20 March 2013

“The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in partnership with SIN Paris, TIGA, CI KTN and ICT KTN are hosting a one day workshop for games developers and researchers from the arts and humanities to explore creative ways of working together.  We are looking for an equal mix of games developers and arts and humanities researchers from the UK and across Europe, looking for new creative partnerships to identify priority areas where academic / business collaboration can support the future development of the video games industry.”

“Priority will be given to arts and humanities researchers in the following areas:

• Interactive storytelling
• Creative writing
• Artistic design
• Interactive performance
• Cinematography
• Music
• Theatre
• Communities and audience interaction”

“If you would like to register your interest in attending the workshop, please click here. Registration closes on 1^st March. We cannot guarantee you will be successful, as there are a limited number of places. We aim to inform successful and unsuccessful applicants by 7^th March.”

[Source AHRC website http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News-and-Events/Events/Pages/European-Video-Games-Workshop.aspx ]

Monday, March 11, 2013 – 10:30 – 15:30

The Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, 183 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE

“This workshop will provide an introduction to community-based participatory research (CBPR), highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and considering some of the ethical challenges it raises. We will introduce the newly-developed guide, Community-based participatory research: A guide to ethical principles and practice, and an accompanying set of case materials and exercises, Ethics in community-based participatory research: case studies, case examples and commentaries.”

“Facilitated by Sarah Banks, Durham University, with contributions from Sian Aggett, Wellcome Trust and Magda Rossman, Panos London, this workshop will use participatory methods to discuss and record experiences, reflections and recommendations.”

“Bookings: the workshop is free due to generous support from Durham University Wolfson Research Institute and the Wellcome Trust. Places are limited to 30, so early booking is advisable.”

[Source National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement website:  http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/ethics-community-based-participatory-research-workshop?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCCPELatestNewsAndEvents+%28NCCPE+-+Latest+News+and+Events%29&utm_content=Google+Reader ]

My colleague Liz Peet is organising some Endnote workshops for staff, researchers and postgraduate students later this month and there are still places available.

“EndNote Web is a bibliographic management software package that will help you to organise and manage your bibliographic references and create bibliographies easily and automatically. If you’re engaged in a large-scale research project then Endnote Web offers practical solutions to managing all your references.”

The workshops are taking place on Monday 17 December in John Dalton as follows:

10.30-13.00 John Dalton C1.02

13.30-16.00 John Dalton C1.02

If you would like to book a place on either session please email Liz: e.peet@mmu.ac.uk

“Are you helping researchers to makes sense of the Impact dimension to the REF? If so the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) is keen to help. This event provides a unique opportunity to find out about resources we’ve developed to help researchers create impact case studies, and to develop skills in evaluation.” 

“The ‘Training the Trainer’ event will:

•Introduce you to the resources on offer

•Showcase a 2.5 hour ‘Developing REF case studies’ workshop that you can then adapt for your own institution

•Provide an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and opportunities in developing impact case studies”

For more details go to:  http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/creating-impact-case-studies-ref-16th-january-2013?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCCPELatestNewsAndEvents+%28NCCPE+-+Latest+News+and+Events%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

[Source NCCPE website as above]

“The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Council has decided to streamline the provision of responsive mode Fellowships into a single scheme – the NERC Independent Research Fellowships (IRFs) – that will replace the previous schemes (Postdoctoral Fellowships and Advanced Fellowships).”

“The new scheme is designed to develop scientific leadership among the most promising early-career environmental scientists, by giving all Fellows five years’ support, which will allow them sufficient time to develop their research programmes, and to establish international recognition.”

“As part of this scheme, NERC will expand its fellowship networking and training activities, working with host institutions, to support the development of future leaders in NERC science.”

“The first closing date for NERC Independent Research Fellowships will be 16:00 on 1 November 2012.”

[Source NERC website: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/fellowships/irf.asp ]

Ruth Roberts at the National Archives writes:

“We’ve already visited a number of universities over the past year and have presented on a number of different topics from the history of The National Archives and the Public Record Office to the challenges of developing a new catalogue.” 

“So far we’ve presented at seminars across a number of fields: history, digital humanities, archives, information studies and interdisciplinary. We’re willing to fit in with the particular university and have previously carried out formal lectures, open IT labs, seminars and informal discussions. We have a wealth of information here that social scientists would find exciting too. We have excellent links with most history schools around the country but are eager to strengthen contacts with social science departments too.  If you’re a social scientist who would like to find out about the data we hold, do please get in touch.”    

“If you work or study at a university and think a visit from The National Archives would be beneficial, then please email research@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk and we can discuss details.”

[Source National Archives blog: http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/university-challenge/ ]

“Being informed and informative are important aspects of being a researcher. In our increasingly information based society, information literacy is a vital ability that is required to be able to make effective and efficient decisions. It enables researchers to find, analyse and evaluate information and become independent lifelong learners.” 

“To highlight these important abilities, RIN (Research Information Network), SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries) and members of the Working Group on Information Handling have created a mapping of information literacy onto the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, using the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy.” 

“This information literacy lens can be used to identify how information literacy can contribute to researchers’ professional development, as well as identify how the skills and attributes they have developed through research can contribute to, or underpin their development in information literacy.”

“To support the Information literacy lens The Informed Researcher booklet has been developed as a practical guide to being an information-literate researcher. The booklet is based on the Information Literacy lens and can be used to audit your skills and form an action plan for taking them forward.”

To see the Researcher booklets go to: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/169081/Researcher-booklets.html

To seen the Researcher Development lenses go to: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/437191/Increasing-the-impact-and-engagement-of-researchers.html

[Source Digital Curation Centre website: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/node/9568 ]

“Are you supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), working on a BBSRC grant or based at a BBSRC-funded institute?  If so, you can attend, free of charge, the BBSRC’s public engagement training in London on the 10th July.”

“The course will cover what public engagement is and why it is important and help participants develop an understanding of the skills required to carry out effective public engagement, that is well organised and properly evaluated. It will have an emphasis on two-way engagement, so much of the day will be about building awareness of the social and ethical issues that might be raised in the context of research and ways to engage with the public in relation to those issues.” 

“To join for the first training session or register interest for a later date, please visit the BBSRC website.”

[Source National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement News: http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/bbsrc-public-engagement-training?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCCPELatestNewsAndEvents+%28NCCPE+-+Latest+News+and+Events%29&utm_content=Google+Reader ]

“The ESRC Student Internship Scheme provides current ESRC funded PhD students with the opportunity to spend up to 6 months in a non-academic organisation within the public, civil society (voluntary) or private sector where they can work as part of a team involved with policy/practice development. The internship scheme provides both student and host organisations with a clear set of benefits and contributes to the skills and professional development of PhD students.”

Participating Host Organisations for the 2012 internships include the British Heart Foundation, the Dept for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.  For the full list and further information go to: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/2364/Student_Internship_Scheme_.aspx

[Source ESRC website as above]

“The British Science Association Media Fellowships help bridge the communication gap between journalists and scientists.”

“10 Media Fellowships are awarded each year to scientists, social scientists, clinicians and engineers from different backgrounds and stages of their career.”

“Media Fellows spend 3-8 weeks over the summer working with a national press, broadcast or internet journalist to gain a greater awareness and understanding of the workings of the media and produce accurate and well-informed news pieces and work in the Press Centre at the British Science Festival.”

“Application is open from 16 January to 23 March (extended from 11 March)”

[Source British Science Association: http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/scienceinsociety/MediaFellowships/ ]