Category: Newsletters

Welcome to news and updates for our UoB ECR community

In this first ECR newsletter for 2024, I am delighted to introduce our new ECR school rep for SATE – Marco Bernagozzi.

In this edition, I have included information on the forthcoming R&KE week so please do put it in your diaries (25th – 28th March). There is an exciting programme of workshops and development opportunities for ECRs so do save the date and see below for a glimpse at the programme. There are also a couple of internal initiatives with closing dates in Feb (see below) and I wish you the best of luck with your applications.

Finally, at our focus groups ECRs suggested they would appreciate virtual space to meet with other ECRs. We do have an ECR teams site and you can join here. I will be populating the teams page over the coming weeks so please do take a look and introduce yourselves. We do also have our blog page where you can find info.

R&KE initiatives

There are currently a number of initiatives open for you to apply for:

1. The ECR Partnership and network building fund – no deadline. This fund aims to enable early career researchers with research within the AHRC remit to establish or extend their networks with defined non-academic communities, audiences, partners, or stakeholders. This fund has no deadline, applicants can apply at any time and will normally be reviewed with outcomes provided in 7-10 days. All funds must be spent by March 2024.

2. Research Excellence Launchpad – deadline 23.59 16 February 2024. The Research Excellence Launchpad provides seed-funding to launch staff into producing excellent research and knowledge exchange. This fund aims to provide time and resources to support staff to work on distinctive and original research and knowledge exchange projects that demonstrate the potential for excellence. Awards from this scheme are of up to £25,000 for up to 12 months. Projects can fund either staff time or project costs for this scheme. Applications must be submitted to RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk

   3. Knowledge Exchange and Impact Catalyst – deadline 23.59 16 February 2024. The Knowledge Exchange and Impact Catalyst Fund offers seed funding to support the development of mature projects to deliver a step change in knowledge exchange and impact outcomes. Projects will need to clearly demonstrate how they will contribute to future KEF and/or REF submissions. The scheme offers awards of up to £10,000. This fund will prioritise work that demonstrates novel routes to impact through research and knowledge exchange endeavour or presents a plan to commercialise existing research to suit a need in the external market. Applications must be submitted to RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk. If your research fits into an Arts and Humanities remit, please take a look at the AHRC Impact Acceleration Account page for further impact funding opportunities or contact the team at ImpactAccelerationAccount@brighton.ac.uk.
   

Do read Staff News every Friday to keep up-to-date with initiative launches and check the Research and Knowledge Exchange Sharepoint site for detailed information.

R&KE week

R&KE week 2024 will run from 25th – 28th March, culminating in a showcase on Wednesday 27th March alongside the Doctoral College’s PG festival of research. There will be a poster competition, and workshops include:

• Planning your R&KE career
• Research and Knowledge Exchange Impact Masterclass
• Getting Your Research Published
• Exploring Careers Outside of Academia

Watch this space for more info to be announced very soon

Inaugural lecture series – Spring 2024

University of Brighton’s public lecture series is underway. Delivered by newly appointed professors, the lectures delve into the ground breaking research Brighton academics are carrying out to address some of the biggest challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton, across the UK and around the world.

You can book now to hear:

Professor Heike Rabe Wednesday 21 Feb 2024: Improving neonatal care: Ancient ideas revisited

Professor Lesley Murray Wednesday 6 March 2024: Moving precariously: Women and children’s immobilities in urban space

Professor Michael Okorie Wednesday 20 March 2023: Doing drugs: Through the lens of a clinical pharmacologist

Workshops to help you develop skills and greater understanding

Take advantage of inspirational workshops delivered by external facilitators and our own experts.

IAA Skills and Capacity Building Programme:

Integrating impact into your funding bid, Monday 18 March 2024, 10:30-12:00, online. Facilitator: Mark Reed, Fast Track Impact

CPD accredited impact e-learning, Four online modules to be undertaken a times suitable to you. What is impact? | Identifying impact | Evidencing impact through engagement | Developing a compelling impact narrative

1:1 coaching for impact planning, online. We have engaged a facilitator to help take your impact ambitions forward, get in touch to discuss how this option might suit your needs

BSMS research workshops

New: Reinforcing Research Projects: Statistics and Health Economics (in-person) Tuesday 20 February, 10.00-11.30 Seminar room, Medical Research Building. The workshop will provide the opportunity to meet with Stephen Bremner, Professor of Medical Statistics and Natalia Ivashikina, Senior Lecturer in Global Health Economics at BSMS who will talk about statistical and health economic issues which should be considered when planning and conducting research in health care.  Stephen will talk about the interlinked concepts of study design, sample size determination and analytical approach. He will also explain what support is available from the statistics team at BSMS.  Natalia will talk about different methods of economic evaluations and how to select the appropriate method for your research. You will learn about uncertainty in costs and health outcomes and how to address it in your analysis. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions about your particular research project. Please register here

Interested in another topic? Visit the R&KE workshops and training Sharepoint page to find out about other opportunities. If you have a group of ten or more researchers, you can contact Research Services to explore some of the on request workshops available.

Peer-to-peer mentoring

I am very pleased to offer a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for ECRs, in line with the Concordat. In addition to the mentoring you receive from your research mentors, peer-to-peer mentoring will allow you to enhance your own mentoring skills, develop your network across the University, and gain valuable insights from your peers into current research issues and development opportunities. Please get in touch with me if you would like to be part of this.

Are you a panel member/peer reviewer for an external funder?

We are hoping to expand our current overview of academic colleagues who might sit on peer review panels/steering groups for external awarding bodies, (UKRI, Charity, Gov etc), that we might refer to when expert advice is needed pertaining to specific funders.

This would equip the teams at Research & Knowledge Exchange, (RaKE) with a wider directory of colleagues who we could contact when queries pertaining to specific funders arise and where first hand knowledge of that funder’s process would benefit and improve our responses, strengthen applications, and contribute to future training and development events.

If you have any experience of panel or steering group membership/peer review that you would be willing to share with us, please complete the table below and return to ResearcherDevelopment@brighton.ac.uk

If you have questions or would like to get in touch, please send an email to the above address.

	Relationship	Dates
Example: AHRC	Peer reviewer/panel member	2022 – present

 

Welcome to news and updates for our UoB ECR community

I am delighted to introduce two of our new ECR school reps – Jo Pilcher (School of Art and Media) and Lis Bundock (School of Education). I am sure they will be introducing themselves to ECRs in their schools in due course.

The R&KE team have announced a number of really exciting initiatives (see below) and I wish you the best of luck with your applications. There are also a number of opportunities for ECRs to participate on the award panels, as well as the Concordat Implementation Steering Group (CISG) – read on for more details and do get in touch if you have any questions.

Finally, I would like to highlight an ECR blog post written by Warren Stewart from SHSS on his reflections on a research development trip to the USA. You can find the blog post here. I always welcome blog posts by ECRs, so if you have anything you would like to share with the community, then please get in touch.

Expressions of Interest for membership of award panels or CISG

Earlier in the week, I emailed you about opportunities for early career researchers for this coming academic year. As part of the university’s commitment to involve ECRs in decision making, applications are open to all Early Career Researchers for the following opportunities:

1. Opportunities to be a panel member on award panels for flagship initiatives

This year, all internal funding and development panels will have an early career researcher representative role in their constitution. This is a really great opportunity to understand how a grant review panel works which will be of benefit when preparing future internal and external grant applications.

2. Opportunity to participate in the Concordat Implementation Steering Group (CISG)

The CISG ensures the university is fulfilling its obligations to support the career development of all researchers, in line with the sector-wide ‘Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers’. The CISG meets three times a year to go through the Concordat and oversee its implementation and to make recommendations on its development. There are currently two vacancies for ECRs on this steering group, as well as a dedicated representative role for fixed-term researchers.

Please email us to let us know you are interested in either opportunity and send to Katherine Staines (ECR Ambassador) at K.Staines@brighton.ac.uk and to Lauren Greenslate (Research Culture and Environment Officer) at L.Greenslate@brighton.ac.uk by the end of the working day on Friday 20 October 2023. Please note in your application if you are on a fixed-term contract.

CEDARS focus groups

Ingrid Pugh and I will be holding focus groups based on the CEDARs results on Thursday 9th November. We will be holding one at Falmer (10am) and one at Moulescoomb (2pm). Venue TBC. We would love to speak to you about your experiences and discuss some of the results which have come out of the report. Please contact me if you are happy to participate.

R&KE initiatives

There are currently a number of initiatives open for you to apply for!

1. The ECR Partnership and network building fund – no deadline. This fund aims to enable early career researchers with research within the AHRC remit to establish or extend their networks with defined non-academic communities, audiences, partners, or stakeholders. This fund has no deadline, applicants can apply at any time and will normally be reviewed with outcomes provided in 7-10 days. All funds must be spent by March 2024.
2. Bid Builder  – deadline 23:59 Monday 30 October 2023. The Bid Builder Programme aims to provide structured, specialist support to colleagues in building the skills they need to develop bids to secure external research grant funding.
3. Student Research Experience Scheme – deadline 23:59 7 November 2023. This fund aims to provide hands-on research experience to undergraduate or taught postgraduate students on projects covering all disciplines across the University of Brighton.
4. Global Fellowships – deadline 23:59 15 November 2023. As part of our internationalisation aim, the University invites applications for a University of Brighton Global Fellowship from world-leading researchers and scholars whose primary place of work is in a non-UK country. Research-active colleagues are encouraged to consider acting as a University of Brighton (UoB) collaborator and invite world-leading researchers and scholars to apply for this opportunity.
5. Policy and Participatory Research Fund – deadline 23:59 23 November 2023. The Policy and Participatory Research Fund provides seed funding of up to £10,000 for knowledge exchange and impact projects that explore or pilot opportunities, test new research methodologies, build networks and partnerships, and enable collaboration and partnership. This fund will prioritise work with participatory research, community partnership or policymaking as a key focus.

Do read Staff News every Friday to keep up-to-date with initiative launches and check the Research and Knowledge Exchange Sharepoint site for detailed information.

Peer-to-peer mentoring

I am very pleased to offer a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for ECRs, in line with the Concordat. In addition to the mentoring you receive from your research mentors, peer-to-peer mentoring will allow you to enhance your own mentoring skills, develop your network across the University, and gain valuable insights from your peers into current research issues and development opportunities. Please get in touch with me if you would like to be part of this new scheme.

Inaugural lecture series – Autumn 2023

University of Brighton’s public lecture series is underway. Delivered by newly appointed professors, the lectures delve into the groundbreaking research Brighton academics are carrying out to address some of the biggest challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton, across the UK and around the world.

You can book now to hear:

Professor Mark Devenney Wednesday 8 November 2023: Democratic equality after climate change

Professor Jaime Vera Wednesday 22 November 2023: From despair to hope: The past, present and future of HIV medicine

Professor Peter Clough Wednesday 6 December 2023: Inclusion: In memoriam?

Research dictionary

Visit our blog for a list of acronyms and research terms used at UoB. This month’s featured one is:

Research Professional – University of Brighton subscribes to Research Professional, an online database of research and knowledge exchange funding opportunities and policy news. This subscription enables you to:

• Create personalised funding searches
• Set up email alerts
• Explore bid writing tips
• Read advice from previously successful applicants
• Access interviews with funders and news from across the HE Sector

There is lots of information on the R&KE sharepoint on how to set up your Research professional account and create email alerts. Or, if you come to one of the drop in sessions during R&KE week then someone will be able to help you.

Workshops to help you develop skills and greater understanding

Take advantage of inspirational workshops delivered by external facilitators and our own experts.

IAA Skills and Capacity Building Programme:

Introduction to impact and knowledge exchange, Thursday 26 October 2023 13:00-16:30, in person, Edward Street room 103, lunch provided. Facilitator: Rebecca Blease, Walcott Communications

Utilising arts and humanities methodologies in policy making, Thursday 14 December 2023, online, 10.30 -12.30 Facilitator: Policy Lab

Evidencing and evaluating impact, Tuesday 23 January 2024, 10:00-12:30, in person, Mithras House room G5, refreshments provided. Facilitator: Saskia Gent, Insights for Impact

Integrating impact into your funding bid, Monday 18 March 2024, 10:30-12:00, online. Facilitator: Mark Reed, Fast Track Impact

CPD accredited impact e-learning, Four online modules to be undertaken a times suitable to you. What is impact? | Identifying impact | Evidencing impact through engagement | Developing a compelling impact narrative

1:1 coaching for impact planning, online. We have engaged a facilitator to help take your impact ambitions forward, get in touch to discuss how this option might suit your needs

BSMS research workshops

Sharing your research data – from planning to publishing (in-person) Thursday 26 Oct from 12.00-13.00 in seminar room, Medical Research Building. Colleagues from the University of Sussex Library team will discuss how they can support researchers with their research data, including the tools and services available. They will cover: use of DMP Online to write a data management plan in advance of funding applications; what to consider before starting a research project to facilitate data sharing; finding a suitable repository for your data and writing data access statements in line with funder requirements. Please register here

How to connect with research partners, end users and industry (in-person)  Wednesday 1 November 2023 from 12.30-14.00 in seminar room, Medical Research Building. Facilitators: Nick Bull and Deeptima Massey. This is a joint workshop between Life Sciences and BSMS. The workshop will focus on ways to connect with non-academic partners, how to identify relevant “stakeholders” and map them to your project goals for successful collaboration. The session will also include a presentation covering what is industry engagement, how can it benefit your research, an introduction to HEIF, engagement and knowledge Exchange as the route to research impact, practical steps to kick off your activity and resources and contacts. All academic staff welcome and Early Career Researchers are encouraged to attend! Please register here

Boosting impact using social media (in-person) Wednesday 8 November, 14.30-16.00 in seminar room, Medical Research Building. Facilitator: Matt Bemment. As an academic and researcher, you may spend countless hours researching, analysing data and writing papers. This effort is potentially only worthwhile if your work is promoted and distributed to the audience to whom it is intended to benefit. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have revolutionised how academics publicise their research and engage with people beyond their institutions. The purpose of this interactive workshop would be to enable people to build professional networks, allow strategic networking, cultivating and maintaining relationships, improving visibility beyond academia and tips on turning their research into effective social media messages. Please register here

Networking and Collaboration: How it can help your research (in-person) Wednesday 15 November, 12.30-14.00, seminar room, Medical Research Building. In this workshop, Professor Harm Van Marwijk will share how “connectedness” and strategic networking can enable cross-fertilisation of complementary ideas, expertise and skills. He will share his own experience of networking effectively and setting up successful collaborations within the UK and beyond. There will also be an opportunity for participants to look at our own networks and make the most of the opportunities we have. Please register here.

Bridging the gap between lab science, clinical practice and research (now in person and via Teams) Tuesday 28 November, 14.30-16.00, seminar room, Medical Research Building. In this workshop Professor Mood Bhutta, Dr Jess Eccles and Dr John Jones will be sharing their experiences of how clinical practice and lab work informs their research, make suggestions on building research as part of everyday practice for clinicians and lab-based scientists and the benefits of being research active. The talk will be followed by an opportunity for participants to take part an activity by discussing the challenges and opportunities of linking clinical work, lab science and research practice. Please register here

How to get published in a Medical Journal: A perspective from Clinical Medicine (now in person and via Teams) Thursday, 7 December, 9.30-11.00, seminar room, Medical Research Building. In this talk Professor Anton Emmanuel, Editor-in-chief at Clinical Medicine, will give a behind-the-scenes look at how papers are selected for publication in Clinical Medicine. We will learn about the journal’s editorial process, how peer review works, and how to respond to reviewer comments, as well as getting top tips on writing your paper and maximising reach and impact. Please register here

Engaging with UK Parliament as a researcher (in-person) Wednesday 31 January 2024, 13.00-14.30, seminar room, Medical Research Building. Sarah Carter-Bell, Knowledge Exchange Manager at UK Parliament, will present a short introduction for colleagues to begin connecting their research with Parliament. The session will introduce the key parliamentary teams that engage with researchers and address how research evidence can enhance Parliament’s debate, scrutiny and legislative functions. It’ll cover top tips for engagement and help researchers find the best audience for their research. The session will conclude with Q & A. Please register here

New: Reinforcing Research Projects: Statistics and Health Economics (in-person) Tuesday 20 February, 10.00-11.30 Seminar room, Medical Research Building. The workshop will provide the opportunity to meet with Stephen Bremner, Professor of Medical Statistics and Natalia Ivashikina, Senior Lecturer in Global Health Economics at BSMS who will talk about statistical and health economic issues which should be considered when planning and conducting research in health care.  Stephen will talk about the interlinked concepts of study design, sample size determination and analytical approach. He will also explain what support is available from the statistics team at BSMS.  Natalia will talk about different methods of economic evaluations and how to select the appropriate method for your research. You will learn about uncertainty in costs and health outcomes and how to address it in your analysis. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions about your particular research project. Please register here

Interested in another topic? Visit the R&KE workshops and training Sharepoint page to find out about other opportunities. If you have a group of ten or more researchers, you can contact Research Services to explore some of the on request workshops available.

Welcome to news and updates for our UoB ECR community ….. from R&KE week!

I hope you are all enjoying the programme of events for Research and Knowledge Exchange Week.

There are still many highlights this week for ECRs include sessions on: What do we mean by KE?; Exploring careers outside academia, R&KE masterclass. 

Also, don’t forget to come along to the R&KE drop-ins to meet the R&KE team and get any advice you may need.

The week will culminate in a showcase celebration event on Friday 21 April at the Sallis Benney, with presentations from recent initiative winners and a poster competition. It is not too late to book your place!

Research dictionary

Visit our blog for a list of acronyms and research terms used at UoB. This month’s featured one is:

Research Professional – University of Brighton subscribes to Research Professional, an online database of research and knowledge exchange funding opportunities and policy news. This subscription enables you to:

• Create personalised funding searches
• Set up email alerts
• Explore bid writing tips
• Read advice from previously successful applicants
• Access interviews with funders and news from across the HE Sector

There is lots of information on the R&KE sharepoint on how to set up your Research professional account and create email alerts. Or, if you come to one of the drop in sessions during R&KE week then someone will be able to help you.

Inaugural lectures Summer series

University of Brighton’s public lecture series returns this spring. Delivered by newly appointed professors, the lectures will delve into the ground breaking research Brighton academics are carrying out to address some of the biggest challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton, across the UK and around the world.

You can book now to hear:

Professor James Ebdon Wednesday 26 April 2023: HUMANS, HEALTH & H2OPE: Combating waterborne disease in an age of phage

Professor Mark Devenney Wednesday 10 May 2023: Political equality and climate catastrophe: Democracy after ‘humanity’.

Professor Tamar Jeffers McDonald Wednesday 24 May 2023: Movie magazines and Hollywood: An interdependent history

Professor Stephen Bremner Wednesday 7 June 2023: Fishing, dredging and veering off-course: How statisticians ensure you’re waving, not drowning

Peer-to-peer mentoring

I am very pleased to offer a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for ECRs, in line with the Concordat. In addition to the mentoring you receive from your research mentors, peer-to-peer mentoring will allow you to enhance your own mentoring skills, develop your network across the University, and gain valuable insights from your peers into current research issues and development opportunities. Please get in touch with me if you would like to be part of this new scheme.

Potential conference of interest:

Vitae International Researcher Development Conference 2023

We look forward to welcoming you to Vitae’s annual conference (#VitaeCon2023) for all those with an interest in the policy and practice of global researcher development. 

 

Welcome to news and updates for our UoB ECR community.

R&KE funding opportunities – *last call*

1) Launchpad – deadline 11.59pm, 24 February 2023

Aims to launch staff into producing excellent research and knowledge exchange. Awards from this scheme are of up to £10,000 for up to 12 months.

2) Knowledge Exchange and Impact Catalyst Fund – deadline 11.59pm, 24 February 2023

Aims to support the development of existing research into a project that will deliver a step change in knowledge exchange and impact outcomes. It offers awards of up to £10,000 for up to 12 months for projects.

3) Student Research Experience scheme – deadline 23.59 on Monday 6 March 2023

Aims to provide hands-on research experience to undergraduate or taught postgraduate students on projects covering all disciplines across the University of Brighton. Find out more about submitting a project for consideration as a project lead.

Peer-to-peer mentoring – *new initiative*

I am very pleased to be launching a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for ECRs, in line with the Concordat. In addition to the mentoring you receive from your research mentors, peer-to-peer mentoring will allow you to enhance your own mentoring skills, develop your network across the University, and gain valuable insights from your peers into current research issues and development opportunities. Please get in touch with me if you would like to be part of this new scheme.

R&KE week: 17 – 21 April

The programme for Research and Knowledge Exchange Week is now ready and booking will be made available online very shortly. Highlights for ECRs include sessions on: Getting your research published; Postdoc mentoring lunch; Planning your R&KE career; What do we mean by KE?; Exploring careers outside academia.

 

 

 

 

The week will culminate in a showcase celebration event on Friday 21 April at the Sallis Benney, with presentations from recent initiative winners and a poster competition. The poster competition will be open to both research and knowledge exchange active staff and postgraduate research students.

Inaugural lectures Spring series

University of Brighton’s public lecture series returns this spring. Delivered by newly appointed professors, the lectures will delve into the groundbreaking research Brighton academics are carrying out to address some of the biggest challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton, across the UK and around the world.

You can book now to hear:

Professor Andrew Dilley
Touching a raw nerve: Controversies in the field of chronic pain
Wednesday 15 March 2023 at 6.30pm, Chowen Lecture Theatre, BSMS Teaching Building, University of Sussex

Professor Barbara Philips
Individualising chaos: Prescribing drugs in high stakes environments
Wednesday 29 March 2023 at 6.30pm, Chowen Lecture Theatre, BSMS Teaching Building, University of Sussex

Booking details for the summer series will be released in March for the following:

Professor James Ebdon Wednesday 26 April 2023: HUMANS, HEALTH & H2OPE: Combating waterborne disease in an age of phage

Professor Mark Devenney Wednesday 10 May 2023: Political equality and climate catastrophe: Democracy after ‘humanity’.

Professor Tamar Jeffers McDonald Wednesday 24 May 2023: Movie magazines and Hollywood: An interdependent history

Professor Stephen Bremner Wednesday 7 June 2023: Fishing, dredging and veering off-course: How statisticians ensure you’re waving, not drowning

Key dates

• 24 February 2023 11:59pm: Launchpad & Catalyst deadlines
• 1 March 2023 6:30pm: Prof. Becky Allen Inaugural lecture
• 6 March 2023 11:59pm: Student Research experience scheme deadline
• 15 March 2023, 6:30pm: Prof. Andrew Dilley Inaugural lecture
• 29 March 2023, 12:00-14:00: Reaching wider audiences with The Conversation
• 29 March 2023, 6:30pm: Prof. Barbara Phillips Inaugural lecture
• 17 – 21 April 2023: Research and Knowledge Exchange Week

Research dictionary

Visit our blog for a list of acronyms and research terms used at UoB. This month’s featured one is:

CEDARS – Culture, Employment and Development in Academic Research Survey. This will be launching in the coming months, so watch this space!

Welcome to news and updates for our UoB ECR community.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a peaceful break. In this second newsletter, I am pleased to give you dates for our forthcoming inaugural lectures, as well as information on two drop-in sessions for the R&KE Launchpad initiative. I am also really excited about kick starting our ECR peer-to-peer mentoring scheme and so please do get in touch if you would like to get involved. As always, I am more than happy to hear from you about any suggestions for ECR development opportunities or any issues you may be facing. Best, Katherine

R&KE funding opportunities – including drop-in sessions and testimonial

1) Launchpad – deadline 11.59pm, 24 February 2023

Aims to launch staff into producing excellent research and knowledge exchange. Awards from this scheme are of up to £10,000 for up to 12 months.

We are running two drop-in sessions for you to come and ask the Research and Knowledge Exchange department any questions you may have about the details of the Launchpad scheme. It is also an opportunity to meet other ECRs and/or dedicate some time for you to think about your potential application and/or start the writing process.

The sessions will be:

1. Wednesday 25 January: 1-2pm, Elm House 302
2. Monday 30 January: 1-2pm, Teams [Meeting ID: 343 948 868 370 Passcode: yjos58]

2) Bid Builder – deadline 12noon, 27 January 2023

The aim of the Bid Builder Programme is to provide structured, non-discipline specialist support to researchers in developing an external grant proposal.

Testimonial from Vanessa Marr (Bid Builder cohort 1): “I was able to see my project ideas from a funding perspective almost immediately with the Bid Builder programme. The peer support element is really useful too, as we’re simultaneously learning to review other’s proposals whilst building our own”.  

3) Knowledge Exchange and Impact Catalyst Fund – deadline 11.59pm, 24 February 2023

Aims to support the development of existing research into a project that will deliver a step change in knowledge exchange and impact outcomes. It offers awards of up to £10,000 for up to 12 months for projects.

4) Ignite 2.0 Enhancing Research Culture 2022-23 – deadline 5pm, 10 February 2023

Proposals can focus on developing a research project with an existing partner, help form a new partnership, or re-ignite dormant ones.

For more information, see latest articles on staffcentral or visit the Research and Knowledge Exchange Initiatives SharePoint page for further information, including details on how to apply, scheme guidance and application forms. Please contact RaKEInitiatives@brighton.ac.uk with any queries.

Peer-to-peer mentoring – *new initiative*

I am very pleased to be launching a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme for ECRs, in line with the Concordat.

In addition to the mentoring you receive from your research mentors, peer-to-peer mentoring will allow you to enhance your own mentoring skills, develop your network across the University, and gain valuable insights from your peers into current research issues and development opportunities.

Please get in touch with me if you would like to be part of this new scheme.

Inaugural lectures return!

University of Brighton’s public lecture series returns this spring. Delivered by newly appointed professors, the lectures will delve into the ground-breaking research Brighton academics are carrying out to address some of the biggest challenges facing people and communities here in Brighton, across the UK and around the world.

You can book now at:

Professor Rusi Jaspal
Identity: Its creation, growth and defence among gay and bisexual men
Wednesday 15 February 2023 at 6.30pm, Rooms 103 and 104, Elm House

Professor Becky Allen
The hidden lives of teachers: Seeking best practice in a diverse world
Wednesday 1 March 2023 at 6.30pm, Rooms 103 and 104, Elm House

Professor Andrew Dilley
Touching a raw nerve: Controversies in the field of chronic pain
Wednesday 15 March 2023 at 6.30pm, Chowen Lecture Theatre, BSMS Teaching Building, University of Sussex

Professor Barbara Philips
Individualising chaos: Prescribing drugs in high stakes environments
Wednesday 29 March 2023 at 6.30pm, Chowen Lecture Theatre, BSMS Teaching Building, University of Sussex

R&KE week: 17 – 21 April

The Research and Knowledge Exchange (RaKE) team are busy planning a Research and Knowledge Exchange Week for 17 – 21 April 2023. Watch this space for a full programme but you can expect a number of development workshops and networking activities to be taking place across the University that week.

Key dates

• 24 January 2023 15:00-16:00: Open Science: What does it mean for you and your research?
• 25 January 2023 13:00 – 14:00: Launchpad drop in session (in person)
• 27 January 2023 12 noon: Bid Builder deadline
• 30 January 2023 13:00 – 14:00: Launchpad drop in session (Teams)
• 15 February 2023 6:30pm: Prof. Rusi Jaspal Inaugural lecture
• 24 February 2023 11:59pm: Launchpad & Catalyst deadlines
• 1 March 2023 6:30pm: Prof. Becky Allen Inaugural lecture
• 15 March 2023, 6:30pm: Prof. Andrew Dilley Inaugural lecture
• 29 March 2023, 12:00-14:00: Reaching wider audiences with The Conversation
• 29 March 2023, 6:30pm: Prof. Barbara Phillips Inaugural lecture
• 17 – 21 April 2023: Research and Knowledge Exchange Week

Research dictionary

I am putting together a list of acronyms and terms that you may hear being used at the UoB but aren’t sure what they mean – get in touch if there are any you would like more info on. This month’s featured one is:

URAKE – The Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (URAKE) is the key strategic committee of Academic Board responsible for all aspects of research and knowledge exchange. The Committee will recommend any major new policies in relation to research and knowledge exchange to the Academic Board for approval.