are drop-in surgeries where you can pop in for a chat with other Early Career Researchers, or to discuss concerns if you need a bit of guidance. Follow up support is also available if needed. There is a mix of online and in person sessions. You can find details about the content of each session and book your place by clicking the event title or visit the RKEDF SharePoint. All sessions with * are also open to PGRs. Please note, you can only currently book onto sessions until December. Bookings for later sessions will open in December.
| Workshop theme | Date | Time |
F2F/online |
| Introduction/New to BU?* Everything you wanted to know about being an ECR (but were afraid to ask) | 02/10/2024 | 14:00 – 15:00 | F2F |
| Academic Publishing* Where to start, gaining experience and what to avoid | 30/10/2024 | 13:00 – 14:00 | F2F |
| Ethics – Clinical research governance* | 04/11/2024 | 14:00 – 15:00 | online |
| Ethics – Values, standards & BU process * | 04/11/24 | 12.00 – 13:00 | online |
| REF for ECRs* A Beginner’s Guide | 20/11/2024 | 13:00 – 15:00 | F2F |
| Surgery: ECR drop in session | 04/12/2024 | 13:00 – 14:00 | online |
| Demonstrating research impact* | 03/02/2025 | 14:00 – 16:00 | F2F |
| Work/life balance for ECRs and PGRs* | 12/02/2025 | 13:00-14:00 | F2F |
| Imposter Syndrome* | 19/03/2025 | 13:00 – 14:00 | F2F |
| Surgery and/or Pay Prog & Promo | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Ethics – Clinical research governance* | 19/05/2025 | 11:00 – 12:00 | online |
| Ethics – Values, standards & BU process * | 19/05/2025 | 12:00 – 13:00 | online |
| Professional Practice for ECRs* (reviewing, external examining, joining associations, doing KE, PE follow up, impact) | 21/05/2025 | 13:00 – 14:00 | TBC |
| Workshop tied to the Research Conference/ Public Engagement and Impact* (Including NGT scheme) | TBC | TBC | F2F |
If you have any questions, please contact the RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk
Last week I attended Bournemouth University’s Research Conference which focused on collaboration and participation. One the many issues discussed that day include international research teams, especially differences in culture and expectations as well as the very practical time differences across the globe. I was reminded of the latter this morning when I woke up at five AM to start a two-hour online training workshop on academic writing for our research colleagues in Bangladesh. This is one of the sessions we run as part of our internal research capacity building strategy on the Sonamoni project. Due to the time difference it was as 11.00 AM start in Bangladesh which meant sixteen people from CIPRB could attend, opening up the session to not jest those staff working on the Sonamoni project.
This project is an interdisciplinary study of nearly £1.7 million funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Sonamoni (meaning ‘golden pearl’ in Bangla) aims to reduce the deaths of newly-mobile toddlers (those aged under two) from drowning in rural Bangladesh. This multidisciplinary project is a collaboration of BU’s Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH), BU’s Department in Accounting, Finance & Economics and Department of Design & Engineering, and external partners, namely the University of the West of England, the University of Southampton, the Poole-based Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Bangladesh-based research organisation CIPRB (Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh) and Design Without Borders (based in Uganda).
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMWH
Have you heard the news!!!!!!
We are excited to share some great RKEDF training opportunities coming up in July 2024!
Click on the titles to find further details and book your place!!!!
AHRC & ESRC: How to write an application in the new format for the Funding Service
Thursday, July 4, 11:00 – 13:00 – Online
The session will cover the requirements for the new UKRI application format. We will discuss the application structure focusing on AHRC and ESRC and the sections and how to complete them. The session will be framed with more general information on the various Research Councils that comprise UKRI and best practice in writing applications for external research funding.
Principal Investigation – Post Award for RKE
Wednesday, July 10, 14:00 – 15:00 – Online
This session is aimed at any researcher who is, who plans to be, a Principal Investigator for an externally funded research or knowledge exchange project.
New Generation Thinkers 2025 – AHRC/BBC Radio 4
Thursday, July 11, 11:00 – 13:30 – F112 – Fusion Building – Talbot Campus
This is our annual new generation thinkers’ workshop, where we look at the call, requirements, eligibility and having a panel chair and member’s point of view. For early career researchers and PGRs who want to share their research with the public.
Call information: Develop your media skills with the New Generation Thinkers scheme. The scheme is a partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.
Building a Policy Influencing Strategy
Friday, July 12, 9:30 – 16:30 and Thursday, July 18, 9:00 – 16:00 – Zoom
A one-day online workshop for up to eight researchers, delivered via Zoom and facilitated by public affairs and policy consultant Carys Davis, from The Other Place.
The session will enable participants to:
RKEDF: ECRN: Where do you begin with Research funding?
Friday 12th July – 10:00-12:00 – Online
The workshop is aimed at researchers from across BU at either postdoctoral or early career stage. It will focus on funders including (but not limited to) the AHRC, UKRI, British Academy, Welcome Trust, and NIHR.
Are you an Early Career Researcher interested in applying for research funding but unsure where to start? In this BU ERC Network special session, professional bid writing consultant Sally Baggott (PhD) offers her insights in the contemporary funding landscape for ECRs,
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Please assist us in avoiding any waste of resources; make sure you can attend or cancel your booking prior to the session.
For more training opportunities, please visit the ‘SharePoint site’ here.
For any further information, please contact: RKEDF@bournemouth.ac.uk
At the online editorial board meeting today [Saturday 29th June] of the Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology I had the pleasure of seeing Bournemouth University’s latest paper ‘The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers‘ ahead of publication [1]. The lead author of this paper is Hannah Gurr and this methodology paper is part of her M.Res. research project in Social Work. Hannah is supervised by Dr. Louise Oliver, Dr. Orlanda Harvey and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS).
Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology is a Gold Open Access journal so when it appears online it will be free to read for anybody across the globe.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
Reference:
RKEDF: New Generation Thinkers 2025 – AHRC/BBC Radio 4 – Thursday 11th July – 11:00-12:30 – F112 – Fusion Building – Talbot Campus
Facilitated by: Professor Richard Berger
This is our annual new generation thinkers’ workshop, where we look at the call, requirements, eligibility and having a panel chair and member’s point of view. For early career researchers and PGRs who want to share their research with the public.
Call information: Develop your media skills with the New Generation Thinkers scheme
New Generation Thinkers is a career development scheme for early career researchers to:
The scheme is a partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.
If your application is successful, you’ll learn how to communicate research findings to the widest possible audience.
The scheme gives participants the opportunity to:
New Generation Thinkers has run since 2010. Each year a number of applicants are invited to create ideas with the BBC, of which we select the next cohort of New Generation Thinkers.
You can: read about the scheme’s achievements over the first 10 years – find the currently open New Generation Thinkers funding opportunity on the UKRI funding finder once it’s launched.
Previous winners: see a list of previous winners – listen to content created by previous winners on BBC Sounds (search for New Generation Thinkers) – read New Generation Thinkers magazine
Book your place here – under “New Generation Thinkers 2025″ in the drop-down menu
Thursday 20th June – 10:00-11:30 – Hybrid – Poole House, Talbot Campus
Thursday 20th June – 13:00-14:30 – Hybrid – Gateway Building, Lansdowne
UKRI Assurance and compliance for externally-funded grants
This workshop is aimed at staff who have active UKRI-funded grants, or are in the process of applying for UKRI-funded grants. The workshop will cover; how UKRI conduct its assurance and compliance visits (audits), what you as a principal investigator or co-investigator need to be aware of, how to prepare, and the support you can expect to receive from Research Development & Support. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be aware of the common pitfalls and what you can do to ensure a positive outcome if UKRI pick your project as part of their assurance and compliance process.
The external facilitator for these sessions is Charles Shannon
Please note there is an AM and a PM session on the same day. You are invited to attend online or in person.
Book your place here – under “UKRI Assurance” in the drop-down menu
Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing
In person event – 21st June 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Create Lecture Theatre, Fusion building, Talbot campus.
This workshop is aimed at anyone trying to formulate funding proposals for grants that primarily follow a practice research method. It will look at how to formulate a practice research project, starting with the framing of the initial idea in relation to peers and relevant prior research/art, how to describe the methodology in a way that meets funding bodies requirements for transparency and rigour, and how to translate outputs into impact.
Attendees can be at any stage of a bid writing process, but should come with an idea that they want to work on, or past experiences that they can reflect on.
Book your place here under ‘Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing – 21/06/2024’ in the drop-down menu.
For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Dev Framework
ECRN: Where do you begin with Research funding?
Friday 12th July – 10:00-12:00 – Online
The workshop is aimed at researchers from across BU at either postdoctoral or early career stage. It will focus on funders including (but not limited to) the AHRC, UKRI, British Academy, Welcome Trust, and NIHR.
Are you an Early Career Researcher interested in applying for research funding but unsure where to start? In this BU ERC Network special session, professional bid writing consultant Sally Baggott (PhD) offers her insights in the contemporary funding landscape for ECRs, as well as a comprehensive guide on how to improve your bid writing skills, how to work with external partners, and how to apply for funding at BU. The workshop will give an overview of various funding schemes currently available to ECRs, discuss what funders look for within their subject remits and evaluation, and demystify the process of application.
The facilitator for this event is Sally Baggott – Find out more here.
Book your place here under ‘ECRN – Where do you begin with Research funding?‘ in the drop-down menu.
For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Dev Framework
This morning ResearchGate alerted us that our paper published two decades ago ‘The Importance of Pilot Studies’ has now been cited one thousand times [1]. This methods paper in the Nursing Standard is very often used by authors quoting a paper in their research methods section when they have done pilot or feasibility study for a larger-scale study. This paper is also our second top cited paper with 1,982 citations on Google Scholar and, interestingly enough, on SCOPUS it is not listed at all.
Pilot studies are a crucial element of a good study design. Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success. Pilot studies fulfill a range of important functions and can provide valuable insights for other researchers. There is a need for more discussion among researchers of both the process and outcomes of pilot studies. 
This paper is one of several methods paper focusing on pilot studies we have published over the past 22 years [2-7].
Professors Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
References:
Thursday 20th June – 10:00-11:30 – Hybrid – Poole House, Talbot Campus
Thursday 20th June – 13:00-14:30 – Hybrid – Gateway Building, Lansdowne
UKRI Assurance and compliance for externally-funded grants
This workshop is aimed at staff who have active UKRI-funded grants, or are in the process of applying for UKRI-funded grants. The workshop will cover; how UKRI conduct its assurance and compliance visits (audits), what you as a principal investigator or co-investigator need to be aware of, how to prepare, and the support you can expect to receive from Research Development & Support. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be aware of the common pitfalls and what you can do to ensure a positive outcome if UKRI pick your project as part of their assurance and compliance process.
The external facilitator for these sessions is Charles Shannon
Please note there is an AM and a PM session on the same day. You are invited to attend online or in person.
Book your place here – under “UKRI Assurance” in the drop-down menu
We have a small number of places available on our Building a Policy Influencing Strategy workshops on Friday 12th and Thursday 18th July.
These sessions are suitable for you if you have already made steps to engage with policymakers, and/or you have attended previous policy training workshops. Public affairs consultant and trainer Carys Davis will deliver both sessions, and they will enable you to:
The sessions will be delivered via Zoom, from 9.30-4.30pm with 15-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon, and an hour away from screens for lunch from 12.30-1.30pm.
Carys Davis has 18 years’ experience in politics and public affairs. She has worked as a parliamentary researcher for two frontbench MPs, a policy adviser on the environment, food and rural affairs portfolio for a UK political party and was also the public affairs manager for the Financial Conduct Authority.
Please note these workshops are not intended as an introduction. If you are not sure whether they are suitable for you, please contact the impact team, who can advise. We can also offer 121 bespoke sessions with Carys up until 20 July 2024, which you can book via impact@bournemouth.ac.uk.
The fourth International Conference on Medical and Health Sciences in September 2024 aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world to discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and innovations in the field of medical and health sciences. Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen co-director of the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health (CMWH) has been invited as a keynote speaker. He will be addressing the issue of being a interdisciplinary researcher in a larger research team.
RDP Masterclass in Productive Writing – Wednesday 5th June – 14:00 – 17:00 – Online.
Facilitator: Dr Joanna Young
Session Summary:
How do you initiate the writing process when faced with only a blank page or a cursor incessantly blinking on the screen? Effective written communication is an essential part of academia and researchers are required to write a variety of documents including proposals, theses, papers for publication, grant proposals and books. Scholarly writing projects involve planning, drafting & redrafting, setting deadlines and collaboration.
This workshop will focus on how to start writing, how to keep going and how to finish. We will cover initiating and managing a manuscript, structure, productive writing techniques and a short introduction to new collaborative writing tools. Participants will be encouraged to consider where writing can fit into their schedule and what works best for them.
The workshop will include writing exercises, advice on making writing part of your working routine and a short section on dealing with and providing feedback.
Please book your place via the link here.
Getting in touch:
If you have any questions about this specific session or the Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme, please feel free to contact Enrica or Arabella in your Researcher Development team, as we are always happy to help: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk.
‘How to write an application in the new format for the Funding Service’
Friday 14th June and Thursday 4th July 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Online
These sessions are aimed at to all interested in finding out about the new funding service, from ECRs to Professors.
The session will cover the requirements for the new UKRI application format. We will discuss the application structure focusing on AHRC and ESRC and the sections and how to complete them. The session will be framed with more general information on the various Research Councils that comprise UKRI and best practice in writing applications for external research funding.
Outcomes:
General understanding of best practice for writing an application for external funding.
The facilitator for this event is Sally Baggott – Find out more here.
Book your place here under ‘AHRC & ESRC – How to write an application in the new format for the funding service’ and select either: 14/06/ 2024 or 04/07/2024’ in the drop-down menu.
For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact RKE Dev Framework
Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing
In person event – 21st June 2024 – 11:00 – 13:00 – Create Lecture Theatre, Fusion building, Talbot campus.
This workshop is aimed at anyone trying to formulate funding proposals for grants that primarily follow a practice research method. It will look at how to formulate a practice research project, starting with the framing of the initial idea in relation to peers and relevant prior research/art, how to describe the methodology in a way that meets funding bodies requirements for transparency and rigour, and how to translate outputs into impact.
Attendees can be at any stage of a bid writing process, but should come with an idea that they want to work on, or past experiences that they can reflect on.
Book your place here under ‘Formulating Practice Research Methods in Bid writing – 21/06/2024’ in the drop-down menu.