Registration closed for Opposites Attract

The Opposites Attract Collaboration Challenge pairs up doctoral researchers from different disciplinary areas and invites them to work together for a seven week period to produce an output of their choosing. The output might be a blog, poster, video, grant proposal, game, hands-on display – anything you can come up with, really. Let your creativity flow!

The challenge (based on an original idea from Bristol Doctoral College) provides a unique opportunity for doctoral researchers to explore the benefits and impacts of working collaboratively across disciplines. After all, who knows what will emerge when researchers begin to view their work from a different perspective; when their eyes are opened to new methods, approaches and applications?

The paired researchers will be encouraged to reflect on and document their progress, and to offer insights into the process of negotiating different research pathways, to finding common ground, through to the development of an idea leading to a project conclusion. (Check out how students from Southampton University got along when they participated in the challenge at their institution.)

The resulting collaborative output – whatever that may be! – will be showcased at the Festival of Postgraduate Research and the winning partnership will share a £500 prize, to be awarded in memory of Professor David Arnold, former Dean of the Doctoral College. David’s own vision of multi- and interdisciplinary research is, we feel, well reflected in the Opposites Attract initiative and offering this prize helps us all celebrate the enormous contribution David made to the Doctoral College.

Key challenge dates:
• Application opens – Tuesday 24 January 2017
• Application deadline – Friday 3 March 2017
• From Monday 6 March – consultation with applicants
• Opposites Attract pairing session and discussion – Thursday 9 March
• By Monday 13 March 2017 – confirmation of successful pairs
• Seven weeks project collaboration period
• Submission of collaborative output by pairs – Friday 28 April 2017
• Opposites Attract presentations/display event – during Festival week, 15 – 19th May 2017
• Winning partnership announced – during Festival week, 15 – 19th May 2017

To apply please complete the application form below by Friday 3rd March 2017. (You do not need to be in a pair to apply. The Doctoral College will play matchmaker!)