Tagged / volunteers

Call for volunteer members of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network – Southwest & South Wales ECR Advisory Group

The British Academy ECR Network Southwest & South Wales cluster has begun its new phase under the leadership of the Universities of Exeter and Bath Spa as Delivery Partners. At the SWSW Consortium meeting in February, the Consortium agreed a new Governance Structure for the SWSW Network and the following set of Values. The structure includes an Advisory Group comprising ECRs representing institutions across the region, as well as a variety of SHAPE* disciplines. This Group will help inform the Consortium and Delivery Partners about ECR needs and help steer the delivery of the Network in the Southwest and South Wales.

Members of the ECR Advisory Group are expected to attend quarterly meetings (approx. 1hr online) and be a spokesperson for the Network at their institutions. The BA ECRN is “for ECRs, by ECRS” and we expect that members of the Advisory Group are a sounding board for Network activities and hold the Network accountable.  The cluster currently runs a monthly online Connect community meeting. The Advisory Board may choose to play a leadership role in this event.

For more information, contact Linda Lanyon, BA-ECRN SWSW Project Officer, University of Exeter: l.lanyon@exeter.ac.uk

To nominate yourself please contact Linda or your institutional contact, as instructed.

*SHAPE: social sciences, humanities and arts for people and the economy

Values Statement

In alignment with the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, the values of the British Academy’s Early Career Researchers Network – Southwest and South Wales Cluster are:

  • Community Integrity
  • Respect
  • Support
  • Compassion
  • Collaboration
  • Well-being
  • Inclusivity
  • Diversity
  • Transparency

 

SURE conference today – Student case study (Georgina Polius)

conferences, Student Engagement, student research

Georgina Polius is in her second year of BA Sociology and Anthropology in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, and is one of the students who has decided to participate in this year’s upcoming Showcasing Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) conference.

Georgina was encouraged to apply by her lecturer, Dr Rosie Read, who informed the entire class to participate in the SURE conference. “Initially, the word abstract scared me a bit because I would have to condense my work into a few lines but after further discussion with my family, I decided to go for it.”

Her assignment research looks at the underlying problem of food poverty within modern British society which was carried out within a foodbank in Bournemouth, working among the volunteers. “Having grown up in a volunteering culture, it has become for me a way of life,” says Georgina. “More specifically, my interest in the foodbank area was sparked by one of my course units I studied last semester where we were sent into the Bournemouth foodbanks to research the personal reasons behind the seemingly household phenomenon of volunteering.”

“I do believe that SURE is a good way to showcase our work as we, as students, have been given the opportunity for various academics and other students to see our work and receive unbiased feedback, which will help us to improve for the future. It also gives us a place to highlight real world issues.”

“I hope to use this exposure from SURE to improve my self-confidence and assertiveness in public speaking which would be an asset to me as I continue with my university studies and eventually into the world of research,” she says. “Most students would perhaps only get to publish their work or experience this type of exposure if they continued to a Master’s programme.”

The Showcasing Undergraduate Research Excellence conference will taking place on 7 March 2018. Many undergraduate students from across the university will be presenting their research throughout the conference in a variety of different ways, from presentations to posters and art installations. Please register via the Eventbrite page if you would like to attend.

For more details, visit the SURE website or email the SURE team.

Research Professional Funding Insight module – research active volunteers required

Funding opportunities

Research Professional are visiting BU on the morning of 23rd June to demonstrate their ‘Funding Insight’ module.  Their description of Funding Insight is that it ‘helps you avoid spending too much time on funding applications that fail. It reveals the hidden structures in the research funding landscape, giving you deeper insight and helping you make better applications’.

As part of the demonstration, they will also arrange trial access to the module.  If you are a research active academic and would like to attend the demonstration and participate in the trial of the module then please contact Jo Garrad by 12th June.