Call for Proposals – Network Gender & STEM 2020 conference comes to Sydney

It is with pleasure that we now open the Call for Proposals (due 1 Nov. 2019) for the upcoming 5th Network Gender & STEM biennial conference – in Sydney Australia for the first time (previously at Amsterdam, Berlin, Newcastle UK, Eugene USA).

– Conference theme: ‘STEM Education for the New Work Order: Policy, practice and partnerships’

– Dates/location: 30 July – 1 August 2020 at The University of Sydney, Australia

– Website (including proposal guidelines and submissions): www.genderandSTEM2020.com.au

Key dates for your diaries:

– Proposals: due Friday 1 November 2019 – formats include Symposia, Individual papers, Posters, Workshops

– Acceptance decisions: early December 2019

– Registration will open: February 2020

The focus of the conference is on tackling the issue of girls’ and women’s under-representation in STEM, through the pipeline beginning with early school experiences until the workforce. The 2020 Network conference represents a partnership with the STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy to bring together researchers, educators, policymakers, industry representatives and the public to interrogate person-in-context influences towards, or away from, diverse STEM pathways across stages and settings. What are the needs for a STEM workforce of 2030? New, interdisciplinary drivers are transforming work and education policy and practice in response to social and environmental challenges and technological advancement. What is the role of STEM for the new work order, and how can we engage and prepare all young people including girls and women?

Themes will include:

– individual, family, teacher and peer processes which impact STEM engagement and participation;

– key factors and good practices to promote vs. deter STEM engagement and learning within school, university and workplaces;

– positive action measures: STEM initiatives, schemes, networks and organisations;

– developments in STEM & preparing workers for the future;

– the role of higher education institutes, government, industry, public policy and career development policies to enhance women’s and men’s participation in STEM research, commercialisation and public impact.

Keynote speakers include Professors Sue Thomson (Deputy CEO Research, ACER), Ana Deletec (Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, UNSW), Mustafa Özbilgin (Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Brunel Business School) and Network Patron Jacquelynne Eccles (Distinguished Professor, UC-Irvine).

Further details will soon be available including the conference registration and dinner, a third email will be sent out at that time. For now – we hope to welcome you in Sydney in 2020!

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us: info@genderandstem2020.com.au

RA Eng Research Fellowship — update on internal selection process for circulation

RAEng Research Fellowships 2019 – Big Pitch Form

Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships 2019/20 – Internal selection process

The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships, and Engineering for Development Fellowships, opportunity for 2020 is open, see https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/grants/support-for-research/raeng-research-fellowship.

The fellowships support early career post-doctoral researchers (with up to 4 year post-doc experience, excluding leave). The scheme provides funding for five years to encourage the best researchers in engineering to become research leaders in their specialised areas.

As institutions can only make a limited number of applications, the University will hold an internal selection process as detailed in the attached document.

The internal deadline for submitting your ‘Big Pitch’ form (please find attached) and CV for the internal selection process is midday on Thursday 1 August 2019.

Details on the internal selection process will be outlined at a briefing session on 18 July, from 1.00-2.30pm, Armstrong Building, Seminar room 3.41. Interested applicants are expected to attend.

Any queries may be addressed to Jarlath McKenna <Jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk>. Please let him know if you wish to attend the briefing session, or if you plan to submit to the internal selection process but cannot attend the briefing.

 

NEWTON FUND MRC South Africa-UK Antibiotic Accelerator Initiative

Please note that although the closing date for full applications is 5th September, there is a compulsory intention to submit form that must be submitted by 22 July.

5 September 2019, 4pm                22 July 2019 (Intention to submit)

NEWTON FUND MRC South Africa-UK Antibiotic Accelerator Initiative

https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/sa-uk-aai/south-africa-uk-antibiotic-accelerator-initiative/

The UK MRC and South African MRC (SAMRC) are pleased to invite proposals to the South Africa – UK Antibiotic Accelerator under the umbrella of the Newton Fund.

This initiative will provide funding for high quality collaborative research partnerships focused on addressing the growing global burden of antimicrobial resistance, specifically antibacterial resistance in (South) Africa, through drug discovery.

In total, the MRC will make up to £2 million available to support the antibiotic accelerator over a 3-year period. The UK contribution will be matched by SAMRC who will provide up to R24 million.

Through this initiative, the funders are seeking to support a genuinely collaborative SA-UK Antibiotic Accelerator composed of hubs in the UK and South Africa, with integrated opportunities for capacity building. Bids should seek to build on existing collaborations, initiatives, databases, novel chemistry and compound libraries were possible, and propose a robust governance and management structure that will ensure the sustainability of the Accelerator.

The pre-competitive development and testing of new compounds as well as a pipeline of validated compounds and the sharing of relevant chemical matter targeting bacterial strains of greatest public health concern to South Africa are particularly encouraged. Applications with innovative approaches to assay development, high throughput compound screening and lead development with scope for expansion if and when opportunities arise will be prioritised. The final accelerator will include multiple geographically distributed groups focusing on different work packages with a robust overarching governance mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of funds in line with the objective of the initiative.

The following pathogens, relevant to the context of AMR in South Africa are within the remit of this call:

  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • Acinetobacter baumannii
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Enterobacteriaceae
  • Gram-negative carbapenem-resistant pathogens
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Campylobacter
  • Haemophilus influenzae
  • Helicobacter pylori
  • Salmonella spp, in particular S.typhi
  • Shigella spp

N.B. Full applications are conditional on having submitted a compulsory intention to submit. This must be submitted by Monday 22 July, 23:59pm via the online form

https://mrc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/south-africa-uk-antibiotics-accelerator-initiative

The funding agencies will play a further brokering role in this call, after the intention to submit stage.

For full details please see the full documentation on the URL given above

Engagement and Place Training Opportunity: NU-KESS workshop

Please find attached a training opportunity forwarded from the Engagement and Place Team centrally which may appeal to PhD students, PGRs /early career researchers right through to senior academics. It is to join a NU-KESS (Newcastle University Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series) workshop focussed on the presentation of research to local decision makers. The deadline for applications is the 31st July and further information can be found in the attached document.

NU-KESS Open Call document June 2019

NU-KESS

(Newcastle University Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series)

Can your research inform local policy?

The Newcastle University Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (NU-KESS) aims to promote evidence led policy making and provides a forum for researchers to present their research findings in a straightforward format on issues that are relevant to local decision makers.

NU-KESS is delivered in partnership with Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, Northumberland County Council, North Tyneside Council and South Tyneside Council, North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) and the North East England Chamber of Commerce (NEECC).

Would you like to present your research to local decision makers?

What’s involved?

  • Identify which of the ‘Hot Topics’ you will address and submit a 150 word abstract.
  • Attend a 1 hour training workshop prior to the seminar to develop your ideas.
  • Prepare and deliver a 30 minute presentation (up to a maximum of 20 slides) to an audience of local decision makers.
  • Prepare a written 4-5 page policy briefing for dissemination at the event.

Why should I take part?

Benefits to participants include:

  • Increased connections and engagement with policy makers.
  • Enhanced impact of your research.
  • Development of new ideas leading to further research.
  • Connecting with other researchers; working on locally relevant topics.

The call for application submissions for the 2019/20 programme is now open and closes at midnight on Wednesday 31st July.

The call is open to all academics at Newcastle University and we are looking for presentations that relate to the ‘hot topics’ policy makers have identified as a high priority for the local area.

Submissions as a team/group are welcome i.e. may include academics from other institutions; however the lead academic must be from Newcastle University.

If you are interested in taking part please read the guidance document and complete the online form.

Submissions and queries should be sent to:

nu.policyacademy@ncl.ac.uk

Annual Combined Northern and Yorkshire Rheumatology Meeting National Railway Museum, York Wednesday September 25th 2019

Annual Combined Northern and Yorkshire Rheumatology Meeting

National Railway Museum, York

Wednesday September 25th 2019 – please see the website for further information at https://conferences.ncl.ac.uk/nyrm2019/ (best viewed in Chrome)

To register for the meeting:

The National Railway Museum is a short walk from the railway station. On-line registration is available now via the following URL link (or copy and paste into browser):

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/25th-northern-and-yorkshire-rheumatology-meeting-2019-registration-57004160980

To submit an abstract:

Please e-mail your abstract to janet.herdman@ncl.ac.uk by 29th August at the latest (late submissions will not be considered). Your abstract should be presented on a single side of A4. One figure or table may be included.

If your abstract is a clinical abstract for the morning session:

Clinical cases for the morning presentations would be greatly appreciated including the sort of cases seen as urgent ward or out patient referrals. If you have a suitable case that you would like to present it would be helpful to discuss with Mike Green on mike.green@hdft.nhs.uk.

This is a prompt to encourage you to consider submitting an abstract summarising basic, translational and clinical science in the rheumatology field, as well as clinical cases and audit findings; remember, there is a prize for the two best abstracts, which will be presented in the final session! Abstracts submitted to the ACR or EULAR 2019 may be submitted, and we encourage submissions from students and Fellows.

We also particularly encourage rheumatology trainees from around the region to submit abstracts of notable clinical cases (in general rheumatology as well as SpA management conundrums) for presentation and discussion. If you are a trainee, please consider doing this. IF you are a consultant please provide encouragement; you are of course welcome to present cases yourselves!) It’s a fantastic opportunity to exchange expertise with interested peers and gain experience of presenting. Please also ensure that trainees working at your centre are able to cancel their clinics for the day, mindful that the date is shortly after the rotation date for some.

If you have any queries about the meeting please contact janet.herdman@ncl.ac.uk

Social Justice Fund 2019 – applications now open!

Social Justice Fund 2019 – applications now open!

The Newcastle University Social Justice Fund is now open to applications that support work in the field of social justice as part of the University’s Engagement and Place Strategy. 

​​​​​​​Newcastle University is committed to social justice in all that we do and we are dedicated to working together to create a fairer and more just society. The fund will develop a portfolio of successful relationships between the University and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

Funded projects will be focused around one of the following social justice themes:

  • Children, youth and lifecourse
  • Poverty, welfare and social class
  • Race, religion and migration
  • Environment, nature and landscape
  • Peace, reconciliation and human rights
  • Housing, neighbourhood and region
  • Gender, sexuality and relationships
  • Health, well-being and care
  • Education, work and employment

We are particularly interested in applications that will contribute to meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between the University and VCSE partners and that are co-produced.

What funding is available?
The minimum amount of funding that can be applied for is £2000. The absolute maximum you can apply for is £10,000; however, we envisage that most projects will be around £5000. We would encourage applicants to consider carefully what they want to use the funds for and apply for the appropriate amount rather than the maximum available.  The detail of how the funds will be spent should be included in your application.

What are the assessment criteria?
The Newcastle Social Justice Fund invites proposals from Schools, Research Centres, Institutes and individual academics, including early career researchers and PhD students.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Evidence how key social justice issues have been addressed;
  • The project must contribute to, pilot and/or deliver innovations that can be shared or can advance good practice;
  • Applications must be submitted in partnership with a VCSE organisation;
  • The approach to collaboration will create a meaningful and sustainable partnership;
  • Potential for the projects to demonstrate new approaches to collaboration and engagement;
  • Potential for the project to contribute to education and student experience;
  • Potential for the project to contribute to research impact (that is, research that has societal benefit);
  • Potential for the project to generate additional external research income.

Please read the guidance document for full details of the fund and use the application form to submit your application via the online form by Friday 30th August 2019https://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=5177710​

NSJF Application Form 2019-20.docx
NSJF Guidance Document 2019-20.docx

For any queries please contact socialjustice@ncl.ac.uk and visit ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/social-justice/ for more information.

Sign up to the NU Engage newsletter for all the latest engagement news, events and opportunities!

MRC Confidence in Concept call now live – EoI deadline 18.07.19

CiC EoI 2019 v2

CiC guidance 2019 v.3

MRC Confidence in Concept – Application Form V.2 2019

The Newcastle MRC Confidence in Concept call is now live, with a closing date for Expressions of Interest of 18th July 2019.

Expressions of Interest will be reviewed by a panel, and those that are invited to submit full applications will be contacted at the end of July, with full applications due by 18 September.

Indicative / estimated costs ONLY are expected at EoI stage. Applications will be assessed on scientific grounds, with the potential to convert the CiC project to downstream translational research grants a key consideration.

The guidance documentation, and both application forms can be downloaded from the Faculty website: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medicalsciences/research/mrc/cic/#currentcall

Should you have any questions, or would like clarification of anything, please do not hesitate to contact me.

With thanks for your time, and best wishes, Sarah

Sarah Greenhalgh

CiC & PtD Programme Manager

Research Project Manager

Faculty of Medical Sciences Project Management Team | Newcastle University Medical School | Framlington Place | Newcastle upon Tyne | NE2 4HH

T:  0191 20 86944

E: sarah.greenhalgh@ncl.ac.uk