RIS Active-Research and Innovation Services News

The slides from Peter Walter’s talk yesterday are now available online here.

As Horizon 2020 is intended to more closely integrate research and innovation, it is being supported equally by Research Services (RS) and Kent Innovation and Enterprise (KIE). KIE has invited representatives of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to attend this event, so this may be an opportunity to meet potential commercial partners, as well as getting an overview of H2020.

To find out more about H2020, get in touch with the following people in RS and KIE:

• For queries relating to predominantly research projects, contact Conny Jumel in RS (k.jumel@kent.ac.uk, xtn 3067);
• For queries relating to predominantly innovation or close-to-market projects, contact Jenny Harmer in KIE (entfunding@kent.ac.uk xtn 6524)

Further information on H2020 is available on the Research and Innovation websites.

The 3^rd Science Writing Group Session will take place on Tuesday the 11th March, between 12.15 to 1.45pm (location tbc). Attendance at the previous sessions is not a prerequisite for attending Session 3.

Like the last session you are invited to prepare a an idea for a grant application (from 1 paragraph to 1 side of A4). These ideas will be discussed with the Session Leaders (Simon Thompson, Sarah Spurgeon and Mick Tuite), myself at the session. This could be an update of your idea from the last session, new application idea or a grant application that is ongoing. If this is not possible or you do wish to prepare a grant idea at this time, please do not let this stop you coming along to the session your input would be greatly appreciated!

Please let Helen Leech know if you are able to come along on the 11th so that she can book refreshments.

Involving the end users in the design and management of research projects has become increasingly important . It is no longer acceptable to run projects in which participants don’t have a voice. But how does this work? How do you identify potential users? What are the potential pitfalls or problems, and what benefits can you expect? The latest Grants Factory session took two very different case studies and looked at the difficulties –but also the significant benefits – of involving users in research. Notes from the session are now available on the Fundermentals blog.

The Horizon 2020 National Contact Point for ICT, Peter Walters, will visit the University  on Monday the 3^rd of March. After the presentations and panel discussion there will be an opportunity for a 10 minute 1:1 meeting with Peter Walters for those wishing to discuss specific matters about the programme. To book a 1:1 session please contact Conny Jumel (k.jumel@kent.ac.uk) with a brief description of your query.

As Horizon 2020 is intended to more closely integrate research and innovation, it is being supported equally by Research Services (RS) and Kent Innovation and Enterprise (KIE). KIE has invited representatives of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to attend this event, so this may be an opportunity to meet potential commercial partners, as well as getting an overview of H2020.

To find out more about H2020, get in touch with the following people in RS and KIE:

• For queries relating to predominantly research projects, contact Conny Jumel in RS (k.jumel@kent.ac.uk, xtn 3067);
• For queries relating to predominantly innovation or close-to-market projects, contact Jenny Harmer in KIE (entfunding@kent.ac.uk xtn 6524)

Further information on H2020 is available on the Research and Innovation websites.

Are you developing a health or social care-related research project?

Would you like to improve your chances of success when applying for NIHR funding?

The Research Design Service South East is running a free half day workshop at the University on 24 April 2014. The RDS SE offers free support at all stages of the research design and application process.

Programme:

• 10.00-10.15 Welcome & coffee
• 10.15-11.15 NIHR funding programmes and RfPB
• 11.15-11.40 Coffee and networking
• 11.40-12.10 Securing funding, and running an NIHR-funded study
• 12.10-12.45 Q&A

Online information/booking form: www.rds-se.nihr.ac.uk/learning
Contact: Helen McGregor email: h.mcgregor@kent.ac.uk tel: 01227 824281

Prof. Philippe De Wilde has been appointed as the new PVC Research & Enterprise from 1 August 2014.

Prof De Wilde is currently a Professor in the Intelligent Systems Lab and Head of the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University.

‘I am extremely pleased to be joining the University in this, its fiftieth year,’ said De Wilde. ‘Kent has a strong history of research, and I am looking forward to helping the University to develop this further. Whilst it is a tough environment for research at the moment, Kent has huge potential to intensify its research culture, increasing its research income, its impact and its profile on the national and international stage.’

Prof De Wilde has research interests in computational intelligence and cybernetics, using neural networks, fuzzy logic, evolution, and game theory. Before moving to Heriot-Watt, Prof De Wilde worked at Imperial College London for sixteen years.

De Wilde is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, and of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and a Senior Member of IEEE. He is a Laureate of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, and has held the Vloeberghs Chair at the Free University Brussels, 2010.
He has published 49 journal articles, 52 conference papers and book chapters, and four books.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Dame Julia Goodfellow, welcomed Prof De Wilde. ‘This is an exciting appointment at a crucial time for Kent. The outcome of the REF will be known in late 2014, and I believe Philippe has the track record, the skills and the strategic vision to build on this and effect a step change in the research culture at Kent.

‘I would like to thank the current PVC, Prof John Baldock, for his excellent, insightful and decisive leadership of research for the past seven years. I am indebted to him for championing research, and for steering the University through both RAE2008 and REF2014. Research at Kent has benefited immeasurably from his tenure. John has set the University on the right track; I look forward to working with Philippe to accelerate our progress along this road.’

The second Grants Factory Writing Workshop led by Simon Kirchin will be on Wednesday 29th January from 12.00 – 1400 (lunch incl).

Applicants will need to send Lynne Bennett (l.bennett-282@kent.ac.uk) either a draft application or a summary of their application in advance of the workshop.

There will be further Writing Groups later in the year. The sessions are intended to help, support, mentor and motivate staff in preparing successful proposals. The schedule of these workshops is as follows:

24 Feb 2014 at 2.00pm (Gordon Lynch & Lynne Bennett)
26 Mar 2014 at 12.00pm (Simon Kirchin & Lynne Bennett)
12 May 2014 at 2.00pm (Gordon Lynch & Lynne Bennett)

The 2nd Science Writing Group Session will take place on Friday the 31st January, between 12.15 to 1.45pm (location tbc). Attendance at Session 1 is not a prerequisite for attending Session 2.

For this session you are invited to prepare a an idea for a grant application (from 1 paragraph to 1 side of A4). These ideas will be discussed with the Session Leaders (Simon Thompson, Sarah Spurgeon and Mick Tuite), myself and the rest of the group on the 31st. If this is not possible or you do wish to prepare a grant idea at this time, please do not let this stop you coming along to the session your input would be greatly appreciated!

Please let Helen Leech (h.leech@kent.ac.uk) know if you are able to come along on the 31st so she can book refreshments. She will make arrangements for the Grant ideas to be deposited in Dropbox and send out the details in due course.