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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
is an agreement between the University that sets out the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders to enhance career support and development. See this