Thursday 6 December 2012

The Socially Innovative Researcher

The Socially Innovative Researcher

15 January 2013 - 17 January 2013

 

Do you want to change the world?

Are you keen to make a difference with your research?

Would you like to create a positive social impact?

 

Audience: This course is recommended for research staff and postgraduate researchers who have completed the first year of their PhD

The University of Manchester is hosting a residential professional development course on social innovation - the ability to find enterprising solutions to social and environmental problems.

The course will guide you in how your talents honed through engaging in research can be applied in a different context. The range of activities on this course include exploring your motivations and values, creating fresh solutions to problems, demonstrating the impact of the work you do, and putting your ideas into practice.

By attending this course, you will have the opportunity to:-

  • Collaborate with researchers from a range of disciplines

  • Understand more about social enterprise and how it relates to research

  • Enhance your personal, research and social impact

  • Develop your communication skills through describing how your research benefits others

  • Explore ways in which you can apply your skills in different contexts

  • Improve your personal effectiveness

  • Challenge assumptions and raise your self and social awareness.



What is the commitment?

This course runs over a period of four days - you will attend the three-day residential event in January, followed by a one-day wrap-up event in March. In between these events you also have the option to take up additional training, support and mentoring opportunities. When registering for the course, you will be asked to commit to attending for the full duration.

How will the course work?

This course provides an ‘experiential' or ‘learning by doing' approach. Sure there is some element of presentation and information giving, but for the most part, you will be actively participating in the sessions and team activities.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary groups offering you the chance to explore team dynamics, roles and responsibilities, providing a rich base from which to raise awareness of your own skills and knowledge.

This course will operate on the principle of 'challenge by choice' and aims to create a safe environment where everyone is encouraged to experiment and work in unfamiliar areas. Nobody has to take on any challenge with which they feel uncomfortable, although to get the most out of the course, we do ask you to come with an open mind and be prepared to contribute to the course.

Free for University of Manchester postgraduate researchers and research staff. This includes:

  • Attendance at the full programme (3 days residential + 1 day non-residential)

  • 2 nights accommodation at the Chancellors Hotel

  • Food and refreshments throughout (Full board during the residential)

  • All handouts and training materials


Complete your application of interest here

 

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Call for Papers: Thinking through Methodologies in Media

Thinking through Methodologies in Media
A one-day symposium on research methods in social sciences

Date: 26th March, 2013
Venue: Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool

Call for Papers
How do I conduct an online ethnography? Are there new ways to think about
visual cultures? Can I write about sound? What are creative methodologies,
and how can they be developed?
We invite researchers to a one-day symposium, with a publication to
follow, to think together through research methodologies as they relate to
digital, visual, and sound cultures. We particularly welcome papers from
postgraduate and early researchers to present their ideas and research
methods in their current field of study.

Papers are invited on any of the below fields of study:
1.New Media/Digital Culture
2.Films/Visual Culture
3.Music/Sound Culture

Selected papers will be published in the Aug/Sep 2013 issue of the TMC
Academic Journal (Singapore).

A 300 word abstract should be submitted by February 28th, 2013 to
Dr Esperanza Miyake (e.miyake@ljmu.ac.uk) with the following information:
a) author(s); b) affiliation; c) email address; d) abstract

Dr Esperanza Miyake
e.miyake@ljmu.ac.uk

Alan Molyneux
A.J.Molyneux@ljmu.ac.uk

 

 

Practice-as-research Group launch

An inter-disciplinary reading/practice group supported by artsmethods@manchester and the Institute for Cultural Practices. 

1.30pm, Wednesday 5th December (introductory meeting)

Room 2.04, Mansfield Cooper

- is practice an integral part of your research method and/or outcome? 

- are you interested in engaging with practice-as-research in the future?

We are two PhD candidates using practice-as-research within History and Museum Studies and are looking to start a dialogue about practice-as-research in the humanities and beyond. 

We would like to invite postgraduates and early year researchers interested or involved in practice-as-research to the first of an informal reading/ practice group that will meet monthly to share methods, ideas, problems and practicalities.

We are also interested in sharing ideas with researchers from other disciplines that have an established relationship with practice-as-research, such as Visual Anthropology, Screen Studies, Drama, Creative Writing, Music, Architecture and beyond the university to the visual and experimental arts - so please come along if you would like to join the conversation.

Suggested agenda for the first meeting:

- What is practice-as-research in the humanities? 

- What can we learn from disciplines with an established relationship with practice-as-research?

- Is there a difference between practice-based research and practice-as-research?

 

If you are thinking of coming along or for more information please email:

sophie.everest@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or benjamin.knowles@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

 

 

Monday 26 November 2012

Three Good Reasons to Apply for the New Generation Thinkers Scheme

Three Good Reasons to Apply for the New Generation Thinkers Scheme
by Sue-Ann Harding

The New Generation Thinkers scheme, now in its third year, is an AHRC and BBC Radio 3 joint initiative that brings together academics and the wider public through the media. It’s a fantastic opportunity for new researchers who are given a platform to share their research and their ideas. I applied last year because when I saw the announcement it seemed already to be ‘mine’. An avid radio listener, funded by the AHRC at doctoral and post-doc level, the very words themselves seemed to be from familiar territory. As busy as I was with the usual deadlines and marking that fill this time of year, I knew I would chide myself ever after if I did not at least give it a go. Now, speaking as one of the ten who were selected for the 2012 scheme, here are three good reasons why you should apply.

Firstly, the application is not onerous. 250 words on how your research “could make an engaging and stimulating programme of up to 45 minutes for a non-academic audience.” No long calls for CVs, personal statements, evidence of skills etc. Nor is this a cost-benefit analysis for a funding application, so you don’t have to think how you would do it, just what you would do if you could. My idea was to go to Russia and describe the various monuments erected in various cities in memory of the victims of the Beslan hostage disaster of 2004. It would be one of those evocative programmes full of “radio pictures”; and I still hope it gets made. The other part of the application is 250 words to “review a new film, play, novel, book of poetry, exhibition or other cultural event that you’ve recently attended. It must be on a topic separate from your research.” I wrote on the Magritte exhibition at Tate Liverpool and brought in memories of how I’d first discovered him as a school girl, leafing through glossy art books with a friend on Saturday afternoons at her house. The hardest part of the application was using the right 250 words for each piece, but the themes and ideas should already be familiar and close to you. Even if you get no further than this you will have a) met a deadline, b) met a strict word limit c) written about your research for a non-academic audience and d) thought about your research in terms other than the usual conference or academic paper.

Secondly, the workshops are great! “Each day-long workshop will consist of an introduction to programme-making; a chance to hear from a regular Radio 3 contributor who is also an academic; a meeting with producers from Radio 3 arts programmes and from BBC TV Arts; an opportunity to develop your own programme idea - and finally a pitching session for a place amongst the final ten.” Although the competition is still on at this point, I was simply so thrilled to be shortlisted (already a major achievement that you can put on your CV) that I forgot all about that and simply engaged in the day’s activities and thoroughly enjoyed myself. We had to prepare a two-minute pitch for a radio programme (I expanded on the one I’d used in the application) and then answer questions from the others in the group. Again, an excellent opportunity to talk about, and defend, your research. We also had to be prepared to argue on both sides of the question, “Is life a comedy or a tragedy?” I read up on this beforehand, formulated a few working definitions and settled on a basic argument for each side. In fact, this was the most difficult part of the day - it came right at the end after a whole day of thinking and discussions and I thought my head would crack open – but it was also incredibly enjoyable. I remember just physically relaxing into the role play and “pretending” I was on The Review Show or something. By then then whole thing seemed slightly ridiculous and so, was lots of fun.

Thirdly, actually making it through to the final ten is a fantastic opportunity to secure and develop a platform for your research and ideas. It also gives you the permission, if you like, to take that on, to believe that what you have to say is of interest to others. Most of us, in the early stages of our academic careers, don’t quite have that – which might well be why you are hesitating to even apply. My advice is: do it – meet the word limit, stick to the deadline, write about what you know best, what you care about, and what moves you. And just see what happens. Nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Pages/New-Generation-Thinkers.aspx

Monday 19 November 2012

New Generation Thinkers 2013 launched

The AHRC and BBC Radio 3 are looking for applications for the New Generation Thinkers of 2013.

Up to sixty successful applicants will have a chance to develop their programme-making ideas with experienced BBC producers at a series of dedicated workshops and, of these up to ten will become Radio 3’s resident New Generation Thinkers. They will benefit from a unique opportunity to develop their own programmes for BBC Radio 3 and a chance to regularly appear on air.

BBC Radio 3 and its programmes Night Waves, the Verb, the Essay and the Sunday Feature have provided a platform for debate and commentary from scholars across the world. You could now join them on air.

The New Generation Thinkers scheme also works with BBC TV Arts who will be looking to develop New Generation Thinkers and their ideas into arts television.

Scholars who have previously applied to the scheme are welcome – and encouraged - to apply again, even if they made it to the finals.

We welcome applications from researchers working in all areas of the arts and humanities. However, we particularly welcome ideas from researchers working in the area of the history and philosophy of science.

Please note that no one research area will get preferential treatment over another. All applications will be assessed on their own merits against the application criteria.

Further information available on our website at: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Pages/New-Generation-Thinkers.aspx

 

Thursday 15 November 2012

Engagement@Manchester

Engagement@Manchester runs a series of lunchtime meetings exploring different aspects of public engagement. All university staff and students are welcome to attend and find out more.

The next meeting will look at Collaboration between the Arts and Sciences and take place on 21 November 2012, 13:00 - 14:00, University Place 2.220

We explore how arts and sciences disciplines across the university and beyond have worked together to create some amazing engagement activities and opportunities. A few speakers will present short case studies giving a taster of what they have worked on with time for discussion.

Jenna Carine Ashton Colour/ "Chroma"

Jenna will discuss the ongoing public engagement project Colour/ "Chroma", exploring the relationship between arts and science, and our understanding and perception of sensory impairment.

Kate Dack Exploring Enhancement with young people

The 'Seeking Perfection' project brought together creative practitioners and researchers to workshop together and develop a public performance for the Manchester Science Festival.

Naomi Kashiwagi In The Mix

Naomi will talk about her work animating the University of Manchester's cultural wonders through new commissioned soundscapes that are inspired by electronic music pioneer, Delia Derbyshire.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Learn more about Science Media Communication with the Head of Science at the BBC!

Learn more about Science Media Communication with the Head of Science at the BBC!

The Faculty of Life Sciences Training Programme Presents: An Inaugural Science Media workshop with Andrew Cohen, The Head of Science at the BBC.

On Thursday 22nd November 2012, C16 Renold Building, 11-12pm. Places are strictly limited, so register now at: http://tinyurl.com/8s35tnl

Thursday 8 November 2012

The Post Grad Society

The  Post Grad Society

The University of Manchester has over 10,000 Post grads that are an integral part of University and campus life.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union is committed to creating an inclusive space for the Postgraduate community. I am looking to bring together motivated and passionate Post grads students to run this society and would like to see a mixture of researchers and taught post grads working together to make sure that all needs are met.

A preliminary meeting on Nov 14th (Wednesday) will be held for all those with an interested in sitting on the Post grad Society Committee.  The Committee will then work, with support and money from the Students’ Union, to start organising the events and services specifically for post grads .

If you are interested please email your contact details to saad.wahid@manchester.ac.uk or turn up at the meeting on the 14th of November at 6 pm at the Students Union.

Initially, the Post grad Society will do following, but terms  of reference will be established once the committee is convened.

1-      Post grad employability: Working with the University of Manchester Career services and other governmental and non governmental bodies, the Postgrad Society will ensure that its members are provided access to graduate level employment opportunities.

2-      Post grad socials: the Post grad Society will be one of the main sources of social life for postgraduates and ways for you to network with other postgrads across the University. The Society will organize socials, regular parties, and trips across the UK.

3-        Post grad study abroad exchange programme: The society will aim to establish a Post grad international mobility program through which students can complete one semester of their studies in a partner university in another country

4-        Post grad networking: With a rich base of alumni based all over the world, the Post grad Society will aim to establish connections with its alumni in order to provide help, mentoring and employment referrals to its members.

I have also setup a face book page for the event https://www.facebook.com/events/170538813087292/?context=create.

Thanks & Regards

Saad Wahid

Diversity Officer

Thursday 18 October 2012

Images of Research Photography Competition - Voting Open!

Images of Research photography competition - 17 October to 5 November 2012

15 stunning photos have been shortlisted and have gone on display at a special exhibition at the John Ryland’s Library, Deansgate.

This year’s theme is “Making a Difference”. The images demonstrate how research at the University is affecting the wider world and benefitting society. Research staff and students from all academic levels have entered. An overall winner will be chosen by the public who can vote both online and at the exhibition.

http://www.manchesterimagesofresearch.co.uk/

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=8881

Some recent tweets: 

Science Spectacular ‏@manc_science

You can also hear an interview with us on @bbcradiomanc (1hr49min) re the Images of Research Competition! http://tinyurl.com/bwm8m8e  #msf12

‏@McrSciFest

http://ow.ly/ezlIU  University of Manchester highlight the Images of Research photography competition. Voting open now http://ow.ly/ezlZ5

 

 

Monday 8 October 2012

Manchester Enterprise Centre - Venture Out Competition

Manchester Enterprise Centre

Ideas Factory and Venture Out ideas competition launch

Do you have a great idea? Here’s your chance to win a £500 cash prize!

 

Our annual enterprise ideas competition Venture Out launches on Monday, 8 October at the first in a series of Ideas Factory guest entrepreneur events.

The first Ideas Factory event sees Venture Out competition leader Dr. Martin Henery joined by past winners and finalists who have gone on to set up successful new ventures. They will explain how to get the best out of the competition and share advice on how to go from the initial idea to setting up a business.

Prizes

Venture Out has three categories – Venture Out Business, Venture Out Social and Venture Out Technology. There are three prizes to be won in each category:

1st - £500.00

2nd - £250.00

3rd - £100.00

The closing date for entries is Tuesday, 27 November and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in December.


Ideas Factory

Ideas Factory is our new series of weekly enterprise events where we invite successful entrepreneurs to share details of their entrepreneurial journey and give you the opportunity to meet them and ask your questions.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided at all Ideas Factory events.

 

For more information about Monday’s event and registration details, visit our website >>

 

Kind regards,

The Manchester Enterprise Centre Team


Friday 5 October 2012

The Digital Researcher

The Digital Researcher

19 October, Nottingham


Are you making the most of new technologies in your research?


The Vitae Midlands Hub and the Midlands Energy Consortium are running the Digital Researcher to help researchers make the most of new technologies in their research. This event will provide hands on experience and will allow researchers to explore the use of Web 2.0 in research, networks and building their own online profiles.


The interactive event, which will be held at the University of Nottingham, is for postgraduate researchers and research staff. It will include presentations and interactive sessions on subjects such as microblogging, RSS feeds, social networking and social citation sharing.  Participants will explore and develop the skills needed for research in an increasingly digital world and gain ideas for managing information.


On the day participants will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of:


  • the role that online networks can play in supporting research and researchers' careers

  • how to manage your online profile (positively)

  • how to build networks to support your research and career

  • the range of different tools that are available to support you and your research


For more details and to book your place, visit www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/916-571061/The-Digital-Researcher.html

Monday 1 October 2012

Policy@Manchester New Researchers Lunch

Policy@Manchester New Researchers Lunch: Calling all research students and post-docs with an interest in policy

https://www.intranet.ls.manchester.ac.uk/structure/communications/announcements/search.aspx?id=2955

We are pleased to invite you to attend the first ever Policy@Manchester New Researchers Lunch. The main aim of this event is to enable research students and post-docs with an interest in policy from across the University of Manchester to meet in an informal environment.

The essentials

Date: Monday 29 October 2012

Time: 1.00 - 2.30 pm

Place: Whitworth Council Chamber

What: Elevator pitches, discussion and free lunch

Who: Research students and post-docs from the University of Manchester researching policy or doing research relevant to policy making

The elevator pitches

To get to know each other’s work we want to provide as many attendees as possible with the opportunity to give an elevator pitch about their research. These mini-presentations will last up to three minutes.

To Register

Places are limited. Please register for the Policy@Manchester New Researchers Lunch by sending us an email with the following information before Tuesday 23 October 2012 noon:

- Name

- Position (e.g., MPhil/ PhD/ Post-doc)

- Department and faculty

- Research topic

- Title of your elevator pitch

- Email

- Contact telephone number

- If applicable: dietary requests

 

For further information about the Policy@Manchester initiative, see: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/policy

For registration and any questions, email NewRes.PolMcr@gmail.com

Organisers

Artan Karini (Institute for Development Policy and Management – Faculty of Humanities)

Ellen van Reuler (Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine – Faculty of Life Sciences)

Wednesday 26 September 2012

eTutor (Teaching Assistant) Vacancies for Manchester Leadership Programme

The Manchester Leadership Programme has a number of vacancies for the post of eTutor (Teaching Assistant) on 2012-13 courses. Please see full advertisement below.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 4th October, at 12.00.

eTutor (Teaching Assistant) Vacancies for Manchester Leadership Programme

The Manchester Leadership Programme is looking to recruit eTutors of any discipline from the University of Manchester PhD student community to support the delivery of its academic course units.  The MLP is a university-wide programme which helps students to explore sustainable and ethical leadership and to engage with the community. The programme is made up of 10 and 20 credit-rated ‘Leadership in Action’ academic units, and up to 60 hours of accredited volunteering.  Vacancies are available for Semester 2.

eTutors are responsible for tutoring a group of approximately 25 undergraduate students on an academic unit, leading online discussion groups, conducting face to face tutorials and assessing students' work. An interest in leadership and/or sustainable development and a passion for working with students is essential. Ideally, you should have some experience of teaching undergraduates, an interest in elearning and an awareness of some of the issues associated with leadership, sustainability and community engagement. You should also be a postgraduate student, studying towards a PhD at the University of Manchester for the duration of the unit for which you are applying.

Working hours will average 5 hours per week for the semester in which you are tutoring - see Further Details for workload. Payment will be at the agreed Graduate Teaching Assistant rate (currently £14.29 per hour).

Further details, and the application form, are available to download from www.manchester.ac.uk/mlp/eTutors.

The closing date for applications Thursday 4th October, at 12.00, and interviews will take place on 18th and 19th October 2012. If you have not heard from us by Friday 12th October, you can assume that your application has not been successful. Previous applicants for 2012-13 eTutor vacancies need not apply.

Please note that, if successful, you will need to attend eTutor training to take place on Thursday 24th January 2013.

If you have any questions about the role please contact Sian Yeowell or Sam Hemsley on tel: 0161 275 2828 

Friday 14 September 2012

Become a STEPS Editor or Social Media Manager!

Editorial and Social Media Management Opportunities for the University’s STEPS Newsletter for PGR Students

STEPS is a high profile University-wide Newsletter focussing on researcher development essentials for postgraduate researchers. It is written by postgraduate researchers for postgraduate researchers and contains up-to-date news on topics such as funding opportunities, conferences, events and training opportunities to enhance research careers.

 

The Newsletter is distributed to all postgraduate researchers and to all central training and service providers (such as Careers, Library and UMIP) and the University’s senior management. It is published quarterly and the Editorial Team is made up of postgraduate researchers from across the four Faculties of the University. The STEPS blog (http://manchestersteps.wordpress.com/), Twitter feed (@ManchesterSTEPS) , and Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/ManchesterSTEPS) also feature more regular updates on skills training and opportunities for postgraduates.

 

Now, you could join the STEPS team as a Newsletter Editor or Social Media Manager!

 

The benefits of becoming an Editor or Social Media Manager:

  • Shape and report on research staff training and development opportunities

  • Familiarise yourself with the deeper context of researcher development at the institutional and national level

  • Raise your own profile

  • Build a community voice for postgraduate researchers at Manchester

  • Get excellent hands-on experience to develop your team work, negotiation and communication skills

  • Add ‘Editorial experience’ to your CV


 

Outline of Responsibilities for Editors:

Work closely with other members of the Editorial Team (up to two postgraduate researchers from each Faculty plus one Faculty Researcher Developer and the central Coordinator) that undertakes all aspects of publication including: 

  • Generating ideas for content; Writing/commissioning articles; Editorial appraisal of submitted contributions; Proof reading; Laying out the first proof and liaising with the University’s Design Studio on matters of design and format

  • Attend Editorial Team meetings (up to 6 per year of 2 hours duration)

  • Positively promote the Newsletter in their Schools & Faculties

  • Help to identify and attend promotional opportunities

  • Contribute to the STEPS blog, Twitter feed and Facebook Page


 

Outline of Responsibilities for Social Media Managers:

  • Transfer of magazine content (published quarterly) to blog posts

  • Commission blog posts to supplement magazine content

  • Regular update of tweets from STEPS account

  • Manage the STEPS email account, cascading information to the Editorial Team where appropriate

  • Attendance at quarterly editorial meetings

  • Investigate and recommend use of other social media tools

  • Enhance promotional and communication channels for STEPS

  • Help to build a community voice for postgraduate researchers at Manchester, whilst raising your own profile


 

Essentials for Applicants:

  • Registered postgraduate research student at The University of Manchester

  • Excellent communication skills

  • Excellent collaborator and team worker (you work closely with the print editorial team)

  • An understanding of the purpose and ethos of STEPS content


Applications

If you are interested in applying for the role please submit an application, indicating which role (Editor or Social Media Manager) you would like to apply for, and including a statement of why you are interested in the role, any relevant experience and the skills you would bring to the post, by midnight Monday 1 October 2012  to Dr Mark Leech (mark.j.leech@manchester.ac.uk) to whom informal enquiries of interest can also be made.  Appointments will be made following an interview process on dates to be confirmed.