Category Archives: Faculty of Business and Law
Use of NECTAR…
We are currently in the process of implementing a Current Research Information System, named Pure, which will become the new platform that you engage with to upload your research outputs… And a whole lot more!
As part of this process, whilst the public facing side of NECTAR will remain, your use of it will come to an end!
I realise how busy you are with Waterside… So in a bid to make this an easier transition, from the 1st of August please do NOT put any items into NECTAR.
If you have a journal article or conference proceeding with an ISSN number that is accepted for publication from the 1st of August until Pure is launched, please email it to nectar@northampton.ac.uk and our team will ensure it is uploaded to meet HEFCE’s open access requirments for the REF (Research Excellence Framework). Please email as soon as it is accepted to allow our team adequate time to meet these requirements.
If you have any other research outputs accepted or published during this time, please hold on to them until Pure is launched! (Expected to launch late October).
Don’t be alarmed… Training will be given in how to use Pure – which is a much more user friendly platform than NECTAR in due course.
If you have any questions or concerns relating to this please email pure@northampton.ac.uk
The Research Support team will be wandering over to Waterside on the 1st of August… Our calendars are always up to date and open to all… So feel free to invite us to meetings at locations of your choice!
Many thanks
Dawn Hibbert
Head of Research Support
Dr Ali Al-Sherbaz appearing on the BBC, The One Show
Our Research team from the Computing Department and Moulton College are developing a sensor to detect lameness in sheep. Associate Professor Dr. Ali Al-Sherbaz will be appearing on the BBC One – The One Show tonight at 7pm. Tune in to find out more about this research, how this infection costs UK farming about £80m/yr and whether the solution could lie in a ‘Fitbit’ for sheep.
New Yammer Research Support Group
All staff have access to Yammer… Kind of like facebook for work… In order to give Researcher’s at our University a dedicated space for interaction, helpful files, presentations, links etc, a Research Support group has been created, including information on the REF and RDM. Feel free to join & access these resources! (https://www.yammer.com (log in with your Uni username and password)).
Article Processing Charges – Update
The University of Northampton has an institutional fund for the payment of article processing charges.
Publishing “gold” allows your research, the published version, to be made freely available immediately upon publication to anyone with internet access. This enables people to access your work without waiting for embargo periods to pass (which can be up to 5 years or more!) and for the published version to be made freely available, rather than your accepted manuscript!
The University has entered into a number of agreements that allow us discounts on the cost of article processing charges:
- IEEE (25% discount – prepaid account)
- Springer (All APCs at zero cost – please select the open access option)
- SAGE (£200 Discount)
- Taylor and Francis (75% discount on most journals)
- Wylie (25% Discount)
When publishing with any of the above publishers, please contact openaccess@northampton.ac.uk and we will guide you through the process.
If you have any questions in relation to article processing charges, copyright or the quality of a journal, please do contact openaccess@northampton.ac.uk prior to signing a copyright transfer agreement.
Impact & the REF – Introductory Session
Thank you to all who attended the sessions today on Impact & the REF. If you were unable to attend today’s sessions, please take the time to have a look over the slides. If you haven’t yet booked for the 3 hour workshop session relevant to your unit of assessment please do as soon as possible (email SDbookings@northampton.ac.uk).
Impact and the REF Standard Sized Screen
If you have any questions please email dawn.hibbert@northampton.ac.uk
Note: Recommendations from Lord Sterns Review in the REF: (Final guidelines to be published in Summer 2017)
- Impact – Proposal for impact in REF 2021 is to remain consistent with REF 2014 process
- Impacts are submitted by the institution or institutions in which the underpinning research has been conducted.
- Impacts are submitted by the institution or institutions in which the underpinning research has been conducted.
- Aspects captured by the impact template should be incorporated into the environment statement.
- Propose to take account of the unit’s approach to supporting and enabling impact as an explicit section of the environment element of assessment – impact template would no longer be required.
- 100% of the impact sub-profile would be attributed to the impact case studies.
- Case study ratio should be based on HESA data on research active staff.
- All institutions should be required to submit some institutional-level case studies which arise from multi- and interdisciplinary and collaborative work.
- Proposed that case studies are submitted via a web form in REF 2021 that will include a number of mandatory fields.
- Case studies should continue to be based on research of demonstrable quality, but could be linked to a research activity and a body or work as well as to specific research outputs.
- Proposed that examples of impact in REF 2021 must be underpinned by excellent research, research activity, or a body of work produced by the submitting unit in the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020.
Impact & the REF – English & History; Education, Business & Law – 9th June
I am delighted to annouce that Sarah Hall will be leading the three hour workshops for English and History and Education, Business and Law on the 9th of June. Sarah has been the Research Impact Strategy and Policy Manager for the University of Leicester for the past four years, and supported the delivery of the impact aspect of the institution’s REF2014 submission. Since 2014, she has worked to embed impact into the research culture of the University and to manage preparations for the next assessment exercise. A member of the University’s Research Strategy and Policy team, Sarah works centrally across the institution supporting academic staff from all disciplines to explore, articulate and evidence the economic and societal impact of their research.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system used for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. In order to facilitate preparation for the next REF, two meetings have been scheduled for all staff on the 19th of May.
12 pm to 1 pm – Park Campus – DLT (Delapre Lecture Theatre)
2 pm to 3 pm – Avenue Campus – MR 5
Workshop on REF and the Impact – English and History – C317 – Park Campus – 9th June – 9:30am to 12:30 pm
Workshop on REF and the Impact – Education, Business and Law – C317 – Park Campus – 9th June – 1 pm to 4 pm
To book your place please email SDBookings@Northampton.ac.uk
Impact & the REF
“In the 2021 REF the University of Northampton will submit and celebrate the excellent research it has done, and is doing, to underpin the delivery of the Changemaker Challenges and the University’s mission of Transforming Lives + Inspiring Change. The interdisciplinary nature of much of our research will be made overt. We will particularly focus on the impact our research has had, locally, nationally and internationally, and the ways the implementation of research findings (the application of our new knowledge) has improved the lives of people, and their environments.” Professor Simon Denny (Executive Dean: Research, Impact and Enterprise).
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system used for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. In order to facilitate preparation for the next REF, two meetings have been scheduled for all staff on the 19th of May.
12 pm to 1 pm – Park Campus – DLT (Delapre Lecture Theatre)
2 pm to 3 pm – Avenue Campus – MR 5
Further meetings have been scheduled to look deeper at impact and case studies for units of assessment for the next REF. These are 3 hour meetings which will look in detail at what makes a 4 star impact case study and how we can apply that to our own research.
Please ensure that you come along to the meeting that is relevant to you, if you are unsure of which meeting to attend please contact your Research Leader.
24th May – 09:30 am to 12:30 pm – Mechanical Engineering, Art and Design, Geography, Computing – Avenue Campus – MY120
7th June – 1 pm to 4 pm Allied Health & Psychology – Park Campus – C317
9th June – 9:30 am to 12:30 pm – English and History – Park Campus – C317
9th June – 1 pm to 4 pm – Education, Business and Law – Park Campus – C317
Note – these are based on units of assessment, not faculty structures.
Please do prioritise these dates, and attend if at all possible.
Please email SDBookings@northampton.ac.uk to book your place.
If you are a PG Student, please contact dawn.hibbert@ed.ac.uk for booking.
University’s Enterprise Priorities 2017-2020
The aim of the University’s Enterprise Plan for 2017-2020 is to deploy existing and new, resources in coordinated partnership with key local stakeholders to improve the economic metrics and business environment of Northamptonshire. In achieving this aim the plan will also improve graduate employability, wellbeing, environmental and other metrics.
The University’s Enterprise Priorities 2017-2020 document has been written by Professor Simon Denny, Executive Dean for Research, Impact and Enterprise. Find out more about these Priorities by reading the full document UoN Enterprise Priorities 2017 – 2020
UON Graduate School Blog 