Monthly Archives: January 2018

Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Discovery Awards

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https://www.dementiasplatform.uk/tools-resources/dpuk-discovery-awards

Deadline: 06/04/18

Amount: £50k

Duration: Up to 12 Months

Discovery Awards support new research proposals for analysis of DPUK’s cohort data to help further scientific understanding of the dementias.

The DPUK Discovery Awards committee will assess applications based on the following criteria:

  • Importance
  • Originality
  • Support for DPUK’s mission

The DPUK Discovery Awards are open to researchers or academics based at universities or in industry.

The lead applicant should have a salary in place for the duration of the award and at least one Early Career Researcher should be part of the research team.

Institutional support / Supporting statement from host organisation

A supporting statement from the host organisation, signed by an appropriate senior authority, including the contributions, financial or otherwise, that will be provided by the organisation and / or other sources, can be attached if appropriate.

The application form can be viewed through the link above. Applications are submitted through an online page.

Information on the DPUK cohort data can be found here: https://www.dementiasplatform.uk/tools-resources/cohort-data

The Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme

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We’ve been made aware of the opportunity outlined below. Whilst this is not research funding, it may be of interest for those wanting to do engagement or impact events.

https://www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk/

The Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme is a £1.5 million government fund that will support local and community groups across England (including universities) in celebrating the centenary of women gaining the right to vote (see themes in the guidance / FAQ docs, which includes civic life and participation).

There are two schemes, small grants (up to £2k) and large grants (up to £125k).

Those interested could contact their local engagement or diversity reps for assistance. Please ensure to read the guidance and FAQ documents if you are thinking of applying.

INE Seminar – Thursday 18th January

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We are very excited to announce our first seminar of 2018 which will be on Thursday the 18th January at 4pm in the Research Beehive room 2.22 at Newcastle University. Tea and coffee will be provided from 3:30pm.

We are delighted to welcome:

Professor Adrian Hayday PhD FRS, F MedSci

Glendinning Professor of Immunobiology, King’s College London & co-Lead, Clinical Academic Grouping, Genetics Rheumatology Infection Immunology & Dermatology King’s Health Partners & Senior Group Leader, The Francis Crick Institute, London

Talk title:

In search of natural tissue-immunosurveillance: the roles of epithelial butyrophilins

Synopsis:

Adrian Hayday trained as a biochemist, did his PhD studies in tumour virology, and pursued post-doctoral training at MIT where he characterised chromosome translocation breakpoints in human B cell lymphomas, and helped identify gamma delta (gd) T cells by being the first to describe gd TCR genes. On the Faculty at Yale University, he helped show that gd T cells occupy a distinct niche in lymphocyte biology, including disproportionate association with tissues rather than with lymphoid organs, and rapid responses to tissue-‘stress’. At a time when tumour immune surveillance was not widely accepted, his lab showed that mice lacking gd T cells are more susceptible to carcinogens. His group returned to London in 1998 to establish the Peter Gorer Dept of Immunobiology at King’s College London, then joined the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute (now part of the Francis Crick Institute) as a joint appointee in 2009. In recent years, his group has developed a strong programme in human immunology, including clinical trials applying gd T cells in immunotherapy. Amongst many honours, in 1997 he became the first biologist to win the William Clyde DeVane Medal, Yale College’s prestigious prize for scholarship, and he was awarded a FRS in 2016.

Website:

www.crick.ac.uk/research/a-z-researchers/researchers-d-j/adrian-hayday/biography/

Recent publications:

www.crick.ac.uk/research/a-z-researchers/researchers-d-j/adrian-hayday/publications/

If you would like to speak with Adrian during his visit, please contact Andrew Mellor (andrew.mellor@ncl.ac.uk).

The 2018 INE seminar list is included below for your convenience.

Best wishes,

Nicola Maney

INE Communications Officer

 

INE 2017-18

All talks are currently planned to take place at 4pm (3.30pm for Tea and Coffee with biscuits) in the Research Beehive, room 2.22 (except 17th May which is in the Baddiley Clark seminar room)

Thursday January 18th 2018

Prof. Adrian Hayday, CRICK institute/King’s College London

Title to follow; “lymphocyte function within tissues, and how those functions may contribute to human health and disease”

Thursday February 15th 2018

Dr Wafa Khamri, Imperial College London

Title to follow; “immune responses, cellular function and acute liver failure”

Thursday March 15th 2018

Dr Joanne Konkel, University of Manchester

Title to follow; “Immune cell networks at barrier sites, effects of tissue microenvironment on immune function”

Thursday 12th April 2018

Dr. Dean Naisbitt, University of Liverpool

Title to follow;. “chemistry of antigen formation and the mechanisms behind an aberrant T-cell-mediated immune response”

Thursday May 17th 2018

Baddiley Clark seminar room

Prof. Ben Wilcox, Professor of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham

Title to follow; “Novel tumour antigens and unconventional T cell function”

June 2018 AGM Meeting –Durham (14th June, details to be confirmed)

Publication Information for REF & BRC

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FMS PUBLICATIONS advice April 2017

Dear colleagues

David Burn and John Simpson have asked me to resend the attached document.

The subtext is that one area in which Newcastle appears to underachieve is in publication metrics.  This has consequences to both our rankings but also our funding – because certain funders perform bibliometric searches as part of their awards process.  This is particularly true of NIHR.

However, to a significant extent our underachievement reflects relatively simple errors:

  1. NIHR will look for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals as an affiliation, because they fund via the NHS.  Therefore it is critical that anyone with an association with NUTH uses this as part of their affiliation, in addition to Newcastle University.  If you don’t your publications could well be omitted from bibliometric searches and therefore metrics.
  2. Secondly, the BRC funds a significant amount of Faculty infrastructure.  Therefore, even if you don’t directly receive a grant from the BRC, your research will be supported by the BRC in some way. Therefore you should acknowledge the BRC in the relevant section for the vast majority of your work.  The  official paragraph for acknowledgements (as stipulated to us by the NIHR) is:

‘The Research was supported/funded by the National Institute for Health Research Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre based at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health’.

Where possible can you use the full phrase above however I do accept that this is very long-winded and there is not always space in all Journals particularly when multiple funders have had to be acknowledged so if this is the case it seems common sense shortening to:

‘The Research was supported/funded by NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre’.

Something else you might consider is to use the BRC as your affiliation:

A.B. somebody. NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre based at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

If you do this it is still good to acknowledge BRC – but I now use the above as a ‘failsafe’.  If you don’t acknowledge the BRC in some way then your publications may be missed in bibliometric searches and WILL NOT COUNT in the metrics for BRC renewal – and the competition is becoming so tough that this could mean losing our BRC status, which would be extremely serious.

You will hear more about this – it is very important and Faculty will continue to circulate the message until compliance is 100%.  Institute Directors have also been asked to look at this as a PDR metric, starting this year.

Thanks for reading, and for complying!

Best wishes, John

Professor of Clinical Rheumatology and Director, Institute of Cellular Medicine
Newcastle University
Framlington Place
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH

British Academy Visiting Fellowships

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The British Academy is providing academics based in any country overseas (and active at any career stage and in any discipline within the humanities and the social sciences) with the opportunity to be based at a UK higher education or other research institution of their choice for up to six months. Visiting Fellows will work with colleagues at UK host institutions in order to develop new research collaborations and/or deepen existing partnerships.  These Visiting Fellowships are supported by the Rutherford Fund, which aims to help maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in science and research by attracting highly skilled researchers to the UK. Launched in July 2017, the Fund includes more than £100 million over the next four years to support the provision of fellowships for international research talent.

Aims These Visiting Fellowships illustrate the British Academy’s profound commitment to international engagement and to ensuring that the UK remains an attractive and welcoming place for academics globally. It is expected that approximately 60 Visiting Fellowships will be supported under this scheme with the current call. Through the Visiting Fellowships the Academy aims to:

  • Enhance and build new links between scholars anywhere in the world and in the UK;
  • Foster opportunities and develop future partnerships for collaborative research in the humanities and the social sciences, and enable academics from across the globe to undertake research and/or professional development with UK colleagues;
  • Strengthen the UK’s research base in the humanities and the social sciences.

Eligibility Requirements Suitable candidates for the Visiting Fellowships include researchers active within any discipline within the humanities or the social sciences. They may be talented early career scholars who have only recently obtained their PhD degree; mid-career researchers; or established academics with a considerable track-record of achievement. Candidates need not necessarily apply to develop collaboration with UK scholars active within the same discipline. These Fellowships are open also to applicants who wish to work with UK colleagues in other areas or disciplines (including scholars within the natural, medical, or engineering sciences), in a cross- or inter-disciplinary way.

Value and Duration Awards of up to £33,000 are available. Funding can be used to support: the subsistence and accommodation costs of the Visiting Fellow; research expenses; travel expenses; and a contribution of 50% of the total award to enable the UK institution to host the Visiting Fellow. Each Visiting Fellowship may last a maximum of six months.

Application Process Applications must be submitted online using the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant system. Application deadline: Wednesday 31 January 2018 (17:00 UK time). Host institution approval deadline: Thursday 1 February 2018 (17:00 UK time).

Contact Us internationalgrants@britac.ac.uk +44 (0) 207 969 5220