Passionate about science? FameLab needs YOU!
The search is on for the new voices of science communication. FameLab has become arguably the world’s leading science communication competition, and is designed to help people communicate science and engineering to a wider audience, whether in schools, at public events or through the media. Over the autumn heats will be taking place across the country from Aberdeen to London, Cardiff to Cambridge.
If you’re currently working in science. technology, engineering or maths, and think you can explain a science or engineering concept in an engaging way to non-scientists in just three minutes, FameLab wants to hear from you!
The winner of the heats will get the chance to take part in a weekend MasterClass with experts in media & communication skills, before vying for the title of FameLab UK champion at the National Final in March 2013 where they will have the chance to take home £1,750 to further their career.
So if you think you have what it takes visit http://famelab.org/uk to register.
Administrative Data Liaison Service
News on data sharing and consent practices:
Across the UK, there is much interest in linking social science studies and surveys to respondents’ routine administrative records, which are generally held by government departments. Such linkage improves the power and utility of research data by including new information that may not be easily obtained and reduces the costs, time and resources necessary to collect such additional data using traditional methods. Typically, consent requests are made to link to a person’s health, education and economic routine records.
The ADLS has recently reviewed the existing consent practices used by some of the major social science studies and surveys in the UK. Read the rest of this entry
NELSON sets sail
FAQ: What is NELSON?
NELSON is the library’s new resource discovery tool, replacing Metalib as the primary portal for accessing electronic resources.
East Midlands Research Support Group
Nick and I spent yesterday afternoon at the University of Nottingham, attending a meeting of the East Midlands Research Support Group (EMRSG). This group, which comprises library staff from – you’ve guessed it – East Midlands universities, is a community of practice dedicated to sharing good practice in supporting researchers.
Announcing an engagement
You only have to look at recent statements from Research Councils UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and others to know that researchers are under increasing pressure to create and manage their data in an appropriate and, ideally, open way.
The University of Northampton was one of the earliest universities to develop a research data policy. Our policy is straightforward. It recognises that good research is underpinned by good research data management and expects researchers to follow RCUK recommendations for achieving this. On a practical level it encourages each researcher to produce a data management plan at an early stage of their research lifecycle and to deposit their data in a data repository on the completion of the project.
A researcher’s view of Open Access
From the University of Northampton YouTube channel: Dr (now Professor) Jeff Ollerton discusses the importance of Open Access publishing.
Effective Part-Time Researcher day
Are you studying for your research degree part-time? Why not book your free place on The Effective Part-time Researcher workshop?
12 October 2012, University of Nottingham
A one-day programme for part-time postgraduate researchers early in the ‘middle part’ of their part-time PhD.
Supervisor Development Programme
The university runs a development programme for supervisors who are new to research degree supervision. It is a validated university postgraduate course and it is delivered as two masters-level modules – Workshops and Observation. It is a requirement of our research degree regulations that everyone who is new to supervision takes the first module – the workshops. The second module is optional but if you complete both you are awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Degree Supervision which you can count as one completion when putting together supervisory teams.
The workshops for 2012/13 will run 9.30-4.00 on Thursday 29th November, Tuesday 4th December and Friday 7th December 2012. There will be a further session of seminars led by participants early in 2013 – date to be negotiated with participants. You will be expected to attend on all of these days. Hopefully you can schedule other commitments, particularly teaching, around these dates.
The programme is co-ordinated by Prof Ian Livingstone. If you would like to join this year’s development programme and haven’t previously contacted Ian, please contact him now.
Postgraduate Perspective Newsletter
The past three issues of the Postgraduate Perspective Newsletter,
the newsletter for research students at The University of Northampton, have now been uploaded onto the University Website. Take a look at what your colleagues are up to!
UON Graduate School Blog 